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Wensleydale Railway Trust (WRT)

The Wensleydale Railway Trust does not at present have its own web site, and is grateful to the WRA for providing web pages for information about the Trust. However, it is legally quite separate from the WRA.

The Trust was set up in October 2000. It is a registered charity, (Charity No 1088324) and is also a company limited by guarantee (Company No 4094801). It is one of the three organisations which make up the Wensleydale Railway, (the others being Wensleydale Railway plc, which is the operating company running the trains, and the Wensleydale Railway Association).

Why do we need a charity?

Being a charity brings advantages and limitations. The advantages are in its financial arrangements. Donations to the Trust can be made under the Gift Aid arrangements, which allow charities to reclaim tax and increase the value of donations by 25% (28% until April 2011). Charities may also claim other tax reliefs. Charities may also seek grants from other charitable funds and from sources which may not be willing to support commercial or non-charitable organisations.

However, charities are regulated by the Charity Commission and must meet high standards regarding the use of their funds. They must be careful to use their resources only for the purposes defined in their objects, and to ensure that there is a public benefit in what they do.

What can the Wensleydale Railway Trust do?

The objects of the Trust are in two parts. Its first object is ‘to advance the education of the public in all matters related to the Wensleydale Railway.... and railways and public transport in general and integrated transport in particular’. Education of the public does not mean simply running courses or providing lectures; the terms are capable of a wider interpretation. The Trust has, however, established that the training of volunteers who are involved with the Railway can be a legitimate use of its resources, and it has already invested a lot in training.

The second object was added in March 2009, ‘to advance and conserve the heritage of the Railway, and railways in general, for the benefit of the public’. Heritage can encompass both buildings and structures and rolling stock including locomotives. The two objects combine well in many projects, where people learn through the preservation of heritage objects or structures.

The rescue of the signal box from North Wootton, and its restoration at Leeming Bar, provides a good example of the weaving together of the elements mentioned above. The signal box is part of the heritage of the railways, and has been restored for the public to view. The information terminal on the platform provides information about its history and the lives of railwaymen. Volunteers working on the box, and the students of Darlington College, were able to learn about and reproduce the woodworking skills of the Victorian craftsmen who built it. And the Trust was only able to fund the work with the financial support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, who made a grant of £21,500. The box will have practical uses for the Railway, as well as visually enhancing the Leeming Bar site, as it will in time be used for signalling purposes controlling the station yard area.

What resources does the Trust have?

The Trust was not set up with any endowment. It can only work with the money it is given or can generate. Money comes from five main sources:

• A small membership (see below) and a list of regular subscribers now provide the Trust with a small but regular income, which is Gift Aided.
• Many WRA members make a donation when renewing their WRA membership, and other supporters and members of the public give donations to the Trust.
• Legacies provide a valuable, often surprising, but largely unpredictable source of income.
• Foundation Members and other donors have helped the Trust to establish a Foundation Fund which is invested and is beginning to generate additional income on a regular basis.
• Grants have been successfully sought for major projects.

How is the Trust managed?

The Trust is managed by a Council. The council members are both the directors of the company and the trustees of the charity. There are at present six Council members, though there is no limit on the number of members. The six are:

David Haxby – Chairman. David has been a member of the Council since 2004, and was formerly Company Secretary. He became Chairman in March 2010.

Philip Smith – Company Secretary. Phil joined the Council in May 2009, and assumed the role of Company Secretary on 29th June 2009.

Michael Alexander – Treasurer. Mike has been the Treasurer since he joined the Council in January 2007.

Angus Maude is one of the members who established the Trust in October 2000. He remained Chairman until March 2010, when he had become Chairman of the Wensleydale Railway plc.

Colin Brown is the other remaining member of the original Trust Council, and he was the first Company Secretary.

David Walker joined the Council in March 2008. He was the project leader for the signal box project, and is now leading the project to restore Scruton Station.

What has the Trust achieved?

The Trust was set up to enable Railtrack to donate a mile of track to the Railway. This has been managed by the trustees and is now integrated into the line. An early purchase was a ‘Walrus’, a large hopper wagon built in 1929 and still requiring restoration (see below). In 2006 the Trust sponsored an Evaluation Workshop to provide an opportunity for participants to consider how the running of the Railway could be improved. For a number of years the Trust has invested in the training of volunteers, equipping a training room with appropriate furnishings, providing a computer-driven projector, and providing materials such as training DVDs, booklets and so on. The Trust has also paid for a number of people to attend specialist courses such as courses on the use of industrial insecticides and weedkillers. The Trust met the cost of a volunteer who for a time mounted displays about the Railway in public libraries, and has given grants towards other projects such as the Leyburn Station 150th anniversary celebrations in 2006, which drew in the public to learn about the history of our line.

The Trust has paid for repairs to Bedale Signal Box, which is a listed building. Some time ago it paid for strengthened glass to replace windows broken by local vandals, and more recently has provided emergency funding to enable the plc to make repairs while applying for a grant. It has recently made a grant for the repair of a diesel engine from the Railway’s 101 DMU, a project which is being undertaken by students at Darlington College. Money has been allocated for the restoration of the Walrus, which will not only be an interesting historical vehicle for the public to see, but will also become a valuable part of the works train.

The Trust’s largest project to date has been the restoration of the signal box which was brought to the Railway from North Wootton in Norfolk. This was done with the help of a substantial grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and the matching funding was made up of contributions from the Trust and the costed time of Wensleydale Railway volunteers. The students of Darlington College also made a significant contribution. The project was completed in May 2009.

What is the Trust currently working on?

Some things, like the investment in training, continue, and work on the restoration of the Walrus is now starting. At present the most significant project is the restoration of Scruton Station. This station was last used as a passenger station in 1954, and is now derelict. It has a lot of interest because it is one of the earliest stations on the line, and some time ago the Railway Heritage Trust showed an interest in supporting a project to restore the building. A partnership between the Trust, the operating company, and Scruton Parish Council has been formed to take forward the project, but the Trust carries the financial responsibilities.

The building is to be leased by the Wensleydale Railway Trust from the operating company on a long-term basis, so that after the restoration has been completed it will remain the responsibility of the Trust. The Railway Heritage Trust has agreed to make a substantial grant, which has to be matched by the Trust, and work has begun. As with the signal box, some of the matching funding is being provided by the costed work of railway volunteers, and Darlington College is using the project as a learning experience for students. However, there are significant costs to be met by the WR Trust. We have been helped by a large donation given by Mr Wight of Lichfield to commemorate his son. The Northallerton Branch of the WRA has donated £1000. The Trust is meeting such things as architects’ fees, consultants’ fees, solicitor’s costs, insurance for the works, and so on, and of course any shortfall in the money available for the building works.

The Trust has also set up two groups to plan for future developments in the Trust’s work. One is helping the Trust to plan some means of displaying the various railway artefacts and memorabilia which the Railway has accumulated, mainly through donations. The Railway also has archive material such as plans and old photographs which need to be cared for so that they do not deteriorate. We call this a Museum Project, but the end product may not necessarily look like a conventional museum. This is a way of helping the public to learn about our Railway and railways in general, but also a way of adding value and interest to any visit to the Railway by tourists and people enjoying a day on the line.

The second group is considering how we can improve the links with local primary schools. The group is planning to provide appropriate material to enable a speaker from the Wensleydale Railway to visit a school and make a presentation. A talk would have to be relevant to the curriculum for the particular age group. We would then hope to encourage schools to visit the Railway, and again we are planning how we can maximise the enjoyment of the visits as well as improve the learning experience for the children.

How Can I Help the Trust?

Donations to the Trust, small or large, are welcome at any time. If you click on the Donate Now button above it will take you to the Charity Choice web site, where payment to the Trust can be made using credit or debit cards or Paypal.

If you wish to provide continuing support for the Trust you may wish to become a member or regular subscriber (see below). If you register as a volunteer on the Railway you can express an interest in working on any of the Trust’s projects, depending on your skills and aptitude. If you are making your will you may wish to leave a sum to the Trust. The Trust has produced a leaflet about ‘Remembering the Wensleydale Railway in your Will’, which covers all three of the Railway organisations, and can be sent on request.

Can I be a Member of the Trust?

The Trust welcomes new members. It has members of two kinds. Anyone may apply to become an Ordinary Member, for which the subscription is a minimum of £10 per annum. As a charity we are unable to offer significant benefits to members (such as the travel concessions for WRA members, or the regular Relay magazine). However, we hope to write more regularly to members about the progress of our projects and to provide some opportunities for members to see work in progress, and of course all members receive the Annual Report and are invited to attend the AGM. Writing early in 2011 there are 26 ordinary members and 3 Foundation members, who are in effect members for life.

There is an application form (click to open and then print) for ordinary membership and a Gift Aid form is also printed with the application. If you are a UK taxpayer you may use Gift Aid provided that in a tax year you pay at least as much tax as will be reclaimed by the Trust. Where possible people are asked to pay by standing order to reduce administration. A standing order form is also available to print off, and should be returned to the Trust, not your bank. If you use a standing order, you can, of course, spread the cost by making several payments in a year, perhaps for a little more than the minimum.

You may also wish to consider becoming a Foundation Member. A Foundation Member may be an individual or a corporate body making a single donation of at least £500, which will be invested in the Foundation Fund. For individuals, Foundation Membership provides membership for life. For corporate bodies the membership lasts for 10 years, with options at the end of that period. At present there are 3 Foundation Members, whose names are recorded in the Annual Report. A leaflet about Foundation membership can be provided on request.

Anyone interested in becoming a member of either kind who would like more information is invited to contact the Chairman, David Haxby, by phone (01845 526893), by email  or by writing to the office at Leeming Bar Station, Leases Road, Leeming Bar, Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL7 9AR.

Where now?

The potential of the Trust is limited solely by the resources available to it. The work on the Leeming Bar (formerly North Wootton) signal box, and the work currently being undertaken at Scruton, have shown that the Trust can attract funds to enable large projects to be undertaken. However, relatively small sums can often be used to great effect. The Trust wants to move from a peripheral to a more central role in the development of the Railway. The first step is to build up a predictable income from members, subscribers, and the growth of the Foundation Fund. We will be trying to identify the next major task which is appropriate for the Trust to undertake, and will then seek funds for this.