## **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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5. 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**|**%**<br>**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<br>Individual|10|14|29%||IV|24|29|17%|
|Supporting<br>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: 

- Deliver programmes 

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- Offer value to our members 

- Manage our resources 

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: 

- Jan 2025 Dr. Nana Yu-l Lee: The Administrative Turn in Contemporary Art: Arts Administrators as Change Makers 

- Feb 2025 Iain Wheeldon: The Cultural Peeps - Exploring Career Pathways in the Cultural Sectors 

- April 2025 S&EP Conference: Embracing Transformation: Healing with Museums, With Keynote speech from Prof. Helen Chatterjee, University College London 

- May 2025 Liverpool ICOM UK Annual Conference, S&EP Workshop: Sustainable futures and design thinking: Perspectives of the New Generation! 

- June 2025 Miranda Stearn: So Millennial! Exploring Intergenerational Interactions in Museum Workplaces 

## **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: 

- **Fire** , with Nina Kjølsen Jernæs (Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research) and Emma Coburn (Houses of Parliament). 

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- **Water and flooding** , with Andrea Richards (Caribbean public archaeologist) and Alex Rock (Derby Museums). 

- **Earthquakes** , with Les Borsay (Getty Villa in Los Angeles) and Dr Rohit Ranjitkar (Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust). 

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: 

- Christian Baars (Co-Chair) is the line manager of Nerys Rudder (Trustee) in their employed roles with National Museums Liverpool. 

- Maria Blyzinsky (Co-Chair) is overseeing the Ukraine Decolonisation Guide Project funded by the British Council. She received an honorarium for hosting two project focus groups but donated her fee to charities supporting Ukraine. 

- Natalie Urquhart (Trustee) is a representative at the Museums Association of the Caribbean (MAC), which is an affiliate organisation of ICOM. 

## _**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: 

- Develop plans for and send a delegation to the ICOM General Conference 2025 in Dubai. 

- To complete the partnership project on the museum guide to Ukraine. This will include a launch of the Ukrainian language version of Supporting Decolonisation in Museums: Focus on Ukraine; recruiting a freelance facilitator to hold workshops on the Guide to Ukraine; and completing the end of project documents. 

- To receive the final report for the partnership project with British Council (working title: ‘Museum Bridge’); to disseminate the report’s findings and prepare momentum for setting up a service to overcome barriers to international working for UK museums. 

- Implementation of ICOM UK’s Strategic Plan 2025-30 including the establishment of thematic working groups on Decolonisation, Environmental Responsibility and Heritage Protection. 

- Develop and deliver the 2026 ICOM UK Conference with partners NMDC and University of Oxford Gardens, Libraries & Museums. 

- Commence planning for the 2027 ICOM UK Conference. 

- Apply to the University of Manchester and / or University College London to host two students for online placements in support of the annual conference. 

- Hold a Board Away Day. 

- Continue to contribute to ICOM’s review of the Code of Ethics. 

- Continue working to increase membership numbers and diversify the membership. 

- Continue administration of the ICOM UK Bursary Scheme. 

- Continue attending sector organisation meetings hosted by British Council, DCMS, ACE, Blue Shield, Museums Association and other sector stakeholders and funders and support relevant advocacy campaigns within the sector. 

- Continue attending ICOM meetings (Advisory Council, Ordinary Assembly, and others). 

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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: 

- select the most suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently; 

- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP; 

- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and 

- prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is not appropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation. 

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: 

- 1 accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the Companies Act 2006. 

- 2 the financial statements do not accord with those records; or 

- 3 the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 other than any requirement that the financial statements give a true and fair view, which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or 

- 4 the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their financial statements in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102). 

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 

- 14 - 



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

- 15 - 



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



- 16 - 



## **INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS (UNITED KINGDOM)** 

## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION** 

## _**AS AT 27 JULY 2025**_ 

|**Notes**<br>**Current assets**<br>Debtors<br>**12**<br>Cash at bank and in hand<br>**Creditors: amounts falling due within**<br>**one year**<br>**13**<br>**Net current assets**<br>**The funds of the charity**<br>Restricted income funds<br>**14**<br>Unrestricted funds - general<br>**16**<br>Unrestricted funds - Designated<br>**15**|**2025**<br>**£**<br>2,524<br>159,826<br>162,350<br>(7,719)|**£**<br>154,631<br>17,501<br>133,650<br>3,480<br>154,631|**2024**<br>**£**<br>-<br>123,828<br>123,828<br>(1,915)|**£**<br>121,913|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||42,293<br>74,620<br>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** 

- 17 - 



**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. 

- 18 - 



**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. 

- 19 - 



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



- 20 - 



## **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|



- 21 - 



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



- 22 - 



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



- 23 - 



## **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|



- 24 - 



**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: 

- Stage 1: October 2023 to March 2024, to research and write the draft guide by March 2024 

- Stage 2: July 2024 to December 2024, to test, revise, translate, design and publish the final guide by December 2024. 

**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. 

- 25 - 



**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**<br>Travel bursaries<br>**Previous year:**<br>**At 1**<br>Travel bursaries|**October**<br>**2024**<br>**Resources**<br>**expended**<br>**Transfers**<br>**At 27 July**<br>**2025**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>5,000<br>(6,520)<br>5,000<br>3,480<br>**October**<br>**2023**<br>**Resources**<br>**expended**<br>**Transfers**<br>**At 30**<br>**September**<br>**2024**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>5,000<br>-<br>-<br>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**<br>General funds<br>**Previous year:**<br>**At 1**<br>General funds|**October**<br>**2024**<br>**Incoming**<br>**resources**<br>**Resources**<br>**expended**<br>**Transfers**<br>**At 27 July**<br>**2025**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>74,620<br>478,355<br>(413,575)<br>(5,750)<br>133,650<br>**October**<br>**2023**<br>**Incoming**<br>**resources**<br>**Resources**<br>**expended**<br>**Transfers**<br>**At 30**<br>**September**<br>**2024**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>68,654<br>303,975<br>(298,009)<br>-<br>74,620|
|---|---|



- 26 - 



## **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**<br>**Unrestricted**<br>**Restricted**<br>**funds**<br>**funds**<br>**funds**<br>**general**<br>**Designated**<br>**2025**<br>**2025**<br>**2025**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**At 27 July 2025:**<br>Current assets/(liabilities)<br>133,650<br>3,480<br>17,501<br>133,650<br>3,480<br>17,501<br>**Unrestricted**<br>**Unrestricted**<br>**Restricted**<br>**funds**<br>**funds**<br>**funds**<br>**general**<br>**Designated**<br>**2024**<br>**2024**<br>**2024**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**At 30 September 2024:**<br>Current assets/(liabilities)<br>74,620<br>5,000<br>42,293<br>74,620<br>5,000<br>42,293|**Total**<br>**2025**<br>**£**<br>154,631|
|---|---|
||154,631|
||**Total**<br>**2024**<br>**£**<br>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). 

- 27 -