Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 27/10/2022 Period start date To 31/12/2023 Period end date
Charity name: Society for the Study of Childhood in the Past (SSCIP)
Charity registration number: 1200831
Objectives and Activities
| Objectives and Activities | ||
|---|---|---|
| SORP reference |
||
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | SSCIP is an interdisciplinary society to promote all aspects of the study of childhood in the past. Childhood in the past is a growing discipline, incorporating archaeology, anthropology, history, art history, sociology, psychology and many other studies. We (SSCIP) are an active and engaging Society, holding an annual conference, publishing a journal and monograph series, sponsored workshops and symposia, and outreach events. |
| 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 |
Annual Conference; annual public lectures; Outreach initiatives; dissemination of research/events relating to childhood in the past via social media accounts. Support of events organised by members that are for public benefit (e.g. outreach events, sponsored conference sessions). Publishing of the_Childhood in the Past_journal, and monograph series to promote and support dissemination of research in this subject area. |
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | Yes, we incorporated public event(s) into the annual conference. We have developed a broader outreach portfolio (for example, creation of a mobile poster exhibition based on members’ research into childhood in the past which can be made accessible to the public at our events). We have developed funding opportunities for conference sessions/bursaries. Our bi-annual journal is open to submissions beyond our membership and can be open access (i.e. publicly available). Our monograph series also includes open-access publications. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
SORP reference
| Policy on grant making | Para 1.38 | Depending on our budget each year, we can offer sponsorship to those members of the Society who wish to organise events relevant to our Aims and Objectives. This can include events that relate to, or incorporate, public outreach activities. Such opportunities would take place on an ad-hoc basis and would be reviewed and approved by the Trustees on a case-by-case basis. |
|---|---|---|
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 | N/A |
| Contribution made by volunteers |
Para 1.38 | SSCIP is membership-led, and we are grateful to our members for participating in the Society, including taking part in our annual conference, contributing research for publication in our journal and monograph series, acting as peer reviewers for the journal, and hosting/participating in outreach events. We always aim to provide support to those members wishing to organise their own activities, particularly if they relate to public outreach. |
| 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 | We created a new newsletter during this period; this is distributed to all members through a mailing list and provides an opportunity to highlight relevant activities that have been undertaken by the Society, as well as promoting the research and work of its members. Each year, we organise free online annual public lectures that are publicly accessible. In December 2022, we hosted Dr Julie Spray whilst in December 2023, we hosted Dr Kayt Hawkins. Our annual conference provides a forum for the communication of research to both members and non-members. This event moves to a different region each year to ensure we visit those countries that are represented by our membership and to make it accessible to all. Our members benefit from a reduced conference registration fee, however, it is always open to anyone that wishes to attend and present |
| research at. In November 2022, our |
|---|
| conference took place at University of |
| Alcalá, Madrid, Spain whilst in October |
| 2023, our conference took place at National |
| University of La Plata, Buenos Aires, |
| Argentina. Both conferences had papers |
| and speakers in the regions’ native |
| language ensuring that both events were |
| accessible to non-English speaking guests. |
| We have begun to develop a mobile poster |
| exhibition; as a physical resource which can |
| be taken to academic and public events to |
| disseminate members research, but also, a |
| virtual resource that can hosted on the |
| www.sscip.org.uk website so that the |
| research is public-facing via the internet. |
| Our engagement with wider audiences |
| continues through our activity on social |
| media. In December 2023, our former Social |
| Media Officer stepped down and we were |
| joined by a new Trustee in this role who has |
| been very active on social media platforms |
| since then (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, |
| Instagram). Our promotion of research into |
| children and childhood in the past, as well |
| as our engagement with the wider public |
| and scholarly community, has increased. |
| We currently have the following numbers on |
| social media: Instagram - 50 followers; |
| Facebook - 796 likes & 855 followers; X |
| (formerly Twitter) - 2.2k followers |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | |
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | |
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | |
| Other |
Financial Review
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | Please see Treasurer’s report at end of document. |
|---|---|---|
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | Reserves allow us to meet our financial obligation to the journal publisher, as well as any unexpected expenses which occur as a result of fluctuations in membership. Excess funds are used to invest in the Society (e.g. maintenance of website) and public outreach activities. |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | £7, 759.36 as of 31/12/23 |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | N/A |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | N/A - spending was in excess of income for this period, but reflected a planned use of our reserves. |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 | None |
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 | Our only source of funding is membership fees. We use these fees to subsidise and cover costs related to the publication of our journal, ‘Childhood in the Past’. Members are given a subscription to this journal for the duration of their membership with hard copies of the journal (2 issues per year) posted to the member directly (regardless of where they live), and online access to the archive of previous journal volumes hosted by the publisher, Taylor & Francis. We also use the income from fees to cover/subsidise the costs associated with any outreach events organised by/for the Society, and to provide any awards or bursaries to our conference. As such, our income is spent on Society related activities, and any excess held as a reserve to buffer expenses alongside potential fluctuations in membership numbers. |
|---|---|---|
| Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted |
Para 1.46 | We do not have an investment policy. Given the size of the organisation and our financial position, we do not plan to invest any of our funds beyond the immediate needs of the organisation e.g. paying for the journal publication. |
| A description of the principal risks facing the charity |
The main risk to the Society is either a significant reduction in our membership numbers and/or no members joining the |
| Para 1.46 | organisation as this would detrimentally affect our finances. We are committed to purchasing one subscription of the journal (2 issues) for each of our individual Members each year, and are committed to paying for a minimum of fifty (50) Members; this is equivalent to a commitment of £750 per annum. |
|
|---|---|---|
| Other |
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 | We have an open call for nominations to committee roles; this call is open to both members and non-members at the time of nomination. All members of the Society are then asked to vote on the nominees via an online poll with the outcome of the voting announced at AGM and ratified if quorate. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees |
Para 1.51 | Following their acceptance as a new Trustee at the AGM, any new Trustee is then provided with verbal and written guidance from the Society’s President and Secretary with regards to their role and responsibilities. |
|---|---|---|
| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works |
Para 1.51 | The Society has seven Trustees, as well as two Ex-Officio officers who sit on Committee meetings (the Journal Editor and Monograph Editor). The Journal Editor works closely with our publisher, Taylor & Francis to coordinate the publication of our bi-annual journal, Childhood in the Past. Our Monograph series is published on an ad-hoc basis by the publisher, Archaeopress but there is no contractual arrangment with this organisation |
| Relationship with any related parties |
Para 1.51 | |
| Other |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charity name | Society for the Study of Childhood in the Past |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | SSCIP |
| Registered charity number | 1200831 |
| Charity’s principal address | 20 Brincliffe Edge Road Sheffield S11 9BW |
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 (if any) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Katie Hemer | President | 20th October 2022 | ||
| Dr Sophie Newman | Secretary | 20th October 2022 | ||
| Dr Claire Hodson | Membership Secretary |
20th October 2022 | ||
| Dr Ellen Kendall | Finance Officer | 20th October 2022 | ||
| Dr Melie Le Roy | Outreach and Student Officer |
7th December 2023 | ||
| Sophie Crawford | Social Media and Publicity |
7th December 2023 | ||
| Professor Sian Halcrow |
Book Review Editor | 20th October 2022 |
– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
Director name N/A
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
| Trustee name | Dates acted if not for whole year |
|
|---|---|---|
| N/A | ||
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
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)
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
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) Dr Katie Anna Hemer Position (eg Secretary, President Chair, etc) Date 28/10/2024
Charities Commission 2023
Annual Report 6th October 2024
Reporting Officer: Dr Ellen Kendall, Treasurer (Trustee)
Income and Expenditure - October 2022 to December 2023
SSCIP Accounts December 2023
-
Business Account: £7,647.99
-
Community Account: £111.37
-
Paypal: £0.00
Total Accounts: £7,759.36
| Expenditure from Oct 2022- Dec 2023 | |
|---|---|
| T&F Journal fees for 2022 | £922.50 |
| T&F Journal fees for 2023 | £1072.50 |
| Ink and Water Website Fees | £432.00 |
| Wordpress fees | £11.00 |
| EAA shared booth | £423.64 |
| EAA banner and SSCIP drinks reception | £403.00 |
| Purchase of SSCIP monographs | £1968.36 |
| 2022 Conference organizer gifts | £32.99 |
| Total Expenditure | £5,265.99 |
| Income from Oct 2022- Dec 2023 | |
|---|---|
| Membership fees via standing order/transfer/cheque |
£1014.53 |
| Membership fees via Stripe | £1345.10 |
| Monograph sales | £330.00 |
| Bank interest | £85.51 |
| Total Income | £2,775.14 |
Comments
Big changes came in during this year. In addition to SSCIP’s transition to official CIO status, we finally moved away from dependence on Paypal or Wise, our interim member payment methods. A new integrated website payment interface through the SSCIP website, processed
by Stripe, was instituted to serve our members, with payment through standing order still being very common. This has helped to encourage member participation and ease access to membership.
This was also a very big spending year, with investment in a shared booth at the European Association of Archaeologists meeting (EAAs), as well as the purchase of backstock of our monograph series from Oxbow. Outgoings were nearly twice our income this year, which is not representative of our general spending model. However, aside from the timing of the reporting period (end of year, which includes two journal fee periods, but not two January periods, when most membership fees are paid), this is likely to be a very good investment in raising the society’s profile and outreach, and has made a sizeable dent in our surplus savings. This is desirable for a charitable organization, providing it is done sustainably.