Trustees’ Annual Report
2021/2022
Constitutional matters
Trustees:
1 During 2021/22 the Trustees of Hands on Heritage CIO were Andrew Crisp (Chairman), Duncan Allan (Treasurer), Stephen Worrall (Secretary), Helen Wilson (stood down 1[st] May 2022) and Kelly Hayward.
In accordance with the Constitution one third of the Trustees should stand down each year and are able to stand for re-election. Kelly Hayward and Andrew Crisp will stand down at the 2022 AGM and seek re-election.
We always welcome expressions of interest from any volunteer with experience or skills, that as a Trustee, would help HoH deliver its aims and objectives.
2 Trustees’ Meetings were held on 16/02/2022 and 04/10/2022. Electronic copies of the minutes of these meetings can be requested from the Secretary, Stephen Worrall. Between meetings Trustees remained in touch via email and face to face discussions as restrictions eased, to attend to any urgent business.
3 At the meetings Trustees received a report on HoH’s financial position and reviewed matters of Governance. We were pleased to be able to offer a full programme of school visits and to return to normal site maintenance operations.
4 The Trustees reviewed potential Conflicts of Interest at each meeting, and formally confirm in this report that they have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the Charity Commission in exercising their powers or duties.
Operational matters
Schools:
5 Another great year for school visits with lovely feedback from the schools. We hear over and over that the children say this is their best school trip ever and parents of older children say they still talk about it when at high school. A big thank you to the dedicated volunteers who make it happen!
School visits started this year on 21[st] March 2022 and our last school visit was on the 18[th] October 2022.
In total there have been 20 school visits, made up of 10 different schools. This equates to approximately 550 school children completing heritage based workshops supporting their National Curriculum studies. With the exception of 12 children from St. Albans Year 7, all were primary school age, Years 3 and 4.
10 of these school visits particularly focused on our reconstruction of a Roman villa excavation, where the children gain an insight into how archeological digs are run. They experience first hand the excitement of unearthing lost artefacts and finding out how these give us a window into how past civilisations worked and lived.
We also ran workshops incorporating Saxon and Stone Age practices, as well as a mix of heritage skills. These encompassed activities such as hand grinding flour and baking flatbreads in wood fired ovens, fire lighting 'without matches', the safe use of knives to whittle wooden utensils, weaving fabrics, and casting pewter pendants, all as complimentary hands on workshops.
The volunteers have been amazing, running inspirational workshops and sharing their enthusiasm with the children. Typically a school visit will need 12-14 experienced volunteers to set up site, run the workshops and pack away at the end of the day. This is supported by much planning and organising behind the scenes to procure materials and support volunteers. Our Schools Lead is Judy Powell, who has been supported through the year by Tom Loader who has organised volunteers for visits, with Di Gooding offering to round up volunteers for 2023 visits.
Maintenance:
6 The work schedule for maintenance teams for the last year has revolved around completing the Weaving House shingling, thatching and daubing the replacement Roundhouse along with other jobs to keep the site safe and in sound condition.
Thankfully the Covid restrictions have eased considerably allowing a full programme of work to be completed.
Volunteers have given many hours of their valuable time on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the year and in all weathers. Every volunteer is always prepared to share their skill and knowledge and there is a broad range of skills and experience for us to draw on!
Our Maintenance Lead for the majority of the year has been Jonathan Rootes, who has planned and co-ordinated the programme of work, procured materials and supported volunteers with great enthusiasm and humour! Jon also shared many of his skills, particularly his whittling and leather working. Jon moved away from Suffolk in the early Autumn, his active support for the HoH initiative has been very much appreciated by all and we wish him well with is house move.
We are very pleased to welcome Donald Burton to the role of Maintenance Lead. Donald has been instrumental in the successful rebuilding of the Roman Dig roof frame, and has worked with the maintenance team throughout the programme. We welcome Donald to the team.
The Weaving House
After months of work our team of skilled woodworkers finally finished making and fixing the shingles on the roof. This photo shows the last shingle, and ridge boards, being installed by Simon, on 'topping out' day! The opening photo in this report was also taken on 'topping out' day and includes just some of the volunteers who have been involved in the making of this remarkable structure.
The next phase of the work will run through the autumn/winter to design and construct the doors and window shutters, and to commence daubing the walls between the oak frames. It is planned that local community groups such as Suffolk Young Carers will help with the daubing, providing a welcome break for them and a chance to try something very different!
The Roundhouse
Great progress has been made thatching the roof. Work was suspended during the summer whilst there were school visits. It has already been used in school workshops as there is seating all around the walls offering an ideal auditorium! Thatching will continue during the winter.
The walls have also been daubed after experimenting with various mixes using local sand, clay, horse hair and other traditional materials before finding the perfect combination.
Clay oven
After replacing the shelter over the clay oven last year it was time to make repairs to the oven render that had been damaged by water ingress. The render used is a traditional lime based mortar that produces the typical white washed appearance. Once heated up and dried out, slowly, it remains stable in use.
Financial matters
Treasurer:
7 From an opening balance of £11,437.69 the end of year assets closed with a sum of £13,396.87.
With the site open to school visits again and offering a full programme income form schools and young carers was £5275.00.
The expenditure of £3,315.82 has been targeted towards the ongoing roundhouse rebuild and weaving shed construction. Additional costs have also included general workshop materials, repairs to various roof structures, repairing seating and tables, relocating small ovens, rebuilding the hand wash area and construction of a locked wood store.
We remain grateful to our existing sponsors, and we are as usual in the debt of Jane Dale, whose firm M.E.A.T. has been our major sponsor over the years.
8 Ipswich Ware Kiln Firing
This is part of a joint project with Suffolk County Council Archeological Services to build and test fire for the first time a Saxon kiln on the HoH site, prior to a possible public build and firing in one of the parks in Ipswich. This is an experiment to trial theories on how distinctive Ipswich pottery, discovered as part of archeological digs, was fired. The kiln has been built on site, but due to the drought fire restrictions the firing had to be postponed until spring/summer 2023.
9 Volunteers and members
As ever the whole HoH project relies totally on the active and enthusiastic support of the volunteers. Whilst total numbers have reduced over the last couple of years we have a chore membership who have delivered a tremendous service to our local schools and who have kept the site in excellent working order. The Trustees' thanks go out to all who have helped in the continued success of the Hands on Heritage vision!
However now Trustees realise we need to encourage some 'new blood' into our company, to secure the project's long term future and to help
existing volunteers continue to deliver the high quality workshops we are known for. More schools are keen to visit the site, even thought their budgets are under pressure, such is the educational and wellbeing value offered through our programme of workshops. The following year will see Trustees engaging wider with local communities, giving talks and encouraging new volunteers to come forward.
10 Discussions have resumed with Forestry England over the long promised Lease covering the use of the site which sits on Forestry Commission land. To date we have been operating on an annual permit system, but a meeting was held in September to discuss in more detail the granting of a long term lease. Forestry England highly value the service HoH provides to local schools, and has indicated it will cover the legal costs of drawing up a lease and will not be charging any rental fee. This is very welcome news!
The fire will always be lit and the kettle is on!
Andrew Crisp
Chair of Trustees
Hands on Heritage Registered Charity 1157215
Annual Accounts - 30[th] September 2021 – 31[st] January 2022
Balance at 30/09/2021 £11437.69 Balance at 31/01/2022 £11729.91
| Assets | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash in Bank | 11,729.91 | ||
| Fixed Assets | 0.00 | ||
| Debtors | 0.00 | ||
| Liabilities | |||
| Creditors | 0.00 | ||
| Accruals | 0.00 | ||
| Total Liabilities | 0.00 | ||
| Net Assets | 11729.91 | ||
| Income and Expenditure |
|||
| Income | |||
| Visits to site | 1450.00 | Schools and YoungCarers | |
| Counter Credit | 30.00 | ||
| Total Income | 1480.00 | ||
| Expenditure | |||
| Site Maintenance | 273.00 | Includes all expenditure for Weaving Shed. |
|
| Volunteer Travel | 0.00 | ||
| School visit supplies | 0.00 | ||
| Admin | 0.00 | ||
| IndemnityInsurance | 709.67 | ||
| Roundhouse Re-build |
205.11 | Total money raised for rebuild -£2800 | |
| Total Expenditure | 1187.78 | ||
| Summary– Start Balance 11437.69 + Income 1480 – Expenditure 1187.78 =11729.91 | |||
| Ring fenced within total - £3100 for furnishing Weaving Shed £3000 for ForestryEngland lease agreement |
Hands on Heritage Registered Charity 1157215
Annual Accounts - 31[st] January 2022 – 30[th] September 2022
Balance at 31/01/2022 £11729.91 Balance at 31/09/2022 £13396.87
| Assets | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash in Bank | 13,396.87 | ||
| Fixed Assets | 0.00 | ||
| Debtors | 0.00 | ||
| Liabilities | |||
| Creditors | 0.00 | ||
| Accruals | 0.00 | ||
| Total Liabilities | 0.00 | ||
| Net Assets | 13396.87 | ||
| Income and Expenditure |
|||
| Income | |||
| Visits to site | 3765.00 | Schools and YoungCarers | |
| Counter Credit | 30.00 | ||
| Total Income | 3795.00 | ||
| Expenditure | |||
| Site Maintenance | 857.44 | Includes all expenditure for Weaving Shed. |
|
| Volunteer Travel | 0.00 | ||
| School visit supplies | 746.07 | Includes meals for 2 daystay | |
| Admin | 139.47 | Website host fee | |
| IndemnityInsurance | 185.14 | ||
| Roundhouse Re-build |
199.92 | Total money raised for rebuild -£2800 | |
| Total Expenditure | 2128.04 | ||
| Summary– Start Balance 11729.91 + Income 3795.00 – Expenditure 2128.04 = 13396.87 | |||
| Ring fenced within total - £3100 for furnishing Weaving Shed £3000 for ForestryEngland lease agreement |
Balance at