Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists, Society ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Founded 1869 Registered Charity 291604 www.nnns.org.uk
Presidents, Vice Presidents and Council members serving during 2020
(members served throughout the year except where stated otherwise) .
Presidents: Simon Barnes Dr. Jeff Price (to 10.3.20) (from 10.3.20) Vice Presidents: Dr RE Baker, AL Bull, RC Hancy, PW Lambley, DI Richmond Chairman: C Chapman Secretary: J Emerson Assistant Secretary: FJL Farrow Treasurer: J Froud (from 10.3.20) Assistant Treasurer: J Froud T Hodge (to 10.3.20) (from 10.3.20) Membership committee: J Hubbard (chair) J Froud (secretary) (to 10.3.20) Programme committee: D Cheyne (chair) Dr SR Martin (secretary) (to 10.3.20) (to 10.3.20) D Engelbrecht (chair) (from 10.3.20) Publications committee: Dr AR Leech (chair) Dr J Parmenter (secretary) Research committee: Dr AG Irwin (chair) Dr NM Collins (secretary) Liaison committee: C Chapman (chair) Dr J Parmenter (secretary) Finance committee: J Froud (chair) T Hodge (secretary)
Elected council members: Retiring 2020: T Frost, T Hodge, R Hawke (All to 10.3.20) Retiring 2021: D Ashton, W Fitch, M Goddard Retiring 2022: J Higgins, T Kemp, T Williams Retiring 2023: A. Liddle (All from 10.3.20)
Co-opted Members: To be invited following the first meeting of the new council. Hon. Independent Examiner: M. Benstead
Addresses: Honorary Secretary: J Emerson, 108 Sleaford Green, Norwich, NR3 3JT.
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’ NORFOLK & NORWICH NATURALISTS SOCIETY . . .
The Society was founded in 1869 and became a registered charity in 1985 with registration number 291604. Its governing instrument is the constitution adopted on 4 March, 1983 as amended on 22 March, 1985, 16 March, 1999, 21 March, 2006, 10 March, 2015, 12 March, 2019 and 10 March, 2020.
The management of the affairs of the Society is in the hands of a Council consisting of Vice Presidents, officers and elected members as listed opposite.
The Society President is nominated by Council to serve for one year and is a person who has made a significant contribution to the understanding of natural history.
The objectives of the Society are:
- to promote, organise, carry on and encourage education of the public and study and research for the advancement of knowledge in natural sciences and to protect endangered species.
To furtherance of the above objects but not further or otherwise the Society may:
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publish papers on the natural sciences, especially those relating to Norfolk.
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encourage the exchange of information between naturalists by means of meetings and excursions.
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protect endangered species by the collection of information, cooperative surveys, investigations and the dissemination of the useful results of such investigations.
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do all such other lawful things as shall further the attainment of the above objects.
. . . Researching Norfolk’s Wildlife
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CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
The council of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists’Society has pleasure in presenting this Annual Report and Accounts for the year ending December 31[st] 2020. This was in every way a very difficult year.
Membership at the end of 2020 stood at 653 (619 at the end of 2019). The number of new members totalled 56 during the course of the year. Of course, several members left or sadly died during the course of the year but one new member per week is very pleasing. The majority of our subscriptions and purchases are now received by Paypal making this much easier to administer.
The Society ended the year with general account reserves of £107,527.29 (£101, 862.52 at the end of 2019). The Society continues to receive legacies for which we are very grateful. These donations have enabled the Society’s publications to be of an extremely high standard. Indeed, they have been widely acclaimed.
Our membership may be assured the Society’s finances continue to be in a very healthy position. I am pleased, under Jim Froud’s auspice as Treasurer, the finance committee once again did an excellent job in balancing the books.
A sensible move this year was to consolidate the work carried out by the former Mem‐ bership and Programme Committees. The result was the new Membership and Events Committee.
Education is something to which the Society is committed. Talks are a substantial part of what the society does to promote the wildlife within the county and despite restric‐ tions a programme of talks was resurrected by way of Zoom technology. Members and others could still contribute to these events without any travel being involved. A bene‐ fit to the planet. The contribution by the speakers is once again very much appreciated; Mark Ollett, Tony Howes, Simon Barnes, Julia Burton, James Parry and Mike Jones did a good job. I was even called in as a last-minute replacement myself during early March. Many of the events were organised initially by Stephen Martin and more latterly by Danielle Engelbrecht. Thank you both.
The programme of workshops and field meetings throughout the summer months however had to be foregone but they are in the process of being rescheduled for 2021. Our thanks must go to Geoff Price who took us through our year as president.
The Research Committee led by Tony Irwin continued to do good work. Tony retired from his position as chair during the year. He will be sorely missed but we will continue to use his knowledge from afar I’m sure. The committee will be for the time being be in the safe hands of Mark Collins.
Tony Leech once again led the Publications Committee and pulled together the 2019 Bird and Mammal Report. The articles and photographs included are a tribute to Andy Stoddart who once again acted as the report and photographic editor. Richard Moores once more produced a marvellous mammal report. The mammoth undertaking by Tony overseeing the publication of Transactions, which hit members doormats just - 4 -
before Christmas, and the ‘Emma Turner’ and of course ‘Norfolk’s 150’ occasional publications cannot be understated. Indeed, during the year Tony, as I’m sure you are aware, was the recipient of the Sydney Long medal for contributions to the county’s wildlife. A well-deserved accolade given collectively by both the NNNS and the NWT.
The Norfolk Natterjack, our quarterly newsletter continues to be excellently edited and compiled by Francis Farrow.
The Society’s Facebook page has increased from 1700 members at the end of 2019 to 2900 members at the end of 2020. Thanks are due again to Andy Musgrove for acting as our administrator. This is a means of contacting members and others immediately of any changes or events and its importance now, and increasingly so in the future, cannot be understated.
The Society’s website remains our ‘shop window’ to the world and is aptly maintained by Jim Froud. One of the well-used resources are the species guides and these have been updated during 2020 by David Richmond.
The Liaison Committee continues to fill into its remit and objections were raised to several planning projects where the county’s wildlife was put at undue risk. The Society continues to act hand in hand with the Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) in this respect. Our relationship with the Norfolk Biodiversity Information Service (NBIS) is a strong one. The overseeing of the County Recorders network is an ongoing process. The role of our county recorders is a difficult one. Often a thankless task. My thanks go to every single one of them.
In 2020 several trustees came to the end of their term in office or have stood down as members of council and I thank them wholeheartedly for their service; Joe Hubbard (Membership Committee Chairman), Dorothy Cheyne (Programme Committee Chairman), Dr Stephen Martin (Programme Committee Secretary), Dr Tony Irwin (Research Committee Chairman), Teresa Frost (Council member), Rob Hawkes (Council member), Greg Bond (Council member), Ewan Carr (Council member). I extend my gratitude to these and all who have contributed.
If it were not for James Emerson, our secretary, I could not have continued as Chairman for the last four years. His accuracy and punctuality are legendary. Every charity needs a James Emerson. My personal thanks go wholeheartedly to him for his help and his continued service.
For various reasons it is better I step down as Chairman at our next AGM rather than fulfil the full term of a fifth year. At the time of writing the position of chairman is open to nominees. I shall still be heavily involved with the Society but must take this opportunity to say I have enjoyed immensely being part of an organisation which has always been stalwart in its aims. I hope you feel I have left it in a stronger position than when I was first elected as chairman. As we move into 2021 the world is faced with many challenges. I hope above all hope that we can all conquer those challenges together, become stronger for having faced them and enjoy a better world.
Carl Chapman (Chairman)
Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society
Registered Charity 291604
RECEIPTS 2020
| Registered Charity 291604 RECEIPTS 2020 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| A1.1 A1.2 A1.3 A2.1 A2.2 A2.3 A2.4 A2.5 A3.1 B1.1 B1.2 B1.3 B1.4 B2.1 B2.2 B2.3 B2.4 B3.1 B3.2 B3.3 B3.4 B4.1 B4.2 C1.1 C1.2 C1.3 C1.4 C1.5 C1.6 C1.7 |
RECEIPTS | 2020 | 2019 |
| Voluntary sources Subscriptions Grants / legacies Sundry donations |
13,141.47 14,329.14 1,504.75 |
12,657.25 21,386.98 1,591.82 |
|
| Trading activities Bird report sales (prev yr edn) Bird report sales (current yr edn) Sales of other publications Delivery / postage Workshop attendance fees |
2,592.86 1,524.46 1,231.84 0.00 90.00 |
132.51 1,446.02 701.30 0.00 0.00 |
|
| Income from assets Interest |
526.05 | 872.38 | |
| Total receipts | 34,940.57 | 38,788.26 | |
| PAYMENTS 2020 | |||
| PAYMENTS | 2020 Total |
2019 Total |
|
| Lectures & meetings Room hire / speakers' expenses Workshops Programme card printing Exhibitions and publicity |
448.00 100.00 308.75 0.00 |
535.00 345.92 322.80 2,898.14 |
|
| Publications Transactions (incl postage) B&M - (incl postage) Sales expenses, fees, postage Occn Publications (incl postage) |
7,541.92 6,496.74 45.39 7,520.29 |
2,959.94 5,923.16 65.51 2,511.69 |
|
| Membership services Quarterly "Natterjack", print, postage & stationery Postage to members Paypal fees, reminders, new members Website |
3,603.73 286.07 118.96 255.24 |
3,016.79 243.17 92.22 98.24 |
|
| Research & education Research Education |
349.00 0.00 |
1,023.01 0.00 |
|
| Governance AGM expenses: print+post Public liability insurance Consumables, envelopes, labels 2019 committee Publication sales postage (carried forward) Committee printing, stationery & postage Ind exam / miscellaneous |
402.20 654.56 135.80 865.27 0.00 143.88 0.00 |
106.46 654.56 12.08 4,668.65 7.05 136.09 419.43 |
|
| Total payments | 29,275.80 | 26,039.91 |
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Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society
Registered Charity 291604 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
| Movement in funds / end-of-year assets | 2020 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| Total | Total | |
| Start of year balance Movement in funds Receipts Payments |
101,862.52 34,940.57 29,275.80 |
89,114.17 38,788.26 26,039.91 |
| End of year balance Assets at period end Represented by: Cash at Barclays Paypal account Teachers Saving A/c Unbanked cheques Less uncleared cheques |
107,527.29 | 101,862.52 |
| 13,273.29 0.00 98,019.58 0.00 -3,765.58 |
7,098.13 0.00 94,764.39 0.00 0.00 |
|
| End of year balance | 107,527.29 | 101,862.52 |
~~Liabilities at period end:~~
Publications expenses incurred in December and cheques not yet cleared (as above).
Notes on variances:
A1.2: Legacies of Veronica Larter, Paul Woolnough and Iris Calnon A2.4 "Revenue" from PayPal postage was notional and is included in prices A2.5 and B1.2: Workshops were pre 2020
Note that in 2018 we discontinued to refer to "the Peet Fund" in accounts, but continue to acknowledge its donor, the Sarnia Trust, in our printed publications
J Froud - Treasurer 04/01/2021
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S UNQUALIFIED REPORT NORFOLK AND NORWICH NATURALISTS, SOCIETY REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 291604 Jndependent Examiner's Report to the Trnstees of Norfolk And Nonvich Naturalists, Society I report lo th¢ trustees on my examination of the accounts of Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists. Society ('the ¢hxrity') for the year ended 31 December 2020 which comprise the summary of receipts and payments and the statement of assets and liabilities. This report is made solely to the charity's trustees. as a body, in accordance with section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. My work has been undertaken so that I might state to the charity's trnstees those matters J am required to slate to them in this report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent perniitled by law. I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone oth¢r than the charity and the charity's trustees as a body, for my work. for this report. or for the opinions I have fornled. Responsibilities and basis of report As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounls in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('Ihe Act,). I report in respect of my examination of the charity's accounts Carried out under section 145 of the Aci and in carying oul my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commi55ion under section 145(5)(b) of th¢ Act. An independent examination do¢s not involve gathering all the evidence that would be r¢quir¢d in an audit and consequently does not cover all the matters that an auditor considers in giving their opinion on the accounts. The planning and conduct of an audit goes beyond the limited assurance that an independent examination can provide. Consequently l express no audit opinion on the accounts and my report is limi*d to Ihose specific matters set out in the ind¢pendenl examiner's statement. Independent examiner's statement I have completed my examination. I confirni that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause lo believe that in any material respect- accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
the accounts do not accord with ihos¢ recor(Ls. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection wtih the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a pro r understanding of the accounts lo be reached. Martyn Benstead FCCA FMAAT Stephenson Smart (East Anglia) Limited l O Oak Street, Fakenham Norfolk NR219DY 3 June 2021