## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
**From 1 January 2025 To 31 December 2025 Charity name: Bath and Counties Archaeological Society**
## **Charity registration number: 1189630**
## **Objectives and Activities**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|To promote for the public benefit the study
of archaeology in all its branches.|
|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|The society achieves these aims by
organizing public lectures given by leading
archaeological professionals and
excursions to study archaeological and
historic sites. Members participate in
fieldwork projects using the society's own
archaeological equipment. Projects include
geophysical studies as well as excavations
under the direction of the society's director
of archaeology. The society provides
training and experience of a broad range of
archaeological and historical investigative
techniques which may be applied to the
study of the local heritage and from time to
time organizes specific training sessions in
contemporary archaeological techniques.
Reports of all projects undertaken are
published on the society's website or in the
society's journal of record Camertonia.
Access to society records is possible via
the society's website. The society also
publishes a regular newsletter which
informs readers of current society activities
and other activities organized by local
groups to provide a useful resource for
those interested in archaeological events.
The society answers general enquiries
from members of the public and works with
the local authority to enhance the Historical
Environment Record (HER).|
|Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|The Trustees can confirm that they have
complied with their duty to have due regard
to the Charity Commission's public benefit
guidance when exercising any powers or
duties to which the guidance is relevant.|
## **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|**Activities**
Excavations continued at Oldfield
(previously known as Marston Mill), near
Frome, with the uncovering of medieval
remains.
An excavation was conducted in
partnership with the National Trust of the
Prior Park Bason. This was the third year of
investigation.
A geophysical survey was carried out at
Dyrham Park to investigate features in
LiDAR scans. A possible ditch and bank
were identified.
Allotments at the edge of Royal Victoria
Park, Bath, were surveyed using resistivity
profiling. The results were largely negative.
In July, we had a stall at a Festival of
Archaeology day at Combe Down, Bath,
organised by Bath and NE Somerset
Heritage Services.
Also in July, we carried out a further
geophysical survey in Royal Victoria Park.
Two of the days were designated as Open
Days when members of the public could
participate in a geophysical survey.
**External representation**
We contributed to the Bathscape project
and attended meetings of the Bath World
Heritage Site Advisory Group.
**Excursions**
The society was able to organise a full
programme of visits:_Bristol Cathedral and_
_1831 Riots_(April);_Lydney Quay and the_
_Lost Fleet_(May);_Three Somerset_
_Churches_(June);_Ebbor Gully Cave_(July);
_Beckington Village_(August);_Newport Ship_
_and Town Museum_(September).
**Lectures**
Lectures were held on_National Trust_
_Archaeology in Wessex over 38 years_
(Martin Papworth, retd. National Trust);
_Newport Medieval Ship_(Bob Evans,
Friends of Newport Ship);_Discovering_
_Avebury – landscape and people_(Dr Nick
Snashall, National Trust);_The Chalkland_
_Landscape of Stonehenge, Avebury and_
_Cranborne Chase_(Dr Mike Allen,
Environmental Archaeologist);_The use of_
_sonar imaging techniques in Mapping and_
_Visualising Maritime Wrecks_(Capt FC
Morgan Davis).
**Publications**
Regular Newsletters were sent to
members. New project reports were
published on the website and together with|
the Facebook site both were updated on a frequent basis to maintain communication with members. A number of mailshots on specific subjects were also made to members. **Committee** The Committee held five meetings to plan the society’s business and to review the financial situation of the Society to ensure that such decisions were taken as necessary to support the organisation. **Trustees** The trustees met in September and approved an application for an online banking account. **AGM** The AGM was held in March. Shaun Wilson received the Clive Peacock Memorial Award. A motion calling for BaNES to reinstate the post of County Archaeologist was passed.
## **Financial Review**
|**Financial Review**|||
|---|---|---|
|Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|Income was up at £9749 (2024: £4556).
Expenditure was £5435 (2024: £3856)
resulting in a surplus of £4314 (2024:
£701). The income includes a grant of
£5000 for equipment from Bathscape which
was not spent before the year end. The
expenditure includes the return of an
unspent grant of £3113 to the Association
for Roman Archaeology for the Durley Hill
project.
Membership income was £3069 (2024:
£2856). Lectures showed a surplus of £817
(2024: £695) and Excursions a surplus of
£532 (2024: £483). Increasing costs led us
to decide to put the lecture prices up from
£4 to £5 for members and from £5 to £7 for
non-members.
ACCUMULATED FUNDS now stand at
£27391 (2024: £23077) and Available Cash
of £22041 (2024: £19564), represented by
Accumulated Funds less Bathscape Grant
of £5000 less Members’ Project Deposits of
£350.|
|Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|Trustees maintain under review the
financial risks to which the charity is
exposed. In a typical year society costs
would include insurance, room and other
hire fees, subscriptions to other
organizations, social media and website
fees, repairs to and replacement of
equipment, and other potential costs that
may arise as a consequence of the work
that BACAS undertakes. The Trustees
have reached the view that it would be
prudent for BACAS to aim to retain a level
of reserves of some £5000. Cash over and
above the reserves may be used to fund
ongoing activities. This policy is reviewed
annually. No change to this policy was
required in 2025.|
|Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|£5000|
|Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|N/A|
|Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|N/A|
|Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|None identified.|
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
|Description of charity’s
trusts:|||
|---|---|---|
|Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|Constitution.|
|How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|CIO|
|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|Trustees are elected from the membership.|
## **Additional information (optional)**
|**Additional information (optional)**|**Additional information (optional)**||
|---|---|---|
|You may choose to include further statements||where relevant about:|
|The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51|The Society is managed by a General
Committee all of whom are elected from the
membership. Five of the Trustees are also
members of the General Committee.
Specialist groups/committees reporting to
the Trustees are formed as necessary.|
## **Reference and Administrative details**
|Charity name|Bath and Counties Archaeological Society|
|---|---|
|Other name the charity uses|BACAS|
|Registered charity number|1189630|
|Charity’s principal address|7 Maycliffe Park
Bristol
BS6 5JH|
**Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
|1
2
3
4
5
6
7|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person (or body)**
**entitled to appoint trustee**
**(ifany)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||HenryLowe|Chair|||
||Dr Janet Pryke||||
||John Richards|Secretary|||
||Shaun Wilson||||
||Roger Underhill||||
||Marek Lewcun||||
||Tim Lunt||||
– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
**Director name None**
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
**Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year None**
## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**
Description of the assets None held in this capacity Name and objects of the N/A charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for N/A safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
## **Exemptions from disclosure**
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
N/A
## **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) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date**
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Bath and Counties Archaeological Society 1189630
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period Period start date Period end date
To
from 31.12.24 31.12.25
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds Last year
funds funds funds
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
Subscriptions 3,069 - - 3,069 -
Lecture entrance fees 817 - - 817 -
Excursion income 532 - - 532 -
Gift Aid 274 274
Survey Deposits 50 50
Donations 8 - - 8 -
Bathscape grant 5,000 - - 5,000 -
Sundry sales - - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
AR) 9,749 - - 9,749 -
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - - -
Total receipts 9,749 - - 9,749 -
A3 Payments
Room Hire 827 - - 827 -
Surveys 50 50
Print postage stationery 47 47
Insurance 483 483
Publications 66 - - 66 -
Camertonia - -
Subscriptions 163 - - 163 -
Paypal TicketLab 110 - - 110 -
Misc 52 - - 52 -
Equipment repairs 292 - - 292 -
Website 80 - - 80 -
Durley Hill exp 3,113 - - 3,113 -
Portacabins Rates 152 - - 152 -
Sub total 5,435 - - 5,435 -
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total payments 5,435 - - 5,435 -
Net of receipts/(payments) 4,314 - - 4,314 -
A5 Transfers between funds - - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 23,077 - - 23,077 -
Cash funds this year end 27,391 - - 27,391 -
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Categories Details funds funds funds
**----- End of picture text -----**
1
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
15/09/2023
**----- Start of picture text -----**
to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
B1 Cash funds Nat West Bank 26,887 - -
Cash
10 - -
Paypal Account 494
- - -
Total cash funds 27,391 - -
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s)) OK OK OK
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
funds funds funds
Details to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
B2 Other monetary assets - - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
Fund to which Current value
Details asset belongs Cost (optional) (optional)
B3 Investment assets - -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Fund to which Current value
Details asset belongs Cost (optional) (optional)
B4 Assets retained for the Plant and Equipment @ W D value - -
charity’s own use - -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Fund to which Amount due When due
Details liability relates (optional) (optional)
B5 Liabilities Unused Grant 0 -
Refundable survey deposits 250 -
-
-
-
Signed by one or two trustees on Signature Print Name Date of
behalf of all the trustees approval
HENRY LOWE 03/07/2026
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2
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
15/09/2023