The Duxford Radio Trust Annual Report 2021 – 2022
Registered Charity No. 1169780
The Trustees of the Duxford Radio Trust (DRT) present their annual report for the year 16 November 2021 to 15 November 2022. Accounts for the above period are listed separately. The Duxford Radio Trust was formed in 2016 to take over the assets and activities of the former Duxford Radio Society (DRS). DRT has a wholly owned subsidiary, Duxford Radio Limited (DRL), a company limited by shares. The Trust is privately funded and during 2021-2022 was not in receipt of state grants.
1. Summary of DRT Activities November 2021 – November 2022
Following the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic the DRT trustees/DRL directors resumed discussing and administering the affairs of the charity by regular face-to-face gatherings, email, and telephone conversations. Engineering, conservation and restoration work was resumed.
The year 2021-2022 was a period when the Duxford Radio Trust completed the task of removal of all DRT public exhibition equipment and stored equipment from the South-side of IWM Duxford Airfield where it had been since 1992, occupying 3 IWM buildings and parts of two others. This has left in situ a 40-foot shipping container full of spare equipment and components plus other items on loan to IWM in other IWM buildings. These will be recovered in due course as DRT storage capacity permits.
From November 2021 to August 2022 DRT began moving the ex-IWM Duxford exhibition equipment to the Signals Museum RAF Henlow (SMH) with the co-operation of the RAF and the Signals Museum team. However, in September 2022, after a change of interest/horizons by some members of the Henlow Signals Museum team with respect to the joint museum exhibition content and layout, (previously agreed with the SMH Curator) and the DRT obligations for the education of the public, schools and cadet groups, all DRT equipment was removed from RAF Henlow back into storage.
Suitable venues for DRT/DRL to resume public exhibitions for the education of the public, and particularly of school children and Army/RAF Cadets in the history and technology of radio communications, in military conflict and civil emergencies are once again under research, investigation, and discussion. Some DRT equipment is currently on loan to other local museums.
2. DRT Reference and Administrative Information
The Trust is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and was registered with the Charity Commission on 19 October 2016. Registered Charity No. 1169780, registered in England. The Trust name can be abbreviated to DRT.
The DRT Trustees
Kenneth Ballard Peter Brown Richard Howes Richard Pope Brian Roberts John Moore Beryl Pope Pauline Howes
During this period, Peter Hyde and Alfred Fisher resigned as DRT trustees and Peter Brown was appointed a trustee. The Trust is grateful to have received the benefit of their expertise.
There have been no other changes of trustees during the period of this report. Trustees are appointed by the continuing Trustees and should number between three and ten competent persons according to the needs of the Trust. During the period under review the Trust had supporters but did not have any formal volunteers, only the above listed Trustees who are officers of the Trust.
Company secretary
Richard Howes
Registered Administrative Office
4 Burgoynes Farm Close Impington Cambridge CB24 9ZU
Email Contact details
duxfordradio@gmail.com
www.duxfordradio.org
Internet Web site
3. DRT Objectives
The Duxford Radio Trust is a not-for-profit communications, history, and technology foundation, formed in 2016 to take over the assets of a former unincorporated organisation, (Duxford Radio Society, which from 1992 – 2016 had organised the operation of the volunteer radio section at the Imperial War Museums, Duxford, England). From 2016 – 2020 DRT/DRL took over the operation of the IWM Duxford volunteer radio section.
The primary role of DRT is the education of the public in communications used in military conflict and civil emergencies, and the celebration of the efficiency and effectiveness of the armed forces of the Crown and the emergency services of the Crown by means of the management and protection of the collection of historic communications equipment, documents, and artefacts for exhibition to the public for the purposes above.
The Trust conducts research into the causes, needs, evolution, history of application and technical implementation of all types of communications used in military conflict and civil emergencies.
The Trust collects, conserves, restores, records, maintains in working order (where practicable), a reference collection of historic equipment, technologies, documents, and other artefacts related to communications in military conflict and civil emergencies.
The Trust fulfils its public education obligations by using its equipment and document collection together with the accumulated knowledge and experience of the trustees and supporters to provide the materials for public exhibitions of historic radio communications, navigation, and radar artefacts.
The Trust fulfils its public education obligations by supporting independent work of other third parties in research, documentation, collection, conservation, restoration and exhibition of historic communications artefacts by providing support, materials and information from its internal document collection and human knowledge/experience base.
The Trust also fulfils its public education obligations by publishing a journal three times per annum (via DRL), containing articles on specific historic equipment or communication related techniques. Copies of the Duxford Radio Journal are archived in Cambridge University Library. However, during 20212022 only two issues were completed and distributed due to the time and effort required to organise and implement the removal of exhibition equipment from Duxford into storage and from storage to RAF Henlow and back into storage. A newsletter continued to be circulated to supporters by email.
In the past the Trust has fulfilled its public education obligations by owning and operating a licensed permanent exhibition radio transmitting station at IWM Duxford. The radio station is currently closed down; however, the OFCOM registered radio call signs have been retained for future use.
The DRT collection of Allied communications equipment consists, in many cases, of complete working communications systems, (as opposed to the more common museum approach of a fragmented collection of individual objects obtained by the receipt of random donations. However, the unique feature of the DRT collection is not just the historical and technical significance of the items held, but the specialist ability of displaying and explaining the operational, working historic radio, navigation, and radar equipment to the public.
The Trust has a wholly owned subsidiary, Duxford Radio Limited, formed on the advice of the Charity Commission, to conduct any activities which, under UK charity law, are not considered wholly and exclusively for the public benefit. The limited company name can be abbreviated to DRL. DRL is company number 10762055, registered in England, a company limited by Shares. The DRL activities include the ownership and operation of the special exhibition Amateur Radio communications station and associated equipment, liaising with supporters who provide financial donations to DRT/DRL, publishing the historical/technical publication titled Duxford Radio and any trading activities necessary on behalf of the DRT parent charity etc.
The DRL Directors are Ken Ballard, Richard Howes, and John Moore. The Company Secretary is Richard Howes.
The Health and Safety Manager for both DRT and DRL is Ken Ballard and the Treasurer for both is John Moore. The Supporter Liaison Secretary and Data Controller is Brian Roberts.
The Trust has reviewed and continued with the same banking facilities which were created in 20162017.
4. Summary of objectives contained in revised DRT Constitution V8a dated 21 October 2020
The objects of the CIO:-
The advancement of education of the general public, in the history of communications in military conflict and civil emergencies, and the consequent development of the technologies, equipment and techniques as applied to the related fields of activity of radio communications, line communications, radio navigation, radar (the process of radio detection and ranging, transponding etc.) and other forms of communications and communications technology as appropriate by means of:
(a) the research, documentation, collection, conservation, restoration, preservation, and storage of various items of electrical, mechanical, electronic, optical, and other military and non-military equipment employing various technologies together with related documents, images and ephemera, in order that they be exhibited and demonstrated to the general public in permanent and/or temporary exhibitions at selected locations in the United Kingdom.
(b) providing specialist technical knowledge, information, equipment, engineering services, other artefacts and the services of interpretation, explanation, and display, to support national, regional, and local exhibitions and other similar activities, in order to create, establish and maintain a museum or other historic communications exhibits and/or displays open to the general public.
(c) providing specialist technical knowledge, information, equipment, artefacts, historic documentation, exhibitions, and support relating to communications as required to:
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The public
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Schools and educational establishments
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Collectors, restorers, conservators, and users of historic communications equipment
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History societies and other groups
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Museums
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Other public and private events and venues, permanent or temporary
5. Activities, Performance and Public Benefit
The Trust was formed on 15 November 2015 and became a registered charity on 19 October 2016.
During the period under review, DRT has been closely liaising with the Curator of the Signals Museum RAF Henlow (known as SMH). The SMH Curator was also a Trustee of DRT. The plan was to merge the two organisations to form an enlarged group under the registered charity wing of DRT. During 2022, selected items of DRT exhibition equipment were transported to SMH Building 104 RAF Henlow and installed for public display and interaction. However, by September 2022 it was found that the declared interests and horizons of some of the SMH team significantly conflicted with the objectives and public education obligations of DRT and consequently all DRT equipment was withdrawn from Henlow and the plan to merge the two organisations abandoned. The Signals Museum at RAF Henlow is now due to close by June 2024.
6. Donations Received
Various donations of funds have been received from private individuals in the UK for the express purpose of supporting, maintaining, and storing the DRT equipment collections. Various other nonrestricted financial donations and donations of storage racking, equipment, documents, and electronic, and electro-mechanical components have been received from private individuals and from organisations in the electronics industry. The Trust is most grateful for these donations.
7. Heritage Assets
The collection of historic communications equipment and documents owned by the Trust, which currently date from the approximate period 1916 – 2020 is considered by the Trustees to qualify to be treated as Heritage Assets. Throughout this reporting period the Trustees have continued to research, catalogue, and assess the present-day market value of these heritage assets in accordance with SORP FRS102. This process was arrested by the pandemic but is approximately 95% complete and the value of the items catalogued to date is estimated in the range £125,000 to £175,000. The individual value of such items is estimated by researching the average selling price achieved at public
auction and public on-line auction and by applying the knowledge, experience, and judgement of the Trustees as to the historical significance, scarcity, desirability, and condition of each item.
8. Other Information
The Trust has appropriate product and public liability insurance for DRT and DRL. During the year a suite of replacement operating policies and risk assessments have been generated appropriate to the changed circumstances and locations of DRT/DRL engineering and exhibition facilities. The Trust has revised or established the following formal operating policies:-
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Health and Safety Policy
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Complaints Policy
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Data Protection & Privacy Policy
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Code of Conduct Policy
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Safeguarding Policy
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Volunteering Policy
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Equal Opportunities Policy
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Media & Social Networking Policy
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Radiological Protection Policy (ionizing & non-ionizing)
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Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) Policy
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Emergency Procedure/Emergency Evacuation Policy
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Infectious Diseases Policy (replaces original Covid-19 policy)
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13 Interim Collections Policy (acquisitions & disposals)
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OFCOM EMF Compliance Policy (draft only as radio station closed down)
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Briefing policy and process for visitors
The Trust has continued to operate the wholly owned subsidiary company, Duxford Radio Limited (DRL), for any activities which are not considered by the Charity Commission to be wholly and exclusively for the public benefit.
DRL is registered with HMRC for corporation tax and has registered with HMRC for the Gift Aid system. DRL is registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) to hold personal data on supporting individuals for approved purposes subject to their express agreement.
DRT maintains a public Internet web site www.duxfordradio.org to communicate information to the general public about the history, application, and technology of communications in military conflict and civil emergencies.
DRL has continued to publish on behalf of The Trust a historical-technical journal entitled Duxford Radio . This publication has reached issue 89 and is archived in the Cambridge University Library.
9. Statement of Conformance to Public Benefit Requirements
The Trustees have had regard for the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission from time to time and contained within documents PB1, PB2 and PB3 and have acted accordingly.
The Trust has supported the general public, organised groups, local museums and individuals with exhibition equipment, historical and technical information both directly and indirectly via its publications, email and web site.
10. Additional Information
The Trustees and Directors are most grateful for the activity, support and assistance given by the former IWM registered volunteers, supporters, donors, and correspondents of the former IWM Duxford Radio Section.
No DRT Trustee or DRL Director received any personal benefit or remuneration or expenses from the Trust or DRL Ltd, only re-imbursement of expenditure on agreed purchases made for DRT/DRL.
The DRT Trustees 2021-2022 report 02-02-2023 draft v4c
Duxford Radio Trust Group and Charity Balance Sheet As of 31 October 2022
| Group | Charity | |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed Assets(Note 1) | ||
| Office Equipment Etc |
12,585.00* | 12,278.00 |
| Current Assets | ||
| Cash at Bank and in hand | 8,119.00 | 5,692.00 |
| Debtors (Note 2) | 0 | 1,000.00 |
| Shares (Note 3) | 0 | 100.00 |
| ____________ | ||
| Total Current Assets |
20,704.00 | 19070.00 |
| Creditors : Amounts Falling due |
257.00 | 257.00 |
| within 1 year | ||
| Total assets less current liabilities |
20,447.00 | 18,813.00 |
| ____________ | ||
| Combined Total Income DRT and DRL | 5,984.00 | |
| Combined Total Expenditure DRT and DRL | 3,571.00 | |
| ____________ |
Note 1
Heritage Assets
Work continues to estimate the value of the collection of historic military communications artefacts and documents (see Trustees Report). The value to date is estimated as £125,000 to £175,000, and the work is on-going.
Note 2
Loan of £1,000.00 from Duxford Radio Trust to Duxford Radio Ltd for working capital.
Note 3
100 £1 shares in Duxford Radio Ltd wholly owned by Duxford Radio Trust.
- A change to the accounting program automatically rounds up/down to nearest £.