# **Red House Yorkshire Heritage Trust Annual Report and Accounts For the year ended 31st March 2023** ## **CONTENTS** # **1.Reference & Administrative details of the Charity and its Trustees** ## **2.Report of the Trustee Board** a.Report from the Chair b.Structure governance and management ## **3.Strategic Report** a.Objective and activities b.Summary of the year c. Summary of Public Benefit ## **4.Statement of Financial Activities** ## **1. Reference & Administrative details of the Charity and its trustees** ## **Trustee Board** |**Trustee Board**|| |---|---| |**Chair**
**Halina Kasperowicz**
Appointed 26th March 2021|**Deputy Chair**
**Susan Weston**
Appointed 26th March 2021| |**Treasurer**
**Carol Garforth**
Appointed 26th March 2021|**Secretary**
**Susan Weston**
Appointed 16th November 2021| |**Trustee**
**Caroline Goodwill**
Appointed 26th March 2021|**Trustee**
**Paul Clarke**
Appointed 26th March 2021| |---|---| |**Trustee**
**Joanne Catlow**
Appointed 26th March 2021|**Trustee**
**Gurpreet Singh**
Appointed 21st September 2021| ## **Sub-committees** |**Sub-committees**|| |---|---| |**Governance Committee**
Halina Kasperowicz (Chair)
Susan Weston|**Fundraising Committee**
Susan Weston (Chair)
Joanne Catlow
Caroline Goodwill| |**Events Committee**
Joanne Catlow (Chair)
Susan Weston
Caroline Goodwill|**Communications Committee**
Halina Kasperowicz (Chair)
Caroline Goodwill
Moira Spencer| ## **Special Responsibilities** |Susan Weston|Safeguarding Lead| |---|---| |Paul Clarke|Health and Safety Lead| |Caroline Goodwill|Membership Secretary & Volunteer Lead| ## **2. Report of the Trustee Board** ## **a. Report from the Chair Halina Kasperowicz** In what seems just a ‘blink of an eye’ we are at the end of our second year as a charity. Sue Weston, our Deputy Chair, continues to take on the role of (Interim) Secretary and for this we extend many thanks. We hope to be able to find a new Trustee/Secretary in the forthcoming year. Our monthly meetings were now considered too frequent and have now been reduced to bi-monthly because much of the work has taken place in sub-group meetings for example in Communications and Events. Our main communication medium, our Facebook page, continues to raise awareness of the history, people and other topics around Red House. By August 2022 we had 1,000 thousand followers. Many thanks again to Moira Spencer (Associate Member/Volunteer) for scheduling the posts and writing/designing some of them. Once again we took part in the National Heritage Open Days scheme in September and although we did not have access to Red House we featured 10 daily posts on this year’s theme of ‘Astonishing Inventions & Inventors’ each with links to the local area. There were over 50,000 views. With a grant of nearly £1,000 from Liversedge & Gomersal Ward Funding we were able to run an Autumn Fayre in the local Moravian Church. Some of this grant went towards the production of 500 three fold leaflets about RHYHT and one pull up banners showing aspects of the History of Red House. Once again as a thank you to Trustees & Volunteers I hosted a Garden Party, including Heritage baking as posted on our Facebook page. The afternoon was enjoyed by all especially as the weather was fine and dry. Donations to RHYHT were accepted and we received £140. ## **Hal���J Kas����wi�� Chair** ## **b. Structure governance and management** **The Trustee Board presents its annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 23.** **The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the memorandum, and articles of association and the Charities; SORP (FRS 102)** Red House Yorkshire Heritage Trust (RHYHT) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered with the Charity Commission on 26th March 2021. It was established under a constitution which defines its objects and powers. RHYHT is governed by a board of 7 Trustees. The chair, secretary and treasurer are elected by the members. Additional Trustees are co-opted by the board to ensure the right mix of skills and experience. One of the Trustees is elected to fill the deputy chair officer position by the board. Trustees serve for a term of three years with a maximum of two terms. The Chair and Deputy Chair serve for a term of 4 years to aid succession planning and provide stability and continuity for the charity. RHYHT is also open to Associate Members and in March 2023 we had approximately 57 members. Associate Members receive regular newsletters about the Charity via email and can benefit from volunteering opportunities. The following committees report to the board: - Governance Committee, to facilitate the creation and administration of required governance structures, assurance on risk and control of policies and procedures to meet the Charity Commission requirements - Fundraising Committee, to consider and lead on raising funds and submitting grant and other funding bids which will enable the CIO to deliver its objectives and activities - Activities Committee, to consider and lead delivery of activities which deliver the objectives of the CIO - Communications Committee, to lead deliver of communications and marketing activity which promotes the objectives and activities of the CIO On election, each new Trustee receives a copy of the constitution and our latest Annual Report and statement of accounts and undertakes Trustee training modules which relate to; Introducing Red House, Trustee Roles, Safeguarding, Health and safety, Data Protection, Equality, Diversity and Inclusions and Data Protection as well as the Charity Commission’s Trustee ‘Welcome pack’. Trustees take part in regular bi-monthly Trustee meetings and additional sub committee meetings. One of each of these meetings per year is used to consider what we are doing for the forthcoming year. This provides an opportunity for Trustees to discuss the environment in which the charity operates and our future plans. RHYHT is a committed supporter of the Charity Governance Code and the Charity Ethical Principles as a set of standards for high performance in governance and is used by the Governance sub-committee to identify areas for introduction or change. ## **3. Strategic Report** ## **a. Objective and activities** ## **Public Benefit Statement** The Trustees have paid due regard to the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit, The Trustees are confident that RHYHT’s aims and activities - to advance the education of the public in all aspects of the history and heritage of the Grade II* listed Red House Yorkshire site and to promote the preservation of the Red House Yorkshire site for the benefit of the public **-** are in accordance with the regulations on public benefit. RHYHT champions and regenerates interest in Red House, Gomersal - an important heritage site which has links to the novelist Charlotte Brontë, pioneering feminist Mary Taylor and the Luddite movement - so that it remains respected and protected in public and community hands. Red House is owned by Kirklees Council and was a museum until 2016. Kirklees Council has plans to refurbish the building and open it as a luxury holiday let. Planning for this refurbishment was approved on the 10th March 2023 and we await further news of the Council’s development plan and a timeline for work to commence during 2023/24. We will work with the council to preserve the rich history of the site and have been assured by the Council that we will be able to use Red House at least four times a year for events. A large barn is also part of the Red House site and it is hoped that this will be renovated in the future and become available for use by RHYHT and the community. ## **b. Summary of the year** This was RHYHT’s second year of operation and Trustees focussed on building our visibility and holding our first event in the community we serve. The 2022/23 financial year was still building back from the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. We continued to recruit volunteers to work in restoring the Red House garden, held our now annual Red House Garden Party and held our inaugural Autumn Fayre. Our key achievements for 2022/23 were: - Strong Leadership and governance - Submitted our first Charity Commission Annual Return - Submitted our first HMRC return - Held our first AGM - Recruitment of Trustees - Applied use of our policies and procedures to ensure the smooth running of the charity takes place - Working with Kirklees Council - Increased presence and reach - Maintaining interest in our Facebook Page - Publishing at least 2 weekly posts - 10 weekly shares and views of the posts - Gaining 1,150 followers by March 2023 - Taking part in the Heritage Open Days by publishing daily posts in September 2022 - Associate Member and Volunteer recruitment - Established a weekly Garden Volunteering Group - Distributed regular Associate Members e-newsletters - Fundraising - Charitable donations of £145.00 - 1 successful funding applications totalling £794 ## **Report from the Chair of the Communications Sub-committee** At least two Facebook posts per week continue to be posted on the site. The number of followers had risen to 1,000 by August 2022. Involvement in the National Heritage Day events in September 2022 was a great success again and daily posting on the theme of ‘Inventors and Inventions’ took place. Inventors from West Yorkshire and especially those from around Red House were highlighted. This generated around 50,000 views. A pull up banner was produced about the History of Red House, which created much interest at the Autumn Fayre in October 2022 as well as 500 three fold leaflets about RHYHT. Two more banners are in production and will be completed by Autumn 2023 (they will feature in our next annual report). ## **Hal���J Kas����wi��** **Chair of Communications Sub-committee** ## **Report from the Chair of the Governance Sub-committee** Following an online course attended by our Chair, Halina, an additional form was necessary to be produced regarding copyright. We already had a Copyright waiver in place, which transfers the copyright of text and images etc to RHYHT but, following the course, it was apparent we required a Copyright agreement, which allows use of text and images by RHYHT but does not sign over the Copyright. Policies and procedures, which had been in place for 1 year were examined and adjusted as necessary. It was decided by Trustees that this examination of policies and procedures would now be completed every two years. ## **Hal���J Kas����wi��** ## **Chair of Governance Sub-committee** ## **Report from the Chair of the Activities Sub-committee** On 22nd October 2022 we held our first public event, namely an Autumn Fayre. As we were unable to use Red House buildings or grounds for an event, the fayre was held at Gomersal Moravian Church which was felt was an appropriate venue as the church has connections with Red House and the Taylor family. The event was publicised via our facebook page and posters in local public venues. The main focus of the event was to raise awareness of the Red House Yorkshire Heritage Trust and local history by making links with the local community groups and businesses whilst also raising funds for the Trust. Our local MP Kim Leadbeater attended to support the event. Throughout the event we had an information table with leaflets and a pull-up banner giving details about the Trust and Red House. We also had a ‘pop-up’ café to sell refreshments and heritage bakes, a heritage activity table, had a book stall and held a raffle. We invited local charity groups to rent a stall to raise funds for their own causes and local businesses to sell their products. Subsequently we were able to accommodate 7 craft stalls and 3 charity stalls. All the stallholders reported that they had had a successful day and would be willing to attend further events. As an inaugural event, the Fayre was well received, had a friendly atmosphere and attended by over 200 people. We are now planning our second Autumn Fayre to be held at Oakwell Hall in October 2023. ## **Jo�n��Cat���** ## **Chair of the Activities Sub-committee** ## **Report from the Chair of the Garden Group** **Staffing:** Over the period of this report 6 Volunteers plus the Chair of Garden Group were working on this site. In addition we had the help from a Duke of Edinburgh student from BBG School from Summer to Autumn 2022 and occasional support from Transformers North Charity Group who particularly helped with heavy work. We have also liaised with the Man’s Shed in Gomersal for help to repair the trellis round the small arched gate. The group meets on Thursday afternoons, 1 pm to 3 pm, weather permitting. In March 2023 our second Duke of Edinburgh student joined the team, a student from Heckmondwike Grammar. Our student helped with such things as a ‘dry hedge’ to block an unauthorised access gap in the boundary, treating mossy paths and making them safe etc. Our student also researched the history of some of the plants when the weather was too bad to garden. **Progress:** The Garden Group started work in late summer 2021, so we have been working there for approximately two years. We now have a rockery and a bird/small animal friendly corner. We have painted most of the metal seats and archways. **Planting:** We have replaced the roses on the Rose Walk which were over 30 years old and planted 12 rose plants. The grant money from the L & G funding for the Garden was used. The Rose Arch, which had been completely devastated has now, after two years, come back into flower. We are keeping a monthly log of all plants that are in flower so we can plan an ‘all year round’ show. **Grass Cutting:** The large lawn and grassed area around the Barn was cut once in 2021 by Kirklees. Since Spring 2022 – Amanda Walker from Oakwell Hall has arranged for the large lawn to be cut and other grass strimmed by an outside contractor. Unfortunately, the outside contractor has been seriously ill but we are hoping he will be back in the next few weeks. The small lawns around the flower beds are cut by one of our group, who really enjoys this job. We are still using the small manual mower which was purchased for £10. **Funding:** In September 2022 the Deputy Chair was successful in obtaining funding from L & G Ward Funds of £794. This will be mainly used for re-planting purposes. Most of the garden tools in use have been given to the group from various sources. We have used the funding for the new roses, some bedding plants, paint for the seats and archways, manure and feed and a water butt (as there is no water on site). We still have a balance for further purchases. **Summary:** We feel that the volunteers enjoy working at the Red House garden and we get many compliments from the local community. ## **Caz Go�d���l** ## **Chair of the Garden Group** ## **Report from the Chair of the Fundraising Sub-committee** The RHYHT Fundraising Plan sets out our fundraising history, strategy and objectives for each financial year. We use outputs from our events sub-committee and forecasted annual expenditure to understand the level of fundraising required annually. Members of the group then research and apply for grants which meet our fundraising needs. In 2022/23, we submitted three funding applications but sadly only one of these was successful. This resulted in a total income of £794 and enabled the Charity to continue work associated with the garden group. We were also able to make use of funding secured in 2021/22 from Third Sector leaders to support our partially sighted Trustee, Gurpreet Singh and also utilise our local Ward Councillor funding to deliver our first RHYHT Fayre. In addition, to grant funding we also raised £145.00 in donations. The majority of these donations came as a result of a private garden party which took place at our Chair’s home in the Summer of 2022. Trustees and volunteers who attended the event donated food and refreshments and gave a voluntary contribution for attending to RHYHT. We would like to take the opportunity to thank our donors who are too many to list and grant givers, Kirklees Council as well as thanking the British Association of Friends of Museums (BAFM) and Kirklees Third Sector Leaders, for their continued support of our work. ## **Su�Wes���** ## **Chair of the FundraisingGroup** ## **Report from the Membership Secretary** Up to March 2023 we had approximately 57 associate members and 9 volunteers signed up to receive our newsletter and support our work by volunteering in our garden group or in other activities or events. It is important to have a signed up Membership because it provides us with a good field to recruit volunteers for activities and committees from, we will be able to promote our face to face events once these are being held more regularly and, in instances where Associate Members have legal status, we will be able to demonstrate support of our work through their membership. Finally, as the charity grows we may also consider charging a membership fee which would allow our Associate Members to receive discounts for fee paying events or activities. As a result, our Membership Secretary will continue to encourage new members to join us. ## **Caz Go�d���l** ## **Membership Secretary** ## **c. Summary of Public Benefit** As detailed previously, the Trustees pay due regard to the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit, and are confident that RHYHT’s aims and activities - to advance the education of the public in all aspects of the history and heritage of the Grade II* listed Red House Yorkshire site and to promote the preservation of the Red House Yorkshire site for the benefit of the public - are in accordance with the regulations on public benefit. We ensure that all activities are assessed against our decision making framework for planned activities. This framework ensures that we make informed, transparent decisions and manage risks in relation to its public presentations, activities and research. Use of this framework provides the Activity Planning sub group and our Trustees with the structure and principles to enable us to consider and subsequently arrive at a decision relating to the selection of ensuring that - **works of art or craft** , **performances** and **concerts** and **displays** for public presentation; - **Educational, social** and **volunteering** activities and; - **research** activities meet our charitable aims. Previous sections of our strategic report provide a brief summary of activities undertaken and these confirm that the Trustees have had regard for ensuring we deliver public benefit, in particular Trustee are proud of the way we are delivering: - the advancement of educating the general public in all aspects of the history and heritage of Red House Yorkshire through our Facebook page, - promoting the preservation of the Red House Yorkshire site through our Garden Group - promoting volunteering opportunities through our Associate Membership and Garden Group and; - raising funds through the Chair’s Summer Garden Party, Autumn Fayre and submitting applications for grant funding. ## **4. Statement of Financial Activities** **The year to 31 March 2023 represented our second year of operation.** ## **Income** Total income from March 2022 to 31 March 2023 was £1,390.00 which includes restricted gardening funds £794 from Liversedge and Gomersal Ward Funding and unrestricted donations and income from the Autumn Fayre of £596. ## **Expenditure** Total expenditure was for the same period, £1,402 with main areas of expenditure relating to gardening, stationery and subscriptions. Total restricted spend was £1098 which was spent on the Autumn Fayre, £217, Third Sector Leader Trustee Widening Participation and £102 on gardening funds. Unrestricted expenditure was 304.08. ## **Reserves** Trustees have not set a reserves policy at this time ## **Future financial planning** We are establishing our mechanisms for accurately forecasting our annual expenditure, identifying future grant schemes and fundraising activities. We have a Fundraising Plan in place and this is reviewed annually by the Fundraising Sub-committee and signed off by the Trustee Board. This plan details forecasted income needs and planned activities to enable us to calculate an estimated target for fundraising activities. It is then the role of the sub-committee to work together to plan fundraising events or submit funding applications. We are conscious that RHYHTs fundraising income could be impacted upon due to the cost of living crisis and therefore Trustees are committed to minimising our core costs. ## **Fundraising policy** Section 162a of the Charities Act 2011 requires charities to make a statement regarding fundraising activities. Although we did not undertake widespread fundraising from the general public, the legislation defines fundraising as ‘soliciting or otherwise procuring money or other property for charitable purposes.’ Such amounts receivable are presented in our account as donations. In relation to the above we confirm that all solicitations are managed internally, without involvement of commercial participators or professional fundraisers or third parties. The day to day management of all income generation is delegated to the Trustee who leads on Fundraising. The charity is not required by an undertaking to be bound by any regulatory scheme but the charity is a member of the Fundraising Preference Service and has received no complaints in relation to our fundraising activity. ## **Statement of financial activities for Red House Yorkshire Heritage Trust** (For the year ended 31 March 2023) RFD HOUSF. YORKSHIRE A3Pa 5ub5TPtK)11S rry In 118 TSL Sub ml A4 Asset and in¥e*tment UTchaBÈ$ Sub tOTal Totalpayments 304 1.098 1.402 Nei of recewts/(paymenis) AS Trnnsfers between funds A6 Ca$h lunds year end 292 1,901 12 1,901 Sects'on B Statement of assets and liabilities atthe end of the period Unre$trKied fund* * rItar￿ £ £ndowmeni fund¥ to r*are5*£ Del*"ls fund8 to D￿r*St£ B1 Cash funds 304 ilnre¥tricted funds Restr￿ted ErKk>TAnnent fund8 funds to n￿arest£ Details --Z##4 RED HOUSE YORKSHIRE HERITAGE TRUST Registeredchority No 1193941 Registered Address 71 Spring Plèce Court, Mirfield. West Yorkshire. WF141XJZ RFD HOUSF. YORKSHIRE Cwrw￿y•l Detsils Fwd to Currpntval Details B4 Assets retained for Ihe charity's 07Am use Details B5 LiaMit*s RED HOUSE YORKSHIRE HERITAGE TRUST Registeredchority No 1193941 Registered Address 71 Spring Plèce Court, Mirfield. West Yorkshire. WF141XJZ