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2025-03-31-accounts

Charity Number: 1193387

SANDY HILL STUDIOS TRUST CIO

TRADING AS SANDY HILL ARTS

TRUSTEES REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

SANDY HILL STUDIOS TRUST CIO TRADING AS SANDY HILL ARTS

CHARITY INFORMATION

Trustees M Viney
F Pollard
R Jeffery
D C Lansbury (resigned 31 March 2025)
Elizabeth Smith
E C Ormond (resigned 10 November 2025)
Nicola Pitcher (appointed 7 January 2025)
Dr Elena Jean Greer (appointed 10 December 2024)
Jessica Helen Starmer (appointed 15 November 2024)
Nyah Boston-Shears (appointed 10 December 2024 resigned 21
October 2025)
Charity number 1193387
Trading Name Sandy Hill Arts
Address Sandy Hill Studios
Sandy Hill Lane
Corfe Castle
Dorset
BH20 5JF
Independent Examiner Susan Younghusband FCA
The Old Rectory
41 Kings Road West
Swanage
BH19 1HF

SANDY HILL STUDIOS TRUST CIO TRADING AS SANDY HILL ARTS

CONTENT

Page
Report of the Trustees 1-4
Statementoffinancial activities 5
Independentexaminer'sreport 6
Balance sheet 7-8
Notes to thefinancialstatements 9-14

SANDY HILL STUDIOS TRUST CIO TRADING AS SANDY HILL ARTS

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

The trustees present their report and the financial statements of the charity for the period ended 31 March 2025.

Principal Activity

The principal activity of Sandy Hill Arts is to promote and develop the creative arts in Purbeck, in a vibrant space where art, creativity, and communities can come together and thrive.

We promote enjoyment of, and participation in, an exciting range of creative experiences and opportunities for the local community, through exhibitions, events, performance and education, attracting and engaging with talent from Purbeck and beyond. We support our studio artists with studios, exhibitions, art fairs and events. We also work with community groups and collaborate with partners to deliver projects for people of different ages and needs.

We aim to be the ‘creative arts hub’ of Purbeck and would also like the beautiful, natural setting of the site to be a place where visitors can meet and relax.

In all its activities, the Trustees have due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit

Activities in the year

Sandy Hill Arts is developing into the primary arts centre in Purbeck where the community can expect to see something different, high quality and exciting. People come and they return and say they enjoy the unique atmosphere and what we do, and they want more. We have continued to programme a diverse and brilliant range of exhibitions, gigs, festivals, workshops, courses, art fairs and residencies.

We have collaborated with an inspiring range of artists and organisations this year including sound and light installation artists Ezra Gray and Giles Bennett, The Arts University Bournemouth MA Painting students, musicians of international renown such as Alice Zawadski and “Fran and Flora,” and nationally recognised poets, and we hosted the brilliant actor and director Sir Mark Rylance, to the delight of our local community, who appreciates our bold and high quality programming. We also continue to be part supported by invaluable funding from Dorset Council’s Organisational Revenue Support Fund (£10,000 per year over 3 years), for our Events Coordinator who is key in ensuring the smooth running of our many events.

Having gained a three-year grant from the T S Eliot Foundation we hosted our first “Poetry Weekend”, bringing the audience free readings and low-cost workshops with top national poets Caroline Bird and Esther Morgan, as well as many other poets and also national comedians. As one attendee wrote: “Great to see such high-class talent in such a friendly, relaxed, beautiful setting.”

Feedback from the local community is consistently positive, as the following snapshot shows:

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SANDY HILL STUDIOS TRUST CIO TRADING AS SANDY HILL ARTS

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

· Resonant Isle - a free, site wide immersive sound and light installation we hosted following a successful funding bid with Dorset Council: “Community feel, multi-generational … innovative, immersive, magical.”

· AllSort’d music workshop for young people with learning difficulties where a parent told us of their child: “K was one of the signers in the group and the way that all the songs involved signing empowered her and gave her a role.” (We will do more of these and our other musical workshops for young people, so needed in this rural area.)

· Peter and the Wolf shadow puppet workshop for children - hugely appreciated, with one parent commenting: “A truly fantastic opportunity to foster teamwork, nurture creativity and enable children to be proud of their achievements.”

We worked with The Arts University Bournemouth PhD Painting students to showcase an exhibition of their work, and following this one international student, Sayoko Takahata, undertook a very successful residency that culminated in a free public exhibition and talk.

Our publicity and marketing continued to expand, as did our social media following where followers increased on Instagram from 200 to 1,256 during this period and the number of subscribers to our newsletter increased to over 500.

We substantially increased our income from our year-round art courses, our exhibitions and our events, and we were profiled as an example of a dynamic and highly creative local arts organisation by The Arts Development Company in their annual report.

We continued with some essential repairs to our roof of our main building hosting many of our studios. The repairs were successfully completed on time and on budget. Our artists’ studios are fully occupied, and we have a waiting list.

Achieved and Future Plans April 2025 - Mar 2026

During this year we undertook work on our second Arts Council Grassroots Music Project Grant in order to continue to bring top quality music and workshops to this area. We are delighted to report this was successful and we have received £29,415 for our ambitious music programming.

We broadened and diversified our trust board and by recruiting new trustees who are dedicated, dynamic, positive and responsible, increased our stability and our creative and financial success.

We have continued to maintain and increase our volunteer team and now have a dedicated and cohesive group that regularly return to help, thereby strengthening our capacity to run a comprehensive range of classes, courses exhibitions, fairs and events.

We have increased our collaborations with major stakeholders such as the national, award winning “Activate Performing Arts” and in this year made exciting plans to host a site wide festival of

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SANDY HILL STUDIOS TRUST CIO TRADING AS SANDY HILL ARTS

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Catalonian performance in September 2025, that has since taken place, highly successfully. We have increased our collaboration and engagement with many local partners including: Artsreach, The Arts Development Company, The National Trust, Planet Purbeck, local schools in Purbeck, Arts University Bournemouth, and further connections are being forged.

We held further positive meetings with the National Trust about the new footpath linking the site with the village and school, outdoor sculpture, and internationally acclaimed artist performers on site and more. We are gathering ideas for a future grant application that will include community projects, an indoor space and a sculpture trail along the National Trust footpath.

As a welcoming, inclusive, fresh and exciting rural arts centre we look forward to collaborating with new partners and encouraging our tenant artists and locals to take part, while also hosting quality outside talent to nourish and inspire the local community.

We are gradually extending our reach and gathering a loyal following of appreciative locals. We will keep broadening the range and diversity of the work we programme, and our team and bring in new audiences. We will apply for essential funding for more staff and building infrastructure. We are doing extraordinarily well with what we have but we want to ‘bed in’ and make our success sustainable.

We are very keen to increase the take up from the local younger generation and are making plans for more youth orientated workshops and music. We will be collaborating again with the Arts University Bournemouth, and more schools and colleges. We will also seek to offer opportunities to young, up and coming arts students be these residencies, exhibitions, talks or work.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

During the year under review the unrestricted funds had a deficit balance of £1,660 at the year end. Restricted funds in support of the trust’s activities were £20,594, creating a fund balance of £18,934.

Although unrestricted funds were in deficit at the year end, the financial position substantially improved during the year, with the unrestricted funds deficit reduced from £11,775 at 31 March 2024 to £1,660 at 31 March 2025. Total funds increased from £10,575 to £18,934.

This improvement is the result of strong financial and budgeting controls implemented during 2024 and an increase in income from an ambitious and continuing programme of events. A sustained and ongoing effort has also been made to secure grant funding.

In the autumn of 2025, the charity successfully applied for grant funding of £29,415 from Arts Council England towards grass roots events. This funding is expected to augment the profitability of the events programme during 2026 and will support capital investment in the facilities that the charity provides.

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SANDY HILL STUDIOS TRUST CIO TRADING AS SANDY HILL ARTS

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

RESERVES POLICY

The Trust’s Reserves policies are:

Our charity reserves continue to grow. The position we held at the end of the year of not meeting our reserves policy has since been resolved. This improvement is due to a combination of strong financial controls over outlays, regular deposits into our ringfenced reserves account, a focus on profitable events and residences and successful sourcing of grant funding. Subject to unforeseeable events, the trustees are confident that the charity will continue to meet its reserves policy.

TRUSTEES

The Trustees who served throughout the period and at the date of this report are as follows: M Viney

S E Western (Resigned 30 July 2024)

S H Lansbury (Resigned 28 September 2024) F Pollard R Jeffery D C Lansbury (Resigned 31 March 2025 E Smith E C Ormond (resigned 10 November 2025) N Pitcher (appointed 7 January 2025) E J Greer (appointed 10 December 2024) J H Starmer (appointed 15 November 2024) N Boston-Shears (appointed 10 December 2024, resigned 21 October 2025)

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATION DETAILS

The official name of the Charity is Sandy Hill Studios Trust. The Charity received its charitable incorporated organisation registration on 3 February 2021, charity number 1193387.

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SANDY HILL STUDIOS TRUST CIO TRADING AS SANDY HILL ARTS

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities

The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustee’s Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales require the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Signed by order of the Trustees

N Pitcher 26/01/2026

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SANDY HILL STUDIOS TRUST CIO TRADING AS SANDY HILL ARTS

INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS’ REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

I report on the accounts of Sandy Hill Studios Trust CIO (charity number 1193387) for the period ended 31 March 2025, which are set out on pages 7 to 10.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).

The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Act and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

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 the 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. In connection with my examination, no material matters have come to my attention which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Susan Younghusband FCA The Old Rectory, 41 Kings Road West 26/1/2026 Swanage, BH19 1HF

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SANDY HILL STUDIOS TRUST CIO TRADING AS SANDY HILL ARTS

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Income
Donations and
grants
Income from
charitable
activities
Investment
income
Other income
Total income
Expenditure
Raising funds
Charitable
Activities
Total
expenditure
Net income/
(expenditure)
Transfer between
funds
Net movement in
funds
Balance brought
forward
Balance carried
forward 31 March
2025		 Unrestricted
Restricted
Year
ended
31
March
2025
Unrestricted
Restricted
Year
ended
31
March
2024
£
£
£
£
£
£
12,610
5,564
18,174
2,729
25,316
28,045
12,610
5,564
18,174
2,729
25,316
28,045
77,821
-
77,821
64,092
-
64,092
91
-
91
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
90,522
5,564
96,086
66,821
25,316
92,137
2,840
-
2,840
1,275
-
1,275
77,567
7,320
84,887
96,498
2,966
99,464
80,407
7,320
87,727
97,926
2,966
100,739
10,115
(1,756)
8,359
(30,952)
22,350
(8,602)
-
-
-
-
-
-
10,115
(1,756)
8,359
(30,952)
22,350
(8,602)
(11,775)
22,350
10,575
19,177
-
19,177
(1,660)
20,594
18,934
(11,775)
22,350
10,575

All recognised gains and losses during the year are included in the Statement of Financial Activities. All the activities of the charity are classed as continuing.

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SANDY HILL STUDIOS TRUST CIO TRADING AS SANDY HILL ARTS

BALANCE SHEET FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Fixed assets
Buildings
Equipment
Current assets
Debtors
Cash at bank
Current liabilities
Creditors: amounts
falling due within
one year:
Net current assets
Creditors: amounts
falling due in more
than one year:
Net assets
Represented by:
Restricted Funds
Unrestricted Funds
Total funds		 2025
2024
Unrestricted
Funds
Restricted
Funds
Total
Unrestricted
Funds
Restricted
Funds
Total
£
£
£
£
£
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
14,632
14,632
-
19,952
19,952
-
14,632
14,632
-
19,952
19,952
60
-
60
73
-
73
12,424
5,962
18,386
7,514
2,398
9,912
12,484
5,962
18,446
7,587
2,398
9,985
11,344
-
11,344
10,962
-
10,962
1,140
5,962
7,072
(3,375)
2,398
(977)
(2,800)
-
(2,800)
(8,400)
-
(8,400)
(1,660)
20,594
18,934
(11,775)
22,350
10,575
20,594
20,594
22,350
22,350
(1,660)
-
(1,660)
(11,775)
-
(11,775)
(1,690)
20,594
18,934
(11,775)
22,350
10,575

On behalf of the Board of Trustees

……………………………………………………..

N Pitcher 26/1/2026

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SANDY HILL STUDIOS TRUST CIO TRADING AS SANDY HILL ARTS

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

1 Accounting policies

1.1 Basis of the preparation of accounts

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charity Commission Statement of Recommended Practice - 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 (second edition).

The Trustees confirm that the Charity is a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.

At the time of approving the financial statements the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus, the trustees have adopted the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the Charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

1.2 Fund accounting

1.2.1 Unrestricted Funds

These funds can be used for any of the charity's purposes.

1.2.2 Restricted Funds

These funds have been given to the Trust for a particular purpose to be used in accordance with the wishes of the donor.

1.3 Depreciation

The policy is that assets are capitalised that cost over £1,000 and have an ongoing value in use to the charity.

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SANDY HILL STUDIOS TRUST CIO TRADING AS SANDY HILL ARTS

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

1.4 Income Donations, gifts, legacies and similar incoming resources are accounted for when receivable, which is when the Charity becomes entitled to the resource. Deferred income represents accounts received for future periods and is released to incoming resources in the period for which it is received. Gift Aid reclaimable on donations to the Charity is included with the amounts received. Investment income, represented by bank interest is credited to the Statement of Financial Activities on a receivable basis.

Expenditure

1.5 Expenditure All expenditure is included on an accruals basis and is recognised when there is a legal or constructive obligation to pay for the expenditure. The costs have been allocated as described below. Charitable activities: comprise of those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them. Governance costs: costs incurred in the governance of the Trust and associated constitutional and statutory requirements. These costs are allocated to charitable activities. Raising funds: costs incurred in raising income for the charity. 1.6 Financial Instruments The charity has financial assets and liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are recognised initially in the accounts at transaction price, including any transaction costs. At the end of each accounting period, basic financial instruments are recognised at amortised cost. For debt instruments this is calculated using the effective interest rate method. 1.7 Critical estimate and judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty In the application of the Charity's accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision effects both current and future periods.

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SANDY HILL STUDIOS TRUST CIO TRADING AS SANDY HILL ARTS

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

2
2025
Income
Event expenses
Property Costs
Course expenses
Raising funds
Rent
Legal fees
Office costs
Contractors
Depreciation
Total costs
Surplus/(Deficit)		 Income and Expenditure
Events
Rentals
Courses
Fundraising
Grants and
donations
Investment
income
Support
costs
Total
16,760
48,879
12,184
18,173
91
96,086
11,445
11,445
11,456
5,563
17,019
8,268
8,268
2,840
2,840
4,000 4,000
1,138 1,138
5,470 5,470
32,227
32,227
5,320
5,320
11,445
11,456
8,268
2,840
-
-
53,718
87,727
5,315
37,423
3,916
(2,840)
18,173
91
(53,717)
8,359

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SANDY HILL STUDIOS TRUST CIO

TRADING AS SANDY HILL ARTS

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

2
2024
Income
Event expenses
Property Costs
Course expenses
Raising funds
Rent
Legal fees
Office costs
Contractors
Depreciation
Total costs
Surplus/(Deficit)		 Income and Expenditure (continued)
Events
Rentals
Courses
Fundraising
Grants and
Donations
Investment
Income
Support
costs
Total
16,758
40,080
7,254
-
28,045
-
-
92,137
16,971
3,424
20,395
14,210
14,210
6,528
6,528
1,275
1,275
4,000 4,000
1,252
1,252
3,523
3,523
46,590
46,590
2,966 2,966
16,971
14,210
6,528
1,275
-
-
61,755
100,739
(213)
25,870
726
(1,275)
28,045
-
(61,755)
(8,602)

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SANDY HILL STUDIOS TRUST CIO TRADING AS SANDY HILL ARTS

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

3 Total Expenditure 2025 2024 Total expenditure is shown after charging: Independent examination - - Depreciation 5,320 2,966

4 Related Party Transactions

One Trustee received emoluments for site operations of £7,800 (2024: £10,213).

There are no other related party transaction the Trustees are aware of.

5
Tangible
Cost
Brought forward 1 April 2024
Additions
At 30 March 2025
Depreciation:
Brought forward 1 April 2024
Charge for the year
At 30 March 2025
Net book value
At 30 March 2025
At 30 March 2024		 Fixed Assets
Furniture &
Other
Equipment
£
22,919
-
22,920
2,967
5,320
8,286
14,632
19,952

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SANDY HILL STUDIOS TRUST CIO TRADING AS SANDY HILL ARTS

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

6 MOVEMENT IN RESTRICTED FUND

Event equipment
Poetry Weekend
Ezra Grant		 At 1 April
2024
Incoming
Resources
Outgoing
resources
Transfer
between
funds
At 31 March
2025
22,350
5,320
17,030
2,000
2,000
0
3,564
3,564
22,350
5,564
7,320
0
20,594

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