National Heritage Memorial Fund Meeting on 19 April 2016 B 2016 (4) Minutes Summary report of the Board meeting held on Tuesday 19 April 2016 at 9.30 a.m. at 7 Holbein Place, London, SW1W 8NR Present: • Peter Luff (Chair) • Kay Andrews • Neil Cossons • Sandie Dawe • Angela Dean • Roger De Haan • Jim Dixon • David Heathcoat-Amory • Perdita Hunt • Steve Miller (items 1 to 14) • Richard Morris • Atul Patel • Seona Reid • Tom Tew Observers: • Stephen Boyce Committee Business 1. Chair’s Report B 2016 (4) 1 The Chair welcomed Kay Andrews, recently appointed as Trustee for Wales, to her first meeting, and Stephen Boyce, recently appointed Chair of the Committee for the South West, as an observer to the meeting. The Board noted that the present meeting was the last for the Chief Executive, Carole Souter. The Chair and Board thanked her for her outstanding leadership over thirteen years and offered their best wishes for the future. Ros Kerslake would join as Chief Executive on 4 July. In the interim, Colin Bailey would be Accounting Officer and Acting Chief Executive, and Robin Seedhouse would be Director of Finance and Corporate Services. 2. Chief Executive’s Report B 2016 (4) 2 Carole Souter thanked the Board for their kind words and offered her own reflections on her time at NHMF/ HLF. 3. Minutes of the Board meeting on 22 March 2016 B 2016 (4) 3 1 The minutes were agreed by the Board and signed by the Chair as an accurate record. 4. Matters arising from the minutes Oral There were no matters arising not covered elsewhere on the agenda. 5. Declarations of Interest Oral Steve Miller declared a conflict of interests in Norwich Castle (item 26) as he was Head of Norfolk Museums Services. He would leave the meeting after item 14 and not participate in any HLF grant decisions on the day’s agenda. Seona Reid noted that she sat on the Tate Board alongside the architect for the Courtauld application (item 27). The Board was content that this did not represent a conflict of interests. She further noted a conflict of interests in Tate’s application to NHMF for Isaac Oliver’s First Baron of Cherbury, which would be decided at a future meeting. 6. Finance and Corporate Services Report B 2016 (4) 6 Colin Bailey, Director of Finance and Corporate Services introduced the report. Income in March had been £40m. As a result income for the year was £387m, the highest year to date. Administrative spend for the year had come in 2% under budget. The Board would see headline results from the recent staff engagement survey in May. 7. Feedback from the meeting of the Audit and Risk Committee on 13 March 2016 Oral Angela Dean, Chair of Audit and Risk Committee, fed back from the most recent meeting. The Committee would be receiving regular updates on any fraud cases and commended current fraud awareness training for staff which was receiving good feedback. The internal auditors were doing work to support Cabinet Office’s fraud and error review. 8. Feedback from Country and Regional Chairs Meeting on 12 April 2016 Oral The Chair fed back from the meeting noting attendance by five newly appointed chairs. Chairs had been supportive of the mid-term strategic framework measures, whilst counselling against introducing too much change in a narrow time frame. They welcomed the Changing Lives campaign. 9. Managing Board Business B 2016 (4) 9 Melanie Peddle, Head of Secretariat, introduced the paper which presented an action plan following up their discussion of their effectiveness in February, and sought the Board’s steer on options to help them better balance time at board meetings across grant giving, strategic and governance responsibilities. The Board agreed the action plan as presented. 2 The Board noted the importance of continuing to learn from all second round applications. 10. Communications Report B 2016 (4) 10 Louise Lane, Director of Communications, introduced the report, and showed a recent film from the Changing Lives campaign. 11. Strategy and Business Development Report B 2016 (4) 11 Judy Cligman, Director of Strategy and Business Development, introduced the report, including the headline content from the Culture White Paper. The Board would receive reports next month on the Great Places initiative and the next Skills for the Future round. Memorial Fund 12. NHMF Report B 2016 (4) 12 Fiona Talbott, Head of Museums, Libraries and Archives, presented the report. Trustees received an update on Wentworth Woodhouse. The Board noted the report. 13. Saving the Steamship Freshspring B 2016 (4) 13 The Steamship Freshspring Society (SFS) sought a grant to carry out emergency works to the SS Freshspring to enable it to be safely removed from its current berth, which was no longer viable, and towed to a new permanent berth. The SFS had been given notice to vacate by 1 July so the works were considered urgent. The Board awarded a grant of £155,000 (87%) Heritage Lottery Fund 14. Operations Report B 2016 (4) 14 Eilish McGuinness, Director of Operations, presented the report. The Board agreed: • A change in grant percentage from 78% to 75% of the total Heritage Grant award of £12,076,400 for the Windemere Steamboat Museum, reference number HG-10-05186. • An amendment to the Listed Places of Worship award for All Saints' Church, Ryde, Isle of Wight, reference number LW-15-12082 from £53,000 to £53,100 (72%) as there had been an error on the March schedule of decisions. The Board noted the paper and update on major grants. 3 SF4 First round applications for discussion and decision: Major Grants 15. Major Grants Overview Paper B 2016 (4) 15 Eilish McGuiness, Director of Operations, presented the report. The Board noted the paper. 16. Rochdale Town Hall Restoration & Revival B 2016 (4) 16 Rochdale Borough Council sought a first round pass of £13,011,300 including a development grant of £735,400 (51% of total eligible development costs) for a project to secure the future of Rochdale Town Hall and transform it into a vibrant and inclusive community hub. The scheme would restore this historic building and its interiors and create a new welcome area with interpretation and learning areas. A series of training opportunities and work placements would be provided. The Board considered the project a medium priority for support and REJECTED it in light of the available budget. 17. Paisley Museum: Telling the Stories of Paisley and the Textile Town that Influenced the World B 2016 (4) 17 Renfrewshire Council sought a first round pass of £14,999,900, including development grant of £1,924,400 (50% of total eligible development costs) towards the repair and extension of the A- listed Paisley Museum and Free Library building to provide improved gallery and community spaces, full physical access throughout the building, temporary exhibition space and a weaving studio. Horticultural training programmes would be delivered. The planetarium experience in the Coats Observatory would be redeveloped. The Board agreed this was a MEDIUM priority project. It was rejected in light of this and the available budget. 18. Transforming Bletchley Park’s core heritage to drive new audiences, develop skills and inspire future minds B 2016 (4) 18 Bletchley Park Trust sought a first round pass of £12,340,400, including development grant of £323,400 (47% of total eligible development costs) for a project to build on the transformation started through a previous HLF funded project, by opening up more of the site to visitors, telling new stories and finishing the work started in phase one to bring the facilities for visitors into the 21st century. The project would expand the current education programmes and build stronger links with the local community. There would be public access for the first time to the remaining buildings in the core museum area, the creation of new museums and galleries and a new learning hub with classrooms and a lecture theatre. The Board considered the project a high priority for support, but REJECTED it in light of the available budget. 19. SeaMore: sharing the newest national collection B 2016 (4) 19 4 National Museum of the Royal Navy sought a first round pass to tell a complete story of naval heritage through establishing a new national collection. This three year project would seek to achieve two interlocking objectives of establishing a single national collection of the Royal Navy supported by wider historic dockyard collections within a collections learning hub; and a reinterpreted and re-displayed Royal Marines Museum relocated to the historic dockyard from the current Eastney site. The Board considered the project a high priority for support and AWARDED a first round pass of £13,854,700, including development grant of £433,500 (79% of total eligible development costs) 20. Stroudwater Navigation Complete and Connected (Cotswold Canals Phase 1B) B 2016 (4) 20 Cotswold Canals Trust sought a first round pass of £14,996,800, including development grant of £1,521,800 (80% of total eligible development costs) for a project to restore and reopen six kilometres of canal between Stonehouse in the East and the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal at Saul Junction in the West. The work would involve a number of innovative engineering solutions, including a new channel under the M5 motorway, two new locks, three road bridges and one major railway bridge. Volunteer opportunities would be created and a multi-user towpath would be developed and linked to other rights of way, including the Cotswolds Way and the national cycle path network. The Board agreed the project was a MEDIUM priority for support.