(A Company Limited by Guarantee) Draft Only Full... · 2019-08-07 · REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER:...

REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 07110309 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1134456

Report of the Trustees and Unaudited Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2018

for British Society of Soil Science

(A Company Limited by Guarantee)

,BRITISH SOCIETY OF SOIL SCIENCE

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British Society of Soil Science

Contents of the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2018

Page

Reference and Administrative Details 1 to 2

Report of the Trustees 3 to 37

Independent Examiner's Report 38

Statement of Financial Activities 39

Balance Sheet 40 to 41

Notes to the Financial Statements 42 to 54

Detailed Statement of Financial Activities 55 to 56

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Reference and Administrative Details for the Year Ended 31 December 2018

TRUSTEES Dr D B Lascelles (appointed 1/1/2019) Prof. E Baggs (resigned 31/12/2018) Dr J P Newell-Price (resigned 3 1/12/2018) Mrs A L Becvar Professor D W Hopkins Professor W Otten Mr N M Titchen Dr T Aspray Professor S Mooney Dr MW Palmer (appointed 1/1/2019)

COMPANY SECRETARY Mr I Brown

REGISTERED OFFICE Building 42a Cranfield University Cranfield Bedfordshire MK43 OAL

REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER 07110309 (England and Wales)

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1134456

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER HSA & Co Chartered Accountants Lewis House Great Chesterford Court Great Chesterford Essex CBIO 1PF

Office Staff Mr Ian Brown - Executive Officer (Full Time) Ms Lynne Boshier - Membership and Events Officer (Part Time) Mrs Judith Simpkins - Account Technician (Part Time) Mrs Kim Spooner - Administrator (Part Time)

Editorial Team Professor Margaret Oliver - Editor in Chief, European Journal of Soil Science Dr Pat Bellamy - Deputy Editor Dr Rob Bryant - Deputy Editor Dr Siobhan Staunton - Deputy Editor Dr John Scullion - Deputy Editor Professor Michael Goss - Editor in Chief, Soil Use and Management Dr Matt Aitkenhead - Deputy Editor

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Reference and Administrative Details for the Year Ended 31 December 2018

Dr Fiona Nicholson - Deputy Editor

Bankers Co-operative Bank P0 Box 250 Skelmersdale WN8 6WT

Websites www.soils.org.uk www.workingwithsoil.com

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British Society of Soil Science (Registered number: 07110309)

Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 December 2018

The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2018. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015).

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Objectives and aims The British Society of Soil Science (BSSS) or "BS cubed" as it is fondly known was founded in 1947 by a number of eminent British soil scientists. It was formed with the aims: to advance the study of soil; to be open to membership from all those with an interest in the study and uses of soil; and to issue an annual publication.

In 2010 the society became an incorporated charity, merging with the Institute of Professional Soil Scientists with the joint aim to advance the education of the public in general (and particularly amongst scientists) on the subject of soil science and to promote research and professional standards of practice for the public benefit in all aspects of that subject and to publish the useful results.

Our mission is "to advance soil science and to promote a better understanding of soil, nationally and internationally".

The Society will achieve this through:

(i) promoting the understanding, relevance and use of soil science and the dissemination of research findings;

(ii) building collaborative partnerships reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of soil science;

(iii) developing soil science, soil scientists and enhancing soil education;

(iv) promoting soil science as a professional discipline and supporting standards of practice; and

(v) ensuring the long term sustainability of the Society and safeguarding our soil science for the future.

Further information on the strategic aims and objectives of the society along with the Articles of Association can be found on the Society's website (www.soils.org.uk).

Guiding Principles In delivering the objective and strategic aims, the Society will adhere to the following principles:

(a) Good scientific practice (we are a science-based organisation);

(b) Proactive engagement (we will be forward thinking and seek out effective and innovative ways of achieving our aims);

(c) Influencing (we will ensure that soil science is promoted and that the views of our members are heard by the relevant audiences);

(d) Collaboration (we will actively seek suitable partners to help deliver our aims); and

(e) Sustainability (at all stages of planning the charity will assess the impacts of its activities on the environment and social welfare).

The Society's grant portfolio supports these aims under the headings Student Conference Grants, Field Equipment Grants and Innovation Grants.

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OBJIECTWES AND ACTiVITIES Significant activities BSSS is an established international membership organisation and charity committed to the study of soil in its widest aspects. It is funded primarily through subscriptions and income from publications.

The society acts as a forum for the exchange of ideas and provides a framework for representing the views of soil scientists to other organisations and decision making bodies. It promotes research by organising several conferences each year and by the publication of its two scientific journals.

BSSS promotes education through a number of initiatives aimed at schools, colleges and universities. The Society has a regular and varied programme of scientific conferences on a wide range of soil-related issues.

Memberships As the leading society for soil scientists and professionals in the UK, BSSS supports the success of all its individual members.

Since 1947, we have provided support for continued professional development, peer reviewed journals of the highest quality and the expansion of soils knowledge through training and knowledge exchange.

For this reason, students, soil professionals and scientists choose to join BSSS.

The following membership levels are available within the society:

Early Career Membership

Associate Membership

Teclmical Membership

Open to all registered students of soil science and its allied disciplines* plus graduates with a recognised honours degree in soil science or related scientific subjects* but with less than 5 years professional experience. Early Career members will be working towards Full membership by gaining knowledge and experience in relevant disciplines through on-going professional training and development or studying for a Post Graduate degree. You will need to supply BSSS with your first qualification graduation date to enter this category for the maximum five year period.

Open to anyone with an interest in soil science or who does not meet the other membership categories yet.*

Open to skilled and experienced administrative staff engaged in soil science research, government, NGO and commercial activities, but who are currently not eligible for Full membership. This level is also open to recent Graduates who may not yet have the experience required for Full Membership.

Open to scientists and other professionals with a minimum of 5 years track-record in soil science research or application

BSSS Council recommends the award of Fellow to members who have achieved an important level of responsibility and professional experience with National/International recognition within the profession.

Full Membership (M.I. Soil Sci.)

Fellow (F I Soil Sci.)

*e.g. environmental science, pedology, pedometrics, microbiology, physics, chemistry, biology etc.

BSSS also provides an opportunity to gain accreditation as a Chartered Scientist (C Sci.) in partnership with the Science Council.

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OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Significant activities Publications The British Society of Soil Science publishes in partnership with Wiley-Blackwell, two Scientific Journals - European Journal of Soil Science and Soil Use and Management.

The Journal of Soil Science was first published in 1950 and this became the European Journal of Soil Science in 1994. Just over 100 papers are published annually in its six editions. The current Editor-in-Chief is Professor Margaret Oliver, with Dr Pat Bellamy, Dr Jolm Scullion, Dr Siobhan Staunton and Dr Rob Bryant as deputies.

Soil Use and Management was first published in 1985. Issues are published quarterly, with approximately 75 papers appearing annually. The current Editor-in-Chief is Professor Michael Goss, with Dr Matt Aitkenhead and Fiona Nicholson as deputies.

The Society also publishes a membership magazine, The Auger which is produced twice a year (in June and December) and sent to all registered members.

Annual Conferences Each year the society organises an Annual Conference (also incorporates the Annual General Meeting) which offers the opportunity for Members to present their research or practical work to delegates. The conference is normally held over two days with a mixture of oral and poster presentations.

Regional Meetings The Society has six regional groups, listed below, who organise meetings and get together for the membership. These can be a mixture of full day, half day, site visits and recreational events.

MSDG - Midlands Soil Discussion Group

NSN - Northern Soils Network

SSDG - Scottish Soil Discussion Group

SEESOIL - South East England Soil Discussion Group

SWSDG - South West Soils Discussion Group

WSDG - Welsh Soil Discussion Group

Grants The BSSS Grants & Awards committee work to support and encourage excellence in soil science.

Further details of the grants made available by the Society have been disclosed later in this report.

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OBJECTIVES AND ACTiVITIES Public benefit The Charities Acts 2011 requires all charities to explain in their Annual Report how their activities provide benefit to the wider public, or sections of it, in achieving their aims.

The charity's objective and aims are to advance the education of the public in general (and particularly amongst scientists) on the subject of soil science, and to promote research and professional standards of practice for the public benefit in all aspects of that subject, and to publish the useful results.

The charity aims to achieve this objective through the following:

(a) Promoting research activities within the UK and internationally;

(b) Promoting, developing, and providing professional standards of practice in all aspects of soil science for the benefit of society;

(c) Providing, promoting, and improving soil education;

(d) Providing support to develop the education and careers of soil scientists;

(e) Supporting standards of practice;

(f) Promoting the appropriate use of soil science for societal benefit;

(g) Developing and implementing strategies to ensure the long term sustainability of the society; and

(h) Publishing research in soil science.

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OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Grantmaking The Society currently offers three main types of grant. These are Innovation, Field Equipment, and Student Conference grants. We also offer the David Jenkinson Fellowship, a single award made once a year, and grants from the Brian Chambers Soil Fund to assist the learning and development costs of students and early career scientists.

From time to time the Grants Committee will consider requests for funding and sponsorship of meetings and conferences. Requests for such funding can be made via e-mail to the Society office (admin(soi1s.org.uk ).

Field Equipment Grant This grant is designed to enable institutions to buy field equipment to aid in the instruction and understanding of soil science.

Suitable for: Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Education

Value: Up to £1,000

Eligibility: This grant is only available to primary, secondary and tertiary educational Institutions within the United Kingdom.

Description: This grant is designed to enable institutions to buy field equipment to aid in the instruction and understanding of soil science.

Innovation Grant This grant is available to encourage teachers to develop innovative ways of incorporating soil science into lessons.

Suitable for: Primary, Secondary, Higher Education

Value: Up to £500

Eligibility: This grant is only available to teachers from Institutions within the United Kingdom.

Description: This grant is to help teachers to develop creative and innovative ways of incorporating soil science into lessons. The aim of this grant is to promote good practice in teaching soil science and to support teaching that is innovative, inspiring and intellectually stimulating. Money is available to enable teachers to develop and resource innovative teaching and learning activities andlor to undertake research to evaluate methods of teaching Soil Science. This can be achieved in many different ways and can include projects based in or outside of the classroom.

Student Conference Grant This grant is available to student members of the Society to help fund attendance at conferences applicable to their research field.

Suitable for: Early career members of the Society

Value: Up to £500

Eligibility: This grant is only available to Student Members of the British Society of Soil Science. Please note that this grant can only go towards attending conferences or workshops and not courses or tuition fees.

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Soils of the United Kingdo



ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Summary of Main Achievements

Meetings and Events

2018 Annual Conference

The 2018 Annual Conference "Soils and Sustainable Development Goals" took place at Lancaster University on 4th and 5th September and saw 100 delegates attend the two days of oral and poster presentations, panel discussion, conference diner and the Annual General Meeting.

Professor Liz Baggs led the organising committee with assistance from Dr Jenny Jones, Dr Eleanor Reed and Dan Evans who reviewed over 60 abstracts submitted by members earlier this year. The final programme consisted of 15 oral presentations from the abstracts submitted. These oral presentations were complimented by three invited keynote speakers and 30 posters.

Day 1 got underway with an introduction from President Professor Wilfred Otten followed by an introduction to the 2018 Russell Lecture from Professor Liz Baggs before Professor Cheryl Palm delivered her keynote presentation "Soils and Food Security: A Management Conundrum".

It was a very busy first day with a further keynote speaker Professor Steve McGrath "Soil, micronutrients and the link to human health" and 8 oral presentations from delegates. These presentations are now available on the Society YouTube channel. The Society Annual General Meeting was held during the afternoon and you can see the minutes from this meeting on pages 24 to 29 of the December 2018 edition of the Auger.

Day 2 began bright and early with a keynote presentation from Professor Phil Haygarth "Soil, Water, Phosphorus and the Sustainable Development Goals" followed by a further 7 oral presentations from delegates.

The morning session ended with a panel discussion featuring all keynote speakers plus Dr Paul Newell Price which gave the delegates the opportunity to discuss further issues that related to the conference theme.

The Best Early Career Poster Presentation was awarded to Roisin O'Riordan (Lancaster University) "Soil, Cities and Sustainability",

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ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Summary of Main Achievements Meetings and Events (continued)

The Best Early Career Oral Presentation was awarded to Victoria Janes-Bassett (Lancaster University) "Sustainable soils and food: Modelling the long-term effects of agriculture and land-use change on soil biogeochemistry".

2018 World Congress of Soil Science

The 21st World Congress of Soil Science was held in Rio de Janiero, Brazil between 12th and 17th August 2018 and BSSS hosted a stand in the main exhibition hall to promote both the society and the 22nd World Congress it will be hosting in August 2022 in Glasgow.

Our stand was in a prominent position and the bright decoration and vibrant atmosphere we created attracted a large number of visitors throughout the four days of Congress. There was much interest in the next World Congress and many delegates said they are looking forward to savouring the delights of Glasgow.

We created some new display material for use on the stand and will be able to use it at various future conferences and events as we head towards the 2022 World Congress. In fact the UK Soil Map (courtesy of Cranfield University) made an appearance at this year's Annual Conference as a backdrop to the speakers.

The society hosted two whisky tasting sessions on stand during the Congress. At the end of the first full day of the Congress we welcomed around 20 members to try out four Scottish malt whiskies. On the second day we hosted a tasting session for invited guests which attracted around 30 guests from the JUSS Executive as well as the Presidents from other European Soil Science Societies.

There was a great deal of support from BSSS members plus Council and Board Members. Their presence certainly helped to create a buzz and many delegates commented what a great atmosphere there was on the stand when they visited. So thanks go to Wilfred Often, Bruce Lascelles, Margaret Oliver, Mike Goss, Benjamin Butler, Olivia Cousins, Tom Storr, Jasmine Burr-Hersey, Sebastian Blunk, Leo Condron, Caleb Melenya, Jamal Hallam, Tinashe Mawodza, Lloyd Cockram, Hannah Cooper, Georges Nzdana, Carmen Sanchez-Garcia, Jacqueline Hannam, Sunday Aboh, Siobhan Staunton, Victor Chude and Vinicius De Oliveira.

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Regional Events

Slidhiiids Soil Discussion Group IDSD G

Committee: Chair: Dr Sami Ullah Secretary: Prof Mike Fuller Committee Members: Dr Fiona Nicholson, Dr Andrew Tye and Mr Ernesto Saiz (ECR rep)

The MSDG group engaged with the members through group emails during the reporting period. The group organised the annual workshop, which was hosted by BGS at their Keyworth office on May 24, 2018. The workshop was around the theme of Soil Conservation and Sustainability and was attended >35 students, academics and professionals.

The meeting attracted ECR for presentation of their research work and offered opportunities for networking across the group during the lunch break. BGS kindly arranged for a morning tour of the facility, including the library, soil core archives and the 3D display /interactive film on the sub-surface.

At the end of the workshop, an AGM was held and various options for engagement with the members were discussed. It was agreed to hold the annual meetings and attract more students and staff to participate in the MSDG activities. It was noted that many universities engaged in soil science in the Midlands, had no members at the meeting, particularly Leicester University, Warwick University and Loughborough University. One option was to approach members in these universities personally for participation of their groups in our planned workshop in 2019.

South East England Soil Discussion Group SEESOlL)

Committee: Chair: Dr Jack Hannam Committee: Martin Lukac, Elena Vanguelova, Julian Gold Student Representative: Ashley Cooke

Our regional meeting in 2018 was hosted by Julian Gold, Farm manager at Hendred Farms in Oxfordshire. Julian is using agroecological approaches in his farming system and is actively measuring soil properties in response to changes in his farming practice.

The meeting started with a farm tour with Julian explaining the various activities on the farm. He introduced activities as part of a large research project (ASSIST), where biodiversity strips were placed at the field margins and also extending into the field.

Julian discussing the ASSIST trial with a biodiversity margin at the edge of the field and also extending in the field field behind him.

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ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Summary of Main Achievements Regional Events (continued) In another field Julian discussed how he was planning to convert the field to a lowland agroforestry system. that will to grow crops and trees simultaneously. In the afternoon we held a workshop with lively discussions between the delegates on the various elements of soil health, what are the most important indicators and how they can be easily measured on fanns.

Julian discussing the potential for agroforestry in this field currently growing wheat.

The event was attended by over 30 delegates that included SEESOIL members (including ECR members) but also many local farmers who are engaged with sustainable soil management on their farms.

We have also been actively engaging with the public through posts on our twitter account (@sesoil). It is now followed by over 400 people.

South West England Soil Discussion Group SWESDiG

Committee: Chair: Dr Martin Blackwell (Rothamsted Research) Deputy Chair: Leila Froud (ADAS) Secretary: Tegan Darch (Rothamsted Research) Committee Members: David Hogan, Tim Harrod, Rob Parkinson, Joanna Uglow (FWAG), Sabine Peukert (FWAG), Hannah Bowley, Rup ert Goddard (Plymouth) and Lynda Deeks.

SWESDG Spring Meeting 2018 - Soil Structure (part 2) Event date: Thursday, May 17, 2018 Event venue: Neroche Hall, Bickenhall, Taunton, Somerset, TA3 6TZ, United Kingdom Event description: This meeting will build on the Autumn 2017 meeting where we looked at soil structure on light soils. Here we assessed soil structure on heavy soils at Bickenhall Farm.

Two assessment methods will be used to compare and contrast. These will be Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure (VESS) and Visual Soil Assessment (VSA).

A wide range of professions within Soil Science attended, which sparked interesting discussions both during the talks and out in the field. The day was a great success.

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ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Summary of Main Achievements Regional Events (continued The South West regional group showcased our love of soils at some great locations and the interest and engagement from the public was fantastic.

All of us who attended and helped out had a great time and feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

SWESDG attended at the following events. Farrington's Farm, Home Farm, Main Street, Farrington Gurney, Bristol BS39 6UB. http://farringtons.co.uk/ West Town Farm, Ide, Exeter, EX2 9TG. http://trail.westtownfarm.co.uklfarm-trail Tregullas Farm, Cornwall, TR12 7NL, http://www.tregullasfarm.co.uk/

Dr Martin Blackwell stepped down as Chair during the summer period and was replaced by Dr Leila Froud.

Nor thrrrr Soils

iNSN

Committee: Chair: Dr Jenny Jones Deputy Chair: Dr Eleanor Reed Early Career Representative: Ms Emma Burak

The Northern Soils Network and the Scottish Soils Discussion Group teamed up for a one day meeting on Peatland Restoration: policy and practice held at the Centre for Life, Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 23rd February. It was the day of Storm Doris, but thankfully she reserved her wrath for the north until later in the day. Fifty people from a range of institutions and organisations attended the meeting. These included both BSSS members and non-members. The 'policy' element of the day included talks from Andreas Heinemeyer (University of York) on the science, policy and practice of bog restoration; Mark Reed (University of Newcastle) on The Peatland Code, and Janet Moxley (CEH) on the LULUF inventory and implementing the Wetlands Supplement guidance. The ensuing lively discussion was informative and raised several issues including a recognition that we need to engage more with landowners/managers and also to change the perception of bogs. There was also a call to look more carefully at cultural connections with peat. This is strong in Scandinavia, but not in the UK. It is clear that schools and the public could engage with this.

A meeting focusing on Dimensions of Natural Flood Risk Management, held at Newton Rigg College on 28th November 2018 was attended by 20 people. The morning sessions provided stimulating presentations on The Effect of Surface Permeability and Streamfiow Response (Nick Chappell & Ethan Wallace, Lancaster University), Landscape scale mitigation of diffuse pollution and flood risk: where to act? (Sim Reaney, Durham University), Soil management and flood control (John Quinton, Lancaster University) and Storm Desmond: Nutrient and sediment export and what does this mean for the future? (Phil Haygarth, Lancaster University). The field-based session in the afternoon led by Andy Dyer (Senior Farming & Conservation Officer, Eden Rivers Trust) provided participants with the opportunity to learn about the work of the Eden Rivers Trust and to see demonstrations of equipment used to minimise the impact of land management on flood risk. The organisers were most grateful to Andy and the ERT for their support and superb organisation for the meeting.

Feedback from participants on the day was overwhelmingly positive.

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ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Summary of Main Achievements Regional Events (continued)

Scottish Soul Discussion Group 55 DG

Committee: Co-Chairs: Dr Matt Aitkenhead (JHI) and Dr Sarah Buckingham (SRUC) Secretary: Dr Jennifer Carfrae (SRUC) Group Treasurer: Dr Nikki Baggaley (JHI)

World Soils Day Event (Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh - 2nd December 2018). A family event to celebrate World Soil Day in December with a fun and interactive session of displays, demonstrations and muddy activities for all ages. It is estimated that we engaged with approx. 120 people during this event. Attendees - Sarah Buckingham (SRUC), Nikki Baggaley, Matt Aitkenhead and Duncan White (JHI) Managing Soil Carbon in Scottish Soils (SRUC Edinburgh - 5th December 2018).

This was a meeting to promote and discuss the range of data and knowledge available on soil organic carbon (SOC) in Scottish soils, highlighting effective management options for SOC conservation and potential for C sequestration. Speakers included: Allan Lilly (JHI), Amanda Thompson (CEH), Peter Levy (CEH), Rita Razauskaite (University of Aberdeen), Joanna Cloy (SRUC), Paul Hargreaves (SRUC), Emma Patterson Taylor (Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society) and Jonathan Hillier (University of Edinburgh) with approx. 30 attendees.

Welch Soil Discussion Group WSD G I

Committee: Chair: Mr Ian Rugg Secretary: Sarah Coe Committee Members: John Scullion, Bill Adams, Paul George (Early Career Representative)

A WSDG meeting was held at Aberystwyth in April 2018. Around 27 people attended from research, agencies, govemment, farming unions and commercial consu1tants A range of speakers from NFU Cymru, Lancaster University, CEH, Aberystwyth University, Welsh Government and Reading University delivered presentations. Professor Richard Lucas of Aberystwyth University led an hour's discussion on the Living Wales project and potential use of Earth Observation in environmental mapping.

Topics included Soil biodiversity, why pay the insurance money (Martin Lucak, Reading University), What information do farmers need on soil (Rachel Lewis-Davies , NFU Cymru) , State and change of the soil resource in Wales (David Robinson CEH), How many harvests do we have left? (Dan Evans, Lancaster University), modelling Agricultural Land Classification in Wales (James Cooke, Welsh Government) and Earth Observation (Richard Lucas, Aberystwyth University - above).

Feedback was very positive.

The Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) are interested to use the Discussion Group as a forum for discussion of any new policies / initiatives developed on soil. Similarly, the Welsh Government is interested in using the WSDG as a test bed for validation of the Soil Capability, Suitability and Climate Change programme.

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ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Summary of Main Achievements Grants The Society received 35 (2017 -24) grant applications for £19,711 (2017 - £18,859) during the year which breaks down as follows;

2018 2017 Student Conference Grant 17 13 Field Equipment Grant 2 3 Innovation Grant 2 World Congress Members Grant 12 Brian Chambers Soils Fund 4 6

35 24

30 grants (2017 - 21) were approved by the Grants and Awards Committee amounting to £14,729 (2017 - £13,621) and 5 were declined (2017 - 3). 1 Innovation Grant issued in 2017 was refunded in 2018 due to the cancellation of the project. The aniount refunded is included within the grants to individuals in the Statement of Financial Activities in 2018.

As 2018 was a World Congress of Soil Science year (these are held every 4 years) the society made available additional funding to help members attend the event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This was the largest area of grant funding allocated in 2018 and was given to members who had secured either an oral or poster presentation at the World Congress to share their area of research.

Reports received from those awarded grants by the Society are available on the website (www.soils.org.uk!grant-award-reports).

University Awards Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) Awarded to Cristina McBride Serrano.

Harper Adams University Undergraduate Award

The British Society for Soil Science undergraduate prize for the best final year dissertation on a soils related topic, was present to Matthew Carter, 22, from Stansted, Essex by Dr Ed Dickin. Senior lecturer in Soil and Water Management, Dr Paula Misiewicz, said: "Matt Carter studied BSc (Hons) Agriculture with Mechanisation. Mall consistently performed well in a range of modules throughout the course.

His Honours Research Project was based on the long term traffic and tillage experiment at Harper Adams investigated the effect of agricultural traffic and tillage systems on winter bean establishment.

"Mall secured the Velcourt Arable Scholarship for his placement and, following a short period travelling, will be returning to Velcourt on the Farm Management Training Scheme as an Assistant Farm Manager."

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ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Summary of Main Achievements University Awards (contiiiued) Postgraduate Award

Royal Agricultural University



Luke Briggs, 24, from Chester, receives the British Society of Soil Science postgraduate prize from Dr Ed Dickin. The prize honours the best postgraduate final year dissertation on a soils related topic.

Principal Lecturer Dr Mitch Crook said: "Luke's Masters Research Project (which makes up a third of the course) "Evaluating Soil Health at Rotational Level using Soil Microbial Indicators" was awarded a Distinction, with the examiner noting that it contained an excellent literature review in all aspects and with a thorough consideration of the research plan."

Ben Gibbons completed a challenging dissertation entitled, "An analysis of how different soil management techniques, in a range of farming systems impact soil health?!.

Ben quantified soil health by using a visual assessment of the soil by digging a hole and assessing biological activity, colour and general health and an infiltration test. The farmers' soil management actions were graded in a semi structured questionnaire to determine how proactive the farmer had been in implementing soil improvement methods as covered in the literature review.

The results of his study were interesting as the farmers who are the most proactive regarding soil improvement were very harsh on themselves for the scoring of soil health on their farms but those who were less focussed on soil improvement generally believed their soils were in a better state then they were actually in.

Ben's supervisor, Dr Nicola Cannon said 'Ben was really keen to find out how farmers are impacting soil health by their management actions and if these are being seen in the soil. He worked with a wide range of farm types as he wanted to investigate how mixed farming and alternative fanning systems influenced soil health rather than working solely on arable systems'.

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ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Summary of Main Achievements University Awards (continued) Myerscough College

Awarded to James Blades, a first year undergraduate. His report for the module Essential Soil Science was an analysis of soils at a disused former allotment site. His report showed a level of understanding beyond that expected of a first year student. He demonstrated a very good capacity to access and critique the literature and make appropriate recommendations for use of the site. He is an arborist who has a real passion for soil.

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ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Summary of Main Achievements Publications The European Journal of Soil Science (EJSS)

Impact factor

Our two-year impact factor decreased this year to 2.644 compared to 3.475 in 2017. This was a surprising decrease of 24%. In addition, to the decrease in IF the number of citations decreased by 23%. Our ranking in soil science journals also decreased to 10th out of 34 compared with 5th in 2017. The change in our five-year impact factor was less dramatic from 3.5 14 in 2016 to 3.398 in 2017 - overall this statistic is fairly stable.

From my own scrutiny of the figures related to the two-year IF, I think that the sudden increase to over 3.4 for 2015 (reported 2016) and 2016 (reported 2017) resulted from the Biochar special issue in January 2014. That year came into the IF for both 2015 and 2016. The IF for 2014 (reported 2015) was 2.649, which is close to the one for 2017 (reported 2018) of 2.644. The IFs for the previous two years were 2.651 2013 (reported 2014) and 2.387 2012 (reported 2013).

Possibly of more concern is that EJSS is now 10th out of 34 in the ranking of Soil Science journals. Our ranking in soil science journals was 5th of 34 in 2016 compared with 3rd of 34 (2015) and 7 of 34 (2014)

We continue to strive to obtain a high IF, but we have to ensure more papers are cited over the two-year IF window. We aim to receive papers of high quality, novelty and interest. I have been striving to maintain good relations with institutes that have produced highly cited papers in the past. Wiley indicated the need to increase our links with authors from the USA, and Table 2 shows that we have gone some way to achieving this with 10 papers accepted from there last year.

Submissions

In 2018 we received over 400 new papers, which is a large number for EJSS and suggests that the decrease in IF has not affected submissions. We published over 90 papers, which included research papers in the main, reviews and short communications. Although short communications were only introduced this year we have published at least three already. I think this will be useful vehicle for authors with a new method or some exciting data to make an early claim for it.

The six issues for 2018 were all been filled without any difficulty and the picture looks promising for 2019 with four issues already full. We published the Anniversary issue in January 2018 to celebrate 70 years of BSSS with 11 papers from all over the world. One of these stimulated a Letter to the Editor with a rejoinder from the authors and another engendered considerable social media interest. The Pedometrics special issue was published in January 2019 and the other two special sections are almost complete; these are on soil organic matter from the conference at Rothamsted and a soil and health one. The main guest editor of the latter, Lily Pereg, was sadly found murdered in Argentina. I have written to her husband on behalf of the Journal. Eric Brevik, the other guest editor, will now take the lead and Fangjie Zhao on of our Associate Editors has agreed to help.

Countries submitting accepted manuscripts in 2018

The number of papers from China continues to increase and so does the number accepted. This was only five in 2015 when I took over as EiC, whereas in 2018 it was 43 (Table 1). The quality of some papers has improved, but we also received a large number of poor papers from China. Many of these can be rejected during the first appraisal of papers by the senior editorial team, but this has added to the general workload. We are not alone amongst soil science journals in receiving so many submissions from China recently. Otherwise, other countries at the top of the list below are fairly stable contributors to EJSS and have a large acceptance ratio. For example the acceptance ratio for China was 29 and it was 69% for the UK.

In 2018, manuscripts were accepted from 54 countries worldwide; Table 2 shows their origin. This very widespread, but it is dominated by submissions from China. Table 3 summarizes the types of paper received in 2018 and shows a healthy number of short communications and review papers. Many of these will be published in 2019.

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Table 4 gives the acceptance and rejection rates for 2018 with detail about the categories of rejection (immediate reject, reject and reject and resubmit). Table 5 summarizes Table 4 and shows that the overall rate of acceptance was 38% and it was 66% for rejection. The acceptance rate increased in 2018 from 34%. It possibly reflects my general impression that the quality and novelty of papers had improved.

Table 1 Total submissions received January 1 2018 to December 31 2018

2018 2017

Submission Month

# of Original # of Revised #of Original U of Revised Manuscripts Manuscripts Manuscripts Manuscripts

January 29 39 33 26

February 26 22 19 15

March 36 34 43 19

April 42 31 41 27

May 42 33 45 26

June 23 27 37 13

July 36 36 31 40

August 26 25 31 31

September 37 38 38 32

October 32 32 39 29

November 38 26 10 12

December 46 27 37 22

Total 413 370 443 305

Percentage 52.70% 47.30% 59.20% 40.80%

Combined Total 783 748

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ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Summary of Main Achievements Table 2 Countries of submission

Country # Accepted # Rejected Total

China 43 106 149

UK 20 9 29

Germany 10 6 16

United States 10 4 14

Spain 8 6 14

France 6 1 7

Italy 5 4 9

Australia 5 3 8

Netherlands 4 2 6

Belgium 3 1 4

Brazil 2 13 15

Iran (the Islamic Republic of) 2 13 15

Denmark 2 0 2

India 1 19 20

Poland 1 4 5

Nigeria 1 2 3

South Africa 1 2 3

Ecuador 1 1 2

Greece 1 1 2

Israel 1 1 2

New Zealand 1 1 2

Switzerland 1 1 2

Turkey 1 1 2

Austria 1 0 1

Czech Republic 1 0 1

Hong Kong 1 0 1

Korea, (the Republic of) 1 3 4

Lebanon 1 0 1

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ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Summary of Main Achievements Table 2 Countries of submission (continued)

Mexico 1 0 1

VietNam 1 0 1

Egypt 0 4 4

Pakistan 0 4 4

Russia 0 4 4

Bangladesh 0 3 3

Algeria 0 2 2

Finland 0 2 2

Morocco 0 2 2

Benin 0 1 1

Brunei Darussalam 0 1 1

Cameroon 0 1 1

Canada 0 1 1

Côtedlvoire 0 1 1

Ethiopia 0 1 1

Hungary 0 1 1

Jordan 0 1 1

Kuwait 0 1 1

Lithuania 0 1 1

Malaysia 0 1 1

Portugal 0 1 1

Serbia 0 1 1

Slovakia 0 1 1

Taiwan 0 1 1

Tanzania, United Republic of 0 1 1

Thailand 0 - 1 1

Tunisia 0 1 1

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ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Summary of Main Achievements Table 3 Types of manuscripts submitted in 2018

Table 4 Decision rates in 2018

Manuscript Type Original Revised Total

Lettertothe Editor 4 0 4

Original Manuscript 365 291 656

Review 20 10 30

Short Communication 8 8 16

Special Issue 16 61 77

Total 413 370 783

Table 5 Final decision ratios in 2018 compared with 2017

Manuscript Decision Number of

Manuscripts

Percentage of

Total

Accept 137 18.0%

Immediate Reject 72 9.4%

Major Revision 148 19.4%

Minor Revision 119 15.6%

Reject 169 22.2%

Reject and Resubmit 115 151%

Reject with Referral to Wiley Open Access Journal Geo:

Geography and Environment 2 0.3%

Total 762 100.0%

Final decision ratios in 2018

Final decision Percentage of total

Accept 38%

Reject* 62%

Total 100 .0 Vo

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ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Summary of Main Achievements Final decision ratios in 2017

Percentage of total Final decision

Accept

Reject*

Total

38%

62%

100. 0%

Table 6 Annual summary of paper turnround

We still have problems with the turnround rates for some reviewers and Associate Editors. However, our averages are reasonable. The office and Joim Scullion chase up those reviewers and AEs that are overdue.

2018

Average time (number of days) spent with Editorial Office 3

Average time (number of days) for Reviewer Turnaround 28

Average time (number of days) for Associate Editor Decision 6

Average time (number of days) for Editor-in-Chief decision 4

Personnel Senior Editorial Team Our senior editorial team has remained stable this year with John Scullion (Aberystwyth University) Robert Bryant (Swansea University) and Siobhan Staunton (INRA, Montpellier). The senior editorial team is strong and working well together.

Patricia Bellamy (statistics editor, Cranfield University) has been a major asset to the team and deals with a great many papers each month. She takes an interest in getting the authors to do their analyses correctly, mainly ANOVA. She sometimes works with them directly when this is necessary.

Review Papers Editor Leo Condron (University of Lincoln, New Zealand) has a list of invited papers, but they are rather slow to come to fruition. The first Russell Review will be published in March and it is on digital soil mapping. We should like to get more invited reviews through the system. In particular, reviews in general provide with our largest numbers of citations.

The Support Team In addition to the senior editorial team we have many Associate Editors (AEs) and reviewers. We have had some changes in AEs this year. Cohn Campbell stood down and recommended two AEs to replace him because of the number of papers in his field. Rebekka Artz (Aberdeen) and Fiona Brennan (Teagasc, Ireland) have been appointed based on his recommendations. David Powlson also stood down and was replaced by Rupert Bäumler and so did Ellen Kandeler who was replaced by Yu Luo. In addition. We appointed Hang Li from Southwest University, China) to deal with the large number of papers submitted on surface charges and soil aggregates.

Our AEs and reviewers put tremendous effort and expertise into the decision-making process and to making a success of the journal; I acknowledge their large contribution to the success of EJSS. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find willing reviewers, but those that do take on the task spend much time in providing advice and guidance to the editorial team and to authors. We acknowledge them by printing a list of reviewers in the Journal each May.

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ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Summary of Main Achievements Publications (continued) Book Reviews Editor Keith Smith has dealt successfully with our healthy flow of books for review. We should like more, and we will follow up any recommendations we receive.

Statistics Advisory Panel This panel provides an invaluable service; the editorial team is calling on its services increasingly to deal with ever present problems with the statistics applied in papers. Murray Lark appointed Kathy Haskard (Adelaide) to replace Pat Bellamy, but he still wishes to recruit another new member. The panel deals mainly with all types of analysis other than ANOVA. Some of these can be complex linear mixed models, multivariate methods and spatial analysis. Poor sampling schemes in the first place are often at the root of problems that arise later with analyses.

Wiley-Blackwell These are our publishers and they continue to promote and publicize our outputs and activities widely and effectively. Our direct point of contact is Justinia Wood, the journal's manager who has provided excellent support throughout the year. She is very responsive to situations that arise with the journal, which ensure that we can react in the right way. In addition, Naomi Francis-Parker (Justinia's assistant) and Ellen Barton (publicity of the Journal) have provided invaluable guidance over the past year.

PrePress PrePress provides very effective input to the day-to-day management of the Journal with particularly helpful assistance and suggestions from our current contact, Maud Swanson. Management of papers and authors is very efficient. Any queries that they receive from authors are passed to me immediately if they are outside the remit of the office. The team at PrePress certainly provide excellent support. Mary Whitehead began to replace Maud at the end of last year because Maud has moved to doing more editing of papers.

Papers Landmark papers The seventh landmark paper was published in January 2018 (K.A. Smith et al. 2003. Exchange of greenhouse gases between soil and atmosphere: interactions of soil physical factors and biological processes. European Journal of Soil Science, 54, 779-791). The original paper was reproduced, the authors provided reflections on it and a group of Associate Editors provided a commentary. It was also accompanied by a virtual, online edition of associated papers published in the journal and its predecessor. This is one of our most cited papers. The next Landmark paper (for January 2019) will again accompanied by the thoughts of the author, some comments by Associated Editors (AEs) and a virtual issue. The paper is by Trevor M. Burgess and Richard Webster and was first published in the Journal of Soil Science in 1980, volume 31, pages 315-331 on "Optimal interpolation and isarithmic mapping of soil properties. I. The semi-variogram and punctual kriging.

Several of the Landmark papers appear to have encouraged new submissions on their topics, for example aggregation and soil erosion.

Special issues We published two special sections in Issue 1 of 2018: the larger one comprised papers invited to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of BSSS and the other papers were on Soil and Human Health. There are three new special issues or sections in the pipeline for 2019, one from the soil and human health section of the EGU meeting (Vienna), one from the Pedometrics meeting (Wageningen) and one from the SOM meeting at Rothamsted - all in 2017.

Review papers We have not published an invited review this year, but we shall have one in Issue 2 of 2019. We published several other review papers this year, which is encouraging because they generally have a good citation record. At the moment Wiley publish invited reviews as 'free to view' papers for one year. We hope to increase the number of invited reviews per year now that we have appointed a Review papers editor.

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ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Summary of Main Achievements Best paper award

The award of best Pedometrics papers was for a paper in EJSS. We were delighted about this because it so often goes to a paper in another journal.

Angelini, M. E., Heuvelink, G. B. M. & Kempen, B. (2017). Multivariate mapping of soil with structural equation modelling. European Journal of Soil Science, 68(5), 575-591. https://doi.org/10.l llllejss.12446. It is currently free to read.

Author feedback The overall satisfaction of those who responded to the survey was 78% compared with 79% in August 2019, related to one author whose paper had a long review process. The future intent was 81%, an increase from 74% in August 2018; these authors said that they were likely or very likely to submit to EJSS again.

This is an additional summary of author response below: Accepted Authors: 20% Response Rate, 84% Completion Rate Published Authors: 24% Response Rate, 100% Completion Rate

Wiley Portfolio

Accepted Authors: 14% Response Rate, 83% Completion Rate Published Authors: 11% Response Rate, 82% Completion Rate

To clarify, 'response rate' represents the percentage of authors who opened the email and clicked on the survey; 'completion rate' represents the number of authors, out of those who clicked on the survey, actually completed it.

Margaret A. Oliver Editor-in-Chief, European Journal of Soil Science

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ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Summary of Main Achievements Publications (continued) Soil Use and Management (SUM) The metrics for Soil Use and Management (SUM) for 2017, released in the summer of 2018 showed a major fall, with the 2-year impact factor (IF) decreasing from 2.117 to 1.336 and the 5-year IF going from an all-time high of 2.542 to 1.855. Based on the 2-yIF, the Journal went to 24th position out of 34 soil science journals. The changes in impact factor were largely determined by the increase in number of articles published in the 2016 and 2017 years determining the score but with a slight fall in the number of citations to those papers relative to previous years.

The practical step being taken is to move the publication date of the first issue in each year from March to January (2020) and quarterly thereafter, thereby giving longer for papers to be cited in their first year.

New submissions in 2018 showed a marked increase, totalling 333, being 62 more than in 2017 and 100 more than in 2016. The number of papers handled in revision was double that of the previous year, so in total the number of papers dealt with increased from 413 in 2017 to 616 in 2018. China continued to head the list of countries worldwide (54), from where papers were submitted, reaching 113 submissions. India was second on the list, with 25 submissions. The UK was in 3rd place with 24 papers submitted, the same as Brazil. China also headed the list of countries submitting accepted papers, with 14; Australia had 13 and 11 papers were accepted from the UK in 2018, which represents 73% of those papers from the country that were subject to a final decision in the year. The equivalent percentage for China was 16% and for Australia it was 81%. The acceptance rate of 30% was slightly greater than the 28.2% for 2017.

A total of 82 articles were accepted in 2018, with 58 research and review articles being published in the year. This is an improvement over the previous 12 months but further improvement is required if the journal is to prosper The main issue confronting the editorial team at present is the adoption of a new journal design (NJD). This has not proceeded at all smoothly. In the case of SUM, for whatever reason all proofs were prepared as for the design adopted by EJSS. Given the work involved to redo the proofs, I made the decision to stick with that design, even though it then resulted in a problem over the style for units. Sum had published its intention of adopting negative indices instead of using obliques and positive indices. The style for references in the text is complicated and has already caused problems for the printers. They are also having difficulties in the layout of proofs under the new NJD. All this has made the checking of proofs very arduous and increased the time required. We only received the revised style sheets yesterday. The comments of the Deputies on the document were derisory! Given that SUM and EJSS are not in the first tranche of Wiley journals to go through the process, it is very frustrating that there are so many unexpected problems showing up.

The metrics for the handling of papers by the editorial team, assisted by Maud Swanson and latterly by Mary Woodhead of Prepress Projects Ltd., together with the Associate Editors and the many volunteer reviewers has remained fairly constant for the last several years, although there are signs of small improvements. The average time papers spend in review is about 25 days (23 in 2018) and the average time between submission and first decision being reported to authors was 45 days in 2018. We are greatly indebted to Maud Mary and our peer reviewer team for the fme work they do for the journal.

The Editors' Choice article for 2018 was contributed by Dr. Hijbeek and five colleagues from Plant Production Systems, Wageningen University, The Netherlands, who dealt with the important question: What drives farmers to increase soil organic matter?

Marketing of the Journal, particularly encouraging the submission of papers by new authors, was carried out by the editorial team of Soil Use and Management at the IUSS International Convention in Rio de Janeiro in August. Fiona Nicholson went with the same objectives to the European Biosolids and Organic Residuals Conference in November.

Wiley have helped with providing more information from both established and newly accepted authors about their experience with the journal processes for submission, peer review and acceptance.

The Voice of the Customer compares BSSS journals with all journals in the Wiley stable. For the Wiley stable the response to a questionnaire was: Accepted Authors: 14% Response Rate, 83% Completion Rate Published Authors: 11% Response Rate, 82% Completion Rate

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ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Summary of Main Achievements The response from SUM authors was: Accepted Authors: 33% Response Rate, 87% Completion Rate Published Authors: 48% Response Rate, 89% Completion Rate

Wiley's analysis states, "it suggests that those who publish in SUM are highly engaged with the journal and with Wiley".

The submission process was highly regarded with 73% being at least satisfied with it. Speed was considered to be the main weakness.

The peer review and editorial feedback process was similarly regarded with 77% be at least satisfied. Speed of this process was also the main weakness. We have worked hard on this and the average time declined by 6 days in 2018. Overall satisfaction with the SUM process was very good with 89% of respondents being at least likely to submit further papers.

The feedback is clearly supportive of the functioning of the journal processes and of the engagement with authors.

I am very grateful for the support and hard work of Dr Fiona Nicholson and Dr Matt Aitkenhead, who have continued as Deputy Editors. Their commitment to SUM is vital and they have shown real dedication as the numbers of manuscripts continued to mount through this last year. I cannot thank them enough for their contribution.

The changes of personnel have slowed at Wiley, which has helped the flow of information. The day-to-day liaison has continued through Justinia Wood and her assistant, Naomi Francis-Parker; Katherine Wheatley and Ellen Barton form the marketing team for the two BSSS journals. Nel Duarte continues as the direct link with the Production Centre.

Michael Goss 26th February 2019 Editor in Chief, Soil Use and Management

The Auger

Published June 2018

34 page issue containing the 2017 AGM minutes, a feature article on the new Early Career Representative, feedback on a Council members attendance at the Westminster Energy, Environment and Transport Forum, news from Rothamsted Research and Cranfield University, "Meet a Soil Scientist" and three obituaries of past Members.

Published December 2018

38 page issue containing a feature article on the new President (from 1St January 2019), the 2018 Annual Conference, 2018 AGM Minutes, updates on the 2018 World Congress of Soil Science and the plans for the 2022 World Congress in Glasgow, "Meet a Soil Scientist" and an article on membership diversity.

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OFS event in Bristol. Lots of engaging activities and a giant soil pit!

OFS event in Sheffield. Soil explorer activities and investigating roots.

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ACIIIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Summary of Main Achievements Education and outreach Our big event was attending Open Farm Sunday, a national event held every year where farms open their doors to the general public. This event is really well attended by families. We had 33 BSSS members helping at events all over the country talking to people about soil and its role in farming and society. The events were supported by the Regional Groups and the BSSS office. We attended events in Exeter, Aberdeenshire, Bristol and Sheffield. There were up to 1000 people at the Bristol event, of which many came to see the soil pit and make colourful soil test tubes. In Sheffield, over 150 children took part in our "what can you find in the soil?" activity finding soil invertebrates and having a closer look with a microscope. Others had fun taking photos with our soilscape or discovering the hidden world of roots with our root viewer. In Scotland they counted 230 people throughout the day, plus a lot of sheep! Some quotes from people attending the Sheffield event included:

"Our son (aged 3) really loved being a secret soil agent, while we looked at the "grown up" bits!"

"Made my children realise how much life was in soil"

"We loved it all! Great worms + microscopes, stickers + posters. Very valuable experience. It would be great if you could do school I nursery visits!"

OFS Event in Aberdeenshire. The soil characters are always a big hit with the children attending the event.

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The Education committee also contributed to a book chapter (due to be published in 2019) for a forthcoming TUSS book on Cultural Understanding of Soil. The chapter involved assessment of the current education provision at undergraduate level to study soil science in the UK. It was compared with other countries and to raise awareness of the lack of specific soil science programmes currently offered by UK Universities.

Chartered Scientist The Society holds a registration license on behalf of the Science Council for Chartered Scientist (CSCi). 45 members were registered for this status at the beginning of 2018.

All CPD's submitted were reviewed by the Professional Practice Committee and deemed to be acceptable under the terms of the Licensing body requirements. There was I member who did not submit a CPD. Following a number of reminders this member was removed from the register and therefore at the end of 2018 the society has 44 registered with this status.

The Society was assessed at an interim License audit by the Science Council in April 2018. The feedback from the Science Council was positive. A couple of observations were identified that required attention by the Professional Practice Committee. These have been completed and signed off by the Science Council.

YouTube and social media http://www.youtube.com/BritishSocietyofSoil

The 2018 Annual Conference was recorded and videos released of all oral presentations on the YouTube channel. This was to make the material available to a wider audience than just those attending.

10 recordings in total are now available including The Russell Lecture given by Professor Cheryl Palm "Soils & Food Security: A Management Conundrum".

Facebook and Twitter continue to be used on a regular basis to keep the Society in the social media space. At the end of 2018 the Society Facebook page had registered 2,201 Likes and there were 4,863 followers on Twitter. The Society Instagram account and has 347 Followers currently.

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ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Summary of Main Achievements Working with Soil Training The society delivered 4 Working with Soil training events, attended by 45 delegates, in 2018. The breakdown of courses was as follows;

Exposing and Describing a Soil Profile - 2 courses (1 day) delivered at 2 venues (Lancaster University, Lancaster / Myerscough College and Reaseheath Coll ege, Nantwich, Cheshire) with 28 delegates attending. The ability to expose a representative soil profile and to describe it accurately and consistently are skills that are fundamental to the study of soil in the field. This practical one day course is the first of three courses covering the foundation skills and teaches you how to:

• Safely expose a soil profile either by digging a pit or by using a soil auger • Consistently describe a site and a full soil profile using a recognised system of description (including hand

texturing, soil colour, structure, consistency, porosity, stone content, free lime and roots/fauna present • Interpret soil layers (broad horizon nomenclature), features and materials in terms of soil forming processes and

the soil environment

The course is part laboratory and part field based. Working in a small group, you will dig your own pits, be taught each aspect of soil description back in the laboratory and then describe horizons back from your own pit.

An Introduction to Soil Classification - 1 Course (2 days) delivered at Shuttleworth College, Shuttleworth, Bedfordshire with 8 delegates attending.

This two day training course offers you a unique opportunity to build your confidence and precision in characterising and describing the soil beneath your feet by introducing you to the principles of soil classification. By the end of this two day course, you will have learnt:

• how different soil classifications are structured and designed • how soil characteristics are used to identify key diagnostic features used in soil classifications. • how key diagnostic features relate to soil processes and functions. • how to classify a UK soil using the internationally recognized World Reference Base. • how national UK soil classifications relate to the World Reference Base as used in the Soil Atlas of Europe and

similar publications for Africa and South America

As well as taught sessions, you will go out in the field to work on a range of real soils. You will also receive a detailed, comprehensive course book.

Agricultural Land Classification - 1 Course (2 days) delivered in Birmingham to 9 delegates.

This training course, designed and presented by agricultural land classification (ALC) experts from Natural England and the Welsh Government, offers a unique opportunity to learn about the background and technical basis of the current ALC guidelines. By the end of the two day course you will learn:

• about how the ALC system has developed over time, its underlying principles and its role within the planning system - the WHAT, WHY and WHEN of ALC

• all the details of how land is graded - the HOW of ALC • what a report should contain in order to be verified by the Natural England and Welsh Government statutory

consultees on planning applications involving soils and agriculture • how to present ALC results as an expert witness

As well as taught sessions, you will carry out a group ALC grading desk exercise to apply what you have learned.

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ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Summary of Main Achievements Membership The Society's Membership has increased to 793 Members (2017 - 768) comprising:

2018 2017 Student [SM] 199 158 Full [FM] 335 352 Associate [AM] 24 29 Technical [TM] 23 20 Fellow [FM] 98 98 Retired Members [RM] 82 79 Honorary [HM] 22 22 Life Members [LM] 10 10

793 768

Membership increased in 2018 by 3%. This has stemmed the decline in the past few years and is due to the extension of the Early Career Membership category.

A review of the diversity of the membership shows that there are members in 38 countries, the gender split is 69% male, 31% female. Although within the Early Career membership category the gender split is 50/50 male and female. The membership age range is between 21 and 100. The largest concentration of members aged between 30 and under followed closely by those aged 61 to 70.

Investment performance The Society has obtained banking and other interest from bank and building society accounts held amounting to £1,334 (2017 -£1,197).

The Society was also in receipt of distributions from its investment portfolio of £16,249 (2017 - £15,061), representing a 5.02% (2017 - 4.98%) return on capital invested into the fund at the beginning of the financial year.

The investment portfolio has suffered capital decline of £43,091 (2017 growth - £21,139), representing a -13.31% (2017 - 6.99%) return on capital invested into the fund at the beginning of the financial year.

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FINANCIAL REVIEW Financial position The tangible fixed assets net book value of £1,208 (2017 - £1,327) remains comparable with the prior year.

The balance sheet position shows a decreased net current assets position of £865,276 (2017 - £872,673), resulting from a decrease in the value of investments to £280,647 (2017 - £323,738), combined with a decrease in cash at bank and in hand to £353,371 (2017 - £376,194) and an increase of debtors to £70,155 (2017 - £10,596).

Creditors due within one year as at the balance sheet date have decreased to £74,520 (2017 - £104,566) due to a decrease in accrued expenses to £32,844 (2017 - £65,687).

At the yearend the Society has freely available current reserves of £852,674 (2017 - £862,280) which excludes tangible fixed assets of1,208 (2017 -£1,327). Given the Society's current levels of expenditure of341,721 (2017 - £358,279) this would allow for approximately 30 months (2017 - 29 months) of continuing operations without further freely available reserves becoming available.

As at the yearend the Society had unrestricted funds totalling £853,882 (2017 - £863,607) and restricted funds totalling £12,602 (2017 - £10,393) as detailed further in the notes to the financial statements. The total funds of the Society has decreased to £866,484 (2017 - £874,000).

As noted in the reserves policy, these reserves are being held to support the Society when hosting the World Congress of Soil Science in 2022.

Principal funding sources The Society's principal funding sources continue to be income received in respect of publications produced, membership subscriptions, admission fees to meetings and conferences, fees for the provision of training courses, and the supplementary investment income, which the trustees note will help to facilitate the hosting of the World Congress of Soil Science in 2022.

Total incoming resources in the fmancial year amounted to £334,205 (2017 - £411,989). The decrease in the year is a result of the share revaluation loss amounting to £43,091 (2017 gain - £21,139).

The net incoming resources for the year amounted to -7,516 (2017 - £53,710), of which -9,725 (2017 - £54,768) relates to unrestricted funds.

The Society's membership subscription income of £35,401 (2017 - £35,077) has maintained consistent with prior years. Total incoming resources from donations and legacies has increased to £37,746 (2017 - £36,291) as a result of increased donations to the Brian Chambers Soil Fund, which amounted to £2,345 (2017 -£1,214) in the year.

Investment policy and objectives Due to the level of reserves held by the Society the trustees have adopted a policy of spreading bank balances with a variety of banking institutions in order to provide a higher level of protection from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) should a bank or building society that the charity deals with were to become insolvent.

The trustees have also elected to invest a proportion of funds into an M&G investment trust "Charifünd" in order to further diversify the risk of funds held by the charity. The trust is a well-diversified portfolio of approximately 100 holdings, mainly high yielding UK company shares. While the trust will generally have a bias towards stocks that are out-of-favour with investors, the fund manager seeks to identify good quality companies with attractive dividend growth prospects.

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FINANCIAL REVIEW Reserves policy The trustees have set a reserves policy, which requires:

• Reserves be maintained at a level which ensures that The British Society of Soil Science core activity could continue during a period of unforeseen difficulty; and

• A proportion of reserves be maintained in a readily realisable form.

The trustees seek to maintain a level of reserves by holding bank balances and by investments, which can be sold to release cash. Reviews of cash holdings and investment valuations are considered throughout the year. The calculation of the required level of reserves is an integral part of the organisation's planning, budget and forecast cycle. It takes into account:

• Risks associated with each stream of income and expenditure being different from that budgeted; • Planned activity level, including grant giving; • Organisation's commitments; and • Outsourced staffmg obligations.

Current levels of reserves Continuing concern over the future stability of academic publishing, changing currency exchange rates and the continuing impact of the global recession suggest that there is significant insecurity over this major source of income for the Society. Therefore the trustees have elected to hold a minimum of 12 months operating costs (includes staffing, sub-contracted staffmg, on-going project and grant giving obligations) as easily accessible cash deposits. These cash reserves will be held in rolling guaranteed fixed deposit accounts separate from any additional investments held by the Society. The current 12 month operating reserve is £300k.

The level of reserve held is calculated and monitored every 12 months by the Treasurer Trustee (or Executive Officer) and any amendments required are ratified by the full Board of Trustees in line with the Society's articles of Association. This policy is reviewed annually.

Going concern The trustees do not consider there to be any material uncertainties about the Society's ability to continue, and therefore consider the charity to be a going concern. The financial statements are therefore prepared under this basis.

Funds in deficit The Society had no funds held in deficit during the current or previous financial year.

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FUTURE PLANS For the financial year 2019 the trustees and Council of the Society will focus on:

(a) Evaluate the Society structure to enhance membership interaction and align to aid delivery of strategic plan;

(b) Exploring optimal structure of staffing of the BSSS office. Considering roles and potentially agreeing new job descriptions;

(c) Increasing collaborative working with organisations such as BASIS, and with other learned societies such as the Royal Society of Biology, British Ecological Society and the Palaeontological Association;

(d) Creating a new charity and legal entity to manage the financial risk of organising the 2022 World Congress of Soil Science;

(e) Further developing and publishing Professional Competency documents for Soil Science supporting the professional practice of soil science (titled Working with Soil). Strengthening collaborations with supporting organisations to promote these documents further and to improve stakeholder engagement. Creation of engaging web material and resources;

(f) Enhancing and broadening the membership by engaging with all institutions that support education and research in soil science. This includes reaching out to Universities and Further Education Colleges; and

(g) Developing international outreach work by greater engagement with the International Union of Soil Scientists and other international learned societies and international bodies with aligned objectives.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Governing document The members of the board are the charity's trustees. They have the legal responsibility for the overall management of the Society.

The Society retains an Advisory Council which holds delegated responsibility from the board of trustees as detailed in the Society's Byelaws and consists of the Society President, Past President and President Elect, Chair, Past Chair and Vice Chair of the Professional Practice Committee, Governance Secretary, Treasurer, Editor in Chief of the European Journal of Soil Science (Ex-Officio); Editor in Chief of Soil Use and Management Journal (Ex-Officio); Chairs of each of the Society's regional groups (Scotland, Northern England, the Midlands, South East England, South West England and Wales); Chair of the Education Committee, a Student Member Representative; Chair of the World Congress Working Group; and three Ordinary Members elected by the Membership.

The Council has a number of standing Committees, the Professional Practice Committee; the Education Committee; the Grants Committee; the Publications Committee; and the World Congress of Soil Science Working Group.

The trustees have complied with their duties under Section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 and have taken due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission and considered general guidance on public benefit.

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STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Recruitment and appointment of new trustees Save as otherwise provided in the Articles of Association of British Society of Soil Science ("the Articles"), and in particular, Article 22.5, the society may by ordinary resolution appoint a person who is willing to act to be a trustee either to fill a vacancy or as an additional trustee.

At the first Annual General Meeting all of the trustees shall retire from office, and at every subsequent Annual General Meeting one-fifth of the trustees or, if their number is not five or a multiple of five, the number nearest to one-fifth shall retire from office.

Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act 2006, the trustees to retire by rotation shall be those who have been longest in office since their last appointment or reappointment, but as between persons who became or were last reappointed trustees on the same day those to retire shall (unless they otherwise agree among themselves) be determined by lot.

If the Society at the meeting at which a trustee retires by rotation does not fill the vacancy the retiring trustee shall, if willing to act, be deemed to have been reappointed unless at the meeting it is resolved not to fill the vacancy or unless a resolution for the reappointment of the trustee is put to the meeting and lost.

No person may be appointed as a trustee:

unless that person has attained the age of 18 years; and

unless that person or being a corporation its duly authorised representative has completed an application for membership in a form approved by the trustees;

or in circumstances such that, had he already been a trustee, he would have been disqualified from acting under the provisions of Article 23.

The Council and Board of Trustees are currently reviewing the Articles of Association. An update to the Articles shall be published in due course following this review.

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STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT The Professional Practice Committee (PPC) The PPC is the Professional Body' of the Society and has the following remit:

(a) Promote guidance on professional practice and keep Professional Members of the Society informed of new developments and professional opportunities;

(b) In liaison with the Society Council, monitor relevant external issues, promote soil science as a professional discipline and engage with central and local government, industry, and the general public to expand the application of professional soil science for the good of society and the environment;

(c) Represent the views of Professional Members of the Society internally and externally in liaison with the Council;

(d) Promote the adoption of appropriate professional standards in all work involving soil science through the publication of professional competency statements for use by government, industry and the general public when conducting or contracting out soil science work;

(e) Provide certification and accreditation of members and offering soil scientists a route to qualification as Chartered Scientist;

(f) Encourage Professional Members to pursue and record their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and provide guidance and feedback on this where necessary, and work with the Education Committee to provide opportunities for CPD;

(g) In liaison with the Education Committee, investigate the potential of accrediting suitable university level courses;

(h) Set and review Professional Membership administration regulations including grades and fees;

(i) Assist the Executive Officer/Secretariat of BSSS with the circulation of a regular newsletter and information on professional matters for members of the Society;

(j) Convene and organise an annual meeting for Professional Members of the Society, usually in the autumn; this will usually involve a conference on a professional topic of relevance to Professional Members; and

(k) Continually assess the content and relevance of PPC meetings and conferences to ensure that they support the needs of the Professional Membership and are relevant to society at large.

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STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Induction and training of new trustees Induction: All trustees are required to sign a declaration of acceptance of office as a trustee at the first meeting of the trustees following their appointment. Such declarations may set out particular responsibilities to be undertaken by an individual trustee.

Training: By virtue of electing independent trustees to the Society's board of trustees, the Society intends to ensure suitably trained and experienced individuals are recruited to the board of trustees.

The ability to recruit personnel with the required experience, skills and expertise required by the Society enables the trustees to reduce the necessity of additional training required by newly appointed trustees. The necessity for additional skills and training is reviewed internally on a regular basis by the board of trustees.

Depending on the experience of newly appointed trustees the board may provide induction training in this respect, if deemed necessary. The level of experience and participation with the Society sought in the trustees during the recruitment process reduces the level of induction training normally required.

The Society is currently in negotiations with the Royal Society of Biology to create some online training courses for Trustees that will be made available to the appropriate members within the Society to ensure that they are aware of the duties expected of them in this role.

Wider network The Society is a member of the International Union of Soil Sciences (JUSS) which is a global union of soil scientists. The Society will be working closely with IUSS over the coming years as the organising society for the 2022 World Congress of Soil Science. Society members receive complimentary membership of JUSS as part of their BSSS subscription.

The Society also has paid memberships with the Royal Society of Biology, Foundation for Learned and Professional Societies and the Science Council.

Related parties BSSS has been located at Cranfield University since 2009 enabling the society to collaborate with leading experts from the Cranfield Soil and Agrifood Institute, as well as utilise facilities ranging from its world-class soil labs, to the UK's largest Land Information System (LandIS) and World Soil Survey Archive and Catalogue (WOSSAC). The current Society President, Professor Wilfred Often is an academic at Cranfield.

It is important to note that the Society is recognised as a tenant by the University and a new contract is currently being negotiated between both parties. The BSSS office staff are employed through the University and all of their costs are charged back to the Society.

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STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Risk management The trustees have a duty to identif' and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error.

The trustees have a risk management strategy which comprises:

• An annual review of the risks the charity may face; • The establishment of systems and procedures to mitigate those risks identified in the annual risk review; and • The implementation of procedures to minimise any potential impact on the charity should those risks materialise.

The current risk register takes particular note of the financial and data management issues. The society is financially supported by the publication of its two journals and so the success of the journals is highlighted as an important risk management area. Public liability remains a crucial area and insurance policies are reviewed annually to ensure adequate cover is in place.

This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

Approved by order of the board of trustees on ' and signed on its behalf by:

Professor S Mooney - Trustee

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Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of British Society of Soil Science

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of British Society of Soil Science ('the Company') I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 December 2018.

Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner's statement Since your charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a listed body. I can confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a registered member of Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales which is one of the listed bodies

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:

1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or 3. the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any

requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or

4. the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities [applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)].

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached

Adam Burt ACA FCCA Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales HSA & Co Chartered Accountants Lewis House Great Chesterford Court Great Chesterford Essex CB10 1PF

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Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 December 2018

Notes

Unrestricted funds £

Restricted funds £

2018 Total funds £

2017 Total funds £

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies 4 35,537 2,209 37,746 36,291 Charitable activities Publications 296,716 296,716 307,395 Meetings and conferences 14,830 14,830 5,460 Training courses 10,313 10,313 25,368

Other trading activities 5 108 108 78 Investment income 6 (25,508) (25,508) 37,397

Total 331,996 2,209 334,205 411,989

EXPENDITURE ON Raising funds 7,041 7,041 5,582 Charitable activities 7 Membership and subscriptions 107,227 107,227 101,172 Publications 114,738 114,738 109,161 Meetings and conferences 91,092 91,092 119,142 Training courses 7,394 7,394 9,601 Provision of grants 14,229 .14,229 13,621

Total 341,721 - 341,721 358,279

NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) (9,725) 2,209 (7,516) 53,710

RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS

Total funds brought forward 863,607 10,393 874,000 820,290

TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 853,882 12,602 866,484 874,000

The notes form part of these financial statements

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Balance Sheet At 31 December 2018

Notes


Restricted funds £

2018 Total funds £

2017 Total funds £

FIXED ASSETS Tangible assets 14 1,208 1,208 1,327

CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 15 70,155 - 70,155 10,596 Investments 16 280,647 280,647 323,738 Prepayments and accrued income 235,623 235,623 266,711 Cash at bank and in hand 340,542 12,829 353,371 376,194

926,967 12,829 939,796 977,239

CREDITORS Amounts falling due within one year 17 (74,293) (227) (74,520) (104,566)

NET CURRENT ASSETS 852,674 12,602 865,276 872,673

TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 853,882 12,602 866,484 874,000

NET ASSETS 853,882 12,602 866,484 874,000

FUNDS 18 Unrestricted funds 853,882 863,607 Restricted funds 12,602 10,393

TOTAL FUNDS 866,484 874,000


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Balance Sheet - continued At 31 December 2018

The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 December 2018.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2018 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for (a) ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the

Companies Act 2006 and (b) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as

at the end of each fmancial year and of its surplus or deficit for each fmancial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to charitable small companies.

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on behalf by:

LCfrjf' and were signed on its

Professor S Mooney -Trustee


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Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2018

1. CHARITABLE COMPANY STATUS

The charity is a company limited by guarantee. The members of the company are the trustees named in the Report of the Trustees. In the event of the charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per member of the charity.

The charity's registered number and principle address can be found on the Reference and Administrative Details page.

The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.

The presentation currency of the financial statements is the Pound Sterling (i).

2. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the fmancial statements The fmancial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

Income All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Incoming resources are stated net of value added tax.

Income from grants and donations Donations and grants are recognised when they have been communicated and received in writing with notification of both the amount and settlement date.

In the event that a donation is subject to conditions that require a level of performance before the charity is entitled to the funds, the income is deferred and not recognised until either those conditions are fully met, or the fulfilment of those conditions is wholly within the control of the charity and it is probable that those conditions will be fulfilled in the reporting period.

Subscription income Income relating to subscriptions are initially recognised on the date on which they are invoiced. Subscriptions invoiced in advance of the subscription period are recognised as deferred income until the accounting period to which the subscription relates.

Subscriptions receipts received in advance of the subscription being invoiced are recognised as a creditor until the accounting period to which the subscription relates and invoice raised.

Conferences and meetings income Income relating to conferences and meetings occurring within the reporting period are recognised as income within the accounting period during which they take place.

Income relating to conferences and meetings received in advance of the event date are recognised as deferred income until the accounting period during which they occur.

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Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 December 2018

2. ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued

Income - continued Publication income Royalty income derived from the publications made by BSSS are initially recognised when the charity has fulfilled its obligations under the agreements with the relevant publisher and the income can be measured reliably. Balances owed to the charity are invoiced upon confirmation that the royalties income is agreed with the publisher.

Royalty income is accrued for as at the financial reporting date when the amounts due to the charity have been agreed with the publisher subsequent to the financial reporting date, but before the issue of the financial statements for that period.

Expenditure Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Grants offered subject to conditions which have not been met at the year end date are noted as a conmiitment but not accrued as expenditure.

Tangible fixed assets Tangible fixed assets are initially recognised at cost, and subsequently recorded at cost less accumulated depreciation.

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.

Computer equipment - 33% on cost

Taxation The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

Fund accounting Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Foreign currencies Assets and liabilities in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rates of exchange ruling at the balance sheet date. Transactions in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rate of exchange ruling at the date of transaction. Exchange differences are taken into account in arriving at the operating result.

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2. ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued

Listed investments Listed investments are recognised at market value, with any revaluations being charged to Investment income within the Statement of Financial Activities.

Financial instruments With the exception of listed investments, the charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments.

The charity does not acquire or use put options, derivatives or other complex financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at the transaction price, unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where it is recognised at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest for a similar debt instrument.

Debt instruments are subsequently measured at amortised cost.

Other financial instruments are initially recognised at fair value, unless payment for an asset is deferred beyond normal business terms or financed at a rate of interest that is not a market rate, in which case the asset is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest for a similar debt instrument. Financial assets that are measured at cost or amortised cost are reviewed for objective evidence of impairment at the end of each reporting date. If there is objective evidence of impairment, an impairment loss is recognised in profit or loss immediately.

Any reversals of impairment are recognised in profit or loss immediately, to the extent that the reversal does not result in a canying amount of the financial asset that exceeds what the canying amount would have been had the impairment not previously been recognised.

3. CRITICAL ACCOUNTING JUDGEMENTS AND KEY SOURCES OF ESTIMATION UNCERTAINTY Preparation of the financial statements requires management to make significant judgements, estimates, and assumptions that influence the values reported. These estimates and judgement are regularly reviewed and are based on the experience of the company's management as well as other factors, including the expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.

Significant judements: There are no significant judgements, apart from those involving estimations, which management has made in the process of applying the entities accounting policies and that have the most significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements

Significant estimates: As disclosed in the relevant accounting policies, the charity has apportioned the support costs that cannot be directly attributed to a particular heading to one consistent with the use of the resources.

Such support costs that are related to the core governance and functioning of the charity (e.g. independent examination fees and company return filing fees) have been allocated to the "Membership and subscriptions" heading under the Statement of Financial Activities. This approach has been undertaken in order to reflect the core costs of the charity to the activities related to bringing the society's community together.

Other major support costs that are incurred by the charity (e.g. office costs and depreciation) have been allocated to the following activities using the percentages noted within the Statement of Financial Activities:

Membership and subscriptions - 60% Publications - 10% Meetings and conferences - 30%

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8.



3. CRITICAL ACCOUNTING JUDGEMENTS AND KEY SOURCES OF ESTIMATION UNCERTAINTY This approach, and estimates used above, have been used on the basis that they are considered to reflect the additional support costs incurred by the charity to facilitate this activity which in turn provides a public benefit and income to the charity in order to further meet its objectives in the future.

4. DONATIONS AND LEGACIES

Donations BSSS member's subscriptions

2018 2017 £ £

2,345 1,214 35,401 35,077

37,746 36,291

5. OTHER TRADING ACTWITIES

Shop income

2018 2017 £ £

108 78

6. INVESTMENT INCOME

2018 2017 £ £

Share revaluations (43,091) 21,139 Deposit account interest 1,334 1,197 Investment income 16,249 15,061

(25,508) 37,397

7. CHARITABLE ACTWITLES COSTS

Grant funding Direct costs of activities Support costs Totals

(See note 8) (See note 9) £ £ £ £

Membership and subscriptions 13,492 93,735 107,227 Publications 100,058 14,680 114,738 Meetings and conferences 42,071 49,021 91,092 Training courses 7,394 7,394 Provision of grants 14,229 14,229

163,015 14,229 157,436 334,680

GRANTS PAYABLE

2018 2017 £ £

Provision of grants 14,229 13,621

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8. GRANTS PAYABLE - continued

The total grants paid to institutions during the year was as follows: 2018 £

2017 £

WCSS Grant 820

The amounts paid in relation to each grant during the year are as follows:

2018 2017 £ £

Field Equipment Grants 1,738 2,700 Innovation Grants (500) 1,000 David S Jenkinson Fellowship Grants 1,698 Student Conference Grants 3,991 5,952 Brian Chambers Soil Fund Grants 2,271 WCSS Grant 9,000

14,229 13,621

Details of the purpose and nature of the above grants can be found within the Report of the Trustees.

9. SUPPORT COSTS

Finance £

Other £

Governance costs £

Totals £

Membership and subscriptions 1,459 88,083 4,193 93,735 Publications 14,680 - 14,680 Meetings and conferences 44,040 4,981 49,021

1,459 146,803 9,174 157,436

Trustees' remuneration etc noted below relates solely to the claims made for travel and accommodation expenses incurred as detailed in note 11 of these financial statements.

Support costs, included in the above, are as follows:

Membership and

subscriptions Publications

2018

Meetings and conferences Total activities

2017

Total activities £ £ £ £ £

Bankcharges 1,511 - 1,511 1,427 Exchange rate variances (52) - (52) 173 Office staff costs 77,705 12,951 38,853 129,509 120,914 Rent, rates and water 2,188 365 1,094 3,647 2,771 Insurance 1,785 297 892 2,974 2,976 Telephone 288 48 144 480 346 Postage and stationery 1,778 296 889 2,963 4,358

Carried forward 85,203 13,957 41,872 141,032 132,965

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9. SUPPORT COSTS - continued

Membership and

subscriptions £

Publications £

2018

Meetings and conferences Total activities

£ £

2017

Total activities £

Brought forward 85,203 13,957 41,872 141,032 132,965 Computer and website expenses 3,589 598 1,794 5,981 1,668 Depreciation of tangible fixed assets 750 125 374 1,249 872 Independent examination fees 3,306 - 3,306 5,382 Independent examiners' fees forotherwork 887 887 565 Trustees' remuneration etc 4,981 4,981 3,999

93,735 14,680 49,021 157,436 145,451

10. NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

Net income/(expenditure) is stated after chargingl(crediting):

2018 2017 £ £

Independent examination fees 3,306 5,382 Examiner' fees for non-assurance services 887 565 Depreciation - owned assets 1,249 872

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11. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 December 2018 nor for the year ended 31 December2017.

Trustees' expenses

Trustees have been reimbursed for the costs of travel and accommodation expenses incurred in attending various meetings and conferences.

Re-imbursements to trustees were as follows:

2018 £

2017 £

Prof. P Haygarth 38.70 Dr I Owen 415.79 Prof. E Baggs 334.20 878.89 Mr J P Newell-Price 734.25 630.23 Mrs A Becvar 570.71 456.32 Prof. D Hopkins 287.56 415.00 Prof. W Often 511.40 228.20 Mr N Titchen 1,871.17 662.65 Dr T Aspray 356.76 303.35 Dr S Mooney 766.64 424,73

5,887.18 3,999.37

Included in the above are amounts totalling £4,981 which have been classified as Trustees' expenses. The remaining amounts are expensed within other headings to which they relate.

Included in the above are costs of £800 paid to Mr N Titchen for review of office policies.

12. STAFF COSTS The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:

2018 2017

No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000 (2017 - nil).

The charity does not operate a PAYE system. The charity is based at Cranfield University and the office staff are employed by the University as agreed by the Board of Trustees and Cranfield in 2009.

The costs for staff and accommodation provided are charged to the Society by the University. The additional fee payable on the staff pay costs covers support from the University for Human Resources, IT, and Training.

Further details are listed in the related party transaction note.

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13. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES


Restricted funds £

Total funds £

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies 35,077 1,214 36,291 Charitable activities Publications 307,395 - 307,395 Meetings and conferences 5,460 5,460 Training courses 25,368 25,368

Other trading activities 78 78 Investment income 37,397 37,397

Total 410,775 1,214 411,989

EXPENDITURE ON Raising funds 5,582 5,582 Charitable activities Membership and subscriptions 101,172 101,172 Publications 109,161 109,161 Meetings and conferences 119,142 119,142 Training courses 9,601 9,601 Provision of grants 11,349 2,272 13,621

Total 356,007 2,272 358,279

NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) 54,768 (1,058) 53,710

RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS

Total funds brought forward 808,839 11,451 820,290

TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 863,607 10,393 874,000

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14. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS Plant and

machinery Computer equipment Totals

£ £ £ COST At1January20l8 355 6,262 6,617 Additions - 1,130 1,130 Disposals (355) (2,498) (2,853)

At31 December2018 4,894 4,894

DEPRECIATION AtlJanuary2018 355 4,935 5,290 Charge for year - 1,249 1,249 Eliminated on disposal (355) (2,498) (2,853)

At31 December2018 3,686 3,686

NET BOOK VALUE At31 December2018 1,208 1,208

At31 December2017 1,327 1,327

15. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

2018 2017 £ £

Trade debtors 66,030 6,217 VAT 4,125 4,379

70,155 10,596

16. CURRENT ASSET INVESTMENTS

2018 2017 £ £

Listed investments 280,647 323,738

Listed investments included above are in relation to the charity's investment held in the M&G "Charifund" trust. Details of the charity's investment policy and performance can be found in the Report of the Trustees.

17. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

2018 2017 £ £

Trade creditors 37,842 36,831 Subscriptions paid in advance 3,834 2,048 Accrued expenses 32,844 65,687

74,520 104,566

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18. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS

At 1/1/18 £

Net movement infunds

£ At31/12/18

£ Unrestricted funds General fund 314,869 33,366 348,235 BSSS Operational Fund 323,738 (43,091) 280,647 2022 World Congress of Soil Science Fund 225,000 - 225,000

863,607 (9,725) 853,882

Restricted funds Brian Chambers Soils Fund 10,393 2,209 12,602

TOTAL FUNDS 874,000 (7,516) 866,484

Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

Incoming Resources Movement in resources expended funds

£ £ £ Unrestricted funds General fund 375,087 (341,721) 33,366 BSSS Operational Fund (43,091) - (43,091)

331,996 (341,721) (9,725)

Restricted funds Brian Chambers Soils Fund 2,209 2,209

TOTAL FUNDS 334,205 (341,721) (7,516)

Comparatives for movement in funds Net movement Transfers

At 1/1/17 in funds between funds At 3 1/12/17 £ £ £ £

Unrestricted Funds General fund 506,239 33,630 (225,000) 314,869 BSSS Operational Fund 302,600 21,138 323,738 2022 World Congress of Soil Science Fund 225,000 225,000

808,839 54,768 - 863,607

Restricted Funds Brian Chambers Soils Fund 11,451 (1,058) - 10,393

TOTAL FUNDS 820,290 53,710 874,000

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18. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued

Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

Incoming resources

£

Resources expended

£

Movement in funds £

Unrestricted funds General fund 389,637 (356,007) 33,630 BSSSOperationalFund 21,138 21,138

410,775 (356,007) 54,768

Restricted funds Brian Chambers Soils Fund 1,214 (2,272) (1,058)

TOTAL FUNDS 411,989 (358,279) 53,710

A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined position is as follows:

At 1/1/17 Net movement Transfers

in funds between funds At 3 1/12/18 £ £ £ £

Unrestricted funds General fund 506,239 66,996 (225,000) 348,235 BSSS Operational Fund 302,600 (21,953) 280,647 2022 World Congress of Soil Science Fund 225,000 225,000

Restricted funds BrianChambersSoilsFund 11,451 1,151 - 12,602

TOTAL FUNDS 820,290 46,194 866,484

A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

Incoming resources

£

Resources expended

£

Movement in funds £

Unrestricted funds General fund 764,724 (697,728) 66,996 BSSS Operational Fund (21,953) (21,953)

742,771 (697,728) 45,043

Restricted funds Brian Chambers Soils Fund 3,423 (2,272) 1,151

TOTAL FUNDS 746,194 (700,000) 46,194

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18. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued

The BSSS Operational Fund is a designated fund established in order to ring-fence the level of reserves BSSS shall require to operate for an estimated period of 12 months. These funds have been invested by the Society and accessed when necessary.

The trustees of BSSS anticipate significant expenditure to be incurred when hosting the World Congress of Soil Science 2022 in Glasgow, however the level of expenditure cannot, at this time, be accurately and reliably estimated. In anticipation of the event the trustees wish to recognise the balances necessary to host the event separately from other unrestricted reserves. The trustees have therefore designated the balance transferred from unrestricted reserves to recognise the minimum expenditure balances forecast at this time.

The Brian Chambers Soils Fund was established in memory Professor Brian Chambers, a former President and Fellow of the Institute of Professional Soil Scientists (IPSS) and member of BSSS, who worked tirelessly to apply science to the complex problems of soil, nutrient and manure management.

The Brian Chambers Soils Fund is supported by donations to the fund and thereon provides grants to help fund the learning and development costs of students and early career scientists. The grants aim to encourage the skills and knowledge needed to manage soils effectively to meet the demands of modern farming systems is essential for the future sustainability of agriculture.

19. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

During the current and prior year the charity was invoiced in the year by Cranfield University for the following goods and services, net of value-added-tax, which were provided in the year. Cranfield University is considered to be a related party based on the rationale explained in the Report of the Trustees.

2018 £

2017 £

Office staff payroll costs 91,888 86,097 Payroll charges 11,073 12,351 Postage costs 2,146 2,699 Rental fees 4,811 1,200 Fixed asset additions 1,103 1,137 Software costs 413 403 Office staff training costs 12 200 Meeting and conference expenses 2,353 129

113,799 104,216

The above transactions were charged to the society at cost. As at the balance sheet date the charity owed £22,661 (2017 - £20,029) to Cranfield University in respect of such services. This balance is included within trade creditors.

There were no other related party transactions in the fmancial years ended 31 December 2018 or 31 December 2017.

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20. FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Financial assets held by the charity that are debt instruments measured at amortised cost comprises of cash at bank and in hand and trade debtors. The total value of financial assets measured at amortised cost included within the Statement of Financial Position as at the reporting date was £4 19,401(2017 - £382,411).

Financial assets held by the charity that are debt instruments measured at market value are the listed investments held within a portfolio as disclosed within the notes to these financial statements. The total value of financial assets measured at market value included within the Statement of Financial Position as at the reporting date was £280,647 (2017 - £323,738).

Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost comprises of trade creditors. The total value of financial liabilities measured at amortised costs included within the Statement of Financial Position as at the reporting date was £37,842 (2017 -£36,831).

Details of the terms of conditions of other loans are include within the Related Party Disclosures notes within the financial statements.

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Detailed Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 December 2018

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS

Donations and legacies

2018 £

2017 £

Donations 2,345 1,214 BSSS member's subscriptions 35,401 35,077

37,746 36,291

Other trading activities Shop income 108 78

Investment income Share revaluations (43,091) 21,139 Deposit account interest 1,334 1,197 Investment income 16,249 15,061

(25,508) 37,397

Charitable activities Royalties from publications 296,716 307,395 Provision of training courses 10,313 25,368 Annual conference admissions 14,830 5,460

321,859 338,223

Total incoming resources 334,205 411,989

EXPENDITURE

Raising donations and legacies Promotional costs 6,812 5,582

Other trading activities Bad debts 229

Charitable activities Regional group meetings and travelling expenses 3,381 4,066 Annual conference 17,348 14,582 IPSS committee meetings 1,399 1,583 Sundries 18 13 Printing and copying 5,510 5,800 Dues and subscriptions 10,168 9,789 Editors expenses EJSS 10,435 5,788 SUM other 3,114 5,844 SUM contractors 22,802 22,910 Carried forward 74,175 70,375

This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements

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Detailed Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 December 2018

Charitable activities

2018 £

2017 £

Brought forward 74,175 70,375 EJSS contractors 33,637 30,789 General travel and meeting costs 11,487 48,506 Council expenses 6,803 4,495 Publication expenses 29,519 29,859 Training courses 7,394 9,601 Grants to institutions 820 - Grants to individuals 13,409 13,621

177,244 207,246

Support costs Finance Bankcharges 1,511 1,427 Exchange rate variances (52) 173

1,459 1,600 Other Office staff costs 129,509 120,914 Rent, rates and water 3,647 2,771 Insurance 2,974 2,976 Telephone 480 346 Postage and stationery 2,963 4,358 Computer and website expenses 5,981 1,668 Computer equipment 1,249 872

146,803 133,905 Governance costs Trustees' expenses 4,981 3,999 Independent examination fees 3,306 5,382 Independent examiners' fees for other work 887 565

9,174 9,946

Total resources expended 341,721 358,279

Net (expenditure)/income (7,516) 53,710

This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements

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