Friends of Lydiard Park
Trustees’ Annual Report – 1[st] April 2023 to 31[st] March 2024
Charity Number 1107635
Trustees:
-
Sarah Finch Crisp (Chair)
-
Julie Holland (Secretary / Treasurer
-
Michael Gray
-
Mike Bowden
-
Bob Hook
-
Frances Bevan
-
Per-Axel Warensjo
International Ambassador : Elizabeth St John
Structure, Governance and Management
The Charity is governed by a Trust Deed and is an Unincorporated Association.
The number of trustees is at least five and not more than nine individuals who have special knowledge of Lydiard Park or possess personal or professional qualifications that enable them to make a particular contribution to the Charity.
Objectives and Activities
The Friends of Lydiard Park Charitable Objectives comprise:
-
(1) The protection, restoration and conservation of the house, gardens and park known as Lydiard Park at Lydiard Tregoze, near Swindon for the benefit of the public;
-
(2) the education of the public in the history, architecture, garden design, designed landscape and natural environment associated with the house, garden and park at Lydiard Park, its immediate neighbourhood and its previous owners; and
-
(3) such other charitable purposes associated with Lydiard Park as the Trustees think fit from time to time.
In 2023-2024 the Friends of Lydiard Park provided a full public events programme of tours, lectures and events from Archaeology in the Park to Heritage Apple Day and commissioned a children’s trail for Lydiard House.
We commenced a series of talks on Vernon St.John 6[th] Viscount Bolingbroke and instigated the conservation of an associated historic silver rose bowl in the Lydiard collection.
A significant part of our activities is the continued expansion of The Lydiard Archives, a freely accessible digital archive of items pertaining to Lydiard House and Park, St. Mary’s Church and the wider parish of Lydiard Tregoze. We also commissioned the digitisation of the early 20[th] Century diaries of local farmer Elliot Woolford, transcribing these as well as local wills
The Trustees are sent all communications from the Charities Commission. Public benefit is central to the work of our organisation .
Grant Making
From time to time, the Friends of Lydiard Park make grants for conservation, research and educational purposes that supports our charitable objectives. No such grants were made during this financial year.
Volunteers
The Friends of Lydiard Park is entirely managed by volunteers and members of the Friends also volunteer for specific activities e g. Research, providing advice and expertise, transcribing historic documents, digitisation and photography etc.
Achievements and Performance
The work of The Friends of Lydiard Park has provided a key resource for family history, genealogical and social history research via The Lydiard Archives www.thelydiardarchives.org.uk; possibly the largest free and publicly accessible archive of a country house in England with around 1000 subscribers.
We have raised interest and engagement in Lydiard Park, particularly in the local community, through our 2023-2024 events programme which has covered topics including DNA; archaeology, St.John family history; and Lydiard’s historic apple trees – providing organisational support for Swindon Council’s Heritage Apple Day as well - as interpretive material. https://www.friendsoflydiardpark.org.uk/events listing/
We have provided guidance and support to volunteers in our 100 Wills Project which - - exceeded its original targets: https://www.friendsoflydiardpark.org.uk/news/100 wills project-exceeds-expectations/.
Our Lydiard Tregoze Family History Project has engaged local residents in the rural community, particularly more elderly members, capturing and valuing their stories and memories for inclusion in The Lydiard Archives and bringing 70 residents
together at our 3[nd] Cakes and Tales event in the parish hall. - https://www.thelydiardarchives.org.uk/collection/family history
Financial Review
The Charity’s funds are robust due to previous legacy and an increase in the interest received on it. Income in 2023-4 included a very generous donation of £5,000 plus gift aid towards a memorial project to Vernon St John, 6[th] Viscount Bolingbroke (d.1974). Membership subscriptions, small donations and surpluses from events combined with the aforementioned bank interest and donation take our annual income to just over £25,000.
The majority of the Charity’s reserves are restricted funds allocated to conservation and object acquisition within Lydiard House and St Marys, Lydiard Tregoze. During 2023-4 this included the conservation of a watercolour of St. Mary’s Church for onward donation to Lydiard House.
The restricted funds have also enabled the Friends to continue with the digitisation of the privately owned Woolford Diaries to ensure their content is preserved and available to the general public.
Income from the bank interest has enabled us to refresh the Friends’ website www.thefriendsoflydiardpark.org.uk and further develop the Lydiard Archives. We commissioned and produced a children’s trail of Lydiard House to complement previous trails of the Park and churchyard and supported Swindon Borough Council’s Heritage Apple day with interpretive material.
The Friends of Lydiard Park 31st March 2024
Accounts Year ending 31st March 2024
Year ending 31st March 2024
| CAF Cash account | CAF Cash account | CAF Cash account 22'23 | CAF Cash account 22'23 | CAF Gold Account 2.505% | CAF Gold Account 2.505% | Virgin Money 1year 3.75% | Virgin Money 1year 3.75% | Virgin Money | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mature 01 Feb 2024 | Mature 03 | ||||||||||||
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Unrestricted | Restricted | Unrestricted | Restricted | Unrestricted | Restricted | ||||||
| RECEIPTS | |||||||||||||
| b/f | 184.98 | 975.50 | 8312.73 | 857.50 | 50366.95 | 137629.81 | 0.00 | 100000.00 | |||||
| Donations: | 833.91 | 5000.00 | 140.87 | 5000.00 | |||||||||
| Miscellaneous | 310.39 | 313.00 | |||||||||||
| For St. Mary's restoration | 10302.61 | ||||||||||||
| Grants | |||||||||||||
| Payroll Giving | 140.00 | 120.00 | |||||||||||
| Raffle Tickets(Xmas Party) | 150.00 | 128.00 | |||||||||||
| Gift Aid Repaid | 34.07 | 1250.00 | 139.89 | ||||||||||
| Transfers | 1849.50 | 108391.00 | 171380.00 | 9488.22 | 85009.33 | ||||||||
| Subscriptions | 1533.24 | 1442.00 | |||||||||||
| Paypal subs | 1425.29 | 1186.38 | |||||||||||
| Interest received/loan repayment | 9495.24 | 85009.33 | 7937.58 | 2543.64 | 3750.00 | ||||||||
| Sales of CuriouslyPainted/Last 75yrs/Lydiard Chr | o 396.39 |
314.10 | |||||||||||
| Xmas Party | 566.56 | 571.49 | |||||||||||
| SUM UP Card Income Not allocated | 190.87 | 264.25 | |||||||||||
| Other Income(ie summer trip/talks series) | 3893.25 | 1813.60 | |||||||||||
| Total Receipts | 20853.69 | 200775.83 | 22555.89 | 182668.11 | 62398.81 | 227639.14 | 3750.00 | 100000.00 | 0.00 | ||||
| PAYMENTS | |||||||||||||
| Loan/Grants | 7430.00 | ||||||||||||
| Marketing /Mailchimp | 272.56 | 144.23 | |||||||||||
| Newsletters/Printing /ActivityTrail | 2141.00 | 30.00 | |||||||||||
| xmaspartycosts | 377.44 | 1050.33 | |||||||||||
| Production C Painted/Lydiard Chronicles/Ladies of | 372.96 | 150.00 | |||||||||||
| Reports/Publications | 9.00 | 43.11 | |||||||||||
| Postage/Stationery /Miscellaneous | 679.53 | 642.09 | |||||||||||
| AGM tea and speaker/Trustee Lunches | 10.00 | 281.20 | |||||||||||
| Heritage Open Days | |||||||||||||
| Website/email | 3532.20 | 1334.56 | |||||||||||
| Other Costs/bank fees/Card reader | 100.00 | 75.00 | |||||||||||
| Summer trip /Events | 2727.24 | 1303.15 | |||||||||||
| Contribution to St. Mary's | 10302.61 | ||||||||||||
| Conservation/Acquisitions/Grants | 570.00 | 438.00 | |||||||||||
| Transfers/New Accounts | 9488.22 | 190009.33 | 7430.00 | 170010.00 | 1849.50 | 100000.00 | 3750.00 | 100000.00 | |||||
| Hire | 36.00 | ||||||||||||
| Insurance | 96.00 | 96.00 | |||||||||||
| Project Archive | 1781.04 | 8391.00 | 1587.24 | 1380.00 | 8391.00 | ||||||||
| Accountants | 300.00 | ||||||||||||
| Total Payments | 21587.19 | 198970.33 | 22370.91 | 181692.61 | 1849.50 | 108391.00 | 3750.00 | 100000.00 | |||||
| NET RECEIPTS/ (PAYMENTS) | -733.50 | 1805.50 | 184.98 | 975.50 | 60549.31 | 119248.14 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||||
| TOTAL | 179797.45 | TOTAL | 0.00 | TOTAL | |||||||||
| Statement reconciled to 31st March 2024 | 1072.00 | ||||||||||||
| CAF Gold Account | 179797.45 | ||||||||||||
| Fixed Term Account closed to Gold Account | Restricted Funds | ||||||||||||
| CharityBank Fixed Term | 85000.00 | Grave Survey | 1500.00 | ||||||||||
| Metro Business Account | - | St. Mary's Window Clean | 106.00 | ||||||||||
| Metro Fixed Term account | 0.00 | FamilyHistoryProject | 128.00 | ||||||||||
| Virgin MoneyFixed Term Account | 100000.00 | Anne Barr Donation andgift aid | 6250.00 | £3,750.00 Anticipated Intere |
st 2023'2024 o | ||||||||
| 365869.45 | 7984.00 |
The Friends of Lydiard Park 31st March 2024
Accounts Year ending 31st March 2024
Year ending 31st March 2024
| 1year 4.3% | Charity Bank 1year 3.36% | Charity Bank 1year 3.36% | Charity Bank 1year 3.36% | Charity Bank 1year 4.51% | Charity Bank 1year 4.51% | Metro Bank Business A/c | Metro Bank Business A/c | Metro Bank Business A/c | Metro Bank 1year 3.51% | Metro Bank 1year 3.51% | Metro Bank 1year 3.51% | TOTALS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2025 | Mature 13 Feb 2024 | Mature 13 Feb 2025 | Mature 17 Mar 2024 | ||||||||||||||
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Unrestricted | Restricted | Unrestricted | Restricted | Unrestricted | Restricted | ||||||||||
| 0.00 | 85000.00 | 6010.00 | 79000.00 | ||||||||||||||
| 100000.00 | 85000.00 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2957.72 | 2780.50 | ||||||||||||||||
| 100000.00 | 2957.72 | 85000.00 | 0.00 | 85000.00 | 0.00 | 6010.00 | 2780.50 | 79000.00 | |||||||||
| 0.67 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2957.22 | 85000.00 | 6009.33 | 2780.50 | 79000.00 | |||||||||||||
| 2957.22 | 85000.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6010.00 | 0.00 | 79000.00 | ||||||||||
| 100000.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 85000.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||||||||
| 100000.00 | TOTAL | 0.00 | 0.00 | 85000.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||||||||||
| 365869.45 | |||||||||||||||||
| n fixed term acco | £2,856.00 unts |
£2,772.90 | £9,378.90 |
Ind•pwthnt •xamin•rfs rwrt on th• accounts S*ctiOn A IndepE[nt EiarniTr•f 4 R•wn 31.mwth 2fQ4 1r M•y >)24 Od2M•