## **The Bakelite Design Trust, Charity Number 1193655** 

**Report for** 05/04/24 to 04/04/25 

The public benefit objects of the CIO, as set out in its Constitution, are: to establish and maintain a museum to educate the public on the history, evolution and use of plastics from 1850 onwards and their impact on everyday live, by archiving, preserving and exhibiting historic plastics and related items for public viewing. Further aims are to: encourage an appreciation of design; provide opportunities for lifelong learning and training; stimulate reminiscence, nostalgia and delight; advance environmental protection by encouraging future awareness of plastics, especially in regard to ecology, conservation, and re-use. The CIO will achieve its charitable purposes through the presentation of significant museum collections, with a range of further activities including collaboration, mentoring and events. 

The collections, referred to jointly as the Bakelite Museum, continue to be housed in accessible storage, which has enabled a continuous process of maintenance, repair and restoration of the objects. 

The Trust made no money during this period but fulfilled its remit by holding Open Days at the museum store and keeping up an active presence on social media. 

Open Days in 2024: Out of the Mould, Saturday and Sunday 29 and 30 June and Plastic Fantastic, 19 and 20 October.  About forty people came to each and there was valuable assistance from volunteers. 

A selection of vacuum cleaners from the Bakelite Museum appeared on Hannah Fry’s The Secret Genius of Modern Life on the BBC, in Series 2, Vacuum Cleaners. 

The search for premises continued in 2024.  A Victorian primary school in Hackney was made redundant by Hackney Council and efforts are being made to save the buildings and re-purpose them for arts and culture for the benefit of the community.  The Bakelite Design Trust was approached and invited to be part of the bid, which, if successful, would include The Bakelite Museum, another wellknown museum, artists’ studios, theatre training, a community pottery and a school of furniture.  As of November 2025 the Expression of Interest has been submitted to Hackney Council and they are yet to make a decision.  Hackney would be a very appropriate location for a plastics museum as many early plastics factories were based there, including that of Parkesine, the precursor of Bakelite. The Trust feels that having a specific building in view, and being involved with a collaboration with equal partners,  would make it possible to apply for funding, which would then enable us to move forward and re-establish the museum for the public good and interest. 



|Date|Description|Out||In||Balance|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|03/31/24|Service Charge Unity Bank||18||||
|04/03/24|Cultura Trust – website||31.98||||
|06/30/24|Service Charge Unity Bank||18||||
|09/05/24|PayPal – donation||||10||
|09/30/24|Service Charge Unity Bank||18||||
|10/31/24|Service Charge Unity Bank||5.4||||
|11/30/24|Service Charge Unity Bank||6||||
|12/31/24|Service Charge Unity Bank||6||||
|01/31/25|Service Charge Unity Bank||6||||
|02/28/25|Service Charge Unity Bank||6||||