The Thomas Brassey Society
A N N U A L R E P O R T Registered Charity No 1195546
A message from our Patron
Dear Society Members,
The Dean of Chester Cathedral has commissioned us to do yet another “Making Tracks” which will run throughout August 2023. This gives me the opportunity to bring in new model railway technology not unlike Formula 1 and motorcar development. I am delighted that the Society will once again have a stand there giving them the opportunity to talk to visitors about Thomas Brassey, his remarkable achievements and the proposed statue.
I know the society is currently engaging with sculptors and the Design Panel will shortly be reaching a point when an order can be placed. A statue of Thomas outside Chester Railway Station is becoming not just a dream but a reality and I urge all of you to support the cause.
With best wishes
Pete Waterman
Chairman’s Report
It is customary on these occasions for the Chairman to round off his or her report with a general “thank you” to the committee. This year, I’m breaking that tradition by saying a “very big thank you” right at the start. We could not have achieved so much in 2022 without the commitment, enthusiasm and capabilities of all the committee members. Each of them plays a vital role in running the Society and in making it a ‘happy ship’ (or should that be ‘train’!).
A year ago there were eight of us on the committee, seven men and one lady. During the course of 2022 we have been joined by Ian Walker whose job it is to organise events and outings for the membership. Apart from the nine of us, I would like to record how grateful we are to those non-committee members who deal with our website, social media and desktop publishing. I hope you feel that the content and quality of such things is a credit to the Society. This Annual Report covers the whole of 2022 as well as the first few months of 2023. The Accounts are complete to 31st March in line with our financial year end.
Given that our aims and objectives are to raise awareness and educate the public about the life and work of Thomas Brassey, there is a lot to say! We have taken our stall to various heritage and transport fairs around the North West, we have manned our stall at Chester Cathedral throughout the second ‘ Making Tracks’ model railway exhibition and, as ever, Peter Bolt is in great demand to present lectures and talks. Literally hundreds more people have now heard about Thomas Brassey.
In addition, we have encouraged and sponsored a children’s book featuring Thomas and his magnificent feats of railway building. Throughout it all we have made considerable progress with all the funding, technical and administrative issues for our statue at Chester Station. Sculptors from around the country are currently responding to our Design Brief and we will soon be in a position to announce the shortlist.
So, I can confidently say that this has been another very busy year and, if you read the whole of this report, I hope you will agree that it has been successful too. As last year, the structure of this Annual Report follows the guidelines issued by the Charity Commission. Subsequent Sections (A to G) are in accordance with that format.
If you have any queries about this report or the activities of the Society please contact us by email : tbsoc@ hotmail.com.
Stephen Langtree MBE
The cover picture shows Chester Station, built in 1848 by Thomas Brassey, which will celebrate its 175th birthday on 1 August 2023.
Trustees Annual Report for the period
Start date: 1 January 2022 End date: 31 March 2023
Section A Reference and administration details
Charity name: The Thomas Brassey Society Registered Charity No: 1195546 Charity’s principal address: 12a Fornalls Green Lane, Meols, Wirral CH47 9RJ
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
Trustee name Office Dates acted (if not for whole year) John Stephen Scott Langtree MBE Chairman Richard James Coackley CBE Vice Chairman Peter Charles Bolt Secretary David William Bebb Treasurer David John Hooley Membership Secretary Peter William Cocker Minutes Secretary John Parton Whittingham Committee member Jean Fortune Researcher Ian Walker Excursions Co-ordinator 11 October 2022
Section B Structure, governance and management
Description of the charity’s Trusts
Type of governing document: CIO—Association (Registered 18 August 2021) How the charity is constituted: Charitable Incorporated Organisation Trustee selection methods: After registration, by co-option and then subsequently at Annual General Meetings of the Society’s members.
Section C Objectives and activities
Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document
To advance the education of the public in the historic significance of the life and works of Thomas Brassey in particular but not exclusively by providing and assisting in the provision of educational materials, activities and events open to the general public on the topic of Thomas Brassey and the field of railway engineering more generally.
Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit).
Giving talks and lectures to conferences, other societies and organisations on all aspects of the life and works of Thomas Brassey. Raising awareness of Thomas Brassey by installing interpretation panels and information plaques at key locations.
Educating the public about Thomas Brassey at public exhibitions by face -to-face contact and by the distribution of literature. Providing a 60 minute film for the public about Thomas Brassey by a Society member. /continued over
/Section C continued
Preparing and distributing literature about Thomas Brassey and his achievements through various outlets and events.
Producing and circulating bi-monthly digital newsletters to members and other interested parties.
Keeping an up to date Society web-site and Facebook account, accessible to the general public.
Note :
In undertaking the work of the Society the Trustees have had due regard to the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance.
Section D Achievements and Performance
Annual General Meeting
The Society held a successful first AGM under its new Constitution as a registered charity on 23 April 2022, attended by 27 members.
After dealing with ‘normal’ business and the election of officers, members enjoyed a talk by Trish Jones on ‘The voyages of The Sunbeam’ - the last of a series of yachts owned by Lord Brassey, the eldest son of Thomas Brassey, and the successor to an earlier yacht, ‘Albatross’ (by the same designer), built for him at his father’s Canada Works, Birkenhead in 1859 Making Tracks 2
During July and August 2022, the Society’s Patron Pete Waterman brought the second version of his ‘Making Tracks’ model railway exhibition to Chester Cathedral.
Based on another section of the West Coast main line, the exhibition attracted an audience of more than 40,000 people over the seven weeks. Alongside the exhibition, the Society provided a stand to promote public understanding of the life and works of Thomas Brassey. This was staffed continuously by committee and other members of the Society, on every exhibition day, culminating in an annual Members’ Lunch at a nearby French restaurant on the last day, attended by 30 members and representatives of the Brassey family.
Awesome Anselm
The Society funded the production of a children’s book, the fourth in the Awesome Anselm series of stories featuring the antics of the strange figures and carvings that are present in the Cathedral and come to life during the night. In the fourth Book, Thomas Brassey’s bust in the Erasmus chapel springs to life to build a water-carrying railway that saves the Cathedral from a ruinous fire. The author, Canon Jane Brooke and Illustrator Patricia Faraday launched the book at the Thomas Brassey stand during the Making Tracks 2 exhibition in Chester Cathedral in July 2022.
Talks
Members of the Society gave dozens of talks to meetings of other societies and interest groups, to help inform the general public about the life and works of Thomas Brassey and to spread the word of his achievements. Over £1100 in voluntary donations was raised during the process.
The Castle Fine Arts Foundry
Following an invitation from Chris Western (Commercial Director) of the Castle Fine Arts Foundry, three of us visited the factory in Llanrhaeadr, Nr Oswestry.
We wanted to understand the process of casting a bronze and get an idea of costs from both the Foundry and the Sculptor and how they worked together. Over the years the Foundry has produced a number of famous pieces of art including the ‘fab’ four in Liverpool and the iconic 35 ft high horse’s head, ‘Argus’, installed in the South Downs.
Contrary to popular belief the castings are not solid but go through a ‘lost wax’ process producing a bronze casting only 5 mm thick. They are not cast as one but from a number of castings and then welded & chased, fettled and finally Wax Sealed and Fixed. When discussing costs, something close to our hearts, we learnt that an average 1.25 life size statue would use 250 kg of bronze and at the moment the price of bronze and gas used in the furnace is going up rapidly. Therefore it is impossible to obtain a fixed price at the present time. Also Sculptors’ costs vary considerably depending upon who you choose for the job.
Talking of Sculptors, we received a response from one Sculptor who told us he was the great, great, great, grandson of Thomas Brassey and knew a lot about him!
/ Section D continued
FUNDRAISING FOR THE STATUE
Over the last two months we have had a number of donations and pledges for the statue fund boosting the up to date figure to more than £87,255 (see analysis below).
Amongst these is a significant pledge from Heap and Partners Ltd from the Canada Works in Birkenhead. Several of the Brassey Family Charitable Trusts have now donated and our own society members are responding positively including a very significant donation from one of them. If you haven’t made a pledge or sent a donation please do so now. This is the right time, every little helps.
The sculptors are now visiting Chester Station, meeting up with the society trustees and generally getting to know what we are looking for.
Some of you may have seen the Artist’s impression in the local newspapers of the proposed revamped Chester Station forecourt and a bronze piece of art, a statue of Thomas, would do it proud, commemorating one of Cheshire’s greatest sons.
TOUR OF CHESTER STATION Treasurer’s Statue Fund Summary
Receipts and Payments Account 10 November saw Summary of Account Funds and Other Income Committee member, Streams John Whittingham lead members on an 1 General Funds (funds allocated for general adminisevening tour of Chestrative purposes and future management costs) Society bank account £6120 ter Station, starting with a brief introduction 2 Statue Funds (funds available for the statue project) beforehand. Society bank account £32,255 The group were able to view the plaque to Couch Charitable Trust £10,000 Thomas on the inside wall of the station as Heap and Partners Ltd £5,000 well as hearing about the fact that the platform Total funds available for the statue £87,255 was, at one time, the longest in the country. David Bebb Treasurer
In respect of the general operation and administration of the Society, the Trustees have:
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held monthly and minuted meetings throughout the year in person and via Zoom, including regular reports from the Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Membership Secretary
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produced a bi-monthly newsletter for Society members
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increased our membership by 100% over the year to a current 120 members
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maintained a Society web-site, providing information about Thomas Brassey and his achievements, about the Society and its operation, about its Privacy Policy and links to other relevant information and created a Facebook account - all accessible to the general public.
www.thomasbrasseysociety.org
Section E Financial review
Details of any funds materially in deficit Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves
The Society has no reserves and no reserve policy.
Not applicable.
January 2022
31 December 2021 Part A Receipts and Payments
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unreslricled funds Restrlcted funds Endowment fL¢nds Categoriès , Detsils to to n•ar•sl£ to n4Arèst E 81 Cash funds Cash hekl in bank current acttjunt 36,375 I Z222 Total cash funds 38,375 rocolpM4nd p)ymgNs Unrestrlctfjd funds Re$trlctgd funds tts nw4rÈ#£ Endowrnont funds Details to nea¥es1£ to near••l£ Fund to whlch asset bèlongs Current vAIv• Details Coit loptlon811 83 Investment assets to whlch a$$8t Won9S Details Coit {optlon•ll Current valu• lopVon•ll B4 Assets retainod for tho ¢harlty's own use Fund to whlch Il•blllty rnlats• Unfftsiricted Amount due loptlon411 lopllon411 85 Liabilities Supply and Inslalllqtion of the Inierpretallon Panel 3,380 Slgred by one or truste88 on beha of all the trusle95 Dat8 of approval 05104123 Signaturb Print Name David Bebb
Section F Other optional information
None
Section G Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
| Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date Peter Charles Bolt Secretary Chairman JohnStephenScott Langtree 5 April 2023 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Note | Society Name The Thomas Brassey Society |
Society Name The Thomas Brassey Society |
Society Name The Thomas Brassey Society |
No (if any) 1195546 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts and payments accounts | ||||
| For the period from |
Period start date 6 April 2022 |
To | Period end date 5 April 2023 |
Section A Receipts and payments
| A1 Receipts | A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 1,220 - - 12,509 14,223 279 1,075 - 29,306 - - - 29,306 51 50 1,001 1,118 - - - - - |
Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 1,220 - - 12,509 14,223 279 1,075 - 29,306 - - - 29,306 51 50 1,001 1,118 - - - - - |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Total funds to the nearest £ 1,220 - - 12,509 14,223 279 1,075 - 29,306 - - - 29,306 51 50 1,001 1,118 - - - - - |
Total funds to the nearest £ 1,220 - - 12,509 14,223 279 1,075 - 29,306 - - - 29,306 51 50 1,001 1,118 - - - - - |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MembershipSubscriptions | 1,220 | 2,500 | ||||||||
| - | - | |||||||||
| Donations | - | - | ||||||||
| Private | 1 | 12,509 | 3,754 | |||||||
| Other | 2 | 14,223 | 5,851 | |||||||
| Fundraising | 3 | 279 | - | |||||||
| Events | 4 | 1,075 | 500 | |||||||
| - | - | |||||||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) | 29,306 | 12,605 | ||||||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
||||||||||
| - | ||||||||||
| - | - | |||||||||
| Sub total | - | - | ||||||||
| Total receipts A3 Payments |
||||||||||
| 12,605 | ||||||||||
Administration |
5 | 51 | - | - | 51 | 69 | ||||
| Fundraising | 6 | 50 | - | - | 50 | 125 | ||||
| Promotion costs | 7 | 1,001 | - | - | 1,001 | 822 | ||||
| Events | 8 | 1,118 | - | - | 1,118 | 330 | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| Sub total | 2,220 | - | - | 2,220 | 1,346 | |||||
| - - - 2,220 27,086 2,000 9,259 38,345 |
- - - - - - - - |
- - - - - - - - |
- - - 2,220 27,086 |
|||||||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
||||||||||
| - | ||||||||||
| - | ||||||||||
| Sub total | - | - | ||||||||
| Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds 9 A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
||||||||||
| 1,346 | ||||||||||
| 27,086 | - | - | 27,086 | 11,259 | ||||||
| 2,000 | - | - | 2,000 | - | ||||||
| 9,259 | - | - | 9,259 | - | ||||||
| 38,345 | - | - | 38,345 | 11,259 |
Notes
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"Donations - Private" includes all donations from private individuals.
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"Donations - Other" includes all donations from other organisations, societies or trusts.
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Fundraising includes sales of books.
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Events includes receipts for the AGM and other functions.
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Administration includes the annual cost for maintaining the Society website and printing costs.
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Fundraising includes the annual payment to the Fundraising Regulator.
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Promotion costs include book publishing.
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Events include payments for the AGM and other functions.
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Restricted fund of £2,000 transferred to "unrestricted" with the agreement of the donor.
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
02/02/2024
1
| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | 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 B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B1 Cash funds |
Details Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Cash held in bank current account Details Details Details Signature |
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 38,345 - - - - - 38,345 - OK OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - - - - - Print Name P W Cocker |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| OK | ||||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| Current value (optional) |
||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| Current value (optional) |
||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| When due (optional) |
||||
| Date of approval |
||||
| P W Cocker | 31/01/2024 | |||
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
02/02/2024
2
Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of The Thomas Brassey Society
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 5 April 2023.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
- accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed: Name: Susan Harris ACA (ICAEW)
Date: 31 January 2024