## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** **From 01.01.2024 Period start date to 31.12.2024 Period end date** **Charity name: Cleethorpes and District Astronomical Society Charity registration number: 1186764** ## **Objectives and Activities** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|**The object of the CIO is to advance**
**education in the science of astronomy**
**and related subjects by furthering the**
**knowledge of its members and amongst**
**the local community, promoting and**
**conducting observations and by**
**providing facilities for active**
**participation in astronomical**
**observation.**| |Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or
services identified in the
accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|**We are a long-established astronomical**
**society with our own observatory and**
**meeting room situated at Beacon Hill,**
**Montgomery Road, Cleethorpes, DN35**
**9JQ. Although a members’ society, the**
**majority of our activities are open and**
**welcoming to the general public and**
**promoted on our website, on Facebook**
**and the local press. We organise and**
**deliver talks, informal meetings,**
**dedicated sessions for newcomers to**
**astronomy and outreach activities for**
**schools, scouting groups and other**
**organisations.**
**The society website**
**www.cleethorpesastronomy.org.uk**
**Is well maintained and a regularly**
**accessed source of up-to-date**
**information about our activities.**
**In addition to open evenings, meetings,**
**sessions for beginners the society**
**welcomes members and the public to**
**daytime observations of Solar events**
**such as eclipses and transits.**
**In addition to the 16-inch aperture**
**Cassegrain / Newtonian telescope in the**
**purpose-built observatory dome, we**| |||**own and maintain a variety of smaller**
**portable telescopes for demonstration**
**purposes and for use by members,**
**beginners and visitors. We also have the**
**facility to electronically transmit images**
**from a telescope in the observation**
**dome to a projector and screen in the**
**meeting room. This allows our less**
**mobile members and guests to take part**
**in observing sessions.**| |---|---|---| |Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|**Trustees of Cleethorpes and District**
**Astronomical Society are acquainted**
**with the Charity Commission’s guidance**
**on public benefit and comply with the**
**requirements under section 17(5) of the**
**Charities Act 2011 to ensure that the**
**activities of the society are available to**
**and suitable for the public at large. The**
**prioritisation of public benefit is**
**regularly reviewed at trustee and**
**committee meetings to encourage**
**inclusion, particularly of younger**
**members of the public, through**
**promotion, range of activities and**
**charges. The trustees also ensure that**
**the society caters for a wide variety of**
**interests, commitment and abilities.**| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: ||
SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Policy on grant making|Para 1.38|**The society does not make grants but is**
**prepared to temporally loan telescopes**
**to members.**| |Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|Para 1.38|**We do not engage in investment**
**activity.**| |Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|**The society has no paid staff, so all its**
**activities are undertaken voluntarily by**
**its members. These include secretarial,**
**governance, organisation of meetings**
**and speakers, practical observing,**
**catering for beginners, upkeep of**
**premises, grounds and equipment,**
**website maintenance and social**
**interaction.**| |Other||| ## **Achievements and Performance** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.|Para 1.20|**Attendances at Main and Beginners’**
**meetings have held up well during the**
**year with Main meetings averaging**
**twenty-three attendees for the eleven**
**observatory-based meetings. The Main**
**meeting programme had a wide variety**
**of topics so that all members’ interests**
**were catered for. These meetings**
**featured speakers including our own**
**members, Fellows of the Royal**
**Astronomical Society, University**
**lecturers and experts from other**
**astronomical societies.The August**
**meeting was the regular Perseid meteor**
**watch at the dark sky, out-of-town home**
**of one of our members.**
**The Beginners’ meetings enjoyed an**
**average attendance of 20 persons**
**with several new people joining us**
**from September onwards. There is**
**now a substantial core of people**
**who are attending very regularly.**
**Changing the programme to a two-**
**year cycle has given us a lot more**
**flexibility in how and when topics are**
**introduced. This is particularly**
**important given the unpredictability**
**of observing opportunities on**
**Beginners’ meeting nights. Essential**
**to the success of the Beginners’**
**sessions is how welcome people feel**
**when they arrive, especially for the**
**first time. In addition to the average**
**twenty attendees, all the Beginners’**
**sessions have several society**
**members present to deliver talks and**
**advice, set up and help with**
**telescope viewing and generally**
**promote a welcoming atmosphere.**
**Our monthly Informal Evenings**
**provided a platform for members to join**
**together to discuss and share their**
**various interests in Astronomy**.
**The regular attendees included**
**beginners aiming to increase their**
**understanding together with**
**experienced members eager to share**
**their knowledge through discussion and**
**short presentations. Each evening, held**| **via Zoom, includes a variety of subjects ranging from those of astronomical historical interest, future space projects, current astronomical phenomena and astrophysical topics We have excellent astrophotographers at our meetings who share their work, expertise and gave advice. Attendees are not required to prepare a presentation or lead a discussion; their presence is simply requested to enjoy an evening with fellow enthusiasts. The society’s Outreach sessions have been very successful with a plethora of enquiries from local groups. Visitors have included schools, scouts, cubs, beavers, guides and U3A (University of the Third Age) groups. During the year the committee has met six times. It undertook a thorough SWOT (Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats) analysis of the society’s situation. It is fair to say that the results were broadly positive and some points that arose from it have been dealt with, such as improving security of the building and the usability of the rear fire escape. The sleeping policemen on the internal driveway have also been repainted as they were becoming a hazard. It has also enabled us to set some key action points. One of these is to have the path to the meeting room re-laid as it is in an unsatisfactory condition, especially for those who are disabled or elderly. The committee has decided to seek external funding for this work. A considerable amount of maintenance work has been undertaken both to the dome and 16” telescope as well as to the meeting room and the rest of the building. These improvements are generally aimed at enhancing the appearance, comfort and safety of our facilities. However, given that the building is over 50 years old, maintenance will continue to be an ongoing necessity.** ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
Achievements against
objectives set|
Para 1.41|
**All the activities of the society / CIO**
**emphasise and support our set**
**objectives. We continue to be a valuable**
**and needed service to the local**
**community where members of the**
**public are more than welcome to join or**
**just visit in order to learn about**
**astronomy and experience practical**
**observing. We are a unique and valuable**
**resource to the community, for example**
**when someone acquires a telescope for**
**the first time and needs to learn how to**
**use it.**| |---|---|---| |Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|Para 1.41|**The society raises a small amount of**
**funds through the provision of**
**refreshments and organising raffles**
**during meetings. These, together with**
**the collection of membership**
**subscriptions and door charges for**
**casual visitors and fees for outreach**
**activities help with the upkeep of the**
**premises, maintenance of equipment**
**and expenses incurred by visiting**
**speakers. All income has been utilised**
**in support of the society’s objectives.**| |Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41|**Not applicable**| |Other||| |**Financial Review**||| |Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|**One of our senior committee and trustee**
**members is elected annually to the**
**position of treasurer. The treasurer**
**oversees all matters relating to income**
**and expenditure and provides detailed**
**information to committee and trustees**
**meetings.**
**The financial position of the society**
**remains healthy with end of year**
**unrestricted funds totalling £5,921**| |||**compared with £5,063 at the end of**
**2023. This financial stability has been**
**achieved through careful management**
**and the goodwill of members which has**
**allowed the society not only to maintain**
**but also further improve its facilities**| |---|---|---| |Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|**The society is a straightforward and**
**transparent organisation with generally**
**predictable outgoings. Holding specific**
**reserves is therefore not necessary at**
**the present time.**| |Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|**None**| |Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|**Predicted expenditure such as**
**insurance, fees and utilities can always**
**be met through subscriptions.**| |Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|**The society has no funds in deficit.**| |Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|**The future of the society requires**
**enough members in order to provide**
**subscriptions to cover our outgoings.**
**We are therefore aware of the need to**
**continuously attract new and younger**
**members to future-proof the society.**
**Progression from the beginners’**
**programme to membership of the**
**society is one way to achieve this.**| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|
Para 1.47|
**The society’s principal sources of funds**
**are membership subscriptions and**
**casual visitors at meetings, refreshment**
**and raffle charges. These are**
**supplemented by donations, including**
**those given in appreciation of outreach**
**activities.**| |---|---|---| |Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|**Not applicable.**| |A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46|**The society has been in existence for**
**over 50 years. We have our own**
**premises and equipment and a regular**| **membership. We also enjoy an established communication and outreach potential. The only risk is not being able to attract sufficient new members and participants in the future.** Other ## **Structure, Governance and Management** |Description of charity’s
trusts:||| |---|---|---| |Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|**The society / CIO is governed by its**
**constitution which was reviewed and**
**amended on 29th April 2019.**| |How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g. unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|**As a Charitable Incorporated**
**Organisation registered with the Charity**
**Commission on 5th December 2019.**| |Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|**Membership of the society is open to**
**the public. The trustees, along with the**
**society’s committee members and**
**officers, are elected from the general**
**membership at each annual general**
**meeting. All posts are open to any of**
**our members and are advertised prior to**
**the AGM.**| **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction
and training of trustees|Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction
and training of trustees||**The society / CIO has an elected**
**committee with executive posts of**
**society chair, chair of trustees,**
**secretary and treasurer. The elected**
**trustees operate within the society’s**
**organisational structure and**
**constitution to ensure that its activities,**
**priorities and expenditure are in line**
**with and support the CIO’s charitable**
**and public benefit objectives. Relevant**
**circulars from the Charity Commission**
**are circulated to the trustees.**| |---|---|---|---| ||Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction
and training of trustees|Para 1.51|**The society / CIO has an elected**
**committee with executive posts of**
**society chair, chair of trustees,**
**secretary and treasurer. The elected**
**trustees operate within the society’s**
**organisational structure and**
**constitution to ensure that its activities,**
**priorities and expenditure are in line**
**with and support the CIO’s charitable**
**and public benefit objectives. Relevant**
**circulars from the Charity Commission**
**are circulated to the trustees.**| ||||| |The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51|**Trustees are an integral part of the**
**society’s organisational and committee**
**structure. The society is a member of**
**the Federation of Astronomical**
**Societies (FAS) which is a national body**
**established to promote co-operation**
**between astronomical societies and**
**provide information and advice. Public**
**liability insurance is obtained annually**
**from the FAS and the society has**
**adopted the national policies on child**
**protection, general data protection**
**regulation (GDPR) and risk assessment.**| |---|---|---| |Relationship with any
related parties|Para 1.51|**Not applicable**| |Other||| ## **Reference and Administrative details** |Charity name|Cleethorpes and District Astronomical Society| |---|---| |Other name the charity uses|None| |Registered charity number|1186764| |Charity’s principal address|144 Chichester Road
Cleethorpes
Lincolnshire
DN35 0JJ| ||| ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Michael Brightmore|Chair||SocietyMembership| ||Barrie Watts|Vice Chair||SocietyMembership| ||Susan Parr|Secretary||SocietyMembership| ||William Scutcher|Treasurer||SocietyMembership| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| – Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved **Director name Not applicable** Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity |**Trustee name**|**Dates acted if not for whole year**|| |---|---|---| |**Not applicable**||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| ## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others** |Description of the assets
held in this capacity|Not applicable| |---|---| |Name and objects of the
charity on whose behalf the
assets are held and how this
falls within the custodian
charity’s objects|Not applicable| |Details of arrangements for
safe custody and
segregation of such assets
from the charity’s own
assets|Not applicable| ## **Additional information (optional)** ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** **Type of Name Address adviser** **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** Not applicable ## **Exemptions from disclosure** Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details **Not applicable** ## **Other optional information** ## **Declarations** ## **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** **Signature(s)** Susan Elizabeth Parr **Full name(s)** Michael Victor Brightmore **Position (eg Secretary,** Chair Secretary **Chair, etc) Date** 17[th] September 2025 |**Cleethorpes and District Astronomical Society**|**Cleethorpes and District Astronomical Society**|**Cleethorpes and District Astronomical Society**|**1186764**| |---|---|---|---| |**Receipts andpayments accounts**|||| |**For the period**
**from**|1-Jan-24|**To**|31-Dec-24| **CC16a** |**Section A Receipts and payments**|**Section A Receipts and payments**|**Section A Receipts and payments**|||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |**A1 Receipts**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**||**Restricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**||**Endowment**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**||**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**||**Last year**
**to the nearest £**| |MembershipSubscriptions|**765**||**-**||**-**||**765**||**1,632**| |On the doorpayments|**469**||**-**||**-**||**469**||**336**| |Visit Donations|**305**||**-**||**-**||**305**||**220**| |Other donations|**77**||**-**||**-**||**77**||**117**| |Refreshment Payments|**260**||**-**||**-**||**260**||**159**| |Book sales|**570**||**-**||**-**||**570**||**-**| |Raffle money|**191**||**-**||**-**||**191**||**287**| |Grants|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| |Equipment Loan Deposits|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| |**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for_
_AR)_|**2,637**||**-**||**-**||**2,637**||**2,751**| ||||||||||| |**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**|||||||||| ||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| ||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| |**_Sub total_**|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| |**_Total receipts_**
**A3 Payments**|||||||||| ||||||||||**2,751**| ||||||||||| |Speaker fees and expenses|**265**||**-**||**-**||**265**||**317**| |NELC Rent and Rates|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| |Water supply payment to allotment soc|**35**||**-**||**-**||**35**||**25**| |Refreshements|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| |Maintenance|**56**||**-**||**-**||**56**||**163**| |FAS Mem'ship & Voluntr. + PL Insurance|**73**||**-**||**-**||**73**||**52**| |Other insurance|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**144**| |Electricity|**380**||**-**||**-**||**380**||**291**| |Major buildingwork|**400**||**-**||**-**||**400**||**774**| |Astro equipment and consumablles|**24**||**-**||**-**||**24**||**504**| |Non-astro equiment and consumables|**172**||**-**||**-**||**172**||**576**| |Equipment Loan Deposit Refunded|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| |Book Printingetc|**394**||**-**||**-**||**394**||**-**| |**_Sub total_ **|**1,799**||**-**||**-**||**1,799**||**2,846**| ||||||||||| |**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**|||||||||| ||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| ||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| |**_Sub total_ **|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| |**_Total payments_**
**_Net of receipts/(payments)_**
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**_Cash funds this year end_**|||||||||| ||||||||||**2,846**| ||||||||||| ||**838**||**-**||**-**||**838**||**- 95**| ||**-**||**- **|
|**-**||**-**||**-**| ||**5,083**||**-**||**-**||**5,083**||**5,158**| ||**5,921**||**-**||**-**||**5,921**||**5,063**| CCXX R1 accounts (SS) 9/17/2025 1 ## **Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period** |**Categories**
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees
**B1 Cash funds**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**
**B5 Liabilities**
**B3 Investment assets**|Cash held as cash
NatWest current account
**Details**
**Details**
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
**Details**|Cash held as cash
NatWest current account
**Details**
**Details**
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
**Details**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**228**
**5,693**
**-**
**5,921**
OK
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**228**
**5,693**
**-**
**5,921**
OK
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
OK
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
OK
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||||||||**-**| ||||||||**-**| ||||||||**-**| ||||||||**-**| ||||||||OK| ||||||||**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**| ||||||||**-**| ||||||||**-**| ||||||||**-**| ||||||||**-**| ||||||||**-**| ||||||||**-**| ||||||||**Current value**
**(optional)**| ||||||**-**||**-**| ||||||**-**||**-**| ||||||**-**||**-**| ||||||**-**||**-**| ||||||**-**||**-**| ||**Details**||**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**||**Cost (optional)**||**Current value**
**(optional)**| ||||||**-**||**-**| ||||||**-**||**-**| ||||||**-**||**-**| ||||||**-**||**-**| ||||||**-**||**-**| ||||||**-**||**-**| ||||||**-**||**-**| ||||||**-**||**-**| ||||||**-**||**-**| ||**Details**||**Fund to which**
**liability relates**||**Amount due**
**(optional)**||**When due**
**(optional)**| ||||||**-**||| ||||||**-**||| ||||||**-**||| ||||||**-**||| ||||||**-**||| ||Signature||Print Name
William Scutcher
Michael Brightmore||||| ||||||||Date of
approval| ||||William Scutcher||||9/16/2025| ||||Michael Brightmore||||9/16/2025| CCXX R2 accounts (SS) 9/17/2025 2