Scottish Arctic Expedition Fund (SAEF) SC046857
ANNUAL REPORT 2024/25
The purposes of the Scottish Arctic Expedition Fund a re:
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The advancement of education on matters of travel and research in the Arctic
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The promotion of good expedition practice in high latitudes
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The provision of financial support to expeditions to the Arctic, where the applicant is under 30 years old
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To receive donations from the Scottish Arctic Club, from members of the club and from other donors and to organise fundraising attainment of the above objectives or conducive to the activities and to apply the funds to the purposes of the organisation
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To associate or enter into arrangements with other persons or body having the same or similar objects and to do so in any manner, or for any purpose, which may further the objects of this society
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To take any other action incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objects
The Fund has made grants available to 37 different groups or individual young people to travel to the Arctic since it became a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) in 2016 Prior to the setting up of the SCIO, the Scottish Arctic Club (SAC) had supported 88 groups or individuals since 1997. In some years there were no valid applications, but in both 2013 and 2015 there were 14 successful applicants, reflecting the number of British Schools Exploring Society applying (now British Exploring Society). The total money awarded in one year has ranged from £100 to £5,500 with the average amount very similar over the past ten years. All funded expeditions/ individuals are listed on the SAC website by year: www.arcticclub.scot
Destinations of supported individuals or expeditions, 1997-2025
Svalbard 34 Greenland 28 Arctic Norway/Finnmark/Sweden 20 Iceland 2 Russia 1 Arctic Canada & Alaska 10
Trustees 2024/25
Trustees met in person at the Annual General Meeting in Nether Bridge on 2 November 2024 and virtually on Zoom on 6 February 2025
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Reserves policy
SAEF’s funding stream is exclusively from donations by members of the Scottish Arctic Club. The funds held are unrestricted and available to spend on any of the charity’s purposes. There are no separate endowments, restricted funds or fixed assets, overheads or funds set aside for future activities.
However, trustees do attempt to restrict the total grants awarded in any one year so that they do not exceed the funds raised in that particular year, unless there is an exceptional application to the Fund, in which case there are sufficient reserves to service it. There is also money in hand to fund suitable future expeditions should there be any drop in annual income.
Conditions of funding
Recipients of funding are invited to give a presentation at the annual Scottish Arctic Club Gathering, held in November each year.
The following disclaimer to the notification of awards:
"The award of a grant from the SAEF is made possible by the generosity of individual members of the Scottish Arctic Club keen to encourage and support young people in arctic research, exploration or artistic endeavour. The Fund is a mechanism by which applications for, and the awarding of grants, is managed. In deciding to whom grants are made, the trustees do not evaluate the risk management of the venture or any third-party provider to the group or individual. Participating in arctic travel is entirely at your own risk.
A short report on your trip is due by 31 October. Please acknowledge the Fund in any social media posts @scottisharcticclub”
2025 Expeditions
At the 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Scottish Arctic Club (SAC) and Gathering, funds were generously raised by SAC members through a silent auction, raffle, sale of cards and ‘guess the whisky’ Individual donations to the Fund were welcomed.
Trustees rank applications according to various criteria, such as age, Scottishness, number of weeks in the field, independence etc, and allocate funds accordingly. The SAEF attempts to disburse, approximately, the funds raised in the previous year. However, the Fund has reserves from legacies. The Hugh & Myrtle Simpson award may be given for qualifying trips - small, independently organised, adventurous expeditions.
The Fund was able to support five groups in 2025, three winter and two summer expeditions. Thanks to SAC members’ donations, £5,000 was awarded in total.
There is now a stated presumption that preference is given to folk who have not been funded by the SAEF before and to those not relying on fixed accommodation, field centres etc. or travelling in the ‘low’ arctic in summer. All successful applicants are invited to give a presentation at the annual Gathering and to submit a report; a short version is included in the SAC newsletter. Some reports appear on the SAC website, in the SAC library at the Royal Scottish Geographical Society in Perth, or in the Dundee University archives. The awardees are given a year’s free membership of the club, in the hope that they will the join and lower the club’s ageing demographic.
Scottish Arctic Expedition Fund (SAEF) SC046857 Accounts 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2025 Balance at bank 01/09/2024 = £14,443.54 Balance at bank 31/08/2025 = £13,985.24*
| 2023-24 | 2024-25 | |
|---|---|---|
| INCOME | ||
| Surplus from SAC Attadale holiday | £307.52 | £200.00 |
| Interest on current account | £301.34 | £553.13 |
| Interest on fxed term savings maturity | £137.50 | --- |
| Donations from SAC members | £2,103.00 | £3,033.00 |
| HMRC Charities Gift Aid | £522.06 | £755.57 |
| Total | £3,371.42 | £4,541.70 |
| Fixed term savings matured & | ||
| returned to current account | £5,000.00 | ---- |
| EXPENDITURE | ||
| Expedition Grants awarded: | £2,000.00 | £5,000.00 |
| BALANCE of Income/Expenditure | +£1,371.42 | -£458.30 |
| * Two accounts #358, #919 |
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Treasurer
5 September 2025
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