BRITISH HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(Registered Charity No. 205666)
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020
Trustees’ Annual Report and Unaudited Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2020
BRITISH HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(Registered Charity No. 205666)
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 December 2020
CONTENTS
| CONTENTS | |
|---|---|
| Legal and administrative information | 1 |
| Trustees' annual report | 2 |
| Independent examiner's report | 7 |
| Receipts and payments accounts | 10 |
| Statement of assets and liabilities | 12 |
BRITISH HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(Registered Charity No. 205666)
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 December 2020
Reference and administrative details
Charity Name: British Herpetological Society Registered Charity Number: 205666 Principal address: The British Herpetological Society 11, Strathmore Place Montrose, Angus DD10 8LQ United Kingdom Trustees Dr Gerardo Garcia (President) Mark Hollowell (Chair) Michael Henry Wise (Treasurer) Trevor Andrew Rose (Secretary) Dr Gail Austen (Finance Officer) Dr Simon Townson (Captive Breeding Committee Chair) Janice Verette Clemons (Conservation Officer) Kim Elizabeth Le Breuilly (Education Committee Chair) Dr Christopher Gleed-Owen (Research Committee Chair) Anthony von Plettenberg Laing (Website and Communications Officer) Paul Eversfield (Meetings organiser) Dr Richard Hodges (Herpetological Bulletin Editor) Suzanne Simpson (NatterJack Editor) Dr Jonathan Bielby (Trade Officer) Steven Allain Mr Jim Labisko Stephen Copley Bankers National Westminster Bank PLC, Leytonstone Branch, 694 High Road, Leytonstone, E11 4TZ Independent examiner Charles Ssempijja, FCA NfP Accountants Ltd 3[rd] Floor, 86-90 Paul Street, EC2A 4NE
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BRITISH HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(Registered Charity No. 205666)
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 December 2020
The trustees present their annual report and financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2018. The reference and administrative information set out on page 1 forms part of this report. The Trustees have taken advantage of the smaller charities exemption under Section 133 of the Charities Act 2011, and have prepared these accounts on a Receipts and Payments basis. Consequently, the charities reporting guidance and requirements under “Accounting and reporting by charities: Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP)” are not applied to these accounts.
Objectives and Activities
Summary of the objectives of the charity set out in its governing document:
The promotion of the study and protection of amphibians and reptiles in particular through scientific research, captive breeding and husbandry, conservation and fieldwork and education.
Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objectives:
Publications
The society produces and distributes regular herpetological publications to its members, who include both individuals and institutions in the UK and overseas. Membership is open to all and membership fees are modest. The society’s publications also benefit the herpetological community at large by providing a platform for the publication of high-quality scientific research and disseminating new ideas and practices.
Meetings and Events
The Society organises and attends herpetological meetings, including both scientific meetings and meetings aimed at the lay enthusiast. The society also attends non-herpetological events with a view to educating the public about herpetofauna.
Grants
The Society makes grants for scientific research, conservation work, the protection and creation of reptile and amphibian habitats, conservation-related captive breeding activities, and the education of the public.
Herpetological Library
The Society owns a varied collection of herpetological books which provide useful reference information for herpetologists and other zoologists.
Public Benefit
The Society’s Council of Trustees have borne in mind the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit while planning the Society’s activities for the year. The Trustees consider that the Society’s activities benefit the herpetological community in particular by providing services to it, and that they benefit the general public both by protecting British and other herpetofauna and by funding and facilitating scientific research.
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BRITISH HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(Registered Charity No. 205666)
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 December 2020
Policy on grant making
Grants made by the Society must be approved by the Council of Trustees, after due consideration of each application’s merits. Progress in achieving the objectives of these grants is monitored by an allocated member of the Council of Trustees and reported to Council.
Contribution made by volunteers
The Society is run by unpaid volunteers (the Council of Trustees). Volunteers who are not members of the Council of Trustees also contribute to the Society’s activities, including its conservation activities, the maintenance and running of the library, and attendance at events. Volunteers are entitled to claim expenses incurred in the course of these activities, subject to pre-approval by Council for substantial items. The Treasurer and Secretary are each entitled to claim an honorarium of £250 per annum, to compensate for the space taken up in their homes by the Society’s records; the Treasurer and Secretary waived there honoraria this year.
Achievements and Performance
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.
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Continued to produce Herpetological Journal and Herpetological Bulletin; all issues of the Herpetological Journal are now online
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Continued to produce and sell amphibian ladders, which prevent amphibians from drowning in gully pots – these have been very successful and continue to be the go-to solution for amphibian entrapment. Frequently being quoted in planning application consents as a mitigation solution where amphibian mortality is a risk from developments
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Awarded £1,740 of research grants to students
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Paid a £25,000 donation towards funding the purchase of Blackmoor Heath in Dorset to safeguard rare species (awarded in 2019)
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BHS YouTube channel set up to host contributing author supplied content, to supplement their published papers
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Organised or supported other major events that encourage knowledge sharing and learning opportunities as far as possible during the Covid pandemic, including Festival of the Environment (virtual) and the joint scientific meeting (virtual).
Activities were necessarily curtailed during the pandemic, limiting the society’s achievements outside of online events.
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BRITISH HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(Registered Charity No. 205666)
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 December 2020
Financial Review
Financial summary
In total the Society secured £67,949 of funding in the year, ending the year with total funds of £121,094, which is above its reserves requirement. Of the total funds at year end, £104,521 was unrestricted and £16,573 was restricted. The Trustees consider that the excess of current reserves over requirement is acceptable in order to eliminate concerns about the Society’s ability to continue its activities in the short and medium term. The Trustees have been concerned about the Society’s long-term viability as there had been a fall in members in recent years. However, the Trustees have been addressing this threat over the last three years through a number of different strategies and are pleased to report an increase for the third consecutive year, up 7% compared to 2019 year end.
The Society was very fortunate to receive a significant legacy from a late and former long-standing member to the value £36,000. Whilst we strive to ensure the Society covers its costs through membership receipts, such legacies are invaluable for the conservation work the Society aims to support in the longer term.
Reserves and reserves policy
The Trustees consider that the Society’s current level of reserves is adequate, as its unrestricted funds are sufficient for two years’ non-discretionary expenditure (i.e. Memberships). The Society’s policy is to hold sufficient unrestricted reserves to meet some 2 years of non-discretionary reserves. The Trustees consider that this is sufficient to enable the Society to discharge its obligations in the event of unexpected difficulties.
Going concern
The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.
Principal funding sources
The Society’s principal source of funds is the subscription fees paid by its membership. These are supplemented by bequests, and profits from trading activities such as the sale of amphibian ladders and herpetological books.
Investment policy
The Society’s current policy is to hold the bulk of its funds in cash. The Council of Trustees has reviewed this policy and considered it prudent to continue at present, bearing in mind the significant uncertainty currently affecting both the UK and the global economy and the potential that it may need to release substantial funds for conservation land purchases in the near future.
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BRITISH HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(Registered Charity No. 205666)
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 December 2020
Risk management
The principal financial risk facing the Charity is a fall in membership numbers and receipts to an unsustainable level; the Trustees believe the risk is largely from the threat of long-term societal changes. Although the Society experienced a downward trend in membership for a decade to 2018, the last three years has seen a resurgence in membership, up 16% overall. The Trustees are fully aware that this upward trend should not lead to complacency and the matter of membership recruitment remains uppermost in their priorities and strategies previously employed will continue to be maintained and evolved.
The trustees are continuing to mitigate this risk by developing other sources of income such as amphibian ladder sales, book sales, events income, and open access publishing fees. Additionally, active efforts are in progress to expand the Society’s online footprint and engagement across all spheres of activity with the objective of encouraging and building membership. Despite the outbreak of the pandemic in February 2020, the Society has maintained its revenue streams and is largely unaffected financially by the restrictions associated with the pandemic.
The Society also holds an insurance policy designed to protect it from catastrophic loss, however the Trustees believe the risk of such an event is very low.
The first key reputational risk facing the Charity is the danger of inadvertently disseminating known falsehoods in its scientific publications. This risk is addressed by means of the peer review process, which seeks to ensure that the society only publishes material of acceptable quality.
The second key reputational risk facing the Charity is the danger of inadvertently promoting bad practise, in terms of either conservation or animal welfare. This risk is addressed by the expertise of the Society’s board of Trustees, which includes eminent herpetologists, and by the society’s funding model, whereby funds are raised directly from the public, thus ensuring it is not beholden to commercial or other concerns.
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BRITISH HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(Registered Charity No. 205666)
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 December 2020
Structure, Governance and Management
Description of the charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document: Constitution dated March 2015 How the charity is constituted: Registered charity (unincorporated) Trustee selection methods: Trustees may be temporarily co-opted by Council. All appointments are confirmed by a vote of the Society’s members at the AGM. Related parties: The trustees and their close connections are considered to be the only related parties of the charity.
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) Michael Henry Wise Position (e.g. Secretary, Chair, etc.) Treasurer Date 2/March/2022
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BRITISH HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation No. 205666)
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 December 2020
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
| Report to the trustees/ members of On accounts for the year ended Set out on pages |
Charity Name British Herpetological Society |
Charity Name British Herpetological Society |
Charity Name British Herpetological Society |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 December 2020 | Charity no (if any) | 205666 | |
| 10-12 (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets) |
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Charities Act”) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,
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to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s statement
My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees
concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
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BRITISH HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation No. 205666)
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 December 2020
Independent examiner's In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention (other than that statement disclosed below)
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which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements: to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act
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have not been met; or
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to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed: Date: 03 March 2022 Name: Charles Ssempijja
Relevant professional ICAEW qualification(s) or body (if any):
Address: 3[rd] Floor, 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE
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BRITISH HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation No. 205666)
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 December 2020
Section B Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material problems.(E.g. accounting records have not been kept in accordance with s132 of the Charities’ Act 2011 and those accounts do not comply with the requirements of the 2008 Regulations setting out the form and content of charity accounts; any material expenditure or action which appears not to be in accordance with the trusts of the charity; any failure to be provided with information and explanations by any past or present trustee, officer or employee; and any material consistency between the accounts and the trustees’ annual report.)
Give here brief details of any N/A items that the examiner wishes to disclose .
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BRITISH HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation No. 205666)
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 December 2020
| Charity Name | Charity Name | Charity Name | Charity Name | Charity Name | No (ifany) | CC16a | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Herpetological Society | 205666 | |||||||
| Receipts andpayments accounts | ||||||||
| For the period from |
Period start date | To | Period end date | |||||
| 01/01/2020 | 31/12/2020 | |||||||
| Section A Receipts and payments | ||||||||
| Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Endowment funds |
Total funds | Last year | ||||
| to the nearest £ |
to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | ||||
| A1 Receipts | ||||||||
| Amphibian ladders | 5,701 | - | - | 5,701 | 11,167 | |||
| Books | 236 | - | - | 236 | 375 | |||
| Covid-19 | 200 | - | - | 200 | - | |||
| Events | - | - | - | - | 729 | |||
| Finance | 29 | 1 | - | 31 | 59 | |||
| Legacies | 36,000 | - | - | 36,000 | - | |||
| Memberships | 22,793 | - | - | 22,793 | 22,117 | |||
| Recycle4charity | - | 8 | - | 8 | 4 | |||
| Open Accesspublishingfees | 608 | - | - | 608 | 29 | |||
| Other | 2,373 | - | - | 2,373 | - | |||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
67,939 | 9 | - | 67,949 | 34,480 | |||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
||||||||
| - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| Sub total | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| Total receipts | 67,939 | 9 | - | 67,949 | 34,480 |
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BRITISH HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation No. 205666)
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 December 2020
| Charity Name | Charity Name | Charity Name | Charity Name | Charity Name | No (ifany) | CC16a | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Herpetological Society | 205666 | |||||||
| Receipts andpayments accounts | ||||||||
| For the period from |
Period start date | To | Period end date | |||||
| 01/01/2020 | 31/12/2020 | |||||||
| Section A Receipts and payments | ||||||||
| A3 Payments | ||||||||
| Admin | 175 | - | - | 175 | 1,392 | |||
| Advocacy | 250 | - | - | 250 | 300 | |||
| Amphibian ladders | 4,576 | - | - | 4,576 | 7,813 | |||
| Books | 60 | - | - | 60 | 44 | |||
| Conservationgrants | - | 25,000 | - | 25,000 | 250 | |||
| Covid-19 | 1,000 | - | - | 1,000 | - | |||
| Events | - | - | - | - | 2,915 | |||
| Memberships expenditure | 14,712 | - | - | 14,712 | 15,262 | |||
| Research | 1,780 | - | - | 1,780 | 1,860 | |||
| IT | 1,814 | - | - | 1,814 | 1,494 | |||
| Other | 258 | - | - | 258 | 2,018 | |||
| **Sub total ** | 24,624 | 25,000 | - | 49,624 | 33,348 | |||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
||||||||
| - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | |||||
| **Sub total ** | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| Totalpayments | 24,624 | 25,000 | - | 49,624 | 33,348 | |||
| Net of receipts/(payments) | 43,315 | (24,991) | - | 18,325 | 1,132 | |||
| A5 Transfers between funds | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| A6 Cash funds lastyear end | 61,206 | 41,564 | - | 102,770 | 101,638 | |||
| Cash funds thisyear end | 104,521 | 16,573 | - | 121,094 | 102,770 |
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BRITISH HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation No. 205666)
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 December 2020
| Charity Name | Charity Name | Charity Name | Charity Name | Charity Name | No (ifany) | No (ifany) | CC16a | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Herpetological Society | 205666 | ||||||||
| Receipts andpayments accounts | |||||||||
| For the period from |
Period start date | To | Period end date | ||||||
| 01/01/2020 | 31/12/2020 | ||||||||
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories | Details | Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Endowment funds |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| to nearest £ | to nearest £ | to nearest £ | |||||
| B1 Cash funds | CAF cash Ed Comm | 2,393 | - | - | |||
| CAF cash main | 3,469 | - | |||||
| CAF gold main | 27,578 | - | |||||
| CBC Reserve A/C | 0 | - | |||||
| Nat West main | 59,865 | 16,573 | |||||
| Nationwide | 1,979 | - | |||||
| Paypal | 6,606 | - | |||||
| Treasurer's petty cash | 76 | - | |||||
| Ed Comm Santander | 1,735 | - | |||||
| Ed Comm petty cash | 733 | - | |||||
| Secretary petty cash | 87 | - | |||||
| Total cash funds | 104,521 | 16,573 | - | ||||
| (agree balances w ith receipts and payments account(s)) |
OK | OK | OK | ||||
| Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Endowment funds |
|||||
| Details | to nearest £ | to nearest £ | to nearest £ | ||||
| B2 Other monetary assets | Gift Aid claims outstanding: | 1,132 | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||||
| Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) | Current value (optional) |
||||
| B3 Investment assets | Santander shares | Land Fund (restricted) |
- | 1,308 | |||
| - | - | ||||||
| Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) | Current value (optional) |
||||
| B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use |
Equipment (photocopier) | General (unrestricted) |
4,380 | - | |||
| - | - | ||||||
| Details | Fund to which liability relates |
Amount due (optional) |
When due (optional) |
||||
| B5 Liabilities | Independent Examiner's fee | General (unrestricted) |
1,080 | Less than 1 year |
| Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
Signature | Print Name | Date of approval |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael HenryWise | 2/March/2022 | ||
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