Celebrating books by the sea
BUDLEIGH SALTERTON LITERARY FESTIVAL
Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) Registered Charity No. 1127885. Trustees’ Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024.
The Trustees present their report for the year ended 31 December 2024 to be read in conjunction with the attached Financial Statements.
STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE
The charitable objectives of the Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival are:
The advancement of education for the benefit of the public in East Devon by the promotion of the arts of Literature, poetry, the written and spoken word and related arts. In particular by fostering and supporting the work of the Budleigh Salterton Literary festival.
The Trustees are elected at the Annual General Meeting.
MAIN ACTIVITY AND PUBLIC BENEFIT
The main activity is the funding, organisation, and promotion of the annual Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival held in September each year and a smaller weekend festival held in March. Each festival contains a range of events fiction, non -fiction, poetry, comedy and workshops which are open to and attended by members of the public from across the community. The BSLF trustees strive to maintain affordable ticket prices. The Budleigh Salterton Festival celebrates books and their authors and promotes the art of reading and the enjoyment of writing in our East Devon community and in our local schools.
The BSLF Trustees decided to continue the initiative of the past 2 festivals and subsidise the costs of events and workshops for children and families in addition to offering free activities. The 2024 programme included the popular author/illustrator Rob Biddulph, Clare Helen Walsh and Yuval Zommer and 7 workshops (Aardman modelling, Manga and music) as well as free activities in the mini marquee and a very successful spoken word workshop and presentation for partner secondary schools. The education team also arranged a very successful event for GSCE students with Simon Armitage, poet laureate.
The BSLF charity agreed to contribute to the Libraries Unlimited project run in Littleham school to promote greater awareness of literacy and encourage more use of Exmouth library. Early signs are encouraging.
During 2024 the BSLF charity worked with 1787 children and students in 20 local primary and secondary schools doubling the number of participating schools. Schools received copies of authors’ books for their libraries.
Free books in the Litfest beach hut were once again available during the September festival. Very few books remaining once the festival was over.
The Trustees have paid due regard to the relevant Charity Commission guidance and consider that the activities outlined in this report meet the public benefit requirement for charities and will continue to look for local opportunities to expand on the charity’s objectives.
Celebrating books by the sea
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
This is the fourth review since the status of the Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival (BSLF) was changed from a Company Limited by guarantee to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation with the approval of the Charities commission. The BSLF Spring festival weekend went ahead with 6 events in St Peter’s Church on 1[st] & 2[nd] March 2024. Tickets sold well for all events which covered a broad range of non-fiction topics and a special event from Simon Armitage, poet laureate. The most popular event was Clive Myrie with his memoir ‘Everything is Everything’
A team of BSLF Trustees rose to the challenge of recruiting a new Artistic director due to Annie Ashworth’s resignation taking effect after the September 2024 festival. They were overwhelmed with the number of applicants for the post, short listed for interview 6 and chose Kate Abbey for her breadth of festival programming experience, cultural insight, and fresh approach. The committee team felt that Kate would represent a more southwestern focus and look forward to working with her from November 2024. rational authors. Cathy Renzenbrink continues as the BSLF president.
The BSLF committee planned a joint event in June collaborating the Budleigh Music festival within their programme of events. Sir Michael Morpurgo was due to read from his latest book ‘Carnival of the Animals’ with music accompaniment and signing for those children with hearing impairment from the Exmouth Deaf Academy. Sadly, this event was postponed due to ill health and will now occur in June 2025.
The main festival programme went ahead in September 2024 with a full programme of 74 events - the highest number so far including 10 events for children and families and free activities in the mini marquee. The delivery of such a large number of events over 5 days would not be possible without a vast team of willing and capable volunteers led by an experienced, efficient and dedicated committee team each with their own area of responsibility and adapting gracefully and cheerfully to changes and challenges. The marquee festival hub had extended open hours designed to expand the attraction of a literary festival within the community, this was popular and will be repeated. Despite rising costs in every area, the 2024 festival made a profit of £10,000 over budget predictions. Grateful thanks to Annie Ashworth, BSLF artistic director for ensuring her last Bud LitFest was profitable.
The BSLF Trustees plan to run a recruitment process for a new Artistic director in March 2024 and have allocated £5,000 from reserves to facilitate this process.
The BSLF Trustees together with the committee look forward to planning both a Spring festival in March and a full September in 2025 aiming to continue working with local schools, the local library and making partnership arrangements with groups in the community.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Celebrating books by the sea
Total income, net of VAT, amounted to £158,386 (2023 £162,274), expenditure amounted to £147,207 ( 2023 £1172,267 ) This resulted in a leaving an excess of Income over Expenses of £11,179 (deficit £9,993 in 2023) taken from Reserves.
RESERVES
The BSLF Trustees continue to be fortunate that the accumulation of reasonable previous years’ Reserves allowed them to fund the five-day festival, consistent with the objects of the charity. All Trustees are assiduously monitoring costs which have risen over the past 3 years and will continue to act prudently to maintain sufficient reserves in order to secure the sustainability of the charity.
RISK POLICY
The Trustees have considered all risks to which the Charity might be exposed to in 2024 with specific focus on continuing train strikes and the need to protect the ongoing financial security of the charity and pursue local sponsorship to continue to fund education and outreach projects assiduously.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
The Trustees as at 31 December 2024 were
| Chairman | Sue Briggs | Deputy-Chairman | Carol Ackroyd |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treasurer | Ruth Jones | ||
| Trustee | Jane Burton | ||
| Trustee | Gareth Thomas | ||
| Trustee | Mags Milne | ||
| Trustee | David Marston | ||
| Trustee | Hilary Shiels |
David Cornes died on 6.9.2023
BUDLEIGH SALTERTON LITERARY FESTIVAL Charity No: 1127885
pg 2
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT
for the year ended 31 December 2024
| 2024 2023 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income from Donations | Sponsors and Advertising | £ £ 15,550 15,000 |
||
| Donations | 21,804 16,572 |
|||
| Grants | 2,180 0 |
Viscount Amory £500, EDDC £1680 | ||
| Friends | 8,580 8,153 |
|||
| Income Tax Recovered | 0 0 |
|||
| Charitable Activities | Ticket Sales | 104,811 116,985 |
||
| Book Sales and Other Sundry Income | 5,461 5,564 |
|||
| Total Income | Total Income | 158,386 162,274 |
||
| Less |
Expenditure on | |||
| Raising Funds | Administration and Printing | 7,727 9,921 |
||
| Advertising and Publicity | 20,830 31,016 |
|||
| Commission on Ticket Sales | 1,073 6,250 |
|||
| Exceptional expenses | 4,799 0 |
|||
| Other Expenses | 4,924 10,140 |
|||
| Charitable Activities | Speakers Fees | 23,596 24,670 |
||
| Purchase Books | 1,605 5,510 |
|||
| Venue Expenses | 33,891 37,451 |
|||
| Hospitality | 11,870 12,832 |
|||
| Outreach Education | 10,361 6,996 |
|||
| Consultancy Fees | 26,530 27,481 |
|||
| Total Expenditure | Total Expenditure | 147,207 172,267 |
||
| Excess of Income over Expenditure | 11,179 -9,993 |
|||
| Total Funds brought forward | Total Funds brought forward | -18,518 -8,525 |
||
| Total Funds carried forward | Total Funds carried forward | -7,339 -18,518 |
||
| BALANCE SHEET | ||||
| as at 31 December 2024 | as at 31 December 2024 | 2024 2023 |
||
| Current Assets | £ £ |
|||
| Debtors and Prepayments | 2,730 2,460 |
|||
| Prepayments | 4,000 4,000 |
|||
| Balance at Bank | 74,149 75,944 |
|||
| Total Current Assets | Total Current Assets | 80,879 82,404 |
||
| Less |
Current Liabilities | |||
| Creditors and Accruals | 4,686 17,390 |
|||
| Net Assets | 76,193 65,014 |
|||
| Total Funds (unrestricted) | Total Funds (unrestricted) | 76,193 65,014 |
Approved by the Trustees on 20th August 2025 Signed by Ruth Jones on behalf of the Board of Trustees.
BUDLEIGH SALTERTON LITERARY FESTIVAL A Charitsble 1cOrtld OrggnisatN)ll, regislered ¢harity llo 1127885 INDEPENDE EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF BUDLEIGH SALTERTON LITERARY FESTIVAL I report on the accounts of the clwttable organisation for the year ended 31 December 2024 which are set out on pag¢ 2 of lhis report. Respective responsibiliti of tnlee5 and iDd¢p¢Ddettt tMiner The trust¢¢s art. tfSlX)nsible for th¢ preponLliOll of the accounts in accordan¢e with th¢ Cliarities A¢t 2011 and regulatiuns mad¢ und¢r it. and for keeping proper a¢counting records. Tlie Trustees consid¢r that an audit is rM)i requir¢d for this v¢w under section 144(2) of the Charities Aci 2011 (the 201 l A¢t) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my snsIbIlity to examine the accimints in accord8n¢¢ with the requirement5 of the Charities Act 2011 follow the pro¢edur¢s laid down in the Genernl Directions given by th¢ Lhorily Commi&8ion, and $tat¢ whether matteTS ve come to mv attention. Ba9iJ of illdependenl ex4miDer's report My ¢xamin&tion was carricd out in AccdanCe wilh tlie General DIrlI0n$. An examination includes a review of the 8ccouniing records kepi by the ch&rit8bl¢ or8anisation and a cofflparison of the accounts pre5eni¢d with those records. It also includes considerntion of any unusual iiems or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from ihe trUeeS conceming any su¢h malters. The procedures und¢rt¥ken do not PTovide all th¢ evid¢nce that would be requirtd in aft audit. and wnwuenily no opinioft is 8iven as lo whether the accounts prc5cnt a'lrue and fair viem" and the rep(xt is limiid io those malleys sei oui in th¢ Matement below. Independenl tMI¢r,3 ¥ltemeAt In connection with my cx4mination. I have nhirt8 10 report in respect of the following matters in rclmtion to which th¢ Charities IAc¢ounts and Reports) Re8ulations 2008 requiTe me to rep)rt to you if. in my opinion.. the infomialion given in the finan¢ial statements is inconsient in Jny material r¢swt with th¢ Trustees, Report. or th¢ ¥harily noi keF4 ad¢quat¢ accountin8 records: I the financial slotements are not in agr¢emeni with the accounting records Ind returns. or I have noi re¢¢ived all the infom)ation and explanations required. Uje of Indtpendelll euminerj ttport This report is made solely to the charity'5 tru¢¢% As a b(MIy* in a¢cordatKe with Part 4 of the Charities (A¢counts 8nd Reports) Re&Tulations 2008. Signed: Anita Turner. Holcombe. Teignmouth Date: 20.8.25