WINCHCOMBE TOWN TRUST Registered Charity 1173052
TRUSTEES' REPORT for year ending 31[st] December 2022
A Constitution
Winchcombe Town Trust was originally established by a Deed of Trust dated 28[th] March 1890. This charitable Scheme was arranged pursuant to the Municipal Corporations Act 1883, following the dissolution of the Corporation of Bailiffs and Burgesses of Winchcombe. The Trust received various properties and artefacts, but little cash.
The Trust has now re-formed as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (“CIO”). It was incorporated on 16[th] May 2017 with a new registered number 1173052 and merged with the previous 1890 charity (234734) in December 2021
The Trust has its main activity based at the Old Town Hall, High Street, Winchcombe, GL54 5LJ
B Objects
The objects of the CIO in its Trust Deed are: -
(1) To promote the benefit of the inhabitants of Winchcombe and the surrounding area ("the area of benefit"), by working with local voluntary and community organisations, inhabitants and other authorities in a common effort to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure time occupation with the object of improving conditions of life for the said inhabitants, without distinction of age, disability, nationality, race, sex, sexual orientation, political, religious or other opinions by the provision of maintaining and managing the Town Hall.
(2) The relief of poverty of persons resident in the area of benefit by making grants of money to them or providing or paying for goods, services or facilities for them or making grants of money to other persons or bodies who provide goods, services or facilities to those in need. In exceptional cases the trustees may decide to assist someone (who is otherwise qualified) who is resident outside of (or only temporarily resident in) the area of benefit.
(3) To advance education of the public in the history of Winchcombe, in particular by the provision of a museum.'
C Trustees and Museum Committee
The current Trustees are:
Mr. D.M.F Dufton (Chairman) Mr. A Herod Mr. A. Robinson Mr. V. Royle
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Mr. A.B.Thomas
Mr. R Wakeford
We are seeking more trustees and volunteers to share the workload. Trustees are elected by resolution of the Trust and serve for an initial period of 5 years, renewable once.
There is a separate dedicated Museum Committee, which focusses on maintaining and operating the Winchcombe Museum. This engages with a group of hard-working volunteers who are key to operating the Museum. The number of museum volunteers has materially increased over 2022.
D Activities in 2022
The Trustees determined in 2017 that Winchcombe Museum must be completely revamped in order to best display its collections and to provide a key focal point for presenting the Heritage and History of Winchcombe town.
The Museum has been almost completely closed from October 2019 to June 2022, with only a few months of opening. The ceiling to the main room was found to be defective and this (as well as COVID) forced closure of the museum for nearly all of 2021 and the first half of 2022. Following successful fund-raising and obtaining the necessary consents, Pyments of Campden were instructed to remove the ceiling, thus creating an open, airy space within which to display the Museum collection.
Following the work on the ceiling, the display cases were repainted and the museum displays re-done with new interpretation boards. This has created a more inviting display for visitors. This includes telling the town’s story chronologically for the first time in many years and the inclusion of new exhibits.
The new interpretation boards greatly help in telling the story of Winchcombe for visitors.
The Trust has been successful in attracting some new museum volunteers,
The Trust has continued planning for and seeking advice on establishing a retail operation, to provide a long-term sustainable form of income, to help secure the future viabllity of the Museum and the Trust. COVID and the recent recession has made this a particularly problematic exercise, and the continuing economic recession means that these plans are on hold.
Given its limited funding, the Trust has focussed on maintaining and enhancing Winchcombe Museum. In addition, it awards an annual prize to a pupil of Winchcombe School who has shown the most improvement.
Measurement of activity
The principal criterion being used to measure the growth of the Museum is visitor numbers and we are looking to increase the annual number of visitors from a historic level of 1,500 -2,000 to a range of 5 -10,000.
The Museum re-opened in June 2022, and the flow of visitors has substantially No.1173052
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increased to a level of an annualized rate of 5,000.
E Finance
The Trust financial position continues to require careful management as the Trust has very limited resources of its own for financing major projects and operating the Museum.
In a normal year, the Trust income and expenditure is less than £10,000 p.a., with a modest surplus in some years of around £1,000. This has meant that all major projects have involved significant fund-raising and reliance on grants and donations.
The 31 December 2022 accounts show that the Trust has total current assets of £110,916 as at 31 December 2022. £43,000 is restricted as a strategic reserve.
The Museum liquidated £20,000 of its reserves, in order to part- fund the ceiling repairs.
The impact of COVID resulted in no income from Museum entrance fees or related sales of books, etc. for most of 2020 and 2021.
The Trust must raise further funds and find new sources of income in order to both meet the cost of continued improvements as well as providing enough income to keep open.
F Volunteers
The current group of volunteers is an indispensable element in the functioning of the Trust and the Museum. Volunteers are the source of Trustees and also those people who maintain the building and Museum.
They also provide the necessary resource to open and close the Museum and to supervise and inform members of the public who enter the Museum.
The vast majority of such volunteers are based in Winchcombe. Where more specialist skills are required, the Trust has been fortunate to find individuals who have been able to help with the major projects.
In common with most voluntary organisations, the Trust has found it difficult to recruit many volunteers, especially in the time of COVID. With the advice of South West Museums Association and others, progress is now being made.
This is a vital area as the age profile of the majority of current volunteers means that additional newcomers are essential over the next few years.
G Future Plans
Prior to COVID, the Trust has successfully engaged with Winchcombe in order to raise awareness of the Museum and its role within Winchcombe and has attracted widespread support for the refurbishment works and for removing the ceiling.
The extended closure of the Museum room for both planned and unexpected works and COVID have caused a major hiatus in the activities of the Trust over the past 3 years.
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The Trust is planning to establish a “Friends of Winchcombe Museum” as the basis for continued engagement and also a means of securing regular income.
A number of Trustees attended a “Rebuilding the Foundations” course run by the South West Museums Association, which is connected to the Arts Council. This has generated ideas and will form the basis for plans to address some of the structural issues which affect not just Winchcombe Museum but also the vast majority of museums in the country.
The Trust is planning for the recruitment of more volunteers and trustees, in order to take the Museum forward for the future.
The Trust is now embarking on a major exercise to involve the Community and local businesses, in order to fulfill the vision of the museum being the Heritage Centre and Portal for all of Winchcombe’s history and heritage
The Trust is planning the opening of the retail shop in the Museum building some time when the conditions for retail sales are right. This is dependent on there being sufficient demand and that the Trust can finance the retail cashflows needed.
The Trust is prioritising the search for new volunteers and trustees, as many of these are of pensionable age.
Michael Dufton
Michael Dufton Chairman
2[nd] April 2023
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Receipts & Payments121 Wlnchoombe Town Trust Ptye1 of4 31 mber 2022 Period Previous 2021 ear Year to Date 2022 Receipts Shop Receipts Zettle Card Sales Cash Sales Third Party Sales TIC Rents TIC Sales (Neti Less Shop Costs Arbsl & Stock Payments Net Shop Sales 6.040 199 3.929 1,243 244 3.300 1.567 2.197 14,6361 3.801 (3.9841 6.299 Mus8um Donations Cash Entrancg Don8bon¥ Zetue Donatsons other Donations Just Giving Less Jusl Giving Costs Gift Sumup Card Receipts Less Sumup Costs Net Museum faking$ 1,503 62 49 197 11261 178 1.004 1901 2.776 op Fair Mop Rentals Mop Costs Mop Fairln¢om¢ 1.028 1.040 12791 1,028 761 Museum Talks Talk Income Talk Expens88 Talks Net 314 {241 290 other Incon Covid Grants Thirty Percy Grant Meteorite Grants & Donations Museurn Donatsons Cabinet Donatk)ns Training Grant Amazon Smile Mer(aa Rents COIF Dividends 11.035 4,152 4,500 2,647 3,971 3,350 300 51 1,20D 49 31 1,200 50 Total Receipts 28.761 18,728 Paymènts Ceiling Pn)i8ct P8ym8nts Less Grants Gift Sum Up Donations C8sh Donab"on$ Just Giving Just Giving Costs Zettle Donations {85.5451 55.544 1,726 222 1.146 1,865 1361 590 3.607 Confidential Ch8rty No.'1173052 08102r2023
Receipts & Payments121 Virgin Giving Cwling Cost Pag82of4 631 4.332 1244891 Other Costs Bank Charges Refurbishment Expenses Building Maintenance ConservatK)n Town Clock Elertricty Fire Extsnguishers Insurance Museum Displays Museutll Purthases Publi¢ity Security Staff Costs Subscriptions Sumup Purchase Sundry Telephonelwl FI Training Water Web Site Gratuity hAuseum Expenses- Cabinet. Info Boar Total Payments 12361 111,5111 19591 1317} 14641 {2,4771 13181 12.0961 1191 {5971 11,2931 (4061 1371 13071 {1,7311 165) {2,0261 1881 {2,0951 1401 {6531 11,0521 {3601 15761 17321 1471 12691 1861 12021 11791 1381 {3.7621 {21,1571 {1,0091 {3S.0501 Net receipts l (Payments) 7,604 (16,3221 COIF Revaluation GainlLoss Musoum Balance BIF Balance brou ht forward Balanc8 carried for4¥ard 149 12211 103,162 110,916 110,916 94,373 Made up of.. Treasurers Account )T Town Hall Appeal Museum A¢(x)unt Slralegic Reserye: T¥eaSurS A(OnI COIF 45,472 1,565 18,989 36,093 2,645 10, 43.000 1,889 43,000 1,667 110,915 94,373 Che¢ks. Ihisshoukl equalz8n) Approval of th• a¢¢ounts The financial stat•ments werg approved at a meeting of the Trustees and signed on its behalf by.. Sign= Name .... ConfthtHI Chority No".1173052 0810212023