Trustee`s Report for the year ended 31 August 2018
Structure Governance Management
The Society is a body with Registered Charity Status. It consists of Ordinary Members who pay an annual subscription and non-subscribing Honorary Members. The business and affairs of the Society are conducted by a General committee of elected Ordinary members, some of whom are elected to nominated posts. The General Committee consists of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman , Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and Outings Secretary , together with up to seven appointed members. All committee members are elected at the Annual General Meeting. All committee members/trustees give their time freely and no remuneration or other benefits are received. The Governing Document is the LHS Constitution, last amended at the AGM on 3[rd] September 2014.
Objectives and Activities
The Society is established for charitable purposes only, in particular to promote the advancement of education and knowledge, through study of the history of Lisburn area in particular but also further afield.
The Society promotes the culture, heritage and history of the City of Lisburn, through a regular programme of lectures, the publication of interpretative material and journals and a dedicated website. General meetings, with an invited speaker, are held monthly. The Lecture programme is displayed in public buildings in Lisburn centre so that visitors may attend lectures of interest to them. Outings to places of historic interest are undertaken in the Spring and Autumn months.
Achievements during 2017-18
The Society enjoyed another successful year of meetings, outings and events with a varied programme of lectures that members enjoyed in the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum. Topics covered in the general meetings included:
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Henry Munro and the United Irishmen
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Celebrated Citizens from In and Around Belfast
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Flowers at the Frontline – in the Second World War
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The Golden Age of the Music Hall, 1880-1928
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Ballymacarrett – A Local History Talk
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The Ladies, Letters and Life of Brigadier Nelson Russell
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Clifton House
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C. S. Lewis and World War One.
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The highlight of the year was the Celebratory Dinner marking the 50[th] anniversary of the founding of Lisburn Historical Society. The event was held in the Museum on 22[nd] November 2017 and was attended by the Mayor and some Council Officials.
The Society’s Annual Dinner in May was also well attended by members who enjoyed a beautiful meal in Dunmurry Golf Club, followed by musical entertainment performed by local musicians.
Three excellent outings took members to Enniskillen and Crom Castle, Echo Hall at Spa, Ballynahinch and Bellaghy/Seamus Heaney Centre/Lissan House.
Future Plans
Members of the Society are very appreciative of being able to meet in the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum. The excellent facilities and ambience there provide the optimum venue for enjoying our history. The Society will continue to support the Museum by using this venue whenever possible and by attending events organised by the Museum. It will also explore the potential for joint participation in events. The committee will continue to recommend the format of activities that has been so successful over many years.
Financial Review
The accounts are laid out in a format to comply with the requirements of CCNI and show that the Society remains financially sound after another busy year of activities. Figures quoted here are rounded off.
Total receipts of £7393 and total payments of £5484 are both down significantly from 2017 values. This is due mainly to society outings in this year not requiring overnight stays and hotel expenses. The decrease in these values would have been greater but for the effects of the extra event, the 50[th] Anniversary Dinner. Its receipts of £1365 and payments of £2232 left a deficit of £867 which the committee were happy to fund for such a successful event.
Overall receipts were also boosted by the transfer of £1436 of surplus funds from the Lisburn Memorials Trust after completion of its project in Lisburn Cathedral cemetery. This helped to produce a healthy surplus of £1909 for the Society, resulting in a Current Account bank balance of £7539 at 31[st] August 2018, an increase of £1434 from 2017.
There was no significant change in the Reserve Deposit Account and the Journal Account, other than a transfer of £175 from the latter to pay for Journal expenses.
The total assets of the Society, are made up by the Current Account, Reserve Deposit Account and Journal Account giving a total value £15,597 at 31st August 2018. This is an increase of £1735 on the previous year.
As we operate a Receipts and Payments accounting system there are no liabilities.
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Trustees
Rosemary Bunting (Chairperson) William Ingleston (Hon. Secretary) Ian Cochrane (Hon. Treasurer) Finny O`Sullivan (Outings Secretary) Betty Campbell Olive Campbell Mary Glendinning John Hanna Joan Russell David Twigg Kathy Yuille
Bankers
Danske Bank 62/66 Bow Street Lisburn BT28 1YS
Contact
secretary@lisburnhistoricalsociety.org www.lisburnhistoricalsociety.org
Signed on behalf of the Trustee`s by:
Rosemary Bunting William Ingleston
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