Human Story Theatre Registered charity number. 1173504 Unaudited Receipts and Payments Account forthe year ended 31st March 2024 Wenn Townsend Chartered Accountants Oxford Human Story Theatre Trustees, Annual Report for the yearended 31st March 2024 Officers and advisers Trustees: Ms M Fairweather Hole Ms D Battigelli Ms F Renowden Mr S Hughes Dr M Lynch (appointed 1610512024) Dr S Stewarl (appointed 1610512024) Registered Address: 73 Fairacres Road Oxford OX4 1TQ Registered Charity number: 1173504 Independent Examiner. Mr L J Baker FCA Partner Wenn Townsend Chartered Accountants 30 St Giles, Oxford OX13LE Human Story Theatre Trustees, Annual Report for the yearended 31st March 2024 Structure, governance and management The charity is governed by a Charitable Incorporated Organisation Foundation Constitution and was registered as a charity on 21st June 2017. New trustees are appointed following a skills audit, open call and agreed recruitment procedure by the existing board during the year, and given a fijll briefing on the charity as part of their induction. An open call out for new trustees was released in March 2024. leading to appointment of Iwo new trustees in May 2024. Objectives and activities The objects of the charty as set out in rts governing document are to advance education for the public benefit and to preserve and protect the good physical and mental health of the general public by the provision of artistic performances and workshops. In planning the activities for the year. the trustees have complied wtlh their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefrt published by the Charity Commission. The main activities undertaken were.. Research and partnership development continued for Body Positive, a Human Story Theatre projecl, with NHS input, to create a new piece of theatre raising awareness of the impact on mental health of cultural attitudes towards body image, including current issues of food scarcity- New potential partnerships were forged in the Oxfordshire Cherwell District and funding bids submitted. In March 2024 it was decided, in light of fundraising and resour￿ challenges. to put the project on hold, with a view to reviewing the project and resuming fundraising in 2025. During the year the Artistic Director provided ongoing consultancy and mentoring services for the development of a new play The Three M'others, initially entrtled Silent Screens. The play, written by Dr Antonia Mackay of Oxford Brookes University, explores the impact oflhe pandemic on first time mothers and their eXperIen￿S of maternal healthcare. HST'S Artistic Director look part in the Old Fire Slation's Theatre Scratch Night in October 2023. performing a monologue from the draft play script, followed by discussion with the audience. HST consultancy and mentoring continued in preparation for perfomiance of exlracts from The Three M others and associated panel discussion within the Oxford Brookes Think Human Humanities festival in April 2024. The Artistic Director also supported preparations for the planned performances of the full play by Oxford Brookes drama students, at The North Wall Theatre in May 2024. HST provided guidance at attendance at rehearsals with students, and advi￿ on producing and marketing. HST produced a staged reading of Amanda Mackenzie Stuart's new play Lizzie On The Fence, drawing on the playwright's experience of onty being able to see her dying husband through his care home fence during the pandemic. The anguish and helplessness of that enfOr￿d separation was shared by many people. The HST scripl-in-hand performance was sold out at the Old Fire Station in January 2024. This was followed by initial planning and fundraising for a tour of the play. to include perfomiances at the Scottish Parliamenl. Cumbernauld Theatre at Lanlemhouse in North Lanarkshire. and al the House of Lords in autumn 2024. Human Story Theatre Trustees. Annual Report for the yearended 31st March 2024 Achievements and perforniance This report refers to a year of ongoing reconfiguration and resumption of work following a period of dormancy due to the pandemic and some internal personnel changes. The charrty worked with its available resour￿$, human and financial, lo develop, and provide consultancy and mentoring support for, plans for new theatrical work wilh existing and new partners,. to deliver suc￿$S￿j1 'scratch' and public performances., and to develop plans for sustainable intemal management and development. The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis as the truslees believe that the charity will continue for a period of at least 12 months from the approval of these financial stalemenls. notwilhslanding the level of reserves at the year end and deficit incurred in the period. The trustees intend to take various actions in order to raise funds in Ihe current fundraising environment and funds raised will be allocaled lo core costs whenever appropriate. Based on Ihese inlentions and the budgeted income and expenditure, they believe there is a sufficient level of reserves for the charity to be able to continue as a going concern. The Trustees have agreed to set aside £4.000 from current funds as strategic reserves. These reserves are considered appropriate to enable business continuity in the event of an unexpected funding shortfall or need to close projects or Ihe charity. The amount of rese￿eS is based on current operating cosls and allows for closure costs. The Trustees consider these resetves to be appropriate based on the current small scale of the organisation with no employment or property liabilities, and our current structure relying principally on project-based grant funding. The level of reserves will be reviewed following a full. updated risk review, at least annually. Financial review At the year end. cash at bank totalled £14,698 (2023.. £17,574) of which £13,203 (2023= £17,089) was for general unrestricted funds and £1,495 was restricted. The trustees are satisfied that this level of free reserves is appropriate for the charity as at 31 sl March 2024. Approved by the Board of Trustees on 13thJarK￿ry2O2S. and signed on its behalf by.. Human Story Theatre Independent Examinerfs Report to the Trustees of Human Story Theatre I report to the chartty trustees on my examination of the accounts of the chartly for the year ended 31 st March 2024 which are set out on pages 4 to 5. Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity's trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the require- ments of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act')- I report in respect of my examination of the charty's accounts carried oul under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145{5){b) of the Acl. Independent examinerfs statement I have completed my examination. I confimi 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 charity 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 matlers in connection with the examination to which allen- tion should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. L* BAk&r Lee Baker FCA Wenn Townsend Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor Oxford 13th January 2025 Human Story Theatre Receipts and payments account for the year ended 31st March 2024 Restricted Unrestricted Total 2024 Total 2023 Receipts Grant income Production income Other income 2,500 2,500 900 2,297 1,000 900 2.297 Total receipts 4,797 900 5,697 1,000 Payments Production expenditure Non-production expenditure 7,258 7,258 1,315 515 974 1,315 Totsl payments 7.258 1,315 8,573 1,489 Net receiptsllpayments) 12,461) {415) 12,8761 {4891 Transfers 3.471 13,4711 Cash funds at 1 st April 2023 485 17.089 17,574 18,063 Cash funds at 31st March 2024 1.495 13,203 14.698 17,574 Human Story Theatre Statement of Assets and Liabilities 31st March 2024 Restricted Unrestricted 2024 2024 Total 2024 Restricted Unrestricted 2023 2023 Total 2023 Cash funds Bank balances Current accounts 1,495 13,203 14,698 485 17,089 17,574 For and on behalf of the Trustees 13th January 2025