REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 1494221 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 510670
LANCASTER AND DISTRICT FESTIVAL LIMITED REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Foster & Co Ltd Unit 16 Eastway Business Village Olivers Place Fulwood Preston PR2 9WT
LANCASTER AND DISTRICT FESTIVAL LIMITED
CONTENTS
| REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES INCORPORATING THE STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES RESPONSIBILITIES REPORT OF INDEPENDENT EXAMINER STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES BALANCE SHEET NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS DETAILED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (For Trustees Use Only) |
Page 1 TO 5 6 7 8 9 TO 12 |
|---|---|
LANCASTER AND DISTRICT FESTIVAL LIMITED REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025. The trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statements of Recommended Practice (SORP) applicable to Charities preparing their accounts.
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Registered Company number 1494221 (England and Wales)
Registered Charity Number 510670
Registered Office
The Storey Meeting House Lane Lancaster LA1 1TH
Trustees/(Directors)
J Bell (Chair) J Hope N S Charlesworth WJG Swainson E R Crighton S Karunanithi B Guilfoyle (Resigned 31.07.24) B Daley T Durcan G Singh O K Langmead M Matheson (Appointed 14.02.25) I Place (Appointed 14.02.25) S Scarff-Hurst (Appointed 14.02.25)
Company Secretary
N S Charlesworth
Accountants
Foster & Co Ltd Unit 16 Eastway Business Village Olivers Place Fulwood Preston PR2 9WT
Solicitors
Oglethorpe, Sturton & Gillibrand 16 Castle Park Lancaster LA1 1YG
The full name of the Charity is Lancaster & District Festival Ltd. We operate under the name of, and are hereafter referred to as, ‘Litfest’.
Page 1 LANCASTER AND DISTRICT FESTIVAL LIMITED REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Objectives and activities
The objects for which the Company is established are to promote, maintain, improve and advance public education, appreciation and understanding of the Arts. With particular reference to literature, Litfest exists to develop, challenge and celebrate literary excellence, and the organisational aims are as outlined below.
Organisational aims
-
a. develop, challenge and celebrate literary excellence through participative reading and writing projects.
-
b. be a regionally and nationally significant organisation.
-
c. achieve audience and readership for the promotion and publication of writers.
-
d. invest in the professional development of writers.
-
e. create opportunities for writers, in particular those from the North West, and the sub region.
-
f. broaden and enhance the education, appreciation and understanding of literature among writers and readers.
-
g. underpin the ambitions stated above by being an artistically, operationally and financially robust organisation with effective governance.
-
h. operate at a capacity which allows for opportunistic or reactive partnerships or projects to be developed and pursued.
STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE
Governing document
The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.
Recruitment and appointment of new trustees
The new trustees are appointed by the board of trustees.
The organisation seeks to recruit trustees with skills appropriate to the charities objectives and organisational requirements. Suitable candidates are invited to board meetings prior to being voted onto the board.
Induction and training of new trustees
Newly elected trustees are provided with copies of the written constitution of the charity and a written copy of the aims and objectives of the charity.
Organisation structure and how decisions are made
The Board of Trustees (Directors) meet every three months. The board establishes small working parties as and when necessary to deal with particular issues. Working parties report back to the full meetings of the board. The Treasurer provides the management accounts to the board on a quarterly basis. Decisions are made with reference to the charity’s aims and objectives.
Relationship with other groups, charities and individuals
Litfest receives core support annually from Lancaster City Council.
Public Benefit
The Trustees have complied with their duty under Section 17 (5) of the Charities Act 2011 to pay due regard to the Charities Commission guidance concerning public benefit in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
RISK MANAGEMENT
The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed. A risk assessment is carried out by the Trustees each year, which identifies the major risks faced by the company and reviews the systems and procedures in place to manage those risks.
Page 2 LANCASTER AND DISTRICT FESTIVAL LIMITED REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
In recognition of Litfest’s status as an organisation both led and run by volunteers, we have developed robust systems to maximise efficiency and to maintain and improve our ongoing standards of delivery. During the course of the coming year we will continue to revise and update all operational systems and continue to develop practices and policies, which will include:
-
An updated Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy
-
Grievance procedures and policies
-
Health and Safety Policy
-
Monitoring and evaluation systems for all staff, volunteers, audiences, participants and stakeholders.
-
Independently examined accounts
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES STATEMENT
Equality of opportunity is extremely important to all the work undertaken by Litfest. We value the diversity of individuals and do not discriminate on grounds of race, faith, disability, gender, sexuality, age or any other. As the cultural landscape changes we recognised the benefits to be gained by tapping into the potential and strengths in all social groups.
As an arts organisation we fully understand the need to have an equal opportunities / cultural diversity approach at the heart of our working practices. We have in place an Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy and Action Plan that is regularly revised and developed.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Incoming resources for the year were £115,584 (2024 £100,916) Resources expended for the year were £110,760 (2024 £110,858)
Reserves policy
The charity works to maintain an operation reserve equivalent to the cost of running the organisation for 3 full months (an amount in the region of £3,000).
Funds in deficit
The charity does not have any funds which are materially in deficit.
STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES RESPONSIBILITIES
The trustees are responsible for preparing the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the trustees have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards applicable law).
The financial statements are required by law to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of its surplus or deficit of the charitable company for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to
-
select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
-
make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
-
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.
Page 3 LANCASTER AND DISTRICT FESTIVAL LIMITED REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The Chair’s Annual Report
Litfest Annual Report 2024 -2025.
The past year has been one of the most successful for Litfest for quite some time, building upon the board’s strategy to develop our community engagement and funding streams. Both the Autumn and Spring festivals were well attended and programmed events have taken place in between the festivals including the International Fiction Online Book Club, giving a whole year-round programme in essence. The board have been successful in securing funding from several different grant funding bodies this year alongside a very successful Crowdfunding bid supported by Lancashire County Council and people within the community. The Crowdfunding bid enabled Litfest to provide a free 3-day children’s festival in the spring which is incredibly important to the organisation as it is recognised that children need to experience the fun and enjoyment of reading for pleasure more than ever. The board also took the decision to make a modest charge (£5) for the adult events at both the Autumn and Spring festivals. This was not a decision that was taken lightly as we recognise the cost-of-living crisis is ongoing; however, income is a necessity for Litfest as it is for all arts organisations.
Our Vision
A world in which everyone has access to and the opportunity to directly engage with the best contemporary, literature, illustration and ideas.
Performance
2 major events at the Nuffield Theatre (in collaboration with Lancaster Arts) 3 Lancaster Lectures (in collaboration with Lancaster University) 7 schools 8 venues 8 community groups 10 workshops 12 local sponsors and grants 15 partners 48 events 57 volunteers 107 artists and moderators 1,232 virtual attendees 1,535 in-person attendees 2,736 national reach 8,504 international reach
As can clearly be seen from the statistics above, Litfest has increasingly expanded its reach beyond the UK. Our livestreaming through our YouTube and Crowdcast platforms allows this to happen throughout the year. This is important for Litfest’s profile and for our funders, sponsors and partners. The programme we offer incorporates international artists, and the Lancaster International Lecture Series, in collaboration with Lancaster University, also brings international authors and ideas to Lancaster.
Presenting events about the environment is important and increasingly popular and such events have been a key part of our offer. Caroline Lucas gave the Lancaster Environment lecture in 2024 and proved to be a very popular speaker. Litfest continues to work with the RSPB at Leighton Moss where we actively encourage students from one of the local high schools to participate in events held at Leighton Moss with a nature writer. Demand was so great that this year the students had to apply in writing for one of the coveted places on the guided walking and talking tour, and the lucky ones enjoyed the experience of exploring Leighton Moss with Amy-Jane Beer who was this year’s Naturalist in Residence.
Page 4 LANCASTER AND DISTRICT FESTIVAL LIMITED REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Litfest is focused on supporting local artists and enabling writers within our community as well. The workshops for children, young people and adults prove to be increasingly popular. This year Litfest worked with Escape2Make, an organisation which focuses on young people and their well-being as well as providing opportunities for them to develop skills. They developed a Zine over six workshops led by graphic novelist Mollie Ray. Local young people, including from Lancaster Challenge and Escape2Make, also worked with a video and a spoken word artist in a workshop organised with our partners Imitating The Dog and based on their theatre show All Blood Runs Red . We also worked with Lancaster Lore on a pair of storytelling workshops which culminated in a well-attended showcase event. It is important that Litfest expands the various mediums we engage with in order to offer different and innovative approaches to literature, illustration and ideas.
The workshops and walks we programmed this year have expanded Litfest’s offer in terms of more community engagement. The nature walks at Leighton Moss, the walks with the Lancaster Black History Group and the women’s history walks with local historian Eleanor Levin have been very popular.
Heritage is an important area of our strategy and this year we explored Lancaster’s heritage through the women’s walks and the Lancaster Black History walk. The International Women’s Day event also focused on the women in Lancaster who have shaped the town. We were very fortunate to host Helen Castor, who gave the Lancaster History Lecture on ‘The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV’, which was further promoted through an article in Prospect magazine and publication of the full text in the online publication Engelsberg Ideas . These also brought some extra income for the festival.
Book sales are also an important part of Litfest’s income and are well received by audiences.
I am delighted that this year has been so successful. As we prepare for our 50[th] anniversary in four years’ time in 2029, it feels as if the organisation is in a good position to move forward.
Julie Bell Chair of Litfest 25 July 2025
Page 5
INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF LANCASTER AND DISTRICT FESTIVAL LIMITED
I report on the accounts of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2025, which are set out on pages 7 to 12.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity’s trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’).
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity’s accounts as carried out under the Charities Act 2011, s. 145 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under s. 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:
-
(1) accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
-
(2) the accounts do not accord with those records; or
-
(3) the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
-
(4) the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities [applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)].
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Miss JK Foster ACA Foster & Co Ltd Unit 16 Eastway Business Village Olivers Place Fulwood Preston PR2 9WT
Date 25 July 2025
Page 6
LANCASTER AND DISTRICT FESTIVAL LIMITED
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES For the Year Ended 31 March 2025
| 2025 Notes Unrestricted Funds £ INCOMING RESOURCES Incoming resources from generated funds Activities for generating funds 2 115187 Investment income 3 397 _ Total incoming resources 115584 _ RESOURCES EXPENDED Charitable activities 4 Human resources 3550 Physical resources 2320 Running costs 3877 Organisational objective 98895 Governance costs 5 2118 __ Total resources expended 110760 _ NET INCOMING/(OUTGOING) RESOURCES 6 4824 RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward 13349 ____ TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 18173 |
2024 Total Funds £ 100473 443 _ 100916 _ 3429 2262 2478 100673 2016 _ 110858 _ (9942) 23291 _ 13349 |
|---|---|
The notes form part of these financial statements
Page 7
LANCASTER AND DISTRICT FESTIVAL LIMITED
BALANCE SHEET AT 31 MARCH 2025
| Notes FIXED ASSETS Tangible assets 9 CURRENT ASSETS Stocks Debtors 10 Cash at bank and in hand CREDITORS Amounts falling due within one year 11 NET CURRENT ASSETS TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES TOTAL NET ASSETS FUNDS OF THE CHARITY Unrestricted Funds 12 TOTAL FUNDS |
2025 £ 311 _ 1412 8694 17978 28084 (10222) 17862 18173 18173 ______ 18173 ___ 18173 |
_ |
2024 £ 389 ____ 1425 3668 40734 __ 45827 (32867) _ 12960 13349 13349 ______ 13349 ___ 13349 |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ |
The company was entitled to exemption from audit under s477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to small companies subject to the small companies’ regime and in accordance with FRS102 SORP.
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on 25 July 2025 and were signed on its behalf by;
Julie Bell – Trustee
The notes form part of these financial statements
Page 8
LANCASTER AND DISTRICT FESTIVAL LIMITED NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the Year Ended 31 March 2025
1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Accounting convention
These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant notes to these accounts. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with The Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) issued on 16 July 2014, and with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102 as applied to small entities by section 1A of the standard), the Companies Act 2006 and with the Charities Act 2011.
Incoming resources
All incoming resources are included on the Statement of Financial Activities when the charity is legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.
Resources expended
Expenditure is accrued for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
Tangible fixed assets
Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.
Plant and machinery etc. – at varying rates on cost
Stocks
Stocks are valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value, after making due allowance for obsolete and slow moving items.
Taxation
The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.
Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.
Hire purchase and leasing commitments
Rentals paid under operated leases are charged to the statement of financial activities on a straight line basis over the period of the lease.
Deferred Income
Transition funding has been deferred to match the funding to the periods in which expenditure is expected to occur.
2. ACTIVITIES FOR GENERATING FUNDS
| Grants Income from Activities Other Income |
2025 2024 £ £ 45618 33749 20396 20123 49173 46601 _ _ 115187 100473 _ |
|---|---|
Page 9
LANCASTER AND DISTRICT FESTIVAL LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
For the Year Ended 31 March 2025
| 3. | INVESTMENT INCOME | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||
| Deposit Account Interest | 397 | 443 | |
| _____ | _____ | ||
| 4. | CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COSTS | 2025 | 2024 |
| £ | £ | ||
| Human Resources | 3550 | 3429 | |
| Physical Resources | 2320 | 2262 | |
| Running Costs | 3799 | 2380 | |
| Organisational Objective | 98895 | 100673 | |
| _____ | _____ | ||
| 108564 | 108744 | ||
| _____ | _____ | ||
| 5. | GOVERNANCE COSTS | 2025 | 2024 |
| £ | £ | ||
| Accountancy | 2118 | 2016 | |
| _____ | ______ | ||
| 6. | NET INCOMING/(OUTGOING) RESOURCES | ||
| Net resources are stated after charging: | 2025 | 2024 | |
| £ | £ | ||
| Depreciation – Owned Assets | 78 | 98 | |
| ____ | ____ |
7. TRUSTEES’ REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS
During the year ended 31 March 2025 (and 2024) the trustees have calculated a notional charge for work undertaken and have included details within organisational objective costs. Payments on normal commercial terms at an arm’s length basis have also been made to a trustee for services supplied.
Trustees’ Expenses
Apart from amounts paid at an arm’s length transaction as detailed above no trustees expenses were paid for the year ended 31 March 2025 (2024 £nil).
Page 10
LANCASTER AND DISTRICT FESTIVAL LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the Year Ended 31 March 2025
| 8. STAFF COSTS 2025 £ Wages and Salaries 3550 ______ 9. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS Fixtures and Fittings £ COST At 1 April 2024 and 2025 15402 ______ DEPRECIATION At 1 April 2024 15013 Charge for the Year 78 __ At 31 March 2025 15091 _ NET BOOK VALUE At 31 March 2025 311 _ At 31 March 2024 389 _ 10. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR 2025 £ Trade Debtors 8133 Prepayments 561 __ 8694 _____ 11. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR 2025 £ Income Received in Advance - Trade Creditors and Accruals 10222 ______ 10222 |
2024 £ 3429 |
|---|---|
| ______ Total £ 15402 |
|
| ______ 15013 78 ______ 15091 |
|
| ______ 311 |
|
| ______ 389 |
|
| __ 2024 £ 3140 528 3688 __ 2024 £ 8885 23982 ______ 32867 |
Page 11
LANCASTER AND DISTRICT FESTIVAL LIMITED NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the Year Ended 31 March 2025
12. MOVEMENTS IN FUNDS
| Net Movement At 1/4/24 in Funds At £ £ Unrestricted Funds General Fund 13349 4824 __ ____ TOTAL FUNDS 13349 4824 |
31/3/25 £ 18173 ______ 18173 |
|---|---|
Net movements in funds, included in the above, are as follows:
| Unrestricted Funds General Fund TOTAL FUNDS |
Incoming Resources £ 115584 _ 115584 |
Resources Movement Expended in Funds £ £ 110760 4824 _ _ 110760 4824 |
Resources Movement Expended in Funds £ £ 110760 4824 _ _ 110760 4824 |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ 4824 _ 4824 |
Page 12
FOR TRUSTEES USE ONLY
LANCASTER AND DISTRICT FESTIVAL LIMITED DETAILED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES For the Year Ended 31 March 2025
| Notes £ INCOMING RESOURCES Activities for Generating Funds Grants A Income from Activities B Other Income C Investment Income Deposit Account Interest Total Incoming Resources RESOURCES EXPENDED Expenditure on Activities:- Books 5531 Project Costs and Artists Fees and Expenses 56034 Trustee Services Donated 37330 _ ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES Wages 3550 Rent & Service Charges 2320 Insurance 587 Telephone & Internet 440 Postage and Stationery 1944 Bank Charges 357 Sundries and Office Expenses 471 Depreciation Less Profit on Disposals on Fixtures and Fittings 78 _ Governance CostsAccountancy 2118 ___ Total Resources Expended |
2025 £ £ 45618 20396 49173 _ 115187 397 _ 115584 _ 5094 55759 39820 98895 __ 3429 2262 550 349 287 509 685 98 9747 _ 2016 2118 _ ____ 110760 |
2024 £ 33749 20123 46601 __ 100473 443 ____ 100916 |
|---|---|---|
| ______ 100673 8169 2016 ______ 110858 |
This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements
FOR TRUSTEES USE ONLY
LANCASTER AND DISTRICT FESTIVAL LIMITED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
| A B C |
Grants Lancaster City Council Lancaster BID Arts Council England ACE National Lottery Project 2024 Arts Council England ACE National Lottery Project 2025 National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) Michalski Foundation Elizabeth and Richard Wilson Charitable Trust Granada Foundation Areti Charitable Trust Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund Income from Activities Book Sales Project and Event Income Other Income Crowdfunding Donations Donations Gift Aid |
_ |
2025 £ 11900 400 7500 18000 2385 - 1000 2000 1433 1000 _ 45618 _____ 7766 12630 20396 _____ 6270 42778 125 __ 49173 _____ |
_ |
2024 £ 11600 - 7500 - 8072 2377 1000 2000 1200 - _____ 33749 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| _____ 9556 10567 _____ 20123 |
|||||
| _____ - 46601 - _____ 46601 _____ |
This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements