Friends and Patrons of the Buckinghamshire County Museum (Charity No - 1059377) Annual Report 202412025 CHAIRMAN'S REPORT This report covers the period April 2024 to end of March 2025 The Friendsand Patronsconts'nuedtosupporttheDiscoverBucksMuseum, notonlythrough grants to acquire items to enhance the Museum's collections, but also by providing volunteers to help the Keepers at the Halton Resource Centre and to steward various exhibitJ'ons,This includedthe Off The Wall Exhibition which provided a useful incomeforthe Friends, and we were very grateful to Sue Gilbert for organising this on our behalf. During the year the Friends and the Patrons each contributed £6,000 in order to upgrade the Museum's IT infrastructure, and our other grants are listed elsewhere in this report. More sign ificant grants will be needed in 2025126 as part of the planning for the major Saxon Heritage Exh ibition scheduled for 2026. By the end ofthe yearwe were looking forward to seeing the Museum's promised Strategic Plan,which will guide oursupportoverthe nextten years. Meanwhile we hope thatournew membership leaflets will help us to recru it more Friends so we can nts'nue to support our excellent Museu m in the difficult economic climate prevailing at present. We would also welcome more members to join our Committee, which only meets Ihree times a year but keeps us in touch with all that is happening at this key tourist attracb'on in Aylesbury. Main Achievements Over the year 2024125 the Friends and Patrons have given grants to the Museum totalling £14,788.59 (see below). The Museum received a grant of £12,000 from the Friends & Patrons for replacement hardware for their IT infrastructu re and migration to the cloud has been completed. However, fu rtherfunding ofc. £20,000 will be needed forfuther ITsupport in respect of the Collecb'on Management System (MODES). Grants made during year ended 31 st March 2025. Patrons Hire of Light Fantastic exhibition alongside photography exhibition Contribution to DBM IT infrastructure Total £2,725.00 £6,000.00 £8,725.00 Friends Fire Safety Equipment for Museum Replacement glass washer for Museum Children's toys to enhance Children outdoor experience T552 Gold Ring (contribub'on) T1275 Iron Age Staters (contn'bution) T890 4 Medieval silver pennies Halloween materials for ch ild visitors Project sensory materials for child visitors Early Medieval Silver Pyramid £1,578.60 £1,259.99 £1,000.00 £350.00 £550.00 £80.00 £300.00 £200.00 £300.00
Investigationlremoval wall plaster Hire of Light Fantastic exhibitj'on {contribub'on) Redecoration of Museum leaming zones Development brief for Anglo-saxon exhibition Contribution to DBM IT infrastructure Total £170.00 £1,000.00 £1,000.00 £1,000.00 £6,000.00 £14,788.59 Membership At 31 March 2025 total paid up individual membershipof the Friendsand Patrons amou nt& to 129 Friends and 79 Patrons (2024 = 135 Friends and 81 Patrons). There were also Iwo Honorary Life Patrons. In addib'on to the individual members there were five institutional members. Annual Meeting The Annual meeting was held at the Museum on Saturday 16th. November 2024. Earl Howe on beha of the President, Viscount Younger, opened the meeting and Roy Collis, Chairof the Friends & Patrons introduced the Annual Reportfollowingwhich theannual accountswe formally approved. Elects'ons took place. The Meeting was followed by a private view of the Off the W811 art exhibib'on, organised by the Sue Gilbert on behalf of the Friends. Officers and Commlttee Members The full elected Committee at 31 March 2025 comprised Th8 Viscountyounger, President Mr Roy Collis, Chairman; Mr John Galbraith, Honorary Treasurer, Miss Pam Russell, Honorary Secretsry; Mrs Doreen Holmes, Membership Secretary; Committee member, Mr Stephen Mulcahy. In accordance with Article 17 of the Constitution there were hvo ex-officio members of the Committee, The Earl Howe representing the Patron membership with Mrs Kate Eckett as Patron Secretary. Meetlngs of the Commlttee The Committee met th ree t'mes. Much of each meeting was taken up by oral reports from the Chairman, the Patron Chainnan and the Museum Director. Financial reports and discussions of possible allocations also featured in all three meetings. Patrons Several new Patrons were welcomed to the membership and thanked for their support. The Annual Patrons Meeting was held at Penn House on 25th October 2024 by kind permission of Earl and Countess Howe. The Patrons were given an interesting tour of the house. Outings Visits were organised by Doreen Holmes to the Museum of Oxford and the Hare Krishna temple in Radlett. Newsletter Two issues were prepared by the editor, Pam Russell, and distn'buted to all Friends and Patrons. August 2025
Ixdependellt eurnineej report to the truxtees of The Friends and PtronB ofthe BueknnglthnLTkn County I report on the accouttts of the Tntst for the ye•r e4Mled 3111 moh 2Iy25. set on th¢ attathed page ResPtIV¢ Tejpiwibilities of truth aRd examiner The charitv's tnj8tS are responsible for the prep10 of the ac¢oW. The charity's ttustees consider that audit is not required for this year undtr Sectio 144(2) of the Ch8ritieg Aa 2011 (the 20I l Act) and that independent exaD]ination is ne¢do(L It is my resFK)nsilJllity to.. examine the wAounts Lu¥Jer section 145 of the 2011 A to follow the procethlles laid dowD in the 8eneral Direaions 8iveD the CIJaTity CommissioD under sectlon 14515Xb} of the 2011 Act io Sta whether particular matters have come rny attention Basia of independent e£er.¥ report My examination w&% csrried out in acconkncx with the 8rneral Diiections given by the Charity Commi9sion. An examination in¢lud¢s a revicw of the 8ccounting records k¢pt by the ¢harity and a comparison of the accounis presented with those records. It also iTrclud¢s consideration of any unusual ith8 or diK105urcs In the accounts, dnd scekiDg explanlull$ from you as tswtCC5 concerning Y sh matters. The prwedures hlertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be requtred in an audii and consequently no opinlon is given as to whcihcr the aCcolts presenl a 'In and fair vitrv, and the rep(t is limi¢ed th08e matters set out ill rh¢ staiemeni klow. Independent exAmiuerfs Jtatement Im comiectiun with my aaminalion. Th) mattry ha8 c(rfne to my atrntion: ( l) which yeS me re&8Lmabk cause to beheve that in any matenal Tesixct thc requirernents.. to keep coUntIng T¢cords in accordatt¢e with 5¢Ction 130 of the 2011 Art lo prep*¢ accounts which 8rd with the accountin8 records and compty with the a¢counM% requir¢m¢nts of the 2011 A have not been m. or (2) to whid¥ in my (710 atterrt1O Shou be dravrn ID order to enable a proper undeThtandiDg of the accounts to b¢ reached. Signature: Natn¢: HfiTr ELIA. Address..
FRIENDS AND PA OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE couKrY MUSEUM Funds 2024 Furxls Recelpt8 Friend8 Patn)ns ITIlLO 20.() 7480.fA) 180.(KI 2090. 7480.00 180.(K 0.00 2385.CQ 7455.00 180.00 Donations Income Tax re(x)vered. Gift AKI Incomè frfyn events 'Off the W811, Art Matsl Bank It)terest 313.40 1978.94 o.Ix) 5270.(hJ 7849.56 313.40 1978.94 570.00 1981.72 5270.00 7849.56 0.00 e655.57 2516190 25.161.90 19227.29 "Off The W811° Art Market Costs Cost of events AdmFnistration . AGM Costs Generdl AdministratK)n Expense8 Nekntter Printiry &4fM SubsCfiPtionnnsuraTKe Admin payrronts lo museum Grants to Museum: Fflends 3688.81 3688.81 o.oo 158.33 91.61 630.00 470.00 1095.00 0.00 158.33 91.61 630.00 470.IJJ 109S.OQ 0.00 342 13 386.78 528.39 470.00 1235.00 14788.59 8725.iJ) 14788.59 8725.00 17469.12 10929.87 27.34 31361.2 Net Rece (Payments) Cash funds at 18t April, 2024 4485.44 4485.44 -12133.98 O.(M) 20&38 202863.38 214997.36 Cash Funds at 31 kknch 2025 198377.94
Friends and Patrons ofthe Buckinghamshire County Museum (Charity No. 1059377) FINANCIAL STATEMENT This report covers the period April 2024 to end March 2025 The Financial Statement for the Friends and Patrons covering the last financial year (2024-251 has been approved by Les Sheldon, the appointed Independent Reviewer, and is presented as part of the Committee's Annual Report to the Annual General Meeting. The following are the key headlines: Total expenditurewas £29,647.of whichthe total paidout as grantsto the Museum was £25,513. Total income was £25,161. Membershipsubscriptions being £9,750. andthe remainder being madeof incomefromthe Offthe Wallexhibition, bankinterest, and donations.This included £1 ,978 received as Gift Aid recoverable from tax. The Committee has been able to absorb the operating deficit of £4,465 from the reserve held. Gift Aid is veryvaluable to the Friends & Patrons and incurs no costto the subscriber. The only stipulation is that the individual must be a UK taxpayer. It just calls for the completion of a simple form and we do the rest. We are very grateful to those who are already signed up, and if anymemberwould like to availthemselves of thisfacility please contact the relevant Membership Secretary for the form. Yourcontinuinggenerosity is much appreciated and, as youwill see, is putto good use in supportingthe Museum. John Galbraith Hon Treasurer