ILMINSTER LITERARY FESTIVAL
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
13[th] FEBRUARY 2024
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT
We are delighted to report that the seventh Ilminster Literary Festival in 2023 was probably our most successful yet – so far! We again had a great array of speakers who excelled themselves, and the feedback from audience members who had enjoyed their performances was more enthusiastic than ever.
While it had been difficult to attract good audiences in 2022, probably due to a continuing reluctance to venture out after Covid, our 2023 audiences were significantly better, and in fact a number of our events were sold out. This augurs well for 2024.
Financial comparisons with earlier years are difficult due to the impact of Covid but we achieved a surplus of £2435 in 2023, which compares with £878 in 2022. Our finances are strong, and we are able to plan the 2024 Festival in the knowledge that we have sufficient reserves to meet any unforeseen contingencies.
During 2022 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 the cooperation between us. While our approaches were warmly received, tangible progress was initially slow, but we are pleased to report that 2024 will see much greater evidence of the integration of Ilminster’s approach to literature and the arts, including some shared events within the Literary Festival week.
The success of Ilminster Literary Festival, and ILF 2023 in particular, would have been impossible without the support of my fellow Trustees and members of the Operations Group, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them wholeheartedly for that.
We continue to seek to strengthen our management team, and are particularly keen to recruit some younger blood to build on the changes we have initiated. We need new ideas and new perspectives, so that the Ilminster Festival can further evolve and develop into the 2030s and beyond. If you feel you could spend a few hours a month (and perhaps a bit more during the Festival Week) and would like to contribute to the delivery of one of the highlights of the Ilminster Calendar, talk to myself or one of the other members of the team today – don’t just put it off!
And, finally, thank you to all our Friends, sponsors and advertisers, volunteers, speakers, and audience members. We hope you are looking forward to ILF 2024 as much as we are. If you want any further information, or if you think you can help in any way, perhaps by delivering programmes or acting as a steward at an ILF event, please contact myself or one of the other Trustees.
Deryk Outram
Chairman, Ilminster Literary Festival. February 2024 Registered Charity No. 1169618
Ilminster Literary Festival - AGM February 2024 Treasurer's Report
Our financial year runs from 1st January to 31st December. The Income & Expenditure Account is shown below. We had a small excess of income over expenditure over the period.
The total funds position is shown below.
Ken Cooper Hon Treaurer
Ilminster Literary Festival - Income & Expenditure Account
For the period 1st January to 31st December 2023
| Income | Expenditure | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
| Friends subs | £2,529 | £1,850 | Venues | £1,942 | £2,748 | ||||
| Sponsors | £1,510 | £1,565 | Publicity | £396 | £608 | ||||
| Donations | £188 | £352 | Marketing | £2,050 | £0 | ||||
| Advertising | £1,380 | £1,240 | Events | £48 | £90 | ||||
| Ticket sales | £7,703 | £9,104 | Programmes | £0 | £877 | ||||
| Events | £0 | £130 | Book supply | £0 | £678 | ||||
| Book sales | £0 | £679 | Admin | £147 | £370 | ||||
| Other | £0 | £10 | Speakers | £4,483 | £5,635 | ||||
| £13,310 | £14,930 | Hospitality | £469 | £471 | |||||
| Services | £1,280 | £1,240 | |||||||
| Other | £60 | £1,335 | |||||||
| £10,875 | £14,053 |
| 2023 | 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Income over Exp. | £2,435 | £878 | |
| Lloyds Bank openingbalance | £8,189 | £7,311 | |
| Lloyds Bank closingbalance | £10,592 | £8,189 | |
| Pettycash | £52 | £36 | |
| £10,644 | £8,224 | ||
| NatWest a/c | £10,886 | £10,886 | |
| Total Funds | £21,530 | £19,110 |