ALDBOURNE COMMUNITY HERITAGE GROUP CIO Exploring the Village Story
Aldbourne Community Heritage Group CIO (A Charitable Incorporated Organisation)
Report and Financial Statements For the year ended 31[st] December 2023
Charity Number 1186866
ALDBOURNE COMMUNITY HERITAGE GROUP CIO
Annual Report 2023
Aldbourne Community Heritage Group CIO
Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31[st] December 2023
The Trustees present their report and financial statement for the year 1[st] January to 31[st] December 2023.
Reference and Administrative Information
Charity Name: Aldbourne Community Heritage Group CIO Status: Charitable Incorporated Organisation Charity Registration Number: 1186866 Registered Office and Aldbourne Heritage Centre, The Square, Aldbourne, operational address: Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 2DU
Trustees
Mr T Gilligan Mr A Heasman Mr J Dymond Ms C Rust Mrs E Dymond Mr G Dixon Mrs J Hunt Miss J Lambourn Mrs A Delorie Miss M Manby
President & Chair Secretary Treasurer
Bankers : Barclays Bank UK plc
Registered Charity No. 1186866
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ALDBOURNE COMMUNITY HERITAGE GROUP CIO
Annual Report 2023
Our Aims and Objectives
Purposes and Aims
The purpose of the Aldbourne Community Heritage Group [ACHG] is set out in the organisation’s constitution and is namely:
- To advance education for the public good by the promotion of knowledge and interest in the heritage of the village and parish of Aldbourne and by the establishment and maintenance of a museum to preserve and display that heritage.
As also stated in our constitution, we seek to advance that aim in the following ways:
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a. providing a forum for those interested in the history of Aldbourne village and parish and history in general;
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b. promoting the conservation of the historical heritage of the area;
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c. promoting research, discussion, field studies, talks, publications, exhibitions, and other activities relating to local history and to further the education of the public of all ages in these aspects;
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d. occupying a suitable building in Aldbourne as a permanent museum in order to display our local heritage and promote interest to all ages;
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e. accepting, taking permanent ownership of, and displaying written records, artefacts and other items donated to or purchased by the Group in accordance with the ACHG collection and acquisitions policies;
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f. accepting, keeping and displaying written records, artefacts and other items loaned to the Group in accordance with the ACHG collection and acquisitions policies, and at the discretion of the trustees;
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g. gathering together from any source available including the internet and making public by archive or display the story of the village and parish of Aldbourne;
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h. involving other local organisations as much as possible particularly youth organisations and school;
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i. engaging in any other activity which furthers the core object of the ACHG providing it complies with both the requirements of this constitution and the regulations of the Charity Commission.
Delivering our aims
Our Heritage Centre is open every weekend throughout our planned season (April to September). In 2023 we opened for three further weekends in October to cater for an increase in demand resulting from the late September YouTube release of a Time Team special programme on the World War 2 archaeology carried out in the village earlier in the year.
Registered Charity No. 1186866
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ALDBOURNE COMMUNITY HERITAGE GROUP CIO
Annual Report 2023
In 2023 visitor numbers exceeded 2,000 for the first time, to a large extent reflecting the worldwide interest in our position as the wartime home of the so called “Band of Brothers”.
We continued to run a full program of live monthly talks simultaneously broadcast via Zoom.
Once again we hosted a Dr Who convention, and have done much work with the village school.
The transcription of old documents has continued and many have been published on our website. This work brings to light much new information to illuminate the many-faceted history of the village and its manor which can be included in future talks and heritage centre displays.
The major scanning operation to digitise 150 years’ worth of parish magazines and other village newspapers was completed successfully
How we deliver public benefit
Monthly talks
We continued to provide benefit to our community with a full season of talks on the history and traditions of the village. Subjects presented were: Art in Aldbourne; Digging Band of Brothers; The Aldbourne Carillon; the Counts of Perche; Before Yellow Pages; Aldbourne Schools; Local Composers; The Warren and the Chase; A Roman Tile Factory; Notable Women; The History of the Goddard Family.
We also presented talks to other village organisations including the W.I. and the Silver Threads. A number of talks were also provided for historical groups in other parts of Wiltshire.
We also distribute regular newsletters to our membership and other interested parties.
Heritage Centre
Our Heritage Centre opened for a full season in 2023, and was enjoyed by 2,089 visitors, Easily exceeding our 2019 record, who gave us donations of over £1,100, our highest figure ever.
Our association with the National WW2 Museum in New Orleans brought us eleven coach parties of visitors from them during the year. Several more coach parties from other American operators also visited us.
We welcomed another weekend meeting of Dr Who fans who are drawn to the village by its association with one of the early series of the show.
We continued to receive and answer significant numbers of family history enquiries by email from around the world.
Registered Charity No. 1186866
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ALDBOURNE COMMUNITY HERITAGE GROUP CIO
Annual Report 2023
Online Presence
We have continued to keep our website up-to-date with regular additions, particularly transcriptions and translations of documents and stories relevant to the village from as far back as the 15[th] century.
We also post photos on our Facebook daily, and these are much appreciated by almost a thousand followers from around the world. As a result of this ongoing connection with our followers around the world, we often receive new information and even new lines for research.
Outreach
We work with the village primary school to make National Curriculum themes more relevant to the children by using local assets and historical events. This year we led a walk talking about the lives of village children in years gone by and another bringing the 1777 Great Fire of Aldbourne to life. We gave a lesson about the lost hamlet of Snap and used a large handling collection borrowed from the Wiltshire Museum to bring Anglo-Saxon England to life.
Archaeological excavations on the site of the camp of an important unit of American paratroopers during World War 2 were continued, every pupil from the school visited the site to learn about the work and the men who trained in the village 80 years before.
These regular sessions enhance the richness of the education our local children receive and contribute to the school’s continuing “Outstanding” Ofsted rating.
We were also deeply involved in our parish church’s Patronal Day celebrations talking to visitors about the rich history of the church.
Financial Review
We have traded through the year with a very small deficit. Membership of the group remained well over one hundred giving us a healthy subscription income which was further increased by the higher number of guided tours of American visitors. We received a record income from the Heritage Centre donations box although this year we did not receive any bequests. Our healthy income has allowed us to make a number of very significant purchases to enhance our permanent collection. The end of the year sees us in a continuing healthy financial position.
Grant Income
No grant income was received although an application has been made to our local Area Board in December for help towards a major capital expense planned for early in 2024.
Registered Charity No. 1186866
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ALDBOURNE COMMUNITY HERITAGE GROUP CIO
Annual Report 2023
Reserves Policy
Our policy requires that we maintain a reserve of at lease one year’s running costs, but aim for two. Our current position shows our current reserves approaching three years’ costs.
Plans for Future Periods
WHile continuing to serve our community in the ways laid out in our Aims above, we also hope to be able to visit the Nursing Home for discussions and “nostalgia sessions”. We hope to foster closer relations with the second American tour company that visit the village home of the “Band of Brothers” and that this will help bolster our finances.
Structure Governance and Management
Governing Document
We are an Association organisation with a membership of about 100 (from a village of about 1,800) and are governed by our Constitution which is lodged with the Charity Commission.
Premises
We kease a one-room Heritage Centre and loft which we rent from the Parish Council for a peppercorn rent of £12 per year. Our current lease runs on these terms until 2036.
Recruitment, Appointment and Induction of Trustees
Our constitution allows for twelve trustees on our governing body, but at present we only have nine. The recruitment of new trustees is an on-going problem. We are keen to bring younger enthusiasts into the body of Trustees, but competion from other village bodies and interests.
One new trustee, Margaret Manby, joined us and was inducted during 2023.
Organisational Structure
We are a small group, so the disciplines of governance and management are both handled by the Board of Trustees (normally referred to as “the committee”). In addition to the three officers required by the constitution, we appoint one trustee as Curator who is nominally responsible for management functions. But again as a small organisation all responsibilities tend to be shared.
Signed
Mr J Dymond (Trustee)
Registered Charity No. 1186866
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ALDBOURNE COMMUNITY HERITAGE GROUP CIO
Annual Report 2023
Accounts for the Year 1[st] January 2023 to 31[st] December 2023.
The organisation maintains an Acquisition Fund for the purchase of objects for the collection which is reflected in the Restricted Funds below. This fund receives an agreed transfer from unrestricted funds at the start of each financial year and benefits further from donations and bequests which specify such use.
Income and Expenditure
| Income and Expenditure | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Receipts | Unre- stricted |
Restricted | Total £ 5 £ 1,379 £ 671 £ 437 £ 1,915 £ - £ 1,397 £ 12 £ 521 £ 6,453 £ - £ 6,453 |
Last Year | ||
| Bank Interest | £ 121 |
£ 5 |
£ 5 |
|||
| Donations: GeneralNote 1 | £ 1,379 |
£ 1,379 |
£ 997 |
|||
| Donations: Acq’n FundNote 2 | £ 671 |
£ 671 |
£ 1,907 |
|||
| Events & Meetings | £ 437 |
£ 437 |
£ 203 |
|||
| Village Tour FeesNote 3 | £ 1,915 |
£ 1,915 |
£ 1,583 | |||
| GrantsNote 4 | £ - |
£ - |
£ 3,167 | |||
| MembershipSubs | £ 1,397 |
£ 1,397 |
£ 1,378 | |||
| Miscellaneous Income | £ 12 |
£ 12 |
£ 0 |
|||
| Sales | £ 521 |
£ 521 |
£ 241 |
|||
| Sub total A2 Asset & Investment Sales Total receipts |
£ 5,782 |
£ 671 |
£ 6,453 | £ 9,481 | ||
| £ - |
£ - |
£ - |
£ 0 |
|||
| £ 5,782 |
£ 671 |
£ 6,453 | £ 9,481 |
| A3 Payments | Unre- stricted |
Rest- ricted |
Total | Last Year | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fees Subs etcNote 4 | £ 52 |
£ 52 £ 3,160 £ 1,385 £ 824 £ 1,082 £ 6,513 £4,619 £ 11,132 (£ 4,679) £ 0 £ 16,278 £ 11,599 |
£ 54 |
|||
| Centre Costs | £ 3,160 |
£ 3,679 | ||||
| Collection | £ 1,184 |
£ 201 |
£ 2,826 | |||
| Event & MtgCosts | £ 824 |
£ 764 |
||||
| Office Costs | £ 1,082 |
£ 1,174 | ||||
| Sub total A4 Asset & Inv’t Purch’sNote 5 Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers bt’n FundsNote 6 A6 Funds last year endNote 7 Cash Funds this year end |
£ 6,312 |
£ 201 |
£ 8,497 | |||
| £ 3,574 |
£ 1,045 | £ 1,301 |
||||
| £ 9,886 |
£ 1,246 | £ 9,798 | ||||
| (£ 4,104) | (£ 575) | (£ 317) |
||||
| (£ 300) |
£ 300 |
£ 0 |
||||
| £ 14,150 | £ 2,128 | £ 16,595 | ||||
| £ 9,746 | £ 1,853 | £ 16,278 |
Registered Charity No. 1186866
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ALDBOURNE COMMUNITY HERITAGE GROUP CIO
Annual Report 2023
| B1 Cash Funds | Unrestricted £ 11,710 £ 652 £ 12,363 Unrestricted £ - £ - Belongs to Belongs to ACHG ACHG Belongs to ACHG ACHG |
Restricted £ 1,853 £ £ 1,853 Restricted £ - £ - Cost £ - £ - Cost £ 7,677 £ 11,436 £ 19,114 Amount Due £ 497 £ £ 497 |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank Accounts | £ 11,710 | £ 13,563 | |
| Cash in Hand | £ 652 |
£ 652 |
|
| £ 12,363 | £ 14,216 | ||
| B2 Other Monetary Assets | Unrestricted | ||
| Accounts Receivable | £ - |
||
| £ - |
|||
| B3 Investment Assets | Belongs to | ||
| N I L | |||
| B4Assets Retained for Own Use | Belongs to | ||
| CollectionNote 8 | ACHG | ||
| Furniture & EquipmentNote 9 | ACHG | ||
| B5 Liabilities | Belongs to |
||
| Accounts Payable | ACHG | £ 497 |
|
| Loans etc | ACHG | £ | |
| £ 497 |
Notes:
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Donations received in the Heritage Centre donations box.
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Donations from village organisations and several private individuals
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Village BoB tour fees from National WW2 Museum coach tours..
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Includes £40 annual fee to the Information Commissioner to comply with GDPR.
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From unrestricted funds: purchase & installation of new track lighting system, a cupboard to hold the Carillon and a dehumidifier and monitor. From restricted funds: a number of bells, several postcards of special interest, 1870s sales particulars for Baydon Manor and a number of other minor items.
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The committee agreed in 2016 to set aside £300 each year for larger acquisitions (i.e. to become “restricted” funds).
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Including Petty Cash, Floats and our PayPal account.
Registered Charity No. 1186866
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ALDBOURNE COMMUNITY HERITAGE GROUP CIO
Annual Report 2023
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Collection assets with a resale value. No depreciation is applied to collection items. [ There is no expectation ever to sell these or any other items, but we need to track items of significant value for insurance purposes ].
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Accumulated depreciation on Furniture & Equipment - £5,547.
Signed
Mr J Dymond (Trustee & Treasurer)
Registered Charity No. 1186866
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