East Lothian Antiquarian & Field Naturalists, Society Scottish Charitable lutOTP¢)rat¢d Organisation: SC052295 Members of Council Chari Trustees At the Annual General Meeiing h81d on 25 May 2024. stand for re*lecllon as a truste8. eclded not to Following hls death on 17 D8cember 2024, ased to be a trustee. Inde endent Examiner Bankers Bank of Scottand 44 Court Street Haddingtc Easl Lothian EH413NP Princi al Offi The Principal Office recorded with the offi of the Swttish Charity Regulat (OSCR) is: Page 1
East Lothian Antiquarian & Field Naturalists, Society Scottish Charitable Incorwjrated Organi5ation.. SCO52295 Trustees, Annual Re ort for ear to 31 March 2025 The trustees present their annual report together with financial statements for th8 year ended 31 March 2025. Structure ovemance & mana ement The Society is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO} govemed under the Constitution which was approved for the SCIO being constituted on 31 January 2023 and resubmitted to OSCR on 20 July 2023. Membershlp of the Soclety Is open to any person who Is interested In supportlng or participating in the activities of the Society. At the Annual General Meeting, members appoint or re-elect the office-bearers and members of Council to serve for the year ahead. On a day-to-day basis, the affairs of the Society are managed by the named office-bearers of President, Secretary and Treasurer, plus a Council of up to 12 additional trustees. Distinct roles may be appointed from among the additional trustees, including two Vice- Presidents. an Editor of Transactions, an Events Manager and a Field Naturalist Adviser. The Council is empowered to fill any vacancy in their number that arises during the year. The charity trustees in office at the date of approval of this Annual Report are listed on Page Pur ose & activities The Society's purpose is to undertake, promote and support the study of the antiquities, history, archaeology and natural history of East Lothian. The activities of the Society include: collecting and collating books, joumals, records, documents, artefacts and other materials; publishing transactions, books, journals, reports, articles, leaflets and letters; hosting or supporting lectures, COnferenS, exhibitions and other events; arranging or supporting excursions to places of interest within East Lothian or beyond; and encouraging and participating in the work of other bodies, groups or associations with purposes similar to those of the Society. Page 2
Achievaments & rfornan In May 2024, the Sooiety marked the cenlergry of its foundation by holding a full day Conferen titled East Lothi2n ThrOh the Ages. The event was held at St Mary's Parish Church, Haddington, and tickets were sold out. During the conference, talks were presentad covering: The Historical Place Nam8s of East Lothian; Hillforts of East Lothian: The Impafa of the Romans on East Lotlman; The Changing Wildlife of East Lothian; Medieval East Lothian in its North Sea World ContexL. An ArologICal Assessment; Grand Designs & Gracious LNing: The Rise of East Lothian's Mansion Houses; Innovatlon & Change In East Lothlan Agrlculture: Sorne Examples tr1 the Eighteenth & Nlneteenth Centurfes: and The Powerhouse of East Lothian: A Brief History of Coal and Industry. Durlng the year, the ScKlety organlsed excurslons to: Berwick Upon Tweed (July 2024) - an historical guided tour of the town, whith changed hands 13 times between EngiarKI and &oUand, before rerna1ng under English control from 1492. General Register House (July 2024) - a pnvate tour of the building and overview of the histOriC81 collection; The Ridge Project, Dunbar (August 2024) - an exploration of the charitable social enterprise which has been restoring historic doses, as part of creating career and training opportunities; and Musselburgh Lagoons (September 2024)- a naturalist outing to the man-made wetlands, which has be(x)me Or of the best bird-watGhing sites in the Lothians. Also, the Society hosted a proamMe of lectures.. Meetings with Moths: A Hundred Years of Moth ReCdIng in East Lothian (October 20241- the recording and stLKly of butterflies and moths across the county, building on the work. of Alice BlanctrE Balfour nearly 100 years ago: uffragette. Artist & Founder of the Scottish Wcxnen's Rural Institute ovember the lrfe and achievements o nd her impact nationwide; Sugar, Slaves & Hh Society: The Grants of Kilgraston (December 2024) - a family story of opportunism, wealth, gd fortune arKI tragedies, set against the backdrop of slavery in Jamaica., East Lothian's Bricks & fileworks (January 2025) - the history imptanCe of bricks and tle-making across the CCAJnty; Clothes & Accoutrements of Scots woffn 1470-1560 (February 2025) - the fashions and practicalities of ck)thing wom by Scots women during the lale-medieval to early modern periods: and The Battle of SFK)ttismuir 1296 (March 2025) - an overview of the first battle between Scotland and England in the wars of independence. Following the Annual General Meeting in May 2024. short films were shown about the restoration of Preston Tower. Pagè 3
In May 2024, the Society issued Volume XXXIV of Transactions. which presented articles including.. A Brief History of the Society., Altars Out: Pulpits In! The First Post-Reformation Churches in East Lothian. Part Two: New Kirks. Stenton: Not the First Protestant Church to be Built in Scotland; The Prestonpans Thorntree Revisited; Papple: The History of an East Lothian Farm; Old Lochend House: A Preliminary Investigation; and Celebrating the Fourth Statistical Account of East Lothian. In November 2024, the President launched a project to record field names across the county. The project aims to record current field names, gauge the age of field names, and record any earlier names for the same fields. To achieve these aims, the project is referring to old maps, historic documents, farm records and estate plans, as well as visiting farms and interviewing farmers. As well as its own website, the Society maintains a website for the Fourth Statistical Account of East Lothian. Financial review In line with OSCR guidance, the financial statements are prepared on a Receipts & Payments basis. This year, the financial statements incorporate income and expenditure relating to th8 Centenary Conference held in May 2024. With tickets for the conference sold out, ticket sales netted £3,083. after the deduction of transaction charges and fees. The receipt of sponsorship and donations of £660 brought total income for the conference to £3,743. Costs incurred were £428 for hiring Sl Mary's Parish Church, £2.111 for catering provision and £271 for miscellaneous items. With costs totalling £2.810, the conference resulted in net income of £933. otherwise, the Society is primarily funded through the payment of annual subscriptions by members, including Gift Aid claimed from HMRC. During the year. subscription income totalled £1 ,725, with an additional £495 obtained through Gift Aid. Also. the Society received £894 from Publishers, Licensing Services in respect of Collective Licensing fees relating mainly to the publication of past volumes of Transactions. The sale of Transactions and books brought in £670, including £450 for the sale of 75 copies of Transactions Volume XXXIV to Papple Steading Ltd. The main category of expenditure was £3.304 for venue hire and events costs, including the Centenary Conference. Printing the Transactions Volume XXXIV cost £1,009. Meanwhile, £594 was spent on website hosting and support. Receipts from all sources during the year totalled £7.682. With outgoings totalling £6,010, a net surplus of £1,672 was attributable to the Society. At the year end, the Society held £15,195 with Bank of Scotland, with the balance split across a Treasurer's Current Account and a Commercial Instant Access Savings Account. The Society does not hold any specific reserves, beyond the general funds held with the bank. Page 4
Membershi As at 31 March 2025, ttE Society had 60 single membershps and 40 joint memberships, representing a total of 140 members, which Is comparable to last year. Plans for the future A full and varied programme of outings and talks is being planned for the year ahead. Also, the Society is hoping to publish Volume XXXV of Transactions in spring 2026. In addition. work is to continLE on the fld narnes projecl launclEd in November 2024. Declaration The charity trustees declare that the trustees, rep)rt above was approved by Council on 3 May 2025. Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees: Page 5
IrKle ndent Examiner's Re rt on the AUnts ReFX)rt to the trustees atKI membws of East LcAhian Antiquan'an & Field Naturalists. Society, Scothsh Charitable Incorporated Organisats'on SC052295 on the accounts of the chanty from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, which are sel OLrt on Pages 7 & 8. Res ctive res onsibilities of the trustees and examiner The charty's trustees are responsible for Ihe preparation of the accounts in accordance wrth the terms of the Charities & Trust Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charrties Accounts {Scotland) Regulations 20{ (as amended). The charity trustees consider that the audrt requirement of Regulation 10(1) (d) of the Accounts RegulatIcS does not apply. It 16 my respon6ibility to examin6 the accounts as required undor section 44{1 > (c) of the Act and to state whether particular matterB have come to my attsntion. Basis of inde endent examinerf3 *atement My examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the 20( Accounts Regulatlons. An examirk8tion includes a review of the accounts'ng record5 kept by the charity and a comparlson of the accounts presented wrth those records. It also indudes consideration of any unusual Items or disdosures in the ac(x)unts and seeks explanations from the trustees conmIng any suth matters. The procedures urKlertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required of an audit and, consequently, I do not express an audrt opinion on the VEW given by the accounts. ndent exaninerfs stateme In the cour3e of my examination. no matter has corn to my attention: 1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any matsrial reSct, the raquiréments: lo keep accounting records n accordance with section 44(1) (a) of tha 2005 Ad and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations, arKI to prepare accounts which accord with the aGGountsng record5 arnl comply with Regulation 8 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations have not been met, or 2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Page 6
East Lothian Antiquarian & Field Naturalists, Society Scottish Charitsble Incorporated OalsatiOn. SC052295 Financial Statements for the ear ended 31 March 2025 STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS 2025 2024 Recei ts (unrestricted funds) Subscriptions Donations 111 1,725 198 1,900 916 Gift Aid 495 419 Publishers, Licensing SeNlces Sales - Transactions & books 894 805 670 30 Centenary Conference- Ticket sales Deposits for events & outings Pl Bank interest received 3.083 476 756 141 87 Other income131 150 7.682 5,063 (unrestricted funds) Venue hire & events costs 141 3.304 1,275 1,550 162 Website hosting & 8UPPOrt151 Softrware licences 70 Printing (including Transactions) Corporate memberships Postage ststionery Deposits for events & outs'n9s (2) Miscellaneous 161 1.009 110 90 155 151 36 89 69 476 1,242 207 6,010 1,672 4,623 440 Surplus for year STATEMENT OF BALANCES Cash funds (unrestricted funds) 2025 2024 Bank balan at start of year Surplus shown on receipts & payments account Bank balance at end of year 13,523 1,672 15,195 13.083 440 13,523 Page 7
QrHER ASSETS In
Cost
Current value
2024
Lease- Rennb Memc¥lai at Phantassle {•
HP Pavilion laptop
Transactions and olher books lor sale (•
20
400
Postage stsmps
Gift AIJ & GASDS daim sutfflitted
13
13
21
148
233
Eventbrite - ticket sales1IUI
2.336
3,010
Total
401
561
LNBLMES
unt due
Last year
Total
No
to the accounts
(1) Donatw)ns included spon80rship of £380 from Mclnroy & Wood (Octoter 2023) and £200 from
rnembers (FeLYuary 2024) t(r•vards the Centenary Conf4yen¢e.
(2) Deposits recéived from member3 to pay their n*al at the Annual Dinw (April 20251 and
entra6 fees to Oxenfoorrl Castle (June 2023) and Preston Hall (September 2023).
(3) Bank of Scotland paid mPensatn for poor service when opening a bank account.
(4) Venua hira and other costs included for hdding tho Cantanary Conference (May 2024).
(5) Website hosts'rvJ at a cost of £144 18 prcwidad by Sustaining Dunbar, a charitable company
Iwnited by guarantee. A trustee of the Socièty is also a trustee of Sustaining Dunbar.
(6) Compensation of £130 was paid to a trustee {jUary 2025) follcwing accidentsl damage to the
twstee's privatè propety while attending So(aety business
(7) The list of other assets dcEs nfA include books and items of historical interest held by the
SOcty cr transf1 to other bodies. such as the National Museum of Antiquities, Scottish
Records Office or East L