## Annual Report 2024 ## Derwent Valley Light Railway Society Every year starts with the necessary preparations for the running season. It takes dedication and commitment to turn out in the cold of winter to work on the locos and line, but we would not be able to run through the season without the o�-season programme of works. ## Maintenance some dead legs that needed resolving and PA Testing of our electrical equipment to mention but a few. The classroom had a new water heater installed and improvements to the kitchen, making this a more useful space. It has been used for many of our events throughout the year including opportunities to hire out the space to raise funds for the railway. Works were completed to repair the pedestrian crossing and the fence, which required the rerouting of adjacent wiring. ‘Murton’ sign was installed in October along with new windows and a full repaint of the building. Our thanks have to go to Peter Shakeshaft, Tony Schumacher, and John Papworth for their work on this. so that the bridge could be eventually removed. This will also expand the area for the gardens. Andrew Marshall has been spending long hours working on this. The gardens both at the entrance to the railway and around the platform are kept looking at their best by Anne Dawson & Roger Bancroft. ## Rolling Stock The main event in 2024 was the purchase of our own MK1 BSK (35405) purchased from the SRPS. Our previous MK1 carriage, Lavinia, had been on loan from the NYMR who recalled the carriage in March. With support from generous benefactors, we bid for and were successful in acquiring the carriage and it arrived essentially in working condition in May and it was quickly put to work. Thursday group. This is now on show in the farming museum. Work continued on the North Eastern coach led by Mike Sugden and his team. This restoration is still ongoing. ## Training Training must form a key part of our work through the year. This ranges from PTS training and refreshers led by Tony Simons, regular training and assessments of loco crew and guards led by Chris Downes and Mike Sugden and in 2024 we ran risk assessment training for key volunteers. Our thanks go to Jon Pridmore for his work supporting us as our Health and Safety Advisor. Jon also assessed those responsible for our FTR testing (Trevor & Chris). Our thanks must also go to Mike McPeake who supported us through 2024 ensuring our assessors were assessed externally to ensure we are working to the required standards. A change was made to the rule book in 2024. Rule B7 changed the minimum ages for some of our safety critical roles following a review and alignment with other railways. For most of our roles, the minimum age is now 18 with the exception of driving, which is still 21. This does not prevent volunteers undertaking train operating duties whilst they are still under the minimum age provided they are undertaking the said duty as part of a course of instruction and they are being directly supervised by a qualified person who has attained the required minimum age and who is present. ## Events Our annual programme of events continues to expand year on year. As usual we attended railway shows at the Knavesmire, Heworth, and St Lawrence’s. With Murton Park, we were also at the York Ice Trail promoting the railway and the work we do. We also ran our volunteer attraction day again in March and welcomed new members to the working volunteers as a result. We also hosted xx silver driver events at the start of running days. These are very popular as gifts and bring in much needed additional funds. Visitors get to work with the loco crew setting up the locos with a driver experience. Hornby Models visited the railway in April to celebrate the launch of their model of Rowntree No. 3 ‘Ken Cooke’. Owners, Glynnis and Tony Frith were joined by Normandy Veteran Ken Cooke, the Lord Mayor of York, the Sheri� of York and the civic party. Ken Cooke was presented with a model of the locomotive, as were Tony and Glynnis Frith. Our AGM was held in June but failed to achieve quorum and was repeated August. It was agreed at the AGM that we would change the necessary percentage of the membership required for us to be quorate for the meeting and this change has been transacted ahead of our AGM for 2025. July was a particularly busy month. We hosted not only the annual running evening on 26[th] July and carried 315 passengers that evening, but also hosted a particularly special event. Since the 9[th] June 2021, the Tuesday group have been working on the restoration of Drewry DC2164. A naming ceremony was held on 24 July, naming the locomotive ‘Ken Smith’ in honour of one of the York Normandy Veterans. The event was attended by the civic party including the Lord Mayor of York, Cllr Margaret Wells. We also hosted a visit from Inside Track holidays and worked with the living history team from Murton Park to host a ‘Home Front’ event. In support of the local community, we worked with North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue to help them to run a training scenario for their crews, with the scenario that cars had crashed from the A64 into the path of a train. We have also had support from the local community with volunteers from Nestlé choosing to spend their volunteering days with us helping us with the upkeep of the site. The year naturally ended with the Murton Park Santa event. For 2024, we hosted performing penguins on the train. ## Yorkshire Museum of Farming The YMF informed us in the autumn that they intended to introduce a charge to visitors for the use of the railway. As a trustee group, we have fought this introduction and presented alternate way to raise the necessary income to support the rising costs that all organisations have faced in recent years. However, our suggestions were rejected and from the start of the 2025 season, the YMF will introduce a charge on entry to the site for anyone wanting to ride on the railway. We will not be responsible for checking tickets and all members of the railway have unlimited use of the railway as part of the membership fee. ## Passenger Numbers 2024 yet again beat previous years in terms of passenger numbers. We ran on 59 days, an increase on previous years and carried 11,428 passengers during the running season and 5,115 during Santas, giving us a total of 16,543 across the year, an increase of 1,359 from 2023. ## People Our membership numbers remained consistent through the year, with 200 members at year end. Following the resignation of Stuart Stockwell as Traction Inspector at the last AGM, Chris Downes was appointed and assessed externally. Sadly, on the 15[th] November 2024, long time supporter of the railway, Brian Lambert passed away. Brian and his son Richard have long supported the railway with the loan of a couple of their locomotives, BR Class 04 DVR No.2 and BR Class 08 08528 and were regular visitors to the railway, especially for the running evening event. Overall 2024 was another successful year, we hosted more passengers across more running days and were involved in more events. We have robust development and training in place for our loco crews and our health and safety systems are in a good place. Whilst as such as small charitable heritage railway, we can never be complacent, we ended 2024 in a good place. **Profit and Loss Statement - Detailed** Year 2024 |**INCOMES**
**Donation**
Donations
Gift Aid
**Interests (received)**
Interests Earned
**Membership**
Membership Subscription
**Other Incomes**
Other Incomes
Running Days payments
Thomas Income
Training Workshop
**Sales**
Classroom hire
Driver Experience
Sales
**Total:**
**EXPENSES**
**Bank charges**
Bank Charges
**Classroom**
Classroom
**events**
Events
Training Courses
**General Business Expenses**
Business Clothes
Dues & Membership Fees
Miscellaneous Expenses
Tool Acquisitions
**Insurance**
Insurance
**IT**
IT Services
**Loco repairs**
Rolling stock repairs
**Mileage Money**
Loco Mileage
**Miniature railway**
Miniature Railway
**Newsletter**
Newsletter
**Postage**
Postage
**Repair & Gen. Maintenance**
Building Repair & Maint.
Other Repair & Gen. Maint
**Rolling Stock**
Rolling Stock
**Shop Stock**
Shop Stock
**Tools**|**+£11,596.93**
**29.31%**
+£9,657.18
24.41%
+£1,939.75
4.90%
**+£1,345.43**
**3.40%**
+£1,345.43
3.40%
**+£2,505.00**
**6.33%**
+£2,505.00
6.33%
**+£13,334.20**
**33.71%**
+£3,584.20
9.06%
+£1,980.00
5.01%
+£770.00
1.95%
+£7,000.00
17.69%
**+£10,778.85**
**27.25%**
+£300.00
0.76%
+£1,915.00
4.84%
+£8,563.85
21.65%| |---|---| ||**+£39,560.41**
**-£220.58**
**0.58%**
-£220.58
0.58%
**-£577.68**
**1.51%**
-£577.68
1.51%
**-£3,726.15**
**9.72%**
-£1,880.69
4.91%
-£1,845.46
4.81%
**-£723.11**
**1.89%**
-£295.08
0.77%
-£212.40
0.55%
-£188.68
0.49%
-£26.95
0.07%
**-£480.40**
**1.25%**
-£480.40
1.25%
**-£924.74**
**2.41%**
-£924.74
2.41%
**-£4,997.04**
**13.04%**
-£4,997.04
13.04%
**-£875.00**
**2.28%**
-£875.00
2.28%
**-£114.82**
**0.30%**
-£114.82
0.30%
**-£700.00**
**1.83%**
-£700.00
1.83%
**-£766.04**
**2.00%**
-£766.04
2.00%
**-£3,492.97**
**9.11%**
-£2,616.69
6.83%
-£876.28
2.29%
**-£17,400.00**
**45.39%**
-£17,400.00
45.39%
**-£1,448.52**
**3.78%**
-£1,448.52
3.78%
**-£1,883.79**
**4.91%**| december 2024 - Page 1 Equipment Tools |**Total:**
**Proft/loss:**|-£1,778.49
4.64%
-£105.30
0.27%| |---|---| ||**-£38,330.84**| ||**+£1,229.57**| december 2024 - Page 2 Independent examinevs report to the trustees of the Derwent Valley Light Railway Society Registered Charity No.: 1161623 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Derwent Valley Light Railway Society for the year ended 31 st December 2014. Independent examiner's ststement. I have completed my examination. I confim that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect that the accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act. I have no concerns and 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. Signed Name o, S/4/A¥£ Relevant professional qualifications or body tl.6, /, 0. 5. Address YoA/ . 032 Date