Page 42 - Phonebox Magazine May 2011

THE COWPER AND NEWTON MUSEUM Report to Annual General Meeting April 2011
Highlights of the Year
The year to 31 January has been a very successful one for the Museum. We welcomed a record number of just over 5,000 visitors, again reflecting the popularity of our Special Events, with the May Bank holiday again producing record takings. We are particularly grateful to Teapots Café for again providing the range of refreshments on such special occasions.
Following the increased visitor numbers we have also managed to achieve a financial profit for the past year. While much of the income came from our increased visitor numbers, we are also particularly grateful for generous contributions from Olney Town Council and Marcus Jordan and Co. The Council covered the costs of several building maintenance activities that started in the previous year but were completed and paid for in this financial year. Marcus Jordan handled the letting of our Cottage with such efficiency after it became vacant last summer that we had no loss of income, and they also gave generous support on other occasions throughout the year including presenting the first prize for the Friend’s Christmas draw.
In addition to the above successes and donations to our annual costs the Museum is pleased to record two generous legacies received during the year. These were from Brenda Harris of the well-established Olney family, and from George Davies of Emberton who was for many years a Trustee and most active supporter of the Museum. Their generous donations have been credited to our Appeals Fund.
Trustees, Staff, Friends and Volunteers
Starting at the end, Tony Seward who over many years has been a Trustee, Chairman and Vice Chairman, moved away from this area at the end of January. Tony made great contributions to our success over recent years, with his great knowledge of literature, his Museum qualification that he acquired during his time with us, and in particular in managing our fund-raising campaign which resulted in our acquisition of the Cowper Johnson Archive in 2006 and our
Volunteers continue to be co-ordinated and organised by our House Manager Amanda Pickard. Her enthusiasm, ideas and general involvement in all our activities have certainly played a significant part in our success over the last year. Before the end of April she will be starting a year’s maternity leave. This will leave us with serious challenges, but with her customary thoroughness she is now busily ensuring that her interim replacement Leanne Philpot, who has now started, receives proper induction before she leaves.
Finances
The attached accounts show that we managed to achieve a successful year and show a profit for the past year. As ever we are grateful to Gary Evans for all his hard work and good advice throughout the year.
Future Developments
We have continued to work closely with Milton Keynes Council and other museums in Milton Keynes to care for and attract new audiences to the heritage in this area. In particular we have carried on with developing contacts with local schools, and were very pleased to display throughout the year art work reflecting aspects of John Gilpin’s Ride which followed readings by Amanda to a number of schools.
We mentioned last year that we were developing a strategy to raise long-term funding and ensure future financial security for the Museum. In the one hundred and ten years since our foundation we have never had the benefit of an endowment fund and have always existed as an independent museum with no committed funding from central or local government. The events of this last year have emphasised to the Trustees the importance of putting our finances on a more regular basis, rather than relying on generous responses to our requests for financial support on occasions of particular need. Very shortly now we shall be launching a number of appeals requesting different methods and levels of on-going and future support. We hope that these appeals will be well received.
Peter Bennett Chairman of Trustees
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subsequent rearrangement of our displays. Tony will be sorely missed.
Despite his departure we do now have a full complement of 12 Trustees. Graham Mabbutt, an existing Trustee, has transferred to become one of the two Town Council nominated Trustees. This has opened a vacancy for David Harding, who was already a member of the Friend’s committee. For our new year, following Tony Seward’s resignation and departure, Paul Collins, who is well known in the town for his work as a School Governor, has filled his vacancy. In addition to our new Trustees we are also very pleased that Kate Bostock has taken on the position of Special Adviser on literature and exhibitions.
Whilst definitely regretting Tony’s departure we do feel that we are now very fortunate in having such a wide variety of knowledge and skills on our Board. These are supplemented by particular skills that we are able to call on when needed from among our Friends and Volunteers.
The Friends of the Museum have again been active and generous in their support. Led again by Doris Kent following Margaret Nicholson’s retirement from the Chair, they have organized coffee mornings and other fund raising events for us, notably the second hand book-sales managed by Ann Collins and the Summer Concert arranged by Ann Walker. Their year ended again with their very successful Christmas raffle coinciding with Dickens of a Christmas .
Many of the Friends also serve on the rota of regular attendees who ensure that our entrance and Shop is open and active for ten months of the year. Their number is swelled by an increased number of Volunteers who also take part on the rota, or are involved in a variety of other activities throughout the Museum. There are now over 50 of them. Special mention among these should go to Brian English in particular for his work on the emergency plan and also his conservation work.
We are very grateful to all the Friends and Volunteers who contribute so much to our success. Without them we could not function.
The activities of all these Friends and
Introducing ZOOM!
Starting in June, the Museum will be mounting a different mini-exhibition each month of the year. Called ‘Object of the Month’ these, tiny, single object exhibitions will celebrate the stories behind an item in its collection.
June’s object is a large, patchwork bedspread that belonged to William Cowper. Who was the lady that made it for him? How and, maybe even, why? ZOOM
along to the Museum in June and find out!