Spode Museum Trust Charity Registration Number 519597 Reports and Accounts for the extended period ended 31 March 2023
Page Contents 1-12 Trustees’ annual report 13 Independent examiner’s report 14 Receipts & Payments Account 15 Statement of Assets & Liabilities
Spode Museum Trust
Report of the Trustee for the Extended Period Ending 31[st] March 2023
SMT Trustees Limited (CRN 9784876) in its capacity as the trustee of the Spode Museum Trust (“the Trust”) presents the annual report of the Trust covering the extended period commencing on 1[st] January 2022 and ending on 31[st] March 2023 along with the financial accounts for such period.
Structure and Charitable Objects
The Trust was established by Royal Worcester Spode Limited under a Trust Deed (“the Trust Deed”) dated 16[th] November 1987 (as amended on 30[th] March 1999 and 16[th] December 2015) in order to protect the Spode ceramic collection, artefacts and paper archive (“the Collection”). in perpetuity.
The Trust is registered as a charity under registration number 519597. The Trust Deed defines the Charity’s objects as being:
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To advance the education of the public by the exhibition of the Existing Collection together with such other items or artefacts of like character as may from time to time be comprised in the Trust Fund and to preserve the same as a Collection’.
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To make the Collection available as an exhibition to which the public has access without payment or on payment of such reasonable fee as the trustees may determine.
The Collection
The Collection comprises some 20.000 ceramic items spanning over 200 years of the Spode factory’s production from the late 18[th] century until it closed in 2008, over 40,000 hand engraved copper plates from which transfer prints were made for printed ceramic wares, a collection of antique factory tools and machinery, vintage photographs and slides, furniture, moulds and ¼ million Spode and Copeland documents including books containing watercolour paintings of some 70,000 ceramic patterns.
In view of the considerable time span covered, and the near completeness of the archive, this assemblage enables unique insights into the history of a world-famous factory and ceramics technology from the Industrial Revolution to the present, its owners and employees, its place in the community of Stoke, as well as the role of ceramics in domestic decoration and the decorative arts. The ceramics collection is of international importance, representing what was for many years the leading British manufacturer and includes many spectacular items made over the centuries for the very wealthy and mass-produced “high-end” wares for domestic markets.
The Former Spode Factory Site
SMT currently occupies spaces in one of the historic buildings on the former factory site, which is leased from Stoke on Trent City Council and formerly known as the Spode Museum Trust Heritage Centre but now simply known as the Spode Museum (‘the Museum’). The City Council is currently pursuing a long-term programme to regenerate and redevelop the whole of the former factory site, promoting a mix of residential, cultural and business uses. This redevelopment is likely to entail new build as well as retention of historic buildings and the Museum is an important component in this mix of uses. In March 2023 the Council issued a public statement saying it was reviewing the overall masterplan for the former factory site and at its conclusion would seek bids from developers and also consider an offer of a fresh partnership with Homes England and Historic England jointly. The Council is eager to make sure that the proposed restoration and development approach to the site makes best use of the £10m of Levelling Up resources being made available for the site by the
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Government and any additional funding that can be sourced. The Trust has, so far, been party to the Levelling-up discussions.
Mission Statement
As part of the organisational development of the Trust, in 2022 trustee members reviewed and developed its mission and vision statement, which now provides a sound and agreed basis for its operations, decision-making and strategic planning. The new Mission Statement reads:
Our Mission Statement
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Protect
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Preserve
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Promote
Protect
The Spode Museum Trust was first established in 1987, and cares for a collection which includes:
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●20,000 ceramic items.
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●Over 40,000 engraved copper plates, antique factory tools, machinery and furniture.
●An extensive collection of documents relating to Spode and Copeland, including 70,000 ceramic patterns.
●Unique in its depth, this archive of Spode's history spans 250 years of innovation and creativity, from the company's eighteenth-century beginnings, all the way through to 2008.
Preserve
The Spode Museum Trust's collection and archive holds great potential for exploration and research; to tell the rich vital stories of ceramic and decorative arts, design and technology and the social history of the Spode factory, its workers, and its place in the local community. Some of the collection is displayed in the Spode Museum located on the former Spode factory site and is well used and highly valued by the local community and visitors from further afield.
Promote
Our mission is to protect and conserve the collection in perpetuity and to educate and inspire visitors. We welcome the range of visitors - international and domestic - as well as forging links with the local community and with artists, designers and makers. We strive to make the collection accessible for all.
Our vision for the future:
●To develop as a renowned, sustainable and accessible Accredited Museum, combining heritage and contemporary creativity.
- ●To partner with the community, higher education and other creative and heritage organisations in Stoke-on-Trent and beyond.
●To offer display and hands-on practice, and be a valued resource for visitors, students, artists, designers and researchers alike.
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Governance
The sole trustee of the Trust is a company limited by guarantee known as SMT Trustees Limited (CR No.9784876) and whose express purpose upon creation was and is to act as the trustee of the Trust. Constitutionally, therefore, the Trust is an unincorporated charitable trust governed by a sole corporate trustee, namely, SMT Trustees Limited (‘SMTT’). During the period of this report the membership of the company (‘Members’) increased by the appointment of five additional new members who it was believed would bring to the Trust the various skills needed for the management of the Museum and its Collection and to further its charitable purposes and plans into the future. Accordingly, there are now the following 13 members of the company all of whom have signed the written Code of Conduct which was introduced last year:
Richard Gray, Acting Chair Museum Consultant (ret.) Frederick Beverley Booth, Secretary Solicitor (ret.) Paul William Holdway Former Spode Employee and reference book writer Kath Holdway Project manager (ret.) Janis Lynne Rodwell Ceramics expert Elizabeth Anne McBratney College Lecturer (ret.) Cynthia Saddington College Lecturer (ret.) Neil Brownsword Artist and University Professor of Ceramics Laura Callan Digital Manager Kate Varley Regional Change Manager Janet Miller CEO, Museum Archaeologist Spencer Gavin Smith Contract Compliance Officer David Laxton Chartered Accountant
The Trust continues to look for suitable new members including a legally qualified replacement for F.B. Booth who has intimated that he will be retiring from the Trust and also as a director and company secretary of SMTT next Year.
The Governance Working Group set up following the delivery of a consultant’s final report on Governance and Organisational development last year, interviewed and recommended the appointment of the five additional members and is about to interview a potential sixth new member. In addition, there has been a review of the Trust’s policy documents and some have been updated and some mandatory policies, where missing, have been produced e.g., an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy. Further work will be done to build up a comprehensive portfolio of all appropriate policies.
Objectives
The Museum was originally housed and subsidised by the Spode Company on its factory site at Stoke. However, when the Company ceased trading in 2008, the Museum had to close and vacate its premises on the site. Since then, the entire Collection (apart from the items required for the exhibitions and displays in the Museum and the recent return of the Ceramic Collection mentioned later in this report) has remained in safe storage in premises kindly provided rent free by the Stokeon-Trent City Council. However, the abiding objective of the Trust is still to place the entire
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Collection in a safe and appropriate environment which will ensure that it is kept in conditions that will (i) preserve and protect it and (ii) offer full public and academic research access for use by the entire community. As part of its longer-term development planning, it is, therefore, the aim of the Trust with the continuing support of the City of Stoke on Trent Council, who still own most of the former Spode factory site, to organise the return of the entire Collection to the community by reestablishing it on the original Georgian Spode factory site. It is believed that, by placing the Collection back on the site where it was created and within the context of a fine backdrop of listed heritage buildings and with good trust governance, it will facilitate a long term and sustainable home for the Collection by creating the best framework within which to achieve maximum public and academic interest, usage and multiple revenue generating opportunities.
Management
Nine ordinary meeting of Members were held via Zoom during the period of this report at which Members of the corporate trustee met in general meeting to transact, manage and control the affairs of the Trust and to ensure that the charitable objects of the Trust were carried out for the benefit of the public. In addition, there were two onsite meetings held on the 10[th] September 2022 and the 4[th] November at which Members attended and these are mentioned later in this report respectively under sections headed ‘Spode Museum Trust: From Clay to Treasure’ Project and ‘Summary of Main Activities at the Museum’.
All Members provide their time freely and receive no remuneration or, except in rare circumstances, payment of expenses; and all meetings are properly minuted.
The Trust operates from buildings which originally formed part of the former Spode factory site at Elenora Street, Stoke and now known simply as the Spode Museum. The postal address of the Trust is the Spode Museum, Elenora Street, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 1QD . The email address for the Centre is contact@spodemuseumtrust.org
The Museum originally opened back onsite on 19[th] October 2012 as a two-year exhibition telling the social history of the Spode factory and with some of the Collection returned from store and placed on show to the public. The exhibition was made possible by a £50,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and by the help of the City of Stoke-on-Trent who, as the new owner of the former factory site, renovated the premises and granted to the Trust an initial two-year lease at a peppercorn rent. The Trust has continued to occupy the premises ever since and, thanks to the continuing support of the City Council, has acquired additional space on the former factory site and has thus been able to significantly expand its exhibition and storage spaces and facilities and add a large retail shop. Entry to the Museum is currently free.
The Museum is run by a Museum Manager (‘the Manager’), who attends the meetings of Members and reports on relevant matters affecting the day to day running of the Museum and its trading operation. The Manager works hard with a small body of loyal volunteers to sustain the Museum financially by the generation income from the shop and online sales and by holding small exhibitions.
There have been no serious incidents or other matters at the Museum or anywhere else that the Trust should have reported to the Charity Commission but did not do so. The Trust, being ever mindful of security, maintains CCTV cameras in the Museum to improve security and for the protection of staff and volunteers. The Manager has electronic access to see the site and interior in the event of an alarm activation. Also, the building housing the Museum has both fire and intruder alarms which are linked up to the City Council’s monitoring station which will react if, during the night, one of the alarms is triggered. During the period of this report, fire and intruder alarms have been extended within the building.
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The Trust runs a website www.spodemuseumtrust.org which sets out details of its function and its Collection. During the period of this report , the website received 33,746 hits and 28,576 unique visitors. For anyone who wishes to read more about the Museum and its displays, they are referred to the Spode Museum Trust Heritage Centre page of the website. However, a new website is currently under construction which will have a digital interactive museum section and a capacity for e- commerce integration. During the period of this report, the Acting Chairman has had several meetings with senior management at Portmeirion regarding retaining the separate identities of the company and the Trust so as to avoid conflict of brands and to agree a different typeface for Trust’s logo on the new website. It is hoped that the new website will go live in the summer of 2023.
The Museum is also promoted through various social media pages.
Tenure
On the 18[th] July 2022, the City Council as landlord granted the Trust a renewal lease of the Museum premises for a further period of two years from the 1[st] April 2022 at a peppercorn rent but subject to the payment of a service charge and an obligation to reimburse the Council for the premium it pays in insuring the buildings. Following negotiations with the Council and the owner of the adjoining hotel, the new lease also included for the first time a right for the Trust, its volunteers, employees and visitors to gain access to and from the first floor located above the Museum’s front of house over part of the adjoining premises of the hotel including the use, free of charge, of a new lift to be installed by the hotel. This new right ( to subsist only whilst such first-floor accommodation is occupied and used by the Trust) will be very beneficial to the Trust as it will allow disabled person’s access to the Robert Copeland Room and the Blue Room.
In addition, negotiations are still continuing with the City Council to finalise heads of terms for the grant of a 25 years’ lease of the Museum premises. It is hoped that negotiations for the grant of this lease will conclude successfully when various property repair issues at the Museum have been addressed satisfactorily.
Trading – SMT Enterprises Limited
The Trust has made it a central objective to develop sustainable income sources so that it can be independent of subsidies from governmental and other bodies for its day-to-day operating costs. To this end, on the 25[th] March 2015, it formed a wholly owned limited liability company known as SMT Enterprises Limited (CR No. 9510002) (“SMTE”) to act as its trading arm. This has had the continuing benefit that trading risk is kept separate from the Trust and the company’s profits can be donated taxefficiently to the Trust. SMTE’s trading operation, mainly in selling vintage Spode ceramics, prints taken from old hand engraved Spode copper plates, donated books; and products made by local artists in craft studios on the Spode site, has expanded considerably and is now an important source of the Trust’s income.
SMTE's trading performance for the year ended 31 March 2021 was negatively impacted by the Covid pandemic and the resultant lockdowns. Performance recovered well in the year ended 31st March 2022 and SMTE's net profit for that financial year of £35,896 was donated to the Trust in February 2023.
SMTE's trading performance has improved further in the year ended 31 March 2023 with trading turnover increasing from £48,863 to £67,565. The net profit for the year of £26,717 will be donated to the Trust.
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Financial Accounts
Since the last financial accounts were presented, the financial year-end of the Trust has been changed from 31st December to 31st March, to accord with the year-end of both SMTE and SMTT. Consequently, financial accounts of the Trust have been prepared for the fifteen months ended 31 March 2023 and accompany this report.
The Income & Expenditure account shows a net deficit for the 15-month period of £27,616.The deficit on unrestricted funds of £18,452 was impacted by a large increase in energy costs for The Spode Museum. The Trust has recently entered into a new electricity contract which will reduce its electricity costs for the next two years. The deficit on restricted funds for the 15-month period ended 31st March 2023 was £9,164.
The Trust had total Cash Funds of £97,152 as of 31st March 2023 and there is a reasonable expectation that the Trust has sufficient resources to carry it forward for the foreseeable future.
Summary of Main Activities at the Museum
Fortunately, due to the acceleration of the Covid booster campaign in December 2021 and Omicron’s impact being milder than the previous variants, the Museum was able to re-open to the public on the 8[th] January 2022 and stay open unaffected by any Covid issues for the period of this report. During this time, it welcomed 5,648 recorded visitors - in busy times not all visitors can be recorded, and it is probable that the total visitor number was closer to 6,000 - and continued to receive many favourable comments in its Visitor’ Book from visitors not only from the UK but from visitors as far afield as the USA, Australia, China, Korean and Japan. In addition, the Manager having increased exhibition space by converting a small area of the Museum from retail to a 3D exhibition space, has worked incredibly hard to organise the following temporary exhibitions:
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In March 2022, a fine art display by 2 local artists: Mary Dennis and Joan Chatterton
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In April, an exhibition by Steve Talbot of works of art assembled from broken Spode pottery and printed material.
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May to June, a touring exhibition by Steve Goldman called “Worst Record Covers in the World”.
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June - new art installation entitled ‘Peace by Piece’ made by 400 plus pupils aged 7-11 curated by ceramic artist Serena Cellini.
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July/August - a photographic exhibition entitled ‘Pier Closing Time’ by well-respected photographer Michael Bennett showing scenes of North Wales in the 1970’s followed by an exhibition by the textile artist Holly Searle entitled “The Subversive Stitcher.”
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October until 6[th] November, a touring textile exhibition by artist Wendy Bliss entitled “Covid Chronicles” comprising 140 panels of images recording artistically personal experiences of the Covid pandemic submitted from around the world and curated and stitched together to form what has been described as a ‘Bayeux Tapestry’ of the 21[st] century pandemic .
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November to December British Ceramics Biennial Generations Project curated by Emma Price and Rae Downey (ACAVA and BCB artists) comprising an exhibition of work of mixed media by young people and members of the BCB Generations Project, all inspired by photos of the Spode workers’ photographic archive.
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November 9th until December 17[th] a fine art exhibition by 30 plus local artists and members of the Society of Staffordshire Artists entitled “Golden Oldies”.
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January 2023 - Exhibition and Sale of vintage and antique prints and paintings
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February 2023 - Exhibition entitled ‘My World’ of work by 60 local schoolchildren curated by artist Anna Drezova.
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March 2023 - Spode inspired prints by printmaker Alister Shapley.
The rationale behind these temporary exhibitions having nothing to do with ceramics is to broaden the appeal of the Museum including involving the local community and to give visitors a stimulus for revisits. For example, the Record Covers exhibition received a 2-page feature in the local Sentinel newspaper, an interview on Radio Stoke, good comments on social media and brought members of the public into the Museum who wouldn’t ordinarily have entered a museum.
Other activities at the Museum organised by the Manager in 2022 have included:
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2[nd] February - East Cheshire National Trust volunteers coach party of 40
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17[th] March – Dene Valley U3A coach party of approximately 35
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18[th] May – A networking event hosted for 30 members of The Potteries Heritage Society
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24[th] September – A visit by 20 members of the Lancashire Archaeological Society
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November 5th - “Fabric of Life” – an afternoon of talks celebrating textiles and life stories featuring two textile artists and academics from Keele and Huddersfield Universities
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17[th] December – Society of Staffordshire Artists Christmas Party of approximately 50
And finally, during the period of this report there have been multiple virtual shopping events with Japanese visitors and online lectures delivered and translated to Japanese clients via Instagram Live Regrettably, due to serious penetrating damp, the lower gallery remains closed until the City Council as landlord carries out High Street Action Zone funded work to repair the rainwater drainage in the adjoining area known as the ‘Secret Garden’.
During the year, the Acting Chairman of the Trust attended several meetings including those of the High Street Heritage Action Zone regarding Historic England’s funding for renovating buildings on the old Spode site including parts of the Museum and also Spode Summits. The purpose of the Spode Summits was to allow stakeholders and community to come together for consultation, to contribute ideas and feedback, and to influence the project’s direction, as well as providing local people with opportunities to participate in the Collection’s future.
- Summit One: 20[th] January 2022 “Spirit of Place”
This summit aimed to develop a collective understanding of what is unique, distinctive and cherished about Spode, bring key stakeholders together to engage them in the project and ensure the importance of Spode was realised/understood, and to help bring together some of the work done on the project so far and to move to the next steps.
27 stakeholders attended the Summit including key project consultants, several Stoke-onTrent City Council representatives, heritage organisations, and local members of the community. The workshop combined the work already done on the project around significance of the Collection and Site, research into audiences, and audience feedback, along with attendees’ thoughts and ideas about Spode’s unique relevance locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally, to help come to a collective view about what makes Spode so special.
The outputs from the summit included some key themes that emerged which could be used by the Trust as guiding principles for its work going forwards. It was decided that a final
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Spirit of Place statement would be written following further audience insights being gathered as part of a future commission.
- Summit Two: 4 November 2022
This summit brought together Members, National Trust External Partnership Team and external project consultants. The consultants gave an overview of their work to date (collections review, architects proposals, and options appraisal so far), which was signed off by the Members. A short-, medium- and long-term plan for next steps was compiled by the attendees which has fed into the Options Appraisal.
- Summit Three: 12 June 2023
This meeting brought together Stoke-on-Trent Council officers (from departments including Levelling Up, archaeology and conservation), Historic England, Homes England, and tenants from the site including the Trust and others.
The meeting covered how the Council should move forward with the plans for using the Levelling Up funds it has for the site, working together with the tenants of the site and ensuring the heritage of the site was recognised. It was an opportunity for the Trust to outline the findings of this project to all those present, gain support for the plans going forward, and to work together with key stakeholders.
‘Spode Museum Trust: From Clay to Treasure’ Project
During the period of this report, with the continuing help of the National Trust External Partnership Team and with Consultant Sara Hilton as mentor, Members have made progress towards the conclusion of the work on this NLHF-funded project which also comprised a number of work consultancy packages. The final version of Sara Hilton’s work package on Governance and organisational Development had already been received as had the first stage Options Appraisal and draft business plan report from Counterculture as well as a draft final report on the Trust’s Collection from the Conservation and Curatorial Consultants Headland Design. In May, following submissions by five architectural practices, OMI Architects were appointed to the architectural package and set to work on its brief and, to accommodate this, the NLHF extended the feasibility study to the 31[st] March 2023
Following Members observations on the first stage options appraisal, in February Counterculture submitted a second draft business plan focussed on where income and funding might come from to deliver Members’ levels of ambition – in particular, their preferred option of an onsite museum with both a community and a learning aspect and which was experiential and anchored on the wider site and left open the potential for some more contemporary creative activities around it. This showed Members that there was a need to consider the Trust’s priorities in the light of the fiscal challenges and work out an interim plan for staged developments over the next 10 years or so. A development plan spreadsheet was drawn up which would be updated after each monthly meeting to give an overall view and act as a progress tracking tool.
On the 10[th] September there was an onsite meeting of Members to discuss amongst other things the work streams and timetable necessary to carry forward the Trust’s strategy and development planning in the light of the work carried out by the Clay to Treasure consultants.
The consultants’ reports were drawn together in a Final Report by Counterculture, called “Options Appraisal” which was submitted in March 2023. Subsequently there were a number of revisions in the
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light of changing circumstances on the site referred to above (The Former Spode Factory Site) and an Evaluation report was produced for the whole project, in the next financial year.
Renovation of the Garrett Room and Return of the Ceramic Collection
Following the award in December 2022 by the City Council and Historic England of High Street Action Zone funds, work commenced to renovate buildings on the old Spode site including the large derelict space known as the Garrett Room on the first floor of the Museum and the installation of a vitally needed second staircase to comply with fire and building regulations. This renovation, when completed, would mean the Trust could finally fulfil its long-held desire to return its ceramic collection, stored offsite at Tunstall Library, to the Museum and, with appropriate facilities and racking, to store it correctly in the Garrett Room and allow its proper access and curation to take place. The refurbishment, packing, removal and installation of the stored collection was also made possible by a generous grant from the Headley Trust. Additionally, The City Council and Historic England gave a second grant to renovate the ‘Secret Garden’ area situated at the rear of the Museum and to remedy its blocked surface drainage and create an access from it to the lower gallery of the museum.
By the end of January 2023, the “core and shell” works to the Garrett Room were almost complete and following negotiations with the Council, with limited notice the actual move commenced on the 6[th] March using a specialist removal firm to transport the china collection to Stoke and up into the Garrett Room and which involved some 10 or so deliveries over 3 days.
Public Benefit
In the running of the Museum and its shop, the Trust always endeavours to advance the charitable objects of the Trust and in doing so, pursuant to Section 17 of the Charities Act 2011, always pays due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when exercising any powers or duties to which the guidance is relevant. During the period of this report the Trust has continued to further the charitable purposes contained in its Trust Deed by activities including:
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The Museum displays a small number of key pieces in the Collection, provides children’s activities and live demonstrations of a variety of traditional ceramic technology and craft, and offers a programme of exhibitions of contemporary art works and community interest. In addition, other charitable activities include the ongoing care of the stored main bulk of the Collection, the lending of items to other museums and exhibitions, research and publication of papers and book contributions, a website providing information on the Collection and its history, communications through social media, together with an online identification and information service for Spode and other ceramic enthusiasts worldwide.
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Generating increasing income by selling wares in the shop and online to sustain the finances of the Museum and to keep the Museum open and interesting to visitors from wide backgrounds.
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Submitting successfully various grant applications including an application for an Omicron Leisure and Hospitality grant of £4,000 from the City Council for the general purposes of the Trust; a grant application of £9500 from the City Council’s Recovery and Growth Fund to be spent on finishing the Trust’s new website and further work on digital marketing; and a grant application for £1500 from AIM to pay for the services of a registered metal conservator to carry out an audit of the copperplate collection.
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Receiving $5k (£3,648.65) from the American Friends of the Spode Museum as a donation towards the work of the Trust.
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Claiming standard gift aid on small donations made by visitors to the Centre under the Gift Aid Small Donation Scheme
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Continuing Zoom meetings between Members to maintain communication between themselves and with the Manager.
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Publishing a 70-page guidebook for the Blue Room Collection written by the Manager so that visitors to the Room can better understand the blue underglaze wares on display and their history.
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Maintaining dialogue with the City Council regarding the future of the Museum in the buildings available on the old Spode factory site and also their state of repair; and also, representation at Spode Summit meeting with the Council and other interested parties.
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With help from the National Trust External Partnership Team, progressing the ‘Spode Museum Trust: From Clay to Treasure’ project including appointing the Architectural Consultant.
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Taking steps as outlined previously to improve the governance of the Trust.
Objectives in 2023/24
Looking ahead to the next 12 months, the Trust intends, amongst other things to:
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Conclude the feasibility study with the NLHF and then to seek further funding to move the ‘From Clay to Treasure’ project on to an initial two-year ‘Transition Project’ which will be necessary to build up resilience and capacity ahead of any future application to the NLHF to help fund a substantial capital project.
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To review the security at the Museum now that the ceramic collection has returned for storage and curation.
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Seek new members of the Trust ( including one who has legal qualifications) who can bring to the Trust the skills that are needed to take it into the future and, importantly, have the time to devote to the task.
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Successfully negotiate with the City Council and complete a 25-year lease of the Museum premises to ensure the Trust’s longer-term future/development on the Spode site and its eligibility to bid for capital development grant aid from the National Lottery Heritage Fund when the current lottery funded feasibility study is completed.
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To go live on the Trust’s new website which will have the potential for the adding on of an eShop for increasing online sales from the shop.
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To seek funding for the gathering and analysis of data on the Museum’s existing audience and its potential for increase to incorporate into a marketing strategy for the Museum.
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To maintain representation on the High Street Action Board, the City Forum and at Spode Summits
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To start the curation of the Trust’s ceramic collection now that it has returned from offsite storage to the newly renovated Garrett Room.
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With the help of the owner of the adjoining hotel, to create at first floor level a secure means of access from the newly installed lift in the hotel to the Robert Copeland Room and Blue Room
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Hold more temporary exhibitions in the Museum including ones that have nothing to do with ceramics in order to broaden the appeal of the Trust and to attract members of the public who wouldn’t ordinarily enter a museum; and give visitors a stimulus for revisits. This will also increase the revenue in the shop which is the Trust’s principal form of income.
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Explore additional ways of increasing revenue to support the Trust whilst carefully controlling expenditure.
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To improve the internal decorative order and the Trust’s offer to the public when the works in the ‘Secret Garden’ are completed by the City Council’s contractors and the damp issues in the lower gallery are fully addressed.
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To continue discussions with the City Council over the future of the moulds left on the former Spode site when the factory closed and to seek grants to secure the future of moulds of significant historical interest and, in particular, to renovate the old slip kiln building No.6 as their home and for any more modern moulds that are chosen to be saved.
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To seek any available grant funding and generally protect and improve the financial position of the Trust.
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Recruit more Volunteers and demonstrators to help run the Museum especially after the work on the lower gallery and secret garden is completed.
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To continue talks with representatives of Portmeirion to explore how both the company and the Trust can work more closely together for mutual benefit – so that the Trust can use its collection and Archive in a cultural and commercial context without infringing the Company’s copyright and brand.
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To work towards the eventual accreditation of the Museum
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As part of the Trust’s organisational development, to introduce a well indexed Document Storage/Retrieval System so that documents can be stored in perpetuity and shared between Members and others.
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To complete a Governance Handbook for the Museum incorporating protocols in pursuance of a key recommendation of the Review of its Governance and to establish sub-committees to ensure that the work of the Trust is carried out efficiently and within its limited resources.
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When the NLHF funded feasibility study concludes, to look again at the possibility of, and the likely costs involved in, adopting a charitable incorporated organisation in place of the existing unincorporated charitable trust so that the Trust has a more straightforward, and to third parties, a more understandable constitution.
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IF possible, to take forward with the City Council and the V&A the old idea of Stoke being a Ceramic Centre of Excellence.
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To maintain dialogue with the City Council and other bodies such as Historic England, Architectural Heritage Fund, the NLHF and the Arts Council.
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Thank You
The Trust wishes to thank the Stoke-on-Trent City Council, the NLHF, the NT Partnership Team, Historic England, the Headley Trust, AIM, the Friends of the Spode Museum, the American Friends of the Spode Museum, the owner of the adjoining hotel and all those, particularly the hardworking Museum Manager Michael Escolme and his small band of loyal volunteers and demonstrators at the Museum, who have given support to the Trust and the Museum throughout the period of this report.
Approved by the Trustee and signed on its behalf by its acting chairman:
Richard Gray
Acting Chair
20 January 2024
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Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Spode Museum Trust
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the extended period ended 31 March 2023 which are set out on pages 14 to 15.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of The Spode Museum Trust required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair view' which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
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 accounts to be reached.
Signed
Daryl Denson ACMA VAST The Dudson Centre Hope Street Stoke on Trent ST1 5DD
Date 24 January 2024
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Spode Museum Trust Income and Expenditure Account For The Fifteen Months Ended 31 March 2023
| Income Charitable profit donation - SMTE Donations - Other HLF Grant Beavers Arts Grants Headley Trust Grant AIM Grant Clay Foundation Grant Proceeds from sale of donated items Covid Support Grants Receipts From Furlough Reimbursements Income From Identifications Other Expenditure Centre Operating Costs Staff salary Costs Staff Pension Costs Payroll Administration Costs Site Service And Busines Rates Marketing Telecoms Security Gas and Electricity Other Costs Insurance Consultancy Costs of Moving the Collection Refurbishments Legal Displays Other Costs Total Expenditure Net of Receipts / (Payments) |
£ £ £ £ £ £ Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds 35,896 0 35,896 40,097 0 40,097 7,760 0 7,760 177 0 177 0 0 0 0 55,000 55,000 0 1,500 1,500 0 1,900 1,900 0 40,000 40,000 0 0 0 0 1,200 1,200 0 0 0 0 0 0 700 0 700 5,814 0 5,814 4,000 0 4,000 28,572 0 28,572 0 0 0 4,923 0 4,923 1,071 0 1,071 902 0 902 275 0 275 87 0 87 54,815 42,700 97,515 75,458 56,900 132,358 32,412 0 32,412 22,697 0 22,697 1,685 0 1,685 1,208 0 1,208 918 0 918 1,285 0 1,285 4,568 0 4,568 2,789 0 2,789 370 0 370 130 0 130 616 0 616 717 0 717 1,663 0 1,663 3,160 0 3,160 23,943 0 23,943 654 0 654 66,175 0 66,175 32,640 0 32,640 1,230 0 1,230 1,021 0 1,021 0 30,257 30,257 17,315 53,391 70,706 0 20,187 20,187 0 0 0 579 0 579 2,896 0 2,896 4,117 0 4,117 90 0 90 0 1,421 1,421 65 1,900 1,965 1,165 0 1,165 951 0 951 73,267 51,864 125,131 54,978 55,291 110,269 (18,452) (9,164) (27,616) 20,480 1,609 22,089 31/12/2021 31/3/2023 (15 months) |
|---|---|
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Spode Museum Trust Statement Of Assets And Liabilities At 31 March 2023
| Cash Funds HSBC Paypal Total Cash Funds Other Monetary Assets Due From SMT Enterprises Limited Other Debtors Total Other Monetary Assets Liabilities Due to SMT Enterprises Ltd Accruals Net Wages Payroll Deductions Total Liabilities Total Assets Less Liabilities Total Funds Brought Forward Net of Receipts / (Payments) Total Funds Carried Forward |
£ £ £ Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Funds Funds 61,236 34,695 95,931 1,221 0 1,221 62,457 34,695 97,152 7,532 0 7,532 0 0 0 7,532 0 7,532 (788) 0 (788) (17,196) 0 (17,196) (1,767) 0 (1,767) (1,186) 0 (1,186) (20,938) 0 (20,938) 49,051 34,695 83,746 67,503 43,859 111,362 (18,452) (9,164) (27,616) 49,051 34,695 83,746 31/3/2023 |
£ £ £ Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Funds Funds 40,954 43,859 84,813 152 0 152 31/12/2021 |
|---|---|---|
| 41,106 43,859 84,965 29,558 0 29,558 0 0 0 |
||
| 29,558 0 29,558 0 0 0 0 0 0 (3,161) 0 (3,161) 0 0 0 |
||
| (3,161) 0 (3,161) |
||
| 67,503 43,859 111,362 |
||
| 47,023 42,250 89,273 20,480 1,609 22,089 |
||
| 67,503 43,859 111,362 |
Approved by the trustees on 20 January 2024 and signed on their behalf by
Signed ….......................................... Mr R Gray (Acting Chair)
Date …...........................................
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