The Friends of Kinneil AGM2011-2012

Registered Charity

Charity Registration Number

SC038368

The Friends of Kinneil AnnualReport for2012-13

What The Friends are about• Raising the profile of the Kinneil Estate and Foreshore• Increasing awareness of both sites and their assets• Forming partnerships to promote/improve Kinneil Estate and Foreshore• Delivering member events

• Developing a strategy for the estate and planning for the future

Overview of the year• Busy year with great events and publicity.• Successful Night At Kinneil museum launched• Visit to Hadrian’s Wall – resulting in improved links• Big Roman Week 2012 - biggest ever

• Kinneil Foreshore became an official local nature reserve

• Strong interest in Kinneil House, but a drop in visitors• Good membership levels – around 70 by year end.

Raising the profile of KinneilIn 2012/13,we:• improved our website – www.kinneil.org.uk• increased our presence on Twitter – www.twitter.com/kinneil - and Facebook -www.fb.com/kinneil• produced posters and leaflets to promote the estate and Big Roman Week

Raising the profile of Kinneil

We hit 300 likes on Facebook this month – June 2013

Raising the profile of Kinneil• Social media is a great way to inform the public about events and help promote the estate and foreshore.

• With its help we can reach people right around the world.

Raising the profile of Kinneil• Our main website – www.kinneil.org.uk - is particularly popular – with growing amounts of visitors year after year.

• We’re planning to relaunch it – including the Foreshore/Kinneil Nature Reserve later this year.

Performance of www.kinneil.org.uk

Performance of www.kinneil.org.uk

Raising the profile of Kinneil• We also had strong – and free – PR support from Adrian and some of our partners.• Kinneil was featured in a Scotsman feature in April 2013.• We’ve also had excellent local press coverage.• A big thanks to all our friends in the media for their support.

What the Scotsman said“Kinneil House has free open days during the year, organised by Historic Scotland and the charity, The Friends of Kinneil. It was cold when we visited, but the welcome from the volunteers was as warm as you could wish for.”

MARTIN GRAY, THE SCOTSMAN, APRIL 2013

Increasing awarenessWe ran successful events to boost the profile of Kinneil Estate and the Foreshore

But we’re seeing a drop in visitors to Kinneil House, despite all our best efforts

KINNEIL HOUSE VISITORS

2010 2011 2012 2013

Silent Film Festival tie-in

59 80 approx

Spring opening 269 153 145 129

Spring opening 257 215 145 135

Bo’ness Fair event 182 483 202

Summer history walk* 80 100 n/a n/a

Heritage Day (Aug) 650 593 ??

Hallowe’en 184 481 159

TOTALS FOR YEAR 1622 2025

The Friends of Kinneil AGM2011-2012

Registered Charity

Charity Registration Number

SC038368

A costumed interpreter playing James, Earl of Arran, joined us for the open days in April 2013.

Thanks to Historic Scotland for organising this.

Other eventsNight at the Museum: introduced in 2012 it attracted 150 people to Kinneil Museum in three hours.

Slightly less – 120 or so – attended the 2013 event, but still a great response.

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EventsWe took stalls at the Victorian Street Fair in Bo’ness in May 2012 and 2013.

Our takings went up in 2013, helping to boost our funds.

EventsWe had a

cake stall at the Kinneil Heritage Day last August. Again a great success.

Events: Big Roman WeekBig Roman Week was the biggest ever.

We joined forces with Bo-net to run the event and also attracted funding from Awards for All.* This helped us print a better brochure, buy banners and dressing up clothes for children.

*Funding co-ordinated through Bo-net’s accounts

Events: Big Roman WeekEvents included:•Italian lessons•A Roman encampment•Film shows

•Walks and talks

•Book signings and an Italian night!

Events: Big Roman WeekEvents included:•Italian lessons•A Roman encampment•Film shows

•Walks and talks

•Book signings and an Italian night!

EventsBig RomanWeek got its own website to promote events. Work’s now started on planning the 2013 festival.

EventsBig RomanWeek got its own website to promote events. Work’s now started on planning the 2013 festival.

EventsBig RomanWeek got its own website to promote events. Work’s now started on planning the 2013 festival.

EventsBig RomanWeek got its own website to promote events. Work’s now started on planning the 2013 festival.

EventsBig RomanWeek got its own website to promote events. Work’s now started on planning the 2013 festival.

Forming partnerships

Forming partnerships• Inner Forth Landscape Initiative – we’re working with Falkirk Council and partners to secure Heritage Lottery Fund money for inner forth projects – including Kinneil. HLF has given initial commitment for £2 million. The overall project could be worth £4 million.

Forming partnerships• Our partnership work with Falkirk Council led to Kinneil Foreshore becoming an official local nature reserve.

Forming partnerships• Our partnership work with Falkirk Council led to Kinneil Foreshore becoming an official local nature reserve.

Forming partnerships• We’re working with Falkirk Council and partners to support the creation of the John Muir Trail.• This 100 mile national trail will stretch from Dunbar to Helensburgh – through the Foreshore and Kinneil Estate. • The trail opens in April 2013.

Forming partnerships• We continued to foster successful partnerships with Step Forth, the walking group, local schools, Bo’net (the Bo’ness Networking Group), Bo’ness Community Council and others.•Big thanks to Madelene Hunt!

Forming partnerships• Also thanks to: Historic Scotland and Falkirk Community Trust/Falkirk Council – to run open days• Local press and media• The Antonine Guard, re-enactment group, who helped with Roman Week and other events

Member events/activities• July 2012 – We had a members’ trip to Lennoxlove in East Lothian• October 2012 – We hosted our fundraising dinner in West Lothian Golf Club. We reduced the cost of the dinner to encourage more to attend.• January 2013 – James Watt Supper.

Member engagement• Members benefit from postal mailings and dedicated email updates and special member-only events. • Non-members are encouraged to sign up through Facebook/Twitter.• Outstanding – we still have to complete a member survey. We’re also keen to involve more members in events. If you’d like to take part, tell us!

Member engagement• Members benefit from postal mailings and dedicated email updates and special member-only events. • Non-members are encouraged to sign up through Facebook/Twitter.• Outstanding – we still have to complete a member survey. We’re also keen to involve more members in events. If you’d like to take part, tell us!

Developing a future strategy• We work with Falkirk Council and Falkirk Community Trust to improve Kinneil Museum.• Kinneil Foreshore has new signage – but we’d like more!• Falkirk Council have given £15,000 towards a feasibility study for Kinneil House – but we need more support from Historic Scotland.

Developing our committee• We’re continuing to develop the management committee

• Thanks to funding from SUSitOUT – and funding from their own pockets – we took the Management Committee to Hadrian’s Wall and Gunsgreen Green House in Eyemouth.• Our report was shared with the Antonine Wall partners – and also inspired us plan new Big Roman Week events.

And finally• thanks to our office bearers and management committee• thanks to our partners• and thanks our members and supporters.

• We have a busy year ahead – here’s to a successful 2013/14

Thank you

The Friends of Kinneil AGM2013

Registered Charity

Charity Registration Number

SC038368

Registered CharityCharity Registration NumberSC038368