## **Ilminster Literary Festival -  Charity Number 1169618** 

## **CHAIRMAN'S REPORT** 


## **for the period 1[st] January 2022 to 31[st] December 2022** 

We were delighted to be able to hold our sixth Ilminster Literary Festival in May 2022 in much the same way as usual and in our established slot in the Ilminster Calendar. This is not to say that we were unaffected by the Covid pandemic - far from it, but there were no last-minute cancellations or rearrangements to take care of.  We again had a great array of speakers who excelled themselves, and as usual we had excellent feedback from audience members who had enjoyed their performances. 

We did find it was more difficult to attract good audiences in 2022 than in previous years whether this was due to a continuing reluctance to venture out after Covid, the cost-of-living crisis, or our failure to put together a programme that appealed to our local audience, is unclear. 

Financial comparisons with earlier years are difficult due to the Covid disruptions in 2021 and 2020, but despite the difficulties we managed to achieve a surplus of £878 in 2022, which we believe is creditable under the circumstances, and we ended the year with a reasonable sum. Our finances are reasonably strong, and we are able to plan the 2023 Festival in the knowledge that we have sufficient reserves to meet most contingencies. 

During the year we initiated discussion with The Ilminster Entertainments Society (the Warehouse Theatre) and Ilminster Arts Centre (The Meeting House) with a view to developing closer ties with both organisations and increasing cooperation between us.  While our approaches were warmly received, progress has been slow, but we are hopeful of there being tangible evidence of changes in the weeks and months ahead. 

We continue to seek to strengthen our operations team, after a couple of resignations last year, and we are particularly keen to recruit new blood, as none of us are getting any younger. 

We are looking forward to this year’s Literary Festival. We have a great range of speakers lined up, and we have decided to keep ticket prices the same as, or even less than, in previous years. We hope this will encourage more people to attend more sessions than they did last year. 

A recent initiative will see us working more closely with Waterstones Book shop at this year’s festival. We will judge how well it works, and it’s all looking very encouraging so far. 

We thank all our Friends, sponsors and advertisers, volunteers, speakers, and audience members. 

Finally, what we have achieved would have been impossible without the support of all the Trustees and members of the Operations Group, all of whom have worked hard and given their time, inspiration  and energy wholeheartedly. 

## **Derek Outram** 



**Hon. Chairman, Ilminster literary Festival** 

**March 2023** 

**Ilminster Literary Festival -  Charity Number 1169618** 


**TREASURER’S REPORT** 

**for the period 1[st] January 2022 to 31[st] December 2022** 

1. Our accounting periods runs 1st January to 31st December. 

2. The statement of income and expenditure is appended. 

3. Over the accounting period there was an excess of income over of £878. 

4. We ran 23 events during May 2022, making ticket sales of £9104. Speakers’ fees and expenses were £5635. 

5. We had increased income from Friends and Sponsors. 

6. We continue to hold a healthy working bank balance of £8,000 and reserves of some £10,000. 

_…ooOoo…_ 

_Ken Cooper_ 

_Hon Treasurer_ 

_March 2023_ 



## **Ilminster Literary Festival - Accounts** 

For the period 1st January to 31st December 2022 

## **Income & Expenditure Account** 

|**Income**<br>**2022**<br>Friends subs<br>£1,850<br>Sponsors<br>£1,565<br>Donations<br>£352<br>Advertising<br>£1,240<br>Grants<br>£0<br>GiftAid<br>£0<br>Ticket sales<br>£9,104<br>Events<br>£130<br>Book sales<br>£679<br>Other<br>£10<br>£14,930<br>**2022**<br>Income over Exp.<br>£878<br>Lloyds Bank opening balance<br>£7,311<br>Lloyds Bank closing balance<br>£8,189<br>Petty cash<br>£36<br>£8,224<br>NatWest a/c<br>£10,886<br>**Total Funds**<br>£19,110|2021|
|---|---|
||£380<br>£700<br>£853<br>£50<br>£0<br>£127<br>£4,106<br>£0<br>£818<br>£519|
||£7,553<br>2021|
||-£844<br>£8,156<br>£7,311<br>£14|
||£7,325<br>£10,886|
||£18,211|




## **Expenditure** 

|**re**||
|---|---|
|**2022**<br>Venues<br>£2,748<br>Publicity<br>£608<br>Marketing<br>£0<br>Equipment<br>£0<br>Events<br>£90<br>Programmes<br>£877<br>Book supply<br>£678<br>Admin<br>£370<br>Donations<br>£0<br>Speakers<br>£5,635<br>Hospitality<br>£471<br>Services<br>£1,240<br>Other<br>£1,335<br>£14,053|2021|
||£1,011<br>£548<br>£225<br>£645<br>£180<br>£1,036<br>£824<br>£225<br>£0<br>£2,505<br>£289<br>£525<br>£385|
||£8,398|



## Notes: 

1. The 2021 accounting period was for 17 months 

2. Some 2022 income was paid forward for the 2023 Festival, viz: Friends subs of £280 & donation of £10. 

3. 2022 "Other" expenditure was ILF share of joint events (Rotary & Lions)