Melrose Historical Trust
Scottish Charity No –SC054176 Annual Report and Accounts For the Period Ended 28 February 2026
Melrose Historical Trust
Trustees’ Annual Report
The trustees have pleasure in presenting their report together with the financial statements for the period ended 28[th] February 2026
Reference and Administrative Information
Charity name – Melrose Historical Trust
Charity no - SC054176
Address – Springbank, Gattonside, Melrose, TD6 9NH
Trustees
Trustees who served throughout the period:
Dr. Margaret Collin John Collin Frank Sharp James Babington Smith David Rowell Alasdair Johnston
Richard Hill also served as trustee until December 2025.
Structure, Governance and Management
Constitution . The Charity is governed by a constitution and managed by a Board of Trustees. It was registered as a charity on 24[th] April 2025.
Board . All the current Board are members of the Charity. New Board members may be appointed by the Board, but must be confirmed in post by the members at the next AGM. One third of the trustees must retire at each AGM, but may stand again. No Board member can serve for more than nine years.
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Melrose Historical Trust
Objectives and Activities
Charitable purposes
The Charity’s purposes are to advance the education of the public, and to increase knowledge and community awareness of the history of Melrose and the Scottish Borders in the context of the history of Scotland via lectures, visitor experiences and collaborative partnerships.
Activities
During the period, the Charity took over responsibility for the management of the partnership formed for the archaeological investigation of the site of an Anglo-Saxon monastery at Old Melrose and its links to the surrounding area (Old Melrose and Environs Project – OMEP).
On 28[th] February 2026 it took over the net assets of its predecessor body, the Melrose Historical and Archaeological Association (MHAA). As the MHAA a series of lectures continued to be given. The season of lectures lasts from October to April. In the 2025-26 season the lectures ranged from Mary Queen of Scots, through poaching in South East Scotland to the Battle of Melrose of 1526.
Volunteers again led a monthly walk, around the private estate where the Old Melrose monastery is thought to have been sited, during the spring and summer, with donations going to OMEP (towards the expected eventual dig at the site).
Achievements and Performance
The lectures regularly attract up to 40 visitors, including members, and, occasionally up to about 80. Membership currently stands at 40. Occasional sales are made from the Charity’s stock of publications. During the period a new projector and screen was purchased, much improving the experience of the lectures.
Up to 15 people attended each of eight the walks at Old Melrose.
Financial review
The Charity took over the MHAA’s cash assets of £2,607 at 28[th] February 2026, as well as equipment valued by the Board at £760 and a stock of old publications on the history of Melrose and the surrounding area.
The Board decides annually on the level of subscriptions and visitor fees. Speakers at lectures are paid a small fee, on request.
No policy on the holding of reserves has yet been agreed by the Board, there having been no need for any such a policy to date. The Board would introduce a policy to allow for a safety cushion towards its expenditure, if it appears there are to be future operations requiring such a buffer.
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Melrose Historical Trust
Board members provide their time and expertise as volunteers. No value has been put on such inputs to date. The Board will be estimating the value of such inputs for future years. The Charity currently benefits from the use of premises without cost for its lectures. Were the Charity to use other premises the cost would be expected to be in the region of £200 for the full season.
The Board expects in the future to place any funds not needed for immediate future use on deposit.
Future
The Board expects to continue to run a series of lectures during the winter months. It is to discuss expansion of activities over the next year to build on its educational remit.
Approved by the Board on 17[th] March 2026
and signed on their behalf by:
Dr Margaret Collin Chair
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Melrose Historical Trust
Melrose Historical Trust
Assets and liabilities at 28[th] February 2026
Cash balances Feb 2026 Cash at bank £2,607.44 Liability Amount due for insurance £102.32
Other assets
Equipment at Trustees' valuation 760.18 Publications at Trustees' valuation 0.00 £760.18
Contingent Liability
Compensation received £200.00
Signed on behalf of the Trustees
Alasdair Johnston
Alasdair Johnston, Treasurer
17 March 2026
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Melrose Historical Trust
Notes to the Accounts – For the Period Ended 28 February 2026
1 Basis of Accounting
These accounts have been prepared on a Receipts and Payments basis in accordance with the Charities & Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended).
The Charity has income below £250,000 and as such is eligible to prepare its accounts on a Receipts and Payments Basis. The constitution does not require the Charity to prepare fully accrued accounts and neither does it require an audit.
2 Period of Accounts
The Accounts cover the period since the formation of the Charity (24[th] April 2025) to 28[th] February 2026.
3 Content of Accounts
The Charity succeeded the Melrose Historical and Archaeological Association, and took over its assets on 28[th] February 2026. A summary of the receipts and payments of the Association for the full year to 28[th] February 2026 is shown in note 6 below, for information.
4 Nature and purpose of funds
Unrestricted funds are those that may be used at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the objects of the charity. The trustees maintain a single unrestricted fund for the day-to-day running of the activities of the Charity.
Restricted funds may only be used for specific purposes. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for specific purposes. The Charity had no restricted funds during the period and none at 28[th] February 2026.
5 Transactions with Trustees and Related Parties
The trustees received no remuneration nor expenses during the period. There were no transactions with related parties during the period.
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Melrose Historical Trust
6 Old Melrose and Environs Project
The Association’s management role in a partnership, with the Trimontium Trust and others, for the archaeological investigation of the site of an Anglo-Saxon monastery at Old Melrose and its links to the surrounding area, was taken over on 24[th] April 2025. At 28[th] February 2026 the partnership held assets amounting to £3,539.86, held as cash. These funds are not included in these accounts.
7 Valuation of assets
The Trustees consider the equipment purchased by the Association in 2024 as having a minimum life of five years. The equipment is being written over those five years. The publications held by the Charity were produced many years ago and are considered to have no value.
8 Accounts of the Association 2025-26
The Association’s receipts and payments for the two years ended 28[th] February 2026 are shown on the next page of these accounts.
9 Contingent Liability
The Association was credited by its bank with £200 compensation in December 2025. As no claim for compensation had been made by the Association, it is possible this amount will be repaid to the bank in due course by the Charity.
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Melrose Historical Trust
Melrose Historical Trust – note 8 (cont.)
Melrose Historical and Archaeological Association
Receipts & Payments Account for the year ended 28th February 2026
| Receipts | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||
| Subscriptions | 400.00 | 376.00 | |
| Visitor fees | 177.35 | 108.50 | |
| Sale of publications | 6.00 | 29.00 | |
| Bank Interest | 22.69 | 34.56 | |
| Donations | 10.00 | 1.00 | |
| Other | 200.00 | 0.00 | |
| 816.04 | 549.06 | ||
| Payments | |||
| Room Hire | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| Speakers' Expenses | 100.00 | 260.00 | |
| Equipment | 28.42 | 1,266.97 | |
| Advertising | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| Printing | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| Administration | 6.00 | 0.00 | |
| Meeting expenses | 0.00 | 5.00 | |
| Contribution to Old Melrose Project | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| Insurance | 0.00 | 83.76 | |
| Miscellaneous | 0.20 | 0.00 | |
| 134.62 | 1,615.73 | ||
| Surplus (deficit) for year | £681.42 | -£1,066.67 |
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Melrose Historical Trust
Independent examiner’s report on the accounts to the members of Melrose Historical Trust
I report on the accounts of Melrose Historical Trust for the period ended 28[th] February 2026, which are set out above.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the terms of the Charities and Trustees Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006.
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 examiner’s statement
My examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. 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, I do not express an opinion on the view given by the accounts.
Independent examiner’s statement
In the course of my examination no matter has come to my attention
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which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 44 (1) (a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the Accounts Regulations, and
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with Regulation 9 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations (as amended) have not been met, or
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to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Anson Clark FCA 11 Dean Bank Lane Edinburgh EH3 5BS 24 March 2026
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