Chairman’s Report
Chairman’s Report 2024
The Dorset Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers has enjoyed a very stimulating and successful year. We have been able to pursue our twin aims of improving members skills and passing those skills on to other people. Over the year our membership has increased from 110 to 135; we are now among the largest WSD Guilds in the country.
We have enjoyed eleven all day Saturday meetings and three all day Sunday workshops. We have had several very interesting speakers covering topics such as weaving rugs from pre-used fabric, sustainability in our crafts, shibori dyeing and more. Our ‘Skills Day’ in January was devoted to a number of smaller workshops run ‘in-house’ to enable other members to try out ‘new-to-them’ skills. Our Open Day was open to the general public where once again we demonstrated skills in weaving, spinning, dyeing and felting to the visitors. Following Open Day, we gained quite a few new members. We had a day with a “Great Wheel”, a device for spinning yarn developed in the Middle Ages and our Guild colleagues had the chance to have a go. There was a fleece fair in June which offered members the chance to stock up on raw material for the coming year. At every meeting, members have the chance to practise skills and seek advice and help from those more experienced practitioners. All our members are very willing to help each other and are especially generous in the time they offer to newcomers learning to spin, weave or dye. At most of our meetings we are able to run a ‘Sales Table’ where one can browse books, yarns, equipment and more. Our programme also included a fascinating trip to Coldharbour Mill in Devon where we were able to see the mill in action and engage with various talks and workshops. We opened this to other guilds to join us on the trip.
Three of our members have had bursaries from the Guild during the year, enabling them to do courses in shibori dyeing and eco printing and to attend the Association of Guilds’ Conference in Devon. They have reported back on their experience and learning outcomes at our AGM in November.
Several of us were able to attend the Association Conference at Bicton College over a long weekend and we enjoyed some very inspirational speakers and, of course, the company of likeminded souls.
The National Exhibition at Hay-on-Wye, organised and run by the Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, featured six pieces of work submitted by some of our very talented members of whom we are very proud.
Chairman’s Report
The Dorset Magazine wrote a feature devoted to our Guild, which appeared in September in time for Open Day. We were described as a warm and welcoming group dedicated to maintaining age-old skills.
We have had a presence at a number of show and events throughout the county, including the Dorset Show, the Melplash Show, the Dorset Arts and Crafts Association Exhibition and a number of others. This has certainly had a very positive effect on our membership. We have a very committed team who give up a lot of time to attending and demonstrating at these events which involves taking a gazebo and quite a lot of equipment. Our use of a self-storage unit has helped us to keep our equipment safe and secure.
Over the year we have purchased three new four shaft looms, three new spinning wheels and an e-spinning machine which are available to members to borrow before they commit to buying expensive equipment.
We have a new website, a Facebook page and regularly submit blogs covering the meetings so that people who have been unable to attend can keep in touch. Again, much of this is maintained by committed members.
Our committee works hard to ensure that our meetings run smoothly, with support from a sub-committee who prepare a vibrant and balanced programme for the following year. We also have a very positive relationship with a local craft supplier, Frank Herring and Son who supports us in various ways.
I think it is fair to say that we are a thriving group whose aims and objects, although devoted to heritage skills, have an increasing relevance in this day and age.
Frances Fletcher
Lead Trustee and
Former Chairperson
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Dorset Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers Charty No if an eriod P?riod end dale 1200685 Annual accounts for the To Period startdale 0111112023 3110812024 Section A Statement of financial activities Restricted income funds Ro¢omm¢nd•d ¢•tsgoft•s by activity Unrestricted funds Endowment lunds Prlor y•ar funda Total funds Incoming resource$ (Note 3 F01 F02 F03 F04 F05 Income and endowments from.. Donalion5 Bnd le9act• chantabkn Olhertrading activrf In¥tslTiien15 soi S02 13,090 S03 S04 S8paYate 181 itemofincLX Other sos Total R&sources expended {Note 6 Expendltur¢ on: Raising fvnds CharitatrAe actrties S07 Sep3ratg rnat01 rtem ofexpen59 Oth S10 $11 Total S12 12 187 Net in¢omell•xponditurnl b•for• Inv•$tm•nt gainslllosses) S13 903 903 Ne19aSlISsesj on investments S14 Net incomell•xpondlturnl Extraordinary items Transfers between funds Other recognised gainslllosses): $15 903 903 S16 S17 G81n¥ k)sses on Valuat ofrwd assets forth¢¢h8ntys othorg*n¥lh)ss¢$l S18 $19 Nèt movement In funds S20 903 903 ReconciliTation of funds.. Total fur$ bioughl forward Total funds carried fonyard S22 903 903
Section B Balance sheet Re$trlct¢d Income lund$ Unr•strSctsd fund$ Endowmant Total thls funds Total last year Fixed assets Intangible assets Tangible assets Heritage assets Investments F01 F02 F03 F04 F05 {Note 151 (Note 14) (Note 16) (Note 17) Totsl fixed assets BOS B02 3,684 3.684 1,607 B03 B04 3,684 3,684 1,607 Current assets 8to¢k$ {Note 18) Debtors {Note 19 Investments (Not¢ 17.4) Cash at bank and in hand (Note 241 Total current assets B07 BO8 25,873 25,873 255,000 255,000 28 ,87 0,873 282.041 282.041 B10 Creditors: amounts falllng due wlthln one year (Note 20) 252 252 246 Net current assets/(Ilabllltles) B12 55.00 280,621 281,795 Total assets less ¢uffent Ilabllllles 613 283,402 Creditors: amounts falling due after one year (Noto 20) Provision$ for Ilabilities 814 B15 Total net assets orllabllities Funds of the Charity Endowment fund$ (Note 27) Restricted income funds (Not• 271 Unrestricted funds Revaluatlon reserrfe B16 29,305 255,000 284,305 283,402 B17 818 255.000 255,000 29,305 B19 29.305 B20 Total funds 821 29,305 255.000 ,305 Signed by one or Iruslees on behalf of all the trustees Dale of approval ddlm Stgnalure Print Name J P.PTC11< 3D CC17a (Excell 2211012024