Agenda item

The Joint Committee received a report from the Museum Director that gave an update on Museum business (for copy see file of Minutes).

Performance – The Museum were 16% up on visitor numbers and admissions income from the previous year.  Visitor numbers were strong in August and performance continued to do well in September with 45-50,000 visitors expected.  The Museum were on target to receive 500,000 visitors by the end of the financial year.  Evening tickets for winter events were already being sold.

The Museum Director highlighted the following:-

·        Celebrating Community Heritage Project- project comes to an end in September 2014. Plans were being developed to outline how Beamish will sustain its support for schools and community participation in future years

·        Creative People/ Places – project continues to develop with partners in East Durham

·        HLF Bid for major capital development– bid to be finalised in November.  There was a risk in terms of raising match funding for the project.  Partnership support from Local Authorities was very important as the competition for funding will be fierce.  Talks had taken place with the Treasurer from Sunderland City Council to secure a guarantee for the funding shortfall of up to £4.5 million as this would strengthen the HLF bid and the Museum needed to show it was in a position to deliver.

·        Short term priority projects for 2013/14 and 2014/15 – to be discussed under a separate Capital Projects Report on the agenda

·        Review of Governance – waiting for Local Authorities to comment on the draft proposals. The Charities Commission had approved the change of name to Beamish Museum, dropping the Limited from the title. There would be an overlap between the first Regional Stakeholder Group and the current Joint Committee meeting.  The date of the first Regional Stakeholder meeting will be 25 October.

Resolved:-

That the report be noted.