## **West Stow Anglo Saxon Village Trust** **Annual Report and Financial Statement for the Financial year ending 31[st] March 2024 Charity Number: 272897** ## **West Stow Anglo-Saxon Trust Annual Report April 2023 - March 2024** ## **Trustees’ report 31 March 2024** The Trustees present their report together with the financial statements of West Stow Anglo-Saxon Trust for the year to 31 March 2024. As of the 31 March 2024 the Board of Trustees comprised eleven members of whom five were appointed by West Suffolk Council, one by the Council for British Archaeology, there were two Ex-Officio Trustees one from the Friends of West Stow and one a representative from Suffolk County Council, Archaeological Department. The remaining three trustees are not affiliated to any specific organisation and were elected by the other Trustees. The Trustees who served up until the date of this report were as follows: ## **Trustees** Cllr Sarah Broughton*(up until May 2024) Cllr Ian Houlder*(up until 2024) Cllr Stephen Frost*(up until May 2024) Cllr Simon Brown*(up until May 2024) Cllr Ian Shipp* (Post May 2024) Cllr Andy Neal* (Post May 2024) Cllr Susan Glossop* Cllr Jon London* (Post May 2024) Cllr Marilyn Sayer* (Post May 2024) Robert Carr David Addy Adrian Tindall Catherine Hills Faye Minter (Ex-Officio Trustee) Alan Hamilton (Ex-Officio Trustee) _* West Suffolk Council appointees_ Within this twelve-month period the Trustees met formally on three occasions: the first being on the 17[th] July 2023, 6[th] November 2023 and the 18[th] March 2024. During this period the constitution of the trust has remained the same. Following the District Council elections in May 2024 there were four replacement Trustees elected to the Trust by the Council. The table below shows the visitor numbers for the financial year 2023-2024 and for comparison the preceding four years. ||2023-24|2022-23|2021-22|2020-21|2019-20| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |Group visits|13,964|14,947|10,000|456|14,369| |General Admissions|19,676|22,155|24,774|11,158|21,648| |Total visitors to Village
(Pay Zone)|33,601|37,102|34,774|11,614|36,017| |Visitor Centres
(Non-Pay Zone)|83,539|81,521|70,216|26,681|82,145| Whilst there has been a rise in overall footfall into the visitor centre there has been a reduction in the number of admissions through to the pay zone area. The two main factors influencing this reduction are, we believe, a year of unpredictable weather and the ongoing impacts associated with the cost-of-living crisis, which has put pressure on families spend on non-essential items. The higher footfall into the visitor centre does at least demonstrates a potential growing interest in our site. With an ever-growing events list, we have found that many visitors in the Visitor Centre enquire about our future events and re-enactment weekends, again illustrating the interest in repeat visits to our site. Overall, the figures are positive and show a sustainable engagement with our visitors. ## **Village building repairs & new initiatives** Andrew Neeve, the thatching consultant for West Stow, retired in the summer of 2023. Dominic Meeks and his thatching team started to work for the site from September, repairing the weaving house and Hall rigids and replacing the top coat of the workshop. These repairs should ensure the longevity of the buildings’ structures. Work on building an Iron Age Round House at West Stow commenced in April 2023. The project is being funded via the lottery ‘Breck’s Fen Edge & Rivers (BFER)’ project. The design structure is based on one of the three round houses excavated at West Stow in the 1970’s. The idea behind the project is to enable West Stow to interpret the multi period nature of the location and put the Anglo-Saxon time-line in context for visitors. The building should be completed in mid-2024 (August). The BFER project has also funded a new interactive ‘info point’. The info point has enabled visitors to download information via smart phones about the site including old photos, excavation plans to further enhance the visitor experience. Throughout the year the Trusts Academic Committee have met on several occasions to progress plans for a controlled deconstruction of the Oldest House, planned for late 2024. The oldest house reconstruction was originally constructed in 1973. ## **Events** The events calendar for West Stow has been significantly bolstered post covid and we’ve been able to welcome back the most popular enactment groups to our site once more. The annual Dragon Festival 2023, which is a family friendly event designed to encourage new audiences to visit, was well attended and received very favourable feedback with over 2,000 visitors. The site also welcomed theatre productions on site again this year including: **Bad Dad** - an open-air adaptation of David Walliams' Bad Dad is the perfect summer family entertainment. **Wind in the Willows** - boating with Ratty, a feast with Badger and high-jinx on the open road with that reckless ruffian, Mr Toad. **Machamlear** - a farcical piece of new writing from award-winning playwright Michael Davies that shamelessly exploited the genius of England’s most celebrated writer. **Sense and Sensibility** - The ups and downs of Regency romance a literary classic with a twist. **Loki: Lord of Mischief** - an interactive and immersive theatre experience designed to excite and delight its young audience. **Sir Gawain of the Round Table** - another interactive theatre experience giving children the chance to become part of the story and feel a part of the arts. ## **Health and wellbeing** The BFER project has also helped enable the establishment of a wellbeing programme on site this year which has seen the introduction of Yoga, drumming workshops and mindfulness walks on site. The activities link both the Anglo-Saxon Village to the surrounding landscape of the park. ## **Marketing strategy** The Heritage email database has now grown to over 25,000 customers, who have all agreed to receive information about events and exhibitions at West Stow AngloSaxon-Village and Country Park. It has been our strategic vision for a number of years now to prioritise growing this database, as it provides a detailed insight into who these customers are, where they live and what type of events they purchase tickets for. The Heritage service is now benefitting from this significant direct route to market. The database has also provided the marketing team with the data needed to run audience development campaigns and to target people who have previously booked for arts and cultural events in West Suffolk, but who may have not visited or booked tickets for an event at WSASV. Furthermore, it also allows the marketing team to communicate with existing WSASV customers to encourage them to make a repeat visit, or book for a specific event or festival. **What’s On West Suffolk** West Stow events are included in the digital magazine, What’s On West Suffolk (WOWS), which is emailed to the heritage and WOWS database three times per year and made available via WOWS and West Stow ASV and Country Park social media accounts. The increased and diverse range of events now taking place at WSASV, such as wellbeing events including yoga, sound bathing, Pilates and meditation as well Theatre in the Parks and Dragon Fest, have all helped to attract new visitors to the village. ## **West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village & Country Park website** In 2023/24, the West Stow ASV & CP website continued to see an increase in traffic. Analysis of Google Analytics for the West Stow website has identified that there were 101,224 visits to the website in 2023/24. This is up from (11%) from 91,101 visits to the website in 2022/23. As with previous years, website traffic increases during spring and summer and peaks in June and July. The number of visitors landing on the West Stow website via social media generated by the West Suffolk Council Leisure marketing team has increased from 4.62% in 2022/23 to 6.1% in 2023/24. The number of website visitors coming directly to the website, as opposed to via a search engine has increased from 29% in 2022/23 to 36%% in 2023/24. This means visitors have either directly entered the West Stow url into their browser or come to the website via the marketing team's heritage and WOWS email campaigns. ## **Website visitor demographics** 25% of our audience are between 25-34 followed by 20% that are between 35-44 and 16% between 45-54. This demonstrates we are appealing to young families. We also have a high number of over 65s, the grandparent category. The gender split is 59% female to 40% male, this is higher than some of our other websites. ## **Locations** Most viewers who access the West Stow Anglo Saxon Village and Country Park website are, in order of quantity, from the following towns/cities: London, Cambridge, Norwich, Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich, Peterborough, Colchester, Birmingham, and Haverhill. ## **Content** The most viewed pages in 2023/2024 were the ‘Homepage, ‘What's on’, ‘Your visit’, ‘About’ and ‘Admission prices’. ## **Devices** The most popular means of accessing our website is via a mobile phone (91%) up 5% from 2022/23). We have therefore ensured that our websites remain compatible and optimised to view and navigate on all formats. ## **Social Media** The West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village Facebook now page has continued to grow and now has 7,945 followers, up from 7,266 followers in 2022/23. In addition, the West West Stow’s social media followers are online mostly between 6-9pm. The best time to post to reach the maximum amount of people is 8pm. Facebook provided 90% of our social media acquisition this year and Instagram provided 6%. Research and analysis has identified that X (formerly Twitter) provides very poor return on investment and so our marketing resource has been focused into Facebook and Instagram. We will continue to monitor this. We will imminently be setting up a LinkedIn account for the Village and Country Park, which will provide a platform to a business focused audience. In 2023/24, our top Social Media post formats in terms of ranking were: 1. Video 2. Photo 3. Link 4. Status 5. Shared video ## **Video production** Given that video is proving to be the most impactful format, a new promo for WSASV & CP is currently in production. The footage shot will be used to create one thirty second promo video, as well as providing content for dozens of additional shorter social media posts. Our social media audience are located in: |1.|Bury St Edmunds|6.|London| |---|---|---|---| |2.|Ipswich|7.|Thetford| |3.|Cambridge|8.|Sudbury| |4.|Norwich|9.|Newmarket| |5.|Ely|10.|Stowmarket| ## **Financial Statement for the financial year ending 31[st] March 2024** |Actual Total
Funds
2022/2023
£||**RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS**
**ACCOUNT**|Note|Actual
Unrestricted
Funds
2023/2024
£|Actual
Restricted
Funds
2023/2024
£|**Actual**
**Total**
**Funds**
**2023/2024**
**£**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |||||||| |||||||| |21
0
91
77,016
71,663|**Receipts**
Interest
Central Government Business Grant
Donations
Visitor Charges
School Parties
**Total Receipts**
**Payments**
Archaeological Consultant
Other Expenses (Insurance - Premises)
Service Charge
**Total Payments**
**Net Receipts/(Payments)**
**Cash funds last year end**
**Cash funds this year end**||1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9|375
0
124
72,776
79,126|94



|| |||||||| |||||||| |||||||**469**| |||||||**0**| |||||||**124**| |||||||**72,776**| |||||||**79,126**| |148,791||||152,400|94|| |||||||**152,495**| |0
1,935
148,679||||0
2,690
151,901|

|| |||||||| |||||||| |||||||**0**| |||||||**2,690**| |||||||**151,901**| |150,614||||154,591|0|| |||||||**154,591**| |-1,823
11,466||||-2,191
7,704|94
1,940|| |||||||**-2,096**| |||||||| |||||||**9,644**| |9,643||||5,513|2,034|| |||||||**7,548**| |||||||| ## **- WEST STOW ANGLO SAXON VILLAGE TRUST FINAL ACCOUNTS 2023/2024** |**Actual**
**Total**
**Funds**
**2022/2023**
**£**||**STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND**
**LIABILITIES AS AT**
**31ST MARCH 2024**|**STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND**
**LIABILITIES AS AT**
**31ST MARCH 2024**|Note|Actual
Unrestricted
Funds
2023/2024
£|Actual
Restricted
Funds
2023/2024
£|**Actual Total**
**Funds**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||||||||**2023/2024**| ||||||||**£**| ||||||||| |**7,704**
**1,939**|**Cash Funds**
Accumulated fund
Match funding account
**Total Cash Funds**|||10
11|5,513|
2,034|| ||||||||| ||||||||| ||||||||**5,513**| ||||||||**2,034**| |**9,643**|||||5,513|2,034|| ||||||||**7,548**| ||||||||| |||**WEST STOW ANGLO-SAXON VILLAGE TRUST**|**WEST STOW ANGLO-SAXON VILLAGE TRUST**|**WEST STOW ANGLO-SAXON VILLAGE TRUST**|**WEST STOW ANGLO-SAXON VILLAGE TRUST**|**WEST STOW ANGLO-SAXON VILLAGE TRUST**|**WEST STOW ANGLO-SAXON VILLAGE TRUST**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||||**FINAL ACCOUNTS 2023/2024**||||| ||||||||| ||||||**NOTES**||| ||||||||| ||||||||| ||||||||| |**RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT**|||||||| ||||||||| |1|Interest||||||Interest on investment was earned at an average rate of
4.868% in 2023/2024.| ||||||||| |2|Central Government Business Grant||||||| ||||||||| |3|Donations||||||| ||||||||| |4|Visitor Charges||||||See note 8 below.| |5|School Parties||||||| ||||||||| |6|Archaeological Consultant||||||Suffolk County Council Archaeology Service now employs the
Archaeological Consultant (w.e.f. 1st April 2005).| ||||||||| |7|Other Expenses||||||This expenditure relates to the cost of the insurance premium
payable on the houses.| ||||||||| |8|Service Charge||||||This sum is equal to the income received from visitor charges
and school parties (notes 4 and 5). It arises because of the
management agreement with the District Council which is in
a form acceptable to the Charity Commissioners.| ||||||||| |9|Net receipts/(Payments)||||||After reviewing its financial position, the Trust agreed in June
1998 that future budgets be prepared on a break even basis
(excluding any match funding payments).| ||||||||| |**STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES**|||||||| ||||||||| |10|Accumulated fund||||||The low level of balances reflects past decisions to draw on
reserves to fund deficits.| ||||||||| |11|Match funding account||||||This account is set up to provide the possibility of match
funding other outside grants when this is a condition of grant
aid. It was set up by a generous grant from Suffolk County
Council's locality budget arrangements.| ## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts** **Section A Independent Examiner’s Report** ## **Report to the trustees/** West Stow Anglo Saxon Village Trust **members of** **On accounts for the year** 31 March 2024 **Charity no** 272897 **ended (if any) Set out on pages** 2, 3 & 4 - I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended **31 / 03 / 2024** . - **Responsibilities and** As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation **basis of report** of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. **Independent** I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have **examiner's statement** come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: - accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or - the accounts do not accord with the accounting records I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. **Date:** 09/12/24 **Signed: Name:** Lorna Heather Jenkins **Relevant professional** MAAT **qualification(s) or body (if any): Address:** West Suffolk House Western Way Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3YU **October 2018** 1 **IER** ## **Section B Disclosure** Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). ## **Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose** . There are no matters of concern. **October 2018** 2 **IER** ## **- WEST STOW ANGLO SAXON VILLAGE TRUST** ## **FINAL ACCOUNTS 2023/24** |Actual Total
Funds
2022/2023
£||**RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS**
**ACCOUNT**|Note|Actual
Unrestricted
Funds
2023/2024
£|Actual
Restricted
Funds
2023/2024
£|**Actual**
**Total**
**Funds**
**2023/2024**
**£**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |||||||| |||||||| |21
0
91
77,016
71,663|**Receipts**
Interest
Central Government Business Grant
Donations
Visitor Charges
School Parties
**Total Receipts**
**Payments**
Archaeological Consultant
Other Expenses (Insurance - Premises)
Service Charge
**Total Payments**
**Net Receipts/(Payments)**
**Cash funds last year end**
**Cash funds this year end**||1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9|375
0
124
72,776
79,126|94



|| |||||||| |||||||| |||||||**469**| |||||||**0**| |||||||**124**| |||||||**72,776**| |||||||**79,126**| |148,791||||152,400|94|| |||||||**152,495**| |0
1,935
148,679||||0
2,690
151,901|

|| |||||||| |||||||| |||||||**0**| |||||||**2,690**| |||||||**151,901**| |150,614||||154,591|0|| |||||||**154,591**| |-1,823
11,466||||-2,191
7,704|94
1,940|| |||||||**-2,096**| |||||||| |||||||**9,644**| |9,643||||5,513|2,034|| |||||||**7,548**| |||||||| ## **- WEST STOW ANGLO SAXON VILLAGE TRUST FINAL ACCOUNTS 2023/2024** |**Actual**
**Total**
**Funds**
**2022/2023**
**£**||**STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND**
**LIABILITIES AS AT**
**31ST MARCH 2024**|**STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND**
**LIABILITIES AS AT**
**31ST MARCH 2024**|Note|Actual
Unrestricted
Funds
2023/2024
£|Actual
Restricted
Funds
2023/2024
£|**Actual Total**
**Funds**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||||||||**2023/2024**| ||||||||**£**| ||||||||| |**7,704**
**1,939**|**Cash Funds**
Accumulated fund
Match funding account
**Total Cash Funds**|||10
11|5,513|
2,034|| ||||||||| ||||||||| ||||||||**5,513**| ||||||||**2,034**| |**9,643**|||||5,513|2,034|| ||||||||**7,548**| ||||||||| **October 2018** 3 **IER** |||**WEST STOW ANGLO-SAXON VILLAGE TRUST**|**WEST STOW ANGLO-SAXON VILLAGE TRUST**|**WEST STOW ANGLO-SAXON VILLAGE TRUST**|**WEST STOW ANGLO-SAXON VILLAGE TRUST**|**WEST STOW ANGLO-SAXON VILLAGE TRUST**|**WEST STOW ANGLO-SAXON VILLAGE TRUST**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||||**FINAL ACCOUNTS 2023/2024**||||| ||||||||| ||||||**NOTES**||| ||||||||| ||||||||| ||||||||| |**RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT**|||||||| ||||||||| |1|Interest||||||Interest on investment was earned at an average rate of
4.868% in 2023/2024.| ||||||||| |2|Central Government Business Grant||||||| ||||||||| |3|Donations||||||| ||||||||| |4|Visitor Charges||||||See note 8 below.| |5|School Parties||||||| ||||||||| |6|Archaeological Consultant||||||Suffolk County Council Archaeology Service now employs the
Archaeological Consultant (w.e.f. 1st April 2005).| ||||||||| |7|Other Expenses||||||This expenditure relates to the cost of the insurance premium
payable on the houses.| ||||||||| |8|Service Charge||||||This sum is equal to the income received from visitor charges
and school parties (notes 4 and 5). It arises because of the
management agreement with the District Council which is in
a form acceptable to the Charity Commissioners.| ||||||||| |9|Net receipts/(Payments)||||||After reviewing its financial position, the Trust agreed in June
1998 that future budgets be prepared on a break even basis
(excluding any match funding payments).| ||||||||| |**STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES**|||||||| ||||||||| |10|Accumulated fund||||||The low level of balances reflects past decisions to draw on
reserves to fund deficits.| ||||||||| |11|Match funding account||||||This account is set up to provide the possibility of match
funding other outside grants when this is a condition of grant
aid. It was set up by a generous grant from Suffolk County
Council's locality budget arrangements.| **October 2018** 4 **IER**