October 2003
MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES OF NORTHERN IRELAND
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Minutes of a meeting of the Board of Trustees held on Friday 31 October 2003 at 1100 hrs in Seminar Rooms 1 and 2 at W5.
Present:
Mrs M Elliott (Chairman)
Sir K Bloomfield
Mr T Shaw
Mrs W Osborne
Dame G Keegan
Mr D Harvey
Ms L Beers
Ms P Flanagan
Lt Col H Bicker
Mr S Neeson
In attendance:
Mr T Cooke (Chief Executive)
Mr J Gilmour (Director of Development)
Mr M McKee (Director of Operations)
Miss H McElroy (Minute Secretary)
1 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies were received from Professor E McLaughlin, Mr M Adair, Dr A Walker, Mr W Montgomery and Mrs K O'Dowd (Director of Finance).
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 2 SEPTEMBER
The minutes of the meeting held on 2 September 2003, previously circulated to Board members, were agreed as a true record of the meeting. Mr T Shaw proposed they be adopted by the Board and his proposal was seconded by Mr D Harvey, following which the minutes were signed by the Chairman.
3. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 2 SEPTEMBER 2003
Re:source Registration
The Director of Operations advised that the revisions to the MAGNI Acquisitions and Disposal Policies would be completed by November and tabled for approval by the Board of Trustees at their December Board meeting.
MAGNI Collections Seminar
The Director of Development advised Trustees that the Collections Seminar had been arranged for Tuesday, 11 November 2003.
MAGNI at Titanic Quarter
This item was discussed under "Reserved Business" as it was deemed by the Board to contain commercially sensitive information.
The Chairman advised the meeting that other matters arising from the previous meeting would be dealt with under the appropriate agenda item.
4. TRUSTEES' COMMITTEES
4.1 Audit Committee
4.1.1 Verbal report of meeting held on 31 October 2003
Sir Kenneth Bloomfield advised Board members that the Audit Committee had discussed the Financial Statements for 2000/2001 and 2001/2002 together with the NIAO certificates and were satisfied that they presented accurate statements of the organisation's financial position in each year. Sir Kenneth Bloomfield advised the Board that the NIAO had issued the draft audit certificate in relation to the 2000/2001 accounts and had assured the Audit Committee that their response to the 2001/2002 accounts would be similar. With the exception of the qualification in relation to fixed assets, which would hopefully be removed by the end of the current financial year, all other qualifications had been removed from MAGNI's accounts. Sir Kenneth Bloomfield said that the Audit Committee therefore recommended that the Board accept the Financial Statements for 2000/2001 and 2001/2002. Mr Harvey seconded this proposal.
Risk Management
Sir Kenneth Bloomfield reported that the Audit Committee had reviewed a number of reports from management detailing operational, financial and human resource risks that had been identified through MAGNI's Risk Management Strategy and planned to discuss risks in relation to the collections at their next meeting. KPMG had presented their strategic internal audit plan for the two year period April 2003 to 2005 to the Committee and it was clear from this document that the internal audit plan had been broadly based on MAGNI's risk management strategy and risk register. In recognition of the work to be undertaken in respect of risk management the Audit Committee had asked management to regularly report work-in-progress. The Committee was pleased with the actions of management and KPMG in relation to risk management and requested that it remain a high priority.
4.2 Marketing, Development and Fund-raising Committee
4.2.1 Approval of minutes of meeting held on 12 September 2003
In the absence of the Chairman of the Marketing, Development and Fund-raising Committee, Mr Neeson reported the Committee's decision to postpone the submission of MAGNI's bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for the MAGNI at Titanic Quarter project from December 2003 until June 2004. He also wished to note the success of the MAGNI website. Committee members also noted the success of the MAGNI website.
4.3 General Purposes and Finance Committee
4.3.1 Approval of minutes of meeting held on 26 September 2003
The Board of Trustees approved the minutes of the meeting of the General Purposes and Finance Committee meeting held on 26 September 2003.
5. Whowhatwherewhenwhy (W5)
5.1 Minutes of W5 Board meeting held on 26 August 2003
The Board of Trustees noted the minutes of the W5 Board meeting held on 26 August 2003
5.2 Minutes of W5 Board meeting held on 23 September 2003
The Board of Trustees noted the minutes of the W5 Board meeting held on 23 September 2003
5.3 Verbal report of W5 Board meeting held on 21 October 2003
This item was discussed under "Reserved Business" as it was deemed by the Board to contain commercially sensitive information.
6. BUSINESS OF CHAIRMAN
Mrs Elliott referred to the recent untimely death of Mr Tom Nolan, a former Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Chairman of W5 and extended the condolences of the Board of Trustees to his family circle.
Capita Review
This item was discussed under "Reserved Business" as the review, commissioned by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, had yet to be finalised.
Trustee Training
Mrs Elliott encouraged Board members to avail of the "On Board" training provided by CIPFA through the Chief Executives' Forum if they had not already done so.
Accounting Officer
The Chairman recommended that the Director of Finance receive a responsibility allowance in respect of the period during which she undertook the duties and responsibilities of Accounting Officer, prior to the appointment of the new Chief Executive. The Chairman's recommendation was formally proposed by Mr Neeson and seconded by Sir Kenneth Bloomfield.
Tourism Awards
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, the Chairman extended congratulations to staff at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum for winning the Northern Ireland Travel and Tourism Award as Best Northern Ireland Visitor Attraction and to staff at the Ulster American Folk Park for winning the Best Northern Ireland Initiative Award for the Bluegrass Festival.
Publications
The Chairman circulated the following publications to Board members for information:-
· Re-thinking Identity - The Challenge of Diversity - Joint Equality and Human Rights Forum
· Disabled Women in Northern Ireland - Equality Commission
· Local Museum and Heritage Review - a joint response by DCAL and DOE
7. BUSINESS OF EXECUTIVE
7.1 Executive Summary
The Chief Executive outlined his activities during the past month and said he was working on a number of issues in relation to Human Resources, Finance and Marketing and Development. He said he was impressed with the range of activities being undertaken at the various sites and was delighted with MAGNI's recent awards. The increase in visitor figures during the summer period, in comparison to the previous year, reflected the general increase in tourism. The Chief Executive detailed additional funding that had been secured from DCAL and a number of successful fundraising initiatives. Following a reassessment of the original job description for the Director of Human Resources post, the duties and responsibilities of the post had been expanded to incorporate responsibilities for organisational development. The grading of the post was also under review.
Feedback from recent events at Ulster Museum, Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and Ulster American Folk Park had been positive and the Loose Threads Quilters exhibition at Armagh County Museum also attracted a good number of visitors. A photographic exhibition of local motorsports by Michael Cooper launched the new BT Gallery at W5 during September and a major art exhibition by Hector McDonnell together with Conflict - the Irish at War an exploration of the history of communal violence in Ireland from the earliest times to the present would both be opening at the Ulster Museum during December. A number of educational events were ongoing as part of MAGNI's Access and Learning programme. The first two Northern Bank Lectures by Steve Jones and David Bellamy had also proved very popular.
7.2 Approval of MAGNI Financial Statements
The Financial Statements for 2000/2001 and 2001/2002 were formally approved by the Board as recommended by the Chair of the Audit Committee, Sir Kenneth Bloomfield.
7.3 Approval of Lease at Channel Commercial Park, Titanic Quarter
The Lease Agreement with Titanic Quarter Limited in respect of a Museum Store at Channel Commercial Park was sealed and formally approved by the Board.
7.4 Approval of Funding Agreement between MAGNI and the Millennium Commission in respect of the Flight Experience Phase II
The Funding Agreement between MAGNI and the Millennium Commission in respect of Phase II of the Flight Experience was sealed and formally approved by the Board.
7.5 Approval of Loans
The Chairman sought the approval of the Board of Trustees for a number of loans to and from the Ulster Museum. The Board of Trustees formally approved the loans (archive copy attached to minutes).
8. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
There was no other business raised at the meeting.
9. DATE, TIME AND VENUE OF NEXT MEETING
The date of the next meeting was set for Friday, 19 December 2003 at 1100 hrs in the Evans Room at Cultra Manor at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum.
