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2021-03-31-accounts

MINUTES OF THE TWENTY FIFTH AGM OF THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS OF THE ROYAL NAVY SUBMARINE MUSEUM, HELD AT THE MUSEUM AT 1800 ON FRIDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2021.

  1. The President, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, opened the meeting with a warm welcome to all members and their guests for this year’s AGM after last year’s Covid enforced hiatus. He further noted excellent progress that had been made in many areas with much to report. In particular he stressed the hard work and proactive management of the museum staff under the leadership of Claire Baverstock whose efforts had enabled reopening on 17 May, and whose work is ensuring the museum’s success under testing circumstances.

  2. He noted the retirement from the committee of Mike Bates and Izzy Brady citing their invaluable contribution to the committee’s business. He also drew attention to Tom Herman’s work in the digital sphere and his Monday morning ‘wake up’ e-mails to the membership.

  3. Sir Mark noted the healthy state of membership with 734 members and with 38 new joiners since March 2021. He also stressed the need to attract new and more youthful members and hailed the Submarine Family initiative as being key to expanding membership. He also mentioned the importance of bringing the story up to date in order to stress the relevance of the museum to today’s submariners.

  4. He noted that the submarine viewpoint in NMRN meetings was vital to ensure that a balance was maintained, and acknowledged the input provided by those submariners at the various NMRN committees and meetings ensured that this is the case.

Present

  1. 59 members and 23 guests attended the meeting.

Apologies for Absence

  1. Apologies were received Barrie Downer, Peter Jeanneret, Mike Bates, Guy Sitwell, Doug and Debs Littlejohns, Ian and Pat Anderson, Antony Weston and Michael Pitkeathley. The main guest speaker Commodore Jim Perks CBE was unable to attend owing to severe weather affecting his submarine visit off South Korea.

Minutes of the Twenty Fourth meeting held on 13 September 2019

  1. The minutes of the twenty third meeting had been distributed within Harbour Stations 2019. There were no matters arising, nor were any amendments received. Acceptance was proposed by Chris Groves and seconded by Clare Groves.

Chairman’s Report

  1. The chairman, Rear Admiral Jon Westbrook then presented his report:

  2. a. Museum . The museum reopened on 17 May after the second lockdown with healthy visitor numbers. Of particular note was the resumption of the waterbus service

albeit with some initial social distancing. The NMRN’s Submarine Advisory Group, chaired by our own John Clayden, reported that the museum has handled the Covid crisis with aplomb, particularly with regards to the business case for additional MoD financial support. This managerial deftness was reflected in the attitude and conduct of the museum staff whose energy and resilience have been much in evidence during a challenging period. Rear Admiral Mark Anderson CB is now in post as the NMRN trustee ‘with submarine experience’.

b. HMS Alliance. Alliance has been dominated by work on the cofferdam, whose shifting was causing concern. The Covid-enforced shutdown was an opportunity for a thorough deep clean. A comprehensive conservation plan is being developed by the NMRN.

d. Lt Cdr R H ‘Bob’ Read DSC RN. Bob Read died in May this year but his family in the USA have indicated that significant items of memorabilia relating to his career, including a 1939-45 Jolly Roger from HMS Trenchant would be passed to the museum in due course.

e. HMS Urge . Intention to mark her loss a casualty of Covid yet plans are still in gestation for a ceremony to be conducted in 2022 at Malta with a corresponding event at the museum which the Friends are committed to funding. Recent underwater archaeology shows conclusively that the wreck off Malta is Urge despite the somewhat belligerent protestations of the Belgian marine archaeologist J-P Misson who has contested vigorously the archaeological assessments of the University of Malta.

f. Friends Initiatives. Other Friends supported initiatives during this period include the refurbishment of the Conqueror CO’s cabin TV and the continuing Book of Remembrance project which after the Online Book Company’s vision proved incompatible with our own, is now being pursued with Mindworks as part of the website refresh. There is an ambitious plan to link all memorial sites of submarine interest electronically. The Friends also funded the move to Barrow of a scale model of HMS Alliance donated by Brian Thomas which will form part of the BAES Apprentice scheme as well as the acquisition of a DVD of the 1977 Panorama documentary ‘Deep Cold War’ which featured interviews with Cdr John Coward, later Vice Admiral Sir John Coward KCB DSO. A second copy was acquired for presentation to Lady Coward. Plans are also in hand to acquire audio benches for the memorial garden.

g. HMS Courageous. She has completed her docking and is in the basin awaiting further work. Appetite for something to mark 50[th] anniversary of commissioning in October. The Friends are also watching with interest the development of the case for developing the

existing Devonport Heritage Centre and HMS Courageous into a Cold War Museum under the leadership of John Weale and Ian Whitehouse. Our ability to support these initiatives are examples of the changes to our constitution made in 2019 bearing fruit.

h. The Submarine Family. Our intent is to move with the times by working closer with the disparate parts of the submarine family; the serving community, Submariners’ Association and We Remember Submariners under RNRMC umbrella. At the heart of this is an initiative by which RNRMC will underwrite membership privileges for serving submariners thus greatly increasing our membership and income. Details are still being worked on.

i. Committee. Although this meeting sees ‘two out, two in,’ we still have vacancies for two further trustees. Given the current committee has an average age of well over 70 and is now all male, we could do with some diversity and some younger blood. The chairman joined the president in paying tribute to the contributions of Mike Bates and Izzy Brady during their time on the committee. He proposed a vote of thanks, seconded by Justin Hughes which was carried nem con.

j. Fort Blockhouse. MoD have indicated the Fort Blockhouse site will be disposed of in 2023. The Friends committee have made COSM aware that there are significant artefacts in the memorial chapel and wardroom which should be saved as part of RN submarine heritage.

Election of Committee Members

  1. Jon Westbrook, Tom Herman, John Clayden, Guy Sitwell, Chris Groves, Justin Hughes and Peter Jeanneret were due for re-election. Barrie Downer and David Ottley stood for election. All were proposed by Pat McCaw and seconded by David Hartley. All were elected nem con.

Adoption of the Society’s Accounts

  1. These were published in ARL 2021, together with the financial report for the year, and there have been no comments. In this period, income has been nearly £31,000, with no bequests, slightly more than last year, since subscription income has continued to rise. It is of note that many generous members contribute more each year than the recommended minimum of £20, with the average being £28. COVID resulted in less expenditure on committee meetings which were all done via Zoom. There was also a very successful Zoom Talk which attracted substantial donations. The proceeds from this were shared with the Submariner Memorial Appeal. This year over £23,000 has been expended in grants to the Museum, including a grant to assist with measures needed to reopen after the first lockdown. However, there is still considerable scope for supporting new bids for funds, having made allowance for current commitments and normal retained reserve.

  2. The Adoption of the Accounts were proposed by Wenna Fletcher and seconded by Lyndsay McLees. There was no dissent.

Appointment of the Independent Examiner

  1. Giles Fletcher was re-appointed as independent examiner of accounts. This was proposed by Justin Hughes and seconded by Jock McLees. There was no dissent.

Any Other Business

  1. There was no other business although the chairman stated that next year’s event would take place on the 16 September 2022.

  2. Those present then heard a presentation from Lt Hugo Mitchell-Heggs RN assisted by POET (MESM) Jon Norfolk on the transatlantic rowing initiative ‘HMS Oardacious’ made by members of the submarine arm of the RN and a broader discussion of mental health and wellbeing among today’s submariners and their families. This was followed by a brief introduction to the concept of the Submarine Family mentioned earlier by Tom Herman. He was at pains to emphasise that, despite creating significantly greater opportunities for increasing membership and funding for the Friends, our charity would retain its much-cherished independence.

THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS OF THE RN SUBMARINE MUSEUM

Financial Statement for Period 31 March 2020 to 31 March 2021

Income and Expenditure 2020-2021 2020-2021 2020-2021 2019-2020 2019-2020 2019-2020 Balance Balance Sheet 2020-2021 2020-2021 2020-2021 2019-2020 2019-2020 2019-2020
Expense Income Expense Income Asset Liability Asset Liability
Expenditure Co £ 7,998
 £ 1,202
All Round Look £ 1,795
 £ 1,815
 Co £ 821
 £ 6,187
Committee expenses £ -
 £ 214
 Virgin Money £ 39,147
 £ 38,036
General admin £ 101
 £ 144
 PayPal £ 952
 £ 883
Grants to RNSM £ 23,355
 £ 2,789
 Stripe £ 1,337
Harbour Stations £ 113
 £ 159
 Petty Cash £ 196
 £ 194
Online Payment Fees £ 105
 £ 81
 Unpresented Cheques £ 442
 £ -
Other expenses £ 80
 £ 67
Website £ 913
 £ 2,840
Income Net worth / Capital
AGM £ -
 £ -
 £ 87
 Balance on I&E £ 4,391
 £ 21,308
Christmas Cards £ 499
 £ 488
 Opening Balances £ 46,502
 £ 25,194
Donations £ 1,902
 £ 3,393
Gift Aid Tax Reclamation £ 4,405
 £ 5,666
 Totals £ 50,893
 £ 50,893
 £ 46,502
 £ 46,502
Interest £ 182
 £ 171
Subscriptions £ 22,180
 £ 18,497
 This Financial Statement has been prepared from the records of the
Society of Friends of The Royal Naval Submarine Museum and I
Unity Lottery £ 1,051
 £ 1,115
 certify that it is in accordance with those records.
Zoom talks £ 634
 £ -
Totals £ 26,462
 £ 30,853
 £ 8,109
 £ 29,417
Net Income £ 4,391
 £ 21,308

Peter Jeanneret Treasurer

Giles Fletcher Independent Examiner

FINANCIAL REPORT

In this period, income has been nearly £31,000, with no bequests, slightly more than last year, since subscription income has continued to rise. It is of note that many generous members contribute more each year than the recommended minimum of £20, with the average being £28.

COVID resulted in less expenditure on committee meetings which were all done via Zoom. There was also a very successful Zoom Talk which attracted substantial donations. The proceeds from this were shared with the Submariner Memorial Appeal.

This year over £23,000 has been expended in grants to the Museum, including a grant to assist with measures needed to reopen after the first lockdown. However, there is still considerable scope for supporting new bids for funds, having made allowance for current commitments and normal retained reserve.