Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From: 01/01/2024 To: 31/12/2024
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 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 £961 |
| 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 Para 1.47 any fundraising) Investment policy and objectives including any Para 1.46 social investment policy adopted A description of the principal Para 1.46 risks facing the charity 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 |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements |
where relevant about: |
|---|---|---|
| Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees |
Para 1.51 | |
| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works |
Para 1.51 | |
| Relationship with any related parties |
Para 1.51 | |
| 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 SG40SP |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee(if any) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ian Hamilton | Chair | 01/01/2024-24/06/2024 | ||
| Marianne Bond | Treasurer | |||
| Melanie Plowman- Cobb |
Social and Fundraising Manager |
01/01/2024-24/06/2024 | ||
| Claire Bailes | Young Thespians Manager |
|||
| Philippa Tadman | General member | |||
| Alexandra Evans | Secretary | 01/01/2024-29/02/2024 | ||
| Anne Passmore | Choral manager | 01/01/2024-24/06/2024 | ||
| Sarah Bailes | Production manager / Chair |
|||
| Charlotte Brennan | Social, Fundraising & Development Manager |
25/06/2024-31/12/2024 | ||
| Rachel E Hill | Secretary | 25/06/2024-31/12/2024 | ||
| John Walden | General member | 25/06/2024-31/12/2024 | ||
– 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)
| Additional information (optional) Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information) |
Additional information (optional) Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information) |
Additional information (optional) Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information) |
|---|---|---|
| Type of adviser Name Address |
||
| Financial | Len Seymour | |
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) JANINE AISHA REYNOLDS Full name(s) JANINE AISHA REYNOLDS Position (eg Secretary, Secretary Chair, etc) Date 10/09/2025
HITCHIN THESPIANS CHARITY NUMBER 1005332 RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS
Page 1
YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
| 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 PAYMENTS COST OF PRODUCTIONS Hitchin Thespians 1 Young Thespians 2 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 |
£ £ 12,434 8,898 21,332 169 42 873 1,083 2,945 790 789 4,524 1,599 76 664 25 2,364 15,425 4,263 19,688 48,991 13,373 5,326 (18,699) 56 (56) 20,366 1,223 (21,589) 5,712 (5,712) 199 17 29 - 85 66 289 814 263 210 2 (1,975) (48,031) 961 85,183 86,144 84,700 1,444 86,144 31 DEC 2024 |
£ £ 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 - (2,966) (32,671) 23,179 62,004 85,183 83,541 1,642 85,183 31 DEC 2023 |
|---|---|---|
Page 2
HITCHIN THESPIANS CHARITY NUMBER 1005332 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
| CASH FUNDS Current account Savings deposit account Savings bond fixed 2Y Cash Young Thespians current account OTHER MONETARY ASSETS Debtors ASSETS RETAINED FOR USE Leasehold property (Woodside Hall) Equipment, fixtures & fittings LIABILITIES Creditors |
31 DEC 2024 £ 4,733 60,068 15,748 401 5,193 86,144 1,356 672,036 38,097 228 |
|---|---|
HITCHIN THESPIANS CHARITY NUMBER 1005332 NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
Page 3
YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
1 PRODUCTIONS ACCOUNT - HITCHIN THESPIANS
| 2024 2024 Receipts Payments £ £ Spring into Summer 1,158 (1,151) Kipps 8,210 (6,690) Bring & Sing G&S - Trial by Jury & HMS Pinafore 729 (365) Summer workshop series 2024 275 (162) Christmas at Woodside 2024 1,608 (1,088) 9 to 5 440 (4) Scrooge (2,557) Young Frankenstein (500) Let the People Sing Honk! Gloria Summer workshop series 2023 Unlimited (122) Christmas at Woodside 2023 15 (86) The Best of Times Sing a Song for Christmas Summer sounds TicketTailor costs (648) 12,434 (13,373) Net receipts/(deficit) from productions - HT (939) 2 PRODUCTIONS ACCOUNT - YOUNG THESPIANS 2024 2024 Receipts Payments £ £ Frozen Jr Shrek Jr 2,216 (3,052) Nemo Jr 3,363 (1,365) Aladdin Jr 3,320 (699) Twenty Years of Young Thespians Other production costs (210) 8,898 (5,326) Net receipts/(deficit) from productions - YT 3,572 3 FUNDRAISING EVENTS & ACTIVITIES 2024 2024 Receipts Payments £ £ A Little Planet concert (35) A Night at the Woodside evening 873 (20) Christmas in April concert Sundry 873 (56) Net receipts for fundraising activities 817 |
2023 2023 Receipts Payments £ £ (500) (506) 489 (54) 8,345 (8,638) 1,754 (1,438) 645 (459) 3,285 (335) 2,490 (1,569) (160) (17) (17) (414) 17,009 (14,106) 2,903 2023 2023 Receipts Payments £ £ 2,887 (977) 5,772 (1,138) (495) (50) (148) 8,659 (2,808) 5,851 2023 2023 Receipts Payments £ £ 429 (82) (46) (12) 6 435 (140) 295 |
|---|---|
HITCHIN THESPIANS CHARITY NUMBER 1005332 NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
Page 4
YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
4 WOODSIDE HALL
| Income Woodside Hall lettings income Bar receipts Expenses Caretaking, Cleaning & Gardening Council Tax Bar expenses Equipment Fire extinguishers contract plus repairs Gas & Electricity Buildings & Contents Insurance First aid training and equipment Music royalties for external hires Piano tuning Refuse collection Repairs and renewals WiFi & radio licences Entertainment licence Water & Sewerage Window & gutter cleaning Net receipts / (payments) for Woodside Hall |
2024 2024 £ £ 15,425 4,263 19,688 3,950 569 1,223 574 156 6,815 4,976 11 260 - 947 853 241 180 558 275 (21,589) (1,901) |
2023 2023 £ £ 16,640 7,122 23,762 2,548 391 2,568 409 138 4,361 - - 220 70 891 459 - 180 323 95 (12,651) 11,111 |
|---|---|---|
-
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 2024, £198 of this fund was used, leaving a balance of £1,444 at 31 December 2024. These are the only restricted funds managed by the charity.
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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.
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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 2024.
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: 10/06/2025 Len Seymour
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 2024.
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: 10/06/2025 Len Seymour