Report of the Chair of Trustees 18 June 2025
The main focus for the Trustees this year has been the urgent task of sourcing a lecture venue at short notice after the unexpected closure of The Playhouse. Unfortunately, as many members will recall, this is not the first time! The reopening of the Playhouse under new management continues at a glacial pace and as we cannot be assured of full opening even in September we will continue meeting at the DoubleTree hotel at the start of next season, where possible. The very significant increase in charges for venue and audio-visual systems makes this option unsustainable in the longer term, even at the proposed new membership fee. Fortunately the reserves, prudently managed by our treasurers, enable us to absorb these increases in the short term.
On a more positive note the mix of venues, albeit at a higher cost, enabled us to continue our planned lecture programme without interruption. This is a fantastic achievement and I am sure you will want to join me in thanking the Trustees for their tireless work in making this possible.
They are Caroline Johnson, Tony Hughes, Ray Drury, Paul Milliken and Cindy Musgrave, all of whom are standing for re-election today with the exception of Caroline who has completed her term as Committee Chair.
I want to thank Caroline, both personally and on behalf of the membership, for the unremitting dedication and enthusiasm with which she has so efficiently steered our society. It has been a pleasure and privilege to work with her. We owe her an enormous debt of gratitude.
I support the Chairman’s report and would like to add my own thanks to all the Committee members and volunteers who have contributed so much, in many cases over many years, to making STRADFAS the vibrant Society it continues to be.
TREASURER’S REPORT 1st April 2024-31st March 2025
Overall view
The independently examined accounts for the year ended March 31st 2025 showed that STRADFAS made a small gain in reserves for the year. Income from investment and interest was reduced compared to 2023-24.
Income and expenditure
Income and expenditure remained at the same level as last year.
Membership
At the end of the financial year 2024-25 our membership stood at 403, slightly less than the previous year of 421. Subscription income was similar to the previous year.
Operating costs and expenditure
Operating costs remained similar to last year even though there were difficulties with the venue.
Expenses for the venue and audio-visual equipment are expected to increase costs this coming year.
We distributed over £2000 of donations to deserving local arts charities in 2024-25 and expect to make a contribution to the refurbishment of the Stratford Town Trust clock of between £3000-£5000 in the near future. The donation to the Stratford Town Trust has been designated by the Trustees and set aside in the Society’s Deposit account. Our committee community arts claimed an available donation of £250 from the Arts Society Central Office.
Other income and investment
Interest on the Society’s investments showed a small increase of ~£100. At the time the accounts were prepared the COIF income was compromised by the fall in the stock market due the turmoil generated by the USA.
Other income
Receipts from visitors were significantly increased reflecting the variety of attractive lectures, special interest days and day trips put on by the Society’s Committee members.
Reserves
The Committee and Trustees’ financial responsibility is to maintain the reserves for the future of STRADFAS and to deliver the programs to members and donations to Arts Charities in the local area. So far, we have done this, and the Chair has outlined our proposals for donations for the coming year.
Future 2025/2026
The Trustees have recommended that the membership fee for the next season is increased to £60.
This increase is significantly below the membership fee of £75 recommended by The Arts Society Central Office.
| STRADFAS STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES for the period ended 31 March 2025 | STRADFAS STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES for the period ended 31 March 2025 | STRADFAS STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES for the period ended 31 March 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notes | Unrestricted funds | Designated funds | 2025 | 2024 | ||
| Incoming resources from generated funds | ||||||
| Subscriptions | 2 | £21,929.54 | £21,929.54 | £21,292.15 | ||
| Investment on bank funds (Lloyds, COIF) | 3 | £93.14 | £93.14 | £1,940.79 | ||
| Total | £22,022.68 | £22,022.68 | £23,232.94 | |||
| Incoming resources from charitable activities | 4 | £11,105.63 | £11,105.63 | £11,214.69 | ||
| Other incoming resources (Gift aid) | 5 | £2,963.53 | £2,963.53 | £2,109.18 | ||
| Total incoming resources | £36,091.84 | £36,091.84 | £36,556.81 | |||
| Resources expended | 6 | |||||
| Cost of generating funds | ||||||
| Website and online publicity costs | £1,848.38 | £1,848.38 | £2,056.21 | |||
| Net incoming resources available | £34,243.46 | £34,243.46 | £34,500.60 | |||
| Charitable activities | ||||||
| Speakers expenses & fees | £7,722.92 | £7,722.92 | £8,515.74 | |||
| Hire of halls & equipment | £12,329.95 | £12,329.95 | £9,327.02 | |||
| Affiliation fees - Arts Society | £6,824.82 | £6,824.82 | £6,997.97 | |||
| Donations | £2,100.00 | £2,100.00 | £2,261.94 | |||
| Total charitable expenditure | £28,977.69 | £28,977.69 | £27,102.67 | |||
| Governance Costs | £3,833.79 | £3,833.79 | £4,574.50 | |||
| Total resources expended | £34,659.86 | £0.00 | £34,659.86 | £33,733.38 | ||
| Net incoming (expenditure) resources | £1,431.98 | £0.00 | £1,431.98 | £2,823.43 | ||
| Other recognised gains/losses | ||||||
| Unrealised loss (2024 gain) on charity investments | -£348.84 | -£348.84 | £1,818.94 | |||
| £1,083.14 | £0.00 | £1,083.14 | £4,642.37 | |||
| Introduced 1st April 2024 from STRADFAS | £54,652.06 | £0.00 | £54,652.06 | £51,828.63 | ||
| Fund balances at 31 Mar 2025 | £56,084.04 | £0.00 | £56,084.04 | £54,652.06 | ||
| BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31ST MARCH 2025 | ||||||
| Current Assets | ||||||
| Debtors | 10 | £5,061.04 | £2,593.00 | |||
| Investments and reserve account | £38,808.24 | £33,715.10 | ||||
| Loan to Patricia Fay fund held by the Arts Society | £500.00 | £500.00 | ||||
| Cash at Bank and in hand | £12,696.92 | £22,546.47 | ||||
| £57,066.20 | £59,354.57 | |||||
| Creditors: amounts falling due within one year | 11 | £982.16 | £4,702.51 | |||
| Total assets less current liabilities | £56,084.04 | £54,652.06 | ||||
| Income funds | ||||||
| Unrestricted funds | £56,084.04 | £54,652.06 | ||||
| Designated funds | £0.00 | £0.00 | ||||
| Other charitable funds | ||||||
| Unrestricted income funds | £49,835.79 | £48,054.97 | ||||
| Revaluation reserve | £6,248.25 | £6,597.09 | ||||
| £56,084.04 | £54,652.06 | |||||
| The accounts were approved by the Trustees and signed | on DATE | |||||
| Treasurer: Ray Drury 24 April 2025 | ||||||
| Notes to the accounts for the period ending 31st March 2025 | ||||||
| 1 | Accounting policies | |||||
| 1.1 | Basis of preparation | |||||
| The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention. |
| The accounts have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards, the Statement of Recommended | The accounts have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards, the Statement of Recommended | The accounts have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards, the Statement of Recommended | The accounts have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards, the Statement of Recommended | The accounts have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards, the Statement of Recommended | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practice, "Accounting and Reporting by Charities", issued in March 2005 and the Charities Act | 2011. | |||||
| 1.2 | Investments | |||||
| Current asset investments are stated at market value. | ||||||
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||
| £ | £ | |||||
| 2 | Subscriptions | |||||
| Members subscriptions | £21,929.54 | £21,292.15 | ||||
| 3 | Investment income | |||||
| Interest receivable | £441.98 | £121.85 | ||||
| Unrealised loss (2024 gain) on investments | -£348.84 | £1,818.94 | ||||
| 4 | Incoming resources from charitable activities | |||||
| Visitors and other Donations | £2,712.00 | £1,159.15 | ||||
| Surplus, sundry events (Raffle, Coffee, lunch) | £1,575.90 | £434.64 | ||||
| Surplus/(deficit) on Special Interest Days | £3,862.73 | £5,915.40 | ||||
| Surplus on Visits | £2,955.00 | £3,705.50 | ||||
| Total | £11,105.63 | £11,214.69 | ||||
| 5 | Other incoming resources | |||||
| Tax Refunds - Gift Aid Repayment | £2,963.53 | £2,109.18 | ||||
| 6 | Total resources expended | Other costs | Grant funds | Total | ||
| £ | £ | £ | ||||
| Costs of generating funds | ||||||
| Sales: Website and online publicity costs | £1,848.38 | £1,848.38 | £2,056.21 | |||
| Charitable activities | ||||||
| Speakers expenses and fees | £7,722.92 | £7,722.92 | £8,515.74 | |||
| Hire of halls and equipment | £12,329.95 | £12,329.95 | £9,327.02 | |||
| Arts Society Affiliation fees | £6,824.82 | £6,824.82 | £6,997.97 | |||
| Miscellaneous payments | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | |||
| Donations | ||||||
| Grant funding of activities | £2,100.00 | £2,100.00 | £2,261.94 | |||
| Totals | £28,726.07 | £28,726.07 | £26,896.94 | |||
| Governance costs | £3,833.79 | £3,833.79 | £4,574.50 | |||
| Governance costs incl £331 relating to independent examination fees for the period | ||||||
| £34,408.24 | £33,527.65 | |||||
| 7 | Grants payable | |||||
| Donations | £2,100.00 | £2,261.94 | ||||
| 8 | Trustees | |||||
| None of the trustees/Committee (or persons connected with them) received | ||||||
| remuneration/reimbursement other than out-of-pocket expenses during the Period | ||||||
| 9 | Employees | |||||
| There were no employees during the Period | ||||||
| 10 | Debtors | |||||
| Prepayments (Gift Aid and Venue hire) | £5,061.04 | £2,593.00 | ||||
| Other Debtors | £500.00 | £500.00 | ||||
| Total | £5,561.04 | £3,093.00 | ||||
| 11 | Creditors: amounts falling due within one year | |||||
| Trade Creditors incl Arts Society, Auditors, Cash received in advance | £982.16 | £4,702.51 | ||||
| 12 | Analysis of net assets between funds | **Unrestricted funds ** | Designated funds | Total | ||
| Fund balances at 31 March 2025 are represented by: | ||||||
| Current assets | £56,670.20 | £396.00 | £57,066.20 | £59,354.57 | ||
| Creditors: amounts falling due within one year | -£982.16 | £0.00 | -£982.16 | -£4,702.51 | ||
| Totals | £55,688.04 | £396.00 | £56,084.04 | £54,652.06 | ||
| Unrealised gains included above on investments: | £5,861.25 | £5,861.25 | £6,210.09 | |||
| Reconciliation of movements in unrealised gains | ||||||
| Net gains on investment in Period | -£348.84 | -£348.84 | £1,818.94 | |||
| Unrealised gains at 31 March 2025 | £5,861.25 | £5,861.25 | £6,210.09 |
1.2 Investments
INDEPENDENf EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE ARTS soaErY srRATFORD UPON AVON I report on the accounts of the charity for the Period ended 31 March 2025. which are set out on pa8es 6 to 8. Respectlve responslbllftles of trnstees and examlner 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 Period under sertion 144121 of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act} and that an Independent exam- ination is needed. It Is my responslblllty to: examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act- to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions glven by the Charity Commisslon under section 14515llbl of the 2011 Act: and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis ot independent èxarnlner's rnport My examinotion was carried out in accordance with the 8eneral Directions given by the Charity Commission. An exami- nation includes a review of the accounting records kept by the chartty and a comparison of the accounts presented wlth those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeklng explana- tions from you as trustees Concerni any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be requlred In an audit and consequently no opSnlon is glven a5 to whether the accounts present a 'true and falr view and the report 15 limited to those rnatter5 Set out in the Statement below. Independent examlner's slatement In connectlon wlth my examlnatlon, no matter has come to my attention. {al which give5 me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements: il to keep accounting records in accordance with settion 130 of the 2011 Act,. and 111 to prepare accounts which accord with the accountin8 records and compty wlth the accountln8 requlre- ments of the 2011 Act; have not been met, or Ibl to whlch, in my oplnlon, attentlon should be drawn In order to enable a proper understandlng of the account5 to be reached. Matrix The Old School House, Arrow, Alcester. Warwlckshlre 849 SPJ 24 Aprll 2025