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← Milkandlead Art Gallery

2024-10-31-accounts

TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT | 2023-24 Financial Period: 1 November 2023 – 31 October 2024 Charity Number: 1167857 MILKandLEAD Art Gallery

Introduction

We, the Trustees of MILKandLEAD Art Gallery, submit this Annual Report for the financial period 1 November 2023 to 31 October 2024. This year marked a significant pause in our public-facing activities, due to the continued impact of financial constraints following the pandemic. While our vision and mission remain firmly rooted in artistic exploration and cultural engagement, the absence of funds has prevented us from realising our programme of exhibitions and community offerings during this period.

Our Mission

MILKandLEAD Art Gallery exists to champion contemporary artistic voices and foster meaningful public engagement with the arts. We have always prioritised sensory-rich, inclusive, and socially engaged exhibitions that invite audiences to experience art as an embodied and thought-provoking encounter. Although this year did not allow us to carry forward public programmes, our mission endures and we remain committed to preserving a space for radical creativity, emerging perspectives, and cultural dialogue.

Strategic Aims and Core Values

Despite the suspension of activities, we continue to be guided by the core values that define MILKandLEAD’s purpose:

These values have informed our internal reflection this year and shaped our emerging strategic focus on sustainability and reactivation.

Charitable Activities: Status and Suspension

Due to the absence of financial resources, MILKandLEAD was unable to carry out its core charitable activities during this reporting period. This included the suspension of:

This decision was not taken lightly. However, given the lack of secured funding, we could not responsibly commit to programming that would risk further financial instability.

While public-facing activities were paused, Trustees and collaborators engaged in behind-the-scenes discussions to reassess operational capacity and explore future possibilities for reactivation.

Financial Overview

The absence of income reflects the lack of available grants, public donations, and event-based revenue. Expenditure remained zero as a result of our decision to halt programme activity. No salaries, professional fees, or rent were disbursed. The gallery operated on a purely dormant basis, with no liabilities incurred.

Fundraising and Financial Challenges

The charity continues to be impacted by the prolonged post-COVID downturn in the arts sector. During this reporting year:

Despite these challenges, we explored alternative funding avenues, including online platforms and new grant schemes. These efforts did not materialise in time to activate the year’s programme, but they will inform future applications and campaigns.

Support and Resilience

We remain deeply grateful to our community of artists, volunteers, trustees, and supporters, who continue to believe in the value of MILKandLEAD’s mission. Their encouragement, feedback, and solidarity have kept our vision alive during this dormant phase.

Looking Ahead

We are also exploring collaborative models that would allow us to share space, resources, and responsibilities with aligned organisations.

Conclusion

The financial year 2023–24 has been marked by stillness, but not by surrender. The suspension of activities was a necessary and responsible measure in response to the lack of funds. Yet this period has also offered space for reflection, strategic thinking, and a renewal of our core values.

We, the Trustees, remain committed to reviving MILKandLEAD’s public presence and continuing our work of fostering inclusive, powerful, and resonant art experiences for all.

Trustees:

  1. Marcello De Mello (Chair)

  2. Francesco Vertucci

  3. Jasmine Balder

  4. Francesco Carvelli

Date of Report: 27 August 2025

Contact Information:

MILKandLEAD Art Gallery Sailmakers and Chandlers Building 11 West India Dock Road LONDON E14 8EZ Email: info@milkandlead.com Website: www.milkandlead.com

Charity Name No (if any) MILKANDLEAD ART GALLERY 1167857 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period Period start date Period end date To from 01 Nov 2023 31 Oct 2024 ~~ee~~ Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total funds Last year funds funds funds to the nearest to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ £ A1 Receipts Donations -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - Sub total (Gross income for AR) A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). - -- - -- - - - - -- - -- - -- - - - - -- Sub total [-] -- - -- - -- - - - - -- =—S Total receipts ~~seeaS=~~ [-] -- - -- - -- - - - - -- A3 Payments Administration (Bills, Stationery, Software, -- - - - - - - - - - - Marketing & Subscriptions (Online & Printing)) -- - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - Sub total -- - - - - - - - - - - A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) Loan repaid to external funds ---- - - -- - -- - -- - - - Sub total ---- - S Total payments ~~SS~~ ---- - ~~=~~ -- Net of receipts/(payments) -- - - - - - - - - - - A5 Transfers between funds - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - A6 Cash funds last year end - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - Cash funds this year end -- - - - - - - - - - - ~~SS~~ Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period ~~SS~~ Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Categories Details funds funds funds to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ B1 Cash funds - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~~I~~ 1

CCXX R1 accounts (SS)

8/27/2025

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Francesco Vertucci 27 August 2024
Francesco Carvelli 27 August 2024

CCXX R2 accounts (SS)

8/27/2025

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