Independent Examineffs Report to the Trustees of... Harrogate Competitive Festival for Music. Speech & Drama This Report is for the period erKled 3014126 cllve rns Ibllltles of TnMto•s and Examlner The charity trustees are responsible for the weparation of the acLounts. The charity'8 trustees ¢onsh4er that an audrt is not required for this year under Section 144 of the Charities Act 2011(the Charities Act)) and that an independent examination is need￿. It is my responsibilty to'.- Examine the accounts under Section 145 of the Charittes Act to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under Section 145{5){b) of the Charity Act), and to state whether particular matter5 have come to my attention. Basls of Ind Int￿8 Re My examination was carried oui with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and compartson of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes ¢onsid8ration of any unusual ttems or disdosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the trustees conceming any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not wovide all the eviden that woukl be required by an audit, and consequently no opinion as to whether the a￿OUnts present a 'true and fairf view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. Independ8nt Examlneffs Statem•nt In conne(*ion with my examination, no matter has come to my attention 1. vthich gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material resF*d the requirements -to keep accounting records in aC￿rdanCe with section 130 of the Charities Act. -to prepare accounts which accord wtth accounting record8 and comply wsth the a¢￿UntIng requirements of the Charities Act have not been met., 2. to which. in my opinion, attention should be drawn In order to ena￿e a proper understanding of the aco)unts to be reached. 3. 1 have not obtained independent verification of invesbnentlbank balances. Name.. Peter Gambles Signature Relevant P sion lification or body.. Retired Registered In8urance Broker Address 1 Hombeam Crescen( HarrOg￿e, HG2 8QA Date'.ia May 26 Harro ate Com etitive Festival for Music S eech & Drama Statement of Financial Actlvitios 2026 Pèriod endlng 30 Aprll 2026 Thls Year Prev Year 11 months only Yr end change 125 Dote." 13 Inco Advertlsin8JPubllclty Bank Interest Cla$5 Sponsorship Donations- Entry Fees Gift Aid- Tax Refunds Misc Programme & TScket Sales Speclal Events 478.20 522.81 354.39 13021.44 7981.C 95.76 1664.42 5806.00 8750.80 424.86 37(M).(Kl 5448.05 Totol Income 33.732.68 29.457.71 Accompanists/Adjudicators fees/travel Adjudicators catering and Accom Bank Charges Conference Federation SubscrlptSons Hardwarelsoftware Harrogate Hlgh School Hire of Rooms/refre5hments Insurance Premiums 6818.43 1636.IXI 725.00 8168.39 277.18 275.00 468.00 728.62 5225.00 79.36 26.81 515.00 38.50 cences 89.37 436.87 1550.00 147.02 107.21 1774.89 1305.LWJ 160.54 I{￿.{￿1 422.02 2361.09 Misc Piano Expenses Postsge, Petrol & Telephones Prizes Publicity & Adverts Printing & Stationery Subscriptlons Sykes Trust Awards Trophy Expenses 508.82 108.00 I￿.(￿) 318.lJ) 22,192.67 1358.80 23,928.53 Iu5 Surplus 11540.01 5,509.36 Pnze Acv)unt Restrirted FurKI Prize Fund Income- in above income .Prize Fund Payments- within expenses Balance held within the General A/C 100.00 l(N).00 1594.83, 25.00 1594.83 BankA , Barclays Bank- 8630 CAF Bank- 5092 CAF Gold- 7891 Pay Pal Total Cash Funds held 879.96 3869.04 30915.83 1410.34 36,775.17 717.42 142.13 23443.46 1065.38 25,368.39 Treasurer: Alan Connell Independent Examiner: Peter Gamble5 ## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** ## **From 01/05/25 Period start date To 30/4/26 Period end date** ## **Charity name: The Harrogate Competitive Festival for Music, Speech and Drama** ## **Charity registration number:510706** ## **Objectives and Activities** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|**The object of the charity is to advance**
**the education of the public in the arts**
**and, in particular, to advance the arts of**
**music, speech and drama and dance in**
**all their branches**| |Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or
services identified in the
accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|**The charity’s main activity is the**
**mounting of a competitive festival of**
**music, speech and drama over three**
**weekends in March 2026 The classes**
**are mainly for the under 18s but there**
**are some open classes available to**
**adults. For logistical reasons dance is**
**not currently offered as an entry**
**category**| |Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|**The trustees can confirm that they have**
**had regard to the guidance issued by**
**the Charity Commission on public**
**benefit**| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: ||
SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Policy on grant making|Para 1.38|| |Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|Para 1.38|| |Contribution made by|Para 1.38|**The charity and the actual festival are**
**run entirely by volunteers**| volunteers Other ## **Achievements and Performance** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.|Para 1.20|**In the 2026 Festival there were c.900**
**entries involving c.1500 individuals in**
**172 separate classes all of which were**
**adjudicated by professional**
**adjudicators. Most but not all the**
**performers came from the**
**Harrogate/North Yorkshire area.**
**Many of the participants performed in**
**front of an audience for the first time. All**
**performers received a certificate and a**
**written adjudication.**
**With music and the performing arts**
**generally now missing from most**
**school curricula the charity considers**
**that its’ festival provides a valuable**
**space for the demonstration of**
**performing skills and that this also**
**helps to instil self-confidence in the**
**mainly young performers. The festival is**
**open to anyone within the designated**
**age ranges to enter and anyone can**
**watch all the performances for the**
**payment of a small admission charge.**
**The Festival also offers opportunities**
**for people to volunteer, to help to run**
**the classes and to manage both**
**performers and the audience members.**| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
Achievements against
objectives set|
Para 1.41|
**Each year the objective is to mount and**
**run a successful festival and that was**
**achieved in 2026.**| |---|---|---| |Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|Para 1.41|| |Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41|| Other ## **Financial Review** |**Financial Review**||| |---|---|---| |Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|**The charity had bank balances totalling**
**£36,775 at the end of the financial year**| |Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|**The charity retains reserves each year**
**because the cost of mounting the**
**annual festival is always more than that**
**festival will generate in income through**
**entry fees and admission fees and**
**programme sales. Those income**
**streams will not arise until the festival**
**starts to receive entries in the winter but**
**the accommodation and the**
**adjudicators have to be booked well in**
**advance so the reserves provide**
**certainty that a festival can go ahead.**| |Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|**This is variable but, effectively each**
**year’s closing bank balance is the**
**coming year’s reserves**| |Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|**N/A**| |Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|**N/A**| |Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|**The charity is dependent on**
**donations/legacies to make up the**
**difference between its operating income**
**and the cost of mounting a festival**| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|Para 1.47|**The principal sources of funds in 2024-**
**25 were:**
**Class entry fees 23.6%**
**Admission/programme sales 17.2%**
**Donations 38.6%**
**Advertising income 2.4%**
**Bank interest 1.4%**
**Sponsorship income 9.0%**
**Miscellaneous income 7.2%**| |---|---|---| |Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|| |A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46|**The principal risks facing the charity are**
**that class entries will fall below a**
**financially manageable level and that**
**donations will cease to make up an**
**operating shortfall.**
**Also there is a risk that volunteer**
**expertise and availability will become**
**more difficult to manage as volunteers**
**age and retire**| |Other||| ## **Structure, Governance and Management** |Description of charity’s
trusts:||**N/A**| |---|---|---| |Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|**Written constitution**| |How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|**Unincorporated association**| |Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|**The Constitution provides for there to**
**be the following officers:**
**Chairman.**
**Vice Chairman:**
**Secretary**
**Treasurer**
**And it provides for them all to be**
**Trustees, subject to re-election**
**annually. Up to 4 more members of the**
**association can be elected as Trustees**
**at an AGM**| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction
and training of trustees|
Para 1.51|| |---|---|---| |The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51|**The charity is a member of the British**
**and International Federation of**
**Festivals.**
**Including the Officers referred to above**
**there is a 14 strong organising**
**committee which sets the classes**
**syllabus and helps to publicise the**
**festival in schools, drama schools, local**
**choirs etc.**| |Relationship with any
related parties|Para 1.51|| |Other||| ## **Reference and Administrative details** |Charity name|**The Harrogate Competitive Festival for Music, Speech**
**and Drama**| |---|---| |Other name the charity uses|| |**Registered charity number**|**510706**| Charity’s principal address 5 Manners Close, Harrogate. HG1 4GA **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
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20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee(if any)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Alan Connell|||The AGM| ||Paul Dutton|||The AGM| ||Derek Starling|||The AGM| ||Rowena Lloyd|||The AGM| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| ## – Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved ## **Director name** Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity **Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year** ## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others** Description of the assets N/A held in this capacity Name and objects of the N/A charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for N/A safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets ## **Additional information (optional)** ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** **Type of Name Address adviser Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** ## **Exemptions from disclosure** Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details ## **Other optional information** ## **Declarations** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** |**Signature(s)**
**Full name(s)**
**Position (eg Secretary,**
**Chair, etc)**
**Date**||| |---|---|---| ||Alan Connell|Paul Dutton| ||Treasurer/Secretary|Chairman| ||10/08/2026|| ||10/08/2026||