2025-04-05-accounts - Bristol Palestine Film Festival

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Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 6[th] April 2024 to 5[th] April 2025

Charity name: Bristol Palestine Film Festival

Charity registration number: 1178457

Objectives and Activities
	SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17	To advance the arts and culture for the benefit of the general public by promoting film and other art forms, with particular, but not exclusive, reference to films originating from or about Palestine.
Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts.	Para 1.17 and 1.19	To programme, plan and deliver an annual festival of cinematic films, related to Palestine or made by Palestinian filmmakers, as well as a small number of non-film cultural events. The festival takes place in Bristol and the surroundingarea.
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit	Para 1.18	The Trustees have created this report having informed themselves of the Charitable Commission’s guidance and the Statement of Recommended Practice.

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

	SORP reference
Policy on grant making	Para 1.38	Bristol PFF does not make grants.
Policy on social investment including program related investment	Para 1.38	BristolPFF does not involve itself in social investment.
Contribution made by volunteers	Para 1.38	BristolPFF welcomes and values the contribution made by volunteers. Volunteers help to staff screenings and events, helping to distribute and collect evaluation forms and to takepayment for event tickets. Volunteers are

managed by the BPFF co-ordinator, and are offered free tickets to events as a gesture of thanks.

	SORP reference
Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole.	Para 1.20	Bristol Palestine Film Festival mounted an in- person festival in November/December 2024. As a response to our growing audiences, we programmed a more extensive festival than in 2023. Box office was strong, growing compared to previous years. Evaluation forms completed by members of the audience show a high degree of satisfaction.

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Achievements against objectives set	Para 1.41	Our expectations were exceeded - we were pleased with the audience numbers, as well as audience response to the work we showed.
Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set	Para 1.41	We received four grants totalling £10440 which secured the festival in 2024. In addition, there was a small number of personal donations. A proportion will be carried forward into reserves to help fund the 2025 festival.
Investment performance against objectives	Para 1.41	BristolPFF has no investments.

Financial Review
Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period	Para 1.21	The 2024 festival was delivered on budget, and we were able to make donations to other film- focused charities which are in line with our charitable aims. The charity made a surplus in 2024-25 of £4404, due to good Box Office as well as the higher-than-expected grant revenues.
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	The Trustees are holding reserves at the end of the 2024-25 financial year in order to provide necessary funding for the 2025 festival and beyond. A proportion of the funds will be spent on outreach events to engage younger audiences and family audiences, as well as Palestinian and Arab communities, appealing to hard-to-reach communities through ticketingoffers and free screenings.
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	£21713
Reasons for holding zero reserves	Para 1.22	n/a
Details of fund materially in deficit	Para 1.24	n/a
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuingas agoingconcern	Para 1.23	n/a

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising)	Para 1.47	Box Office/earned income = 54.3% Individual Donations = 2.5% Grant funding from trusts = 34.9% Grant funding from British Film Institute = 8.3%
Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted	Para 1.46	Bristol Palestine Film Festival does not make investments.
A description of the principal risks facing the charity	Para 1.46	There are no significant risks facing the charity as it operates on a cash basis and only delivers a festival within the limits of the cash it has available.

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document (trust deed,royal charter)	Para 1.25	Bristol Palestine Film Festival is governed by a Constitution.
How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association,CIO)	Para 1.25	Bristol Palestine Film Festival is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees	Para 1.25	A trustee may be appointed by the decision of the Trustees.

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees	Para 1.51	n/a
The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works	Para 1.51	n/a
Relationship with any related parties	Para 1.51	n/a

Charityname	Bristol Palestine Film Festival
Other name the charityuses	BristolPFF
Registered charitynumber	1178457
Charity’s principal address	c/o 4 Somerset Street Bristol BS2 8NB

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee(if any)
	Alison Sterling	Chair
	Sally Azzam	Trustee
	Karena Batstone	Trustee
	Alix Hughes	Trustee
	Steph Read	Trustee
	Susannah O’Sullivan	Trustee

Corporate trustees – names of the directors at the date the report was approved

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity

Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year

Description of the assets held	n/a
in this capacity
Name and objects of the	n/a
charity on whose behalf the
assets are held and how this
falls within the custodian
charity’s objects
Details of arrangements for	n/a
safe custody and segregation
of such assets from the
charity’s own assets

Type of	Name	Address
adviser

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Full name(s) Alison Sterling Position (eg Secretary, Chair, Chair etc) Date 20th January 2026