## North Queensferry Heritage Trust SCIO SC019966 Trustees Report & Financial Statements 31[st] December 2024 ## **Trustees Report 2024** Registered Charity Name: North Queensferry Heritage Trust Charity Number: SC019966 Trustees: Independent Financial Examiner: Fife Voluntary Action Caledonia House, Pentland Park, Saltire Centre Glenrothes KY6 2AL The Trustees have pleasure in submitting their annual report and financial statement as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO), for the year ending 31 December 2024. This report follows the 2006 recommendations of The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). ## **Structure, Governance and Management** The charity is a SCIO whose purposes and administration arrangements are set out in its constitution dated 7 March 2023. Our registered charity number is SC019966. All of the trustees are appointed or reappointed by members at our Annual General Meeting each year. The induction process for new Trustees includes meeting the current Trustees who will brief the new Trustee on the role and operation of the charity, present them with a copy of the constitution and explain its terms and also explain their duties and responsibilities in terms of the Charities and Trustees Investment (Scotland) Act 2005. ## **Objectives** Our objectives, as recorded in our constitution, are to stimulate public interest in and care for the history, character and beauty of North Queensferry and its immediate surroundings. ## **Activities, Achievements and Performance** The Trustees continued to plan events and exhibitions that promote the history, character and beauty of the area as illustrated below: Since the start of the year, visitors have steadily increased. All our venues continue to be popular and in particular the Forth Bridges Lighthouse Museum - our Light Tower where there has been a noticeable increase in visitors wishing to ‘light the lamp’ for a 'good' donation, following the Trust’s social media advertising policy. Another important source of income for the Trust are the many donations that are received throughout the year and in keeping with other museums a higher percentage of donations are being received online and via QR code donation triggers. The Trustees continue to meet regularly with our Mentor on ‘working towards accreditation’ for the ‘Forth Bridges Lighthouse Museum with the compilation of the Trust’s collection. This last year, the Trustees have been much encouraged by the positive comments left in our visitor books at the railway station and light tower indicating that visitors enjoy and appreciate our efforts in maintaining our rich industrial and cultural heritage. The Book Exchange facility located in the old Telephone Kiosk has also continued to be popular with many residents contributing a wide range of books and magazines - both for children and older readers. We share the books and magazines between the Station Gallery's book swap area and the Kiosk. The Kiosk started as a children's book swap, but has morphed into a more general purpose book swap area. The Forth Bridge Heritage Centre is currently a participant of the nationwide Railway 200 celebrations, which will be through 2025. The Trust’s ‘Self Guided Tours of the Forth Bridges’ brochure details several walks around the peninsula and the new edition continues to be very popular with visitors as well as many of the businesses on both sides of the Forth including Edinburgh. Visitors to the trust’s website www.nqht.org will again notice newly researched material which has become a main and invaluable source of heritage information within the North Queensferry Peninsula. Many thanks, again, go for his development and maintenance time, and for his ongoing research on the census pages that allow visitors to search the census for family connections to North Queensferry, the Forth Bridges and the Ferries. As a member of the ‘Forth Bridge World Heritage Management Group' (FB-WHMG) the Heritage Trust represents North Queensferry, along with a representative from the Community Council, and Fife Council. Through the common tourism aim of Fife Council and Edinburgh Council this group, new signage has popped up throughout the village and beyond across the Forth Road Bridge and throughout South Queensferry. This new and distinct Forth-Bridge style signage is being expanded around the village, often replacing poor or damaged signage. The new signs now stretch from the Station and upper village, down the Brae and to all piers - East Battery, West Battery, Town and Railway Piers. The last phase of this activity will continue into 2025. The Trust was again delighted to stage the successful post-Covid Village Show 2024 at the end of August. Donations of prizes were much appreciated by many local businesses, including… DoubleTree Hilton, Dakota Hotel, Orocco Pier, ESC Packaging, Scotts Restaurant, Maid of the Forth, South Queensferry Picnic Kiosk, Rankin's Bistro, and The Wee Restaurant. was our principal guest who kindly presented the various cups and prizes. The Trust series of Talks continued at the Station Meeting Room and began with a former Ferry Boat Captain, and his brother giving a ‘behind the scenes’ presentation on how the ferry system worked and the huge number of passengers and cargo transported across the river until 4[th] September 1964 when the Forth Road Bridge was opened. Another highlight was the presentation by on the fascinating statistics now available from his research into the North Queensfe s. Due to a series of unforeseen circumstances and cancellations, the Trust was not able to put on the planned number of talks. Naturally, it is the Trust’s intention, with help from Trustees, to continue with a series of Talks for 2025. The Trustees hope that 2025 will see a continued return of visitors to enjoy the local attractions to keep North Queensferry, a good place to live with a vibrant and friendly outlook. In the meantime the Trustees would very much like to thank all our members and volunteers who have contributed much of their time over the past year that has ensured the Trust has continued to serve our local community. Volunteers are always welcome to help with visitor reception at the station or the light tower, particularly on weekends. The Trust published 3 newsletters in 2024... April, September and December to keep members abreast of the activities throughout the year. The new Ferry News editor has also donated articles to the Ferry News to help it re-establish itself after a new editor was brought onboard. ## **Risk Assessment** The Trustees have conducted their review of the major risks and have taken steps to mitigate them. These include ensuring fire extinguishers and furniture arrangements are protected against fire risk. The CCTV system is still in operation and has proved valuable during episodes of vandalism we have experienced. ## **Reserves** No specific amount has been allocated as a reserve. However, the trustees consider the bank balances will enable the Trust to continue at current subscription rates for the forthcoming year. ## **Responsibilities of the Committee** The law applicable to charities in Scotland requires the committee to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under the law, the committee has elected to prepare the financial statements following United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). The financial statements are required by law to give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charity and the surplus or deficit of the charity for that period. ## **Museums Gallery Scotland** The Trust has gained a "working towards" accreditation status and trustees meet regularly with our mentor. Accreditation is the main standard for all museums with respect to venues and collections in the UK, and is critical for grant funding. In preparing these financial statements, the committee are required to: - Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; - Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; - Prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation. The committee are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and which enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Statement of Recommended Practice “Accounting and Reporting by Charities” issued in March 2005 (SORP 2005), the Charities and Trustees Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). The committee is 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. ## **Approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf...** ## **Chairman** TL* 2013 Grnnts 2.42 242 17 $15tyJ4eriWetc lageyo E*nts Statifyi RoomH¥e GdI￿dI1￿tereSt Totsl8eC￿rt5 76 17 C05toftharttatyeartMiy C05tof rav 542 TLrt 2024 IQ9 9333 Jan rrAu5lt* Cashatb3nkaThYinh¥KSJt yyarend TieasurÈrkcount 32 LbyNotKeKcwrt 9352 The note501the 3CCOU 151urrn an Integral ￿rt. ZQ21 APPENDIX 3 OSCR sh tharty Independent examiner's report on the accounts Report to the Chartty Irust8aslmemb•rs of NOR TH QUEENSFERRY HERITAGE TRUST Rogl8tsrod charity SC019966 numbor On tha accounts of th• harlty for tho poriod Penod start date Month 01 Period end date Month 12 Year 1 2024 31 sot on pag pb)• Ro•P•CtIv• The chaws twstees are responsit48 for the preparaticffl of th8 accthints in acLordanc* rnspon8lbS1ft10• of wrth the terrns of the Chanties and Trnstee Invesknent {S¢otLandl 2005 Act and the trt￿t￿ and axamin•r Charrtjes Accounts {Scotlandl Regulabons 2LKNS. The charty tfustees ￿nS￿Jer that the audit requirement of RegUla￿n 10111 Idl of the Accx)unts Regulabons does not appty. It my ￿ponsIbIlIty to examine the %counts as required under section 44111 {cl of the Act and to state whether partular matters have corre to ry attentK)n. BMI8 of Ind•pendent My examination ts carried out in accordan￿ wth Regulation 11 of the Charities examln•rf8 Stalement Acctyjnts {Scotlandl RegulatKJns 20C6. An examination includes a revi￿ of the countirvJ records kept by the charity and a companson of the aco)unts presented wlth those records. It also includes ￿nSIdera￿on of any unusual rtems ¢y disclosures In the accounts and seeks explanabons from Ihe trustees conceming any such mattets. The prcKgJures undertaken do not provKJ8 all the evidence that would be required in an audit and. consequenlty. I do not express an audrt 0￿.n10n on the accounts. Indep•nd•nt examIn•￿• In the course of my examinaljon, no matter has con* to my attenkn lother than that whith gives m8 reasonable cause to beli8ve that in any matenal respe¢t the requirements.. to keep ac(l￿nting records in acc(Jrdance with ￿tion 4411) {a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 20(b A(uunts RegukatK)ns, and to prepa￿ ao>)unts which accord wth the a¢xounting records and compty with Reoulatth 9 oftho 20C6 Accounts RegulatK)ns have not been met. to which, in my opin￿, attention should be drwi In order to enab￿ a proper erslandin the accounts to be reached. Slgned.. Name.. Relevant profosslonal qu•llflcatlon(s} or body {If any): Addless". Fife Voluntary Action Caledonia House Pentland Park Glenrothes KY6 2AL fdlywin9 page. APPENDIX 3 Disclosure section Onty complete rf ts exarniner needs to highlwJht material problems. Glve here brlef d¢talls of any Items that th• oxamlner wishes to dlsc108e Item to note there is a small dlscrepaney between the closing balance on the accounts and that of the bank. Explanatlon no f orthcoming. Otherwise all information correct.