2023-12-31-accounts - Hitchin Thespians

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Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From: 01/01/2023 To: 31/12/2023

Charity name: Hitchin Thespians

Charity registration number: 1005332

Objectives and Activities

	SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17	To educate the public in the dramatic and operatic arts and to further the development of public appreciation and taste in said arts.
Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts.	Para 1.17 and 1.19	To promote plays, drama, comedy, opera, operettas, choral works and other dramatic and operatic works of educational value.
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit	Para 1.18	Confirmed

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

	SORP reference
	Para 1.38
Policy on grant making
	Para 1.38
Policy on social investment
including program related
investment
	Para 1.38
Contribution made by
volunteers
Other

Achievements and Performance

	SORP reference
Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole.	Para 1.20	1 full scale musical theatre production 2 youth musical theatre productions 3 concerts (including one revue performance) A series of educational workshops
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements		where relevant about:
Achievements against objectives set	Para 1.41
Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set	Para 1.41
Investment performance against objectives	Para 1.41
Other

Financial Review

Financial Review
Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period	Para 1.21	Net receipts of £23,179
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	The Committee reviews the level of reserves from time to time to ensure an operational buffer is maintained.
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	A reserve of £20,000 is held for unexpected interruptions to operations to enable the ongoing expenses of the charity to be paid
Reasons for holding zero reserves	Para 1.22
Details of fund materially in deficit	Para 1.24
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern	Para 1.23

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:


The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising)	Para 1.47
Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted	Para 1.46
A description of the principal risks facing the charity	Para 1.46
Other

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter)	Para 1.25	Constitution / Rules
How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO)	Para 1.25	Society/Club
Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees	Para 1.25	Elected by Membership

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and Para 1.51 training of trustees The charity’s organisational structure and any wider Para 1.51 network with which the charity works Relationship with any related Para 1.51 parties Other

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name	Hitchin Thespians
Other name the charity uses	Young Thespians
Registered charity number	1005332
Charity’s principal address	Woodside Hall Walsworth Road Hitchin Hertfordshire SG4 0SP

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year
Ian Hamilton	Chair
Marianne Bond	Treasurer
Melanie Plowman- Cobb	Social and Fundraising Manager
Claire Bailes	Young Thespians Manager
Nicholas Morgan	Membership and Patrons Manager	01/01/2023 - 27/06/2023
Barbara Thomas	Secretary	01/01/2023 - 27/06/2023
Philippa Bayfield	Production Manager	01/01/2023 - 27/06/2023
Catherine Coulthard	Choral Manager	01/01/2023 - 27/06/2023
Philipa Tadman	General Member	27/06/2023 - 31/12/2023
Alexandra Evans	Secretary	27/06/2023 - 31/12/2023
Anne Passmore	Choral Manager	27/06/2023 - 31/12/2023
Sarah Bailes	Production Manager	27/06/2023 - 31/12/2023

– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved

Director name

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity

Trustee name	Dates acted if not for whole year
Brenda Cundell

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others

Description of the assets None held in this capacity

Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects

Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets

Additional information (optional)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of Name Address adviser

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Exemptions from disclosure

Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details

Other optional information

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date	REHILL	Rachel Elizabeth Hill
		Rachel Elizabeth Hill
		Secretary
	07/10/2024
	07/10/2024

HITCHIN THESPIANS CHARITY NUMBER 1005332

Page 1

RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

NOTES RECEIPTS PRODUCTION RECEIPTS Hitchin Thespians 1 Young Thespians 2 FUNDRAISING RECEIPTS Donations Donations made to YT Fundraising receipts 3 SUBSCRIPTION RECEIPTS Members subscriptions Junior members subscriptions Patrons donations OTHER RECEIPTS Bank interest Rehearsal refreshments Gift Aid Sundry receipts WOODSIDE HALL Woodside Hall lettings income 4 Bar receipts 4 Government grants received 4 ASSETS & INVESTMENTS Receipts from sale of fixed assets EXCEPTIONAL RECEIPTS Crane Foundation donation (restricted income) 5 PAYMENTS COST OF PRODUCTIONS Hitchin Thespians Young Thespians COST OF FUNDRAISING EVENTS Cost of fundraising events 3 WOODSIDE HALL Woodside Hall running costs 4 Bar costs 4 ASSETS & INVESTMENTS Purchase of fixed assets OTHER PAYMENTS NODA Subscription Spotlight Postage & Stationery WiFi & Video conferencing Photocopying Advertising Website Insurance Committee insurance Sundry Payments Bank interest & charges paid TOTAL NET RECEIPTS / (PAYMENTS) Cash funds last year end CASH FUNDS THIS YEAR END Represented by: General funds Restricted funds 5	£ £ 17,008 8,659 25,667 507 30 435 972 2,710 800 734 4,244 453 112 639 - 1,205 16,640 7,122 - 23,762 - - - - 55,850 14,106 2,808 (16,914) 140 (140) 10,083 2,568 (12,651) - - 135 90 14 60 213 50 1,439 774 181 10 0 (2,966) (32,671) 23,179 62,004 85,183 83,541 1,642 85,183 31 DEC 2023	£ £ 7,217 5,471 12,688 308 - 1,604 1,912 3,065 480 859 4,404 67 72 1,072 97 1,308 10,765 1,765 2,667 15,197 - - 1,975 1,975 37,483 4,085 3,298 (7,382) 517 (517) 15,466 838 (16,304) 1,825 (1,825) 72 106 20 - 99 57 948 774 156 82 4 (2,318) (28,347) 9,136 52,868 62,004 60,029 1,975 62,004 31 DEC 2022

Page 2

HITCHIN THESPIANS CHARITY NUMBER 1005332 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
CASH FUNDS Current account Savings deposit account Savings bond fixed 1Y Cash Young Thespians current account OTHER MONETARY ASSETS Debtors ASSETS RETAINED FOR USE Leasehold property (Woodside Hall) Equipment, fixtures & fittings LIABILITIES Creditors	31 DEC 2023 £ 10,036 45,717 15,000 50 14,380 85,183 1,050 672,036
	32,385
	2,691

HITCHIN THESPIANS CHARITY NUMBER 1005332 NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

Page 3

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

1
PRODUCTIONS ACCOUNT - HITCHIN THESPIANS
2023
2023
Receipts
Payments
£
£
Let the People Sing
489
(54)
Honk!
8,345
(8,638)
Gloria
1,754
(1,438)
Summer workshop series
645
(459)
Unlimited
3,285
(335)
Christmas at Woodside
2,490
(1,569)
Kipps
(500)
9 to 5
(506)
The Best of Times
(160)
Sing a Song for Christmas
(17)
Summer sounds
(17)
TicketTailor costs
(414)
17,008
(14,106)
Net receipts from productions - HT
2,902
2
PRODUCTIONS ACCOUNT - YOUNG THESPIANS
2023
2023
Receipts
Payments
£
£
Frozen Jr
2,887
(977)
Shrek Jr
5,772
(1,138)
Nemo Jr
(495)
Matilda Jr
Twenty Years of Young Thespians
(50)
Other production costs
(148)
8,659
(2,808)
Net receipts from productions - YT
5,851
3
FUNDRAISING EVENTS & ACTIVITIES
2023
2023
Receipts
Payments
£
£
A Little Planet concert
429
(82)
A Night at the Woodside evening
(46)
Christmas in April concert
(12)
Summer picnic
Christmas tree festival
Rehearsal raffles
Sundry
6
435
(140)
Net receipts for fundraising activities
295

2022
2022
Receipts
Payments
£
£
1,475
10
(63)
4,764
(3,489)
519
(118)
449
(414)
7,217
(4,084)
3,133
2022
2022
Receipts
Payments
£
£
(502)
(502)
3,721
(1,791)
1,750
(412)
(91)
5,471
(3,298)
2,173
2022
2022
Receipts
Payments
£
£
1,226
(423)
298
(71)
80
(23)
1,604
(517)
1,087

HITCHIN THESPIANS CHARITY NUMBER 1005332

Page 4

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

4 WOODSIDE HALL

Income Woodside Hall lettings income Bar receipts Government grants received Expenses Caretaking, Cleaning & Gardening Council Tax Bar expenses Equipment Fire extinguishers contract plus repairs Gas & Electricity Buildings & Contents Insurance Music royalties for external hires Piano tuning Refuse collection Repairs and renewals Bar licence Water & Sewerage Window Cleaning Net receipts / (payments) for Woodside Hall	2023 2023 £ £ 16,640 7,122 0 23,762 2,548 391 2,568 409 138 4,361 - 220 70 891 459 180 323 95 (12,651) 11,111	2022 2022 £ £ 10,765 1,765 2,667 15,197 5,115 775 838 30 663 3,073 2,733 207 60 975 1,018 180 461 175 (16,304) (1,107)

5 During 2022, the Crane Fund for Widows & Children donated a sum of £1,975 to be used for the purposes of providing access to Young Thespians activities for families that may otherwise be unable to pay the costs of participating. During 2023, £333 of this fund was used, leaving a balance of £1,642 at 31 December 2023. These are the only restricted funds managed by the charity.
6 Where figures have been corrected to the nearest pound there may be occasional apparent errors in totals of plus or minus £1. In each case the total is correct to the nearest pound.
7 This financial statement has been prepared on a cash basis and under the historical cost convention in accordance with the Charity Commission Statement of Recommended Practice together with applicable accounting standards. Income is recognised when it is received. Expenditure is accounted for on payment.

Accounting Policy

The Trustees are required by the Charities Act 2011 to prepare accounts for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the affairs of the Trust and of the surplus or deficit of the Trust for that period.

In preparing these accounts the Trustees are required (1) to select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently (2) to make judgements and estimates which are reasonable and prudent and (3) to prepare the accounts on a going-concern basis.

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Trust and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the requirements of the Charities Act, SORP and FRS (102).

The Trustees are responsible also for safeguarding the assets of the Trust and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Independent Examiner’s Report

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Hitchin Thespians (the Trust) for the year ended 31st December 2023.

As the charity’s trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts; you consider that the audit requirement of Section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 does not apply.

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached

L I Seymour Date: 11/06/2024 Len Seymour