LNHS Annual Report to 30[th] June 2024
LONDON NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY Registered Charity 206228
Report of the society for the year ending 30 June 2024
Objects
The objects of the London Natural History Society are the study and recording of natural history, archaeology and other kindred subjects within twenty miles of St Paul’s Cathedral, the promotion of scientific investigations, the appreciation and conservation of the natural environment and the publication in the Society’s journals of scientific and educational papers. Activities and achievements in respect of these objectives are described below.
Governance: Council, Committees and Sections
The Society is governed by a Council of Trustees comprising the officers (President - currently vacant, Treasurer Mike West handing over to Lydia Gallyer-Barnett, & Secretary Annie Wilson), up to ten members’ representatives – Liz Andrew, Robin Blades, Noel Brock, Jan Hewlett, Wendy Knight, Cassandra Lee, Joanne Maddox, Pete Mantle and Ian Woodward - and one representative of each of the Society’s sections – Cecilia Derrick (London Bird Club), Maureen Parry (Botany), Anke Marsh (Ecology and Entomology) and Kat Duke (Hampstead Heath Survey). The post of Bookham Commons representative is vacant.
The President's role remains unfilled. Council would like to acknowledge Michael Wilsdon’s hard work to fill the gaps left by this vacancy and keep the society running. This year the Society is very sorry to say goodbye - and a huge thank you - to Catherine Schmitt, Publications Secretary, and Mike West, Treasurer, who have both served the society for many years. We are extremely keen to fill all the Society’s vacancies, so please seriously consider joining us to keep your Society going. We are looking for people with a range of skills and interests - you do not need to be an expert in natural history.
The Administration and Finance Committee, chaired by Michael Wilsdon, meets five times a year to deal with delegated business, whilst Robin Blades continues to soldier away in the background managing our membership. The Library Committee has reconvened following relaxation of Covid restrictions and Michael Wilsdon has restarted the Publications Committee to guide the imminent LNHS publications.
The Trustees would like to thank the army of volunteers who support the Society for their contributions and on-going commitment.
As work patterns have not returned to the pre-covid norm a lot of society business continues to be conducted using Zoom technology.
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LNHS Annual Report to 30[th] June 2024
Finances
The annual financial report accompanies this report. The Society continues to benefit from members who subscribe to the gift aid scheme, for which we are very grateful. Members who qualify to use the gift aid scheme but have not signed up are encouraged to consider doing so. The Society has also been the grateful recipient of several generous bequests.
Activities
The Virtual Talks team continues to host 'online' talks using Zoom, which are available for a limited time on YouTube after the meeting. These talks remain very popular and still attract new audience members from more geographically diverse locations than in-person meetings. The Society thanks our many speakers, who generously share their time and expertise to entertain us and recognises the hard work of the Virtual Talks team who facilitate and support the talks.
A full and varied programme of field meetings was offered throughout the year. The walks across all sections of the society have been well supported, regularly attracting new attendees who sometimes became members. Many thanks to everyone who volunteers their time and knowledge to make these events happen. New leaders and attendees are always welcome.
Regular monthly Saturday field meetings at Bookham Commons continue despite the lack of a committee. The LNHS ecological survey of Bookham Commons, a Site of Special Scientific Interest near Leatherhead in Surrey, has been running continuously for more than eighty years with the result that Bookham Commons is one of the best-documented sites in the UK. Members are strongly encouraged to visit this wonderful site and contribute to the survey. We would love to be able to form a new committee to guide this work.
Journals and other publications
The London Naturalist 102, edited by Clive Herbert, was distributed to members in November 2023. It comprised annual reports from officers and articles of interest covering natural history of the London area contributed by members. Many thanks to the contributors and editorial team who continue to produce a high-quality journal of which the Society is proud.
The London Bird Report No 87 for the year 2022 was published in May 2024. This annual publication is a well-regarded high-quality record of London's bird observations for 2022. Many thanks to the numerous individuals who contribute significant time and effort to its production.
Thanks as always go to Mark Burgess and contributors for the quarterly Newsletter which continues to provide members with regular news on the activities and operation of the Society. We encourage all members, old and new, to consider submitting items for publication.
Many thanks to Amy Muyi Lui for managing the production of the bi-annual programme of events. Family commitments mean that Amy has had to step down from this role but we are very grateful to Noel Brock who has taken over the task.
Leslie Williams (LNHS Butterfly Recorder) is nearing publication through NatureBureau of the updated ‘Butterflies of the London Area’, originally published in 1987. Colin Plant (LNHS Moth Recorder) and Les Evans-Hill continue work on an updated version of 'Larger Moths of the London Area', and Mark Spencer (LNHS Flowering Plant Recorder & Vascular Cryptogam Recorder) is making good progress on an updated edition of 'Flora of the London Area', both last
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LNHS Annual Report to 30[th] June 2024
published in 1983. Each of these publications will contribute to the conservation of London habitats and wildlife. The Publications Committee has been reconvened to manage these imminent publications and help bring them to fruition.
We thank all of our social media editors for publicising the Society and its events. All platforms - website, Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram - continue to prove extremely useful in keeping members up to date and attracting new joiners.
Membership
98 new members joined the society during the membership year ending 30/09/2024, down 31 on the previous year. The total membership for the year was 963, down from 997.
While many new members are attracted by our programme and social media presence, we are very grateful to existing members who recruit friends because they think will enjoy what we have to offer. We encourage people to keep doing this and help the Society to continue to grow. Everyone is welcome to join field meetings or virtual talks to get a taste of the Society before they join.
We are very sorry to record the deaths of the following members (date of joining in brackets) during the year and thank them for their support of the Society, in some cases over many decades: Mr Leslie Brockington (1958), Mr Steve Chastell (2010), Mr Christopher Ennis (1983) and Mr John Evans (2020).
Recording and research
Thanks go to all our recorders for their support and continuing hard work. They do an invaluable job of gathering data on most of the species to be found in the London area, ensuring that the information is shared, and generously help individuals with their enquiries.
In 2022, the LNHS was awarded a grant from the City of London Corporation to map key flora, fungi and lichens in the different habitats on Hampstead Heath. The project, known as the Millennial Flora of Hampstead Heath Project 2022, led by Liz Andrew (the Hampstead Heath Survey Chair), has now completed the survey phase. A six-month extension to the grant has been awarded to allow time for data analysis and report writing based on the plant, fungi and lichen surveys. The Nature's Calendar phenology part of the project will be continued by the Hampstead-based charity Heath Hands and their volunteers.
After much discussion, the Council signed a data sharing agreement with GiGL (Greenspace Information for Greater London) in March 2024. We look forward to a productive relationship with GiGL - members will be able to take advantage of the large data sets now available.
Library
The LNHS library, located in the Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity in the Natural History Museum, is an important resource for both the public (for reference) and LNHS members (for borrowing) providing access to a wide range of out of print and hard to find natural history titles. The library is open every Wednesday and one Saturday per month, thanks to Leslie Bolsover, the Librarian, and James Lovely and Ron Dionne. The library has hosted several successful field meetings making use of the facilities and specimens in collaboration with the Angela Marmont Centre. Members are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this very
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LNHS Annual Report to 30[th] June 2024
valuable asset. The Library Committee has reconvened after a covid-imposed absence and a new book order has been placed. Anyone interested in helping Leslie to keep the library open is strongly encouraged to step forward – library experience is not essential.
Conservation of the natural environment
Rich habitats are still under threat from developers. The Society is often asked to lend its voice to protest against such developments. Council’s view is that an appropriate campaigning body in such cases is the London Wildlife Trust, the LNHS being better positioned to provide evidencebased advice if required. Our partnership with GiGL will help ensure that our high-quality validated records are widely available for such purposes.
This report has been prepared with due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.
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Summarised Accounts for Year ended June 30[th] 2024
| ASSETS at year end Bank & cash Investments TOTAL RECEIPTS Subscriptions Donations Bequests (Unrestricted) Bequests (Restricted) Grants (Restricted) Gift Aid Investment income Investment sales Other TOTAL PAYMENTS The London Naturalist London Bird Report Newsletter Mailing Library Services Hampstead (Restricted) Investment purchases Other TOTAL Surplus (deficit) in year |
2023/2024 32,458 338,587 371,045 16,804 1,801 6,000 - - 3,387 10,567 - 1,905 40,464 5,257 5,730 4,100 10,318 1,405 4,527 2,136 - 3,430 36,903 3,561 |
2022/2023 28,897 323,782 |
|---|---|---|
| 352,679 | ||
| 17,790 881 - 26,386 3,338 3,654 8,664 - 789 |
||
| 61,502 | ||
| 4,464 5,030 5,451 11,824 669 4,908 4,149 20,000 3,839 |
||
| 60,334 | ||
| 1,168 |
The signed Independent Examiner’s Report, Treasurer’s report and full detailed financial accounts can be found on the LNHS website.
If you are unable to access the internet, please contact the LNHS Secretary (c/o London Natural History Society Library, Angela Marmont Centre, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD).
London Natural History Society (Charity Registration Number 206228) Accounts For The Year Ended 30th June 2024 Hentons Chartei'ed Accountants Stag House Old London Road Hertford Hertfordshii'e SG13 7LA
LONDON NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY TREASURER'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2024 The Society's accounts ar¢ again pr¢sented on a Receipts and Payments basis. as permitted by the Charity Cotntnission. Receipts from members and supporters totalled £28,061 (compared with £48,807 last year) with the decrease due to a legacy of £26,386 received in the pr¢vious year. This was given specifically towards the publicatioii of results of res¢arch or survey sponsored by the Society and is being held in a restricted fund for futiii'e pi'oje¢ts meeting this definition. No ¢xp¢nditure from this restricted fund occurred in the year. Dui'ing the year Éhe Charity received unrestricted legacy income totalling £6,000. Subscription income decreased from £17,790 10 £16,804. In addition to this, no further instalmenls of a grant awarded by The City of London Corporation wer¢ received during the year. The nature of this income is restricted, specifically for the purpose of the Hampstead Heail) pi'oje¢t for which costs were incurred in the year of £2,136. As at the end of the year this restricted fund had a balance of £2,6l5. Total receipts were £40.464 compared with £61,502 last year. Overall expenditure lotalled £36,903 (compared to £60,334 last year) th¢ previous year included an investment of £20,000 mad¢ to the Charity's CCLA COIF Charities Fixed Interest Fund. The Charity's investments have illcr&ed in value by 4.6% during the year. The CCLA COIF Charities Fixed Interest Fund has been renamed as the CCLA COIF Charities Short Duration Bond Fund. At the year end the total net assets of the Society as detailed in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities had increased by £18,366 to £371,045 compared with £352,679 last year. Reserves Policy Th¢ London Natural History Society may hold funds in tlie foi'm of cash, stock5, shares, bonds, collective funds and other classes of investment deemed from time to time to be appropriate (hereafter 'the reseives,). The reserves will be held for the purpose of providing an income stream to support the So¢iety's a¢tivities and publications, and maintain tnembership rates at affordable levels so as not to exclude people from the educational benefits of the Society, and to encourage increased and infornied participation in wildlife recordiiig activity. Where income from the reserves is sufficient to meet these purposes the Society may make additional paytnents from Ihc rcs¢rvc5 to Il)ird parties to fund research and ecological study (with a particular emphasis on the Loi)don area) where such research is consistent with the objects of the Society. The trustees may decide to use amounts held as part of the reserves to fund publications or other proj¢¢ts which further the Society's charitable aims. The Society uses inveslmeiits specifically set up for charities. which inv¢sl in Ix)iids and d¢posils, and not directly in the equity of individual companies. Each of these funds lias associated ethical policies, and the Society considcrs this is a prud¢nt and proportional¢ means of balancing our financial needs and etliical concerns.
LONDON NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY TH TREI ASURER'S REI PORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2024 Statement of Trustees, Responsibilities Tlie triistee5 are responsible for preparing the Trustees, Ani)ual Report and the finan¢ial statements in 8c¢ordaiice with applicable law and United Kii)gdom Accounting Standards {Ui)ited Kingdoin Gei)erally Accepted Accounting Practice). The law applicable to charities ii) England & Wales requir¢s the trustees to prepare financial staleii)enls for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the ineoming i'esoui'ce5 aiid application of resources of the charity for that period. In pr¢parin8 these financial statements, the truslees are required to.. a) s¢lect suitable accounting policies and apply th¢m consistently. b) observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP- ¢) make judgments and accounting estimates that ar¢ reasonable and prudent. d) stats whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the fiiiancial stal¢in¢nts. el prepare the financial statements on the going ¢on¢¢m basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation The trustees are responsiblc for keeping sulYi¢i¢nt accounting records that disclose with reasonable a¢cura¢y at any time tl)e financial position of the charity and enable them to ensui'e tliat th¢ financial stat¢meiits wmply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (A¢counts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of th¢ trust deed. They ar¢ also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
LONDON NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY (Charity Registered Number- 206228) llldependent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of London NAturAI History Soei¢ty report to the h'iistees oi) Iny ¢xatnination of the accounts of the London Natural History Society ('the cl)ai'ity') for the year end¢d 30 June 2024 which comprise of receipts and p&ym¢nts and the statemei)t of assets and liabilities. This report is made solely to the charity's trustees, as a bodyj in accordance with section 145 Charities Act 201 l. My work lias been undeitaken so that I miglit slate lo the charity's trustees those Inatters l am I'equii'ed to state to them in this report and for no other purpose. To the fi]Ilest extent permitted by law, we do iiot accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Charity and the charity's members as a body? foi. Iliis I'epoit, oi. for the opiiiions I have formed. RII SPONSIBILrrIES Af4D BASIS OF REPORT As the trustees of the charity 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 ofmy exatnination of the charity's accounts Caled out under section 145 of th¢ Act and in ¢ariying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Coinmission uiidei. section 145(5)(b) of the Act. An independent examination does not involve gathering all the evidence that would be required in an audit aiid consequei)tly does not cover all the matters tl)at an auditor coiisiders in giving their opiiiioii on the accounts. The planning and conduct of an audit goes beyond t]ie limited assuranc¢ that an independei)t examination can provide. Consequently, l express no audit opinion on the accounts and my report is limited lo those specific matters set out in the independ¢nt examiner's statement. INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S STATEMENT I have coinpleted my examination. I confirni that no material Inatters liave com¢ lo my attention in contiection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect.. accountin8 records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act- oi.
the accounts do not accord with those records. I have no concerns and have ¢om¢ across no other matters in connection wiih the examination to which attention should b¢ drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. R J Sears FCCA Hentons Chartered Accountants Stag House, Old London Road Hei'iford, Heits, SG13 7LA Dale: 10 C)&LMr
LONDON NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES As at 30th June 2024 Note5 2024 2023 Monetary Assets Bank Balances.. National Westminster ourrent account National Westinin51er reserv¢ a¢count 32,320 28,562 Casl) in hand 138 335 32,458 28,897 Investment A8sets M&G Charibond CCLA COIF Chariti¢s Short Duration Bond Fund COIF Charities Deposit Fund 129,235 204087 123,886 195,431 338,587 323,782 Net Assels 371,045 £352,679 Fund5 Unrestricted Restricted- Hampslead Heath Project Restricted- Resear¢h/Survey Publication Bequest 342,044 2.615 26J86 321,542 4,751 26,386 Total Fund8 371,045 £352,679 Approved on behalf of the Trustees on . A E Wilsoi- Secretary K Duke Trustee
L0Tr4DON NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY RECEIPTS AND PAYMEI NTS ACCOUNT Foi. the year ended 30th June 2024 RECEtPTS 2024 2023 Re¢eipt8 from Members and Supporters: Subscriptions Donations Unrestricted Legacy Income Restricted LegFacy iiicome Tax re¢over¢d on Subscriptions and Donations under Gift Aid Reading Circle receipts 16,804 1001 6,000 17,790 881 26.386 3,654 96 3J87 69 2&061 48,807 Sales: Journals 612 693 Other income: Refuiid of hall hir¢ Restricted Grant income- City of London Corporation 1,224 3,338 1,836 4,031 Investment income: Chai'ities Short Duration Bond Fund Charities Deposit Fund Inl¢rest Income from M&G Charibond Bank Deposit Account Interest Int¢r¢st on Gift Aid tax re¢over¢d 4,720 224 5,078 470 75 4,597 242 3,661 117 47 10,567 8,664 Total Receipts 40,464 61,502 Less: Total Payments (Page 6) {36,903) (60,334) Net Receipts for the year 3,561 1,168 Cash at Bank and in Hand as at l July 2023 Ca5b at Bank alld in Hand as at30, June 2024 £32,458 £28,897 Uiirestri¢ted Net Receiptsl{Expenditure) Restricted N¢t (ExpenditureyRec¢ipls 5,697 (2,136) (24,407) 25,575 Total Net Reeeipts for the year £3,561 £1,168
LONDON NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY RECEivfs AND PAYMENTS ACCOUIYT (Continued) For the year ended 30th June 2024 PAYMENTS 2024 2023 Meeting Costs, Seetional & General Expenditure.. Lecturers, Fees aiid Expenses, Sectional Expenses etc. Reading Circle Journals Postage and Telephone Office Supplies and copying Services Independent Examiners, Fees Insurai)¢e Exp¢iises allowan¢¢ Paymei)t processing fees 246 437 116 760 761 2,190 1,576 loo 238 432 64 912 798 1,980 2,130 150 6,327 6,704 Publication8: Priiiting ai)d Expenses.. London Naturalist No. 102 London Natiiralisl No. l 01 London Bird Report 2022 London Bird R¢port 2021 5,257 4,464 5,730 5,030 10,987 9,494 Programm¢ Newsletters Mailing Publicity 905 4,100 IOJ18 994 5.451 11.824 96 15J23 18,365 Restri¢ted Fund Payments- Hampstead 2,136 4,149 Publications/ Journal Sal¢s expenditur¢ Library Websit¢ costs 401 1,405 324 557 669 396 36,903 40,334 Asset And investment purehases: Payinent into COIF Fixed Ii)tei'est Fund 20,000 Total Payments for the Year 36,903 60.334