A TRUST tasked with preserving Hampshire’s culture and heritage has seen a boost in income, with donations and visitor numbers surging.

However, that comes after job loses were announced at Hampshire Cultural Trust (HCT), with the organisation spending more than £460,000 on redundancies.

The figures have been revealed in HCT annual accounts for the 2017/18 financial year.

They show the trust saw a 13.1% rise in visitors to its museums – which include the City Museum and Westgate Museum in Winchester, as well as the Eastleigh Museum and Westbury Manor Museum in Fareham – and earned income was up 20% to more than £2.5million.

Donations at HCT venues were also up 118% to more than £91,000, with total fundraised income £1,802,000 – £67,000 more than expected.

As previously reported, the trust said in January it was forced to cut 10% of its workforce in order to meet revised forecasts following a reduction in grants.

It currently employs more than 100 people, according to the accounts, as well as using 400 volunteers.

That was followed by former chief executive Dr Janet Owen resigning in August, outside the period covered by the figures.

The trust was set up as an independent charity in 2014 to take over the running of more than 2.5 million assets belonging to councils across the county.

The accounts show council grants dipped in 2017/18, but Hampshire County Council increased its grant from just over £2.9m to more than £3.2m.

Writing in the report, HCT chairman Alan Lovell said: “We have had an extremely busy and successful year at HCT and have seen some remarkable achievements.

“I am confident that we are now set up in the best way possible to achieve even more.”