_**The Company of Players (Hertford) CIO** (A Member of the Little Theatre Guild of Great Britain)_ Registered Charity No. 1194040 **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2024** ## **THE COMPANY OF PLAYERS (HERTFORD) CIO – no. 1194040** **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2024** ## **MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES** Mr Chris Janes - Chair appointed 18 October 2023 Mr Theo Berkhout - Treasurer Ms Hannah Leonard - Secretary appointed 9 May 2024 Mr Derek Palmer Mr Andrew Lee Mrs Angela Reiss appointed 17 June 2024 Mr Jonathan Wallis appointed 9 May 2024 The charity’s address is The Little Theatre, 6 Christchurch Place, Balfour Street, Hertford SG14 3BB. ## **OBJECTIVES & ACTIVITIES** The charity’s main objectives are: - To educate the public in the dramatic and operatic arts - To further the development of public appreciation and taste in the said arts ## **ACHIEVEMENT & PERFORMANCE** The Company of Players (Hertford) known as CoPs as a theatre company has been in existence for 60 years. Charitable status was granted in April 2021. This will enable CoPS to raise funding to develop the theatre. The charity hs been granted planning permission for this. The key achievements during the year to 31 July 2024 were productions of: - The Cane - - • Rules for Living - • Dial M For Murder - • The Bright & Bold Design - • The Invisible Men - Plans to develop the theatre are progressing. We have managed to secure nearly £50,000, for the Theatre Development Fund with kind donations coming from many people, but there is still some way to go to reach our target figure of £80,000 of internal funding. In addition to the £80k internal fundraising referenced, an additional approx £270-320k is sought in grant funding for the extension. Bringing this Victorian building into the 21[st] century is a major challenge but the addition of accessible toilets, air conditioning in the auditorium and an enlarged foyer will make a visit to our wonderful theatre a more pleasant experience. Coupled with massively improved audience comfort the planned extension will also improve our backstage facilities allowing for better changing facilities and access to the stage left entrance. We have relaunched our Youth Group In conjunction with Mimic Theatre Company. A grant from East Herts District Council has allowed us to launch the group without charging fees. The intention is to have our Youth Group perform in the Little Theatre at least once a year as well as having younger actors on hand for casting. ## **THE COMPANY OF PLAYERS (HERTFORD) CIO – no. 1194040** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2024** ## **FINANCE** CoPS made a surplus of £8,524 (2023 – deficit of £2,961). Income was £44,066 compared with £30,435 in 2023. Expenditure was £35,242 compared with £31,126 in 2023. The charity has unrestricted cash funds of £48,644 (2023- £40,597) and restricted cash funds of £19,465 (2023 - £14,309) giving total cash resources of £68,110 (2023 - £54,903). The charity also owns the theatre building and has fixed assets of £559,000 (2023 - £559,000) giving total reserves of £627,410 (2023 -£618,886). ## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT** ## **Governing document** The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and its constitution is one with voting members other than its charity trustees. ## **Risk management** The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error. Approved by order of the board of trustees on 8 March 2025 and signed on its behalf by: ## _Chris Janes_ Mr Chris Janes Chair ## **Independent Examiners Report to the Trustees of The Company of Players (Hertford) CIO on the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 July 2024** I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the CIO for the year ended 31 July 2024. ## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner** As the charity's trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts; you consider that the audit requirement of section144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) does not apply. ## It is our responsibility to: - examine the accounts under Section 145 of the 2011 Act - to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions of the Charity Commission (under Section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act); and - to state whether particular matters have come to our attention. ## **Basis of independent examiner's report** Our examination was carried out in accordance with the 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 we do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts. ## **Independent examiner's statement** In connection with our examination, no matter has come to our attention: - (1) which gives us reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements - to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and - to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met; or - (2) to which, in our opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. ## _Beverley Turner_ Chartered Accountant 30 The Avenue Welwyn Herts. AL6 0PP Dated - 8 March 2025 ## _**The Company of Players (Hertford) CIO**_ _(A Member of The Little Theatre Guild of Great Britain)_ ## **BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 JULY 2024** |**_2023_**||**2024**| |---|---|---| |||**Restricted**
**Restricted**
**Unrestricted**
**Total**
**Theatre**
**100 Club**| |**_£_**|**FIXED ASSETS**|**£**| |_15,000_
_524,900_
_20,000_|Land
Buildings
Equipment|15,000
15,000
524,900
524,900
20,000
20,000| |**_559,900_**|**Total Fixed Assets**|**559,900**
**559,900**| |||| ||**CURRENT ASSETS**
Unrestricted|| |_4,798_
_35,796_
_4,083_|Current Account
Active Saver Account
Gift aid due
Production costspre-paid|3,296
3,296
40,321
40,321
648
648
4,379
4,379| |**_44,677_**||0
0
48,644
48,644| ||Restricted|| |_12,180_
_567_
_1,562_|Theatre Development Fund
100 Club
100 Club Deposit Account|18,101
18,101
792
792
573
573| |_14,309_||18,101
1,365
0
19,465| |**_58,986_**||18,101
1,365
48,644
**68,110**| ||**CURRENT LIABILITIES**
Accrued expenses|600
600| |||0
0
600
600| |**_618,886_**|**Total net assets**|**578,001**
**1,365**
**48,044**
**627,410**| ||**Financed by:**|| |_178,208_|reserves brought forward|128,441
2,129
44,677
175,247| |||| |_(2,961)_
_175,247_
_443,639_|**Surplus**
**Deficit**
**Transfers between funds**
Reserves carried forward
**Revaluation reserve**|3,221
736
4,567
8,524
2,700
(1,500)
(1,200)
0| |||134,362
1,365
48,044
183,771
443,639
443,639| |**_618,886_**||**578,001**
**1,365**
**48,044**
**627,410**| |_Signed_|_Chris Janes_|_Date_
8 March 2025| _**The Company of Players (Hertford) CIO** (A Member of The Little Theatre Guild of Great Britain)_ ## **Income & Expenditure Account** ## **For the year ended 31 July 2024** |||**Restricted**|**Restricted**|**Unrestricted**|**Total**| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |||Theatre|||| |**_2023_**||Developmen|100 club|General|2024| |||t Fund|||| |_£_|**INCOME**|£|£|£|£| |6,083|Membership Subscriptions|17||6,332|6,349| |296|Donations|3,010||200|3,210| |22,281|Production Income|||31,969|31,969| |1,534|100 Club||1,145|15|1,160| ||Gift aid due|||648|648| |242|Bank Interest|194|11|525|731| |_30,435_|**Total Income**|**3,221**|**1,156**|**39,689**|**44,066**| ||||||| |£|**EXPENDITURE**||||£| |368|100 Club prizes||420|25|445| |_3_|Administration|||0|0| |_1,287_|OBN & Postage|||982|982| |_9,218_|Direct Production Expenditure|||10,123|10,123| |_13,246_|Theatre Running Costs|||15,942|15,942| |_2,225_|Insurance|||2,223|2,223| ||Independent Examiner fees|||600|600| |_0_|Subscriptions refunds|||54|54| |_105_|Little Theatre Guild|||234|234| |_45_|Donations by CoPs|||0|0| |_4,270_|Utilities|||3,853|3,853| |_360_|Gardening|||785|785| |_31,126_|**Expenditure**|0|420|34,822|**35,242**| |_2,272_|Theatre Development|0|0|300|300| |_33,397_|**Total Expenditure**|0|420|35,122|**35,542**| ||||||| ||**Surplus**|3,221|736|4,567|**8,524**| |_(2,961)_|**Deficit**||||| ||||||**0**| |30,436||**3,221**|**736**|**4,567**|**8,524**|