## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
**From 1 June 2022 Period start date To 31 May 2023 Period end date**
**Charity name: The London Society**
**Charity registration number: 206270**
## **Objectives and Activities**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|The Charity's object is "stimulating
wider concern for the beauty of the
capital city, for the preservation of its
charms and for the careful
consideration for its development".|
|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|In pursuance of its objectives the
Society undertakes, inter alia, the
following activities:-
Organises a programme of
events including, lectures and
discussions, visits walks and
tours, and social and
networking occasions.
Produces and publishes papers
and discussion documents on a
variety of subjects relevant to
London’s development and
quality of life.
Produces, publishes and
distributes the Journal of The
London Society as part of
membership benefts.
Keeps a watching brief on
major planning and
development issues and
encourages constructive
involvement in, and discussion
thereon, among membership
and the public at large.
Issues regular newsletters and
bulletins to membership and
those on the Society’s mailing
list covering coming events and
other current topics.
Maintains liaison with London’s
local amenity associations
through membership of London
Forum of Amenity and Civic
Societies.
Advises the APPG on London
Planning andBuilt Environment|
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit
Para 1.18
The Trustees are aware of the Charity Commission's public benefit guidance and are confident that they comply.
## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
SORP reference Para 1.38 Policy on grant making Para 1.38 Policy on social investment including program related investment Para 1.38 Contribution made by volunteers Other
## **Achievements and Performance**
- SORP reference During the past year the Society has:-
- Summary of the main Para 1.20 Continued with its financial goals to achievements of the charity, stabilise finances, producing a small identifying the difference the surplus. charity’s work has made to Maintained a programme of ‘in the circumstances of its person’ events. beneficiaries and any wider Produced online content for the benefits to society as a communication of London’s built whole. environment. Continued to act as sponsors of an All Party Parliamentary Group on London’s Planning and Built Environment.
- Increased the visibility of the Society through presence on social media and the growth of the Society’s email marketing list.
- Worked on a new book, London of the Future, which will be published in September 2023
- Started work on a new podcast that will explore the history and
- development of the capital, due for release in the autumn.
- Run a second iteration of the popular writing competition called _Love Letters to London_ that received nearly 500 entries.
- Introduced a free Under 30’s membership programme to increase the diversity of the audience.
## **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|During the year to 31st December
2022 the Society had an income of
£66,394 (£71,095 in 2021) and an
expenditure of £76,850 (£57,288 in
2021) giving net defcit of £10,456
(£13,807 surplus in 2021).
The defcit was a combination of
increased corporate support and
phasing – the Society runs accounts
on a cash basis and costs associated
with revenue at the end of 2021 will
fall in early 2022.
We expect to have another defcit in
2023, with new corporate supporters
being actively recruited.||
|---|---|---|---|
|Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|The Trustees believe that the Society
needs a signifcant level of reserves in
order to fnance plans to develop its
range of activities and raise its profle.
Central to this is the need to increase
membership to a level that renders
the Society fnancially viable, and to
reduce the per capita level of costs.|
|---|---|---|
|Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|The Society's reserves at 31st
December 2022, are invested in the
COIF Charities Investment Fund which
has a book value of £105,000 and a
market value of £198,683, and in the
Society’s current and deposit
accounts with CAF Bank UK
amounting to £36,176.|
|Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22||
|Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|None|
|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|
Membership subscriptions, events
receipts, corporate donations and
event sponsorship.|
|---|---|---|
|Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46||
|A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46||
|Other|||
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
|Description of charity’s
trusts:|||
|---|---|---|
|Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|The Charity's governing document is
its Constitution adopted in 1912 and
lastamended21July2020|
|How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association,CIO)|Para 1.25|The charity is constituted as an
unincorporated association with
membership open to the public by
subscription|
|---|---|---|
|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|Trustees who have been duly
nominated and seconded by current
paid up members of the Society are
put forward for approval and adoption
at the Annual General Meetings of the
Society held in June/July each year, or
as soon as possible thereafter.|
## **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||
|---|---|---|
|The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51||
|Relationship with any related
parties|Para 1.51||
|Other|||
## **Reference and Administrative details**
|Charity name|The London Society|
|---|---|
|Other name the charity uses||
|Registered charity number|206270|
|Charity’s principal address|Mortimer Wheeler House
46 Eagle Wharf Road
London N1 7ED|
|||
**Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
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4|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person**
**(or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee**
**(ifany)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Alpa Depani||||
||Mark Prizeman||||
||Nick McKeogh||||
||Dave Hill||||
||Barry Coidan|Treasurer|||
||Leanne Tritton|Chair|||
||Lucy Smith||||
||Eric Sorensen||||
||Diane Cunningham||||
||Kat Hanna||From 4 July 2022||
||Yusuf Erol|Hon. Secretary|From 4 July 2022||
||Clare Delmar||From 4 July 2022||
## – Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
## **Director name**
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
**Dates acted if not for whole year**
**Trustee name**
## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**
Description of the assets held in this capacity Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for 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**
**adviser**|**Name**
**Address**|**Name**
**Address**|
|---|---|---|
|Financial
&
Charities
(Authoris
ed by
HMRC to
submit
accounts
)|Stuart Edwards|Stuart Edwards & Co
Kemp House
152-160 City Road
London
EC1V 2NX|
||||
||||
||||
## **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)**
Don Brown - Director
## **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)** Y Erol **Full name(s)** Leanne Tritton Yusuf Erol **Position (eg Secretary,** Chair Hon. Secretary **Chair, etc) Date** 12.03.24