**REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1159763**
## **Report of the Trustees and**
**Financial Statements**
**for the Year Ended 31 August 2025**
**for**
**Derby Book Festival**
Bates Weston LLP Chartered Accountants The Mills Canal Street Derby DE1 2RJ
**Derby Book Festival**
## **Contents of the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 August 2025**
||**Page**|
|---|---|
|**Report of the Trustees**|1 to 3|
|**Independent Examiner's Report**|4|
|**Statement of Financial Activities**|5|
|**Balance Sheet**|6|
|**Notes to the Financial Statements**|7 to 13|
**Derby Book Festival**
## **Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 August 2025**
The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 August 2025. The trustees have adopted the provisions of 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 2019).
## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES**
## **Objectives and aims**
The objectives of the CIO are the advancement of education for the benefit of the public by the promotion of literature, language and the arts in particular through a book of literature festival in Derby and such other activities as the charity trustees shall from time to time determine.
## **Public benefit**
The public benefit provided by the Charity include: - promoting artistic appreciation
- bringing a diverse and high quality range of authors and artists to Derby audiences.
The beneficiaries are all members of the public and access is enabled as follows:
- through concessionary ticket schemes
- all areas of the festival are wheelchair accessible
The trustees confirm that they have complied with the requirements of section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
## **ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE**
## **Charitable activities**
In the year to August 2025, Derby Book Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary (in May 2025) and has continued to extend its range of activities and projects. Two Festivals were held: in November 2024 over six days and in May 2025 over nine days. The partnerships which have been established since 2015 with arts and educational organisations in the city and county continue to strengthen and grow.
Ticket and book sales continue to grow. Our activities have broadened particularly in terms of our children and families' events programme and our community programme. Our core audience, volunteers and Festival Friends continue to be very supportive and evaluation feedback indicates high levels of satisfaction with the programme content and quality.
The Festival programmes continue to offer high quality, nationally recognised authors, debut and local authors, fiction and non-fiction writers and a range of topics. The Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage made a return visit ten years after his first.
Our Children & Young People's Coordinator has developed our schools and family programmes. We reached 11,000 primary school children at 2 Meet the Author events with author and illustrator Nadia Shireen and novelist M G Leonard at Derby Theatre, live streamed to 90% of Derby schools and 7 county schools. We also included a broader family programme at our Summer Festival. We held our first family event to celebrate World Book Day in March 2025 and plan to repeat it in 2026.
Our seventh Derby Children's Picture Book Award, for Years 2 & 3, included 6500 children in 217 classes in 63 schools, an increase on 2024. The children voted for their favourite book (of 3 shortlisted) and met the author and illustrator at Zoom events. More publishers submitted books: 75 books from 37 publishers compared to 50 books from 22 publishers in 2024.
In October 2024, we appointed a new Shared Reading Project Co-ordinator to lead our community project, aimed at using poetry and short readings to support health and well-being in small groups across the city. We have 43 trained volunteers in total and had 17 groups in July 2025.
Page 1
**Derby Book Festival**
## **Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 August 2025**
Our relationship with the University of Derby continued to grow, engaging more academic staff and students. The CivicLAB events we offer as free events at both the Summer and Autumn Festivals provide academics with the opportunity to share their recently published research with a public audience in an arts venue outside the University. 14 University lecturers interviewed authors at events. 13 students volunteered at events, giving them first hand experience of managing events. 20 Creative Communications students entered a competition to illustrate our Flash Fiction competition winning stories for our bookmarks; 30 nursery/childcare students participated in our Early Years project, creating Story Sacks for 3 picture books to use in their nursery placements, building their confidence and skills in reading with children.
We increased our support for local writers and participated in the University of Derby's Publishing conference. Our Autumn Book & Craft Market included writers, publishers and book craft makers enabling them to promote their work, make contacts and develop their marketing skills. We ran Writing Workshops at the Festival led by published writers. In May 2025 we launched a series of Local Authors in Libraries events in partnership with Derby and Derbyshire libraries and the Society of Authors which we plan to repeat twice a year. These offer local authors the chance to talk about their books to a paying audience and to sell their books, receiving the income from both.
Our annual Flash Fiction Writing competition drew 494 entries across 3 age categories, and categories for HMP Foston Hall. The judging panel comprised local writers & academics. Author Tracy Bloom presented prizes at Foston Hall & ran a writing workshop.
Our team of about 103 Festival volunteers, including students, support our Festival events and book sales and are able to develop their skills and feel part of an exciting creative community.
Having recruited eight new Trustees in 2024, we have reviewed our governance practice and established a Policies & Procedures sub-group to support the Festival core team to ensure a robust process for reviewing these on an on-going basis. We have also identified a Safeguarding Lead on the Board.
## **FINANCIAL REVIEW**
## **Financial position**
Reserves at 31 August 2025 totalled £86,963 (2024: £98,736) following a year with a deficit for the Charity. This level of reserves still falls within the range agreed by the Trustees to ensure the Charity has the funds to continue into the foreseeable future.
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT**
## **Governing document**
Derby Book Festival is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), which was registered with the Charity Commission on 5 January 2015. Its governing document is a constitution dated 3 September 2014.
## **Membership**
The members of the CIO are its trustees.
In the event of the Charity being wound up members have no liability to contribute to its assets and no personal liability for settling its debts and liabilities.
## **Recruitment and appointment of trustees**
The constitution provides for the appointment of a minimum of three and a maximum of twelve trustees. Trustees are appointed by resolution at a meeting of the Trustees. All Trustees are appointed to serve for a period of three years. In selecting individuals for appointment as appointed charity trustees, the charity Trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO.
## **Induction and training of new trustees**
When a new Trustee is appointed they are provided with a pack which contains:
- a copy of the CIO constitution;
- a copy of the most recent Annual Report and Accounts;
- a copy of Minutes od previous Trustees' meetings;
- a copy of the Charity Commission Guidance 'The Essential Trustee' and 'Charities and Public Benefit'.
Page 2
**Derby Book Festival**
**Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 August 2025**
## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Registered Charity number** 1159763
## **Principal address**
13 Lavender Row Darley Abbey Derby Derbyshire DE22 1DF
## **Trustees**
K A J McLay R S Huskisson (appointed 25.3.2026) F G Cunningham (appointed 25.3.2026) E A Copper (appointed 25.3.2026) T R Bull S C Harker-Bettridge R Smith D E White M Forkin C P Ratcliffe C Turner H Williams J Jordan S Hindmarch S Wall D Smith N K Sharma (resigned 1.10.2025)
## **Independent Examiner**
Bates Weston LLP Chartered Accountants The Mills Canal Street Derby DE1 2RJ 25/06/2026 Approved by order of the board of trustees on ............................................. and signed on its behalf by:
................................................................. K A J McLay - Trustee
Page 3
**Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Derby Book Festival**
## **Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Derby Book Festival**
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of Derby Book Festival (the Trust) for the year ended 31 August 2025.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act').
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under Section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
## **Independent examiner's statement**
Since your charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a listed body. I can confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies.
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 130 of the Act; or
2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or
3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 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.
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.
Sean Douglass FCA (Senior statutory auditor)
Bates Weston LLP Chartered Accountants The Mills Canal Street Derby DE1 2RJ `25 June 2026` Date: .............................................
Page 4
**Derby Book Festival**
## **Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 August 2025**
|Unrestricted
fund
Notes
£
**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM**
Donations and legacies
2
118,955
Other trading activities
3
63,184
**Total**
182,139
**EXPENDITURE ON**
**Charitable activities**
4
Charitable activities
203,173
**NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)**
(21,034)
**RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS**
Total funds brought forward
73,135
**TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD**
52,101|Restricted
fund
£
71,826
-
71,826
62,565
9,261
25,601
34,862|2025
Total
funds
£
190,781
63,184
253,965
265,738
(11,773)
98,736
86,963|2024
Total
funds
£
199,554
48,136
247,690
199,143
48,547
50,189
98,736|
|---|---|---|---|
The notes form part of these financial statements
Page 5
## **Derby Book Festival**
## **Balance Sheet**
## **31 August 2025**
|Unrestricted
fund
Notes
£
**FIXED ASSETS**
Tangible assets
8
519
**CURRENT ASSETS**
Debtors
9
13,154
Cash at bank and in hand
63,454
76,608
**CREDITORS**
Amounts falling due within one year
10
(25,026)
**NET CURRENT ASSETS**
51,582
**TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT**
**LIABILITIES**
52,101
**NET ASSETS**
52,101
**FUNDS**
11
Unrestricted funds
Restricted funds
**TOTAL FUNDS**|Restricted
fund
£
-
-
34,862
34,862
-
34,862
34,862
34,862|2025
Total
funds
£
519
13,154
98,316
111,470
(25,026)
86,444
86,963
86,963
52,101
34,862
86,963|2024
Total
funds
£
163
9,889
109,808
119,697
(21,124)
98,573
98,736
98,736
73,135
25,601
98,736|
|---|---|---|---|
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 25/06/2026............................................. and were signed on its behalf by:
............................................. K A J McLay - Trustee
The notes form part of these financial statements
Page 6
**Derby Book Festival**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 August 2025**
## **1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES**
## **Basis of preparing the financial statements**
The financial statements of the charity, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) '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 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Charities Act 2011. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.
## **Going concern**
The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.
## **Income**
All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Donated services or facilities, which comprise donated services, are included in income at valuation which is an estimate of the financial cost borne by the donor where the cost is quantifiable and measurable.
## **Expenditure**
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
## **Tangible fixed assets**
Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.
|Fixtures and fittings|- 25% on cost|
|---|---|
|Computer equipment|- 25% on cost|
Individual fixed assets costing £500 or more are initially recorded at cost, less any subsequent accumulated depreciation and subsequent accumulated impairment losses.
## **Taxation**
The charity is exempt from tax on its charitable activities.
## **Fund accounting**
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.
Page 7
continued...
**Derby Book Festival**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 August 2025**
## **2. DONATIONS AND LEGACIES**
|Arts Council England
Festival Funds
Shared Reading
Sponsorship
Donations in kind
**3.**
**OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES**
Fundraising events
**4.**
**CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COSTS**
Charitable activities
Team costs and expenses
Event expenditure
Marketing
Engagement Projects - book awards
Office costs
Insurance
Books and Tote bags
Volunteer costs and training
Business planning and evaluation
**Total for 2025**
**Total for 2024**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
64,013
402
-
32,000
22,540
118,955||**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
-
-
71,826
-
-
71,826|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
-
-
71,826
-
-
71,826|**Total 2025**
**£**
64,013
402
71,826
32,000
22,540
190,781|**Total 2025**
**£**
64,013
402
71,826
32,000
22,540
190,781|**Total 2025**
**£**
64,013
402
71,826
32,000
22,540
190,781|**Total 2025**
**£**
64,013
402
71,826
32,000
22,540
190,781|**Total 2025**
**£**
64,013
402
71,826
32,000
22,540
190,781|**Total 2025**
**£**
64,013
402
71,826
32,000
22,540
190,781|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||||||||
|||||Direct
Costs
£
247,085|||2025
£
63,184
Support
costs (see
note 5)
£
18,653||||
||||**Unrestricted**
**funds**||||**Restricted**
**funds**|||**Total**
**funds**|
||||**£**
75,814
45,933
24,268
6,679
4,216
1,290
26,257
63
-
184,520
143,524||||**£**
57,196
1,315
2,982
-
390
-
-
577
105
62,565
43,417|||**£**
133,009
47,249
27,250
6,679
4,606
1,290
26,257
640
105
247,085
186,941|
Page 8
continued...
**Derby Book Festival**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 August 2025**
## **5. SUPPORT COSTS**
|Other governance costs
Accountancy
Independent examiner fees
Depreciation, amortisation and other similar costs
**Total for 2025**
**Total for 2024**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
10,400
6,898
1,020
335
18,653
12,202|**Total funds**
**£**
10,400
6,898
1,020
335
18,653
12,202|
|---|---|---|
## **6. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS**
There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 August 2025 nor for the year ended 31 August 2024.
## **Trustees' expenses**
There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 August 2025 nor for the year ended 31 August 2024.
## **7.**
|**COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES**
Unrestricted
fund
£
**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM**
Donations and legacies
130,536
Other trading activities
48,136
**Total**
178,672
**EXPENDITURE ON**
**Charitable activities**
Charitable activities
155,726
**NET INCOME**
22,946
**RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS**
Total funds brought forward
50,189
**TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD**
73,135|Restricted
fund
£
69,018
-
69,018
43,417
25,601
-
25,601|Total
funds
£
199,554
48,136
247,690
199,143
48,547
50,189
98,736|
|---|---|---|
Page 9
continued...
## **Derby Book Festival**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 August 2025**
## **8. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS**
|Fixtures
and
Computer
fittings
equipment
£
£
**COST**
At 1 September 2024
649
-
Additions
138
553
At 31 August 2025
787
553
**DEPRECIATION**
At 1 September 2024
486
-
Charge for year
197
138
At 31 August 2025
683
138
**NET BOOK VALUE**
At 31 August 2025
104
415
At 31 August 2024
163
-
**9.**
**DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR**
2025
£
Trade debtors
4,796
Other debtors
8,358
13,154
**10.**
**CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR**
2025
£
Trade creditors
5,583
Accruals and deferred income
19,443
25,026
**11.**
**MOVEMENT IN FUNDS**
Net
movement
At 1.9.24
in funds
£
£
**Unrestricted funds**
General fund
73,135
(21,034)
**Restricted funds**
Restricted fund
25,601
9,261
**TOTAL FUNDS**
98,736
(11,773)|Totals
£
649
691
1,340
486
335
821
519
163
2024
£
1,531
8,358
9,889
2024
£
2,331
18,793
21,124
At
31.8.25
£
52,101
34,862
86,963|
|---|---|
Page 10
continued...
## **Derby Book Festival**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 August 2025**
## **11. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued**
Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
|Incoming
resources
£
**Unrestricted funds**
General fund
182,139
**Restricted funds**
Restricted fund
71,826
**TOTAL FUNDS**
253,965
**Comparatives for movement in funds**
At 1.9.23
£
**Unrestricted funds**
General fund
50,189
**Restricted funds**
Restricted fund
-
**TOTAL FUNDS**
50,189
Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
Incoming
resources
£
**Unrestricted funds**
General fund
178,672
**Restricted funds**
Restricted fund
69,018
**TOTAL FUNDS**
247,690|Resources
Movement
expended
in funds
£
£
(203,173)
(21,034)
(62,565)
9,261
(265,738)
(11,773)
Net
movement
At
in funds
31.8.24
£
£
22,946
73,135
25,601
25,601
48,547
98,736
Resources
Movement
expended
in funds
£
£
(155,726)
22,946
(43,417)
25,601
(199,143)
48,547|
|---|---|
Page 11
continued...
**Derby Book Festival**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 August 2025**
## **11. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued**
A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined position is as follows:
|**Unrestricted funds**
General fund
**Restricted funds**
Restricted fund
**TOTAL FUNDS**|Net
movement
At 1.9.23
in funds
£
£
50,189
1,912
-
34,862
50,189
36,774|At
31.8.25
£
52,101
34,862
86,963|
|---|---|---|
A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
|**Unrestricted funds**
General fund
**Restricted funds**
Restricted fund
**TOTAL FUNDS**|Incoming
resources
£
360,811
140,844
501,655|Resources
Movement
expended
in funds
£
£
(358,899)
1,912
(105,982)
34,862
(464,881)
36,774|
|---|---|---|
The general funds do not have any restrictions or conditions on their use and can be spent at the discretion of the trustees to further any of the charity's purposes.
The restricted funds relate to grant funding received from The National Lottery Community Fund to support Derby Book Festival's Shared Reading programme. The purpose of the funding is to develop and deliver Shared Reading groups across Derby, using literature to support wellbeing, connection and access to reading within community, health and other partner settings. The funds support the coordination, delivery, volunteer involvement, partnership work and associated programme costs required to run and grow the project.
## **12. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES**
There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 August 2025.
Page 12
continued...
**Derby Book Festival**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 August 2025**
## **13. LEGAL STATUS OF THE CHARITY**
The charity is a charitable incorporated organisation. In the event of the charity being wound up, members have no liability to contribute to its assets and no personal liability for settling debts and liabilities.
Page 13