Market Harborough Story Centre Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation No. 1198936
Annual Report and Accounts Year Ended 31[St ] March 2026
Market Harborough Story Centre Trustee Report Year ended: 31[st ] March 2026
Trustees:
Claire Bower (Chair)
Eleanor Shepherd
Ron Counte (Appointed 3[rd] October 2025)
Daniel Thomas (Appointed 28[th] November 2025)
Diana Bretherick (Appointed 28[th] November 2025)
Christine Herrick (Resigned 3rd October 2025)
Kate Lawson (Resigned 3[rd] October 2025)
Market Harborough Story Centre (MHSC) was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) on 12[th ] May 2022.
Objects: The promotion for the public benefit of the art of storytelling by the provision of opportunities for public education and participation.
Activities 1[st] April 2025 to 31 March 2026
Following the untimely passing of the previous Chair who was the principal point of contact for the charity’s banking, e-mail, web site, and general administration there was a substantial amount of work undertaken to restore these facilities and bring them back under control of the remaining Trustees. Ron Counte, a Chartered Accountant, was appointed Treasurer and took over responsibility for finance and preparing the accounts. He was appointed a Trustee in October 2025.
The Trustee then concentrated on arranging a series of events to give local creatives a chance to showcase their work. Three events were presented at the The Harborough Culture Cafe, in June, September and November. These events were very well received and not only raised local awareness of the charity, but also contributed several hundred pounds to charity funds.
New Trustee Diana Bretherick, is a well known local author and organiser of the Harborough Writers Hub which has now been taken under the wing of the charity. The Hub has over three dozen local writers many of whom now also support the work of the charity. In September a Writers Day workshop was held, generating funds for the charity.
Multi award winning film maker Daniel Thomas also joined the board of trustees. He became actively involved with the charities film making division, HFP, who produced two new films during the year. HFP partnering with Daniels own film making company, Harborough based Infintra Films, staged Harborough’s first ever Film Festival in January
- This was a huge success selling out the Harborough Theatre weeks before the event. This greatly increased the charities profile and generated funds. Promotional costs were met by a Tourism Grant from Harborough District Council.
The Charity presented several true life stories at the VE Day celebrations and took part in several events in the Autumn Arts Festival. The Charity also assisted in the Harborough Poetry and Prose event receiving a generous fee from the organisers.
The ChairArt division held a highly successful exhibition attracting an increasing number of participants. More than 50 artists contributed to the June exhibition and Chair Art now has a permanent display in the Market Hall.
The talent pool available to the Charity for all forms of story-telling including poetry, stories, songs, plays, and film is extensive and expanding all the time.
The future of the charity now looks very promising. The income from various activities has now placed the charity in a stronger position to help fund local creative events. The search for a permanent site will continue.
What Next – Planned Activities for 2026-2027
The Charity is organising the Town’s first ever Literary Festival in September 2026. We have received a generous Tourism Grant from Harborough Council to fund advertising for this three day event which will attract several well known authors.
Another Film festival is scheduled for February 2027 and the film making division is planning two more films. Some HFP films have been entered into national and international film festivals to further increase awareness of the Town’s film making work.
In addition we are being commissioned by The Harborough and Bowden’s Charity to make a documentary film showing the history of the iconic Old Grammar School from the seventeenth century to modern times.
We will continue to organise events to showcase local talent.
The Writers Hub meets monthly. A writers day workshop is planned for September.
We continue to work with others with the aim of establishing a permanent creative space for the community.
Mathet HaKh Story crtre 1198936 (Iiwry Annual accounts for the eriod CC17a Period slart date Period end dale 0110412025 3110312026 Section A Statement of financial activities Restiictsd incorne funds Recommended categories by activity Detai15 of own analysis Untestricted funds EndoMnent Totsl this fund5 year Total last year Incoming resources {Note 3 Incoming resources from generated fund5 Voknntary Ac1wrts for geraIry funds F01 F02 F03 F04 F05 S01 134 S02 5277 225 Investment int(xnÈ S03 Incoming resources frorn Charitsb aclivits Other inCCla resources Total incoming resources s06 Resources èxpended (Notès 44 Costs ¢Y Generating Funds C¢tsts of oenerabrKJ Vokjntsry income S04 S05 923 S07 722 722 FuThJrai%ng tradrJ costs 1912 Investrnent manayement costs S09 CharrtaL* actNItOes S10 Governance costs S11 Other resources expeNled S12 Total resources expended s13 Net incofflinty(outgoing) resources before transfer5 S14 S15 2634 2634 335 Gross transfers between funds Net incofflinty(outgoing) resources before otherrecognisedgainsl(losses) s16 Other recognised gainsl(losses) Gains and losses on revaluation of fixed assets for the charity's own use Gains and losses on inveslrnent assets 335 S17 S18 Net movement in ftinds s19 2,777 664 335 Total funds brought forward Total funds carried ft)tward s21 329 3441
Section B Balance sheet Restiicted income funds Unrestricted funds Endowment Total this funds year Total last year Flxed assets F01 F02 F03 F04 F05 Tangible assets (Note 91 B01 B02 Inveslments (Note 101 B03 rotal fixed assets B04 Current assets Stock and work in progress Debtors (Note111 (Short ternil investments Cash at bankand in hand Total cutTent assets B09 BOS B06 B07 3441 664 664 Creditors- amounts falling due Vthin one year (Note 12) B10 Net current ass(liabilitIeSj B11 Total assets less current Ilabllltlas B12 Creditors: amounts falling due after one year (Note 121 Provisions for liabilities and charges B13 B14 Net assets B15 Funds ofthe Charity Unrestricted funds B16 3.441 B17 Restricted income fvnds (Note 131 Endowment funds INote 131 B18 B19 Total ftinds B20 329 Signed by one or tsvo trustees on behalf of all thè tsustees Signature Print Name Date of roval
Section C Notss to the accounts (cont) Note 3 Analysls of Incomlng resources IornIng resources may be further analysed rfthis would help the reader of the accounts. Thisyear Last year Anal sis r Bank Voluntary income 75 59 Donation other Donations in Memorium 300 398 Total 134 698 Activities for generating funds Wrrters Day Workshop Cuhure Café Presentations Poet and Prose Com tsbon Film Festival Grant for 2026 Lrtera 80 342 264 175 50 FeslNal 1.956 Total 225 Investment incom• Total Incoming resources from charitabl• activitl•s Total
Section C Notes to the accounts (conti Note 4 Analysis of resources expended Resources expended may be further analysed if this would help the reader of the accounts. This year Last year Anal sls Costs of generating voluntary incom• Twinkl Subscri tion 458 112 370 Film Festiv Insurance Room Hire Database admin 78 Totsl 722 Fundraising tradinq costs Sum U Machine char 2026 Film Festwal Costs 2027 Film Festwal Costs HFP Video Inslrtute membershi New Fli hart 149 41 Total Investment manag•m•nt costs Total Charitable activities Total Governance costs Totsl 14.3 Other transactionls) with trustees or related parties Please give details of any transaction undertaken by (or on behalf ofj the charity in whl¢h a trnstee or related paty has a material interest Name of the trustee or related Infintra Films Ltd Relationship to chari Trustee is a Director Description ofthe transaction Payment for work on 2026 Film Festival This year Last year 337.68