Leominster Museum CIO: Registered Incorporated Charity Number 1162600
Trustees’ Annual Report and Accounts for the year from 1[st] December 2020 to 30[th] November 2021
16 Etnam Street, Leominster, Herefordshire, HR6 8AQ Tel 01568 615186 Leominster Museum CIO: Registered Incorporated Charity Number 1162600 www.leominstermuseum.org.uk & : leominstermuseum : @leomuseum
Trustees’ Annual Report for the period from 1[st] December 2020 to 30[th] November 2021
Section A: Objectives and activities
Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document
The objects of Leominster Museum CIO are set out in clause 3 of its Constitution as being :-
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3.1 The advancement of education, with particular reference to the understanding and appreciation of the history and heritage of Leominster and its surrounding area, by the provision and maintenance within that area of a museum and associated collection and other resources, and the provision of associated educational activities, for the benefit of the inhabitants of that area and any others who use the museum, its facilities or resources; and
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3.2 All other charitable purposes normally or usefully associated with a museum.
Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects
These formal objects establish education as central to the Charity’s mission, as intended by the Museum’s founders 50 years ago. The Charity sets out to achieve this object by collecting and preserving local material relating to Leominster and district in the form of objects, archives and ephemera, and interpreting and displaying this material for the education and enjoyment of the public.
In normal times the Museum, which is staffed and managed entirely by an enthusiastic team of volunteers, is open to the public without charge six days a week between about Easter and the end of October. As recorded in last year’s Annual Report, the Covid-19 pandemic, coming on top of our normal winter closure, kept the Museum closed throughout the 2019-2020 financial year. The new curator, Malcolm Mason, who took over that role in January 2021, worked hard, with consultant support, to assess the collection and prepare new displays for the new season based on the theme decided before his appointment.
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Continuing coronavirus restrictions meant that it was not feasible to start the 2021 season at Easter as in a normal year; but the gradual easing of restrictions, coupled with the curator’s behind-the-scenes preparations, finally allowed the Museum to reopen to the public on 1[st] July 2021 with our normal 6-hour, 6 days a week schedule.
The charity trustees were greatly encouraged by the number of volunteers from before the pandemic who resumed working in the Museum as soon as restrictions allowed. In the whole of the remainder of the season, up to the time we closed for the winter on 30[th] October, there were very few days when a shortage of available volunteers prevented us from staying open for the full day. All concerned owe our dedicated volunteer team a big debt of gratitude.
In planning and conducting the activities of the Charity, the charity trustees have as usual had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
Section B: Achievements and performance
Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year
The late start to the 2021 season inevitably meant that, in absolute terms, the Museum’s visitor numbers were significantly down on previous years, at a little over 1,800 for the season. However, it has been heartening to note that, despite the aftermath of pandemic restrictions, the average number per week while we were open remained above the average level for the previous six pre-pandemic seasons; and that donations per adult visitor in the Donations Box were at a record level. The comments left in the Visitors Book were, as always, overwhelmingly positive.
Under the guidance of our Hon. Curator Malcolm Mason (who took on this role in late December 2020), supported for a number of months by Sue Knox as curatorial consultant, a huge amount of progress has been made (and continues into the new financial year) in two particular areas of curatorial responsibility that, for different reasons, have suffered in earlier years:
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Ensuring that accession records of items held in the Museum are properly up to date and reconciled with the electronic catalogue; (in the process, a number of items are being identified which appear not to fit within the Museum’s collecting policy, and steps will be taken in due course to assess options for their disposal in line with official sectoral guidance); and
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Ensuring that items in the collection which are not on display are stored in conservation-friendly materials, and (in tandem with the cataloguing improvements) are immediately traceable. To this end, the back-room storage areas have been enlarged and significantly upgraded, which will enable the South Gallery to be brought back into use in 2022 as a display space.
In the closing weeks of the year under report, we were delighted to learn that the Museum’s application for an AIM/Pilgrim Trust Conservation Audit Grant had been successful. The conservator’s report has since come through and provides a good basis
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for planning future changes to the Museum and supporting related grant applications (see “Looking to the future” below).
As in the previous year, a short series of online talks on local history topics was arranged during the winter closure to maintain the Museum’s profile, which were widely publicised on social media. The first of these was well attended; because of the speaker’s indisposition, the second had to be re-scheduled for a date after the preparation of this Report.
Two more booklets, researched and written by Joe Cocker, have been added to the Museum’s series, covering some fascinating connections between Leominster and Polish expatriates. One of them (so far) was also printed in Polish translation; sales in both languages have been good.
Looking to the future
Since the end of the financial year we have recruited two additional charity trustees, Sue McKenzie and Ted Rogers, both of whom have extensive museum and heritage experience. With this added support, the charity trustees recently reaffirmed their intention to explore vigorously the prospects for obtaining funding for a major upgrade of the Museum buildings – presumptively from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (though noting that the NLHF’s criteria for support have changed somewhat since before the scheme was paused during the Covid-19 pandemic). The aim is to identify a viable scheme, and begin the process of promoting it, before the end of 2023.
Section C: Financial review
Recognising the effects of the Museum’s closure throughout 2020, and the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic generally, the charity trustees took the decision that subscriptions for membership of the CIO should be waived for the 2020-21 financial year. Despite this, the vast majority of members (not just those who normally pay by bank standing order) made donations of similar amount to their usual subscriptions, and we are very grateful for their continuing support.
With the renewal during the winter and spring of enforced closures as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the government (through local councils’ business rates departments) made several further grants to businesses and charities in the retail, hospitality and leisure sector who were prohibited from opening. It transpired that these were payable even for periods when the Museum would in any case have been closed to the public for our normal winter closure. As last year, there were no meanstesting requirements, and our total receipts from these grants during this financial year came to more than £27,000 – in addition to the £25,000 received in 2020-21.
These grants provided the context for expenditure during the year of nearly £11,500 (combined) on museum consultancy, repairs and renewals, and materials for collection care. The repairs and renewals were primarily the upgrade and partial refitting of store rooms, but included some timber work in the Cider House Passage and attention to a roof leak.
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Year-end summary
The upshot of these grants – which we could not have anticipated when the pandemic struck – is that, even after the exceptional expenditure just referred to, the Museum charity is in a far better financial position than it ever has been, before or after the transfer into CIO form six years ago.
Accordingly the net monetary assets of the Charity in Unrestricted Funds at 30[th] November 2021, and the fund/reserves to which they are allocated, are as follows (see also note 6 to the Accounts). These figures, including those for the preceding year, take account of sums owed to and by the charity.
| Designated Fund (future building upgrade) Reserve for further short-term building repairs Reserve for website rebuild and upgrade Reserve for further curatorial supplies and potential conservation projects Provisional reserve for Covid-19 precautions Reserve for curatorial consultancy General reserve Total net monetary assets |
30.11.2021 30.11.2020 £ 40,000 £ 26,000 £ 5,000 n/a £ 1,100 n/a £ 5,000 n/a n/a £ 3,000 n/a £ 8,000 £ 9,889 £ 9,517 |
|---|---|
| £60,989 £ 46,517 |
Brief statement on the charity’s policy on reserves
As a prudent measure the CIO aims to hold a general reserve of between one and two times normal annual expenditure – a margin that reflects the less than wholly predictable flow of income, and the fluctuating levels of expenditure of a “normal” nature – the average level of which has however increased somewhat in recent years. Taking account of all these factors, the charity trustees remain for the time being of the view that a reasonable amount for an ongoing general reserve on the above basis would be in the range £7,000-£9,000. At £9,889 as noted above, the present level of general reserves is outside this range, but is still within the “1-2 years” policy referred to above.
Other specific reserves, detailed above, have been set aside for particular anticipated expenditure taking advantage of the unexpected surpluses, this year and last, arising from the government Covid grants.
Designated fund for building upgrade
Even after providing for those reserves, the charity trustees have agreed to add a further £14,000 to the Designated Fund earmarked towards the proposed building upgrade,
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bringing that fund to £40,000 (2020 £26,000). This will allow further impetus behind the drive to identify an achievable scheme.
Ongoing viability
In all the circumstances described above, the charity trustees have no doubts as to the ongoing financial viability of the Charity.
Section D: Structure, governance and management
Description of the charity’s trusts
The charity’s governing document is its Constitution, initially adopted on 9[th] June 2015. The charity is a charitable incorporated organisation and came into being on being entered in the register of charities on 9[th] July 2015. Amendments to the Constitution were made at the Annual General Meeting held on 13[th] June 2018, and took effect on registration by the Charity Commission on 18[th] June 2018.
Following those amendments,
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charity trustees, up to a maximum of 15, are elected by the members of the CIO or appointed (co-opted) by the charity trustees, and
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no outside body has power to appoint any charity trustee. (None of the current charity trustees holds office by virtue of an appointment made before the constitutional amendments mentioned in the previous paragraph.)
Charity trustees are subject to retirement by rotation, and are eligible for re-election;. Those who retired by rotation and were re-elected at the Annual General Meeting on 9[th] September 2021 were Mr Crofts and Mr Jarman. (A full list of those in office during the financial year is given in section E below.)
Risk management policy
The Museum holds a Risk Register, which is presented to each meeting of the charity trustees for review. The categories are a) Governance b) Operations c) Financial d) External and e) Compliance with law and regulation. The Register shows the various risks and their mitigating factors and it is based on the Charity Commission framework CC26. Ratings are given to both the probability of an event, and the severity of its impact if it were to occur, and these are multiplied together to produce an overall risk score.
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Section E: Reference and administration details
Leominster Museum CIO’s principal address and registration number are shown at the top of this Report. The charity is not known by any other name.
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity:
Trustee name
Office (if any) Dates acted as charity trustee (if not for the whole period)
- Mr Geoffrey Crofts
Chair
- Mr Malcolm Mason
Hon. Curator (from January 2021)
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Mr Christopher Jarman Hon. Treasurer
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Mrs Deborah Jarman
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Mrs Suzy Barton To 6[th] May 2021
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Mr Ian Wilkinson
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Mr James Airey To 26[th] January 2021
The Hon. Secretary, who is not a charity trustee, is Mr Andrew Parsons.
There are no custodian trustees or other trustees holding property on behalf of the charity.
Section F: Declaration
The charity trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ Report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
Signature(s)
G Crofts Ian Wilkinson Full name(s) Geoffrey Crofts Ian Wilkinson Position Chair of Charity Trustees Charity Trustee Date signed 6/5/22 6/5/22
Independent examiner’s report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
| Report to the trustees/ members of On accounts for the year ended Set out on |
Leominster Museum CIO |
|---|---|
| 30 November 2021 Charity no (if any) 1162600 |
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| The following pages numbered 1 – 7. |
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the CIO”) for the year ended 30 November 2021.
Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the CIO, you are responsible for the preparation of basis of report the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the CIO’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have `examiner’s statement come to my attention in connection with the examination which give me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
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the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
| Signed: Name: Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any): Address: |
Ben Sladen Date: |
6 May 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Sladen | ||
| C.A. (retd) | ||
| 2 Presbytery Close | ||
| Leominster | ||
| HR6 8QP |
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LEOMINSTER MUSEUM CIO
(Registered Charity No. 1162600)
Financial Statements for Year to 30th November 2021
Receipts and Payments Accounts and Statement of Asserts and Liabilities
| A: RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS | A: RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS | Unrestricted Funds | Unrestricted Funds | Restricted Income | Funds | This Year | Total | Last Year Total | Last Year Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | ||||||
| RECEIPTS | |||||||||
| Voluntary Receipts | |||||||||
| Grants (notes 3, 2) | 28,343 | 0 | 28,343 | 27,000 | |||||
| Friends/other membership subscriptions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,153 | |||||
| Donations | 2,721 | 0 | 2,721 | 282 | |||||
| Gift Aid | 248 | 0 | 248 | 739 | |||||
| Total Voluntary Receipts Activities for Generating Funds |
31,312 | 0 | 31,312 | 29,174 | |||||
| Sales of books and | merchandise | 263 | 0 | 263 | 102 | ||||
| Other fundraising receipts | 113 | 0 | 113 | 426 | |||||
| Total Activities for Generating Funds | 376 | 0 | 376 | 528 | |||||
| Investment Interest | 529 | 0 | 529 | 219 | |||||
| Other Receipts | 222 | 0 | 222 | 225 | |||||
| Total of above Receipts | 32,439 | 0 | 32,439 | 30,146 | |||||
| TOTAL RECEIPTS | 32,439 | 0 | 32,439 | 30,146 |
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LEOMINSTER MUSEUM CIO
(Registered Charity No. 1162600)
| LEOMINSTER MUSEUM CIO (Registered Charity No. 1162600) |
LEOMINSTER MUSEUM CIO (Registered Charity No. 1162600) |
LEOMINSTER MUSEUM CIO (Registered Charity No. 1162600) |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Statements for Year to 30th November 2021 | |||||||
| Receipts and Payments Accounts and | |||||||
| Statement of Asserts and Liabilities | |||||||
| A: RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS contd | Unrestricted Funds | Restricted Income Funds | This Year | Total | Last Year Total | ||
| to the | nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | |||
| PAYMENTS | |||||||
| Costs of generating voluntary receipts | 18 | 0 | 18 | 114 | |||
| Fundraising costs (trading activities) | 36 | 0 | 36 | 73 | |||
| Costs of charitable activities | |||||||
| Museum collections expenses | 4,290 | 0 | 4,290 | 723 | |||
| Museum premises expenses | 4,213 | 237 | 4,450 | 5,433 | |||
| Other Museum expenses | 8,963 | 0 | 8,963 | 1,439 | |||
| Total Costs of charitable activities | 17,466 | 237 | 17,703 | 7,595 | |||
| Governance costs | 216 | 0 | 216 | 203 | |||
| Total of above Payments | 17,736 | 237 | 17,973 | 7,985 | |||
| TOTAL PAYMENTS | 17,736 | 237 | 17,973 | 7,985 | |||
| NET RECEIPTS / (PAYMENTS) | 14,703 | (237) | 14,466 | 22,161 | |||
| CASH FUNDS AT LAST YEAR END | 46,547 | 237 | 46,784 | 24,623 | |||
| CASH FUNDS THIS YEAR END | 61,250 | 0 | 61,250 | 46,784 |
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OK
LEOMINSTER MUSEUM CIO
(Registered Charity No. 1162600) Financial Statements for Year to 30th November 2021 Receipts and Payments Accounts and Statement of Asserts and Liabilities
B. STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT THE END OF THE PERIOD Categories, and Details Unrestricted Funds , Restricted Income Funds , Cash funds to the nearest £ to the nearest £ Cash at banks and in hand 61,250 0 Total cash funds 61,250 0 check balances OK OK Unrestricted Funds , Restricted Income Funds , Other monetary assets to the nearest £ to the nearest £ Debtors 348 0 Fund to which asset Cost Current value Investment assets belongs (optional) (optional) Fund to which asset Assets retained for the charity's own use belongs Museum buildings (freehold) Unrestricted Scarlett Davis Sketch Book Permanent endowment Remainder of Museum collection Unrestricted 2019 digital display equipment Restricted Income Other museum display equipment Unrestricted Furnishings, office & computer equipment Unrestricted Fund to which liability Liabilities relates Amount due When due Miscellaneous Creditors Unrestricted 609 < 1 year
These accounts for the year ending 30th November 2021 were approved by the Charity Trustees on
6th May 2022
G Crofts
Ian Wilkinson
Chair Charity Trustee
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LEOMINSTER MUSEUM CIO
(Registered Charity No. 1162600)
Financial Statements for Year to 30th November 2021
Notes to the Accounts
1 Basis of Accounts
These accounts are prepared on a receipts and payments basis. The detailed categories of receipts and payments used in maintaining the underlying records are summarised in the published accounts by showing only the totals for each heading/sub-heading of receipts or payments as the case may be. A copy of the detailed version of the receipts and payments account is available on application to the Treasurer.
2 Restricted Grants received
----- Start of picture text -----
Year to Year to
30.11.2021 30.11.2020
none
0 0
3 Unrestricted Grants received
Year to Year to
30.11.2021 30.11.2020
HM Government via Herefordshire Council - Successive grants under various titles arising from
Covid-19 closure requirements 27,343 25,000
The Croft Trust 1,000 2,000
28,343 27,000
3 Other Significant Donations received
Year to Year to
30.11.2021 30.11.2020
Members' donations in lieu of membership fees waived for year 1,072
Uhlman Charity Trust 100
EasyFundraising re online shopping 80 32
Total of other significant donations listed in last year's equivalent of this note 150
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Totals of Other significant donations are not given here because they do not correspond directly to any distinct figure in the Receipts & Payments Account. The items listed comprise only some of the donations received, and may fall under more than one heading in the detailed version of that Account.
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LEOMINSTER MUSEUM CIO
(Registered Charity No. 1162600)
Financial Statements for Year to 30th November 2021
Notes to the Accounts
4 Endowment Funds
The charity has no expendable endowment, and the only permanent endowment consists of the album of drawings etc by John Scarlett Davis, which was bought in 1979 with grant assistance from the National Art Collections Fund "on the basis that and on condition that it is not to be sold, and must be available for viewing by students or members of the general public in perpetuity". There are no financial transactions in respect of endowment funds.
5 Restricted Income Funds
The year-end balance of restricted income funds in hand was made up as follows:
| Leominster Town Council - leaks, ramps and letterbox Funds Net monetary assets of unrestricted funds are comprised as follows: Cash funds Add Debtors (note 7) Deduct Miscellaneous Creditors (note 8) Comprising: Designated Fund (note 10) Provisional reserve for Covid-19 measures Reserve for curatorial consultancy Reserve for short-term building repairs Reserve for website rebuild Reserve for curatorial supplies and potential conservation projects General Reserves (note 9) |
30.11.2021 30.11.2020 0 237 0 237 30.11.2021 30.11.2020 61,250 46,547 348 42 (609) (72) 60,989 46,517 14,000 8,000 3,000 8,000 5,000 1,100 5,000 35,889 27,517 60,989 46,517 |
|---|---|
6 Unrestricted Funds
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LEOMINSTER MUSEUM CIO
(Registered Charity No. 1162600)
Financial Statements for Year to 30th November 2021
Notes to the Accounts
7 Statement of Assets & Liabilities: Debtors
The amounts owed to the CIO at the year-end but as yet unpaid (and so not reflected in the Receipts & Payments account) are made up as follows:
| HM Revenue & Customs: Gift Aid (including gift aid small donations scheme), to be claimed at end of tax year |
30.11.2021 30.11.2020 348 42 348 42 |
|---|---|
8 Statement of Assets & Liabilities: Miscellaneous Creditors
The amounts owed by the CIO at the year-end but as yet unpaid and in most cases unbilled (so not reflected in the Receipts & Payments account) are made up as follows:
| Electricity supply Water & sewerage supply Security alarm maintenance visit and annual maintenance fee Miscellaneous other creditors |
30.11.2021 30.11.2020 291 14 49 38 249 20 20 609 72 |
|---|---|
9 Reserves
As a prudent measure the CIO aims to hold general reserves of between one and two times normal annual expenditure. Taking account of recent trends and increasing costs, the charity trustees consider a prudent reserve on this basis in a typical year to be around £7,000£9,000 in all. The general reserve at 30.11.2021 recorded in note 6 is thus outside this range, but is still within the “1-2 years” policy referred to above.
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LEOMINSTER MUSEUM CIO
(Registered Charity No. 1162600)
Financial Statements for Year to 30th November 2021
Notes to the Accounts
10 Designated Fund
The charity trustees have built up in recent years a fund designated for use towards developing and carrying out the major building upgrade project to which they have aspired for several years. (This Designated Fund technically forms part of the Unrestricted Funds, as reflected in note 6.) Even after a significant increase in expenditure in the curatorial and conservation field, and on building maintenance (both expected to continue into the next financial year), the successive government grants under schemes for the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors (see note 3) have enabled the charity trustees to make another substantial addition to the Designated Fund as shown in the table below.
----- Start of picture text -----
30.11.2021 30.11.2020
Addition to Designated Fund 14,000 8,000
14,000 8,000
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