Artists Attic Trust CIO
TRUSTEES' REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
Charity Registration No. 1198542
CONTENTS
Page
Trustees' Annual Report 1 - 3 Receipts and Payments Accounts 4
Artists Attic Trust CIO Year ended 31 March 2024
Charity Reg. No. 1198542
Trustees' Annual Report
Artists Attic Trust is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (registered charity no. 1198542) whose registered office is at 44 Daisy Hill, Dewsbury WF13 1LH. The trustees of the charity for this reporting period were:
Bruce Bird Royston Flaherty Rizwana Mahood-Ahmed Karen Moore David Reid Gina Suzette Reid
appointed 7 August 2023 appointed 7 August 2023 appointed 4 April 2023 resigned 31 May 2023 resigned 24 May 2023 resigned 18 August 2023
Objects of the charity
The purpose of the charity is to promote for the benefit of the inhabitants of Batley/Spen and the surrounding areas the provision of facilities for recreation or other leisure time occupation, including arts and crafts, of individuals who have need of such facilities by reason of their youth, age, infirmity or disablement, financial hardship or social and economic circumstances or for the public at large in the interests of social welfare and with the object of improving the condition of life of the said inhabitants. In furtherance of the above object the charity shall have the power to establish, or secure the establishment of a community arts centre and to maintain and manage the same (whether alone or in co-operation with any statutory authority or other person or body).
Statement on public benefit
The trustees are pleased to confirm that they have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the Charity Commission in exercising their powers or duties. The above objects and other information set out in this report demonstrate this in more detail.
Activities report
The trust is managed by the three named trustees. The Purpose of the charity is as a creative hub and creative direction is provided by professional artist Trafford Parsons. Additional trustees would be welcome and are recruited by word of mouth or through Kirklees 3rd Sector Leaders.
Artists Attic provide opportunities for individuals and groups to create and experience arts and crafts. We believe that everyone benefits physically or mentally, directly or indirectly from exposure to the arts in all its forms.
We do this by:
n providing a safe space where anyone can create their own art or experience creativity by some other means in their own time;
-
n by guiding people through the exploration of their creativity led by qualified artists in beginning with free dropin sessions and progressing to planned workshop programmes and;
-
n by supporting artists who wish to contribute to our work and to the regeneration of the local area.
In April 2023 we were able to take possession of premises on a 'meanwhile lease' after a long delay. The first part of the year was spent completing two existing grant/commission projects which were wrapped up by June 23 and developing our first project based in the premises.
Page 1
Charity Reg. No. 1198542
Artists Attic Trust CIO Year ended 31 March 2024
‘Artful Expressions’ is an evening art club for young children operating on Monday evenings every week and funded by Awards for All. This has run from October 23 to July 24 but has continued to operate to date thanks to the generosity of our contributing artists while we bid for further funding. More than 50 local children are registered as attending during this period.
Holiday Club activity, Easter 2024. Note one of our pieces of street art in the background that the community helped to paint.
The local community is almost entirely Romanian. From the regular attendees of the Monday evening club we have begun to develop a smaller Tuesday evening group who are seriously interested in developing their art.
In addition, we are open three days a week offering free, drop-in sessions for anyone interested in starting or developing their interest in the creative arts. The position of the property at street level with full height shop windows encourages people to drop in when they can discuss their wants and needs with our contributing artists. Our inclusive approach offering ‘Art for All’ contributes to a holistic approach to wellness and we have a small but steady stream of visitors who find drawing and painting to be therapeutic.
Our local council also signposts individuals to us when they believe we can provide relevant support. However, the reputation around the Daisy Hill area is off putting to many people.
The beneficial effect of our inclusive approach is available with three instances where regular visits to Artists Attic has led to a dramatic improvement in the behaviour of a teenage male with severe autism, a young mother who went from self isolating to engaging with our users as an artists assistant and a young woman who found working on her street art to be therapeutic.
The current trustees inherited a project intended to use art to contribute to reducing anti-social behaviour. Although all the preparatory work has been completed during this year we have found it very difficult to deliver with anti-social behaviour against the attendees being a major factor. Our grant funders have been very cooperative and we are continuing to discuss with them how to bring this project to a conclusion.
In our first full year of occupying our own property we have in excess of 250 registrations of interest from the local community. We have participated in the Holiday Club HAF programme funded by the local council at Easter, July and January and more than 50 local children are now registered for these sessions.
Our financial situation has been difficult in this first year in the property as we locate relevant sources of grant funding particularly to cover the core costs of utilities that are not provided with the meanwhile lease of the property. We have been assisted with this problem by a grant from our local councillors while we seek longer term solutions. The trust does not currently have a Reserves Policy but is currently reviewing the Charity Commission guidance on the development of a Reserves Policy appropriate to our circumstances.
Page 2
Charity Reg. No. 1198542
Artists Attic Trust CIO Year ended 31 March 2024
Support from our local councillors has been in part in recognition of the benefit we are providing to the local community. Located in one of the most deprived and run down areas of Dewsbury the life and activity we bring contributes to improving perceptions of the area as well as serving the local community. We have been successful in displacing drug dealers from the immediate area as well as acting as a sounding board for the children who share information about the difficulties they experience both at home and at school. We have then been able to raise issues around bullying and safeguarding with the relevant council officers. While this is not our objective we have become a part of the children’s lives which does not represent ‘officialdom’ and where they feel comfortable.
There are no recreational facilities for children in the area and we frequently take in our Monday club children on other days who ask to come in whenever they see anyone working inside. We are providing a safe space when they would otherwise spend their time on the street and aim to direct them towards our core objective of creative activity when they are with us.
Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) - structure, governance and management
The charity is governed by its CIO Consitution and was registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 7 April 2022 as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).
The members of the CIO are its charity trustees for the time being. The only persons eligible to be members of the CIO are its charity trustees. There are presently 3 active trustees whose details are given above. The trustees manage the charity on a day-to-day basis.
Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees
The charity recognises that it has a responsibility to provide guidance and assist new trustees in fulfilling their duties and responsibilities, this is done in accordance with Charity Commission guidance. New trustees are given appropriate Charity Commission publications, as well as a copy of the constitution and any amendments to it; and the latest copy of this report and statement of accounts.
Risk Management
The trustees confirm that they have various policies in place for managing risk.
Approval
The Trustees Report for the year ended 31 March 2024 was approved by the Board of Trustees on 14 October 2024 and signed on their behalf by:
Bruce Bird Trustee
Page 3
Artists Attic Trust CIO Year ended 31 March 2024
Charity Reg. No. 1198542
Receipts and payments accounts
Prepared in accordance with Charity Commission for England and Wales publication CC16a.
| Notes RECEIPTS Donations Commissions Grants Sundry income Gross income PAYMENTS Artist costs Materials Administration and transport costs Promotion and website costs Property costs Net of receipts/(payments) transfers between funds Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end Reserves b/f receipts Unrestricted funds 7 2,167 Restricted funds: Brelms 950 -- Ability Options 661 -- WY Mayors Fund 5,468 -- Awards For All -- 9,904 Kirklees HAF -- 1,650 7,079 11,554 Total reserves 7,086 13,721 |
2024 2024 2024 2023 Unrestricted Restricted Total Total funds funds funds funds £ £ £ £ 660 -- 660 1,500 1,000 -- 1,000 9,500 -- 11,554 11,554 17,952 507 -- 507 -- 2,167 11,554 13,721 28,952 251 5,255 5,506 15,800 269 2,521 2,790 2,425 526 -- 526 1,136 399 59 458 2,505 5,596 1,155 6,751 -- 7,041 8,990 16,031 21,866 (4,874) 2,564 (2,310) 7,086 735 (735) -- -- 7 7,079 7,086 -- (4,132) 8,908 4,776 7,086 payments transfers c/f (7,041) 735 (4,132) (950) -- -- (661) -- -- (2,771) -- 2,697 (3,693) -- 6,211 (915) (735) -- (8,990) (735) 8,908 (16,031) -- 4,776 |
|---|---|
Approved by the trustees on 14 October 2024 and signed on their behalf by:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Bruce Bird, Trustee
Page 4