2024-09-30-accounts

Charitable Objects

The advancement of education for the public benefit in the life and work of Decimus Burton and in the lives of other contemporary architects, to improve and diffuse knowledge of the life, work and influence of Decimus Burton. This will be achieved by the following means:

1. The creation of a central resource point, containing a collection of material relating to Decimus Burton and his work, with links to material in other places.

2. The holding of talks and lectures relating to Decimus Burton and his work.

3. The arrangement of visits to Burton designed buildings, places and landscapes.

4. The publication of research into Decimus Burton and his period.

5. The encouragement of students and others to study and appreciate Decimus Burton's work.

Establishment as a Charitable Incorporated Organisaton

The Society transferred its operations to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) which became active on 01 February 2022.

Trustees of the Society for the period 01 October 2023 to 30 September 2024

1. Paul Avis (Chair)

2. Chris Jones (Secretary)

3. David Woosnam (Treasurer)

4. Guy Fearon

5. Stuart Page

6. Caroline Auckland

7. Amanda-Jane Doran

8. Keith Porter

Annual Report of the Trustees for the period ending 30 September 2024

2024 was a productive year for the Society. Membership currently stands at 72, slightly up from last year. The membership page on our website is being updated to make it easier for new members to join online (htps://www.thedecimusburtonsociety.org/).

In February 2025, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council sold Nos 9 & 10 Crescent Road (by Burton), the site of what we had hoped would be the Decimus Burton Historic House Museum and Study Centre. Although we are understandably disappointed to have lost the site, we were nevertheless pleased to hear that the individual who had purchased the properties has submitted a Listed Building Application to restore them back to the original two-family dwellings, complete with the reinstatement of leaded verandas on the principal elevations with gardens in front.

The Society is now looking into creating a virtual museum to act as a platform making its growing archive available to the public. Having produced a lot of information for the museum business plan, it should be possible to make use of some of the visuals to create a virtual museum based on the two buildings. For an idea of what this technology can achieve,

the V & A and the Sir John Soane Museum are good examples. While not a replacement for a physical museum, it has merits of its own, not least being its wider accessibility.

Our friends in Fleetwood, who already offer a virtual tour of one of their exhibits, are continuing with the restoration of the adjoining Decimus Burton house and are planning to offer an exhibition of his work in one of the rooms when it opens to the public. As Fleetwood’s main tourist offering, the museum has attracted a lot of attention, and recently there have been discussions over bringing coaches of tourists from Blackpool, which would undoubtedly increase the numbers of visitors to the museum.

Trinity Theatre, the repurposed Trinity Church by Burton in Tunbridge Wells, opened its doors to the new Tower and Heritage Centre project in time for Heritage Open Days in September. The historical displays within the tower include the work of Decimus Burton. The Civic Society, meanwhile, is currently working on a panorama for the unique viewing platform, which will help to explain for visitors the main features of the town, including Decimus Burton’s development from the 1820s and 30s.

On July 3[rd] , the Society hosted its very successful “Retrofit for Purpose” event at the Hotel du Vin in Tunbridge Wells, followed by a visit to Trinity Theatre. The event, aimed at encouraging students looking to enter the architectural and associated professions, was well attended by local 6[th] form students, parents, architectural students, award winning architects, as well as representatives from the Council and local interest groups and stakeholders. The morning workshop was followed by a debate with a panel that included Muyiwa Oki, the President of the RIBA, Sarah Robinson from The King’s Foundation and Elsie Owusu OBE, RIBA, RA, as well as local conservation architect, Stuart Page and Mike Kaner from Kaner Olette, the architects of the Trinity project. The day was made a great success through the hard efforts of the staff at Kaner Olette, the West Kent RIBA branch, the team at Drawing Matter and a host of supporting crew.

The much-awaited Royal Academy exhibition of the students work from this event and the previous event of September 2023 at Fleetwood, is being planned for October 2025.

The Society’s work with students continues to grow. Alongside the events aimed at students, they have continued to help with the archiving of material and have contributed articles to the journal. The archive, itself, continues to grow and regularly provides useful information for individuals and organisations carrying out research into the life and work of Decimus Burton. Some recent enquiries have focused on Burton’s work at The Zoological Gardens in Regent’s Park, his work with Charles Babbage, and his design of Bineham in Surrey, a private home.

Finally, the Decimus Burton Society supported residents of Calverley Park and Tunbridge Wells Civic Society in objecting to a proposed development on one of the historic buildings within the park that would have changed the character of the building and wider setting. The application was refused when councillors went against the advice of the planners, a decision upheld upon appeal.

ACCOUNTS FOR THE PERIOD 01 OCTOBER 2023 TO 30 SEPTEMBER 2024

The Society operates as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) which became active on 1 February 2022 (previously an unregistered charity).

THE DECIMUS BURTON SOCIETY ACCOUNTS FOR THE PERIOD 01 OCTOBER 2023 TO 30 SEPTEMBER 2024

Accrual Basis for Subscriptions	FY23/24	FY22/23
Received DuringFY	2,300	982
Prepayments(FY 24/25 Rcvd Sep)	-970	-250
Previous Year Prepayments	250	690
Adjusted Subscriptions	1,580	1,422
Donations	2,260	170
Grants	500	0
Other	74	45
Adjusted Total Income	4,414	1,637
Expenses	FY23/24	FY22/23
Printing	312	467
Website/Zoom etc	414	0
Postage/Office	258	106
July3rd Event(Note 1)	3,174	0
Payables from This Year	320	595
Payables From Last Year	-595	-2
Total Expenses	3,883	1,166
Adjusted Surplus for the Year	531	471
Balance Sheet	FY23/24	FY22/23
Cash at Bank(Year end)	4,180	3,203
Subscriptions Paid in Advance	-970	-250
Expenses Payable	-320	-595
Cash at Bank(Available) at YE	2,889	2,358

Notes to the Accounts

1. The major movements relate to the "July 3rd" event which incurred £3,174.27 of expenses. These expenses were covered by a combination of donations of £1,850, £1,000 contribution from the Society and a grant of £500 from Kent Count Council, producing a surplus of £175.

2. The Society has given no guarantees nor has any debt owing either during the year or at the year end. No security has been granted over the Society’s assets.

3. No transactions have been entered into with any Trustee or Related Parties of the Society.

Post balance Sheet Events

1. As part of the July 3[rd] Event planning, a grant application to TWBC was made to cover the cost of one of the venues (£960) and this was received on 29[th] November 2024. Based on this increase to the surplus obtained on the event, a sum of £1,135 will be reserved to assist in the funding of any future educational ventures that the Society may undertake.

2. On 23rd January 2025, £371.99 was received from HMRC by way of Gift Aid claimed on qualifying subscriptions since the society established itself as a CIO on 1[st] February 2022.