THE BCN SOCIETY

Registered charity 1091760 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Working Parties to maintain condition of Canal and surroundingsPublic events to introduce and educate residents and visitors to CanalsProvide speakers to organisations to cover History of CanalsJoint custody and operation of two Historic Canal Craft for public education and interest

Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£269k

Latest spending

£34k

Registered

2002

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net surplus of £7,936 for the year ended 31 March 2025, driven largely by a transformational legacy of £240,641.91. Total net assets increased to £73,952, with unrestricted reserves showing a deficit of £24,812 carried forward, while restricted funds held a surplus. The trustees confirmed that accounting records were kept in accordance with the Act and no material matters were identified during the independent examination.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 04306537

The charity’s company — latest Companies House iXBRL filing (balance sheet 31 March 2026)

Equity: £309k

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

ANSON, Michael John — director, appointed 11/11/2025on trustee list
POWELL ANSON, Joanna — director, appointed 11/11/2025not on trustee list
SMITH KEARY, Michael — director, appointed 11/11/2025not on trustee list
WILD, Philip — director, appointed 11/11/2025on trustee list
O KEEFFE, Martin John — director, appointed 17/10/2001not on trustee list

Official officers record.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook

Trustees · trustee networks

Joanna Powell Anson
MARTIN JOHN O'KEEFE
Michael Anson
Michael Smith Keary
Philip Wild

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

Operates in: Birmingham City · Dudley · Sandwell · Solihull · Walsall · Wolverhampton

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2026	£269k	£34k
31/03/2025	£37k	£29k
31/03/2024	£35k	£60k
31/03/2023	£26k	£29k
31/03/2022	£22k	£29k

Common questions

Is THE BCN SOCIETY financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net surplus of £7,936 for the year ended 31 March 2025, driven largely by a transformational legacy of £240,641.91. Total net assets increased to £73,952, with unrestricted reserves showing a deficit of £24,812 carried forward, while restricted funds held a surplus. The trustees confirmed that accounting records were kept in accordance with the Act and no material matters were identified during the independent examination. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The National Lottery Community Fund	27/05/2009	£10k	The BCNS Community Archive
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	23/08/2000	£2k	"A project to research the history of the Wyrely and Essington canal that forms part of the Birmingham Canal Navigation system The grant will"