The Harwich Festival
Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
THE HARWICH FESTIVAL
CONTENTS
| 1. | REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES |
|---|---|
| 4. | REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT EXAMINER |
| 5. | RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT |
| 6. | STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES |
THE HARWICH FESTIVAL
1.
TRUSTEES REPORT
The Trustees present their annual report and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the period year ended 31 December 2024.
Reference and Administrative Details
Registered Charity Name: The Harwich Festival Registered Number: 1171712 Registered Office: 8 St Georges Avenue Dovercourt Essex CO12 3RR
The Trustees
The Trustees who served the charity during the period were as follows:
K A Ririe (Chair) P J Davis (Artistic Director) D E J Burrell R-R Kevlin Dr J M Shaw (Treasurer) S Taplin I Morath
General Manager Mr C Berwick
Structure, Governance and Management
Governing Document
The Harwich Festival is a registered charitable incorporated organisation - foundation governed by its constitution.
Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees
The Governing Document requires a minimum of 3 trustees but there is no upper number of trustees who can be appointed. Trustees are elected from the local community or due to their relevant experience. The Trustees elect various board appointments from among the Trustees. A separate process agreed by the Trustee Board is followed for the election of the Chair. No other persons or bodies external to the charity were entitled to appoint persons to the Trustee Board.
Organisational Structure
The Harwich Festival is governed by a Board of Trustees which is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the organisation and for the policies adopted by the charity. The Trustees carry ultimate responsibility for the conduct of the charity and for ensuring that it satisfies its legal and contractual obligations. Two Trustees meet on a regular basis with the charity's management committee but delegates day to day administration of the charity to its General Manager. The General Manager manages one employee on a flexible contract as well as freelance employees, as required.
Major Risks
The most significant external risk is that of the loss of funding. The effects of this have been minimalised by the procedures that are in place, which has resulted in funding being secured from a variety of sources. The Charity continues to seek to diversify its sources of funding. Internal risks are minimalised by the implementation of procedures for the authorisation of all transactions and projects, and to ensure consistent quality of delivery for all operational aspects of the Charity.
THE HARWICH FESTIVAL
2.
TRUSTEES REPORT (continued)
Aims and Objectives
The aims and objectives of the charity are set out in the Trust documents which specifies that the Harwich Festival seeks to:
Promote the Arts in Harwich and the surrounding area by establishing The Harwich Festival as a regional Arts Hub that provides a diverse range of cultural activities, addressing the needs of all sectors of the community.
Promote the development of the annual Harwich Festival of the Arts in terms of audience growth (overall numbers, age and geographical spread) and diversity of programme;
Promote cultural events throughout the year which are located in venues that ensure full engagement with the community;
Advance culture and the Arts within Harwich and the surrounding area through The Harwich Festival of the Arts and the Harwich Arts and Heritage Centre (HAHC) acting as an ‘umbrella’ for existing and new local events;
Encourage, commission and present new works from all aspects of the Arts; Promote, in partnership with other local agencies, the regeneration of Harwich and Dovercourt by boosting visitor numbers to the area, raising the profile of the area as a destination, and offering employment opportunities in administration, design and performance; Procure services from local suppliers whenever appropriate, and offer opportunities to “grass root” local artists, musicians and performers;
Consult with the local community on a regular basis to ensure that its Art based needs are being catered for.
Funding
The Harwich Festival would like to thank all the organisations who have provided funding and support during this period.
The charity's main funding was received from:
Arts Council England National Heritage Lottery Fund Harwich Town Council Tendring District Council The Co-op (administered by the Essex Community Foundation) Essex County Council
Other income comes from the ticket sales, patronage and income from Friends of the HF, gifts from individuals and hire fees from the Harwich Arts and Heritage Centre.
Strategies and Achievements
The Harwich Festival continues to operate as a professional, all-year round Arts organisation. The impact of Covid-19 still impacted on overall trading and income, exacerbated by the on-going cost of living crisis. Staff hours have now returned to the pre-pandemic level and the Festival has established a new community art garden at the Harwich Arts and Heritage Centre.
The summer Festival of the Arts returned in June where over 40 events were spaced out over ten days. Some concerts were, as in previous years, funded in part by a grant from Harwich Town Council and by individual sponsors.
Regular activities and users of the Harwich Arts and Heritage Centre include:
Dovercourt Ukulele Club
CC Dance Studios Craft Café Harwich Sing Tendring Voices Dovercourt Art Club Harwich & Dovercourt Camera Club Harwich Embroidery and Related Textiles (Heart) Group Meditation & Yoga Group NHS Training Groups Funnelwick Limb Theatre Group Catalina Carvajal (Artist) The Electric Palace Archives
THE HARWICH FESTIVAL
3.
TRUSTEES REPORT (continued)
Strategies and Achievements (continued)
The HAHC remains a registered Warm Space, open from 10am to 4pm weekdays and every other Saturday morning. These are the times when the varying exhibitions are open to the public. Hot drinks are provided from the HAHC cafe. Separate craft sessions are provided for Mayflower Primary School parents from 1 to 3pm on Tuesdays.
The partnership with the Active Wellbeing Society, who promote Essex Pedal Power, has been initiated and continued throughout 2024. The Harwich Library has temporarily relocated to the Arts Centre and are expected to be onsite until summer 2025. The charity is negotiating a long-term lease with its landlord which will help to aid applications for larger funding pots.
Trustees' Responsibilities Statement
The Trustees are responsible for preparing the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:-
Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; Observe the methods and principles of the SORP; Make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is appropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charity’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Kerith Ririe Chair of the Trustees
Date
THE HARWICH FESTIVAL
4.
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT
Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of The Harwich Festival
I report on the accounts of The Harwich Festival for the year ended 31 December 2024, which comprise the Receipts and Payments Account and the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under Section144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
to follow the Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner's report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity 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 or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the 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 is given as to whether the accounts present a "true and fair view" and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below:
Independent examiner's statement
In the course of my examination, no material matters have come to my attention which give me cause to be believe that in, any material respect:
-
the accounting records were not kept in accordance with Section 130 of the 2011 Act; or
-
the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
-
the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Re-ports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a "true and fair" view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
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.
P J T Frost Chartered Certified Accountant JTF 195 Main Road Dovercourt Harwich Essex CO12 3PH
Date
THE HARWICH FESTIVAL
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
| Unrestricted | Restricted | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| income | income | |||||||||||
| funds | funds | Total | 31/12/2023 | |||||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |||||||||
| Receipts | ||||||||||||
| Grants | ||||||||||||
| EALC Golden Oldies | - | - | 0 | 987 | ||||||||
| Harwich Town Council HF 24 | 3,500.00 | 3,500 | 3,300 | |||||||||
| Harwich Veterans Fund | - | 4,801 | 4,801 | - | ||||||||
| Matthew Lindley | - | 2,000 | 2,000 | - | ||||||||
| Essex County Council Piano Tuition | - | - | 0 | 1,800 | ||||||||
| Essex County Council Uplift Fund | - | - | 0 | 4,500 | ||||||||
| Essex County Council Winter Essentials Fund | 990 | - | 990 | 825 | ||||||||
| Phone Box Art | - | 980 | 980 | 523 | ||||||||
| Tendring District Council Chinese New Year | - | - | 0 | 991 | ||||||||
| Tendring District Council Town Centre Project Tendring District Council Rural Fund Tendring District Council Warm Spaces Essex Lottery Essex Community Fund (Co-op) Café |
- - - 7 |
12,760.00 3,226.00 24,276.00 - |
12,760 3,226 24,276 7 0 |
12,760 - - 15 |
||||||||
| - | - | 2,619 | 500 | |||||||||
| All Year Programme Income | 2,619 | - | 0 | 1,409 | ||||||||
| Art Fair | - | - | 750 | 619 | ||||||||
| Donations | 750 | - | 75 | 338 | ||||||||
| Patrons and Friends | 75 | - | 0 | 122 | ||||||||
| Art Sales | - | - | 18,887 | 93 | ||||||||
| Harwich Arts and Heritage Centre Rent and Room Hire | 18,887 | - | 8,400 | 14,906 | ||||||||
| Harwich Festival 2024 income | 8,400 | - | 0 | 6,646 | ||||||||
| Harwich Society Ticket Sales | - | 4,000 | 112 | |||||||||
| Year 5 Creative Arts Conference | 4,000 | 0 | - | |||||||||
| Transfer from Deposit Account | - | - | 87,271 | 369 | ||||||||
| Total Receipts | ||||||||||||
| 39,228 | 48,043 | 50,815 | ||||||||||
| Payments | ||||||||||||
| General Manager's net salary | 9,757 | 11,789 | 21,546 | 18,946 | ||||||||
| Harwich Veterans | - | 1,866 | 1,866 | - | ||||||||
| Tendring District Council Rural fund | - | 1,523 | 1,523 | - | ||||||||
| Tendring District Council Town Centre | - | 2,585 | 2,585 | - | ||||||||
| Tendring District Council Warm Spaces | - | 5,556 | 5,556 | - | ||||||||
| Tendring District Council Chinese New Year | 32 | 3,451 | 3,483 | - | ||||||||
| Tax, NI and pension contributions | 1,486 | - | 1,486 | 5,344 | ||||||||
| Year 5 Art Conference | 1,021 | - | 1,021 | - | ||||||||
| Harwich Festival 2024 artists | 9,466 | - | 9,466 | 5,542 | ||||||||
| Harwich Society Ticket Sales | - | - | - | 112 | ||||||||
| Active Essex Ballet Barre | - | - | - | 450 | ||||||||
| All Year Round Programme General Overheads Essex County Council Piano Tuition |
3,012 623 210 |
- | 550 902 |
3,562 1,525 210 |
1,415 549 1,534 |
|||||||
| Essex County Council Warm Spaces | - | - | - | 449 | ||||||||
| Insurance Miscellaneous |
1,117 | - | 1,117 | 1,042 | ||||||||
| Accountancy Consultancy fees Galloper Grassroots administrator's salary |
380 413 - - |
- - 2,464 980 |
380 413 2,464 980 |
- 413 - 523 |
||||||||
| HAHC Amin Salary | - | - | - | 5,007 | ||||||||
| HAHC Miscellaneous | 4,241 | 2,941 | 7,182 | - | ||||||||
| HAHC Rent | 2,667 | 1,751 | 4,418 | 1,538 | ||||||||
| HAHC caretaking and cleaning | 1,500 | 6,000 | 7,500 | 7,015 | ||||||||
| Art Sales | 157 | 750 | 907 | 670 | ||||||||
| Total payments | 955 | - | 955 | 18 | ||||||||
| 37,037 | 43,108 | 80,145 | 50,567 | |||||||||
| 2,191 | 4,935 | 7,126 | 248 | |||||||||
| Transfer between funds | - | - | - | - | ||||||||
| 2,191 | 4,935 | 7,126 | 248 | |||||||||
| Cash Funds brought forward at 1 January 2024 | 19,616 | - | 19,616 | 19,368 | ||||||||
| Cash Funds carried forward at 31 December 2024 | 21,807 | 4,935.00 | 26,742 | 19,616 |
6.
THE HARWICH FESTIVAL
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2023
| Unrestricted | Restricted | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| funds | funds | Total | 31/12/2022 | |
| £ | £ | £ | ||
| Fixed Assets | ||||
| Piano | - | - | - | - |
| Portable Staging | - | - | - | - |
| Laptop | - | - | - | - |
| - | - | - | - | |
| Current Assets | ||||
| Cash funds | ||||
| Cash at bank | 21,807 | 4,935.00 | 26,742 | 19,616 |
| Petty cash | - | - | - | |
| HBO cash at bank | - | - | - | |
| 21,807 | 4,935.00 | 26,742 | 19,616 |
Approved by the Board of Trustees on Date
K Ririe Trustee
J M Shaw Trustee