## **CROYDON ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY** ## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE PERIOD 7[th] FEBRUARY 2020 TO 31[ST] MARCH 2021** ## **1. LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION** **CHARITY REGISTRATION** 1187803 **NUMBER: LEGAL FORM:** Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) formed under the Charities Act 2011 (the “Act”). **CHARITY TRUSTEES (COMMITTEE) (SEE SECTION 3):** 10 **GOVERNING DOCUMENT:** Constitution dated 7[th] Feb 2020. **OBJECTS:** To advance education in the science of astronomy and related subjects for the public benefit in Croydon and the surrounding area by - a) encouraging a popular interest in astronomy and allied subjects; - b) helping beginners, irrespective of their age, to acquire a knowledge of astronomy and allied subjects; and - c) providing facilities for practical work and active participation in astronomical observation. ## **CONVERSION TO A CIO** At an Extraordinary General Meeting held in December 2019 members voted unanimously to change the legal structure of the society from a Charitable Association to being a CIO. The CIO was registered on 7[th] February 2020, and the assets and liabilities of the Charitable Association were transferred to the CIO on 1[st] August 2020. ## **MEMBERSHIP** **WEBSITE** 69 as of 31st March 2021. http://croydonastro.org.uk ## **2. ACTIVITIES IN PERIOD** The Society carries out its purposes by: - arranging talks held in a school hall on subjects which are related to astronomy approximately every two weeks during school term time on a Friday evening. To ensure that we cater for all levels of interest and knowledge there are typically two talks each meeting – a short talk which is presented by a member of the Society and a longer talk which is usually presented by a visiting expert speaker from a university or another society. - maintaining the self-built Norman Fisher Observatory on a small plot of land in a relatively dark sky location at Kenley which is within easy reach of central Croydon. The observatory is open to the public every Saturday evening when it is clear and dark, provided qualified volunteers are available. Pre-arranged visiting groups (scout organisation, U3A etc) are welcomed at other times during the week. The society is unusual amongst astronomy societies in that it does not charge a membership fee but is funded by donations from its members and visitors. Following the introduction of Government COVID-19 restrictions in March 2020, the Society has not been able to physically meet or open its observatory. Committee has therefore moved activities online and has arranged a short programme of talks and social meetings at the society’s virtual pub, the ‘Altair Arms’. Committee members confirm that they have had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. Croydon Astronomical Society – Trustees’ Report and Accounts for the period to 31[st] March 2021 ## **3. COMMITTEE** The Committee can have up to ten charity trustees. - All Committee members (apart from the offices of Chair, Secretary and Treasurer) retire at every AGM. - Those holding the offices of Chair, Secretary and Treasurer are required to retire at every second AGM, with the Chair and Treasurer retiring in the same year and the Secretary in the alternate year. - Retiring trustees are immediately eligible for re-election. **Table 1 –** Committee members during the period 7[th] February 2020 to the date of this report:- |**Name**|**Role as at the**
**date of this**
**report**|**On**
**Committee**
**7th February**
**2020**|**Date Joined**
**Committee**|**Date Left**
**Committee**|**On Committee**
**as at the date**
**of this report**| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |**Tony Roberts**|Chair|•|||•| |**Graham Cluer**|Secretary &
Vice-Chair||15 Jul 20||•| |**Colin Weightman**|Treasurer &
Membership|•|||•| |**Alice Ardis**|||4 Dec 20||•| |**Joanne Ardis**|||4 Dec 20||•| |**Jonathan Barrott**|||4 Dec 20||•| |**Martin Gaiger**|Outreach||15 Jul 20||•| |**Martin Hogbin**||•||9 Apr 20|| |**Carolyn Raishbrook**||•|||•| |**Paul Stenning**|||16 Dec 20||•| |**Will Stewart**||•|||•| |_Dave Burfoot_||•||15 Dec 20|| |_Paul Harper_||•||4 Dec 20|| |**TOTAL**||7|6|3|10| Croydon Astronomical Society – Trustees’ Report and Accounts for the period to 31[st] March 2021 ## **4. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** ## Basis of Accounting Under Section 133 of the Act, since our gross income is below £250,000, we have elected to prepare accounts on a receipts and payments basis and a statement of our assets and liabilities (with the net of the assets and liabilities being our ‘Accumulated Fund’). We do not meet the threshold required for an audit of the Society’s accounts under section 144 of the Act 2011 nor for an independent examination under section 145 of the Act. It is our practice to ask a member of the Society (the CAS Accounts Examiner) to examine the society’s accounting records and confirm to the Committee that nothing has come to their attention that would cause them to believe in any material respect that accounting records were not kept in accordance with Section 130 of the Act, or that the accounts do not accord with the accounting records. ## Financial Review We present accounts for the period from 7[th] February 2020 to 31[st] March 2021: - The CIO was dormant from its date of registration of 7[th] February 2020 to 31[st] July 2020. - On 1st August 2020, the Accumulated Fund of £6,956 was acquired from Croydon Astronomical Society charitable association (251560). - COVID-19 restrictions have severely impacted our donation and other income. Although expenses are lower than usual since we could not physically meet, and therefore did not need to hire the school hall, we have incurred exceptional legal costs to transfer the observatory land into the society’s name (previously held on trust for the society by four land trustees). Overall, expenditure exceeded income in the period by £1,114. - As of 31st March 2021, the Accumulated Fund stood at £5,842. ## Reserves Policy Committee is required to retain only those cash reserves that are appropriate to the Society’s needs and ambitions. However, in reviewing the amount of the reserves to be retained, Committee’s aim will be to ensure the society will be able to continue to fulfil its charitable objectives even if there is a temporary shortfall in donation income or if unexpected expenditure arises. The trustees will endeavour not to set aside funds unnecessarily. This Trustees’ Report and Accounts was approved by Committee on 27[th] April 2021. Signed: Tony Roberts, Chair Colin Weightman, Treasurer Croydon Astronomical Society – Trustees’ Report and Accounts for the period to 31[st] March 2021 Croydon Astronomlcal Soclety Statement of Assets and Llabllltles as at 31st March 2021 Cash al Bank and in Hand Add.. Debtor8 and Prepaymonts Deduct. Creditors and AccnJals Accwnul•t•d Fund 6,591 102 851 42 Mov•m•nts In Accumulat•d Fund as at 31st March 2021 Accwnul•t•d Fund tra￿l•fr•d from charttabl• a••oclailon {2S1 $601 on 191 AUg￿t 2020 Surplus IIOeficitl of Income over Expendilute for Perlod Accumulat•d Fund Carrl•d Forward 6,956 {1,1141 Incom• and Exp•ndltur• for th• 8 month p•rlod •nd•d 31st March 2021 lrtom• Donatson$ (Ind GiftAid} R8ffle$ Refreshments Other Tot•1 kn¢wn• 242 242 Cost olPAeebngs atRoy81 Russell School School H811 Hire Speakers, Expensos Cost of Raffle and Refreshments Other (30) 30 K6nl6y ObseTh810ry Malnten8nce & Costs Ctsservatory Buildings Ctsservaiory Equipmenl and Computing Electriuty Voice and Dala Council Tax Other (198) (282) 720 00 Other¢osts Website, Ern8il & Vldeoconforencing Insuranco Membership Feos IFAS and SAG4SI Mlscellaneous (67) 1281 (301 125 Total Exp•ndltw• Swpkn l{D•lklt) of kncom• ov•r Exp•ndltw• NB... Columns ma notadd due to mundin Croydon Astronomical Society- Trustees, Report and Accounts for the period to 31st March 2021