Docusign Envelope ID: 9FC74D2B-109F-80B7-8167-00D453D1947F
Chiltern Arts
REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1171596
12 months to 31 August 2025
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE 12 MONTHS TO 31 AUGUST 2025
Contents
| Page | |
|---|---|
| About Chiltern Arts | 2 |
| Chair’s Report | 3 |
| Independent Examiner's Report | 5 |
| Receipts and Payments Account | 6 |
| Statement of Assets and Liabilities | 7 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 8 - 10 |
Page 1
Docusign Envelope ID: 9FC74D2B-109F-80B7-8167-00D453D1947F
REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1171596
Chiltern Arts 12 months to 31 August 2025
Address
9 Townsend Gate
Berkhamsted HP4 2FZ
Trustees who served during the year David Lillycrop (Chair) Sophia Ahrel (retired 3 June 2025) Anne Bolton (retired 5 February 2025) Rev’d Canon Rosie Harper Alexander Taylor (resigned 9 December 2025) George Vass William Short (appointed 5 February 2025) Anna Crookes (appointed 20 August 2025)
Creative Director Naomi Taylor
Objects of Chiltern Arts To advance the education of the public in the arts in all its branches, particularly music, literature and visual arts.
To promote the arts for the benefit of the public, particularly, but not exclusively, by the establishment of an annual series of events (a Festival) that aims to advance excellence in the arts as specified above.
Page 2
Docusign Envelope ID: 9FC74D2B-109F-80B7-8167-00D453D1947F
REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1171596
Chiltern Arts
12 months to 31 August 2025
Chair’s Report
The theme running through this year’s Chiltern Arts Festival was Journeys: journeys of time and place, on land and on water, depicted in music, poetry, literature and art. The journey through life, from young to old, was also much in evidence as the charity’s work to inspire the next generation of concertgoers took a giant leap forward. As usual, under-16s were able to attend most Festival events without charge; and we ran a series of informal Saturday morning recitals in libraries, also free. Families were made especially welcome on two occasions in Henley: Brass by the River , which attracted a large crowd of all ages enjoying a sunny afternoon of music around the town’s riverside bandstand; and the magical Journey to the New World , a morning concert in which the Piatti Quartet played Dvorak while our Creative Director, Naomi Taylor, read from Little House on the Prairie .
Our Little House audience was small — in both senses — but our ListenUp initiative took us to the other extreme, as some 800 year 5 and year 6 schoolchildren assembled in High Wycombe to listen, free of charge, to The Lark Ascending (among other pieces) while mesmerised by dancers from Gandini Juggling performing on the stage. No one who was present at the Wycombe Swan for that event could doubt the positive impact it had on its young but remarkably attentive audience. Feedback received tells us that at least half these youngsters — more than 400 children — had their first taste of classical music that morning! The charity is determined to do more of this.
We did not however neglect our more mature audience members. Our journey on the Thames, travelling on the New Orleans , was the perfect backdrop for violin and accordion, and on our return the sparkling Emma Johnson awaited us with her clarinet and her Jazz Trio. Next day, still in Henley, the Piatti Quartet joined by the Wooburn Singers brought us insights into the private lives of Borodin, Finzi and Whitacre, while the river theme re-emerged later in Berkhamsted where, with the Will Barnes Quartet, we explored the Source of the Severn , our faculties enhanced by a delicious dinner at The Gatsby.
Literature again played its part in the Festival. Harriet Constable joined us in Great Missenden to read and discuss her debut novel The Instrumentalist , describing Vivaldi’s relationship with Anna Maria, an orphan prodigy in 18[th] century Venice, the story brought to musical life by violinist Lucy Russell and a band of current day prodigies from the Purcell School. The concert featured music by Vivaldi and his contemporaries, as well as the world premiere of a Chiltern Arts commission by composer Deborah Pritchard. Over in Princes Risborough, in what was for many a Festival highlight, our old friend Anton Lesser rejoined us, this time in the character of Maurice Ravel on his one and only trip to the USA as told by French author Jean Echenoz; some of Ravel’s most dazzling works were delivered to us by Echor Music in a performance that earned a loud and lengthy ovation.
Appropriately enough, walking played its part in our Festival of Journeys. Renowned conductor David Hill trained up our Festival Chorus and led them in a celebration of J S Bach’s 250-mile trek to hear Buxtehude performing; when brilliant organist Stephen Farr began to play, we knew why Bach had made the trip. More modestly, in terms of distance, our audience was invited to join one or both of two guided walks between beautiful Chilterns churches, with a recital by the fine cellist Clare O’Connell to be enjoyed in each.
Our first Dawn to Dusk journey proved a huge success. Some fifty intrepid souls mustered on Whiteleaf Hill early on a gorgeous Spring morning: clear, sunny but with enough bite in the air to challenge our harpist’s fingers! It was primarily a day for saxophone fans, with Huw Wiggin performing not only there, but memorably at lunchtime in Bledlow and again that evening (with his Ferio Saxophone
Page 3
Docusign Envelope ID: 9FC74D2B-109F-80B7-8167-00D453D1947F
REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1171596
Chiltern Arts
12 months to 31 August 2025
Quartet) in Monks Risborough. We know that Huw’s virtuosic playing earned him new admirers as the day unfolded: audience members were in touch during the day as each performance left them determined to be there for the next one, and we were thrilled by how many individuals formed part of all three audiences.
By means of all these delights, and a sprinkling of young performers’ recitals (continuing our partnership with The Worshipful Company of Musicians) to boot, this year’s Festival delivered what Chiltern Arts seeks to do every year: to bring the very best of the Arts to the doorstep of our audiences, freeing them all for a journey of the senses without the need for more tiresome forms of travel. As ever, this was the result of a huge effort on the part of our very small but very talented in-house team, our band of trusty and energetic volunteers, and our board of trustees: I owe a vote of thanks to them all.
Among the trustees, we have had a recent change of Hon. Treasurer, and I am grateful to Anne Bolton for her unstinting service in the role over a number of years. Her successor, Will Short, a chartered accountant, also deserves our thanks as the role he takes on is a daunting one. Despite the favourable reception the charity’s events tend to enjoy, and the further reduction in our sizeable debt resulting from another generous partial waiver by a trustee, our finances remain severely constrained. As ever, we remain dependent on philanthropic trusts, sponsorship and the unfailing support of our members and audience regulars to enable us to continue our work. Long may all of those stay with us, and let us hope that others will join them.
David Lillycrop
Date: 02/06/2026
Page 4
Docusign Envelope ID: 9FC74D2B-109F-80B7-8167-00D453D1947F
REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1171596
Chiltern Arts
12 months to 31 August 2025
Independent examiner's report to the Trustees of Chiltern Arts
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Chiltern Arts (‘the charity’) for the year ended 31 August 2025 which comprise the summary of receipts and payments and the statement of assets and liabilities.
This report is made solely to the charity’s trustees, as a body, in accordance with section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. My work has been undertaken so that I might state to the charity’s trustees those matters I am required to state to them in this report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s trustees as a body, for my work, for this report, or for the opinions I have formed.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011('the Act').
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
An independent examination does not involve gathering all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently does not cover all the matters that an auditor considers in giving their opinion on the accounts. The planning and conduct of an audit goes beyond the limited assurance that an independent examination can provide. Consequently, I express no audit opinion on the accounts and my report is limited to those specific matters set out in the independent examiner’s statement.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
-
the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed:
Date: 02/06/2026
Page 5
Docusign Envelope ID: 9FC74D2B-109F-80B7-8167-00D453D1947F
REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1171596
Chiltern Arts
12 months to 31 August 2025
Receipts and Payments Account for the year to 31 August 2025
| Notes Income from donations Donations & Sponsorships Donation from loan waiver Charitable activities income Concerts Grants 7 Membership Fees Gift Aid Other trading activities 2 Interest earned Total Income Expenditure on Charitable Activities Concert Costs Outreach Publicity Consultants & Expenses Website Insurance Sundries Total Expenditure Net Income / (Expenditure) |
2025 £ 13,333 22,500 35,833 32,346 18,190 5,950 9,060 65,546 - 279 279 101,658 48,201 4,205 6,619 11,109 2,514 779 1,670 75,097 26,561 |
2024 £ 8,340 27,500 |
|---|---|---|
| 35,840 | ||
| 26,176 10,795 5,566 9,699 |
||
| 52,236 | ||
| 450 123 |
||
| 573 | ||
| 88,649 | ||
| 36,790 536 4,428 4,781 - 744 4,876 |
||
| 52,155 | ||
| 36,494 |
Page 6
Docusign Envelope ID: 9FC74D2B-109F-80B7-8167-00D453D1947F
REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1171596
Chiltern Arts
12 months to 31 August 2025
The notes on pages 8 to 10 form an integral part of these financial statements.
| Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at 31 August: Notes CURRENT ASSETS Cash at Bank Cash in Hand NET CURRENT ASSETS TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES CREDITORS Amounts falling due after more than one year 5 NET LIABILITIES FUNDS Unrestricted funds brought forward Surplus for Year TOTAL FUNDS at year end |
2025 £ 27,250 250 27,500 27,500 27,500 (30,000) (2,500) (29,061) 26,561 **(2,500) ** |
2024 £ 23,189 250 |
|---|---|---|
| 23,439 | ||
| 23,439 | ||
| 23,439 (52,500) |
||
| (29,061) | ||
| (65,555) (36,494) |
||
| (29,061) |
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on and were signed on its behalf by:
01/06/2026
………………………………………………..
Will Short - Trustee
Page 7
Docusign Envelope ID: 9FC74D2B-109F-80B7-8167-00D453D1947F
Chiltern Arts 12 months to 31 August 2025
REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1171596
Notes to the Financial Statements for the 12 month period to 31 August 2025
1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of preparing the financial statements
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and Charities Act 2011. The financial statements have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis.
Going Concern
The accounts have been prepared on the going concern basis as the trustees consider that there are sufficient cash resources for the charity’s operations to continue beyond the next 12 months. As will be seen from note 5 the substantial loan is on generous terms with an expected repayment date in excess of 5 years.
Income and expenditure
The Charity’s accounts are prepared on a cash basis. There are no significant debts or credits at the year end.
Taxation
The charity is exempt from tax on its charitable activities.
Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
Page 8
Docusign Envelope ID: 9FC74D2B-109F-80B7-8167-00D453D1947F
Chiltern Arts
REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1171596
12 months to 31 August 2025
2. OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES
| Advertising Net advertising income |
2025 £ - - |
2024 £ 450 |
|---|---|---|
| 450 |
3. TRUSTEES’ REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS
No fees were paid to a Trustee during the period (2024 – £Nil).
4. STAFF COSTS
It was noted in the previous period, and those periods prior, that the charity had one employee, who had waived their right to salary and benefits. Upon reflection during the current accounting period, it was concluded that the individual was never under the employment of the charity, working instead in the capacity of a volunteer.
5. LOANS
| Loans repayable between 5 and 10 years Balance at start of year Loans made in the year Converted to a donation Repaid in year Balance at end of year |
2025 52,500 - (22,500) - 30,000 |
2024 80,000 - (27,500) - |
|---|---|---|
| 52,500 |
The lender has confirmed their intention not to call for repayment, in whole or in part, before October 2031. If their intention should change at any time, they will endeavour to give the Charity at least 12 months’ notice thereof. The loan is interest free.
Page 9
Docusign Envelope ID: 9FC74D2B-109F-80B7-8167-00D453D1947F
REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1171596
Chiltern Arts
12 months to 31 August 2025
6. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES
| Donations made during the year: Alexander Taylor David Lillycrop |
2025 22,500 7,500 30,000 |
2024 27,500 5,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 32,500 |
7. GRANTS
Grants totalling £18,190 (2024 £10,795) were received during the period, from the following organisations:
Buckinghamshire Council The Carrington Charitable Trust Great Missenden Parish Council Heart of Bucks Community Foundation Henley-on-Thames Town Council Marlow Town Council Princes Risborough Town Council Scops Arts Trust South Oxfordshire District Council Sweet Charity Vaughan Williams Foundation The Worshipful Company of Musicians (WCOM)
In additional, support-in-kind was received during the year from
Buckinghamshire Council WCOM Wycombe Swan Theatre
Page 10