REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 01808079 (England and Wales)

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 289555

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND

UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

FOR

FARMLAND MUSEUM(THE)

Page

Report of the Trustees

1

to

3

Independent Examiner's Report

4

Statement of Financial Activities

5

Balance Sheet

6

to

7

Notes to the Financial Statements

8

to

18

The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2024. The trustees have adopted the provisions of 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).

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Objectives and aims

The objects are the promotion of the education of the public in the social and natural history, geology and archaeology of England with particular reference to agriculture and agricultural history in Cambridgeshire and the Fens.

Public benefit

In setting our objectives and planning our activities, the Trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit. In particular, the Trustees have considered how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set.

The Trustees have complied with the duty in Section 4 of the 2011 Charities Act to have due regard to guidance published by the Charity Commission, including public benefit guidance.

The activities of the trust educate the public in the social and natural history, geology and archaeology of England, with particular reference to agriculture and agricultural history in Cambridgeshire and the Fens.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Chairs Report for the Farmland Museum for the year ending December 2024

The museum has had another successful year with a slight increase in visitor numbers. May and August numbers were better this year. Income has improved again, especially from the café.

A Catering Manager was appointed beginning of the year and has refreshed our café offering with a much wider choice including vegan options. Catering support staff were still very difficult to find due to the seasonal and part time requirements, but we managed to fill gaps with staff and volunteers. Posts and hours are under review for the 2025 season.

The education team has been boosted by the appointment of a part time education officer, for a 12 month period, funded by a grant from the October fund, administered by CCF. This has increased the number of schools visits to the museum, including pupils excluded from main stream education, scout and guide groups as well as outreach sessions with schools and fayres.

Other grants received during the year include:

*

Share East grant for energy efficient lighting over the site.

*

AIM grant for restoration of the potato cart and training of volunteers and rebuild of the wheels by a wheelwright.

*

SCDC Green Business Development plan grant for purchase of IR heaters to reduce energy bill.

*

SCDC Community Chest fund grant for replacement of old guttering.

*

SCDC Rural England Prosperity fund grant for rebuilding the museum website.

A Museum Development SE Access audit has been completed and will inform the business plan for site development.

A fundraising consultancy project has been completed to advise a workable fundraising plan and our options.

We have had a number of exhibitions, events and children's activities which have proved popular and successful, especially May Day, 1940s re-enactors, Father's Day steam up, heritage craft weekend and Anglo-Saxon weekend.

English Heritage work on the restoration of the cottage is ongoing, but we hope to have this open again for 2025.

Visitor numbers

Month

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

March

-

-

-

-

-

430

549

579

April

1,399

1,231

1,442

covid

200

1,613

1,378

1,213

May

1,270

1,225

1,412

covid

581

1,377

1,704

1,946

June

1,021

774

845

covid

781

1,369

1,382

1,158

July

1,432

1,024

869

covid

985

1,391

1,544

1,322

August

2,119

1,713

1,714

481

2,375

2,439

2,191

2,514

September

1,025

811

765

975

1,031

1,465

1,542

1,310

October

1,204

865

753

943

1,004

1,168

1,071

1,324

Total

9,470

7,643

7,800

2,399

6,954

11,252

11,361

11,366

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Financial position

At the year end, the General Fund showed a deficit of £18,862 compared to a deficit of £18,427 at the end of 2023. This negative balance takes into account longer term creditors, and the unrestricted net current asset position is £74,725 (2023: 76,361). This is higher than the figure that the Trustees have considered in their reserves policy (see below).

Reserves policy

We have a stated reserves policy to hold current assets in the General Fund representing 3 months expenditure at the year end to cover the period between January and March when the museum is not open for visitors and income is effectively zero. As noted above, at the end of 2024, the net current assets total in the General Fund was equivalent to 6 months’ expenditure which comfortably covers this.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document

The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.

Recruitment and appointment of new trustees

As set out in the Articles of Association (39-48), the Trustees have 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 Trustees so appointed shall hold office only until the next AGM and shall then be eligible for election or re-election.

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees is the person appointed as Chairman by majority at each AGM of the Charity.

The Chairman will hold office from the date of his/her appointment until determination of the AGM next following the AGM at which he/she was appointed.

The Trust may from time to time by Ordinary Resolution increase or reduce the number of Trustees but so that the number of Trustees is at no time less than three. When considering Trustees, the Board has regard to the requirement for any specialist skills needed.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Registered Company number

01808079 (England and Wales)

Registered Charity number

289555

Registered office

Denny Abbey

Ely Road

Waterbeach

CAMBRIDGE

Cambridgeshire

CB25 9PQ

Trustees

S G Archer

Ms C A Hunt

Ms V Atkinson

Dr F M Macmillan

Ms H M Phillips

S O Venn

Dr R M Williamson

Dr J R Williamson

Ms C Easterfield

Independent Examiner

Staffords

Chartered Accountants

Unit 1, Cambridge House

Camboro Business Park

Oakington Road, Girton

CAMBRIDGE

Cambridgeshire

CB3 0QH

Bankers

Barclays Bank plc

28 High Street

ELY

Cambridgeshire

CB7 4LA

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 24 October 2025 and signed on its behalf by:

S G Archer - Trustee

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Farmland Museum(The) ('the Company')

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 December 2024.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:

1.	accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by Section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

2.	the accounts do not accord with those records; or

3.	the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of Section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or

4.

the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)).

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Matthew Pettifer FCA

Staffords

Chartered Accountants

Unit 1, Cambridge House

Camboro Business Park

Oakington Road, Girton

CAMBRIDGE

Cambridgeshire

CB3 0QH

Date: .............................................

2024

2023

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

Total

funds

funds

funds

funds

Notes

£

£

£

£

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM

Donations and legacies

2

18,164

34,644

52,808

59,239

Charitable activities

5

Museum

43,956

-

43,956

39,437

Other trading activities

3

72,234

-

72,234

69,265

Investment income

4

3,948

-

3,948

3,148

Total

138,302

34,644

172,946

171,089

EXPENDITURE ON

Raising funds

6

27,119

-

27,119

26,382

Charitable activities

Museum

118,307

35,421

153,728

122,276

Total

145,426

35,421

180,847

148,658

NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

(7,124

)

(777

)

(7,901

)

22,431

RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS

Total funds brought forward

126,940

120,973

247,913

225,482

TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD

119,816

120,196

240,012

247,913

2024

2023

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

Total

funds

funds

funds

funds

Notes

£

£

£

£

FIXED ASSETS

Tangible assets

11

96,691

113,011

209,702

220,682

CURRENT ASSETS

Stocks

12

2,698

-

2,698

2,850

Debtors

13

889

-

889

3,048

Cash at bank

78,726

7,185

85,911

87,358

82,313

7,185

89,498

93,256

CREDITORS

Amounts falling due within one year

14

(7,588

)

-

(7,588

)

(13,225

)

NET CURRENT ASSETS

74,725

7,185

81,910

80,031

TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES

171,416

120,196

291,612

300,713

CREDITORS

Amounts falling due after more than one year

15

(51,600

)

-

(51,600

)

(52,800

)

NET ASSETS

119,816

120,196

240,012

247,913

FUNDS

16

Unrestricted funds

119,816

126,940

Restricted funds

120,196

120,973

TOTAL FUNDS

240,012

247,913

The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 December 2024.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for

(a)	ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and

(b)

preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime.

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 24 October 2025 and were signed on its behalf by:

S G Archer - Trustee

1.	ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements

The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) '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)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

The accounts have been prepared on a going concern basis. The charity is heavily dependent on income from relatively few funders together with admission and funds from school visits.

The Trustees have an agreement in place with administrators of the Local Government Pension Scheme concerning the significant pension liability disclosed in the notes. This provides for an initial lump-sum payment and then a series of monthly installments as disclosed in notes 14 and 15.

The Trustees are confident that the Charity will have sufficient cash to continue in business for the next 12 months from the date of this report and therefore that the Going Concern Basis of preparation is appropriate.

Significant judgements

Apart from those judgements involving estimations, the management has not made any judgements in the process of applying the entity's accounting policies that have significant effect on the amounts recognised in the accounts. There are no key assumptions concerning the future or other key sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting date that have significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next reporting period.

Income

All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Expenditure

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, 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 accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Grants offered subject to conditions which have not been met at the year end date are noted as a commitment but not accrued as expenditure.

Charitable activities

The trustees are of the view that the charity has one main activity - that of educating the public in the social and natural history, geology and archaeology of England. Charitable activity costs have therefore been allocated to this activity.

Allocation and apportionment of costs

Costs are directly allocated to restricted funds where the costs have been incurred in accordance with the terms of the restricted fund.

Tangible fixed assets

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.

Freehold property

-

2% on cost

Fixtures and fittings

-

25% on reducing balance

Stocks

Stocks are valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value, after making due allowance for obsolete and slow moving items.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits

The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charitable company's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.

Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a maturity of 3 months or less from the date of acquisition of the opening of the deposit.

Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments and accrued income are recognised at the amount prepaid or accrued net of any trade discounts due.

Creditors

Creditors are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.

2.	DONATIONS AND LEGACIES

2024

2023

£

£

Donations

18,164

11,180

Grants

34,644

48,059

52,808

59,239

Grants received, included in the above, are as follows:

2024

2023

£

£

South Cambridgeshire District Council

13,482

1,800

Heritage Lottery Fund

5,000

-

Cambridgeshire County Council

498

612

AIM Conservation

2,815

-

Cambs Community Foundation

9,360

41,804

Cause 4

-

1,000

Museums in Cambridge

-

383

Share Museum East

2,980

2,460

Fen Edge Community Grant

509

-

34,644

48,059

3.	OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES

2024

2023

£

£

Shop income

8,151

8,564

Bookshop income

1,124

987

Cafe Income

61,197

58,238

Hire of Site

1,225

725

Sundry income

537

751

72,234

69,265

4.	INVESTMENT INCOME

2024

2023

£

£

Deposit account interest

3,948

3,148

5.	INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES

2024

2023

Activity

£

£

Admissions

Museum

23,405

21,852

School & course fees

Museum

4,551

1,585

EH management agreement

Museum

16,000

16,000

43,956

39,437

6.	RAISING FUNDS

Other trading activities

2024

2023

£

£

Shop stock

4,481

3,678

Cafe stock & costs

22,638

22,704

27,119

26,382

7.	NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):

2024

2023

£

£

Depreciation - owned assets

10,980

11,252

8.	TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 December 2024 nor for the year ended 31 December 2023.

Trustees' expenses

There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 December 2024 nor for the year ended 31 December 2023.

9.	STAFF COSTS

2024

2023

£

£

Wages and salaries

83,479

59,021

Other pension costs

1,502

1,693

84,981

60,714

The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:

2024

2023

Museum

2

2

Cafe

2

2

VSA

1

1

5

5

No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000.

The key management personnel of the charity comprise the Trustees and the Museum Manager. Total employee costs of the Museum Manager totalled £29,120 (2023: £18,082).

10.	COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

funds

funds

funds

£

£

£

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM

Donations and legacies

11,180

48,059

59,239

Charitable activities

Museum

39,437

-

39,437

Other trading activities

69,265

-

69,265

Investment income

3,148

-

3,148

Total

123,030

48,059

171,089

EXPENDITURE ON

Raising funds

26,382

-

26,382

Charitable activities

Museum

102,445

19,831

122,276

Total

128,827

19,831

148,658

NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

(5,797

)

28,228

22,431

Transfers between funds

40,588

(40,588

)

-

Net movement in funds

34,791

(12,360

)

22,431

RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS

Total funds brought forward

92,149

133,333

225,482

TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD

126,940

120,973

247,913

11.	TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

Fixtures

Freehold

Plant and

and

property

machinery

fittings

Totals

£

£

£

£

COST

At 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024

340,580

120,215

69,389

530,184

DEPRECIATION

At 1 January 2024

168,950

79,589

60,963

309,502

Charge for year

6,383

3,546

1,051

10,980

At 31 December 2024

175,333

83,135

62,014

320,482

NET BOOK VALUE

At 31 December 2024

165,247

37,080

7,375

209,702

At 31 December 2023

171,630

40,626

8,426

220,682

12.

STOCKS

2024

2023

£

£

Stocks

2,698

2,850

13.	DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

2024

2023

£

£

Trade debtors

405

300

Other debtors

30

478

Prepayments and accrued income

454

2,270

889

3,048

14.	CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

2024

2023

£

£

Social security and other taxes

-

927

Other creditors

4,638

9,708

LGPS creditor

1,200

1,200

Accruals and deferred income

1,750

1,390

7,588

13,225

15.	CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE AFTER MORE THAN ONE YEAR

2024

2023

£

£

LGPS creditor (1-5 years)

4,800

4,800

Other creditors

9,000

9,000

LGPS creditor (>5 years)

37,800

39,000

51,600

52,800

Other creditors of £9,000 comprise of an interest-free loan has been advanced by a supporter of the Museum to assist with cash flow. The lender has indicated that there are no specific repayment terms and that the loan is only repayable once the Museum's cash flow permits.

Agreement has been reached with the Local Government Pension Scheme on a staged repayment of the Museum's pension liabilities. The amount shown represents the instalments due from 2024 onwards.