Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of Alford and Donside Heritage Association 

Held at Alford Heritage Museum 16[th] May 2025 at 8pm 




## Chairmans Report 

## Alford Heritage Museum AGM 2025 

Good evening and welcome to the 2025 AGM and members meeting. 

I hope you have had a chance to look round the museum and see what we have new for 2025 and a chance for some refreshments. 

Can I first start with a report of what has happened over the last year. 

Two years ago we showed you some concept drawings for proposals for improvements and repairs to the museum and then last year talked about the need to have control over the museum for a minimum of 25 years to allow us to obtain grant funding for the repairs and improvements, well I can tell you that the Trustees decided to put in a Community Asset Transfer to our landlords Aberdeenshire Council for Ownership of both the museum and what I call the museum field and in February this has been approved. Although the legal side has not been completed, we as Alford and Donside Heritage Association will be the owners of the whole museum site. This will now put us in a position to obtain grant funding for the repairs and improvements we know need to be done, it is likely this work will be split into phases and we have been talking to the council planning department and HES about the repairs and improvements and what constraints there will be, bearing in mind this is a grade A listed building, we have also started the process of looking at what grant funding we may be able to obtain. This is probably going to be a bit of a protracted process and will also take a huge amount of work so if there are any of you here tonight who feel they could help us in the museum either with this project or even to just assist in keeping the museum running so the trustees can find more time to cover the extra workload please let us know. 

As far as displays in the museum are concerned, we have had the now annual changeover of the tractors we have on loan and have swopped the Nuffield’s for 2 Massey Fergusons and a Fordson, we have added a Caulder thrashing mill to the collection and the reaper which has been in the workshop for nearly 2 years is now restored and out on display. 

There has been quite a lot of work to freshen up some of the displays at the front of the museum and we have a new temporary exhibition about the church in Alford. 

Cataloguing of the collection has continued during the winter months and a concerted effort has been made to tidy up the museum which although work in progress is having an impact. 

We have also undertaken the museum 5 yearly electrical safety check. 

Last year we held two fairs, a tractor run, model exhibition, the steam and stationary engine event, the Hamewith concerts and a concert b which reminds me this year’s concert date has just been set and will be on 31st July. We also 



took part in the Alford Christmas festivalfor the first time, which saw a huge numberof
visitors visiting the museum for the first time.
We have a very similar set of events planned for this year. startingwith the Spring Fair on
31st Maywhere we have over 40 stalls booked followed bythe tractor run which is later
this year. being on 29th June. Full details of dates are on the website.
Unfortunately,
ho has managed the museum finances forwe think over
10 years, certainly from before most ofthe trusteesjoined the museum has resigned as
unfortunately, she is sufferingfrom mobility problems, she cannot be with us tonight
and we are already missing her as normally she would be organisingthe refreshments.
doingthe treasurers report, and then counting up any monies received.
andled
everything in a practical matter offactway and has put in a huge amount of work forthe
museum overthese past years and although she is not here we felt we should mark her
retirement f rom the trustees publicly tonight so can l ask
to come and accept a
little bunch of flowers O￿lbehaLf
ill deliverthem ￿tOMorrOW
with our best wishes. there is a card on front desk if anyone would like to sign it and has
not done so already.
I would now like to thank all myfellow trustees who put in many hours ofwork forthe
museum, the volunteers be theyfront desk. back shed or somewhere in between, again
thankyou for allyour help as we could not run the museum without you.
Can l also thank our Sponsors who have put up money to help with the running costs of
the museum whose names are on the sponsors board above the front desk and the
people who have donated items forthe collection overthe pastyear or loaned us items
for display.
Finally, can I thank all ofyou who have come here tonight forthe interestyou show in the
museum and the supportyou provide. I hope you have enjoyed your evening, and I look
forward to seeing you at our events during the year.
Can I finish with a little commercial and remind anyone who has not signed up as a
friend of the museum membership that forthe payment of £12 for a single membership
£20 for a joint and £25 for a family membership you can enjoy unlimited visits to the
museum, free entryto the fairs and discounted concert tickets and also to remind you if
you have not signed a GiftAid form that this will allow us to reclaim another 25% on your
membership subscription.
1￿ May2025

## _Alford Heritage Museum_ 

## Reg. Charity Number. SCO 50799 

Receipts & Payments Account Account for year to 31st December, 2024 

|**Opening Balances**<br>Bank<br>Cash in hand<br>**Add Income**<br>Tickets<br>Shop<br>Memberships<br>Events<br>Donations<br>Grants<br>Advertising and Events<br>Gift Aid<br>Collection S<br>Sponsors<br>Room Hire<br>Misc. Income<br>**Less Expenditures**<br>Phone & Electricity<br>Maintenance Repairs<br>Shop<br>Rent & Rates<br>Advertising & Events<br>Fire<br>Administration<br>Gratuities & Volunteer Support<br>Purchase of Equipment<br>Collection P<br>Insurance<br>Events<br>Bank Charges<br>MD Officer<br>Grants<br>Misc<br>Architects<br>Surplus/-Deficit<br>**Closing Balances**<br>Bank Statement<br>Uncleared income<br>Uncleared cheques<br>Balance per cashbook<br>Cash in hand|33467.46<br>25.70<br>33493.16<br>7638.90<br>1735.62<br>899.00<br>5843.76<br>3016.36<br>2000.00<br>251.25<br>16.00<br>2450.00<br>1193.00<br>662.07<br>25705.96<br>2378.77<br>7164.85<br>975.30<br>1350.00<br>404.04<br>1524.19<br>1010.00<br>1103.13<br>212.15<br>1397.57<br>1962.22<br>90.42<br>236.24<br>6330.00<br>26138.88<br>-432.92<br>33060.24<br>33052.12<br>0.00<br>0.00<br>33052.12<br>8.12<br>33060.24<br>2024|33467.46<br>25.70<br>33493.16<br>7638.90<br>1735.62<br>899.00<br>5843.76<br>3016.36<br>2000.00<br>251.25<br>16.00<br>2450.00<br>1193.00<br>662.07<br>25705.96<br>2378.77<br>7164.85<br>975.30<br>1350.00<br>404.04<br>1524.19<br>1010.00<br>1103.13<br>212.15<br>1397.57<br>1962.22<br>90.42<br>236.24<br>6330.00<br>26138.88<br>-432.92<br>33060.24<br>33052.12<br>0.00<br>0.00<br>33052.12<br>8.12<br>33060.24<br>2024||29700.99<br>9.66<br>29710.65<br>7142.99<br>1630.20<br>1027.00<br>4704.94<br>5842.49<br>15797.63<br>27.56<br>0.00<br>124.35<br>1970.00<br>223.85<br>38491.01<br>2660.72<br>678.84<br>887.37<br>900.00<br>1684.98<br>826.74<br>2115.47<br>1397.50<br>428.37<br>211.30<br>2744.72<br>189.97<br>88.77<br>5212.00<br>600.00<br>911.75<br>13170.00<br>34708.50<br>3782.51<br>33493.16<br>33467.46<br>0.00<br>0.00<br>33467.46<br>25.70<br>33493.16<br>2023|29700.99<br>9.66<br>29710.65<br>7142.99<br>1630.20<br>1027.00<br>4704.94<br>5842.49<br>15797.63<br>27.56<br>0.00<br>124.35<br>1970.00<br>223.85<br>38491.01<br>2660.72<br>678.84<br>887.37<br>900.00<br>1684.98<br>826.74<br>2115.47<br>1397.50<br>428.37<br>211.30<br>2744.72<br>189.97<br>88.77<br>5212.00<br>600.00<br>911.75<br>13170.00<br>34708.50<br>3782.51<br>33493.16<br>33467.46<br>0.00<br>0.00<br>33467.46<br>25.70<br>33493.16<br>2023|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||
|||||||
||||||33493.16|



I have examined the foregoing statement along with the Cash Book and Bank Statements and found all to be in order. 

19/05/2025 

Auditor 

Dated 



APPENDIX 3
oscr
Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator
Inde
endent examiner's re
ort on the accounts
Report lo the
trusteeslmembers of
Alford Herita e Museum
Registered charty
number
On the accounts of the
charity for the period
SCO 50799
Period start date
Period end date
Year
to
2￿24
31"
2024
Set out on pages
Respective
responsibiltties of
trustees and examiner
The eharfty's trustees are res￿￿n￿bleY0r Ihè wèparalfjc￿ of thè accwnts In attordance Mdth tha
teThs of Ihe CharTbes and Trustee Investment ISc<thndl 2(M)5 Act and the Charities Accounts
IScoUandl Regulab"ons 2006. The charty trustees conshler that the audit requirement of
Regulatson 10111 Idl ol the Accounts Regukb"ons does not apply. It Lg my rasponslblllty to examlna
Ihe accounts a5 required under secticn 44111 Ic) ofthe Ad and to state whether particular matters
have come to my attention.
Basis of independent
examiner's statement
My examination 15 caTried out in acCOrdar￿ wryth Regulation 11 of the Charibes Accounts
IScoUandl Regulations 2006. An examinal*M indudes a rewew of the accounting records kept by
Ihe charity and a comparison ofthe ￿OUnts presented N¥ith Ihose recorts. It also includes
considéralk*n of any unusual items or disclosures in the attounts and sèeks explanatlons from t
Injslees conceming any suth matter5. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the ewdence
that woukl be required n an audit and. cowuenty. I do not express an audit opinion on the
accounts.
Independent examiner's
statement
In the course of my examinat*)n. no matter has come to my attention lother than that disdosed on
Ihe attached pagèi
whKh gives me reaSona￿e cause lo b￿￿Ve Ihal in any material resFECt the requirements:
to keep accounting records in accordance k%qlh section 44111 lal of Ihe 2005 Act and
Regulation 4 ofthè 20C6 Atttyjnts Règulations. and
to prepare accounts vthith accord Mrylh the accounting r￿d5 and comply with Regulation 9
of the 20(E Accounts Regulats)ns
havè not been met or
to which. in my twnbn. attention shryjkl b& dra%￿ in ordèr to ena￿9 a pryr understandlrrfJ
of the att￿JntS to be reached.
Signed:
Date:
th
May. 2025
Name..
Relevant professional
qualification{s) or body
{if anyl..
Address..
'￿ase d8￿te Ihe the tKack*WS il Il¥** th* 11 t￿* (k) set<Xrtll￿ maltws h8￿ toymjiatt8ntK￿ Iha
frAkw"ng pAge

APPENDIX 3
Disclosure section
Only complete rf the examiner needs to highlight material problems.
Give here brief details of
any items that the
examiner wishes to
disclose