As a result of this the trustees themselves have made a decision to instigate a full independent review of all its activities with a view to developing, quickly, a strategy to deliver a sustainable future for its vehicles. The organisation needs to refocus on its key aims and objectives and to develop a business plan to move more quickly towards achievement of its key goals.
This review will be led
by Dave Holden. Dave will be working in conjunction with the existing Charity
Trustees and other key individuals involved in the trust's activities. He has
over twenty years experience in the fields of both vehicle preservation and
public sector financial management. He was a Board Member of the North West
Museum of Transport in St Helens for thirteen years, acting as Chairman for
five years. He led the organisation through the period when its premises were
being refurbished and when its collection of assets was reviewed in order to
deliver a financially sustainable museum project for future generations to
enjoy.
Areas to be considered
as part of this review, so far identified, are as follows:
1) Existing and
estimated future costs of premises for vehicle storage
2) Duplication of
vehicle types within the collection
3) Duplication of
vehicle types compared with others already deemed to be "preserved"
elsewhere
4) Identification of the
"core collection" of vehicles that best portray the transport heritage
of the Fylde Coast
5) Ways of maximising
donation income from supporters and the general public
6) Ways of increasing
the profile of the trust and its activities
7) Ways to moved forward
key projects to completion (eg: standard tram car 143)
8) Potential partnership
working with other like minded organisations
9) Ways of obtaining
commercial sponsorship to expedite certain restorations
10) Ways of generating
more volunteer support to assist with the day to day running of the trust
Over the past fifteen
years the trust has delivered some superb achievements (Coronation Car 304,
OMO car 8, Blackpool PD3 529 for example) but has also, at times, struggled to cope with
the demands that it places on the available free time of its trustees. This
has, inevitably, resulted in certain difficulties that now need to be overcome
to ensure that the organisation moves forward successfully.
Further updates on the
progress of the review will be published here on a regular basis.
