Trustees Report 2026
MEMBERSHIP
Our membership remains strong, and the Trustees thank everyone that has generously supported the Museum whether locally or from further afield. In line with GDPR requirements, members will have received notice of a small procedural change this year. We are now asking all members to complete a membership form that will be kept on file until their membership lapses, rather than completing a new form annually.
The Trustees also faced the difficult decision to increase the membership fee by £2.00 for those unable to collect the Haverhill Historian in person. Rising postage and stationery costs made this unavoidable, and I’m sure members understand the reasoning behind it.
HAVERHILL TOWN COUNCIL/ARTS CENTRE
We are delighted to report that we have signed a new lease agreement with Haverhill Town Council and the Arts Centre. We are extremely grateful for the excellent working relationship we enjoy with Town Clerk, Colin Poole, Arts Centre Manager, Dan Schumann and all the Arts Centre staff. You may have noticed the new carpet and lighting in both the Museum and the Gillian Young Gallery— improvements supplied and fitted by the Arts Centre.
Once again, we received a generous grant from Haverhill Town Council, covering the cost of rent with a little extra to support running expenses. We should never underestimate how vital this support is; without it, continuing in our current form would be extremely challenging.
MUSEUM GENERAL
You may have noticed that the Museum is no longer open on Saturday afternoons. After careful consideration, the Committee agreed that the very low footfall—both in the Arts Centre and the town ‑ —made it impractical to continue. Our long term aim is to open on Tuesday mornings instead.
Despite the reduced opening hours, interest in local history continues to rise. We are receiving more enquiries than ever, both in person and online, and it is always rewarding to share our knowledge with the community, near and far.
Over the past year we have hosted several interesting monthly meetings, varied in topic and often attracting record number of visitors — on a few occasions we were close to capacity. My thanks go to everyone involved: either by presenting, those who collect money, providing tea/coffees, and the raffle organisers. These sociable evenings simply wouldn’t happen without you.
Although our space is limited, we continue to offer engaging exhibitions throughout the year. It has ‑ been especially gratifying to collaborate with two long standing local groups—the Haverhill Art Group and the Haverhill Silver Band—who used our exhibition space to showcase their work. I must also thank Tony Turner, our Archivist and Committee Chairman, for creating an additional display area ‑ using the old book cupboard, giving us much needed extra capacity.
We have received many new interesting acquisitions this year, most generously donated by the public —from photographs and prayer books to a Haverhill railway lamp. While storage constraints mean we can only accept items with a strong Haverhill connection or significant historical value, we are always grateful for these contributions.
PUBLICATIONS
Our twice‑yearly publication, the Haverhill Historian , continues to receive excellent feedback. Just in time for Christmas, we also produced two additional publications: St Mary’s Church Through the Year , featuring photographs and drawings. My thanks to Tracy Sevenoaks for inspiring the booklet and to Tony Turner for arranging the printing. We also produced a 2026 calendar and trialled a limited run of 50 calendars, which I am pleased to say sold out very quickly.
TRIPS
Two group trips took place this year—to the Great War Huts and Bulmer Brick Works—joined by members of the Haverhill Family History Group. Both outings were enjoyable and informative.
OUTREACH/COMMUNITY EVENTS
Although we do not have a formal outreach policy, demand for talks has been high. Paul Bond, Charmian Thompson, and I have visited many community groups, history societies, and charities to speak on behalf of the Museum. All fees received were donated to Museum funds, and I thank Paul and Charmian for their time and commitment.
Charmian and I also had the pleasure of visiting Steeple Bumpstead and Kedington Primary Schools, where Charmian captivated Year 2 pupils with the story of the Great Fire of London and the Great Fire of Haverhill.
You may also have seen our monthly articles in the Haverhill Echo . Having been approached by the editor to provide regular historical pieces, we were delighted to contribute.
We were pleased to support two major annual town events—Armed Forces Day and the Haverhill Show. My thanks to everyone who helped on both occasions. These events attract large crowds and offer an excellent opportunity to promote our work.
COLLABORATING WITH OTHER AGENCIES
This year we have also been involved in three exciting external projects:
1. TrailTale App: At the request of the Town Clerk, I was asked to explore the possibility of including Haverhill as one of the trails in the TrailTale mobile app. After working with the app’s manager, I’m pleased to say this is progressing well and the trail will be launched soon so watch this space!
2. Wayfaring Project: We have contributed to West Suffolk Council’s “Wayfaring” initiative, which will eventually introduce new signage around the town centre, highlighting aspects of Haverhill’s heritage. More news to come.
3. Virtual Reality Museum: We were approached by a company working with Mildenhall Museum to explore interest in a Virtual Reality experience showcasing Mildenhall Museum’s hidden treasures. Funding has now been secured, and following discussions with the Arts Centre management, it is hoped that they will exhibit this project at the Arts Centre later this year
Brian Thompson Trustee/Secretary