**TENBURY WELLS MUSEUM & HISTORY GROUP CIO** 

## **TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT** 

## **1[st] JANUARY 2020 TO 31[ST] DECEMBER 2020** 

Charity name: TENBURY WELLS MUSEUM & HISTORY GROUP CIO Other name the charity uses: Tenbury Museum Registered charity number: 1186814 Charity’s principal address: Goff’s School, Cross Street, Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, WR14 8EF Social Media / Website: @tenburymuseum     www.tenburymuseum.org.uk 

## **Objectives and Activities** 

The objectives of the Charity are: 

- To advance the historical education of the public in Tenbury and the surrounding area 

- To undertake and promote research into the history of Tenbury and its environs, 

- To assist, in conjunction with other interested parties and societies, in the conservation of Tenbury’s historical buildings and amenities. 

The normal activities of the Charity: 

- Providing and maintaining a museum within Tenbury by acquiring, preserving, and displaying items of historical interest 

- holding monthly governing meetings 

- holding members meetings with historical talks given by guest speakers 

- Taking part at local agriculture shows and festivals 

- Taking part in Heritage Open Days 

- maintaining the Hidden Tenbury digital trail app 

- Promoting the museum and its activities 

This was the Charity’s first year as an Incorporated Organisation. Due to the covid pandemic and the Government’s social restrictions the normal activities of the Charity listed above could not continue and the trustees decided for the safety of its volunteers and visitors to keep the museum closed throughout the whole of 2020. However, they kept in mind the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and used their social media platform (Facebook) as a tool to keep in touch with members, local residents and potential visitors by regularly posting photographs of the collection and other historical information. It was possible in October to hold just one members’ meeting. 

The Trustees are grateful to all those volunteers who remained with us for their continued support. 

## **Achievements and performance** 

- Governing committee meetings continued to be held throughout the year via Zoom 

- One members meeting held in October with guest speaker, which was well supported. 

- A public presentation was held in February to display and discuss the proposed plans for moving site. The proposal met with approval and was well received. 

- Various surveys of proposed new site undertaken, when possible, by environmental and planning consultants, leading to planning permission and listed building consent being submitted to Malvern Hills District Council in July - approval granted in December 2020 

- In February, attendance of two trustees to a West Midlands Museum Development training session, ‘Exceeding Visitor Expectations’. 



## **Financial Review** 

At the end of 2020 the Charity’s financial position was quite satisfactory. There were adequate funds to cover the low running costs and twelve months closure, but this would not be sustainable if museum has to remain closed throughout 2021 due to further restrictions. 

The Charity’s Financial Reserves Policy will be reviewed in 2021. To mitigate financial risk from unforeseen expenditure, sudden closure, a shortfall in income or an inability to control costs, the Trustees aim to maintain free reserves in unrestricted funds at a level that equates to approximately six months of unrestricted expenditure.  The Trustees consider that this level will allow time to develop new sources of income or to cut-back on related expenditure. All the Charity’s funds this year were unrestricted; there were no restricted funds. Reserve amounts are monitored at regularly held committee meetings and stated at every AGM in the Treasurer’s Report. 

There are no funds materially in deficit. There are no funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others. 

Principal risks facing the Charity: 

- Reduction in public donations due to enforced closure 

- Reduction in membership and related subscriptions due to enforced closure 

- Termination of lease for Goff’s School site with Malvern Hills District Council 

The Charity’s principal sources of funding this year: 

- Private donations paid direct to Treasurer or via local solicitors 

- Small outstanding balance for Hidden Tenbury project from Heritage Lottery Fund 

- Membership subscriptions – reduced but quite a sizeable number continued to pay 

- Merchandise – small number of books and postcards 

- History talk admission fees of non-members 

How funds have been spent this year: 

- Housekeeping: electricity, Insurance, Website host, alarm and fire safety checks 

- Membership fees: Association of Independent Museums, Rural Museums Network Events: guest speaker cost, hire of meeting rooms for speaker and public presentation 

- Freelance consultant fees: providing surveys for planning/listed building consent 

## **Details of future aims/plans** 

- Reopen museum as soon as government restrictions allow 

- Reinstate monthly history talks  “     “      “     “ 

- Stay connected with existing volunteers, enlist new and arrange induction for all once open 

- Ensure building is maintained by owner, Malvern Hills District Council 

- Arrange and hold 2020 AGM as soon as possible 

- Attend any local shows/festivals that open 

- Promotion of museum and talks via local press and social media 

- Review Charity’s Financial Reserves Policy in 2021 

- Following membership agreeing in 2019 that the current museum site of Goff’s School is not fit for purpose and successful talks with Tesco Supermarket all efforts must be made to secure funding to refurbish the listed building known as the Old Fire Station to provide a much improved, centrally located museum and heritage centre. We will: 

   - Work with a freelance consultant to write and submit and Expression of Interest to National Lottery Heritage Fund 

   - If EOI successful, to write and submit a formal bid to National Lottery Heritage Fund 



## **Structure, Governance and Management** 

The museum is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and has an Association Model Constitution, adopted in December 2019. 

Trustees are committee members who are appointed or reappointed at the Annual General Meeting held every February. 

The museum is managed by a governing committee, consisting of 6 Trustees and 2 co-opted members, one being a representative of Malvern Hills District Council. Trustees receive no remuneration or other benefits from the Charity. 

## The Charity’s networks and links: 

The Charity is an Arts Council England accredited museum; a member of the Association of Independent Museums; a member of the Rural Museums Network; a member of the West Midlands Museum Development run by Ironbridge Trust and also a member of the Small Charities Coalition. The museum’s Accreditation mentor is Rachel Cockett, Director of Development at Birmingham Museums Trust. 

**Trustee name Office held** 1 Steven Malek Chair 2 Philip Rees Vice Chair 3 David Patrick Treasurer 4 Tracey Morris Secretary 5 Monica Rees Education Officer 6 Jill Malek Curator/Archivist 

## **Declaration** 

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. 

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees 

Signature(s) Tracey Morris Name: Steven Malek Position: Chair Secretary 

Date: 17[th] June 2021 (signing postponed until covid restrictions eased) 



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## **TENBURY WELLS MUSEUM & HISTORY GROUP CIO** 

## ANNUAL ACCOUNTS FOR YEAR ENDING 31st DEC 2020 CURRENT ACCOUNT 

## **Income** 

## **Expenditure** 

|Heritage Lottery (HT)|£216.00|Ansvar Insurance|£640.76|
|---|---|---|---|
|Donations: Dyke Ruscoe|£2,000.00|Electric bills|£120.66|
|Burford Trust|£1,500.00|AIM membership|£62.00|
|Val Swanick|£85.00|Membership cards|£24.00|
|General Donations|£13.80|Rural Museums Network|£10.00|
|Membership subs (28@£15)|£420.00|1 & 1 Internet|£47.96|
|Book sales (Mike Watkins)|£16.50|Fire Extinguisher Service|£34.62|
|Postcards for TIC (15@ 20p)|£3.00|Burglar Alarm Service|£50.00|
|Visitors to October talk {14)|£42.00|Hire Library Room|£33.00|
|Transfer from Instant Access|£33.00|Hire Pump Rooms for AGM|£14.00|
|||Hire St Mary's Church for talk|£15.00|
|||Speaker fee for Oct talk|£50.00|
|||Transfer to Inst Access a/c|£2,000.00|
|TOTALS|£4,329.30||£3,102.00|
|Plus ban� balance at 31 12 19|£2,698.95/|Plus bank balance at 31 12 20|£3,926.25 ,|
||£7,028.25||£7,028.25|



## INSTANT ACCESS ACCOUNT 

|Transfer from Current a/c<br>Interest payments<br>TOTALS<br>Plus bank balance at 31 12 19<br>Opening balance at 31 12 19<br>Current account<br>Instant Access account<br>TOTAL<br>£2,000.00·<br>£58.97<br>£2,058.97<br>£13,330.37<br>£15,389.34<br>£2,698.95<br>£13,330.37<br>£16,029.32|<br>/<br>Communities Can<br>Baart Harries Newall<br>Geosmart<br>Worsfield & Bowen<br>Regal Function Room Hire<br>Plus bank balance at 31 12 20<br>SUMMARY<br> <br> <br> <br>Closing balance at 31 12 20<br>Current account<br>Instant Access account<br>TOTAL<br>£500.00<br>£8,393.80<br>£1,194.00<br>£828.40<br>£90.00<br>£11,039.20<br>£4,350.14 ,<br>£15,389.34<br>£3,926.25<br>£4,350.14<br>£8,276.39|
|---|---|



NOTE: All of the designated funds have been spent except for a residual sum of £117.83 relating to Hidden Ten bury. Apart from that all funds held are unrestricted. 



SIGNED: 

SIGNED: 

Treasurer Independent Examiner