2025-08-31-accounts - Leeds Irish Arts Foundation

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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 2025

Leeds Irish Arts Foundation

Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 August 2025

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

Leeds Irish Arts Foundation

Trustees' report for the year ended 31 August 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

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 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.

Leeds Irish Arts Foundation

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 August 2025

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.

Our overarching Community Participation and Learning Programme provides the focus for our ongoing delivery of Irish heritage and culture activity in Leeds and pulls together the range of projects below that we have delivered during this period – all of which are funding dependent year on year. We work collaboratively with key partners across Leeds to deliver our activity and maximise the impact of the sponsorship and funding awarded to us to further our aims.

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, LS14 Community Trust, Caring Together, The Tuesday Irish Elders Club at Leeds Irish Centre, and Leeds Irish Health & Homes.

Irish History Month took place during the month of March 2025, and delivered a culturally rich programme of Irish music, film, 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 introduces new audiences to the vibrancy of Irish arts, heritage, culture, and history.

Throughout the month Irish Arts Foundation continued our ongoing work with schools and community groups across Leeds and our Irish educational and cultural exhibition ‘Timeline,’ could be viewed at The Welcome In Community Centre & Café in the Ireland Wood area of the city.

Outside of Irish History Month, our overarching 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.

Our Education Programme has included intergenerational cultural workshops at Corpus Christie and St Patrick’s in East Leeds, Pennyfields and St Urban’s in Meanwood and The 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.

Leeds Irish Arts Foundation

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 August 2025

Achievements and performance (continued)

In collaboration with Leeds Irish Health & Homes, we presented the exhibition ‘ Out In The World’ which was open to the public at Left Bank Leeds from Wednesday 4th June until Thursday 10th July. The exhibition, on loan from the Irish Embassy in London, highlighted twelve stories from the largely untold history of Ireland’s LGBTQ+ diaspora. Across six themes – exclusion, community, love, defiance, solidarity, and return - the exhibition also featured an artwork by award winning Irish designer and multi-disciplinary artist Richard Malone. Across the generations, Irish LGBTQ+ people have emigrated and found opportunities to live and love openly. Yet this journey was rarely a simple transition from an oppressive island to a liberal wider world. Irish LGBTQ+ emigrants often faced prejudice abroad. The island of Ireland, once a place of shame and silence, could also become a welcoming site of return. EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, in partnership with the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, are proud to have played a pivotal role in illuminating this hidden history of Irish emigration.

With the 2024-25 and ongoing 2025-26 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 included 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’: one of our newer projects, 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).

Funding has been secured from the Ireland Fund (GB) to begin our new project, 'Side by Side' The project will focus on the Chapeltown and Potternewton areas of inner Leeds, where in the 1950's and 1960's the West Indian and Irish immigrants historically arrived and settled: living ‘Side by Side’ in the terraced houses off Chapeltown Road and Roundhay Road, working together in low skilled jobs and socialising together in the local dance halls and public houses. The project will capture and disseminate the previously undocumented shared memories, experiences of and similarities between the Irish ‘Remittance Generation' and the West Indian 'Windrush Generation'. The Central Statistical Office (CSO) for Ireland estimates the ‘Remittance Generation’ who left Ireland for the UK between 1940 and 1970 sent the equivalent of £4.8 billion back to rural Ireland. The ‘Remittance Generation’ is a term adopted by Irish people to describe this migration to the UK.

Our thanks go to our numerous volunteers, from all age groups and backgrounds, for their continued and inkind support, effort, music and artistic involvement including Owen Spafford, Jim and Maria Doody, Patrick Ruane, Bill Fry, Jonny Hulme, 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 skills and 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.

Leeds Irish Arts Foundation

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 August 2025

Achievements and performance (continued)

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 delivery of our 2023-2026 Strategic Development Plan, uncertainty of funding, 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.

Financial review

The net expenditure for the year was £28,875, including net expenditure of £1,021 on unrestricted funds and net expenditure of £27,854 on restricted funds.

Reserves policy

The charity's free reserves, excluding fixed assets, at the year end were £23,619.

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 expenditure of approximately £78k, the current reserves should be approx £20k.

Leeds Irish Arts Foundation

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 August 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 20/01/2026

John O'Dwyer (Trustee)

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 2025, 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:

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.

Katy Sargeant ACA

22/01/2026

West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW

Leeds Irish Arts Foundation

Statement of Financial Activities

(including summary income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 August 2025

Notes 2025 Unrestricted funds £ Income from: Grants, sponsorships and donations (2) 3,500 Event and activity income 997 Total income 4,497 Expenditure on: Salaries, NIC and payroll charges (3) 3,162 ICT support and website - Administration, training and delivery 181 Travel and subsistence - Artists fees and workshops - Premises costs - Insurance - Equipment and instruments 375 Strategic development support 1,800 Independent examination - Venue Hire - Telephone and internet - Total expenditure 5,518 Net income / (expenditure) (1,021) Fund balances brought forward 24,640 Fund balances carried forward (4) 23,619	2025 Restricted funds £ 45,460 - 45,460 57,487 - 908 547 3,930 1,265 385 154 7,110 924 150 454 73,314 (27,854) 59,448 31,594	2025 Total funds £ 48,960 997 49,957 60,649 - 1,089 547 3,930 1,265 385 529 8,910 924 150 454 78,832 (28,875) 84,088 55,213	2024 Total funds £ 72,562 3,141 75,703 59,814 304 1,861 875 7,264 1,200 363 245 7,860 924 880 564 82,154 (6,451) 90,539 84,088

All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities.

Leeds Irish Arts Foundation

Balance sheet

as at 31 August 2025 2025 Unrestricted £ Accrued income - Cash at bank and in hand 24,543 Total current assets 24,543 Current liabilities: amounts falling due within one year Accruals 924 Total current liabilities 924 Net current assets / (liabilities) 23,619 Net assets 23,619 Funds Unrestricted funds 23,619 Restricted funds - Total funds 23,619	2025 Restricted £ - 31,594 31,594 - - 31,594 31,594 - 31,594 31,594	2025 Total £ - 56,137 56,137 924 924 55,213 55,213 23,619 31,594 55,213	2024 Total £ 35,000 50,012 85,012 924 924 84,088 84,088 24,640 59,448 84,088

For the year ending 31 August 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 20/01/2026

John O'Dwyer (Trustee)

Notes to the accounts

Leeds Irish Arts Foundation

for the year ended 31 August 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 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.

Leeds Irish Arts Foundation

Notes to the accounts continued

for the year ended 31 August 2025

2 Grants and donations The Ireland Funds Leeds City Council (LCC) Irish Youth Foundation (UK) Ltd Department of Foreign Affairs (Irish Abroad Unit) Leeds Community Foundation (LCF) National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) Other donations and sponsorship 3 Staff costs and numbers Gross salaries Social security costs Employment allowance Payroll charges	2025 Unrestricted funds £ - - - - - - 3,500 3,500	2025 Restricted funds £ 5,000 8,325 1,250 30,000 - - 885 45,460	2025 Total funds £ 5,000 8,325 1,250 30,000 - - 4,385 48,960 2025 £ 59,442 6,384 (5,475) 298 60,649	2024 Total funds £ 2,000 9,767 1,000 35,000 3,485 18,860 2,450 72,562 2024 £ 59,261 5,667 (5,414) 300 59,814

The average number of employees during the year was 2, being an average of 1.5 full time equivalent (2024: 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 - Cultural Inv'mt Programme LCC - Area Management LCC - MICE LCF - Jimbo's Fund NLCF - Neighbours! Project NLCF- Irish History Month 2025 Embassy of Ireland Leeds Irish Health and Homes	Balance b/f Incoming Outgoing Transfers Balance c/f £ £ £ £ £ 2,599 - 2,020 - 579 3,391 - 3,391 - - 27,179 30,000 32,292 - 24,887 1,875 5,000 2,675 - 4,200 230 1,250 1,480 - - - 4,860 4,860 - - 5,554 3,465 8,075 - 944 135 - 135 - - 2,000 - 1,864 - 136 1,485 - 1,467 - 18 15,000 - 14,170 - 830 - 600 600 - - - 285 285 - - 59,448 45,460 73,314 - 31,594

Leeds Irish Arts Foundation

Notes to the accounts continued

for the year ended 31 August 2025

4 Restricted Funds continued

Purpose of restriction

Fund name Purpose of restriction Arts Council England For the CP&LP - Exploring the musical traditions of County Cork and County Kerry project. LCC Arts@Leeds For the Community Participation and Learning Programme (CP&LP) Emigrant Support Programme For the Community Participation and Learning Programme. In September 2024, Leeds Irish Arts Foundation received a grant of £35,000 from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Irish Government Emigrant Support Programme. The grant covered the period running from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025 and was recognised as income in the 2023/24 accounting period. During the 2024/25 financial year, Leeds Irish Arts received a further grant of £30,000, which covered the period 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026.

The Ireland Funds For the CP&LP - "Neighbours!" project. Irish Youth Foundation (UK) Ltd For the CP&LP - Ireland in Schools. LCC - Cultural Inv'mt ProgrammeFor the CP&LP. 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. Embassy of Ireland For an LGBGT event. Leeds Irish Health and Homes For an LGBGT event.

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 £49,490 (previous year: £41,898).

Other transactions with trustees or related parties Kevin Hurley Eve Hurley Brother of Desmond Hurley and the Irish Music Workshop Payment for one off and specific workshops and community events Niece of Desmond Hurley and the Irish Music Workshop Practitioner Payment for one off and specific workshops and community events Name of trustee Relationship to Description of transaction	2025 £ 205 - 205	2024 £ 595 160 755

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 2025

2025 2024 Unrestricted Unrestricted funds funds £ £ Income Grants, sponsorships and donations 3,500 2,535 Event and activity income 997 3,141 Total income 4,497 5,676 Expenditure Salaries, NIC and payroll charges 3,162 5,269 ICT support and website - - Administration, training and delivery 181 301 Travel and subsistence - 59 Artists fees and workshops - 895 Premises costs - - Insurance - - Equipment and instruments 375 65 Strategic development support 1,800 1,305 Independent examination - - Venue Hire - 550 Telephone and internet - - Total expenditure 5,518 8,444 Net income / (expenditure) (1,021) (2,768) Fund balances brought forward 24,640 27,408 Fund balances carried forward 23,619 24,640	2025 Restricted funds £ 45,460 - 45,460 57,487 - 908 547 3,930 1,265 385 154 7,110 924 150 454 73,314 (27,854) 59,448 31,594	2024 Restricted funds £ 70,027 - 70,027 54,545 304 1,560 816 6,369 1,200 363 180 6,555 924 330 564 73,710 (3,683) 63,131 59,448	2025 Total funds £ 48,960 997 49,957 60,649 - 1,089 547 3,930 1,265 385 529 8,910 924 150 454 78,832 (28,875) 84,088 55,213	2024 Total funds £ 72,562 3,141 75,703 59,814 304 1,861 875 7,264 1,200 363 245 7,860 924 880 564 82,154 (6,451) 90,539 84,088