TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
For The Year Ended 30th April 2025
Charity Number 1046002
Trustees’ Annual Report
The Trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 30 April 2025.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the policies set out in Note 1 to the Financial Statements and comply with the charity’s constitution, the Charities Act 2011, regulations applicable to that Act, and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), effective from accounting periods commencing 1st January 2015 or later.
Charity Structure, Governance, and Management
Charity Number: 1046002
Charity Name: New Forest Players Registered Address: 17 Dudley Avenue, Hordle, Lymington, SO41 0HY
Type of governing document: The Constitution of the New Forst Players was adopted at the AGM of 11 April 1995 and amended at the EGM of 6 February 1997 (Second Edition), AGM of 9 September 2003 (Third Edition), EGM of 26 February 2004 (Fourth Edition), EGM of 31 March 2011 (Fifth Edition), and AGM of 27 August 2020 (Sixth Edition).
How the charity is constituted: Full Membership is open to any person aged 18 or over who is interested in furthering the Objectives of the charity. Junior Members may be accepted under the age of 18 years but shall have no voting rights. There are currently 87 Full Members and 26 Junior Members. New Forest Players is run by the Executive Committee of 10 comprising 4 Honorary Officers (Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer) and six other Full Members.
Trustee selection methods: Members of the Executive Committee are elected or re-elected at the Annual General Meeting in August. The Executive Committee has the power to co-opt members should a committee vacancy occur during the year.
Executive Committee: The Executive Committee of the New Forest Players are its Trustees for the purposes of charity law and throughout this report are collectively referred to as its trustees. The Trustees serving during the year were as follows:
-
David Luker: Chairman
-
Len Reid: Vice-Chairman
-
Wendy Beaumont: Secretary
-
• Ben Sandford: Treasurer
-
Colin Bailey: Committee Member
-
• Simon Hanney: Committee Member
-
Wendy Howard-Allen: Committee Member
-
• Lyn Lockyer: Committee Member • Debbie Lucas: Committee Member
Page 2 of 14
- Bee Neal:
Committee Member
Advisers:
-
Bank: CAF Bank Limited, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4JQ
-
Independent Examiner: Mary Stallwood
Charity Objectives and Activities
The charity’s objectives are to promote the advancement and improvement of all aspects of drama and the development of the public appreciation of such art.
The New Forest Players (NFP) is a leading amateur drama group based in New Milton with members from the New Forest Area. The NFP has an active membership and aims to produce at least three plays each year plus a seasonal pantomime. NFP gives members the opportunity to meet other amateur theatre enthusiasts & take part on stage or behind the scenes at any of our productions. The performances are well attended and are generally well received by audiences.
The Trustees have taken careful regard of the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit and believe that by meeting the objects of the Charity they are fulfilling those requirements.
The following productions were staged by the New Forst Players in 2024/25. The Chairman’s report on pages 4 to 6 gives further details of activity during the year.
-
Goodnight Mister Tom (July 2024)
-
Charade (October 2024)
-
Aladdin (December 2024)
-
Talking Heads (February 2025)
-
Pack of Lies (April 2025)
Declaration
The Trustees declare that they approved the above report at the Executive Committee Meeting on 12 March 2026. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
David Luker, Chairman
Page 3 of 14
Chairman’s Review of the Year 2024/25
As we come to the conclusion of my sixth year as Chairman, we have once again enjoyed another very busy season of five extremely differing productions all of which deserve recognition. I am sure you will have read the excellent reviews received so I will not attempt to repeat them. However, on the other side of the metaphorical Ballard curtain I would like to underline the tremendous workload these productions demand in order to deliver high quality results. And of course, the buck stops with the director though the committee looks to provide any relevant support if necessary.
I read recently that an amateur theatre production can be likened to a ship. It is built at rehearsals and launched and sailed at the run. There are no sea trials that is previews to test the audiences. So, a brief review of the 2024-2025 line up: -The committee has wanted for some time to have a production other than the pantomime to include our juniors and we came up with Goodnight Mister Tom as being ideal and Sarah Haberfield was the obvious choice for director. We were fortunate to attract some of our junior members and juniors new to NFP to the cast. It proved a challenging play to pull off involving a large cast and multiple scene changes; the reward was found with appreciative audiences and of course great reviews.
Charade was our autumn production directed by Len Reid who opted for another Janet Shaw play following the success of One Day I will Fly Away by the same writer which Len directed in the previous season. Again, a large cast of 13 comprising NFP regulars three of whom were making their debuts in speaking roles, and four others making their first appearance for NFP. Once more excellent reviews and good audiences.
The eagerly awaited pantomime this time was Aladdin utilising the story book set again brilliantly lit by Richard Fagan and his team. Sarah Haberfield returned to her pantomime director’s chair thus directing two main productions in the same year! Again, the multitude of elements that make pantomime were brought together by a dedicated team of experienced and new enthusiastic members. Full houses and glowing reviews were the reward.
In February we decided to return to The Forest Arts Centre following the success of ART the previous season. A fifth production in February is pushing the envelope for NFP but we adhered to the rules we made; minimal scenery and props and a small cast. The director Janet Courtice selected three Talking Heads monologues by Alan Bennett. We did not enjoy the large audience numbers which ART attracted but the show was well received with solid performances from the 3 ladies. The production proved to be both entertaining and different to the usual play format.
Next it was the turn of Lyn Lockyer to take the director’s chair for Pack of Lies, our spring production. The decision to film the monologues provided another dimension to this excellent play and an innovative approach resulted in a skeletal set design which meant the construction team had to literally think outside the box! Fortunately, there was sufficient furniture to support the minimal walls. New ideas and a fresh approach brought this play, based on a true story, to a new level. Again, the reviews say it all.
We concluded the season in July with Inspector Drake and The Perfekt Crime which put a new director into the chair, Alan Whitty, his debut production. This bonkers farce could not have been
Page 4 of 14
more different to the rest of the season's offerings and was exploited to its limit by Alan and his cast. A good farce demands great timing to deliver the humour effectively and I think the team pulled it off very well indeed. Animation was used probably for the first time by NFP brilliantly created by young animator James Moody-Jones. The audiences all left with a smile on their faces.
I know I say this every year and I will say it again; there are just too many to thank by name but great thanks must go to all the performers, directors, producers, technical crews, set designers, set builders, stage managers, prompts, wardrobe managers, props, backstage crews, front of house, publicity and box office. All of you always go that extra mile to ensure NFP maintains a high standard of excellence.
Included in the roles I mentioned are all the unsung heroes who work quietly behind scenes out of the limelight without which we do not have a show. So, a special thanks to them - you know who you are. Also, I must acknowledge with thanks the sponsorship we have received.
As well as our main productions we continued to hold club nights most months organised by Len Reid which have included read only one act plays, a guest speaker, a juniors evening, the annual quiz and of course a Christmas event full of variety. We continue to offer the opportunity for newcomers as well as members to try their hand at acting and directing; club nights being the ideal training ground. We changed the format this year and have the auditorium in theatre mode except for the quiz evening with the seating down and an interval where attendees can enjoy complimentary refreshments in the Foyer. This has encouraged more mingling with members and visitors and I believe creates the atmosphere of a show evening. However, despite the freebies we have not seen any significant increase in the number attending these evenings. Members' feedback on club nights is always appreciated.
FOH has seen increased revenue throughout the season with the expanded bar proving popular prior to performances as well as in the intervals. In order to stock more ice cream on site during performance week and have more at point of sale in the auditorium we have invested in a larger mobile freezer which will make its debut at the next production.
The production sub-committee chaired by Colin Bailey have finalised the productions for next season These will again comprise 4 plays and a pantomime all of which will be at Ballard. So, I am confident that we can look forward to another season of high-quality shows. The first of these is Waiting for God directed by Len Reid who will give you a brief synopsis later. The pantomime is Snow White directed by Claire Nicholson who had a high turnout for auditions and to quote Claire the standard was insane! The show is therefore well and truly cast.
In February Janet Courtice will direct Vardy v Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial and has come up with some innovative staging proposals. Lyn Lockyer returns to direct A Bunch of Amateurs in the Spring and I will complete the season directing Worst Wedding Ever in July which will involve live music. The production committee have now turned their attention to the 2026/7 season and we await their recommendations.
Page 5 of 14
Finally, I would like to thank the committee for all their hard work and support during the last season and I look forward to working with the new committee in the coming season. May I welcome our new committee member Katie. However, there is one person who deserves a special thanks and that is our retiring secretary, Wendy. Wendy’s efficiency and dedication to this role has been outstanding in addition to her other role running FOH and standing in for Sue in the box office. Wendy is one of the most reliable people you could wish to have in your team, if there is a task to be done Wendy has filled the gap. She has demonstrated great wisdom and been an immense support. Wendy you will be much missed by both myself and the rest of the committee and we have a small token of appreciation for you.
Page 6 of 14
Page 7 of 14
Statement of Financial Activities
Statement of Financial Activities
(Incorporating an Income and Expenditure Account) For the Year Ended 30 April 2025
| For the Year Ended 30 April 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income | Notes | FY 2024/25 | FY 2023/24 | |
| Membership Fees | £ 3,065.00 | £ 3,130 | ||
| Ticket Income | 3 | £ 40,053.00 | £ 35,754 | |
| Front of House Income | 3 | £ 6,853.55 | £ 5,578 | |
| Other Production Income | 3 | £ 200.00 | £ - | |
| Club Night Income | £ 114.00 | £ 141 | ||
| Interest Received | £ 501.08 | £ 463 | ||
| Donations | £ 68.85 | £ 250 | ||
| Other Income | £ 424.50 | £ 50 | ||
| Total Income | £ 51,280 £ 45,366 |
| Expenditure | Expenditure | Expenditure | Expenditure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Show Expenses | 4 | £ 8,924 | £ 7,762 | |
| Front of House Expenses | 4 | £ 4,731 | £ 4,195 | |
| Other Production Expenses | 4 | £ 24,256 | £ 21,740 | |
| Club Night Expenses | £ 535 | £ 562 | ||
| General Expenses | 5 | £ 6,117 | £ 4,310 | |
| Total Expenditure £ 44,562 £ 38,568 |
||||
| Net Income/ (Expenditure) £ 6,718 £ 6,798 |
||||
| Other recognised gains/(losses) | ||||
| Gains and losses on revaluation of fixed assets for the charity’s own use |
6 | £ - | £ 56,556 | |
| Net Movement in Funds £ 6,718 £ 63,354 |
||||
| Reconciliation of Funds | ||||
| Total Funds Brought Forward | £ 91,488 | £ 28,135 | ||
| Total Funds Carried Forward £ 98,206 £ 91,488 |
Page 8 of 14
Balance Sheet
Balance Sheet
At 30 April 2025
| Fixed Assets Notes FY 2024/25 FY 2023/24 Fixed Assets 7 £ 61,725 £ 61,231 ~~a~~ |
Fixed Assets Notes FY 2024/25 FY 2023/24 Fixed Assets 7 £ 61,725 £ 61,231 ~~a~~ |
Fixed Assets Notes FY 2024/25 FY 2023/24 Fixed Assets 7 £ 61,725 £ 61,231 ~~a~~ |
Fixed Assets Notes FY 2024/25 FY 2023/24 Fixed Assets 7 £ 61,725 £ 61,231 ~~a~~ |
Fixed Assets Notes FY 2024/25 FY 2023/24 Fixed Assets 7 £ 61,725 £ 61,231 ~~a~~ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Fixed Assets | £ 61,725 | £ 61,231 | ||
| Current Assets | ||||
| Debtors and Prepayments 8 £ 2,580 £ 1,327 Bank Accounts £ 34,106 £ 28,894 Cash In Hand £ 1,528 £ 1,358 ~~—_——————~~ |
||||
| Total Current Assets | £ 38,215 | £ 31,579 | ||
| Current Liabilities | ||||
| Creditors and Accruals 9 £ 356 £ 1,321 Total Current Liabilities £ 356 £ 1,321 ~~ee~~ |
||||
| Net Current Assets | £ 37,859 | £ 30,258 | ||
| Total Assets Less Liabilities | £ 99,584 | £ 91,488 |
Read and Approved
David Luker - Chair New Forest Players
Ben Sandford - Treasurer New Forest Players
Page 9 of 14
Notes to the Financial Statements
Notes to the Financial Statements
For the Year Ended 30 April 2025
1. Basis of Preparation
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 accounts have been prepared in accordance with:
-
the Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) effective on 01 January 2019,
-
the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), and
-
and with the Charities Act 2011.
2. Accounting Policies
Recognition of Income: These are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when:
-
the charity becomes entitled to the resources;
-
it is more likely than not that the trustees will receive the resources; and
-
the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability.
Offsetting: There has been no offsetting of assets and liabilities, or income and expenses, unless required or permitted by the FRS 102 SORP or FRS 102.
Liability recognition: Liabilities are recognised where it is more likely than not that there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out resources and the amount of the obligation can be measured with reasonable certainty.
Fixed Assets: These are capitalised if they can be used for more than one year, and cost at least £150. They are valued at cost. The depreciation rates and methods used are as follows: - Freehold property: no depreciation
- All other fixed assets: 25% per annum over 4 years
3. Analysis of Production Income
See the attached Show Analysis for a breakdown of income by Production.
4. Analysis of Production Expenditure
See the attached Show Analysis for a breakdown of expenditure by Production.
Page 10 of 14
5. Analysis of General Expenditure
| 5. Analysis of General Expenditure | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| General Expenses | Notes | FY 2024/25 | FY 2023/24 |
| General Rent | £ - | £ 72 | |
| Store Electricity | £ 156 | £ 182 | |
| Box Office Telephone | £ 98 | £ 85 | |
| General Insurance | £ 1,398 | £ 1,279 | |
| General Licenses | £ 106 | £ 96 | |
| **General Memberships ** | £ 20 | £ 20 | |
| General Scripts | £ 20 | £ 8 | |
| Equipment Purchase | £ 798 | £ 215 | |
| Property Repair and Maintenance | £ 443 | £ 277 | |
| General Stationery | £ 271 | £ 397 | |
| Contact Costs | £ - | £ 41 | |
| Website Costs | £ 441 | £ 317 | |
| Training Costs | £ 760 | £ - | |
| Health and Safety Costs | £ 83 | £ - | |
| Gifts | £ 145 | £ 94 | |
| General Bank Charges | £ 96 | £ 58 | |
| Depreciation | £ 816 | £ 489 | |
| General Contingency | £ - | £ - | |
| Other General Expenses | £ 465 | £ 682 | |
| Total General Expenses | £ 6,117 £ 4,310 |
6. Revaluation of Fixed Assets
During FY 2023/24, NFP was successful in its application to have the land on which the Costume Store sits registered under our name with the Land Registry. In the FY 2022/23 Accounts, the Costume Store was listed with a value of £3,444. As part of the Land Registry application, we requested a new valuation and were advised that the property should be valued at £60,000. The value of the costume store was therefore updated to reflect the new valuation. There has been no change to the value of the property during FY 2024/25.
Page 11 of 14
7. Fixed Assets
| 7. Fixed Assets | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost or Valuation | Freehold Land **& Buildings ** |
Fixtures, Fittings & Equipment |
Total |
| At the beginning of theyear | £ 60,000 | £ 6,751 | £ 66,751 |
| Additions | £ - | £ 1,311 | £ 1,311 |
| Revaluations | £ - | £ - | £ - |
| Disposals | £ - | £ - | £ - |
| Transfers | £ - | £ - | £ - |
| At the end of theyear | £ 60,000 £ 8,062 £ 68,062 |
Depreciation and Impairments
| At beginning of theyear | £ - | £ 5,520 | £ 5,520 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disposals | £ - | £ - | £ - |
| Depreciation | £ - | £ 816 | £ 816 |
| Impairment | £ - | £ - | £ - |
| Transfers | £ - | £ - | £ - |
| At end of theyear £ - £ 6,337 £ 6,337 |
|||
| Net Book Value | |||
| Net book value at the beginning of theyear | £ 60,000 | £ 1,231 | £ 61,231 |
| New book value at the end of theyear £ 60,000 £ 1,725 £ 61,725 |
8. Debtors and Prepayments
| Production | Category | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Inspector Drake | **Props ** | £ 180 |
| Inspector Drake | Performance Rights | £ 437 |
| Inspector Drake | Production Advertising | £ 107 |
| Waiting for God | Performance Rights | £ 466 |
| Waiting for God | Production Scripts | £ 176 |
| A Bunch of Amateurs | Performance Rights | £ 509 |
| A Bunch of Amateurs | Production Scripts | £ 146 |
| General | General Insurance | £ 117 |
| General | General License | £ 109 |
| Other Items less than £100 | £ 334 | |
| Total | £ 2,580 |
9. Creditors and Accruals
| Production | Category | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| General | Membership Fees | £ 205 |
| Other Items less than £100 | £ 151 | |
| Total | £ 356 |
Page 12 of 14
Show Analysis
New Forest Players Show Analysis for FY 2024/25
Production Income
| Production | Goodnight Mister Tom | Charade | Aladdin | Talking Heads | Pack of Lies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Box Office Income | |||||
| Ticket Income | £ 9,585.00 | £ 7,255.00 | £ 13,242.00 | £ 3,178.00 | £ 6,793.00 |
| Total Box Office Income | |||||
| Front of House Income | |||||
| Bar Income | £ 679.50 | £ 644.50 | £ 774.00 | £ - | £ 548.00 |
| Refreshments Income | £ 191.40 | £ 119.40 | £ 354.50 | £ - | £ 147.50 |
| Ice Cream Income | £ 882.05 | £ 638.10 | £ 1,180.50 | £ - | £ 508.00 |
| Programmes Income | £ - | £ - | £ 186.10 | £ - | £ - |
| Other Front of House Income | £ - | £ - | £ - | £ - | £ - |
| Total Front of House Income | |||||
| Other Production Income | |||||
| Sponsorship | £ - | £ 200.00 | £ - | £ - | £ - |
| Programme Adverts | £ - | £ - | £ - | £ - | £ - |
| Other Production Income | £ - | £ - | £ - | £ - | £ - |
| Total Other Production Income | |||||
| Total Production Income |
Page 13 of 14
Production Expenses
| Production | Goodnight Mister Tom | Charade | Aladdin | Talking Heads | Pack of Lies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Show Expenses | |||||
| Set | £ 185.37 | £ 355.45 | £ 4,257.78 | £ 24.00 | £ 894.85 |
| **Props ** | £ 27.95 | £ 233.85 | £ 93.83 | £ 21.94 | £ 44.54 |
| Costume | £ 79.50 | £ 67.09 | £ 385.93 | £ - | £ 130.74 |
| Lighting | £ - | £ 50.00 | £ 354.60 | £ 25.00 | £ - |
| Sound | £ - | £ 0.99 | £ 895.75 | £ - | £ - |
| Audio Visual | £ - | £ - | £ - | £ - | £ - |
| Special Effects | £ - | £ - | £ 246.62 | £ - | £ 180.00 |
| Stage Management | £ - | £ 25.00 | £ - | £ 25.00 | £ - |
| Professional Services | £ - | £ - | £ 60.00 | £ - | £ - |
| Catering | £ 32.40 | £ 77.76 | £ 46.84 | £ 8.20 | £ 76.73 |
| Other Show Expenses | £ - | £ - | £ 15.98 | £ - | £ - |
| Total Show Expenses | |||||
| Front of House Expenses | |||||
| Bar Expenses | £ 194.79 | £ 240.58 | £ 316.45 | £ - | £ 185.32 |
| Refreshments Expenses | £ 182.15 | £ 63.88 | £ 148.16 | £ - | £ 51.64 |
| Ice Cream Expenses | £ 477.36 | £ 421.20 | £ 483.52 | £ - | £ 291.60 |
| Programme Expenses | £ 232.75 | £ 245.00 | £ 568.00 | £ 245.00 | £ 232.00 |
| Alcohol License | £ 21.00 | £ - | £ 21.00 | £ - | £ 21.00 |
| Other Front of House Expenses | £ 17.99 | £ - | £ 14.89 | £ - | £ 55.86 |
| Total Front of House Expenses | |||||
| Other Production Expenses | |||||
| Production Rent | £ 3,348.39 | £ 3,348.39 | £ 3,407.39 | £ 2,227.50 | £ 3,469.89 |
| Performance Rights | £ 558.00 | £ 284.00 | £ - | £ 576.00 | £ 542.40 |
| Production Scripts | £ 222.80 | £ 67.44 | £ - | £ 161.85 | £ 158.87 |
| Production Advertising | £ 776.32 | £ 738.00 | £ 732.00 | £ 762.00 | £ 725.48 |
| Production Stationery | £ - | £ - | £ - | £ - | £ - |
| Production Bank Charges | £ 208.21 | £ 155.61 | £ 267.41 | £ - | £ 140.33 |
| Production Contingency | £ - | £ - | £ - | £ - | £ - |
| Other Production Expenses | £ - | £ - | £ - | £ - | £ - |
| Total Other Production Expenses | |||||
| Total Production Expenses | |||||
| Net Profit/ (Loss) | |||||
| Net Profit/ (Loss) |
Page 14 of 14