The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd For the Year ended 31[st] August 2024
The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd (A Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee)
Charity registration number: 1150546 Company registration number: 8110220
Annual Report and Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31 August 2024
31 August 2024 Forum accounts v6FINAL 1
The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd For the Year ended 31[st] August 2024
## Legal and Administrative information
|Trustees|Deborah Munton (Chair)||
|---|---|---|
||Geoff Wall (Treasurer)|Resigned 14/12/23|
||Hazel Clayson (Treasurer)|Co-opted member 15/11/23;|
|||Appointed 14/12/23|
||Maureen Willoughby||
||Alan Owens||
||Paul Phillips||
||Rob Bramley||
||Janet Crampton|Resigned 14/12/23|
||Sue Thompson|Co-opted member 16/08/23|
|||Appointed 14/12/23|
||Phil Jones|Co-opted member 25/9/23|
|||Appointed 14/12/23|
|||Resigned 9/5/24|
||Mark Stott|Co-opted member 21/2/24|
|Name of Forum manager|Ian McCarthy||
|Charity Name|The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd||
|Other name the charity uses|The Forum Northallerton||
|Registered Charity number|1150456||
|Registered Company number|8110220||
|Principal address and|The Forum||
|registered office|Bullamoor Road||
||Northallerton||
||North Yorkshire||
||DL6 1LP||
|Independent Examiner|Karen Wood ACMA CGMA||
||Outsource Accounting services and||
||Independent Examinations||
||2 Galligap Lane||
||Osbaldwick||
||York||
||YO10 3NR||
|Bank details|Barclays Bank||
||1 Churchill Place||
||London||
||E14 5HP||
31 August 2024 Forum accounts v6FINAL 2
The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd For the Year ended 31[st] August 2024
## Contents
|Legal|and Administrative information ............................................................................................................ 2|
|---|---|
|Trustees’ Report (including Directors’ Report) .............................................................................................. 4||
|Statement of Trustee’s responsibilities in relation to financial statements ..................................................... 9||
|Independent Examiner’s report to the trustees of The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd ........................................ 10||
|Statement of Financial Activities ................................................................................................................. 11||
|Balance sheet ............................................................................................................................................. 12||
|Notes|to the Financial Statements .............................................................................................................. 13|
|1.|Accounting policies ......................................................................................................................... 13|
|2.|Analysis of income .......................................................................................................................... 14|
|3.|Analysis of expenditure ................................................................................................................... 15|
|4.|Employees ...................................................................................................................................... 16|
|5.|Tangible Fixed assets ..................................................................................................................... 16|
|6.|Stocks ............................................................................................................................................. 17|
|7.|Debtors ........................................................................................................................................... 17|
|8.|Cash at bank and in hand ............................................................................................................... 17|
|9.|Creditors ......................................................................................................................................... 17|
|10.|Charity funds ................................................................................................................................... 18|
|11.|Analysis of net assets between funds ............................................................................................. 19|
|12.|Transactions with related parties ..................................................................................................... 19|
31 August 2024 Forum accounts v6FINAL 3
The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd For the Year ended 31[st] August 2024
## Trustees’ Report (including Directors’ Report)
The Trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2024.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity’s memorandum and articles of association, 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 (FRS102)” (effective 1 January 2019).
## **Objectives and activities**
As set out in our Memorandum and Articles of Association, the charity’s objects are to further or benefit the residents of Northallerton and the surrounding area, without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, race or of political, religious or other opinions, by associating the said residents and the local authorities, voluntary, or other organisations, in a common effort to advance education, and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare, for recreation and leisure-time occupation, with the objective of improving the condition of life for residents.
In furtherance of these objects, but not otherwise, the Trustees shall have power:
- to establish or secure the establishment of a community centre
- and to maintain or manage or co-operate with any statutory authority in the maintenance and management of such a centre, for activities promoted by the charity in furtherance of the above objects
## **Summary of main activities**
Our core service provision is listed below and our intention remains to provide and where possible develop, extend and enhance the facilities and activities at The Forum to ensure a sustainable and viable facility for the future by undertaking the following:
- providing letting space to a wide range of individuals, clubs, other organisations and businesses serving the local business community, including local amateur performance groups;
- promoting a range of events including music, comedy and theatre;
- providing a programme of films, “Live Stream” and Event cinema;
- continuing to operate an equipment service, hiring staging, lighting, display equipment and keyboards for use at the Forum or other venues.
## **Achievements and performance during the year**
In providing a programme of activity, we try to ensure that there is something on offer to attract all parts of our local community and all age ranges within that community.
Impacting the full range of programme in 23/24 has been the continued trend of customers leaving it until much later before committing to a ticket purchase. Whilst this is totally understandable in a challenging financial environment, it has led to a number of show cancellations where promoters have not been able to wait for potential late sales.
However, the Forum was still able to offer a great depth and breadth of programme, some highlights of which are laid out below.
During 23/24 the Forum programmed 217 separate performances across all genres including cinema. There were 22,517 admissions. This compares with 220 performances and 22884 tickets for the previous year.
Comedy continued to be one of our most successful genres with very good ticket sales for Seann Walsh, Russel Kane, Ed Byrne, Janey Godley and Count Arthur Strong, to name but a few.
31 August 2024 Forum accounts v6FINAL 4
The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd For the Year ended 31[st] August 2024
Tribute Acts also continued to perform strongly with11 different acts throughout the year celebrating the music of, for example, Queen, Pink Floyd, Elton John and Shania Twain.
Bingo that’s Bonkers returned to the Forum in March. Again, a sell out evening, which whilst challenging to run, proved again a great night for bar takings.
During the course of the year we were able to provide ‘An Evening With’ Francis Rossi, Paul Young and Sir Bradley Wiggins.
For the children we programmed Danny and Mick - Temple of Delusion during the February school holidays and Tom Rolfe’s Christmas Santa show which attracted an audience of over 2000 in performances over 4 days.
The Forum was pleased to again host our local amateur groups, who performed some wonderfully entertaining shows throughout the year. Northallerton Musical Theatre Company gave us the Wizard of Oz and Going Platinum, whilst Northallerton Amateur Variety Company performed Sleeping Beauty. The Allerton Players presented The Three Musketeers and Crash Bang Wallop Youth Theatre staged Six, Bugsy Malone and Les Misérables. Northallerton Male Voice Choir performed two concerts during the year.
The Forum was pleased to support the Rural Arts North Yorkshire travelling programme with three shows in November, April and May.
Our Annual Festival of Remembrance raised £1,178 which was donated to the Ben Hyde Trust and the Royal British Legion.
This year there were 93 performances across cinema, Royal Opera House, National Theatre Live and Event Cinema. The total number of tickets sold was 2,602. This compares with 3,524 tickets across 103 performances for the previous year. Average audience numbers were 28 (22/23: 34). Whilst local competition may have played a part in this reduction, it should also be noted that film selection was limited this year, particularly in the genres popular at the Forum, perhaps in part by the after effects of the screenwriters strike and Covid delays.
The most popular film of the year was ‘One Life’, where 202 attended, followed by ‘The Great Escaper’. The most popular streamed event was ‘Nye’ from National Theatre Live.
Regular room hire arrangements with local groups have been maintained with some additional users coming on board. One off bookings for meetings and conferences have increased.
Scones 4 u continued to operate in the foyer on Thursdays. We offer them use of the kitchen and foyer space free of charge so that they can raise funds for their group. This activity allows young people with special needs to gain important life skills as well as being able to offer our local customers a chance to meet up and enjoy refreshments.
The summer offered a quieter time at the Forum for some general cleaning and maintenance to take place. Many of our volunteers joined staff cleaning, decorating and doing odd jobs to ensure our venue entered the new programming year in good condition. Thanks go out to all who took part.
During the early part of 2024 we were lucky enough to secure funding for some consultancy work. This was through the Theatres Trust ‘Resilient Theatres’ programme. After initial discussions with Theatres Trust, work was commissioned to advise us on fundraising, volunteer recruitment and retention and audience development. The report included a number of recommendations to improve or start work on these areas. The board supported the findings and recommendations and we continue to work through them in alignment with our overall priorities.
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The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd For the Year ended 31[st] August 2024
Finally, we are pleased to report a successful bid to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. We have received £39,000 to improve our facilities and the customer experience. We have already refreshed the floors in the two halls, upgraded our CCTV and IT. Soon we can expect a new Box Office reception desk and new foldable seating.
## **People**
Thanks in recognition of their hard work and commitment go to our small staff team which remains largely the same. Izzy Davidson, House Manager, left in December 2023. This role has not been replaced during the remainder of the 23/24 year.
The Forum could not operate without the dedication and hard work of our cohort of volunteers. Enormous thanks to this loyal band which currently numbers 83, with 23 new recruits having joined us during the 23/24 period. Before January 2024 an average of 33 different volunteers worked per month, after this date the figure rose to an average of 44 different people. During this year our volunteers gifted us with 4353 hours of their time ( 1562 separate shifts). In financial terms this would represent in the region of £50,000 (excluding on costs), which further demonstrates the importance of the work they do in continuing to maintain the Forum as a viable venue.
Hazel Clayson (treasurer), Sue Thompson and Phil Jones were appointed to the board at December’s AGM after periods as co-opted members. At this time Geoff Wall (treasurer) stood down from the board after many years of loyal service; without his careful husbandry of the finances the Forum would not have developed so well over the years. In addition, thanks go to Janet Crampton who also stood down in December. We wish them both well in their new endeavours. Mark Stott was co-opted to the board in February 2024 and Phil Jones resigned in May 2024.
Towards the end of this year the Board have undertaken a review of the skills and experience considered relevant to the operation of the Forum. This has been used to guide a skills audit of both trustees and volunteers, the results of which are currently being correlated. The results of the trustee exercise will be used to inform future recruitment to the board to enable us to have the right mix of skills and experience around the table. The volunteer exercise will allow some of our volunteers to expand their roles, taking on new responsibilities which will give them more flexibility and the opportunity to use their skills and experience whilst benefiting the overall effectiveness of the Forum.
## **Looking to the future**
We look forward to celebrating the Forum’s 50th Anniversary during 2025.
We hope to use this as a vehicle to raise the Forum’s profile, launch a new volunteer recruitment drive, and bring in new trustees with specific skill sets. We will also be exploring ways to increase our fundraising activity in an effort to establish financial stability into the future.
We will continue to develop our Business Plan and further deliver on some of the recommendations in our Theatres Trust report.
We look forward to working closely with new colleagues at NYC to improve the building for the benefit of the local community.
31 August 2024 Forum accounts v6FINAL 6
The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd For the Year ended 31[st] August 2024
## **Financial review**
The statement of financial activities on page 11 shows a net income for the period of £51,479 (22/23: net income of £6,002) of which £13,789 relates to unrestricted funds and £37,690 to restricted funds (22/23: £6,002 unrestricted funds only). Total funds at 31 August 2024 were £228,080 (22/23: £176,601) including restricted funds of £184,636 (22/23: £170,847) and unrestricted funds of £43,444 (22/23: £5,754).
The principal funding sources of the charity are described in note 2 of the accounts and were Forum events, letting fees, cinema and livestream screen showings and the bar and refreshments sold at these events. As mentioned in the Directors’ report on page 5, a grant of £38,918 (22/23: £nil) was received from the UK Shared Prosperity fund to improve our facilities and the customer experience and is described in more detail in note 10 to these accounts.
## **Reserves**
It is the policy of the charity that unrestricted funds which have not been designated for a specific use should be maintained at a minimum level of between 3 and 6 month’s operating expenditure. The Trustees consider that reserves at this level will ensure that, in the event of a significant drop in funding, they will be able to continue the charity’s current activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised. This has increased in 23/24 as a result of increased utility and staffing costs. Unrestricted reserves are also maintained to cover the net balance of our fixed assets.
As in previous years when this has been highlighted in our report, the Board also recognise the potential financial consequences of any forthcoming appeal by HMRC in respect of a national case involving the definitions underpinning the Cultural Exemption arrangement that the Forum relies upon at present. If successful this may have significant financial implications for the Forum, but we have been unable to obtain any assurance from HMRC on what would happen if they succeeded in this appeal in respect of backdating liability. With regard to this, the Board continues to consider it prudent not to commit the whole of the uncommitted restricted reserve at this time until the position is clear.
## **Principal sources of funds**
The charity’s principal funds come from the hire of premises and the surpluses on events promoted by the Forum, together with the surplus on bar and catering activities linked to those uses.
## **Principal risks**
The principal risks currently faced by the Forum are similar to those faced by many other smaller charities in the UK. We face challenges in replacing trustees (all of whom are volunteers), particularly those with specific skills. The support of our volunteers is essential to in providing box office, stewarding and barkeeping roles and being unable to recruit and train new volunteers would reduce the number of events we could safely offer. The continuing cost of living crisis impacts our ability to arrange a full programme and attract viable audiences for at least some of our events and also has a potential impact on the number of organisations wishing to hire our meeting spaces. Utility, salary and other costs also continue to rise with the cost of living and the impact of governmental budget decisions. We also continue to assess the medium-term impact of the new cinema in Northallerton on the viability of our own screen-based offering. Although we always aim to set a break-even budget, all of the above makes this more challenging every year, meaning that we need to continue to explore alternative funding to ensure financial stability over the forthcoming years.
## **Relationships with related parties**
The Forum leases its building from North Yorkshire Council on a peppercorn rent and the lease is based on the understanding that the building continues to be used for the community purposes envisaged in the charity’s Memorandum and Articles. To monitor this, representatives of the Board have liaison meetings with the Council to deal with any issues affecting the services we provide and the viability of the charity, as well as dealing with any building related issues relevant to the lease.
31 August 2024 Forum accounts v6FINAL 7
The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd For the Year ended 31[st] August 2024
One of our trustees, Alan Owens, manages a band which is involved in Forum events. On occasion payments are made by the Forum for band fees and expenses all of which went to other members of the band. In 23/24 these amounted to £1,150 (22/23: £600).
## **Structure, governance and management**
The Forum is a company limited by guarantee and is governed by a Memorandum and Articles of Association. It was incorporated under the Companies Act 1985 on 19 June 2012 and obtained charitable status on 21 January 2013.
The Trustees are also the directors for the purpose of company law. None of the Trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All the Trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of winding up.
The appointment of Trustees is a matter for vote by Members at an Annual General Meeting (AGM) or Extraordinary meeting arranged for this purpose. The Memorandum and Articles of the charity (clauses 3038) set out in detail the role of Trustees and the Members of the charity at such a general meeting to appoint or re-appoint trustees. At each AGM one third of the trustees will be asked to stand down, based on length of service, but may seek reappointment. The Board of Trustees has the power to co-opt (clause 37) additional trustees but only until the next AGM at which point their re-election will be a matter for vote at the meeting. No external body is entitled to appoint a trustee.
New trustees are inducted by the Chair based on the standard documentation provided by the Charity Commission. They are made aware of specific responsibilities in respect of the Forum (for example the collective role of the Board in respect of the Annual Report and Accounts), of which they are reminded at relevant points in the annual cycle.
All trustees receive the update from the Charities Commission on key developments, and the Forum has membership of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) which provides regular updates and bulletins on a range of governance matters. A summary of those relevant to the working of the Forum will be raised at the Board. Appropriate Board members take advantage of relevant training provided by external organisations, a summary of which is shared at Board meetings.
During 2023-24 the Board has operated 4 subgroups involving some Board members:
- Volunteer – works to maximise recruitment and retention and improve the volunteer experience
- Health and Safety and facilities – works to review health, safety and building facilities, ensuring compliance and best environment for users
- Finance – works with the manager to review and develop budget plans
- Grants and fundraising – works to explore new funding streams to ensure financial stability in the future
The Forum manager leads a small team of full time and part time staff and has delegated responsibility for the day to day running of the Forum. He is held to account by the Board through monthly meetings to which detailed financial and management reports are provided. The Board works closely with the team to ensure that the charity’s objectives are met and resources are deployed as effectively as possible.
The Forum has agreed a Pay policy which sets out the way decisions on pay and conditions of service will apply. Pay and remuneration of the Forum Manager and staff is reviewed annually in April and takes into account relevant comparators, Government decisions on the National Living Wage, the business plan and the financial position.
As described in the summary of the year, the Board have undertaken a skills audit in 2024 which will be reviewed next year and action taken as appropriate.
31 August 2024 Forum accounts v6FINAL 8
The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd For the Year ended 31[st] August 2024
## Statement of Trustee’s responsibilities in relation to financial statements
Company Law requires the Directors (Trustees) to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the income and expenditure of the company for the year. In preparing those financial statements the Directors (Trustees) are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles of the Charities SORP;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material items disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume the company will continue on that basis.
The Directors (Trustees) 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 financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. 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.
## **Disclosure of information**
In so far as the Trustees are aware:
- there is no relevant information of which the Charity’s Independent Examiner is unaware;
- the Trustees have taken the necessary steps to be aware of the information which would be relevant for independent examination purposes and have communicated them to the Independent Examiner
## **Exemptions**
The Company has taken advantage of the small companies’ exemption in preparing the annual report and financial statements on pages 1 to 19.
The Trustees confirm that they have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit in taking decisions on the operation of the Forum and in compiling this Annual Report and Accounts.
## **Declaration**
The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ report (including directors report) on pages 1 to 19.
**Signed on behalf of the Charity’s Trustees/Directors** Signatures Full Names ~~Hee~~ Deborah Munton Hazel Clayson Position Chair of Trustees Trustee ~~_~~ Date 26 November 2024 26 November 2024 ~~a~~
31 August 2024 Forum accounts v6FINAL 9
The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd For the Year ended 31[st] August 2024
## Independent Examiner’s report to the trustees of The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd
I report on the accounts of: **The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd** For the year ended: **31[st] August 2024**
Which are set out on pages 11 to 19
## **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 1 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 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 Trust as required by section 386 of the Act; or
2. the accounts do not accord with those records
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
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 (FRS102).
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.
## ~~Cush~~ **Karen Wood (ACMA) Date:**
## 26/11/2024
Outsource independent examination service 2 Galligap Lane Osbaldwick York YO10 3NR
31 August 2024 Forum accounts v6FINAL 10
The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd For the Year ended 31[st] August 2024
## Statement of Financial Activities Including income and expenditure account
## For the year ended 31[st] August 2024
|**Notes**
**Income from:**
Donations and legacies
2
Charitable Activities
2
Investments
2
**Total income**
**Expenditure on:**
Charitable activities
3
Other expenditure
**Total expenditure**
Net income/expenditure
for the reporting period
Transfer between funds
Net incoming/ (outgoing)
resources
Total funds at 1
September 2023
10
Total funds at 31 August
2024
10|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2024**
**£**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**2024**
**£**
**Total**
**2024**
**£**
953
953
410,252
38,918
449,170
2,731
2,731
413,936
38,918
452,854
395,147
6,228
401,375
-
-
-
395,147
6,228
401,375
18,789
32,690
51,479
(5,000)
5,000
-
13,789
37,690
51,479
170,847
5,754
176,601
184,636
43,444
228,080|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2023**
**£**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**2023**
**£**
**Total**
**2023**
**£**
5,528
-
5,528
369,646
-
369,646
622
-
622|
|---|---|---|
|||375,796
-
375,796|
|||369,794
-
369,794
-
-
-|
|||369,794
-
369.794|
|||6,002
-
6,002
-
-
-|
|||6,002
-
6,002
164,845
5,754
170,599|
|||170,847
5,754
176,601|
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.
All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The statement of financial activities also complies with the requirements for an income and expenditure account under the Companies Act 2006.
31 August 2024 Forum accounts v6FINAL 11
The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd For the Year ended 31[st] August 2024
## Balance sheet
As at 31 August 2024
**----- Start of picture text -----**
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|2024|2024|2023|2023|
|Notes|£|£|£|£|
|Fixed tangible assets|5|8,731|13,007|
|Current assets|
|Stock|6|3,599|3,092|
|Debtors|7|1,532|9,196|
|Cash at Bank – Barclays|8|333,296|230,657|
|338,427|242,945|
|Current liabilities|
|Creditors|9|(119,078)|(78,719)|
|Net current assets|219,349|164,226|
|-|
|Creditors falling due after more than 1 year|(632)|
|Total assets less current liabilities|228,080|176,601|
|Income funds|
|Unrestricted funds|10|184,636|170,847|
|Restricted funds|10|43,444|5,754|
|Balance at the end of the year|228,080|176,601|
**----- End of picture text -----**
For the year ending 31 August 2024, the company was entitled to exemption from audit under s477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The directors 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 small companies subject to the small companies’ regime and in accordance with FRS102 SORP.
The financial statements were approved by the Trustees on 20 November 2024.
## Signed on behalf of all the Trustees/Directors:
**----- Start of picture text -----**
|||||
|---|---|---|---|
|Signed|Print name|Date of approval|
|Deborah Munton|
|Chair of Trustees|26 November 2024|
|THM|||Hazel Clayson|26 November 2024|
|Trustee|
|Oger|
|Pf|Signature|Date|
|Signature of director authenticating|
|accounts being sent to Companies House|26 November 2024|
|Pe|Deborah Munton|
**----- End of picture text -----**
31 August 2024 Forum accounts v6FINAL 12
The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd For the Year ended 31[st] August 2024
## Notes to the Financial Statements
For the year ended 31[st] August 2024
## 1. Accounting policies
## (a) Basis of accounting
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with 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 (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006 applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.
The financial statements have been prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity, and are rounded to the nearest £.
## (b) Going concern
The Trustees consider there are no material uncertainties about the Charity's ability to continue as a going concern. The review of our financial position, reserves levels and future plans gives Trustees confidence the charity remains a going concern for the foreseeable future. As a result, the financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis.
## (c) Income
Income is recognised when the charity is legally entitled to it after any performance conditions are met, the amounts can be measured reliably and it is probable that income will be received.
Cash grants and donations are recognised on receipt. Performance related grants are only included when the charity has met the performance related conditions.
Deferred income - we defer pre-sale of tickets for future events, including monies from third party events where we act as ticketing agent. For our own events income is brought into the income and expenditure account at the date the show takes place. For third party events the income (alongside related costs) is dealt with as part of the post show settlement. Bank interest is recognised when receivable by the charity.
The value of any voluntary help is not included in the financial statements but is described in the Trustees’ Annual Report on page 6.
## (d) Expenditure
Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully recovered.
Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries.
## (e) Stocks
Stocks are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value.
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The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd For the Year ended 31[st] August 2024
## (f) Debtors
Debtors (including trade debtors) are measured on initial recognition at settlement amount after any trade discounts or amount advanced by the charity. Subsequently they are measured at the cash or other consideration expected to be received.
## Tangible fixed assets
Tangible assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost, net of depreciation and any impairment losses. Assets are capitalised if they can be used for more than one year, and cost over £5,000 (though a lower sum may apply at the discretion of the Board).
Depreciation is recognised to write off the cost of assets les their residual values over their useful lives on the following basis:
Plant and machinery 10 years straight line basis Furniture and fixtures 5 years straight line basis Equipment 10 years straight line basis
## 2. Analysis of income
|**Analysis**
Donations
Donations and gifts
Unredeemed gift
vouchers and credit
notes treated as
donations
**Total**
Charitable
activities
Letting fees including
commission on ticket
sales
Forum events
Cinema
Live stream and event
cinema
Bar
Catering and sale of
refreshments
Equipment hire
Box office card fees
Other
**Total**
Income from
investments
Interest income
**TOTAL**
**INCOME**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2024**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**2024**
**(note 10)**
**Total**
**funds**
**2024**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2023**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**2023**
**(note 10)**
**Total**
**funds**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
953
-
953
837
-
837
-
-
-
4,691
-
4,691|
|---|---|
||953
-
953
5,528
-
5,528|
||82,918
-
82,918
73,963
-
73,963
206,077
-
206,077
185,635
-
185,635
8,862
-
8,862
13,792
-
13,792
14,610
-
14,610
11,080
-
11,080
54,437
-
54,437
50,253
-
50,253
23,637
-
23,637
21,943
-
21,943
5,619
-
5,619
4,996
-
4,996
12,363
-
12,363
7,193
-
7,193
1,729
38,918
40,647
791
-
791|
||410,252
38,918
449,170
369,646
-
369,646|
||2,731
-
2,731
622
-
622|
||413,936
38,918
452,854
375,796
-
375,796|
31 August 2024 Forum accounts v6FINAL 14
The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd For the Year ended 31[st] August 2024
## 3. Analysis of expenditure
|**Analysis**
**Note**
Expenditure on
charitable
activities
Forum events
Cinema (including
projector)
Live stream and event
cinema
Bar
Catering and
refreshments
Sales promotion
Equipment service
Irrecoverable VAT on
the above
**Total**
Organisational
costs
Staffing costs
4
Utilities
Premises
Equipment
Depreciation
5
Office expenses
Box office costs and
fees
Professional fees
Bank charges
General expenses
Irrecoverable VAT on
the above
**Total**
Donations made
from proceeds
of community
fundraising
events
Donations
**TOTAL**
**EXPENDITURE**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2024**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**2024**
**Total**
**funds**
**2024**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2023**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**2023**
**Total**
**funds**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
143,883
888
144,771
142,079
-
142,079
4,718
4,718
7,160
-
7,160
6,491
6,491
5,302
-
5,302
22,540
22,540
21,639
-
21,639
9,098
9,098
9,712
-
9,712
6,382
6,382
4,560
-
4,560
111
111
68
-
68
21,571
21,571
3,756
-
3,756|
|---|---|
||214,794
888
215,682
194,276
-
194,276|
||103,995
103,995
97,116
-
97,116
24,645
24,645
30,573
-
30,573
11,571
5,340
16,911
9,261
-
9,261
1,335
1,335
3,225
-
3,225
4,276
4,276
5,672
-
5,672
3,941
3,941
4,054
-
4,054
13,119
13,119
12,846
-
12,846
3,375
3,375
2,151
-
2,151
1,557
1,557
1,387
-
1,387
4,861
4,861
4,156
-
4,156
6,500
6,500
3,095
-
3,095|
||179,175
5,340
184,515
173,536
-
173,536|
||1,178
-
1,178
1,284
-
1,284|
||395,147
6,228
401,375
369,794
-
369,794|
Included within professional fees are payments made to the independent examiner of £700 (2023: £650) for independent examination fees.
Donations do not form a material part of the charitable activities. They relate to a general donation made from proceeds of a Remembrance Day concert held to raise monies for the Ben Hyde Trust and the Royal British Legion (2023: the Ben Hyde Trust and the Royal British Legion).
31 August 2024 Forum accounts v6FINAL 15
The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd For the Year ended 31[st] August 2024
## 4. Employees
## **Employment costs**
|**Employment costs**||
|---|---|
|Salaries and wages
Social security costs
Pension costs (defined contribution scheme)
Recruitment costs
Staff and volunteer training
Other employee and volunteer related costs
Total staff costs|**2024**
**£**
**2023**
**£**
100,214
93,543
1,680
1,473
1,894
1,737
30
90
177
-
-
273|
||103,995
97,116|
Staff costs are shown gross.
There were no employees whose annual remuneration was £60,000 or more.
No payments were made to the trustees of the charity
|**Average headcount in the year**
Fundraising
Charitable activities
Governance|**2024**
**£**
**2023**
**£**
-
-
6 (3.5 FTE)
6 (3.5 FTE)
-
-|
|---|---|
||6 (3.5FTE)
6 (3.5FTE)|
The headcount and FTE are based on staff in post and their contractual hours. We had 1 (2023:0) vacancy as at 31 August 2024. In both years we employed temporary staff on a casual basis to fill occasional shifts. They are not included in the headcount.
## 5. Tangible Fixed assets
|Cost
At 1 September 2023
Additions
At 31 August 2024
Depreciation
At 1 September 2023
Disposals
Depreciation
At 31 August 2024
Net book value
At 1 September 2023
At 31 August 2024|**Plant and**
**machinery**
**£**
**Fixtures**
**and**
**fittings**
**£**
**Total**
**£**
39,258
24,357
63,615
-
-
-|
|---|---|
||39,258
24,357
63,615|
||31,885
18,723
50,608
-
-
-
2,821
1,455
4,276|
||34,706
20,178
54,884|
||7,373
5,634
13,007|
||4,552
4,179
8,731|
31 August 2024 Forum accounts v6FINAL 16
The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd For the Year ended 31[st] August 2024
|6. Stocks
Finished goods and goods for resale – charitable activities
7. Debtors
Trade debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
Other debtors
Less: provision for bad debts
Total
8. Cash at bank and in hand
Short term deposits
Cash at bank and in hand
Other (floats and petty cash)
9. Creditors
Trade creditors
Accruals and deferred income
Income in advance for third party shows
Outstanding gift vouchers and credit notes
Taxation and social security
Company credit card
Total|**2024**
**£**
**2023**
**£**
3,599
3,092|
|---|---|
||**2024**
**£**
**2023**
**£**
2,422
7,729
-
1,309
-
1,158
(890)
(1,000)|
||1,532
9,196|
||**2024**
**£**
**2023**
**£**
300,131
173,482
31,853
56,530
1,312
645|
||333,296
230,657|
||**2024**
**£**
**2023**
**£**
25,920
15,354
91,566
59,997
-
2,494
539
670
1,053
-
-
204|
||119,078
78,719|
We defer pre-sale of tickets for future events, including monies from third party events where we act as ticketing agent. For our own events income is brought into the income and expenditure account at the date the show takes place. For third party events the income (alongside related costs) is dealt with as part of the post show settlement. The value of gift vouchers and credit notes is brought into the income and expenditure account at the point they are redeemed.
|_Movement in deferred income for ticket monies_
Balance at the start of the reporting period
Added in the current period
Released to income from current period
Balance at the end of the reporting period|**2024**
**£**
**2023**
**£**
63,123
48,484
353,129
366,625
(324,686)
(351,986)|
|---|---|
||91,566
63,123|
31 August 2024 Forum accounts v6FINAL 17
The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd For the Year ended 31[st] August 2024
## 10.Charity funds
|0. Charity funds||
|---|---|
|**Restricted funds**
Arts development and recovery fund
Development fund for young people’s
activities
Defibrillator repair and renewals fund
Relaxed screening fund
UKSPF grant
Total restricted funds
**Unrestricted fund**
**Total funds**|**Balance at 1**
**September**
**2022**
**Incoming**
**resources**
**Resources**
**expended**
**Transfers**
**Balance at 1**
**September**
**2023**
**Incoming**
**resources**
**Resources**
**expended**
**Transfers**
**Balance at**
**31 August**
**2024**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
4,738
-
-
-
4,738
-
(888)
-
3,850
750
-
-
-
750
-
-
-
750
169
-
-
-
169
-
-
-
169
97
-
-
-
97
-
-
-
97
-
-
-
-
-
38,918
(5,340)
5,000
38,578|
||5,754
-
-
-
5,754
38,918
(6,228)
5,000
43,444
164,845
375,796
(369,794)
-
170,847
413,936
(395,147)
(5,000)
184,636|
||170,599
375,796
(369,794)
-
176,601
452,854
(401,375)
-
228,080|
Arts development and recovery fund is available to support the promotion of a wider range of arts and cultural events, or to support events making reduced contributions because of lower audience numbers. The fund was utilised to support Rural Arts North Yorkshire (RANY) events during 23/24 which promote local talent but which did not attract sufficient audience numbers to break even.
Development fund for young people’s activities was created to support cost of activities for younger people. There was no call on the fund in 2023/24
Defibrillator repair and renewals fund is the balance of funding received from the Co-op community fund. This is held for future costs of replacement items for the defibrillator such as masks and batteries and any necessary repairs. There was no call on this fund in 2023/24
Relaxed screening fund – set up through a donation to support the cost of relaxed screenings not met by ticket sales. There was no call on the fund in 2023/24
UKSPF grant – received in 23/24 to improve facilities and enhance the customer experience. The Trustees agreed to set aside £5k in the year to cover the Forum contribution to costs required under the terms of the grant.
31 August 2024 Forum accounts v6FINAL 18
The Forum (Northallerton) Ltd For the Year ended 31[st] August 2024
## 11.Analysis of net assets between funds
Fund balances at 31 August 2024 are represented by
|Tangible assets
Current assets/liabilities
Liabilities>1yr
Total|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2024**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**2024**
**Total**
**2024**
**£**
**£**
**£**
8,731
8,731
175,905
43,444
219,349
-
-
-
184,636
43,444
228,080|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2023**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**2023**
**Total**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
**£**
13,007
13,007
158,472
5,754
164,226
(632)
(632)|
|---|---|---|
|||170,847
5,754
176,601|
## 12. Transactions with related parties
|2. Transactions with related parties||
|---|---|
|**Name of the**
**trustee or related**
**party**
**Relationship to the**
**charity**
**Description of the transaction(s)**
Alan Owens
Trustee
Payment of band fee for the ‘Bond
at 60’ show
Alan Owens
Trustee
Payment of band fee for the ‘You
can’t stop the beat’ show
Alan Owens
Trustee
Payment of band fee for ‘Our Way’
show|**Amount**
**2024**
**Amount**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
-
600
550
600|
||1,150
600|
Please note that whilst Alan Owens co-ordinated the band for these concerts he did not receive any monies personally from this payment, which all went to other members of the band.
31 August 2024 Forum accounts v6FINAL 19