## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** ## **From 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024** ## **Charity name: Sime Gallery CIO** ## **Charity registration number: 1188534** ## **Objectives and Activities** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|(a) The preservation and permanent
display of the works of Sidney Herbert
Sime;
(b) To advance in education and the arts
and, in particular but not exclusively, the
history of the works of Sidney Herbert
Sime.| |Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular the
activities, projects or
services identified in the
accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|(a)
Appointment of CIO trustees with expertise
in viable financial charitable art gallery
planning
within the art market;
comprehensive insurance taken out
covering all works held; adoption of policies
on financial reserves; planning of children’s
workshops and creating outreach
programme links with schools; ongoing
discussions to formulate plans for future
education policies, policies on conservation
and
future
acquisitions;
ongoing
maintenance of alarm system; experienced
gallery volunteers who continue to
undertake monthly tasks; annual summer
fundraising event.
(b)
Monitoring of opening hours both by pre-
appointment and with no prior booking 01
Feb-5 Dec 2024 (open 2-4 on Wednesdays
and Sundays); new suitable volunteers
recruited; website updated regularly; talks
given in the gallery and to interested local
groups; improvements continued on
signage and on gallery entrance area;
children’s workshops. Obtaining grants eg
NLHF and local grants eg Parish Council,
Surrey Museums Partnership.
{c)
Seeking local sponsorship for financial
stability as well as involving local
businesses and using local suppliers where| |||possible.| |---|---|---| |Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|The Trustees confirm that they have
complied with the duty in Section 4 of The
Charities Act 2006 to have due regard to
the Charity Commission’s general guidance
on public benefit. Consideration is given for
care and management of the artworks with
climate change as well as monitoring
temperature and humidity of the Gallery.| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: ||
SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Policy on grant making|Para 1.38|| |Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|Para 1.38|| |Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|The gallery and Board of
Trustees is volunteer led.
Most of the day to day
activity is done solely by
volunteers. All give their time
and expertise in various
ways such as gallery guides,
conservation care, outreach
and research activities. They
manage the small café rota,
website management, run
workshops as well as
undertaking marketing and
publicity work; other activity
involves day to day
maintenance
and
refurbishing, making grant
applications and ensuring
their outcome activities when
successful,
strategy
planning,
EDI
considerations, health and
safety, fundraising events
and exhibition planning and
preparation. The number of
regular volunteers remains
consistent with 25 required
for the gallery, workshops
and café. Online DBS
checks are in place if
required and training can be
arranged as needed.| |Other||Preparing artworks to be
valued, sending and
rehanging items before and
after external exhibitions.| ## **Achievements and Performance** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.|Para 1.20|Underlying all achievements is recognition
of the importance and benefit of art
available to everyone. Closure of galleries
due to Covid restrictions highlighted its
relevance to society as well as recognising
current increase cost of living issues by not
charging admission.
As an independent CIO the gallery and its
café open (both with and without pre-
booking) to the public 2-4pm on
Wednesdays and Sundays, also
welcoming group visits. In 2024 trustees
and gallery volunteers were delighted to
welcome 197 visitors and 75 children as
workshop attendees. The Sime ‘Ta Ta’ café
opened during this period for drinks and
cakes and 136 visitors partook of its
refreshments. There were 5 group visits.
The ambience and appearance of both the
café and gallery were improved: painting
the walls in the first phase improved the
ambience and appearance of both the café
and gallery, enhancing the new lighting and
displays. Work on labels and signage also
continues. The first phase of painting the
gallery walls enhanced the newly installed
lighting and displays; improved signage
outdoors is a bonus following purchase of
new sail banners to attract and direct
visitors. A new outdoor notice board with
up-to-date information of Gallery activity
has been a further useful addition. An
interactive monitor for the display of more
information with easy access is on order for
2025; a film maker spent a day in
September photographing and filming in
the gallery in preparation for providing an
introductory film to be used in the gallery.
All these improvements have already been
and will continue to be effective in
enhancing the visitor experience.
The gallery is located on the first floor of
the building. For those who cannot access
it, picture albums have been provided for
viewing in a suitable, safe room on the
ground floor. Our first London EXHIBITION
IN 100 YEARS since Sime’s first exhibition
at St George’s Gallery, Hanover Place,
opened in January. Paintings, notebooks
and letters were on show at Chris Beetles’
Mayfair Gallery in St James’s. Over 100| people attended the opening Reception. This succeeded in widening knowledge of the existence of the Sime Gallery and awareness of the importance of the Collection, this due to the large online presence of the Chris Beetles Gallery. It resulted also in visitors coming to the Sime Gallery itself in Perry Hill, Worplesdon. A private Exhibition of a number of Sime’s theatrical caricatures took place at the Garrick Club during 2024 when the loan of 11 of our Sime theatrical caricatures was organised, the Exhibition opening in June, running till December 2024. The London Exhibition at the Chris Beetles Gallery was followed by another Sime Exhibition in Pinner at the Heath Robinson Museum later in in the year, from September 2024 to January 2025. Again, the opening Reception on 10 October was well attended; in November 2024 a talk was given there about Sime’s life and art by two Sime Gallery trustees, this talk was appreciated by 32 attendees. A local Exhibition in Guildford is in the early phase of planning for Autumn 2025. The year started with a large group talk at Farnham. A further two talks were given locally. All these talks help to widen the knowledge and interest in the gallery and help our footfall as a result, partly because of the group visits which follow. One trustee is responsible for marketing and one for publicity: one submits information for a monthly online newspaper, produces a quarterly newsletter; the other submits adverts to appear in local concert programmes and in a local magazine which also receive regular entries about our activities and adverts. In 2024 our social media presence, in particular via daily Instagram, has increased particularly for younger people and continues to help to keep people informed via regular postings. Twitter is of less importance due to its recent poor publicity. We are seeking help with professional guidance to improve our advertising and social media skills in order to reach a wider and younger audience. The Ta Ta Café had more additional helpful items given to it and the small courtyard entrance area was enhanced by additional flowerpots, including children’s workshop flowerpots! In 2024 we entered the |‘Guildford in Bloom’ competition again and| |---| |were awarded Silver in our category.| |In keeping with the major NL Heritage Fund| |grant of £78,790 awarded in Dec 2021 we| |appointed in 2022 two consultants for| |community
liaison
and
audience| |development, an exhibitions gallery| |technician and an evaluation consultant for| |the period 2022-2025. In 2024 we have| |continued to work with the two consultants| |in a partnership scheme with Surrey| |Museums, and our gallery technician has| |undertaken remounting and reframing| |several of our artworks in preparation for| |the external Exhibitions. Additionally, we| |have benefited particularly from our| |evaluation consultant who evaluates all our| |activities, principally by analysis of| |completed visitor questionnaires. All posts| |are in keeping with the Gallery Business| |Plan.| |Thanks to the input of the community| |liaison consultants, we have continued our| |successful link with Halow, a local charity| |for young adults who suffer with autism or| |are lacking life skills. As well as two| |trustees one of our volunteers is now| |involved to help run the workshops and Art| |classes. In 2024 we have linked up with the| |local Parish Church and held Easter and| |Christmas workshops, this in keeping with| |our outreach programme for mutual benefit.| |This has only been achievable thanks to| |the support of the National Lottery Heritage| |Fund grant we received.| Sponsorship of £325 from local businesses was used to sponsor young musicians from London and their steel band as well as 2 Worplesdon Young Musicians of the year at our Caribbean fundraising event when 171 attended a BBQ in August. Funds raised have enabled us to support future schools and Exhibitions programmes. We continue to need funds to improve facilities and purchase particular items to enhance our displays and visitor experience eg interactive monitor and creation of introductory film, and to pay for recent partial painting of the Gallery. We await the visit by an Art Conservator to come and prioritise the need and order in which art works need restoration or reframing etc. For this we have obtained grant funding from Association of Independent Museums. We continue to consider our EDI programme in order to become more welcoming, inclusive, diverse and equitable. Having obtained particular advice regarding appropriate signage for the visually impaired, signs are now in place where possible which can be clearly visible and legible to people with poor eyesight for example. Our policies regarding EDI were updated as required and are reviewed annually. As trustees we ensure that our meetings continue to include mention of any EDI updates. It is anticipated that the Halow group will assist in creating more new display signs that are easier to see and read as well as information panels. Mr Thomas Seymour, grandson of Sime’s Patron and renowned polymath Lord Howard de Walden, remains the founding Patron. He assisted in the organisation of the Gallery’s first London Exhibition (previously mentioned) at Chris Beetles Gallery in January 2024 and gave an enlightening speech at the opening reception. Ewbank’s Auctioneers continues as the CIO’s founding Sponsor with Andrew Ewbank continuing his late father’s support of the Gallery. The addition of a small water feature to enhance the Courtyard Garden was donated also by Ewbank’s in memory of Chris Ewbank. ## **Additional information (optional)** ## You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
Achievements against
objectives set|
Para 1.41|
Education:
In addition to the main half -term workshop
in February 2024, we continue our
collaboration with other local art and
heritage organisations. Three small
workshops took place which included
taking the children into the gallery to spot
items such as animals in the paintings,
thereby introducing them to Sime’s art in an
enjoyable, fun way; an art teacher
volunteered to give a drawing class based
on a Sime Caricature for adults on one
occasion. Further art workshops took place
at the Church for Easter, at Halloween and
Christmas in the gallery. In January 2024 a
coffee morning for volunteers was held at
the nearby Hotel/café to show appreciation
for their valuable contribution and to
support our local economy by using the
nearby hotel facility. 16 children from the
adjoining pre-school participated in creating| |---|---|---| |||our Courtyard Garden, later decorated in
Caribbean
theme
with
additional
homemade bunting which the children
coloured. This was part of the Guildford in
Bloom annual competition. This not only
engages pre-school age children in outdoor
activity and in choosing which plants are
suitable; it also helps to explain how the
effect of Climate Change influences our
choice of plants etc at the same time as
explaining an outdoor garden activity in
nature is fun, however small it is! It was
rewarding to see the children enjoying their
visit to the Gallery itself and looking for
insects, animals etc in Sime’s paintings.
Strategy sessions continued in 2024 when
KPIs were revisited and our aims and
objectives taken forward with the proposal
eventually to become a Centre for
Illustrative Art Education, to share the
fascinating ‘story’ of Sidney Sime and the
importance of his art to heritage. The
Trustees were divided into 3 groups - to
plan and prioritise the aspects Improving
the Assets, Enhancing the Appearance and
Increasing the Awareness of the gallery, all
of which would assist us in planning our
budget, also guided by our Business Plan
and achieving the outcomes of the HF
grant requirements.| |---|---|---| |Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|Para 1.41|173 attended our 2024 outdoor BBQ in
August when £2,637 was raised, available
for gallery use as trustees see fit. The
event, sponsored by a local builder and
supported by a small grant from our local
County
Councillor,
far
exceeded
expectations. The third annual Sime
Lecture was held in November 2024 and
attended by 93 people raising £1,073. Our
fundraising is vital for financial stability
especially for items sg insurance that
cannot be funded generally by grants.| |Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41|N/A| |Other||| ## **Financial Review** |**Financial Review**|||| |---|---|---|---| |Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|Overall, the CIO’s financial position was
solid at the end of the second calendar year.|| |Statement explaining the|Para 1.22|The purpose of the Financial Reserve Policy|| |policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held||is to ensure the financial stability of the Sime
Gallery at all times.|| |---|---|---|---| |Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|The target minimum Financial Reserve Fund
is equal to six months of average operating
costs. Target amount of reserves held in
2024:|| |Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|n/a|| |Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|n/a|| |Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|Trustees are aware that it is vital to increase
the numbers of visitors the gallery and
recognise the need to grow the volunteer
team in order to make this possible. It is
recognised, for example, that since Covid
many people are still not returning to visiting
galleries as they did pre-Covid; there is an
ongoing danger that volunteers can become
disillusioned when very few visitors come.
The volunteer handbook, created to support
volunteer training, has been updated in
autumn 2024, to be ready for 2025. The
volunteers’ annual coffee morning is aimed
at thanking and boosting morale. Fortunately
gallery volunteers find the story of Sime’s life
and artwork fascinating, resulting in using
other skillsby helping with archiving,
research,
rehanging
paintings
and
maintaining the small outdoor courtyard
garden.
The need for additional funding through
grants, sponsorship and fundraising will be
required to ensure financial stability
especially when the major 3-year HF grant
period is completed (extension received to
March 2026).|| |||ii)
lack of display space
iii)
lack of sufficient visitors to make
any further new openings viable
iv)
lack of volunteers/trustees with
appropriate skills
v)
lack of profile of Sime name
vi)
and as identified in para 1:23
vii)
lack of disabled access| |---|---|---| |Other||In addition to those mentioned above,
trustees are also aware of issues resulting
from: a lack of public transport to the parish
of Worplesdon where the gallery is situated;
poor access to the gallery space; limited
merchandising and ongoing economic
challenges post-Covid and following the
effects of war in Ukraine, Gaza and general
global uncertainty. All affect decision-
making and general support for Arts and
Heritage in this country, not least because
of soaring costs for art conservation work
due to increased prices and difficulties in
obtaining supplies.| ## **Structure, Governance and Management** |Description of charity’s
trusts:||The Sime Gallery CIO has no trusts.| |---|---|---| |Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|Constitution| |How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|CIO| |Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|Trustees are selected with regard to the
skills, knowledge and expertise they bring.
The constitution allows up to 12 trustees to
serve at any one time. There must be a
minimum of four trustees.| |**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:|**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:|**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:| |---|---|---| |Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction and
training of trustees|Para 1.51|New Trustees receive
i)
a copy of the current version of the
constitution
ii)
a copy of the CIO’s latest Trustees’
Annual Report and statement of
accounts
iii)
a copy of current policies| |The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51|The Sime Gallery CIO was instated on 13
March 2020, formerly the Sime Gallery
Trust, formed in 1949 to enable the bequest
of Sime’s widow Mary (please see below).
The trustees are responsible for running the
organisation.
The Sime Gallery works with other galleries
and arts societies in West Surrey and plans
to develop links nationally also. It is a
member of Surrey Museums Partnership
with whom we work with the 2 HF
consultants in a 3-year partnership scheme;
with Surrey Cultural Partnership and with the
Association of Independent Museums.
The gallery plans to work towards
accreditation with support from Museums
Development South East.| |Relationship with any related
parties|Para 1.51|The origins of the Sime Gallery CIO lie within
the Worplesdon Memorial Hall and
Recreation Ground and Sime Gallery Trust.
Funding for the Gallery’s establishment and
construction was provided solely by the
bequest of Sime’s widow Mary in 1949, at no
extra cost to the trustees of the day. The
gallery opened in 1956.
In order to provide a modern governance| structure for both the gallery and the Hall, it was agreed to form two CIOs: Worplesdon Memorial Hall and Recreation Ground CIO and the Sime Gallery CIO, each with its own set of trustees. The Sime Gallery remains located within the Worplesdon Memorial Hall. A legal property structure was agreed and accepted by the Charity Commission in March 2020, enabling the Sime bequest to be based on a firm legal tenure necessitating the granting of a new lease between the two new CIOs. An operational agreement between the two new CIOs was agreed, with both organisations looking forward to good collaboration in years to come. This arrangement allows the Sime Gallery GIO greater flexibility of future funding. Other ## **Reference and Administrative details** |Charity name|Sime Gallery CIO| |---|---| |Other name the charity uses|-| |Registered charity number|1188534| |Charity’s principal address|Worplesdon Memorial Hall
Perry Hill
Worplesdon
Guildford
Surrey GU3 3RF| ||| Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity |1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for**
**whole year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled to**
**appoint trustee (ifany)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Catherine Irene
MaryBroughton|Chair|13 March 2020 -
present|| ||John Slater|Treasurer|13 May 2022 -
present|| ||Graham Bower-
Wood|Trustee|2 May 2023 -
present|| |||||| ||Heather Dean|Trustee|May2024 -|| ||Bea Meecham|Trustee|2 May 2023 –
present|| ||Jan H Messinger|Trustee|13 March 2020 –
present|| ||Catherine Mirmak|Trustee|22 June 2021-
present|| ||Marilyn Scott DL
MBE MA AMA FRSA|Trustee|18 March 2020 –
present|| ||Marjory I Stewart|Trustee|13 March 2020 –
present|| ## – Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved ## **Director name** Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity **Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year** ## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others** Description of the assets held in this capacity Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets ## **Additional information (optional)** ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** |**Type of**
**adviser**|**Name**
**Address**|**Name**
**Address**| |---|---|---| |Independen
t Auditor|Ms Helen Lee|55 Wodeland Avenue, Guildford, Surrey ~GU2 4LA| |||| |Bankers|CAF Bank Ltd|25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling,
Kent ME19 4JQ| |||| ## **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** ## **Exemptions from disclosure** Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details ## **Other optional information** ## **Declarations** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** |**Signature(s)**
**Full name(s)**
**Position (eg Secretary,**
**Chair, etc)**
**Date**||| |---|---|---| |||| ||Catherine Irene Mary
Broughton|John A D Slater| |||| ||Chair|Treasurer| ||April1 2025|| ||April1 2025|| CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Indepe report Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of Sime Gallery CIO On accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024 Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination o charity ("the Trust") for the year ended Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requ 2011 ("the Act.) I report in respect of my examination of the under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in ca have followed the applicable Directions giv under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confir come to my attention (ot1￿￿￿0 the examination which gives me cause to b respect.. accounting records were not kept in the Act or the accounts do not accord with the Independent examiner's statement I have no concems and have come across with the examination to which attention sho proper understanding of the accounts to be Please delete the wortls in the brackets if Signed: Name: Mrs. Helen M L Lee I CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Sim Galtery ¢10 Receipts and payments acco For the period from To 01-Jan-24 Section A Recei ts and payments Unrèstricted nds ta the #eare8t RÈstrict•d funds Endowment funds tothe nearest £ tothe nearest£ A1 Recèi ts Donabons Sponsors, lecturès, M0[ks￿)p$, retail. other sales etG Giants 9,214 25,484 Sub total(Gross income forAR) 10,864 25,484 A2 Asset and invesknent sales, see table . Sub tota Total recelpts 10,864 25,484 A3Pa enls Expenditure from day-tsFdtyoperation8 Gsllery maintentnce workshops m¥rketsn9 We￿￿te Retsil costs Admin Costs 816 857 Exwdthre from giants 15824 Sub tola 5,401 15,824 A4 Asset and investment urchases see tablè Sub tota Totalpaym8nts SA01 15,824 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the per Unrestricte funds to nÈarest£ B1 Cash funds sh in bahk 24.642 Total cash funds 24.642 lawe•bakn¢a$￿￿h ro￿lptY￿￿d p¥yment¥ Unrestricted funds to nearest£ Detail.s B2 Other n￿netary assets Fund to which asset elon B3 Investment assets Fund to whl¢h asset bebn B4 Assets retained for the Charity's own use Fund to whkh relates D,:lJj',.s B5 Liabilities