NNAS Chairmans Report for the year ending 31st March 2023
Committee:
John Ramm Chairman & Treasurer
Martin Boddy General Secretary, Dark Sky’s & Imaging
Brian Fry Membership Secretary & Imaging
Terry Rose Radio Telescope & Technical
Gary Heard Social Media & Webmaster
Malcolm Green Observatory site maintenance
Keith Jones Maintenance and Health & Safety
Alan Rose Calver Telescope, maintenance & technical
The NNAS has continued this year with improving all its facilities. The Green Farm Observatory site (GFO) has come on in leaps and bounds in this last 12 months both with its infrastructure and technical capabilities.
Exterior red lighting has been installed all around the observatories to stop members blundering into equipment, and each other. The ‘Owl Observatory’ has been remotely connected to the command-and-control shed (otherwise known as the resource centre) so in time, we should be able to take images from the cameras and screen them in the civilised surroundings of a warm environment, and we will shortly have an all-sky camera operating on site. Great things to come if all the connections hold up.
Our deviation into the world of radio astronomy has started to bring fascinating results thanks to Terry. It is a whole new experience which some of us are only just beginning to have a rudimentary understanding of, but it’s going to be an interesting journey.
All year we have had regular weekend work parties, in fact we have probably spent more time on the cement mixer than we have on the telescopes, but the result has meant we have pads, paths and ramps around all the relevant places on the GFO site.
We have had regular bimonthly meetings at Binham Village Hall with talks from Martin, Terry, Gary and Keith, all in house speakers giving presentations across a broad spectrum of astronomical subjects, and all of such a high standard. It is not an easy task to stand up in front of an audience and give complex technical talks, they have all done a terrific job.
In conclusion, my thanks must go to all the members of the committee for the incredible amount of hard work they have all put in this year. Any member visiting the observatory site cannot fail to be impressed by the progress that has been made by all the hard work that has been put in.
Finally, may I thank the membership for their continued support for the society and hope they will make good use of the facilities we are striving to create.
John Ramm, Chairman
NNAS Treasurers Report for year ending 31/3/2023
Expenditure
This year there has been an increase in expenditure relating largely to the purchase of an imaging camera and the cost of creating concrete bases for the radio telescope dish and the 20inch telescope all of which are regarded as fixed assets.
Income
Within the income figure is the amount of £900 for the sale of a telescope. This relates to a 10inch SC scope donated to the NNAS in a state of disrepair with its electronics no longer functioning. Thanks to Terry’s wizardry with the electronics the scope was repaired and sold on, enabling the society to purchase an imaging camera for £780. These transactions can be picked up from the fixed assets account where the donated scope is shown at a nominal figure of £200 reflecting its value when the society received it.
Membership subscriptions are almost the same as last year
The information in the accounts required by the Charity Commission will be submitted when the accounts are approved at the AGM
J. Ramm, Treasurer
