The Friends of Dinosaur Isle (A Charitable Incorporated Organisation)
Report and financial statements for the Year Ended 31[st] March 2025.
Charity Number 1170688
The Friends of Dinosaur Isle
Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2025 .
The Trustees present their report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Reference and Administratve Informaton.
Charity Name: The Friends of Dinosaur Isle CIO
Charity registration number: 1170688
Registered office and operational address.
Dinosaur Isle Museum, Culver Parade Sandown Isle of Wight PO36 8QA
Trustees Commitee
Mr M Hornett (Chair)
Dr J Lockwood (Events)
Mrs B Sibbick (Treasurer)
Mr S Gausden (Social Media)
Ms T Hicks (Social Media)
Mrs P Lockwood
Dr N J Gostling
Mr W Thurbin (Secretary)
Non-voting committee members
Dr M Munt (Museum Curator)
Bankers: Lloyd’s Bank, 22 St Thomas' Square, Newport. Isle Of Wight, PO30 1SQ
Solicitors: Belcher Frost Solicitors Ltd. 3 West St, Elmsworth, Hampshire. PO10 7DX
Our Aims and Objectves.
Our charity’s purposes as set out in the objects contained in the company’s memorandum of association are to:
To advance the education of the public in palaeontology and geology for the benefit of the public, in particular by assisting Dinosaur Isle Museum in developing and displaying its collections for the benefit of the public and promoting the study of the Isle of Wight’s palaeontological collections and facilitate contact between all interested persons.
Our aims are to see a greater understanding of palaeontology and a co-ordinated approach to ensuring that specimens are safeguarded for education and scientific research. We believe that our aims fully reflect the purposes that the charity was set up for.
Ensuring that our work delivers our Aims
We review our Aims on an annual basis generally during the first meeting of the Trustees following the AGM. We also review and feedback on all of our activities to ensure that they are fulfilling the aims of the charity.
The main objectives have been to:
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Support Dinosaur Isle Museum by raising funds to support the acquisition of equipment and specimens, and to receive contributions to support Dinosaur Isle Museum’s projects.
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Give practical help and assistance on a voluntary basis under the direction of museum staff.
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Support the Museum through the current process of its disposal by the Isle of Wight Council by working to ensure that the accreditation status of the museum is always maintained and that the collections remain safe, well cared for and available for scientific research. This objective is discussed in more detail later in this document.
Review of Activities and Achievements.
FODI ORGANISATION
The Friends of Dinosaur Isle is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and the Trustees Committee have met formally four times this year with other ad hoc meetings arranged as appropriate. The Trust is governed by its constitution with conflicts of interest being assessed at the first meeting after the AGM using our conflicts of interest policy.
EVENTS
During the reporting period, the charity organised and supported a wide range of events and activities to promote public engagement, support the museum, and raise funds in furtherance of its charitable objectives.
The charity continued to deliver its two well-established and popular quiz evenings, with a Christmas quiz and social gathering held in December and a further quiz event in February. These events were well attended and provided both social and fundraising benefits.
The charity supported and contributed to a number of talks at the museum during the year. These included events celebrating the 200th anniversary of the naming of Iguanodon, as well as the Wealden Conference held in June 2024. These activities again contributed to public education and increased awareness of the museum’s scientific and historical significance.
The annual Bone Day event was again well attended, with significant assistance provided by FODI volunteers, whose support was integral to the success of the event. In addition, FODI organised its customary summer barbecue, which was well supported and provided an informal setting for members to meet and develop stronger relationships.
As usual the Friends also supported the “Blast from the Past” event in November, further enhancing public engagement with the museum. All events held during the year provided valuable fundraising opportunities and represented an important source of income for the charity. Additional funds were raised through collection boxes located at the museum reception and at selected meetings. During the year, the Friends, working in collaboration with museum staff, designed and constructed a dinosaur-head-themed collection box located next to the laboratory window in the museum. This initiative has generated a positive return on the charity’s investment and has proved to be an engaging and effective fundraising tool.
For the first time, the charity hosted a stand at the popular island event, the Chale Show. This resulted in excellent engagement with visitors, raised awareness of the charity’s work, and generated a good level of donations.
The charity also launched a new website and expanded its social media presence during the year. These developments have proved highly successful, significantly improving communication and outreach within the local community and increasing awareness of the charity’s activities and aims.
VOLUNTEERS
The Friends continue to play an important role in attracting volunteers to the museum, who support the museum with work at the museum and in the laboratory but also by collecting and donating important specimens.
FUTURE OF DINOSAUR ISLE MUSEUM
The Isle of Wight’s Cretaceous coast is as globally significant as Dorset’s Jurassic Coast—yet remains underdeveloped. In just the last five years, our island has produced ten newly named dinosaur species, generating headlines worldwide. The island dinosaur heritage goes back 200 years to the discovery that led Richard Owen to name the Dinosauria itself.
The Isle of Wight Council (IWC) decided to dispose of Dinosaur Isle Museum in September 2017. However, delays, procedural changes, and opposition to using land around the existing site have stalled progress. Therefore, the future of the museum still remains uncertain, however the Friends are committed to supporting the transfer of control to a charitable trust and will continue to work hard to realise this goal.
Friends of Dinosaur Isle CIO Registered charity number 1170688
Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure account) for the year ended 31[st] March 2024.
Values have been rounded up to the nearest pound. We have no fixed assets (tangible assets or investments) We hold no stock and have no debtors. There has been no asset or investment sales or purchases in the time frame covered. There is a single fund and there has been no transfer to or from other funds. All our funds are unrestricted. We have received no restricted or endowment funds.
| £ | £ | |
|---|---|---|
| (2024/25) | (2023/24) | |
| Incoming resources | ||
| Membership Fees: | 728 | 641 |
| Income: | 3868 | 1255 |
| Expenditure: | ||
| Grant to the museum | 500 | 2000 |
| Operatng Costs | 120 | |
| Total expenditure | 620 | 2000 |
| Net income | 3976 | 1896 |
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds brought forward (April 2024) - £10,495
Total funds carried forward (April 2025) - £14,471
M C G Hornett
Wg Cdr M C G Hornett, BSc (Hons), RAF (Rtd) - Chair of Trustees