**THE DOROTHY L SAYERS SOCIETY**
**CHARITY REG No 272120**
## **THE DOROTHY L SAYERS SOCIETY TRUSTEES’ REPORT**
**and**
**FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2023**
**THE DOROTHY L SAYERS SOCIETY**
**CHARITY REG No 272120**
## **Contents:**
|**Contents:**||
|---|---|
|Trustees’ Report 2022-23|1|
|Independent Examiner’s Report|4|
|Financial Statements 2022-23:||
|Receipts and Payments Account:||
|Receipts|5|
|Payments|6|
|Statement of Assets and Liabilities|8|
|Notes|9|
**THE DOROTHY L SAYERS SOCIETY**
**CHARITY REG No 272120**
## **The Dorothy L Sayers Society**
## **Trustees’ Annual Report**
## **for the period 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023**
The Committee of the Dorothy L Sayers Society (“the Society”), who are its Charity Trustees, present their Report, with the financial statements of the Society, for the year ended 30 September 2023.
## **A. Reference and administration details.**
The name of the Society is **The Dorothy L Sayers Society** .
The registered charity number of the Society is **272120** .
The Society’s principal address throughout the period under report, and at the date this Report was approved by the Committee, was 30 Greenfield, Witham, Essex CM8 2FA.
The names of the Committee members / Charity Trustees and the offices held by them during the period under report were:
**Seona Ford** , Chair
**Geraldine Perriam** , Vice-Chair
**Gregory Hill** , Treasurer
**Margaret Hunt,** Membership Secretary
**Jasmine Simeone** , Bulletin Secretary
**Gillian Thumpston** , Publications Officer
**Alison Hall** , Archives Officer
**Simon Medd** , Convention Organiser
**Richard Birkett** , Sound Recordings and webmaster
**Alan Jesson,** Health and Safety Officer
**Christopher Seymour** , Events co-ordinator.
The Society has no custodian trustees or other “trustees for the charity”.
The Society’s Independent Examiner is **Donald Shankland** , Chartered Accountant.
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**THE DOROTHY L SAYERS SOCIETY**
**CHARITY REG No 272120**
## **B. Structure, governance and management**
The Society’s governing document is a set of **Rules adopted on 7 September 1976** and amended on 14 November 1987, 19 November 1994, 31 October 2009, 24 March 2010 and 1 November 2014.
The Society is constituted as an **unincorporated association** .
The members of the Committee (the Charity Trustees) **are elected by the members of the Society**
## **at each Annual General Meeting, and the Committee allocates the duties of the officers among its members** .
The Committee have reviewed the **risks** applicable to the Society and consider that adequate provision for them has been made by taking out public liability insurance and adopting financial precautions, and safeguarding, data protection, health and safety, and procurement policies.
## **C. Objectives and activities**
The objects of the Society (Rules, r 2) are **the promotion and encouragement of education generally and in particular for the benefit of the public the study of the works of Dorothy L Sayers** .
During the year 2022-23, the Society continued its usual activities, including in particular the annual Convention and other “in person” meetings, and also a programme of on-line (Zoom) meetings. As in previous years, the Society published Bulletins recording its activities and publicising other events and publications relating to the life and work of Miss Sayers, and made its archives available to scholars in that field. The Society also promoted education by providing scholarships for students at the Royal College of Music and at Theatre Centre, and for apprentices at the Royal Opera House. It operates a website, https://www.sayers.org.uk , to disseminate information and news for non-members and with a section for members only.
## **Public Benefit**
The Committee have given due consideration to the Charity Commission’s published guidance on the operation of the Public Benefit requirement and are satisfied that the activities of the Society undertaken during the year meet the Public Benefit test.
## **D. Achievements and performance**
The Committee consider that the Society’s activities, as summarised in section C, have promoted interest in and wider knowledge of the works of Miss Sayers, by the public and among the Society’s members. Members resident overseas or at a distance from London continued to participate effectively in remote (“Zoom”) meetings. The Convention at University College London and
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**THE DOROTHY L SAYERS SOCIETY**
**CHARITY REG No 272120**
Goodenough College took place successfully on 11th to 14th August 2023. 42 new members joined the Society during the year under report.
## **E. Financial review**
The Society ordinarily maintains **reserves** approximately equivalent to one year’s ordinary expenditure,
- (a) to enable the Society to carry on its activities, and to undertake new projects when appropriate, with funds in hand, and
- (b) to ensure that if it should become necessary for the Society to cease to operate, funds would be available to discharge all its obligations.
The Society’s reserves at the end of the period under report met that objective with a significant margin. The Society has adequate financial resources to carry out its usual activities. The Committee are considering whether the Society’s present and predictable future financial resources are sufficient to enable further projects within the Society’s objectives to be undertaken.
The Society has no restricted or endowment funds.
The Society’s **Receipts and Payments Account** for 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023, and **Statement of Assets and Liabilities** as at 30 September 2023, accompany this Report.
## **F. Other optional information** [Not used.]
## **G. Declaration**
**The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ Report above.**
## **Signed on behalf of the Society’s Trustees:**
Signatures:
**………………………………… ……………………………….. Full names Seona M Ford Gregory J S Hill Position Chair Treasurer**
_[Original signed by Seona M Ford and Gregory J S Hill on 4th November 2023]_
Date ………………… November 2023
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**THE DOROTHY L SAYERS SOCIETY**
**CHARITY REG No 272120**
## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF: THE DOROTHY L SAYERS SOCIETY, CHARITY NUMBER: 272120**
I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 30th September 2023 which are set out on pages 5 to 9.
## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner**
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Act and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
- examine the accounts under section 145 of the Act;
- follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act; and
- state whether particular matters have come to my attention
## **Basis of independent examiner's report**
My examination was carried out in accordance with the 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 you as 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.
## **Independent examiner's statement**
In connection with my examination, no material matters have come to my attention which give me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
- the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or
- the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
- the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a "true and fair" view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
## Signed
_[Original signed by Donald J Shankland on 2nd November 2023]_
Name Donald J Shankland Qualification Chartered Accountant Address ‘Caerlee’, 4 Shaw Road, Milngavie, Glasgow G62 6LU Date 2nd November 2023
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**THE DOROTHY L SAYERS SOCIETY**
**CHARITY REG No 272120**
## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT, year ended 30 September 2023**
|**NOTE**
**RECEIPTS**
1
**Subscriptions &**
**Donations**
**Publications**:
_Love All; Taking Detec-_
_tive Stories Seriously;_
_God, Hitler and Lord_
_Peter Wimsey:_sales
_Archives; other publi-_
_cations; and books sold_
_second-hand_
**Royalties: JSTOR**
**Activities:**
**Convention 2023**
**Other activities:**
John Donne lecture &
lunch, Lincoln’s Inn
DLSS Annual lecture,
Witham; & catering
Other
**Gift Aid**claim 4/9/23
**Interest, CCLA**
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**|**Y/e 30/9/2023**
**£**
**£**
6,638.33
71.83
**6,710.16**
467.27
1,156.21
**1,623.48**
**1,718.47**
20,040.15
**20,040.15**
499.57
223.18
0.00
**722.75**
**511.78**
**1,311.30**
**32,638.09**||**Y/e 30/9/2022**
**£**
**£**
6,921.50
1,351.00
**8,272.50**
742.06
2,348.20
**3,090.26**
**3,343.55**
13,807.31
**13,807.31**
760.00
535.91
2,889.58
**4,185.49**
**535.28**
**149.52**
**33,383.91**|
|---|---|---|---|
|||||
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**THE DOROTHY L SAYERS SOCIETY**
**CHARITY REG No 272120**
## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT, year ended 30 September 2023**
|**Note**
**PAYMENTS**
**Convention**
**2023: UCL /**
**Goodenough**
2
Speakers’ fees
and expenses
Transport (books,
Convention mate-
rials & technical
equipment)
Hachette_“How to_
_Survive …”_
Delegates’ re-
funds paid
**Convention**
**2022:**refunds
**Other activities:**
John Donne lec-
ture & lunch, Lin-
coln’s Inn
DLSS Annual
lecture, Witham
Other
**Book publishing:**
LA; TDSS;
G,H&LPW (an-
nual maintenance
Royalties 2022
LA, TDSS &
G,H&LPW|**Y/e 30/9/2023**
**£**
**£**
2,101.50
4,626.93
3,083.10
**9811.53**
177.39
50.00
**227.39**
140.00
36.00
**176.00**
**129.90**
**0.00**
**10,344.82**
**390.00**
505.18
250.00
224.00
0.00
**979.18**
36.00
47.62
**83.62**|**Y/e 30/9/2023**
**£**
**£**
2,101.50
4,626.93
3,083.10
**9811.53**
177.39
50.00
**227.39**
140.00
36.00
**176.00**
**129.90**
**0.00**
**10,344.82**
**390.00**
505.18
250.00
224.00
0.00
**979.18**
36.00
47.62
**83.62**||**Y/e 30/9/2022**
**£**
**£**
**14,668.50**
**493.71**
**0.00**
**0.00**
**330.00**
**15,492.21**
**330.00**
760.00
540.00
3,013.00
**4,313.00**
36.00
44.82
**80.82**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||
|||
||||||
||||||
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**THE DOROTHY L SAYERS SOCIETY**
**CHARITY REG No 272120**
|**Note**
**PAYMENTS**
**Bulletin (by**
**post):**
Printing & labels
Postage
**Other postage &**
**phone:**
Tippermuir, post-
age
Membership Sec,
postage
3
Chair, postage
Chair, phone
**Printing**
_Sidelights_LXVIII
**General ex-**
**penses:**
Website
Zettle equipment
AGM 2023
4
Insurance:
Public liability
DLS portrait
Independent Ex-
aminer fee
Sub, Alliance of
Literary Societies
Archive: storage
& heating
**Awards:**
Music scholar
ROH apprentice
Theatre scholar|**Y/e 30/9/2023**
**£**
**£**
897.46
1,341.66
**2,239.12**
0.00
0.00
435.74
120.00
**555.74**
250.00
**250.00**
273.56
0.00
316.00
254.00
20.00
0.00
15.00
80.00
**958.56**
750.00
750.00
750.00
**2,250.00**|**Y/e 30/9/2023**
**£**
**£**
897.46
1,341.66
**2,239.12**
0.00
0.00
435.74
120.00
**555.74**
250.00
**250.00**
273.56
0.00
316.00
254.00
20.00
0.00
15.00
80.00
**958.56**
750.00
750.00
750.00
**2,250.00**|**Y/e 30/9/2023**
**£**
**£**
897.46
1,341.66
**2,239.12**
0.00
0.00
435.74
120.00
**555.74**
250.00
**250.00**
273.56
0.00
316.00
254.00
20.00
0.00
15.00
80.00
**958.56**
750.00
750.00
750.00
**2,250.00**||**Y/e 30/9/2022**
**£**
**£**
939.39
1,674.81
**2,614.20**
4.80
77.04
267.48
273.56
**589.32**
571 44
**571.44**
195.63
273.60
316.00
254.00
40.00
0.00
15.00
150.00
**928.23**
750.00
2,250.00
[3 years]
**3,000.00**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||
||||
|||||||
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**THE DOROTHY L SAYERS SOCIETY**
**CHARITY REG No 272120**
|**Note**|**Y/e**|**30/9/2023**||**Y/e**|**30/9/2022**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**PAYMENTS**|**£**|**£**||**£**|**£**|
|**Total payments**||**18,051.04**|||**£27,589.22**|
|**Total receipts**||**32,638.09**|||**£33,383.91**|
|**Surplus / (Defi-**
5||||||
|**cit) for year – in**||**14,587.05**|||**£5,794.69**|
|**cash terms**||||||
|**STATEMENT OF ASSETS**|**AND LIABILITIES**|||||
|**As at 30 September 2022**||||||
|**ASSETS**|Note|**£**||**£**||
|**Total cash funds at 30**|1||53,486.92|||
|**September 2022**||||||
|Surplus / (Deficit) on Re-|5|||||
|ceipts & Payments a/c for|||14,587.05|||
|y/e 30 September 2023||||||
|Cash assets at 30 Septem-
ber 2023|||**68,073.97**|||
|**REPRESENTED BY:**||||||
|Cash at bank|||22,874.72|||
|COIF Charities deposit
fund|||44,400.25|||
|Chair’s float||310.60||||
|Bulletin Editor’s float||400.00||||
|Membership Sec’s float||88.40|799.00|||
|**Net cash assets at year**||||||
|**end 30 September 2023**|||**68,073.97**|||
|**Other monetary assets:**||||||
|Convention delegates’ un-||||||
|paid fees|6|450.00||450.00||
|**Liabilities:**||||||
|Convention 2019, balance||||||
|re Mustard Club film||168.00||||
|UCL, Convention 2023:|7|1,362.73||||
|invoices to pay||8,553.90||||
|Convention 2023, dele-|8|751.15||||
|gates’ refunds||||||
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**THE DOROTHY L SAYERS SOCIETY**
**CHARITY REG No 272120**
The Society also holds non-monetary assets:
- (a) Archives; portrait of DLS; and other memorabilia; used in furtherance of the Society’s objects and considered to have no realisable financial value;
- (b) Stocks of publications and of second-hand books; held for sale and sale proceeds brought into accounts when received.
The Notes below form part of these financial statements.
_[Original signed by Gregory Hill on 4th November 2023]_
Gregory Hill …………… November 2023 Treasurer
## **Notes to financial statements 2022-23**
1. All sums in these Financial Statements relate to unrestricted funds; the Society has no restricted funds or endowment funds.
2. The sums paid to UCL before the Society’s year-end were significantly less than the whole amount owing. The balance due has been fixed and paid in the total sum of £9,916.63 since the year-end. If all Convention receipts and payments had taken place before the year end,
- a. the Convention would show an excess of expenditure over receipts of just under £440, and
- b. the Society’s activities as a whole would show an excess of receipts over expenditure of a little over £12,600.
3. The Membership Secretary holds a supply of postage stamps paid for by the Society, the value of which is recorded as expenditure when they are used, and until then as a float.
4. The AGM scheduled for November 2022 was converted to Zoom because of a rail strike and the booking fee transferred towards the cost of the 2023 AGM (the charge has increased).
5. The cash surplus does not take account of sums remaining payable and receivable at the year-end in respect of the Convention: see Notes 2, 6, 7 and 8.
6. The Society has received, since the end of the financial year, the whole of the amounts due.
7. The Society has paid, since the end of the financial year, the whole of the amount remaining payable to UCL.
8. Delegates’ refunds remain outstanding at the date of adoption of these Accounts.
* * * * *
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