Chairman’s Report October 2021 AGM
When I started looking at what the Trust has been doing this year, I expected to have little to report, but how wrong I was. However, that does not mean I aim to keep you here all night! Although we did not manage to open until the 21[st] July we have managed to do quite a lot of things prior to that time, making use of a quiet period to complete things we had not had a chance to handle previously. These included a revision of our Memorandum and Articles of Association, a Safeguarding Policy and an updated Business Plan. Alan and Kate put a lot of work into these, for which many thanks.
Alan has also done some sterling work setting up a new website for us with help from Josh and Kevin from Enable and Andy Corp, who chairs the local photographic group. Notably, if you enter, King John’s Hunting Lodge Axbridge on the web it presents our site following the National Trust site, which is exactly what we wanted to achieve. It’s worth a look if you haven’t done so already. Our grateful thanks to all that team.
Talking of websites, we have also been participating in the Visit Somerset “Museum Monday” Facebook site, in which a number of museums participate on a rota, but we are there this week (on the roundel) and had already provided an earlier slot (on the Lamb and Flag). We also managed to squeeze in on the BBC show “Farmer’s Country Showdown,” which was a bonus, though a couple of hours or so filming became a very short period of transmission. Alan has also been doing some Twitter for us and Kate has transposed this onto Facebook and Instagram, so we are doing quite well online, with thanks to both of them, but I believe they could do with some help with continuity.
I mentioned that we opened on the 21[st] of July. That required quite a lot of management prior to the date, as we were uncertain how the Covid-19 pandemic would go. Les managed to get some excellent screens arranged for the steward’s desk and they have proven very useful and Jools helped with the hand sanitiser and other PPE items. Robin arranged some printed route instructions and organised the schedule. Whilst we have been unable to open every day, we have managed to consistently open for five days a week, which is excellent, so our thanks to all those who have helped to achieve this. After some nagging from Alan we even managed to get the National Trust website to update our opening hours, though it did take some time. We decided that we would not make a charge for anyone, as the National Trust were not intending to give us any recompense for their members visiting the museum, due to their financial position (hopefully that will only apply this year), nor would we sell any of our books and products, though the NT style booklet could be purchased through the donations box. That would mean that our stewards would not have to handle cash. We are in need of extra stewards, Robin has been doing quite a lot of covering this year, but we have received quite a lot of praise for our efforts. So, thanks to those stewards and trustees who have made this work in such difficult times and to Robin for his hard work.
Our exhibitions do seem to have withstood the period of closure remarkably well and our cleaners have done an excellent job refurbishing the museum, with some specific help from Robin. Pauline managed to acquire a superb display for our temporary exhibition, which is
continuing to the end of the season, due to a technical hitch on the replacement. It was supplied by the Axbridge First School and featured the Romans. I have heard a number of visitors praising it, including a head teacher from elsewhere. Also, with the help of a grant or two from the Co-op, Pauline is creating school packs to take around and is already indicating that more schools are wanting to participate. Great work Pauline.
Rosemary has put out a great deal of publicity in many different publications and manages to find something new to say, even if we have not supplied her with anything substantive. It has been really good to keep our name in front of local people, so many thanks to her.
Liz Scott has become our new liaison with the museum Friends. Lucy has been doing some excellent work behind the scenes, keeping our collections in order and attending some courses, but also participating in a programme to monitor pests which may affect our collections. Kate has been involved in one way or another in almost everything we do, as well as handling her normal secretarial duties and Ralph has, once again, proven his worth in keeping our accounts up to scratch, with help from Alan where necessary. We have also been participating in the Axbridge trail project, where Paul Hughes has played an active role. This seems to be coming on well and the person who is doing the write-ups for them has been mentioning the museum on a number of occasions!
Hopefully I have covered everything I need to and thanked everyone who has helped turn what could have been another passive year into an active and progressive year. If not, please accept my apologies. Just before I hand over to Ralph for the financial report, I do have one last thing to say, which is to welcome our new Trustee, Andy McLeod. We have done well over the last few years from the trustees who have joined us and I’m sure that is going to continue with our new member. Welcome Andy.
Axbrklge and Dlstrict Museum Trust Financial Statements for the p8riod 1s1 Aprfl 2020 to 31 Ikirch 2021 Income and ExpendlttAre Account Couwl grants )vI19 SJFwt Grart knission charges £I.41.c f2).707.O) £1,4QJ.CK) £1,985. £8.9JJ.CKJ £691.49 General ri of wernws £2YJ.(KJ £3.5TO.00 £3570.frt) ctLKfiarts trip Grfi AwjlOt i1xre £26537 .4W.52 £38.24 £325. £242.65 t15.09 £196.94 £2,610.(KI £5924 th)09A Inter8St £2414&13 41 £56. £35.12 &Jbsistertellravd Membership Fees al Fees £TW.54 e17520 ).c £1,686.57 P4Jtkfing RelurtMShrI W8T SuFF4y £l(X).97 £1.8fj £42fl.48 £1.320.00 r3,5. £145S7 £W7.42 t1.20 £321.07 £428.48 £3.OD). Telepkm Nat)n Tntst Le T1) Wl Rert T(y*n H1 Lftilthes £t31.9S £W5.71 £517.( £446.12 £841.83 & PuWKyty Rix>m HI £5127 £2198 £13.(WJ £494.C £l&lXI PrTh Year Deblof Wrile Oti E110.1)O 415759 895r.04
Axbridge and Dlstrfct Museum Trust Flnandal statlents for the wiod 1st April 2020 to 31 Mah 2)21 Balance Sheet .023. £42,924A2 10.fKI £OAXJ Firmrtej ty: £43.034. £40P72B3 t110.Tr) £1?51.99 RetJ Pffi £13W.54 qUeStiL in wxordaTh2 th lI)fi 476.. aFKI the Yiwt)rs Jh resN)talIts l0roMWwj the royenwts of thè leffece Awl 2C#)81. on thwr behaW by. IGP Nole lo 151 %120 to 31st I1h 3YiI )) £4924.82 £2&146.13 -£14,047.59 £40.9T2.83 l).W.03 418.S57.04 rr £57.02326 E419242 COIF Charity FuThl £29.78233 £2.283.57 £fQ.547.45 £If.19 £2424175 £0 GUAt DersIts UFKaiBd £35)S7 £57.(E326 £210.97 £42.924
Newlands 30 IYertSire4 thridg4 Semers4 RS26 24D Tel.. OJ934 732659 Mr Ai80 Wells Axbrid8e and District Museum Tn 49 West Street Axbridge Somerset BS26 2AA I 1° October 2021 I have caTried out au InSl0n of Ik xcounts for the Axbtidge District Mseu[D Tn1 for the year ending 31" March 2021. of the meum TTUSt's fillaes. The recor(L8 and analysis of th¢ inforn)ation are comprhensive and clearly presenteiL I recommend that in the inteffsts of trdnsparency and OnnesS for Ihe Trust that every fijture year the Trust minutes the arnienl of the Trnste¢s to pay the honornrium documenttng the attkount paid to whorn and its Purpose. This could th)ne at each AGM. I also suggest that a letter is written to the people receiving these Yrnents each year. reminding them that they are resnSIble for any or NI payinents. YOUTS sill[¢ty Michael Day