Report and financial statements For the year ended 31[st] August 2025.
**Company number 08283259 Charity number 1151944**
## Manchester Histories
## Reference and administrative information
for the year ended 31[st] August 2025
**Registered office and operational address:** Room WLG21 Samuel Alexander Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL
**Trustees** Trustees, who are also directors under company law, who served during the year and up to the date of this report were as follows:
Catherine Fletcher Charlotte Wildman Hannah J Barker (Chair of Trustees) Jahmal Williams-Thomas John M Williams Kirsty Hutchinson Melanie Tebbutt Rob Higginson **Key Management** Karen Shannon Chief Executive Officer **Personnel Staff Team** Abigail Hawkins General Manager Abigail Ward Queer Up North Project Manager Paul Greenwood Community Development Officer Sarah Jones Cultural Administrator Yussuf M’Rabty Community Development Producer **Bankers** Co-operative Bank plc **Independent** Christy Lau FCCA CTA DChA **Examiner** Slade & Cooper Limited, Beehive Mill, Jersey St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6JG
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Manchester Histories
## Trustees’ annual report
## for the year ended 31st August 2025
The trustees present their report and the unaudited financial statements for the year ended 31st August 2025. Included within the trustees’ report is the director’s report as required by company law.
Reference and administrative information set out on page 1 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the memorandum and articles of association and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: SORP applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102.
This document provides an overview of Manchester Histories’ performance, achievements, and financial position while reinforcing our commitment to preserving and celebrating Greater Manchester’s rich heritage.
## **Introduction**
Manchester Histories is a dynamic and collaborative organisation working with communities, cultural partners, academics and stakeholders to reveal, celebrate and preserve the rich histories and heritage of Greater Manchester and beyond.
During the year we delivered an ambitious programme of heritage activity, partnerships and public engagement, connecting people with the histories that shape their communities, identities and sense of place. Our work continues to grow in scale, reach and impact, strengthening our position as a trusted and leading organisation within the heritage and cultural sector.
Guided by our core values of compassion, curiosity and justice, we create meaningful opportunities for people to explore the past and actively shape the future through storytelling, research and creative practice. Central to our approach is a commitment to equity, inclusion and social justice. By uncovering and amplifying diverse and often overlooked histories, we challenge inequality, support underrepresented voices and contribute to positive social change.
We believe that history matters. It connects us across generations linking past, present and future and deepens our understanding of our shared human experience. Through our work, we empower individuals and communities to engage with these connections,
Manchester Histories
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fostering pride, belonging and informed participation in society.
## **Our Purpose, Vision, and Values**
## **Purpose**
To connect people to explore the past and shape the future through histories and heritage.
## **Vision**
To explore and share Greater Manchester’s past to create a fairer future.
## **Mission**
To work collaboratively to reveal and celebrate the stories of the people and places of Greater Manchester.
## **Our Values**
Our core values shape everything we do:
- **Compassion:** We act with empathy and care for others, ourselves and the planet.
- **Curiosity:** We champion creativity, exploration and a spirit of inquiry in understanding history and the world around us.
- **Justice:** We are committed to fairness, equity and using history as a tool for positive change.
## **Key Achievements 2024-2025**
During the year, Manchester Histories delivered an extensive programme of heritage initiatives, public events and strategic partnerships, engaging thousands of participants and audiences.
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We have strengthened our role as a leading organisation in histories and heritage, both within Greater Manchester and nationally, through high-quality programming, successful funding bids and impactful partnerships. Our work continues to demonstrate the vital role that histories and heritage play in supporting wellbeing, inclusion, learning and civic pride.
## **Rocket: All Aboard**
Manchester Histories is leading the development of Rocket: All Aboard, a major multi-year programme (2029–2030) marking 200 years since the opening of the Liverpool to Manchester Railway—the world’s first inter-city passenger railway, which transformed travel, trade and everyday life.
Delivered in partnership with cultural, civic, transport and academic organisations across Greater Manchester and the Liverpool City Region, the programme will explore the railway’s far-reaching social, economic and cultural impact through creative activity, heritage engagement and large-scale public events. A key legacy will be the establishment of a new Community Rail Partnership.
This year marked a significant transition into an active development phase, with substantial progress made across planning, partnerships and early public engagement.
## **Key Achievements:**
- £180,000 secured from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to support programme development
- Recruitment of a Community Development Officer to lead work on the Community Rail Partnership along the Chat Moss and Cheshire line
- Completion of a Heritage Asset Database by the University of Liverpool, identifying over 150 assets along the route
- Launch of a new project website and animation, increasing visibility and public engagement
- Delivery of high-profile public activity, including a major countdown event at the Science and Industry Museum and Heritage Open Days programming
- Submission of Community Rail Network membership documentation, supporting long-term sustainability
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- National profile raised through participation in major events, including The Greatest Gathering at Alstom, Derby
- Continued strong political and cross-regional support, including engagement with Metro Mayors and key stakeholders
The programme now enters a critical development phase, with major funding applications in preparation, including £4.9m to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and £1.6m to Arts Council England. These will support the next stage of delivery, with decisions expected from autumn 2026.
## **Queer Up North**
Queer Up North Festival was one of the most pioneering and influential LGBTQ+ arts festivals in the UK and Europe. Established in 1992 by Tanja Farman and Gavin Barlow as part of the Manchester Festival, QUN quickly became a beacon for queer culture, drawing artists and audiences from across the globe. Over its first decade the festival showcased groundbreaking performances and played a pivotal role in shaping Manchester’s identity as an inclusive and vibrant LGBTQ+ city.
In late 2024, the project _Queer Up North 1992–2002: Celebrating Manchester’s LGBTQ+ Heritage_ , presented by Manchester Histories in partnership with Queer Up North, secured £248,500 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with additional support from the Granada Foundation. During 2025, the project progressed into delivery, with activity focused on planning, recruitment and public engagement.
## **Key Achievements:**
- The Long Table event: Reflecting on Queer Up North 1992–2002 delivered in association with Aviva Studios, hosted by Lois Weaver, with over 100 participants.
- Volunteer training delivered to support archival interpretation, digitisation, and oral history collection. 14 volunteers took part.
- Work continued to collect 50 oral histories and digitise the Queer Up North archives housed at Manchester Central Library, Archives+ to ensure long-term accessibility and legacy.
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- Filmmaker Brett Chapman commissioned to produce a short film for premiere at HOME in 2026.
- The development of a new Queer Up North web platform.
## **Participant feedback included:**
_“[shows] The depth of the history of queer activism in Manchester.”_
_“The openness of the discussion. The Long Table setting is amazing.”_
_“[desire] To work more closely with Manchester Histories on projects of mutual interest.”_
## **This is Us: Tracing Manchester’s Histories**
Previously developed as Histories, Stories, Voices, ‘This is Us’, is a groundbreaking project designed to explore and redefine how Manchester’s histories and identity are represented in public spaces.
This year marked a major milestone for the project, with funding secured to enable delivery to begin. Manchester Histories successfully secured £247,000 from the National Heritage Lottery Fund.
The grant will support a two-year programme beginning in July 2025, alongside £100,000 from Manchester City Council to support the project’s development and delivery.
## **Project Focus:**
- Amplifying underrepresented voices.
- Challenging traditional and complex histories.
- Supporting cultural equity through storytelling, digital engagement and partnership delivery.
- Creation of a new digital platform to present work.
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## **Key Progress:**
- A Project Manager and Digital Project Manager were recruited and both appointed from September 2025.
- Delivery of the project has commenced with community and cultural partners including Wai Yin, Wythenshawe History Group, MADE, and the Black History Group in Hulme and Moss Side.
- A competitive tender process for the new digital platform was completed, with OH Digital and Instruct Studio successfully appointed to deliver the website and digital elements of the project.
- Work has begun on the development of stories connected to statues, objects and artworks in Manchester’s public realm, supporting reinterpretation and contextualisation of these assets.
- New project branding and website design have been approved, creating a consistent and accessible digital platform for storytelling and public engagement.
The project places a strong emphasis on amplifying underrepresented voices, challenging dominant narratives and creating new ways for people to engage with the city’s histories.
## **Champs Camp Archive Project**
In 2025, the Moss Side Boxing & Athletics Association, Champs Camp Archive Project secured £131,247 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with additional support from the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures at the University of Manchester. The project will begin in September 2025 and will run until early 2027.
Manchester Histories will play a key role in supporting this project. The project will preserve and share the history of Champs Camp, the first successful Black boxing gym in Britain and a significant chapter in UK Black sporting and community history. The programme will create a permanent digital archive and ensure the material is accessible to the community of Moss Side and wider audiences.
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## **Key project activities include:**
- Digitising and cataloguing the Champs Camp archive, including hundreds of VHS tapes, photographs and posters from the 1980s and 1990s. The material will be preserved through the University of Manchester’s Figshare repository to ensure long-term access.
- Recording oral histories with key figures connected to the gym, including former British boxing champions, journalists, and friends and family of founder Phil Martin.
- Community engagement and learning activities, including public events at the gym, a short film created by young people from Rekindle supplementary school in partnership with Northern Light Films, and a digital teaching pack for schools.
- Development of a dedicated Champs Camp website, providing public access to selected material and the wider digital archive.
- During the year the project moved into delivery, with a Community Archivist recruited on an 18-month contract from September 2025, and work beginning on archive digitisation, cataloguing and community engagement activity.
_‘Projects like This Is Us and the Champs Camp Archive are vital to how we tell the story of Manchester and of Britain. They give voice to the people and places that shaped our shared past but have too often been left out of it. By preserving and celebrating these histories, Manchester Histories and Champs Camp are helping to build a truer, more inclusive picture of who we are as a city and as a nation.’_
## **David Olusoga**
Historian, Broadcaster and Patron of Manchester Histories.
## **HiDDEN Network**
Manchester Histories continues to support the HiDDEN Network, a collaborative network of smaller museums and heritage organisations across Greater Manchester that hold rare and unique collections.
HiDDEN provides a supportive space where organisations can work together to reveal stories that might otherwise remain unseen. By sharing knowledge, resources and
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expertise, the network helps strengthen the visibility, preservation and interpretation of Greater Manchester’s hidden heritage.
Manchester Histories provides administrative support to the network, helping to coordinate meetings, communications and collaborative activity between member organisations.
During the year, Manchester Histories curated an event at Manchester Central Library as part of National Volunteers Week. The event brought over 50 volunteers together from HiDDEN member organisations to share their experiences and celebrate the contribution volunteers make across the network’s museums and heritage venues, while also helping to promote and recruit new volunteers.
The network’s vision is to champion overlooked histories, collections and voices that enrich the region’s cultural landscape, while supporting member organisations and the wider heritage sector.
HiDDEN is guided by a commitment to collaboration, diversity and inclusion, and sustainable practice. The network also encourages members to explore ways of reducing environmental impact and promote more sustainable approaches to heritage work.
During the year, the Manchester Histories CEO stepped down as Chair of the network as part of a transition in governance. The network is now led by two independent co-chairs, Judith Ozkan and Martin Gaw.
## **Participant from the Volunteer Day event. Manchester Central Library said:**
_‘There is a rich resource of places and stories to discover in Manchester & I enjoyed hearing the speakers and the activities available.’_
## **Manchester Histories Hub, Manchester Central Library**
The Manchester Histories Hub at Manchester Central Library continues to flourish as a welcoming and inspirational space for community connection and wellbeing through histories and heritage. The hub provides opportunities for people to explore the past, share stories, meet others and take part in creative and learning activities.
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## **Key updates during the year included:**
The Crafting Connections: Heritage & Wellbeing Toolkit launched in January 2025, followed by a 10-week public engagement programme delivered at the hub.
New exhibitions were installed, including _Jill Woodward (1948–2023): Feminist, Artist, Activist, Nurse, Mother, Grandmother_ , celebrating the life and work of the Manchesterbased artist and campaigner.
The Time Travellers Tearoom launched in September 2024, providing a welcoming space for people to connect, share memories and explore personal and local histories.
Volunteer recruitment was strengthened, supported by new systems to manage volunteer schedules, participation and engagement.
Manchester Histories also works closely with the Archives+ partnership and the Greater Manchester Archives and Local Studies Partnership, helping to support collaboration between major archival organisations. These include Manchester City Council’s Libraries and Archives, North West Film Archive, the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre, and the Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society.
Through this work, Manchester Histories helps champion the importance of making archives more visible and accessible, enabling people to discover and connect with the stories that shape their communities and identities.
Participant – when asked about the most memorable thing she had learned, one participant reflected:
_'The importance of creativity to all levels of class and education throughout history — how gifted people were, and the time, care, and skills they used to create beautiful objects in spite of their background or education.'_
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## **Manchester Histories Festival 2026**
Planning and development for the Manchester Histories Festival 2026 progressed throughout the year, building on the success and impact of the Manchester Histories Festival 2024. The festival was shortlisted for **Best Event** at the Manchester City Council Culture Awards in November 2025.
The next festival will celebrate community spirit and civic pride, aligning with the reopening of the newly restored Manchester Town Hall. Although the reopening is scheduled for autumn 2027, the festival will play a vital role in building momentum, anticipation, and citywide engagement in the lead-up to this landmark moment.
## **Student Placements**
Manchester Histories provides placement and project opportunities for students from the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University, offering practical experience that supports their learning and future career development.
In 2025, students from the BA (Hons) History, Politics and Philosophy programme at Manchester Metropolitan University worked with Manchester Histories and university staff to explore the theme of protest and social movements through the creation of digital magazines.
Drawing on archives, online collections, photo libraries and personal histories, students researched and produced original stories exploring both local and global struggles for justice. Some projects focused on Manchester’s own radical traditions, while others explored international movements for change. For example, one group examined the miners’ strikes, drawing on their own family connections to the mining industry.
The project combined academic research with creative digital storytelling and highlighted how protest has shaped communities, identities and social change.
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This collaboration also formed part of the Queer Up North project, giving students the opportunity to work with an external cultural organisation and gain valuable professional experience beyond the classroom.
## **Contribution of volunteers**
Volunteers continue to play a vital role in the organisation’s activities, contributing their time, knowledge and enthusiasm to support events, research and community engagement. The organisation has a core volunteer group of approximately 25 people, with over 40 volunteers taking part in our festival and events throughout the year. Their dedication and enthusiasm have been invaluable in supporting events, engaging with audiences, and helping to bring histories to life.
## **Partnerships, Beneficiaries and Sector Support**
Manchester Histories supports a wide range of organisations and community groups by connecting people, brokering partnerships and providing expertise in histories and heritage. Through this work we support project development, funding applications, exhibitions and public engagement, and are increasingly recognised as a trusted organisation for engaging people with histories and heritage across the region.
We continue to strengthen our partnerships with the University of Manchester, Creative Manchester, and Manchester Metropolitan University, with a particular focus on supporting their public engagement programmes and student development.
This year, we have supported applications for two PhD studentships in Manchester. The Bicentenary Scholarship PhD project examines the Bengal Famine of 1943, an artificially created catastrophe that led to the deaths of over three million people. In parallel, through the North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (NWCDTP), we are supporting research titled Hearing the HiDDEN: Polyphonic Collaborations between small museums.
During the year we strengthened partnerships through programmes such as Rocket: All Aboard, working with organisations including the Science and Industry Museum, National
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Museums of Liverpool, local authorities along the route, Marketing Manchester, Network Rail and train operators, alongside community groups across the Liverpool–Manchester corridor. New relationships were also developed with groups such as the Friends of Patricroft Station and Friends of Eccles Station.
Through this work we contribute to the ambitions of Manchester City Council’s cultural strategy, ‘Always, Everywhere: Manchester’s Cultural Ambition 2024–2034’. Our CEO also sits on the advisory group overseeing the strategy’s implementation, ensuring our work remains aligned with the city’s long-term cultural vision.
Our work benefits a wide range of people and organisations, including:
- Volunteers, who play a vital role in delivering our programmes
- Artists, academics and researchers, who are supported through platforms for sharing work
- Heritage organisations, through collaboration and knowledge exchange
- The public, with thousands engaging in events, exhibitions and activities
- Cultural partners, through joint programming and strategic collaboration
During the year, Manchester Histories worked closely with community organisations, including Crossing Footprints and Many Hands Elders Group to support creative projects and wellbeing.
Alongside this, we continued to strengthen relationships with grassroots groups, including the Afro-Caribbean Coffee Morning group, and the 93 Wellbeing Centre in North Manchester, helping to widen participation and ensure more people can engage with heritage in meaningful ways.
## **Environmental Sustainability**
Manchester Histories continues to work actively to reduce its environmental impact and contribute to Greater Manchester’s ambition to become a zero-carbon city by 2038. We are committed to embedding sustainable practices across our operations, projects and events.
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The organisation maintains an Environmental Policy and Action Plan, which is regularly reviewed to identify opportunities to reduce our carbon footprint and use resources more responsibly. Staff have made both personal and organisational pledges to support these aims, and we continue to explore further ways to reduce our environmental impact.
Key actions during the year included:
- Identifying environmentally responsible cost savings wherever possible.
- Delivering events and festival activities with a no-meat and no single-use plastics policy, while prioritising local suppliers and services.
- Designing sustainable materials such as cardboard banners and printed materials on recycled paper.
- Working with local eco-friendly printing companies to reduce environmental impact.
- Using ethical service providers, such as the NEST pension scheme, which invests responsibly in organisations that support human rights and environmental sustainability.
- Considering and reducing our digital footprint where possible.
We have also begun tracking staff travel through a travel carbon calculator, helping us better understand and reduce emissions associated with work-related travel.
All staff have undertaken, or will undertake, Carbon Literacy training, ensuring the team has the knowledge and tools to support more sustainable ways of working.
Manchester Histories is a member of the Greater Manchester Arts Sustainability Team (GMAST) network. Through this partnership we work alongside other cultural organisations and Manchester City Council to support the region’s climate goals and share best practice across the cultural sector.
## **Acknowledgments**
The Trustees and Chief Executive extend their sincere thanks to our staff, partners, funders, volunteers and audiences for their continued support.
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We are particularly grateful to Manchester City Council, the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, Creative Manchester and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority for their ongoing investment and partnership.
Together, we continue to ensure that the histories of Greater Manchester are not only preserved but actively shape a more inclusive and equitable future.
## **Financial review**
The charity had a deficit of unrestricted funds for the year of £31,414. At the end of the financial year the total reserves of the charity were £363,289 of this £317,247 were restricted funds, being grant funding for specific projects, and £46,042 were unrestricted funds.
As a mainly project-based organisation, Manchester Histories receives funding from a range of grant funders operating across different financial years, with many funders working to an April–March cycle, while the organisation’s financial year runs from September to August. As a result, the level of restricted and unrestricted funds can fluctuate at different points within the financial year due to the timing of grant payments and project delivery schedules.
## **Principal funding sources** :
- Greater Manchester Combined Authority
- Manchester City Council
- Manchester Metropolitan University
- National Heritage Lottery Fund
- University of Manchester
## **Reserves policy**
Reserves remain unrestricted (not invested in fixed assets or otherwise designated) and are held to support cash flow requirements and help manage risks associated with delivering programmes, events and funded projects.
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During this financial year, reserve levels have reduced slightly as the organisation has used part of its unrestricted reserves to support short-term cash flow while awaiting the receipt of confirmed funding from a number of different funding streams. This reflects the timing differences often associated with grant-funded activity and project delivery across multiple financial periods, rather than any underlying financial concern.
Manchester Histories continues to manage cash flow carefully and maintains regular oversight of financial risk and forecasting. The organisation continues to secure significant project funding and maintains a strong pipeline of activity and partnerships, supporting its long-term sustainability and development. The Trustees remain committed to rebuilding reserves over time, with the aim of reaching the equivalent of approximately six months’ operational expenditure. This is currently estimated at around £50,000.
Manchester Histories seeks to include full cost recovery within funding applications wherever possible and applies an administration fee of approximately 20% where appropriate. The organisation also generates earned income through consultancy, partnership support and services delivered to other organisations.
## **Plans for Future Periods**
Manchester Histories enters 2025–2026 with major programmes underway and a strengthened core team to support delivery and organisational growth. Over the past year the organisation has expanded its capacity, enabling it to deliver more ambitious projects and support a growing network of partners across the heritage and cultural sectors.
Manchester Histories is increasingly recognised as a key histories and heritage organisation, bringing together communities, academics, cultural organisations and artists to explore and share the diverse histories of Greater Manchester and beyond. The organisation continues to play an important role in connecting partners, developing projects and supporting public engagement with histories and heritage at both regional and national level.
During the coming year Manchester Histories will continue to strengthen its digital capacity. The organisation has begun using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support
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research, project development and organisational efficiency, helping the team manage increasing levels of activity while expanding the reach of its work.
Key priorities include:
- Delivery of Manchester Histories Festival 2026
- Major funding development and partnership building for Rocket: All Aboard
- Delivery of This is Us: Tracing Manchester’s Histories
- Continued digitisation, oral history work and public events for Queer Up North
- Delivery of the Champs Camp Archive Project
- Continued development of the Manchester Histories Hub at Manchester Central Library
Through these programmes Manchester Histories will continue to strengthen its role as a connector, collaborator and catalyst for histories and heritage across Greater Manchester and beyond.
## **Structure, governance and management**
The Charity is a company limited by guarantee and is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 6 November 2012. It is registered as a charity with the Charity Commission, having been registered on 8 May 2013.
The only people eligible to be members of the Charity are its directors, and the Directors must be members of the company. Members of the charity guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 to the assets of the charity in the event of winding up. The total number of such guarantees on 31st August 2025 was 8. The trustees are members of the charity, but this entitles them only to voting rights. The trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity.
All trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity. Any expenses reclaimed from the charity are set out in QuickBooks. There are no related party transactions that require to be disclosed.
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## **Appointment of Directors and Trustees**
The Directors, who are the Trustees, are appointed by the members in general meeting. At each AGM (Annual General Meeting), one third of the Directors retire by rotation, being the longest in office, and are eligible for re-election. Other than a retiring trustee, the only people eligible for election as trustees are those either nominated by the Board or by a member giving not less than 14 and not more than 35 clear days’ notice of the intention to propose a person for appointment or re-appointment.
## **Trustee recruitment, induction, and training**
The Directors, who are the Trustees, are collectively known as the Board. The Directors will identify new Trustees to be recruited as the needs of the organisation grow. The Board will continue to develop robust strategies for their induction, and for ongoing training and development of the entire Board.
The induction training for newly appointed trustees comprises of an initial meeting with the Board of Trustees at which a pack is provided. This includes a copy of the governing document, a copy of the most recent annual report and financial statements, our policies, a copy of the minutes of previous trustee meeting minutes and a copy of the Charity Commissioners guidance ‘The Essential Trustee’.
## **Organisation**
The Board, which must not be less than three members, administers the Charity. We currently have eight board members. The Trustees have delegated the day-to-day authority for operational matters including finance, employment and artistic development, within the overall vision agreed by the Board to the Chief Executive, Karen Shannon. The Board meets on a quarterly basis; the chair and Chief Executive meet monthly.
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## **Related parties and relationships with other**
## **organisations**
Manchester Histories places strong emphasis on building positive and collaborative relationships with partner organisations and charities. These partnerships are mutually beneficial: while Manchester Histories receives support to help achieve its charitable aims, the organisation also works with partners to support their strategic objectives and public engagement activities.
Manchester Histories has long-standing partnerships with the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University, both of which were involved in establishing the organisation. These institutions continue to provide valuable support through collaboration on research, public engagement and student opportunities linked to histories and heritage.
Manchester Histories also works closely with Manchester City Council through its Cultural Partnership Agreement Grants programme, and with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority Culture Fund. These partnerships enable Manchester Histories to contribute to the wider cultural offer across the city region and collaborate with other cultural organisations to share knowledge, develop partnerships and promote activities that benefit the sector and the public.
## **Remuneration policy for key management personnel**
Key management personnel undergo an annual performance review. The CEO is reviewed by the Chair of the Trustees, while the CEO conducts annual reviews for members of the staff team, assessing performance, achievements and development needs. Any changes to remuneration arising from these reviews must be approved by the full Board of Trustees and are only awarded following a successful review and agreement by the trustees.
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## **Risk management**
Manchester Histories regularly reviews the major risks facing the organisation and has policies and procedures in place to manage and mitigate these risks. The Board of Trustees oversees risk management as part of its governance responsibilities. For major projects and funding applications, including those to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, risk registers are prepared to identify potential risks and outline mitigation measures. This helps ensure projects and events can be delivered effectively while minimising potential risks.
## **Statement of responsibilities of the trustees**
The trustees (who are also directors of Manchester Histories for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the trustees’ annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
- Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP
- Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
- State whether applicable UK (United Kingdom) Accounting Standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements
- Prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006.
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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.
The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime of the Companies Act 2006.
The trustees’ annual report has been approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by
## Hannah Barker
Professor of British History, SALC (School of Arts, Languages and Cultures), University of Manchester.
27/05/2026
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Independent examiner’s report
to the trustees of
## Manchester Histories
## **Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Manchester Histories**
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the company for the year ended 31[st] August 2025 which are set out on pages 23 to 42.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity 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 company’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**
Since the company’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, which is one of the listed bodies.
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 that in any material respect:
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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; or
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 (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.
Christy Lau FCCA CTA DChA Slade & Cooper Limited Beehive Mill, Jersey Street Ancoats Manchester M4 6JG
27/05/2026
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## Manchester Histories
## Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure account) for the year ended 31 August 2025
|Unrestricted
funds
Note
£
**Income from:**
Donations and legacies
3
31,244
Charitable activities
4
2,050
5
125
Investments
6
2
**Total income**
**33,421**
**Expenditure on:**
Charitable activities
7
66,605
**Total expenditure**
**66,605**
(33,184)
9
**(33,184)**
Transfer between funds
1,770
**Net movement in funds for the year**
**(31,414)**
**Reconciliation of funds**
Total funds brought forward
77,456
**Total funds carried forward**
**46,042**
Other trading activities
**Net income/(expenditure) before**
**net gains/(losses) on investments**
**Net income/(expenditure) for the**
**year**|Restricted
funds
£
-
524,059
-
-
**524,059**
198,524
**198,524**
325,535
**325,535**
(1,770)
**323,765**
(6,518)
**317,247**|Total funds
2025
£
31,244
526,109
125
2
**557,480**
265,129
**265,129**
292,351
**292,351**
-
**292,351**
70,938
**363,289**|_Total funds_
_2024_
_£_
_22,515_
_152,177_
_568_
_2_|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**_175,262_**|
||||_206,412_|
||||**_206,412_**|
||||_(31,150)_|
||||**_(31,150)_**
_-_|
||||**_(31,150)_**
_102,088_|
||||**_70,938_**|
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
A full comparative SOFA is available on the last page of the financial statements.
23
## Manchester Histories Company number 08283259
## Balance sheet as at 31 August 2025
|Note
£
£
**Fixed assets**
Tangible assets
14
732
**Total fixed assets**
**732**
**Current assets**
Debtors
15
9,278
Cash at bank and in hand
16
357,835
**Total current assets**
**367,113**
**Liabilities**
Creditors: amounts falling
due in less than one year
17
(4,556)
**Net current assets**
**362,557**
**Total assets less current liabilities**
363,289
**Net assets**
**363,289**
**The funds of the charity:**
Restricted income funds
18
317,247
Unrestricted income funds
19
46,042
**Total charity funds**
**363,289**
2025|_£_
_£_
_3,065_
**_3,065_**
_23,637_
_48,142_
**_71,779_**
_(3,906)_
**_67,873_**
_70,938_
**_70,938_**
_(6,518)_
_77,456_
**_70,938_**
_2024_|_£_
_£_
_3,065_
**_3,065_**
_23,637_
_48,142_
**_71,779_**
_(3,906)_
**_67,873_**
_70,938_
**_70,938_**
_(6,518)_
_77,456_
**_70,938_**
_2024_|
|---|---|---|
|||**_3,065_**
**_67,873_**|
|||_70,938_|
|||**_70,938_**|
|||_(6,518)_
_77,456_|
|||**_70,938_**|
For the year in question, the company was entitled to exemption from an audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
Directors' responsibilities:
- 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 are prepared in accordance with the special provisions of part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies and in accordance with FRS102 SORP, and constitute the annual accounts required by the Companies Act 2006 and are for circulation to members of the company.
The notes on pages 26 to 42 form part of these accounts.
Approved by the trustees on 27/05/2026 and signed on their behalf by:
Hannah J Barker (Chair)
24
Manchester Histories
## Statement of Cash Flows for the year ending 31 August 2025
|Note
2025
£
**Cash provided by/(used in) operating activities**
21
**309,691**
_Cash flows from investing activities:_
Dividends, interest, and rents from investments
2
**Cash provided by/(used in) investing activities**
**2**
309,693
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
48,142
**Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year**
**357,835**
Increase/(decrease) in cash and cash
equivalents in the year|_2024_
_£_
**_(44,912)_**|
|---|---|
||_2_|
||**_(2,195)_**|
||_(47,107)_
_95,249_|
||**_48,142_**|
25
Manchester Histories
## Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025
## **1 Accounting policies**
The principal accounting policies adopted, judgments and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:
## **a Basis of preparation**
The financial statements have been prepared 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), second edition - October 2019 (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006 and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.
Manchester Histories meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note.
## **b Preparation of the accounts on a going concern basis**
The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern.
No key judgments which the trustees have made which have a significant effect on the accounts.
The trustees do not consider that there are any sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting date that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amount of assets and liabilities within the next reporting period.
## **c Income**
Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the item(s) of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Income from government and other grants, whether ‘capital’ grants or ‘revenue’ grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.
For legacies, entitlement is taken as the earlier of the date on which either: the charity is aware that probate has been granted, the estate has been finalised and notification has been made by the executor(s) to the charity that a distribution will be made, or when a distribution is received from the estate. Receipt of a legacy, in whole or in part, is only considered probable when the amount can be measured reliably and the charity has been notified of the executor’s intention to make a distribution. Where legacies have been notified to the charity, or the charity is aware of the granting of probate, and the criteria for income recognition have not been met, then the legacy is a treated as a contingent asset and disclosed if material.
Income received in advance of a provision of a specified service is deferred until the criteria for income recognition are met.
26
Manchester Histories
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 (continued)
## **d Donated services and facilities**
Donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item, any conditions associated with the donated item have been met, the receipt of economic benefit from the use by the charity of the item is probable and that economic benefit can be measured reliably. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), general volunteer time is not recognised; refer to the trustees’ annual report for more information about their contribution.
On receipt, donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised on the basis of the value of the gift to the charity which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay to obtain services or facilities of equivalent economic benefit on the open market; a corresponding amount is then recognised in expenditure in the period of receipt.
## **e Interest receivable**
Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the Bank.
## **f Fund accounting**
Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of charity.
Designated funds are unrestricted funds of the charity which the trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose.
Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular areas of the charity’s work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity.
## **g Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT**
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is classified under the following activity headings:
- Expenditure on charitable activities includes the costs undertaken to further the purposes of the charity and their associated support costs.
- Other expenditure represents those items not falling into any other heading.
Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred.
27
Manchester Histories
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 (continued)
## **h Allocation of support costs**
Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Support costs include back office costs, finance, personnel, payroll and governance costs which support the charity's programmes and activities. These costs have been allocated between cost of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities. The bases on which support costs have been allocated are set out in note 8.
## **i Tangible fixed assets**
Individual fixed assets costing £500 or more are capitalised at cost and are depreciated over their estimated useful economic lives on a straight line basis as follows:
Computer Equipment 33% Website 20%
## **j Debtors**
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.
## **k Cash at bank and in hand**
Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.
## **l Creditors and provisions**
Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.
28
Manchester Histories
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 (continued)
## **m Financial instruments**
The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
## **n Pensions**
Employees of the charity are entitled to join a defined contribution ‘money purchase’ scheme. The charity’s contribution is restricted to the contributions disclosed in note 10. There were no outstanding contributions at the year end.
## **2 Legal status of the charity**
The charity is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales and has no share capital. In the event of the charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per member of the charity. The registered office address is disclosed on page 1.
## **3 Income from donations and legacies**
|Donations
Manchester Metropolitan University
University of Manchester
**Total**
_Donations_
_University of Manchester_
**_Total_**
**_Previous reporting_**
**_period_**
**Current reporting**
**period**|Unrestricted
£
1,244
10,000
20,000
31,244
_Unrestricted_
_£_
_2,515_
_20,000_
_22,515_|Restricted
£
-
-
-
-
_Restricted_
_£_
_-_
_-_
_-_|Total 2025
£
1,244
10,000
20,000|
|---|---|---|---|
||||31,244|
||||_Total 2024_
_£_
_2,515_
_20,000_|
||||_22,515_|
29
Manchester Histories
## Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 (continued)
## **4 Income from charitable activities**
|**Current reporting period**
Champs Camp
University of Manchester
Subtotal for Champs Camp
MH Hub
Subtotal for MH Hub
Queer Up North
National Heritage Lottery Fund
Subtotal for Queer Up North
Rocket All Aboard
Manchester City Council
National Heritage Lottery Fund
National Museums Liverpool
Science Museum Group
Subtotal for Rocket All Aboard
This Is Us
Bullwall
Manchester City Council
National Heritage Lottery Fund
Subtotal for This Is Us
Back On Track
- Cultural Team
Other income
**Total**
Greater Manchester Combined
Authority
Mersey Travel Community Rail
Partnership
Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council
Northern Rail Community Rail
Partnership
Salford Council Community Rail
Partnership
Warrington Borough Council
Community Rail Partnership|Unrestricted
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2,000
-
-
50
2,050|Restricted
£
241
241
3,000
3,000
124,270
124,270
3,000
7,000
8,000
90,211
5,000
4,000
5,000
4,000
126,211
5,000
90,000
122,591
217,591
-
27,500
24,279
967
524,059|Total 2025
£
241|
|---|---|---|---|
||||241
3,000|
||||3,000
124,270|
||||124,270
3,000
7,000
8,000
90,211
5,000
4,000
5,000
4,000|
||||126,211
5,000
90,000
122,591|
||||217,591
2,000
27,500
24,279
1,017|
||||526,109|
30
Manchester Histories
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 (continued)
## **4 Income from charitable activities (Cont.)**
|**_Previous reporting period_**
_Arts Council_
_Great Places_
_Manchester City Council_
_- Cultural Team_
_Manchester Metropolitan University_
_Other income_
**_Total_**
_Greater Manchester Combined_
_Authority_
_- Heritage & Wellbeing Project_
_-Manchester Histories Festival_
_2024_
_Cause 4_
_Granada Foundation_
_- This is Us_
_Network Rail_
_University of Manchester_
_- Health & Wellbeing Project_
_- Manchester Histories Festival_
_2024_|_Unrestricted_
_£_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_300_
_300_|_Restricted_
_£_
_300_
_6,903_
_2,000_
_27,500_
_3,750_
_24,279_
_5,000_
_2,000_
_20,955_
_15,000_
_4,975_
_39,215_
_-_
_151,877_|_Total 2024_
_£_
_300_
_6,903_
_2,000_
_27,500_
_3,750_
_24,279_
_5,000_
_2,000_
_20,955_
_15,000_
_4,975_
_39,215_
_300_|
|---|---|---|---|
||||_152,177_|
31
Manchester Histories
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 (continued)
## **5 Income from other trading activities**
|**Income from other trading activities**|||
|---|---|---|
|Consultancy
Merchandise income|2025
£
125
-
125|_2024_
_£_
-
_568_|
|||568|
All income from other trading activities is unrestricted.
## **6 Investment income**
All of the charity's investment income arises from money held in interest bearing deposit accounts. All investment income is unrestricted.
## **7 Analysis of expenditure on charitable activities**
|Depreciation
Event production costs
Marketing & publicity costs
Other professional fees
Other project costs
Professional fees - artists & curators
Staff costs
Travel and Meetings
Governance costs (see note 8)
Support costs (see note 8)
Restricted expenditure
Unrestricted expenditure|Total 2025
£
2,333
5,488
7,902
9,220
7,585
63,749
141,370
8,645
3,455
15,382
265,129
2025
£
198,524
66,605
265,129|_Total 2024_
_£_
_2,332_
_2,914_
_13,587_
_39,076_
_3,920_
_35,217_
_90,109_
_5,502_
_2,134_
_11,621_|
|---|---|---|
|||_206,412_|
|||_2024_
_£_
_156,706_
_49,706_|
|||_206,412_|
32
## Manchester Histories
## Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 (continued)
## **8 Analysis of governance and support costs**
## **9**
|Support
£
Insurance
238
Office costs
15,144
Accountancy services
-
15,382
_Support_
_£_
_Insurance_
_243_
_Office costs_
_11,378_
_Accountancy services_
_-_
_Other governance costs_
_-_
_11,621_
**Net income/(expenditure) for the year**
This is stated after charging/(crediting):
Depreciation
Independent Examiner's remuneration
Accountancy fees
Bookkeeping
Payroll bureau fees
Independent examination
**Current reporting**
**period**
**_Previous reporting_**
**_period_**
Training|Governance
£
-
-
3,455
3,455
_Governance_
_£_
_-_
_-_
_2,121_
_13_
_2,134_
2025
£
2,333
1,220
720
300
524
100|Total 2025
£
238
15,144
3,455|
|---|---|---|
|||18,837|
|||_Total 2024_
_£_
_243_
_11,378_
_2,121_
_13_|
|||_13,755_|
|||_2024_
_£_
_2,332_
_1,160_
_-_
_285_
_303_
_-_|
33
Manchester Histories
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 (continued)
## **10 Staff costs**
Staff costs during the year were as follows:
|ff costs during the year were as follows:|||
|---|---|---|
|Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Pension costs
Other personnel costs|2025
£
132,014
3,332
3,935
2,089
141,370|_2024_
_£_
_83,718_
_2,418_
_2,512_
_1,461_|
|||_90,109_|
No employees has employee benefits in excess of £60,000 (2024: Nil).
The average number of staff employed during the period was 5 (2024: 4).
The key management of the charity is comprised of Trustees, Chief Executive Officer, Project Manager (left Oct 24), Community Development Producer (left April 25), the Cultural Administrator, General Manager (from Jan 25), Community Development Manager (from Feb 25), Queer Up North Project Manager (from Feb 25), and Community Development Producer (from May 25) (2024: Trustees, Chief Executive Officer, Project Manager, Community Development Producer and the Cultural Administrator). The total employee benefits of the key management personnel of the charity were £139,324 (2024: £90,109).
## **11 Trustee remuneration and expenses, and related party transactions**
Neither the management committee nor any persons connected with them received any remuneration or reimbursed expenses during the year (2024: Nil).
No (2024: nil) member of the trustees received travel and subsistence expenses during the year (2024: £nil).
No aggregate donations from related parties (2024: £ Nil).
There are no donations from related parties which are outside the normal course of business and no restricted donations from related parties.
No trustee or other person related to the charity had any personal interest in any contract or transaction entered into by the charity, including guarantees, during the year (2024: Nil).
34
Manchester Histories
## Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 (continued)
## **12 Government grants**
The government grants recognised in the accounts were as follows:
|Arts Council
Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Manchester City Council
Mersey Travel
Salford Council
Warrington Borough Council|2025
£
-
27,500
124,279
8,000
4,000
4,000
167,779|_2024_
_£_
_300_
_27,500_
_31,279_
_-_
_-_
_-_|
|---|---|---|
|||59,079|
## **13 Corporation tax**
The charity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within Chapter 3 of Part 11 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects. No tax charges have arisen in the charity.
## **14 Fixed assets: tangible assets**
|**Cost**
Additions
**Depreciation**
Charge for the year
**Net book value**
At 31 August 2025
At 1 September 2024
_At 31 August 2024_
At 1 September 2024
At 31 August 2025
At 31 August 2025|Computer
Equipment
£
2,197
-
2,197
732
733
1,465
732
_1,465_|Website
£
8,000
-
8,000
6,400
1,600
8,000
-
_1,600_|Total
£
10,197
-|
|---|---|---|---|
||||10,197|
||||7,132
2,333|
||||9,465|
||||732|
||||_3,065_|
35
Manchester Histories
## Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 (continued)
## **15 Debtors**
|Trade debtors
Other debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
**16**
**Cash at bank and in hand**
Cash at bank and on hand
**17**
**Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
Other creditors and accruals|2025
£
340
2,684
6,254
9,278
2025
£
357,835
357,835
2025
£
4,556
4,556|_2024_
_£_
_-_
_4,068_
_19,569_|
|---|---|---|
|||_23,637_|
|||_2024_
_£_
_48,142_|
|||_48,142_|
|||_2024_
_£_
3,906|
|||_3,906_|
36
Manchester Histories
## Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 (continued)
## **18 Analysis of movements in restricted funds**
|Champs Camp
Heritage Compass
HiDDEN Network
Manchester City Council
- Cultural Team
MH Hub
Queer Up North
Rocket: All Aboard
This is Us
Total
Greater Manchester
Combined Authority
**Current reporting**
**period**
Heritage & Wellbeing
Project|Balance at
1
September
2024
£
-
(13,750)
4,846
3,544
1,440
-
-
2,000
-
(4,598)
(6,518)|Income
£
241
27,500
-
-
967
24,279
3,000
124,270
126,211
217,591
524,059|Expenditure
£
(420)
(13,750)
-
(3,544)
(637)
(24,279)
(3,639)
(58,108)
(81,706)
(12,441)
(198,524)|Transfers
£
-
-
(4,846)
-
(1,770)
-
4,846
-
-
-
(1,770)|Balance at
31 August
2025
£
(179)
-
-
-
-
-
4,207
68,162
44,505
200,552|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||317,247|
37
Manchester Histories
## Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 (continued)
## **18 Analysis of movements in restricted funds (Cont.)**
|_Manchester City Council_
_- Cultural Team_
_Rocket: All Aboard_
_Total_
_Heritage & Wellbeing_
_Project_
_HiDDEN Network_
_Manchester Histories_
_Festival 2024_
_Queer Up North_
_Greater Manchester_
_Combined Authority_
**_Previous reporting_**
**_period_**
_Your Home, Your Voice,_
_Your Place_
_- This is Us_
_Heritage Compass_|_Balance at_
_1_
_September_
_2023_
_£_
_(4,500)_
_(2,750)_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_1,678_
_(5,572)_
|_Income_
_£_
27,500
3,750
9,975
5,053
1,850
24,279
2,000
60,170
2,000
15,300
_151,877_|_Expenditure_
_£_
_(36,750)_
_(4,883)_
_(5,129)_
_(1,509)_
_(410)_
_(24,279)_
_(6,598)_
_(60,170)_
_-_
_(16,978)_
_(156,706)_|_Transfers_
_£_
_-_
_3,883_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_3,883_|_Balance at_
_31 August_
_2024_
_£_
_(13,750)_
_-_
_4,846_
_3,544_
_1,440_
_-_
_(4,598)_
_-_
_2,000_
_-_|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||_(6,518)_|
## **Name of restricted fund**
Champs Camp
## **Description, nature and purposes of the fund**
Preserving the legacy and stories of UK’s first black boxing gym based in Moss Side, Manchester.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority
GMCA Culture Fund to support core costs and cultural activities across GM.
Heritage & Wellbeing Project
To research and produce a heritage and wellbeing toolkit for older people in partnership with the University of Manchester, Manchester City Council and Archives+.
Heritage Compass
To support the development of a new five-year business plan for Manchester Histories.
38
Manchester Histories
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 (continued)
## **18 Analysis of movements in restricted funds (Cont.)**
## **Name of restricted fund Description, nature and purposes of the fund**
HiDDEN Network To support a new framework and memorandum of understanding for the HiDDEN Network, small to medium-sized heritage organisations based in Greater Manchester. It consists of historic buildings, museums, and libraries with rare collections, displays, exhibitions and events. Manchester City Council Cultural Partnership Agreement. Funds to support core costs for Manchester - Cultural Team Histories. Manchester Histories Contribution to core cost and Manchester Histories Festival 2024. Festival 2024 MH Hub A welcoming space run by Manchester Histories with a focus on heritage & wellbeing activities based at Manchester Central Library. Queer Up North Grant to support the National Heritage Lottery Fund application to deliver a new project celebrating the Queer Up North Festival 1992 - 2002 and LGBTQA+ histories and heritage. Rocket: All Aboard Grant to produce a scoping document to set out a framework of development and delivery for the project going forward. This is Us This public engagement programme supported Manchester Histories to consult with diverse communities from Manchester to explore how people can be better represented in public places. Your Home, Your Voice, This grant supported Manchester Histories to deliver a project with residents Your Place from Crossley, Dew Way, Fitton Hill and Primrose Bank to mark the 10-year anniversary of Great Places Housing Group and Inspiral’s Gateways to Oldham regeneration project.
39
Manchester Histories
## Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 (continued)
## **19 Analysis of movement in unrestricted funds**
|**Current reporting**
**period**
General fund
_General fund_
Designated fund
- Projects
_Designated fund_
_- Projects_
**_Previous reporting_**
**_period_**|Balance at
1
September
2024
£
35,456
42,000
77,456
_Balance at_
_1_
_September_
_2023_
_£_
_65,660_
_42,000_
_107,660_|Income
£
33,421
-
33,421
_Income_
_£_
_23,385_
_-_
_23,385_|Expenditure
£
(66,605)
-
(66,605)
_Expenditure_
_£_
_(49,706)_
_-_
_(49,706)_|Transfers
£
1,770
-
1,770
_Transfers_
_£_
_(3,883)_
_-_
_(3,883)_|As at 31
August
2025
£
4,042
42,000|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||46,042|
||||||_As at 31_
_August_
_2024_
_£_
_35,456_
_42,000_|
||||||_77,456_|
## **Name of unrestricted fund Description, nature and purposes of the fund**
General fund The free reserves after allowing for all designated funds Designated fund Allocated to support our ongoing public engagement programmes and Manchester Histories Festival.
40
## Manchester Histories
## Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 (continued)
## **20 Analysis of net assets between funds**
|Tangible fixed assets
Net current assets/(liabilities)
Total
_Tangible fixed assets_
_Net current assets/(liabilities)_
_Total_
**_Previous reporting_**
**_period_**
**Current reporting**
**period**|General
fund
£
732
3,310
4,042
_General_
_fund_
_£_
_3,065_
_32,391_
_35,456_|Designated
funds
£
-
42,000
42,000
_Designated_
_funds_
_£_
_-_
_42,000_
_42,000_|Restricted
funds
£
-
317,247
317,247
_Restricted_
_funds_
_£_
_-_
_(6,518)_
_(6,518)_|Total
£
732
362,557|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||363,289|
|||||_Total_
_£_
_3,065_
_67,873_|
|||||_70,938_|
## **21 Reconciliation of net movement in funds to net cash flow from operating activities**
|**Net income/(expenditure) for the year**
**Adjustments for:**
Depreciation charge
Dividends, interest and rents from investments
Decrease/(increase) in debtors
Increase/(decrease) in creditors
**Net cash provided by/(used in) operating**|2025
£
292,351
2,333
(2)
14,359
650
309,691|_2024_
_£_
_(31,150)_
_2,332_
_(2)_
_(18,213)_
_2,121_|
|---|---|---|
|||_(44,912)_|
41
## Manchester Histories
## Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 (continued)
## **22 Prior year Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure account**
|**Income from:**
Donations and legacies
Charitable activities
Other
Investments
**Total income**
**Expenditure on:**
Charitable activities
**Total expenditure**
Transfer between funds
**Reconciliation of funds**
Total funds brought forward
**Total funds carried forward**
**Net movement in funds for the**
**year**
**Net income/(expenditure)**
**before net gains/(losses) on**
**investments**
**Net income/(expenditure) for**
**the year**|Unrestricted
funds
£
22,515
300
568
2
**23,385**
49,706
**49,706**
(26,321)
**(26,321)**
(3,883)
**(30,204)**
107,660
**77,456**|Restricted
funds
£
-
151,877
-
-
**151,877**
156,706
**156,706**
(4,829)
**(4,829)**
3,883
**(946)**
(5,572)
**(6,518)**|Total funds
2024
£
22,515
152,177
568
2
**175,262**
206,412
**206,412**
(31,150)
**(31,150)**
-
**(31,150)**
102,088
**70,938**|_Total funds_
_2023_
_£_
_16,647_
_140,121_
_568_
_1_|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**_157,337_**|
|||||_167,555_|
|||||**_167,555_**|
|||||_(10,218)_|
|||||**_(10,218)_**
_-_|
|||||**_(10,218)_**
_112,306_|
|||||**_102,088_**|
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
42