Report from The Chair of the Trustees
SatT AGM 8[th] October 2025
It gives me an enormous amount of pleasure – and no small amount of relief - to start my report for the 2025 AGM by congratulating everyone involved on putting on an Insanely successful first show at Buckden Towers, our new theatrical home.
The word ‘everyone’ does a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence as the universal delight generated by our production of Twelfth Night really was because it represented a complete package of venue, hospitality, production, performances (and weather).
I will begin by thanking all concerned from our side. Director, Chris Avery, and her incredibly talented cast. The always fabulous creative and production team lead by Phil Barrett, our esteemed producer and Theatre Manager John Secker who was the indefatigable driving force behind our ability to turn the knot garden into a working theatre for two weeks this summer. I’d also like to add my thanks to the publicity team of Kate Feather and Elsa Winterstein who deserve a great deal of recognition for the work they did in helping the production play to record audience numbers.
As I said, a huge part of the success this year was the broader Buckden Towers experience. “Upgrade” was the single most consistent bit of feedback we received this year. Not only did the team at Buckden Towers put up with a lot of shenanigans (far more than they’d envisaged when they welcomed us to their home) in the year leading up to the show, they always did so with a positive smile and a can-do attitude. I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to Father Paul and The Claret Centre folks, Kris Smith and her catering team, Sarah Evans and the Pomegranate Bar gang, the legend that is Red, the Knot Gardeners, the Friends of Buckden Towers and all who helped, supported and encouraged us.
I hope they won’t mind me saying that this year has made us even more excited at what we believe the collaboration can bring in future years…
As successful as Twelfth Night was, the real test of SatT as a trust is to ensure that we build on that and start creating a legacy here at Buckden Towers. What I know will help is the exciting slate of productions we have planned for the next three years, productions which showcase the breath of Shakespeare’s work as well as the talent in the local area.
2026 sees a much-loved Shakespearean comedy directed by James Barwise who many of you will know from previous productions and his work with the Honest Knaves Theatre company – we’ll hear a little more from James later on this evening.
Following that is Louise West’s production of Titus Androniclus in 2027 – expect lots of blood and guts and the chance to challenge audience perceptions of what to expect from the company!
And finally, we are delighted to announce that our show for 2028 will be As You Like It directed by Rosina Piovani, one of the artistic directors of True Life Productions – an experienced and supremely talented director well known in the Cambridge area but new to us here at SatT.
Our intention is that this becomes an annual cycle with a new production being chosen each September and announced here at the AGM. This year we had four directors submit four very different shows for the 2028 production and we’d encourage anyone who would like to help us bring Shakespeare to life for our wonderfully appreciative audiences in 2029 to start planning what that might look like and let us know by end of July next year.
And as we welcome new members of the SatT family, we also have the chance to say a very fond farewell to one of its longest serving members. Over the last 20 years SaTG and then SatT has been fortunate to count on the support of our patron, Dame Norma Major through thick and thin. Since stepping into the role in 2005, Dame Norma has been incredibly generous with her time, her experience and her passion for Shakespeare’s work and now we find ourselves happily ensconced in our new home she is stepping down as our patron. On behalf of everyone involved in the group for the last two decades, I’d like to offer our very heartfelt thanks and hope that you’ll still come and visit us on a warm summers evening in late June / early July.
Building a lasting legacy requires that we continue to move forward and I’m delighted to welcome Dame Evelyn Glennie as the new patron of satT. She has supported us personally and via TEGF for many years now and I’m delighted that she’s agreed to take on the role and am looking forward to tapping into her knowledge of performing and performance, as well as helping us dial up our inclusivity offering.
Ever since we announced that we’d be coming to Buckden Towers we’ve been very clear that we want to be considered an active participant in the wider Buckden Community and we’ve already started getting involved through smaller projects like the recent makeup workshop we ran for Buckden Youth Groups. That’s why I’m glad to announce that this years’ Mo Pearce Bursary of £1,000 has been awarded to Buckden Primary School to help them fund the purchase of a new stage to help the next generation of actors experience the thrill of performance.
The Mo Pearce Bursary is an annual bequest which local individuals, groups and organisations are encouraged to apply for eery year. However, as we did not get an application last year, in addition to the £1,000 bursary we are also matching the school’s own fundraising up to a further £1,000 to help them reach a large target.
We also offer smaller bursaries of up to £250 to individuals to help them grow their theatre making skills (on stage or behind the scenes) and we’d encourage anyone who feels it would help them develop to get in touch with us.
In fact, building on that last point, I’m eager that the SatT Trust explores additional ways of delivering on our main charitable aim of supporting local theatre groups and individuals. My intention is that a focus for the year ahead will be how we forge deeper relationships with local schools and colleges to better understand how we can help support young people in the area develop their skills and even careers in theatre / performance. Watch this space.
If I may, I’d like to finish with one final thank you – to my fellow trustees Chris Thompson, Chris Turner, John Secker, Ashton Cull, Phil Barrett, James Barwise and Lynne Livingstone – without whom none of any of this would happen. All volunteers, they give up huge amounts of their time, energy and creativity to make the magic happen.
I wanted to finish with the trustees because it gives me a chance to bid one of our number – Lynne Livingstone – farewell as she will be stepping down as a trustee and secretary of satT today. It’ll surprise no-one who has ever worked with Lynne that she brings the same incredible dedication and passion to being a trustee as she does to both performing, directing and generally running everything! She’ll be greatly missed – although she has assured me that she’ll remain involved in the company which is to our continued benefit.
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SHAKESPEARE AT THE TOWERS TRUST No 270546
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period Period start date Period end date
To
from 1st October 2024 30th September 2024
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds Last year
funds funds funds
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
Annual Production Revenue 55,003 - - 55,003 48,190
Donations 1,800 - - 1,800 330
Bank Interest 1,258 - - 1,258 354
- - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total (Gross income for
AR) [ 58,061 ] - - 58,061 48,874
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total receipts 58,061 - - 58,061 48,874
A3 Payments
Annual production costs 34,128 - - 34,128 25,718
Prior year production costs 4,213 - - 4,213 3,123
Bursaries 1,750 - - 1,750 1,750
Utilities 6,346 - - 6,346 4,954
Other expenses 4,280 - - 4,280 3,850
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total [ 50,717 ] - - 50,717 39,395
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
3,832 - - 3,832 3,128
- - - -
Sub total [ 3,832 ] - - 3,832 3,128
Total payments [ 54,549 ] - - 54,549 42,523
Net of receipts/(payments) 3,512 - - 3,512 6,351
A5 Transfers between funds - - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end - - - - -
Cash funds this year end 3,512 - - 3,512 6,351
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CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
16/07/2026
1
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricted funds lo nEarest£ Restrtcted funds to nearest £ Endowment funds to llearÈst£ 81 Cash funds Ch8Dty Actsunl 3N7Z 2,447 iftstantActhss A(Lount 65.224 40.5N6 8eqLSI CDunl 22.147 Total cash funds $8.696 65,182 (agree yfvth relPts rh7ytnentS CtyJnt(sll Unrestrfcted funds to nparest£ Restrietsd funds to Iiea¥e8t £ Endowmènt funds to nearÈ$t£ B2 Other monetary assets Fund to whlch asset bolon Cuvrgnt ¥aluo nal Co51 (optioall 83 Investment assets Fund to which 5SPt bploth Currènt ¥alue Cosi loptlonall 40.570 B4 Assets retalned for the charity's own use Sound and knghting Equipment UnrestrKted Other Equipment staging Unre& 13,331 Unreslricied 35,548 Fund to which Amount due When due O lion81 BS Liabilities Signed by one or two trustees on beha of all the trustees Signat¢Jre Print Name Date of roval 12n GoÈlin CCXX R2 accounts ISSI 1610712026
CHARIT_Y_COMMISSION ,- FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Jndependent examiner r8portr on the accounts Sectlon A Independent Exarnlner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of Shakespeare al the George Trust On aGGounts for the year ended 30 September 2025 Charlty no (if any) 270546 Set out on pages I report lo the Iruslees on my examination of the accounts of the above charlty ("Ihe Trust") for the year ended Responsibilities and As the charity trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the basis of report accounts in accordance with the Charities Act 20111.lhe Act"). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examinalion, I have followed all the applicable DireGtions given by Ihe Charity Commission under section 145151(bl of the Act. Independenl I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matorial matters have examiner's statement come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in. any material respect,. the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the AGt- or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records,. or the accounts did not comply with the appli¢able requirements concerning the form and conlenl of accounts sel out ill the Charities (Accounts and Reporlsl Regulations 2008 olhef than any requirement that the acctsunls give a 'true and fair, view which is rbot a maller considered as part of an independent examinalion. I have no concerns and have comts across no other mallers in connection with the examination lo which attention should be drawn in thi5 report in order lo enable a proper understanding of the accounts lo be reached. Signed: Date: 1510712026 Namg: Helen Jones Relevant professional qualification{s) or body {If any): Address. FCA Gregory Wildman, The Granary, Crowhill Farm, Ravensden Road, Wilden Bedford MK44 2QS IER October 2018