## ARTS ALIVE IN SHROPSHIRE AND HEREFORDSHIRE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES 31st March 2025 ## **Arts Alive** ## **2024–2025 Year-End Review for Trustees** ## **Executive Summary** The 2024–2025 financial year marked a period of steady progress and renewed momentum for Arts Alive. Building on previous investments in programme quality, community partnerships and organisational resilience, Arts Alive advanced its mission to expand access to the arts while strengthening its operational foundations. Despite ongoing sector-wide challenges - including rising costs and a competitive funding environment - the organisation delivered impactful programmes, broadened its reach, and maintained effective organisational stewardship. Key highlights from the year include the successful delivery of core programmes, deeper collaboration with community and sector partners and strengthened artist development initiatives. ## **Programme Highlights and Impact** ## **Core Programmes** Arts Alive successfully delivered its core portfolio of programmes, reaching rural and market town communities across Shropshire, Herefordshire, Telford & Wrekin and beyond. Key areas of activity included: - **Flicks in the Sticks:** During 2024–2025, Arts Alive recorded **30,531 cinema admissions** across **966 film screenings** , exceeding annual targets and demonstrating strong and sustained community demand for accessible local cinema. - **Live Performance Programme:** Arts Alive delivered **84 professional live performances** reaching **4,000 attendees** in village halls, community centres and local venues. These events played a significant role in reducing social isolation, particularly among older audiences. - **Young Audience Club:** The Young Audience Club continued to grow, with over **40 family-friendly screenings and events** delivered during the year, supporting early engagement with arts and culture. Across all programmes, affordable ticket prices and proximity to home helped remove economic and logistical barriers to participation. ## **Artist Development and Sector Support** Arts Alive continues to strengthen the cultural ecology by investing in both artist development and wider sector support. Through targeted training, commissioning pathways and collaborative partnerships, the organisation enables artists to develop their skills, expand professional networks and progress their creative practice. Alongside this, the organisation provides strategic guidance, resources and practical support to organisations, venues and communities, helping to build local capacity and long-term resilience. By investing in both people and infrastructure, Arts Alive contributes to a more innovative, sustainable and connected arts sector, particularly within rural contexts. The **Off Grid** and **Pitch Up (Rural)** initiatives, led by Arts Alive in collaboration with sector partners, offer dynamic platforms for artists and producers to explore new ideas and engage with the rural touring network. ## **Partnerships** Partnerships remained central to Arts Alive’s impact. During the year, the organisation: - Supported **over 160 local venues** annually, the majority led by volunteer promoters - Worked closely with local promoters, providing training, marketing resources and technical support to enable high-quality delivery - Maintained strong relationships with community organisations and local authorities to strengthen community identity, wellbeing and resilience - Maintaining and strengthening in-sector relationships, working collaboratively with other UK-based schemes and arts organisations Accessible provision remained a priority, with subtitled, relaxed, dementia-friendly and matinee screenings and performances offered throughout the year. ## **Audience and Community Reach** Arts Alive reached an estimated **over 34,000 participants and audience members** during 2024– 2025. Demographic and geographic data indicate continued progress towards engaging a broader and more diverse community. Marketing efforts - particularly email communications and social media - supported awareness and attendance, while referrals from community partners played an increasingly important role in reaching new audiences. ## **Financial Review 2024–2025** Our financial position continued to strengthen during 2024–2025, supported by our two main funders, **Arts Council England** and the **BFI** . We were also supported during the year by a significant grant from the UK Government’s **Levelling Up** programme (UKSPF). This funding enabled three key developments: **strengthening the organisation’s staffing structure** , **building reserves** , and **continuing our work with new audiences and** **communities** across our area. Total income also increased compared with the previous financial year. Expenditure rose in line with the scale and ambition of our programme. We spent significantly more on **artist fees** , supporting a greater number of touring companies to work in our area, and on **film rights** , with an expanded range of screenings requiring additional payments to distributors. Other costs also increased in line with the greater number and quality of activities delivered. Our reserves continue to underpin the organisation’s stability. The **Stability Reserve** increased during the year and now meets our policy of holding **six months’ reserves** , providing protection in the event of significant or unexpected funding disruption. We are also developing an **Artist Development Fund (£30,000)** to support a new strand of our work: collaborating closely with companies that wish to tour across our network. This initiative aligns well with the additional space we expect to rent in **2026–2027** . The Trustees wish to express their heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported Arts Alive throughout this transformative year. The Trustees confirm that they have approved this report. ## Reference and Administration Details Arts Alive is a registered charity, number 1182373. The principal address is Office 007, Enterprise House, Station Street, Bishops Castle, Shropshire SY9 5AQ Trustees of Arts Alive as at 1st April 2024 – 31[st] March 2025 were: Michael Connolly - Chair Paul Graham Louise Harriet Cresswell Mayor - Treasurer Stephanie Hinton Kai Hu Shauna O’Reilly Pearce Violet Hudson Arts Alive’s bank is: CAF BANK Ltd, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, West Malling, Kent ME19. The independent examiner of the accounts is Shaheen Uddin - Aims Accountants for Business Structure, Governance and Management Arts Alive has existed as an unincorporated trust since 1999. On 7th March 2019, Arts Alive became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and all assets from the old Charity were transferred to the new one on October 1st 2019. Arts Alive is governed by its constitution adopted on 7th March 2019. Trustees are elected for a three-year term on the expiry of which they may stand for reelection. Objectives The objectives of Arts Alive, as set out in the constitution, may be summarised as fostering and developing artistic taste, knowledge, and appreciation of the arts in Shropshire &Herefordshire and the surrounding areas. In planning activities for the year, the Trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit, including the guidance on fee charging. For the most part admission prices are set by the individual promoters but Arts Alive issues strong recommendations on the level at which they should be set. ## **ARTS ALIVE IN SHROPSHIRE AND HEREFORDSHIRE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025** |**Incoming resources**
**from generated funds:**
Voluntary income:
Grants
Donations
Investment income
**from charitable activities:**
Income from live and flicks events
**Total incoming resources**
**Resources expended**
**Charitable activities**
Operation of live and flicks events
Governance costs
**Total Operation of events**
Transfers to reserve funds
**Total resources expended**
**Net incoming resources**|**Note**

2
3
4
4|**31.03.2025**
**Restricted**
£

341,948
2,247
1,078
-------------
**345,273**
111,906
-------------
**457,179**
-------------
440,173
4,140
-------------
444,313
-------------
16,227
**460,540**
-------------
**(3,361)**
=======|**31.03.2024**| |---|---|---|---| ||||**Restricted**
£
227,486
476
4,080
-------------
**232,042**
107,764
-------------
**339,806**
-------------
334,972
1,184
-------------
336,156
-------------
0
**336,156**
-------------
**3,650**
=======| 5 ## **ARTS ALIVE IN SHROPSHIRE AND HEREFORDSHIRE BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2025** |**Fixed assets**
Fixtures and fittings
Flicks Equipment
**Current assets**
Debtors
Cash at Bank and in hand
**Creditors: Amounts falling**
**due within one year**
**Net Current Assets**
**Net Assets**
**Funds**
Restricted funds
Unrestricted funds
B/F Reserve Earnings
Current Year Earnings
**Total Funds**|**Notes**
£
£
£
£
5
2,018
2,706
5
11,669
15,559
---------
---------
**13,687**
**18,265**
6
24,620
26,058
189,443
136,359
---------
---------
**214,063**
**162,417**
**7**
**45,798**
**68,240**
---------
---------
**168,265**
**94,177**
---------
---------
**8**
**181,952**
**112,442**
=====
=====
26,095
26,495
155,432
82,160
---------
---------
**181,527**
**108,655**
3,787
137
(3,361)
3,650
----------
----------
**181,952**
**112,442**
======
======
**31.03.2025**
**31.03.2024**| |---|---| **Michael Connolly For and on behalf of the Managing Committee** 6 ## **ARTS ALIVE IN SHROPSHIRE AND HEREFORDSHIRE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025** - 1 **Accounting policies** The following accounting policies have been used consistently in dealing with items which are considered material in relation to the charity's financial statements. ## **Basis of accounting** The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards and follow recommendations in Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting by Charities. ## **Voluntary income and fundraising expenditure** Voluntary income represents amounts received and recorded at events and projects during the year. Except in the case of charity shops and fundraising events such as fetes and galas, no costs of fundraising have been netted against voluntary income. Fundraising expenditure represents the direct costs of fundraising and includes the salaries and other direct costs of fundraising staff. Publicity costs directly related to fundraising are included in the fundraising costs. ## **Fees, contributions and grants** These comprise amounts receivable during the year. ## **Investment income** This comprises interest received in the year. ## **Tangible fixed assets** Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life. Fixtures and fittings and Flicks equipment - 25% on reducing balance. ## **Taxation** No provision has been made for corporation tax or deferred tax as the charitable company is a registered charity and is therefore exempt. ## **Reserves** Reserve Funds are monies that have been set aside to cover unforeseen events such as equipment failures or renewals (Equipment Reserve), the major loss of funds (Stability Reserves) 7 ## **ARTS ALIVE IN SHROPSHIRE AND HEREFORDSHIRE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025** ## 2 **Grants** |**nts**||| |---|---|---| ||**31.03.2025**|**31.03.2024**| ||**Restricted**|**Restricted**| ||**Funds**|**Funds**| ||£|£| |Herefordshire Council|7,000|0| |Cheshire West and Chester|0|250| |Shropshire Council
(levelling up)|50,765|11,269| |Shropshire Council|0|5,094| |Arts Council England|166,863|166,863| |BFI Grant|62,000|44,010| |Other grants|24,070|0| |Deferred Income|31,250|0| ||----------|----------| ||341,948|227,486| ||======|======| We acknowledge the support of Shropshire Council and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (£50,765) We are grateful for the support from The Elmley Foundation (£7,000) Both projects are to help us reach new communities. ## **3 Investment income** |**estment income**||| |---|---|---| ||**31.03.2025**|**31.03.2024**| ||**Restricted**|**Restricted**| ||**Funds**|**Funds**| ||£|£| |Interest received|1,078|4,080| ||=====|=====| 4 **Analysis of charitable expenditure** |||**Fundraising**|**Charitable**|**Governance**|**Total**|**Total**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |||**Costs**|**Activities**|**Costs**|**31.03.2025**|**31.03.2024**| |Artists fees|||159,219||159,219|109,941| |Salaries||2,000|154,263|3,000|159,263|152,216| |Overheads||1,000|18,508||19,508|21,974| |Project costs|||51,204||51,204|33,429| |Other expenses|||53,979|1,140|55,119|18,596| |||----------|-----------|----------|-----------|-----------| |||3,000|437,173|4,140|444,313|336,156| |||=====|======|=====|======|=====| ||**31.03.2024**|0|334,972|1,184|336,156|| |||=====|======|=====|======|| 8 **ARTS ALIVE IN SHROPSHIRE AND HEREFORDSHIRE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025** ## 5 **Tangible fixed assets** |5|**Tangible fixed assets**||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |||**Fixtures**|**Flicks**||| |||**& fittings**|**Equipment**|**Total**|| |||£||£|| ||**Cost**||||| ||At 31 March 2024|20,960|157,286|178,246|| ||Additions|||0|| ||Disposals|||0|| |||---------|---------|---------|| ||At 31 March 2025|20,960|157,286|178,246|| |||---------|---------|---------|| ||**Depreciation**||||| ||At 31 March 2024|18,254|141,727|159,981|| ||Charge for year|688|3,890|4,577|| ||Eliminated on Disposals|||0|| |||---------|---------|---------|| ||At 31 March 2025|18,942|145,617|164,558|| |||---------|---------|---------|| ||**Net Book Value At 31 March 2025**|2,018|11,669|13,687|| |||====|=====|=====|| |6|**Debtors**||||| ||||**31.03.2025**||**31.03.2024**| ||||£||£| ||Trade debtors||24,620||26,058| ||Other debtors||0||0| ||||---------||---------| ||||24,620||17,826| ||||=====||=====| |7|**Creditors: amounts falling due within**|**one year**|||| ||||**31.03.2025**||**31.03.2024**| ||||£||£| ||Trade creditors||13,118||23,865| ||Other creditors||5,453||5,125| ||Deferred Income||27,227||39,250| ||||---------||---------| ||||45,798||68,240| ||||=====||=====| 9 **ARTS ALIVE IN SHROPSHIRE AND HEREFORDSHIRE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025** ## 8 **Analysis net assets by fund** |**Analysis net assets by fund**||||| |---|---|---|---|---| ||**31.03.2025**||**31.03.2024**|| ||**Restricted**|**Total**|**Restricted**|**Total**| |Fixed assets|13,687|13,687|18,265|18,265| |Current assets|214,063|214,063|162,417|162,417| |Current liabilities|(45,798)|(45,798)|(68,240)|(68,240)| ||----------|----------|----------|----------| ||181,952|181,952|112,442|112,442| ||======|======|======|======| |Reserves to fund future depreciation|13,687|13,687|18,265|18,265| |Other reserves|168,265|168,265|94,177|94,177| ||----------|----------|----------|----------| ||181,952|181,952|112,442|112,442| ||======|======|======|======| ## 9 **Trustees remuneration and expenses** No remuneration directly or indirectly out of the funds of the charity was paid or payable for the year to any trustee or to any persons known to be connected to any of them. No reimbursement of expenses has been made or is due to be made to any of the trustees in respect of the year. ## 10 **Related party transactions** There were no related party transactions during the year. 10