OFF WEST END PLAYS & PLAYWRIGHTS LTD
(A company, limited by guarantee)
TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED
31 JULY 2023
Company no: 8139366 Charity no: 1149121
Off West End Plays and Playwrights Ltd Trustees’ Report For the year ended 31 July 2023
The trustees, who are the directors under the Companies Act, present the annual report and financial statements of the charitable company for the year ended 31 July 2023. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the accounts and comply with the Companies Act 2006 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
Objectives and Activities
The objects of the charity are the advancement of the art of theatre by promoting public knowledge and appreciation of the dramatic arts, in particular as performed outside the West End, and the advancement of education by supporting new playwrights with bursaries, awards, training and other support.
The trustees meet these objectives by awarding an annual grant to an emerging playwright – Adopt A Playwright - and by supporting and mentoring past winners and applicants.
The trustees have paid due attention to the Charity Commission guidance when deciding on what activities to undertake.
Achievements
For the period of these accounts, the Trustees prioritised
(a) continuing with the Adopt A Playwright Award (supporting the most recent winning playwrights George Bailey and Corey Weeks)
(b) supporting theatre projects of previous participants
(c) researching the future of the award with industry peers and exploring any need to rethink aspects of it in a post-Covid world, and
(d) continuing to encourage emerging playwrights in Kosovo, in partnership with Intent New Theatre
Financial Review
The results for the year are set out on page 4.
The trustees’ policy is to maintain free reserves, being unrestricted funds held as current assets, to cover one year’s grant and 6 months of running costs. This level of reserve would allow the charity to continue activities while consideration is given to raising funds in the event of a significant drop in income. This equates to desired reserves of £11,000. At 31 July 2023 free reserves stood at £17,841 (2022: £11,480).
Structure, Governance and Administration
Off West end Plays and Playwrights Ltd is a company limited by guarantee, without a share capital incorporated on 11 July 2012 and was registered as a charity by the Charity Commission (England and Wales) on 26 September 2012.
The charity has no paid staff and is managed and run by the trustees. New trustees are appointed by existing trustees. All directors are trustees and members of the charitable company and guarantee to contribute up to £10 to the assets of the charitable company in the event of it being wound up. The number of such guarantees at 31 July 2023 was 6 (2022- 6)
The directors have no beneficial interest in the company and do not receive any remuneration
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Off West End Plays and Playwrights Ltd Trustees’ Report (continued) For the year ended 31 July 2023
Reference and Administrative Details of the Charity, its Trustees and Advisers
Company number: 8139366
Charity Number: 1149121
Registered Office: 19 Eugene Cotter House, Beckway Street, London, SE17 1QS
The trustees who served during the year and up to the date of this report were:
V Dickie N Fernandez D Jervis-Read S Mason S Reid C Whitworth-Jones
Directors’ Responsibilities
Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company at the year-end and of the net incoming resources of the charitable company for the year then ending. In preparing these financial statements, the directors are required to
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Select suitable accounting policies
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Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
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Prepare financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to assume that the company will continue on that basis
The Directors 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 it to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
This report and the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with
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The special provisions of part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small entities
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The provisions of the Charities Act that determine the form and content of Charity Annual Reports
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Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities.
Exemption from audit
The directors have taken advantage of section 477(2) of the Companies Act 2006 which exempts the company from the requirement to have the accounts audited.
Approved by the Board on 14 April 2024 and signed on their behalf
S Mason
Trustee
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Off West End Plays and Playwrights Ltd Independent Examiner’s Report For the year ended 31 July 2023
I report to the charity trustees of Off West End Plays and Playwrights Ltd on my examination of the accounts of the company (co. no. 8139366 and charity no: 1149121) for the year ended 31 July 2023 as set out on pages 4 to 7.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity’s trustees of the 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 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 2011 (‘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 matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
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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.
Nicola Anderson FCA FCIE
Dated: 15 April 2024
Chartered Accountant and Independent Examiner
189 Baldwins Lane Croxley Green Rickmansworth WD3 3LL
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Off West End Plays and Playwrights Ltd Statement of Financial Activities (incorporating an income and expenditure account) For the year ended 31 July 2023
| 2023 | 2022 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted | Unrestricted | Total | Total | ||
| Note | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Incoming resources | |||||
| Grants | 2 | 13,000 | - | 13,000 | - |
| Donations | - | 14,866 | 14,866 | 8,862 | |
| Bank Interest | - | 27 | 27 | - | |
| Total incoming resources | 13,000 | 14,893 | 27,893 | 8,862 | |
| Resources expended | |||||
| Grants Awarded | 3 | (13,000) | (3,500) | (16,500) | (5,500) |
| Other Mentoring and Support | - | (4,292) | (4,292) | (1,893) | |
| Administration | - | (180) | (180) | (752) | |
| Accountancy | - | (560) | (560) | (660) | |
| Total resources expended | (13,000) | (8,532) | (21,532) | (8,805) | |
| Net incoming resources/Net | - | 6,361 | 6,361 | 57 | |
| income | |||||
| Funds at 1 August 2022 | - | 11,480 | 11,480 | 11,423 | |
| Funds at 31 July 2023 | 5 | - | 17,841 | 17,841 | 11,480 |
The notes on pages 6 and 7 form part of these financial statements.
All the company’s operations are classed as continuing. All the company’s recognised gains or losses are shown above. The movement on reserves is shown above
All 2022 income was unrestricted.
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Off West End Plays and Playwrights Ltd Balance Sheet As at 31 July 2023 Company no: 8139366
| 2023 | 2022 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted | Unrestricted | Total | Total | ||
| note | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Current Assets | |||||
| Debtors | - | 2,281 | 2,281 | - | |
| Cash at bank | 8,900 | 19,803 | 28,703 | 12,230 | |
| 8,900 | 22,084 | 30,984 | 12,230 | ||
| Creditors: amounts due | |||||
| within one year | 4 | (8,900) | (4,243) | (13,143) | (750) |
| Net Current Assets/Net | - | 17,841 | 17,841 | 11,480 | |
| Assets | |||||
| Funds | 5 | ||||
| Restricted Funds | - | - | - | - | |
| Unrestricted Funds | - | 17,841 | 17,841 | 11,480 | |
| Total Funds | - | 17,841 | 17,841 | 11,480 |
The notes on pages 6 and 7 form part of these financial statements.
The directors approved these financial statements on 14 April 2024
The opinion of the directors is that the company is entitled to the exemption conferred by section 477(2) of the Companies Act 2006 in respect of the year end 31 July 2023. No notice has been deposited under section 476(1) of the Companies Act 2006 in relation to the accounts for the above financial year.
The directors acknowledge their responsibility to keep accounting records which comply with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006 and prepare accounts that show a true and fair view of the company’s affairs at 31 July 2023 and the net income or expenditure for the year then ended
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime.
S Mason
Trustee
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Off West End Plays and Playwrights Ltd Notes to the Accounts For the year to 31 July 2023
1 Accounting Policies
Basis of preparation
The accounts (financial statements) 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 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); the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102); the Companies Act 2006; and the Charities Act 2011 in so far as it applies.
Where available, advantage has been taken of the provisions applicable to smaller charities and companies.
The charity constitutes a public benefit company as defined by FRS102.
The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern.
Income recognition
Income is recognised once the charity has entitlement to the income, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount of income receivable can be measured reliably. Income relating to future periods is deferred.
Expenditure recognition
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis.
Irrecoverable VAT is charged against the expenditure heading for which it was incurred.
Grants payable are payments made to third parties in furtherance of the charitable objects of the charity. In the case of unconditional grant offers, these grants are accrued once the recipient has been notified of the award. Grants awarded that are subject to the recipient fulfilling performance conditions are only accrued when the recipient has been notified of the grant and any unfulfilled conditions are outside the control of the trust.
Funds Structure
Unrestricted funds represent income that can be applied to the general objects of the charity at the trustees’ discretion. Restricted funds represent funds that have restrictions placed on expenditure as determined by the donor.
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Off West End Plays and Playwrights Ltd Notes to the Accounts (continued) For the year to 31 July 2023
- 2 Grants Received
| Grants Received | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |
| £ | £ | |
| Criterion Theatre | 8,000 | - |
| Novel Theatre | 5,000 | - |
| 13,000 | - |
Both grants received were restricted to the ‘Adopt a Playwright’ awards.
3 Grants Awarded
| Grants Awarded | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||
| No. | £ | No. | £ | |
| awarded | awarded | |||
| Adopt A Playwright | 2 | 16,000 | 1 | 4,500 |
| Other Support | 1 | 500 | 2 | 1,000 |
| 3 | 16,500 | 3 | 5,500 |
All grants are to individuals
4 Creditors: Amounts due within 12 months
| Creditors: Amounts due within 12 months | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |
| £ | £ | |
| Grant Awards | 12,400 | - |
| Other creditors | 183 | 90 |
| Accruals | 560 | 660 |
| 13,143 | 750 |
5 Restricted Funds
Restricted funds comprised grants received that were restricted by donors to 2023 ‘Adopt A Playwright’ winners. All funds received were awarded in the year and included in expenditure. At 31 July 2023, £8,900 yet to be paid to award winners is included in creditors.
6 Related party transactions and trustees’ expenses and remuneration
The trustees give freely of their time and expertise without any form of remuneration or any other benefit in cash or kind (2022: £nil). They received no reimbursements for personal expenditure in the year (2022: £nil)
The trustees, and their related parties, donated £1,205 in aggregate in the year (2022: £1,200). No restrictions were placed on these donations.
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