Malvern Radar And Technology History Society (MRATHS) - Charity 1183001
Annual Report - 2024
Summary
An opportunity arose in February 2022 to open a small STEM museum in Great Malvern Station. Following a protracted process the lease was granted in February 2024 and The Technology Station (TTS) opened in May 2024. It was open on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings. The TTS saw over 1200 visitors, with around £1000 received from donations and merchandise sales. It closed for the winter at the end of November and will re-open in March 2025.
We have held eight public meetings and people can attend in person or online. These meetings consist of a section on MRATHS news and an invited speaker on a topic of interest to the society. The meeting ends with refreshments and time to chat.
This year we have increased the number of talks to other organisations, exhibitions and other outreach activities.
The historically important collection in our Archive is hosted at the QinetiQ plc site in Malvern and continues to receive donations. As the society grows, we are receiving an increasing number of enquiries from the public and other organisations.
Sadly, our archivist, Hugh Williams, passed away in 2024 and we will miss his phenomenal knowledge of our history and his enthusiastic support. The Trustees have appointed David Humphrey to succeed Hugh. David has begun the process of rationalising the Archive to reduce the floorspace occupied.
Trustee meetings have been held in person thanks to the generous provision of meeting facilities at QinetiQ. We are also grateful for permission to use rooms on the QinetiQ site for our archive.
Our balance sheet remains healthy and will underpin our plans for 2025
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1 Public Benefit
As an Educational Charity we deliver several public benefits. These are set out as objectives in our Constitution. The public benefit delivered in 2024 is summarised below.
STEM Museum – The Technology Station
Our lease was granted in February, following a very protracted negotiation. Build was completed by mid-May and the museum opened on 23rd May. The museum closed at the end of November for the winter. It will re-open on 1st March 2025 with displays updated. Despite being open for only two half days each week we have welcomed more than 1200 visitors and taken over £1,000 in donations and sales.
This project received grants in previous years from Malvern Hills Town Council, West Midlands Trains Ltd, and the West Midlands Community Rail partnership.
Open Public Meetings
We continue to hold public hybrid meetings which combine people attending in person with people on-line. These meetings consist of a section on MRATHS news and an invited speaker on a topic of interest to the society. We have worked to improve the reliability and quality for our online attendees during 2024, some of whom cannot attend in person.
The year’s meetings were again all held in Malvern College’s Lewis lecture theatre and are shown in the table below.
| January 2024 | BRIXMIS in Cold War East Germany |
|---|---|
| March 2024 | AGM. Artificial Intelligence, Past, Present and Future: A Perspective on the Ghost in the Machine |
| May 2024 | Uncooled Thermal Imaging |
| June 2024 | 80thD-Day Celebration. Part 1 We Plan, the Gods Laugh |
| June 2024 | 80thD-Day Celebration. Part 2 Went the day Well? |
| July 2024 | Space Based Solar Power for a secure, equitable and sustainable future. |
| September 2024 | Where Does all the Heat Go? |
| November 2024 | ASTOR–A Personal perspective |
The attendance varied between 42 and 72 with ~75% attending in person.
All meetings have been video-recorded and are made available to members on the MRATHS Wiki, subject to clearance from the speakers.
Website The internet domain mraths.org.uk, which includes the main website, the members wiki and wikindx received between 250 and 350 clicks per month. The opening of The Technology Station resulted in a greater interest in the summer months.
The Technology Station Facebook site has 160 followers and continues to be a useful channel for communicating with interested parties.
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We have introduced an online automated ticketing system for responding to external enquiries. It pulls together all enquiries including email, website or personal contacts via Trustees. It allows all Trustees to see the request for information and the ticket can be assigned to the most relevant Trustee or expert.
The membership of the closed Facebook group has grown steadily in 2024 and ended the year at 577 members. Facebook continues to contribute to our story and to share the history of the Malvern sites. The Trustees would like to thank David Whitaker for continuing his excellent work administering the site.
Requests for Information
We continue to receive requests for information (~27 in 2024 with several still active) concerning family members’ careers, and in most cases, we have been able to provide at least some information. We are collating these through our Ticket system
We are also getting requests from other historical societies and historians. Those we have supported in 2024 include the QinetiQ, GCHQ Museum, the Defence Electronics Historical Society and the Colwell Village Society.
Exhibitions and Publications
We have exhibited at RHS Malvern Spring Festival, Armed Forces Day, QinetiQ Family Day, Malvern Autumn show and produced a display for Malvern Museum on D Day.
Our best seller book, ‘ Boffins come to Malvern ’ , written by our trustee Martin Hutchinson has sold a further 350 copies this year, bringing total distribution to some 1400 copies. We have written three articles for the Malvern Civic society’s journal “ Bandstand “ , which is distributed to 400 members.
We are currently supporting Dennis Williams (MRATHS) to write a book on radar research flying 1935 to 1977 which will be published by Crécy.
Our own research continues, often with the help of other societies including the Communications and Electronic Museum Trust, the Defence Electronics History Society and the Defford Airfield Heritage Group.
Restoration
We continue our active support of the Communication & Electronics Museum Trust (Charity 293539) with the restoration and replication of historic radar equipment.
Our museum exhibit, the Battle of the Atlantic includes a restored ASV MkII receiver and Indicator (operator’s display).
A restored H2S modulator together with an H2S Transmitter were displayed by CEMT and MRATHS at Birmingham University in June for an IEEE event. This was a special International Award to celebrate the 80[th] Anniversary of the resonant cavity magnetron.
2 Board of Trustees and Board of Management
At the AGM on the 8[th] March 2024 three of the Trustees retired by rotation as required by the Charity Commission. The membership re-elected all three as indicated in the table below.
We have been developing and refining our new model of working with increasing emphasis on working groups. The Board of Management will only now meet as necessary to coordinate large projects.
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The Trustees are currently:
Roger Appleby Chairman and Website Admin Mike Burstow David Williamson Secretary Lew Amphlett Treasurer Martin Hutchinson † Exhibitions co-ordinator Darren Coe † John Gillham † Dennis Williams Ron Henry Enquiries from the Public David Humphrey Collection Manager
† Re-elected Trustees
3 Membership
The total number of members at the end of 2024 was 151 including 6 honorary members.
4 The Archive
Enquiries continue to arrive, many of which take a significant amount of time and effort to answer.
Discussions with the closing RAF Signals Museum at Henlow resulted in MRATHS receiving the donation of a WW2 Indicator CR21.
The archive is providing much of the material for the displays at The Technology Station.
The Communications Electronic Museum Trust loaned us a large collection of radio jamming equipment which was used in a major exhibition to mark the 80th anniversary of D Day in 2024.
We have now finished cataloguing all the Malvern related report series and have moved on to the equally large collection of material from other establishments and organisations.
We now have a high-level catalogue (down to box level) of the complete archive and a map of their physical location. We have introduced a collection management policy based upon the nine Primary Procedures of the Spectrum 5.0 UK collection management standard. We are grateful to the volunteers who have worked on this.
A considerable amount of effort has gone into moving and consolidating the QinetiQ hosted archive. Whilst the collection has been rationalised, it has also revealed a considerable number of items which are yet to be catalogued.
We have web-based search tools for reports and for images. The image tool requires further development, but the images and negative register from the photographic unit for 1941 to 1953 have been combined. These images can be viewed via the wiki.
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Sales of surplus and duplicate items have raised a significant sum for Society funds.
5 External Bodies
We have continued our collaboration with several other charities and groups with similar interests. Excellent mutual support and collaboration has been delivered with the Communications and Electronic Museum Trust, Charity 293539 and the Defence Electronics History Society.
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We also worked with the Civic Society in placing a Green plaque on The Lees (Malvern College) to commemorate the first operational synchrotron. This device used magnetic fields to generate high energy X-rays which are now used for medical imaging and material analysis. This principle is also used in the Large Haron collider at CERN.
6 Volunteers
Our volunteers have been busy helping in the Archive, conducting research for future projects, designing and building exhibition pieces, restoring historic equipment for display and helping at exhibitions and the museum. The new museum has just enough volunteers, and we thank them for their loyal service. Visitors enjoy the extra information from the volunteers and MRATHS gains a lot of new stories from the visitors.
7 Challenges for 2025
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Extending the lease for The Technology Station.
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Increasing volunteer numbers to support The Technology Station and all of MRATHS other activities.
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Develop long-term plans for the archive to ensure that the work of MRATHS is not lost.
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Review our web based communication
8 Financial Statement
The accounts were Independently examined by Jeannie Roberton a member of the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers. The Trustees wish to express their warm thanks for undertaking this task again this year. With her agreement, the Board will propose her re-appointment at the AGM to serve for 2025.
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Lewis Amphlett Treasurer 23 February
2025
Roger Appleby Chairman 23 February
2025
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Statement of Income & Expenditure
As at 31-12-2024
Malvern Radar & Technology History Society (MRATHS)
For the year ended 31 December 2024
| For the year ended 31 December 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Account Trading Income |
2024 General |
Restricted | 2023 General Restricted |
| Income - Events Income - Talks Membership Subscriptions Sales - Archivist Sales - Books Sales - Museum Total Turnover Cost of Sales |
920.00 230.00 2,360.00 832.19 1,414.00 764.89 6,521.08 |
0.00 | 0.00 100.00 2,095.00 4,259.53 3,180.45 0.00 9,634.98 0.00 |
| Grant purchases (non-restricted) Museum merchandise Purchases - Restricted Grants (not Assets) Speakers Expenses Stock Movement Total Cost of Sales |
0.00 1,206.13 0.00 117.20 (317.33) 1,006.00 |
0.00 | 3,038.60 0.00 0.00 114.49 108.00 1,729.66 4,876.26 114.49 |
| Gross Profit | 5,515.08 | 0.00 | 4,758.72 (114.49) |
| Administrative Costs | |||
| Advertising & Marketing Bank Charges Consumables Depreciation Expense Equipment <500 Exhibition Expenses Insurance Light, Power, Heating Meeting expenses Postage, Freight & Courier Printing & Stationery Room Hire Software Subscriptions Total Administrative Costs |
0.00 255.81 300.60 2,108.12 1,033.73 1,517.50 346.62 120.65 81.48 15.45 276.08 2,563.12 156.09 191.63 8,966.88 |
0.00 | 100.00 91.32 639.97 1,958.63 436.12 0.00 202.24 25.88 3.49 2.00 2,010.00 0.00 0.00 5,469.65 0.00 |
| Operating Profit | (3,451.80) | 0.00 | (710.93) (114.49) |
| Other Income | |||
| Donations Donations - Non-Members Gift Aid Grants - Restricted Other Receipts/Donations Total Other Income |
2,353.26 0.00 793.49 0.00 0.00 3,146.75 |
1,722.00 1,722.00 |
286.00 121.80 679.30 1,800.00 161.00 1,248.10 1,800.00 |
| Profit on Ordinary Activities | (305.05) | 1,722.00 | 537.17 1,685.51 |
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Excess Income over Expenditure (in year)
1,416.95
2,222.68
Notes:
Petty cash income and expenses for 2024 are included in the figures above
Donations all in one code 2024 - see by Workgroup for breakdown
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Balance Sheet
As at 31-12-2024
Malvern Radar & Technology History Society (MRATHS) For the year ended 31 December 2024
| Account | 31 Dec 2024 | 31 Dec 2023 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed Assets | |||
| Tangible Assets | |||
| Asset - Equipment (inc IT) | 1,942.74 | 1,942.74 | |
| Asset - Equipment (Restricted Grants) | 5,875.86 | 5,875.86 | |
| Asset - Furniture & Fittings | 2,690.99 | 0.00 | |
| Less Accumulated Depreciation on Equipment (inc IT) | (1,942.74) | (1,942.74) | |
| Less Accumulated Depreciation on Equipment (Restricted) | (3,917.24) | (1,958.62) | |
| Less Accumulated Depreciation on Furniture & Fittings | (149.50) | 0.00 | |
| Total Tangible Assets | 4,500.11 | 3,917.24 | |
| Total Fixed Assets | 4,500.11 | See Assets Sheet | 3,917.24 |
| Current Assets | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash at bank and in hand | |||
| Current Bank Account | 23,865.83 | 23,183.65 | |
| Petty Cash | 30.00 | 36.38 | |
| Petty Cash (Museum) | 30.00 | 0.00 | |
| Total Cash at bank and in hand | 23,925.83 | 23,220.03 | |
| Accounts Receivable | 26.42 | 0.00 | |
| Book Stock | 2,724.87 | See Stocktake 2024 sheet | 3,538.34 |
| Museum Stock | 1,130.80 | See Stocktake 2024 sheet | 0.00 |
| Prepayments | 193.71 | See Accruals & Prepayments Sheet | 288.53 |
| Total Current Assets | 28,001.63 | 27,046.90 |
| Creditors: amounts falling due within one year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Accruals | 120.65 | See Accruals & Prepayments Sheet | 0.00 |
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| Total Creditors: amounts fall due within one year | 120.65 | 0.00 |
|---|---|---|
| Net Current Assets(Liabilities) | 27,880.98 | 27,046.90 |
| Total Assets less Current Liabilities | 32,381.09 | 30,964.14 |
| Net Assets | 32,381.09 | 30,964.14 |
| Capital and Reserves Current Year Earnings Retained Earnings Total Capital and Reserves |
1,416.95 30,964.14 32,381.09 |
See Inc & Exps 2024 sheet 2,222.68 28,741.46 30,964.14 |
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