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Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust Ltd is a Registered Charity, Number 1092723, for the purpose of raising funds to support the SVR. It is commonly referred to on the SVR as "the Charitable Trust", and was originally called the SVR Rolling Stock Trust. Its objectives are to help fund restoration and maintenance projects, to help arrest the decline of heritage engineering skills and to safeguard the long-term future and operational capability of the Railway.  
+
[[File:SVR_Charitable_Trust_2022.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The Charitable Trust's 10th anniversary logo]]The '''Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust''' is one of the three main organisations which make up the Severn Valley Railway. It is a Registered Charity which supports the SVR by raising funds to help restoration and maintenance projects, to help arrest the decline of heritage engineering skills and to safeguard the long-term future and operational capability of the Railway. 2022 marks the Charitable Trust's 10th anniversary.
  
==Support==
+
The Charitable Trust is a membership body. Governance is through up to nine trustees, including ex officio the chairman (or their nominee) from each of the Railway's other main organisations, [[SVR(H)|Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) PLC]] ("SVR(H)") which owns the infrastructure and operates the Railway, and [[Severn Valley Railway Company Limited]] ("the Guarantee Company") which is responsible for the membership and volunteers. The Charitable Trust's salaried executive director is Shelagh Paterson.
*The Charitable Trust funds most of the costs of the SVR’s Heritage Skills Training Academy and team of apprentices.
+
 
*Income from its endowment Future Fund will allow sustainable investment on the Railway in the years to come. Donations to the Future Fund were matched, pound for pound, by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of up to £500,000 which was reached on 26 May 2017. It has aspirations to grow the Fund to £10 million.<ref>SVRLive Charitable Trust page, 26 April 2017</ref>
+
==Origins and Objects==
*In May 2016, the Trust secured a grant of £75,000 from the Department for Transport towards a project which will transform the Railway’s facilities for disabled visitors by adapting a carriage to wheelchair use to complete the SVR’s fleet of accessible carriages, and rebuilding a second carriage to provide wheelchair-accessible dining facilities
+
=== SVR Rolling Stock Trust: 2001 to 2012 ===
*It works with supporters to ensure their wishes are kept when they decide to leave a final legacy to the Railway in their Will.
+
The Charitable Trust began as the '''SVR Rolling Stock Trust''' which, as the name implies, was originally established to support the Railway's rolling stock. The ''SVR Rolling Stock Trust Company Limited'' was incorporated on 17 December 2001 as a private company limited by guarantee, company number 04341280. As a charitable body, its Objects were:<ref>Companies House</ref>
 +
 
 +
"''To advance education for the benefit of the public by:''
 +
*''the acquisition, restoration, preservation, operation maintenance and display of heritage railway locomotives, coaches, wagons and artefacts''
 +
*''the provision of facilities for the education, training and certification of trainees in the practicalities, techniques and methods used in the restoration, repair and operation of historic railways''"
 +
 
 +
The SVR Rolling Stock Trust operated in that form for more than 10 years.
 +
 
 +
===Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust: 2012 onwards===
 +
On 29 June 2012 the Charitable Trust took on a wider remit as the SVR's general charitable trust, for which purpose it adopted its present name.<ref>SVR News 178</ref>  The current (2019) Articles of Association state that:<ref>[https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/04341280/filing-history?page=1 Companies House]</ref>
 +
 
 +
"''The Charity’s Objects are specifically restricted to the following'':
 +
*''to advance education for the benefit of the public by the acquisition, restoration, preservation and operation of heritage railway locomotives, carriages, wagons, station buildings, track and other associated infrastructure''
 +
*''establishing buildings to house and preserve the Charity’s rolling stock collection''
 +
*''the provision of educational and interpretive displays for the travelling public and''
 +
*''the provision of education and skills training used in the restoration, repair and operation of historic railways to ensure their long term survival''"
 +
 
 +
The Charitable Trust became the SVR's 'owner of last resort', "''...ensuring that various locomotives, coaches and wagons that have been lovingly restored over many years by SVR volunteers can remain at the Railway, in perpetuity. As the members of the many preservation groups inevitably age and their numbers dwindle, items of rolling stock can be donated to the Charitable Trust, in order to be absolutely certain they will remain at the Railway for the long-term.''"<ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/charitable-trust Statement from Director of Development, November 2016 on SVR Live]</ref>
 +
 
 +
The Trust is a member of the Heritage Trust Network, an umbrella organisation for built heritage preservation groups and individuals formed in 2016 from the Association of Preservation Trusts (UK-APT). Members work to restore built heritage and bring historic buildings back into community use.<ref>[http://www.heritagetrustnetwork.org.uk/our-members/severn-valley-railway-charitable-trust/ www.heritagetrustnetwork.org.uk]</ref>
 +
 
 +
==Fundraising==
 +
June 2022 marked the 10th anniversary of the Charitable Trust. Over that period it has raised £8.74m for the Railway;<ref>Platform Issue 6</ref> £6.54 million directly through the Trust and £2.2 million in emergency grants directly to the Railway.<ref>[https://www.svrtrust.org.uk/News Charitable Trust news page]</ref>
 +
 
 +
The Trust receives funds from single donations and regular giving, grant making bodies, companies and groups and gifts in Wills. In its early years it appointed Compton Fundraising Consultants. It subsequently moved to a staff and volunteer-based model.
 +
 
 +
It has sought to develop large scale fundraising, including [[:Category:Lottery funding#National_Lottery_Heritage_Fund|lottery]] funding.
 +
 
 +
To generate support from "influential individuals" the Trust may typically invite a small group to spend a day on the SVR using an Observation Saloon to make conducted visits to workshops to meet staff and volunteer craftsmen.<ref>2013 Annual Report</ref>
 +
*In addition to gifts it seeks pledges or future bequests. Those leaving a gift in their Will to the SVR Charitable Trust are invited to join the '''Guardians' Club'''.<ref name=CTDonation>[https://www.svrtrust.org.uk/index.php?page=Make%20a%20donation Charitable Trust Website 'Make a Donation'] (retrieved 12 August 2019)</ref>
 +
*Individuals donating over £100 or giving regular gifts by monthly contributions are invited to join the '''Patrons' Club'''.<ref name=CTDonation/>
 +
*It has the support of Corporate partners
  
===Current appeals===
+
In May 2016, the Trust secured a grant of £75,000 from a [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/rail-tourism-winners-announced Department for Transport competition], for a scheme to transform the Railway’s travel offering for disabled passengers. The scheme involved the restoration and conversion of [[BR 4399 Tourist Standard Open]] and [[BR 80776 Brake Gangwayed|80776]], and the purchase of lightweight, portable ramps for each of the Railway’s [[:Category:Wheelchair-accessible adapted carriages|wheelchair-accessible carriages]].
*It is appying to the HLF for funds to repair [[Falling Sands Viaduct]]
 
*The Trust supports the diesel groups' appeal seeking to improve facilities at the [[Diesel Depot |Kidderminster Diesel Depot]] which opened in June 2016.<ref>[http://svrtrust.org.uk/download/get/diesel-appeal-leaflet/107.html Diesel Leaflet]</ref> {{As of|2017|7}} donations have reached £6,430.
 
*The Charitable Trust is supporting the SVR’s ambitious Bridgnorth Development Project. {{As of|2017|11}} £83,000 has now been received for the project, including £18,000 that has been restricted to restoring the Bristol Bath Road turntable at the station.<ref>[http://www.svrlive.com/svrct-bridgnorth-project 'Bridgnorth Project' page, 28 November 2017]</ref>
 
*A rolling stock fundraising and restoration project for [[GWR 17410 'Toad' 20T Goods Brake Van | GWR Toad van 17410]] is now underway, in collaboration with the [[The LNER Carriage Group | LNER Carriage Group]]. {{As of|2017|7}} donations reached £7,275.<ref>SVRLive 'GWR Toad van 17410' page, 7 July 2017</ref>
 
*{{As of|2018|01}} it launched a £10,000 appeal to repair [[Severn_Valley_Railway_Timeline_2010-2019#2017 | damage caused by vandals]] to two coaches.  
 
 
===Previous support===
 
*It secured an HLF grant of £95,000 towards the restoration of [[GWR 4930 Hagley Hall | 4930 Hagley Hall]] .
 
*The Trust has worked closely with volunteers from the [[The LNER Carriage Group | LNER Carriage Group]] to raise funds for and in conjunction with Carriage & Wagon to complete the final restoration work on three Gresley teak carriages ([[LNER 7960 Kitchen Composite|Kitchen Composite 7960]], [[LNER 24506 Brake Third|Brake Third 24506]] and [[LNER 52255 Open Third|Open Third 52255]].) These were splendidly showcased when Flying Scotsman visited the SVR in September 2016.
 
*It contributed to the annual track re-laying work that took place in 2016 between Eardington and Bridgnorth.
 
  
==Fundraising events==
+
===Fundraising events===
Events organised by the Charitable Trust include:<ref>[http://svrtrust.org.uk/news.html Charitable Trust news page]</ref>
+
From time to time the Charitable Trust organises special fund raising events. Past events have included:<ref>[http://svrtrust.org.uk/news.html Charitable Trust news page]</ref>
*April 2014: Charity Race Day at Ludlow Races
+
*April 2014: Charity Race Day at Ludlow Races raising £62,000.<ref>2014 Annual Report</ref>
*June 2015: Charity Race Day at Worcester Racecourse raising £34,500<ref>[http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/13351423.Full_steam_ahead_as_charity_raceday_at_Worcester_Racecourse_helps_protect_our_railway_heritage/ Worcester News]</ref>
+
*June 2015: Charity Race Day at Worcester Racecourse raising £34,500.<ref>[http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/13351423.Full_steam_ahead_as_charity_raceday_at_Worcester_Racecourse_helps_protect_our_railway_heritage/ Worcester News]</ref>
 
*June 2016: Charity Race Day at Worcester Racecourse raising £22,000<ref>[http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/news/14576040.Charity_race_day_gets_Severn_Valley_Railway_on_right_track/ James Connell, 'Race day at Worcester supports Severn Valley Railway's Heritage Skills Training Academy', Malvern Gazette 23 June 2016] (Retrieved 5 March 2017)</ref>  
 
*June 2016: Charity Race Day at Worcester Racecourse raising £22,000<ref>[http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/news/14576040.Charity_race_day_gets_Severn_Valley_Railway_on_right_track/ James Connell, 'Race day at Worcester supports Severn Valley Railway's Heritage Skills Training Academy', Malvern Gazette 23 June 2016] (Retrieved 5 March 2017)</ref>  
 
*September 2016: VIP Flying Scotsman Charity Day<ref>[http://svrtrust.org.uk/news/flyingscotsman.html Charitable Trust Flying Scotsman page]</ref>
 
*September 2016: VIP Flying Scotsman Charity Day<ref>[http://svrtrust.org.uk/news/flyingscotsman.html Charitable Trust Flying Scotsman page]</ref>
 +
*The Charitable Trust took over the organisation of the annual [[Peep Behind the Scenes]] day for 2017.
 
*14 June 2017: Charity Race Day at Worcester Racecourse raising £23,000.<ref>SVR Twitter 15 June 2017</ref>
 
*14 June 2017: Charity Race Day at Worcester Racecourse raising £23,000.<ref>SVR Twitter 15 June 2017</ref>
*11 June 2018: Annual Charity Race Day at Worcester Racecourse
+
*11 June 2018: Annual Charity Race Day at Worcester Racecourse raising £13,000.<ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/epjuly18 'Express Points', July 2018]</ref>
 +
 
 +
===Current appeals and restricted funding===
 +
The Trust's website lists its current appeals (11 as at 2021) and the annual report and accounts details funds restricted by the donor to particular items or projects (19 as at 2021)<ref name=accounts21/>. In May 2022 the Trust launched an appeal to help raise £500,000 to restore [[Bridgnorth MPD|Bridgnorth Locomotive Yard]].
 +
 
 +
==Support==
 +
The Trust supports a variety of projects including rolling stock, infrastructure, permanent way, diesel, [[Bridgnorth#Bridgnorth_Development_Project|Bridgnorth development]], education and access. Its annual report and accounts, available online from Companies House, lists the projects it has supported in the previous year and the amounts committed. Major projects include:
 +
 
 +
*The Charitable Trust funds most of the costs of the SVR’s [[Heritage Skills Training Academy]] and team of apprentices. It costs £21,000 to fund an apprentice for one year, and the Trust funded £98,457 in 2019.
 +
*It secured an HLF grant of £95,000 and contributed over £500,000 to the overhaul of [[GWR 4930 Hagley Hall | 4930 Hagley Hall]]
 +
*At [[Falling Sands Viaduct]] it raised £1.25m for major repairs, completed in 2021.
 +
*Applications for the [[2020 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic|Fight Back Fund]] for which the SVR received £250,000 grant from The [[:Category:Lottery funding#National_Lottery_Heritage_Fund|National Lottery Heritage Emergency Fund]] and  £906,000 and £1,012,900 in the first and third rounds from the Culture Recovery Fund.<ref>[https://www.shropshirestar.com/entertainment/attractions/2020/07/15/severn-valley-railway-receives-250000-funding-boost-ahead-of-reopening/ Smith, R., 'Severn Valley Railway receives £250,000 funding boost ahead of reopening', Shropshire Star, 15 July 2020] (Retrieved 15 July 2020)</ref><ref>[https://www.gov.uk/government/news/445-heritage-organisations-saved-by-103-million-investment-from-government Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport] (Retrieved 9 October 2020)</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-59690403 'Covid-19: Severn Valley Railway gets £1m recovery grant, BBC, 17 December 2021] (Retrieved 17 December 2021)</ref>
 +
*It raised £475,000 to provide a new roof and overhead crane for [[Bridgnorth MPD|Bridgnorth Locomotive Works]].
  
The Charitable Trust took over the organisation of the annual [[Peep Behind the Scenes]] day from 2017.
+
In October 2017 the Trust announced it was establishing an [[The Engine House#Commemorative_Garden|In Memory Garden]] for SVR supporters, close to [[The Engine House]].
 +
 
 +
===Charitable expenditure===
 +
The report and accounts and [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/3988604/financial-history Charity Commission website] record expenditure on charitable activities by year. An incomplete record follows:
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
| <b> Financial year ending</b> || style="text-align:right;" | <b>Amount</b> || <b>Notes</b>
 +
|-
 +
| 2016|| style="text-align:right;" | £166,770 ||
 +
|-
 +
| 2017  || style="text-align:right;" | £436,890 ||
 +
|-
 +
| 2018  || style="text-align:right;" | £382,580 ||
 +
|-
 +
| 2019  || style="text-align:right;" | £695,990 ||
 +
|-
 +
| 2020  || style="text-align:right;" | £2,141,254 || Includes £691k Falling Sands Viaduct renovation and £503k bequest allocated to 4930 Hagley Hall.<ref name=accounts20>Report and Financial Statements to 30 June 2020, via Companies House</ref>
 +
|-
 +
| 2021  || style="text-align:right;" | £690,171 ||
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===Endowment Future Fund===
 +
The Trust set up an endowment Future Fund, the income from which is intended to allow sustainable investment on the Railway in years to come. It has aspirations to grow the Fund eventually to £10 million.<ref>SVRLive Charitable Trust page, 26 April 2017</ref> It appointed professional investment managers, Brewin Dolphin, to manage the investment. Donations to the Future Fund were matched, pound for pound, by a [[:Category:Lottery funding#National_Lottery_Heritage_Fund|Heritage Lottery Fund]] Catalyst programme grant of up to £500,000 which was awarded in 2013 and reached on 26 May 2017, giving a total fund value of over £1 million. {{As of|2022|07}} it had grown to £1.83 million<ref name=accounts21/>.
  
 
==Rolling stock==
 
==Rolling stock==
The Charitable Trust owns [[GWR 7819 Hinton Manor]], together with a number of [[Carriages | carriages]] and [[Goods Wagons | goods wagons]]:
+
The Charitable Trust owns [[GWR 7819 Hinton Manor]], [[BR Class 11 12099]] and a number of [[Carriages | carriages]] and [[Goods Wagons | goods wagons]]. A full list of all the rolling stock owned by the Trust can be found [[:Category:Rolling stock owned by The SVR Charitable Trust | here]].
*Some of these carriages were formerly owned by a separate body, the L.M.S & B.R. Coach Fund. The Coach Fund donated them to the Charitable Trust in 2007, following which it became a department within the Charitable Trust. The department maintains a [[L.M.S. & B.R. Coach Department Sales Coach | sales coach]] at [[Bridgnorth]].
+
 
*Three carriages were also acquired from [[The LNER (SVR) Coach Fund | the LNER (SVR) Coach Fund]] in 2010, at which time [[The LNER Carriage Group | the LNER Carriage Group]] similarly became a department within the Charitable Trust.
+
Some of these vehicles were donated to the Trust by [[List of preservation groups|preservation groups]], including the following.
*In early 2016, the [[The LNER (SVR) Coach Fund|LNER (SVR) Coach Fund]] and the [[Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) PLC|SVR Holdings Company]] transferred the ownership of their LNER carriages to the Charitable Trust, resulting in the Trust now owning all nine LNER carriages based on the SVR.
+
 
 +
*[[Hinton Manor Fund]] (ownership of [[GWR 7819 Hinton Manor]])
 +
*[[Kidderminster Shunter Fund]] (ownership of [[BR Class 11 12099]])
 +
*L.M.S. & B.R. Coach Fund transferred ownership of its carriages to the Charitable Trust in 2007, following which it became a department within the Trust. The department maintains a [[L.M.S. & B.R. Coach Department Sales Coach | sales coach]] at [[Bridgnorth]].
 +
*Three carriages were also acquired from [[The LNER (SVR) Coach Fund | the LNER (SVR) Coach Fund]] in 2010, at which time [[The LNER Carriage Group | the LNER Carriage Group]] similarly became a department within the Charitable Trust. In early 2016, the [[The LNER (SVR) Coach Fund|LNER (SVR) Coach Fund]] and the [[Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) PLC|SVR Holdings Company]] transferred the ownership of their LNER carriages to the Charitable Trust, resulting in the Trust now owning all nine LNER carriages based on the SVR.
 +
*Les Johnson and John Hancock (ownership of [[BR 993898 'Shark' Ballast Plough Brake]])<ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/bloct21 Branch Lines October 2021]</ref>
  
The Charitable Trust is the SVR's 'owner of last resort', "''...ensuring that various locomotives, coaches and wagons that have been lovingly restored over many years by SVR volunteers can remain at the Railway, in perpetuity. As the members of the many preservation groups inevitably age and their numbers dwindle, items of rolling stock can be donated to the Charitable Trust, in order to be absolutely certain they will remain at the Railway for the long-term.''"<ref>[http://www.svrlive.com/charitable-trust Statement from Director of Development, November 2016 on SVR Live]</ref> 
+
==Publications==
 +
[[File: SVR_Charitable_Trust_Platform_Issue_6.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Platform Issue 6]]
 +
'''Platform'' is the Charitable Trust's magazine. Issues 1-5 were published annually between 2015 and 2019. Issue 6 was published in July 2022 to mark the Trust's 10th anniversary. All 6 issues are available to download from the Charitable Trust's [http://svrtrust.org.uk/Downloads Downloads page] (external link).
  
A full list of all the rolling stock owned by the Trust can be found [[:Category:Rolling stock owned by The SVR Charitable Trust | here]].
+
===Shareholding in SVR(H)===
 +
The Trust is a [[Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) PLC#Notable_shareholdings|minor shareholder in SVR(H)]] by way of donated or bequeathed shares. In the 2012 Share Offer existing shareholders with small numbers of shares who did not want to increase their holding were invited to donate their shares to the Trust. In 2021 the market value was £24,435<ref name=accounts21>Report and Financial Statements to 30 June 2021, via Companies House</ref>.
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
[[The Severn Valley Railway in preservation#Current Organisation | The SVR Organisation]]<br>
+
*[[The Severn Valley Railway in preservation#Current Organisation | The SVR Organisation]]
[[:Category:Rolling stock owned by The SVR Charitable Trust | List of rolling stock owned by The SVR Charitable Trust]]<br>
+
*[[L.M.S. & B.R. Coach Department Sales Coach|L.M.S. & B.R. Coach Department]] - a department of the Trust
List of [[Charities associated with the SVR]]<br>
+
*[[The LNER Carriage Group]] - part of the Trust
[[L.M.S. & B.R. Coach Department Sales Coach|L.M.S. & B.R. Coach Department]] - a department of the Trust<br>
+
*[[Friends of 4930 Hagley Hall]] - integrated into the trust to maximise income through Gift Aid
[[The LNER Carriage Group]] - part of the Trust<br>
+
*[[Falling Sands Viaduct]]
[[Falling Sands Viaduct]]
+
*[[The Engine House#Commemorative_Garden|Commemorative Garden]]
 +
*[[Heritage Skills Training Academy]]
 +
*List of [[Charities associated with the SVR]]
 +
*[[The Severn Valley Railway in preservation#Chairmen|Charitable Trust Chairmen]]
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
Line 52: Line 119:
  
 
==Links==
 
==Links==
[http://svrtrust.org.uk/ Charitable Trust website]<br>
+
*[http://svrtrust.org.uk/ Charitable Trust website]
[http://www.svrlive.com/charitable-trust SVRLive page]
+
*[https://www.svrlive.com/charitable-trust SVRLive page]
  
  
 
[[Category:Lottery funding]]
 
[[Category:Lottery funding]]
 +
[[Category:Featured articles]]

Revision as of 14:03, 1 August 2022

The Charitable Trust's 10th anniversary logo
The Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust is one of the three main organisations which make up the Severn Valley Railway. It is a Registered Charity which supports the SVRSevern Valley Railway by raising funds to help restoration and maintenance projects, to help arrest the decline of heritage engineering skills and to safeguard the long-term future and operational capability of the Railway. 2022 marks the Charitable Trust's 10th anniversary.

The Charitable Trust is a membership body. Governance is through up to nine trustees, including ex officio the chairman (or their nominee) from each of the Railway's other main organisations, Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) PLC ("SVRSevern Valley Railway(H)") which owns the infrastructure and operates the Railway, and Severn Valley Railway Company Limited ("the Guarantee Company") which is responsible for the membership and volunteers. The Charitable Trust's salaried executive director is Shelagh Paterson.

Origins and Objects

SVRSevern Valley Railway Rolling Stock Trust: 2001 to 2012

The Charitable Trust began as the SVRSevern Valley Railway Rolling Stock Trust which, as the name implies, was originally established to support the Railway's rolling stock. The SVRSevern Valley Railway Rolling Stock Trust Company Limited was incorporated on 17 December 2001 as a private company limited by guarantee, company number 04341280. As a charitable body, its Objects were:[1]

"To advance education for the benefit of the public by:

  • the acquisition, restoration, preservation, operation maintenance and display of heritage railway locomotives, coaches, wagons and artefacts
  • the provision of facilities for the education, training and certification of trainees in the practicalities, techniques and methods used in the restoration, repair and operation of historic railways"

The SVRSevern Valley Railway Rolling Stock Trust operated in that form for more than 10 years.

Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust: 2012 onwards

On 29 June 2012 the Charitable Trust took on a wider remit as the SVRSevern Valley Railway's general charitable trust, for which purpose it adopted its present name.[2] The current (2019) Articles of Association state that:[3]

"The Charity’s Objects are specifically restricted to the following:

  • to advance education for the benefit of the public by the acquisition, restoration, preservation and operation of heritage railway locomotives, carriages, wagons, station buildings, track and other associated infrastructure
  • establishing buildings to house and preserve the Charity’s rolling stock collection
  • the provision of educational and interpretive displays for the travelling public and
  • the provision of education and skills training used in the restoration, repair and operation of historic railways to ensure their long term survival"

The Charitable Trust became the SVRSevern Valley Railway's 'owner of last resort', "...ensuring that various locomotives, coaches and wagons that have been lovingly restored over many years by SVRSevern Valley Railway volunteers can remain at the Railway, in perpetuity. As the members of the many preservation groups inevitably age and their numbers dwindle, items of rolling stock can be donated to the Charitable Trust, in order to be absolutely certain they will remain at the Railway for the long-term."[4]

The Trust is a member of the Heritage Trust Network, an umbrella organisation for built heritage preservation groups and individuals formed in 2016 from the Association of Preservation Trusts (UK-APT). Members work to restore built heritage and bring historic buildings back into community use.[5]

Fundraising

June 2022 marked the 10th anniversary of the Charitable Trust. Over that period it has raised £8.74m for the Railway;[6] £6.54 million directly through the Trust and £2.2 million in emergency grants directly to the Railway.[7]

The Trust receives funds from single donations and regular giving, grant making bodies, companies and groups and gifts in Wills. In its early years it appointed Compton Fundraising Consultants. It subsequently moved to a staff and volunteer-based model.

It has sought to develop large scale fundraising, including lottery funding.

To generate support from "influential individuals" the Trust may typically invite a small group to spend a day on the SVRSevern Valley Railway using an Observation Saloon to make conducted visits to workshops to meet staff and volunteer craftsmen.[8]

  • In addition to gifts it seeks pledges or future bequests. Those leaving a gift in their Will to the SVRSevern Valley Railway Charitable Trust are invited to join the Guardians' Club.[9]
  • Individuals donating over £100 or giving regular gifts by monthly contributions are invited to join the Patrons' Club.[9]
  • It has the support of Corporate partners

In May 2016, the Trust secured a grant of £75,000 from a Department for Transport competition, for a scheme to transform the Railway’s travel offering for disabled passengers. The scheme involved the restoration and conversion of BR 4399 Tourist Standard Open and 80776, and the purchase of lightweight, portable ramps for each of the Railway’s wheelchair-accessible carriages.

Fundraising events

From time to time the Charitable Trust organises special fund raising events. Past events have included:[10]

  • April 2014: Charity Race Day at Ludlow Races raising £62,000.[11]
  • June 2015: Charity Race Day at Worcester Racecourse raising £34,500.[12]
  • June 2016: Charity Race Day at Worcester Racecourse raising £22,000[13]
  • September 2016: VIP Flying Scotsman Charity Day[14]
  • The Charitable Trust took over the organisation of the annual Peep Behind the Scenes day for 2017.
  • 14 June 2017: Charity Race Day at Worcester Racecourse raising £23,000.[15]
  • 11 June 2018: Annual Charity Race Day at Worcester Racecourse raising £13,000.[16]

Current appeals and restricted funding

The Trust's website lists its current appeals (11 as at 2021) and the annual report and accounts details funds restricted by the donor to particular items or projects (19 as at 2021)[17]. In May 2022 the Trust launched an appeal to help raise £500,000 to restore Bridgnorth Locomotive Yard.

Support

The Trust supports a variety of projects including rolling stock, infrastructure, permanent way, diesel, Bridgnorth development, education and access. Its annual report and accounts, available online from Companies House, lists the projects it has supported in the previous year and the amounts committed. Major projects include:

  • The Charitable Trust funds most of the costs of the SVRSevern Valley Railway’s Heritage Skills Training Academy and team of apprentices. It costs £21,000 to fund an apprentice for one year, and the Trust funded £98,457 in 2019.
  • It secured an HLFHeritage Lottery Fund (National Lottery Heritage Fund from 2019) grant of £95,000 and contributed over £500,000 to the overhaul of 4930 Hagley Hall
  • At Falling Sands Viaduct it raised £1.25m for major repairs, completed in 2021.
  • Applications for the Fight Back Fund for which the SVRSevern Valley Railway received £250,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Emergency Fund and £906,000 and £1,012,900 in the first and third rounds from the Culture Recovery Fund.[18][19][20]
  • It raised £475,000 to provide a new roof and overhead crane for Bridgnorth Locomotive Works.

In October 2017 the Trust announced it was establishing an In Memory Garden for SVRSevern Valley Railway supporters, close to The Engine House.

Charitable expenditure

The report and accounts and Charity Commission website record expenditure on charitable activities by year. An incomplete record follows:

Financial year ending Amount Notes
2016 £166,770
2017 £436,890
2018 £382,580
2019 £695,990
2020 £2,141,254 Includes £691k Falling Sands Viaduct renovation and £503k bequest allocated to 4930 Hagley Hall.[21]
2021 £690,171

Endowment Future Fund

The Trust set up an endowment Future Fund, the income from which is intended to allow sustainable investment on the Railway in years to come. It has aspirations to grow the Fund eventually to £10 million.[22] It appointed professional investment managers, Brewin Dolphin, to manage the investment. Donations to the Future Fund were matched, pound for pound, by a Heritage Lottery Fund Catalyst programme grant of up to £500,000 which was awarded in 2013 and reached on 26 May 2017, giving a total fund value of over £1 million. As of July 2022 it had grown to £1.83 million[17].

Rolling stock

The Charitable Trust owns GWR 7819 Hinton Manor, BR Class 11 12099 and a number of carriages and goods wagons. A full list of all the rolling stock owned by the Trust can be found here.

Some of these vehicles were donated to the Trust by preservation groups, including the following.

Publications

Platform Issue 6

'Platform is the Charitable Trust's magazine. Issues 1-5 were published annually between 2015 and 2019. Issue 6 was published in July 2022 to mark the Trust's 10th anniversary. All 6 issues are available to download from the Charitable Trust's Downloads page (external link).

Shareholding in SVRSevern Valley Railway(H)

The Trust is a minor shareholder in SVR(H) by way of donated or bequeathed shares. In the 2012 Share Offer existing shareholders with small numbers of shares who did not want to increase their holding were invited to donate their shares to the Trust. In 2021 the market value was £24,435[17].

See also

References

  1. Companies House
  2. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 178
  3. Companies House
  4. Statement from Director of Development, November 2016 on SVR Live
  5. www.heritagetrustnetwork.org.uk
  6. Platform Issue 6
  7. Charitable Trust news page
  8. 2013 Annual Report
  9. 9.0 9.1 Charitable Trust Website 'Make a Donation' (retrieved 12 August 2019)
  10. Charitable Trust news page
  11. 2014 Annual Report
  12. Worcester News
  13. James Connell, 'Race day at Worcester supports Severn Valley Railway's Heritage Skills Training Academy', Malvern Gazette 23 June 2016 (Retrieved 5 March 2017)
  14. Charitable Trust Flying Scotsman page
  15. SVRSevern Valley Railway Twitter 15 June 2017
  16. 'Express Points', July 2018
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 Report and Financial Statements to 30 June 2021, via Companies House
  18. Smith, R., 'Severn Valley Railway receives £250,000 funding boost ahead of reopening', Shropshire Star, 15 July 2020 (Retrieved 15 July 2020)
  19. Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (Retrieved 9 October 2020)
  20. 'Covid-19: Severn Valley Railway gets £1m recovery grant, BBC, 17 December 2021 (Retrieved 17 December 2021)
  21. Report and Financial Statements to 30 June 2020, via Companies House
  22. SVRLive Charitable Trust page, 26 April 2017
  23. Branch Lines October 2021

Links