2024-07-31-accounts

Registered Charity, No: 1186908

Trustees’ Annual Report & Statement of Financial Activity for the Year Ended 31 July 2024

Trustees

Benjamin Coleman Gillian Crowther Deborah Coleman Ian Keeffe Jennifer Healy Sam Brittain Amelia Haverson Amy Jones

Avocet Theatre Company | 1186908: Trustees’ Annual Report & Financial Statements

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Trustees’ Annual Report & Statement of Financial Activity for the Year Ended 31[st] July 2024

Contents

	Contents	Contents
1	Reference and Administration Details ............................................................. 3
	1.1	Charity Name & Registration ............................................................................... 3
	1.2	Charity’s Address ................................................................................................. 3
	1.3	Names of the Trustees Who Manage the Charity ............................................... 3
	1.4	Names of Advisors & Senior Members of Staff ................................................... 3
	1.5	Bank ..................................................................................................................... 3
2	Structure, Governance & Management ........................................................... 3
	2.1	Type of Governing Document .............................................................................. 3
	2.2	Additional Governance ........................................................................................ 3
	2.3	Charitable Objects ............................................................................................... 4
	2.4	Trustee Selection Methods .................................................................................. 4
	2.5	Other .................................................................................................................... 4
3	Activities ......................................................................................................... 4
	3.1	Statutory Declaration .......................................................................................... 4
4	Achievements & Performance ......................................................................... 4
	4.1	Outputs and Outcomes for the Charity’s Beneficiaries ....................................... 4
	4.2	How the Public Have Benefitted. ......................................................................... 4
	4.3	Trustee Development .......................................................................................... 5
5	Financial Review ............................................................................................. 5
	5.1	Details of Any Funds Materially in Deficit ............................................................ 5
	5.2	Policy on Reserves ............................................................................................... 5
	5.3	Principal Sources of Funding and Outgoings ....................................................... 5
	5.4	Remuneration of Trustees ................................................................................... 5
	5.5	Financial Status .................................................................................................... 5
	5.6	Statutory Statements on Liabilities ...................................................................... 5
6	Statement of Financial Activity ........................................................................ 6
	6.1	Independent Examiner’s Report on the Accounts ............................................... 6
	6.2	Notes to the Accounts ....................................................................................... 10

Avocet Theatre Company | 1186908: Trustees’ Annual Report & Financial Statements

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Trustees Annual Report & Statement of Financial Activity for the Year Ended 31 July 2024

1 Reference and Administration Details

1.1 Charity Name & Registration

Avocet Theatre Company

The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, registration no: 1186908, registered with the Charity Commission on 12[th] December 2019. Avocet Theatre Company is sometimes abbreviated to ATC.

1.2 Charity’s Address

40A Devon Way, Banbury, OX16 1UJ

E-mail: [e-mail]

Website: www.AvocetTheatre.co.uk

1.3 Names of the Trustees Who Manage the Charity

	Role	Appointed	Resigned
Benjamin Coleman	Chair	12 December 2019
Ian Keeffe	Treasurer	12 December 2019
Gillian Crowther	Secretary	12 December 2019
Jennifer Healy	Safeguarding	12 December 2019
Deborah Coleman		12 December 2019
Louise Nunneley		12 December 2019	10 January 2024
Sam Brittain		12 December 2019
Amelia Haverson		20 July 2021
Amy Jones		22 May 2023

1.4 Names of Advisors & Senior Members of Staff

None

1.5 Bank

Barclays Bank, 32 Bridge Street, Banbury, OX16 5PN

2 Structure, Governance & Management

2.1 Type of Governing Document

Constitution – based on the Charity Commission’s model governing document for Foundation Charitable Incorporated Organisations.

2.2 Additional Governance

For individual projects, in accordance with Avocet Theatre Company’s charitable objectives, a subcommittee will be convened to oversee the running of said project. For example, this will often take the form of a ‘production team’. This sub-committee is always answerable to the trustees and will include at least one trustee on said sub-committee to represent the trustees. The Trustees also form part of a Committee that oversees operations of Avocet Theatre Company.

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2.3 Charitable Objects

As defined in Avocet Theatre Company’s Constitution (Governing Document), t he charity’s objects (“objects”) are:

• For the public benefit to advance the education in the arts through provision of theatre productions and workshops

2.4 Trustee Selection Methods

There must be at least three charity trustees. The maximum number of trustees is 10.

In accordance with the Constitution, apart from the first charity trustees, every trustee must be appointed by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees. In appointing Trustees, due consideration is given to ensuring that the Trustees have, between them, the skills and experience necessary to manage the charity effectively and in accordance with charity law. All new trustees will be provided with a copy of the Governing Document (Constitution) and the most recent Trustees’ Annual Report & Financial Statements

2.5 Other

In May 2023, the Trustees agreed to appoint a new trustee who would act as a ‘neutral trustee’. This person wouldn’t be required to come to monthly meetings with regards to the day to day running of ATC but would act independently with regards to charitable decisions or conflicts of interest.

3 Activities

3.1 Statutory Declaration

The Trustees of Avocet Theatre Company confirm that they have paid due regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.

4 Achievements & Performance

4.1 Outputs and Outcomes for the Charity’s Beneficiaries

Upon returning to rehearsals in September after the summer break, Avocet Theatre Company continued rehearsals for our festival – TheatreFest Banbury, which would see three productions staged over the course of a week in December, as well as a special educational needs workshop. This involved a huge number of people – children and adults – accessing a variety of styles of productions and allowing ATC to welcome new people into amateur theatre. All the productions and the workshop received overwhelming feedback and praise, with the ambition and scale of the project also being noted. Following TheatreFest, Avocet Theatre Company launched our next production – Disney’s Frozen the Musical Jr. This production saw nearly 50 people aged between 8 and 18 perform. The production was staged during the April 2024 Easter Holidays and was both a sell-out and a financial success. We finished the year by launching Nativity the Musical, our first full length musical that would feature adults and young people, as well as a live band. The launch night proved to be overwhelmingly successful with around 60 people attending. Auditions and initial rehearsals were held prior to the summer break, with the show being staged in December 2024.

4.2 How the Public Have Benefitted.

Avocet Theatre Company have continued pursuing their charitable aims by opening up auditions to new and returning members whilst staging a variety of productions to appeal to many. The ATC

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Bursary continues to be in effect and is open to anyone who was struggling financially or from an underrepresented group. Our productions are open to the public to purchase tickets for the event that in turn supports the charity financially. TheatreFest Banbury also included a Special Educational Needs workshop, where young people with a variety of disabilities attended and took part in a variety of Christmas and Theatre themed activities. This project received overwhelming feedback, including a positive message from the head teacher of the local special educational needs school.

4.3 Trustee Development

Trustees are encouraged to participate in development opportunities as and when appropriate. Some members undertook further safeguarding training as part of their professional duties.

5 Financial Review

5.1 Details of Any Funds Materially in Deficit

The Charity has no funds that are materially in deficit.

5.2 Policy on Reserves

The Charity’s policy on reserves is to generate and maintain a balance, which is sufficient:

• a) to preserve the financial viability of the Charity in the event that unforeseen and/or unavoidable circumstance precipitate a short-term fall in its income;

• b) to enable the Charity, in the interests of meeting its objectives, to undertake from time to time the setting up of new and innovative projects on a pilot basis to demonstrate the viability and potential benefits of such activities as a precursor to securing the external funding necessary to maintain such projects on an on-going basis.

For these purposes the Charity will endeavour to generate and maintain reserves of at least £3,000.

5.3 Principal Sources of Funding and Outgoings

Avocet Theatre Company’s principal source of income this financial year has been from ticket sales for TheatreFest Banbury and Frozen the Musical Jr, as well as membership fees. Further income was made on this event from front of house sales. Primary outgoings were for venue hire, production costs, and the securing of the rights for productions, particularly for the next financial year.

5.4 Remuneration of Trustees

All Trustees act in a voluntary capacity and receive no remuneration or other material benefits from their services to the Charity.

Out-of-pocket expenses necessarily and reasonably incurred by Trustees in promoting the purposes of the Charity are reimbursed at cost.

5.5 Financial Status

Though modest, Avocet Theatre Company’s current resources from unrestricted donations are more than sufficient to meet its outgoings for at least next year.

All the indications are that this will remain the case for the foreseeable future.

5.6 Statutory Statements on Liabilities

The Trustees declare that:

• ü The charity has given no guarantees where potential liability under the guarantee is outstanding at the date of this statement ( eg: any outstanding/ongoing contract or legal undertaking to buy or provide specific services);

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• ü The charity has no debt outstanding at the date of this statement which is owed by the CIO and which is secured by an express charge on any assets of the CIO ( eg: a mortgage on property owned by the charity);

Approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf,

Name (role): Benjamin Coleman (Chair of Trustees)

Date: 25[th] August 2024

6 Statement of Financial Activity

6.1 Independent Examiner’s Report on the Accounts

Report to the Trustees of Avocet Theatre Company on the accounts for the year ended 31 July 2024 set out on pages 7 to 8

Reasoning

This year, the charities income exceeded the amount required for an independent examination and thus the trustees spoke to an independent examiner for their annual return. This is something they have done in previous years to maintain financial accuracy and accountability.

Responsibilities and Basis of the Report

As the charity trustees 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 giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or

2. 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.

Name: Alice Robinson

Date: 18[th] August 2024

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Receipts & Payments Accounts for the Financial Year Ended 31-July-21

6.1.1 Receipts & Payments

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6.1.2 Statement of Assets and Liabilities

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6.1.3 Approval of the Board of Trustees

The Trustees declare that they have approved the above Annual Report & Statement of Financial Activity.

Signed on behalf of the Trustees

Name (role): Benjamin Coleman (Chair of Trustees)

Date: 25[th] August 2024

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6.2 Notes to the Accounts

• a) Accounting Policies

• The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 Section 133, using the Receipts and Payments basis available to small charities.

• b) Reimbursement of Out-of-Pocket Expenses

• Out-of-pocket expenses incurred necessarily, reasonably and incidentally in the course the charity’s activities are reimbursed at cost.

• c) Salaries & Professional Fees

• No trustee receives any payments for the services they provide to the charity. In the current financial year the charity employed no staff or external contractors;

• d) Fixed Assets

The charity has not purchased or disposed of any fixed assets in the current financial year;

• e) Rounding Discrepancies

• All amounts are recorded to the penny, but in these accounts are shown as digitally rounded to the nearest pound. This can occasionally result in a total apparently not being the sum of its constituent amounts. All individual amounts, and their totals, are nevertheless correct.

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