THE HERCULANEUM SOCIETY

Registered charity 1104632 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The objects of the charity are to advance to education of the public concerning the World Heritage Site of Herculaneum, to promote research into Herculaneum including the continuing investigation of the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum and its papyri, and to promote the conservation of the artefacts and buildings at Herculaneum.

Objects

3.1 TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC CONCERNING THE WORLD HERITAGE SITE AT HERCULANEUM 3.2 TO PROMOTE RESEARCH INTO HERCULANEUM, INCLUDING THE CONTINUED INVESTIGATION OF THE VILLA OF THE PAPYRI AT HERCULANEUM AND ITS PAPYRI, AND THE PUBLICATION OF THE USEFUL RESULTS OF SUCH RESEARCH 3.3 TO PROMOTE THE CONSERVATION, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC, OF THE ARTEFACTS AND BUILDINGS AT HERCULANEUM.

Area of benefit: NATIONAL AND OVERSEAS

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

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

Latest income

£46k

Latest spending

£34k

Registered

2004

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity holds unrestricted reserves of £24,230 and a cash balance of £38,203, which the trustees consider sufficient to continue as a going concern for at least 12 months. The charity reported a net income of £11,217 for the year, with total income of £45,714 against total expenditure of £34,497. The trustees have established a policy to monitor financial performance and forecast commitments for a minimum of 18 months ahead to maintain sufficient reserves.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: sufficient unrestricted reserves to finance its planned activities and meet its future financial obligations, with a forecast horizon of a minimum of 18 months ahead (held: £24k)

“The Herculaneum Society has a policy of retaining sufficient unrestricted reserves to finance its planned activities and meet its future financial obligations. For this purpose, the Trustees have established systems to monitor financial performance and to forecast the future commitments and reserves for a minimum of 18 months ahead.” — page 5

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Trustees made donations to the charity

“The trustees have made donations to the charitable company during the year in aggregate of £830 (2024: £Nil). These donations were made without any conditions.” — page 17

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
Paying staff
Risk management
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 05153841

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.

ROBSON, Peter Simon — director, appointed 01/06/2026on trustee list
COOLEY, Alison Elizabeth, Professor — director, appointed 27/11/2025on trustee list
ALLDEN, Alison Jean — director, appointed 13/09/2025not on trustee list
AUGOUSTAKIS, Antonios — director, appointed 13/09/2025not on trustee list
ROWLEY, Samantha Jane — director, appointed 07/06/2025on trustee list
VENNER, Jessica Louise, Dr — director, appointed 07/06/2025on trustee list
NICOLARDI, Federica, Dr — director, appointed 07/06/2025on trustee list
MARZANO, Annalisa, Professor — director, appointed 01/02/2018on trustee list
BITHELL, Rosemary Joy, Dr — director, appointed 01/02/2018not on trustee list
STARLING, Katharine Mary — director, appointed 28/03/2015on trustee list
WILSON, Nigel Guy — director, appointed 15/06/2004not on trustee list
WILSONS (COMPANY SECRETARIES) LIMITED — corporate secretary, appointed 15/06/2004

Official officers record.

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

Register events

Received assets from another charity (07/05/2015) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Alison Allden OBE · trustee of 1 other charity
Dr Federica Nicolardi
Dr Jessica Venner
Dr Joy Littlewood
Katharine Mary Starling
NIGEL GUY WILSON FBA · trustee of 1 other charity
Peter Robson
Professor Alison Elizabeth Cooley
Professor Annalisa Marzano
Professor Antony Augoustakis
Samantha Jane Rowley · trustee of 1 other charity

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

Operates in: Italy · Throughout England And Wales · United States

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
30/04/2025	£46k	£34k
30/04/2024	£46k	£54k
30/04/2023	£93k	£89k
30/04/2022	£10k	£11k
30/04/2021	£13k	£11k

Common questions

Is THE HERCULANEUM SOCIETY financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity holds unrestricted reserves of £24,230 and a cash balance of £38,203, which the trustees consider sufficient to continue as a going concern for at least 12 months. The charity reported a net income of £11,217 for the year, with total income of £45,714 against total expenditure of £34,497. The trustees have established a policy to monitor financial performance and forecast commitments for a minimum of 18 months ahead to maintain sufficient reserves. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.