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2025-09-30-accounts

THE NORTHERN CERAMIC SOCIETY

REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025 CHARITY NO: 287630

CONTENTS
Page(s)
Annual Report of the Trustees 2 - 5
Statement of Financial Activities 6
Balance Sheet 7
Notes to the Financial Statements 8 – 11
Independent Examiner’s Report 12

1

THE NORTHERN CERAMIC SOCIETY Annual Report of the Trustees For the Year Ended 30 September 2025

This report has been prepared in accordance with the Charity Commission’s publication “Financial Reporting Standard 102 (“FRS 102”) and “Update Bulletin 1”, applicable to reporting periods beginning on or after 1[st] January 2016”.

SECTION 1: REFERENCE & ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Charity Name: The Northern Ceramic Society (also known as the NCS) Registered Charity Number: 287630 Charity’s Principal Address: The Treasurer; 2 Petton Hall, Burlton, Shropshire, SY4 5TH Bankers:

HSBC Bank plc, 5 Great Underback, Stockport, Cheshire, SK1 1LH Virgin Money plc, Jubilee House, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 4PL Independent Examiner: Peter Rodwell, Solihull, West Midlands Trustees: See Section 2 below Financial Year: 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025

SECTION 2: STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

The Charity is an unincorporated association, governed by the current Rules of The Northern Ceramic Society (‘The Rules’), which were revised and adopted unanimously at the Annual General Meeting held on 1 June 2019.

The Trustees of the Charity are its Management Committee, elected or appointed under The Rules, and comprise five elected Officers and six elected ordinary members. In addition, the Editors for the time being of the Society’s Journal and Newsletter respectively, who are appointed by the Management Committee, are also ex-officio members of the Management Committee, and thus also Trustees of the Charity.

The following persons served as Trustees throughout the financial year and are the Trustees at the date of this report, having been appointed at a previous Annual General Meeting and reappointed at the Annual General Meeting on 25 May 2024, or co-opted to fill a vacancy.

President Paul Atterbury Vice President Patricia Halfpenny
Elected Officers
Chair
Membership Secretary		 Gaye Blake-Roberts
Jessica Davies		 Treasurer
Programme
Secretary		 Brian Allaker
Deborah Skinner
Secretary
Nicola Scott
Appointed officers
Journal Editor		 David Barker Newsletter
Editor		 Miranda Goodby
Webmaster
Pat Halfpenny
Ordinary members
Richard Allman		 Rachel Conroy Ben Miller Jill Newsham
Kate Turner

The Charity has no employees and its Officers, as and when authorised by the Management Committee, act to administer the charity. In their administrative capacity, they are reimbursed their expenses, as detailed in Note 6 to the Financial Statements. None of the Trustees, nor any people connected with them, receive any remuneration. All trustees are subscribing members of the Society, but none receive any benefits from the Society other than those benefits which are available to all other members.

2

The Charity is not subject to a statutory audit, (as defined in Section 144 of The Charities Act 2011), and accordingly the Trustees wish to clarify that they interpret the word “Audited” contained in Section 6a of The Rules as meaning “subject to Independent Examination as required by Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 and described in CC31 & CC32 - Independent Examination of Charity Accounts”. The trustees have adopted a policy of Accrual Accounting and have documented their Customs and Practices for controlling expenditure.

The Charity’s website is: www.northernceramicsociety.org The Charity has no formal subcommittees.

SECTION 3: OBJECTIVES

The Objectives of the Charity, as defined in section 2 of The Rules, are:

SECTION 4: ACTIVITIES & ACHIEVEMENTS

Regular Publications

The Society published three Newsletters (numbers 210-212) comprising 48, 56 and 56 pages respectively, with a new editor, Miranda Goodby. In addition to regular items (Museum News, Potteries Today, meeting and seminar reports, book reviews) there were seventeen articles from members on various subjects relating to recent research into British ceramics from the 18th - 20th centuries.

Journal 40 (2025) was published, comprising 189 pages in 248 x 210mm format. In nine papers, authors covered a wide range of subjects including, amongst others, the ceramics trade of Georgian Liverpool; the life and work of Truda Carter; ceramics produced to celebrate the pioneer of civil liberties, John Wilkes; and the wares produced at William Ridgway’s Upper Hanley China Works.

Meetings

Attendance at free-to-attend lecture programme meetings remains consistent, mainly mid to high 30s, with regular meeting locations generating the best attendances. The October meeting was held at a new venue, Brampton Museum, Newcastle-under-Lyme where presentations included the Borough’s ceramics ventures, a reprise of an analysis of patterns produced at the Lancaster Pot works and screening of a video of John Hudson, Clay Potter. In November at Keele University, Lucy Lead, V&A Wedgwood Collection archivist, spoke about Frederick Rathbone, early Wedgwood author, authority and dealer, with two presentations on Mason ceramics subjects to follow. National Museums Liverpool staff hosted a meeting and handling session at Lady Lever Art Gallery in early March. Keele University was the venue for a meeting in late March, with presentations on dated and documentary ceramics. Another new venue featured in April, with a meeting at Wentworth Woodhouse, Yorkshire, looking at Rockingham ceramics made on the estate in the 19th century. The AGM in May returned to the Grosvenor Museum, Chester, where speaker Dick Henrywood focused on his work recording transfer printed ceramics, ahead of a proposal to incorporate the

3

Friends of Blue society with the NCS. The AGM was followed by the usual ‘show and tell’ ceramics session. The ceramics collections at Tabley House and Rode Hall, Cheshire, were the subjects of our Summer Visit. Our final meeting of the membership year was held at Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge Gorge, with speaker John Malam focusing on Salopian Art Pottery, and a visit to Jackfield Tile Works to the factory site, displays and collections store with curator Kate Cadman. The meeting was opened to members of the Tiles & Architectural Ceramics Society, several of whom are members of both societies.

E-News

The NCS continued to stay in touch with members through E-News, sent via email between our regular Newsletter publications. Between September 2024 and August 2025, we distributed 19 E-News updates, notices of Zoom lectures, seminar announcements, and more.

Residential Seminars

The Winter Weekend Seminar 2025 was held at the Hilton Garden Inn Stoke-on-Trent. The seminar programme, titled Artists, Designers & Decorators, included lectures that focussed on independent artists and workshops integral to the success of so many factories from the 18th-20th centuries. The seminar ended with practical handling sessions at the nearby Potteries Museum & Art Gallery.

Summer School 2025 was also held at the Hilton Garden Inn Stoke-on-Trent. The subject, Ceramics in a changing world:18th-20th century revolutions, was widely interpreted and included discussions of early English pottery and porcelain developments, the changing fortunes of country pottery and the celebrations of revolutionaries at home and abroad. The programme concluded with an auction of ceramics brought to the seminar by attendees.

Website

The NCS website continued to grow, particularly in the members-only section, with new galleries and updated information. The members' section has expanded not only with additional galleries but with a section devoted to flipbooks which make a variety of research resources available to our members. Over the next year, we hope to see more resources contributed by members for the benefit of fellow members. All these resources are updatable, and we encourage further contributions from members.

Public Benefit

The Trustees believe that this charity meets the public benefit requirement of the Charities Act 2011 in three different ways: (1) its publications are available to the public through the copyright libraries and at the libraries of over 30 institutional members; (2) the Society offers bursaries for its residential events for the benefit of those who are unable to afford to attend; (3) visitors are welcome at all lecture meetings, though for security reasons at most meetings they are required to give advance notice of their intention to attend to the Secretary; however, we are specifically advertising some lecture meetings as open meetings without prior notice of attendance. The Society also actively promotes its relationships with museums that have significant ceramic collections. The Society’s Newsletters include a regular feature of ‘Museum News’ to which all relevant museums are invited to send contributions to publicise their forthcoming programmes. The archive of the Society’s late President, Dr Geoffrey Godden, which he gave to the Society, continues to be publicly available at Stoke City Archives subject to their usual arrangements for public access.

Membership

On 30[th] September 2025, there were 348 memberships including dual and institutional memberships. This is down 31 from 379 in 2024. This figure includes organisations who receive publications but do not pay a subscription, a few members who joined late in the year and whose memberships will roll on to the following year, and paid-up members who had informed us that they would not be renewing in the forthcoming year.

22 new members joined or re-joined the society, 53 members resigned, died, did not renew, or underpaid their subscription and could not be contacted. 56 of the subscriptions were overseas memberships; a reduction of 4 since the previous year.

4

Membership breakdown for end September 2025

UK 292
USA & CANADA 41
AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND 8
EUROPE 7

SECTION 5: FINANCIAL REVIEW

Year ended 30 September 2025

The attached financial statements show the current state of finances. The Trustees consider the situation to be financially sound.

During the year under review, the ordinary activities of the Society, i.e., meeting costs, administration costs and the production of the Newsletters and Journal, resulted in a deficit of £5,456 compared to a deficit of £3,413 last year mainly due to a reduction in membership subscriptions and a further increase in the Journal and Newsletter production costs. The total income was down by £500 on the previous year, two large donations partly offsetting the reduction in subscriptions. In the year under review, the two seminars together resulted in a surplus of £423 and we received a small income from the Godden Copyright Bequest.

The Society recorded an overall deficit of £4,854. The Society’s reserve funds stand at £44,667 on 30th September 2025 of which £10,939 is designated as the balance of the Harold Blakey Bequest Fund leaving unrestricted funds of £33,728.

The Statement of the Financial Activities on the next page gives details on the year’s income and expenditure.

Reserves Policy

After a significant reduction in the Society’s reserves during the last few years, the trustees consider that the current level of reserves is appropriate, prudent, and necessary to be able to respond to appropriate opportunities to fund future projects to promote the Society’s charitable objectives, and they are actively looking for such opportunities.

SECTION 6: FUTURE PLANS

The Trustees continue to plan the Society’s activities along the pattern which has been successful in recent years, namely, (1) publication of Newsletters and a Journal when appropriate, usually annually, (2) regular lecture meetings and (3) residential seminars, normally two held annually. Within the ongoing challenging financial climate, the Trustees will be looking to review our residential programme and print publications, to ensure that they are both sustainable and retain high quality. We will also consider the benefits and opportunities of working digitally.

On behalf of the Trustees

Gaye Blake-Roberts (Chair)

Brian Allaker (Treasurer)

March 2026

5

Statement of Financial Activities Statement of Financial Activities Statement of Financial Activities Statement of Financial Activities
For the Year Ended 30 September 2025
2024-25 2023-24
Note
s £ £ £
£
INCOMING RESOURCES
Voluntary Income 2
Subscriptions 14,748 16,567
Gift Aid Tax Reclaimed 2,212 2,686
Godden Copyright 178 82
Sundry Donations 1,948 493
19,085 19,828
Investment Income: 3
Bank Interest 613 587
Income from Charitable Activities: 4
Publication Sales 665 569
Residential Events 27,270 28,702
Meetings and Events 1,810 945
29,746 30,216
Total Incoming Resources: 49.443 50,630
RESOURCES EXPENDED
Costs of Generating Voluntary Income:
Website Maintenance 971 889
Website Enhancement 0 0
Costs of Charitable Activities: 4
Printed Publications 21,163 20,975
Residential Events 26,847 27,009
Meetings and Events 4,220 1,923
Donations to Museums 0 0
Office Support Costs 681 1,134
52,911 51,041
Governance Costs: 5
Printing Annual Report 281 241
Bank Fees 136 98
417 339
Total Resources Expended 54,298 52,269
Net Income/Expenditure for the Year -4,855 -1,639
Fund Balance Brought Forward 49,521 51,160
Fund Balance Carried Forward 44,667 49,521

6

Balance Sheet as of 30 September 2025

Notes
Fixed Assets
Tangible Assets
Computer Equipment Cost
less Depreciation
7
Current Assets
Debtors
8
Cash in Virgin Money Notice
Account
Cash in Virgin Money Deposit
Accounts
Cash in Bank & PayPal Current Accounts
Current Liabilities
Creditors
9
Net Current Assets
Net Assets
Represented by:
Designated Funds
10
Unrestricted Funds
Total Funds		 2025
£
£
4,539
4,539
0
420
0
44,905
8,979
54,304
9,637
44,667
44,667
10,939
33,728
44,667		 2024
£
£
4,539
4,539
0
3,049
0
47,279
20,888
71,215
21,694
49,521
49,521
11,349
38,172
49,521		 2024
£
£
4,539
4,539
0
3,049
0
47,279
20,888
71,215
21,694
49,521
49,521
11,349
38,172
49,521
420
0
44,905
8,979		 3,049
0
47,279
20,888
54,304
9,637		 71,215
21,694
49,521
11,349
38,172
49,521

The notes on pages 8 to 11 form part of the Financial Statements The Financial Statements on pages 6-11 were approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:

Gaye Blake-Roberts (Chair)

Brian Allaker (Treasurer)

March 2026

7

Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year Ended 30 September 2025

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

(a) Basis of Accounting

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with applicable accounting standards for accrual accounting, and with the Charity Commission’s publication “Financial Reporting Standard 102 (“FRS 102”) and “Update Bulletin 1””. There are two exceptions to the SORP in the timing of the reporting of income and expenditure in the Statement of Financial Affairs, namely, (i) subscriptions are reported in the financial year to which they relate, and (ii) deposits and prepayments for residential events are reported in the financial year in which the events take place. The effects of this policy can be seen in the analysis of the relevant balance sheet items in Notes 8 and 9 below.

(b) Depreciation

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.

Computer, Video and Audio Equipment : 33⅓% of cost

2. VOLUNTARY INCOME

(a) Subscriptions

Members of the Society pay an annual subscription. All subscriptions are received in £ sterling.

(b) Donations

Donations include occasional donations from members of the public, Society members, or other bodies.

3. INVESTMENT INCOME

Investment income comprises interest on bank deposit accounts, namely, the Society’s two deposit accounts with Virgin Money.

4. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES

(a) Publications

The Society publishes its own educational publications in accordance with the aims of the Society, which are either primarily for distribution free of charge to the Society’s registered subscribers, and/or are for sale to the general public. The total cost of production, (including the Editor’s costs), and the initial distribution costs of any publication, are charged to the year of production. These costs are treated as Costs of Charitable Activities . Any copies of publications that remain undistributed or unsold at the end of a financial year are retained by the Society for sale, or for further free distribution. These copies are valued at zero and are not accounted for as assets. The income from the sale of publications is accounted for as Income from Charitable Activities in the year in which they are sold.

8

Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year Ended 30 September 2025

(b) Residential Events

From time to time, the Society may organise residential events such as a weekend seminar or Summer School. Such events are accounted for as charitable activities as they comprise primary purpose trading. The income from residential events is accounted for as Income from Charitable Activities , and the costs of organising such events is accounted for as Costs of Charitable Activities .

(c) Meetings and Other Events

The costs of lecture meetings and other educational events run by the Society are accounted for as Costs of Charitable Activities . Speakers at these meetings may claim reimbursement of direct expenses, but no fees are paid. The regular scheduled meetings of the Society are free of charge to members and their guests. From time to time, the Society holds one-day events in addition to this regular programme, and extra costs are incurred. Those attending are asked to contribute towards defraying these costs. Such contributions are treated as Income from Charitable Activities , under the heading of “special event donations.” Residential events are accounted for separately as described in Note 4 (b) above.

(d) Donations Made

Under Rule 2(v), the Society may make donations to other non-commercial organisations involved in ceramic display or research, subject to financial limits. Such donations are accounted for as Costs of Charitable Activities .

(e) 3[rd] Party Mailings

From time to time, the Society may include in its mailings to members leaflets from 3[rd] parties promoting publications and events relating to the charitable objectives of the Society. Income received for this service is accounted for as Income from Charitable Activities . The costs associated with the handling of these leaflets are accounted for as Costs of Charitable Activities .

(f) Support Costs

The Society is managed and run by a voluntary, unpaid committee. Each committee member can be reimbursed for the direct cost of office supplies, printing, postage and telecom usage that are used exclusively to carry out their duties on behalf of the Society. These reimbursements are made against expense claims. Such expenditure, and other stationery bought directly by the Society solely for its charitable activities, is accounted for as Costs of Charitable Activities .

(g) Depreciation

The fixed assets owned by the Society are used exclusively for the charitable objectives of the Society, and their depreciation is accounted for as Costs of Charitable Activities .

5. GOVERNANCE COSTS

Committee Expenses comprise costs of room hire for committee meetings and reimbursed direct costs of attending committee meetings and the AGM, which committee members may claim.

9

Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year Ended 30 September 2025

6. REIMBURSEMENT OF TRUSTEES’ EXPENSES

During the year, no expenses were reimbursed to Trustees of the Charity. Further explanations of the types of expenses are given elsewhere in these Notes.

7. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

Fixed assets comprise computer hardware and software for use by the Editors of the Society’s Journal and Newsletter and video and audio equipment for use at meetings. All are depreciated and written off over 3 years. Movements in fixed assets during the year are shown in the following table:

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10

Notes to the Financial Statements

For the Year Ended 30 September 2025

8. DEBTORS AND PREPAYMENTS

Amounts falling due within one year
Debtors – Inland Revenue Gift Aid
Debtors - Accrued Interest (Virgin Money)
Debtors – Donation – FOB Website Costs
Prepayments - re. Seminars
Total		 This year
£
200
220
0
420
0		 Last year
£
213
0
149
3,048
2686

9. CREDITORS AND ACCRUALS

Amounts falling due within one year.
Trade creditors
Deferred income - Subscriptions.
Deferred income - Seminar Deposits
Total		 This year
£
4,522
3,225
1,890
9,637		 Last year
£
15,265
3,519
2,910
21,694

10. HAROLD BLAKEY BEQUEST FUND

Transport of Collection
Auction Result After Commission
Further Income from Non-Sale Items
Redevelopment of the Society’s Website
Winter Seminar 2016 Bursaries
Summer Seminar 2019 Bursary
2022 Exhibition Flyer 21/04/21
2022 Exhibition Expenses PMAG
2022 Exhibition Catalogue 20/06/22
Summer Seminar 2025 Bursary
Available Balance		 Debit
£
2,400
4,062
505
325
175
300
5966
410
14,143		 Credit
£
24,852
230
25,082
10,939

11

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of The Northern Ceramic Society For the Year Ended 30 September 2025

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Northern Ceramic Society (“The Society”) for the year ended 30 September 2025

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the Society, 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 of my examination of the Society’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

  1. Accounting records were not kept in respect of the Society as required by section 130 of the Act; or

  2. The accounts do not accord with those records; or

  3. The accounts do 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 to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Peter Rodwell Solihull West Midlands

March 2026

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