||**Trustees' Annual Report for the period**|**Trustees' Annual Report for the period**|**Trustees' Annual Report for the period**|**Trustees' Annual Report for the period**|**Trustees' Annual Report for the period**|**Trustees' Annual Report for the period**|**Trustees' Annual Report for the period**|**Trustees' Annual Report for the period**|**Trustees' Annual Report for the period**|**Trustees' Annual Report for the period**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||**From**|Period start date||||**To**|Period end date|||| |||Day
1|Month
4||Year
2024||
Day
31|Month
3||Year
2025| |||||||||||| |Section A||||||||||| |**Charity name**
**Other names charity is known by**
**Registered charity number (if any)**
**Charity's principal address**||||||||||| |||||Beccles and District Museum CIO||||||| |||||||||||| |||||||||||| |||||1191550||||||| |||||
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|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for**
**whole year**|**Name of person (or body)**
**entitled to appoint trustee**
**(if any)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Robert Bacon|||| ||Lacey Baxter|Treasurer|Chairman to 17 June
2024
Treasurer from 17
June 2024|| ||Barry Darch|||| ||Paul Gurbutt|Acting chairman|Treasurer to 17 June
2024
Acting chairman from
17 June 2024|| March **2012** **TAR** 1 |5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20|Linda Last|||| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Robin Law||From 2 September
2024|| ||Andy Lovegrove|Secretary||| ||Jack Morris|||| ||Chris Scott|||| ||Allan Smith||From 2 December
2024|| ||Richard Sword|||| ||Alan Wheeler|Curator||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| ## **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)** March **2012** **TAR** 2 **Type of adviser Name Address** ## **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** ## **Section B Structure, governance and management** ## **Description of the charity’s trusts** Constitution Type of governing document (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 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 March **2012** **TAR** 3 parties; member of the Townlands Charity Board (the Feoffees) is invited to attend Museum Trustee Board meetings and chooses whether to be a • trustees’ consideration of trustee. The current representative is James Hartley. major risks and the system and procedures to manage Beccles Town Council may nominate a representative who attends them. Trustee meetings and who may choose to be a trustee. In 2024/5 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. 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. We are seeking a replacement for the Museum’s Professional Mentor, Heather Lomas, who gave much valuable support, help and guidance over several years. 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** March **2012** **TAR** 4 |**Summary of the objects of**
**the charity set out in its**
**governing document**
**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)**|The Museum’s objectives are to provide and maintain a collection
relevant to Beccles and district for the purpose of educating and
entertaining the local community in all aspects of the history and
natural history of the area.| |---|---| ||We have continued to strive to provide a warm welcome to our
visitors from far and near. Comments in our visitors’ book are
studied carefully and particular questions are answered. Comments
show that visitors appreciate the helpfulness of stewards and the
quality and diversity of displays.
Attention is paid to how a visit to the Museum can be a positive and
rewarding experience for children as well as adults. Quizzes are
available for children. Special activities were provided for children on
a Saturday during Heritage Open Days.
The Museum makes no admission fee in order to make the
collections and its facilities as widely available as possible.
In the 2024 season we provided three temporary exhibitions, which
we now call ‘special exhibitions’. One of these featured a local
village (Toft Monks), reflecting the museum’s keenness that the
museum is for the district and not just the town. In terms of villages
we also supported the Barsham Village Hall 150thanniversary event
by loaning a school desk and 1950’s school books. Three special
exhibitions have been planned for the 2025 season.
In 2024/5 we continued to provide material for the ‘Community
Museum’ display cabinet in Beccles Library. The material has been
changed regularly.
We have also 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 trails and| March **2012** **TAR** 5 ## walks and display boards. The Museum took part in Heritage Open Days in September 2024 by way of a special tour of the Museum by the curator and a day featuring activities for children (as mentioned above) and in supplying material for an exhibition in the Town Hall. Photographs and information from the Museum’s collection have been used in the media, such as in articles about special exhibitions, and in a book about Beccles, published in March 2025. Several Museum volunteers have taken part in the Beccles 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), but because of curriculum changes this will not continue in 2025.. Visitor numbers for the 2024 season were lower than for 2023. One of the main reasons was the closure of the museum for several weeks in the summer because of a pest infestation. This problem was dealt with successfully and there has been no recurrence. In the 2024 season 764 adults and 56 children visited the museum, making a total of 820. Trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. ## **Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)** March **2012** **TAR** 6 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 You **may choose** to include collections, setting up exhibitions, managing group visits, giving talks further statements, where to outside bodies, answering enquiries from the public and relevant, about: supporting visiting researchers. • policy on grantmaking; Several new volunteers have been recruited to assist with • policy programme related stewarding. The work of a young volunteer on the museum’s investment; Facebook page helped with this recruitment. We are pleased to give • contribution made by opportunities to young people as volunteers. volunteers. The Museum does not make grants to other organisations. Section D Achievements and performance March **2012** **TAR** 7 Section D Achievements and performance The Museum opened for the 2024 season at Easter (on Tuesday, **Summary of the main** Wednesday, Friday and Saturday afternoons). The season ended **achievements of the charity** on Wednesday 30th October. **during the year** The Museum has continued to strive to safeguard the town and district’s historical heritage and increase access to historical records. Donations of historic material to the Museum have included documents relating to the history of a local organisation and a large family scrapbook covering a century and a half. A copy of a detailed family history covering three generations and containing many letters has also been donated. Other collections of photographs have been accessioned and made available electronically, including 250 images showing the commercial life of the town in 2022. A large collection of press photographs has been sorted; images relating to locations outside the Museum’s area have been given to other museums. The items have been made available through the Museum’s Content Management System. The Museum is up to date with the accessioning of items. Regular backups of the Collection Management System continue to be carried out. The Museum has been pleased to work with a number of local organisations. We opened the 2024 season with a display about the Memorial Hospital to tie in with their Centenary Anniversary. This was followed with an exhibition about the Town Council which was marking its 50[th] Anniversary. We were contacted by the District Council about historic documents relating to the Beccles Water and Sewerage pipe work as Council and Water Company documents were incomplete. While we had some items of interest, others were identified as being held by The Hold (Suffolk Archives). Working with the Town Council the curator was able to obtain a loan of all the Minute Books relating to work carried out in Beccles from 1869 to 1913. The curator was able to copy the items and make them available via our CMS. March **2012** **TAR** 8 Section D Achievements and performance With the help of Beccles Town Council the curator borrowed the 16th-18th Century Beccles Taske (Tax) Books from the Hold and photographed them. The images are now available via the CMS system. Some family history information has been provided, including to visitors from abroad. The ‘Upstairs Team’ has continued to check that collections are in good order. The Museum takes the training of its stewards seriously. As well as the annual training for new stewards and updates for existing ones, the curator has run well-attended sessions on what it means to be an Independent, volunteer-run museum and an introduction to the Collection Management System. Training for stewards has included safeguarding. Several policies have been reviewed by trustees. Trustees have continued to meet quarterly and hold an Annual General Meeting. March **2012** **TAR** 9 **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 2024/25. **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 Friends of the Museum subscriptions and the 100 Club income • the charity’s principal have also contributed to the Museum’s solvent financial position. But sources of funds we keep a close eye on expenditure and continue looking at ways to (including any increase our income. fundraising); • how expenditure has The Museum shop makes a useful contribution to income, including supported the key through the sale of books and booklets, many of which have drawn objectives of the charity; on the museum’s collections. In 2024/25 some online sales have • investment policy and also been made. Historic walks and talks for various organisations objectives including any have raised funds. ethical investment policy adopted. To increase visitor numbers, the Museum continues to look for ways to grow its public profile via talks, newspaper items and other media. A trustee has taken the lead in publicity. A small group of trustees has investigated possible grants and has succeeded in obtaining funding for some new computers. Expenditure on the presentation of displays and exhibitions and on maintaining a safe and attractive environment has supported the 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. March **2012** **TAR** 10 . ## **Section F Other optional information** ## **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,** Trustee **Chair, etc)** 2 September 2025 March **2012** **TAR** 11 CHARITY (OMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of BECCLES AND DISTRICT MUSEUM CIO On accounts for the year ended 31 MARCH 2025 Charity no (if any) 1191550 I report to the trUst￿S on my examinakn.on of the accounts of the above charity (Ihe Trusf) for the year ended 3110W2025. Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordan￿ with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Acr). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried oul under section 145 of Ihe 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under sectton 145(5){b) of the ACL Independent I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have examinerfs statement come to my attents'on in connection with the examination (elk￿ d￿10￿. which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect.. the accounting records were not kept in accordan￿ with section 130 of the Chanlies Act., or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records., or the accounts did not comply the applicable requirements COn￿ming the fomi and content of accounts set out in the Charilies (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2(J)8 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'tnJe and fairf view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concems and have come across no othef matters in connection th the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. . Please (klele the woffjs in the bRckets rf they do not apply. Signed: Date: 6.9.2025 Name". Jennifer Allen Relevant professional qualification(sl or body (if any): Bsc (Statistics) Address: Wolsey House, Chapel Road Blythburgh Suffolk IP19 9LW IER Oct 2018 Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of conTrrn (see CC32, Independent examinatson of charity accounts.. direth'ons and guidan￿ for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER Oct 2018 Becdes and Di5tritt Museum ao Draft Accounts 202*2025 OpenlTrg Bank Balan Vnca5hed cheque5 un-pai￿ln cash Opening I&E Oi 2025 £ ll.￿37 £ 1118>37 Income Door donati￿5 Other donat50ns Grdnts Shop Friends l(K) Club Miscellaneous Interest ICCLA) £ I.￿￿.76 663. £ 8,W.(X) .28 £ 250.(K) £ 384.(K) 345.rK> £ 1,070.85 L584.(X> 552.93 3.(FAk43 Toial lThcome f W78&51 £ 13.157. ElÈrtriitty Telephone Shopstock IIKI Club OeallinE Rent Business ratE5 Collettion care Temporary Exhibws Maintenan Insurance security Miscellaneous t8￿84 849.40 8191 É 1577.10 722_17 233.75 187.57 715.C £ 8.1￿.(KI 8.(MX). 3￿.24 86L76 210. 7F￿.n 643.24 £ 7n.86 301.20 £ 1.334.96 636.74 £ ts6.IX) &76 Memberships Sumup charEes 6_47 £ ￿￿60 £ ￿￿3&35 .£ L87&46 CQIF Charities Dep051t Fund QpeTring Bank BokrKe terest withdrawa15 dEp05tts Closing Balance OIApril 2024 £ 29,792.46 £ 3JISQ43 31 Marcb 2025 £ 29.805.15 MovernentTn fund5 Uoyd5AccouRt Balance CCLA Account balar unc3shed thÈryues .￿.68 33161 £ 15,132.68 £ 29,&)5.ts i&n IApril IApril £ 45.466.29 93.91 £ 45.W.20 £ 44,921.11 284.46 £ 45.205.57 Excessof Income oveTeynditure Total LEoydsAccouni Balance CCLAAccount balance uncashed cheque5 £ 9.135.42 £ 33,259.99 £ i5.133.68 £ 30,333.61 31 March 31 March £ 4L39&41 £ 45.466.29 Uoyds kcount Balance tsncashed cheques Ef8nt from Feoffee5 £ 9,135.42 | £ 15,13168 £ 8.C￿.[￿j £ L135.42 É 8,(KX).(KJ £ 7,132.6B Note5 l. D￿r donation$7nueased by 5umuprharEe5. a53¢￿ed ￿ examiFW. tha￿list￿￿ in expeDditure 2. Other donètiortswete n7ainty fr(Th fees forta1k5￿VeTh 3. £150from theAs5(￿￿On of1r￿￿￿t￿t mUsÈLrn5pkn￿ts￿ant[l¢th the Bett*sTo￿lIa￿J(h8Trty 4_ Refund on deh￿rnM11fier 5 New frAed rate coTrtsact *7th YU EneJ8y 6. Ratr5 redutrd to zero 7. Annual maintenance onthe alami syster 8. Membership ofA55(Kiati