Trustees' Annual Report for the period
01 January 2025 to 31 December 2025
Section A Reference and administration details
Charity name The Saltford Brass Mill Project
Other names charity is known by Saltford Brass Mill Project (SBMP)
Registered charity number (if any) 1174901
Charity's principal address The Willows, Homefield Road, Saltford Bristol BS31 3EG
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
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Name of person (or body) entitled
Trustee name Office (if any) Dates acted if not for whole year
to appoint trustee (if any)
1 Stavros Chair All Year Trustees are appointed by
Christofides election at a General
2 Ian Ferguson Secretary All Year Meeting of the members.
3 Judith Sullivan Treasurer All Year The five Trustees all
4 Noel Dawson Trustee All Year served for the whole year.
5 Dominic Hewitt Trustee All Year
Note: In accordance with “rotation” provision in our Constitution Stavros Christofides and Noel Dawson
resigned as trustees and were duly re-elected at the 2025 AGM.
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Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)
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Name Dates acted if not for whole year
None
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Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
| Type of adviser | Name | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Not applicable | ||
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
Not applicable
Saltford Brass Mill Project - Trustees Annual Report for 2025 page 1
Section B Structure, governance and management
Description of the charity’s trusts
Type of governing document[Constitution (Association) ]
How the charity is constituted[The Saltford Brass Mill Project (SBMP) is a Charitable Incorporated ] Organisation (CIO).
- Trustee selection methods Trustees and Officers are appointed by election at a General (eg.) Meeting of the members. The Constitution allows a maximum of Five trustees.
Additional governance issues (Optional information)
You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:
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policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
-
the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
-
relationship with any related parties;
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trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.
During the period of the report the Trustees have held a number of ad hoc meetings and reviews. In July 2025 the Trustees held a Special Meeting to approve a new class of Associate Member for volunteers that were no longer able to carry out duties at the Mill but wanted to continue to support the Project. This is a non-voting class of membership but the Trustees will continue to treat all members equally.
Under SBMP’s Safety Policy a comprehensive Hazard Log is maintained. This is reviewed annually, and we keep an Incident Book in the Mill along with first aid equipment.
We have a Safeguarding Policy and a Data Protection Policy in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations. Volunteers receive regular briefings on all these aspects.
There are no incidents to report to the Charity Commissioners.
The CIO signed a 5-yr Tenancy Agreement to occupy the Monument with the long term leaseholders, B&NES Council, effective June 2023. This provides the CIO with the right to occupy the site as well as certain third party and other insurance protections. The Council are also responsible for the provision of services, primarily the electricity costs. The relationship with the Mill Island freeholder is also very good.
Section C Objectives and activities
Saltford Brass Mill Project - Trustees Annual Report for 2025 page 2
| Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit) |
Theobjects or purposes of the CIOare: a. The preservation and maintenance of the Saltford Brass Mill, on the river Avon in Somerset, for the public benefit. b. To advance the education of the public in the subject of the Mill. c. For the public benefit to advance education in the history of the brass industry in North East Somerset and the Bristol region by facilitating and supporting research into the industry, its working method and people involved. d. For the public benefit to advance education in the metal industry’s heritage, history and relevance for today, particularly in relation to its place in North East Somerset and the Bristol region. |
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| a.At alltimes trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. We completed negotiation of a formal sub-lease of “our” section of the Mill from the Local Authority, setting out our respective rights and responsibilities regarding access, payment for utilities and safeguarding of the public while visiting the Mill. The Trustees consider this to be a firm basis for the future. b.During the period of the report SBMP had 24 members (including the trustees), of whom some 20 are active volunteers. c.We were able open the Mill to the public as usual in May. We had 616 visitors including 52 young people. Some 120 visitors were from groups of interested organisations attending arranged visits. Talks were given to a local society by our Chair and the series of very short articles on aspects of the brass industry and the Mill published in a village magazine also continued. d. Garden and minor building maintenance and cleaning also continued. SBMP has continued to work on several projects to enhance our interpretation displays and introduce interactive video and acoustic simulation. Our new Audio Guides designed and build by a volunteer were well received. e. SBMP volunteers continued to conduct research and liaison with regional Museums Group and Industrial Archaeology groups. f.There are no incidents to report to the Charity Commissioners. |
Saltford Brass Mill Project - Trustees Annual Report for 2025 page 3
Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)
No further statements
Following the success of the Hammer Model and Rolling Mill dioramas funds were made available for the development of complex Furnace Model. This is expected to be completed next year and will further enhancing our visitor experience. This is the major project undertaken in the year.
You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:
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policy on grantmaking;
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policy programme related investment;
The Project also sponsored the publication of a new booklet ‘Jake’s Story’ an 18[th] Century Brass Mill Worker’s Life at Saltford Brass Mill as imagined by our ex-Secretary Patrick Beazley. We have already sold a number of these booklets and continue to receive very positive comments on it.
- contribution made by volunteers.
Section D Achievements and performance
Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year
The Project depends on its small but dedicated group of volunteers to look after the monument, clear up after the now regular winter flooding and prepare it so that it can be opened to the public from May to October. Many of our volunteers have been with us for many years and the average age has been creeping up with obvious implications on the future viability of the Project. Recruitment has enabled us to maintain a stable number of active volunteers and recruitment remains a top priority going forward.
Saltford Brass Mill Project - Trustees Annual Report for 2025 page 4
Section E Financial review The Trustees have implemented Financial Controls lo ensure expenditure is controlled and justified. Closing funds were just over £19,044 a reduction of just under £750 mainly due to our investment of the main elemeni of Ourfunds in a one-year bond with interest paid al maturity in eady 2026. The Trustees will continue to mantain available funds around the current level for the foreseeable future to enable them to respond to any issues that may arise that may require funding such as use of external staff for tasks ¢urrently done by volunteers. Most of the surplus funds are held in interest-bearing accounts. The Trustees consider the CIO to be in a healthy financial position which th8y aim to maintain at least over the medium term. Brlef statement of th• charlty's pollcy on re$erve8 Detalls of any funds materlally In deflclt None Further financlal revlew detslls {Optlonal Inforniatlonl nrestricted funds. We gen8rated 8 re8$onable amount dltring ihe year from visitor and group visit donations and from talks to local societies. Expendilure has been in support of the continuing operation of the Mill and Ihe CIO. As menlloned 8bov8, Ihe Tru81èè8 sponsored the dev8lopm8nt of o third diorama of an Annealing Fumoce to add to the o existing models. You may choose lo indude additional information, where relevant about.. Ihe charity's principal Sources of funds (induding any fundraising)., how expenditure has gupported the kèy obioctivea of the charity., Investment pollcy and objectiv88 including any ethical Investment pollcy adopied. These are the residue of 8 grant from the local authotY (Bath and North East Somèrset), whlch has 8 "rapalrlng. lease on the propBrty, These funds remained unchanged atjust £8 and wlll be reviewed early next year a8 the account will start to incur monthly bank charge8. Section F Other optional information No further information Section G Declaration The trustees declare that they have approved the trustses, report above. Slgned on behalf of the charlty's tr Slgnaturelsl tees Full namelsl lan Ferguson ros Christofid Posttlon ISKretsry, Chalr. etc) Secretary Chair Date l J June 2026 Sattld Brass Mill Pr0C1- Trustees Annual Rewt for 2025 pap5
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Charity Name No (if any)
SALTFORD BRASS MILL PROJECT 1174901
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period Period start date Period end date
To
from 01-Jan-25 31-Dec-25
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds 2024
funds funds funds
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
Member subscriptions 100 - - 100 115
Group Visit donations 165 - - 165 48
Open day Visitor donations 955 - - 955 1,158
Books Sales 205 - - 205 156
Plant sales 43 - - 43 75
Grants, bequests and other donations 500 - - 500 -
Donations from Talks 75 - - 75 90
Gift Aid 318 318 744
Funding from B&NES Special Projects
Bank Interest 77 - - 77 600
Sub total (Gross income for AR) 2,439 - - 2,439 2,985
A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table).
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total receipts 2,439 - - 2,439 3,417
A3 Payments
Administration - 554 - - - 554 - 623
Building, Wheel and Grounds maintenance - 608 - - - 608 - 917
Special Projects - - - -
Interpretation & Sales Materials - - - - - 311
Booklets and Publicity - 200 - - - 200 - 168
Electricity - - - - 280
Sundries & BaNES - 547 - - - 547 - 14
Research Projects - 1,276 - - - 1,276 - 768
- - - -
Sub total [- 3,186 ] - - - 3,186 - 2,521
A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table)
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - - -
Total payments - 3,186 - - - 3,186 - 2,521
Net of receipts/(payments) - 747 - - - 747 464
A5 Transfers between funds - - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 19,783 8 - 19,791 19,327
Cash funds this year end 19,036 8 - 19,044 19,791
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Section B Statcmont of assets and liabilities al the end OF the period lunds B1 Cash fun¢kn 16,00• 1gMM Ge'J..Is Dciairs STAVlILBetrmT11E#