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2022-03-31-accounts

THE MILLS ARCHIVE TRUST

(A charitable incorporated organisation) CIO Number 1155828

UNAUDITED TRUSTEES' REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR 31 MARCH 2022

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THE MILLS ARCHIVE TRUST

CONTENTS

Page
Reference and administrative details of the charity, its trustees and advisers 3
Trustees' report 4 ‐ 9
Independent examiner's report 10‐ 11
Receiptsand paymentsaccount 12
Statement of assets andliabilities 13
Notes to financial statements 14 ‐ 15

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THE MILLS ARCHIVE TRUST

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS OF THE CHARITY, ITS TRUSTEES AND ADVISERS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

Trustees

Dr RF Cookson MBE, Chairman

Dr AW Vaidya, Vice Chairman

Mrs MM Cookson

Mr MJ Evans

Mr G Hackney

Mr C Pinchbeck DL

Mr MJ Savage JP

Dr M Simons

Mr A Stoyel MBE (died 23 October 2021)

Director

Ms E Bartram

Charity registered number 1155828

Principal office

Watlington House. 44 Watlington Street, Reading RG1 4RJ

Accountants

Holy Brook Associates Ltd Curious Lounge, 1st Floor, Pinnacle Building, Tudor Road, Reading, RG1 1NH

Bankers

Charities Aid Foundation 25 Kings Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling ME19 4JQ

Santander Bridle Road, Bootle, Merseyside L30 4GB

Solicitors

Blandy and Blandy LLP One Friar Street, Reading RG1 1DA

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MILLS ARCHIVE TRUST

TRUSTEES' REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

The Trustees present their annual report together with the financial statements of The Mills Archive Trust (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2022. The Trustees confirm that the Annual Report and financial statements of the charity comply with the current statutory requirements, the requirements of the charity's governing document and the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP), applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) (effective 1 January 2015).

Structure, governance and management

The Mills Archive Trust is an educational charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Registered as a Charitable Trust in April 2002 (registration no 1091534) the charity was incorporated as a Foundation Charitable Incorporated Organisation (registration no 1155828) in February 2014. The Charity is controlled by its constitution dated 18 February 2014 and the management of the Charity is the responsibility of the Trustees, who are elected under the terms of that constitution.

The Trustees confirm that in setting our objectives and planning our activities, they have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit.

During the extended period of covid‐related lockdowns the newly appointed Development Manager and the part‐ time Information Manager left us. The Director and the Archivist compensated for the two‐year hiatus in information service development by ensuring our digital output was maintained. Grants from the Swire Charitable Trust and an earlier one from the Garfield Weston Foundation enabled us to employ two interns who provided valuable new content for our website and electronic newsletters. Careful management of expenditure increased our unrestricted reserves enabling us to start recruitment in early 2022 initially to fill the development post.

Statement on risk management

The Trustees have examined the major strategic, business and operational risks which the charity faces and confirm that systems have been established to mitigate these risks. In particular the measures we took to anticipate the coronavirus lockdown ensured the safety of our staff and volunteers by working at home. Unfortunately this has also meant that we have had to close to visiting researchers. By cutting back on immediate expenditure to a level that allowed a continuing but reduced service, we have managed the expected reduction in personal donations. We will continue to restrain expenditure for the coming year to maintain our level of unrestricted reserves in such a way that we can restore our full service at the earliest opportunity.

Objects and activities for public benefit

The objects of the charity are:

to advance the education of the public in the subject of mills and milling by establishing and preserving and facilitating the public use of the archive to form, establish and support, and to aid in the formation, establishment and support of any other charities and voluntary bodies, established for, or advancing, charitable purposes, the same as, or similar to those of the charity, for the benefit of the public.

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We continue to be grateful to our volunteers who have helped us achieve so much this year despite having mainly to work from home. We acknowledge the continuing backing from our regular supporters and the contributions from a significant number of new donors providing further support for our “Help put back the wind in our sails” appeal. Together with a generous legacy from the late Gerald Bannister, they have enabled us to preserve records of our milling history and spread awareness of the urgent need to do more.

After a year of relatively few new acquisitions during 2020 due to the pandemic, we once again received a large amount of new material in 2021‐2, with 40 accessions totaling 186 boxes as well as 6 MB of digital records. The most significant new acquisition was the first batch of the Alan Stoyel Collection, one of our foundation collections, which arrived in March 2022 and included 178 boxes along with rolled drawings, paintings, and artefacts. Other significant accessions included additions to the William and Donald Muggeridge, and H C Casserley collections, and the John Bedington photographic survey of Staffordshire mills.

A small fraction of the Alan Stoyel Foundation Collection, all safely received. In total, an estimated 17 cubic metres

to be boxed, listed, and catalogued.

The sad loss of Foundation Trustee Alan Stoyel is noted later. The first quarter of 2022 was spent preparing for and receiving one of the biggest and most important mill collections still in private hands. With the help of his executors, we will have accepted some 250 large boxes of material, much reflecting Alan’s lifelong research on watermills and the waterpower more generally. Our library will be enriched by some 1,000 or so volumes. His meticulous photographic and documentary records will attract a great deal of attention as we catalogue and repackage them and some of his many small artefacts will enhance our future exhibitions.

Sorting, cataloguing and conserving material from the Rex Wailes Collection has been progressing well with now more than 6,000 images and documents freely available in our catalogue.

Conservation work on some of the dirty and damaged drawings was enabled by a grant from the National Conservation of Manuscripts Trust.

Repairs were made with a very pure quality, thin and strong Japanese paper made from long fibred mulberry pulp.

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The Rex Wailes Collection is a rich resource for mill researchers both in the UK and around the world. This pair of recently scanned images shows the miller and his wife operating the sack hoist at their mill, Moulin Deschodt, Wormhoudt, Nord, France ca 1950.

The digital platform we built in early 2021 to help volunteers to work from home has been useful and popular. By October 23 different volunteers had completed over 300 transcription tasks on the site. One unexpected development was interest from several schools who used the site to provide a week’s work experience for groups of students. Some of the students gave very positive feedback.

Reading and transcribing the documents assigned to me was incredibly interesting, I had the feeling of looking over the shoulders of the authors and getting a peek of their everyday lives, it was really immersive, and I felt transported to many different eras. At times it was slightly tricky to decipher handwriting, so a little investigating and guesswork had to be done, but overall the process was manageable and very enjoyable.

Imogen Ives

Covid has limited our outreach opportunities. Nevertheless we were combined our forces with the Museum of English Rural Life, manning a specially created stand on Heritage Open Day in September.

From left: Director Elizabeth Bartram Founding Trustee Mildred Cookson Senior Volunteer Guy Boocock Archivist & poster designer Nathanael Hodge

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In the summer we were joined by a second‐year student, Jude Reeves from the University of Reading, who received funding to work on a project to consider the intersections between sugar milling and slavery in the Caribbean.

With Jude’s help we created our first digital exhibition, prompting a trustee to research and fund a four‐fold extension of our coverage of the topic, emphasising the social aspects of the exploitation of slaves, and particularly women.

A second exhibition on the craft of millwrighting is being prepared for launch in Summer 2022. Supported by a generous grant from the Swire Charitable Trust, that also helped our recovery from covid, much of the work was carried out by Intern Hayden Francis‐Legg. He has been working with Jake Banyard, supported as an intern by the Garfield Weston Foundation. Jake’s focus was on our women in milling initiative, part of which contributed to a website exhibition by UK Flour Millers, (formerly the National Association of British and Irish Millers (nabim).

Interns, Hayden and Jake at work in the Research and Education Centre

Our Research and Education Centre has benefited from a doubling of our library shelving as well as a significant boost to our digital content with much appreciated help from the Millers’ Mutual Association and the Garfield Weston Foundation. We look forward to opening our much‐improved facilities to more visitors and volunteers as the covid threat becomes more manageable.

Our digital emphasis is having a marked impact. Our weekly, information‐rich e‐newsletter to 5,000 subscribers attracts a lot of praise and partly drives the steady increase in traffic to our website and catalogue. The monthly number of visitors increased from 4,400 in April‐June 2021 to over 8,000 by the end of the financial year.

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During the year we published three more Research Publications: a definitive study of the volunteer‐led long‐term restoration to working order of High Salvington windmill; an academic study of Caribbean sugar mills and slavery and a detailed review of the history of corn mills in Newry (our first Irish publication).

To mark our 20th birthday and to thank the generous donors to the Rex Wailes appeal we published a limited edition of 20 copies of an annotated unfinished typescript “With the windmillwrights in fen and marsh'. This special commemorative book is a material expression of the invaluable, rare, and irreplaceable history collected by Rex Wailes and preserved in his collection. Written and evocatively illustrated by Douglas Reid, it captures the role of windmills and millwrights in 1930s Britain. Douglas recognised that both were at risk from technological advances. Almost 100 years ago, he knew that the present situation needed to be captured for future generations.

Alan Stoyel MBE (1939‐2021)

The Rex Wailes Collection was rescued for the nation by Alan shortly after Rex’s death. It was a vital but small part of the contribution he made to the world of mills and milling. He was awarded MBE for services to water mill heritage; a long‐overdue recognition of a lifetime’s voluntary effort to record and save our milling heritage.

As one of our Founding Trustees, his energy and credibility helped us to establish the Mills Archive Trust as a force to be reckoned with. He was meticulous in supporting the Archive’s drive to develop and maintain the highest standards of care and understanding of the records we hold. Over the last 20 years his commitment to making his work and that of others available to the public, his intellectual input and strategic guidance has helped us grow from a dedicated group of six mill enthusiasts to a respected national archive with more than 250 collections.

Financial Position

Our recovery from covid was aided by a £44,000 legacy and a grant of £23,000 towards core costs from the Swire Charitable Trust. This increased our unrestricted income to £137,000, which with tight restrictions on expenditure resulted in an increase of unrestricted reserves from 6.3 to 7.3 months cover of unrestricted expenses. Overall reserves decreased by £27,000 as we worked to complete projects with restricted grants, reducing the restricted reserve from £61,000 to £18,000.

Reserves Policy

It is the policy of the charity to aim for an unrestricted reserve of six months of unrestricted expenditure.

Trustees’ responsibilities statement

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that year. In preparing these financial statements the Trustees are required to:

Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

Observe methods and principles in the Charities SORP;

Make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

State whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;

Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charity’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, The Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

This report was approved by the Trustees on 9 August 2022 and signed on their behalf by:

RF Cookson Chairman Date 9 August 2022

Independent examiner's report on the accounts

Section A Independent Examiner’s Report

Report to the trustees/ The Mills Archive Trust members of On accounts for the year 31[st] March 2022 ended

Charity no 1155828 (if any)

Set out on pages 12-15

Respective The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. responsibilities of The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year trustees and examiner under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

Basis of independent examiner’s statement

Independent In connection with my examination, no material matters have come to my examiner's statement attention which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect,:

I have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached .

Date: 3[rd] October 2022

Signed: Name: Rachel Eden

1

December 2017

IER

Relevant professional ACMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) qualification(s) or body (if any):

Address: Holy Brook Associates, Curious Lounge, 1st Floor, Pinnacle Building, Tudor Road, Reading, England, RG1 1NH

Section B Disclosure

[NONE ]

2

December 2017

IER

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THE MILLS ARCHIVE TRUST RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

INCOME FROM:
Voluntary income
Other trading activities
Miscellaneous income
Grants
TOTAL INCOME
EXPENDITURE ON:
Raising funds
Charitable activities
TOTAL EXPENDITURE
NET INCOME / (EXPENDITURE)
Restric/Unrestric transfer
Cash balance at 1 April 2021
Cash balance at 31 March 2022		 Restricted
funds 2022 £
Unrestricted
funds 2022 £
Total funds
2022 £
Total funds
2021 £
0
109,416
109,416
69,623
0
9,004
9,004
6,012
0
178
178
46
19,622
18,639
38,261
87,030
19,622
137,237
156,859
162,712
Restricted
funds 2022 £
Unrestricted
funds 2022 £
Total funds
2022 £
Total funds
2021 £
2,141
27,018
29,159
28,539
55,120
100,184
155,304
137,099
57,261
127,202
184,463
165,638
(37,639)
10,035
(27,604)
(2,927)
(2,480)
2,480
0
58,321
54,516
112,837
112,837
18,202
67,031
85,233

All figures are rounded to whole £.

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THE MILLS ARCHIVE TRUST STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIBILITIES AS AT 31 MARCH 2022

CASH FUNDS
Current accounts
Deposit account
Other accounts
Total:
OTHER MONETARY ASSETS
Gift Aid
Total:
ASSETS FOR CHARITY'S OWN USE
Library furniture
Total:
STATEMENT OF FUNDS
General funds
Collections fund
Education and outreach fund
Research fund
Restricted funds
Total:		 2022
£
2021
£
12,155
16,093
68,447
90,943
4,630
5,801
85,233
112,837
10,510
9,794
10,510
9,794
19,376
12,330
19,376
12,330
46,534
31,877
5,181
5,181
2,480
12,836
14,758
18,202
61,021
85,233
112,837

The financial statements were approved by the Trustees on 10 May 2022 and signed on their behalf, by:

R F Cookson A Vaidya Chairman Vice Chairman

The following notes page(s) form part of these financial statements.

THE MILLS ARCHIVE TRUST NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

VOLUNTARY INCOME
Donations
Legacies
Total:
OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES
Fees for services
Sales
Total:
MISCELLANEOUS INCOME
Interest
Other income
Total:
GRANTS
Garfeld Weston Foundation
Millers' Mutual Association
Small Grants
Swire Charitable Trust
Total:
RAISING FUNDS
Staf costs
Archive development & publicity
Total:
CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
Cataloguing and materials
Furniture and equipment
IT development
Legal and fnance
Miscellaneous and ofce expenses
Network and telephone
Recruitment
Rent, insurance and storage
Staf costs
Training, travel and subsistence
Website maintenance
Direct project costs
Total:		 Restricted
Unrestricted
Total funds
Total funds
funds 2022 £
funds 2022 £
2022 £
2021 £
0
65,386
65,386
65,235
0
44,030
44,030
0
0
109,416
109,416
65,235
0
1,814
1,814
4,388
0
7,190
7,190
6,012
0
9,004
9,004
10,400
0
15
15
46
0
162
162
0
0
178
178
46
0
0
0
75,000
10,000
0
10,000
10,000
4,972
0
4,972
2,030
4,650
18,639
23,289
0
19,622
18,639
38,261
87,030
0
27,000
27,000
25,000
2,141
18
2,159
3,539
2,141
27,018
29,159
28,539
1,501
2,130
3,631
5,862
265
0
265
6,770
4,554
0
4,554
11,970
25
3,001
3,026
4,536
1,767
363
2,131
1,084
753
2,030
2,783
5,503
0
1,329
1,329
1,085
0
26,546
26,546
24,974
19,071
57,656
76,727
63,797
915
2,313
3,228
3,108
4,315
4,815
9,131
8,410
21,954
0
21,954
0
55,120
100,184
155,304
137,099

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Notes to the accounts

Direct project costs allocated

Restricted grants directly funded the employment of interns (£6,713), website and IT development (£6,510), packaging and supplies (£4,536) and equipment purchases (£4,195).

Trustee Remuneration and expenses

As last year, none of the trustees have been paid any remuneration or received any other benefits from an employment with their charity or a related entity. No trustee expenses have been incurred.

Independent Examiner remuneration

The Independent Examiner received remuneration of £360 including VAT. They did not undertake any other work for the firm, but the same firm received remuneration of £346 including VAT for other services relating to payroll and pensions administration during the year.

Related parties

There were no related party transactions in the reporting period that require disclosure.

Staff

As last year, the average head count (number of staff employed) during the reporting period was Four. No employees received employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) of more than £60,000. The charity operated a defined contribution plan. All of the costs associated with this were from unrestricted funds.

Accounting policies

The accounts are produced on a receipts and payments basis. There are no material uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue

Public benefit

The charity is a Public Benefit Entity.