Charity number 1101657
Leeds Irish Arts Foundation
A company limited by guarantee number 04927919
Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 August 2024
Leeds Irish Arts Foundation
Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 August 2024
| Contents | Page |
|---|---|
| Trustees' report | 2 to 6 |
| Examiner's report | 7 |
| Statement of financial activities | 8 |
| Balance sheet | 9 |
| Notes to the accounts | 10 to 13 |
Prepared by West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO
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Leeds Irish Arts Foundation
Trustees' report for the year ended 31 August 2024
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 Joanne Heyworth Chair / Director John O'Dwyer Vice Chair / Director Kieron Mulloy Treasurer / Director Tara McStay Director Oliver Engley Director Sean Stowell Director Patrick Bourne Director Amanda Burton Director Appointed 20 March 2024 Non-voting members Kevin Mullowney Non-executive Director Company secretary Desmond Hurley Charity number 1101657 Registered in England and Wales Company number 04927919 Registered in England and Wales Registered and principal address Bankers Headingley Enterprise and Arts Centre (HEART) Nat West plc Bennett Road 8 Park Row Leeds Leeds LS6 3HN LS1 5HD
Independent examiner
Katy Sargeant ACA
West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO
Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW
Structure, governance and management
The charity is governed by a Memorandum and Articles of Association incorporated 9 October 2003, as amended by special resolution dated 30 March 2006 and certificate of incorporation on change of name dated 27 April 2006. 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.
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Leeds Irish Arts Foundation
Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 August 2024
Objectives and activities
The charity's objects
To further the education of the public, in particular to provide access to and participation in traditional Irish music and arts through classes, workshops, access to materials, resources, promotion and performance.
The charity's main activities
We provide an annual programme of community based music and arts events including workshops in the local community. We regularly work in collaboration with other organisations on projects leading to publications, documentaries and dedicated websites.
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.
Achievements and performance
The Leeds based Irish Arts Foundation (IAF) has a history of development and successful delivery of community-based performance events, participatory projects, local, regional, and national collaborative work.
This financial year has seen further consolidation and sustained development of the Community Participation and Learning Programme, whilst maintaining our core and reaching newer audiences, maintaining our social media presence, and providing increased and additional community participatory and workshop opportunities for a range of experienced and emerging Leeds and West Yorkshire based musicians and artists.
The invaluable assistance of ongoing project support from Leeds City Council and the Irish Government (through the Emigrant Support Programme), has enabled the organisation to both consolidate and diversify our development in a structured and strategic manner.
Our Irish Elders Cultural Project ensures that culturally relevant workshops in Irish heritage are directed towards members of the Irish community, including cultural workshops/performance and projects in collaboration with OWLS (Older Wiser Leeds Seniors), Bramley Elderly Action, Richmond Hill Elderly Action, Berkeley Court Residential Home, LS14 Community Trust, Caring Together, The Tuesday Irish Elders Club at Leeds Irish Centre, and Leeds Irish Health & Homes. We have drawn down additional funding this year from the Leeds Community Foundation – Jimbo’s Fund - to support this activity.
Irish History Month took place during the month of March 2024, and delivered a culturally rich programme of Irish music, stories, and culture in the heart of Leeds communities. This project takes place in the month in which St Patrick’s Day is internationally celebrated and exists to promote the many positive contributions that Irish people have made in Leeds and also introduces new audiences to the vibrancy of Irish arts, heritage, culture, and history.
Throughout the month Irish Arts Foundation continued our ongoing and collaborative work with schools and community groups across Leeds including our Irish Elders Cultural Project visiting Irish Elders and community groups in East Leeds. Our Irish educational and cultural exhibition, ‘Timeline,’ could be viewed during March at Seacroft Library and Community Hub.
This year we have been successful at drawing down National Lottery Community Fund to support the development and delivery of Irish History in March 2025.
Outside of Irish History Month, our Community Participation and Learning Programme continues to raise the profile of the music and arts of Ireland. The programme connects people and communities to Irish heritage and culture and celebrates the many contributions Irish people have made to life in Leeds. Our collaborative and community events bring local talented musicians together outside the traditional Irish venues to more contemporary settings and are timed so that people can relax with a drink or coffee on their way home from work for an hour of traditional Irish music.
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Leeds Irish Arts Foundation
Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 August 2024
Achievements and performance (continued)
Our Education Programme has included intergenerational cultural workshops at Corpus Christie and St Patrick’s in East Leeds, St Urban’s in Meanwood and Holy Name in Armley, all inner-city Primary Schools with sizeable numbers of third generation, dual heritage, and Irish traveller families. We have drawn down further funding this year from the Irish Youth Foundation to support this activity.
With the 2023-24 and ongoing 2024-25 support from Leeds City Council Area Management Committees Well Being Funding, collaborative work continues to provide benefits and opportunities to both the Leeds-Irish community and across the wider community in the city. Example of previous and upcoming projects, events and activities include Rush Hour Trad, Tuesday Night Live, Culture Night, St Brigid’s Day, International Women’s Day, International Day of Older Persons, International Day of Uillean Piping and ‘The Wheel of The Year’: our new project celebrating the transition of the sun throughout the seasons combined with the solstices and equinoxes. Lughnasadh (Aug 1st), Samhain,(Oct 31st), Imbolc (Feb 1st) and Bealtaine (May 1st).
Our thanks go to our numerous volunteers, from all age groups and backgrounds, for their continued and inkind support, effort, and involvement including Owen Spafford, Jim and Maria Doody, Patrick Ruane, Bill Fry, Stuart Graham, George Sansome, Conor MacMahon, Roisin Ferguson, Michael Tennyson, Patrick Flannery, Sebastain Bec and Kevin and Eve Hurley amongst the many other artists and musical colleagues, both locally and nationally, for their efforts - often at short notice! All are much needed, and their valuable enthusiasm help to keep us going!
We would like to thank our colleagues from the Outreach and Freelance Teams: Kevin Mullowney and Gerry Brownridge for workshop delivery leadership with the Irish Elders Cultural and Intergenerational Educational Projects, Alison Childs and Steve Procter for strategic development expertise and Christy Herron, our Information and Communications Technology Development Officer, for the effort, professionalism and commitment they have brought to their work and the organisation.
We would also like to thank Deby Jackson from ‘That Leeds Mag’- a key community printed publication and, in Leeds City Council Sarah Howells from Leeds Inspired and ‘Doing Good Leeds ’ for the in-kind assistance with publicity and online marketing of our events.
I would personally like to thank our progressive and forward-thinking Board of Trustees who have been committed to support and see the vision develop. This provides a strong backbone to the organisation. I would like to thank them for their individual and collective guidance, expertise, and support throughout this past year and welcome back to the board, Amanda Burton, Artist and Art Centre Development Worker at Northlight, Leeds.
We would like to offer our sincerest gratitude to all our funders, sponsors, and supporters. Without their financial and in-kind support, the work of the Irish Arts Foundation would not be possible.
The future brings the continued challenges including the implementation of our 2023-2026 Strategic Development Plan, uncertainty of funding, a new government, changes in economic and political climate, social policy, and a consistent awareness within our organisation of the need to provide improving, evolving and additional ideas, services and resources for our stakeholders and service users.
Whilst we are aware that there are further difficult times ahead for the arts and cultural sectors: at the Irish Arts Foundation we will continue and collectively endeavour to deal with these challenges with integrity, innovation, resolve and commitment.
Des Hurley Company Secretary
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Leeds Irish Arts Foundation
Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 August 2024
Financial review
The net expenditure for the year was £6,451, including net expenditure of £2,768 on unrestricted funds and net income of £3,683 on restricted funds.
Reserves policy
The charity's free reserves, excluding fixed assets, at the year end were £24,640.
The Leeds Irish Arts Foundation will strive to maintain reserves at least equal to the core costs, including any statutory employment costs, of operating the organisation for three months, in order to protect Leeds Irish Arts Foundation from any sudden fluctuation in the funding sources. Based on the 24/25 projected expenditure of approximately £90k, the current reserves are in line with the target.
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Leeds Irish Arts Foundation
Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 August 2024
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 20 May 2025
Joanne Heyworth (Trustee)
Kieron Mulloy (Trustee)
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Leeds Irish Arts Foundation
Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Leeds Irish Arts Foundation
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charitable company for the year ended 31 August 2024, which are set out on pages 8 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:
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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
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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
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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.
Katy Sargeant ACA
2/6/2025
West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO
Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW
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Leeds Irish Arts Foundation
Statement of Financial Activities
(including summary income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 August 2024
| Notes 2024 Unrestricted funds £ Income from: Grants, sponsorships and donations (2) 2,535 Event and activity income 3,141 Total income 5,676 Expenditure on: Salaries, NIC and payroll charges (3) 5,269 ICT support and website - Administration, training and delivery 301 Travel and subsistence 59 Artists fees and workshops 895 Premises costs - Publications and membership - Insurance - Equipment and instruments 65 Strategic development support 1,305 Depreciation - Independent examination - Venue Hire 550 Telephone and internet - Total expenditure 8,444 Net income / (expenditure) (2,768) Fund balances brought forward 27,408 Fund balances carried forward (4) 24,640 |
2024 Restricted funds £ 70,027 - 70,027 54,545 116 1,560 816 6,369 1,200 188 363 180 6,555 - 924 330 564 73,710 (3,683) 63,131 59,448 |
2024 Total funds £ 72,562 3,141 75,703 59,814 116 1,861 875 7,264 1,200 188 363 245 7,860 - 924 880 564 82,154 (6,451) 90,539 84,088 |
2023 Total funds £ 76,478 2,155 78,633 58,839 544 803 1,042 12,046 1,200 (10) 349 195 4,830 239 756 761 634 82,228 (3,595) 94,134 90,539 |
|---|---|---|---|
All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities.
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Leeds Irish Arts Foundation
Balance sheet
| as at 31 August 2024 2024 Unrestricted £ Current assets Accrued income - Cash at bank 24,640 Total current assets 24,640 Current liabilities: amounts falling due within one year Accruals - Total current liabilities - Net current assets / (liabilities) 24,640 Net assets 24,640 Funds Unrestricted funds 24,640 Restricted funds - Total funds 24,640 |
2024 Restricted £ 35,000 25,372 60,372 924 924 59,448 59,448 - 59,448 59,448 |
2024 Total £ 35,000 50,012 85,012 924 924 84,088 84,088 24,640 59,448 84,088 |
2023 Total £ - 91,295 91,295 756 756 90,539 90,539 27,408 63,131 90,539 |
|---|---|---|---|
For the year ending 31 August 2024 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 20 May 2025.
Joanne Heyworth (Trustee)
Kieron Mulloy (Trustee)
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Notes to the accounts
Leeds Irish Arts Foundation
for the year ended 31 August 2024
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 costing more than £500 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: Computer equipment: over 3 years
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.
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Leeds Irish Arts Foundation
Notes to the accounts continued
for the year ended 31 August 2024
| 2 Grants, sponsorships and donations 2024 Unrestricted funds £ The Ireland Funds - National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) - Leeds Community Foundation (LCF) - Leeds City Council (LCC) 85 Irish Youth Foundation (UK) Ltd - Department of Foreign Affairs (Irish Abroad Unit) - Arts Council England - Other donations and sponsorship 2,450 2,535 3 Staff costs and numbers Gross salaries Social security costs Employment allowance Payroll charges |
2024 Restricted funds £ 2,000 18,860 3,485 9,682 1,000 35,000 - - 70,027 |
2024 Total funds £ 2,000 18,860 3,485 9,767 1,000 35,000 - 2,450 72,562 2024 £ 59,261 5,667 (5,414) 300 59,814 |
2023 Total funds £ 2,500 7,950 - 11,740 1,000 41,500 11,413 375 76,478 2023 £ 57,784 5,534 (4,746) 267 58,839 |
|---|---|---|---|
The average number of employees during the year was 2, being an average of 1.5 full time equivalent (2023: 2, 1.5 FTE). There were no employees with emoluments above £60,000.
| 4 Restricted funds Arts Council England LCC Arts@Leeds Emigrant Support Programme The Ireland Funds Irish Youth Foundation (UK) Ltd LCC - Area Management LCC MICE LCF - Jimbo's Fund NLCF - Neighbours! Project NLCF- Irish History Month 2025 |
Balance b/f £ 14,285 5,750 30,819 1,995 - 3,237 - - 7,045 - 63,131 |
Incoming £ - 1,250 35,000 2,000 1,000 7,382 1,050 3,485 - 18,860 70,027 |
Outgoing £ 11,686 3,609 38,640 2,120 770 5,065 915 1,485 5,560 3,860 73,710 |
Transfers £ - - - - - - - - - - - |
Balance c/f £ 2,599 3,391 27,179 1,875 230 5,554 135 2,000 1,485 15,000 59,448 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fund name
Arts Council England
LCC Arts@Leeds Emigrant Support Programme
Purpose of restriction
For the CP&LP - Exploring the musical traditions of County Cork and County Kerry project.
For the Community Participation and Learning Programme (CP&LP) For the Community Participation and Learning Programme. Of the grant awarded for 2022/23, £30,819, was brought forward as unspent as at 1 Sept 2023. During the year ended 31 August 2024 Leeds Irish Arts Foundation received a further grant of £35,000 from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Irish Government Emigrant Support Programme. The grant covers the period running from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024 and this has been recognised as income in this accounting period.
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Leeds Irish Arts Foundation
Notes to the accounts continued
for the year ended 31 August 2024
4 Restricted funds
Fund name
Purpose of restriction
The Ireland Funds For the CP&LP - "Neighbours!" project. Irish Youth Foundation (UK) Ltd For the CP&LP - Ireland in Schools. LCC - Area Management For the CP&LP. LCC MICE For the CP&LP. LCF - Jimbo's Fund For the CP&LP. NLCF - Neighbours! Project For the CP&LP. NLCF- Irish History Month 2025 For the CP&LP.
5 Related party transactions
Trustee expenses
No trustee received any expenses during this year or the previous year.
Remuneration and benefits received by key management personnel
The total employee benefits received by key management personnel were £41,898 (previous year: £43,735).
Other transactions with trustees or related parties
| Other transactions with trustees or related parties Kevin Hurley Eve Hurley Brother of Desmond Hurley and the Irish Music Workshop Practitioner Niece of Desmond Hurley and the Irish Music Workshop Practitioner Payment for one off and specific workshops and community events Payment for one off and specific workshops and community events Name of trustee or Relationshi Description of |
2024 £ 595 160 755 |
2023 £ - - - |
|---|---|---|
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Leeds Irish Arts Foundation
Statement of Financial Activities including comparatives for all funds (including summary income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 August 2024
| 2024 2023 Unrestricted Unrestricted funds funds £ £ Income Grants, sponsorships and donations 2,535 375 Event and activity income 3,141 2,155 Total income 5,676 2,530 Expenditure Salaries, NIC and payroll charges 5,269 2,981 ICT support and website - - Administration, training and delivery 301 - Travel and subsistence 59 272 Artists fees and workshops 895 784 Premises costs - - Publications and membership - (75) Insurance - - Equipment and instruments 65 60 Strategic development support 1,305 - Depreciation - 239 Independent examination - - Venue Hire 550 - Telephone and internet - - Total expenditure 8,444 4,261 Net income / (expenditure) (2,768) (1,731) Fund balances brought forward 27,408 29,139 Fund balances carried forward 24,640 27,408 |
2024 Restricted funds £ 70,027 - 70,027 54,545 116 1,560 816 6,369 1,200 188 363 180 6,555 - 924 330 564 73,710 (3,683) 63,131 59,448 |
2023 Restricted funds £ 76,103 - 76,103 55,858 544 803 770 11,262 1,200 65 349 135 4,830 - 756 761 634 77,967 (1,864) 64,995 63,131 |
2024 Total funds £ 72,562 3,141 75,703 59,814 116 1,861 875 7,264 1,200 188 363 245 7,860 - 924 880 564 82,154 (6,451) 90,539 84,088 |
2023 Total funds £ 76,478 2,155 78,633 58,839 544 803 1,042 12,046 1,200 (10) 349 195 4,830 239 756 761 634 82,228 (3,595) 94,134 90,539 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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