2024-05-31-accounts - Warrington Museum Of Freemasonry

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Trustees' Annual Report for the period

Period start date Period end date Day Month Year Day Month Year From 01 06 2023 To 31 05 2024

Section A Reference and administration details

Charity name Warrington Museum of Freemasonry Other names charity is known by 1165077 Registered charity number (if any) HMRC Ref: EW57308. Accreditation No 2387 Charity's principal address Winmarleigh House Winmarleigh Street Warrington Postcode: WA1 1NB

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee name	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Dates acted if not for whole year
Peter Roberts		Trustee and Chair
Barry Jameson		Trustee
Alex Roberts		Trustee	01 December 2023
Vic Charlesworth		Curator
Caro	line Crook Archivist, non-	Mason

John McIntyre		Member Trustee		Member Trustee

Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)

Name Dates acted if not for whole year

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Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of adviser	Name Address	Name Address
Mentor	Michelle Hill	Curator, Museums and Galleries Operations and Neighbourhoods, Tameside Museums & Galleries Portland Basin Museum 1, Portland Place Ashton-under-Lyne OL7 0QA

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Constitution Type of governing document (eg. trust deed, constitution) ) Trust How the charity is constituted (eg. trust, association, company) Appointed by Board who would advertise the post Trustee selection methods (eg. appointed by, elected by)

Type of governing document (eg. trust deed, constitution) )
How the charity is constituted (eg. trust, association, company)

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
relationship with any related parties;
trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.

The Warrington Museum of Freemasonry (“the museum”) was established under a Charitable Incorporated Constitution in June 2014, the board of trustees, having been formed in February 2014. The museum has:

➢ Obtained charitable status in January 2016.
➢ Registered as a Charity with HMRC to utilise Gift Aid benefit on donations – Registration confirmed September 2016, effective from July 2015
➢ Obtained Full Accreditation under the Arts Council England September 2018 No2387

It is also a member of the Masonic Museums and Libraries Group, the Association of Independent Museums, Museums Cheshire and works closely with Museums Development North West. It also has close links with the Warrington Museum and Art Gallery and another independent museum in Warrington.

The museum operates from Winmarleigh Street, Warrington which is the meeting place for the Warrington Masonic Group. Its activities are supported by the Group, which has a membership of around 300 Freemasons. The Hall is run by the Warrington Masonic Hall Company Limited, which has its own board of directors. The individual Lodges meeting at Warrington are the Hall’s shareholders.

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The Group and the Hall Company Limited have supported the development of the museum and both have representatives on the board of trustees.

The trustees have also have a formal Mentoring agreement with a museum professional who is the Curator, Museums & Art Galleries, Tameside.

Section C Objectives and activities

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document

Over the next three years, it is hoped the Warrington Museum of Freemasonry will serve as a resource for the exploration and understanding of Freemasonry’s rich history and its continued impact on society.

We are committed to preserving and sharing the heritage of Freemasonry in Warrington and beyond, offering an engaging, educational experience that highlights the fraternity’s values of brotherhood, moral development, charity, and community service.

Through local heritage programs and community engagement, we will invite all visitors to connect with the traditions, symbols, and ideals that have shaped Freemasonry, fostering a deeper appreciation of the origins of Freemasonry, its local history and wider contemporary contexts.

The museum successfully reopened in 2023 after the pandemic with a wider footprint and larger exhibit space. Future enhancements to this space are envisaged for 2025 and will the subject of a fund raising effort to procure new cabinetry to form a central, more accessible exhibition space.

The museum continues to operate on a voluntary basis since reopening and is maintaining consistency with the museum’s original objectives, contained in its governing document:

to underpin the museum’s future by the development of succession plans as part of the Accreditation process
to continually review its policies and plans, updating these to reflect the current practice and any related changes
to continue to promote the museum as an integral part of the Warrington Cultural scene with a special focus on the Warrington Masonic Group and its place in the local community
To continue to collect and preserve records, ephemera, and artefacts from Masonic and associated fraternal societies
To support the funding requirements of the museum, by progressively growing and broadening the Friends of the Museum base, utilising Gift Aid relief where applicable to enhance annual donations. The museum is in Warrington’s Cultural Quarter where two other museums are located, including a similar independent, volunteer run museum. It has close links with these and additionally participates in events organised by Museums Development North West. The museum is open to the public and hosts visits from organised groups such as historical societies, U3A and other nonMasonic organisations. Each September the museum

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participates in a planned Heritage event, which generally involves 11 town centre venues. The Museum participated in the September 2024 event which drew in a number of local visitors.  Additional objectives for 2025 include re-accreditation (‘refresh’) and implementation of a system to facilitate an electronic artefact database and management system which is intended to lay the foundations for succession planning and continued operation of the museum as a valuable resource to the local community and beyond. This report is based on the template from the Commissions website. The trustees have all signed the Eligibility form using the Charity Commissions template and are directed to its website in their trustee agreement and receive copies of the commission’s quarterly review. . This report is based on the template from the Commissions website. The trustees have all signed the Eligibility form using the Charity Commissions template and are directed to its website in their trustee agreement and receive copies of the commission’s quarterly review.

Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

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The museum is run by the trustees; none of whom is paid for their services. The trustees have a broad range of financial, educational, management, trusteeship, and practical capability.

They are also supported by a small group of volunteers covering web development, electrical work, decorating, photographing exhibits, labelling, and identifying, cleaning, woodworking, photographic cataloguing, and general maintenance.

You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:

A website has been developed for the museum, together with a planned comprehensive database to allow for ease of artefact search. All of which will require on-going attention as the museum progresses .

policy on grantmaking;
policy programme related investment;

The museum is actively engaged in occupying its extended area in the investment; Warrington Masonic Hall, an objective which at one time looked beyond  contribution made by expectation. The recent work in the Hall has facilitated this much needed extension to the museum’s footprint which in turn has allowed for volunteers. additional upgrades in exhibition space and artefacts.

Section D Achievements and performance

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Section D Achievements and performance

Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year

The museum and the trustees continue to benefit from its accreditation by ACE. A process of learning by doing” has improved the trustees’ knowledge and ability in most areas of the museum. The result is a stronger capability around the trustee board and a sharper perspective on the next stages of the museum’s development.

Achievements and performance for the past year remain as a somewhat academic nature. The project to extend the museum’s footprint effectively still dominates its affairs. The safe care of its collection being a challenging and vital task during that process.

The trustees also ran their successful annual plant sales which is one of two key fundraising events, held by the museum, the other being the “Friends of the Museum” supper, both of which are important events in the Museum’s calendar.

The museum continues to acquire a secure home for many donated items, all of which place pressure on the limited space for exhibit. It also has a refreshed opportunity to provide a secure home for items from within the Province of West Lancashire, many of which would be at risk of being permanently lost. .

The trustees remain proud of their achievements and are energised by the prospect of further developing the museum in its new and extended surroundings.

Section E Financial review

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Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves

The trustees operate with a cash reserve since it does not hold any others, and this is reflected in its closing bank balance. It operates on an income and expenditure basis and does not have any accruals or prepayments. This cash balance has serviced the donation to the Hall Company Limited for work done as part of the extension and continual internal improvements as part of the overall project.

Details of any funds materially in deficit

None

Further financial review details (Optional information)

Total Income in the year was £4,864

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:

The main elements were £1,460 from the museum’s successful plant sales relevant about: initiative. £520 from the Friends group, £1,369 from a successful Friends of  the charity’s principal the Museum supper evening, with £1,064 of other donations. £450 of sources of funds (including regalia sales made up the balance of income. This latter item is done as an adjunct to the museum’s activities, it is second hand regalia donated to the any fundraising); museum with the specific intent of it being re sold to generate funds. It is  how expenditure has not the sale of acquisitioned items. supported the key objectives of the charity; Expenditure in the year was £5,379.

investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted.

The main elements being £2,404 for equipment and expenses associated with the space upgrade.

The cost of Plants for the sale was £902, Friends supper cost £1,010 and the balance was made of Insurance costs of £459, petty cash payments of £160, AIM membership £111, Artefacts and Books £100, Stationary £12, and other miscellaneous expenses of £220

The result was an exceptional deficit (£515). The closing cash and bank balance was still wholly viable at £4,308.

All in all, the trustees are confident in the progress that has been made in managing the development and upgrades to the museum.

Section F Other optional information

The Museum continues to receive the continual support from the Warrington Masonic Group and the Warrington Masonic Hall Company Limited. Both have entered long term commitments for occupancy of the space the Museum has in the Hall.

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

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Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date	Peter Roberts
	Peter Roberts
	Chair
	21 st March 2025

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Warrington Museum of Freemasonry

Winmarleigh Street, Warrington, WA1 1NB

Income and Expenditure Account for the year ending 31st May 2024

Year 2022/2023	INCOME	Year 2023/2024		Year 2022/2023	EXPENDITURE	Year 2023/2024
£525.00 £0.00 £650.00 £0.00 £0.00 £668.00 £0.00 £2,890.90 £0.00	Friends of the Museum Warrington Group Miscellaneous Donations AIM Grants University of Manchester Regalia Sales Friends Supper Bedding Plant Sales HMRC refund	£520.10 £50.00 £1,014.42 £0.00 £0.00 £450.00 £1,369.00 £1,460.20 £0.00		£100.00 £0.00 £68.00 £0.00 £153.15 £0.00 £0.00 £1,026.45 £6,461.53 £202.15	Petty Cash Payments Artefacts & Books AIM Membership Insurance Premium Stationery Equipment & Expenses Friends Supper Bedding Plant Purchases Building Project Miscellaneous Expenses	£160.00 £100.00 £111.00 £459.14 £12.27 £2,404.34 £1,010.00 £902.25 £0.00 £220.13
£4,733.90	Total Income for Year	£4,863.72		£8,011.28	Total Expense for Year	£5,379.13

Treasurer

-£3,277.38 SURPLUS / DEFICIT

-£515.41

Barry Jameson[B Jameson]

Auditor Jeff Brookes