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2024-03-31-accounts

Docusign Envelope ID: 122745CB-7DB0-49E3-847A-265E086D23F8

Charity number 1181856

Something To Aim For

Report and Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 March 2024

Breckman & Company Ltd Chartered Certified Accountants 49 South Molton Street London W1K 5LH

Docusign Envelope ID: 122745CB-7DB0-49E3-847A-265E086D23F8

Something To Aim For

Contents

Page
Reference and Administrative Details 1
Trustees' Report 2 - 9
Independent Examiner's Report 10
Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account) 11 - 14
Balance Sheet 15
Notes to the Financial Statements 16 - 24

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Something To Aim For

Reference and Administrative Details

Constitution

The organisation is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) under the Charities Act, registered charity number 1181856. The organisation's governing document is CIO - Foundation registered 4 February 2019.

Trustees

Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees are ongoing and incorporated indirectly into the regular trustees meetings.

The trustees during the year and since the year end, were :

Dawn Walton OBE resigned 26 January 2024 Nadine Marielle Patel resigned 27 November 2023 Caroline Head Prof Kirsty Fairclough Matt Burman Prof Gerard Hanlon Edward Francis Berg Prof Brian Lobel Dawn Estefan resigned 21 September 2023 Virginia Simpson appointed 12 April 2024

Independent Examiners

Breckman & Company, 49 South Molton Street, London, W1K 5LH.

Bankers

CAF Bank Limited, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Mailing. Kent ME19 4JQ

Registered office and operation address

SPACES, Peter House, Oxford Street, Manchester, M1 5AN

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Trustees' Report

The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective I January 2019).

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Something To Aim For (STAF) was set up in 2019 through a Culture & Society Discretionary Award from Wellcome Trust, specifically to support the development of an inclusive and accessible arts community.

We envision a world in which all people have meaningful connections to cultural experiences, with the voices and stories of under-represented and marginalised artists and communities at its centre. Our mission is focused around four areas:

STAF's Charitable Objectives are the advancement of the arts for the public benefit by promoting greater participation by groups who are underrepresented in the arts field, particularly by reason of disability, ill health (mental or physical) or social or economic disadvantage.

In 2023/24, STAF embarked on a transformative year guided by our ambitious 3-year business plan, The Future Starts Now . This year saw a strategic pivot in our role as a sector support organisation, enabling us to respond with agility to the evolving challenges of the creative industries. Key achievements included:

Through these activities, we not only supported underrepresented voices but also deepened our understanding of their unique challenges, shaping our ongoing efforts to promote equity, sustainability, and systemic change in the cultural sector.

Company History

STAF began in 2019 as an amalgamation of the work of two organisations: In Company Collective (ICC), and The Sick of the Fringe (TSOTF). ICC provided mentoring and support programmes for emerging and midcareer artists. TSOTF was an international artistic development programme that engaged with artists and audiences with lived experience of chronic ill health, disability, and socio-economic disadvantage, and addressed questions of access across the creative industries. STAF’s work continued to build upon this legacy, mentoring and supporting marginalised artists and artist-led organisations at different stages of development, as well as addressing access and inclusion.

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Since its inception, STAF has sought to bridge gaps and remove barriers to achieve its charitable aims, with agility and responsiveness at the core of our work. Changing operating contexts and community needs have prompted us to reassess our role, leading to a strategic pivot. This reflection reaffirmed our commitment to collaboration and the belief that collective effort can create lasting change.

As a result, we have positioned STAF as a creative infrastructure support organisation. Our work focuses on building cross-sector connections – arts, health, education, technology, and social justice – to strengthen skills, add capacity, and create a more inclusive cultural ecosystem, empowering marginalised voices and driving societal change.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Main Activities

Overview

In 2023/24, STAF demonstrated its steadfast commitment to driving inclusive growth and supporting marginalised and underrepresented voices in the creative industries. Through the implementation of our 3- year business plan, The Future Starts Now , we embraced a pivotal shift in our role as a sector support organisation. This plan equips us to address the evolving challenges facing the sector while better serving our communities. It is underpinned by four strategic aims:

This year, STAF transitioned to a Co-CEO structure, marking an important milestone in our organisational journey. Janet Tam stepped into the role of Joint-Director/CEO as part of a planned leadership transition initiated before the departure of our founding CEO, Tracy Gentles. Guided by the Board of Trustees, this leadership evolution reflects our commitment to adapting governance structures to meet the changing needs of our organisation and the communities we serve. As part of this transition, STAF is deepening its partnership with SICK! Productions through joint initiatives that support underrepresented artists across Greater Manchester.

Our experiences during this transformative period have paved the way for more strategic, responsive, and impactful actions in the years to come. As we move forward, we will continue to adapt, innovate, and deepen our engagements, ensuring that our efforts are not only sustained but also increasingly effective in meeting the evolving needs of our communities and the sector at large.

The Future Starts Now Business Plan

With the generous support from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation (PHF), STAF successfully initiated our ambitious 2023-26 business plan, The Future Starts Now . The first year, 2023-24, has been a period of significant transition, focusing on reshaping our remit and infrastructure to respond to the evolving sector with agility, paying particular attention to the needs of marginalised and underrepresented communities, artists, and practitioners in the creative industries. Despite sector-wide challenges, we experienced a surge in demand for our consultancy and executive support services. We responded by allocating our resources to where the reality of the current situation lies. Thanks to PHF’s support, we have been able to strengthen our organisational foundations, enabling us to meet the pressing needs of the communities we serve while maintaining our commitment to driving inclusive and sustainable growth within the sector.

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Deepening our Work in Greater Manchester

STAF continues to stay true to the roots of its founder, delivering impactful projects that address critical challenges in the anti-poverty and arts and culture spaces in Greater Manchester.

Bespoke Support For Diverse Artists / Artist-led Organisations

STAF has tailored support to over 14 marginalised and under-represented artists and diverse-led art companies with a total of approximately 1,500 support hours. Our support ranged from short-term consultations to more strategic, long-term engagements, reflecting our commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion within the creative sector. Our support covered a broad spectrum of bespoke needs, including organisational diagnosis, development strategies, human resource development, executive support, fundraising, finance, and administrative assistance, to transfer skills, induce confidence and practice accountability WITH our clients, in a safe and trusted space, hence paving way for structural change within the organisations we support as well as the sector. Through these engagements, STAF has provided direct and necessary support to our clients while gaining insight into the challenges in the sector.

The notable increase in consultancy income highlighted a substantial demand within the sector, underscoring the importance of strategic lead time in service development and market positioning. This journey, from the relaunch of our consultancy service in 2022 to the subsequent growth, offers valuable lessons in patience and strategic foresight for both our programme planning and consultancy services.

Engaging closely with long-term consultancy clients has yielded profound insights into their challenges and the process of building trust. These experiences have provided invaluable perspectives on the needs and challenges of emerging, diverse leaders in the arts, encouraging a harmonious blend of cultural management and artistic vision. This process has reinforced the importance of "practical dreaming" – the ability to blend creative ambition with sustainable operational strategies – as a guiding principle for the development of emerging leaders in the arts.

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Key Consultancy Highlights

Dedicated Longer-term Support For Artists and Artist-led Organisations

Alongside private consultancy clients, STAF continued its dedicated support to artists and artist-led organisations. Artist/Artist-led organisations receiving STAF support in 2023/24 include:

High Rise Entertainment CIC (HRE):

HRE has started their first year as an Arts Council England (ACE) National Portfolio Organisation (NPO), with STAF providing executive support and setting up their first Advisory Board, supporting them in developing their infrastructure and embedding new ways of working. This has involved:

Virginia Wilson (aka Gin)

STAF continued to support Virginia Wilson, also known as Gin. Choosing to focus her efforts on Faggamuffin Bloc Party (FBP), STAF helped Gin to wind down her side of the partnership of Sex & Rage (S&R). Throughout the year, STAF worked closely with Gin, providing a supportive framework for her to advance her creative and operational goals, including training for cashflow forecasting, and developing a fundraising strategy.

Anson Tang

Anson Tang embarked on a collaborative journey with STAF from October 2022. STAF helped Anson make the first preparations for his career after graduation from the Royal College of Music, where he was notably the first wheelchair user to join the keyboard faculty. He featured on UK television programme The Piano and STAF guided his strategy to capitalise on this appearance through social media promotion. STAF and Anson also began to discuss how he could transition out of more regular support across summer 2024.

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STAF Projects

STAF Live

Developed during the COVID-19 lockdown by Tracy Gentles and Zoë Gumbs, STAF Live is STAF’s own safe and accessible online platform, operating under a mission statement of “Radical access to radical work, online”. STAF Live was involved as part of board member Prof Kirsty Fairclough’s multi-million pound bid to the European Union’s HORIZON research and innovation fund. Though that funding bid was unsuccessful, STAF Live continues its development journey through new digital training initiatives in discussion with HOME Manchester for the upcoming HOME Arches facility . STAF loaned STAF Live to SICK! Festival to provide the digital infrastructure of their online programme.

Performing Leadership Differently (PLD): Queen Mary University London (QMUL) Impact Fund

Building on the principles and insights of the initial research project, STAF has designed a Theatre & Entrepreneurship Residency in collaboration with Urban MBA and High Rise Entertainment, to be delivered to a small cohort of successful applicants in London, across summer 2024.

Partnership and Industry Support

SICK! Productions Limited

The majority of support STAF gave to SICK! in 2023/24 was through Tracy Gentles providing Creative Consultant services. Parallel to STAF, SICK! underwent its own leadership transition and departure of its founder. Building upon the relationship from the creative consultancy she provided, Tracy Gentles became Artistic Director of SICK!. STAF was able to support the core team to prepare for the first festival edition after the COVID-19 lockdown through providing administration capacity and access consultancy, as well as use of STAF Live as part of the infrastructure for their digital programme delivery.

Centre for Community Cultural Development (CCCD)

STAF supported Centre for Community Cultural Development (HK) and Bill Aitchison Company (UK) in their presentation of It Won’t Be Long Now at the Edinburgh Fringe 2023, engaging diverse audiences with the stories of Prisoners of War (POW) and civilians from inside and outside of the Sham Shui Po POW Camp in Hong Kong during the Japanese occupation in WWII. Starring Bill Aitchison, a British actor, and Indy Lee, a diasporic artist from Hong Kong.

Working Towards Cross-Sector Change

To realise the strategic aim of promoting creativity, learning, and innovation across sectors, STAF worked with an array of partners in 2023/2024, including higher education institutions.

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what we are learning about what worked, where, and why, with a view to strengthening the theatre industries in all those countries, entitled Pandemic preparedness in the live performing arts: Lessons to learn from COVID-19 .

STAF worked to support UoM’s forthcoming application to UKRI to develop Manchester’s strategy towards becoming the UK’s first Creative Health City Region along with SICK!.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Financial Position

2023/2024 saw the first year of action in STAF’s “The Future Starts Now” business plan, marked by an effort to streamline core operations to stabilise and protect the organisation, while building the team to ensure the necessary resources to fully realise STAF’s current programmes and potential areas of work. Additionally, STAF actively sought new income diversification avenues, leading to a strategic repositioning supported by focused research, development, and knowledge building.

Income generated through Consultancy and Partnership work within this period includes:

In the financial year 2023/24, STAF continued its efforts in social justice-focused programmes. This phase included projects like Building An Anti-Poverty Community, supported by UKRI Community Research Networks and in collaboration with Manchester Central Food Bank, which aimed to tackle poverty innovatively in Manchester's localised clusters.

STAF entered the second year of its significant grant of £180,000 over a 36-month period from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. This grant, part of the Arts Access and Participation Fund, acknowledges STAF’s wide-ranging impact and supports its efforts to tackle structural inequality in the cultural sector.

Future Plans

Although STAF has secured three years of core support from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation spanning 2023/24 to 2025/26, our approach will continue to evolve towards a diversified funding model. This strategy aims to enhance financial resilience and sustainability over the next three years, with a target distribution of income: approximately 65% from designated projects, 13% from earned income, and the remaining 22-23% from core grants. As part of our financial planning, 74% of our projected unrestricted consultancy income for 2024/25, amounting to £28,800, is already in the pipeline.

In terms of new funding avenues, STAF has made progress in attracting interest from various sources. Notable developments include the following (some pending final outcomes):

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Trustees' Report

Reserves Policy

Total reserves at 31 March 2024 amounted to a deficit of £52,606 (2023: deficit £83,645), comprising deficit £144,057 unrestricted funds (2023: deficit £176,744) and £91,901 (2023: £93,099) of restricted funds.

As part of the ongoing business planning, we will continue to develop our strategy to reach the organisation’s desired reserve policy (3 months of annual expenditure). As at 31 March 2024, the free reserves of the charity were in deficit £144,057 (2023: deficit £176,744). We will continue to keep this policy under review in line with the operational guidelines issued by the Charities Commission.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document

Something To Aim For (STAF) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation governed by its CIO Constitution dated 28 January 2019.

Organisational structure

During 2023/24, the day-to-day running of STAF is undertaken by STAF’s small core team: Executive Director/CEO, Administrator, and Programme Delivery Lead.

STAF’s core team continued to be supported by a network of associates and specialist consultants, who collectively are responsible for ensuring the successful delivery of the business plan.

Governance

Every Trustee must be appointed for a term of three years by a resolution passed at a quorum meeting of the Trustees.

In selecting individuals for appointment as Trustees, the Trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO.

STAF follows a standard process for recruiting new members. Firstly, an advertisement is placed, based on the current skills needed on the Board, requesting new potential Trustees to apply with a CV, and a covering letter stating why they would like to join the Board of Trustees, the current Board will review the selection and invite them to interview. Interviews are usually held with an appointed member of the Board and then a follow up interview with the CEO and Executive Director of STAF.

Any person retiring as a Trustee is eligible for reappointment, provided that a Trustee who has served for three consecutive terms may not be reappointed for a fourth consecutive term but may be reappointed after an interval of at least one year.

Trustee Induction and Training

All trustees receive a board induction pack. This includes STAF’s Constitution which states details of the responsibilities of the charities Trustees, a copy of the most recent Board Papers and the latest Trustees Annual Report and statement of accounts. The individual is then invited along to the next Board meeting where they are officially inducted onto the Board.

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Trustees' Report

Additional Board information

Board meetings are currently set to 4 meetings every financial year. Agenda points covered in each meeting are:

This report was approved by the Board of Trustees on 16 January 2025 and signed on its behalf by

Mr Matt Burman Trustee

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Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Something To Aim For

I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024, which are set out on pages 11 to 24.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

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 2011 Act).

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’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.

Basis of independent examiner's statement

My examination was carried out in accordance with general directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a "true and fair view" and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

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 (other than that disclosed below *) which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

ꞏ the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or

ꞏ the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or

ꞏ the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

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.

Richard Nelson FCCA Breckman & Company Ltd Chartered Certified Accountants

49 South Molton Street London W1K 5LH

16 January 2025

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Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account) for the year ended 31 March 2024

Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
Notes
£
£
Income and endowments from:
2
Donations and legacies - page 12
-
81,023
Charitable activities
Other trading activities
109,402
Investments
6
-
Total
109,408
81,023
Expenditure on:
Raising funds:
Fundraising
12
-
Charitable activities - page 13
77,159
82,221
Total
77,171
82,221
Net income / (expenditure)
32,237
)
(1,198
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward
)
(176,744
93,099
Total funds carried forward
13, 14
)
(144,507
91,901		 2024
Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
funds
funds
£
£
£
81,023
5,000
82,460
109,402
33,649
6
-
-
190,431
38,649
82,460
12
4,348
-
159,380
180,933
3,961
159,392
185,281
3,961
31,039
)
(146,632
78,499
)
(83,645
30,112
14,600
)
(52,606
)
(176,744
93,099		 2023
Total
£
87,460
33,649
-
121,109
4,348
184,894
189,242
)
(68,133
)
(15,512
)
(83,645

The notes on pages 16 to 24 form an integral part of these financial statements.

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derives from continuing activities.

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Year ended 31 March 2024
2024
£
Income from donations and legacies
Grants
Hackney Borough Council
-
-
Income from charitable activities
Artistic income
Consultancy fees
49,932
Virginia Wilson Project
36,957
Other income
22,513
109,402
Project specific funding
Grants/Donations
Arts Council England
-
Paul Hamlyn Foundation
60,000
UKRI Community Research Network / BAAPC
6,023
66,023
Donations
Queen Mary University London Impact Fund
-
MMF Anti-Poverty Insight Group
15,000
15,000
81,023		 43,160
-		 2023
£
5,000
5,000
16,633
17,016
-
33,649
7,050
30,000
2,250
39,300
43,160
82,460

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Year ended 31 March 2024

Expenditure on raising funds
Fundraising and publicity of the charity
Expenditure on charitable activities
Artistic
General costs
Direct costs
Salaries
Social security costs
Staff pension scheme costs
Consultancy
Travel
Rent/rates
Support costs - page 14
Governance costs - page 14		 2024
£
12
12
72,799
52,744
3,138
3,174
2,810
2,449
1,495
138,609
10,125
1,206
159,380		 2023
£
4,348
4,348
9,964
134,475
5,763
7,456
3,764
691
4,415
166,528
12,441
2,400
184,894

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Year ended 31 March 2024

Support and governance costs
Office overheads
Telephone/fax
Insurance
Amortisation of goodwill
Depreciation of plant/machinery
Depreciation of fixtures/fittings/equipment
Administration costs
Staff welfare
Entertaining
Printing/postage/stationery
Subscriptions/licences
Sundries
Professional/financial
Computer costs
Bank charges
Governance costs
Accountancy/consultancy		 2024
£
115
2,115
2,368
922
542
295
20
48
1,693
3
1,926
78
1,206		 £
6,062
2,059
2,004
10,125
1,206
11,331		 2023
£
20
1,468
2,369
872
682
336
26
295
692
997
4,556
128
2,400		 £
5,411
2,346
4,684
12,441
2,400
14,841

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Balance Sheet 31 March 2024

Notes
Fixed assets
Intangible assets
9
Tangible assets
10
Current assets
Debtors
11
Cash at bank and in hand
Liabilties
Creditors: amounts falling
due within one year
12
Net current (liabilities)
Excess of current liabilities
over total assets
The funds of the charity
Unrestricted funds
13
- General fund
Restricted funds
14
Total charity funds		 2024
£
33,888
39,686
73,574
)
(128,549		 £
2,368
1
2,369
)
(54,975
)
(52,606
)
(144,507
91,901
)
(52,606		 2023
£
89,710
6,200
95,910
)
(185,756		 £
4,736
1,465
6,201
)
(89,846
)
(83,645
)
(176,744
93,099
)
(83,645

The accounts were approved by the Board of Trustees on 16 January 2025 and signed on its behalf by

Mr Matt Burman Trustee

The notes on pages 16 to 24 form an integral part of these financial statements.

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Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024

1. Accounting policies

1.1. Basis of preparing the financial statements

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice (issued in October 2019) applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)).

The charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note(s).

1.2. Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid after taking account of any trade discounts due.

1.3. Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.

1.4. Creditors and provisions

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.

1.5. Preparation of the accounts on a going concern basis.

The company is dependent on the continued support of grant aiding bodies. The trustees believe that the company will continue to receive this support and accordingly consider that it is appropriate to prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis.

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Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024

1.6. Incoming resources

All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities when:

- Donations and legacies

Grants/donations are recognised in incoming resources in the year in which they are receivable, except as follows:

-when donors specify that grants/donations given to the charity must be used in future accounting periods, the income is deferred until those periods

-when donors impose conditions which have to be fulfilled before the charity becomes entitled to use such income, the income is deferred and not included in incoming resources until the preconditions for use are met.

- Charitable activities

Artistic income - is included in incoming resources in the period in which the relevant activity takes place.

Project specific funding - when donors specify that donations and grants are for particular restricted purposes, which do not amount to pre-conditions regarding entitlement, this income is included in incoming resources of restricted funds when receivable.

- Donated services and facilities

Donated services or facilities are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item, any conditions associated with the donated item have been met, the receipt of economic benefit from the use by the charity of the item is probable and that economic benefit can be measured reliably. On receipt, donated services and facilities are recognised on the basis of the value of the gift to the charity which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay to obtain services or facilities of equivalent economic benefit on the open market; a corresponding amount is then recognised in expenditure in the period of receipt.

- Investment income

Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the Bank.

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Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024

1.7. Expenditure

All expenditure is included on an accruals basis inclusive of any VAT which cannot be recovered and is recognised when:

- Costs of raising funds

Costs incurred in attracting donations, and those incurred in trading activities that raise funds.

- Charitable activities

Artistic costs - costs incurred in the production of charitable activities in the year.

- Support costs

The administrative and overhead costs associated with running the office from which the company operates as well as governance costs. Support costs are wholly attributable to theatre production costs.

- Governance costs

Costs associated with the constitutional and statutory requirements of the charity.

1.8. Tangible fixed assets and depreciation

Individual fixed assets costing £100 or more are capitalised at cost.

Depreciation is provided at annual rates calculated to write off the cost less residual value of each asset over its expected useful life, as follows:

1.9. Pensions

The pension costs charged in the financial statements represent the contributions payable by the company during the year in accordance with SSAP 24.

The regular cost of providing retirement pensions and related benefits is charged to the income and expenditure account over the employees' service lives on the basis of a constant percentage of earnings.

1.10. Fund accounting

Funds held by the charity are either:

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

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Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024

1.11. Financial Instruments

The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value, and subsequently measured at their settlement value (with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method).

2. Incoming resources

The total incoming resources for the year have been derived from the principal activity undertaken wholly in the UK.

3.
Interest receivable
Bank interest
4.
Net income/(expenditure) for the year is
stated after charging:
Depreciation of tangible fixed assets
Independent examination
- other services		 2024
£
6
2024
£
3,832
1,206		 2023
£
-
2023
£
3,923
3,250

5. Trustees' emoluments and reimbursed expenses

The trustees received no remuneration during the year.

The aggregated amount reimbursed to trustees during the year was £nil (2023 - £nil)

Docusign Envelope ID: 122745CB-7DB0-49E3-847A-265E086D23F8

Something To Aim For

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024

6.
Staff costs and numbers
Staff costs
Salaries and wages
Social security costs
Pension costs		 2024
£
52,744
3,138
3,174
59,056		 2023
£
138,000
5,763
7,456
151,219

No employee earned £60,000 or more during the year (2023 - £nil).

Staff numbers

The average numbers of employees (including casual and part time staff) during the year was made up as follows:


Production
Support		 2024
Number

4
2
6		 2023
Number
4
2
6

7. Pension costs

The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme in respect of its employees. The scheme and its assets are held by independent managers. The pension charge represents contributions due from the company and amounted to £3,174 (2023 - £7,456).

8. Corporation taxation

The charity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within section 505 of the Taxes Act 1988 or section 252 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects.

Docusign Envelope ID: 122745CB-7DB0-49E3-847A-265E086D23F8

Something To Aim For

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024

9. Fixed assets - intangible assets

Goodwill
£
Cost
1 April 2023 /
31 March 2024
11,843
Provision for
diminution in value
1 April 2023
7,107
Charge for year
2,368
31 March 2024
9,475
Net book values
31 March 2024
2,368
31 March 2023
4,736
10.
Fixed assets - tangible assets
Plant/
Fixtures/
machinery
fittings/
equipment
£
£
Cost
1 April 2023 /
31 March 2024
2,645
2,727
Depreciation
1 April 2023
1,724
2,183
Charge for year
922
542
31 March 2024
2,646
2,725
Net book values
31 March 2024
)
(1
2
31 March 2023
921
544		 Total
£
11,843
7,107
2,368
9,475
2,368
4,736
Total
£
5,372
3,907
1,464
5,371
1
1,465

Docusign Envelope ID: 122745CB-7DB0-49E3-847A-265E086D23F8

Something To Aim For

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024

11. Debtors 2024 2023
£ £
Trade debtors - 54,030
Other debtors 3,888 5,680
Prepayments 30,000 30,000
33,888 89,710
12. Creditors: amounts falling due 2024 2023
within one year £ £
Other taxation/social security 87,295 105,666
Other creditors 37,354 73,496
Accruals 3,900 6,594
128,549 185,756
13. Unrestricted funds Brought Incoming Outgoing Carried
forward resources resources forward
£ £ £ £
General fund )
(176,744		 109,408 )
(77,171		 )
(144,507

Docusign Envelope ID: 122745CB-7DB0-49E3-847A-265E086D23F8

Something To Aim For

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024

14. Restricted funds Brought Incoming Outgoing Carried
forward resources resources forward
£ £ £ £
Balance b/f 14,600 - )
(14,600		 -
Queen Mary University London 43,160 - - 43,160
Impact Fund )
(1,711		 6,023 )
(571		 3,741
Paul Hamlyn Foundation 30,000 60,000 )
(60,000		 30,000
UKRI Community Research Network 7,050 - )
(7,050		 -
MMF Anti-Poverty Insight Group - 15,000 - 15,000
93,099 81,023 )
(82,221		 91,901

Paul Hamlyn Foundation

In 2022/2023, STAF secured a significant grant of £180,000 from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, over a 36-month period. This grant, part of the Arts Access and Participation Fund starting in April 2023, acknowledges STAF's wide-ranging impact and supports its efforts to tackle structural inequality in the cultural sector.

MMF Anti-Poverty Insight Group

The year 2023/2024 saw the first year of a two-year commission by the Manchester City Council's Public Health Department to convene and manage an Anti-Poverty Insight Group. This initiative plays a vital role in delivering the council's Making Manchester Fairer: Anti-Poverty Strategy by ensuring that a diverse range of communities are actively involved in consultations and can influence policy decisions that directly impact them.

UKRI Community Research Network

The Building An Anti-Poverty Community (BAAPC) project is a collaboration between STAF and Manchester Central Foodbank (MCF), supported by a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Community Research Networks grant. This initiative reflects a shift towards a more community-driven approach to research and innovation, focusing on the effective use of creativity as a tool for community engagement and social change. The project leverages the support of UKRI to integrate the public's role in research, focusing on developing solutions that are practical and resonate with the community's needs. BAAPC operates within Manchester four localised clusters across the city of Manchester, utilising MCF's Anti-Poverty Community network for a collective and innovative approach to tackling poverty, primarily through workshops and dialogues.

Fixed assets

This fund consists of grants/donations received specifically for the purchase of fixed assets. The funds are transferred to the general fund over the expected useful life of the assets.

Docusign Envelope ID: 122745CB-7DB0-49E3-847A-265E086D23F8

Something To Aim For

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024

15. Analysis of net assets between funds

General
Restricted
funds
funds
£
£
Fund balances at 31 March 2024
are represented by:
Tangible fixed assets
2,369
-
Net current (liabilities)
)
(146,876
91,901
)
(144,507
91,901		 Total
£
2,369
)
(54,975
)
(52,606

16. Related party transactions

During the year the charity had no related party transactions that require disclosure.

16. Liability of members

If the CIO is wound up, the members of the CIO have no liability to contribute to its assets and no personal responsibility for settling its debts and liabilities. At 31 March 2024 there were 7 members.