Charity Accounts Intelreading the accounts so you don’t have to

THE OMNIBUS SOCIETY

Registered charity 1048887 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as OMNIBUS SOCIETY

Study into road passenger transport history and current operations throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. This includes access to an extensive timetable and library, organising visits and talks relating to the UK bus and coach industry. Assistance is given to those undertaking research projects to support education, the publication of journals, papers and a general interest in the subject.

Causes: Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£94k
Latest spending
£337k
Registered
1995
Accounts read
FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that the charity incurred a net deficit of £221,518 for the year ended 31 December 2024, primarily due to a £250,000 loan conversion to donation and a legacy gift to the Bus Archive. Per the trustees' report, excluding these exceptional items, the society made an operating surplus of £28,482. The charity holds unrestricted reserves of £184,016, which the trustees consider sufficient to meet annual working capital requirements.

Automated summary of the FY2024 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: meet the working capital requirements of the charity on an annual basis (held: £184k)
“The reserves are needed to meet the working capital requirements of the charity on an annual basis and the trustees are mindful of the need to keep the unrestricted reserves at a level which will meet these requirements.” — page 3
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: The document discloses a loan to The Bus Archive which was converted to a donation. While The Bus Archive is a related entity, the document does not explicitly state a trustee connection or that it is a related party transaction in the standard sense (e.g., trustee remuneration or property rental to trustees). However, Note 3 states: 'Until 31 December 2024, debtors included a loan of £250,000 to The Bus Archive... This was converted to a donation on that date and expensed against the general reserves'. Without explicit 'related party' labeling or trustee names linked to The Bus Archive in the text, this is treated as a significant transaction but not necessarily a 'related party' in the strict governance flag sense unless specified. Given the strict rule 'NEVER guess', and no explicit 'related party' header for this, I will leave this empty or check if 'Bus Archive' is linked to trustees. The text says 'donated to the Bus Archive' and 'loan... to the Bus Archive'. It does not say a trustee runs it. Therefore, no related_party_flags.
“Until 31 December 2024, debtors included a loan of £250,000 to The Bus Archive, repayable in more than one year. This was converted to a donation on that date and expensed against the general reserves”
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Trustees · trustee networks

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/12/2024£94k£337k
31/12/2023£47k£52k
31/12/2022£41k£81k
31/12/2021£51k£53k
31/12/2020£38k£42k

Common questions

Is THE OMNIBUS SOCIETY financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that the charity incurred a net deficit of £221,518 for the year ended 31 December 2024, primarily due to a £250,000 loan conversion to donation and a legacy gift to the Bus Archive. Per the trustees' report, excluding these exceptional items, the society made an operating surplus of £28,482. The charity holds unrestricted reserves of £184,016, which the trustees consider sufficient to meet annual working capital requirements. Its FY2024 accounts were independently examined.