Chairman’s Report AGM April 2025
The past year has been a produc=ve one for the Museum, one in which we have made steady progress and provided stability for the future. We work as a team with three principal elements; our Volunteers, our Members/Friends and our Trustees. There are also other important stakeholders, of course, with whom the Museum relates and these include our Visitors, English Heritage (EH), the Bishop’s Waltham Parish Council (BWPC), the Charity Commission (CC) and the Arts Council England (ACE).
It bears repea=ng that we are indebted to our Volunteers, without whom the Museum would not be able to func=on. The Trustee responsible for Volunteer affairs is Dawn and one of her various ac=vi=es is to ensure that the Museum is appropriately and safely staffed when open. Dawn also arranges various visits and social events for Volunteers and Friends, of whom the laSer, through their subscrip=ons, provide the Museum with its basic income. Recruitment and reten=on of both has been broadly successful and we are achieving our targets, which are reviewed regularly through the medium of our Ac=on Plan.
The Museum’s principal purposes are to provide interest, educa=on and entertainment for its Visitors. We have learnt from surveys conducted by Allison that we are fulfilling these aims for those who do visit us, but it has become clear that we need to publicise beSer. We have established that there is a significant number of Bishop’s Waltham residents who do not know where the Museum is located or even that it exists.
Nevertheless, we are fortunate that the Museum is based in the only habitable building in the Palace grounds, which are managed by EH who are our landlords. Many of our Visitors come to experience the Palace environment and call in thereby to see our Museum collec=on. Much as we enjoy and are pleased that they do so, we recognise that there remains considerable opportunity to increase our fooXall, par=cularly since EH reports that they had 78,000 visitors to the site during the year of whom we welcomed 3,132, admiSedly over just eight hours each weekend during the summer months. In return for overseeing the Palace, we have nego=ated a mutually beneficial agreement with EH with whom we have an especially sound understanding and assured security for at least the next five years.
We are grateful to the BWPC for their interest, for the support they provide and in par=cular, the par=cipa=on of Councillor Josie. As an example, one of our responsibili=es as an EH tenant is to manage and control the liSer and rubbish disposal on the site and the advice and help that Josie has given us has been most helpful.
There are two other organisa=ons with whom we work, the CC and ACE. The former is a legal necessity to maintain our charity status and related benefits, whilst the laSer has required us to iden=fy and develop a number of policies and corresponding documents in order to achieve their accredita=on. We have a deadline to reach for comple=on, towards which all Trustees are making their valuable contribu=ons.
Our Treasurer Nick will have provided his own separate report and Collec=ons Manager Penny will present her report to you at the AGM. As well as their related responsibili=es, they, with Rob who focusses mainly on merchandising, and with our Secretary Gill, are very much involved in our other various trustee ac=vi=es and we work together as an effec=ve and cohesive team.
Dr Roy Stainton – Chairman Bishop’s Waltham Museum Trust
| 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| RECEIPTS | ||
| Friends Subscriptions | 445.00 | 370.00 |
| Donations | 2352.91 | 1351.94 |
| Bank Interest | 462.48 | 329.98 |
| Book sales | 357.50 | 392.51 |
| Gift Aid | 685.95 | 423.93 |
| Grants | 395.00 | 0.00 |
| Insurance (EH Contribution) | 236.45 | 208.25 |
| Rates (EH Contribution) | 0.00 | 136.19 |
| Events | 0.00 | 668.00 |
| 4935.29 | 3880.80 | |
PAYMENTS |
||
| Rates | 134.08 | 64.00 |
| Insurance | 680.91 | 624.50 |
| Exhibitions & Acquisitions | 54.98 | 585.00 |
| Printing & Stationery | 18.75 | 85.00 |
| Website | 144.85 | 354.50 |
| Museum Development | 198.89 | 198.35 |
| Computer / museum equipment | 1346.65 | 61.13 |
| Book Purchase | 737.38 | 208.40 |
| Conservation | 664.59 | 269.49 |
| Events | 172.31 | 1180.06 |
| Organisation Subscriptions | 103.00 | 138.00 |
| Grants | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Alarm costs | 220.09 | 0.00 |
| 4476.48 | 3768.43 | |
Surplus/(Deficit) for the Year |
458.81 | 112.37 |
FUNDS BALANCES |
||
| Balance at 1st January | 21832.16 | 21719.79 |
| Surplus for the Year | 458.81 | 112.37 |
Balance at 31st December
22290.97
21832.16
Honorary Treasurer: Nick Whitehead
Examiner's Report
I certify that the 2024 Receipts and Payments Account has been correctly prepared from the Trust's records and supporting documentation.
External Examiner:
Signature Mr Doug Emmett
Revd Nick Approved by the Trustees Signature Whitehead
Date: Mar-25