Woodchurch Heritage Trust Annual Report – 2023-2024
Chair’s report
The season got off to a good start with the visit from Sara Thornton (weather forecaster) visiting the museum and as a result of her other programme, ‘On the Map’, we had an influx of visitors after she had been on air; 105 in June.
Visitor numbers are steadily increasing; a total of 595 for the season. Of these, 474 were adults and the remaining 121 children. There have been a couple of school visits, one from a class at our local school and the other from a school in Folkestone. There has also been a request for an artefacts box from the reception teacher at Woodchurch school; the theme being ‘Long Ago’.
We have a steady number of volunteers who join us on Wednesdays throughout the year to undertake such tasks as gardening, maintenance, and general sorting of the study centre. They have made a very good job of restoring the farmer’s cart in the cart shed and the milk float (still to be finished), making shelves for the study centre, repairing the clock in the study centre, and repairing the scale model of the windmill, which is now part of our new temporary exhibition, ‘Woodchurch Windmill’. We have managed to acquire mugs, tea towel and postcards depicting the windmill and these are on sale at the museum. They are also constantly in battle with weeds, brambles and grass. Thank you to all.
In November, the Chair organized a get together for volunteers, not only of the museum but also The Hub and Meal Delivery.
Before the museum opened for this season, we had an action day. Those who came along did a sterling job with the gardening and cleaning (not a cobweb in sight, once finished). Wade treated everyone to one of his special barbecue lunches, which was most welcome.
We have lost two ‘meeters and greeters’ but gained two to replace them. We have also had meetings with careers teachers of two of the high schools in Ashford in the hope that we can generate some interest in the museum and, hopefully, we can offer work experience. We do still have a need for more volunteers both weekly for gardening and maintenance (whatever time can be spared) and seasonally for meeting and greeting - this commitment is normally a minimum of one three hour session a month. Why not give it a go? We continue to organize the study centre so that it can be used for study, meetings and perhaps, small group teaching.
We are looking to extend the ‘Wheels of Time’ initiative by becoming part of Kent’s Children’s University.
Curator’s report
The past year has been one of challenges as we emerge from Covid and address reaccreditation, inflation and record-keeping with the new Axiell computer system.
Even so, we seem to be doing some things right as we receive universal praise from our visitors. Our collecting policy of acquiring only items which have a connection with Woodchurch certainly pays off as we are able to tell a story about each object. In common with most museums, we have only a very small proportion of the collection on display and so we try to allay this with temporary exhibitions to bring them out. The subject in 2022 was ‘Inspired by Woodchurch’. This was so popular we have extended it to 2023.
Our current preoccupation is maintaining our Accredited status which proves that we operate to professional standards as far as an all-volunteer organisation can and which is essential for eligibility for grants from public bodies.
An important element of this effort is the recording of all objects in our collection. We are getting used to our new Axiell system but we need additional help from new volunteers. If you know of anyone who might be interested in this, do please let me know.
I am grateful to others for the curatorial and conservation work they do without publicity or complaint. Our museum is something of which we can be really proud. Let us hope that we can continue and complete what we have started. He also mentioned that the documentation for re-accreditation needs to be submitted next month. Also the Axiell system will allow inputters to work from home.
Woodchurch Heratige Trust / Woodchurch Museum Trust Summary from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024
| Nett | Totals | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts | ||||
| Other Trading Activities | Book Sales | £537.37 | ||
| 150 Club | £1,655.37 | |||
| Sundry Items | £1.00 | |||
| Ashford Lottery | £129.60 | |||
| £2,323.34 | ||||
| Donations and Legacies | ||||
| Donations | £2,314.68 | |||
| Legacy | £511.03 | |||
| PayPal (Donations?) | £23.58 | |||
| Legacy | £12,659.35 | |||
| £15,508.64 | ||||
| Investments | ||||
| Bank Interest | £557.25 | |||
| Lloyds Ordinary Shares | £3.36 | |||
| £560.61 | ||||
| Nett | Totals | |||
| Payments | ||||
| 150 Club Prizes | £1,000.00 | |||
| Book Purchases | £283.71 | |||
| Water | £191.19 | |||
| Electricity | £1,230.00 | |||
| Insurance | £2,917.34 | |||
| Subscriptions | £71.00 | |||
| Equipment | £82.68 | |||
| Repairs and Renewals | £594.79 | |||
| Alarms and Security | £1,884.18 | |||
| Telephone/Internet | £753.56 | |||
| Internet | £226.65 | |||
| Subscription | £75.00 | |||
| Software | £1,355.96 | |||
| £10,666.06 |