At their meeting in June 2019 , Council decided to update the British Science Association’s (BSA) Charter and Statutes in order that they reflect changes to the BSA in the last few years and adopt best practice in charity governance. Initially granted in 1831 with the organisation’s formation, the Statutes were last updated in 2006, and the Charter in 1997. They needed to be updated to reflect changes made to the BSA’s structures and activities since then, and to take account of the latest Charity Commission guidance about the role of charity trustees.   

The organisation’s formal name is (and always has been) the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Since January 2009, we have traded as the British Science Association. The BSA is a Royal Charter charity and any changes to royal charters have to be approved by the Privy Council on behalf of the Queen. The UK’s Privy Council is a group of advisors – mainly senior politicians – to the  Queen.  

The BSA’s Treasurer, Kalli Bowyer, and the Vice-President for Engagement, Steve Nuttall, led the re-drafting process on behalf of Council. The changes were  reviewed informally by the Privy Council Office and the Charity Commission, who were content with them and the documents finally received Privy Council approval on 3 April 2020.