Pevensey Town Trust: It stinks. This is the simple damning verdict from someone close to the Town Trust who has talked in detail to Bay Life about the affairs of the organisation. Today we begin an investigation of the organisation at the centre of the business community in Pevensey that enjoys significant income yearly from their management of key community assets.—Bay Life, 13 July 2016
An investigation is to begin into the affairs of the Town Trust.
In 2013 Bay Life investigated the affairs of the Pevensey Town Trust and found the lack of accountability shocking.
At the time it was discovered that there were many questions about the accounts of the organisation, the most important of which was the fact that nothing was available for the public to study online. Since that time, accounts have now been made available online.
It would appear that there are still many questions left unanswered about the organisation, one of which we understand is the fact that constitutional changes are envisaged which will enable the organisation to protect itself from further public scrutiny.
The Pevensey Town Trust records yearly revenues of over £21,000 from monies collected through their management of key community assets in the village.
We are shocked to discover people close to the organisation suggesting that ‘what is being done stinks”. We are also shocked to discover that valued members of the community that have offered services to the Trust are now ‘in a state of despair’ about the affairs of the Pevensey Town Trust.
A source close to the volunteer programme that manages the visitor experience at the Court House, Gaol and Museum, one of the most important visitor assets in Pevensey, has told us, “there is no marketing, there is no profile, there is no understanding of how to do these things and the result is that we might have to close.
“We can not find people to undertake a few hours a week as volunteers, to support the Museum staying open, and the result is that we might have to close. It is such a sad situation and no-one is doing anything”
A precious community appears to be facing possible catastrophe..
Why is there not more support from the management of Pevensey Town Trust for the dedication and inspirational work of museum curator, Peter Harrison?
With income in the Pevensey Town Trust of £21,000 yearly and (we understand), £48,000 in their bank account, how can it possibly be the case that the Pevensey Town Trust is unable to organise even the most basic of procedures such as establishing a volunteer programme that works?
Why is there no meaningful local visitor profile and no meaningful online profile that could draw visitors?
A meaningful visitor profile online could potentially transform the fortunes of the Courthouse and Musuem. With money at their disposal why has something not been done about the situation?
Where does the Pevensey Town Trust think that people go before they plan their visit to Pevensey? Their website, in our view, is an embarrassment.
There is the power and value of social media to reach people for visits to museums. These tools are utilised across the country by museums, many of them managed very ably by volunteer teams. These tools, particularly in a museum context, reach people online big time. They reach schools and school students, families, visitors, visitors from across both the UK and from across the world.
It would appear that Pevensey Town Trust is yet to hear of social media tools. This simply is not good enough with an organisation that receives such significant sums taken from visitors to Pevensey every day.
People that discover the museum will know that their amateurism online does not match the visitor experience.
A visit is an enriching and an educational experience and of value to people and their families. The volunteers that undertake their activities daily at the museum are brilliant interlocators.
With these kinds of assets and resources, might it not be possible for the Pevensey Town Trust to grasp the most basic of points? A successfully engineered web project online could have immediate and sustainable value.
The organisation states that “our aim is to refurbish and maintain these assets for the benefit of visitors from UK, overseas and for future generations to enjoy and visit”.
How can this possibility be the case, since you would be hard pressed to find people even in Pevensey Bay that know the location of the courthouse and museum or has visited the precious asset?
Most alarmingly, if it is the case that the museum faces possible closure because no-one will volunteer to support the project, how can Pevensey Town Trust possibly argue that it is governing the assets ” for the benefit of visitors from UK, overseas and for future generations to enjoy and visit”.
If the museum closes, there will be no visitors.
To the community, the museum, courthouse and gaol is one of the key precious jewels in the hidden crown of Sussex. As a visitor attraction the location has significant potential.
There would appear to be little accountability in the affairs of the organisation and the need for root and branch re-organisation.
There would appear to be an absence of ability to grasp the most basic requirements with what is necessary to profile the assets that that Pevensey Town Trust governs.
If the organisation is proposing constitutional change, then local residents are entitled to know the reasons.
Most community based organisations locally struggle to raise funds to pursue their voluntary activities on behalf of the community.
Pevensey Town Trust does not fall into this category. Here we have an organisation that is not just a gaol, a museum and a courthouse, it is also a bank.
With £21,000 coming to the organisation yearly in the form of income, and a significant reserve in their bank account, together with planned changes to their constitution, which appear to be taking place behind closed doors, is it time to ask the question, does the Pevensey Town Trust stink?
Our first step in this investigation will be to look into the constitutional affairs of the organisation to establish what changes are envisaged and why these changes are proposed.
If you would like to talk to us further about the affairs of the Pevensey Town Trust in confidence, you can .
Simon Montgomery
editor, Bay Life
