Fordingbridge Museum Trust (CIO) Registered Charity: 1072427
Annual Report of Trustees to the Members
Report of the Chair
I am pleased to present this Annual Report of Trustees to the Members of Fordingbridge Museum Trust, for the year to 31st March, 2026.
Celebrating 25 Years: -
By far the biggest event of this last year was the celebration of the Museum’s Silver jubilee, over the weekend of 1st-3rd August, 2025. We were delighted to welcome back to Fordingbridge John Shering’s daughter, Mary Deverell, to participate in the programme of events, which began with the unveiling of the first historical ‘green plaque’ for the town on the Museum premises. She spoke at this, alongside celebrity archaeologist, Phil Harding, and both attended the reception afterwards, at which we launched the successful book, written by Wendy Cracknell, recounting our own history, ‘A Museum for Fordingbridge’. Saturday (and Sunday morning) then saw a whole series of events and activities, based in the Museum, in the Victoria Rooms, on the river and across the Rec – where we were able to share with friends and visitors our huge pride in the Museum’s story, and its achievements, over the past 25 years. The response from the public, and the many other community groups involved with us over the weekend was overwhelmingly positive. Record numbers of visitors were welcomed into the museum, and also to the displays, archive films, oral histories and refreshments in the Victoria Rooms, while our museum raft even managed to win a first prize - for its decoration, although not for the raft race itself, which followed.
We are immensely grateful to everyone who was involved in the planning and delivery of all these celebrations (and it WAS virtually everyone associated with the museum, who made it possible). We were also delighted by the positive response, and willing engagement of many other community groups in the town, who joined in the events – chief among them being Fordingbridge Town Council,
who made the Rec available, and supported us in so much of the detailed planning.
A number of grants were gratefully received from local sponsors such as Brian Currie, Elliotts the builders and the Stephenson Trust. The legacy of goodwill generated by the weekend has continued to enhance our reputation among the community groups of the town, and brought us further enquiries and interest from both within and beyond Fordingbridge.
The Museum in the Community:
In addition to extensive local support for our Jubilee celebrations, the Museum has continued to be actively engaged in local community affairs.
We have attended planning meetings, to assist in the town’s various public events, and contributed to the Neighbourhood Plan consultation. Several Museum members participated in the Heritage & Character Survey of the High Street and wider Town Centre.
We have continued as an active member of the Fordingbridge Arts Network (FAN), and are supporting Fordingbridge’s bid to be named as UK Town of Culture in 2028.
We were delighted to receive extensive support from local organisations for our own bid for the museum building to be designated an Asset of Community Value – the first such, in Fordingbridge. And our successful ACV listing was confirmed in May 2025.
We were also delighted to receive a warm welcome and assistance from Fordingbridge Fire Station, whom we are featuring in our main temporary display for 2026.
Organisation and Development: -
Although the Jubilee celebrations took up so much of our time and energy last year, the Museum has continued to function – and even to expand its ‘normal’ activities – throughout the year.
We have continued to benefit from the support and interest of Sheila Pott, Museum Development Officer for the Hampshire Cultural Trust and Museum Development South-West (MDSW), and renewed our membership of the Association of Independent Museums (AIM). Trustees have attended briefing sessions and symposia, where we could exchange ideas and experience with
other local groups, and also gain access to the various funding channels and community grants schemes.
Our continuing membership of the British Association of Friends of Museums (BAFM) even bore fruit, in the shape of a first prize (£500) for ‘A Museum for Fordingbridge’, as an outstanding contribution to making the museum better known and attractive to a wider audience.
Internally, our volunteer teams: the collections group, cataloguing group, photographic group and Friends (events group), have worked at full stretch throughout the year, to update and renew the museum displays, and to improve the record-keeping of our many artefacts. At the same time, a full and varied programme of talks has been organised, and attendance at other public events, together with welcoming into the museum visits from schools and other local groups. These are reported in detail below – but our thanks and appreciation go to all those involved in this arduous and continuing backroom work.
Expansion of this regular activity, alongside the exceptional jubilee events, has inevitably raised a number of challenges during the year, which the trustees are actively continuing to address. These involve matters such as the internal organisation and communications between groups, and finding the right levels for internal decision-making. the co-ordination of calendars, and the best formats for external publicity and communications. In addition, we have given substantial time to the review, and updating, of the Museum’s various policies, as required by the constant evolution of charity law. We will continue to work on all these areas in the coming year, as we develop our overall scope and capacity as Fordingbridge’s ‘own’ home-grown museum.
Among the prime issues, of course, to be addressed in the coming year will be the renewal of our Lease with Hampshire County Council. The current arrangement expires in April 2027, and we have already been in touch with HCC, to request a full renewal on similar terms, to take effect from that date. We await their reply.
rons: -
The following people have served as trustees since 1st May, 2025:
Peggy Jackson (Chair) * Jon Ingham (Vice-Chair) Joan Miller (Secretary), resigned 7th December, 2025 Helen Tague (Treasurer) Sue Broderick, resigned 4th September, 2025 * Philippa Duckworth * Julian Hewitt Jane Ireland * Katharine Puttick *** Pam Shering Anna Wilson (Secretary from 11th December 2025) Tina Woodley
** Claire Booth, from 11th December 2025
** Carolyn McCay, from 11th December 2025
- At the forthcoming AGM, these four trustees will retire by rotation. All are eligible for re-election. Philippa Duckworth, Julian Hewitt and Jon Ingham have indicated their willingness to stand for re-election.
Katharine Puttick has indicated that she does not wish to seek re-election.
** Claire Booth and Carolyn McCay, having been appointed by the trustees during the year, will stand down at this AGM, according to the Constitution. Both are eligible to be re-elected, and have indicated their willingness to stand.
*** Pam Shering – from Trustee to Patron:
Pam has indicated her intention, at the forthcoming AGM, to resign as a trustee, having served the Museum continuously since 2015. We are, however, delighted to announce that she has accepted an invitation from the Trustees, to become a Patron of the Museum, with effect from 14th May, 2026. We are immensely grateful for her work and support for the museum over these years, and pleased that the Shering name will continue to have a central place in our museum life.
Helen Tague, while continuing as a trustee, has indicated her desire to stand down as Treasurer after this AGM. The Trustees have been pleased to accept the offer by Carolyn McCay to step into this role, from the same point.
No trustees received any remuneration from the Museum Trust.
The reports which follow illustrate the immense amount of work undertaken by all our Trustees, along with our committed volunteers, during the past year. I am personally grateful to them all for the stamina and commitment they have brought to this great volume of work – ensuring that the Museum has continued to operate smoothly throughout, while also celebrating the special 25th anniversary Jubilee.
Those trustees whose roles and terms of office have ended during this year are among those who have contributed most, in recent years, both to the running of the museum and to its transition to the CIO. We are reassured that they will all continue to be involved in the life of the museum, albeit in some different capacities. But we take this opportunity to honour and thank them for all that they have given to us over the years.
So we look confidently towards the year ahead – to our own development as an organisation, and our growing involvement in the cultural and community life of the town.
Peggy Jackson 28th April, 2026
Friends of Fordingbridge Museum Sub-Committee Report
The Sub-Committee met four times during the year.
Two fundraising talks were held: “Interesting Graffiti in Winchester Cathedral” given by Dr Cindy Wood on 4th April and “Mary and Kate Hardy” given by Anne Johns and Jenny Head on 13th June. The light refreshments provided were enjoyed after these talks.
A midday BBQ for members their friends and families, volunteers and supporters was held on 16th August at 25 Bridge Street with grateful thanks to John and Sue Broderick for hosting this. These three events raised £1,034.
The Friends organised teas and cakes at the Victoria Rooms over the weekend of 1st/2nd August when the Museum celebrated its 25th Anniversary. Other volunteers offered help with this and with the baking of cakes with particular thanks to Janet Newman.
In December £637 was transferred from the Museum 50:50 Club. Our thanks to Stuart Grant for running this. The Club would welcome more members as this has proved a steady means of supporting Museum funds.
Submitted by: Jon Ingham
Friends of Fordingbridge Museum Membership Secretary report.
Museum Membership is currently 118. During 2025 there was one new membership and five deletions.
Katharine Puttick April 2026
Report of the Photographic Team for the year 2025 for AGM
The team of four volunteers met on Tuesday mornings from September to July.
Over the year 225 photographs, images and postcards have been accessioned. These have included photographs of Gorley owned by the late Bill Dow and donated by Brenda Dow, photographs taken in the early 1900s relating to the Neave and other Fordingbridge families from the family of Constance Neave, images of the Branksome China factory, the Police Station, Brookheath and Burgate Manor, images of Damerham donated by Mike Jerrard and a series of photographs showing aspects of life in Fordingbridge taken on a single day in 2005 by Malcolm Smith and the late Edgar Moss.
Work in the Spring began with the selection of photos for display when the town commemorated VE Day. During the summer months displays were prepared for Sandleheath and Frogham Fairs, Damerham Show and for the Museum’s 25th Anniversary celebrations. These created much interest especially those showing how the town has changed over the past century. A display of photographs of the family who lived in Southampton House adjoining the Victoria Rooms in the early 1900s proved of particular interest. Visitors were able to compare views of the River Avon and the garden of Southampton House taken a hundred years ago with the present day view from the upstairs window of the Victoria Rooms.
In December the Museum received a donation of postcards of old Fordingbridge from a collector in the Netherlands.
Katharine Puttick, Jon Ingham
Kids in Museums Report (2025)
Name: Joan Miller
Role: Kids in Museums participant / joint producer of materials
Summary of Activities
1. Summary of Activities
In Spring 2025 Katharine Puttick and I completed a 6 months course on Family friendly Museums run in conjunction with Museum Development South West by Kids in Museums. We then put what we learnt into practice, by producing family friendly resources for the Museum These included some Makaton symbols. During the Museum’s open season, we used family and child survey forms to monitor the results.
2. Key Achievements / Highlights
The introduction of the fish mascot was greeted with enthusiasm by many young visitors. The low-level child-friendly questions and suggestions were also well received. The lanyards were less used, but appreciated by some children.
3. Challenges / Issues
The lack of any training of stewards regarding these new materials meant that many did not know how to encourage their use.
4. Looking Ahead (Optional)
Katharine and I are willing to assist in the updating of these resources to reflect new exhibits and incorporate lessons learnt from their first years use.
5. Anything Else to Report (Optional)
Some return visitors remarked on the lack of fish mascot this year.
Submitted by: Joan Miller Date: 28/4/2026
Catalogue Team Report (2025)
Name: Joan Miller Role: Catalogue Team Convenor
Summary of Activities
During 2025 the catalogue team worked on Monday mornings, Wednesday afternoons and Friday mornings. The cataloguing of all the items in storerooms 1, 2 and 3 was completed towards the end of the year and work on the displays commenced during the Museum’s closed period.
The work was aided by having a core team of experienced workers, supplemented by others on a short-term basis. These included stewards during the closed period and students. Most volunteers come to us through Volunteer First.
2. Key Achievements / Highlights
Finishing the cataloguing of more than 170 boxes, many containing more than 50 items within 18 months of the catalogue being transferred to eHive, was a remarkable achievement. I am incredibly grateful to all the volunteers whose hard work and enthusiasm have made this possible.
3. Challenges / Issues
The main challenge has been that artefacts have been moved from storage to displays and from displays to storage, with no record of their movement, over several years. This has continued after items have been catalogued. Although we have been promised lists of items moved. These have not been provided.
4. Looking Ahead (Optional)
During early 2026 the cataloguing of exhibits, as they were in 2025, was completed. Work moved on to the map store which was also completed in early 2026. The Catalogue team is now assisting the Photographic team with the cataloguing of photographs. This will take many months, but it is enjoyable work. We await guidance as to the cataloguing artefacts in the garage and the toilet block.
5. Anything Else to Report
eHive has proved to be an easy-to-use system that has made it possible to publish the catalogue online. The Museum has had enquiries from around the world about items that they have found in the catalogue.
We were fortunate to have Alex von der Becke, from eHive, spend a half day with us in November 2025. It was really useful to have this free training opportunity.
Submitted by: Joan Miller Date: 27 April 2026
Museum Director’s Report (2025)
Name: Jane Ireland Role: Museum Director
Summary of Activities
In 2025, the Museum had 4006 visitors, up 114 from 2024. Of these, 3682 were adults—260 more than last year—and 324 were children, 146 fewer than the previous year.
2025 saw the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The museum produced two temporary displays commemorating VE Day on 8 May and VJ Day 15 August. In addition, there were other temporary displays looking at local heroes and information technology.
2. Key Achievements / Highlights
The Museum held an amazingly successful 25th anniversary weekend in the Museum, the Victoria Rooms and in the Recreation Ground. The museum stewards worked tirelessly before and during the weekend to make the event a tremendous success, and we must thank the Fordingbridge community at large for giving us an enormous amount of help and support to make the event truly memorable.
3. Challenges / Issues
Our steward numbers remain stubborn at around thirty, which makes opening the Museum 6 days a week challenging.
Submitted by: D. Jane Ireland Date: 29 April 2026
Collections Team Report (2025)
Name: Claire Booth Role: Curator Date: 27 April 2026
Summary of Activities
Things were very busy in the Collections Team, with four new displays completed ready for the opening of the Museum. Now the museum visitors appear to be enjoying them.
We are working on sorting out the garage and storage areas. It is sad to say that the museum storage is full. So future museum additions will need to be very specific to Fordingbridge and its history.
Displays and Development
There will be three new temporary displays for next year, and planning is already underway.
One of these will be a toy car display (including Dinky, Corgi, Hot Wheels and Meccano), as it was pointed out be a local that as there is a doll display this year, next year there should be a boy’s toys display. If anyone has any toy cars they would be happy to loan to the museum for the next display, we would be grateful
Suggestions for the other two displays are also very welcome.
Acknowledgements
Thanks are extended to the Collections Team for their continued work and support.
PR and Marketing Report for Fordingbridge museum AGM May 2026
The year was notable for the Silver Anniversary celebrations. This involved:-
Producing a logo for the event. Arranging for and coordinating the development of the artwork and content for posters, a route guide to and from the Museum
and the Victoria Rooms, a programme for the day and an historical self-guided walk round the town leaflet. This took up a considerable amount of time with many modifications of content details. The posters and programme were widely displayed and distributed, including at Damerham Show. Writing an article for local magazines flagging up the event. These covered the villages of Hale and Wood Green, Breamore, Hyde and the Link Villages and Alderholt. It was also published in Viewpoint Magazine which covers Verwood, Ringwood, Fordingbridge, West Moors, Wimborne, Ferndown, Ashley Heath, St Ives and Alderholt. It was delivered to individual houses in these locations as well as being available in local commercial outlets. Sending news releases to the main local newspapers, radio and TV stations. Following up with visits and phone calls. The event was covered in The Echo, the Lymington Times and the Fordingbridge Journal and was also covered on their web sites. There was also post event coverage in particular in the Journal with front page photo and text, page two text and a selection of photographs on an inside page. There was some radio coverage on web sites and post event coverage.
I continue to write monthly articles for local magazines under the museum byline. These help to raise the profile of the museum and have attracted very favourable feedback. Each article takes about three days to research, write and distribute.
The Take Over Day by Western Downland School went well as usual and future plans are to expand the number of schools we interact with. This will be helped by the assistance of David Marshall who has extensive experience with primary education.
I continue to give talks on historical topics to local groups and organisations and to host visits by brownies and cubs.
We produced over 80 photographs each with a historical caption to contribute to the Heritage and Character of Fordingbridge High Street Report which will support the Parish Plan. Helen Tague, Jon Ingham, David Marshall and Steve Miller were part of the team working on this project.
We also facilitated access to the museum by K9 Nose Adventure. This is an organisation that trains sniffer dogs who pay us for the use of the premises.
I continue to help select speakers for fundraising talks and assist in the presentations.
Julian Hewitt
| INCOME | 2025 | 2024 | ||||
| f | ||||||
| Visitors | 242L | 2467 | ||||
| MembershipofFriends | 524 | 22! | ||||
| Museum 50/50Club | 731,6 | 0 | ||||
| Gift Aid | 0 | 1079 | ||||
| Shop | t74L | 618 | ||||
| Grants | 6677 | 400 | ||||
| Donations | 562 | s20 | ||||
| Outreach OutsideFairs | 166 | 32s | ||||
| Fund raising-Talks&BBQ | 7520 | 7735 | ||||
| Bankinterest | 80 | 3 | ||||
| Museum25 | 1075 | o | ||||
| Friends Transfer | 9220 | |||||
| 15,486 | r6,688 | |||||
| EXPENDITURE | ||||||
| Insurance | r47r | 1870 | ||||
| Electric/water | 1908 | 1695 | ||||
| Broadband & telecoms | 371 | 462 | ||||
| Conservation | 957 | 1870 | ||||
| Equipment/Spftware | 2441 | 7767 | ||||
| Advertising/Promotion | 934 | 434 | ||||
| Accountant fee | 0 | 360 | ||||
| Fundraising | 399 | 635 | ||||
| shop | 769 | 190 | ||||
| Avonway Room hire | )aa | 22r | ||||
| Avon ValleyShed | 0 | 200 | ||||
| Website | 391 | 96 | ||||
| Fire Security | 1743 | 0 | ||||
| AIMmembership | 77 | 77 | ||||
| Windowcleaning | 0 | 42 | ||||
| PatTesting | 0 | 40 | ||||
| Sundries | 129 | 777 | ||||
| Museum25 | 6053 | 0 | ||||
| Piaques | 7206 | 0 | ||||
| Publications | 1605 | |||||
| 20,497 | 1q,058 | |||||
| Surplusofincomeover expenditure | -5,O12 | 6,630 | ||||
| Accumulated fundsb/f | 19,624 | 72,998 | ||||
| Accumqfatedfundsblf3L.72.25 | L4,616 | ig,An | ||||
| Balance Shehttrat3U12l25 | 2025 | 2024 | ||||
| - | ||||||
| Lloyds-current | 7902 | 9495 | ||||
| Lloyd;-Business | 10083 | 10003 | ||||
| Lloyds-Business | 2500 | |||||
| Barclayscurrent | 100 | 100 | ||||
| Cash | 30 | 30 | ||||
| f | 14,616 | E-tL6rB | ||||
| Unrestrictedfunds | 13420 | 15746 | ||||
| StephensonJamesTrust | ||||||
| Legacies | 0 | 2100 | ||||
| Co-op | 7742 | |||||
| e | M,6L6 |
f-11!3Er | ||||
| Hon.rreasurerfl P 4u*, 0 |
Heren'asueJo/1, | April | 2026 |