2024-03-31-accounts - The Guild Of Handicraft Trust

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The Guild of Handicraft Trust

Annual Report for the year ended 31 March 2024

Registered Charity Number 1007696 Court Barn, Church Street, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire GL55 6JE

Trustees as at 30 November 2024

Mary Greensted (Chair) Michael Allchin Christopher Bolt (Treasurer) (appointed 15 April 2024, resigned 12 June 2024) Charlotte Fiell

Susan Gavin David Kingsmill Pamela Marsh (appointed 15 April 2024) Antoinette Rawlings (appointed 15 April 2024) Joanna Teague (Secretary)

Also served during the year (resigned 11 December 2023)

Peter Taylor George Derbyshire Frank Johnson

Curator: Sarah McCormick Healy Assistant Curator: Olivia Tracey Administrator: Barbara Alderton (retired 28 March 2024), Carol Page (appointed 7 May 2024)

Bankers: HSBC Bank Ltd, 32 Bridge St., Evesham WR11 4RU

CCLA Investment Management Ltd, 85 Queen Victoria St., London EC4V 4ET

Independent Examiner: Elizabeth White BA (Hons) FCCA (Director, Ellingsworths Ltd)

THE YEAR IN NUMBERS (with 2022-23 comparators if possible)

2022-3

10854 visitors to Court Barn – closed during some of this time due to pandemic

237 attended lectures and events

£51,868 sales of items in the shop, including the selling exhibitions (have included all shop and online sales not just craft items)

£22,674 financial deficit

2023-4

15284 visitors to Court Barn

251 attended lectures and events

£64,076 sales of items in the shop, including the selling exhibitions (have included all shop and online sales not just craft items)

£8,732 financial deficit

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

The last twelve months have seen many changes of personnel. At the AGM in December, Peter Taylor, Chairman since 2009, stepped down as did the Treasurer, George Derbyshire. The Trust is very grateful for their contribution. Frank Johnson, who was the original driving force behind the establishment of the Trust in 1990 and, with Alan Crawford, the opening of Court Barn Museum in 2007, also stepped down as a Trustee in December. He has made an immeasurable contribution to the Trust and an important impact on the town of Chipping Campden and its appreciation of its rich history. The administrator, Barbara Alderton retired at the end of March 2023 after nine years. She will be much missed for her efficiency, organisational skills and friendly charm.

I have taken on the role of Chairman on an interim basis for up to twelve months, ably supported by staff and both existing and new trustees. We are also now appointed a new administrator.

The year in summary

Our main concern has been and will continue to be building up our reserves. Court Barn’s 2018-20 project to refresh and improve accessibility to the displays and increase visitor numbers was generously supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and individual donors but inevitably depleted our reserves. Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic hit our plans to increase footfall and, like many visitor attractions, we have struggled to return to prepandemic levels.

Trustees are looking at building up the Trust’s long-term finances. All our past donors who have given over £250 to the museum have been contacted either by email or by letter and we have had a good response. We are planning a twice-yearly magazine to enable us to keep donors informed and enthused by our work.

The main priority for Court Barn will be on brand building, marketing and commercial activities, and events, to get more people through the door and spending more money once there. While growing on-line product sales is a worthwhile pursuit, on-line transactions are very price sensitive and competitive. Digital marketing and website activity will therefore be primarily focussed on getting people to physically visit Court Barn.

Staff and trustees are heavily involved in creating and developing a wide range of activities, events and exhibitions to attract visitors of all ages to Court Barn. These have included Turn the Page , a celebration of books during February and March 2024, an extremely successful programme involving school sessions, children’s half-term activities and talks for adults. It was supported by the Chipping Campden Community Trust with a grant of £800.

We were very pleased to be able to purchase a pair of handmade shoes made by Caroline Groves for the museum’s collection. Caroline is a local maker with an international reputation and a particular link to Chipping Campden as her great-grandfather, Walter Curtis, was a furniture maker with C R Ashbee’s Guild of Handicraft in London’s East End and moved with the Guild to Campden in 1902. The shoes were purchased with the support of grants from the ACE/V&A Purchase Grant Fund, from a charitable trust and an individual donor.

A generous donation from the Radcliffe Trust has enabled us to set up an innovative partnership scheme with the Gloucestershire Guild of Craftsmen to provide five days of tuition/mentoring for two or three makers at the start of their careers with their chosen established maker. The interviews is 5 Pee : have taken place and the project should fen, i o be on-going from June 2024.

Mary Greensted

CURATOR’S REPORT

Exhibitions

The summer exhibition ‘Material Matters’ was opened by the CEO of QEST (Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust). The exhibition highlighted eight talented makers who have benefited from the charity’s support. The scholars in the exhibition work in Gloucestershire and neighbouring counties. All are highly skilled in their field and funding from QEST has enabled

them to expand their knowledge by working with master craftsmen and exploring new techniques which take their practice to the next level. Makers ranged from a thatcher to a silversmith and from textiles to wood turning. A talk by the thatcher was warmly received by our visitors.

In the autumn we celebrated 90 years of the Gloucestershire Guild of Craftsmen . The exhibition celebrated the people, their stories and work from when the Gloucestershire Guild of Craftsmen was set up in 1933 through to today. It included rarely seen examples of textiles, metalwork, jewellery, glass, ceramics, baskets, leather and furniture by past Guild members.

Events

Singer, songwriter Annie Howie delighted the audience at Court Barn with her vocals and gorgeous rich sound. An intimate experience which was very rewarding.

Silversmith and jeweller Vicky Ambery Smith gave a fascinating talk as part of the Chipping Campden Literature Festival. The museum recently commission a ring by Vicky.

In February and March we took part in World Book Day by celebrating all things books. Events included a talk on researching and writing a non-fiction book on an historical figure, preserving and conserving ancient documents and books. Researching local history for publication and the services on offer at your local library. The events were supported by The Chipping Campden Community Trust and Chipping Campden Library.

Learning

We had a wonderful time in May, June and July with the Wild Escape project. This was funded by the Art Fund and over 100 thousand young people took part in workshops at museums and schools throughout the UK.

Over 100 primary school pupils visited the museum, participating in workshops, visiting Wolds End Orchard and learning about the importance of nature and the influence it has on artists and crafts people. It was great to work with the local primary schools, the Campden Society and the volunteers at Wolds end Orchard. We will be running them again 2024-25.

The Assistant Curator attended the Association of Independent Museums conference in Edinburgh. This is an opportunity to meet other museum professionals and gain a lot of practical support and help.

Funding

We were successful in a grant application to the Radcliffe Trust. This will support makers early on in their careers in accessing skills from established makers in the area. The scheme will run throughout 2024-2025.

Acquisitions

The museum has been offered a pair of Harry Warmington cuff links and a brooch stamped ‘Prentice’ Campden. Mary noted that there were a number of these around and it would be good to discover more about Prentice. A social media search was suggested.

We commissioned a pair of shoes from Caroline Groves, one of the leading handmade shoe makers in the UK. She has an international reputation and many important clients including the film actress Whoopi Goldberg and the designer John Galliano. Handmade shoe making is a heritage craft and she has been involved in keeping the craft alive by collecting and preserving old tools and lasts and by taking on an apprentice through QEST. They are a pair of traditionally made shoes using hand made Leathers (alum tawed for uppers and oak bark tanned for soling, insoling etc). Style and decoration acknowledge Janet’s life in Campden, her interests in poetry, music, the Essex House press and decorative arts as practiced by the Guild.

Funding for the shoes came from the Victoria and Albert Purchase Grant fund, local funding

and the museums funds.

Volunteers

The volunteers provide vital support for the museum, helping

with the front of house duties, undertaking research into the collections, facilitating the school visits and running group walks around Campden. We held two parties for them. During the summer Denise Stanton, one of our makers from the shop, ran a workshop on screen printing. This was a great way for volunteers to get to know each other in a relaxed setting and at the Christmas Party there was a demonstration by local florist Dawn Keitley followed by a light hearted game. The aim of these is to enable volunteers to get to know each other in a fun and engaging way.

We have also had work experience students from Chipping Campden school and two pupils who are working towards their Duke of Edinburgh award.

TRUSTEES' REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

The Trustees are pleased to present their report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

The Guild of Handicraft Trust was established under a Trust Deed dated 15th November 1991, and is registered as a charity with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Its objects are:

(i) To advance the education of the public in the work and influence of the Guild of Handicraft and of other leading artists, craftsmen and craftswomen associated with Chipping Campden and the North Cotswolds;

(ii) To operate the Court Barn Museum founded and created by the Trust which opened in July 2007 and expand into further projects from time to time in furtherance of the Objects.

The Trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit in taking decisions about the operation of the charity and the use of charity funds.

The Chairman’s report and Curator’s report set out the main activities and achievements of the Trust over the past year.

Financial review

The Trust prepares its financial statements on a Receipts and Payments basis. It has a number of Restricted Funds, in particular for acquisitions and for specific grant-aided projects.

Net receipts for the year amounted to £4,325. This compared with a deficit of £22,674 in the previous year. The improvement in performance reflected in particular higher levels of grants and donations.

The Trust does not prepare a formal balance sheet. At the end of the year, cash and bank balances amounted to just over £45,403, of which £26,405 was in Restricted Funds. In addition, the value of investments is £26,509, of which £21,414 is unrestricted. Total free reserves therefore amounted to around £40,412.

Future plans

The approved budget for 2024-25 implies a significant deficit unless the level of donations can be maintained and increased. As indicated in the Chairman’s Report, a priority for Trustees for the coming year will therefore be fundraising to help meet the deficit on core costs, as well as grant funding for new projects.

The Trustees will be refreshing the three year business plan later in 2024, and propose that it should be updated annually in future.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

The Trust is unincorporated, which means that it has no legal identity. All transactions are entered into in the name of individual Trustees, who have unlimited liability for any financial losses. Accordingly, Trustees decided on 15 April 2024 to convert to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. This will involve setting up a new charity with the same objects, transferring all assets, liabilities and contracts to the new charity, and closing the current charity. This is now a well-established process.

Appointment of Trustees. The power of appointing, removing and replacing Trustees rests with the existing Trustees. Three new Trustee appointments were made following the end of the year, including a Treasurer.

Trustee Induction and training. The Trustees are updating the procedures for the induction of new Trustees to cover in particular their legal obligations under charity law, the content of the Trust Deed, the decision making processes, and the business plan.

Organisation. Trustees meet at least once in every three months to receive and review reports from the officers, the curator, and any sub committees.

Risk Management

The Trustees have now formally adopted a Risk Management Policy which sets out discuss procedures during the year for a risk management strategy which comprise:

a review of risk management over the previous year, including any corrective action taken to improve risk management;
a ‘risk identification’ exercise for the year ahead, recorded and monitored using a risk register;
evaluation of identified risks using structured risk assessments;
management of risks through identification of mitigating actions, assigned to specific individuals; and
a review of the framework and issues arising, including the effectiveness of mitigating actions, at meetings of Trustees at least twice a year, with a written risk report annually as an input to the update of the Business Plan.

A key element in the management of financial risk is the setting of a reserves policy and its regular review by the Trustees. The Trustees have therefore also formally adopted a Reserves Policy. The basis of this policy is that the Trust should hold sufficient free reserves (ie unrestricted funds) to support continued provision of charitable activities, in particular the operation of Court Barn museum, for a period of three months. Trustees have determined, in accordance with this policy, that the target minimum level of free reserves should be £25K and that management action will be taken if free reserves are projected to fall below £15K in the following three months.

The Treasurer has initiated a review of internal financial controls. The lessons from this review will be reflected in a Finance Manual setting out financial policies and procedures which Trustees will be asked to approve before the end of 2024.

TRUSTEES FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity. They are also responsible for protecting the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and breaches of law and regulations.

The Trustees are required to prepare financial statements for each financial year in accordance with the Trust Deed and with Charity Commission guidelines on Receipts and Payments accounts. The Charity Commission guidance is that:

receipts and payments accounts should be prepared in a consistent way from year to year; and
if valuations are provided in the statement of assets and liabilities, they should be relevant, reliable and understandable.

Some minor changes to the classification of costs have been adopted for these accounts, although full detail is maintained in the Trust’s accounting records. However, in accordance with the Charity Commission guidance, a balance sheet has not been included. Instead, a statement of assets and liabilities is included. The valuations for the collection, museum fixtures etc reflect current insurance valuations, although these will be reviewed before the insurance is next renewed in January 2025.

The Trustees have powers under the Trust Deed to invest monies not immediately required for the Trust's objectives as they consider appropriate. The Trustees, having regard for the liquidity requirements of operating Court Barn and of the reserves policy have operated a policy of keeping funds in an interest bearing deposit account and in a charity investment fund, both with CCLA Fund Managers.

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER

Following a tender exercise, the Trustees agreed on 15 April 2024 to appoint Elizabeth White BA (Hons) FCCA, a Director of Ellingsworths Ltd whose office is in Chipping Campden, as Independent Examiner.

I (mUy COAWISSI FOR tNrAhTr4D fv>4D WALE Recei ts and ments accounts CC16a Vnre5tricted Restricted End(Y•ffl A1 TrJJi Gr3nts 8 5 64 076 64 076 17 470 114712 18.923 134635 sales, (see table Sub to¢ 475 11.¢31 9,Q51 13.995 11,¢31 9.(fj1 13,919 ¢671 9,2T7 In5W¥ 140 124444 14210 Purchase mus&x#n 411KI 1.100 1*.310 13.340 41.078 63.752 41,0 3Y11,W24 18, CCXX R1 xrw15 (SSI li

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period neaR5t£ 81 Cash fd$ 1S.5 CCLA 405 ToTal cash fiin¢ts 189 •405 Dtf,iils 82 Othef Details r4egrTvts IC£LA B3 knvestmen t assets 21.414 84 Assets retairbed f¢x the charrtfs 155.651 754.0 11. DEtJTIs B5 LIlI111e$ 12

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||||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Guid of Handicraft Trust|1007696| |Receipts and payments accounts|CC16a| |For the period| |01/04/2023|To|31/03/2024| |==—_|from| |Section A Receipts and payments| |Unrestricted|Restricted|Endowment| |Total funds|Last year| |funds|funds|funds| |to the|to the nearest|to the nearest|to the nearest|to the| |nearest £|£|£|£|nearest £| |A1 Receipts| |Entrance fees|26,483|-|-|26,483|24,230| |Trading income|64,076|-|-|64,076|52,352| |Grants & sponsorship|5,050|8,000|-|13,050|5,575| |Donations|17,470|9,750|-|27,220|10,079| |Gift Aid|1,945|-|-|1,945|2,418| |Interest and dividends|688|1,173|-|1,861|1,173| |-|-|-|-|-| |Sub total|(Gross income for| |18,923|-|134,635|95,827| |AR)|[ 115,712 ]| |=—===—=| |A2 Asset and investment| |sales, (see table).| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |Sub total|-|-|-|-|-| |Total receipts|115,712|18,923|-|134,635|95,827| |————|——| |A3 Payments| |Cost of trading sales|33,055|-|-|33,055|33,290| |Staff costs|54,009|475|-|54,484|50,555| |Property costs|11,831|-|-|11,831|13,919| |Insurance|9,051|-|-|9,051|8,671| |Operating costs|13,995|140|-|14,135|9,277| |Education|840|1,151|-|1,991|1,069| |Professional fees|1,663|-|-|1,663|620| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |Sub total|124,444|1,766|-|126,210|117,401| |=======| |A4 Asset and investment| |purchases, (see table)| |Purchase for museum| |1,100| |collection|-|4,100|-|4,100| |-|-|-|-| |Sub total|-|4,100|-|4,100|1,100| |———|Total payments|124,444|5,866|-|——|130,310|118,501| |Net of receipts/(payments)|- 8,732|13,057|- 4,325|- 22,674| |A5 Transfers between funds| |-|- -|-|-| |A6 Cash funds last year end|27,730|13,348 -|41,078|63,752| |Cash funds this year end|18,998|26,405|- 45,403|41,078| |CCXX R1 accounts (SS)|===|1|20/11/2024|=|

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Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Guild of Handicraft Trust

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31[st] March 2024 which are set out on pages 11 to 12

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of ACCA, which is one of the listed bodies.

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

accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
the accounts do not accord with those records.

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.

Elizabeth White ACCA, Ellingsworths Limited Blacksmiths House, High Street, Chipping Campden, GL55 6AT 18[th] December 2024