2024-03-31-annual-report

ESC Films Limited (Company limited by guarantee)

Trustee Report for the year ended 31 March 2024

The Trustees present their report with the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024.

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 of the accounts and comply with the charity's Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Companies Act 2006 and

"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 published in October 2019".

Reference and Administrative Information

Charity Name: ESC Films Limited Charity Registration number: NIC102123 Company Registration number: NI036267 Registered Office: Blick Studios,46 Hill Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BTI 2LB

Business Address: Blick Studios,46 Hill Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT 2LB

Trustees:

Don Leeson (Chair) Paul McAleer Heather Moorhead Moyra Richardson Neil Gilmore Secretary Moyra Richardson

Independent Examiner: McCreery Turkington Stockman LTD, 1Lanyon Quay, Belfast, BT1 3LG

Bankers The Co-Operative Bank Pic, P.O. Box 250, Skelmersdale, WN8 6WT

Legal structure of the charity:

The charity is constituted as a company limited by guarantee, registered under the Companies Acts. The governing documents of the charity are its Memorandum and Articles of Association establishing the company under company legislation and its constitution.

There are no restrictions in the governing documents on the operation of the Charity or on its investment powers other than those imposed by Charity Law.

By operation under law all Trustees are Directors under the Companies Act 2006 and have responsibilities as such under both company and charity legislation.

The trustees are all individuals:

Structure, governance and management of the charity:

The methods used to recruit and appoint new charity trustees. Governance and management of ESC films is undertaken by a Board of Directors comprising a Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, and other Directors. The Board normally meets six times a year and is responsible for the overall strategic direction and control of esc film's activities. The day to day management of esc films is led by the Chief Executive with authority delegated by the Board of Directors. The Chief Executive and Artistic Director, have clearly defined areas of responsibility and accountability. They are supported by a cohort of freelance associates who are contracted for specialist expertise when the need arises.

The charity recruits and appoints trustees with a range of skills, experience and knowledge in keeping with the pursuance of its objects.

The charity's financial control procedures:

in relation to ESC film's overall financial control procedures, the charity has in place a comprehensive Strategic Plan supplemented by an annual budget approved by the Board of Trustees. Actual results are reported against budget on a monthly basis and projections to year end are reviewed by the Board at every meeting. The charity's day to day financial processes, which are governed by financial regulations, are approved by the Board.

Risk management:

The trustees have a duty to identity and review the risks to which the charity si exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error.

Objectives, Activities, Achievements and Performance:

Main Aim:

The charity's objects are set out in its constitution and are to advance education for the public benefit and to promote arts and culture. Amore detailed explanation of the charity's objects is contained below in the section entitled "The main activities undertaken during the year to further the charity's purpose for the public benefit".

The main activities undertaken in relation to those purposes during the year 2023-24

SUMMARY: Over the course of the year we worked with 144 individuals, impacting directly on 47 participants in our therapeutic work, on a further 94 family members and an additional 31 staff members and volunteers. The charity awarded 5 ASDAN Peer Mentoring Awards and made 27 short films.

The main achievements and performance of the charity in 2023-24.

esc films worked continuously to deliver on the goals outlined in the new Strategic Plan and Business Plan 2023-25.

esc films focused on fulfilling the following aims for the year 2023-24:

We delivered a series of co-designed and co-produced short films based on the lived experience of the participants:

MindWise - Snakes and Ladders

The Snakes and Ladders peer learning film-making project was facilitated by esc films in partnership with MindWise and Action Mental Health. It was kindly supported by the LFT Charitable Foundation. esc films worked with a group of people with lived experience of substance abuse and mental health issues to create a series of short films telling the true stories of the ladders that former addicts used to climb out of their pits of addiction. The project launched at the MAC in Belfast on June 2023 and aims to help others with similar problems rebuild their lives.

Watch the films here - https://esc-flm.com/snakes-and-ladders/

Belfast Trust – Perinatal Mental Health

esc films was commissioned to create a film called My Safe Space, co-designed with a group of mothers who had all experience of perinatal mental health issues and had availed of BHSCT’s perinatal mental health services. The film encourages other mothers facing similar problems to seek help. The programme was accredited and 5 women received ASDAN peer mentoring awards. The programme launched at the MAC in Belfast in September 2023.

https://esc-flm.com/portfolio-item/belfast-trust-our-safe-space/

and a powerful co-produced behind the scenes documentary here: https://esc-flm.com/portfolio-item/our-safe-space-evaluation-flm/

We were also commissioned to deliver a series of films for other third sector organisations:

MindWise – A Day in the Life

A behind the scenes documentary film created for MindWise mental health charity, focusing on day in the life of MindWise clients & staff.

Cancer Focus – A Day in the Life

Completing the 4-year tender with Cancer Focus, esc films are continuing to work on the final film which is set to showcase A Day in the Life of Cancer Focus staff and clients, with an emphasis on living well with cancer. During the year esc films also created an evaluation film for Cancer Focus’ family support team.

Boardroom Apprentice – films

• esc films were successful again in tendering for the filming at the Boardroom Apprentice Panel Day 2023 and created a series of 19 short films which were shared widely as part of the ongoing Boardroom Apprentice marketing drive. https://boardroomapprentice.com/

Housing Rights & Women’s Aid

esc films were commissioned to create an immersive Virtual Reality experience for a Housing Rights training programme for housing advisors. Esc films worked with a group of women who had experienced domestic abuse and had presented as homeless in Northern Ireland. Parallel to this we worked with a group of housing advisors so that the issue was addressed from multiple perspectives. The 3D film is now incorporated into Housing Rights training and is being rolled out across NI.

SEHSCT – Challenging Conversations

We were commissioned to workshop and create short films for the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust on the theme of Challenging Conversations to be used in their in house training.

We continued our development work in VR with former participants in our therapeutic mental health programmes:

Future Screens - research

We completed the research elements of our Future Screens NI Virtual Reality research project during the year, exploring how our previous participants responded to VR technology. We received follow up mentoring from Digital Catapult which was used to work on larger scale VR funding bids.

Financial Review

The charity's financial position at the end of the year ended 31 March 2023 is set out in the financial statements.

Reserves Policy

The directors have set a reserves target of at least £25,000 of unrestricted reserves representing approx. 3 months running costs.

The directors regularly review the level of reserves held and consider opportunities to apply them in line with, and in furtherance of its charitable objectives.

Going Concern:

The board of Trustees is satisfied that the charity’s assets in each fund are available and adequate to fulfil its obligations in respect of each fund.

Statement of the Directors' and Trustees' Responsibilities:

The directors are responsible for preparing the annual report on the financial statements in accordance with applicable law on the United Kingdom accounting standards (United Kingdom generally accepted accounting practice). Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources including the income and expenditure of the charitable company for the year.

In preparing those financial statements the directors are required to:

• select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;

• observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;

• make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

• state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been folowed, subject to any material departures

disclosed and explained in the financial statements;

• prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the

charitable company will continue in operation.

The directors are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy

at any time the financial position of the company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements

comply with the Companies Act 206- They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company

and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and toher irregularities.

This report was approved by the Board on 19[th] August 2024.