OXFORDSHIRE SCIENCE FESTIVAL

Registered charity 1151361 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as OXSCIFEST OR OSF

IF OXFORD (OXFORDSHIRE SCIENCE FESTIVAL) AIMS TO ENGAGE AND ENTHUSE PEOPLE ABOUT SCIENCE AND CULTURE BY OFFERING ACCESSIBLE, CREATIVE AND RELEVANT ACTIVITIES TO THE BROADEST POSSIBLE RANGE OF PEOPLE. THE PROGRAMME IS DESIGNED FOR EVERYONE, WITH OR WITHOUT A BACKGROUND IN SCIENCE, TO BUILD SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONNECTIONS, HAVE FUN AND PERHAPS EXPLORE A TOPIC THAT IS IMPORTANT TO, OR NEW TO THEM.

Objects

TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC ABOUT SCIENCE BY OFFERING ACCESSIBLE, CREATIVE AND RELEVANT ACTIVITIES TO THE BROADEST POSSIBLE RANGE OF PEOPLE, IN PARTICULAR (BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY) BY: PROVIDING EVENTS THAT ENABLE THE BROADEST POSSIBLE GROUP OF PEOPLE TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW SCIENCE IS PART OF, AND IMPACTS ON, THEIR EVERYDAY LIFE. PROVIDING A PLATFORM FOR THE MANY OUTSTANDING SCIENTISTS IN OXFORDSHIRE TO TALK TO A DIVERSE AUDIENCE ABOUT WHAT THEY DO, AND STIMULATE INTEREST IN THEIR WORK. FACILITATING DIALOGUE BETWEEN SCIENTISTS AND THE PUBLIC PROVIDING HANDS ON, INTERACTIVE SCIENCE EVENTS WITH BROAD AND LASTING IMPACT WHICH WILL ENCOURAGE INCREASED PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ACROSS OXFORDSHIRE AND NEIGHBOURING COUNTIES. BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER SIMILAR SCIENCE ACTIVITIES TO SHARE BEST PRACTICE, IDEAS AND RESOURCES

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

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

Latest income

£144k

Latest spending

£146k

Registered

2013

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a deficit of £11,392 for the year ended 31 March 2025, with unrestricted funds decreasing from £25,642 to £23,250. The trustees report that emergency cash reserves are exhausted and the charity is at risk of closure unless additional funding is secured during 2025.

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.

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.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Paying staff
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Volunteer management

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 07189165

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.

JOHN, Nia Caroline — director, appointed 06/09/2024on trustee list
MANSELL, Samuel — director, appointed 06/09/2024on trustee list
MACNAUGHTON, Sarah Jane, Dr — director, appointed 19/08/2022on trustee list
COCKCROFT, Claire, Dr — director, appointed 26/06/2020on trustee list
PYLE, David, Professor — director, appointed 31/10/2019on trustee list
HART, Timothy David, Dr — director, appointed 20/04/2018not on trustee list
THOMPSON, Ian, Dr — director, appointed 10/07/2014on trustee list
COMERFORD, Dane William, Dr — secretary, appointed 28/03/2017

Official officers record.

Trustees · trustee networks

Dr Claire Cockcroft
Dr Ian Thompson
Dr Sarah Jane Macnaughton
Nia Caroline John
Professor David Pyle
Samuel Mansell
Tim Hart

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

Operates in: Oxfordshire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£144k	£146k
31/03/2024	£167k	£166k
31/03/2023	£146k	£146k
31/03/2022	£140k	£191k
31/03/2021	£248k	£212k

Common questions

Is OXFORDSHIRE SCIENCE FESTIVAL financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a deficit of £11,392 for the year ended 31 March 2025, with unrestricted funds decreasing from £25,642 to £23,250. The trustees report that emergency cash reserves are exhausted and the charity is at risk of closure unless additional funding is secured during 2025. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.