Annual Report
SHERINGHAM AND DISTRICT PRESERVATION SOCIETY
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF TRUSTEES
The Executive Committee present their annual report and the financial statements of the Society for the year ended 31 December 2008.
Status
Sheringham and District Preservation Society is a registered charity (No. 280951) formed in August 1979 and is governed by a constitution revised at the 2004 AGM to bring it in line with current Charity Commission requirements. The accounts are compliant with current statutory requirements and in accordance with the constitution.
Principal activities
The main objectives of the Society, as defined by the constitution, are to preserve and improve features of historic interest, to promote high standards of planning and architecture and to stimulate interest in the area of benefit, which is the town of Sheringham and the parishes of Upper Sheringham and Beeston Regis. These aims are promoted by the executive committee, which meets at least monthly. All planning applications in the town of Sheringham are reviewed and comments referred to the district council where necessary. A newsletter is distributed to members regularly, a website is maintained and social events are organised. The Society is responsible for the upkeep of the newly renovated former fishing sheds on West Cliff, Sheringham, containing the Fishermen's Heritage Centre and the Peter Coke Shell Gallery. Both were opened for public viewing at Easter 2006 and remain open for as many hours as possible during the summer months each year. The Fishermen's Heritage Centre incorporates the historic Henry Ramey Upcher Lifeboat and its shed for which the Society has taken responsibility since 1983. An art exhibition has been organised annually from the earliest years of the Society's existence. As well as providing an opportunity for local artists to show and sell their work, the exhibition is now a well-anticipated annual fixture for residents and visitors.
Review of developments, activities and achievements during the year
The Annual Report for 2006 and 2007 described the first two successful seasons during which the Fishermen's Heritage Centre (FHC, also incorporating the Henry Ramey Upcher (HRU) lifeboat in its shed) and the Peter Coke Shell Gallery (PCSG) were opened to the public. With generous grant assistance from EEDA, the Norfolk Museums and Heritage Partnership and others, donations contributed by local people and those with family links to Sheringham and substantial expenditure from the Society's own reserves, the project to renovate the former Fishing Sheds and open them to the public, was almost completed by the beginning of the 2007 season.
The only major part of the project still unfinished at the beginning of 2008 was the final laying out of the West Cliff garden area situated to the south of the Shell Gallery. This area had formerly been maintained by North Norfolk District Council. The boundary wall was reinstated, an attractive planting scheme on a shingle beach theme was devised and executed by Sheringham In Bloom and extra paving was provided as a base for two new seats. The Society is grateful to the volunteers of Sheringham In Bloom and to Sheringham Plus for a grant covering half the cost. On the winding up of the Norfolk Museums and Heritage Partnership the Society also received a residual grant payment.
The Society was saddened by the death in July of Peter Coke who had generously donated a substantial proportion of his shell artworks to the Society in 2006. Most of the remainder still in his possession were bequeathed to the Society in his will. This resulted in almost a doubling of the number of pieces held by the PCSG. After the gallery had been closed at the end of the summer season, an extensive reorganisation was carried out allowing most of the expanded collection to be displayed.
Visitor numbers and voluntary donations to the FHC were similar to those in 2007. Because of the marked reduction in visitor numbers to the PCSG in 2007 compared to 2006, entry prices were reduced at the beginning of 2008. This made little difference to visitor numbers, however, so it was decided at the end of the 2008 season to allow free entry with voluntary contributions (as in the FHC) in 2009. The small craft shop was rented out for the sale of locally made craft goods and other items of interest to visitors.
The Society is represented at meetings of the North Norfolk Museums and Heritage Partnership and Maritime Heritage East (MHE). It supplies material for the MHE website which provides an information resource and promotes visitor attractions along the East Anglian coast. It is also a member of, and shares information with, other organisations representing local museums.
The annual art exhibition organised by members of the Art Section attracted a large number of entries which were again of a very high standard. A total of 229 paintings by 41 artists were exhibited, of which 55 to a value of £2,759 were sold. The Society is grateful to Angela Wells who generously donated a painting for the raffle and officially opened the exhibition. At the suggestion of the Art Committee, it is hoped that the profit from the exhibition can be donated to the improvement of the skateboarding park at Splash. Because the Society has now largely completed the Fishing Sheds renovation project, which has consumed any spare funds for the last few years, the Society was also able to make a donation to the Woodland Trust towards the upkeep of the woodland area formerly owned by Anglian Water which was recently purchased by the Town Council.
In pursuit of its aim of conserving the viability of the retail core of Sheringham and the appearance of the residential area, the Society continued to oppose vigorously a planning application by a major supermarket chain for a large retail outlet on Cromer Road. An enquiry by a Government Inspector found against the developer, but this does not seem to have settled the matter. The Society continued to support proposals for the future development of the North Norfolk District Council area contained in the Local Development Framework (LDF).
Three issues of the newsletter were issued during the year. The newsletter now contains articles of more general (especially historical) interest, not just Society news. The Society's website provided a useful source of information for members and non-members. Successful lunches were organised for members.
The Society continued to receive subscriptions from members and relies on these, on donations and the unpaid services of several individuals, most of whom are members. The Society is particularly grateful to Nancy Appleton for her dedication in keeping the FHC open daily (except when closed owing to adverse weather, as at Easter) for the whole of the summer period. At the end of the period there were 197 members of whom 17 were life members over 90 years of age. Approximately 60 former members were in arrears with their membership at the end of the year, some of whom may rejoin.
The Executive Committee believe the Society's affairs to be satisfactory and its finances secure, but are very concerned that it does not have sufficient members actively engaged in the running of the Society's activities to carry them out adequately. All the officers have been in their posts for many years and if any one were to retire it could place an unsupportable burden on the rest of the Executive Committee and put the future running of the Society in jeopardy. There is also a severe shortage of stewards in the FHC and PCSG. Methods of increasing active and involved membership were consequently under consideration during the year. 2009 will be the thirtieth anniversary of the Society's foundation and this will provide a fitting opportunity to review and bring to public attention what the Society has achieved and consider how it could evolve in the future.
The Society is grateful for the contributions of Roy Beckley and Peter and Anne Strudwick who joined the Executive Committee during the year and those of Val Bowie, Audrey Brayne, Gordon Grace and Elsie Simons, who are no longer members of it.
R Grimes
Chairman
30th March 2009