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2020-12-31-accounts

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2020

Bampton Heritage & Visitor Centre

7[th] Annual Report.

BHVC 7[th] ANNUAL REPORT - 2020 Registered Charity No 1156194.

CHAIRMAN’S INTRODUCTION and REPORT by Katrina Munro

This has been a difficult year for organisations such as ours, because of the Covid 19 pandemic. However, I am delighted that we have plenty of good work to include in this annual report in spite of long periods of closure. Trustees have been meeting regularly via Zoom and the amount of work going on behind the scenes has been quite incredible.

Katrina Munro

In March, we developed a Covid19 Recovery Plan having identified the need to continue to keep up the profile of Bampton, our organisation and the relationship with our volunteers and the local community. The hard work and enthusiasm of the trustees and volunteers have ensured that we were able to open safely when allowed to do so under government restrictions.

In February 2020, we published Bampton Bounds – a book of circular walks. We had been fortunate to receive some funding to help with the publishing costs but the hard work, walking and research was done by trustees Wendy Boothroyd and Rachel MacDonald to whom we are all very grateful. Sales of the book during 2020 have exceeded all expectations and we have also been able to support the community through lockdown by sharing several short walks around the town through the Signpost magazine.

Behind the scenes, we have been working hard planning a series of events for 2021 to attract visitors and keep Bampton walking. This comprises the publication of another new walking book (Bampton Out of Bounds), publicity material for the town and a series of walking related events. These will all help to promote the town to the wider public, support the local economy and continue our close relationship with residents, other voluntary groups and businesses. Three successful funding applications have now positioned us ready to work on delivering these outcomes during 2021.

Adding new retail stock lines this year, such as the Bampton Bounds book and new design Bampton mug, has kept our sales of items healthy and provides material that raises awareness of Bampton whilst also making money to contribute to our overheads and the continued viability of the Centre.

My personal thanks to Trustees Liz Redfern (Vice Chair), Judi Thomas (secretary), Rachel Macdonald (treasurer), Ken Mills (curator), Wendy Boothroyd and Alison Brooker and all our volunteers for their continued support throughout the year. Humphrey Berridge has also continued to support our work through his management of the website and hard work behind the scenes with cataloguing and film production. Our supporters Tom McManamon and Russ Davies have continued to lend their expertise with family and local history enquiries. The support and understanding of Rev Kevin Chandra and Church Wardens Sue Leach and Tony Mount, has continued to be invaluable in the co-existence of the Centre within St Michaels and All Angels Church.

I resigned as Chair in late November due to an impending house move out of the area and am delighted to pass the reigns to Liz Redfern who I know will lead the organisation with great enthusiasm and wisdom into 2021 and beyond. It has been an honour and rewarding experience to have been Chair of this wonderful volunteer group since 2012. The generous support, friendship and enthusiasm of all the volunteers and trustees has been heart warming. I am immensely proud of all that we have achieved and the service we provide to Bampton.

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BHVC 7[th] ANNUAL REPORT - 2020 Registered Charity No 1156194.

OUR VOLUNTEERS from Judi Thomas and Alison Brooker

We all choose to volunteer our time in different ways, but there is clear evidence of the benefit of giving time to help others. Volunteering can boost our mental health, increase our sense of worth, keep us connected with others, give us a routine. Our volunteers work hard to ensure that we meet our aim of sharing Bampton’s rich heritage and no one could have imagined that Spring 2020 would see a global pandemic that affected all of us in so many ways. This has probably been the most challenging year for our volunteers so far.

During lockdown periods connecting with others is severely restricted and the Trustees believed that keeping in touch with our volunteers was vital. Early in the first lockdown we rang and spoke to every volunteer as a check in and for reassurance that we would keep in touch. Everyone appreciated this personal contact. We established a fortnightly newsletter which was circulated to all volunteers. The newsletter kept volunteers up to date with the Covid 19 re-opening work as well as items of heritage and general interest.

Given the average age profile of our volunteers and the continuing uncertainty, we knew that the risk of Covid19 to health was greater and fully expected that not all volunteers would want to return immediately, or at all, to the shift rota. We said farewell to 3 volunteers who took this opportunity to step down permanently with 3 others stepping down until things are more settled. We trained 7 volunteers in our new Covid 19 secure systems and opened again on 18 August with everyone feeling as safe as was possible. The cleaning checklist worked well, and visitors all complied with hand sanitising, keeping to the one way system and social distancing. Volunteers ensured any visitor had a good experience as generous visitors' donations and comments in the Visitor Book show.

The second period of lockdown was frustrating, stopping us in our tracks but contact was maintained with newsletters. We value and care about all our volunteers as part of our Heritage Centre family.

IMPACT of Covid 19 and our response – from Liz Redfern

The volunteer section above already refers to some of the ways we coped with the enforced closure period from 23 March until we could re-open safely on the 18 August. Part of the challenge was navigating the Government regulations to take account of the fact we were a visitor/museum attraction which operated within a Church environment. Both settings were considered differently within the guidance. However,

whilst always wanting to work within the rules our prime consideration was our volunteers and whether we could find a way to keep them safe at the same time as providing a meaningful visitor experience. We also had to ensure that Reverend Chandra and the Churchwardens were content that the use of the church by

Closed and covered up

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BHVC 7[th] ANNUAL REPORT - 2020 Registered Charity No 1156194.

BHVC did not interrupt the opportunity for the congregation to use the space in whatever way was allowed.

A Covid 19 Task and Finish group of 3 Trustees was established to work through all the implications of opening in line with Government Guidance and Regulations. Whilst it was a complex and detailed task, it did provide the opportunity to re-design some of the ways we worked within the Centre which will be permanent positive changes fit for the future. Examples of these includes the way we display our visitor leaflets and books and the use of contactless payment systems for sales and donations.

The Centre did re-open on 18 August on Saturday mornings only. These shortened opening hours ensured we were able to regularly open with our Covid19 trained volunteers working in pairs on each shift. This continued with a good number of visitors until we were forced to close again at the end of October for the remainder of 2020.

New entry sign

CENTRE ACTIVITY

Our volunteers have overseen a reduced amount of visitor activity because of the two periods of Covid 19 lockdown closure requirements, as can be seen in the table below.

The months with no visitors at all are when we were closed. This has led to a decline in donations, as you will see in the following pages and the accounts.

VISITOR NUMBERS VISITOR NUMBERS VISITOR NUMBERS TOWN TRAIL
NUMBERS		 TOWN TRAIL
NUMBERS		 TOWN TRAIL
NUMBERS
2018 2019 2020 2018 2019 2020
JANUARY 37 52 62 5
FEBRUARY 59 104 76 6
MARCH 65 105 42 5 7
APRIL 177 93 0 11
MAY 180 231 0 27
JUNE 186 119 0 8 10
JULY 183 180 0 5
AUGUST 226 235 32 2
SEPTEMBER 163 146 8 14 4 8
OCTOBER 99 248 13 9 3
NOVEMBER 141 60 0 5 0
DECEMBER 72 32 0 4 6
TOTAL 1551 1605 233 40 84

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BHVC 7[th] ANNUAL REPORT - 2020 Registered Charity No 1156194.

TREASURER’S REPORT FOR FINANCIAL YEAR JANUARY TO DECEMBER 2020 from Rachel Macdonald

I am pleased to draw your attention to the continuing healthy financial position of Bampton Heritage and Visitor Centre, despite one of the most challenging years since inception.

BHVC thanks our Independent Examiner, Paul Hammond, for his time, help and guidance. The formal accounts are presented in a straightforward format that demonstrates that the Trustees act honestly and responsibly in handling BHVC funds. The accounts are divided into two sources of revenue – Restricted and Unrestricted.

Restricted funds are grants or donations which can only be used for the purpose for which they are given. £522 from the Building Project Grant was carried forward to 2020. In 2020 BHVC was awarded 5 grants for: renewal of the aerial map; the walk book project; Covid 19 mitigation; and a walking event. Total £3,150. During the year £1,357 was spent largely to complete the buildings and the walking book projects and to address Covid 19 issues. The remaining £1,793 has been carried forward into 2021.

Unrestricted funds are the monies raised by BHVC Volunteers through activities such as shop sales, town trails, events etc. Opportunities to raise money in this way have been scarce this year, with BHVC being closed for over half of the year. This has also affected donations from visitors. We send our heartfelt thanks to Bampton Game who stepped in to sell shop stock on our behalf. 2020 saw the launch of our on-line shop on the Devon Museums website, the introduction of cashless sales and the launch of on-line and Facebook sales using Paypal. All these efforts and a few months of restricted opening, plus two successful pop-up Christmas stalls in Brook Street attracted total sales of £2,078 this year, a significant increase on sales in 2019. All other income was reduced as a direct result of Covid 19 restrictions. This reduction will also impact on our financial position in 2021. Unrestricted Income totalled £2,699 this year.

BHVC has to expend money in order to achieve this income. In 2020 expenditure on stock increased to £2,018 owing to investment in a reprint of the walking book, purchases of coasters and the launch of a new mug. Overheads were down this year to £445 due to a welcome non-availability rebate on rent paid to the Church. Unrestricted expenditure totalled £3,079 this year.

By taking the total unrestricted expenditure of £3,079 away from the total unrestricted income of £2,699 we see that this year BHVC made a gross loss of £380 offset by an £803 increase in stock holdings .

The balances at year end 31 December 2020 show that holdings of cash in hand or at the bank (restricted and unrestricted) stood at £9,260 whilst stock levels were valued at £2,559. Assets have depreciated by £994. This stable financial position is due to hard work by Trustees and Volunteers and by support from local business and members of the community - all of whom have played key roles in keeping the Centre viable.

In recognition of the stable but tightened financial position, the Trustees will review and agree the 2019 reserves policy . This policy lays out what BHVC will do with money it has – to be prudent we need to continue to keep reserves in the bank to insure us against hard times when sales fall or we need to replace key items of equipment. We do not want to build up large reserves of cash when there is so much we can be doing to keep BHVC vibrant and alive, so a draft budget will also be set for 2021 and will be updated in line with the reserves policy. Both of these documents, along with the draft examined accounts shown on the next page, will be received for approval at the AGM

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BHVC 7[th] ANNUAL REPORT - 2020 Registered Charity No 1156194.

BAMPTON HERITAGE & VISITOR CENTRE

Accounts for year ending 31st December 2020

INCOME
2019
0
Lottery grants
250
Grants
631
Donations
1,257
Sales
278
Town Trails
1,076
Fundraising
0
Other income
208
Gift Aid Refund
3,700
EXPENDITURE
Routine
768
Shop stock
57
Repairs & Maintenance
866
Overheads
134
Admin
0
Subscriptions
298
Volunteer support
127
Marketing
62
Equipment/Materials
421
Events
5
Museum Collection
Restricted
4,081
Building Project
0
Covid 19
0
Walking book
6,819
-3,119
Net Income
7,295
Balances at Co-operative Bank
0
Balance with Paypal
30
Petty Cash at Centre
30
Cash in hand
0
Unpresented cheques
4,970
Assets minus depreciation (20%)
1,756
Stock
14,081
Total Assets		 Restricted
Unrestricted
Total
£
£
£
0
0
0
3,150
0
3,150
0
191
191
0
2,078
2,078
0
28
28
0
0
0
0
233
233
0
169
169
3,150
2,699
5,849
2,018
2,018
0
0
445
445
42
42
153
153
114
114
112
112
93
93
0
0
102
102
522
0
522
485
0
485
350
0
350
1,357
3,079
4,436
1,793
-380
1,413
9,138
61
31
30
0
3,976
2,559
15,795
PROFIT
1,714

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BHVC 7[th] ANNUAL REPORT - 2020 Registered Charity No 1156194.

CURATOR’S REPORT from Ken Mills

Despite being closed for the majority of year, because of Covid19, it has been a busier than usual year for the work of the curator.

The highlight of 2020 was, of course, the incredible gift of all the artefacts that previous resident Jonathan Hill had collected over the years. As you know, many of the items already on display were leant from this collection, but now we have it all. I have catalogued all the items and am now engaged with the lengthy process of organising it into subject areas.

The collection consists of an extensive record of Bampton life over the period 1985 – 2005; a collection of items from Dodd’s the Chemist (the forerunner of Bampton Pharmacy); a unique collection of receipts and other paperwork from the Chown family farms in the 1920’s; a set of deeds for 2/4, Brook St and 15/17, Fore St dating back to the 1700’s and a number of unique older items relating to Bampton.

We now have to decide what to do with all these items. We do not have the ability to store it all – nor should we, if better homes can be found for some of these items. A selection of smaller items have been added to our “permanent” display – others will form the basis of special exhibitions over the next few years. There are some truly unique and interesting objects. Others may be sent to the Devon Heritage Centre (Devon Records Office) or to other relevant local collections. Through the generosity of a resident we now have access to a better storage space than our present arrangement, but the space is not unlimited!

We have also received two other donations. Beryl Fothergill was District Nurse and then midwife for Bampton and the surrounding area in the 1950’s. Her daughter has donated her midwife’s box and other items, including some photographs and Beryl’s detailed logs. This will all form the basis of another exhibit, after which it may be donated to the Devon and Exeter Medical Society. We are very grateful to Dawn Bamsey for this gift.

Another gift was left in the Vicarage doorway. It consists of photos and other artefacts relating to Olive Besley, who ran the dairy in Brook Street – again to be the subject of a special exhibit at some time in the future. The donor was one Pat Martyn, who may have been Olive’s niece – but our efforts to trace her have so far been fruitless.

The Covid19 crisis prevented the showing of any new exhibitions during 2020. A small exhibit commemorating the 75[th] Anniversary of the ending of WW2 had been planned – this will no longer take place. But, as you can see from the above, we have plenty of plans for 2021 and beyond.

I am, once again, grateful for the support of my fellow Trustees, and of the church in allowing us to continue the displays there in these difficult times.

Dairymaids working

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BHVC 7[th] ANNUAL REPORT - 2020 Registered Charity No 1156194.

Town Trails – from Wendy Boothroyd

This way of getting to know and understand the history of the town has remained popular with visitors but has been significantly affected by Covid 19 restrictions this year.

There have only been two trails during 2020, one for a family of four visitors renting a holiday cottage and one for three local residents. Both were very well received. Four booked parties each with 20 to 24 participants were cancelled but hopefully will be reinstated later in 2021. The format may have to be adjusted to fit with regulations.

We have been invited to record a trail programme for the new ‘Exestream’ radio station and work on this is in progress. I had technical problems trying to do it as an outside broadcast (Bampton is a very noisy place!) so I am now going to record it indoors.

Walking Publications – Wendy Boothroyd and Rachel Macdonald

Bampton Bounds was available at the start of the year and has been very well received. It sold well on display in the Centre and through local Facebook, website and press promotion. However, a kind offer from to Alan Loftus at Bampton Game to sell them vastly increased sales and we had to commission a reprint in November. These sales have kept Bampton walking and have reached a wider local audience than they would have only being sold from the Centre. The high number of sales has resulted in revisions and a second edition being available in December 2020. A big thank you to all who sent in comments and reported errors, footpath changes, sent photographs and accompanied us on our test walks of the revised instructions.

Meanwhile we have been working on book 2 which we will be calling 'Bampton? Out of Bounds' again we have permission to use one of Ken Dives' previous titles. Ten walks have been identified and written up with historical background notes. All the walks start within a ten-mile radius of Bampton and all have some features to connect them with Bampton. The book is still a work in progress and will be published in 2021.

Thanks also to the Editor of Signpost who published several of our short circular walks monthly between May – October.

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BHVC 7[th] ANNUAL REPORT - 2020 Registered Charity No 1156194.

GOVERNANCE of the Charity from Liz Redfern

The Charity is governed by 7 Trustees who set the strategy for the Centre, run it on a day to day basis, coordinate volunteer recruitment and training and ensure the effective use of resources. They operate using a standard Charity Commission constitution and submit accounts and reports to them as required.

The Trustees meet on a regular basis, with agendas and minutes. In between meetings much of the on - going business is conducted through email correspondence and decision making on minor issues. This leaves the face to face meetings for substantial items that need further discussion and decisions. Volunteers are invited to join the meeting by request and agendas are circulated beforehand. Following each meeting a Newsletter is sent to all volunteers to update them on decisions from the meeting and other relevant information, to keep them informed.

Since 2016 Trustees have been elected from the members of the volunteer group. Our election process established in 2015/16 introduced the principle of 3 Trustees standing down in each of the first two years to provide continuity at the same time as the opportunity to introduce new Trustees. The normal term of office for the elected trustees will be 3 years and they will then be eligible to stand again.

The AGM took place on the 27 February 2020 AGM and confirmed the following 7 Trustees. The Trustees then confirmed the officer posts:

Trustees have continued to meet regularly during 2020 using Zoom!

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BHVC 7[th] ANNUAL REPORT - 2020 Registered Charity No 1156194.

Other activities during 2020

The Motte and Bailey Playground Projec t - we were pleased to see that the group of Bampton fathers were successful in obtaining funding from Viridor, MDDC and BTC for this project. The planning group had consulted with BHVC and we were keen to see how we could help with historical information about the Motte and Bailey that could be incorporated into the project with information boards.

In the end the information boards were not included in the first phase of this project, but the play equipment was always designed to educate children as to the history of the site. The play equipment is arranged around a mock wooden castle. It was officially opened in September.

New playground with Motte in the background

Devon Museums Website – BHVC has a presence on this website that provides the opportunity for all museums or similar organisations like ours to gain further publicity. We are also selling our Bampton books and products through the website shop.

Exmoor Magazine and Radio Devon – two opportunities to promote Bampton and the Centre to residents and visitors alike were taken this year. Bampton featured in the November issue of Exmoor Magazine and there was reference to the work of the Centre.

BBC Radio Devon are featuring a different museum each month and Liz Redfern was interviewed in November about our work, providing some valuable publicity for the Centre and the town.

Heritage Lottery Fund Digital Skills Survey – we registered to take part in this free survey that launched on 27th April 2020. It

New mug design

allowed us to capture a summary of key digital skills and attitudes of our volunteers. Around 60% completed the on-line survey. The results were interesting and gave clear messages that volunteers are willing to embrace a digital approach if it serves a purpose (eg the online rota system) but we need to provide more training and face to face support to help them build digital skills and confidence in using them.

We will use the results to inform a future plan and associated training for those who have indicated they would appreciate more training. The Trustees believe that the continued future success of the Centre will depend on us developing a forward looking digital strategy.

Bampton Fair – all the usual activities had to be cancelled this year, but we felt it was important to mark the Charter Fair day by remaining open during the day.

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BHVC 7[th] ANNUAL REPORT - 2020 Registered Charity No 1156194.

FUTURE PLANS – 2021 AND BEYOND

Prior to the pandemic, both Dulverton Heritage Centre and South Molton Museum had agreed to host some of our exhibition boards from ‘Our Buildings’ project. This would help to publicise the town and the Centre to a wide audience. We hope to rearrange this agreement during 2021.

As the Curators report shows 2020 saw the acquisition of many items into our collection. These will provide several opportunities for exhibitions during 2021. Especially, an exhibition of the work of a local midwife and the previous local dairy.

Our current strategic plan already identifies how we can increase the use of technology and digital formats to widen access to our various resources and exhibits. Previous work on using the website to share our resources has already been successful and this year saw the 10,000[th] viewing of our Railway film. Nationally there is a drive to create a virtual museum or visitor Centre experience alongside the physical version by going to a building. This is something Trustees, volunteers and other stakeholders will be exploring and making plans for during 2021 and beyond.

Statement from incoming Chairman Liz Redfern

Thank you to my fellow Trustees for electing me as the Chair of BHVC in December 2020, following the resignation of Katrina Munro. It has been a privilege to work alongside Katrina since the Centre opened and I am looking forward to leading it through its next phase of development as we continue to build the profile and reputation of the Centre and attract visitors to Bampton.

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