Trustees’ Annual Report
2023/2024
Constitutional matters
Trustees:
1 During 2023/24 the Trustees of Hands on Heritage CIO were Andrew Crisp (Chairman), Duncan Allan (Treasurer), Stephen Worrall (Secretary), 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. Andrew
Crisp and Kelly Hayward will stand down at the 2024 AGM and seek reelection.
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 The Trustees met once during the past reporting period, on the 3[rd] December 2023. During the year Trustees were briefed by email and face to face discussions and routine matters agreed without a further formal meeting. The 2022/23 AGM was held on site on the 9[th] April 2024. By the end of the reporting period weather conditions on site deteriorate, so AGMs have been moved to the spring when more
members are prepared to brave the elements! Electronic copies of the minutes of the meetings can be requested from the Secretary, Stephen Worrall.
3 Trustees have 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 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.
5 The new 10 year lease with Forestry England has been a real moral boost to volunteers as well as offering ongoing security for the HoH initiative. The fist year Key Performance Indicators review will be held later in 2024 to ensure we are meeting the requirements of the lease and FE management standards.
Operational matters
Schools:
6 Our Schools Lead is Judy Powell supported throughout the year by Di Gooding who has organised volunteers for visits. Another good 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. A big thank you to the dedicated volunteers who make it happen!
School visits started this year on 19[th] March and our last school was the 1[st] October.
We had 16 school visits, 10 different schools with approximately 470 school children visiting including an overnight stay from Kessingland. All were primary school age, Years 3 - 5, except for 12 children from St. Albans Year 7/9.
This year we had a mix of topics with 6 schools studying Romans, 2 schools studying Saxon and the rest Stone Age/Iron Age.
We have started to re-introduce the lamp making workshop and using the pole lathe with the older Kessingland students.
We have had a training day on rush rope/string making that we hope to include as a workshop next year, the weavers are setting up a wall loom to add to their workshop and as the forge has been expanded with an anvil and expertise from one of the volunteers, we would like to do some blacksmithing.
This year has also seen the successful repairing and refiring of the Saxon kiln and workshops for the volunteers on making clay pots.
The volunteers have been amazing, running their brilliant workshops and having fun. Over the spring and summer 12-15 volunteers would be helping on the visits, the autumn term has been slightly less as people have been on holiday. In March 2025 we hope to run an open morning with workshops to recruit new volunteers.
Maintenance:
7 Donald Burton is our Maintenance Lead and he has led the work of our maintenance teams throughout the year. Maintenance priorities have been driven by two ongoing projects - completing the Weaving House and thatching and the replacement Roundhouse, along with other jobs identified by routine inspections, to keep the site safe and in sound condition.
Some of the other tasks Completed during 2023/24 included: Completion of the Weaving House structure with the rendering of the walls with lime mortar. Doors and shutters have also been made and fitted.
The Roundhouse thatching has been completed with a demountable canvas top so that additional light can be let in when used for workshops, the top can then be easily covered to make it weather proof.
Our thanks go to volunteers who have given many hours of their valuable time on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the year and in all weathers.
Financial matters
Treasurer:
8 Income and spending – 30/09/23 – 1/10/24
Start Balance 30/09/23 - £14,350.92
Income £ 4,615.00
Spending £ 4,552.09
End Balance £14,413.83
Spending for the last year is broadly in line with income which is good news!
Our main outgoings have been a) Site maintenance and Development and b) equipment and training for chainsaw use.
The weaving house and roundhouse completion has added much to the site in terms of feel and appearance and the facilities we offer to visitors. It's excellent value for money!
As we now have permission from Forestry England to use a chainsaw, we have purchased a new saw, new and more comfortable PPE equipment and Neil has completed the necessary refresher training with a recognized provider. We are also using a 'friendly' fuel that, although expensive, makes starting easier and gives the saw a longer life.
The outlook for the coming year should be positive as bookings are looking healthy despite pressure on school's budgets.
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.
9 Ipswich Ware Kiln Firing
We reported last year the firing of an Anglo-Saxon style pottery kiln built on our site as part of a joint project worked in partnership with the East Anglian Potters. This year saw a second firing of our kiln, funded as part of the Rendlesham Revealed HLF Project.
Since the original firing in 2023 the kiln has been further improved and another firing took place 25[th] /26[th] July 2024 which was a great success.
Working with members from East Anglian Potters through a series of workshops, HoH members prepared clay (which nobody liked!) and built Ipswich Ware pots that were fired in our kiln.
As far as we are aware this is the first time a replica kiln from this period has been reconstructed and fired for over 1000 years. (If you don't count the initial firing last year!!)
Volunteers kept an all night watch to feed logs into the hearth and scrape out dead embers.
Over 100 pots were fired with the vast majority emerging from the overnight firing. There are plans for a further firing in 2025 following some improvements to the kiln.
Thanks to all who took part in the workshops even if it didn't turn you into lifelong potters! A special mention must go to Tony, one of the HoH volunteers, for all his work and support to the potters throughout the project.
This is now a permanent feature on site and we plan to carry out regular firings in partnership with the Ipswich pottery group.
10 Volunteers and members
As ever the whole HoH project relies totally on the active and enthusiastic support of our volunteers. Whilst total numbers have reduced over the last couple of years we have a core 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!
We continue to seek new volunteers to join HoH. Introducing new faces to the team is vital to help secure the project's long term future and help existing volunteers continue to deliver the high quality workshops we are known for.
Schools continue to be keen to visit the site, even though their budgets are under pressure, such is the educational and wellbeing value offered through our programme of workshops.
Andrew Crisp
Chair of Trustees
Hands on Heritage Registered Charity 1157215
Annual Accounts - 1st October 2023 – 30[th] September 2024
Balance at 01/10/2023 £14350.92 Balance at 30/09/2024 £14413.73
| Assets | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash in Bank | 14413.73 | ||
| Fixed Assets | 0.00 | ||
| Debtors | 0.00 | ||
| Liabilities | |||
| Creditors | 0.00 | ||
| Accruals | 0.00 | ||
| Total Liabilities | 0.00 | ||
| Net Assets | 14413.73 | ||
| Income and Expenditure |
|||
| Income | |||
| Visits to site | 4615.00 | School visits, Rendlesham Revealed HLF. |
|
| Total Income | 4615.00 | ||
| Expenditure | |||
| Site Maintenance | 1519.16 | Weaving House, Site Maintenance & Repairs, Site improvement, coppice work at Hasketon |
|
| Chainsaw Purchase/Training/PPE/ Sundries. |
1030.82 | Compliance with F/England requirements |
|
| Volunteer Travel | 140.00 | ||
| School visit supplies | 862.56 | Costs for Kess o/n. approx. £250 |
Re-stocking equipment for schools, cateringsupplies. |
| Security | 337.17 | Repairs to locks, site entrance and camera replacement following incident with Fire Service |
|
| IndemnityInsurance | 662.28 | ||
| Total Expenditure | 4552.09 | ||
| Summary– Start Balance 14350.92 + Income 4615.00 – Expenditure 4552.09 =14313.73 |