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← Elimu Mas Academy

2025-03-31-accounts

CIO No. 1171774

ELIMU MAS ACADEMY

ANNUAL REPORT & FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE PERIOD UP TO 31[st] March 2025

PATRONS

Sir Clive Lloyd CBE OA Diane Abbott MP Rudolph Walker CBE

Martina Laird Gurinder Chadha OBE Michaelene Holder-March

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ELIMU MAS ACADEMY

ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31[st] MARCH 2025

CONTENTS

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Appendix A: END OF YEAR REPORT 2024/25

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ELIMU MAS ACADEMY TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT - STATUTORY INFORMATION FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31[st] MARCH 2025

Trustees

Vino Patel Patricia Jaggs Nolan Simmons Christina Cato Tania Moore Maurisa Coleman Richard Renwick

Principal Address of the CIO

Paddington Arts Centre 32 Woodfield Road London W9 2BE

CIO Number 1171774

Bankers

Lloyds Bank plc 113 – 116 Leadenham Road London EC3A 4AX

Independent Examiner

Meacher-Jones Chartered Accountants 6 St John’s Court Vicars Lane Chester CH1 1QE

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ELIMU MAS ACADEMY TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31[st] MARCH 2025

The Trustees present their annual report and the financial statements of the charity for the period ended 31[st] March 2025. The statutory information is shown on Page 3.

Constitution and Charity Objectives

The Elimu Mas Academy (Elimu), previously Elimu Carnival Club, was registered in 2017 with the Charities Commission as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).

The object of the CIO is to promote the development of the arts and cultures of people of African, Asian and Caribbean descent and Global Majority communities through performances in street festivals and Carnivals and the provision of learning and artistic development opportunities in the creative arts & crafts of Carnival, the UK version of Trinidad’s pre-Lenten festival of Mas, Music and Movement.

Recruitment and appointment of Trustees

The Founding Trustees set up the charity and elected a Board of Trustees to take over the management of the charitable funds of the Charity. There are seven Trustees.

Organisation

Elimu is administered by a board of seven Trustees which meets at least four times a year and a Management Committee meeting monthly for the day to day running of the Charity. The CIO is also supported by several distinguished Patrons and Ambassadors and an Advisory Council of individuals experienced in key sectors and professions relevant to the activities and charity objectives.

Induction and Training of Trustees

Once a Trustee has been appointed, s/he is issued with written guidelines, the Constitution, relevant Charity Commission’s publications and the current budget and Programme of Activities for the year to fulfil their role as Trustee.

To assist with their induction, new appointees will be partnered with a serving Trustee. All Trustees are made aware of their legal responsibilities as Trustees.

All Trustees meet quarterly and are in regular contact with the Chair of the Board of Trustees and the Band Leader and Chair of the Management Committee.

The Board monitors the work of the Management Committee through the Chair of that Committee and Band Leader reporting directly to it. The Band Leader chairs the Management Committee.

Equality, Inclusion & Diversity

Elimu complies with the Equality Act 2010 and opposes direct and indirect discrimination on each of the nine protected characteristics plus geography, social class and spent criminal conviction.

Public Benefit

Elimu uses its donated funds and grants for its beneficiaries. Its resources are used to enable widespread public engagement and reach in the arts of Carnival and street festivals; to build the capacity of young people as artists, artisans & participants; to take artistic risks; to promote excellence, innovation and quality in their creativity and to reward achievements, excellence and quality.

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Elimu has a reputation as a respected voice of Carnival, challenging the cultural orthodoxy of Carnival and redefining the cultural ecology of street and festival arts.

As an Academy, we have 2 strategic and operational platforms for the delivery of our programmes – Elimu Mas Band (Arts in Motion) working in partnership with others, e.g. Westminster UNISON and performing units and agencies that participate in street festivals and Carnivals and a Carnival Academy for Excellence (CAFÉ - Each One Teach One) teaching, curating, archiving and promoting Carnival, Street and Festival Arts.

We believe that offering these opportunities to all is of a public benefit as well as a benefit to the individuals concerned with a specific interest in the Global Majority communities and those under and unrepresented in the creative arts industries.

The Trustees has paid due regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit and is satisfied that Elimu is fulfilling its responsibilities regarding public benefit.

Activities in 2024/25

Faced with a plethora of challenges, the charity decided to take a sabbatical year from participating in creative activities during the year and not participate in any of the traditional street festivals and Carnivals. Therefore, there are no activities to report, no receipt of grant aid and no expenditure for the entire period.

Risk Management

The Trustees have examined the major strategic, business, creative and operational risks that the charity faces and confirm that systems have been established to enable regular reports to be produced so that the necessary steps can be taken to lessen and mitigate these risks.

Reserves Policy

It is the policy of the Academy to maintain unrestricted funds which are the free reserves of the charity at a level of not less than £5,000. This has been a major challenge as its income is substantially reliant on public funding, a condition of which is not to carry over any surplus grant or underspend.

Investment Policy

The Trustees do not have an investment policy.

A member of the Board of Trustees and the Management Committee has the portfolio of Treasurer and is the lead on the financial and fiduciary duties of the Academy.

Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities

Trustees are required, under the Charities Act 2011, to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the charity's financial activities during the year and of its financial position at the end of the year. In preparing those financial statements giving a true and fair view, the Trustees should follow best practice and:

Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and which enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with applicable law and regulations. They are also responsible for

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safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Approval

This report was submitted to the Trustees via an online digital platform and was approved on 16 September 2025.

Vino Patel Chair, Board of Trustees Elimu Mas Academy

16 September 2025

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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31[st] MARCH 2025

I report on the accounts of the CIO for the period ended 31 March 2025 which are set out on pages 8 to 10.

Respective Responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner

The charity's Trustees are responsible for the preparation of financial statements.

The charity's Trustees consider that an audit is not required under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to

Basis of Independent Examiner's Report

Our examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners.

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 you as Trustees concerning any such matters.

The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.

Independent Examiner's Statement

In connection with the examination, no matter has come to our attention:

(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements

(2) to which, in our opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

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.

Meacher-Jones 6 St John’s Court Chester CH1 1QE

13 January 2026

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ELIMU MAS ACADEMY STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES 2024/25

Total Unrestricted Restricted
Income
ACE Grant £0
Earned Income £0
Private income £0
Support in Kind £0
Total Income £0 £0 £0
Expenditure
Artistic Costs £0 £0 £0
Marketing £0 £0 £0
Overheads £634 634 £0
Other £0 £0 £0
Support in Kind £0 £0 £0
Total Expenditure £634 £634 £0
Net Movement in Funds (£634) (£634) £0
Transfer between funds £0 £0 £0
Adjustment for expenditure
Excluded YE 31 March 2022
 (10,788) (5,394) (5,394)
Movement in funds for the year (£11,422) (£6,028) (£5,394)
Reconciliation of Funds
Total funds brought forward £13,754 £7,567 £6,187
Total Funds Carried Forward £2,332 £1,539 £793

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised during the year.

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ELIMU MAS ACADEMY NOTES TO THE STATEMENT

ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The principal accounting policies adopted, judgments and key sources of estimation and uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:

Basis of preparation

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015) and Charities SORP (FRS 102) as amended by Update Bulletin 1 issued in February 2016.

The Academy meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.

Assets and Liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy notes.

The principal accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:

The charity does not employ any staff and do not operate a pension scheme.

Preparation of the Accounts on a going concern basis

The Academy has not reported any net movement in funds in the year.

The uncertain economic outlook, Brexit and the unwillingness of the public, corporates and Trusts to donate to or sponsor the Academy plus uncertainty of how commercial sponsors will be seen by the organisers of the Notting Hill Carnival are significant areas of uncertainty which the Trustees have mitigated by reviewing all the activities of the charity to ensure compliance with grant aid and sponsorship conditions and regular reviews of income generation from sales of Carnival costumes.

The Academy was one of a limited number of Carnival bands to secure ACE funding this year and so Trustees are therefore of the view that the immediate future of the Academy for the next 12 to 18 months is secure and that on this basis the charity is a going concern.

Income

All incoming resources are included in this Statement of Financial Activities when the charity has legal entitlement to the income, any performance conditions attached to the item of income have been met and it is probable that the income will be received, and the amount can be measured reliably.

Donated Services and Facilities

Donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised as income when the Academy has control over the item, any conditions associated with the donated item have been met, the receipt of economic benefit from the use by the Academy of the item is probable and that economic benefit can be measured reliably.

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In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), general volunteer time is not recognised.

On receipt, donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised on the basis of the value of the gift to the Academy which is the amount the Academy would have been willing to pay to obtain services or facilities of economic benefit on the open market; a corresponding amount is then recognised in expenditure in the period of receipt.

Interest Receivable

The Academy does not hold any funds on deposit and so no interest is receivable.

Resources Expended

Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

The Trustees neither received nor waived any emoluments during the year.

Funds

The Restricted Funds are restricted income funds given to the charity for specific purposes. They are expendable by the Trustees in furtherance of particular projects within the charity objects.

The Unrestricted Funds are funds expendable at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the objects of the charity.

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