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Annual Report and Accounts 2017–18 Annual Report and Accounts 2017−2018 Science Museum, London Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester National Railway Museum, York Locomotion, Shildon National Science and Media Museum, Bradford National Collections Centre, Wroughton SCMG Enterprises Ltd HC 1307 Science Museum Group Annual Report and Accounts 2017–18 Presented to Parliament pursuant to Section 9 (8) of the Museums and Galleries Act 1992 Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 10 July 2018 HC 1307 © Crown copyright 2018 This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. This publication is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to us at insert contact details here. ISBN 978-1-5286-0485-7 CCS0618774508 06/18 Printed on paper containing 75% recycled fibre content minimum Printed in the UK by the APS Group on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office SMG Annual Report and Accounts 2017−18 Contents 1 Science Museum Group 5 2 Achievements and Performance 7 Grow ‘science capital’ in individuals and society 8 Grow our audiences and exceed their expectations 11 Sustain and grow our world-class collection 15 Extend our international reach 17 Transform our estate 19 Harness the potential of digital 21 Increase income 23 Enabling activities 24 Financing and fundraising 26 Performance 28 3 Financial Review 29 4 Remuneration Report 32 5 Sustainability Report 37 6 Statement of Board of Trustees’ and Director’s Responsibilities 40 7 Governance Statement 41 8 The Certificate and Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General to the Houses of Parliament 50 9 Financial Statements 52 3 SMG Annual Report and Accounts 2017−18 4 SMG Annual Report and Accounts 2017−18 1. Science Museum Group Purpose and objectives The Science Museum Group is devoted to the history and · Care for, preserve and add to the objects in its collections contemporary practice of science, medicine, technology, · Secure that the objects are exhibited to the public industry and media. Its collections form an enduring · Secure that the objects are available to persons seeking record of scientific, technological and medical change to inspect them in connection with study or research, and since the 18th century. They are the largest, most · Generally promote the public’s enjoyment and comprehensive and most significant in their field anywhere understanding of science and technology and of the in the world. The Group incorporates the Science development of those subjects, both by means of the Museum, the Science Museum Library and the Wellcome Board’s collections and by such other means as they Collections of the History of Medicine in South Kensington; consider appropriate. the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester; the The vision and mission for the Group, as agreed by the National Railway Museum in York and Locomotion in Board of Trustees of the Science Museum in December Shildon; and the National Science and Media Museum in 2016 is set out in section 2 below. This takes due regard Bradford. Collections stores are located at Wroughton, of the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public Wiltshire and Blythe House in West Kensington, London. benefit and informs all decision-making, future planning As defined in the 1983 National Heritage Act, the Science and strategic priorities. Museum Group’s charitable objectives are to: History and organisation The Science Museum has its origins in the South museum transferred fully to the Science Museum Group. Kensington Museum set up soon after the Great Exhibition The National Science and Media Museum was established of 1851. The South Kensington Museum was reorganised in 1983 as the National Museum of Photography, Film as the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Science & Television, with the support of Bradford City Council. Museum in 1909. The Science Museum expanded outside The National Collections Centre at Wroughton, a former London and the National Railway Museum, which opened Second World War airfield, was made available to the in 1975, was established as a result of the transfer of Science Museum by the Ministry of Defence in 1979. The the British Transport Commission’s railway collection Museum of Science and Industry opened in 1969 as the to the Board of Trustees of the Science Museum. The North Western Museum of Science and was registered National Railway Museum at Shildon was opened in as a charity in 1987; it joined the Science Museum Group 2004 in partnership with Sedgefield Borough Council. On in 2012. 1 December 2017 the operational responsibility for the Legal status and Group structure The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum is the and the Museums and Galleries Act 1992. The Science corporate body of the Science Museum Group and was Museum Group is an exempt charity under Schedule 3 of established under the National Heritage Act 1983. Until the Charities Act 2011, with DCMS acting as its principal 1984, the Group was managed directly by Government regulator for charity law purposes, and is recognised as when it ceased to operate as part of a Government charitable by HM Revenue & Customs. department. It now has the status of a non-departmental The Group has a wholly owned subsidiary trading public body (NDPB), operating within the public sector company, SCMG Enterprises Ltd (company registration but at arm’s length from its sponsor department, the no. 02196149), set up in 1988 and operating across all the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). Group’s museums. These accounts fulfil the requirements of the 1983 Act 5 SMG Annual Report and Accounts 2017−18 Museum addresses Science Museum National Railway Museum National Science and Media Museum Exhibition Road Leeman Road Pictureville London York Bradford SW7 2DD YO26 4XJ BD1 1NQ Museum of Science and Industry Locomotion Liverpool Road Shildon Castlefield County Durham Manchester DL4 1PQ M4 3FP Company addresses Entity Registered Charity Registered office number registration SCMG Enterprises Ltd 02196149 – Science Museum Exhibition Road London SW7 2DD List of Science Museum Group advisers Science Museum Group SCMG Enterprises Ltd Auditors Comptroller and Auditor General PKF Littlejohn National Audit Office 1 Westferry Circus 157–197 Buckingham Palace Road Canary Wharf London SW1W 9SP London E14 4HD Bankers Barclays Bank plc Barclays Bank plc Floor 27 Floor 27 1 Churchill Place 1 Churchill Place London E14 5HP London E14 5HP Solicitors The Group draws advice from a range of solicitors by sector, which this year included: Bates Wells Braithwaite CMS Cameron McKenna LLP DWF Farrer & Co. Fladgate Hansel Henson Kuits Mills & Reeve LLP Veale Wasbrough Vizards The Group also has access to other legal firms on the London Universities Purchasing Consortium panel. 6 SMG Annual Report and Accounts 2017−18 2. Achievements and Performance Science Museum Group strategic objectives Each Science Museum Group museum has its own distinct identity and remit, but the Group also recognises the opportunities it has as a group and its capacity to be greater than the sum of its parts. The Science Museum Group has a Group-wide vision and mission, together with seven Group-wide strategic priorities, which provide the framework for activity across the Group up to 2030. Group vision: Strategic priorities A society that celebrates science, technology and Seven key priorities drive Science Museum Group activity: engineering and their impact on our lives, now and in the Core priorities future. 1. Grow ‘science capital’ in individuals and society. 2. Grow our audiences and exceed their expectations. Group mission: 3. Sustain and grow our world-class collection. We inspire futures by: Supporting priorities 4. Extend our international reach. · Creative exploration of science, technical innovation and 5. Transform our estate. industry, and how they made and sustain modern society. 6. Harness the potential of digital. · Building a scientifically literate society, using the history, 7. Increase income. present and future of science, technology, medicine, transport and media to grow science capital. The first three – science capital, audiences and collections · Inspiring the next generations of scientists, inventors – are designated as core priorities, fundamental to and engineers. our statutory responsibilities and all we do. The other four – international, estate, digital and income – may be Focus of each museum: considered as supporting priorities. These are the areas in which a need for significant growth or change has been · The Science Museum explores the science, technology, identified, even where the activity might otherwise be seen engineering, mathematics and medicine that shape our as ‘business as usual’. lives. These priorities underpin all of the Group’s work. · The Museum of Science and Industry explores how ideas can change the world, from the Industrial Revolution to A number of actions were identified towards the today. achievement of these priorities and the annually updated plan is structured around these. Our achievements and · The National Railway Museum explores the huge impact of railways on Britain and the wider world. performance are set out against these seven priorities and their associated actions. · The National Science and Media Museum explores the transformative impact of image and sound technologies on our lives. 7 SMG Annual Report and Accounts 2017−18 Grow ‘science capital’ in individuals and society The Science Museum Group’s offer and reputation for Building Bridges: We completed the final year of this lifelong, informal STEM learning and engagement will be five-year project at the Science Museum. The project the best in the world. aimed to engage and inspire young people from diverse backgrounds in exploring and valuing the science that The Science Museum Group plays a central and shapes their lives.
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