OSCR Submission - Glasgow and South Western Railway Association

Glasgow and South Western Railway Association

Glasgow & South Western Railway Association SC046776
Glasgow & South Western Railway Association
Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024
Trustees’ Report
The Glasgow & South Western Railway Association (also known as G&SWRA) is a Scottish charity with Scottish Charity Number SC046776
Contact Name and Address
Ian Middleditch, 90 Ardrossan Road, Seamill KA23 9LX
Trustees
The trustees who held office during the period from the start of the year reported on to the date of approval of this report were:
Ian Middleditch Chairman
Andrew Swan Vice Chairman
Ian Mackenzie Secretary
Stewart Clinton Treasurer
Stuart Rankin Archivist
Kenneth Middleditch Newsletter Editor
Arthur Baillie Journal Editor
Ted Cochrane
All of the trustees held office for the whole of that period and were in post at date of approval of this report.
Governance
The Glasgow & South Western Railway Association (referred to in this Report as “the Association”) is an unincorporated association governed under its Constitution adopted on 12th March 2016. The affairs of the Association are managed by a Committee of Trustees consisting of members of the Association elected at an Annual General Meeting for a period of 2 years. Trustees receive no financial remuneration but are able to claim legitimate expenses incurred in fulfilling their duties.
Glasgow & South Western Railway Association SC046776
Charitable Purposes
Our charitable purposes as set out in our constitution are:
•
• The advancement of education and heritage by the promotion of study of and research into the Glasgow & South Western Railway its constituent companies and its successors (collectively referred to as “the G&SWR”) and the dissemination of information relative to the G&SWR.
•
• To encourage, facilitate and co-ordinate research by members and others into the G&SWR and to publish and disseminate the results of such research.
•
• To make available to members of the Association and to the general public information relating to the G&SWR.
•
• To arrange meetings, lectures, exhibitions, study visits and other activities in relation to the G&SWR.
•
• To engage in such other lawful activities (including co-operation with, subscribing to, or affiliation with other bodies having purposes in whole or in part similar to those of the Association) as may be conducive or incidental to the attainment of the foregoing Objects.
Activities and Achievements
We held three normal monthly public meetings in the first three months of the year in Paisley Abbey. Topics covered included Waterside Colliery, Corkerhill depot and Dumfries station. A couple of Zoom meetings were held to keep members informed and these were very well attended with participants from all parts of the UK, Australia and Canada. The Annual General Meeting in March also included a talk and slide show of Corkerhill depot. We did not attend Glasgow Modelrail show in February due to lack of members being available to cover the three days.
In November we resumed a normal programme of meetings, as we had been invited to the Scottish Railway History Conference in Perth run in conjunction with our colleagues in the other 4 Scottish Line Societies. The conference theme was Scottish Railways at the Grouping which attracted a number of very interesting speakers.
We were able to use the Abbey for our November meeting, not in the White Room as usual, but a slightly larger space on the same floor. It was gratifying to virtually fill it with members and friends. A Zoom session was held midweek in December instead of a Saturday physical meeting.
The quarterly members’ Newsletter and annual Journal continue to be our main method of disseminating information and were distributed to members at the usual frequency. Work has been ongoing in scanning previous Journals and we now have electronic copies available.
We were forced to vacate our research centre in Kilmarnock due to a change of use by the owners. This required a short notice relocation to the Ballast Trust in Johnstone where we have currently got our archives in storage awaiting cataloguing and scanning. We continued to digitise our photographic collection and upload it to the website of the Federation of Scottish Line Societies.
Membership numbers have remained reasonably stable and we have gained a few new members though the grim reaper has taken his share.
Plans for the Future
We plan to continue our programme of monthly meetings and the publication of the Newsletter and Journal. Although our finances remain sound, as shown in the accounts, rapidly rising printing and
Glasgow & South Western Railway Association SC046776
distribution costs for our publications have an impact of finance. The decision to digitise our archives resulted in the requirement to purchase hard drives and memory sticks to enable archives to be held by several members and updated electronically, including sharing. This duplication will help in the event of succession issues and minor cataclysm. The progress with which our locomotive kit and wagon kit is making is steady. If successful it is hoped that we may be able to develop further kits. This is dependent on interest within the club and willingness of the kit producer. Neither of these factors are quantifiable, qualifiable or financially calculable at present.
it is our intention to continue to conserve and digitise the drawings and documents currently held in the Archive. Large drawings are not easy to make available for study. So it makes sense to have them scanned and made accessible electronically. A large part of this work has been done already.
At time of writing the 7mm O gauge kit of the Class 403 2-6-0 locomotive known as the “Austrian Goods” is close to completion by the manufacturer and a price and deposit once known will be promulgated. Ten members have indicated an interest and others including those of other line associations upon whose lines the original class ran are interested. It is intended that the association purchase a number of kits for resale. The manufacturer has given the association first right to sell for one year.
A kit for a cupboard door wagon which was popular in Scotland with all railway companies (and double end doors for G&SWR) is close to completion by Slaters Plasticard. Also in 7mm / Gauge O, the association will be purchasing a number to sell at a reduced price. In conjunction with this Slaters is keen to work with us to produce transfers for this wagon (which will be usable for other G&SWR vehicles).
Financial Review
This year we had a surplus of £770 (2023: £628).
At 31 December 2024 we had 27 unpaid subscriptions. Five members were not fully paid up and 141 were fully paid u -a total of 173. We invite subscriptions from our Autumn Newsletter published around September/October and most of the standing orders are paid around the end of October. It is disappointing (and an expense) to chase outstanding subscriptions in the following year. We ask members who choose to leave us to please give us the courtesy of advising us.
Donations are down this year, but all money donated to the Association is very much appreciated and we give a hearty thank you to all who have rounded up payments to us, or simply donated.
HMRC Gift Aid money is welcome and we are very grateful to those members who sign up for it. A 20% addition to subscriptions and donations helps a great deal.
Sales are dependent on material to sell, and stocks of locomotive kit and wagons are awaited. We do now have scans of all Journals from Number One right up to current available on compact discs.
Inevitably postage and printing costs of both the Journal and Newsletter have increased.
Our use of Zoom meetings requires a license but the advantages of this allows members unable to attend and who may be further afield or overseas to join us for chats.
The committee agreed, given the poor interest rate with NS and I to move our savings account to join the Bank of Scotland savings account. This enabled a greater rate of interest and monthly payments of interest into the account instead of an annual payment.
Glasgow & South Western Railway Association SC046776
Reserves Policy
The trustees aim to keep a minimum of £2,400 in their current account to ensure that printing and postage bills for the Journal and Newsletter can be met when they are received. The increase in the interest rate however and transfer of savings to the same bank as the current account allowed the committee to agree to transferring money to take advantage of the higher interest rate by electronic transfer when such funds are available. This resulted in the current account balance falling below this amount to £500. Transfer in anticipation of expenditure and when known income was due have
As explained in Plans for the Future above, the trustees are planning to conserve and digitise items in the Archive. They are also planning to help fund the publication of Andrew Swan’s new book, and would like to be in the position of being able to support other possible publications. For this reason they are trying to make a surplus each year and built up the reserves. The target is £35,000 and the current level of reserves £29360 (2023: £29037) represents satisfactory progress towards that.
Glasgow & South Western Railway Association SC046776
Approved by the trustees on 18/2/2024 and signed on their behalf
Signed
Ian Middleditch
Trustee Glasgow & South Western Railway Association SC046776 Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024
Glasgow & South Western Railway Association SC046776
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of the Glasgow & South Western Railway Association
I report on the accounts of the Glasgow & South Western Railway Association (“the charity”) for the year ended 31 December 2024 which are set out on pages 6 to 9.
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 Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 (“the 2005 Act”) and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended) (“the 2006 Regulations”). The charity’s trustees consider that the audit requirement of Regulation 10(1)(d) of the 2006 Regulations does not apply. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts under Section 44(1)(c) of the 2005 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 2006 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 I do not express an audit 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
1 which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements (a) to
keep accounting records in accordance with Section 44(1)(a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Regulations, and
(b) to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with Regulation 9 of
the 2006 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.
(Signed)
Jane Jones Greenock
Glasgow & South Western Railway Association SC046776
8/2/ 2024 Glasgow & South Western Railway Association SC046776
Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024
Receipts and Payments – Glasgow and South Western Railway Association
Financial Year 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024
Receipts
Notes  2024 2023
Subscriptions and donations A 4308 4100
Bank Interest 302 220
Charitable activities B 245   1769
Total Receipts 4855 6089
Payments C   4085   5461
Charitable costs
Total Payments   4085   5461
Surplus/(deficit)   770   628
These accounts and produced on the Receipts and Payments basis
All funds are deemed unrestricted
All stock items are valued on the reducing balance method
Archive – The association owns assets which are being backscanned- the value of said assets is estimated at £10000.
Note A 2024 2023
Subscriptions   3278 3197
Donations   305   338
Gift Aid 725 565
Total 4308   4100
Note B 2024 2023
Receipts from Charitable income
Sales of journals and CDs 174 118
Sales – books 1191
Sales – drawings 26
Sales – kit   394
Refreshments and meetings 71   40
Total 245 1769
Note C 2024 2023
Payments
Journal printing   1260 925
Newsletter printing 1068   911
Stamps and postage 499   1340
Sales items postage 30 42

Perth Conference costs   134
Paisley Abbey hire   367 435
Kilmarnock Trust donation 100
Archives costs 60
Website costs 79   56
Scanning 113   1036
IT purchases 609   299
Exhibition publicity 183
Total 4085 5461
Statement of Balances 2024 2023
Bank and cash balances
Balance at 1 January
Current   2964   5555
Savings 13103 10005
NS and I 15934   15812
cash 2

Surplus (deficit)   770   628
32773 32003
Balance at end of year
Current   3413   2964
Savings   29360   13103
NS and I 15934
cash 2
32773 32003

Fixed assets
Display stand
2023 for £183   92 183
It scanner
2023 for £299   150 299
IT projector
2005 for £100 0 0
IT pc
2005 for 200   0 0
IT hard drive and stick x4
2024 for £609 400   --
Stamps
2 x 2nd, 121 x large letter   255.80
Heritage assets 10000   10000
Financial Review
This year we have a surplus of £770 (2023 = £628).
The increase is Gift aid payment from HMRC is due to the increase in subscriptions.
Last year we had a donation of a considerable number of kits, models and books as an income source.
Printing costs for the Journal and Newsletter have inevitably increased.
We have used a number of stamps from our stock on postage items
It purchases includes the hard drives for duplication of archived material
The main savings account was transferred from NS and I to the Bank of Scotland to take advantage of better interest rates and ease of access. The Committee agreed, that as interest rates were high that money be transferred from the current account to the saving account to leave a minimal balance of £100 in said current
Glasgow & South Western Railway Association SC046776
account to benefit from advantageous rates, being that said funds would be transferred back (at no adverse loss) when payment was required.