The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Companies Act 2006 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 2019).
Purposes and aims
Our charity's purposes are as set out in the objects clause contained in the company's Memorandum of Association:
To restore and promote the permanent preservation, for the benefit of the public generally and especially the inhabitants of the city of Londonderry of a Memorial at the Royal Bastion, City Walls, Londonderry to the Late Reverend George Walker, joint Governor of the city of Londonderry during the siege of 1689 and
to establish and maintain for the education and benefit of the public generally and especially the inhabitants of the city of Londonderry museums, interpretive or heritage centres within the City Walls of Londonderry to depict by display and chronicles, the attainments of the Scottish, English and French Protestant settlers and descendants in the City and County of Londonderry with a permanent feature on the events of 1688 – 1689 incorporating the Reverend Doctor George Walker’s influence on the besieged and his subsequent national acclaim
The focus of our work
Our main objective for the year
to provide tours and exhibitions for the benefit of the public relating to the Glorious Revolution of 1688, with history and heritage around the walls of Londonderry through the siege heroes trail and other events within the city
Who use and benefit from our services?
Our objects and funding focus on the promotion, education and preservation of the historical events surrounding the Great Siege of 1689 and the benefit extends to the general public within Northern Ireland and Ireland, international visitors, educational bodies and cross community initiatives. A core element of the project will be the development of new teaching materials on the history of the Great Siege, for primary and secondary schools, which will link in with both the Northern Ireland and Ireland educational syllabuses
The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
The Siege Museum is delighted to continue welcoming cultural groups, community associations, school parties, university students and individual tourists to our exhibition during the year. We are especially pleased to welcome many international academics introduced by Queen's University and students from several universities based in the United States participating in conflict resolution studies. The visitors found the museum and our explanations useful and valuable to understand the complex road to peace in Northern Ireland. The gallery continues to offer a welcoming environment to all groups that wish to understand the culture associated with the Great Siege of Londonderry and its legacy.
Special visitors: Throughout the year we were pleased to welcome many influential visitors to our exhibition. On Wednesday 22nd May we welcomed seven Parades Commission Officers and their secretary. We took the opportunity to provide a short walk along the city walls, offer a view of the western area of our city and surrounding locations from the top of Walker’s plinth and convey a guided tour of the museum. A positive discussion took place relating to many aspects relevant to the Apprentice Boys Association and the importance of the museum as a centre of understanding and reconciliation.
We were delighted to welcome Mr. Iain Greenway Director, Culture Division, Department for Communities, to the museum on Thursday 3rd July. Ian received a guided tour and discussed the purpose of the museum, the bridge building through understanding and improved community relations that evolves through knowledge of history.
We were pleased to have an unexpected visit from Mr. C.E. Lord OBE. JP. Deputy Governor and Senior Trustee of The Honourable The Irish Society. Our guest was most complimentary of our museum and its content and assured us that he will return with other members of the Society in the future.
We were again pleased to welcome the newly appointed Secretary and Executive Officer of the Honourable Irish Society, Mr Duane Farrel, on the 6th October.
On Wednesday 9th October we were pleased to welcome the Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly to the museum. The Minister assured us of her support and commitment to secure funding to create a unique viewing location at the tower of the Memorial Hall. The viewing point will offer a bespoke opportunity to attract new visitors and ensure the sustainability of the museum.
On Friday 15th November we welcomed Liz Steel, Cultural and Heritage Manager, Tourism Northern Ireland and Jenifer O’Donnell Derry City & Strabane District Council Tourism Manager. A positive discussion ensued on how the museum could develop and attract new audiences in future years.
Recent projects include:
Radius Housing Funding. It was pleasing to secure funding to invite 10 groups from Radius Housing locations to partake in a guided walk of the walls, visit the Loyal Order Meeting Rooms and tour the Siege Museum. The funding covered travel costs, entrance to the museum, a pamphlet on the siege and refreshments in the Memorial Hall.
Derry City & Strabane District Council: Following a funding application to DC&SDC Cultural Organisations Fund, we were pleased to secure funding to assist towards museum overheads for a period of three years.
DC&SDC Heritage Animation and Visitor Servicing Fund. We were pleased to secure the maximum amount from this funding source. The income will assist with staff salaries and summer animation of the museum.
Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Fund: Funding totalling €15,000.00 was secured towards sponsoring group visits to the Siege Museum. The funding provided a guided tour, refreshments, coach travel and a booklet on the siege
Partnerships:
The museum continues to be represented on a Walled City Heritage Venues Group coordinated by officials from Derry City & Strabane District Council. This committee will pioneer and encourage visitors to the heritage venues around the walls and the city in general. A visitor pass scheme has been created and managed by Visit Derry. This enterprise has yet to reach its anticipated potential for the museum and other participating visitor attractions. Despite the initial disappointment, we believe the pass could be a success with improved marketing, which will increase sales and add to the museum footfall during the incoming year.
Accreditation:
A Trustees subcommittee continue to review and appraise the accreditation award we obtained last year. Our focus is now designed to ensure the policies and plans are maintained and the museum retains the high standard we have achieved to comply with the qualification. We hope the accreditation will enhance prospects for sustainability, assist future funding applications and most importantly, comply with conditions set out by funding agencies that contributed towards the construction of the museum.
Social media:
The Siege Museum's website displays all relevant information concerning the museum, introducing events & programmes, opening hours, admission prices, facilities and directions. Facebook and X ensure visitors are updated with relevant events, including talks and tours that are taking place.
Outreach vehicle:
Volunteers continue to attend events and activities to encourage visitors to the museum. Their promotional activity is warmly appreciated and greatly enhances the museum, raises the profile, creates awareness and encourages footfall to our exhibition.
2024 has been an encouraging year with an increase in tourists visiting the city. We look forward to increasing our tourism potential and creating additional footfall. We eagerly look forward to exciting challenges and new ideas to promote the visitor experience.
The Trustees have secured funding from Derry City & Strabane District Council, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Reconciliation Fund, Urban Village Initiative, Radius and the Bloody Sunday Trust during the year.
The charity has recorded an overall surplus of £23,608 for the year. Income from tours of the museum has decreased slightly on the previous year and sales of souvenirs have decreased by £7k. on the previous year.
The restricted income received from funders varies from year to year depending on the projects being funded and as a consequence costs specific to projects vary accordingly. There are no restricted funds remaining at the year end. The running costs of the museum are at a similar level to the previous year and the trustees are satisfied with the financial result.
The Trustees have examined the charity's requirements for reserves in light of the main risks to the organisation. The reserves are required to meet the working capital requirements of the charity. The long term strategy is to build reserves through planned operating surpluses.
The charity is a company limited by guarantee incorporated on 7 January 2003 and registered as a charity with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. The charitable company was established under a Memorandum of Association and is governed by its Articles of Association. Member's liability in the event of the company being wound up is limited to £1.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
Under the requirements of the Memorandum and Articles of Association trustees are elected at an Annual General Meeting from amongst those persons nominated by the ordinary members. The trustees have the power at any time to appoint any person to be a trustee, either to fill a casual vacancy or as an addition to the existing trustees. Any trustee so appointed serves only until the next Annual General Meeting at which Trustees are to be elected and are then eligible for re-election. A retiring Trustee is eligible for re-election.
None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up.
The trustees, who are also the directors of The Siege Museum Ltd for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company Law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that year.
In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are 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.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2024, which are set out on pages 8 to 21.
The trustees, who are also the directors of The Siege Museum Ltd for the purposes of company law, are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under company law, and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:
examine the accounts under section 65 of the Charities Act
follow the procedures laid down in the general directions given by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland under section 65(9)(b) of the Charities Act
I have examined your charity accounts as required under section 65 of the Charities Act and my examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland under section 65(9)(b) of the Charities Act. The examination included a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also included consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as charity trustees concerning any such matters.
My role is to state whether any material matters have come to my attention giving us cause to believe:
1. That accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006
2. That the accounts do not accord with those accounting records
3. That the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the methods and principles of the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland
4. That there is further information needed for a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
I have completed my examination and have no concerns in respect of the matters (1) to (4) listed above and, in connection with following the Directions of the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, I have found no matters that require drawing to your attention.
to keep accounting records in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006; and
to prepare financial statements which accord with the accounting records, comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities;
to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The Siege Museum Ltd is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in Northern Ireland. The registered office is The Siege Museum, 13 Society Street, Londonderry, BT48 6PJ.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's [governing document], the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the Charities SORP "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 2019). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, [modified to include the revaluation of freehold properties and to include investment properties and certain financial instruments at fair value]. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors or grantors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Expenditure is classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges are allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:
The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the statement of financial activities.
At each reporting end date, the charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).
Stocks are stated at the lower of cost and estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell. Cost comprises direct materials and, where applicable, direct labour costs and those overheads that have been incurred in bringing the stocks to their present location and condition. Items held for distribution at no or nominal consideration are measured the lower of replacement cost and cost.
Net realisable value is the estimated selling price less all estimated costs of completion and costs to be incurred in marketing, selling and distribution.
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
Grants received
Tour income
Grant income
Outreach costs
Exhibition costs
Premises costs
Insurance
Advertising
Printing, stationery, postage and telephone
Travel and subsistence
Legal and professional fees
Bank charges
General expenses
Cost of memorabilia sold
No trustees received any remuneration for services as members of the Board of Trustees in either the current or prior financial year.
A trustee, Mr W Moore, received payments totalling £3,140 (2023: £5,500) for services for facilitation of agreed accommodations. Another trustee, Mr J Brownlee received £1,644 (2023: £1,668) in volunteer expenses. No other trustee or person related to the Charity had any personal interest in any contract or transaction entered into by the Charity during the current or prior financial year.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
Heritage assets relate to a collection of deactivated weaponry and memorabilia dating to the 36th Ulster Division and the early formation of the Ulster Volunteer Force in 1913. This collection is included at cost in the financial statements. Depreciation is not provided as it is considered to have an indefinite life. However, it is reviewed for impairment due to damage or deterioration at each reporting date.
Other collections on display in the Siege Museum are on loan from the Trustees of the Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall and are therefore not included in the financial statements.
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in an independently administered fund.
The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.
The net book value of assets totalling £11,291 which were originally purchased with restricted funds have been transferred to unrestricted reserves as there is no restriction remaining in relation to these assets. The remainder of transfers from restricted reserves to unrestricted related to funding provided to cover entrance fees to the museum or other materials provided and minor exchange adjustments where funding was paid in Euro.
The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.
The designated education fund relates to money which has been set aside for the upkeep and maintenance of the outreach vehicle.
The designated renewal and renovation fund relates to money which the Trustees have set aside for the future upkeep of the Museum building.
Other than the transactions disclosed at Note 6 to the financial statements, there were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2023 - none).