The Duxford Radio Trust Annual Report 2024 – 2025-draft 1a
Registered Charity No. 1169780
The Trustees of the Duxford Radio Trust (DRT) present their annual report for the year 16 November 2024 to 15 November 2025. Accounts for the above period are listed separately.
The Duxford Radio Trust is a not-for-profit radio communications, history, and technology foundation, formed in 2016 to take over the assets of the former unincorporated organisation The Duxford Radio Society, which from 1992 – 2016 had operated the volunteer radio section at the Imperial War Museums, Duxford, England. From 2016 - 2020 DRT/DRL operated the IWM Duxford volunteer radio section until the site closed for the Covid pandemic. Following an internal re-organisation of the IWM Duxford airfield site and partner organisations, DRT left IWM in 2022.
The Trust is privately funded and during 2024-2025 was not in receipt of state grants. DRT also operates a wholly owned subsidiary, Duxford Radio Limited (DRL), a company limited by shares.
1. 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. Charity No. 1169780, registered in England. The Trust name can be abbreviated to DRT. No changes have been made to the constitution since November 2020.
The DRT Trustees
Peter Brown Richard Pope Richard Howes John Moore PhD Brian Roberts Pauline Howes Beryl Pope
There have been no 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 donating supporters but did not have any formal volunteers. The only members are the 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 Internet Web site www.duxfordradio.org
https://sites.google.com/view/new-drt-v5/home
The Trust has a wholly owned subsidiary, Duxford Radio Limited, company number 10762055, registered in England, a company limited by Shares. This was 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, such as the operation from time to time of a Radio Amateur demonstration transmitting station callsign G0PZJ and GB0WMM. The company name can be abbreviated to DRL.
2. Summary of DRT Activities November 2024 – November 2025
During 2024-2025 engineering, conservation, restoration and electro-mechanical design and construction work has continued at the DRT engineering workshop and store. Various items of DRT historic military radio communications and exhibition equipment have been loaned to three museums:-
RAF Radar Museum, Neatishead
Waterbeach Military Heritage Museum
Cambridge Museum of Technology/Pye Museum
Engineering work has continued on overhauling and preparing additional radio communications, navigation and radar equipment for exhibition at Waterbeach Military Heritage Museum (WMHM).
DRT trustees have continued to act as WMHM volunteers for explainer duties when required and have been demonstrating Morse code and RAF radio communications, navigation and radar equipment to
individual visitors and organised groups of visitors to WMHM when the museum was open. A further quantity of DRT exhibition display units, previously utilised at IWM Duxford, have been overhauled and re-configured to suit the space available at WMHM ready for future installation. The following types of equipment will be added in the near future:-
RAF Section - VHF ground station communications receiving station
Royal Engineers Section - Larkspur era communications equipment
Royal Engineers Section - Clansman era communications equipment
Examples of WW2 SOE Clandestine equipment delivered by the RAF
3. DRT/DRL Activities
The primary role of DRT is the education of the public in the field of communications used in military conflict and civil emergencies, and the celebration of the efficiency and effectiveness of the armed forces and the emergency services of the Crown by means of the management and protection of a collection of historic communications equipment, documents, and artefacts for exhibition to the public for the purposes of education.
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/demonstrations of historic radio communications, navigation, and radar artefacts.
The Trust fulfils its public education obligations by assisting the 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 collection and human knowledge/experience base. The Trust also fulfils its public education obligations by publishing the Duxford Radio journal up to three times per annum containing articles on specific historic equipment or communication related techniques. Copies of the Duxford Radio Journal are archived in Cambridge University Library. A newsletter is circulated to supporters by email from time to time.
The DRT collection of Allied Forces 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 systems equipment to the public, visually supported by illustrated educational graphics panels.
The DRL activities include the ownership and operation of a special exhibition Amateur Radio communications station and associated equipment (when operational), and any trading activities necessary on behalf of the DRT parent charity etc. In the past the Trust partly fulfilled its public education obligations by its DRL subsidiary owning and operating the licensed permanent exhibition radio transmitting and receiving station at IWM Duxford, callsign GB2IWM. The radio station has now been removed from Duxford, however the core DRT registered radio call sign G0PZJ has been retained for future use and an appropriate Notice of Variation (NOV) exhibition radio call sign obtained from OFCOM to operate from Waterbeach Military Heritage Museum as GB0WMM when required.
The DRL Directors currently are Richard Howes, and John Moore. The Company Secretary is Richard Howes. The Health and Safety Manager for both DRT and DRL is Peter Brown and the Treasurer for both is Dr. John Moore. The Supporter Liaison Secretary and Data Controller is Brian Roberts.
Both the Trust and DRL have reviewed and continued with the same banking facilities previously used.
4. Subscriptions and Donations Received
Supporter donated subscriptions and various other donations of funds have been received from private individuals in the UK for the express purpose of supporting the operation of DRT and maintaining and storing the DRT equipment collections. Various other non-restricted 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. The Trust is registered for Gift Aid recovery on subscriptions and financial donations.
5. Heritage Assets
The collection of historic communications equipment and documents owned by the Trust, which currently date from the approximate period 1916 – 2024 is considered by the Trustees to qualify to be treated as Heritage Assets. Throughout this reporting period the Trustees have continued to conserve, restore, maintain, research, catalogue, and assess the present-day market value of these heritage assets in accordance with SORP FRS102. The cataloguing and valuation process was arrested by the Covid pandemic, followed by the evacuation of DRT equipment from six IWM Duxford locations and the significant task of re-establishing a new storage and workshop base, which is still ongoing.
The individual value of such items is estimated by researching the average selling price actually achieved at public auction and public on-line auction and by applying the knowledge, experience, and judgement of the Trustees (as experts in the field) as to the historical significance, scarcity, desirability, utility and condition of each item. The Trust has purchased Spectrum approved museum cataloguing software in order to begin to migrate the internal collection recording database to the British Museum Spectrum standard in due course.
6. Other Information
The Trust has maintained appropriate product and public liability insurance for DRL activities via the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) radio club group policy and for DRT activities via a separate insurance policy using the same insurance brokers as the RSGB. The workshop fire extinguishers are inspected and maintained on a two-year schedule by a third-party specialist supplier. The workshop and storage container electrical distribution system is checked by a third-party specialist supplier on a two-year cycle.
A suite of replacement operating policies and risk assessments have been maintained appropriate to the changed circumstances and locations of DRT/DRL engineering and remote exhibition facilities.
DRT/DRL have declared the following formal operating policies and procedures:-
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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 (workshop & store)
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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 in storage and not in regular use)
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Briefing policy and process for visitors to storage site and workshop
DRT/DRL have conducted the following formal Risk Assessments and Procedures:-
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Overall operation at DRT/DRL Workshop and Store
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Activities in DRT/DRL 32 ft workshop
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Activities in DRT/DRL storage containers
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Activities in remaining IWM Duxford storage container
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5.1. Manual Handling of equipment
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5.2. Operation of Temporary DRT/DRL radio Station
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Equipment Storage and Handling
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Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
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Infectious diseases (inc.COVID-19, Influenza, Norovirus etc)
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Working at height
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Visitor Access to DRT Facility
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Visitor to DRT facility Briefing Document
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Various ex-Duxford operating procedures
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Event/exhibition planning procedure
Other risk assessments will be performed when required for a specific event or activity.
NOTES:-
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. 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 has registered with HMRC for the Gift Aid system and maintains a public Internet website www.duxfordradio.org or https://sites.google.com/view/new-drt-v5/home to communicate information to the general public about DRT/DRL activities in interpreting and exhibiting the history, application, and technology of communications in military conflict and civil emergencies.
The DRT historical-technical journal Duxford Radio is archived in the Cambridge University Library.
7. 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 exhibitions, publications, web site and email communication.
8. Additional Information
The Trustees and Directors are most grateful for the activity, support and assistance given by the supporters of the former IWM Duxford Radio Section and also by the current local and distant supporters, donors and orgainisations.
No DRT Trustee or DRL Director received any personal benefit or remuneration or expenses from the Trust or DRL Ltd , only the re-imbursement of agreed personal expenditure on specific purchases made on the express instruction of DRT/DRL.
End DRT Trustees Report 2024-2025 report December 2025 final
Duxford Radio Trust Accounts 31 October 2025
| Profit and Loss as of 31 October 2025 | 2025 | 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income | £ | £ | |||
| Donations | 1,659.00 | 798.00 | |||
| Gift Aid HMRC | 422.00 | 396.00 | |||
| Interest receivable | - | 100.00 | |||
| Sales of Equipment | 339.00 | 1,800.00 | |||
| Subscriptions | 832.00 | 845.00 | |||
| 3,253.00 | 3,939.00 | ||||
| Expenses | |||||
| Equipment bought | (32.00) | - | |||
| Insurance | (1,058.00) | (1,002.00) | |||
| Materials Purchased | (97.00) | (189.00) | |||
| Other legal and prof | - | - | |||
| Postage | - | (141.00) | |||
| Storage Rent | (1,200.00) | (1,200.00) | |||
| Service Charges | (190.00) | - | |||
| Repairs and maintenance | - | (54.00) | |||
| Software | (108.00) | (96.00) | |||
| Stationery and printing | (784.00) | (170.00) | |||
| Sundies | - | (129.00) | |||
| (3,469.00) | (2,982.00) | ||||
| Net profit/(loss) | (217.00) | 957.00 | |||
| Balance Sheet as at 31 October 2025 | 2025 | 2024 | |||
| £ | £ | ||||
| Fixed Assets | |||||
| Plant and Machinery | 12,175.00 | 12,157.00 | |||
| Equipment, fixtures and fittings | 540.00 | 540.00 | |||
| 12,714.00 | 12,714.00 | ||||
| Current Assets | 6,427.00 | 6,423.00 | |||
| Current Liabilities Creditors : Short | Term | (221.00) | 0 | ||
| Total Assets less Total Liabilities: | 18,920.00 | 19.137.00 | |||
| Capital & Reserves | |||||
| Brought Forward | 0 | 0 | |||
| Reserves | 19,137.00 | 18,180.00 | |||
| P & L Account | (217.00) | 957.00 | |||
| Total Funds | 18,920.00 | 19,137.00 |
Entries have been rounded up or down according to Inland Revenue requirements. Plant and Machinery includes storage containers and workshop.
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 £130,000 to £175,000, and the work is on-going.