CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGI AND AND WAI ES adrag• CommuDIty Co•t4Jm• Tru•1 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the perlod from To 011041202d 31103Q025 Sectlon A Recelpts and payments Uiircstricled lund$ Re¥tiicted funds De51gJiated lund8 Total funds La•t year A1 R•c•l Hre F¢as Mernbernhi Gran 46.822 S,247 4B.822 S.247 J3,Z19 2J.250 17,702 536 IB.277 Eni onl AIL)¥MnC• Ev*nl Fees 3.021 3.528 s.a96 1.960 &B92 ()th S.866 Sub total (Gross income lor ARI 66.795 18,141 15.036 101,302 A2 A•ut 4nd In¥ogtm•nl •alg5. • tabl• Sub tolal Total r•c•lpt$ 85,OJ6 101 302 AJPa mènt8 P[gtT115Bf ,'rg111.)u¥lnfj81 r• Ins￿a￿ (MIGB.illililioB & MaintewrK• 4.903 B15 8is 1,254 B47 39,136 1,293 13S JS,2B9 65J 8.033 1.351 J6.787 14B 48.787 713 7JO biaff 14 Voluni•¥r6 J.118 ,295 $4.027 293 137 1.450 432 21 99 110.215 293 Z37 Prol¥sJrf)r￿l F995 SlIKk Lo1• •s & Fundrai 1.105 432 353 1.076 139 83 989 104.118 20 Tithn Sub total 79,550 14,74) 15.920 A4 Ass•t and Invo6tm•nt purcha8•8, Sub tolal Total paymenis 75.550 18,745 15.920 110.215 704.818 Nel of rectipts/(payment$) A5 Tran8fer• b•two•n lund• 1.755 18.745 2.321 25.179 3,516 A6 C••h fvnd¥ h•t y••r end 3J,418 19.938 12.696 eo,os2 09.622 Cash funds thls yo•r end 24,663 1.193 15,018 40.874 66.106 CCXX R1 aeeounts ISSI 2Sm,W28 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestrictod funds Restricted funds D•signatod ftsnds lo n•are¥t£ to nfrarHt £ to n•w•st É eank less amoutlts du 1.193 15.018 81 Cash fundg Total cash funds 24.6e3 1.193 15.018 Unr•strlet•d funds io r*are•l£ R8strlet•d funds Endowm•nt funds lo n•DreBt £ to nHro*t É 82 0th?r montrt•ry •$$•t¥ Fundto •18et bolo Cwr•nt v4lu• 83 Inv•stm•nt a••gt¥ Fundtg V4hkh as••1 b•lo Y•lu• Ilon•l 84 Assets retalned for the charlty'* own u$• Fundto Amount du• OMI Vth•n dLX B5 LlabllStles Indopendoni ExaminA Siw)4d by oné or Iwo Iruii8•1 c ts8￿[ ol all Iho Iru81001 Dale ol roval Slgnalure Prtnl Narne CCLX R2 a¢wJnts ISSI 2510112026 ## **Trustees' Annual Report for the period** Period start date Period end date Day Month Year Day Month Year **From** 1st April 2024 **To** 31st March 2025 ## Section A Reference and administration details **Charity name** Gladrags Community Costume Trust **Other names charity is known by** Gladrags Community Costume Resource **Registered charity number (if any)** 1122704 **Charity's principal address** Unit 10, Westergate Business Centre Westergate Road Brighton **Postcode** BN2 4QN ~~ee~~ **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity Dates acted if not for whole Name of person (or body) entitled Trustee name Office (if any) year to appoint trustee (if any)** 1 Heather Butler Chair Trustees John Adams Treasurer Trustees 3 Neil Border Secretary Trustees 4 Kathryn Coleman Trustee 4.11.24 - 31.3.25 Trustees ~~————~~ **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** Vania Mills ## **Section B Structure, governance and management** ## **Description of the charity’s trusts** Type of governing Trust Deed document - (eg. trust deed, constitution) How the charity is Charitable Trust constituted (eg. trust, association, company) Trustee selection Appointed by Trustees methods (eg. appointed by, elected by) ## **Section C Objectives and activities** **TAR** 1 2022 **Summary of the** Educating the public in historical and world dress by providing low-cost costumes **objects of** and related resources as an educational tool. **the charity set out in** To advance education of the public by providing various costumes and related **its** resources at low cost as an educational tool. **governing document** ## **OVERVIEW** Gladrags is a unique provider of costume resources and expertise which serve to further the activities of our beneficiary groups. Central to our ethos is a commitment to sustainability: since 1994, we have championed the reuse of costumes, building a collection of 10,000 items, 95% of which are donated stock that we repurpose and adapt to benefit the community time and time again. **Summary of the main** We support and enhance the projects of our beneficiary groups by offering **activities** the following: **undertaken for the public Affordable hire of pre-loved costumes and artefacts** to organisations that **benefit in** would otherwise struggle to afford or have access to them. Our beneficiary **relation to** groups include: **these objects**  **Education:** schools, colleges, further and higher education **(include**  **Arts:** amateur and fringe theatre, film and arts; professional theatre, film, **within this** heritage and socially conscious arts organisations **section the**  **Community and wellbeing:** libraries, day centres, community and youth **statutory** groups, charities, and not-for-profits **declaration that** Our principal resources are: **trustees have had**  **Historical, world dress, and show costumes and accessories** for **regard to** children and adults, curated especially for educational activities, **the** performances, wellbeing projects, and community arts **guidance**  **Resource boxes:** costumes and artefacts tailored to specific projects or **issued by** themes, commonly supporting primary school topics and encouraging **the Charity** ‘historical detective’ work and role-play **Commissio**  **Reminiscence boxes:** collections of authentic vintage clothing and **n on public** everyday memorabilia selected to reflect particular eras or themes, **benefit)** commonly used to support reminiscence work, and heritage exhibitions and activities **Store visits** that offer educational or wellbeing support through: -  Nurture visits for children, young people and adults who experience additional disadvantage, providing experiential access to culture and the arts via costume. **TAR** 2 2022 -  Mentoring school pupils and university students engaged in drama or costume-based assignments and projects. ## **Costume-making resources:** -  Sewing equipment and recycled fabrics to resource beneficiary groups’, encouraging sustainable practice. -  Library collection referencing historical dress of ordinary people; world and cultural dress; affordable, alternative costume options. ## **Rehome-it! Scheme:** Surplus and donated costumes, props, and textiles are gifted back to the community, with priority given to schools, colleges, community arts groups, and low-income families. Completing the donation cycle, approximately 1.5 tonnes of items are received via Gladrags and over 2 tonnes rehomed annually, helping to reduce textile waste. ## **COMMUNITY** Through our Community Outreach Programme, we extend our reach to individuals and groups facing disadvantage and isolation. In response to the increasing cost-of-living crisis, we particularly focus on partnering with food security projects to deliver the following: **Creative dress-up activities** designed to encourage a sense of play for children and families navigating life challenges. Costume inspires the creation of characters, scenarios and social interaction, helping children explore their hopes and dreams. **Reminiscence sessions** with older adults who come together to be socially active and to combat isolation. Our sessions are dementia-friendly and enhance wellbeing with: -  Themed memory boxes that ignite the meaningful sharing of past experiences. -  Vintage and costume collections that encourage playful interaction and remind participants of the joy that dress-up can bring at any age. ## **VOLUNTEERS** Our volunteer team is essential to the smooth running of all our operations. Their dedication directly influences our capacity to serve more beneficiaries and fulfil our organisational mission. We support a diverse community of around 70 volunteers annually, providing opportunities for people with a range of learning and support needs, and **TAR** 3 2022 tailoring roles to reflect individual interests and aspirations. We provide training opportunities and supported-work placements within the organisation that build, maintain and open pathways into the creative arts industry and wider employment opportunities. Trustees have regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. ## **Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)** ## **SUSTAINABILITY** Environmental sustainability is at the heart of Gladrags’ aims and objectives. The reuse of resources lies at the core of both our ethos and the services we provide, reflecting our commitment to embodying key organisational values. Our long-standing dedication to advocating for and be integral to a sustainable textile industry along with our early adoption of planet-friendly practices dates back to 1994. This longevity shapes our influence on organisations and individuals alike, while ensuring that our own carbon footprint remains minimal. Our hire-not-buy approach promotes a consumer mindset of choosing high-quality, pre-loved garments over cheaply made, ethically questionable alternatives. The 10,000 costumes we share with local communities are predominantly donated and recycled garments, a number of which we adapt to extend their life and versatility. We actively encourage beneficiary groups to donate their unused costumes back to Gladrags, enabling us to circulate these resources within our communities. Additionally, the free costume-making support and recycled materials we offer beneficiary groups further promotes sustainable costume practices among them. Our Rehome-it! scheme embodies our commitment to reducing waste while providing vital support to the charities, schools, and community projects that benefit from it. An ethos of wider participation and social inclusion underpins the delivery of and access to our services and our organisational purpose is sustained by this focus. Consequently, we are committed to reaching communities experiencing disadvantage and isolation, a goal we advance through our dedicated outreach projects. **TAR** 2022 4 We actively recruit, support, and develop volunteers with wide-ranging skills and learning needs and celebrate the inclusivity of our team as an organisational asset. The wellbeing of our volunteers and staff is central to Gladrags’ sustainability, and the long-term commitment of many team members stands as a testament to this focus. ## Section D Achievements and performance **Summary of Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year the main achievements of the charity PROVISION OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES during the** **year** Gladrags reached 11,750 beneficiaries in 2024-25, an increase on 10,300 the previous year, by providing costumes and related resources to projects they participated in. Through our work, we contributed to the following key areas: - **Education:** enhancing interactive learning by adding rich context to social history and world cultures; creating greater access to arts and culture within educational settings. - **Sustainability:** championing a planet-friendly approach to costume, clothing and fashion; responsibly re-homing costumes and textiles within our local community, and resourcing climate-focussed initiatives. - **Health and Wellbeing:** stimulating memory, imagination, creativity, and play through our outreach sessions; offering activities that promote positive mental health and wellbeing, while helping participants build self-confidence and develop awareness of their personal abilities. - **Community cohesion:** bringing people together through live arts events and shared creative activities that encourage sociability and community connection. - **Celebration:** infusing colour and magic into performance-based projects, theatre and film productions, as well as social and cultural events. ## **COSTUME PROVISION** ## **Education** Our resource boxes enabled interactive, hands-on learning with artefacts and costume that, for example: **TAR** 2022 5 Section D Achievements and performance -  Brought history to life for pupils studying topics such as Greek civilization at _Oak tree Primary_ to the Islamic Empire at _Horn Park School_ . -  Invited children to discover the experiences of WW2 evacuees at _Stanford Juniors_ and _West Park Primary._ -  Enhanced educational experience with a kinesthetic approach, particularly suited to children and young people with special education needs such as a Viking’s re-enactment at _Moulsecoomb Primary School_ , and an exploration of Tudor and medieval life through the lens of clothing for a young person supported by _Sense Learning._ Free World Book Day boxes remained a special focus, containing classic children’s fairytale and literary character costumes to assist schools in providing outfits for children whose families face financial challenges in this global celebration. Our mentoring of college and university students with costume or production responsibilities linked to their courses expanded during the year, including: -  Student group visits and styling sessions for film students at _Brighton Screen and Film School,_ hair and make-up students at _Brighton Met college_ and costume students at _Northbrook University_ in Worthing _._ -  Hosting 1:1 themed sessions for young people from _Sense Learning_ , exploring history, filmmaking, and scriptwriting to support interim education for children out of school or struggling to attend. -  Facilitating a workshop for _Northbrook College’s_ outreach Art & Design Club. ## **Youth Arts Access** Promoting and resourcing wider participation in community-led arts is at the centre of our subsidised costume hire ethos. Our proactive reach to youth-focussed groups this year has enabled us to support the creative vision of a broad range of organisations, including: -  Drama clubs such as _Kaleidoscope Theatre_ in Lewes _, Wings Youth Theatre_ in Hassocks _, Stagecoach clubs_ in Hove, Haywards Heath, East Grinstead and Worthing which provide opportunities for young people to build friendships, develop social skills, and gain confidence, while also offering introductions to the arts industry. -  Organisations that co-create work with young people and offer free sessions to low-income families, including: -  Brighton’s _Third Space Theatre,_ where children and young people create theatre rooted in their own experience. **TAR** 6 2022 Section D Achievements and performance - _A-listers Film club_ in Lewes, a community cinema-based group supporting neurodivergent young adults to produce film trailers and amplify their voices on screen. Projects rooted in wellbeing have also benefited from our support, such as: -  Wellbeing and recognition events for Brighton & Hove’s _Children In Care Council._ -  A themed Christmas Dinner hosted by young teenagers at the _Crew Club_ for local elders in Whitehawk. ## **Community and Wellbeing** The transformative power of costume plays a pivotal role in projects that use the arts to bring communities together. Highlights from 2024-25 include: -  Providing costumes for community casts in plays and pantomimes across Sussex, from _Copthorne Players_ ’ _Jekyll and Hyde_ and _Woodingdean Players_ ’ _Jack and the Beanstalk_ to _The Diggers_ in Whitehawk, Brighton, produced by _The Crew Club_ in partnership with _Victoria Melody_ and _Brighton Festival_ . -  Curating photobooth and dress-up experiences to complement community events such as _Sunday T-Dance_ , a historical and cultural tea dance for the LGBTQ+ community, and _Carousel’s Blue Camel Club_ , an inclusive club night for learning-disabled young adults and their friends, which also provides a platform for learning-disabled performers. -  Supporting a wellbeing event for volunteers of _Brightstore_ , a charity tackling food waste and food inequality through sustainable solutions. ## **Heritage** 2024-25 was a notable year for Gladrags’ support of heritage events, where our costume, memorabilia, and set-dressing resources brought history and culture vividly to life across Sussex. Highlights include: - _**Lewes Council**_ **’s Black History Month installation:** We provided costumes, memorabilia, and props to honour the story of the WW1 British West Indies Regiment stationed at Seaford. - _**Charleston House’s Queer Bloomsbury Festival**_ **:** Our flamboyant mini wardrobe enriched an interactive life drawing workshop led by artist David Hoyle, encouraging artists to experiment with structural garment shapes. **TAR** 2022 7 Section D Achievements and performance - _**Friends of Victoria Hospital 60[th] Anniversary**_ **:** We prepared a mannequin dressed as a 1910s nurse, replicating a historic photo to celebrate 60 years of the Friends of Victoria Hospital and highlight the hospital’s rich community legacy since 1855. - _**Brighton and Hove Albion**_ **’s Great War acknowledgement:** Our vintage military uniforms enabled 18 junior club players to recreate a historic 1915 photo of a young football team, taken just before they left to serve in the war. - _**Sussex Symphony Orchestra**_ **’s Celebration of Verdi:** We provided authentic costume for an actor representing the composer, complementing a musical celebration of his life and most popular operatic, orchestral and choral works. - _**Brighton Museum**_ **Exhibitions:** We hosted free themed dress-up rooms and selfie booths for two major exhibitions: - _ABBA: One Week in Brighton_ , celebrating ABBA’s 1974 Eurovision victory. - _National Treasures: Rembrandt_ , part of the nationwide 200th anniversary celebration of the National Gallery, London. - _**Our Place, Brighton Festival:**_ For the fourth consecutive year, Gladrags led artistic liaison and support for the artist-in-residence –this year, _Out of The Box Creative Arts_ . As part of the local steering committee, we helped oversee free festival workshops and the final community event, enabling residents from Moulsecoomb and Bevendean - who often face barriers to arts access - to engage with culture and creativity. ## **COMMUNITY OUTREACH** With 15 years of experience delivering outreach programmes, Gladrags continues to serve low-income communities with limited access to social and cultural activities. Our focus remains on East Brighton, reaching children, families, and older adults living in areas ranked among England’s 20% most deprived by the Index of Multiple Deprivation. In 2024, to mark our 30th anniversary, we expanded our family sessions, reinvigorated reminiscence activities and delivered over 30 free outreach activities overall, attended by 1,275 people. We brought themed dress-up corners to a variety of community events, including: - **Youth-led festivals:** Cost-Of-Living Circus in Brighton and S’Kool Fest in Shoreham. - **Diversity celebrations:** Hosted by Grassroots NGO Indian Futures and Brighton Met College (funded), recognising the contributions of students with English as a second language. - **Events for under-5s:** Nursery Leaver’s Celebration at Hollingdean Community Hub and Community Day at Moulsecoomb Family Hub. - **TAR** 8 2022 Section D Achievements and performance - **Intergenerational Health and food poverty education:** _Very Local Food Fair_ in Bevendean and a _Community Health Day_ at _Robert Lodge_ in Whitehawk. ## **Family sessions and food security partnerships** Our family sessions and food security partnerships enable us to bring the transformational power of dress-up play into the heart of communities facing hardship. These sessions: -  Encourage children to stretch their imaginations and actively engage in play. -  Provide a safe space for children to express themselves creatively and explore identity through costume. -  Offer families joyful respite and social connection amid challenging life circumstances. In response to the escalating cost-of-living crisis, we deepened partnerships with local organisations, particularly community food initiatives, building on our shared vision to bring people together by combining nutritious food provision with creative, interactive activities. Our collaborative family sessions benefitted residents across Moulsecoomb and Bevendean through five events, in partnership with _CHOMP Moulsecoomb_ , _Bevendean CHOMP_ , and _St Andrew’s Church_ . Addressing wellbeing and food provision together, these events offered families a ‘day out’ - a welcome break from daily pressures and an opportunity for joyful, sociable family fun. Our dress-up activities became a regular feature at the following events throughout the year: -  Free holiday meal clubs run by _The Bevy Pub_ in Bevendean and _Brighton CHOMP_ in Whitehawk, Hangleton, and Central Brighton, supporting families receiving free school meals or on low incomes. -  Community cook-along sessions in Moulsecoomb with _Cooking Good_ and _St George’s Hall_ . ## **Reaching older people** Following a brief pause, we relaunched our reminiscence programme, _Memories Matter_ , addressing loneliness among older adults - a pressing issue highlighted by recent council data showing nearly 40% of people aged over 65 experience frequent loneliness. To propel the programme forward, we engaged a freelance facilitator and ran: -  4 taster sessions for 50+ social groups at _Robert Lodge_ in Whitehawk and _St George’s Hall_ in Moulsecoomb. Using sensory artefacts, from clothing and **TAR** 9 2022 Section D Achievements and performance accessories to household items and music, these sessions encouraged participants to share stories and reconnect with their past. -  10 free reminiscence sessions in total, including: -  Participation in the city’s Ageing Well Festival with _Dress Through the Decades_ events, where evocative fashion, vintage accessories and a DIY vinyl jukebox, sparked memories from the 1960s to 1980s - captured on polaroid in retro photobooth. -  Three winter festival reminiscence sessions during the Christmas season, a time when loneliness is often felt most keenly. Seasonal dress-up, music, and storytelling invited elders to rediscover cherished memories, connect with others, and share laughter and a song or two. ## **SCOPE OF BENEFICIARIES** Gladrags maintained our commitment to prioritising children and adults most in need by: -  Tailoring our resources to meet the specific needs of educational and community projects focused on addressing disadvantage. -  Maintaining our longstanding subsidy of costume provision for grassroots beneficiaries, with prices unchanged since 2010. -  Delivering our community outreach programme in partnership with food security organisations operating in the most disadvantaged areas of Brighton. We also expanded our reach to new beneficiary groups through: -  Proactive engagement with local schools, community organisations, and the arts sector. -  Promoting our resource provision beyond Brighton through a consistent online and social media presence that celebrated our mission whilst equally giving a platform to our beneficiary groups. New beneficiaries across the year included: - _Greenway Academy_ in Horsham and _Southover Primary School_ in Lewes _,_ who benefitted from resource boxes and costumes supporting Stunning Starts, an innovative approach by teachers to introduce new topics at the start of the school term. - _Millais School_ in Horsham and _Handcross Park School_ who were able to authentically costume their productions of _Mathilda_ and _Little Women_ respectively. -  Amateur arts groups such as _Jewel Performing Arts (dance)_ , _Rustington Players_ (theatre) and As _hington Musical Theatre_ who were able to supplement their own wardrobes affordably and avoid the need to hire full show sets unnecessarily. **TAR** 10 2022 Section D Achievements and performance -  Emerging professional theatre companies who accessed high quality costumes at discounted rates, enabling professional-quality productions despite limited budgets. Notable companies included the critically acclaimed _Connor Baum Theatre Company_ and _Club Silencio_ , a queer, satirical immersive theatre group. ## **ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:** ## **Hire-Not-Buy Service** Over the year, we mitigated the environmental impact of one-time-use costumes by facilitating over 650 hires, significantly reducing the demand for new costume purchases. Our regular beneficiaries have learned to scale their projects sustainably by relying on Gladrags as a principal resource. New beneficiaries frequently access costumes for the first time thanks to the affordability of our service and strong alignment with educational curricula and production needs. A distinctive strength of Gladrags is our extensive collection of child and teen-sized costumes, thoughtfully curated to suit popular historical periods as well as largescale musicals and theatre productions, ensuring relevance and accessibility for a wide range of creative projects. Together with our beneficiaries we prevent textile waste, lower carbon emissions associated with manufacturing and shipping new garments, and champion a circular economy by extending the life of each costume through multiple use. ## **Brighton Textile Reuse Hub** The _Textile Reuse Hub (TRH)_ is an 18-month-strong partnership between Gladrags, _Leftover Threads_ (garment upcycling specialists), and _Smarter Uniforms_ (collectors and redistributors of school uniforms). Pooling our resources, community networks, and expertise, we advanced shared objectives to promote and facilitate textile reuse by: -  Increasing the reuse and circulation of existing textiles locally through 12 joint events, rehoming costumes, textiles, school uniforms, and clothing for children aged 0-12. -  Addressing the rising cost of living through these events and by running simple clothing repair workshops and a World Book Day costume-making workshop. -  Raising awareness of the environmental impact of textile waste and the importance of sustainable practices by: -  Being one of the founding organisations of _Brighton and Hove City Council’s Circular Textile Forum_ . -  Participating in _Sustainable Fashion Week_ and engaging sustainability organisations across our city to form a future Sustainability Network. -  Commissioning Brighton University research students to produce a report on charity shop surplus clothing and textile waste streams. **TAR** 11 2022 Section D Achievements and performance ## **Rehome-it!:** From the TRH base Gladrags’ grew the Rehome-it! Scheme, holding regular events to redistribute our surplus costumes and textiles for free within the Sussex community. Especially aimed at schools, colleges and grassroots community groups it prompts us to assess the relevance and usage of our existing costume collections, and to pass on items donated to Gladrags that are more suited to other projects. The Rehome-it! Scheme acts as an important extension to our hire-not-buy service and aligns with local and UK-wide ambitions for a circular economy, all contributing to the _Brighton and Hove City Council_ ’s objective of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. We engaged with over 30 groups and more than 100 individuals across the year and saved 2.4 tonnes of items from textile waste or recycling, in the following ways: **6 Rehome-it! Open Days** and ongoing store visits supporting organisations in the following ways: -  Supporting textile upcycling and repurposing projects in Brighton for _The Network of International Women_ , _MET college_ and _Blatchington Mill School._ -  Assisting student art and costume coursework at _Northbrook College_ , _Brighton University_ , and _Brighton Screen and Film School_ . -  Building or extending community costume collections for local not-for-profits including _Voices_ drama group, _Eastbourne Gilbert and Sullivan Society_ , and _Southover Bonfire Society_ in Lewes. -  Providing sensory costume collections for weekly sessions with learningdisabled performing arts groups at _St John’s College_ , _Outlook Foundation_ , and the _Far Far Away Musical Group_ . -  Supplying eclectic items for children’s dressing up boxes to support _Moulsecoomb and Coombe Road Primary School’_ s Opal schemes, boosting imaginative free play activities in breaktimes. **8 outreach give-away events** , partnering with Smarter Uniforms and Leftover Threads. Collectively we gifted over 350 dressing-up costumes, school uniforms, and baby/children’s clothes directly to low-income families via: -  Gladrags outreach activities in Moulsecoomb, Bevendean and Whitehawk -  Community events at family hubs in Whitehawk and Moulsecoomb **TAR** 12 2022 Section D Achievements and performance ## **Rehome-it! Facebook group** The purpose of this group is to facilitate direct item exchanges among members, promote external bulk rehoming opportunities, and foster connections between groups to share ideas for reuse and repurposing. ## **Sustainability Placements:** Throughout the year, we supported 8 volunteers through textile sustainability placements, offering pathways to further education and employment for young people and those stepping back into the workplace. These placements provide volunteers with diverse learning needs the opportunity to develop practical skills and sustainability knowledge while supporting our costume provision and community outreach. Key benefits for volunteers included: -  Acquiring practical skills such as customer service, repair and upcycling techniques, costume styling and garment repurposing - all framed within sustainability and industry contexts. -  Achieving learning objectives evidenced by certification relevant to the modern workplace, where sustainable practices are increasingly valued. -  Becoming confident ambassadors for reducing apparel waste through our hire-not-buy service and broader sector initiatives combating fast fashion. ## **Vintage Sales** Selling our vintage stock is a key means of repurposing garments and dress fabrics that are less relevant to the beneficiary groups accessing our costume store and Rehome-it! scheme. Through both online and in-person sales, we align with our circular fashion ethos by using the resale of clothing to fund our mission and serve communities across Sussex. This approach also promotes the purchase of second-hand clothing, positioning us as an active part of the solution to textile waste. Growing public awareness of the environmental impact of fast fashion has enabled us to connect with new audiences eager to reduce their personal textile footprint and choose sustainable alternatives over buying new. That said, online sales remained modest leading us to pause this activity in September 2024. Additionally, the mini vintage outlets we had established were curtailed as several shops closed, impacted by the surge in resale platforms like Vinted and eBay. To adapt, we expanded our pop-up sales, tailoring events to diverse audiences. Highlights included: -  Joint pop-up sale with the sustainable preloved clothing shop _Circles Store_ in central Brighton. **TAR** 13 2022 Section D Achievements and performance -  Participation for the second consecutive year in the _Sustainable Fashion Week_ marketplace hosted by _Brighton Fashion Collective_ . At _Sustainable Fashion Week_ , we showcased our full vintage apparel collection alongside a curated range of ‘repair and refashion’ pieces. This one-day event raised over £900 in revenue and provided a meaningful platform for Gladrags’ Director to join a panel of leading local textile sustainability organisations. We also participated in the sustainable fashion show, presenting themed looks that celebrated the diversity and resilience of our vintage resources. This engagement strengthened our connection with Brighton’s circular fashion community and amplified our environmental mission, inspiring more people to embrace sustainable fashion choices. ## **VOLUNTEERS** ## **Opportunities:** Over the course of the year, 75 volunteers contributed their time and skills to maintaining our resources, delivering activities, and serving our beneficiaries. We welcomed 37 new volunteers to the team, reflecting steady growth and increasing engagement. We provided volunteer opportunities tailored to a wide range of learning, social, and career needs. This year, with a particular focus on increasing youth participation, 33 volunteers aged 25 and under joined our team through a variety of pathways: -  3 supported workplace opportunities for young people with a learning disability -  10 work experience placements for young people in school, home-educated or who were recent school leavers -  2 university student module placements -  2 internships for BA university students respectively studying Occupational Therapy and Fashion and Communication -  16 further roles for school and university students 8 young people completed certificated textile sustainability placements, designed to equip them with practical skills and industry knowledge that support their progression into further education or employment within the growing sustainable fashion and textile sectors. **TAR** 14 2022 Section D Achievements and performance ## **Volunteer Team Growth** This growth was supported by embedding a consistent, digitised recruitment and onboarding process, alongside strengthening links with local organisations that coordinate volunteer placements. Key partnerships included: -  Work Experience Coordinators at _Brighton MET College, Northbrook College, Crawley College_ , and local sixth forms including _BHASVIC_ and _Varndean_ Secondary Schools. -  Volunteer Coordinators at five _Brighton & Hove City Council Family Hubs_ . -  Course leaders on Fashion, Design, and Art programmes at _Brighton, Sussex,_ and _Northbrook Universities._ This expansion enabled us to: -  Develop a volunteer administration team, enhancing digitisation of hire processes and improving customer service efficiency. -  Introduce a buddy system, pairing experienced volunteers with newcomers. This peer support fostered positive volunteering relationships, offered rewarding leadership opportunities for buddies, and strengthened our ability to maintain a rolling team of around 35 volunteers supervised by just three part-time staff. ## **Progression:** For many, volunteering at Gladrags is a stepping-stone on personal and professional journeys, helping build portfolios and self-confidence. We maintained a strong commitment to supporting progression by tailoring roles and signposting volunteers to relevant opportunities, including wardrobe and styling work with local theatre companies and low-budget film projects. Since working with us in 2024-25: - 3 volunteers gained hands-on industry experience at Gladrags, preparing them for university courses in costume design and construction. - 3 volunteers boosted their portfolios and costume styling skills, embarking on careers in fashion, costume design, and film costume departments. - 2 recent graduates acquired invaluable customer service and administrative experience, gaining confidence to secure paid roles in office management and administration. ## **Engagement:** For others still their contribution to Gladrags is an integral part of their life, and by March 2025, 5 volunteers in our team had been with us for over 15 years, **TAR** 15 2022 Section D Achievements and performance 3 for more than 10 years and another 7 for over 5 years. This depth of experience strengthens our team and creates a welcoming, stable environment for new volunteers to come into. We bolstered volunteer engagement by: -  Ensuring roles evolved to remain relevant and rewarding for individuals, recognising and valuing their dedication. -  Delivering free upskilling sessions in sewing and repair, from refresher workshops on sewing machines to advanced construction techniques. -  Providing additional training focused this year on shoe repair and cobbling, as well as garment upcycling, led by industry professionals. -  Offering subsidised access to arts and cultural events, linking volunteers’ work for Gladrags with the projects and organisations we support. ## **Wellbeing** For many volunteers, Gladrags fulfils personal needs such as: -  Social interaction and building confidence. -  Acquiring new skills or sharing existing ones. -  Gaining general workplace experience or costume knowledge. -  Being immersed in a purposeful, creative environment. We place high importance on fostering a sense of belonging and community within our volunteer team. This is essential both for individual wellbeing and for enabling the charity to deliver on its aims and objectives. We provide opportunities for volunteers to connect meaningfully through their roles and social gatherings. This year’s social events included a ceramics workshop, scrap-badge-making, themed quiz nights, and a backstage tour of the _Theatre Royal_ . Celebrations during National Volunteer Week further acknowledged the immense contribution our volunteers make to Gladrags. ## **INCOME GENERATION** Having the ability to secure a regular source of revenue is key to Gladrags’ organisational sustainability. Building unrestricted reserves enables us to maintain costume provision, support our team in the short term, and confidently plan for outreach and services over the longer term. Our principal revenue model links costume hire fees directly to our resource provision. Beneficiaries, who account for 78% of our hire revenue, contribute a minimal fee to access costumes and resource boxes affordably. This subsidised service is balanced by higher hire fees charged to professionals and partygoers. **TAR** 16 2022 Section D Achievements and performance We boosted this in December 2024, by launching Party Boxes, curated collections of dress-up garments and accessories, which quickly became popular for Christmas and New Year celebrations. Collectively, hire revenue raised £53,116, representing nearly two-thirds of our total annual income of £85,036. Awareness of our high-quality stock for film and TV continued to grow, bringing in income from ITV, Channel 5, and several independent documentary producers. This year presented challenges in grant and trust fundraising, which remain crucial to our capacity to deliver services and activities. Repeat funding from the Arnold Burton Trust was received shortly after the financial year-end and will be reflected in the 2025-26 accounts. This was somewhat balanced by continued funding from MF Mills reaching a high of £16,340, underscoring its importance. We diversified our unrestricted income through several initiatives: -  Our third Winter Warmer Appeal raised £1,902, primarily from the general public, specifically supporting reminiscence activities aimed at combating loneliness among local people aged over 65. -  The return of the signature fundraiser Fast Forward Flashback, a 1970sthemed event combining an immersive, retro party with an auction, raised £1,864. -  Online and in-person Vintage Sales events generated £5,296 in revenue. Our reserves dipped over the year, prompting Trustees and management to develop a revenue strategy for the coming year. **TAR** 17 2022 Section E Financial review |Brief|Gladrags holds reserves to:|Gladrags holds reserves to:|| |---|---|---|---| |statement|||| |ofthe|>|Cover essential core and operational costs.|| |charity’s|>|Support longer-term commitments and plans.|| |policy on|>|Mitigate
unforeseen|circumstances.| |reserves|||| ||Reserves are reviewed quarterly, with target minimums set at:||| ||>|£18,000 as a minimum to ensure optimal operational continuity.|| ||>|£8,000 as the bare minimum unrestricted reserves to guarantee|organisational| |||viabilityatanygiventime.|| ## Section G Declaration The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. ## Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees Signature(s) |) ACru » : Full name(s) tleax g XY Bots- TAR 18 2022 chr(s Tyler Accounting Flat 24. Wellingtonia Court, Lalne Close. Brighion, Ea5l Su55eK, BN16TD, UK GLADRAGS COIVIMui¥rrY COSTUME TRUST (CIL4RITY NUMBER 1122704) INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF GLADIUGS COMMUNITY COSTUME TRUST FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 202$ I report to the trusteeÉ on Iny examination of the accounts of tLie abov¢ charity ('%he Trust") for the year ended 31 Marcli 2025. As the chaLity t￿SteeS of the Trust. you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accord￿l¢e wilb the requiEemei)t's of the Cliarities Act 2011('ihe Act"). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried OUÉ under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carryiug out my cxamination I have followed the applicabl¢ Dir¢ctions giv¢n by the Charity Cojrnnission under section 145(5)(b) of the ACL I liavc compl¢t¢d my examination. I confirm Ibat no malerial i]]atters have coin¢ to my attention in Gonneotion with the examll)ation wbich gives me cause to believe that in any material r¢spect: (i). accounting rxords w¢re not k¢pt in ￿(ordanC¢ wilh s¢Gtion 130 of the Act or (ii). the Lccounts do not accord with the accounting records I bave no concerns and have come acmss no other matters in connection with th¢ examination t.o whi¢h att¢Mtion should be draThn in order to enable a proper Unde￿tandIng of the accounts io be r¢ached. C R Tyler FCA. DChA. FCIE Chart¢r¢d Accountant Flat 24 Wellingtonia CourL Lainc Closc. Brighton East Sussex BNI 6TD . Date: x% chrls@chr15tyleraccounting.com | v¥ww.christyleraccounting.com l +441017961819560 Chris Tyler Accounting is a troding name of F1 CRT Itd., Re8iStered England and Wales number-. D8012820 Director: Chris Tyler FCA DChA FCIE Reglstered offlce.. Flat 24. WelllngEonla cou.rt Laine Close. Brighton, East Sussex, 8N1