14
The Wordsworth Trust has been keeping Wordsworth’s memory alive at Dove Cottage since it was founded almost 130 years ago. During that time, it has acquired many of the other historic buildings that neighbour Dove Cottage, secured the great majority of Wordsworth’s manuscripts, opened the Wordsworth Museum, established an archive, library and fine art collection that celebrate Romanticism and the cultural history of the Lake District, and created the Jerwood Centre, a conservation and research centre, so that these holdings can remain at Dove Cottage, one of the world’s most important literary sites. The Wordsworth Trust’s purposes are set out in its Memorandum and Articles of Association, and can be summarised as: 1. to provide a living memorial to William Wordsworth and his contemporaries by looking after Dove Cottage and its environs, and by preserving and developing a permanent collection; and 2. to advance public knowledge and enjoyment of the works of Wordsworth and the literature and culture of the Romantic period (c.1750–1850) through a wide range of public activities. The Wordsworth Trust’s aims are the same in their intent as these purposes. They provide public benefit through the advancement of education, heritage, culture and the arts, and thereby meet the definition of ‘charitable purposes’ provided by the 2011 Charities Act. Wordsworth sought through his poetry “to console the afflicted, to add sunshine to daylight by making the happy happier, to teach the young and the gracious of every age, to see, to think and feel”. Our activities are inspired by this vision: of a world in which anyone, anywhere can enrich their life through Wordsworth’s ideas and philosophy, regardless of means or background. In undertaking them, we have therefore taken due regard of the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance.
Objectives and Activities Our activities, and the criteria that we use to measure their success, are reported in detail under the ‘Achievements and Performance’ heading. We use digital technology, publishing and venues in numerous locations to ensure that access is not restricted by geography. While certain activities are aimed at specific beneficiary groups, most are open to anyone. They take place all year round, and some are free of charge.
Public Impact
15
12 months to 31 Mar 2020
12 months to 31 Mar 2019
Variance
8,270
37,748
-78%
General admissions to Wordsworth Grasmere i Onsite
Offsite
Secondary, primary and pre-school
635
3,677
Higher education – courses
503
-
Young people in formal education (student-days)
Onsite
Offsite
4,312
1,241
6,153
7,394
-42%
503
451
-
451
12%
Higher education – other
33
-
33
520
-
520
-94%
Teacher development opportunities
29
34
63
44
21
65
-3%
1,200
3,711
4,911
2,256
6,174
8,430
-42%
118
1,164
1,282
746
1,816
2,562
-50%
Elderly / vulnerable adults
85
829
914
112
1,066
1,178
-22%
Young people (excluding family activities)
17
229
246
20
177
197
25%
Total Participation in events and activities for families Participation in informal learning activities
General audiences Total Attendances at talks, poetry readings and other events (excluding family events)
17
1,075
1,092
34
858
892
22%
119
2,133
2,252
166
2,101
2,267
-1%
1,498
684
2,182
1,803
401
2,204
-1%
Interactions via new media Website (unique page views) Viewings of videos (YouTube, Facebook) Social media followers (31 March 2020) Total Research visits (research-days)
197,366
118,255
67%
204,684
94,540
117%
44,667
38,753
15%
446,717
251,548
78%
157
177
-11%
Publications New titles ii
2
1
100
222
4,115
-95%
Participants in vocational training iii
14
12
17%
Volunteers iv
24
22
9%
Sales (all titles)
These pages (15–23) are an extract from our Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2020. If you would like to see our full statutory annual report and accounts, please contact us or search for the Wordsworth Trust on the Charity Commission’s website.
i
Includes screenings of a pre-recorded tour of Dove Cottage between April and August 2019.
ii
Excludes Vital Stream, a joint publication with Carcanet Press.
iii
Excludes work experience placements.
iv
People who did volunteer work on a regular basis and / or for sustained periods of time.
