## The Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah!
Charity number 1039935
A company limited by guarantee number 02909605
## Annual Report and Financial Statements
for the year ended 31 March 2025
## The Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah!
Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
|**Contents**|**Page**|
|---|---|
|Trustees' report|2 to 5|
|Examiner's report|6|
|Statement of financial activities|7|
|Balance sheet|8|
|Notes to the accounts|9 to 13|
**Prepared by West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO**
1
## The Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah!
## Trustees' report for the year ended 31 March 2025
## **Reference and administrative details of the charity, its trustees and advisors**
The trustees during the financial year and up to and including the date the report was approved were: **Name Position Dates**
**Name Position** Donna Pankhurst Chair Linzi Tate Lauren Huxley Gillian Morley Madeleine Thorne Inderjeet Bell Job Kabamba **Charity number** 1039935 **Company number** 02909605
Resigned 29 August 2025 Resigned 6 July 2024 Resigned 3 September 2024
Registered in England and Wales Registered in England and Wales
**Registered and principal address Bankers** Lawrence Batley Theatre HSBC Bank Plc Monmouthshire Building Society Queen Street Leeds University Monmouthshire House Huddersfield 27 Blenheim Terrace John Frost Square HD1 2SP Woodhouse Lane Newport Leeds University South Wales NP20 1PX
## **Independent examiner**
Simon Bostrom FCIE **West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO** Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW
## **Structure, governance and management**
The charity is a company limited by guarantee and was formed on 17 March 1994. It is governed by a memorandum and articles of association as amended by special resolution on 24 June 1994 and amended on 4 January 2019 and 23 July 2020. The liability of the members in the event of the company being wound up is limited to a sum not exceeding £1.
## **Method of recruitment and appointment of trustees**
The trustees of the charity are also the directors for the purposes of company law and are appointed by the members at the AGM.
2
## The Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah!
## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025
## **Objectives and activities**
## **The charity's objects**
To advance the education of children and young people in the appreciation and practice of the arts, in particular theatre, drama and the performing arts.
## **The charity's main activities**
The usual activity of Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah is to create original theatre performances and drama workshops primarily for and with children and young people, but also their teachers and families, with the purpose of engaging them in learning about the art form, themselves and the world. The charity carries out this work in schools, community settings and theatre venues.
## **Public benefit statement**
In setting our objectives and planning our activities our Trustees have given serious consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit and in particular the advancement of education of children and young people and the appreciation and practice of the arts.
## **Achievements and performance**
## **Introduction**
## **Hidden Garden**
The show played 26 times across the North of England to a total audience of 1,296 in a mixture of conventional venues and community spaces, some with an history of arts inclusion and some without. The shows played to audiences aged 4 through to 9 (mostly with accompanying adults) and were well received. The original plan was to have a considerable about of community support running alongside the performance, but we were unsuccessful in a bid to The National Lottery to fund this, which led to Trees For Cities being able to deliver this work and it cost the production audiences and a deeper engagement with the subject matter. This came at particular cost in places like Burnley Downtown Community Pantry and Hoole Community Centre but we are still very glad we played in areas with very little arts infrastructure or provision.
The quality of the final show was excellent which is, in no small part, to the great credit of the production team. There were significant casting issues (with an actor having to be replaced very late in the project) and it became obvious that the production was too big for the infrastructure of the current company to be able to cope with effectively. This was acerbated by the Executive Creative Producer having significant health issues at the same time as the Producer attached to the show leaving to take up another job. This meant that already busy people became even more busy, that it had no effect on what was shown says a great deal about their professionalism.
## **Bored on the Ward (formerly Heartbeats)**
By the end of the financial year this project was about to begin it’s beta testing stage, which demonstrates just how hard the team of Matthew Bellwood (story), Nick Lewis and James Mabbutt (music), Chadni Soren (artist), Jack Sibley (lead developer), Tim Woodson (UI designer), Lydia Cotteril (technologist) have pushed the development forward. They have, further, been working closely with Sophie Jo Peel of South West Yorkshire NHS Trust and the Calderdale Hospital’s Estates Team to isolate places for installation of artwork relating to the digital game and exploring the best ways of mounting said artwork.
Bored on the Ward is funded by Youth Music and was developed to alleviate boredom amongst children and young people who are either in regular outpatient care or on medium to long stays in hospital. Developed alongside children and young people in Calderdale Hospital, in particular the youth epilepsy group, the project was created through group play, music making and storytelling activity. The digital game is loosely framed around the design of the children’s ward at the hospital and invites young users to help broken instruments find their groove again. They do this by participating in mini games which create pieces of music which can be combined through a portal room to create a more complex piece of music.
3
## The Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah!
## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025
## **Achievements and performance continued**
Once beta testing has been completed it is intended that the game be made available via The Apple Store (on a free download, if approval is granted) so that it can be played on iPads or smart phones around the hospital.
The digital work has been designed so that it is adaptable in terms of growth and easily reskinned so that it can reflect a wider range of hospitals. It can of course be played by any young person with access to a smart phone and iPad and access to the Apple Store.
## **Fundraising**
As was mentioned above, we failed in our bid to The National Lottery (£6,500) to fund the creative playdays, we also failed in bids (£5,000) to the Garfield Weston Foundation and (£5,000) to The Postcode Lottery Foundation and (£2,000) to the Rayne Foundation – all for core support and all turned down due to pressure on funds.
There are very clear indications that, as charities close due to the cost of living impact on their finances; close funding streams; refocus their funding towards frontline services; and as the pressure of application level to charities has grown exponentially (as pressures elsewhere in the funding system shift bids towards them) the chances of success are dwindling. Put simply there are far more arts organisations applying for funding from a shrinking number of Trusts and Foundations who give to the arts.
Our sector is under significant and prolonged pressure, particularly small organisations, experiencing:
- l Limited funding growth
- l Capacity challenges
- l Structural inequality between large and small organisations
The economic outlook over the next five years does not look like this situation is likely to change for any organisation seeking Charitable funding but it is fair to say that the arts and heritage sectors are being hit particularly hard.
## **Financial review**
The net expenditure for the year was £19,949, including net expenditure of £7,882 on unrestricted funds and net expenditure of £12,067 on restricted funds.
## **Reserves policy**
Trustees consider that the appropriate level of unrestricted reserves held by Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah should be a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 months expenditure. This is to allow the smooth operation of the charity and to sustain activity during any period of uncertainty. This currently equates to between £6,651 and £11,086 based on current overhead costs of £26,606 per annum. The reserves policy will be kept under review on an annual basis or if risks to the company change.
The charity's free reserves, excluding fixed assets, at the year end were £15,056.
4
## The Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah!
## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025
## **Statement of trustees' responsibilities**
The trustees (who are also the directors for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees report and the financial statements in accordance with the applicable law and UK Accounting Standards.
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial accounts for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for the year. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
state whether applicable UK accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
prepare the accounts on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial accounts comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
This report has been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities (Charities SORP (FRS102)), and in accordance with the special provisions of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
Approved by the board of trustees on 22/12/2025
Lauren Huxley (Trustee)
5
## The Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah!
## Independent examiner's report to the trustees of The Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah!
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2025, which are set out on pages 7 to 13.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity's trustees of the charitable company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the charitable company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 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 giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
- 1 accounting records were not kept in respect of the company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or 2 the accounts do not accord with those records; or
- 3 the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act 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; or
- 4 the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities [applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)].
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.
Simon Bostrom FCIE
22/12/25
## **West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO**
Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW
6
## The Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah!
## Statement of Financial Activities
## (including summary income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 March 2025
|Notes
2025
Unrestricted
funds
£
**Income from:**
Grants and donations
(2)
-
Performance and workshop fees
10,600
Interest
667
**Total income**
11,267
**Expenditure on:**
Salaries NICs and pensions
(3)
8,023
Motor, travel and tour costs
-
Insurance
656
Telephone, internet and web support
1,632
Administrative costs
482
Advertising
-
Professional fees and consultancy
-
Production costs
8,000
Independent examination
720
Legal and governance
34
Bad debts
-
Depreciation
100
**Total expenditure**
19,647
**Net income / (expenditure)**
(8,380)
**Transfers between funds**
(4)
498
**Net movement in funds**
(7,882)
**Fund balances brought forward**
23,336
**Fund balances carried forward**
(4)
15,454|2025
Restricted
funds
£
69,687
-
-
69,687
5,900
-
-
-
139
3,160
3,860
68,197
-
-
-
-
81,256
(11,569)
(498)
(12,067)
29,910
17,843|2025
Total
funds
£
69,687
10,600
667
80,954
13,923
-
656
1,632
621
3,160
3,860
76,197
720
34
-
100
100,903
(19,949)
-
(19,949)
53,246
33,297|2024
Total
funds
£
20,000
-
1,261
21,261
13,924
725
644
971
413
3,654
6,958
9,172
720
1,221
1,250
-
39,652
(18,391)
-
(18,391)
71,637
53,246|
|---|---|---|---|
All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities.
7
## The Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah!
## Balance sheet
|as at 31 March 2025
2025
Unrestricted
£
**Fixed assets**
Tangible assets
(5)
398
**Total fixed assets**
398
**Current assets**
Debtors and prepayments
(6)
2,375
Cash at bank and in hand
(7)
13,579
**Total current assets**
15,954
**Current liabilities:**
**amounts falling due within one year**
Creditors and accruals
(8)
898
**Total current liabilities**
898
**Net current assets / (liabilities)**
15,056
**Net assets**
15,454
**Funds**
Unrestricted funds
15,454
Restricted funds
-
**Total funds**
15,454|2025
Restricted
£
-
-
4,996
12,847
17,843
-
-
17,843
17,843
-
17,843
17,843|2025
Total
£
398
398
7,371
26,426
33,797
898
898
32,899
33,297
15,454
17,843
33,297|2024
Total
£
-
-
271
54,752
55,023
1,777
1,777
53,246
53,246
23,336
29,910
53,246|
|---|---|---|---|
For the year ending 31 March 2025 the charitable company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
The members have not required the charitable company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476. The trustees (who are also the directors for the purposes of company law) acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime and with FRS 102 (effective January 2019).
The financial statements were approved by the board of trustees on 22/12/2025
Lauren Huxley (Trustee)
8
## The Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah!
## Notes to the accounts
for the year ended 31 March 2025
## **1 Accounting policies**
## **Basis of accounting**
These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) and with the Charities Act 2011.
The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. There has been no change to the accounting policies since last year. No changes have been made to the accounts for previous years.
## **Going concern**
The trustees are satisfied that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue.
## **Incoming resources**
All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) when the charity becomes entitled to the resources, if it is more likely than not that the trustees will receive the resources and the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability.
## **Grants and donations**
Grants and donations are only included in the SOFA when the charity has unconditional entitlement to the resources.
Where grants are related to performance and specific deliverables, they are accounted for as the charity earns the right to consideration by its performance.
## **Expenditure and liabilities**
Expenditure is recognised on an accrual basis as a liability is incurred. Liabilities are recognised where it is more likely than not that there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out the resources and the amount of the obligation can be measured with reasonable certainty.
## **Taxation**
As a charity the organisation benefits from rates relief and is generally exempt from income tax and capital gains tax but not from VAT. Irrecoverable VAT is included in the cost of those items to which it relates.
## **Tangible fixed assets**
Tangible fixed assets are capitalised and included at cost including any incidental expenses of acquisition. Gifted assets are shown at the value to the charity on receipt.
Depreciation is provided on all tangible fixed assets at rates calculated to write off the cost on a straight line basis over their expected useful economic lives as follows: Fixtures and fittings and equpment: over 5 years
## **Pensions**
The charity operates a defined contribution scheme for the benefit of its employees. The costs of contributions are recognised in the year they are payable.
## **Fund accounting**
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.
Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure imposed by the donor or through the terms of an appeal.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the accounts.
9
## The Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah!
## Notes to the accounts continued
## for the year ended 31 March 2025
|**2 Grants and donations**
Arts Council England (ACE)
SW Yorkshire Partnership NHS
City of Bradford MDC
**3 Staff costs and numbers**
Gross salaries
Social security costs
Employment allowance
Pensions|2025
Unrestricted
funds
£
-
-
-
-|2025
Restricted
funds
£
49,967
18,820
900
69,687|2025
Total
funds
£
49,967
18,820
900
69,687
2025
£
13,699
725
(725)
224
13,923|2024
Total
funds
£
-
20,000
-
20,000
2024
£
13,700
635
(635)
224
13,924|
|---|---|---|---|---|
The average number of employees during the year was 1, being an average of 0.4 full time equivalent (2024: 1, 0.4 FTE). There were no employees with emoluments above £60,000.
|**Defined contribution pension scheme**
Costs of the scheme to the charity for the year
Amount of any contributions outstanding at the year end
**4 Restricted funds**
Balance b/f
Incoming
£
£
SW Yorkshire P/ship NHS
29,910
18,820
Arts Council England
-
49,967
City of Bradford MDC
-
900
29,910
69,687|Outgoing
£
30,389
49,967
900
81,256|2025
£
224
44
Transfers
£
(498)
-
-
(498)|2024
£
224
44
Balance c/f
£
17,843
-
-
17,843|
|---|---|---|---|
## **Fund name**
SW Yorkshire P/ship NHS
Arts Council England City of Bradford MDC
## **Purpose of restriction**
Towards the Heartbeats project. The transfer relates to the purchase of fixed assets for the general purposes of the charity. Towards the Hidden Garden project. Towards the Hidden Garden project.
10
## The Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah!
## Notes to the accounts continued
## for the year ended 31 March 2025
|**5 **
**6 **
**7 **
**8 **|**Tangible assets**
**Cost**
At 1 April 2024
Additions
At 31 March 2025
**Depreciation**
At 1 April 2024
Charge for year
At 31 March 2025
**Net book value**
At 31 March 2025
At 31 March 2024
**Debtors and prepayments**
Debtors
Prepayments
**Cash at bank and in hand**
Cash at bank
**Creditors and accruals**
Creditors
Accruals
Taxation and social security
Other creditors|£
3,283
498
3,781
3,283
100
3,383
398
-
2025
£
7,096
275
7,371
2025
£
26,426
26,426
2025
£
108
720
26
44
898
Fixtures
and fittings|Total
£
3,283
498
3,781
3,283
100
3,383
398
-
2024
£
-
271
271
2024
£
54,752
54,752
2024
£
985
720
28
44
1,777|
|---|---|---|---|
11
## The Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah!
## Notes to the accounts continued
for the year ended 31 March 2025
## **9 Related party transactions**
## **Trustee expenses**
No trustee received any expenses during this year or the previous year.
## **Trustee remuneration and benefits**
No trustee received any remuneration or benefit during this or the previous year.
## **Remuneration and benefits received by key management personnel**
The total employee benefits received by key management personnel were £14,649 (previous year: £14,559).
12
## The Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah!
## Statement of Financial Activities including comparatives for all funds (including summary income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 March 2025
|2025
2024
Unrestricted Unrestricted
funds
funds
£
£
**Income**
Grants and donations
-
-
Performance and workshop fees
10,600
-
Interest
667
1,261
**Total income**
11,267
1,261
**Expenditure**
Salaries NICs and pensions
8,023
13,924
Motor, travel and tour costs
-
128
Insurance
656
644
Phone, internet and web support
1,632
971
Administrative costs
482
413
Advertising
-
3,474
Professional fees and consultancy
-
6,958
Production costs
8,000
534
Independent examination
720
720
Legal and governance
34
1,221
Bad debts
-
1,250
Depreciation
100
-
**Total expenditure**
19,647
30,237
**Net income / (expenditure)**
(8,380)
(28,976)
**Transfers between funds**
498
-
**Net movement in funds**
(7,882)
(28,976)
**Fund balances brought forward**
23,336
52,312
**Fund balances carried forward**
15,454
23,336|2025
Restricted
funds
£
69,687
-
-
69,687
5,900
-
-
-
139
3,160
3,860
68,197
-
-
-
-
81,256
(11,569)
(498)
(12,067)
29,910
17,843|2024
Restricted
funds
£
20,000
-
-
20,000
-
597
-
-
-
180
-
8,638
-
-
-
-
9,415
10,585
-
10,585
19,325
29,910|2025
Total
funds
£
69,687
10,600
667
80,954
13,923
-
656
1,632
621
3,160
3,860
76,197
720
34
-
100
100,903
(19,949)
-
(19,949)
53,246
33,297|2024
Total
funds
£
20,000
-
1,261
21,261
13,924
725
644
971
413
3,654
6,958
9,172
720
1,221
1,250
-
39,652
(18,391)
-
(18,391)
71,637
53,246|
|---|---|---|---|---|
13