THE SHAW SOCIETY Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
The Shaw Society
Financial Statements for the year ended December 2024
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Legal and administrative information
The trustees during the year ended 31 December 2024 and thereafter until the date of approval of these Financial Statements (unless otherwise noted), were:
Maureen Clark-Darby David Grapes John Foley Ivan Wise Ryan Cormack Murray Rosenthal Christine Stevenson Esme Chandler John Barber (appointed 22 October 2024) Bernadette Skehan (appointed 25 October 2024) Julia Holofcener (appointed 22 October 2024) Cara Saul (appointed 22 October 2024) Patrica Hodge (appointed - July 2023, resigned May 2024) Siân Phillips (appointed - July 2023, resigned May 2024) Jonas Cemm (resigned August 2024) Eoin O’Callaghan (appointed July 2024 resigned September 2024)
Principal contact The Secretary The Shaw Society 12 Somali Road London NW2 3RL Registered Charity Number: 1200279 Independent examiner Tony Ghilchik FCA of the Society’s Financial Statements 6 Morland Close London NW11 7JG Bankers Barclays Bank PLC
The Shaw Society
Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
| Index | |
|---|---|
| TRUSTEES’ REPORT | 4 - 9 |
| INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT | 10 |
| STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES | 11 |
| BALANCE SHEET | 12 |
| NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR | 13 – 16 |
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The Shaw Society
Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
TRUSTEES REPORT
The trustees present their report together with the Financial Statements of the Society for the year ended 31 December 2024. The Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with the Society’s accounting policies, which are set out on pages 13 to 14, and comply with applicable law.
Constitution and Governance
The Society is an unincorporated association under its governing document, the amended Society’s constitution, adopted on 26 September 2020. All decisions of the Society are taken by its committee of trustees which meets bi-monthly.
Trustees (including the officers of Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer and Secretary) are elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. The Committee has the right to appoint other persons as trustees to fill temporary vacancies on the Committee. The maximum permitted number of trustees is 20. New trustees are given the current Charity Commission guidance on trusteeship and have an initial discussion with the Society’s Chair in relation to their duties.
The 2024 Annual General Meeting was held online on Sunday 30 June 2024. The trustees named under Legal and Administrative Information have served as detailed.
The Society does not employ staff and none of the trustees are remunerated. All the work of the Society is performed by volunteers.
Charitable Objects
The objectives of the Society are:
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1) To advance public education and appreciation of the British theatre through the plays, writings, and ideas of George Bernard Shaw (“GBS”) and his contemporaries.
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2) To provide opportunities to study, discuss and enjoy the works of GBS and his contemporaries through public performances, readings, films, lectures, talks and articles in the press and the Society’s journal “The Shavian”.
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3) To establish and maintain contact with public educational institutions in the United Kingdom, the United States of America and elsewhere to exchange information about GBS and his contemporaries.
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4) To encourage the pursuit of Shaw’s themes and ideas through awards and bursaries open to the public.
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5) To undertake research, and publish the results of it, for the purpose of advancing public education as referred to in (1) above.
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The Shaw Society
Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
TRUSTEES’ REPORT (continued)
Charitable Objects (continued)
- 6) To promote a wider and better understanding of GBS’s life and work and to provide (in his own words) a “rallying point for the co-operation and education of kindred spirits and a forum for their irreconcilable controversies”.
Main activities
During 2024 the main activities of the Society in relation to its objects (by reference to the numbered objects above) have been as follows:
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The Society sponsors and supports live theatre of George Bernard Shaw’s (GBS) plays and works, which are also available to public audiences through digital media.
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The Society arranges regular public talks. It publishes research articles supplied from all over the world in its journal “The Shavian”. It organises and encourages members to attend national and international conferences. It provides access to academic consultants via the Shaw Institute website. Details of events and performances are provided to the press via press releases, paid advertisements, and social media.
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The Society has contact and works with the international Shaw Society, RADA and other drama schools and university departments in the UK and overseas.
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The Society sponsors a Playwriting Award open to the public. The Society has a close collaborative relationship with Shaw’s Corner and the National Trust.
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The Society carries out research projects via the British Library and US libraries to be published in “The Shavian” journal.
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The Society arranges regular public discussions, meetings and readings of Shaw’s works and his contemporaries.
Main achievements
The year began with an excellent preview screening of the animated short film Shakes versus Shav at the Soho Screening Rooms. We were delighted to get this preview of this remarkable film, produced by Caboom, and co-directed by Damian Farrell and Gerry Hoban who undertook a post screening Q&A.
The Society's play reading group continued throughout 2024. This continues to be facilitated by an experienced educationalist adding a more professional aspect to the monthly gatherings, many readers have attended in person, while others (with the help of Zoom) have participated without leaving the comfort of their own homes. The project continues to attract readers from all over the world.
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The Shaw Society
Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
TRUSTEES’ REPORT (continued)
Main achievements (continued)
The Society continued its program of theatre visits in 2024 with visits to see Shaw plays in the UK as well as an increasing number of theatre trips to see plays of Shaw’s contemporaries.
Two issues of The Shavian were produced, with ground-breaking new research on items of special academic interest.
In June, several members of the Society attended the International Shaw Society conference in Dublin, which did a remarkable job of showcasing the breadth and depth of academic research into Bernard Shaw's work.
In July 2024, the Society achieved its long-standing primary ambition, to help bring birthday performances back to Shaw's Corner. On Sat 27th July, the performance at Shaw's Corner was preceded by a reception, where one of our celebrated Vice Presidents Dame Siân Phillips, was interviewed by theatre director (and fellow Vice-President) Richard Digby-Day.
The birthday play this year was Shaw's Classic, Mrs Warren's Profession. The Shaw Society was delighted to sponsor Shaw2020 theatre company to bring its new production of Mrs Warren's Profession to Shaw's Corner. The cast and company thrilled the sold-out audiences over two nights at Shaw's Corner. The production also toured theatres in South-East London, Welwyn Garden City and West London, and received great notices from critics. We plan to continue supporting performances at Shaw's Corner and look forward to sponsoring birthday plays there in 2025.
Due to generous donations, for the first time the Society was able to hire a Public Relations Professional to support the performances at Shaw's Corner. This helped ensure that both nights were sell-outs. We also developed promotional flyers to showcase the work of the Shaw Society, and to facilitate donations from members of the public.
We had our annual Shaw Crawl in August, this time with an ecclesiastic flavour with the theme of ‘Saints and Sinners’. The Crawl concluded at the beautiful Hawksmoor Church of St George’s Bloomsbury for a talk by Dr Philip Wilson of the University of East Anglia and readings from Shaw’s St Joan.
In addition, the Society also fulfilled its ambition to develop the breath of its sponsorship programme of performances related to Bernard Shaw. We did this in the form of a grant to production company, Mutt & Jeff Pictures Limited, for the treatment of a script for a deaf version of Pygmalion. In addition we also provided a development grant to Helix Productions for a new play by Neil Titley about Mrs Patrick Campbell, titled Not Bloody Likely! This was presented in a series of staged reading performances in London in November and December 2024.
The Society is incredibly grateful for all the support we have received throughout the year, from our members, our volunteers, our trustees and patrons, as well as everyone who has
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The Shaw Society
Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
TRUSTEES’ REPORT (continued)
Main achievements (continued)
attended our events. In 2024 the Society has been incredibly fortunate to receive two substantial donations, which fundamentally change what the Society can do in delivering its objectives. This sort of support really matters to a small charity like the Shaw Society, and we are incredibly grateful to the two main donors for the generosity of their support.
Future plans
The Society has plans to continue its sponsorship program in support of the staging of Shaw’s work. In addition, the Society has plans for recurring academic bursaries. The focus of our fundraising activities will be in support of getting these initiatives up and running and established on a sustainable basis.
We have continued with the work of developing the Society's website, as well as holding faceto face meetings, talks and readings. We will also continue with our process of outreach and relationship building with other organisations who share similar aims to the Shaw Society, and who can help us expand our reach.
In addition, a key foundational activity of the Society will be to increase and grow the Society's membership by offering a diverse and fulfilling array of events and experiences. The trustees recognise that a solid membership base is the key to the ongoing success of the Society. To this end, bringing new members and readers to Shaw will be a key effort over the coming years.
Reserves policy
The Society’s policy on reserves is to cover approximately one year’s expected annual operating expenditure (the calculation excludes grant giving and sponsorship) to enable it to pursue its charitable objectives.
Assets as custodian trustee
The Society holds no assets as custodian trustee apart from the Society’s archive, a collection of written and pictorial material for reference.
Financial review
The trustees are satisfied with the financial performance of the Society in this year.
Principal risks and uncertainties
The trustees do not foresee any significant risks to the Society or its operations, or any uncertainties facing it.
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The Shaw Society
Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
TRUSTEES’ REPORT (continued)
Financial review (continued)
The Society only exceptionally enters into future financial commitments, with the result that it is always able to control its day-to-day expenditure to keep it, for practical purposes, within the Society’s actual and anticipated income.
Going concern
The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis.
Summary of financial performance
The Society incurred a net surplus of £15,202 during the financial year 2023, (2023 - net surplus of £12,150).
There was a net expenditure of £23,479 during the year (2023 £2,261). This was due to the restarting of issuing grants, £14,989 being paid in 2024 (2023: £nil). In addition there was a significant increase in marketing spend during 2024. While grant giving increased, our reserves did also. This was due to two significant donations received by the Society in 2024. Further details can be found in note 5 and note 6 to these accounts.
The Society receives its funds from membership subscriptions, donations, legacies, appeals and fund-raising social events.
A portion of these funds is applied in meeting the administrative costs of the Society. A major part of the balance is spent on producing “The Shavian” journal. Targeted for publication twice annually, it contains articles about Shaw theatre performances, events, and specially written articles about Shaw, his contemporaries, and the Society.
At the year end, the Society had net assets of £32,973 (2023: £17,771). £27,562 is held in unrestricted funds, and £5,411 in restricted funds. In 2023 £7,038 was held in the unrestricted funds, and £10,733 in restricted funds).
The Society prepares cash flow and budget projections annually. These indicate that the Society can meet its liabilities for a period of not less than 12 months from the date of approval of these projections by the trustees of the Society.
The trustees of the Society monitor, on a regular basis, its liquid resources, cash flows and bank balances, and general administrative expenses. The Society's costs are tightly controlled.
Accounting policies and outlook
The Society reviews its accounting policies annually. It is the view of the trustees of the Society that with the exception of the change in our reserves policy as noted above, that no
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The Shaw Society
Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
TRUSTEES’ REPORT (continued)
Financial review (continued)
changes to our current policies are needed. The trustees are not aware of any specific factors likely to affect the financial performance of the Society or its position going forward .
Approved by the trustees on the 15 June 2025 and signed on their behalf by: -
Bernadette Skehan ACA Treasurer
Maureen Clark-Darby
Chair
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The Shaw Society
Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE SHAW SOCIETY
I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2024 which are set on pages 11 to 16.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required this year (under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act)) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts (under section 145 of the 2011 Act)
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follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners (under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act); and
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state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of 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 seeking explanations from you as 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
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
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1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act: and - to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met: or
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2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Tony Ghilchik FCA 6 Morland Close London NW11 7JG
Dated 3 July 2025
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The Shaw Society
Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
| INCOMING RESOURCES Subscriptions Donations /Legacies Events income TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED The Shavian journal Marketing Subscriptions Supplies/postage Insurance Administration charges Grants in support of charitable objects Bank charges Event running costs TOTAL Surplus/(deficit) |
2024 £ 2024 Restricted Unrestricted Total - 3,614 3,614 10,255 23,549 33,804 - 1,263 1,263 10,255 28,426 38,681 - 744 744 3,600 697 4,297 - 150 150 - 91 91 - 87 87 - 462 462 11,977 3,012 14,989 - 187 187 - 2,472 2,472 15,577 7,902 23,479 (5,322) 20,524 15,202 |
2023 £ 2,899 11,512 - |
|---|---|---|
| 14,411 | ||
| 1,794 56 15 75 83 200 - 38 - |
||
| 2,261 | ||
| 12,150 | ||
| Reconciliation of funds Total funds brought forward at 1 January 2024 Total funds carried forward at 31 December 2024 |
10,733 7,038 17,771 5,411 27,562 32,973 |
5,621 |
| 17,771 |
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The Shaw Society
Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2024
| CURRENT ASSETS Debtors Cash at bank CREDITORS:amounts falling within one year CAPITAL AND RESERVES Restricted Unrestricted funds |
2024 £ - 32,973 32,973 - 32,973 5,412 27,561 32,973 |
2023 £ - 18,557 |
|---|---|---|
| 18,557 | ||
| 786 | ||
| 17,771 | ||
| 10,773 7,038 |
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| 17,771 |
These financial statements were approved by the trustees on 15 June 2025 and were signed on their behalf by:
Bernadette Skehan ACA Treasurer
Maureen Clark-Darby
Chair
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The Shaw Society
Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES
1.1 Accounting convention
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with 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 (FRS 102 - effective 1 January 2015) - (Charities SORP FRS 102).
The charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy or note.
1.2 Going concern
The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. The trustees do not consider that there are any sources of estimated uncertainty at the reporting date that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next reporting period.
1.3 Income
Income comprises membership subscriptions, donations and fund-raising events. Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the income have been met, and it is probable that the income will be received and that the amount can be measured reliably.
1.4 Donations of gifts, services, and facilities
Donated gifts, professional services and donated facilities are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item or received the service, any conditions associated with the donation have been met, the receipt of economic benefit from the use by the charity of the item is probable and that economic benefit can be measured reliably. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), volunteer time is not recognised.
On receipt, donated gifts, professional services, and donated facilities are recognised on the basis of the value of the gift to the charity which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay to obtain services or facilities of equivalent economic benefit on the open market; a corresponding amount is then recognised in expenditure in the period of receipt.
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The Shaw Society
Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)
1.5 Resources expended
Resources expended are included in the statement of financial activities on an accruals basis, inclusive of VAT which cannot be recovered. Certain expenditure is directly attributable to specific charitable activities and has been included in those cost categories. Direct expenditure in respect of fund-raising and governance is shown separately.
1.6 Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds comprise general funds which the trustees are free to use in accordance with the charitable objects. Restricted funds are funds which have been given for particular projects. These funds are represented by cash at bank.
1.7 Debtors
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.
1.8 Cash at bank and in hand
Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.
1.9 Creditors and provisions
Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.
1.10 Reserves
The Society maintains reserves to cover one year’s expected annual operating expenditure (the calculation excludes grant giving and sponsorship) to enable it to pursue its charitable objects. This is a change from the 2022 policy, where a half year's expected annual operating expenditure was maintained.
1.11 Financial instruments
The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value except for bank loans which are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
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The Shaw Society
Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
| 2 | SUBSCRIPTIONS | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||
| Members subscriptions | 3,614 | 2,899 |
3 STAFF COSTS AND TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION
The Society does not employ staff, and the trustees are not remunerated.
4 CONTROL
The charity is under the control of the trustees.
5 FUNDS
| FUNDS | |
|---|---|
Restricted reserves: T. F. Evans Mrs P Nicholson Mr D Grapes Mr M Rosenthal Mrs J Holofcener Unrestricted reserves: Total Reserves |
At Incoming Resources At 31 Dec 2023 resources expended 31 Dec 2024 £ £ £ £ 419 - - 419 9,326 - (9,326) - 988 - (988) - - 10,000 (5,263) 4,737 - 255 - 255 7,038 20,524 - 27,562 |
| 17,771 30,779 (15,577) 32,973 |
T.F Evans
A restricted donation of £5,000 was received from the Evans family in 2010 to launch a new Playwriting Award, open to the public, for plays written in the style of Bernard Shaw.
Mrs P Nicholson
A restricted donation of £9,326 (USD$12,500) was received from Mrs P Nicholson to fund the staging of a play at Shaw’s Corner in the tradition of the Shaw Birthday plays, which have historically been supported by the Shaw Society. This was fully paid out in 2024.
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The Shaw Society
Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
5. FUNDS (continued)
Mr D Grapes
In 2023 a restricted donation of £988 was received from Mr D Grapes to fund the development of a script for a deaf (sign language) version of a GBS play. In 2024 this restricted donation was granted in full to production company Mutt & Jeff Pictures.
Mr M Rosenthal
A restricted donation of £10,000 was received from Mr M Rosenthal in support of three specific objectives, namely, theatre performances at Shaw’s Corner, public relations work in support of performances at Shaw’s Corner and fundraising events for the Shaw Society. Of this restricted donation, £5,262 was expended in 2024.
Mrs J Holofcener
A restricted donation of £255 was received from Mrs J Holofcener as an initial contribution to a new academic support fund in memory of Kain Clark-Darby.
6. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
During the year, two significant donations were received from trustees of the Society. As disclosed in Note 5, Mr M Rosenthal made restricted donations of £10,000 to the Society.
Mrs J Holofcener made donations totalling £20,255. As disclosed in Note 5, £255 of this was a restricted donation. The remaining £20,000 donation was an unrestricted donation in support of the general activities of the Society.
A further £738 was donated by other trustees of the Society in 2024, bringing the total amount donated by trustees in 2024 to £30,988.
Finally, during 2024 the Society paid a grant of £10,989 to the Shaw2020 Theatre Company to put on a production of Mrs Warren’s Profession at Shaw’s Corner in July 2024. Jonas Cemm, the owner of Shaw2020 Theatre Company, was at the time of this grant a trustee of the Shaw Society. Mr. Cemm did not attend the meeting of trustees which approved the sponsorship, nor did he vote on the award of the sponsorship.
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