REGISTERED COMPANY NO: 03925616 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NO: 1167455
## REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND
UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE
## YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
## FOR
## SOMERSET ART WORKS
**Somerset Art Works Register Charity No: 1167455**
## CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
For the year ended 31 March 2025
||Page|
|---|---|
|Company Information|1|
|Report of the Trustees|2|
|Independent Examiner’s Report|7|
|Statement of Financial Activities|8|
|Balance Sheet|9|
|Notes to the Financial Statements|10|
**Somerset Art Works Register Charity No: 1167455**
**COMPANY INFORMATION For the year ended 31 March 2025**
**DIRECTORS:**
P Dixon J Ollis (Co-chair) D Bridge F Yianni (Co-chair) B Sterling FL Campbell DHP Nguyen
**SECRETARY:** K Winchcombe **HONARARY TREASURER** : J P Rata
**REGISTERED OFFICE:** Town Hall Buildings Bow Street Langport Somerset TA10 9QR **REGISTERED NUMBER:** 03925616 (England and Wales)
**INDEPENDENT EXAMINER** : GS Verde Tax & Accountants Ltd The Maltings East Tyndall Street Cardiff United Kingdom CF24 5EA
Page 1
## **Somerset Art Works**
**Register Charity No: 1167455**
## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES**
## **For year ended 31 March 2025**
The trustees, who are also directors of the charity for the purpose of the Companies Act 2006, present their report together with the financial statements for the year to 31[st] March 2025. The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006, the Memorandum and Articles of Association and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 102.
## **PRINCIPAL ACTIVITY**
The principal activity of the company in the period under review was that of promotion of Somerset Art and Artists.
As in previous years, the company’s activities have been presented under two headings, Core Activities and Artistic Projects.
## **Core Activities**
The company’s core activities are membership, the annual Art Weeks festival and administrative support for artistic projects. It is the board’s intention to realise a surplus from these activities to increase the company’s reserves. For this year, a deficit of £261 has been recognised (2024: £5,627).
## **Artistic Projects**
Our Artistic Projects, which are for the benefit of members and the community generally, are all the subject of detailed agreement with their funders. Monies are normally received from funders in advance of the actual expenditure. The unspent money is included in the balance sheet at 31 March 2025 as creditors, namely £117,748 (2024: £112,358).
## **Objectives and Activities**
The charity’s objects as set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association are:
To advance education for the public benefit in Somerset in the fields of visual arts including collaborations with other art form in particular but not limited to:
- a) placement and bursary opportunities for emerging artists
- b) running educational workshops and participatory events to involve new audiences; and
- c) other such activities as the trustees see fit from time to time to furtherance of the stated objects
## **Public Benefit**
In working towards the company’s charitable objectives, the trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit, including the guidance on The Advancement of Education for the Public Benefit. Our community projects and learning programme are at the heart of our public benefit provision.
## **Equality and Diversity**
The organisation believes that diversity is about recognition and valuing of difference in the broadest sense and recognises that people with different backgrounds, skills, cultures, and experiences bring fresh ideas and perceptions that benefit the organisation and all of its stakeholders.
Our Equality and Diversity Policy and Action Plan shows how we are working to remove barriers to our programmes and encourage and embed diversity across all areas of the organisations activities.
With learning and participation at the core of its charitable aims, The Business Plan provides the framework within which the strategies are employed to achieve he aims and objectives:
- To invest in artistic excellence by making professional development for artists an integral part of all our work, promoting imagination and risk in presenting the arts.
Page 2
## **Somerset Art Works**
## **Register Charity No: 1167455**
- To engage with people of every age and ability within our communities and enrich their appreciation of the arts through participation and learning new skills.
- To continue to grow and embed learning throughout all our activities.
- To enhance the artistic, cultural, and economic benefits for artists as well as their communities.
Our programme revolves around four strands:
1. Professional Development – Developing opportunities for artists and their CPD
2. Public Engagement – Promoting accessibility and excellence in the visual arts.
3. Education – Continue to grow and embed learning throughout all our activities.
4. Art Weeks: Festival (artist led exhibitions, activities, and events) and Somerset Open Studios – Delivering the annual programme celebrating Art is for Everyone.
## **Review of activities and developments in the year**
## **The impact of the programme:**
Participation in our programme will support the following: Developing knowledge and understanding of the visual arts Personal progression and achievement Engaging communities and families in life-wide and school learning Developing life skills and confidence Building emotional well-being
## **Reserves**
The board believes that a prudent level of reserves is always necessary to enable the charity to meet its statutory obligations and especially in the event if short-term cash flow problems or closure of the charity. The board currently review quarterly the amount of reserves that are required to ensure that they are adequate to fulfil our continuing obligations.
Our reserves position:
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Current Year Previous Year % Increase /
31 March 2025 31 March 2024 (Decrease)
Unrestricted Funds (Reserves)
Employee Commitment Fund (to cover unforeseen 9,000 9,000
employment costs)
Building Contingency Fund (to cover costs related to 4,000 4,000
premises e.g., tenancy)
Development Fund (to enable company to respond to 5,000 5,000
opportunities that are not included in budgets)
A Capital Equipment Fund (computers / technical 2,000 2,000
equipment)
A General Reserve (four to six months operating 38,544 38,776 (0.60%)
costs to cover eventualities, such as short-term cash
flow problems, sudden loss of funding)
- -
Restricted / Designated Funds
Total Funds 58,544 58,776 (0.40%)
**----- End of picture text -----**
Page 3
**Somerset Art Works**
**Register Charity No: 1167455**
## **CO-CHAIR’S Report 2024/25**
SAW created outstanding visual arts for our communities, members and audiences in 2024 thanks to our patrons which gave the essential funds we needed. We are actively looking for new patrons and inventive ideas to keep our funds flowing as we continue to cut through the challenges of national cutbacks, this is now the second year of our new 2023-26 NPO funding from Arts Council England. We are so grateful for this endorsement, it is of course due to the work of our trustees, dynamic team and our valued members that contributed to us achieving government approval to continue our work. We maintained a fit financial state, thanks to the hard work of our director Carol Carey and her team.
SAW Festival delivered outstanding biennial opportunities for SAW members, delighting audiences with our theme Landscape: Flux and Flow, we opened for 16 days with collaborative exhibitions that held the climate crisis, and changes to our local landscape, at their core. We focused on developing intimacy with nature and our local environments. 100 venues took part, with 37109 recorded visits across the two-week event. 25,000 guides were distributed across the county and the SAW app was opened 2456 times across IOS and Android, as well as our Somerset Art Weeks Family Friendly Weekends during the festival.
Our Commitment was to place Art at the Heart of Somerset and celebrate the quality, range and accessibility of the visual arts and to sensitively look to where the need was in our county. We worked with a wide range of arts and non-art partners, providing opportunities for artists to extend their professional practice via research residencies, commissions and bursaries, to develop new audiences for the visual arts in Somerset, and to engage communities that may have little contact with the arts.
We were proud of our Support and Development of artists. We counted 450 artists, groups and organisation members who benefit from opportunities to take part in Somerset Festival. The Education and learning throughout all our activities enabled professional artists to work with schools and communities. Our learning programme provided opportunities for participants of all ages to deepen their knowledge, understanding and enjoyment of art, to raise expectations, develop personal creativity, and learn new skills. Our Community and Commissions, Quiet Places: The Online Art Group completed its second year with 133 members, meeting twice a month for creative sessions streamed live on Facebook. We welcomed four facilitating Artists this year: Painter Alison Jacobs, Ceramicist and Printmaker Sally Wetherall, Textile Artist Gary Mills and Illustrator Gemma Dunnell. Excitingly, thanks to Somerset Community Foundation, we have recently secured funding to continue developing the group through 2025. Her Ground was held over the summer of 2024, Somerset Art Works commissioned artist Lucy Oates to engage with the communities of North Taunton to establish how their local parks could become safer and more welcoming spaces for women, girls and anyone who identifies as female. Spinning a Yarn was a magnificent exhibition which worked in partnership with the South West Heritage Trust, focused on the celebration of British wool, the farmers who produce it, and the artisans who use the material to create beautifully sustainable textiles. The project included a large-scale statuesque installation by Nicola Turner, film Installation by Trevor Pitt, and a community exhibition at the Somerset Rural Life Museum. A programme of ‘Take Part’ workshops and events took place, with artists Luan MacDonald, Jade Ogden, Lydia Needle, Nina Grown-Lewis, Gary Mills, Sue Green and Sally Light, inspiring a wide range of participants to engage with and learn about the rich heritage of wool in Somerset. Workshops took place with migrant and refugee women learning English as an additional language, with schools, families and library visitors around the county. Trevor Pitt’s Somerset Yarning film (filmed by Hannal Earl) will be touring Somerset through 2025. Ash Barrow developed a project with artist Lotte Scott and was commissioned by Somerset Art Works in partnership with Mendip Hills National Landscape to create a public artwork for Deer Leap, near Wells. The tree was installed in a stone barn, and was exhibited as part of the Somerset Art Weeks Festival 2024. Our Together Events saw Somerset Art Works take part in Bridgwater, Yeovil, Taunton, Wellington and Chard Together Events in 2024. Organised by Somerset Diverse Communities and community partners, the aim was to help break down barriers around ethnicity, race and culture, showcasing the positive contributions of Somerset’s diverse communities. Ati Etesami was awarded our Diverse artist bursary to complete a commission to showcase at the Bridgwater Together event. Our Diversity Forum held at the end of February 2024, welcomed an inspiring group of contributors and participants to the Diversity Forum Somerset to join interesting and thought-provoking conversations about Neurodiversity and Creativity. Facilitated by SAW and our colleagues at Take Art and Somerset Film, the Arts and Culture Diversity Forum Somerset champions diversity and equality in the arts.
Page 4
## **Somerset Art Works**
## **Register Charity No: 1167455**
Our Artist Support and Development program, Creative Pathways, saw the appointment of three artists, Louis Neale, Megan Willoughby and Elaoise Benson, and they too became a part of the festival in 2024. The Micro-commissions in 2024 comprised Zoe Snape, Sally Wetherall, Anna Baker and Elizabeth Woodger. The commission supported the artists to consider how they connect with audiences, find new approaches and challenges, explore the boundaries of and develop their artistic practice. Finally, our Pair Up in 2024, witnessed Artists and Somerset Art Works Members Pauline Lerry, Sian Martin and Leslie Roberts receiving the Pair Up Bursary to support collaboration, resource sharing and exchanging skills. The collective exhibited at Black Swan Arts, Frome during the Somerset Art Weeks Festival 2024.
Our Environmental Responsibility and SAW Sustainable is a framework to ensure environmental responsibility is considered, implemented and maintained across all areas of planning and delivery. Somerset Art Works is a beacon for both good practice in sustainable arts activity, and helping to drive the changes necessary to protect our ecosystems and safeguard our environmental future. We continued to work towards diversifying the artists and public that we work with, whilst nurturing cultural development within the county and beyond. Our members and the communities of Somerset are paramount to us and we will endeavour to deliver inspiring and nurturing visual arts within our county and reach out to an international audience to invigorate our work. Thank you to our members artists, organisations, partners, staff, funders and our community who make Somerset Arts Works grow and thrive. We thank our Trustees again for their dedicated governance and in 2024. We will continue to promote our commitment to inclusion and anti-racism in all our work. We are working to an equalities action plan and as a board we review this document quarterly. We are passionate about increasing the visibility of our ethnic groups, and exercise diversity, whilst nurturing cultural development within the county and beyond. Our members and the communities of Somerset are paramount to us and we will endeavour to enhance lives with the vehicle of the visual arts within our county and reach out to an international audience to invigorate Somerset Arts Works to keep thriving - proving Somerset is a place where people can engage with excellent visual art that inspires.
Jan Ollis and Freeny Yianni
SAW Co-chairs
Page 5
## **Somerset Art Works**
**Register Charity No: 1167455**
## **DIRECTORS**
The Directors show below have, unless stated, held office during the whole period from 1 April 2024 to the date of this report:
J Ollis D Bridge resigned 28 November 2024 P Dixon F Yianni B Sterling FL Campbell DHP Nguyen
## **COMPANY STATUS**
The Company is limited by guarantee, has no share capital and is a non-profit making organisation.
This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part XV of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
## **ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD**
…Fr…eeny Hammick (Dec 13, 2025 13:26:58 GMT)…………………………….. Freeny Yianni – Co-chair
13/12/2025 Date……………………………...
Page 6
**Somerset Art Works**
**Register Charity No: 1167455**
## **Independent Examiner’s Report of the Trustees of Somerset Art Works**
I report on the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 as set out on pages 5 to 10.
## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner**
The trustees (who are also the directors for the purpose of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for the period under review (under section 114(2)) of the Charities Act 2011 and that an independent examination is required.
Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:
examine the accounts under Section 145 of the 2011 Act;
to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charities Commission (under Section145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## **Basis of the independent examiner’s report**
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charities Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items of disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statements below.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
1. which gives me cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements
to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006; and
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records, comply with the accounting requirements of Section 394 and 395 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice; Accounting and Reporting by Charities (revised 2015)
have not been met; or
2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
## /
Richard Bailey MAAT GS Verde Tax & Accountants Ltd The Mezzanine 1 The Square Temple Quay Bristol BS1 6DG 15/12/2025 Date……………………
Page 7
## **Somerset Art Works**
**Register Charity No: 1167455**
## **Statement of Financial Activities For year ended 31 March 2025**
|**Income:**
Donations and legacies
Charitable activities
Investment income
**Total income:**
**Expenditure:**
Cost of raising funds
Charitable activities
**Total expenditure**
**Net income/(expenditure)**
**Reconciliation of funds**
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
£
-
133,494
2,458
135,952
136,184
-
136,184
(232)
58,776
**58,544**|**Year ended**
**31 March 2025**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
£
-
51,058
-
51,058
-
51,058
51,058
-
-
**-**|**Total**
**Funds**
£
**-**
**184,552**
**2,458**
**187,010**
**136,184**
**51,058**
**187,242**
**(232)**
**58,776**
**58,544**|**Year ended**
**31 March 2024**
**Total**
**Funds**
£
-
185,911
2,603|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||188,514
149,011
33,832|
|||||182,843|
|||||5,627
53,149
**58,776**|
Page 8
**Somerset Art Works**
**Register Charity No: 1167455**
## **BALANCE SHEET At 31 March 2025**
|Notes
**FIXED ASSETS**
Tangible assets
7
**CURRENT ASSETS**
Debtors and prepayments
8
Cash at bank and in hand
**TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS**
**CREDITORS**
Amounts falling due within one year
9
**NET CURRENT ASSETS**
**TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES**
**RESERVES**
Funds held at 31 March 2024
10
Surplus / Deficit for the year
Expenditure allocated to future
projects
At 31 March 2025|31 March 2025
£
£
581
270
216,963
217,232
159,269
57,963
**58,544**
58,776
(232)
-
**58,544**|31 March 2024
£
£
133
6,416
172,678
179,094
120,452
58,643
**58,776**
53,149
5,627
-
**58,776**|31 March 2024
£
£
133
6,416
172,678
179,094
120,452
58,643
**58,776**
53,149
5,627
-
**58,776**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**58,776**|
||||53,149
5,627
-
**58,776**|
The Company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2025.
The members have not required the Company to obtain an audit of the financial statements for the period ended 31 March 2025 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The Directors acknowledge their responsibilities for:
- a) ensuring that the company keeps accounting records which comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and
- b) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company as at the end of each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the company.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors on …………………… and signed on its behalf by:
J Ollis – Co-chair
F Yianni – Co-chair
Freeny Hammick (Dec 13, 2025 13:26:58 GMT)
Janet…… ~~…~~ Ollis (Dec 13, 2025 15:34:39 GMT)…………………
~~…~~ ……………………
Page 9
**Somerset Art Works**
**Register Charity No: 1167455**
**NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## 1. **ACCOUNTING POLICIES**
## **Accounting convention**
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) (effective 1 January 2019) – Charities SORP (FRS 102), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.
## **Basis of Preparation**
Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy notes.
## **Tangible fixed assets**
Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.
Fixtures, Fittings & Equipment 25% on reducing balance
## 2. **FUNDS SURPLUS / (DEFICIT)**
|The surplus / (deficit) is stated after charging:
Depreciation – owned assets
Directors’ emoluments and other benefits|31 March
2025
31 March
2024
£
£
92
44
-
-|
|---|---|
## 3. **INVESTMENT INCOME**
All the charity’s investment income arises from money held in interest bearing deposit accounts.
## 4. **TAXATION**
The charity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within section 256 of the Taxes Act 1988 or section 252 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects.
## 5. **TRUSTEES’ REMUNERATION AND EXPENSES**
There were no payments to trustees during the year. No trustee or other person related to the charity had any personal interest in any contract or transaction entered by the charity during the year.
Page 10
**Somerset Art Works**
**Register Charity No: 1167455**
**NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – continued For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## 6. **ANALYSIS OF STAFF COSTS**
The average number of persons employed by the charity during the period was as follows:
||2025|2024|
|---|---|---|
|Full time employees|-|-|
|Part time employees|4|3|
|**ANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS**|||
|||Plant and machinery|
|||£|
|**COST**|||
|At 31 March 2024||8,677|
|Additions||540|
|||______|
|At March 2025|||
|||9,217|
|||______|
|**DEPRECIATION**|||
|At 31 March 2024||8,544|
|Charge for year||92|
|||_______|
|At 31 March 2025||8,636|
|||_______|
|**NET BOOK VALUE**|||
|At 31 March 2025||581|
|||_______|
|At 31 March 2024||133|
|||_______|
## 7. **TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS**
8. **DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR**
||At 31 March|At 31March|
|---|---|---|
||2025|2024|
||£|£|
|Trade debtors|-|6,160|
|Other debtors|-|-|
|Prepayments and accrued income|270|256|
||_________|________|
||270|6,416|
||_________|________|
Page 11
**Somerset Art Works**
**Register Charity No: 1167455**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – continued For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## 9. **CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR**
|||At 31 March|At 31 March|
|---|---|---|---|
|||2025|2024|
|||£|£|
||Creditors and accruals|4,133|3,274|
||Core activities income received in advance|37,388|4,820|
||Artistic project income received in advance|117,748|112,358|
|||________|________|
|||159,269|120,452|
|||________|________|
|10.|**RESERVES**|||
||||Income & expenditure|
||||account|
||||£|
||As at 31 March 2024||58,776|
||Surplus / (deficit) for the period||(232)|
||||_______|
||As at 31 March 2025|||
||||58,544|
||||_______|
## 11. **RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS**
During the year, JP Rata Ltd, a company owned by Jonathan Rata the charity's Honorary Treasurer, provided bookkeeping services to Somerset Art Works for which fees were paid on an arm's length basis of £6,368 (2024: £6,293).
During the year, Fiona Campbell who is a director and trustee of Somerset Art Works, provided services, which have been included within Charitable activities - Project Expenses, for which fees were paid on an arm's length basis of £310 (2024: £250).
Page 12