FRIENDS OF DOWN COUNTY MUSEUM REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 The trustees present their report with the fmancial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024. OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Objectives and aims Purpose of eharity As stated in its constitution, the purposes of the charity are.. To support and promote the work of the Museum. The Society shall be independent of, but associated with Down County Museurn. Members will work in close association with the Curator and staff of the Museum, to develop the Museum, support the collection, participate in associated activities and act as ambassadors within the community for the Museum. The Society is a charity (no NIC102387) and any ￿llds raised are solely for the benefit of the Museum. Significant activities The main areas of charitable activity The Society may, in furtherance of its purpose, organise ielevant activities, as well as support the Museum's own progtamme of events. These activities may include lectures, tOUTS, literary or musical events, for educational, social or ndraising purposes. The Society will not undertake any substantial pernianent trading activity and must comply with all statutory regulations. The Society may acqutre or make grants, from its own funds or by acting as a conduit for other grant-aiding bodies, to the Museum for curatorial or educational purposes. The Society may appoint representatives or delegates to other relevant bodies, if such invitations ale made. Beneficiaries The Museum is the main direct beneficiary; since its beneficiaries are people of all ages and backgrounds within the local community as well as visitors from elsewhere, these are the beneficiaries of the Friends, projects and activities. OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Publie benefit The trustees are confident that the charitable aims of Friends of Down County Museum satisfy the principles of publi benefit as defmed in the Charities Act. They have refe￿ed to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the aims and objectives and in planning its future activities. The principal aim of the charity is that of providing support for, and promotion of, Down County Museum. FRIENDS OF DOWN COUNTY MUSEUM REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE FINANCIAL REVIEW Financial position The fmancial position of the charity can be found on pages 7 and 8. Charitable aetiviÉies The year from April 2023-March 2024 saw a resumption of the Friends, more nornial programme of activities. There are currently over 100 Friends and the Committee, back to its full complement of 10 people, nomially meets 6 or 7 times a year in addition to the Annual General Meeting. The Committee organised a trip to Lisburn Museum and Linen Centre in April 2023 and established a President's lecture to take place each year after the AGM. The introductory lecture was given in May 2023 by the President himself, Ken Dawson, on the subject of Henry Joy Mccracken. It was well attended, attracting more people than usual to an AGM. A Friends, event in October was equally successful - Fergus Whelan from Dublin gave an excellent lecture about Archibald Hamilton Rowan. The Museum and Friends jointly hosted a visit from the Friends of the Ulster Museum in March 2024 and it is hoped to join with them, and the Friends of Arnlagh, in future events. One of our members, Ralph Forbes, took part in the 'Sloane Lab, project which culminated in an exhibition in the Museum. Down County Museum took a lead role in this partnership between the British Museum, British Library and Natural History Museum. The Friends have retumed to one of their primary functions in funding collectÈons-based projects. An offer was made of a special gift to the Museum to commemorate its 41hh anniversary. The Museum suggested several projects and the committee opted for the scanning of the Museum's postcard collection which could then be uploaded to the Museum's website. In addition, to make up for the lack of subsidised projects from 2020-2022, the committee also agreed to fund conservation of a recently acquired portrait of Constance Malleson of Castlewellan (stepsister of Mabel Annesley by William Conor. We hope to see these projects completed later in 2024. Principal funding sources The principal ￿lldIng sources for the charity are cunently from membership fees, donations and fL￿draISing activities. Investment policy and objectives The Trustees have decided that any reserves should be invested in secure bank deposits. The Trustees consider the overall return on deposit accounts to be disappointing> but are not willing to place valuable resources in riskier investments. Reserves policy Due to the unpredictability of the income receivable by the charity it is the policy of Friends of Down County Museum to maintain a balance on unrestricted funds to cover emergency situations that arise from tÈme to time and to also enable the charity to contÈnue to deliver its seivice effectively. The present level of reserves available to the charity is £27,251. FUTURE PLANS The charity plans continuing the activities outlined above in the forthcoming years subject to satisfying funding arrangements. STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Governing document The charity is controlled by its governing document. a deed of twst, and constitutes an unincorporated charity. Reeruitment and appointment of new trustees A broad mix of business, professional and other skills are well represented on ihe Management Committee and all Trustees are Chosen on the basis of their willingness to serve, ability. governance experience and support of the ethos, mission and philosophy of the organisation. Risk management The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Registered Charity number 102387 FRIENDS or DOWN COUNTY fvIUSlI UM REPORT OF THE TRUSTII ES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 ￿lARc.H 2024 REFERENCE AND ADIVIINISTRATIVE DETAILS Pi'incipgl ¢gddress Doivii Coiiiity MLi%¢iini Tlie Mall Englisli Street Dowiipali'ick Co. Down BTJO 6AH Triistees Ai)Iie Liggett Lesley Siinpson Paddy ￿l001'e Gerald Leiiiioi) Aiiiie Ciiri'an Paddy Mooi'e C.hAirpe.rsoii Ti'easurei. Assistant Tre4siirer Seeretarv M Lesley sir￿pS011 Cominittee iiieiiibei's Jeniiifer Taggarl Noreen Napier Mai'gai'el fvlccoi'd Leanna Riissell Ralph Forbes Indepeiident e.xAniiner M.B.McGI'ady & Co Lhartered Ac¢oiiiitants Railiinore Hoiise 5 ? St Pcl11'ieks Aveiiiie Doiviipatrick Co. Dowii BT30 6DS Approved by ol'der of the board of Iiiist¢es on 15 May ?0?4 aiid signed oil its belialf by- Ms Lesl Trustee pson Dr Patrick R J Mooi'e Trustee