2025-03-31-accounts - Wales Community Theatre Players

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Wales Community Theatre Players Registered Charity Number: 1175705

ANNUAL REPORT AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Annual Report and Unaudited Financial Statements

For the period ended 31[st] March 2025

Contents Legal and Administrative Information ........................................................................................... 2 Trustees' annual report ................................................................................................................ 3 Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Wales Community Theatre Players (“the Charity”) ...................................................................................................................................... 6 Receipts and payments accounts .………………………………………………….…………………………………….7 Statement of assets and liabilities ………………………………………………………………………………………………..8 Notes to the accounts …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..9

Legal and Administrative Information

Trustees;

Alison Wade (Chairman) (Vice Chair)

appointed Chairman 13 February 2023 appointed 13 November 2017 resigned as Vice Chair 13 February 2023 appointed (as treasurer) 1 April 2025 appointed 13 November 2017 appointed 29 January 2019 resigned (as Chairman) 13 February 2023 resigned (as Treasurer) 31 March 2025 appointed 13 November 2017 appointed 13 November 2017 appointed 27 March 2018 appointed 28 January 2021

Philip Bairstow (Treasurer) appointed 17 December 2020

Gareth Cook (Treasurer) (Chairman)

Jayne Lemm Lee Phillips Linda Burgess Joe Bairstow

Registered address;

11 Stoney Bank Drive

Kiveton Park Sheffield S26 6SJ

Address for correspondence;

PO Box 5964 Sheffield S20 9FP

Independent Examiner;

Susan Cochrane FCA, DChA Seven Hills Accountants Limited 57 Burton Street Sheffield S6 2HH

Bankers;

Virgin Money 66 Fargate Sheffield S1 2HE

Trustees' annual report

The Board of Trustees are pleased to present their annual report together with the financial statements of WCTP for the period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.

Structure, Governance and Management

Wales Community Theatre Players (WCTP) is a Charitable Incorporated Association governed by its Constitution and was registered with the Charity Commission on 13 November 2017; number 1175705.

Structure; The Board of Trustees (members) act on behalf of the performing associate members, promoting theatre through productions in the community. In addition to the performing associates the group welcomes non-performing associates and volunteers. They have a range of roles in the group including; fundraising, front of house, chaperones and ticket sales.

Governance; the Board of Trustees holds regular formal meetings throughout the year, as well as ad hoc meetings as and when required. During the period covered by the report the Trustees met on 12 occasions representing approximately 206 volunteer hours.

The Board of Trustees are governed by WCTP’s Constitution adopted on the 7[th] August 2017 prior to receiving the confirmation of WCTP’s charity status.

Related Organisations; WCTP is a member of the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA), a national body that represents amateur theatre. NODA was founded in 1899, “to protect and advance the interests of operatic and dramatic art, and of societies engaged therein”. In the period ended March 2025 WCTP paid £199 to NODA which will form part of the year end accounts (financial year ending March 2024 fees were £230). (Further information about NODA can be obtained via their website www.noda.org.uk.)

Method of Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees; WCTP’s founding trustees were nominated for a fixed term defined in the constitution. Apart from the first charity trustees, every subsequent trustee must be appointed for a term of three years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees as per the constitution.

New trustees are identified either by the Board of Trustees being approached directly with an application or by qualified individuals being approached by WCTP. In selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustees, the Board of Trustees will have considered the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of WCTP.

During the period the Board of Trustees welcomed no new trustees and there were no resignations of existing trustees.

Charitable Objectives, Aims and Activities

The charitable objects; are to advance the public education in, and appreciation of the art of theatrical productions, encourage community participation in public theatre and assist and further such charitable institutions and charitable purposes as the Board of Trustees shall determine.

Our aims; are to promote and develop a love and understanding of everything associated with the theatre. Through building on our long history (over 70 years) we will continue to ensure the tradition of pantomime and variety performances are maintained in South Yorkshire. WCTP’s vision being; Inspiring all to develop a passion for community theatre.

WCTP aspires to achieve the highest standards of musical theatre performance, presenting a pantomime and second musical theatre performance annually, developing the skills of members enabling their participation in all aspects of productions.

Activities and public benefit; under normal circumstances WCTP carries out a range of activities to ensure it promotes and develops a love and understanding of musical theatre. The Board of Trustees consider that these activities, provide benefit both to those who join WCTP to perform or support our performers in one of the many backstage roles, As well as the wider community of Sheffield who would normally attend our performances either at The Montgomery theatre in Sheffield or at one of the local community venues we choose to host our performances.

Throughout this period it has been possible for WCTP to achieve all of its objectives and has successfully coordinated one production; a Showstoppers style musical theatre production at the Lyric Theatre in Dinnington, Sheffield in July 2024. The performance was successful in both entertaining audiences and bringing the local community together in the enjoyment of local amateur theatre.

WCTP coordinated the pantomime Cinderella at The Montgomery Theatre Sheffield in January 2025 and was successful in both entertaining audiences and bringing the local community together in the enjoyment of local amateur theatre.

Public benefit statement; the trustees confirm that they have referred to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity’s aims and objectives and in planning future activities.

Plans for the future;

The musical Shrek the Musical was performed at The Montgomery Theatre in Sheffield in mid 2025, the pantomime Dick Whittington will be performed at The Montgomery Theatre in Sheffield in January 2026 and will continue to work closely with its associate members to develop their musical theatre abilities.

To support WCTP’s productions and running costs the Trustees have coordinated various community fund raising events in the period this financial report covers and there are plans to continue to coordinate future events in 2025 / 2026.

Financial Review;

Reserves policy; the Board of Trustees has the aspiration to accumulate and maintain reserves of £30,000 to provide cover for shortfall in revenue against production budgets. As at 31 March 2025 WCTP held a reserve of £9,604 (2024: £16,718) raised from membership payments, fund raising and grants received during the year plus the brought forward reserves.

Financial Performance; WCTP achieved a total deficit for the year of £7,114, (2024 surplus of £6,195).

Economic challenges; in common with many other societies WCTP continues to face economic challenges including; increasing costs of putting on productions, performing rights’ costs, maximising ticket sales in a competitive market whilst at the same time not compromising on the quality of the productions. To overcome these challenges the Board of Trustees works extremely hard to keep production costs under control, being prudent with the performance selection, promoting ticket sales via effective marketing, various community fundraising events and securing grant funding from various trusts and foundations that promote the arts and charitable activities.

The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ report above on and are signed on their behalf by:

Alison Wade, Chair of Trustees.

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Wales Community Theatre Players (“the Charity”)

I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Charity for the period ended 31 March 2025 which are set out on pages 7 to 10.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the Charity 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 2011 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 which gives 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 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.

Susan Cochrane FCA, DChA

Seven Hills Accountants Limited

57 Burton Street

Sheffield

S6 2HH

Date:

Wales Community Theatre Players

Receipts & payments account For the period ended 31 March 2025

Notes Receipts Grant Income 2 Ticket sales Other income Fundraising Donations Associate membership fees Total receipts Payments Venue Hire Lighting Director & choreographer Musical Director & Band Props, scenery & equipment Costumes Marketing Equipment hire Licence fees Other production costs Administrative Expenses Insurance Bank charges Independent examination fee Total payments Net receipts for the year and net movement in funds Transfer between funds Net movement on funds Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward	Unrestricted fund £ - 40,299 5,899 3,690 2,177 1,290 53,355 6,261 5,962 2,950 8,365 9,521 7,893 1,446 280 1,125 11,500 2,402 1,922 667 175 60,469 (7,114) - (7,114) 16,718 9,604	Restricted funds £ 4,600 - - - - - 4,600 4,200 - - - - - - - - - - - - 400 4,600 - - - - -	Total 2025 £ 4,600 40,299 5,899 3,690 2,177 1,290 57,955 10,461 5,962 2,950 8,365 9,521 7,893 1,446 280 1,125 11,500 2,402 1,922 667 575 65,069 (7,114) - (7,114) 16,718 9,604	Total 2024 £ 5,034 10,467 6,613 3,415 1,354 755 27,638 3,808 2,641 1,000 3,725 599 488 1,513 - - 3,098 1,535 1,682 814 540 21,443 6,195 - 6,195 10,523 16,718

Wales Community Theatre Players

Statement of assets and liabilities As at 31 March 2025

Cash funds Balances at bank: Current account Total Assets Assets for charity's own use Liabilities Accountancy & independent examination fee	2025 £ 9,604 9,604 2025 £ 900 900 2025 £ 672 672	2024 £ 16,718 16,718 2024 £ 900 900 2024 £ 570 570

These Financial Statements are approved by the trustees on _____ and signed on their behalf by:

P Bairstow Treasurer

Wales Community Theatre Players

Notes to the accounts For the period ended 31 March 2025

1 Receipts & payments account

Receipts and payments accounts are statements that summarise the movement of cash into and out of the organisation during the financial year. In this context "cash" includes cash equivalents, for example, bank accounts where cash can be readily withdrawn to pay for debts as they become due.

2 Grants

Unrestricted funds £ Rotherham Borough Council Ward Pot - Sheffield Town Trust - Co-op community grant - Wales Parish Council - North Eastern Barristers Circuit - The Freshgate Trust Foundation - -	Restricted funds £ 400 3,000 - 1,200 - - 4,600	2025 Total £ 400 3,000 - 1,200 - - 4,600	2024 Total £ 47 - 1,737 750 500 2,000 5,034

During the period ended 31 March 2024 £500 of grants received were unrestricted and £4,534 restricted

3 Restricted funds

Rotherham Borough Council Ward Pot Sheffield Town Trust Wales Parish Council	Opening balance 1-Apr-24 £ - - - -	Receipts £ 400 3,000 1,200 4,600	Payments £ (400) (3,000) (1,200) (4,600)	Transfers £ - - - -	Closing balance 31-Mar-25 £ - - - -

Rotherham Borough Council Ward Pot - funding received to contribute towards accountancy fees.

Sheffield Town Trust - funding to support the Cinderella pantomime performance to enable free tickets to be provided to local vulnerable children.

Wales Parish Council Grant - funding to contribute towards the Cinderella pantomime performance.

Wales Community Theatre Players

Notes to the accounts For the period ended 31 March 2025

3 Restricted funds - continued

*Prior year* Rotherham Borough Council Ward Pot The Freshgate Trust Foundation Co-op community grant Chair of Wales Parish Council	*Opening* *balance* *2-Apr-23* £ - - - - -	*Receipts* £ 47 2,000 1,737 750 4,534	*Payments* £ (47) (2,000) (1,737) (750) (4,534)	*Transfers* £ - - - - -	*Closing* *balance* *31-Mar-24* £ - - - - -

4 Related party transactions

All trustees paid membership fees and performance fees to the charity at the same rate as all other associate members and these are therefore not disclosed.