## **Annual Return**
**Charity Name:** YOUNG CREATIVE BUCKS CULTURAL EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP
**Charity Number:** 1210986
**Financial year end:** 31 August 2025
## **1. Structure, Governance and Management**
Young Creative Bucks Cultural Education Partnership is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) governed by its constitution. The trustees are appointed by the board in accordance with the constitution.
Prior to the CIO being formally established, Young Creative Bucks operated with Bucks Music Trust as a host organisation. Following registration, and during the year covered by these accounts, the charity has continued to operate under a host organisation arrangement with Bucks Music Trust to support transition and organisational resilience.
The charity does not currently employ any staff directly. Day-to-day delivery and management during the year was supported through this host organisation arrangement, with the Director role and core operational support provided as in-kind support by Bucks Music Trust. The value of this in-kind support during the year was £37,962.75, calculated on the basis of salary, project management time and core operational overheads met by Bucks Music Trust. This approach has enabled the charity to deliver its activities while establishing its own governance, systems and bank account. The trustees intend to bring staff costs in-house as funding allows.
## **2. Objectives and Activities**
The charity’s objects are:
To advance for the public benefit the education of children and young people of up to 25 years of age in Buckinghamshire, in the subject of arts, culture and heritage by means of but not limited to;
- Improving links and connectivity to creative and cultural opportunities for children and young people at home, at school, and in their communities in Buckinghamshire;.
- Co-ordinating and facilitating partnerships and connections between relevant education providers, cultural organisations, and the creative industry sector to improve the provision of arts/heritage/cultural education and employment opportunities to young people in the local area;
- Providing training and upskilling sessions for educators and educational settings concerned with providing cultural education for children and young people;
- Commissioning academic research into how arts/heritage/cultural education for young people in Buckinghamshire may be improved or developed generally and publishing the useful results of
**Registered Charity Number: 1210986**
such research;
- Providing training and upskilling sessions for children and young people to develop talent and to discover, explore, and pursue the creative industries for future development
The charity delivers its objectives by connecting and convening partnerships between education and cultural organisations, supporting educators, amplifying young people’s voices and improving access to creative and cultural opportunities across Buckinghamshire.
## **During the year the charity delivered:**
- YCB organised an eight-week Creative and Cultural Youth Forum pilot project (‘Creative Changemakers’) with students from five secondary schools in Buckinghamshire.
- A one-day Creative and Cultural CPD and Networking Conference for primary, secondary and SEND educators.
- A short Inspire Creative pilot project working with Year 10 students identified as being at risk of becoming NEET, introducing them to creative industry pathways through workshops and facilitated engagement with creative professionals.
## **3. Public Benefit Statement**
The trustees confirm that they have had due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. During the year, the charity focused on improving equity of access to creative and cultural opportunities for children and young people aged 0–25 across Buckinghamshire, both directly through youth activity and indirectly by strengthening the cultural education equitable access available through schools and partners.
## **4. Achievements and Performance**
## **Creative and Cultural Champions Network**
The Creative and Cultural Champions Network connects educators across Buckinghamshire who champion creativity and cultural opportunities within their schools. Champions may include headteachers, senior leaders, subject leads, careers leads, teachers or teaching assistants with an interest in the arts or creative approaches to learning.
The network provides access to CPD, connections with arts and cultural organisations, and a direct communication channel for opportunities and partnerships. The long-term aim is for every school in Buckinghamshire to have at least one Creative and Cultural Champion. During 2024/25, membership of the network doubled, reflecting growing engagement from schools and strengthening Young Creative Bucks’ role as a connector between education and the local creative and cultural sector.
**Creative & Cultural CPD and Networking Conference**
**Registered Charity Number: 1210986**
31 educators attended the conference as delegates, with a further 28 attendees from cultural organisations contributing as speakers, facilitators or exhibitors. The programme included four keynote speakers, twelve CPD sessions, three short inspirational talks and eleven one-to-one meetings between educators and cultural partners. Feedback highlighted the practical nature of sessions and the value of making new connections.
## **Creative Changemakers Youth Forum Pilot**
46 young people from five secondary schools took part in an eight-week pilot youth forum. Participants worked with artist facilitators to explore findings from previous youth consultations, consider the need and format of a youth forum, and develop ideas for a potential youth arts fringe festival. The group named the forum ‘Creative Changemakers’ and expressed strong interest in continuation. Learning from the pilot informed funding applications for the next phase.
## **Inspire Creative Pilot**
The Inspire Creative pilot engaged Year 10 students from an alternative provision partners settings, identified as being at risk of becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training) in a short, targeted programme introducing creative industry careers. Through practical workshops and conversations with creative practitioners, students explored different pathways into the sector and built confidence in their own creative potential. Evaluation feedback highlighted increased awareness of creative careers, improved engagement and positive shifts in aspiration among participants. Learning from this pilot is informing future programme design focused on support for inclusive access to creative career pathways.
## **Sector Connectivity and Communications**
During 2024/25, the Young Creative Bucks e-newsletter supported the local creative and cultural infrastructure by connecting schools and educators with creative and cultural opportunities and with cultural organisations across Buckinghamshire, strengthening access to provision and partnerships. Distributed five issues to approximately 430–440 subscribers each time, it generated around 275 opportunity submissions across the year, reflecting strong sector engagement and the charity’s growing role as a trusted connector.
## **5. Financial Review**
Total income for the year was £68,175.90, including £37,962.75 of in-kind support from Bucks Music Trust. Total expenditure for the year was £49,060.99, resulting in a surplus of £19,114.91.
During the year, the charity operated under a host organisation arrangement with Bucks Music Trust. Bucks Music Trust administered project income and expenditure on behalf of the charity and provided in-kind support valued at £37,962.75, primarily relating to the Director role and core operational support. This in-kind support is included within the income and expenditure figures reported in the Statement of Financial Activities.
At the year end, £15,792.64 of restricted funds relating to Young Creative Bucks CEP projects were held on behalf of the charity ringfenced by Bucks Music Trust for delivery of future activity. These funds are restricted to specific projects and will be applied in the 2025/26 financial year.
**Registered Charity Number: 1210986**
The charity opened its own bank account during the year. The only transactions through this account during the financial year related to bank account setup and running costs, and it held a balance of £120 on 31 August 2025.
## **6. Reserves Policy**
Young Creative Bucks CEP aims to maintain a prudent level of unrestricted reserves to ensure organisational resilience and financial continuity. While the majority of core operating costs are currently supported through external funding, the Board recognises that such support is not guaranteed indefinitely and that the charity retains responsibility for sustainable financial planning.
In line with the organisation’s Financial Controls Policy (Section 9: Reserves Statement), Trustees have determined that reserves equivalent to approximately three months of operational costs represent an appropriate level to manage fluctuations in income, the timing of grant receipts, and any unforeseen financial pressures. This level of reserves would also enable an orderly cessation of operations, should this ever be required, with minimal or no liabilities.
Trustees further aspire to build additional unrestricted reserves over the next three years to support the delivery of the organisation’s strategic plans, including increased staffing capacity and expansion of programme activity.
## **7. Risk Management**
Key risks include reliance on short-term funding, limited staffing capacity, and transition from a host organisation arrangement to independent financial management. Trustees monitor risks regularly and maintain appropriate financial controls.
## **8. Trustees**
The trustees who served during the year were:
- S. Imbriano
- A. Page-Towers (Treasurer)
- P. Guenault
- J. Weinberg
- K. Bradshaw-Walsh
- A Malekmohammedi
**Registered Charity Number: 1210986**
**Signed on behalf of the trustees:**
**Sue Imbriano - Chair**
**Date:** 04/03/2026
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (SOFA)**
## **For the year ended 31 August 2025**
**Total Income:** £68,175.90
**Total income (not including carried over restricted funds from 2023/24):** £41,975.91 **Total Expenditure:** £49,060.99
**Net surplus for the year:** £19,114.91
**Funds brought forward:** £0.00
**Funds carried forward:**
**Restricted funds:** £15,792.64
**Unrestricted funds:** £3,322.27
**Total funds carried forward:** £19,114.91
## **BALANCE SHEET**
## **As of 31 August 2025**
**Current assets Cash at bank (YCB CEP):** £120.00
**Funds held on behalf of the charity by Bucks Music Trust (restricted):** £15,792.64
**Creditors:** £0.00
**Net assets:** £19,114.91
**Represented by:**
**Restricted funds:** £15,792.64
**Unrestricted funds:** £3,322.27
**Registered Charity Number: 1210986**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS**
## 1. **Accounting Policies**
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011. The charity is a public benefit entity. Income is recognised when receivable and expenditure when incurred.
## 2. **Restricted Funds**
Restricted funds relate to project-specific grants. At the year end, £15,792.64 of restricted funds were held on behalf of the charity by Bucks Music Trust under a host organisation arrangement for delivery of future projects.
## 3. **Trustees’ Remuneration and Expenses**
No trustee received remuneration or expenses during the year.
## 4. **Related Party Transactions**
The charity operated under a host organisation arrangement with Bucks Music Trust. During the year, Bucks Music Trust provided in-kind support valued at £37,962.75, primarily relating to the Director role and core operational support. This in-kind support is included within the total income and expenditure figures shown in the Statement of Financial Activities.
## 5. **Staff Costs**
The charity had no employees during the year. Staffing and management support were provided as in-kind support by Bucks Music Trust.
## 6. **Restricted Funds Brought Forward**
Restricted funds of £26,200 were carried forward from 2023/24 and continued to be held and administered within the host organisation arrangement with Bucks Music Trust. These funds were allocated to specific Young Creative Bucks projects and form part of the charity’s restricted project income for 2024/25. They are included within the Statement of Financial Activities and contribute to the restricted funds balance carried forward at year end.
## 7. **Going Concern**
The trustees consider the charity to be a going concern. The host organisation arrangement with Bucks Music Trust, together with restricted funds carried forward and ongoing fundraising activity, provides sufficient assurance that the charity can continue to meet its obligations for at least the next twelve months.
**Registered Charity Number: 1210986**
YCB fna
Accounts Summary 2024/2025
|FundingSource|Amount|
|---|---|
|YCB restricted funds carried over
from 2023/24 and protected
inome for 2024/25|£26,200.00|
|Total|£26,200.00|
|Project Spend and CarryForward|Project Spend and CarryForward|Project Spend and CarryForward|Project Spend and CarryForward|Project Spend and CarryForward|Project Spend and CarryForward|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||Marketng||Champions
Network|Youth Forum|
Inspire Creatve|
|YCB restricted funds carried over
from 2023/24 and protected
inome for 2024/25|£3,000.00||£6,887.69|£10,235.96|£3,216.12|
|Spend in 2024/25|£2,448.00||£2,282.79|£4,762.34|£814.00|
|To carryover to 2025/26|£552.00||£4,604.90|£5,473.62|£2,402.12|
|||||||
|Actual In & Out without support from BMT
|||Remaining|||
|~~Total Actual Income for 2024/25~~
including restricted funds from
2023/24|£30,213.15||-£18,847.84|||
|Total Actual Expenditure for
2024/25|£49,060.99|||||
|||||||
|Actual funds remaining once restriced funds for
2025/26 removed - without support from BMT|||Remaining|||
|Remainingfunds from 2024/25|-£18,847.84||-£34,640.48|||
|Project funds to carry forward
into 2025/26|£15,792.64|||||
## ancial year runs September to August
|||Totals|
|---|---|---|
|Youth Arts Fringe Festval|Resrve||
|£2,550.00|£210.00|£26,099.77|
|£0.00|£0.00|£10,307.13|
|£2,550.00|£210.00|£15,792.64|
|Restricted funds from
kind support from BMT
75)|Remaining|This amount is the total lef over including restricted
This amount is the total lef over taking out the rest|
|---|---|---|
|£68,175.90|£19,114.91||
|£49,060.99|||
||||
|once restriced funds for
ith support from BMT|Remaining||
|£19,114.91|£3,322.27||
|£15,792.64|||
funds for 2025126
ricted funds for 2025126
Accounts Income 2024/2025
|Source
|Details|Est Amount|||CEP
Management|CEP
General|CEP
Marketng||Champions
Network|Youth Forum|The Futures
Creatve/ Inspire
Creatve|
Youth Arts
Fringe
Festval|Reserve|Youth
Summit
2024||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||Restricted|||funds carried forward||||||||||||||
|YCB restricted funds
carried over from 2023/24
and protected inome for
2024/25||£26,200.00|Paid||£0.00|£0.00|£3,000.00||£6,987.96|£10,235.60|£3,216.44|£2,550.00|£210.00|£0.00||||
||£26,200.00||||£0.00|£0.00|£3,000.00||£6,987.96|£10,235.60|£3,216.44|£2,550.00|£210.00|£0.00||£26,200.00||
|||||New Income||||||||||||||
|Bucks Council|Youth Summit|£800.00|Paid||£0.00|£0.00|£0.00||£0.00|£0.00|£0.00|£0.00|£0.00|£800.00||||
|ACE|Remainder of funding for Jan
2023-Jan 2024 grant|£2,980.00|Paid||£2,980.00|£0.00|£0.00||£0.00|£0.00|£0.00|£0.00|£0.00|£0.00||||
|GoodHub|Ticket Sales minus Fee's|£233.15|Paid||£0.00|£0.00|£0.00||£233.15|£0.00|£0.00|£0.00|£0.00|£0.00||||
|New Income Total||£4,013.15|||£2,980.00|£0.00|£0.00||£233.15|£0.00|£0.00|£0.00|£0.00|£800.00||£4,013.15||
||||||£2,980.00||||£1,033.15|||||||£4,013.15||
||||||Core Costs||||Project Costs|||||||||
||Total New Income & Restriced
funds|£30,213.15|||£2,980.00|£0.00|£3,000.00||£7,221.11|£10,235.60|£3,216.44|£2,550.00|£210.00|£800.00||£30,213.15||
||||||£5,980.00||||£24,233.15|||||||£30,213.15||
||||||Core Costs||||Projectc Costs|||||||||
|||||||||£30,213.15||||||||||
|Source|Details|Est Amount|||CEP
Management|CEP
Management|CEP
General|CEP
Marketng|Champions
Network||Youth Forum|Inspire Creatve|Urban
Explosion|Arts Award
Bdiscover &
Explore|
Youth
Summit
2024|
Youth
Summit
2024|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||In-Kind Support|||||||||||||
|BMT Support in kind,|BMT Host Organisaton - Support
in kind, Project Management Costs
& Overheads for thisyear|£37,962.75
|Supported||£36,922.31||£1,040.44|£0.00|£0.00||£0.00|£0.00|£0.00|£0.00|£0.00||
|In-Kind support Income Total||£37,962.75|||£36,922.31||£1,040.44|£0.00|£0.00||£0.00|£0.00|£0.00|£0.00|£0.00|£37,962.75|
|||||||£37,962.75||||£0.00||||||£37,962.75|
|||||||Core Costs||||Project Costs|||||||
|||||||||||£37,962.75|||||||
||Total Income of New Income and
In-kind Suuport|£41,975.90|||£39,902.31||£1,040.44|£0.00|£233.15||£0.00|£0.00|£0.00|£0.00|£800.00|£41,975.90|
|||||||£40,942.75||||£1,033.15||||||£41,975.90|
|||||||Core Costs||||Project Costs|||||||
|||||||£41,975.90|||||||||||
|Total Income of restriced funds
from 2023/24, New Income and
In-kind Suuport|£68,175.90|||£39,902.31|£1,040.44|£3,000.00|£7,221.11||£10,235.60|£3,216.44|£2,550.00|£210.00|£800.00||£68,175.90|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||£43,942.75||||£24,233.15|||||||£68,175.90|
|||||Core Costs||||Project Costs||||||||
|||||£68,175.90||||||||||||
Acounts Expenditure 2024/2025
|Details|Date Paid|Amount|Col
um
n1|CEP
Management|CEP General|CEP Marketng|Youth Forum|Champions
Network|Inspire Creatve|Youth Arts
Fringe Festval|Youth Summit||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Website Deveopment CLD-
9597|11/09/2024|£2,448.00||£0.00||£2,448.00|||||||
|Youth Froum - Ross - Invoice
YCB0124|11/09/2024|£500.00||£0.00|||£500.00||||||
|Refund - Buckinghamshire
Council Receipts Ref: 3377-
943700-YCB CPD Refund -
Confernce Mrs. Lara Virgo and
Mrs. Lauren Reid.|12/09/2024|£100.00||||||100|||||
|Claire Willis Sep24 Salary|30/09/2024|£3,014.08||£3,014.08|||||||||
|Claire Willis Oct 24 Salary|31/10/2024|£3,014.08||£3,014.08|||||||||
|Claire Willis Expences May -
June 2024|31/10/2024|£152.77|||£152.77||||||||
|Youth Froum - Ross - Invoice
YCB0224|18/10/2024|£500.00|||||£500.00||||||
|Claire Willis Nov 24 Salary|29/11/2024|£3,014.08||£3,014.08|||||||||
|Claire Willis Dec 24 Salary|31/12/2024|£3,014.08||£3,014.08|||||||||
|Claire Willis Jan 25 Salary|31/01/2025|£3,014.08||£3,014.08|||||||||
|Ross Bolwell-Williams - Invoice
YCB0324|19/11/2024
|£80.00|||||£80.00||||||
|Kate Allen - Invoice 24036|06/02/2025|£1,402.34|||||£1,402.34||||||
|Laura de Moxom - Invoice
YOUNGBUCKS001|14/02/2025
£1,500.00||||||£1,500.00||||||
|Swan Events - Invoice SI-73|03/07/2025|£780.00|||||£780.00||||||
|Claire Willis Feb 25 Salary|28/02/2025|£3,014.08||£3,014.08|||||||||
|Claire Willis Mar 25 Salary|31/03/2025|£3,014.08||£3,014.08|||||||||
|Sam Durant - Heart Space - Inv
BYS2025|02/04/2025
|£350.00|||||||||£350.00||
|Rosie Axon - Chiltern Music
Therapy- Inv 71748|25/04/2025|£350.00|||||||||£350.00||
|Aspire Alternatve Provision -
Inv INV-0006|25/04/2025|£814.00|||||||£814.00||||
|Claire Willis Apr 25 Salary|30/04/2025|£3,164.75||£3,164.75|||||||||
|Claire Willis Exepnces|30/04/2025|£1,083.77|||£746.07|||£246.60|||£91.10||
|Claire Willis May25 Salary|30/05/2025|£3,164.75||£3,164.75|||||||||
|Claire Willis June 25 Salary|30/06/2025|£3,164.75||£3,164.75|||||||||
|Claire Willis Exepnces|30/06/2025|£141.61|||£141.61||||||||
|Claire Willis July25 Salary|31/07/2025|£3,164.75||£3,164.75|||||||||
|Alsion Grade/ The Freelance
Bible|10/07/2025|£267.30||||||£267.30|||||
|Signdance Collectve|10/07/2025|£150.00||||||£150.00|||||
|EFE EZEKIEL - Ushine Ishine Ltd
(ERIC)|10/07/2025
|£350.00||||||£350.00|||||
|Arts Foundaton|10/07/2025|£500.00||||||£500.00|||||
|Conference Refreshments
£540 + Vat £108|24/06/2025|£648.00|||||||£648.00|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Facbook Ads Manager|19/06/2025|£20.89|||||||£20.89|||||
|Claire Willis August 25 Salary|29/08/2025|£3,164.75|||£3,164.75|||||||||
||||||£36,922.31|£1,040.45|£2,448.00|£4,762.34|£2,282.79|£814.00|£0.00|791.1||
|Total||£49,060.99|||£40,410.76|||£8,650.23||||||
|||||||||||||||
## **Examiners Report**
**Charity Name:** YOUNG CREATIVE BUCKS CULTURAL EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP
**Charity Number:** 1210986
**Financial year end:** 31 August 2025
I have reviewed the financial reports and found them accurate to the best of my knowledge. I have relied on the confirmation of support letter from the Bucks Music Trust who are the main funder of this charity
Simon Kearey
15/02/2026