THE BRITISH SOCIETY FOR THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE

Registered charity 258854 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · Wikidata: Q4971052 · Wikipedia · also known as BSHS

The society promotes and furthers the study of the history and philosophy of science through providing facilities, arranging meetings, promoting research and the publication of papers.

Objects

TO PROMOTE AND FURTHER THE STUDY OF THE HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE IN ALL ITS BRANCHES AND BY ANY AND EVERY MEANS. (FOR FURTHER DETAILS SEE CLAUSE 3 OF THE MEMORANDUM).

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED

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

Causes: Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Barnet, London, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£136k

Latest spending

£121k

Registered

1969

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The charity reported total incoming resources of £136,461 and total resources expended of £120,616, resulting in a net income of £15,845. Unrestricted funds stood at £274,995, which exceeds the stated reserves policy target of 12 months of normal operating costs. The accounts were prepared on a going concern basis with no material uncertainties identified.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: BJHS Royalties (29% of income)

“BJHS Royalties 39,015” — page 16

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: no less than 12 months of normal operating costs (reserves figure: £275k)

“Council has agreed that a level of cash reserves (to be held on one of the Society's Savings Accounts) appropriate to its situation should be no less than 12 months of normal operating costs as listed in budget and accounts under the heading of Operating Costs.” — page 8

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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
Conflicting interests
Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures
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
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2025

Volunteers: 15

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2024

Volunteers: 10

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2023

Volunteers: 10

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Annual return filing dates (Charity Commission record)

Of its last 5 annual returns with a recorded received date, 1 was received after the due date: year ending 31/12/2024 (received 12/11/2025, 12 days after the 31/10/2025 due date).

Due and received dates as recorded in the Commission’s annual-return data; the data does not say whether an extension was agreed. Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

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

Trustees · trustee networks

Dr Rebekah Higgittchair
Dr Adam Mosley
Dr Alice White
Dr Amanda Rees
Dr Ben Marsden
Dr Brigitte Stenhouse
Dr Chiara Ambrosio
Dr Daniel Margocsy
Dr Elaine Leong
Dr Michael Barany
Dr Rebecca Martin
Dr Sam Robinson
Professor Sadiah Qureshi · trustee of 2 other charities

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

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£136k	£121k
31/12/2024	£121k	£111k
31/12/2023	£92k	£88k
31/12/2022	£73k	£117k
31/12/2021	£110k	£78k

Common questions

Is THE BRITISH SOCIETY FOR THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The charity reported total incoming resources of £136,461 and total resources expended of £120,616, resulting in a net income of £15,845. Unrestricted funds stood at £274,995, which exceeds the stated reserves policy target of 12 months of normal operating costs. The accounts were prepared on a going concern basis with no material uncertainties identified. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
THE MAURICE WOHL CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	1	£1.4m
THE NUFFIELD FOUNDATION	1	£518k
THE SINO-BRITISH FELLOWSHIP TRUST	1	£214k
ROYAL COMMISSION FOR THE EXHIBITION OF 1851	1	£86k
THE JAMES WEIR FOUNDATION	1	£80k
THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY AT ANKARA	1	£72k
LLOYD'S REGISTER FOUNDATION	1	£40k
THE HORNERS CHARITY FUND	1	£25k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with BRITISH SOCIETY FOR THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY.

BRITISH SOCIETY FOR THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY income £38k
BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE income £6.4m
THE BRITISH ACADEMY FOR THE PROMOTION OF HISTORICAL PHILOSOPHICAL AND PHILOLOGICAL STUDIES income £106.2m
BRITISH SOCIETY OF SOIL SCIENCE income £712k
THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE TRUST IN GREAT BRITAIN income £437k
BRITISH SOCIETY FOR MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES income £156k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE BRITISH SOCIETY FOR THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE	£136k	—	—	above	—	no doubt
BRITISH SOCIETY FOR THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY FY2025	£38k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE FY2025	£6.4m	—	—	within	—	no doubt
THE BRITISH ACADEMY FOR THE PROMOTION OF HISTORICAL PHILOSOPHICAL AND PHILOLOGICAL STUDIES FY2025	£106.2m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
BRITISH SOCIETY OF SOIL SCIENCE FY2024	£712k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE TRUST IN GREAT BRITAIN FY2025	£437k	—	0	above	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.