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2025-07-27-accounts

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS (UNITED KINGDOM)

COMPANY REGISTRATION NO. 01683625 CHARITY REGISTRATION NO. 326410

TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS

FOR THE PERIOD 1 OCTOBER 2024 TO 27 JULY 2025

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS (UNITED KINGDOM)

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Registered Company Number 01683625

Registered Charity Number 326410

Registered Office

124 City Road London EC1V 2NX

Trustees/Directors

Abeer Eladany Decolonisation Lead Arran John Rees Head of the Bursary Committee Christian Baars Co-Chair Claire Messenger Secretary and Head of Risk and Governance Committee Duncan Dornan Scotland Lead Elise Foster Vander Elst Environmental Responsibility Lead Hannah Crowdy Northern Ireland Lead Huaiyuan Ren Student and Emerging Professionals Lead Jenny Lea Communication Lead Laura Searson Heritage Protection Lead Maria Blyzinsky Co-Chair and Blue Shield Liaison Natalie Urquhart Overseas Territories Lead Nerys Rudder

Independent Examiner

Counterculture Partnership LLP Unit 115 Ducie House Ducie Street Manchester M1 2JW

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INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS (UNITED KINGDOM)

TRUSTEES’ REPORT

FOR THE PERIOD 1 OCTOBER 2024 TO 27 JULY 2025

The trustees, who act as directors for the purposes of company law, present their report and financial statements for the period 1 October 2024 to 27 July 2025. ICOM UK converted to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in July 2025. As a result of the conversion to CIO, ICOM UK’s registered company status with Companies House was closed on the same date. Therefore, the period covered by this report and accounts for 2025 are over a slightly shorter period than normal.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006 and “Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice – Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP (FRS102), second edition issued in January 2019)”.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Principal Activities

The objects of the charity, as defined in the Memorandum and Articles of Association are: ‘To further anywhere in the world but especially in the United Kingdom educational purposes of museums which are open on a regular basis to the public at large and which are not established as or as part of commercial enterprises by promoting or assisting in the promotion of improvements in the organisation of and the services provided by museums generally in the quality of museums and by fostering the use and enjoyment of museums by the public so as to promote a greater knowledge and understanding among peoples.’

Public Benefit

The following assessment of the public benefit delivered by ICOM UK is provided in accordance with the requirements of the SORP reporting and the conditions set by the Charity Commission.

The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in Section 17(5) of the 2011 Charities Act to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission.

ICOM UK delivers benefit to the public in the following ways:

  1. By facilitating professional collaboration and interaction between the UK and cultural heritage communities, ICOM UK supports the professional development aims of the world body of museums.

  2. By promoting intercultural dialogue and understanding, ICOM UK supports the general interests of the public by providing a channel and means for improved international political relations.

  3. By supporting the broader work of ICOM, ICOM UK is able to support work in the public interest such as the protection of cultural heritage at risk through disaster or conflict and the prevention or deterrence of illicit trade in cultural property.

  4. By providing a conduit for the exchange of professional expertise, ICOM UK supports improvement in the care and management of cultural heritage and collections, ensuring that they are accessible to and can be enjoyed by current and future generations.

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  1. By organising professional development opportunities for UK museums to share, network and learn about international work here and abroad, ICOM UK contributes to an essential programme of international exchange.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Membership

In 2025, membership grew by 4.3% overall with increases in almost every membership category. This exceeded ICOM UK’s membership target of a 3% increase.

There was a notable decrease in student memberships which we believe was partly due to a loss of key contacts and direct communication with universities and course leaders following personnel changes at ICOM UK. Institution II category memberships decreased partly as a result of some institutions moving to category I memberships, which grew in number significantly in 2025.

Individuals 2024 2025 %
Change		 Institutions 2024 2025 % Change
Regular 1671 1851 10% I 19 25 24%
Retired 749 807 7% II 15 11 -27%
Student 918 818 -11% III 16 18 11%
Supporting
Individual		 10 14 29% IV 24 29 17%
Supporting
Institution		 1 100% V 8 8 0%
VI 26 28 7%
Total 3348 3491 4% 108 119 8%

ICOM UK had introduced a new membership administration system in October 2024, which was opened for members on 4 November 2024. The new system allows better data capture than before as well as automatic membership renewal from the 2025/26 membership year onwards.

Programmes

ICOM UK Annual General Meeting

ICOM UK’s AGM took place online, 12:00 – 14:00 (UK time) on 11 July 2025. The papers and draft minutes are available on the ICOM UK website.

Presentation by: Hanna Pennock, Chair of the ICOM Decolonisation Working Group

Strategic Plan 2025-30

Following 12-months of development work and consultation with our members, ICOM UK launched its new 5-year strategic plan in April 2025. The plan centres on three strategic goals focused on better supporting our membership:

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and focussing work on the three thematic areas of heritage protection, decolonisation, environmental sustainability.

2025 ICOM UK Conference

The 2025 ICOM UK Conference took place in Liverpool on 1-2 May 2025. The theme of the conference was ‘Regenerative Museums for Sustainable Futures’. Details can be found on the ICOM UK website: https://uk.icom.museum/events/international-events/icom-conference-2025regenerative-museums-for-sustainable-futures/.

The 2025 ICOM UK Conference was a collaboration between ICOM UK, National Museum Directors’ Council and RegeneraMuseu, with kind support from Barker Langham, British Council, Narro Associates, National Museums Liverpool, and University of Liverpool Museums and Collections. The conference was attended by 140 delegates in person plus 22 online.

It was ICOM UK’s most international event to date: delegates and speakers came from at least 17 countries; 14 of the 25 presenters were based outside of the UK. It was also the first conference cocurated with a partner from the Global South and Global Majority, Lucimara Letelier, who is a board member of ICOM Brasil, Vice Chair of ICOM SUSTAIN and a pioneer in the development of sustainable museums. Lucimara’s reflections on the conference were published on the ICOM UK website, as well as a summary of the conference. Videos of the conference sessions are available on the ICOM UK YouTube channel. Other innovations compared to previous years included lectures and debates on Day 1, and practical workshops and guided tours on Day 2, and an evening reception. The focus of the event was on sharing practical experiences and plenty of networking opportunities.

ICOM UK Bursary Scheme

The Bursaries Committee developed a new Bursaries offer consisting of a Small Responsive Bursary (up to £250 towards the cost of international activity) and a Core Bursary (up to £1,250) towards the cost of international activity), together with a new online form and guidance. The bursary scheme in 2024/25 was allocated £10,000 and supported 15 members to participate in international work. Five applicants were supported through the responsive scheme and ten via the core scheme, scored against other applicants. This constituted a considerable improvement of membership benefits.

ICOM UK bursaries are awarded in line with the three thematic areas of our Strategic Plan: Decolonisation, Environmental Responsibility and Heritage Protection. Of the core scheme awards, the majority (seven) were related to decolonisation work, with three awards for Environmental Responsibility. Two members applied under the Heritage Protection theme, however, after the scoring process, neither were offered funding.

Reports from the bursary awardees can be found on the ICOM UK website. - - https://uk.icom.museum/resource/travel bursary reports/

International Museum Day 2025

IMD 2025 took place on 18 May 2025 and the theme selected by ICOM was ‘The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities’. https://icom.museum/en/news/international-museum-day2025-the-future-of-museums-in-rapidly-changing-communities/

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Events

Museums and Heritage Show 2025

12-15 May 2025: This annual event is free to attend and brings together the UK cultural heritage sector for networking and knowledge-sharing across all disciplines. ICOM UK hosted a stand on the second day (15 May) in the sector support area, to promote our organisation, meet our members and answer questions from show delegates. The stand was hosted by Maria Blyzinsky (ICOM UK CoChair) and Huaiyuan Ren (ICOM UK Trustee).

Student and Emerging Professionals

The Student and Emerging Professionals Working Group again organised a number of successful and well attended events:

Student Placements

As ICOM UK does not have a fixed office, the opportunity to host remote placements is valued and supports our work. ICOM UK hosted a student, Xiao Du, from the University of Manchester during 2024/25 on a placement as Conference Assistant, providing invaluable administrative and practical support for our annual conference.

Communications

ICOM UK’s new Strategic Plan 2025-30 was launched between April-June 2025 and included feature articles by the Strategic Director and Co-Chair of ICOM UK: https://uk.icom.museum/a-vision-for-thefuture-icom-uks-strategic-plan-2025-30/.

ICOM UK operates social media on Facebook, LinkedIn, Bluesky and Instagram. ICOM UK’s account on X is no longer used but has been left dormant. A new account was created on Bluesky in March 2025 with a view to replacing X and growing our digital audience. As at the end of August 2025, ICOM UK’s social media following across all channels was more than 9000 followers, with the largest number of followers on LinkedIn (8190).

Partnerships and Advocacy

Research Project – Connecting Museums Internationally

ICOM UK, in partnership with the British Council, began a research project on connecting museums internationally. Funded by the British Council and project managed by ICOM UK, the research sought to understand the challenges and opportunities for museums in the UK and internationally in connecting and working together across borders. An output of the research will include defining a model for connecting museums internationally, which could be progressed in future phases of the project, subject to funding. A Steering Group of representatives from ICOM UK and the British Council was established to oversee the project. The consultancy, Global City Futures (GCF), were appointed in

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April 2025 through a competitive tender process to undertake the research between May-December 2025. The initial research methodology involved GCF conducting twenty-two in-depth interviews with museum directors and sector representatives drawn from both the UK and international contexts.

Ukraine Guide

Funding was approved by British Council for Stage 2 of this partnership project, developed as a collaboration between ICOM UK, ICOM Ukraine, the Ukrainian Institute, Museums Association and British Council. The funding covered testing with focus groups, revisions, translation and design. An international open call for the focus groups attracted over 100 applications for just 16 places. The English language version was launched online on 7 July 2025, and is available to download for free from the project partners’ websites – including ICOM UK: https://uk.icom.museum/resource/supporting-decolonisation-in-museums-focus-on-ukraine/ This

was followed by a public launch online. The Ukrainian language version is in development and due to be launched in Spring 2026.

Anastasiia Cherednychenko, Chair of ICOM Ukraine, and Anastasiia Manuliak, Head of Arts at the Ukrainian Institute, attended the 2025 ICOM UK conference in Liverpool to speak about the Guide at the evening reception.

Maria Blyzinsky (Co-Chair ICOM UK) and representatives from other project partners took part in a panel discussion about the Guide at the Museums Association Conference in November 2024. Maria also spoke about the Guide for a panel discussion at the ASEEES (Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies) Convention, held in Boston, USA, in November 2024.

The Guide was presented by representatives from the Ukrainian Institute and British Council at a conference at the University of Tartu in June 2025; and at a symposium in Copenhagen in April 2025, organised by the Ukrainian Institute in Denmark.

Blue Shield and Cultural Heritage Protection

Maria Blyzinsky continues to act as the liaison between ICOM UK and Blue Shield UK. She sits on the Prevention of Illicit Trafficking Working Group and the Conflict and Military Activities Working Group.

Maria Blyzinsky and Christian Baars (Co-Chairs ICOM UK) represented ICOM UK at the Blue Shield UK symposium at the University of the West of England, Bristol, in June 2025. They took part in panel discussions on the ‘Future of Cultural Property Protection (CPP) in Conflict’ and ‘Future Challenges in Heritage Protection’, respectively, and initiated an informal conversation between ICOM UK, Arts Council England, Historic England and DCMS about exploring ways of integrating preparations for armed conflict or civil unrest into museum emergency planning.

ICOM UK and Cambridge University Library collaborated on a blog post - https://uk.icom.museum/icom-uk-helps-to-save-books-from-a-missile-attack-in-ukraine/ -to commemorate the one-year anniversary of a Russian missile attack on a publishing house in Kharkiv (23 May 2024), when lives were lost and many books were destroyed. The blog was used to announce ICOM UK’s involvement in saving two of the damaged books and donating them to Cambridge University Library and to the Imperial War Museum.

In Winter 2024, ICOM UK collaborated with the V&A Culture in Crisis programme to host three webinars on the protection of cultural heritage. The topics and speakers were:

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The series - Preserving the Past – Strategies for Culture in Crisis – was attended by almost 200 people internationally.

Barker Langham

ICOM UK (via Kate Arthurs, in her role as Interim Strategic Director) negotiated a renewal of our relationship with Barker Langham, including hosting an Annual Strategy Day held at the Barker Langham London office, Conference Communications (including artwork) and other contributions for our newsletter, and Young Professionals Group Talks (to be discussed further with the Students and Emerging Professionals WG). On this basis, ICOM UK signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Barker Langham.

ICOM Code of Ethics

ICOM UK consulted with members and participated in sessions on the revisions to the ICOM Code of Ethics between March and July 2025, to ensure UK representation and views formed part of the review.

At the time of writing, ICOM’s review is on-going with publication of the new Code of Ethics anticipated in spring 2026.

ICOM General Conference Dubai 2025

ICOM UK prepared the attendance of the General Conference by Christian Baars and Kristina Broughton. Jointly with the British Embassy in UAE and FCDO, ICOM UK prepared to host an evening reception at the UK Consulate in Dubai. Conversations were ongoing with Baroness Debbonaire to present the keynote at this evening reception, which would be an opportunity to forge deeper relationships with other ICOM National Committees and other partners. Part of the conference preparations was a fundraising initiative by Christian Baars amongst European partner National Committees to enable colleagues from areas in armed conflict (Ukraine, Palestine, Sudan) to attend in Dubai in person and therefore have a voice at the General Conference.

ICOM General Conference 2028

ICOM UK submitted an Expression of Interest to host this event in the UK. Conversations were being had with the ICOM Paris office, Executive Board member, Steph Scholten, a potential conference venue, and a Professional Conference Organiser. ICOM UK also approached a number of partner institutions (AIM, MA, BC, ACE, various museums) with the idea who were all very supportive. There were, however, substantial concerns around the financial sustainability of this event, largely due to the difficulties obtaining public funding of 1.2m Euros. The approach remained cautious, and a reassessment in February 2025 resulted in a decision to withdraw from the application process. Nonetheless, this had been an ambitious plan which indicated to ICOM that ICOM UK is ready to tackle large projects; it also resulted in a number of useful contacts.

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ICOM Decolonisation Working Group

ICOM UK supported a resolution by the ICOM Decolonisation Working Group to establish a permanent Standing Committee on Decolonisation. This resolution was going to be voted on at the General Assembly at the 2025 General Conference in Dubai.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

At the AGM on 11 July 2025, the ordinary resolution to adopt the new Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) constitution was agreed. ICOM UK successfully completed its conversion from a charitable company limited by guaranteed to a CIO on 27 July 2025. At the same point, ICOM UK’s status as a charitable company limited by guarantee was closed with Companies House.

Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees - Process

ICOM UK follows ICOM (‘Statutes’ and ‘Internal Rules’) and ICOM UK (‘Memorandum of Association’) guidelines, and the ICOM UK Constitution (last amended: 8 May 2025) for trustee recruitment. New trustees may be recruited as trustee positions become available, trustees reach the end of their term, or if specific expertise is required on the Board. Available positions are advertised with a role description. In accordance with ICOM rules, the Chair or Co-Chair is nominated by the ICOM trustees.

Trustee Appointments and Resignations

The following trustees stepped down in the period of this report: Diane Gwilt, Nick Marchand and Elizabeth Johnson. Following Nick Marchand’s move to a new role at Museums Victoria in Australia, in January 2025 Maria Blyzinsky was elected as the new Co-Chair alongside Christian Baars, and also retains her role as Blue Shield Liaison.

Abeer Eladany stepped down as Treasurer in January 2025 to focus on the role of Decolonisation Lead.

The following trustees remained on the Board: Duncan Dornan – Scotland Representative Claire Messenger – Secretary and Head of the Governance & Risk Committee Arran Rees – Head of the Bursary Committee Hannah Crowdy – Trustee Huaiyuan Ren – Student and Emerging Professionals Representative Nerys Rudder – Trustee Natalie Urquhart – British Oversees Territories Representative

Following a successful recruitment drive to fill the positions of Communications Lead, Environmental Responsibility Lead, and Heritage Protection Lead, Jenny Lea, Elise Foster Vander Elst and Laura Searson, respectively, were appointed trustees at the AGM on 11 July 2025. Strengthening Communication had been an ambition for some time, especially to support membership recruitment/retention, allowing more agility with communications, and creating more selfgenerated content.

The Board of Trustees agreed to recruit for a ‘Finance Lead’ trustee between July – September 2025 to succeed the historic Treasurer role on the Board. This recruitment exercise was successful, and

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resulted in Henrietta Martin-Fisher being proposed for appointment at the first Board meeting in the 2025/26 year.

Contractors

Following the departure of the Executive Director and Membership Manager in January 2024, ICOM UK appointed a Membership & Administration Manager, Katie Hardgrave, through the ArtsVA virtual assistant agency from January 2024 to ensure continuity of membership administration, because membership fees are the main source of income for ICOM UK.

A Strategic Director, Kate Arthurs, was appointed on a freelance contract February 2024 to February 2025 with a brief to deliver a 5-year strategic plan for the organisation.

Edmund Connolly was appointed to determine the most effective way of converting ICOM UK to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and prepare a draft constitution for adoption at a Special General Meeting.

WeDigMedia were ICOM UK’s web developer responsible for ongoing maintenance and any development of the ICOM UK website.

Katie Hardgrave was appointed as Conference Coordinator for the 2025 ICOM UK conference in Liverpool.

Kristina Broughton was appointed as the new Strategic Director on a 12-month contract in February 2025. Kristina’s role is focused on delivery of the new Strategic Plan and organisational redesign to make ICOM UK fit-for-purpose now and in the future.

To strengthen the website and social media output, Jemma Jarman was appointed during the reporting period as a freelance Communications Assistant based on four hours per month, to support with digital communications.

Declaration of Interests

Potential conflicts of interest are declared and recorded in the minutes of the Trustee Board meetings. In the period there were three potential conflicts of interest declared:

Board of Trustees

The AGM and Board of Trustees meetings take place in accordance with the operating procedures set out in the Governing Document (Memorandum and Articles of Association). Board meetings are minuted and the minutes are reviewed at each subsequent meeting.

The Board of Trustees meet on a quarterly basis in December 2024, March 2025 and June 2025. Board meetings were held online.

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Risk Management

Responsibility for the review and management of risks to ICOM UK rests with the Trustees and is dealt with through a risk register and as a regular agenda item at quarterly Board meetings.

Related Parties

The charity is associated with the UK Committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), and undertakes activities which further the profile and engagement with ICOM by the UK museum profession.

FUTURE PLANS

Major activities planned for the next reporting period, 28 July 2025 to 30 September 2026 are:

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FINANCIAL REVIEW

During the period ended 27 July 2025, the charity received total income of £498,355 (2024: £344,678). Majority of this figure is made up of £451,750 subscriptions which reflects the increase in memberships, in comparison to the total in 2023/24 of £291,301. Income related to the annual conference also more than doubled from £11,838 in 2023/24 to £25,889 in the period of this report.

The total expenditure was £465,637 (2024: 314,281) resulting in a net surplus of £32,718 compared to last year’s £30,397 which was mainly due to a reduction in other governance costs (e.g. training and development) in the period.

Membership dues paid to ICOM increased by 36% from 2023/24 in line with the increase in membership subscriptions. Expenditure on management and administration and the annual conference also increased, again reflecting ICOM UK’s membership and profile growth.

The total funds of the charity consist of general unrestricted, restricted, and unrestricted designated funds. The unrestricted general funds have significantly increased to £133,650 (2024 £74,620) but the restricted funds have decreased to £17,501 compared to last year’s £42,293. The charity’s designated funds dropped to £3,480 this year compared to last year’s £5,000 because of an increase in travel bursary awards. As a result, the designated funding for travel bursaries will be increased in future years.

Reserves

In the period of this report, ICOM UK held unrestricted general funds of £133,650 approximately 27% of gross income. The unrestricted general funds figure was higher than in previous years largely due to the shorter reporting period of this report.

ICOM UK’s Reserves are reviewed by the Board of Trustees annually during budget planning with the amount calculated as free reserves as unrestricted reserves less any designated funds, less any reserves held in fixed assets. The Board of Trustees aims to ensure the level of reserves is sufficient to manage any short-term cash flow fluctuations and to allow continuation of activities in the event of unexpected shocks, delays or other financial difficulties.

An amount of these unrestricted reserves are held in a separate Deposit Account. At 27 July 2025, ICOM UK held £57,527 as reserves in the Deposit Account – this represents an overall increase of 2% as compared to the balance held in the deposit account on 30 Sep 2024.

STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES

The trustees, who are also the directors of International Council of Museums (UK) for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company Law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources,

including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that year.

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In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the charity and financial information included on the charity's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Signed on behalf of the company directors:

Christian Baars, Co-Chair

Maria Blyzinsky, Co-Chair

17 March 2026

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INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS (UNITED KINGDOM)

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT

TO THE TRUSTEES OF INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS (UNITED KINGDOM)

I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of International Council of Museums (United Kingdom) (the charity) for the 10 months period ended 27 July 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the trustees of the charity (and also its directors for the purposes of company law), you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act 2011.

Independent examiner's statement

Since the charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000, the independent examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.

Tom Wilcox

Counterculture Partnership LLP 23 St Leonards Road Bexhill-on-Sea East Sussex TN40 1HH Date: ............................17 March 2026

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS (UNITED KINGDOM)

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT

FOR THE 10 MONTHS PERIOD ENDED 27 JULY 2025

Current financial 10 months period
Unrestricted
Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
funds
general
Designated
2025
2025
2025
Notes
£
£
£
Income from:
Donations and grants
3
5
-
20,000
Charitable activities
4
477,807
-
-
Investments
5
543
-
-
Total income
478,355
-
20,000
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
6
413,575
6,520
45,542
Total expenditure
413,575
6,520
45,542
Net income/(expenditure)
64,780
(6,520)
(25,542)
Transfers between funds
(5,750)
5,000
750
Net movement in funds
8
59,030
(1,520)
(24,792)
Reconciliation of funds:
Fund balances at 1 October 2024
74,620
5,000
42,293
Fund balances at 27 July 2025
133,650
3,480
17,501		 Total
2025
£
20,005
477,807
543
498,355
465,637
465,637
32,718
-
32,718
121,913
154,631		 Total
2024
£
40,707
303,139
832
344,678
314,281
314,281
30,397
-
30,397
91,516
121,913

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the 10 months period. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS (UNITED KINGDOM)

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (CONTINUED) INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT

FOR THE 10 MONTHS PERIOD ENDED 27 JULY 2025

Prior financial year
Unrestricted
Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
funds
general
Designated
2024
2024
2024
Notes
£
£
£
Income from:
Donations and grants
3
4
-
40,703
Charitable activities
4
303,139
-
-
Investments
5
832
-
-
Total income
303,975
-
40,703
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
6
298,009
-
16,272
Total expenditure
298,009
-
16,272
Net income and movement in funds
5,966
-
24,431
Reconciliation of funds:
Fund balances at 1 October 2023
68,654
5,000
17,862
Fund balances at 30 September 2024
74,620
5,000
42,293		 Total
2024
£
40,707
303,139
832
344,678
314,281
314,281
30,397
91,516
121,913

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS (UNITED KINGDOM)

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

AS AT 27 JULY 2025

Notes
Current assets
Debtors
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Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors: amounts falling due within
one year
13
Net current assets
The funds of the charity
Restricted income funds
14
Unrestricted funds - general
16
Unrestricted funds - Designated
15		 2025
£
2,524
159,826
162,350
(7,719)		 £
154,631
17,501
133,650
3,480
154,631		 2024
£
-
123,828
123,828
(1,915)		 £
121,913
42,293
74,620
5,000
121,913

The company is entitled to the exemption from the audit requirement contained in section 477 of the Companies Act 2006, for the 10 months period ended 27 July 2025.

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of financial statements.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the 10 months period in question in accordance with section 476.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

17 March 2026

The financial statements were approved by the trustees on .........................

.............................. Dr Christian Baars

Trustee

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS (UNITED KINGDOM)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE 10 MONTHS PERIOD ENDED 27 JULY 2025

1 Accounting policies

Charity information

International Council of Museums (United Kingdom) is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 124 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX.

1.1 Reporting period

The company converted into Charitable Incorporated Organisation on 28th July 2025 so these are the final financial statements are prepared for a shorter 10 months period ended 27th July 2025. Therefore, the comparative amounts are presented in the financial statements (including the related notes) are not entirely comparable.

1.2 Basis of preparation

International Council of Museums (United Kingdom) is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England. The registered office is Kemp House, 152 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charitable company's memorandum and articles of association, the charities Act 2011 and " Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP (FRS102), second edition issued in January 2019)", the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

The charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy notes.

1.3 Going concern

At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

1.4 Charitable funds

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives unless the funds have been designated for other purposes.

Designated funds comprise funds which have been set aside at the discretion of the trustees for specific purposes. The purposes and uses of the designated funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors or grantors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Endowment funds are subject to specific conditions by donors that the capital must be maintained by the charity.

1.5 Income

Income is recognised when the charity is legally entitled to it after any performance conditions have been met, the amounts can be measured reliably, and it is probable that income will be received.

Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.

Legacies are recognised on receipt or otherwise if the charity has been notified of an impending distribution, the amount is known, and receipt is expected. If the amount is not known, the legacy is treated as a contingent asset.

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS (UNITED KINGDOM)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE 10 MONTHS PERIOD ENDED 27 JULY 2025

1 Accounting policies

(Continued)

1.6 Expenditure

Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

Expenditure is classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges are allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.

1.7 Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.

1.8 Financial instruments

The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.

Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

Basic financial assets

Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.

Basic financial liabilities

Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.

Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.

Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

Derecognition of financial liabilities

Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS (UNITED KINGDOM)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE 10 MONTHS PERIOD ENDED 27 JULY 2025

1 Accounting policies

(Continued)

1.9 Employee benefits

The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.

Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.

2 Critical accounting estimates and judgements

In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.

3 Income from donations and grants

Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
2025
2025
£
£
Donations and gifts
5
-
Grants
-
20,000
5
20,000
Grants
British Council:Ukraine
Guide
-
5,000
British Council:Research
-
15,000
-
20,000		 Total
Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
2025
2024
2024
£
£
£
5
4
-
20,000
-
40,703
20,005
4
40,703
5,000
-
40,703
15,000
-
-
20,000
-
40,703		 Total
2024
£
4
40,703
40,707
40,703
-
40,703

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS (UNITED KINGDOM)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE 10 MONTHS PERIOD ENDED 27 JULY 2025

4 Income from charitable activities

Unrestricted Unrestricted
funds funds
2025 2024
£ £
Total
Subscriptions 451,750 291,301
Conference income 25,889 11,838
Other income 168 -
477,807 303,139

5 Income from investments

Unrestricted Unrestricted
funds funds
2025 2024
£ £
Interest receivable 543 832

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS (UNITED KINGDOM)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE 10 MONTHS PERIOD ENDED 27 JULY 2025

6 Expenditure on charitable activities

Direct costs
Membership dues to ICOM
Conference expenditure
Travel Bursaries
Management and administration
Research project costs
Other governance costs
Other freelance contractor fees
Charitable donations
Share of support and governance costs (see note 7)
Governance
Analysis by fund
Unrestricted funds - general
Unrestricted funds - Designated
Restricted funds
Governance costs includes independent examiners fees of £2,011 (2024: £1,915).
7
Support costs allocated to activities
Governance costs
Analysed between:
Total
8
Net movement in funds
The net movement in funds is stated after charging/(crediting):
Fees payable for the independent examination of the charity's financial
statements		 Total
2025
£
316,908
51,974
6,520
70,455
13,197
-
4,527
-
463,581
2,056
465,637
413,575
6,520
45,542
465,637		 Total
2024
£
202,072
33,030
5,650
66,560
-
1,837
2,886
331
312,366
1,915
314,281
298,009
-
16,272
314,281
2025
£
2,056
2,056		 2024
£
1,915
1,915
2025
£
2,011		 2024
£
1,915

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS (UNITED KINGDOM)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE 10 MONTHS PERIOD ENDED 27 JULY 2025

9 Trustees

The number of trustees paid expenses was 1 (2024: 6).

One or more trustees were reimbursed expenses during the current and prior year.

The total expenses reimbursed to trustees were £269 (2024: £2,097).

10 Employees

The average monthly number of employees during the 10 months period was:

The average monthly number of employees during the 10 months period was:
2025 2024
Number Number
Total - -
There were no employees whose annual remuneration was more than £60,000.

11 Taxation

The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.

12 Debtors

12
Debtors
Amounts falling due within one year:
Trade debtors
13
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Trade creditors
Accruals and deferred income		 2025
£
2,524
2025
£
95
7,624
7,719		 2024
£
-
2024
£
-
1,915
1,915

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS (UNITED KINGDOM)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE 10 MONTHS PERIOD ENDED 27 JULY 2025

14 Restricted funds

The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.

At 1 October Incoming Resources Transfers At 27 July
2024 resources expended 2025
£ £ £ £ £
British Council: Ukraine Guide 24,431 5,000 (20,095) - 9,336
British Council: Travel grant 17,165 - (9,000) - 8,165
British Council: Research - 15,000 (15,750) 750 -
ICOM Special Project Grant
(SAREC Ukraine) 697 - (697) - -
42,293 20,000 (45,542) 750 17,501
Previous year: At 1 October Incoming Resources Transfers At 30
2023 resources expended September
2024
£ £ £ £ £
British Council: Travel grant 17,165 - - - 17,165
ICOM Special Project Grant
(SAREC Ukraine) 697 - - - 697
British Council: Ukraine Guide - 40,703 (16,272) - 24,431
17,862 40,703 (16,272) - 42,293

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS (UNITED KINGDOM)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE 10 MONTHS PERIOD ENDED 27 JULY 2025

14 Restricted funds

(Continued)

Purposes and restrictions in relation to the funds:

British Council Travel Grants - This is a historic programme funded by a grant from the British Council that ran until 2021/22. Open to members and non-members the British Council Travel Grants enabled recipients to undertake international visits to build reciprocally international projects and partnerships through sharing skills, expertise and experience. 50% of the funding was ring-fenced for travel to ODA countries. The grants covered international and local transport, visas accommodation and subsistence. In accordance with the grant contract, a sum from the fund was allocated as a general administration fee to ICOM UK to cover contractor time to administer the grant and associated programmes of activity. In accordance with the grant contract, defined sums were also allocated in 2021/22 to the annual ICOM UK Annual Conference. Unallocated programme funding was carried forward into 2022/23 and 2023/24. ICOM UK undertook to contact the donor in respect of allocating expenditure funding in these years. However, due an internal restructuring and staff changes at the donor organisation, a new agreement in respect of the unallocated funding proved unachievable. Therefore, ICOM UK has continued to use the unallocated grant as closely as possible in line with the original approved purposes by allocating funding to the ICOM UK annual conference in 2023/24 and 2024/25, and travel bursaries in 2024/25.

British Council: Ukraine Guide - This grant was awarded by the British Council for the purposes of the creation of a guide to decoloniality for use in Ukraine, the UK and globally. The project is delivered in partnership with ICOM Ukraine, ICOM UK and the Museums Association, with ICOM UK acting as the grant administrator. The grant was awarded in two stages:

British Council : Research - This grant was awarded by the British Council for the purpose of undertaking a mapping and research programme designed to identify opportunities to connect institutions and professionals in the Museums Sector to test out a mechanism for connecting organisations and individuals involved in the museums and heritage sectors across the British Council’s international network with counterparts in the UK. The grant was awarded in February 2025 and the project will conclude in March 2026.

ICOM Special Project Grant (SAREC Ukraine) - This was a project funded by the ICOM Strategic Allocation Review Committee. In September 2022 ICOM advertised an open call to support museums and museum professionals in Ukraine. This Special Grants round was a pilot effort; outcomes were assessed as a model for response to future emergency responses in other regions of the world. ICOM UK (jointly with partners ICOM Ukraine, National Preserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” and University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) successfully applied to undertake digitalization of the Preserve’s archive materials kept in its archive and collection. The total project budget was €23,462.67; ICOM SAREC provided €11,944.00, UWE provided €8,701.67 in equipment, in-kind support was €2,852 (between Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, UWE, ICOM UK). All funding was restricted to purposes dedicated to this project.

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS (UNITED KINGDOM)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE 10 MONTHS PERIOD ENDED 27 JULY 2025

15 Unrestricted funds - Designated

These are unrestricted funds which are material to the charity's activities.

At 1
Travel bursaries
Previous year:
At 1
Travel bursaries		 October
2024
Resources
expended
Transfers
At 27 July
2025
£
£
£
£
5,000
(6,520)
5,000
3,480
October
2023
Resources
expended
Transfers
At 30
September
2024
£
£
£
£
5,000
-
-
5,000

Designated funds:

Travel Bursaries - A fund designated to provide travel grants for ICOM UK members in the UK and British Overseas Territories to attend relevant international conferences and meetings.

16 Unrestricted funds

The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.

At 1
General funds
Previous year:
At 1
General funds		 October
2024
Incoming
resources
Resources
expended
Transfers
At 27 July
2025
£
£
£
£
£
74,620
478,355
(413,575)
(5,750)
133,650
October
2023
Incoming
resources
Resources
expended
Transfers
At 30
September
2024
£
£
£
£
£
68,654
303,975
(298,009)
-
74,620

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS (UNITED KINGDOM)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE 10 MONTHS PERIOD ENDED 27 JULY 2025

17 Analysis of net assets between funds

Unrestricted
Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
funds
general
Designated
2025
2025
2025
£
£
£
At 27 July 2025:
Current assets/(liabilities)
133,650
3,480
17,501
133,650
3,480
17,501
Unrestricted
Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
funds
general
Designated
2024
2024
2024
£
£
£
At 30 September 2024:
Current assets/(liabilities)
74,620
5,000
42,293
74,620
5,000
42,293		 Total
2025
£
154,631
154,631
Total
2024
£
121,913
121,913

18 Related party transactions

The charity is associated with the UK Committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and made payments to ICOM in the year of £316,909 (2024: £202,071).