2024-10-31-accounts

Trustees’ report to the 2024 AGM of the GLHS

1. Welcome to attendees.

2. Satisfying our Charitable Aims

3. a. This year we opened to the general public on 37 days. Our visitors came from all parts of the UK and included overseas travellers from the United States, Germany, Netherlands, France, India and Hong Kong. A family from Canada said that they had heard about us and specifically included a visit to us on their itinerary. However, we were also visited by a couple of local families living less than 800m away, who did not know we existed…

   • During this time we also hosted organised groups from the Gosport Society, the University of the Third Age from Warsash, the Lord’s Hill History Society and a group from Southampton Solent University following a traditional building course.

4. b. We also opened for six school parties and three Home Education groups, plus a large group of Brownies.

5. c. Our site has again been very popular with students studying film and media, and no less than six groups have used our site as a film location in completing their degree courses with another three small professional companies using us.

6. d. Our ‘special’ openings included May Day which was again very successful and the Craft Day in August organised by Anna. Both days were extremely well attended by both visitors and members. A local residents’ day and a photography event was organised by Alex and a separate photography display was organised by Lewis to allow Gerald to display his excellent photographs of the village. We have had two sleepovers in costume, one of which was attended by outside re-enactors from Lord Brook’s Regiment of Foot and Militias of Anglia.

7. The committee next year intend holding their meetings either face to face, by electronic means, or hybrid. Although our Constitution allows the Committee to decide the conduct of their meetings, the Charity Commissioners state that if electronic or hybrid meetings are to be held then this ‘should’ be reflected in the Constitution. Our Constitution requires that any changes to the Constitution must be decided at a General Meeting before informing the Charity Commissioners. It has been pointed out that it was too late to bring this item to this AGM. However, I have now been given a note signed by ten members requesting an Extraordinary General Meeting. This requires no less than 21 days’ notice.

The proposal suggests amendments to the constitution which are:

1. Section E.2 to read “In this document ‘membership’ is full membership of the society and does not include junior or probationary membership. All members shall have one vote.”

2. Section J.6 add “The Executive Committee may hold its meetings face to face, electronically, or in a hybrid format.”

3. Section P.1 to amend the date of the AGM to be in January.

The EGM will deal solely with changes to the Constitution. An official email will be sent out by your new Chair and Secretary in the very near future including the place, date and time of the meeting and the exact wording of the proposed changes.

The day of the 12[th] Night celebrations in the village on 17th January 2025 has been suggested as a convenient venue.

1. On the evening of Saturday 13[th] July we were unfortunately visited by three youths who broke into three of the buildings. The police were called next morning and spent some time collecting forensic evidence. No one has been apprehended. The damage was relatively easily put right, but items from the surgeons’ kit is difficult to replace. Our visitors used children’s building blocks to spell out offensive words and used clothes pegs to outline a swastika outside the door of Greenwoods.

2. We are investigating a better CCTV system that might be more useful as a form of evidence. Hedging is being planted inside the fence line to dissuade people climbing over the fence. It would be extremely difficult to make all four acres of our site impregnable, but we can try to tackle obvious weak points.

3. We have also received a donation of £500 from the Village Players in thanks for their use of the Village for rehearsals and as the venue for their production this year of As You Like It. The drama company carry out their rehearsals in the Village and this year performed the play on site for three consecutive evenings in July. We provided refreshments during the interval served from the alehouse. Thanks to those who helped the serving.

4. One of our main projects this year was the rethatching of Yvonne’s Hovel. The old roof was stripped back to the rafters and re-battened in split chestnut by ourselves. A 14” reed thatch was laid by Chris Dodson, professional thatcher from Cambridge. He has been booked for this coming summer to rethatch Jane’s cottage, the cost of the project is about

£25,000. In subsequent years we are looking at doing the Grey Goose, Phoenix, and the Apothecary in that order. The shingles on the Forge need attention, possibly stripping the entire roof, strengthening the structure and replacing with tiles. Areas of wattle and daubing also need attention.

1. Items purchased for the society at TORM and ARM included a new voider, mugs, jugs, buckets, thread, and a recorder. Please note that some things are expensive to replace – the voider for instance costing almost £60. The Society also purchased all of the sawyers tools.

2. To ensure that we can maintain that station into the future.

3. During the year the key padlocks on all the buildings have been replaced with new combination locks. We have started a legionnaires disease testing regime for our water supply and in future will have it tested each March before our first opening.

4. As we found last year, on occasions this year we have been very short of members attending the village in costume. One school visit found only two of us on site. Whatever the reasons, I I am just stating a fact. On two occasions we opened the village with just four members on site in costume. It has been suggested by some that in such an instance we should not open. As I stated in my report last year, in my view that is not an option. If we have advertised that we are open we should therefore open if at all possible. Some visitors travel long distances just to see us. It has been suggested that if we open with four or fewer members, we should explain the situation to our visitors, and then let them in free of charge. When we opened for the school groups with only two members in the village the Society refunded their booking fees but Chris and myself seemed to manage as well as could be expected in the circumstances. Having said that, our last school visit was very well attended by members and the school in question sent us a very appreciative letter of thanks.

Again, the Committee has looked at possible opening dates for the coming season. We have ensured that we do not open on ‘odd’ days such as a Friday or Monday that would normally be considered as a ‘normal’ working day. The openings for next year are posted up on a year planner in the potting shed kitchen for all to see. Constructive comments are welcome.

• 10.This year two of our committee come to the end of their term and have decided not to stand again for the committee. We thank Aeriana and Jon for their service over the years.

• I have also just received the resignation of Andy Figgins who is stepping

down through age and ill health. Andy has been a stalwart member of the committee since the formation of the Charity in 1994, has served almost continuously until now and at one stage acted as our Hon. Secretary. Andy mentored me as a sawyer when I first joined the Society in 1994, and until very recently this was a role he made his own.

• 11.Most of you are aware that at the end of this meeting I will be stepping down as Chair.

• I was elected as Vice Chair in 1997, as Chair in 1998 and have been reelected every two years since. In 1998 I inherited an alehouse and spinners that had been burnt to the ground (now the Phoenix and Grey Goose). The dairy (now apothecary) was a small flat roofed building akin to a bus stop and the wheelwright’s another flat roofed building with a lean-to workshop. Over the years the village has slowly developed into what we have today. Buildings were built and repaired by our members past and present and we now boast a village including a working forge, pottery, kiln, loom, sawyers, bread oven and shop. However, it is time that a new generation of members are allowed their head and to bring in new ideas and methods to allow our society to prosper into the future.

• 12.Does anybody have any questions?

Roger Towner

Chair of GLHS

Date: 0211112024 Time: 12:55:50 Gos ort Livin Histo Profit and Loss Socie Page: From: To: Month I, November 2023 Month 12, October 2024 Chart of Accounts: Default Layout of Accounts [PARTIAL] Period Year to Date gra Income - Memberships Income - Schoo15 and groups Income - Public Admissions 490.00 857.40 13,395.38 2,275.35 1,155.42 5,685.00 274.23 118.80 6,477.20 1,636.35 490,00 857.40 13,395.38 2,275.35 1,155.42 5,685.00 274.23 118.80 6,477.20 1,636.35 Income - Souvenirs Income - Tea Shop Income - Filming Income - Donations Income - Lottery Income - Other Events Depx)sit Interest Received 32,365.13 32,365.13 Purchases 0.00 0.00 Direct Expenses 0.00 0.00 Gross Profitl{Loss): Overheads 32,365.13 32,365.13 Buildings Tea Shop Food and Consumables Costumes/Artefacts Souvenirs Maintenan MI￿lIaneOuS Expenses Too15 and Equipment Garden Expenses Cleaning Website and Computer Expenses Advertising Postage and Ststionery Insuran Professional Fess Accountancy Fees Sum Up Charges Eventbrite Fees Event Expenses 8,751.34 1,765.83 2,023.38 3,742.76 1,542.50 797.20 329.47 34.79 10.93 121.11 333.20 1,471.52 105.03 2,116.11 150.00 135.00 217.80 1,113.12 827.01 8,751.34 1,765.83 2,023.38 3,742.76 1,542.50 797.20 329.47 34.79 10.93 121.11 333.20 1,471.52 105.03 2,116.11 150.00 135.00 217.80 1,113.12 827.01 25,588.10 25,588.10 Net Profitl{Loss): 6,777.03 6,777.03 ¥- oliil ?f,

JACKY SPARKS, 26 INVERNESS AVENUE, FAREHAM, P015 6AS Gosport Living History Society Flat 3 Jubilee House 39a Park Way Havant P09 IHH 2 November 2024 To whom it may concern. I can confirm that today, 2nd November 2024, 1 have produced from the records supplied the Sage accounts and associated Profit and Loss report for the Gosport Living History Society, for the year ended 31 October 2024. Overall the records supplied were in a really good order, the petty cash/till previous issues now appear to have been resolved, expense claims in much better format and I can see movements to get more up to date with the use of Eventbrite for events in April and Mayday. Overall this year Income did rise slightly lif you remove the covid grants from prior yearl largely from Filming and Events. However, expenses rose a lot which has a had a net effect on the overall Profit this year. Yours Sincerely Jacky sparks Jacky Sparks