31 May 2023 ## **Woodbridge Museum** ## **- Forward Plan 2023 24** ## **Current Environment** Woodbridge Museum is an independent museum run entirely by volunteers. It is managed by the Trustees of Woodbridge Museum CIO. The Museum opened in 1982 on the market square overlooking the Shire Hall originally donated to the town by Thomas Seckford in the 16[th] century. Over the years, the visitor focus of the town moved from that area to the riverside and the shopping district. Since 2011 the Museum’s visitor numbers suffered as a consequence of that trend and the Trustees decided that a better located and preferably larger building should be sought. Through the generosity of Woodbridge Town Council, a modern, purpose-built Museum building was earmarked in an area on the riverside that was being redeveloped. The Museum is now located within the heart of the Woodbridge Historic Riverside. Woodbridge Town Council was given the freehold of this building by the developers and in 2018 a 99-year lease was granted to the Museum at a peppercorn rent. The site is adjacent to the Tide Mill with a rich history spanning 1,000 years. The current Tide Mill was subject to an extensive refurbishment with the help of a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Immediately adjacent to the Museum is the Longshed, featuring a maritime heritage initiative which seeks to faithfully construct a replica of the long boat found at Sutton Hoo immediately across the River Deben. The new Museum is on two floors, each of approximately 125 square metres. The ground floor houses a permanent display area, a disability toilet and a small kitchen area. The upper floor includes a research studio for the collection team comprising six volunteers who undertake cataloguing and study amongst other activities. The Museum’s collections comprise approximately 7,000 objects including archaeological material, documents, paintings, photographs, domestic and industrial artefacts, costumes and books. ## **The Museum’s Mission** The Museum will collect, conserve, exhibit and interpret the history of Woodbridge and the surrounding area. It will use its collections and other resources for the education and enjoyment of local residents and visitors to the town. ## **Key Aims** The objects of the Museum as set out in its 2021 CIO constitution are: To advance the education of the public by: - (a) The provision and maintenance of a museum in or near Woodbridge for the exhibition to the public of specimens of the fine and useful arts, ethnology, archaeology, geology, botany and natural history with particular reference to Woodbridge and the surrounding area - (b) The extension, enhancements, conservation, maintenance and storage of the collections of the Museum - (c) The provision of temporary exhibitions, a library, lectures and other facilities of education - (d) The promotion of research relating to the collections of the Museum and the publications of the results thereof - (e) The promotion of social history resources of the Museum to assist family and local history research. ## **Board of Trustees** During 2022-23 three trustees retired – Brian Higgs, Julian Royle and Sheena Rawlings. Three new trustees were appointed – Caroline Peeke, Andy Pritchatt and Kevin Gill. The Museum’s Accreditation mentor, Kate Riddington, resigned having taken up a new post in Brecon. A new appointment has not yet been made. ## **Achievements in 2022-23** ## **Priorities in the 2022-23 Forward Plan** Since 2018 the Museum has been through a long period of upheaval during which a great deal has been achieved. 2022/23 was seen as a period of consolidation to give the Museum a firm base on which to plan future developments. |**Priority**|**Achievement/Progress**| |---|---| |**Organisational Health**|| |Complete the Reaccreditation process
begun in 2019 but interrupted by the Covid
pandemic.|The Museum was awarded full
accreditation status on 21 July 2022.| |Bring the Friends of the Museum, currently
a separate charity, within the umbrella of
the Museum CIO.|The Friends Trustees approved
unanimously the merger of the Friends with
the Museum CIO. This was ratified at an
AGM of the Friends on 10 March 2023.| |Recruit more volunteers as stewards.|The Museum has remained open 7 days a
week throughout the summer of 2022 and
at weekends over the winter of 2022-23. It
has been necessary to cancel only a handful
of planned opening sessions during the
year. A number of new stewards have come
forward but more are needed.| |**Collections Management**|| |Undertake a full inventory of the collections
(in accordance with Spectrum Primary
Procedures).|The inventory of the collections has proved
to be a slower process than anticipated.
This is in part due to the adoption of a
more detailed cataloguing process than
originally planned and partly due to the
inadequacies of cataloguing in the early
days of the Museum (the 1980s and 1990s)
when internet facilities were not available.| |Start a detailed cataloguing project for
priorityareas of the collections.|This will be started when the full inventory
has been completed.| |---|---| |Implement the recommendations of the
Collections Care Audit commissioned by the
Museum.|The main recommendations of the audit
have been implemented. Lighting levels in
the display area have been greatly reduced
and are kept under constant review. An
Emergency Plan was implemented in
November 2022.| |**Users and Their Experiences**|| |Improve our knowledge of our user base.|This is now planned for 2023-24.| |Attract more group visits, including school
parties.|Adult group visits are a regular occurrence.| |Maintain the high levels of visitors once the
current demand for“staycations” has
subsided.|Visitor numbers have increased from
16,000 in 2021-22 to 18,600 in 2022-23.| |Introduce digital displays into the Museum
to enhance the user experience.|Now planned for 2023-24.| |**Income and Finance**|| |Take more advantage of grant
opportunities.|In November 2022 the Museum was
awarded a grant by Art Friends Suffolk for
the restoration of a newly donated 1883
atlas of Woodbridge.| |**Buildings and Facilities**|| |Prepare and implement a building
maintenance schedule|A full review of building manuals,
construction performance specifications
and design constraints and opportunities
has been undertaken. A maintenance
schedule has been implemented.| ## **Partnerships** Initiate closer working with our heritage neighbours (the Longshed and the Tide Mill) including more joint group visits with our neighbours. The Museum was represented at the inaugural meetings of the Woodbridge Historic Riverside group. ## **Priorities for 2023-24** ## **Organisational Health** Complete the process of bringing the Friends of the Museum, currently a separate charity, within the umbrella of the Museum CIO. ## **Collections Management** Complete the full inventory of the collections (in accordance with Spectrum Primary Procedures). Start a detailed cataloguing project for priority areas identified within the collections inventory. ## **Users and Their Experiences** Improve our knowledge of our user base. More school visits are envisaged in cooperation with the Tide Mill and the Longshed. Introduce digital displays into the Museum to enhance the user experience. Update the Family Area. In 2022-23 the Collections Team dealt with 36 requests for information of which 12 were passed on by stewards and 24 were received by phone or email. We intend to attract more enquiries of this nature. ## **Income and Finance** Take more advantage of grant opportunities. ## **Buildings and Facilities** Proposals for new external signs to enhance opportunities to capture passing footfall are being brought forward. A major investment in a Solar Energy Array is being actively promoted with a view towards implementation within 2023. Further understanding of both longer-term renewals of services and new investments in display facilities will be carried out, together with capital cost projections for future cash flow and grant implications. ## **Partnerships** Work with our neighbours (the Tide Mill and the Longshed) on joint initiatives such as the Easter Egg Hunt. ## **Finances** The Treasurer will present these separately to the Trustees. ## **Risk Assessment** There are two potential events which would put the implementation of the Forward Plan at risk. The first is a major reduction in visitor numbers once the “staycation” effect of Covid wears off. This could result in a drop in income in 2023-24. The Museum has sufficient reserves to still implement the Forward Plan. The second risk is a reduction in the number of people volunteering to steward at the Museum. Such a reduction in volunteer numbers could be mitigated by reducing the opening in the summer season from 7 days a week to say 5 or 6. This would impact on our income but we have sufficient reserves to cover that. ## **Action Plan 2023-24** The Action Plan is set out below. The total cost of the Forward Plan is estimated to be £34,000. |||| |---|---|---| |**Action**|**Planned dates**|**Estimated**
**Cost**| |**Organisational Health**||| |Bring Friends of the Museum into CIO|April-September 2023|£1,000| |Recruit more stewards|Ongoing|| |**Collections Management**||| |Inventory of collections|April -December 2023|| |Start cataloguing project|January 2024|| |**Users and their Experiences**||| |Design and implement a survey of our visitors||| |Review and enhance permanent displays|August-September 2023|| |Introduce digital displays|November 2023|£1,000| |Encourage more group visits|All year|| |Monitor visitor levels|All year|| |**Income and Finance**||| |Apply for more grants|All year|| |**Buildings and Facilities**||| |Install solar panels on the roof|July 2023|£30,000| |Introduce more prominent signage on the building
to attract more visitors.|April 2023|£2,000| |||| |---|---|---| |**Partnerships**||| |Work more closely working with neighbouring
heritage attractions|All year|| |Liaise with Longshed and Tide Mill on educational
plan|All year|| ## **Policy Review Procedure** This Forward Plan was approved by the Trustees on The Forward Plan will be reviewed annually in April by the Trustees. The next review will be in April 2024 Woodbridge Museum Charity No. 1194042 SJ101122 £ Y.1¥3.11 Trjirth £ 9.9Y7ffj8 £ 2.655A3 fWI £ 3.4B6AI c￿￿1￿0(￿ @(0 f 8317A5 0￿￿tr￿m0(￿@ aW3iia 631. £IS.JJ*.921 tia.576.911 Sunthi05 É 4Jg).n Shopyofft £ 44b33 É sto) 370m Talk ¢ffllryffE¢5 £ I￿5￿ 4B75J 35m SutsuWcffi52?' CWrrlnifAofi •pwox£5 C4rfl•KnDtdvthJ(t•d É 1405th) E 137 É vp £ 1.2 £ ?. t 701625 i ?.￿) ￿￿￿￿11hrOGAsos E 2.150 25%ddon*•s+9knGA E JJ.750 e 33J? E 015.22 doD 30FknrtmL E19.304.1 £23AVI.34 £14450 + EJ7.X f 1,311.7S l J.919ffj6 £ 3D)J £ 210 352JS £ 374 5D7.74 E 2.%• t I,J63.32 r 3.240 Ir•Jr¥br• É 1.$16x)I E 3 7WJJ)J j.xo E 1.5L slnwwfvnd £10,￿.￿ •hth•som*(ontiolLW e 177 errthnh* *4kn £ J•i31 113m £ 9JSAI ritorlal f W4J4 i Jyjo f i.ni) £ J,(m £ 1.456aO ay331 E ixu) £ 2.L¥)J Pw*kn• t 2nA) £ i 14Q.35 Catdfw É 171th6 t 314325 t 3.71S.10 om £2KO) + £ . iyJx(o £ iX6.JD 195AO om £ i( £IW7.35 £IW7.35 É 5.394 £ SJ94 £ 7.L f33IW É 7L om £14W1ts3 £ 114951 E |£12AyJI • E I I￿1 12107111 f l.414.76 cutst¢t￿ AIM fy• Jct12 Q2112112 £ IX)J)J AL*n J￿3 Cy￿25 £ 1.712.2J OJMQti￿ IA￿5 ' 13Th￿￿th J1# E 55sm 1&irtÈt MIAtCuAth AlortlnSyhwl¢r Woodbrfd8e Museum Charity No. 1194042 Balance 5heet- Year ending 31 Marth 2023 31103122 Fxtsr Notes Funds & Flxed assets neTrl furKI Re5er¥e BIF Exces5lt)eficrt Reser¥e CIF Phw 2 De¥eknpment fuThJ Reserve BIF £69.442.55 Xfr to Genenl Funtl £15.394.901 Reser¥* CIF pro￿rtY M*lntonanc*lund Reser%t 8/F £ 9,640. Xfr from Genernl Fund £ 3.760.CK Reserve CIF FIM•d •M•ts 1£ 6.259 Value BIF £ 4,984 New fixed •ssets £12,839) Less depreciat6on £ 8.404 Value CIF £1315501 Surn o14M fvnds & fix•d •s*ts 1£ 36.8641 1£ 8.2001 £45, £45.C63.68 £ 1097.91 £ 46,161.59 rfjng-fen¢ed 1£80,3221 110,8791 | £ 69.443 phase 2 development onty £ 64,047.65 rin8-fenced slnklnÉ fvnd £ 6,41X) £ 3,240 £ 9.640 120.5 June CPI Ibase.. June 2019 CPI, 107.91 £ 13,400. £ 9.942 85 £ 3,886.68 £12.489.331 Oepreciation factor since IIV19 changed frorn 25% to 18% 18% pa on value IllTh If xrappedl £ 11.340.20 £ts4￿9.44 Assets Uquld IS￿￿ Bank accounls £ 36,716 £ 83,769 175 £30.607.51 £84.$98.55 85.73 Buildin8 sOc￿ty Petty cash £120,659 £115,291.79 Norn&llqukl •sgets FrAed assets value Shop stock @ ttjst 1£ 8.4041 1£ 3,487 £ 11.891 £131550 £11.340.20 £ 8.317.45 Database stock @ 31103123 £ 19,657.65 £U&949.441 Treosurer." Mike Cullinqton Independent Examlner.. Rlchard Honley Cholmion Approvol.. Ivuk