| Trustees' Annual Report for the period | |||||||
| From | Period start date | To | Period end date | ||||
| Day 1 |
Month 4 |
Year 2023 |
Day 31 |
Month 3 |
Year 2024 |
Section A Reference and administration details Charity name Beccles and District Museum CIO Other names charity is known by Registered charity number (if any) 1191550
| Charity's principal address | Beccles and District Museum |
Beccles and District Museum |
|---|---|---|
| Leman House, Ballygate | ||
| Beccles, Suffolk | ||
| Postcode | NR34 9ND |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (if any) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barry Darch | Chairman | Chairman until 19 June 2023 |
||
| Andy Lovegrove | Secretary | |||
| Paul Gurbutt | Treasurer | |||
| Robert Bacon | ||||
| Lacey Baxter | Chairman | Chairman from 19 June 2023 |
||
| Linda Last | ||||
| Jack Morris | ||||
| Chris Scott |
TAR
March 2012
1
| 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
Richard Sword | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alan Wheeler | Curator | Curator from 19 June 2023 |
||
Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)
Name Dates acted if not for whole year
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
| Type of adviser Name Address |
Type of adviser Name Address |
Type of adviser Name Address |
|---|---|---|
| Museum Mentor |
Heather Lomas | |
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
Section B Structure, governance and management
TAR
March 2012
2
Description of the charity’s trusts
Type of governing document
Constitution
- (eg. trust deed, constitution)
Trust CIO - Foundation How the charity is constituted
(eg. trust, association,
company)
Appointed by other members of the Trust Trustee selection methods
(eg. appointed by, elected by)
Additional governance issues (Optional information)
The Charity has a formal Constitution which governs how the Trust is You may choose to include managed. The Charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation additional information, where (CIO), accepted by the Charity Commission. relevant, about:
-
policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
-
The Trustees are responsible for the strategic direction of the Trust.
-
adopted for the induction Day to day management is in the hands of a curator who also has the
-
and training of trustees; task of caring for the collection. A group of volunteers assists the
-
• the charity’s organisational curator with these tasks and where possible the volunteers will have structure and any wider attended suitable training as provided by SHARE Museums East. network with which the charity works; The Museum is located in a building owned by the Townlands Charity which lets space in the building to the Museum. The Townlands
-
• relationship with any related Charity retains responsibility for the building and its upkeep. A
-
parties; member of the Townlands Charity Board (the Feoffees) is invited to
-
• trustees’ consideration of attend Museum Trustee Board meetings and chooses whether to be a
-
major risks and the system trustee. The current representative is James Hartley.
-
and procedures to manage them. Beccles Town Council may nominate a representative who attends Trustee meetings and who may choose to be a trustee. In 2023/4 the representative was Cllr Philippa Drew. The Museum is a member of the Association of Independent Museums (AIM) and the Association for Suffolk Museums (AfSM). AfSM provides assistance and advice; and our membership also provides emergency help from Harwell Drying.
TAR
March 2012
3
The Museum is an Arts Council Accredited Museum and as such has to meet professional standards in its policies and operating procedures covering all aspects of its management. These documents are audited as part of our accreditation application. We achieved Full Accreditation in May 2018.
The Museum has a Museum Professional Mentor, Heather Lomas, who attends Trustee meetings and provides support, help and guidance as requested.
CCTV helps keep secure the Museum’s collections.
Annual training is provided for stewards to help them keep visitors and themselves safe and to make the experience of visitors as good as possible.
Copies of the Friends’ Newsletter, which contains informative articles mainly related to the Museum’s collections, are given to all our volunteers (as well as members of the Town Council) to keep them informed about the Museum’s operation and plans for the future.
Section C Objectives and activities
The Museum’s objectives are to provide and maintain a collection Summary of the objects of relevant to Beccles and district for the purpose of educating and the charity set out in its entertaining the local community in all aspects of the history and governing document natural history of the area.
TAR
March 2012
4
| Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit) |
We have continued to provide help and advice on the history of the area and its people to enquirers. Typically, we receive and answer enquiries on family and local history and support other organisations, such as the Town Council and local history groups with their activities. The Museum has supplied images and information from its collections for local projects, including at St Michael’s Church, the Broads Charity Hub at Beccles Quay and the Public Hall. Photographs and information from the Museum’s collection have been used in the media, such as in articles about special exhibitions. Several Museum volunteers have taken part in The Helping Hands history and ghost walks which have brought nearly two hundred visitors. Year 7 pupils at Sir John Leman High School have visited the Museum (one class per visit). Work experience students from the school have been accommodated. In the 2023 season we provided three temporary exhibitions, which we now call ‘special exhibitions’. In 2023/4 we continued to provide material for the ‘Community Museum’ display cabinet in Beccles Library. |
|---|---|
TAR
March 2012
5
Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)
The Museum opened for the 2023 season on Saturday 1[st] April (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday afternoons). The season ended on Tuesday 31st October
You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:
-
policy on grantmaking;
-
policy programme related investment;
-
contribution made by volunteers.
The Museum is completely run by volunteers. Stewards open the Museum to the public and assist with visitors’ questions. A team of trained volunteers looks after all aspects of the Museum’s day-to-day operations under the direction of the curator, including care of the collections, setting up exhibitions, managing group visits, giving talks to outside bodies, answering enquiries from the public and supporting visiting researchers.
Several new volunteers have been recruited to assist with stewarding. We are pleased to give opportunities to young people as volunteers.
TAR
March 2012
6
We have been very pleased to welcome back as curator Alan Wheeler, who has served two terms as curator previously.
The Museum does not make grants to other organisations.
Section D Achievements and performance
TAR
March 2012
7
Section D Achievements and performance
The Museum was open for the full season. The total of visitors for the Summary of the main year during normal opening times was: 1284 (adults 1130, children achievements of the charity 154). School visits comprised 209 children and 19 teachers and during the year group visits 176 adults and 21 children. Total visitors amounted to 1709 (1325 adults and 384 children), compared with1294 in 2022. The main increase was in the number of adult visitors during normal opening hours (up from 738 to 1130). The museum joined other local history and heritage organisations in shaping the Town Council’s History and Heritage Development Plan. The Museum has continued to strive to safeguard the town and district’s historical heritage and increase access to historical records. The Museum has received a number of donations of historic material relating to Beccles and our villages, including Brampton. The Museum is keen that new material is made available to the public: so, for example, some of the new material relating to Elliott and Garrood featured in one of the 2023 special exhibitions. Some updating of permanent displays has been undertaken. The Content Management System (CMS) has been updated; and storage facilities have been improved. The curator has successfully tackled the backlog of material waiting to be accessioned. He has also photographed digitally a collection of newspapers and other material, making them more accessible. He has produced searchable indexes for names and headlines in the newspapers. Our Museum Facebook page has been updated regularly, increasing interest in the Museum and bringing a good number of new stewards. The Friends of the Museum subscriptions and the 100 Club income have also contributed to the Museum’s solvent financial position. But
TAR
March 2012
8
Section D Achievements and performance
we keep a close eye on expenditure and continue looking at ways to increase our income. To increase visitor numbers, the Museum continues to look for ways to grow its public profile via talks, newspaper items and other media. The Museum was represented at the town’s annual carnival, two volunteers being dressed as Romans to publicise one of the museum’s special exhibitions. . The Safeguarding Policy has been updated; and safeguarding has been included in stewards’ annual training. In November the curator (with the help of the secretary and treasurer) completed SHARE Museums East’s Organisational Health Check. The Museum has received helpful feedback and advice. There has been a redressing of the Wash Day display in the Schoolroom. The School display cabinet has also been tidied and a few minor issues addressed. The removal of a lot of unwanted items from the loft, Curator’s Office and Copier and Document rooms has taken place, creating a much tidier working environment. We are up to date with the accessioning of items and the Collection Management System (CMS) has been tweaked in a number of areas to improve usability. Regular backups continue to be carried out. Training sessions have been run for stewards and volunteers to promote the CMS Three special exhibitions were provided in 2023 and proved attractive to visitors. Three are planned for 2024. We supported a two-day Hospital exhibition at the Memorial Hospital. The Museum contribution and the items provided by the Friends of the Hospital will be returned to the museum and provide the focus of our 2024 season opening special exhibition. This activity has provided us with the opportunity to repaint the Medical display board in the School
TAR
March 2012
9
Section D Achievements and performance
Room. We were pleased that Silver Owl badges for twenty-five years of voluntary service were presented to David and Penny Lindley last autumn. Acid-free sleeves and storage boxes have been purchased for the storage of newly accessioned material, partly funded by a grant from the Association for Suffolk Museums (AfSM). We hosted the AfSM Museums’ Leaflet Exchange in March in the Town Hall. Afterwards representatives of the museums taking part in the exchange visited the Museum.
The Museum has been pleased to work with a number of local organisations, such as the Saturday Bell Tower Team whose treasure hunt ended at the Museum. Our assistant curator produced a leaflet about the history of the Common in response to a request from a local business.
The ‘Upstairs Team’ of volunteers has produced research in the form of data and photographs for enquirers, such as about our straw embroidery exhibit for a textile school and details of Dr Joseph Arnold for Sydney University, Australia. Some family history information has been provided, including to visitors from abroad. The ‘Upstairs Team’ has also checked that a number of collections are in good order.
We have provided work experience for a group of Sir John Leman High School students who were helped to research the history of shops and industries in Beccles and to compare with the present businesses in the town.
TAR
March 2012
10
Section D Achievements and performance
TAR
March 2012
11
Section E Financial review
Brief statement of the
The Museum aims to keep reserves of two years’ operating costs and we have maintained that in 2023/24.
charity’s policy on reserves
Details of any funds
materially in deficit
Further financial review details (Optional information)
The Townlands Charity continues to be a major donor to the You may choose to include Museum, effectively covering the Museum's rent. additional information, where relevant about: The Museum shop makes a useful contribution to income, including • the charity’s principal through the sale of books and booklets, many of which have drawn sources of funds on the museum’s collections. In 2023/24 some online sales have (including any also been made. Historic walks and talks for various organisations fundraising); have raised funds. • how expenditure has supported the key The Museum continues to make no admission fee in order to make objectives of the charity; the collections and its facilities as widely available as possible. • investment policy and objectives including any Expenditure on the presentation of displays and exhibitions and on ethical investment policy maintaining a safe and attractive environment has supported the adopted. Museum’s aim to provide a relevant and accessible collection and to educate and entertain the local community in all aspects of the area’s history. .
Section F Other optional information
TAR
March 2012
12
Section G Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s) B. Darch
Full name(s) Barry Darch
Position (eg Secretary, Chairman of Trustees until 19 Chair, etc) June 2023 and Trustee thereafter 19 July 2024
TAR
March 2012
13
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl, members of .4 )IsiRICI C LO On accounts for the year:51 fif 202* ended ' Charity no, (if any) | Isso Set out on pages ' I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity {"the Trust") for the year ended 3 11 o S /lC>Z Responsibilitie$ and As the charity trustees of Ihe Trusl, you are responsible for the preparation of basis of report the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 I'the Acl"). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(51{b} of the Act. I have Completed my examination. I confirm that no matèrial matters have come to my attention I ") in connection with the examination which gives me cause lo believe that in, any material respect.. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord wtth the accounting records Independent examiner's ststement I have no cOnrn$ and hav6 come across no other matters in Gonnection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable proper understanding ofthe accounts to be reached. Please delete Ihe words in the brackels if Ihey do nol apply. Slgned: Date: 202 Name: I G/N))I Fgo A LL6hJ Relevant professional ;. qualification(s) or body lif any): IER October 2018
Address: ' Qols L4Se leig flL Sectlon B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs lo highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and guidan for examiners). Give here brief detalls of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER October 2018
CHARITY COMMISSIO FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For thè period To Section A Receipts and payments fvnds Ertdonent funds Totsl fund5 La5tyear tr&thèntrsff e tothe fieareGt£ A1 Rec•ipts 1,6S1 1,6$1 1.257 1,679 8,775 8.150 &150 Z50 250 307 360 627 1,47S 1.47S t3A62 528 Sub total(Gross Incon forARJ 14221 A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). Sub tota Total receipts 13,562 14.221 A3 Payments 7,57T 1.802 764 722 8,602 639 180 6t8 1.173 153 773 301 637 1862 637 1S6 Sub fotal 14037 15.037 13,937 A4 Asset and investment purchases. (see table) Sub total 15.037 15,037 13.937 Net of receipts/(payments) - A5 Transfer5 funds A6 Cash funds last year ond Cash funds this year end 1,475 1,475 45.466 41991 45,466 43,991 44,921 45.205 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricted luntts Restrlcted fund5 Endowment funds CJ4e4ories to nÈarE*£ 81 Cash funds 11183 CCLA 3108 CCXX R1 accounts {SS) 24111r2024
Total cash funds 43,991 s}1 Unrestri¢t8d funds Restricted funds Endowment funds Details to nBarest£ lo nearest e Details ¢ost IoFAional} Ctirrerrt valug 83 Investment assets ! Detsil$ Fits to wNch a¥¥ot C(*t (Oponl Current ¥alue loptiall B4 Assets retained for the charity's own use Detsils Fundto whlch 86 Liabilitles loptionall ' Signed by one oFlwo Intstees on teha of all the tntstees S¥Jnatu Piint Name Date of approv81 CCXX R2 accounts {SS) 24111r2024
Beccles and Distrirt Museum CIO Draft Accourts 202>2024 Opening Bank Balan Unca5hed che4ues . Un-paid4n cash opert1 I&E Balar 01 A1 2023 £ ,2.68 £ 15.132.68 , l#(ome 2022.2023 Door donation5 Other donations Grants Shop Friends .'IOO Club Mistellaneous Interest ICCiAI L6.76 663.IMI 8.150.W) 644.28 £ 1.2S7.11 ' £ 1.679.3d £ 8,775.00 687.55 345. L474.65 626.50 528.46 Toi?1 Income £ 13561.69 ExpÈrtse5 ElertricTty Telephone Shop Stock 100 Club Cleaning Rent Business rate5 Collection care Tempordry Exhib"tbon5 hrtaintenan , Insurance Securtty Miscellaneous Lift Membef5hips j Sumup charEes £ 1,801.77 764.36 187.79 284.67 250.00 £ 8,CXMI.00 60L60 722.17 233.75 187.57 715. 8.(XM).C 3X¥.24 6.86 180. 443.9 618.00 636.74, 156.1K) &76. 6.23 £11937. . Profivloss ResÈNes COIF Charitie5 DeSlE Fund , Opening Bank Balar '. interest 'wiihdrawals depostts Closing Balallce 01 April 2023 £ 30.333.61 1.474.6S £ 29.792.46 12.69 o_oo ,805.15 31 Match 2024 IW8.26 Movement ir* fuDd5 Lloyds Account Balance CCIA Account balan uncashed cheques IApril IApril iA5m"I 15.132.68 3Q333.61 £ 15.132.68 £ 29.805.15 16.72 £ 45,ii66.29 £ li.474.661 £ 43. £ 44.921.11 284.46 Excess of Incolne over expérdthire Total Lloyds Account Balarite CCLA Account bance ' uncashed cheques 31 March 31 March 31 Marth £ 12.183.37 £ 31,.26 £ 15.132.68 £ 30.333.61 43.991.6 E45.
UoydsAttiiufit Balance uncashed cheque5 grant from Feoffee5 E 12.i83.37 '£ 15,132.68 0.00 1 É 4000.00 4.183_37 7.132. l. Door(ffjonatiOllS Ift£35ed bysurnup chaoes. as adyell b¥exatninef. &imupcharges listed rn exFenditure 2. Otherdonations were [nair>frorn fÈe5 fortslks gNen 3. £150 from the Associknon of IndepetKlent Museum5 plus ihe grant 4. £100 relund from HMRCand fee for St Michaeys Exhibition 5.. EDF fixed rdte contsact has protette(i us from lluctuations in enefgy prre5 6. Rates reduced to zero ' 7. Annual maintenance on the atarm s¥Stein. 7. HMRC ftne, new photocopier arx* paymerrt tothe Infcwmatjon Comrni55K>r£rfs 0e and tht(Lopier repair& 8. MeMr$hIp ofAssociation oilndepÈndent MuseurnsarKI As%xithn for Myseums