Sunderland Theatre Company Registered Charity 1092896
Trustees Annual Report & Receipts & Payments Account 01/04/2024 – 31/03/2025
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Sunderland Theatre Company - Registered Charity 1092896 Trustee’s Report & Receipts & Payments Account For the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025
Reference and administration details
Registration history: 10 July 2002: Standard Charity registration Gift aid: Recognised by HMRC for gift aid Contact Information Registered Address: 4 Cotswold Road, Sunderland, SR5 3LG Rehearsal Address: Deptford & Millfield Community Association, Havelock Towers, 270 Hylton Road, Sunderland, SR4 7XJ Telephone: 07957 460 822 E-mail: stcosecretary@hotmail.com Website: http://www.sunderlandtheatrecompany.co.uk
Independent Examiner: Laura Whittle, Chartered Accountant
Portland House, Belmont Business Park, Durham, DH1 1TW
Structure, Governance & Management
The following officers will be elected at each annual general meeting:
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Chairman
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Vice-Chairman
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Company Secretary
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Production Secretary
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Finance Officer
The Charity Trustees as of 31[st] March 2025 are:
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Mr Mathew Clarke (Chair)
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Mrs Cara Barella (Vice-Chair/Youth Co-ordinator)
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Mr Brian Leach (Production/Company Secretary)
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Mrs Jennifer Elliott-Farrow (Treasurer/Finance Officer)
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Mr Jason Waldock (Registrar/Ticket Secretary)
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Mrs Lisa Smith (Front of House Manager)
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Ms Helen Smurthwaite (Events/Fundraising)
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Miss Rebecca Crackett (Media)
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Miss Gabrielle Smith (Media)
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Mr Michael Brabbs (Media)
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Mr Kristan Bailey (Members Rep)
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Mr Stephen Fay (Public Relations)
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Mrs Samantha Kennedy (New Members/Inclusivity Officer)
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Sunderland Theatre Company - Registered Charity 1092896 Trustee’s Report & Receipts & Payments Account For the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025
Trustees are appointed annually by a vote of members of the company at the Annual General Meeting. The trustees named on page 2, were elected at the last Annual General Meeting on 6[th] September 2024.
Objectives and activities
Sunderland Theatre Company aims to educate the public in the theatrical arts, enhance appreciation and taste in the arts, and support charitable foundations as determined by the Management Committee.
In order to meet the objectives, the Charity through its Management Committee will have the following powers:-
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a) To promote all forms of theatrical works.
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b) To purchase, acquire, and obtain interests in the copyright of or the right to perform or show any such theatrical works.
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c) To purchase, hire, or acquire property, machinery, furniture, fixtures, fittings, scenery, and all other necessary effects.
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d) To raise funds by inviting and receiving contributions from any person, through subscription, donation, or otherwise, provided that Sunderland Theatre Company will not engage in any permanent trading activities for the purpose of raising funds.
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e) To undertake any other actions that will assist Sunderland Theatre Company in achieving its goals.
Finance
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a) The money raised by Sunderland Theatre Company will only be used for achieving the objectives as stated by Sunderland Theatre Company.
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b) No member of Sunderland Theatre Company will be paid, either directly or indirectly, for their services, except for certain roles on the production team that the Management Committee has agreed to pay. Members may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses related to their work, but these expenses must be approved in advance by the Management Committee.
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c) Sunderland Theatre Company’s financial year will end on March 31st each year, and the Annual General Meeting will take place before October 1st each year.
Achievements and Performance
The Charity recorded a surplus of £16,199 as recorded in the Receipts and Payments account in page 6 of this report.
In the period 1[st] April 2024 and 31[st] March 2025, we estimate that approximately 1,066 local people have benefited from the trading activities of the Charity:
May 2024 - Kinky Boots (710 attendees)
October 2024 - Divas & Icons (194 attendees)
January 2025 - Dick Whittington (162 attendees)
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Sunderland Theatre Company - Registered Charity 1092896 Trustee’s Report & Receipts & Payments Account For the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025
Financial Review
The Charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts and for observing the methods and principles in the applicable Charities SORP.
The Charity’s trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charity’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and enable to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’), the applicable Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations, and the provisions of the Trust Deed. Trustees 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.
Reserves policy
Sunderland Theatre Company have a reserves policy in place should the income of the Charity fall short. The trustees consider an adequate amount for the Charity to hold as a minimum reserve to be that of a sum equivalent to three months running costs, which is estimated at approximately £6,500. The Charity’s reserves as at 31 March 2025 were £26,112.
The trustee’s annual report was approved on 11[th] September 2025 and signed on behalf of the board of trustees by:
Jennifer Elliott-Farrow Trustee & Finance Oficer
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Sunderland Theatre Company - Registered Charity 1092896 Trustee’s Report & Receipts & Payments Account For the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025
Independent Examiner’s Report to the trustees of Sunderland Theatre Company On the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Sunderland Theatre Company (“the Charity”) for the year ended 31 March 2025, as set out on pages 6 and 7.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the Charity’s trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the Charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 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 giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts did not accord with those records; or
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the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts as 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.
Laura Whittle FCA
Portland House
Belmont Business Park Belmont Durham DH1 1TW
21 January 2026
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Sunderland Theatre Company - Registered Charity 1092896 Trustee’s Report & Receipts & Payments Account For the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025
Receipts and Payments Account
For the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025
| Receipts | 31 March 2025 | 31 March 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | Restricted funds | ||||
| Funds | £ | Total Funds | Total Funds | ||
| £ | £ | £ | |||
| Legacies | 10,762 | - | 10,762 | - | |
| Shows & awards | 20,277 | - | 20,277 | 14,483 | |
| Members’ subscriptions | 5,628 | - | 5,628 | 4,511 | |
| Other income & donations | 5,489 | - | 5,489 | 5,283 | |
| Interest on deposit account | 263 | - | 263 | 63 | |
| -------- | -------- | ---------- | ---------- | ||
| Total receipts | 42,419 | - | 42,419 | 24,340 | |
| ====== | ====== | ====== | ====== | ||
| Payments | |||||
| Show production costs | 17,542 | - | 17,542 | 13,652 | |
| Rent | 2,383 | - | 2,383 | 2,449 | |
| Insurance | 480 | - | 480 | 829 | |
| Other charitable activity costs | 2,726 | - | 2,726 | 2,951 | |
| --------- | --------- | ---------- | ---------- | ||
| Sub total | 23,131 | - | 23,131 | 19,881 | |
| --------- | --------- | --------- | --------- | ||
| Asset purchases (see table) | |||||
| Production equipment | 3,089 | - | 3,089 | 953 | |
| -------- | --------- | --------- | --------- | ||
| Sub total | 3,089 | - | 3,089 | 953 | |
| -------- | -------- | --------- | --------- | ||
| Total payments | 26,220 | - | 26,220 | 20,834 | |
| ====== | ====== | ====== | ====== | ||
| Net of receipts / payments | 16,199 | - | 16,199 | 3,506 | |
| Transfers between funds | - | - | - | ||
| Cash funds 31 March 2024 | 9,913 | - | 9,913 | ||
| Cash funds 31 March 2025 | 26,112 | - | 26,112 | ||
| Statement of assets and liabilities at | 31 March | 2025 | |||
| Cash funds | |||||
| Unrestricted | Restricted funds | ||||
| Funds | Total 2025 | Total 2024 | |||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Cash at bank | 25,753 | - | 25,753 | 8,578 | |
| Petty cash | 359 | - | 359 | 1,335 | |
| -------- | -------- | ---------- | ---------- | ||
| Total cash funds | 26,112 | - | 26,112 | 9,913 | |
| ====== | ====== | ====== | ====== |
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Sunderland Theatre Company - Registered Charity 1092896 Trustee’s Report & Receipts & Payments Account For the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025
Assets retained for the Charity’s own use
| Details | Unrestricted | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Cost | Total 2025 | ||
| £ | £ | £ | ||
| Production equipment | 3,089 | 3,089 | 3,089 | |
| -------- | -------- | ---------- | ||
| 3,089 | 3,089 | 3,089 | ||
| ====== | ====== | ====== |
These financial statements were approved by the board of trustees and authorised for issue on 11[th] September 2025, and are signed on behalf of the board by:
Jennifer Elliott-Farrow Trustee & Finance Oficer
Notes to the Receipt and Payments account
Basis of preparation
The annual report and Receipts & Payments accounts are prepared on an Income and Expenditure basis as permitted by the Charity Commission for Charities with income of less than £250,000 and in accordance with the applicable UK Accounting Standards.
Restricted vs Unrestricted Funds
As a Charity we may receive donations from people or organisations that are intended for a specific purpose. In the current financial year, Sunderland Theatre Company does not have any funds that fall into such category. Our funds are currently unrestricted.
Legacy income
The Charity was bequeathed an unrestricted legacy of £10,762 by an ex-member of the Charity.
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