Attendees to the SoR’s Annual General Meeting heard from the Society’s CEO Richard Evans about the financial position and priority areas for the year.
Taking place this year at the Novotel London West hotel in Hammersmith on Tuesday (28 April) during the Society’s Annual Delegates Conference, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) is an opportunity for members to hear from leadership about the current priorities for the organisation.
Following the meeting’s opening by President Katie Thompson, Richard Evans detailed the highlights of the 2024/25 period, gave an overview of the financial position, and detailed the draft regulations to be adopted as the amended SoR articles.
Changes in membership
During the meeting, Richard presented details from the director’s report and consolidated accounts for the year up until 30 September 2025.
The report included a strategic report, setting out the priorities for the Society, which are broken down into membership, workforce, profession and patients.
On membership, the report highlighted that it is a key priority for the Society to continue to grow its membership. Initiatives to increase membership in the previous year included a revised membership fee structure to incentivise learners to join the SoR, as well as the launch of a campaign to increase awareness of membership benefits.
The total average membership decreased by 0.9 per cent in 2025 to 33,532 (2024: 33,812). However, paying members excluding students actually increased by 2.2 per cent, from 31,068 in 2024 to 31,749 in 2025.
Richard said: “That’s a theme we’ve become used to over the last couple of years. We know the profession is growing, but our membership is not growing quite as quickly. We’re looking at why members drop out, making sure we publicise the benefits of membership and looking for new members to join the organisation. Everyone can take part in that: one of the themes during today’s ADC debate has been about us all taking part in the process of membership engagement and growth.”
The Society is now seeking to improve its offer for new students and provide a gradient of progression into full membership.
The financial picture
Richard also presented financial reports to the AGM.
The SoR’s operating income increased by 8.4 per cent compared to the previous year, to £10.2 million. This is due to better results gained from grants, donations and project income. The operating deficit for the year was £470,000, compared with a surplus of £170k in the previous year. Richard also highlighted that 89% of operating income came from member subscriptions.
The total assets came to £14 million, with SoR assets totalling £6.8 million. The Society’s investments performed strongly during the year with gains of £716,000.
Cash balance at the end of the year was £1.7 million. Net cash outflow of over £400,000 during the year.
Richard said: “There have been some challenges of growth and getting through financial difficulty. With the support of the membership, we can weather that.
“It’s brilliant that the hybrid format has allowed us to share the Annual General Meeting with more members than ever before. By definition, it’s not an attractive or entertaining format, but we’ve had a fantastic turnout.”
Attendees then voted to accept the minutes from the previous year, as well as to receive and adopt the SoR audit report and accounts from 2024/25, before reappointing Crowe UK LLP as the Society’s auditor.
Special business for the meeting included adopting the draft regulations as the amended SoR articles of association, which focused on outlining and defining official roles within the Society.
Vice presidential candidates
The meeting then moved to the introduction of the two candidates standing for election to the role of SoR vice president in 2026. UK Council members, Amanda Evans representing Wales, and Sarah Burn from the North West Region, then took to the stage to share their reasoning for standing for the position.
Sarah explained that she is currently in her second term on UK Council, and that she is passionate about contributing to the SoR in a way informed by her clinical experience.
She said: “Members need a Society that is visible and responsive. I bring an understanding of everyday clinical practice, I listen carefully to members and staff and reflect their concerns accurately. I listen, I evaluate evidence, and I take time to consider.”
Amanda Evans, meanwhile, said the presidential journey is an opportunity to advocate for the profession.
She added: “Taking on the honour of working in the organisation that represents us is what inspired me to stand for election. Members are exhausted and short-staffed, suffering under the higher cost of living. The priorities of new graduates are different – we need to maintain relevance.”
Members can access the AGM reports, including the draft regulations and articles of association, online here.