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 2024
Charity Number 1186866
ALDBOURNE COMMUNITY HERITAGE GROUP CIO
Annual Report 2024
Aldbourne Community Heritage Group CIO
Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31[st] December 2024
The Trustees present their report and financial statement for the year 1[st] January to 31[st] December 2024.
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 President & Chair Miss J Lambourn Secretary Mr J Dymond Treasurer Ms C Rust Curator Mrs E Dymond Mrs G Krochmal Warren Mrs J Hunt Mrs A Delorie Miss M Manby Mr A Phizacklea
Bankers : Barclays Bank UK plc
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ALDBOURNE COMMUNITY HERITAGE GROUP CIO
Annual Report 2024
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, Bank Holiday and Wednesday afternoons throughout our planned season (April to mid-October). Opening on Wednesday afternoons was a trial experiment and has proved successful so will be repeated next year.
In 2024 we received over 2,700 visitors exceeding the record set in 2023. Our stewards undertake a quick survey of why visitors come to the Heritage Centre, where they come from and how they
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ALDBOURNE COMMUNITY HERITAGE GROUP CIO
Annual Report 2024
heard about us. This is in order for us to understand how to satisfy visitor demands and undertake necessary publicity to increase our future footfall. From these statistics we can see that in addition to villagers and general tourists, the majority of visitors come to learn about the American paratroopers of the 101[st] Airborne Division, the “Band of Brothers”, who were billeted in Aldbourne from September 1943 until September 1944. Many come due to the making of Dr Who and the Daemons in the village in 1970 and a third group come to examine and learn about our extensive collection of bells which were made here over a 200 year period.
We continued to run a full program of live monthly talks simultaneously broadcast via Zoom.
We are proud of our relationship with our village school and continue to support their curriculum whenever they ask us to. We often welcome children bringing their family to the Centre to talk about the things they have learnt as a result of our talks and walks.
The transcription of old documents from the 13[th] to the 20[th] century 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.
We are constantly being given documents relating to various village houses, people and organisations which are digitised and put on our Cloud presence so they will be available to all . We also have an archive of close to twenty thousaand photographs, most of which have been digitised and made widely available. This digitisation work continues.
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: Horse bells, Building the Church Tower, The Geology of Wiltshire, Ladies of note in Aldbourne, The 18[th] Century in Aldbourne, Ten Years of Aldbourne Heritage Centre, An 1826 Bellfounder’s Bankruptcy, Putting Aldbourne on the Map, Mow Cop and a Christmas Special . The special Christmas event was a re-enactment of the last scene of the Village Wedding a play written in 1906 by a village resident and acted by local talent. The opening night was attended by several high profile celebrities before relocating to London and northern theatres. Our offering was well attended and great fun!
We contribute talks and support to other village organisations such as at Carnival time. Members are also asked to be guest speakers for other organisations and history societies on their particular areas of expertise such as Bells and Bell Founders, Aldbourne Stables or the Lost Village of Snap.
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Annual Report 2024
We also distribute regular newsletters to our membership and other interested parties to keep them up to date with our activities and plans for the future.
Heritage Centre
Visitor numbers to the Heritage Centre were a record 2,731.exceeding last year’s number of 2,089 Donations were also at a high of £2,029 again higher than last year’s figure of £1,100.
Our association with the National WW2 Museum in New Orleans brought us 14 coach parties of visitors during the year. Several more coach parties from other American operators also visited us.
We welcomed a one day 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 enquiries concerning family history or from those individuals or bodies interested in learning more about the Band of Brothers. We respond by email or make an appointment to meet in person and also take groups or individuals round the village explain aspects of our history in more detail.
These activities also prove a useful source of income from donations.
We were advised by the Wiltshire Museums Service that fragility of many of the archaeological finds from the recent digs an the camp and training areas of the “Band of Brother” required that they be displayed in a climate controlled display case. This was obtaqined and installed at a cost of over £6,000 fully covered by donations to a targetted appeal.
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, we often receive new information and even new lines for research.
Outreach
We support any organisation which contacts us to support them for an afternoon session of by giving a talk to their members or taking in artefacts to bring history alive.
St Michael’s Primary School
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 went in to talk about what
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Annual Report 2024
happened during Roman times in the village and provided the children with a handling collection borrowed from the Wiltshire Museum in Devises. We also took a class round the village explaining to them what changes had been made to the village over time. Some older members chatted to them about what life t school was like when we were at school.
Ten Year Celebration
To celebrate ten years of Aldbourne Community and Heritage Group we organised a special event day. This was aimed at providing interesting and informative activities for a range of ages. On offer were activities for children; displays reflecting the last ten years of village history as depicted in the museum; family history advice and the opening of places of interest in the village such as the Blacksmiths.
Archaeological excavations
Operation Nightingale came back for a fourth excavation on the site of the camp of an important unit of American paratroopers during World War 2. Every pupil from the school visited the site to learn about the work and the men who trained in the village 80 years before.
Lydiard family history day
In keeping with our continued support for those not living in the village but who are researching their family genealogy we supported a Lydiard history day organised by a family member living in Australia. The Goddards are another family whose antecedents we have researched and who we pass on information to when asked.
Patronal day
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 success of our appeal meant that the £6,000 purchase of a new display case did not significantly affect our position. The end of the year sees us in a continuing financial health.
Grant Income
No grant income was received.
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ALDBOURNE COMMUNITY HERITAGE GROUP CIO
Annual Report 2024
Reserves Policy
Our policy requires that we maintain a reserve of at least one year’s running costs, but aim for two. Our current position shows our current reserves more than meeting this requirement.
Plans for Future Periods
While continuing to serve our community in the ways laid out in our Aims above, we also hope to extend our presence in the village by supporting other organisations such as the Nursing Home.
Structure Governance and Management
Governing Document
We are an Association organisation with a membership of about 100 (from a village of about 1,800 souls) and are governed by our Constitution which is lodged with the Charity Commission.
Premises
We lease a one-room Heritage Centre with loft from the Parish Council for a peppercorn rent of £20 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 face competition from other bodies and interests in this active village.
Our new trustee are Gretchen Krochmal , Alison Delorie and Alan Phizacklea.
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
T. Gilligan (Chair)
Registered Charity No. 1186866
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ALDBOURNE COMMUNITY HERITAGE GROUP CIO
Annual Report 2024
Accounts for the Year 1[st] January 2024 to 31[st] December 2024.
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. This year an appeal was made towards the purchase of a significant piece of display equipment, the funds so received (and spent) are also shown as part of the Restricted Funds.
Income and Expenditure
| Income and Expenditure | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Receipts | Unre- stricted |
Restricted | Total £ 39 £ 2,220 £ 6,589 £ 412 £ 2,285 £ 1,467 £ ~ £ 499 £ 13,511 £ - £ 13,511 |
Last Year | ||
| Bank Interest | £ 39 |
£ 39 |
£ 121 |
|||
| Donations: GeneralNote 1 | £ 2,220 |
£ 2,220 | £ 1,379 |
|||
| Donations: Acq’n FundNote 2 & 3 | £ 6,589 | £ 6,589 | £ 671 |
|||
| Events & Meetings | £ 412 |
£ 412 |
£ 437 |
|||
| Village Tour FeesNote 4 | £ 2,285 |
£ 2,285 | £ 1,915 | |||
| MembershipSubs | £ 1,467 |
£ 1,467 | £ 1,397 | |||
| Miscellaneous Income | £ ~ |
£ ~ |
£ 12 |
|||
| Sales | £ 499 |
£ 499 |
£ 521 |
|||
| Sub total A2 Asset & Investment Sales Total receipts |
£ 6,922 |
£ 6,589 | £ 13,511 | £ 6,453 | ||
| £ - |
£ - |
£ - |
£ 0 |
|||
| £ 6,922 |
£ 6,589 | £ 13,511 | £ 6,453 |
| A3 Payments | Unre- stricted |
Rest- ricted |
Total | Last Year | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fees Subs etcNote 5 | £ 105 |
£ 105 £ 3,012 £ 1,994 £ 1,083 £ 1,031 £ 7,225 £ 6,333 £ 13,558 (£ 47) £ 0 £ 14,147 |
£ 52 |
|||
| Centre Costs | £ 3,012 |
£ 3,160 | ||||
| Collection | £ 1,755 |
£ 228 | £ 1,385 | |||
| Event & MtgCosts | £ 1,083 |
£ 824 |
||||
| Office Costs | £ 1,031 |
£ 1,082 | ||||
| Sub total A4 Asset & Inv’t Purch’sNote 6 Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers bt’n FundsNote 7 A6 Funds last year endNote 8 |
£ 6,997 |
£ 228 |
£ 7,225 | £ 6,513 | ||
| £ 304 |
£ 6,029 | £ 6,333 |
£4,619 | |||
| £ 7,301 |
£ 6,257 | £ 13,558 | £ 11,132 | |||
| (£ 379) |
£ 332 |
(£ 47) |
(£ 4,679) | |||
| (£ 300) |
£ 300 |
£ 0 |
£ 0 |
|||
| £ 12,294 | £ 1,853 | £ 14,147 | £ 16,278 |
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ALDBOURNE COMMUNITY HERITAGE GROUP CIO
Annual Report 2024
| Cash Funds this year end | £ | 11,615 | £ | 2,485 | £ | 14,100 | £ 11,599 | £ 11,599 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 Cash Funds | Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | Last Year | |||||||
| Bank Accounts | £ | 11,141 | £ | 2,485 | £ | 13,626 | £ 13,563 | ||||
| Cash in Hand | £ | 732 |
£ | £ | 732 |
£ | 652 | ||||
| £ | 11,873 | £ | 2,485 | £ | 14,358 | £ 14,216 | |||||
| B2 Other Monetary Assets | Unrestricted | Restricted | |||||||||
| Accounts Receivable | £ | - |
£ | - | |||||||
| £ | - |
£ | - | ||||||||
| B3 Investment Assets | Belongs to | Cost | |||||||||
| N I L | £ | - | |||||||||
| £ | - |
| B4Assets Retained for Own Use Belongs to CollectionNote 9 ACHG Furniture & EquipmentNote 10 ACHG |
B4Assets Retained for Own Use Belongs to CollectionNote 9 ACHG Furniture & EquipmentNote 10 ACHG |
|---|---|
| £ 8,141 | |
| £ 17,306 | |
| £ 25,446 |
| B5 Liabilities Belongs to Accounts Payable ACHG Loans etc ACHG |
Amount Due |
|---|---|
| £ 163 |
|
| £ 0 |
|
| £ 163 |
Notes:
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Donations received in the Heritage Centre donations box.
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Donations from village organisations and private individuals for Acuisitions Fund.
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£5,996 donations to appeal for new display cabinet.
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Village BoB tour fees from National WW2 Museum coach tours and others.
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Includes £40 annual fee to the Information Commissioner to comply with GDPR.
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From unrestricted funds: purchase of new stewards’ desk and shelving unit. From restricted funds: Humidity controlled display cabinet; a number of bells, a Roman pendant, a gold medal 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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Annual Report 2024
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Corrected values after corrections to previous year’s report. (Includes Petty Cash, Floats and PayPal account.
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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 - £5,630.
Signed
Mr J Dymond (Trustee & Treasurer)
Registered Charity No. 1186866
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