UPPER WHARFEDALE MUSEUM SOCIETY. Chairman's Address to 2025 AGM. This report is always historical and places on record what the Society has done in the 2024 season. But once again, I wish to draw attention to some aspects of our organisation and provide some statistical information for the current 2025 season. Membership. The recruitment drive last season and at the beginning of 2025 has produced over 16 new members, who have become active volunteer stewards and our membership now stands at 68, of which 60 make contributions. We are grateful for these additional recruits, as we continue to have a very ambitious openings policy of 6 days a week, morning and afternoon from late March to the beginning of November. In addition to this we are now open on Monday afternoons in August as well as the Christmas Market weekends in December and the February half term holiday period. Stewarding. All our good intentions regarding opening time for the museum can only materialise if volunteer steward cover is available, and fortunately it usually is. In 2024 there were 396 sessions planned and we managed to staff 294 of these. That represented 75 % of intended openings. Four sessions were lost to 'AII Creatures Great and Small,, but we were generously compensated. Over the year, 37 stewards contributed to achieving the above. In 2025, up to 30th September, we had 359 sessions planned and we opened on 335 occasions. This is an astonishing 930/oplus achievement. Well done to the 50 stewards who provided the cover. You deserve a collective pat on the back. A museum as a tourist attraction is meaningless unless it is open on a regular basis. Visitors. In 2024 we recorded 22,564 visitors to the museum and in the Visitor Book there were 79 entries from other parts of the UK and 432 from overseas countries, the vast majority from the USA, but also some from 50 other countries from all over the world. This record level of visitors has to be credited to the filming in the village. This visitor activity has continued into the 2025 season. Up to the end of September we had exceeded the record number of 2024 visitors, having already welcomed 23,102 people. These including those from 50 overseas countries. Comments in the Visitor Book very clearly indicate that the warm and friendly welcome they all experience is appreciated. All this is overseen by a strong and committed Management Committee, who are always looking for new recruits to help with museum administration and upkeep. Gift Aid. The 2024125 Tax Year is the first time we can take advantage of the Small Donations Gift Aid Scheme administered by HMRC. Without boring you with details, we had over 200 GA declarations during this period and with the leverage the scheme provides,
UPPER WHARFEDALE MUSEUM SOCIETY
Charity Number: 1156656
INCOME AND EXPENDITURE AND BALANCE SHEET 2024-2025
| 2024-5 | 2023-24 | 2023-24 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INCOME |
£ | £ | _£ _ | £ | |
| Donations | 14559 | 12283 | |||
| Coffee Morning | 509 | 408 | |||
| Bank Interest | 750 | 626 | |||
| Total Income | 15818 | 13317 | |||
| EXPENDITURE | |||||
| Heating and Lighting | 1685 | 2661 | |||
| Rates and Water Rates | 283 | 268 | |||
| Insurance | 693 | 693 | |||
| Repairs and Renewals | 647 | 1407 | |||
| Promotional leaflets | 295 | ||||
| All Other Costs | 1582 | 1129 | |||
| Total Expenditure | 5185 | 6158 | |||
| Surplus/Deficit of Income Over Expenditure | 10633 | 7159 | |||
| Less: Depreciation of Fixtures and Fittings | 1221 | 1356 | |||
| Surplus | 9412 | 5803 | |||
| BALANCE SHEET AT 31 MARCH 2025 | |||||
| ASSETS Freehold land and Buildings |
71431 | 71431 | |||
| Fixtures and Fittings | 12205 | 9328 | |||
| New Cabinets/shelving | 4233 | ||||
| less depreciation | 1221 | 10984 | 1356 | 12205 | |
| Books and Tapes | 89 | 89 | |||
| Deposit Account | 16686 | 15936 | |||
| Current Account | 21895 | 12012 | |||
| Total | 121085 | 111673 | |||
| REPRESENTED BY | |||||
| Accumulated Excess | 111673 | 105870 | |||
| Surplus | 9412 | 121085 | 5803 | 111673 |
R.H.Clare Treasurer
P.Sugden Independent Examiner