## **Report of the Trustees of Minehead Museum for the year ended 30th November 2024** ## **Introduction:** Minehead Museum is a registered charity (Charitable Incorporated Organisation CIO, Registration number 1169355). 2024 Was another successful year with visitor number up by around 8%. This was particularly pleasing due to the necessity of closing on most Fridays during the season because of the closure of the attached Visitor Information Centre. Our final visitor figure of 10,703 was therefore very encouraging and the number of off site talks continues to promote the museum beyond our limited premises. The Premises Appeal continues but at present without an identifiable new building we are unable to leverage additional grants. The trustees continue to revue premises as the come to the market but remain aware of the need for the building to be in a suitable location, with sustainable running costa and be fully accessible to all. ## **Reference & Administration Information** Charity Name: Minehead Museum Charity Registration Number: 1169355 Operational Address; Minehead Museum, Beach Hotel Complex, The Avenue, Minehead, Somerset TA24 5AP Registered Office: 12 Dene Gardens, Minehead, Somerset TA24 6BU Trustees Mr Julian Luke (Chair) Mrs Janet Styles (Vice-Chair) Miss Caroline Giddens ( Mrs Heather Yendole (retired August 2024) Mr Timothy Hedgecock Mr Alan Smithers (Appointed September 2024) Bankers - Nat West Bank PLC, The Parade, Minehead, Somerset TA24 5NL Independent Examiner: Mrs J. Armin, Mews End Cottage, Quay Lane, Minehead, Somerset TA24 5QU ## **Management** The trustees are appointed for three years and are eligible for reappointment. During the year Mrs H. Yendole retired and Mr A. Smithers was appointed to the trustees. The trustees are responsible for the recruitment of any new trustees, having regard to the skills, knowledge and experience required for the effective management of the CIO. The trustees remain active involved in the running of the museum with day-to-day management delegated to a management committee which also contains trustees. ## **Our Aims & Objectives** 1. To establish, maintain and enhance a museum to promote the history of Minehead, Alcombe surrounding area for the benefit of the public. 2. To increase public awareness, appreciation and understanding of Minehead’s historic, cultural and natural heritage through the acquisition, preservation, interpretation and display of a unique collection of items that are particularly relevant to the area. 3. To extend, conserve and maintain the items in the museum’s collection. 4. To encourage and promote research and educational use of the museum’s collection for the benefit of all sectors of the public. ## **Review of 2023/2024 Season** Although our visitor figures continue to grow and are closer to pre-pandemic levels, the season has not been without challenges. The continued closure of the Visitor Information Centre on Thursdays and Fridays this year led to the decision to close on Fridays but remain open on Thursdays with double staffing. This appears to have been vindicated with a healthy number of visitors on Thursdays. What is noticeable is a decrease in donations in the collecting boxes sign of economic belt tightening in general. Fortunately our ability to take donations via credit card has slightly mitigated this decline and the the trustees are considering further options for electronic donation gathering. Class visits and talks to local groups continue and the latest museum publication Mules at War was issued at the start of the season. Charity quizzes continue to bring in additional funds for the the Premises Appeal. The museum remains an active participant in the regional Museums in Somerset Group with he Chair of Trustees continuing to serve on the organising committee. Two significant additions were made to the museum collection this year with the donation of a fine painting of Minehead Harbour in 1800, donated in memory of the maritime historian John Gilman and the medals belonging to Harry Bertram Walker of Minehead, including his Military Cross. We continue to express our concern over the removal of the two seventeenth century cannon from the harbour wall, they remain in storage with Somerset Council with no indication after a year that any conservation work is planned or funded. The search for new premises continues but has been frustrated by the lack of a suitable building, We did have a survey carried out on one building but the repair and conversion costs were considered excessive. Without a specific building we are unable to draw down further external funding, although the Appeal Fund continues to grow, standing at some £130,000 plus additional pledges. A further pressure is on storage of items as unfortunately our storage area at the Beach Hotel has now been repurposed and various fixtures and fittings have had to be moved offsite, We are grateful that the Beach Hotel has permitted the placing of one of our showcases in the hotel which will help highlight the museum and the displays. ## **Finance** The trustees remain committed to free entry to the museum, to make sure the displays are accessible to all. Whilst visitor numbers continue to grow, their has been a decline on donations on the door. New ways of increasing income through the website and use of QR codes are being explored. The Premises Appeal Fund continues to grow, but does need to be relaunched in 2025 with greater publicity. We remain indebted to the generosity of the YMCA (Owners of the Beach Hotel) for providing our existing premises at a peppercorn rent. This continues to underpin the security and growth of the museum and we are grateful that this will continue in 2025. The trustees remain focused on the financial sustainability of the museum. We continue to promote the value of the museum to the local community. Helping with the economic regeneration of town as an attraction for heritage tourism, strengthening a sense of community through volunteering opportunities and in the educational value to schools, youth groups and residential homes in talks and visits. **Julian Luke (Chair of Trustees) 22nd December 2024** CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES Receipts and payments accounts CC16a To 01112rJ023 SY11r2024 Section A Receipts and payments u￿estrICted fund5 funds Last year tothe r*¥est £ t• thp ne*e5tt tothe nearest £ Ewest£ A1 Receipts 10,450 5J,104 141B IA22 IU6 Talks Quraes & Rallies 967 1,042 662 GiftAxl 1.142 B&nk Inleresl rota ross income AR) 13 70,1Q3 A2 Asset and imvestrbwrt saks. (see labtel. Sub total Totslrecw"pts 6.341 13,676 70,103 A3 Payments Artefacls & txs Arch?￿@ Conservati D[￿a￿c8￿Ane15 etc Other lknplay matsr￿ s￿t￿￿1p11￿ns Insuranc8 Repairs pUt￿l￿ty Coniptsier Cosls Pri￿1￿9 Publ￿tA)n$ 314 110 s14 164 413 Volunteer EXp￿S Vdunleer Training IndeKeDdenl EXamin￿lOn profe￿onal Fe Refreshmen15 Room Hire & C￿ror 117 117 113 179 £TT4 97 ZSBf Sub total 4m9 see table) Sub total 1774 4m9 2.581 Net ofreceipwpaymentsj A5 Transfers tr*tween funds A6 Cash fvnds East year erAd Cash funds this year end 67,522 28.136 114,9)5 120,495 140,641 150,198 73.119 140,641 29.703 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period ateoorie5 Unrestricted t)eta¢ls Endowment funds to rsearest£ fijnds to nÈar•stt B1 Cash funds ,115 Cash In HArkY Total cash funds 29.703 120.495 funds funds to neate*É funds to thearest£ B2 Other monetary assets Reg Nc6 Grft Signed by or tr￿tee4 on beha(r tsf all the trustees Print Name Mrs Jean Armin MEWS END COTTAGE S QUAY LANE SOMERSET TA24 SQU arml n adm I nia..btinternet.corn Ref. Minehead Museum c/0 Tim 14edgecocL. Treasurer 0164) 703)97 Dear Tim The books presented to me are from December ?023 to November ?0?4. The annual income of Mlnchead Museum this l'ear is under £?5.000 but s'our Trusiees hai'e requested an Independent Examinaiion of %our accounls. Your organisation is entitled to excmpiion under section 144 ot.the Ch2rities Act 2011 to hai'e its financial staiemenis for ￿ear endLd i l March 202? audited. M)" Inde￿nden1 Examination included a rei"'iew of the accounting records kepi bv the Museum and a comparison of the accounts presenied with those records. It also included consideration of an!. unusual items or disclosures in the accounts which mav have requir¢d explanations from the Mandl7in? Truslees concerning an}". such malters. Independent Examiner's Statement In connection Th'ith mi. examinatio￿ no matters hale comc to mj. attention ￿hleh give me rffasonable cause lo belieie that the requirements fo keep accounting records and to prep￿e accounls hdTre nol ￿en met. The eontents of this letter ¥nd summan, shotsld be made aTrailable to vour Trustee.s' meeting. Please note that an fndependent Examination is no subsiiiufr for ongoing effective proccdures to minimise i prei'cni losses duc to em)r or comiption. Yours Sincerely. Mrs Jean Arniin MICB OF CERTIFIED l)raetiee Licence Number 10366