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Letters to the Editor
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Birdsgrove House
Visit arouses questions
From Mrs M. P. Stainton, MRPharmS
Recently my husband and I were in Derbyshire. On our return journey
we parked outside Birdsgrove House and went to look at what I still
consider to be the property of the members. Having identified ourselves
we were given supervised access to the ground floor by one of the security
guards.
This visit raised a number of concerns, which may be of interest to
other members of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Why are all the
treasures still in the house and not in secure storage? We noticed
several pieces of valuable furniture which had been donated, including
a beautiful polished wooden dresser given by the Hounslow branch and
a long case clock donated in the 1970s by a member of the Society.
The security firm has a 12-month contract for 24-hour-a-day surveillance
including CCTV (which had yet to be fitted). The grounds are also being
maintained and local taxes will have to be paid. Why is the house not
being used for the benefit of Society members until a buyer is found?
Surely it would sell better as a going concern. How much is it going
to cost to maintain until it is sold? Will the many gifts which have
been donated over the years be returned to the donors or their next
of kin? How long will this take and how much will it cost?
Members need to know about these matters. Also it would have been good
for members to be given a final opportunity to experience the peace
and tranquillity of a stay at Birdsgrove before it is finally lost
to us forever.
Marie Stainton
Sandy, Bedfordshire
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BERNARD KELLY, director of finance and resources at the Royal Pharmaceutical
Society, responds:
Birdsgrove House and its contents belong to the Benevolent
Funds of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. The Benevolent
Fund is a registered charity and the members of the Society’s
Council act as trustees of the charity.
The house was officially closed on Friday 30 September. The decision
to close the house was communicated to members through the pages of
the PJ on 20 August
(p215).
Before the closure, a 12-month contract was agreed with a local security
company: 24-hour-a-day security was started in early September and CCTV was
installed
on 2 October. The alarm system for the house was upgraded on closure and
is linked automatically to both the offices of the security company and the
local police.
This level of security will ensure that the building and its contents are
fully protected.
An inventory of the house was made before closure and all assets have been
photographed, tagged and valued. A number of local and national auctioneers
have been invited
to tender for the opportunity to auction the contents of the house. Once
an auction house has been selected, the contents will be transferred to their
premises before
auction. Moving the contents to a separate secure facility in the interim
would add considerably to costs. Maintaining this level of security is a
fraction of
the running costs previously being incurred.
Where possible, donors of items to the house are being consulted on the future
of the donation and, at their October meeting, branch and regional secretaries
were asked to assist by consulting their members on this issue. The auction
of items will be delayed until this consultation is completed.
The eventual sale of Birdsgrove House could take up to a year as this is
a large property and achieving the best value will require careful assessment
of the
options available and appropriate marketing. Sale cannot go ahead until the
agreement of the Charity Commission has been obtained. |
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The
Pharmaceutical Journal