COWLEY ROAD WORKS
COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
Accounts for the year ended 30 September 2025
Charity Number 1118902
Company Number 06181276 (England and Wales)
COWLEY ROAD WORKS Financial Statements for the year ended 30 September 2025
Directors (who are also the Trustees of the Charity)
Zaheer Qureshi Sarah Connor (resigned 22.07.2025) Pax Nindi Micah Roachford Aidan Larkin Alex Singleton
Secretary and Registered Office
Sarah Connor (resigned 22.07.2025) Pegasus Magdalen Road Oxford OX4 1RE
Independent Examiner
HNA Accountants Ltd Sandford Gate East Point Business Park Oxford OX4 6LB
Charity Number
1118902
Company Number
06181276
COWLEY ROAD WORKS
CONTENTS
----- Start of picture text -----
|||||
|---|---|---|---|
|TO|
|Page|
|Directors|Report|1-3|
|Financial|Review|4|
|Independent|Examiner's|Report|5|
|Statement|of Financial|Activities|6|
|Balance|Sheet|7|
|Notes|to the|accounts|8-9|
----- End of picture text -----
COWLEY ROAD WORKS
Directors Report for the year ended 30 September 2025 The directors present their report together with the accounts for the year ended 30 September 2025. These accounts have been prepared to comply with the requirements of the Companies Act and the 2005 SORP.
GOVERNANCE & ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
Status
COWLEY ROAD WORKS is a company limited by guarantee with no share capital, governednumber 1118902. by Memorandum and Articles of Association, and is a registered charity,
Directors COWLEY ROAD WORKS has a Board of Directors on which there can be a minimum of three and a maximum of ten directors. They can be appointed by the members at the AGM, and co-opted by the Directors at any time until the next AGM, on the basis of the expertise and experience that they can bring to the running and development of the company.by advertisement.New Directors are identified through both professional and other contacts and
The Directors of the company who served during the period were:
Zaheer Qureshi Sarah Connor (resigned 22.07.2025) Pax Nindi Micah Roachford Aidan Larkin Alex Singleton
Structure
The Board of Directors meet as necessary, approximately every month.
Day to day responsibility is delegated to freelance staff and to particular board members in specific areas, whilst Strategic and policy decisions are taken by the Board of Directors.
Risks
The board has examined the major strategic, business and operational risks which the charity faces and can confirm that systems have been established to mitigate the significant risks.
Reserves Policy
The board continues to believe that the sustainability of the charity is of critical importance, particularly in the current challenging fundraising environment. The established policy is to endeavour to maintain reserves to a level of c. 50% of the anticipated annual expenditure of the Company if reasonably practicable. However, following the lack of a Cowley Road Carnival in 2025, the board has temporarily suspended this reserve target as it focuses on financial regrouping and strategy to deliver a future in-person street carnival.
]
PROGRAMME OF WORK
-
The Company’s Purpose The objects of the company, as set out in its Memorandum, are: 1. to promote general charitable purposes for the benefit of the public in Oxfordshire, in particular, but not exclusively, the residents of East Oxford and the surrounding
-
- area, hereafter referred to as the ‘area of benefit’ 3. to relieve financial hardship and social and/or economic disadvantage to promote, for the benefit of the inhabitants of the area of benefit, the provision of facilities for the recreation or other leisure time occupation of individuals who have need of such facilities by reason of their youth, age, infirmity or disablement, financial hardship or social and economic circumstances, or for the public at large in the interests of social welfare, and with the object of improving the conditions of life of the said inhabitants
-
- to advance education of the public, in particular but not exclusively in the arts and 5. world cultures and in environmental issues to promote the maintenance, improvement or provision of public amenities
Within the context of these purposes, the mission and objectives of the company, are:
Mission: To engage and celebrate diverse communities through an annual Carnival, the charity’s flagship community event, and springboard for CRW’s year-round programme of county wide, cultural engagement.
-
Objectives: * Engage diverse communities through exposure to excellence in arts and culture ° Deliver a rolling programme of county wide outreach ° Create opportunities to nurture talent, skills and development
-
° Continue to build a sustainable organisation, providing meaningful social impact, from a strong funding base
In the years prior to the Covid pandemic, the main event organised by the company each year was the production of the Cowley Road Carnival, the biggest cultural community event in the region. It celebrates the rich diversity of culture in our City and the varied talents of performers and artists, both professional and amateurs. Audience feedback confirms it is a unique and much-loved event embedded in the community. Since 2020 however only one live in-person carnival has taken place (in September 2024). The company has used this financial year to regroup, welcome several new members to the board of trustees and embark on a Strategy to secure funding to deliver an in-person street carnival on a future date that is still to be confirmed.
Vision and Future Plans Cowley Road Work’s ambition for 2025-26 is to:
-
@® to secure funding necessary to deliver an in-person street carnival on the Cowley Road
-
& plans for the next edition will include a Carnival procession. This would be Supported by workshops for individuals and community groups to make their costumes for Carnival Day, and the Opportunity to take part in the procession.
2
-
®@ we will be encouraging businesses and property owners to decorate their buildings as Carnival floats with the help of artist support.
-
@ there will be @ programme of artistic involvement with local schools to be delivered via the Sessional Schools Coordinator,
-
@ work towards delivering training and workshops with a view to building back stability and sustainability. This will include empowering and supporting aspiring artists, technicians and upskilling local people in event Management, artistic direction, technical support and fundraising to ensure future Carnivals are sustainable events that are led by our community.
-
) Forge new partnerships with existing skilled individuals, groups and organisations in Oxford that can complement and benefit our work.
-
@ Builda pool of skilled and experience volunteers to help Manage and organise future carnivals.
3
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities Company law requires the directors to prepare accounts for each financial period which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the company and of the surplus or deficit of the company for that period. In preparing those accounts the directors are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently; ~ make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; - prepare the accounts on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.
The directors are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and to enable them to ensure that the accounts comply with the Companies Act 1985. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable Steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The Directors confirm that: - aS far as each Director is aware, there is no relevant information (information needed by the independent examiner in connection with preparing his report) of which the Company's independent examiner is unaware, and - each Director has taken all the Steps that they ought to have taken as a Director in order to make themselves aware of any relevant information and to establish that the Company's independent examiner is aware of that information.
The above report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions relating to small companies within Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective April 2008). An independent examiner's report is included on page 5.
By order of the Board Zaheer Qureshi Director
19!" January 2026
4
COWLEY ROAD WORKS
WORKSIndependent Examiner’s Report to the Board of Directors of COWLEY ROAD
| report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 30 September 2025, which are set out on the subsequent pages of this report.
Respective responsibilities of directors and examiner
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for the year (under section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the 1993 Act)) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:
-
examine the accounts (under section 43(3)(a) of the 1993 Act);
-
- — to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 43(7)(b) of the 1993 Act); and
-
- to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequenily | do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.
Independent examiner’s statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention: (1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements
-
to keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the 1993 Act: and
-
- to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 1993 Act have not been met; or
-
(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Mr Harndan Niaz Abbasi FCCA HNA Accountants Ltd Sandford Gate East Point Business Park Oxford OX4 6LB
Date: 19'" January 2026
5
COWLEY ROAD WORKS
Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 30 September 2025
| 2025 2025 2025 2024 |
||
|---|---|---|
| £ £ £ £ |
||
| Note Unrestricted Restricted Total Total |
||
| Incoming resources | ||
| Voluntary Income | ||
| Donations | 5,452 - 5,452 2,739 |
|
| Charitable activities | ||
| Grants Sponsorshipandfundraising Interest received |
3 | 41,500 - 41,500 60,400 2,300 S 2,300 17,499 |
| ; Total Incoming Resources |
106 - 106 673 $$OG 49,358 - 49,358 81,311 IO OTT |
|
| Resources Expended | ||
| Charitable Activities | ||
| Staffing Insurance |
18,920 - 18,920 15,540 |
|
| Staff expenses | - - - 3,479 |
|
| Administration doer |
182 - 182 795 520 - $20 2,505 |
|
| Outreach andprojectcosts Marketing |
51,348 - 51,348 51,215 50 - 50 26 227 - 227 7.531 eT |
|
| 71,247 - 71,247 81,091 eee OUST |
||
| Governance Costs |
4 | ie. 800 - 800 1,000 a ILhh |
| TotalResourcesExpended | ____72,047.~=~=S~S=~S”~S*«2,482,091 eee EST |
|
| . . NetIncoming(Outgoing) Resources |
TN (22,688) - (22,688) (780) NEE OOO) FOU) |
|
| Transfers Between Funds | ||
| = - = = |
||
| TotalFundsBroughtForward | 29,525 - 29,525 30,305 |
|
| Total Funds Carried Forward | ||
| 6,837 - 6,837 29,525 eee EO |
6
COWLEY ROAD WORKS Balance Sheet at 30 September 2025
| 2025 2024 |
|
|---|---|
| Current Assets | £ rs |
| Debtors and accrued income | - |
| Cash at bankand inhand |
- 6,837 30,525 |
| pr | |
| 6,837 30,525 cnrSS fay a |
|
| Liabilities | |
| Creditors and accruals | |
| = ae Current Liabilities |
- (1,000) eT - (1,000) |
| ee | |
| TotalAssets lessCurrent Liabilities | eeer 6,837 29,525 pee eS SI |
| The Funds ofthe Charity | |
| Unrestrictedfunds Restricted funds |
6,837 29,525 |
| Total Charity Funds |
- - era, 6,837 29,525 |
| eee |
a) These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions relating to small companies within part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective April 2008).
b) For the financial year ended 30 September 2025 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 Companies Act 2006. No member of the company has deposited a notice, pursuant to Actsection2006.476, requiring an audit of these financial statements under the requirements of the Companies
C) The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for ensuring that the company keeps accounting records which comply with section 386 of the Act and for preparing financial Statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company as at the end of the financial period and of its profit or loss for the financial period in accordance with the requirements of sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to accounts, so far as applicable to the company.
Approved by the board of directors on19th January 2026 and signed on its behalf by:
Zaheer Qureshi
19th January 2026
7
COWLEY ROAD WORKS
Notes to the Financial Activities for the year ended 30 September 2025
1 Accounting policies
- 1.1. Basis of preparation of financial statements The financial statements are Prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with applicable Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice (Revised SORP 2005).
1.2 Income
- Income is included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when : - the charity becomes entitled to the resources - the trustees are virtually certain that they will receive the resources; and - the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability
1.3 Liability recognition resources.Liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out
1.4 Governance costs Governance costs include the preparation and examination of statutory accounts, the cost of trustee meetings and the cost of any legal advice to trustees on governance or constitutional matters.
- 2 Taxation TaxesThe charityAct 1988.is a charitable institution with exemption from UK taxation under section 505 of the Income and Corporation
8
| 3 | GrantIncome | 2025 2025 2025 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted Restricted Total Total |
||
| Ace Lottery Brookes University |
41,500 - 41,500 41,500 |
|
| Oxford City Council | - - - 2,500 |
|
| - - - 16,400 eee 00 41,500 - 41,500 60,400 _— EY 0 |
||
| 4 | Governance Cost | 2025 2025 2025 2024 |
| £ £ £ £ |
||
| Legalandprofessional costs | Unrestricted Restricted Total Total 800 ~ 800 1,000 YY 00 800 ~ 800 1,000 ee hLDA |
5 The directors received no emoluments (2024 - Enil) in the year for performing duties as Directors. They are entitled to claim legitimate expenses incurred on behalf of the company.
6 Constitution
The company is limited by guarantee and does not have any share capital.
9