CHARITY INCORPORATED ORGANISATION (CIO) NUMBER 1171661 EAST GRINSTEAD MUSEUM TRUSTEES, ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR 2025126
East Grfnstead Museum CIO Annual Report of tho Trustees for the year ended 31stMarch 2026 The Trustees of East Grinstead mus8 CIO rnsent their annual report forts period from 1st Aprll 2025 to the 31st March 2026 whlch has been yepared in a¢cordartt wth the account&ng and reporting Statem of reclrKled pradK* issued by the Charity Commission. East Grinstead Museum is a charitab IwForated Organ&1tion fCIOI registered under charity number 1171561. It was created and is govem&J by a rtUtIOn dated 9 Febfuary 2017. Trust•a8 During the year the TN$tees were: Lester Porter (Chair of Truste8s untll 28WTr January 2026. wppoint8d as a trust88 on 28th January 2026) Andrew Bliss (appointed Chair of Tnjstees from 28 January 2026) Andrew Brock Hugh Kelty Stephen Ody [Tu4wn Coundl Rewesentative] Heathef Hdllns Lucy Buckland Nyssa Mildwaters Stephen Chandler James Baklwin (appointed 28th January 2026) Peter Smith {app(thd 281N January 2026) Publlc Bon•frt The Trustees confim that the Chanty Commission's genernl guidan on public benefit has been considered in relation to the objectives of the Chafity. The report below sets out those objectives and descritjes h(ThY they have been met in current year. Charltsble Objects The charrtabk objects, as set out in the Constttution are.. "To provide for advanment of public etIon by the provision of the Museum comprising tIE Existing Collection together with Such other items as may b.rne to be Comprised in the Trust Fund arKI to presepie the Sa as a collection (Ihe Colleclw)n"). To educate the public in the geography, history and natural hjstory of the area of the town of East Grinsteal and its nelghbourhocAd.' In support of our charitab Objects. are in pro(XSS fA updating our overall strategy. Set LKrt bekyw Ihe current VKAking defmith)n of our Pwpw and Aim.
Our Purpose East Grinstead Museum tells the skny the t(r•m the surr(xJnding High Vleald landsc through time. It Collects, safeguwds a1 interprets tts collection to tell stories of local peopbe, pla and events aFKI to enable peopb frcyn all backgrounds to be uwired by exploring arKI leaming about Ihe area's Uniq pasL Our Alm We aspire to spark a sense of P, bekngmg and laso'nats"on in the area's past, present and future fof all who encounter colledions reveal and the st(xies ghare. In partscular we aim to.. Engage with alenCeS wthn East Gmstead and ts Surrounding villages, as well as natnalty and inlemationally., Tailor and improve our stories to engage a Ixoader and mixe diverse audience.. Value ar Ynprove the volunleer experience so that they assume a key role in delivering the Mission,. Be financlalw seN-SUStainable and organisationally rwlienl. ActIvi•S durfng the year A new rnanager was recruited in January 2025 with the expectation that appointment would lead to a significant reductiub in the museum's operating deficit. The net deficit for the year was £17,988 although £9,935 of Inco was restrict1 for spedfic projects. Of the £9,935 a sum of £4.950 is committed for a pr(yect in 2026r27. It should also be noled that the museum's manager resigned at the beginr4ng of April 2026 and a recruitrnenl pro¢e88 has been startad to find a replaoment Durlng the course of 2025126 financial yew a sub-cthimittee of trustees began the procEss of subrnrtting a new bid for furKling to the National Lottery Heritage Fund {NLHF) As Ihe previous bid was unsuc£essfiJl. It is anticipated that the new will be submitted in Juty 2026. In discussions with representatives from the NLHF the Museum vms encouraged to submit a new bid on a reduced scale to help brOlen the Museum's appeal to a vder audience. This, rf approved, comblned wilh the appoinlment of a new manager, shcAJld lead to a situation where Ihe Museum is on a sustainable financial basis for the foreseeable fulure In addition to the Manager, the Trustees cA)ntlnu8d to rely on our volunteets to act as Stewards at the Museum and to supp(xt the Museurn carrying out a range of spaliSt tasks, from helping to manage the cleCtIOns, to delivering public talks, children's acts'vities and a wlde variety of other actNi1$ and prq'ects. The Tfustees are hugety grateful for the support provided by over 50 dedicated volunteers ith<xJt vhw)m the Museum could not survive. The Trustees remaln o)mmitted to ts training arml develOpnnI of both staff and volunteers. The Herltaga and Its Uee The original Colkction comprises an extensNe range of local hi8tcxy and craft material relevant to the history and Gulture of the ancient parish of East Grinstead and the immediate
suffourmling areas. It inckKles artefaLs, dom&th it8ts, meM(billa. epheThTa and images of the town, its people. trades. wcrfessions and irtIluns. The aen Victoria Hospital Collecti(, which was a(x4uired in 2009. comprises over three thousand iterns of archwal material, books, pholcgraphs and objerts induding prosthetics, models, instruments, eqLMpment. and persLThl memorabdia of both staff ar patients telling the story of this intemationalty renowned hospital and the Surgeon Sir Archibald Mdndoe and his famous Second World Guinea Pys. In March 2016, the Heritage Lottery Fund approved support for our RObldIng Bodi8s and Souls exhibition which originalty Opd in November of that year. The exhibiUon. now a permanent feature of the Museum. has Contr.nu to attract VTSitors, indLfding a number of famity members of the Guinea Pigs. aThJ a slèady Ibjw of online enquiries. The MugeLm serves the people who live in East Grinslead the surrounding villages and the large numbers of tourists vtho Visit the tthvn eh year, as 11 as special interest groups, groups of local children arKI researchers t0 k)cal h'story and geneal(>3y. In addrtion to the pemawil displays. the Museum ho8ts a Series of regular activities vthich In¢lLKles.' a programme of a¢tsvttps ts ¢hthlren during s(Th)I hdidays talks and presentations to local community organwlons onllne talks on subjects ol local Intwest temporary exhibitions. Govornan¢• and Mumum Man•g•mwt Standard Openlng Houvs: The Museum is nClaIlY open from Wednesday to Saturday 10 - 4pm. Admission is free. The MuseLm has full accreditation under Arts Cwnol Engkind scheme for Museums. It meets all requirements for Operat4onal health Collections Users arKJ thelr experiences Organisational Structur• The Trustees &tlng as the Board me8t b1-nN and we responslble for Ensuring cornplian with the Museum's Trust Deed Developing strategy AgreeiTh3 and monitoring plans lo wnplenxnt the strategy . Setting a1 agren9 poltc Maintaining proper finanoal oversight Funding issues and fundraising adivity Ensuring Complian wilh law Encouragir¥J dNersity Ensuring openness and antsbllty
Encouraging diveisity . Ensuring openness aThJ ntalIty Financlal R•viow The aG¢ourts for the year 8nd8d 31 March 2026 SIKJW a net of £17.S68 (2025: £38,497) although this indLths the restricted InMe referred lo above. As not1 in the review of annual actNities the Museum witl be submitti'ng a bid to the NLHF to fvrKI a woj.ect to inCaSe wsrtors which wa ain to do in 8 vray whtch will in¢r8a80 incoTh. The Museum has net cash at the yearaond of £96.597 (2025: 114.565) l. R•c•lpts The Mu86um recorded rece4rts for the ye8rof £36.170 {2025: £28,56n with the in¢rease due to th6 receipt of SIn¢e funds refeffed to abtyrfo. Th8 rec¥1 relate primarity to.. Grants from local authCrfrtS DOnaOn5 from the visitsng ger?1 public Ongoing finant4al support from the Frlends of th8 Mu8eum Funds raised from the sa188 of merchandi88 from the Museum shop Events held at tt Museum and e18ewhere Sala8 of Imap licen¢es 2. P•ym•nt Total expendrture was £54,13812025.' £67,(4) relating primwity to: Salary and pension G03ts for aff amployed by tho Museum Costs of running tha Museum bultdtro hi¢tLtding insurance, m8intènanc•, light and h88( et¢. Costs of fundraising events induding purcha888 of stock Ihe 8hop Technology and FKofessMal support R•$•rwM Pollcy The Trustoes con8idér it prudent for tho Museum to malntaln fre• cash werves oquivalènt to approximately six Tnonths bud9Oted non41isryetionary ynd to deal wrth shDrt-t8rm fluctuations in income, unexpected repair8 and to WOVKle adequate vKwking Caprtal. In the event that forecast cashflowB indKed free cash reserves could fall below this level, the tn18tees would consider what additional steps needed to ba taken to improve the financial position of the muUM. Conn•eted party tran8a¢tloM and Trusts• b•n•fits beneffta from the TruJL &'gned by: Andrew Bliss, Chair of Trustees Date: 29 July 2026
CMARITY COMM15510 ¥OR ENGIANO AND WALES Receipts and payments accounts CC16a Forth• priod 3IW2028 Section A Receipts and payments Vnrvstrfcted EndovArnnt lunds lun loth• n•af•¥t toth• to thi n••r•¥l to th• n••rn¥t Restrlcted Total Last >lf toth• n••r•t £ A1 ft•ulpts &287 17.786 &8rts FuTha8ing 436 1145 1674 1874 Other tot•1(G¥S ftyARI t ind Sftv••trri•nt •.•36 38,170 l••, Costs ofctrfjrfllt4e acl%lOes FLryra181 4274 4274 8 1 130 87,084 Al •MI Ind ID¥••ln•nt •t S10 17, J8,49 b Trnn•f•fS b•1• lund* C•Bh frJnd$ laBt •nd 114.666 114565 163.062, 11456
funds rlds tr•n•¥••t£ ts M¥••t£ Ip n••r•4£ &Cathln 21,312 fbr ,79ts15 la i(n••rn•t¢ lo Curr•fftvth
Brenda Peers-Ross 29 Drift Road Selsey Chichester West Sussex P020 OPW To the Trustees.. EAST GRINSTEAD MUSEUM Rogistered CIO Number: 1171561 Page 8 INDEPENDENT EXAM PORT ON THE ACCOUNTS Rpon•1111•s and basis ol rgporL I have lTrdyrKJenty Examined tho Finanual Statem8rts {CC16a) for the financial year ending 3111 Match 2026. Resp•ctiv• r••pon8lbllltl•s of Truste¢s and Examln•T As the Chari¥ trustees, you are re8PDnsibl8 lor the preparntions of the ac£ount¢ in accordan thllh the requirem8nls of the Char[tS Act 2011 I'lhe 2011 Acri. The charity's Trustees consider an audil is not required lor this year under 8ectK)n 144(2) of the Chanls Act 2011 and that an Independ8nl examination Is needed. I report on my examinatK)n of tr¢e Charity'8 acminl3 caffd wt under Sectlon 145 of the 2011 Act and In carylng out my eyAminalion, I have lollth¥ed a# the applKable DlreGtions gNen by the ChaFIty Commissn ur#J8r section 14515Mbl of the Ad. Basls of Indèp•nd•nt Examlnerfs Rgport My éxamination wa5 carried out in a(xordanc• ryiti ge[al DireiDn8 9i¥en by the Chary CMiSsion and in accordance with section 145 of the Charities 2011. An examinatkjn inCdeS a revM¥ of Ihe acwunting records kept by the charity and a compafwn of the acnts presented Ihese re(¥Jrd8. It also includes consKleration of any unusual items or disclosu8 in Ihe a¢o)unt8 and seeking explanations from you the trustees con¢eming suth malters. The pro¢edures undertaken do not provKle all Ihg evidtrnce that would be wuired in an audit. and eonwuenlly no opinKJn is gwen as to whether trte aemunts we8ent a 'irue and falr VW. aryj Ihe roport 18 limrtgd to those mattéfs Sét out in tho noxt slatement. Independenl Ex•mln¢f8 Statemgnt I ha COMpted my examination. I confirrn that no matters have come to my akntion in connection the examination gi¥K¥J me cause to l)8lie%• that in malen&l weswl.. the acc4)unting rettrfds were not Wl in aC[danCe wilh SeLlI 130 ofthe 2011 Act: or the accounts dKI not accar(l the accountiry renA8. I have no ncernS and ha come asS nD Other matters kn onnectw)n wth the examinallon lo wh attention should be drawn in thi5 rekXIrt in order lo enab a proper understanding of the 8m)unts lo be reached. Brénda PeersvRos$ FMA4T ACIE 310 August 2026