2025-06-30-accounts

ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2025

Friends of Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives Registered charity no.276777

www.friendsofbmga.org.uk

CONTENTS

	PAGE
Chair’s Report	1
Treasurer’s Report	5
Membership Secretary’s Report	8
Events Group Report	9
Volunteering Report	11
Harbourside Working Exhibits Report	12
List of Committee members 2024/2025	14

Friends of BMGA, c/o The Chair, 37 The Mill House. Ferry Street, Bristol BS1 6HH

www.friendsofbmga.org.uk

Chair’s Report

The Friends continue to be in a very strong position financially, thanks largely to the kindness of some late members who remembered us in their wills. This year we have received a substantial bequest from Brian Toms. These additional funds mean that we are even better placed to support the museum. For members to remember us when they write their wills is an affirmation of what we and the museum are doing, and of the real sense of friendship and belonging that they found in the many events we run.

In January, as agreed at our 2024 AGM, we increased subscription rates from £22 to £30 for single membership and from £32 to £40 for family membership. Going some way to offset the increased cost for members, discussions with the museum led to the issue of a discount voucher – at no cost to the Friends - which we sent out with the June newsletter. The discount has to be limited to comply with Gift Aid rules but if this year’s trial is successful we hope to repeat it in future years.

Our most significant challenge remains that those of us currently taking responsibility for one or more the many roles needed for an effective organisation will sooner or later move on and there are currently not enough members expressing an interest in taking on those roles either now or in the future.

Despite this, we have run a varied and interesting programme raising an impressive total of very nearly £20,000. Without the Events Group, led by Mary Bailey, the Friends would be unrecognisable as the organisation we all know and love, so I cannot thank them enough. Please let Mary know if you would like to learn what might be involved if you joined the Group, or even just helped support one or two events a year.

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The Treasurer’s Report lists the ways in which some of our funds have been used this year to support the work of Bristol Museums Galleries & Archives: many of them have been highlighted in more detail in our newsletter and on our website or have been the subject of one of our Saturday talks.

Newsletter and communications

Our newsletter continues to be vital in keeping us connected with all our members, not just those who join us for events. In October 2024 it was Highly Commended in the national Newsletter Awards run by BAFM, the British Association of Friends of Museums. Editors Tim and Ann Wood do a wonderful job of putting together each fullyillustrated edition and making it so enjoyable to read; many thanks to them both for their skill and hard work, to our many contributors of articles and photographs, and to Mary Bailey and Richard Avery who are responsible for printing, enveloping and dispatch. We are investigating the practicalities of making the newsletter available electronically to those members who actively choose that approach. That would reduce our costs, particularly postage, and allow us to use more of our funds to support the museums service. The print version of the newsletter would continue to be produced and posted to all other members.

Working with the museums service

Our relationship with the whole of the museum team continues to be key to what we do as Friends, and we are grateful to staff across the service for their continued enthusiastic support. I know that in return they appreciate not just our financial and practical contribution but also our “moral support”. When in January Bristol City Council proposed reducing the public opening of the Archives search room by one day to three days a week to reduce

2

costs we issued a media release highlighting the negative impact this would have on researchers and members of the public. The proposal was approved by Full Council despite concerns expressed by us and others, but we helped to raise the issues in the public consciousness.

Beth Cutter and Caroline Booth-Morris, who job-share the role of Development Manager, have remained our primary touch-point with the museum this year and one (or occasionally both) of them have come to all our committee meetings. They have been supportive in all sorts of ways and we are grateful for their ongoing support.

Our financial contribution continues to be valued by the Service, and we are able to help with minimal bureaucracy. For larger amounts, our seed funding can unlock national funds from, for example, the Art Fund, the V&A, and private trusts, often more than doubling the value of our contribution. The availability of our funds therefore makes a very real difference to the Service and to the individual members of staff we support.

This was certainly the case when, in mid-June, it was announced by Sotheby’s that JMW Turner’s first exhibited oil painting, long lost, had been re-discovered and was of Hotwells. At the museum’s request the Friends promised up to £300k towards the cost of bidding to acquire it, which along with the £109k raised by the museum’s “Bring Turner Home” crowdfunder campaign unlocked very significant commitments from national funders and meant the museum was able to put together a serious bid several times higher than the auctioneers’ top estimate. Sadly the museum were still outbid, but the generous bequests we have received over the last few years enabled us to commit sufficient funds for our pledge to be pivotal in enabling the museum to put together a credible bid.

3

The Executive Committee

I would like to thank all the officers and committee members for their commitment and hard work behind the scenes. Special appreciation is due to our officers: Katherine Martin our Secretary; Robert Walters our Treasurer; and Richard Avery our Membership Secretary. Also to Steve Sparks, who has been shadowing Robert’s role as treasurer so we now have effective back-up, and Clive Burlton who is taking the lead in investing our growing funds. The committee (with the exception of Robert) have met monthly in person throughout the year. Thanks, too, to all the volunteers who are not part of the committee or the Events Group but whose work is vital to our success.

Managing our Reserves

Prompted by our growing funds, the Executive Committee have reviewed the Reserves Policy and approved amendments to it. The changes included the appointment of an Investment Lead (Clive Burlton) from within the Committee to oversee the Trust’s investments which may now include equities if appropriate.

In order to improve and simplify administration, and give a greater choice of products, fixed-term and fixed interest deposits will be made under the CAF (Charities Aid Foundation) Deposit Platform operated by Flagstone Group Ltd. Investments in any one institution will not exceed £85,000, which is the maximum amount that can be protected under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

The Future

We are in a stronger position financially than we have ever been. Thanks to our loyal membership and to all our officers, committee & Events Group members and other

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volunteers, – and supportive staff from the museums service – I am confident we shall continue to thrive in the coming year.

Online booking has grown in popularity with members, and further development is in hand to make it even more effective, and in particular to make it less onerous for our already stretched volunteers to administer. To maintain and grow our activities we need to recruit new members to the Events Group and volunteers interested in shadowing and later taking on all the key roles essential to our success. If you think you might be able to help, while at the same time extending your social circle and having the satisfaction of supporting such a good cause, please let me know in person or by email.

Sue Thurlow Chair

Treasurer’s Report

This has been a successful year. Total subscriptions have increased in spite of an increase in the subscription rate and we are grateful to Richard Avery for his assiduous work in collecting them. Thanks, too, to Peter Newley for claiming the gift aid and to Geoffrey Clements for reviewing our accounts.

Mary Bailey’s events team have provided a varied series of outings and lectures and increased our funds by £20,000.

We were asked by the Museum to provide £300,000 towards Bristol’s bid for the early JMW Turner painting of Hotwells. We had this ready on 30 June for the auction on 2 July, which explains the large amount of liquid assets in our Balance Sheet. In the event the Museum was outbid.

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We received a generous donation from our Patron Max Hebditch and a legacy from the late Brian Toms of £108,416, for which we are most grateful. Other sundry donations were also received.

The Executive Committee has adopted a revised Reserves policy. Details are in the Chair’s Report.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MUSEUMS 2024/25

£

Contribution to Sounds of the South West project Half funding of photographic print_Wistman’s_ Wood, Dartmoor_by Nancy Holt Port of Bristol Authority Rules for Crane Drivers Orangutan death mask from Bristol Zoo _Pyronaut_repairs Seed funding for video art:_The Neon Hieroglyph_by Tai Shani Kings Weston Roman villa (interpretation resources) 2,000 copies of children’s book_Is That Doris? Winter lectures 2024/25 Transcription of Robert Long manuscript on wildlife of Jamaica Two contemporary Native North American glass sculptures Clayfield-Ireland family daguerreotypes Ten drawings from Rachel Hemming Bray residency Total

2,355 9,250 372 451 16,406 5,500 3,320 3,665 2,516 5,146 18,832 1,344 1,000

70,158

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COMMITMENTS TO FUTURE CONTRIBUTIONS £

Video art	5,954
Facsimiles of documents for display at M Shed	1,344
Contribution to Sounds of the South West
project	7,646
_Pyronaut_repairs (balance remaining)	13,594
Kings Weston Roman villa (interpretation
Resources - balance remaining)	4,480
Glass Gallery redisplay	25,000
Photographic prints by Hashem Shakeri	6,990
Wickwar Hoards	9,000
Contribution to purchase of_The Rising Squall,_
Hotwells, by JMW Turner	300,000

SUMMARY ACCOUNTS FOR 2024/25

INCOME Donations and legacies Activities for generating funds Bank interest Subscriptions Other	£000 110 20 18 15 2 165	£000

EXPENDITURE £000 Grants to museum 70 Administration 10 80 SURPLUS for year SURPLUS brought forward from 2024/5 SURPLUS carried forward	85 473
	558

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BALANCE SHEET Bank Term Deposits Deposit account Current account Other	£000	£000
		216 239 100 3
		558

Full accounts are available on the website.

Robert Walters Treasurer

Membership Secretary’s Report

Membership numbers have fallen again this year and as at 30 June 2025 we had 312 single members (323 last year) and 250 (300) joint members. In part this was the effect of our increasing the cost of membership in January. Also, with our membership skewed towards the older age bracket, it is inevitable that some will not continue in membership for a variety of reasons. It is encouraging to note that we have seen 27 new memberships (35 members) in the year.

84% of the current membership have completed Gift Aid declarations, enabling us to boost our income, and our thanks are due to Peter Newley for processing our claims.

Richard Avery

Membership Secretary

8

Events Group Report

First, I must express our sadness at the death of Gary Gostelow in May this year. He was a pivotal member of the Events Group for so many years until his illness prevented him from taking part any further, and his contribution to the success of the Group was huge. He is much missed.

This has been a year of successes (mostly) and failures (a few). On the plus side there has been a good response for our Behind the Scenes visits, with Carol Ouvry and Sally Dore working hard to arrange extra visits to cope with demand. A couple of our talks have been a sell-out, as have a couple of our coach trips. However, we had to cancel two talks at the behest of the speakers concerned - but were able to re-schedule them - and also had to cancel a trip – to Nature in Art at Twigworth – because there was not enough interest. Some of our other trips have had low numbers, making them only just viable, and our spring lecture and lunch with Fran Coles had a very disappointing response, so we shall discontinue those. The challenge, as always, is to provide a programme which appeals to as wide a range of interests as possible. Carol Lear and Richard Avery have undertaken all the organisation of the coach trips, while Catherine Dixon has carried out the administration of the talks with her usual efficiency. Our thanks go to all the Group members for giving up their time to arrange the programme of events, a full list of which is given below.

We welcome suggestions and feedback on the programme and also any offers of help in organising events. Please do get in touch with me if you have comments or think you would like to be part of the organising team: [e-mail] or 07779 244308.

9

List of events

1 Holiday

Visit to Glasgow

11 Trips

Stanway House, Gloucestershire Chavenage House, Tetbury American Museum in Bath Museum of Royal Worcester Porcelain Salisbury Museum Cardiff Castle The Wilson, Cheltenham Herbert Art Gallery, Coventry Court Barn Museum, Chipping Campden Wightwick Manor, Wolverhampton Lydiard Park, Swindon

15 Behind the Scenes Visits

Blaise House and Hamlet – two visits Gallery tour of ‘Truth In Nature’ Sparks Bristol, Broadmead Tour of Bristol Beacon University of Bristol Theatre Collection – two visits The New Room, Broadmead The Lord Mayor’s Chapel – two visits Underfall Yard – two visits Trymwood Studios Limbs and Things The Observatory, Clifton

7 Talks

Dyrham’s Shakespeare Folio Purchases in Japan for the Eastern Art collection The Cossins family of Redland Court Maps of Bristol Pioneers – the First Policewomen of Bristol Bristol Tramways 150[th] anniversary

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James Cowles Prichard of The Red Lodge

2 Lectures and Lunch

Summer lecture and lunch, Trinity College – Lucy Bailey Spring lecture and lunch, M Shed – Fran Coles

4 Public events

Bristol Harbour Festival – jigsaws, cakes and preserves sale Bristol Archaeology Festival Docks Heritage weekend – cake sale Concert to celebrate 100 years of Bristol Archives

Mary Bailey

Chair, Events Group

Volunteering Report

Once again our volunteers came out in force with jigsaws, cakes and preserves for our stall in L Shed at the Harbour Festival in July 2024. We no longer sell books as it has become too burdensome to organise their transport but the quantity of jigsaws and cakes almost made up for it. The final sales figure was £845 – an excellent result.

Bristol Archaeology Festival at Blaise took place in mid-July 2024, master-minded efficiently as always by Kate Iles. We had a stall displaying food eaten by the Romano-British people during the period when Kingsweston Roman Villa was built (late 3[rd] century AD). There was much interest from families in the rustic bread, pungent garlic cheese, cabbage salad and honey cake on display with other items consumed at that time. Thanks are due to Sue Pears, Sue Pettit and Richard Avery for their time helping on the stall and to Sue Thurlow, who took up her usual position on the welcome desk for the whole day. If anyone is interested in joining the cooks in the Archaeology Food Group do let Kate Iles know: [e-mail]. It is interesting and

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good fun exploring recipes from different ages and trying them out for this event.

A further baking opportunity occurred in October for Docks Heritage Weekend, when the dockside is transformed with re-enactments of cargoes being unloaded by the cranes on to trucks on the quay. Our volunteers got busy again and we had plenty of cakes to sell, making a surplus of just over £640. Our grateful thanks go to everyone who baked and helped on the stall.

Mary Bailey

Harbourside Working Exhibits Report

What a year it has been and our team of volunteers still continue to pull out all the stops.

But first I have to thank Rodney, a stalwart of the team, who has had to step down due to ill health. We miss his constant but unnoticed attention to keeping on top of all the mundane jobs: from checking vehicle and lamp batteries to the servicing of scissor-lifts, to ticketproducing. We have had to find many volunteers to cover his role. Our grateful thanks for his years of toil go to Rodney, and we know he is on the end of a phone for answers.

Moving on, Henbury is struggling with the coal issue that affects the whole steam heritage sector. Having suffered severely damaged firebars, Henbury needs them replaced in order to continue operating. The smoke issue is also a problem and we are about to try a new product that, hopefully, will see us survive in the future.

A better future is on the cards as we have started work at A Bond to reinstate the railway, which last ran to Butterfly

12

Junction in 2015. This, of course, was displaced for the Metro bus scheme and then the chocolate path subsided. We still have Vauxhall Bridge work in progress, and many hundreds of new sleepers have arrived for the reinstatement of the line for public operating.

Mayflower has had its bottom repaired and painted but we are not quite ready with the boiler; perhaps a Christmas steaming. Meanwhile John King and Pyronaut continue to operate our boat programme for the public.

The steam crane is on the back burner at present requiring the time to remove the boiler for major repairs.

Electric cranes: new shock-absorbing rubbers for the jibs are on the menu to replace the existing ones, which have reached the end of their shelf life. Good news is that crane 29, for the first time since 1975, has moved the jib under its own power. This just leaves the hoist motor to lift the hook up and down to bring the crane back to operation. However, there is still much to be done before it can join the other cranes as a fully-functioning exhibit.

For those who frequent our ticket office, we now have lights in readiness for the darker days of autumn.

Thanks again to the Friends for all the help you continue to give in support of the Working Exhibits.

Chris Ecclestone

Working Exhibits Manager

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Friends of Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives Committees

2024-2025

Executive Committee

Officers:

Sue Thurlow – Chair Katherine Martin – Secretary Robert Walters – Treasurer Richard Avery – Membership Secretary

Elected Members:

Lucy Bailey Mary Bailey Ray Barnett Clive Burlton Susan Hibberd Carol Lear Toby Pinn Sir Stephen Sparks

Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives’ Representatives: Beth Cutter/Caroline Booth Morris – Joint Development Managers

Events Group

Mary Bailey – Chair Richard Avery Catherine Dixon Sally Dore Carol Lear Carol Ouvry

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FRIENDS OF BRISTOL MUSEUMS, GALLERIES AND ARCHIVES ACCOUNTS FOR YEAR ENDED 30TH JUNE 2025

INCOMING RESOURCES	2025 £	2024 £
Subscriptions	14,768	11,931
Donations and legacies	109,547	206,030
Gift Aid	3,261	2,667
Activities for generating funds	19,891	19,633
Bank interest	17,741	9,037
TOTAL INCOME	165,207	249,298
ADMINISTRATION COSTS
Newsletter and AGM	4,090	5,038
Postage	4,125	4,290
Sundry Expenses	1,331	177
Bank charges	626	535
Website	144	158
TOTAL ADMINISTRATION COSTS	10,315	10,198
NET INCOME	154,892	239,100
RESOURCES EXPENDED
Grants to BMGA (see over for breakdown)	70,158	71,031
TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED	70,158	71,031
NET INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN FUNDS	84,735	168,070
FUNDS BROUGHT FORWARD	473,201	305,131
FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD	557,936	473,201
BALANCE SHEET AT 30 JUNE 2025
CURRENT ASSETS
Stamps, debtors and payments in advance	5,293	5,907
Current account	99,735	6,028
Deposit account	238,740	139,570
United Trust Bank	0	87,099
Cambridge and Counties Bank	85,000	81,209
Redwood Bank	50,969	80,750
Virgin Money	0	80,000
Reliance Bank	80,000	0
TOTAL	559,737	480,563
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Receipts in hand per future events and
creditors	1,801	7,362
ASSETS LESS LIABILITIES	557,936	473,201
FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD	557,936	473,201

BREAKDOWN OF RESOURCES EXPENDED Contribution to Sounds of the South West project Half funding of photographic print_Wistman’s Wood, Dartmoor_ by Nancy Holt Port of Bristol Authority Rules for Crane Drivers Orangutan death mask from Bristol Zoo Pyronaut_repairs Seed funding for video art:_The Neon Hieroglyph_by Tai Shani Kings Weston Roman villa (interpretation resources) 2,000 copies of children’s book_Is That Doris? Winter lectures 2024/25 Transcription of Robert Long manuscript on wildlife of Jamaica Two contemporary Native North American glass sculptures Clayfield-Ireland family daguerreotypes Ten drawings from Rachel Hemming Bray residency Total

2,355 9,250 372 451 16,406 5,500 3,320 3,665 2,516 5,146 18,832 1,344 1,000

70,158

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE FRIENDS OF BRISTOL’S MUSEUMS, GALLERIES AND ARCHIVES

I report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 30 June 2025 set out above.

Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner

As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts and you consider that the audit requirements of section 144(1) of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act) does not apply. It is my responsibility to state, on the basis of procedures specified in the general Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under section 130 of the Act, whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of Independent Examiner’s report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and, consequently, I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.

Independent Examiner’s statement

In connection with my examination no matter has come to my attention:

(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirement to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Act and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Act have not been met.

(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Geoffrey Clements August 2025

FRIENDS OF BRISTOL MUSEUMS, GALLERIES AND ARCHIVES ACCOUNTS FOR YEAR ENDED 30TH JUNE 2025

INCOMING RESOURCES	2025 £	2024 £
Subscriptions	14,768	11,931
Donations and legacies	109,547	206,030
Gift Aid	3,261	2,667
Activities for generating funds	19,891	19,633
Bank interest	17,741	9,037
TOTAL INCOME	165,207	249,298
ADMINISTRATION COSTS
Newsletter and AGM	4,090	5,038
Postage	4,125	4,290
Sundry Expenses	1,331	177
Bank charges	626	535
Website	144	158
TOTAL ADMINISTRATION COSTS	10,315	10,198
NET INCOME	154,892	239,100
RESOURCES EXPENDED
Grants to BMGA (see over for breakdown)	70,158	71,031
TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED	70,158	71,031
NET INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN FUNDS	84,735	168,070
FUNDS BROUGHT FORWARD	473,201	305,131
FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD	557,936	473,201
BALANCE SHEET AT 30 JUNE 2025
CURRENT ASSETS
Stamps, debtors and payments in advance	5,293	5,907
Current account	99,735	6,028
Deposit account	238,740	139,570
United Trust Bank	0	87,099
Cambridge and Counties Bank	85,000	81,209
Redwood Bank	50,969	80,750
Virgin Money	0	80,000
Reliance Bank	80,000	0
TOTAL	559,737	480,563
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Receipts in hand per future events and
creditors	1,801	7,362
ASSETS LESS LIABILITIES	557,936	473,201
FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD	557,936	473,201

BREAKDOWN OF RESOURCES EXPENDED Contribution to Sounds of the South West project Half funding of photographic print_Wistman’s Wood, Dartmoor_ by Nancy Holt Port of Bristol Authority Rules for Crane Drivers Orangutan death mask from Bristol Zoo Pyronaut_repairs Seed funding for video art:_The Neon Hieroglyph_by Tai Shani Kings Weston Roman villa (interpretation resources) 2,000 copies of children’s book_Is That Doris? Winter lectures 2024/25 Transcription of Robert Long manuscript on wildlife of Jamaica Two contemporary Native North American glass sculptures Clayfield-Ireland family daguerreotypes Ten drawings from Rachel Hemming Bray residency Total

2,355 9,250 372 451 16,406 5,500 3,320 3,665 2,516 5,146 18,832 1,344 1,000

70,158

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE FRIENDS OF BRISTOL’S MUSEUMS, GALLERIES AND ARCHIVES

I report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 30 June 2025 set out above.

Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner

As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts and you consider that the audit requirements of section 144(1) of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act) does not apply. It is my responsibility to state, on the basis of procedures specified in the general Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under section 130 of the Act, whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of Independent Examiner’s report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and, consequently, I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.

Independent Examiner’s statement

In connection with my examination no matter has come to my attention:

(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirement to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Act and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Act have not been met.

(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Geoffrey Clements August 2025