Human Story Theatre
Registered charity number: 1173504
Unaudited Receipts and Payments Account
for the year ended
31st March 2025
Wenn Townsend
Chartered Accountants
Oxford
Human Story Theatre
Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 31st March 2025
Officers and advisers
Trustees:
Registered Address:
Ms M Fairweather Hole Ms D Battigelli Mr S Hughes Dr M Lynch Dr S Stewart Ms H Fountain (appointed 06/02/2025) 73 Fairacres Road Oxford OX4 1TQ
Registered Charity number: 1173504 Independent Examiner: Mrs J L Bull FCA Partner Wenn Townsend Chartered Accountants 30 St Giles’ Oxford OX1 3LE
Human Story Theatre
Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 31st March 2025
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 full 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 two new trustees in May 2024 and one in February 2025.
Objectives and activities
The objects of the charity as set out in its 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 with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the Charity Commission.
The main activities undertaken were:
During April–May 2024 the Artistic Director provided ongoing consultancy and mentoring services for the development of a new play The Three M’others . The play, written by Dr Antonia Mackay of Oxford Brookes University, explores the impact of the pandemic on first-time mothers and their experiences of maternal healthcare. HST’s Artistic Director took part in the THINK HUMAN festival at Oxford Brookes University on 18 April 2024, performing a monologue from the draft play script, followed by a panel discussion with the audience. The Artistic Director supported preparations for performances of the full play by Oxford Brookes drama students at The North Wall Theatre in May 2024, providing guidance and attendance at rehearsals with students, advice on producing and marketing, as well as being part of the panel for the post-show discussion.
HST built on work produced in January 2024: a sold out staged reading at The Old Fire Station, Oxford, of Amanda Mackenzie Stuart’s new play Lizzie On The Fence , drawing on the playwright’s experience of only being able to see her dying husband through his care home fence during the pandemic. After a period of fundraising, HST raised enough money through local trusts and a crowd funder to produce a mini tour that played at the Scottish Parliament, Cumbernauld Theatre at Lanternhouse in North Lanarkshire, and at the House of Lords in October 2024. In the Parliament and House of Lords performances, Gloria’s Law and Anne’s Law respectively were highlighted as key cross-party policy outcomes connected to the play’s themes and advocacy around care home visitation rights. (Anne’s Law has since been passed by the Scottish Parliament). HST was subsequently invited to present two more performances of the play, with accompanying Q&As, at John Retallack’s Oxford Platforms at The Old Fire Station, in November 2024. Both sold out.
In March 2025 HST was invited to collaborate with Oxford Brookes University’s Science Bazaar , a flagship annual event attracting over 7,000 visitors and showcasing research across science, technology, engineering, the arts, and social sciences. As part of the 2025 event, HST presented Lily’s Special Recipe , an interactive storytelling performance inspired by the Banking on Health project led by nutritionist Dr Shelly Coe, and created in close collaboration with and around Dr Coe’s research. The performance explored healthy and sustainable eating in a fun, engaging way for children and families, using live storytelling to make scientific research accessible and relevant to everyday life.
ALL OF US, a new play by Rebecca Abrams about restorative justice, has been a key focus for HST in 2025, with time spent on fundraising and building partnerships for an Oxfordshire tour planned for March 2026. The production is being developed in partnership with the Restorative Justice Council and is supported by Why Me?, The Mint House, and The Forgiveness Project. During 2025 the Artistic Director also started mentoring an emerging new writer, Huw Turnbull, and began developing partnerships for a brand-new men’s mental health project scheduled for November 2026, created in collaboration with George Mycock (MyoMinds) with support from Matt Williams, the Oxfordshire Men’s Health Partnership.
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Human Story Theatre
Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 31st March 2025
Achievements and performance
This report refers to a year of increasing artistic activity following the period of dormancy during the pandemic. The charity built on existing partnerships and developed new collaborations and performances, working with in its available resources, human and financial. Ongoing and new Trustees contributed their skills and insights to support the freelance staff.
The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis as the trustees believe that the charity will continue for a period of at least 12 months from the approval of these financial statements. The trustees are undertaking various actions in order to raise funds, and funds raised are allocated to core costs whenever appropriate. Based on these intentions 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 and this is now held in a deposit account. These reserves are considered appropriate to enable business continuity in the event of an unexpected funding shortfall or need to close projects or the charity. The amount of reserves is based on current operating costs and allows for closure costs. The Trustees consider these reserves to be appropriate based on the current small scale of the organisation with no employment or property liabilities, and the current structure relying principally on project-based grant funding. The level of reserves will be reviewed annually following a full, updated risk review.
Financial review
At the year end, cash at bank totalled £16,199 (2024: £14,698) of which £14,223 (2024: £13,203) was for general unrestricted funds and £1,976 (2024: £1,495) was restricted.
The trustees are satisfied that this level of free reserves is appropriate for the charity as at 31st March 2025.
Approved by the Board of Trustees on 19 October 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
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Human Story Theatre
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Human Story Theatre
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31st March 2025 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 requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out 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 Act.
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 charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. 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.
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Jane Bull FCA Wenn Townsend Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor Oxford
22[nd] October 2025
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Human Story Theatre
Receipts and payments account for the year ended 31st March 2025
| Restricted £ Receipts Grant income 2,267 Production income 3,528 Other income 4,018 _ Total receipts 9,813 ═════ Payments Production expenditure 11,200 Non-production expenditure - _ Total payments 11,200 _ Net receipts/(payments) (1,387) ═════ Transfers 1,868 Cash funds at 1st April 2024 1,495 ___ _ Cash funds at 31st March 2025 1,976 ═════ |
Unrestricted Total 2025 £ £ 10,000 12,267 343 3,871 1,329 5,347 _ _ 11,672 21,485 ═════ ═════ 200 11,400 8,584 8,584 _ _ 8,784 19,984 _ _ 2,888 1,501 ═════ ═════ (1,868) - 13,203 14,698 _ _ 14,223 16,199 ═════ ═════ |
Total 2024 £ 2,500 900 2,297 _ 5,697 ═════ 7,258 1,315 _ 8,573 _ (2,876) ═════ - 17,574 _ 14,698 ═════ |
|---|---|---|
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Human Story Theatre
Statement of Assets and Liabilities 31st March 2025
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Restricted|Unrestricted|Total|Restricted Unrestricted|Total|
|2025|2025|2025|2024|2024|2024|
|£|£|£|£|£|£|
|Cash funds|
|Bank balances|
|Current accounts|1,976|10,180|12,156|1,495|13,203|14,698|
|Reserve account|-|4,043|4,043|-|-|-|
|__|_|_|_|__ _____|
|1,976 14,223 16,199 1,495 13,203 14,698|
|═════|═════|═════|═════|═════|═════|
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For and on behalf of the Trustees
19 October 2025
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