MORNINGSIDE HERITAGE ASSOCIATION
STRATEGIC PLAN
For Period ending 30 September 2019
1.INTRODUCTION
1.1The Committee of Morningside Heritage Association has pleasure in submitting a Strategic Plan to its members for approval. This plan incorporates proposed developments over the period from 1 November 2016 to 30 September 2019.
1.2This document updates the previous MHA plan which covered the organisation’s activities for the period ending 30 September 2015 and reflects input from Committee members’ focusing on the Association’s current activities, its perceived strengths and weaknesses, the opportunities for the future and the threats facing the organisation.
1.3This analytical process has allowed the Committee to determine a number of aims for the next three years and to determine individual action plans relating to membership, financial, operational, technology and management matters in order to achieve these aims.
1.4The Convener welcomes the opportunity to formally present this Strategic Plan to the Association’s membership at this year’s AGM onTuesday 6 December 2016, to answer any questions on the document and to seek the membership’s endorsement to implementing the proposed Plan over the next three years.
2.EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This section of the Strategic Plan summarises the main achievements of the period to 30 September 2016, and provides observations and conclusions that are set out in more detail in subsequent sections of this document.
Membership
2.1Much of the focus of the Committee’s activities over the past three years has been aimed at increasingthe Association’s membership.A healthy membership is seen as the lifeblood of the organisation and the engine room that drives it. Over the past four years, membership numbers have grown from 40 in 2012 to over 100 now. Over the next three years, the Committee are seeking to maintain the number of subscription paying members at 100, retain the subscription at or around its present level and to introduce some younger members to the Association.Considerable effort will continue to be put into achieving these goals.
Events and Projects
2.2Much of the success that the Association has enjoyed in strengthening the membership base recently has been achieved by providing members and visitors with a rich variety of interesting events and projects. The winter lecture series remains at the heart of the Association’s membership programme. The number of summer visits has been increased and these are now open to non-members, accompanied by a member, on payment of a small charge. Both the winter lectures and the summer visits remain highly popular and it’s the goal of the Committee over the next three years to maintain their quality and variety.
Financial sustainability
2.3The financial position of the Association has also been strengthened through offering a wider variety of interesting talks, outings, events and projects. This greater financial security enables the Association to plan to develop more activities and projects such as a publicly-accessible archive, technology improvements and new publications.Achievement of charitable status, in November 2013, allows the organisation to access funding sources and to recover tax on Gift-Aided income.
The Organisation’s Profile
2.4Over the past three years, the Committee has sought to develop the organisations profile in the Morningside community. It has commenceda WW1 project and a WW2 oral history reminiscence study. It is now in process of bringing the findings together as a publication. It has also hosted a number of promotional events displaying its research work. In addition, some work has been done on developing a publicly-accessible archive. Through these activities, the Association has attracted further donations of material relating to Morningside’s heritage.
Communication
2.5The Association’s website has been modestly developed, and a Facebook page has been recently established. Since 2013 the Association has been represented as a Local Interest Group on the Community Council. The Committee has also been working with Morningside Library to develop displays. The Association is also in communication with Edinburgh Napier University and the University of Edinburgh in relation to the Bill Smith Archive.
Governance
2.6The Committee has made a number of constitutional changes affecting the office and roles of the Convener. The roles of Membership Secretary and Programmes Secretary have been very successfully filled, although succession planning remains a challenge in terms of sustaining knowledge and relevant skills. The Committee needs further strengthening through encouraging members of the Association to come forward to fill theremaining key posts of Vice-Convener, Project Co-ordinator and Technology Advisor.
2.7While the recent few years have been very successful in developing the
organisation as an expanding, viable and popular body, it is recognised that a number of issues still remain to be improved:
- There needs to be greater focus and expertise is accessing public funding to allow project activities to progress successfully
- The management team needs to be strengthen to allow for the new areas of the organisation’s activities that have been developed and to replace a number of senior and experienced Committee members who are soon to step down,
- There is a need to encourage more members to take an active part in the research activities so that these can be properly resourced.
- There is an unresolved area of deciding if MHA should become involved in offering a view on planning application which impacts on the heritage of Morningside
- The storage or archive material has to be resolved and the management of this improved.
3.THE CURRENT POSITION
This section of the Strategic Plan contains a brief summary of the current organisation and provides a frank assessment of its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Background to the MHA
3.1Morningside Heritage Association was founded in 1982 by the late Charles Smith and is now established as the foremost local organisation for promoting and protecting the historical, educational and cultural interests of Morningside.
3.2Since its establishment, the Association has operated with clear constitutional aims:
(i)To promote historical, educational and cultural interest in the area
(ii)To collect, preserve and conserve any material relevant to the area
(iii)To assist in the protection of the heritage of Morningside and Lothian
(iv)To make available to the public such materials as may be appropriate.
3.3The organisation currently meets these aims by undertaking the following activities:
(i)It presents a popular winter programme of seven monthly lectures on a range of heritage and other topics attended by both MHA members and the general public. Attendance at these lectures now averages 50-60 people.
(ii)It arranges five visits over the summer to places of historical interest in the local and wider Edinburgh area. These visits areopen to non-members, attending as a guest of a member, on payment of a small charge.
(iii)It maintains and, from time to time, publicly displays an archive of material of local interest
(iv)It has produced a number of interesting publications, most notably, the popular Heritage Trail of Morningside and two volumes of oral reminiscences
(v)It hosts an annual Heritage Discovery Day to advertise the organisation and its activities and to attract new members.
3.4Currently, the Association has about 100 members and in the year to 30 September 2016generated income from membership subscriptions, visits, donations and the sale of publications of about £2,250.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
3.5The Committee believes the current strengths of the Association are:
(i)Morningside is recognised nationally as having a distinctive heritage and MHA is well placed to be the guardian of that legacy
(ii)The organisation has survived through difficult times over the past 30 years and currently has a management team and membership which is very knowledgeable about local heritage matters
(iii)The organisation offers a wide range of interesting heritage activities including lectures, visits, projects and events
(iv)Its close relationship with Morningside Parish Church is a valuable asset.
(v)The Association’s profile within the community of Morningside has been raised through its activities in the last three years. Although its membership age demographic reflects a higher ratio of retired people, there are signs that younger people are beginning to be attracted.
(vi)The Association’s financial position has been strengthened significantly over the past three years.
(vii)Committee membership has been strengthened, and has assisted the development of a more outward-looking approach.
3.6The organisation’s key weaknesses are:
(i)The management of the organisation has been heavily dependent on a very small number of key Committee members.
(ii)The scale of the archive is limited as are its storage and display facilities
(iii)The organisation’s website and IT systems while functional, are technically outdated and in need of modernisation.
(iv)Although Committee membership has been increased, a number of key roles remain unfilled.
(v)An inability to successfully access public funding for archive research
3.7Despite these problem areas, there are significant opportunities available to MHA, namely:
(i)There is much goodwill towards MHA. Successful efforts to raise the profile coupled with an enthusiastic and forward-looking approach, can further improve membership numbers and revenues.
(ii)There are many opportunities to build and make use of the archive
(iii)There is potential for tapping the reservoirs of knowledge and enthusiasm which lie within the organisation into new projects, events and publications
(iv)There is a huge potential in Morningside for interesting and high profile local projects.
3.8The Committee is aware of a number of threats facing the organisation that could be difficult to overcome:
(i)Given the current attendance at lectures, the potential, short-term loss of the Morningside Parish Church Hall meeting space during construction of the new Church Hall poses a problem in finding a local meeting space both large enough and with adequate catering and AV facilities.
(ii)While the Association has a valuable knowledge resource, the loss of a few keyindividuals could significantly deplete the leadership, skills and experience available to it.
(iii)It is proving difficult to develop collaborations with key practitioners such as the Central Library, Edinburgh Napier University and the University of Edinburgh who have indicated willingness to offer resources to assist in the development of the Bill Smith archive.
(iv)It is essential to maintain an attractive and interesting lecture programme as that is the engine that drives membership and attendance at these talks.
4.STRATEGIC AIMS FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS
Mindful of the current circumstances and the key issues highlighted by the SWOT analysis, the Committee has set a number of clear and attainable aims for the organisation to reach over the next three years.
4.1These strategic aims are as follows:
(i)To sustain and develop a strong and active membership base and develop regular and more effective communications between the Committee and the membership
(ii)To strengthen the financial viability of the organisation
(iii)To raise the organisation’s profile within the local community and beyond through innovative and attractive programmes of events, projects and publications.
(iv)To develop the capacity, capability and effectiveness of the organisation’s leadership and management structures
(v)To develop a sustainable and publicly available information resource relating to the historical and cultural heritage of Morningside.
4.2It is hoped that, if these five important aims are achieved over the next few years, then the organisation will have a larger membership, be better known in the community, have the financial resources to carry out an enlarged range of activities and events and have a capable and enlarged management team in place.
5.MANAGEMENT ACTION PLAN
This section sets out the membership, financial, operational, technology and management changes that are proposed.
Overall Membership Issues
5.1A key goal of the Strategic Plan is, over the next three years, to make a determined effort to maintain the level of subscription paying member at 100.
5.2Considerable effort will be put into introducing a wider age range of members
and the following direct steps will be taken to increase membership numbers:
(i)The Committee and existing members will be encouraged to bring along visitors, both to the winter lecture and summer visits programmes.
(ii)It is recognised that a highly interesting lecture programme directed by good quality speakers is likely to bring in potential new members and increased revenue from visitors.
(iii) The Committee will hold an annual Heritage Discovery Day each year. These days will be aimed at displaying the activities undertaken by the Association and urging new members to join.
(iv)It is planned to engage in a number of high profile events over the next three years e.g. the effects of the Great War on Morningside and histories of various streets such as Jordan Lane.
(v)There is recognition that the organisation must increase its public profile among the Morningside community and in the local media so that residents are aware of the organisation and the activities that it carries out.
(vi)The membership form is to be included inside the highly popular Heritage Trail and will also be made available online.
(vii)It is planned to have regular times at Morningside Library for project work, collecting archive materials and reminiscences and for advising the public on heritage matters.
(viii)A new Project Co-ordinator role is to be created on the Committee.
5.3Over the next three years, it is the Association’s goal to retainthe annual membership subscription at £12 although there is a view to possibly reduce it to £10 given the cash resources currently available to the organisation.
5.4The Committee is planning to maintain a closer dialogue with members so as to keep them better informed about forthcoming events and the future direction of the organisation.
5.5The organisation has now registered as a charity with OSCR and through this step it is able to recover tax on gift aided annual subscriptions made by the members. The tax recovered from gift aid subscriptions annual is circa £300 per annum.
Financial Issues
5.6The Treasurer has prepared a financial income and expenditure account for the three year period ended 30 September 2015. This is summarised below:
MORNINGSIDE HERITAGE ASSOCIATION
Forecasts for the years to 30 September 2019
201720182019
INCOME£££
Subscriptions1,2001,2001,200
Gift Aid Recovery300300300
Summer visits300300300
Visitors150150150
Bank interest101010
Sundry Income 200 200 200
Total Income 21602,1602,160
EXPENDITURE 201320142015
£££
Hire of Halls400410425
Gift Vouchers for Speakers350350 350
Summer visit costs250250250
Events/Projects1,0001,0001000
Printing300310325
Donations 354050
Sundry Costs 100 120 150
2,4352,4802,550
Surplus/ (Deficit)(275)(287)(390)
5.7Over the next few years it is anticipated that the organisation will operate at a small annual deficit due to a significant cost increase in project costs for research projects including publication and purchasing processing equipment. Grant applications will be made for this but no amount has been allowed for potential grant receipts.
5.8The Association currently holds some £7,000 of monies in the bank. The bank has, in the last few months reduced playing interest on this sum. It is intended that the amount will be transferred to a higher interest bearing account with another bank.
5.9The Committee will actively seek out grant opportunities and pursue these with, for example, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Edinburgh Council, in order to carry out a range of heritage projects. It is hoped that these projects will give rise to a range of commercially attractive publications which will generate additional income.
5.10The Committee plans to create a Display Fund whereby annual surpluses can be put towards the purchase of capital projects such as two display cabinets, upgrading of the MHA website, the purchase of computer equipment and relevant heritage software.
Operations
5.11Over the next three years, the Committee is committed to the continuing the popular and well-received winter lecture programme.
5.12The MHA summer season of visits is now proving highly popular with over 100 visit places taken up over the 2016 visit season. Over the next three years, the Committee aims to maintain five visits each year and to expand the range of locations to include heritage sites not normally available to the public. The visits also will draw upon specialist knowledge to impart a more detailed understanding of the area’s history and heritage. In addition, the Committee intends to make these visits available to non-members for a modest charge, thereby broadening their appeal.
5.13Morningside has a rich social, cultural and historical heritage dating back to the latter part of the 16th century and probably earlier. The Committee regards this rich heritage as an untapped source of social and cultural memory. Over the next three years, and subject to available funding, it is planned to undertake a number of projects.
(i)The Committee intends to develop a second Heritage Trail.
(ii)The Committee hopes to embark on a more substantive collection and conservation of ephemeral material relevant to the heritage of Morningside. In addition, it is hoped to present this resource material to the wider community by way of display cabinets at a fixed central location, via an inter-active website and through a programme of events involving cross-generational outreach.
(iii)2014 marked the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War 1. The Committee is already engaged ina major project around the impact of this eventon the Morningside communityand hopes to produce a publication on this topic in 2018.
5.14The Committee believes that potentially these projects will attract new members who want to research the heritage of the various topics.
5.15Moreover, these projects may enable the Association to engage successfully in partnership working with the relevant Schools of the Universities of Edinburgh and Edinburgh Napier in common research projects focused on Morningside.
Technology Developments
5.16In the next three years, efforts will be made to upgrade the Association’s IT systems as follows;
(i) Implement a clear and achievable plan for the development, updating and maintenance of an interactive MHA website with facilities to display the materials which have been saved.
(ii)Develop a digital catalogue of the MHA collections, with free-to-view access to images and documents, similar to the SCRAN model of access