OpenCharities

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

2023-11-30-accounts

Annual General Meeting Report

for

Historic Swale CIO 1177323

Reporting period

1st December 2022 to 30th November 2023

Prepared by Richard Emmett MSc, GCGI, PGDip-arch Chair of Trustees Dated on 26th February 2024

Contents:

1. Governance.............................................................................................................. 3
2. Public Benefit Statement, Aims and Objectives...................................................... 4
3. The AGM and Agenda............................................................................................... 5
4. Chairman’s Annual Report....................................................................................... 6
5. Financial Report....................................................................................................... 8
6. Membership Secretary’s Report.............................................................................. 8
7. Fundraising............................................................................................................... 9
8. The Future and objectives for 2024........................................................................ 9

Page 2 of 9

1. Governance

1.1. Trustees & Administration

Richard Emmett - Chair - Historical Research Group of Sittingbourne (HRGS) Harold Goodwin - Vice-Chair - Faversham Society Ken Ingleton - Treasurer – Sheppey Minster Gatehouse – deceased 11[th] July 2023 Liz Fuller - Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway

Allen Whitnell – Webmaster – Sittingbourne Heritage Museum

Paul David - (Non-Trustee) Membership -– Friends of Milton Regis Court Hall Theresa Emmett - (Non-Trustee) – Temporary Administrator (HRGS)

1.2. Voting Members and Management Committee

List of all members:

  1. Blue Town Heritage Centre and Criterion Music Hall

  2. Chart Gunpowder Mills

  3. Dolphin Barge Museum

  4. Eastchurch Aviation Museum

  5. Fleur de Lis Museum / Faversham Society

  6. Historical Research Group Sittingbourne

  7. Kent Police Museum

  8. Maison Dieu

  9. Milton Regis Court Hall, Friends of

  10. 10.Minster Abbey Gatehouse Museum

  11. 11.Murston All Saints Trust

  12. 12.Queenborough Guildhall Museum

  13. 13.Raybel Charters Community Interest Company

  14. 14.Rose Street Cottage of Curiosities

  15. 15.Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway

  16. 16.Sittingbourne Heritage Museum

  17. 17.Sittingbourne Society

Registered address: Heritage Hub, The Forum, Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 3DL.

1.3. Review of Corporate Governance and Controls

On file exist:

Historic Swale Membership Form Historic Swale Aims Poster Historic Swale Privacy Statement Historic Swale Complaints Policy Data collection form

Page 3 of 9

2. Public Benefit Statement, Aims and Objectives

The Trustees of Historic Swale will present the annual report and accounts for the year ended 30th November 2023 at their Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) held on 26[th] February 2024 held at Swale House and available via Zoom, and confirm they comply with the requirements of the various Charity Acts.

Historic Swale operates under a Constitution of a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) with voting members, other than its charity trustees using an Association Model Constitution approved and registered by the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales on 26[th] Feb 2018 which included the regulations for appointment of trustees.

2.1 Aims and Objectives for 2023

- 2.1.2. Objectives for 2022 2023:

As it was decided at the last AGM (held 16th February 2023) that there was still a need for the group to exist and represent the interests of the membership and a number of scenarios were discussed at length.

The following resolution was adopted –

Page 4 of 9

2.2. Suggested objectives for 2022-2023

In line with the above, these objectives were set:

3. The AGM and Agenda

The holding of an Annual General Meeting (AGM) is a legal requirement at which a board of trustees is elected. It is an opportunity for members to ask questions about the direction the organisation will take in the future. Copies of the Annual Report and Accounts is available in section 5 and can be discussed at the AGM meeting and will be published on the Charity Commission’s Website.

The constitution states that a quorum for general meetings shall be the greater of 5% or three members. Every member has one vote.

3.1. The Agenda (for 26[th] February 2024):

Page 5 of 9

4. Chairman’s Annual Report

Welcome to the fifth Annual General Meeting of Historic Swale; this report covers the 12-month period of Historic Swale activities, since its last AGM held in February 2023.

Firstly, it is with great sadness that I note the passing of Ken Ingleton, a well-respected Swale Borough Councillor, and twice former Mayor of Swale. Ken was a founding trustee of Historic Swale CIO, who additionally gave much of his time to other local voluntary organisations. He was certainly a fountain of knowledge on all matters local and was of immense help to us over the years.

Our condolences go to Ken’s family. We were indeed fortunate to have had him as a member of our team.

I am acutely aware that there is seemingly never enough time in the day to administrate our own groups to keep them active for the benefit of the community. Especially since many of the membership constituents of Historic Swale are predominantly volunteer led and run.

Despite the resolution passed at the 2023 AGM that Historic Swale be more active during the year, Historic Swale CIO has had another ‘dormant’ year. Likewise despite the February 2023 AGM agreeing to increase membership fees and a unanimous vote due to personal circumstances of various members of the board, no fees were requested or collected.

I can however, report on the following. As discussed at the AGM in 2023 the administration is seen as an additional task on top of those of us organising our own groups. The Trustees recognise that if we wish to continue, then additional funding streams should be identified in order that the group can recruit a suitable self-employed candidate to take on the role of ‘Development Co-ordinator’. However, the funding stream previously identified, Colyer-Ferguson, did not materialise.

You will recall that the trustees suggestion of a suitable candidate for the position of Development Co-ordinator, would be Martin Goodhew. Martin was approached and although he is now working part-time for Faversham Town Council, he is willing to assist Historic Swale in a voluntary part-time capacity.

I remain convinced, as do my fellow trustees, there is great value in there being a networking group within the borough of Swale. Historic Swale CIO has the capacity to speak with one voice in the provision of a heritage focus to the community and proclaiming the role its membership plays in the bolstering of the local visitor economy. it would be a great shame if all of the hard work of the Swale Museums Group and Historic Swale CIO were to be allowed to fail.

Page 6 of 9

4.1. Our Objectives - reviewed:

Objectives were set for 2022/2023, and below are the summarised achievements:

  1. Maintained a website promoting the various members

  2. HRGS has continued to host and maintain the touchscreen dedicated to the Historic Swale project in the Heritage Hub in Sittingbourne.

  3. Increase membership – Swale Media and Arts wishing to join the group

  4. Promote Historic Swale – via Historic Swale Facebook page, the 360 degree clips, The Swale Migration Book and a HRGS Calendar for 2024, which shows all the members on its back page.

  5. Develop a Swale wide ‘Heritage Trail’ passport – Richard had been in discussions with Liz Foster to help Historic Swale achieve this. (Theresa showed the example that HRGS had been working on for a Sittingbourne trail from December 2023, which was about to be launched this March).

  6. Richard and Theresa Emmett fulfilled the Secretary and Treasurer rolls, including submitting the Historic Swale Charity Commission returns – 19/9/2023.

  7. Trustees communicated via email on 24th January 2023 to discuss Historic Swale’s future.

4.2. Summary

The Trustees have unanimously agreed that there was still a need for the Historic Swale networking group, which can speak with a collaborative voice and share training and good practices.

Page 7 of 9

5. Financial Report Accounts presented by Richard Emmett

Historic Swale Accounts Year Ending 30/9/202 3
Receipts difference on lastyear £ .p Payments difference on lastyear £ .p
Donations 35.00
£		 Bank Charges -
£
Events -
£		 Courses,Trips,Lectures -
£
Fund raising/Interest -
£		 Equipment -
£
Sponsorship -
£		 Insurance -
£
Membership -
£		 Postage -
£
Printing& Stationery -
£
Subscriptions -
£
Sundry -
£
Travel -
£
Website maintenance 180.00
£
Total 35.00
£		 Total 180.00
£
Summary £p Account Balances at: 30/11/2023 £p
Balance frompreviousyears 594.72
Receipts less Payments for 2022/2023 -145.00 Current Account(subject to Cheques beingcleared) 2,733.44
Balance(excluding specfic funds) to dat e
449.72
Ringfenced balances to date 2,283.72
Grand Total £ 2,733.44 Grand Total £ 2,733.44

Total Monies – total £2733.44

Our funds are made up of two stands – ‘members monies’ which totals £492.72 and ‘ring fenced monies’, which is for specific functions which totals £2283.72.

Ring Fenced Monies – total £2283.72 £83.72 remaining monies from Swale Museum Group

£2,200.00 remaining monies from lottery Start Up grant

Costs have been minimal as meetings have been via zoom, courtesy of the Historical Research Group of Sittingbourne (HRGS), which has meant no room hire costs. The only outgoing were £180.00 for the annual maintenance of the Historic Swale website. £35.00 of additional income from donations from those who declined a refund for the cancelled conference from 2020.

6. Membership Secretary’s Report

Paul David was appointed as Membership Secretary in September 2020. No subscriptions were collected in 2022-2023, despite the resolution in 2023 (normal membership fee £30 per organisation). This was due to both Paul David’s own personal circumstances and Richard and Theresa Emmett not being able to dedicate time to take this role on as well due to needing to provide family support and a subsequent family bereavement. It was agreed this money should still be collected.

Page 8 of 9

Currently Historic Swale has the following members: paid up as at end of October 2021

  1. Blue Town Heritage Centre and Criterion Music Hall

  2. Chart Gunpowder Mills

  3. Dolphin Barge Museum

  4. Eastchurch Aviation Museum

  5. Fleur de Lis Museum / Faversham Society

  6. Historical Research Group Sittingbourne

  7. Kent Police Museum

  8. Maison Dieu

  9. Milton Regis Court Hall, Friends of

  10. Minster Abbey Gatehouse Museum

  11. Murston All Saints Trust

  12. Queenborough Guildhall Museum (in the post)

  13. Raybel Charters Community Interest Company

  14. Rose Street Cottage of Curiosities

  15. Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway

  16. Sittingbourne Heritage Museum

  17. Sittingbourne Society

7. Fundraising

(Position vacant) presented by Richard Emmett. No targeted fundraising has taken place over the last year.

8. The Future and objectives for 2024

The future of the Historic Swale CIO was debated during the 2024 AGM, and the following objectives set and confirmed at the meeting:

8.1. Objectives for 2024

  1. Obtain funding for a Development Co-ordinator to support and expand the networking and training opportunities

  2. Formalise job descriptions for governance roles

  3. Maintain regular meetings for the trustees and membership

  4. Maintain and develop a website promoting the various members

  5. Find networking opportunities

  6. Review the submission of data returns

  7. Increase membership – aim one new member each year

  8. To provide a heritage conference open to the public in November 2025

  9. Promote Historic Swale

  10. 10.Develop a Swale wide ‘Heritage Trail’ passport

  11. 11.Hold a Historic Swale Forum

  12. 12.Become self-sustainable

Page 9 of 9