THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SEVENTH MEETING OF
THE TRUSTEES OF THE NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM
21 NOVEMBER 2013
IN THE BOARDROOM
MINUTES
Present:
Lord Sterling
Linda Hutchinson
Sir Robert Crawford
Eleanor Boddington
Professor Geoffrey Crossick
Joyce Bridges
Carol Marlow
Jonathan Ofer
Eric Reynolds
Gerald Russell
In attendance:
Kevin Fewster
Margarette Lincoln
Andy Bodle
Sandra Botterell
Richard Doughty
Anupam Ganguli
Mike Sarna
Christopher Gray
Director
Deputy Director
Director, Operations and HR
Director, Commercial
Director, Cutty Sark
Director of Finance
Programming and Exhibitions Director
Museum Secretary
i.
Welcome of new Trustees
Trustees welcomed Carol Marlow and Jonathan Ofer to the Board of Trustees of
the National Maritime Museum. The Prime Minister had appointed each for
four-year terms from 12 September 2013.
ii
Election of Chair
Sir Robert Crawford, as Chair of the Sub-Committee of the Nominations
Committee which was charged with recruiting a Trustee who was electable as
the Chair of the Board, reiterated the principles of the appointment: the Prime
Minister appoints individuals as Trustees of the National Maritime Museum
and the Trustees themselves elect their Chair from their number.
In 2012, the Board had decided to look outside its current membership for a
new Chair. In parallel, the Department for Culture Media and Sport had
initiated a new procedure to ensure a public appointment process for Trustees
that would be transparent, independent of political interference, and result in
the best possible appointment by the Prime Minister.
A Public Appointments Assessor from the Office of the Commissioner of Public
Appointments chaired the selection panel (without a vote) and its other
members were Sir Robert Crawford, representing the Board of Trustees; a
Director of DCMS and an independent panel member.
Sir Robert stated that the chair of the selection panel had worked hard to
consider the many stakeholders, not least the Board of Trustees itself, and to
have an understanding of their contextual views. The process was entirely fair to
all the candidates and transparent to public scrutiny.
After interviews, the Public Appointments Assessor then made
recommendations to Ministers.
The Prime Minister had then appointed Sir Charles Dunstone as a Trustee of the
National Maritime Museum on 21 November.
Sir Robert stated that the selection panel now highly recommended Sir Charles
Dunstone to the Board as Chair. The Trustees unanimously approved the
endorsement and resolved that Sir Charles Dunstone be elected to the
Chair of the Board.
Trustees noted their gratitude to the Public Appointments Assessor and asked
the Secretary to write accordingly on their behalf and to officials at the
Department who had administered and supported the process.
Trustees thanked Sir Robert Crawford and the other members of the SubCommittee for their work in securing such an excellent Chair of the Board.
At this point the Executive was asked to join the meeting.
Trustees and the Executive then agreed the procedure for the public
announcement.
Actions: Secretary
1.
Apologies
Received from Chris Lintott.
2.
Declaration of relevant interests related to this meeting
None other than those previously declared.
3.
Draft Minutes of the previous meeting: 336 of 19 September 2013
The Board agreed the minutes to be a true record of the meeting and the
minutes were certified accordingly.
4.
Stubbs acquisition, major donation and Gibson archive
The Director reported to Trustees the successful acquisition of the Stubbs
paintings in large part thanks to the munificent donation of Mr Eyal Ofer of £1.5
million. £1.0 million of this completed the fundraising required for the two
Stubbs paintings (so there is no need to request funds from the Foundation) and
£0.5 million will go towards the refurbishment of the Queen’s House. The
donation was testament not only to the on-going support of the Ofer family but
also to the interest shown by cognoscente in the significant potential of the
Queen's House galleries to bring the Museum's art collection to a wider
audience.
Trustees wished their great gratitude to Mr Eyal Ofer for his very generous
support to be recorded in these minutes and by their accord in naming the
bridge room in the Queen's House, "The Eyal Ofer Gallery".
The Director also reported that the important Gibson Archive had been secured
for the nation at the fair price of £100k at the recent public auction.
Trustees agreed that the publicity and reputational presence received by the
Museum for the Stubbs acquisitions, coupled with the Turner & the Sea
coverage, and the acquisition of the Gibson Archive was phenomenal and
requested that the press and media team receive their congratulations and
gratitude.
Action: Director
5.
Volunteers: briefing presentation
Trustees welcomed and were enthused by the presentation of the work
undertaken by the many volunteers for the benefit of the Museum and the
public.
Trustees noted that, though the volunteers programme required a deal of
administration, their work was all in addition to that which could be delivered
by the permanent staff. Trustees were grateful for the dedication and
application of all of the individuals involved in the volunteer programme.
Volunteers were from two main age ranges. Broadly speaking the motivation for
younger members is in enhancing their CV's for employment reasons, and the
motivation for older volunteers, ranging from their 50's to their 80's, was both
social and for altruistic reasons. Volunteers were mostly from greater London
and 30% were from local areas in S.E. London.
It was confirmed that a minimum commitment of three months at a time is
requested from volunteers and that in 2012-13, at a rate of £10.00 per hour,
volunteer hours would equate to a cost of £350k per annum.
Trustees enquired about working relationships with the permanent staff. The
Director reported that the volunteer programme is very well integrated with
staff work and that it was clear to all that the benefit of voluntary work is that it
increases the Museum's capacity and its ability to carry out its Mission.
6.
Children’s Gallery presentation
Trustees noted the presentations on design, content, finance and fundraising
and agreed that this gallery will be of great importance to broadening access to
the Museum and its Mission for a most strategically significant audience group
of young children and their families.
Trustees noted that the budget was now fixed at [Information has been
exempted under Section 43 (2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000] for the
250m2 space (approved at the last meeting of the TEGFSC) and that it is
scheduled to open in March 2015 in readiness for Easter that year.
Trustees commented that much thought will need to be given to the gallery's
practical operation: from buggy marshalling to the insulation of surrounding
galleries from the likely levels of audible enthusiasm through to the placement
of donation opportunities.
Trustees also considered that it would be very important to maintain what
would clearly be a high wear-and-tear gallery regularly refreshed and that
possible branding by a cruise line could assist with this.
7.
Visions of the Universe closure report
Trustees noted and were grateful for the report on what had proved to be a very
successful exhibition.
Trustees noted that: 59% of visitors had not previously visited the Museum; the
cost effectiveness of a photographic exhibition had again been demonstrated;
and that costs had been minimised by reusing much of the infrastructure from
the Ansel Adams exhibition.
The Director stated that, although there had been too short a lead time for the
exhibition to secure sponsorship, its very success would assist in securing future
support for parallel themes. The Director also reported that it is highly likely
that the exhibition will be toured which would earn additional income to defray
the costs of bringing the artworks to the public.
Trustees then discussed the breadth and volume of audience information that is
being collected by the Museum. The Executive reported that audience research
and understanding was indeed being ramped-up with better visitor exit surveys
and more analysis and that audience segmentation work would be coming to
Trustees in the New Year. Trustees noted that 23k email addresses had been
added to the Museum's contact database in the last year.
Action: Director, Commercial
Trustees also noted that indirect costs, such as management time, are not
scheduled in the costs - though recognised that the planning and administrative
time in recognising actual and opportunity costs in doing so would be complex.
8.
New Funding / Management Agreement update
The Director stated that there was still no final draft of this important document
available from the Department.
9.
Director’s Report with KPI’s to end of September
Trustees noted that at peak times there were frustratingly long queues to board
the Cutty Sark and that the ingress needed improving.
Information has been exempted under Section 43 (2) of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000.
Otherwise, Trustees noted the Director’s report and there were no other
matters arising.
10.
Director of Finance & Enterprises Report
i. Finance Report Quarter ended 30 September 2013
The Director of Finance took Trustees through the management accounts as had
been reviewed by the Finance Committee at its 7 November meeting.
Trustees noted and approved the financial statements.
ii. Revised forecast for 2013 – 14
Trustees noted and approved the revised cash operating surplus forecast of
£875k.
Trustees also noted that the Media Lab had been postponed thus decreasing
projected capital expenditure in the year.
iii. Strategic Risks as at 30 September 2013
The Director of Finance Board stated that the Audit Committee had reviewed
the strategic risks at its meeting of 7 November. The Director of Finance
reported that the Audit Committee had requested further examination be given
to those risks shown with a net risk of amber to provide a tougher analysis of
those risks to move them to either higher or lower net risks. This work would
come forward in the next iteration of the strategic risk register for Q3 in
February.
Trustees then reviewed the strategic risks register itself and had no further
comments to make. The register was then approved pending the work that
would be undertaken on the amber risks prior to the February meeting.
Trustees then noted that the Museum would not only have to contend with a
further 5% reduction in Grant in Aid for 2015-16 but also the likelihood that
there could be further in-year reductions ahead. This would require important
decisions to be made about future priorities and their delivery. The Director
confirmed that a paper on the subject as part of corporate planning would be
coming to the February Board. Trustees agreed that a drive to generate further
self-engendered income should not threaten the quality of the Museum.
11.
Matters arising from Volume B
There were no matters arising from the information in Volume B.
12.
Retirement of Lord Sterling
Trustees noted that this would be the last meeting of the Board with Lord
Sterling. The Trustees expressed their great gratitude to Lord Sterling for his
leadership of the Board and the Museum over the past eight years and the
significant growth and achievements of those years.
13.
Next Board Meeting:
Moved to Thursday 6 March 2014.
Sir Charles Dunstone joined Trustees for their informal lunch and the
presentations of the Callender Award for 2013. After the meeting, Trustees
received a briefing in the Special Exhibitions Gallery on the Turner & the Sea
exhibition and attended the official opening that evening.
Minutes approved by Sir Charles Dunstone, Chairman
Date