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2025-03-31-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 1[st] April 2024 Period start date To 31[st] March 2025 Period end date

Charity name: Carisbrooke Castle Museum

Charity registration number: 1188568

Objectives and Activities

SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document		 Para 1.17 To promote the education of the public in
the history of Carisbrooke Castle and the
Isle of Wight by the provision of a museum
for the maintenance and public exhibition of
a collection of objects, artefacts,
specimens, books and documents and
picture and the extension, enhancement,
conservation and maintenance of the
collection.
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		 The main activities undertaken by the Trust
in relation to the above purpose are:
•
Maintaining a museum relating to
the history of the Isle of Wight and
to Carisbrooke Castle
•
Collecting, documenting and
preserving collections which support
the Museum’s mission
•
Using the collections in public
exhibitions and in educational
activities, and making them
available for study and research.
•
Provide access to collections and
associated information by other
means including the internet and
outreach activities
•
Undertaking fundraising activities
which support and sustain the
museum’s operation
Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit		 Para 1.18 The Trustees have had regard to the
guidance issued by the Charity
Commission on public benefit.
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:
SORP
reference
Policy on grant making Para 1.38 N/A
Policy on social investment
including program related
investment		 Para 1.38 N/A
Contribution made by
volunteers		 Para 1.38 The museum is open to the public 3 days a
week between Mid-February and April, 7 days a
week between April and November and 4 days
between Christmas and New Year. During
these periods volunteers are key to the day-to-
day operation of the Museum as they cover the
front of house function, meeting and greeting
visitors, monitoring their movement around the
museum and recording visitor numbers. They
also provide access to museum activities such
as children’s museum activity trails.
In addition, they provide support to talks and
other events.
Volunteers also assist the curatorial staff with
the day-to-day management of the museum’s
collections
Other

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 The museum has had a stable year in 2024/25,
as this was year 3 of a 3 year agreement with
English Heritage for funding of the museum.
Acquisitions:
The Museum continues to accept donations of
artefacts that fit our Collecting Policy. In 2024-
2025 these included:
•
A collection of 19thcentury engravings of
the Isle of Wight; a series of oral history
interviews and digital images collected as
part of Memorability Life Stories project;
•
an early 20thcentury silk wedding dress;
•
a collection of uniforms, accessories and
documents collected over the course of a
career working for the NHS on the Isle of
Wight;
•
and 20 17thand 18thcentury books and
pamphlets about the English Civil War and
the imprisonment of King Charles I at
Carisbrooke Castle.

Exhibitions: A display of a selection of engravings from the Brannon Collection took place at the end of 2024, followed by an exhibition of landscape photography titled “The Beauty of…”, showcasing the work of local photographer CJ Nox. Exhibitions in the museum continue to be updated and changed to display more objects from the museum’s collection. Funding: The Museum has continued to face financial pressures due in the main to the UK financial crisis and the decision of English Heritage not to uplift the grant value, which has remained the same since 2016. With the increases to the national living wage, the Museum found itself in a position where the funding from English Heritage is now not sufficient to cover the staff required to run the museum. The Trustees have worked hard to ensure sufficient funds have been available to support the museum operations. Work has been actively underway to explore new sources of funding including a small retail function, selling products produced by local artisans. Staff: Due to the challenging financial situation, the Museum continues to operate with a skeleton staff, with only one member of staff on site for 80% of the time. Our new manager has been in place for 12 months and has now established himself as a capable and flexible leader. In July 2024, the Curator left the Museum and the Assistant Curator was appointed as the Curator. The staff movements allowed reprofiling of the staff team, and a new assistant curator and administration officer have been appointed. Volunteers: The energy and commitment of the Museum volunteers has continued throughout 20242025 They continue to bring a great deal of skill, positivity and personality to the organisation. Volunteers have assisted with front of house, retail sales, out of hours events, talks and some have expanded their volunteering to include talks about the Museum and its history. Developments: The organisation has worked with English Heritage and other key partners to restore Beatrice’s Kitchen and this was completed in April 2024. The kitchen has been used for a range of events during the 2024/25 season

including a new young people’s theatre group, Carisbrooke Cast, supported by the Tide Nor Time Players, who meet on a Friday evening. Users: There were 86,274 visitors to the museum during the period 1[st] April 2024 – 31[st] March 2025. This represented a 6% decrease on 2023/24. Visitor numbers remain below prepandemic levels. All visitors to the Castle have free access to the Museum’s exhibitions during site opening hours. We secured a £30,000 grant from Arts Council England for our VE Day Oral History project, which began on 1[st ] May 2025 and is now underway under the leadership of Lisa Kerley. This major project focuses on collecting and sharing personal stories from the Second World War, with a particular emphasis on local experiences and voices from the Isle of Wight. The work will significantly enhance both our historical content and our community engagement. With Lisa’s guidance, we are carrying out in-depth research, capturing oral histories, and developing new interpretation for future displays and events. This project marks an important step forward in how we connect with our audiences and represent the Island’s wartime past. More information on this project will be provided in the 2025-2026 annual report.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Achievements against
objectives set		 Para 1.41 N/A
Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set		 Para 1.41 N/A
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 See accompanying information on pages
Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held		 Para 1.22 The close down reserve is a contingency in the
event that the close down of the organisation
and disposal of its collection in line with national
accreditation recommendations. This reserve is
reviewed annually to ensure it reflects
inflationary pressures and lessons learnt from
previous difficult financial years.
Amount of reserves held Para 1.22 The Trustees hold a close down reserve of
circa £50K
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 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
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
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
N/A
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)		 Para 1.47 English Heritage grant, other small grants, retail
activity and donations
Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted		 Para 1.46 The investment policy is being developed
during 2025.
A description of the principal
risks facing the charity		 Para 1.46 The museum continues to work on the security
of tenure in Carisbrooke Castle issue with
English Heritage.
Other

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s
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 Charitable Incorporated Organisation
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 Appointed Charity Trustees -Every trustee
must be appointed for a term of three years by
a resolution passed at a properly convened
meeting of the charity trustees.
In selecting individuals for appointment as
charity trustees, the charity trustees must have
regard to the skills, knowledge and experience
needed for the effective administration of the
CIO.
Ex officio trustees -The Chair (or nominated
representative) of Newport and Carisbrooke
Parish Council and the Isle of Wight Council’s
Heritage portfolio holder for the time being (“the
office holder”) shall automatically (“ex officio”)
be a charity trustee, for as long as he or she
holds that office.
Nominated trustees -The Lord Lieutenant of
the Isle of Wight and the active volunteer body
of Carisbrooke Castle Museum CIO (“the
appointing body”) may appoint 1 charity trustee
each. Any appointment must be made at a
meeting held according to the ordinary practice
of the governing body. Each appointment must
be for a term of three years. A trustee
appointed by the appointing body has the same
duty under clause 9(1) as the other charity
trustees to act in the way he or she decides in
good faith would be most likely to further the
purposes of the CIO.
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 The charity trustees will make available to each
new charity trustee, on or before his or her first
appointment:
(a) a copy of the current version of this
constitution; and
(b) a copy of the CIO’s latest Trustees’ Annual
Report and statement of accounts.
Other induction and training will be given once
the Trustee has commenced their appointment.
The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works		 Para 1.51 N/A
Relationship with any
relatedparties		 N/A

Para 1.51 Other

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name Carisbrooke Castle Museum
Other name the charity uses
Registered charity number 1188568
Charity’s principal address Castle Hill
Newport
Isle of Wight
PO30 1XY

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13		 Trustee name Office (if any) Dates acted if not for
whole year		 Name of person (or body)
entitled to appoint trustee (if
any)
Gill Kennett MBE,
DL		 Co-opted Trustee
Nominated Trustee		 To 10/03/2025
From 10/03/2025		 N/A
HM Lord Lieutenant for the
Isle of Wight
Gillian Burnett
BEM		 Co-opted Trustee N/A
Anne Longford DL Nominated Trustee Resigned 10/03/2025 HM Lord Lieutenant for the
Isle of Wight
Carol Alstrom Chair
Nominated Trustee		 Volunteers Representative
Cllr Jonathan
Bacon		 Ex-officio Trustee Isle of Wight Council
RosemaryCooper Co-opted Trustee Resigned 09/12/2024 N/A
Peter Ednay Co-opted Trustee N/A
Gioia Minghella Co-opted Trustee N/A
Peter Whiteman Co-opted Trustee Resigned 10/03/2025 N/A
Matthew Price Ex-officio Trustee Newport and Carisbrooke
CommunityCouncil
PhillipShannon Co-opted Trustee From 10/06/2024
James Mitchell Co-opted Trustee From 10/06/2024

– 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 N/A held in this capacity Name and objects of the N/A charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for N/A 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 Name Address adviser Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information) Lee Donald – General Manager Kate Tilley – Curator

Exemptions from disclosure

Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details

Other optional information

Declarations The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees, rèport above. Slgned on behalf of the charity's trustees SJgnature(s) Full name(s> Position {eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date

21fbllll? Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period from 1.04.24 To 31.03 25 Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted funds tothe neatest Restricted fund5 Endowment funds Total funds Last year tothe nearest£ tothe Trearest£ tothe￿eart￿tE tothg neaTe5t£ A1 Receipts Donations, Leg3ues & Grants Member5 Sub5cripthgns 66,883 346 797 69372 34fj 797 82,838 650 1,606 3381 2.014 1,31D 1.652 93.356 5876 4.842 I.JgB 132 5A7f 4W42 1,399 132 Events OtherReceipls ffteimbursemenlsl Sub total1G￿5S inGDrne forARI 79.873 2J89 82,2f2 A2 Assei and Invesiment sales, (see tsblel. Recpipts from Sale of Fixed Assets Loans RÉcÉlved Sub total zzzz Tor•1 welpty 79,873 B2,262 90,102 A3 Payments Saianes & Nl & ther P8rsonnei Costs 55883 1.971 4.100 229 55AB3 1,971 54,679 2,532 15.751 1,21B 19292 7.671 714 8,6 Pension Conlribubons ChaTil3ble Artiwbes &Trading Costs fj98 229 Repairs & Idainlenance 74 74 10A81 722 Eouiomenl Insurance I Prolsupport Contratts offi￿ (Trerheads (Post, Phone. SlaboDe BankchargÉs VAT 722 10,973 10,973 5.288 609 6.202 173 89.930 90,628 116.927 A4 Asset and investment purchas•s, Is•• tabl•l Purchase of Fixedpssels Loans Repaid Sub total Totalpayments 89,930 90,62 116.927 Aler of recwprsl(paymentsJ A5 Transfers bettveen funds Afj Cash funds last y•ar •nd Cash funds this yearend 10.057 1,691 8,36 23.572 108,536 10.057 1,691 16,598

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestri¢ted funds ne8rest£ Restricted funds to nearest £ Endowment funds to nÈarest£ CaTrgories Details B1 Cash funds CurrenlAccount 5.809.15 ReseNe Account 15.419.91 No 2 Account 269.51 Paypal Total cash fvnds 81,499 (ayree baL3ncES recepts and PaY￿￿￿tS accountlsl Unrestrict•d funds to ne8rest£ Restricted funds to nearest£ Endovment funds to nearest£ Dètalls B2 Other monetsry assots Fund toW￿￿h asset bek> Details cosi10p￿Tra11 Currentvalue tioTral B3 Investment assets FuTrd as58t beloTro5 Details CostlopJoTrall loptioTrall B4 Assets retained for the charity's own use Amount due loptionall When due lOpt￿nall Details IK4bility reLqtes B5 Llabllltles Signed by one or tbvo tmstees on ha￿ of all the trustees Date ol roval Signature Print Name

CARISBROOKE CASTLE MUSEUM

INDEPENDENT EXAMINATION OF ACCOUNTS

INTRODUCTION

I have been requested to undertake an independent examination of the accounts of Carisbrooke Castle Museum for the financial year ending 31[st] March 2025. The Museum is a Registered Charity (No. 1188568) with an annual turnover between £10,000 and £250,000 and an independent examination report is therefore a Charity Commission requirement together with the submission of annual accounts. I confirm that I have no other role or relationship with the Charity or its Trustee’s and there are no circumstances in the examiner’s judgement that would reasonably lead to the perception that the examiner is not independent

To assist my examination I have been provided with a detailed Excel spreadsheet containing all relevant accounting records, together with associated bank statements and copies of a sample of invoices contained in the expenditure payments list.

SCOPE OF EXAMINATION

The examination of accounts has included the following actions –

3. CONCLUSION

Having regard to the above, no matters have come to my attention that

need further reporting and in my opinion the accounts comply with the requirements of the Charity Commission.

Gareth Hughes

GARETH HUGHES BA (Hon) Former CPFA. 17TH MAY 2025