2025-04-05-accounts - Fair Scotland

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Fair Scotland Trustees’ Annual Report Period from 6 April 2024 to 5th April 2025

Charity contact information

Your charity’s name Fair Scotland Scottish Charity Number SC051246 Address 50 Saracen St, Glasgow Postcode G22 5AD

Telephone number Email address Website coming soon Social Media

Instagram @FairScotland Facebook @FairScotlandOrg Twitter @fairscotlandorg

Charity Trustees

List of our charity trustees for the period, and the date they left if they were not in post for the entire period of this report:

Objectives and activities

Our Charitable Aims

Our aim is to promote the heritage, experiences and aspirations of Scottish Travelling Showpeople while advocating for the continuation of contemporary fairground culture.

We also endeavour to promote equality and diversity by challenging discrimination against Scottish Showpeople and aspire to enhance their well-being and sense of identity as part of a diverse, inclusive Scotland.

We are actively engaging in policy development and advocacy which will help promote the Scottish fairground as a vital and valued aspect of Scotland’s history and contemporary culture.

What We Do

We have initiated an ongoing programme of cultural events, activities and media aimed at promoting the knowledge and understanding of Scottish Showpeople and the cultural heritage of Scotland’s fairgrounds.

We are laying the groundwork to collect, create and maintain an oral, visual and documentary archive on Scottish Showpeople and Scottish fairgrounds.

We continue to develop a programme of policy advocacy and creative research, which promotes the cultural heritage of Scotland’s fairgrounds and raises public awareness about Scottish Showpeople our unique way of life. We will continue to refresh, enhance and interpret our archive and develop new dissemination materials.

Who We Help

Fair Scotland aims to provide an open, accessible programme of activities, research, and policy advocacy that is of interest to

i) Scottish Showpeople,

ii) the wider public and

iii) professionals, organisations, and HEIs.

Our Work Benefits

Our activities will benefit Scottish Show communities and encourage better relations with the wider public. Our work will also allow activists, teachers and advocates a wide array of innovative tools – both direct and indirect – to address these issues in their

work. We also see a particular benefit for young Showpeople as they forge their sense of identity and plan their futures. Our work will benefit our partners, stakeholders, and affiliated organisations.

To expand, our work benefits

i) Scottish Show Communities, in ensuring that high-quality research and information is being produced to support advocacy and community development for and with them,

ii) those working for and with Showpeople on a number of social and economic issues in providing them with the best information and evidence,

iii) the wider public in ensuring they are informed and enlightened on issues related to Scottish Showpeople;

iv) policymakers and service providers by ensuring they are well-informed and aware of the available research resources

v) media outlets by providing high quality information and commentary and

vi) generally, our work will raise the level of debate and discussion on the issue of Scottish Travelling Showpeople.

Structure, governance and management

Type of governing document

Fair Scotland operates under a SCIO Tier One Constitution which sets out our purpose, structure and describes how we operate. Our trustees ensure that our charity complies with our Constitution. We also have a Code of Conduct which has been co-authored by our Trustees.

Trustee recruitment and appointment

We recruited

welcome a new board member,

to our board of Trustees and will in January 2026.

Alison is a member of the Showpeople community with extensive experience working in the arts and media. Her specialisms include Equality and Diversity and Fundraising, and we are delighted to add her to our team.

Andrea is a member of the Showpeople community with a PhD in Public Policy.

No external organisations are allowed to appoint charity trustees to Fair Scotland.

Achievements and performance9

Selected List of Activities and Achievements

What follows is a summary and timeline of activities and achievements for this reporting period:

April-October 2024: We continued to work in supporting the recognition of Scottish Fairs and the traditions surrounding them as the UK register of Intangible Cultural Heritage was planned and developed.
June 2024: We partnered with EPIC Assist and Showmen’s Mental Health Charity to deliver an awareness raising and networking event with major NHS Scotland agencies and a creative workshop which included art, storytelling and crafts for children and young people at the Bothy in Dalmarnock.
October 2024: Launch of the Black and Red List of Lost and Endangered Fairs, a survey of fairs under threat or that have been lost. This will be the first directory of its kind in the UK, and will allow Fair Scotland and its partners to monitor the health of fairs in Scotland.
October 2024: We joined our partners at the Stove Network in Dumfries for the launch of the HereIHear project, a series of interventions and events across Dumfries to celebrate the town’s fairground heritage. Co-chairs ts Beall, took part.
December 2024-present: Engagement with the Dumfries Flood Prevention Team on the detailed design for the Whitesands to ensure the survival - and good health - of Dumfries’ March and Rood fairs. This involved bringing together key stakeholders and providing feedback on a series of options for retaining the fair within the new design.
January 2025: The European Showmen’s Union bi-annual Congress met in Edinburgh in January – the first time it has been held in the UK. The 3 day conference was organised by the Central Office of the Showmen’s Guild led by our Fair Scotland Trustee The event included a members debate and reception in Parliament and Fair Scotland co-chairs ts Beall and presented to the congress on the the UNESCO Convention for Intangible
Cultural Heritage.
February-March 2025: We attracted significant press coverage for the Black and Red List of Lost and Endangered Fairs on BBC Scotland and The Sunday Herald.
January-March 2025: Building on previous work in and around Dumfries (Atlas Pandemica/Fairground Walkabouts and Signage) Fair Scotland and as part of the ‘HearIHere’ project we worked with the Stove Network to program a range of

creative events, talks, screenings, and public art during the March Fair to raise its profile and highlight the value it holds to the town and its heritage. The centrepiece was the installation of a sign, ‘The Show Must Go On’, Co-designed by and showman Preston Irvine (with help from his two sons Wallace and Mitchell) on the Suspension Bridge - better known to Showpeople as ‘Biddall’s Bridge’.

Ongoing: Creating the Black and Red List of Lost and Endangered Fairs, a directory of Scottish fairs that have disappeared or are under threat, and disseminating this.
Ongoing: Working to have Scottish fairs and Showpeople listed on the UNESCO International Registry of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Ongoing: Development of our Fair Scotland team and pool of participants through our ‘Friends of Fair Scotland’ group.
Ongoing: GTRSB STEM at Glasgow School of Art and the University of Glasgow through events and joint project development.
Ongoing: Developing the Fair Scotland digital image archive
Ongoing: Development and launch of website and online capacity.
Ongoing: Providing solicited support, research and advice to the Scottish Section of the Showman’s Guild of Great Britain and Ireland.
Ongoing: Developing Networks and partnerships, including NHS Scotland, Local Councils, Stove Network, ACERT, STEP, Fair and GTRSB Pledge.

Financial review

We continue to build capacity as an organisation through the cultivation of partnerships and project funding. From a very modest starting balance of £2,925, we have managed to attract funding through partnership and project funding to close at £5,472 at the end of the year, with a total expenditure of £1,748.

Statement of the charity’s policy on reserves

We will always endeavour to have sufficient reserves available to cover the requirements of our charitable work projects.

Details of any deficit

Not applicable.

Donated facilities and services

Trustees have donated their time to deliver much of the activities listed in the ‘Achievements and performance’ section.

We have received donations of £630 this year, as detailed in our financial reporting documents.

Future plans

At present, we are working on a programme for the coming year. We have already identified a core strand of activity but are also building in flexibility to respond to and take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves.

Activities we have already identified are:

Fundraising: Our goals for 2025-2026 are to continue to raise funds for core operational and organisational development, as well as project-specific funding and capacity-building. We aim to develop our grant-writing capacity to develop this.

Organisational Development: We will continue to expand our pool of Trustees and our overall membership.

Partnerships: We will build on our activities in 2024-2025 to develop partnerships in the coming year. This will include:

Further collaboration with the Stove Network and HereIHear project and the Stove Network to highlight the importance of Dumfries’ Fairs.
Continued involvement in the detailed design phase and oversight of the Dumfries Flood Prevention plan.
Revival of the official opening event of the Dumfries Rood Fair.
Advocacy and media engagement to highlight issues around the security and future of Showpeople’s yards in Govan, and across Glasgow..
Development of links with and within Glasgow City Council, including sensitivity training for councillors on Scottish Showpeople, the issues they face and their specific needs.
Submission of evidence for the court case over the removal of some of the Show families in Govan.
Continued work on gaining recognition for the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Scottish Showpeople.

Projects: The second phase of Fair Scotland work with the Stove Network in Dumfries took place in the latter half of 2025, with a series of events at the Rood Fair.

Policy: We will continue our work to advocate for policy provision for historic fairs and Show yards.We will continue to highlight fairground histories and the contribution of Showpeople to Scotland’s rich cultural landscape in Dumfries, and to advocate for the

strongest protections for both the March Fair and the Rood Fair in light of the proposed changes to the Whitesands.

We will also continue to work with the Scottish Section of the Showmen’s Guild in developing the work of the The Showmen’s Guild Cross Party Working Group in the Scottish Parliament, and to advocate for the welfare of Showpeople and the continuation of thriving fairgrounds in Scotland.

We are in the early stages of developing a network within Glasgow City Council to inform and educate councillors through sensitivity training and to build networks within the council to improve the social and material conditions of the Showpeople community within the city.

Declaration

Signed on behalf of the charity trustees:

Designation Date

24/12/2025

APPENDIX 2

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Receipts and payments accounts
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Scottish Charity Regulator from
Section A Statement of receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted s cmane ener Total funds Total funds last
funds funds fame ante current period period
to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
A‘ Receipts
Donations |i er) |
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activitiesGross receipts from other charitable ees Fd
AT Sub total] 4,295| OS.3 [|] EE 28
A2 Receipts from asset &
investment sales
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A3 Payments
Expenses for fundraising activities
fnvesinen marapenentees [| reer
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A3 Sub totall 1,748 eae
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APPENDIX 2

sc

Section B Statement of balances

eh Expendable Permanent Total nt fundsremem Restricted funds endowmentfunds endowmentfunds psaperiodtie Total last period to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest£ B1 Cash funds Cash and bank balances at start of year | 2935 | | [2928] 2808] PaymentsSurplus/ (deficit)account shown on receipts and 2,847 2,547 Cash and bank balances at end of year 5,472 ew | gare Cc eae (Agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)}) Fund to which asset belongs Market valuation Last year B2 Investments to nearest £ to nearest£ | 1 Total Fund to which asset belongs Cost (if available) Current value (f Last year available) ¥ to nearest £ to nearest & to nearest £ - = — Total Fund to which liability relates Amount due Last year B4 Liabilities _ ee . — lf to nearest £ to nearest £ : LT — re:— 4 -— Fund to which Hability relates1 Amountteafinate)due Last year to nearest £ to nearest £ — — — Total Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees Signature* Print Name inteates cl approval _ ee

2015-02-24-rp-accs-cs-version-excel-with-amended-cell (1) / Statement of balances

December 2007

APPENDIX 3

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Independent examiner’s report on the accounts) =~
Report to the Charity name
trustees/members of - A "2 S COTL Avs)
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On the accounts of the Period start date Period end date
charity for the period Day Month Year Day Month Year
& APRAL 22L- to 5S APL Jers
i numbersnu of addiionelnti sheets)$I S
ie a The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance
Sarna atte =~ Of with the terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) 2005 Act and the
trustees and examiner Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). The charity trustees
consider that the audit requirement of Regulation 10(1) (d) of the Accounts Regulations
does not apply. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts as required under section
44(1) (c) of the Act and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention
Basis of independent My examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the 2006 Accounts
examiner's statement Regulations. 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 seeks
explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken
do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and, consequently, | do
not express an audit opinion on the view given by [the] [accounts.]
Independent examiner's _ In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention [other than that
statement disclosed on the attached page”)
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which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
to keep accounting records in accordance with section 44(1) (a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations, and
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with Regulation 9 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations
have not been met, or

hich. in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper Signed™ Name Relevant profession qualification(s) or bod (if any) Address

“Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. If the words do apply, set out those matters which have come to your attention on the following page. **OSCR will accept digital or typed signatures.