



**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 



2026. 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 Ha￿K￿h Story c￿rtre
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
Ac1wrt￿s for ge￿raIry funds
F01
F02
F03
F04
F05
S01
134
S02
5277
225
Investment int(xnÈ
S03
Incoming resources frorn
Charitsb￿ aclivit*s
Other inCC￿l￿a 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 tradr*J 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 V￿thin
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
I￿ornIng 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