Ironbridge Coracle Trust
Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025 Charity registration number: 1161685
Objectives and Activities
Purposes of the charity
The Ironbridge Coracle Trust (ICT) aims to advance the culture and heritage of the craft of coracles and coracle making in the Ironbridge Gorge and on the River Severn for the benefit of the public.
Summary of activities
The Old Coracle Shed, purchased by ICT in 2015, was the workshop of Eustace Rogers, a renowned coracle maker. Coracle uses on the River Severn included transportation of people and property, line and net fishing, laying eel lines, securing driftwood, rescuing people and animals, recovering cadavers, and poaching.
Set at the heart of the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site and Conservation Area, and less than 70 metres from the base of the world-famous Iron Bridge, the Shed is the only remaining physical reference to a coracle building tradition that dates to prehistoric times. The Shed forms an important and unique part of the view that any visitor can see when looking at the Iron Bridge for the first time from the Ladywood Car Park at the south end of the Bridge.
The Shed, built in the 1920s from timber reused from Buildwas Bridge, was owned by the Rogers family until the death of Eustace Rogers in 2003. ICT owns this heritage property and, with support from National Lottery Heritage Fund (April 2020 to October 2022), completed an ambitious project to preserve and restore the property. The contents of the shed had been sold or stolen after Eustace died.
The contents of the Old Coracle shed were rediscovered by the Trust in 2018 -20 and are now on display in the Old Shed and in a New Shed built with further funds from the Arts Council 2019 -20 at the Green Wood Centre. Local artists were commissioned to tell many of the stories associated with the Ironbridge coracle men; their skills, humour and the involvement they had in poaching in Ironbridge for generations.
ICT trustees have taken a decision that both its exhibitions and buildings will be freely accessible by the public, and that additional resources, when available, will be invested in running workshops and events to make the best use of the Trust’s buildings and exhibitions to benefit residents and visitors to the Gorge.
The charity may charge for the provision of some services such as car parking, printed leaflets, guided tours and use of the Trust’s coracles. The Greenwood Centre runs coracle making courses for a fee.
Policy on grant making and social investment
ICT has not made any grants to individuals or organisations during the year’s activities and no investments have been made during the year.
Contribution made by volunteers
ICT relies heavily on its many volunteers and supporters to run the programme of events and activities throughout the year, not least the annual coracle regatta. Volunteers are also essential to the maintenance of the Old Coracle Shed, the exhibitions and interpretation materials used in the New Coracle Shed and elsewhere and to the running of the general business of ICT.
Summary of activities
1. Annual coracle regatta
Attendance at ICT’s Annual Coracle Regatta has risen from 850 in 2018 to around 2500 in 2024. ICT has organised an annual Coracle Regatta for many years. A major event, the Regatta is held beside the Ironbridge Rowing Club and includes charity stalls and refreshments, a Duck Race, coracle races and Have A Go activities.
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‘Have a go’ sessions
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5 x Come & Try sessions (May - September) with approximately 50 people taking part
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Come & Try session at the regatta - 100 participants
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Bespoke session for Guides - 40 participants
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Come & Try session at Montgomery - 40 people participants
3. Exhibitions
Both sheds are accessible 7 days a week. They were designed so as not to depend on volunteers to staff them. The doors of the new larger shed open and close automatically from 9-5. The Old shed is viewed 365 days a year by viewing the contents through the window. Both sheds, require occasional maintenance by volunteers and Trustees.
Fundraising
Grants and other support received in the report period include:
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£700 sponsorship income from local businesses to support the Regatta
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£1020 grant income from Town and Parish Councils
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£1003.74 Facebook Fundraiser
Capital works
No significant capital works have taken place in the period.
Financial Review
Full year accounts are attached. The Trust has made a small profit of £843 due to fundraising activities at the Coracle Regatta.
Structure, Governance and Management
Staff - The Trust has no paid staff
Trustees - ICT is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation whose only members are its Trustees. It is registered with the Charity Commission no. 1161685.
The constitution allows for up to 12 trustees, and in the report period there were 7: Mary Lewis, Kath Petty, Grant Foden, Graham Peet, Julia Tinker, Peter Twibill & Estella Morris (co-opted Trustee)
Trustee recruitment and appointment
Viviana Caroli stood down as a trustee at the previous AGM, Grant Foden stood down in May 2025
Trustees for the year 23/24 responsible for approving this report
| Trustee | Office |
|---|---|
| MaryLewis | Chair |
| Kath Petty | Minutes Secretary |
| Graham Peet | |
| Peter Twibill | |
| Julia Tinker | |
| Estella Morris | Treasurer |
Declaration
The trustees above declare they have approved the annual report above for 2024/25
Signed on behalf of the trustees
Signature Mary Lewis Position: Chair
IRONBRIDGE CORACLE TRUST REGISTERED CHARITY No. 1161685 RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS ACCOUNT YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 202S YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH 2025 YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH 2024 Restrirted UnrestrittÈd RÈstritted Un$tried Totsi RECEIPTS Grant5 Br05elry Town Countil MadeleyTown Countil The Gor8e Parish CDuntil P05t Cade LottEry NLHF Underspend khool fDr Sacial Entrepreneur5 Dpnation5 & contributlDns £216 £304 £21S £304 £466 £466 £500 £5(A) £is,( £3,174 É15.ODD E3.174 £548 £548 £570 £343 £48 £140 £4.509 £S.610 £570 £375 £350 £35D El.187 £389 Other £32 £1.187 £389 £140 £4,509 £6,662 £1.551 £2.768 £6.443 É1.551 É2.768 É25.43a Event51artivitie5 £1.052 £18.990 EXPENtMTURE CorE runningc05ts Maintenance É3.703 £0 £0 £0 É1.005 £32 £0 £27 £4.766 £3.703 Éo Éo Éo £2.057 £32 Éo £27 £5.819 £0 £18.524 £0 £0 £5.466 £4.550 £4.370 £535 £0 £334 £1.309 IE7741 E125 £10.448 É4.550 É22.894 £535 £0 É5.799 É1.309 £226 £125 É35.438 Regatts/event5 C05t of OD-Line 5ale5 Good5 for retail Sundry expeD5es £1.052 £L.(NXI £0 £24.990 £1.052 RECEIPTS LESS EXPENDITLIRE £0 £843 £843 1£6.rmi 1£4.0051 £iO.ODSI TRANSFERS BETWEEN FVNDS £0 £0 Éo £0 £0 £0 ank BalinrE5 8rou8ht Forwird £1.427 É12.796 É14.223 £7.427 £16.80I É24.228 ank 8alinrE5 Carried Forward £1.427 É13.639 É15,066 £1.427 £11.796 É14.223