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2023-03-31-accounts

Charitable Incorporated Organisation Registered Charity Number 1161020

THE ATKINSON

DEVELOPMENT TRUST

Improving local people’s lives through art and heritage

Self portrait by Chila Burman.

Acquired by The Atkinson in August 2022 for £7,345 and fully funded by TADT

Trustees’ Annual Report 2022-23

The Atkinson Development Trust

Trustees’ Annual Report

for the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023

Reference and Administrative Details

Charity name: The Atkinson Development Trust

Registered charity number: 1161020

Principal address: The Atkinson Lord Street Southport MERSEYSIDE PR8 1DB

Trustees:

Lindsey Holding (Chair) Ian Bryden (Treasurer) Stephen Whittle (Designated Representative, The Atkinson) Emma Harrison (Designated Representative, The Atkinson) Laura Bell Helen Birnbaum Jennifer Cope Margaret Jolley Gemma Grady-Hill Dom Potter Alice Clark

Executive Summary

2022/23 continued to be a period of recovery post the Covid-19 pandemic, but good progress was made in re-establishing donation incomes and activities. We also took the opportunity to introduce further processes into the Trust, especially in the area of Projects associated with the exhibitions at The Atkinson.

Meetings continue to switch between in person and via Zoom, which is considered to be a good overall formula. We are still struggling to become an executive Board that can deliver prompt and effective results. There are options for us to co-opt required skills and for us to develop a body of volunteer ‘members’ in order to provide extra resources for the Board, but this hasn’t yet been actioned in order to lighten the load of Trustees and to allow them to be more effective.

The Wellbeing Choir continues to be successful under a paid model with up to 50 members during the year and several public engagements. They also entertained visitors to our ‘Arty Party’. Sadly, as a result of restrictions on theatre capacity early post Covid, there weren’t any opportunities to support activities via our Social Inclusion fund.

During this period we were able to support the launch of the Ganzflicker event which gained much publicity locally and were delighted to be able to fund the purchase of an exciting piece of art from Chila Burman who has links to the south of our operating area.

Membership continued to re-cover and, whilst we have a way to go in terms of engagement with our members, numbers have improved and levels of renewal have been pleasing. Income through Memberships for the year was £2,571; a significant increase upon the previous year. Unfortunately HMRC won’t permit us to claim Gift Aid on Membership as a result of the nature of benefits offered to Members.

Fundraising activities brought in £1,139.65 via cash donations and £3,778.87 through donations made when booking tickets for events in the Studio and Theatre. We were able to claim £1,038.31 in Gift Aid on the previous year’s donations income.

Over all this has been a year of progress, with much work being done to strengthen the Board, and to equip us to be more effective going forward.

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Who we are

The Atkinson Development Trust (TADT) is a small charity run by a committed Board of skilled volunteers and a part-time paid Administrator, and who all have a shared love of The Atkinson and Sefton.

We believe in the transformative power of art and that communities thrive best when they have civic pride, a sense of place and a feeling of connection and heritage within a community. The Atkinson Development Trust was established to help The Atkinson use its collections and building to make a positive impact on local people’s lives and to tell Sefton’s stories.

The Atkinson is the council-owned arts centre in the heart of Southport, which serves the whole borough of Sefton. The Atkinson is home to free-to-access galleries, museum and Southport’s main library, plus a main fixed-seating theatre and smaller flexible seating Studio used for ticketed events spanning all types of performing arts, talks and film. Added to this there is a gift shop as well as a social enterprise café which is run by Autism Initiatives.

What we do

The Trust was set up to work in partnership with The Atkinson. We raise money from individuals, businesses and funding bodies in order to support The Atkinson to use its heritage and art collections to connect with people.

Our purpose is to:

Our main focus is social impact: we have particular interest in supporting projects which benefit the wellbeing of more disadvantaged and under-represented people in our local communities. For example, children in areas of economic deprivation, disabled people and their families, or older people at risk of loneliness and isolation. We also want to continue to positively steward our members and supporters to continue their enjoyment and affection for The Atkinson.

More broadly, our work aims to connect people with local stories and improve access to the collections and the building. We support conservation and acquisitions when this enables new stories to be shared with the public, or unlocks new engagement projects.

We work supportively with The Atkinson to expand and enhance their work. We do not work directly with beneficiaries, and we do not influence the programming or running of the venue. The Trust operates within Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council (Sefton MBC) , which is in Merseyside. Our work is primarily aimed at, but not limited to, those within the administrative

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area of Sefton Council and is concerned with the arts, cultural and heritage managed by Sefton MBC with a particular focus on The Atkinson.

Our ability to step outside the funding and strategic restrictions associated with the public sector means we are able to apply for different funding and open conversations with potential donors which a Council-run service would struggle to have. It has also allowed us to maximise public donations by claiming Gift Aid where possible.

Our aims

Statutory declaration: The Trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance when exercising any powers or duties to which the guidance is relevant.

Format and function of the Trust

Structure

The Atkinson Development Trust (TADT) is a charitable incorporated organisation which was registered as a charity with the Charity Commission on 23 March 2015.

The Trust is governed by a Board who are Trustees of the charity. TADT supports equal opportunities, and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, gender, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age. Within those guidelines, prospective Trustees are targeted according to the skills needed by the Board. After recruitment and vetting, Trustees are appointed by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the Trustees. All Trustees are briefed on their responsibilities as Trustees prior to their acceptance of the role. They have individual and collective responsibility for the management of the charity and its funds.

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Governance

Governance of the Trust remained robust during the course of 2022-23. The following Trustee was appointed to the Board:

● Margaret Jolley, appointed 21st July 2022

Margaret has worked for many years at The Atkinson and brings important skills to Membership.

The following Trustees ceased to be members of the Board:

● Councillor Janet Grace (Resigned 19th October 2022)

Our Chair, Jo Kay, decided to step down at the end of the financial year, and Lindsey Holding was elected as Chair for the coming year.

The Trustees hold meetings every 4-6 weeks to discuss ideas and make decisions.

Day-to-day running of the Trust is delegated to the Administrator, with strategic steer from The Chair and all financial transactions are overseen by the Treasurer.

Management

It is the Trustees’ duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity might be exposed, and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error.

The Trustees actively review the risks which the charity faces on a regular basis through regular meetings of the Trustees which cover operational and financial reviews.

We have one employee - a paid, part-time freelance Administrator. The Administrator has no access to the bank accounts or authority for authorising any payments,

Our Data Manager controls access to all data covered by GDPR.

Trustees regularly examine other risks that may become applicable as new situations arise, and develop policies and procedures to mitigate those risks.

Overview of Activities in 2021/22

Charitable Activities

During 2022/23, the Trust’s primary focus was upon The Wellbeing Choir and Subsidised Tickets for Underrepresented Groups.

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The Atkinson Wellbeing Choir

The Wellbeing Choir, despite now being primarily self-funded, went from strength to strength throughout 2022/23, and was attended by up to 50 people each week.

Under the self-funding model the Choir only required a further £400 funding before gaining full financial dependency. We have £1,202.99 remaining in the budget and there is currently debate about whether we should launch a second choir or whether the residual funds should be surrendered into the general fund.

As well as weekly rehearsals at The Atkinson, the Choir performed at:

2022/3 Venue
10th August Hesketh Park Lodge, Southport
20th August Southport Flower Show
14th October Southport Music Festival - Greenbank High
School
19th November The Atkinson Members Christmas Event
20th November Botanic Gardens Xmas Fete
27th November Birkdale Christmas light switch on
1st December Trustees at Atkinson
12th December Galloways for the blind
20th December Vincent Convent
22nd February Cornerstones for Brighter Connections,
Marshside

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Social Inclusion Tickets

The Atkinson was delighted to be able to host its Christmas pantomime again in December 2022 after the impacts of Covid on its performance the previous few years.

Previously the Trust, on the guidance of The Atkinson, had focused its subsidised tickets scheme on local primary schools. However, in 2022/23 capacity limitations meant that it wasn’t possible to accommodate

school parties. As a result, when The Atkinson was approached by a member social services to request free tickets for Looked After Children and their carers, The Trust made the decision to reallocate some of the funding to provide these tickets for free to referred families.

In total three groups, Ukrainian Families, Talbot Street Wellbeing Centre and Foster Carers were offered tickets. Unfortunately, the performance which they attended was interrupted by an emergency evacuation procedure and could not continue. This resulted in the Trust being refunded for the tickets purchased.

This change in beneficiary led to a broader discussion after which it was decided in October 2022 that Free Tickets For Schools would become Social Inclusion Tickets, which broadened out the categories that could be funded by the residue of £3,230.50.

Ganzflicker Event

The Ganzflicker event ran from 11th to 19th November 2022.

Ganzflicker is a way of inducing hallucinations by looking at a flickering image. The exhibition allowed visitors to experience the

Ganzflicker imagery in several different ways, including on screen, through mechanical interactives and ‘hypnobuckets’.

The Board agreed to fund £100 for the launch event, including drinks and signage.

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Acquisitions and Restorations

In August the Trust donated £7,345 to The Atkinson. This was used to purchase a piece of art, a self portrait by Chila Burman.

B orn in Liverpool, Chila Kumari Singh Burman describes herself as a ‘Punjabi Liverpudlian’ who likes to combine her Indian roots with popular culture. Punjab is a region in the north of India. She has been described as a South Asian pop artist.

She creates art that is fun but also makes you think. She likes using unexpected styles and techniques to create her masterpieces. She loves the energy of different colours. Her work includes collage, printmaking and video. You could say that she’s a ‘mixed media’ or a ‘multimedia’ artist.

Fundraising Activities

Donations

Funds are raised primarily through donations via The Atkinson’s ticketing system, where customers can add a donation to their ticket purchase. There are also cash collecting boxes within the building, and towards year end these have been supplemented with a contactless donation unit, sited in the foyer. Contactless income to date has been disappointing, and work is in hand to find a suitable location that can garner more donations.

The Board has introduced a Project Team process which allows us to better identify funding opportunities. Where a project is approved by the Board a Trustee is appointed to raise the required amount from donor bodies, both local and national.

Membership

At the end of the financial year, 2 years after the membership was relaunched, we have 102 members, bringing in a total membership income of £2,571. This is an increase of £1,036 on the previous year, with a 17.6% renewal rate. As membership numbers grow, it is increasingly becoming a significant source of income for the Trust.

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In order to help steward our existing members and to attract new ones, in December 2022 the Trust hosted its first Members event, an Arty Party for members and their guests.

Attendees were welcomed in the foyer by The Atkinson Wellbeing Choir and were able to browse an artisan craft fair made up of local makers.

Upstairs they were entertained by a string band while they enjoyed a private tour of The Atkinson’s gallery spaces, and heard talks from members of The Atkinson and the Trust.

In most aspects the event was considered a success. Everything went to plan, numbers attending were good, refreshments worked well, and guests enjoyed the event. However, very few members attended, and it was necessary to bolster numbers from outside the membership.

We need to understand what type of event will best motivate members to attend, and to bring potential new members before we plan to repeat the event.

AmazonSmile

Throughout 2022/23, The Atkinson remained part of AmazonSmile and received a total of £43.49 in donations.

Adopt A Teddy

Progress on this project continued to be slow in 2022/23, mainly due to a lack of resources within The Atkinson to facilitate the project. However, by the end of this reporting period the project was gaining some momentum and should launch in 2023/24.

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Unrestricted funds

Cash donations via the collecting boxes provided £1,139.65, donations for events raised £3,778.87, and donations via newly installed contactless collection plates was £54.10 after commission. Revenue from the Trust’s relaunched membership scheme reached £2,571.00.

Restricted Funds

We received £3000 from the Finnis Scott Foundation which is reserved for the Eternal Summer Exhibition which is scheduled for May to November 2024.

Gift Aid

We were able to claim £1,038.31 in Gift Aid for donations during the period 2021 to 2022. We were pleased to receive some sizable donations through The Atkinson’s booking system and there was a further boost from donations received from our choir members.

Awareness-Raising Activities

Membership was promoted via The Atkinson’s digital marketing channels, including social media, e-newsletter, website plus in-house digital screens. When print could be re-introduced, A5 leaflets were produced and placed in key pick-up points throughout the building. The Arty Party membership event, discussed above, was the main in-person awareness- raising event activity.

The Trust also agreed to put together an information board to be placed on the ground floor of The Atkinson between the cafe and the Library. This board will enable the Trust to have a permanent space to promote itself and encourage support from visitors. The Marketing and PR subgroup led on this project, and it should be in place during the next financial year.

Board Recruitment and Organisational Development

2022/23 has been another year of change for the Board. Following a comprehensive recruitment drive in 2021/22, the Trust started this financial year with 11 Trustees. This rose to 12 with Margaret Jolley joining as a Trustee in July 2022.

In December, Cllr Janet Grace announced her resignation after 6 years as a Trustee and in January 2023 our longstanding Chair Jo Kay made the decision to step down from the role, although to remain as a Trustee for the time being. To help ease the recruitment of a new Chair and to help with the transition Jo remained in the role until the end of the financial year.

Trustee Nathan Marsh had been unable to attend 6 meetings and hadn’t sent any apologies. The Board made every attempt to contact him but in February, in line with our constitution, we reluctantly removed him as a Trustee. A recorded letter was sent to his last known address.

Our last meeting of the year was focused on strategy, and this helped us to focus upon how the Trust could develop to best utilise the skills within the Board. It was expected that these ideas would be properly developed through the coming financial year.

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Financial Review

Situation at year end

The total incoming resources for the year amounted to £12,687.43.

The total expenditure in the year amounted to £11,515.35.

Cash funds last year end: £35,973.33.

Cash funds this year end: £37,145.41.

Reserves policy

In 2016, the Trustees agreed a policy of holding reserves of unrestricted funds of a minimum of £10,000. The Trust holds reserves in order that it can continue to achieve its objectives should there be a reduction in incoming resources, such as experienced during the pandemic. However, continuing careful management has meant that we haven’t had to use any of the reserve.

Reserves in this context mean funds that are freely available for the Trust's general purposes after all commitments have been met.

As at 31 March 2023 the Trust had remaining unrestricted funds (after reserves) of £14,487.43.

At year end The Trust feels that we have managed our residual funds effectively during the Pandemic crisis. We have provisions of £12,657.98 in place to cover previously planned activities and have a reserve of £10,000. The remaining £14,487.43 is not a large sum but is expected to grow with a full programme of activities at The Atkinson. It is expected that Memberships will continue to grow as people engage with The Atkinson.

Vat Validation

In line with our responsibilities as a charitable body, all payees have been checked to confirm that, where applicable, they are properly registered for VAT.

Declaration

The Trustees declare that they approve the Trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of The Atkinson Development Trust’s Trustees:

Signature:.……………………………………………….……………………….…

Name: Lindsey Holding, Chair of The Atkinson Development Trust

Date: 28 September 2023

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