THE STRATHAVEN BALLOON FESTIVAL
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
Scottish Charity number SC046563
COLIN A. DEMPSTER,
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT,
39 BRIDGE STREET,
STRATHAVEN,
ML10 6AN.
The Strathaven Balloon Festival
for the year ended 30 September 2025
The Trustees present their annual report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 30 September 2025. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the accounts and comply with the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended) and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities published on 16[th] July 2014.
2025 Strathaven Balloon Festival
After the disappointment of having to cancel the whole festival for the first time ever in 2024, planning and preparations for the 2025 festival started immediately. This would be our twenty fifth anniversary, and as part of this we produced a commemorative book using funding from a local windfarm.
We decided to invite 25 pilots and crew to mark our 25[th ] anniversary. This would result in increased costs for accommodation and gas but we felt it was the right thing to do to mark the occasion. We involved a local charity radio station, Avondale Radio, to do the sound for the main stage and also the bandstand stage. There was a full line up of local and national acts over the Saturday and Sunday, culminating in the Evening Glow, which was in memory of a local resident who had been killed the previous year, and whose mother was a former member of the organising committee. As part of the glow, there collection for other than the Balloon Festival. Among the acts performing were four from Strathaven Academy, all of whom were able to take advantage of the professional sound system supported by sound engineers from Avondale Radio. This is the fifth festival where Strathaven Academy acts have performed.
The weekend was a huge success with 109 flights taking place over the five available launch slots. That is over double the previous record for flights at our festival. In addition to the flights we had many balloon tethers in the arena, including a few special shapes. We estimate that there were over 20,000 visitors across the three days, including the Friday evening. This gives visitors the opportunity to get safely up close to balloons as they are prepared for launch or tether. There are also opportunities to meet the pilot.
As always, we were supported by Scotmid, with a community marquee set up to involve local charities and foodbanks, inviting them to have a table to promote their work.
Our park and ride sites were again successful in avoiding traffic congestion in the centre of Strathaven. Three sites out of town were available and shuttle buses took people to and from the festival. For the first time we offered a campsite for camper vans and motorhomes. This was also very successful and we plan to repeat it for 2026.
The event was supported by over 40 volunteers who gave up their time to help steward the event. This provides an opportunity for people to get up close to the festival and to see what goes on behind the scenes. The work on the set up of the event now starts on the Monday of the festival with road signs being put out by volunteers to direct drivers to the most appropriate park and ride location, depending on whether they are coming from Ayrshire, East Kilbride, Hamilton or Canderside Toll.
The set up in the park started on the Thursday, again heavily dependent on volunteers. This involves bringing everything we need to the park, including marquees and 300 crowd control barriers.
Cost and finances
As a charity we receive no public funding for the event, with all finance having to be raised by the committee. This is increasingly challenging with the increase in costs for gas, accommodation, security, insurance and bus costs to support our park and ride sites.
We started a JustGiving page which was successful and we received funding from many local businesses and organisations. As you will see from the financial reports, our costs are well over £40,000 to run the event, which is in all likelihood one of the largest volunteer run events in Scotland.
We are unique in Balloon Meets and Festivals in not charging pilots to attend. We fund all their accommodation and gas, recognising that many of them drive up from the south of England to take part.
Community Involvement
Outside of the main festival dates in August, we continued to support projects and events heritage, and furthering education and science knowledge related to balloon flight.
Some of our volunteers supported Oban Winter Festival, a similar community eventbased charity. Their 2025 event was themed as Up, Up and A The Strathaven team helped them to celebrate the opening weekend of their 5-week long winter festival with a hot air balloon on static display. During the weekend we interacted with the local public and promoted our own town and festival. We were able to demonstrate a day time inflation of a hot air balloon in a local park, and provide an evening glow at the famous Tower, where we were able to light up the skies overlooking the town. The festival and public feedback was great and we hope some of them will visit our own festival in Strathaven in August 2026.
Strathaven Balloon Festival once again represented Scotland at the Midlands Air Festival in 2025, taking part in the evening glow plus one successful flight.
We engaged with a local scout group and took a hot air balloon to its weekly evening meeting in a local field. The scouts, leaders and parent/guardians had the chance to meet the pilot, to hear more about the operation of a hot air balloon, to view the setup and inflation, and to ask questions, before helping pack the balloon back into the trailer. It was a great evening, enjoyed by all, and there are a few future pilots amongst them we think.
We gave a talk to pupils at a local primary school, discussing how the festival is planned and what is involved over the course of the weekend. There were many questions asked.
We were also contacted by a local primary school P6/7 class which was participating in a STEM event - the School Air Race Challenge - including exploring the principles of flight, and agreed to support them in their project.
We presented a short talk in the school hall - for P1 to P7 - covering how a hot air balloon flies, followed by a Q and A with the pilot. Then we successfully demonstrated the inflation of a hot air balloon in the school playground, inviting the pupils and teachers to see the balloon up close and learn more about the operation of the balloon.
We have received some excellent feedback and also have ideas on how to improve these engagements which are new to us, and hope to continue these types of activities in the coming months, subject to volunteer availability and also being mindful of the increasing cost of balloon gas.
Stalls and Market Traders
We had over 60 stall holders taking part and we also operated a funfair to provide alternative entertainment for families. One area that is under review for 2026 is how we involve more closely the many small shops that operate in Strathaven, to ensure they get a benefit from the event. For 2026 we are offering them a free stall on the Sunday.
Our Volunteers
Our volunteers are vital to delivering our event. From welcoming visitors into the park, to helping people board buses at our Park and Ride sites, they are key in making the festival successful and without them we could not run an event of this size.
Over the years our event has grown and so has the need for more volunteers. With three park and ride sites, our main arena and the use of the entire park, our small committee struggled to cover so much ground.
Back in 2018 we had a handful of volunteers who would support the committee in carrying out tasks throughout the festival weekend. In 2025 we had over fifty volunteers who gave their time to support in a variety of ways. Our volunteers support us from the Friday through to the Monday. Many of them give their time from early in the morning until late into the evening. They help with setting up, throughout the festival weekend and some return on Monday to help tidy up and get everything packed away.
Our volunteers are easy to spot. They wear branded t-shirts and hi-vis jackets, so they stand out in the crowd. They are equipped with information and all resources they need to carry out their role.
There are many ways our volunteers can help. This includes arena support, park support, park and ride stewards. The list of roles has dramatically increased over the years and continues to be developed as we evaluate each festival and highlight where people are best positioned.
Our committee also have specific roles which ensure areas of the festival are overseen and volunteers work to assist with this. We have developed systems to ensure good communication, with clear expectations, for all who offer their time. Volunteers are allocated roles based on their skills and given guidance on how to carry out those roles.
We have a volunteer coordinator who oversees the volunteers. She liaises with the volunteers, sharing information, coordinating timetables for specific roles and ensuring there is enough support to make the festival run as smooth as it can. This is a year- round task, from planning to implementing, then evaluating the event.
Our volunteers come from all over Scotland and many are involved in a variety of other events. The skills they have learned have been valuable in helping make our event become more successful each year.
We were fortunate enough to have some volunteers who joined us in 2022. They had been involved in many events including the 2014 commonwealth games, Edinburgh Marathon, various Race for Life events and many other major events throughout Scotland. They shared knowledge of how to reach out to attract more volunteers, using social media and other resources to promote our event. The difference this has made means that we now have a pool of volunteers who return year after year. This builds on their knowledge of the event and they share their experiences with others who then sign up.
and I just wanted to say, well done. The difference in the last time we volunteered and this time is amazing. Congratulations to you and your committee on a job well done. We have loved the August 2025.
We have also been able to work with local groups and businesses, including the Army Cadets, Police Scotland Youth Volunteers and Young Farmers who have provided volunteers to support our festival. This has been great for forming positive relationships with our extended community and sharing our event with them. It teaches skills that can be applied in their groups and shared with others.
incentive for many companies. Employees are encouraged to volunteer at events and learn skills which can be transferred to their job. In 2025 HSBC, based in Blantyre, sent 24 volunteers to support through this initiative and have expressed interest in returning this year. Our volunteer coordinator was also able to take advantage of this initiative. We will continue to offer this to others and develop this opportunity.
We have introduced volunteer induction days, held at the beginning of August. We meet up and explain how our event works, show volunteers the venue and allow them to ask questions about what to expect. Many have never been to Strathaven Park before. This is a good way of showing them where we are based and allowing them to visualise the space, before it is full of visitors and attractions.
Feedback from our volunteers is essential to improving our event. We listen to their feedback and use this to improve on what we deliver each year. Here is a small summary of what they have fed back to us:
loved the people facing role that I was given and being able to listen to thoroughly enjoyed my volunteering. I was chatting to lots of people. Some had come well organised in terms of the event and managing the volunteers. I felt well
a space to relax and being given food was great. It gave me the lift I needed and
would be helpful to have more details on Strathaven and the surrounding
We continue to develop our work with our volunteer team, meeting so many people from diverse backgrounds, with roles to suit everyone. We look forward to seeing what this year brings for us.
Our Quiet Zone
Established in 2023, our quiet zone is an inclusive space that has been designed using feedback from festival visitors. It allows people to step away from the busyness of the festival and take time needed to regenerate in a quieter environment. This space can be used by anyone, regardless of their age and condition.
Our quiet zone has been developed following a conversation with some previous festival visitors whose son, who has autism and struggles with sensory processing, loves seeing the balloons but gets extremely overwhelmed in noisy and would be nice if we had somewhere quiet where we could still watch what is going on
Working with the family, we looked to provide a space that did this and our Quiet Zone is the result of this collaboration.
The space is available throughout the weekend and is supported by volunteers, who understand the needs of those who will use the space.
The space is situated on the putting green, which sits just a few steps away from our main arena. This is close enough to see all the events and allows quietness for those who need it. The space is designed with privacy in mind and we ask that those who use it treat it as a dignified space. Help is available for anyone who needs assistance while using the space.
Donations from local supporters have allowed us to resource this space with durable materials that allow people to take the time needed to relax and regenerate, while enjoying the festival events.
The resources take account of individual needs, are sustainable and will be used for many years.
In 2025 we introduced ear defenders to these resources that were very well used. During a walk round, we noticed a family struggling with a child who coping with the noise. After they got a pair of ear defenders, they thoroughly enjoyed the festival and resource.
We have had such positive feedback from people who use the space. Including this from the quiet zone, we decided to come along. This has been great for us and we have been able to feel included in your event. We have told others about it and they are going to come
Working with the family who originally came up with the idea, we have also produced a children, or others who need it, for what to expect at the festival.
Our quiet zone is still evolving and any improvements or additions are based on feedback from members of the public who use the space. We look forward to seeing how this develops.
Plans for the 2026 Strathaven Balloon Festival
The 2026 festival is scheduled for August 28-30. We anticipate around 20 pilots taking part, along with a few special shapes. The evening glow will once again be the highlight of the event.
The current climate is challenging with increased costs across the board, including bus costs for our park and ride and the gas required for launches. It remains a challenge to raise the funds required to operate the festival, with no public funding being offered to support the event.
We will continue to invite local and national businesses to invest in the event as it remains one of the largest volunteer-run events in Scotland, is unique in what it offers to the public and the community, and remains a free event.
We will be working with Strathaven Business Association to try to increase the benefits to the local business community, and as always, we will be offering the opportunity to perform on stage to local bands, performers and of course Strathaven Academy and local choirs.
Matthew Smith
Matthew Smith, Chairman.
Objectives and Activities
Charitable purposes
The charity promotes a community-focussed Hot Air Balloon Festival to encourage residents and visitors to come together in Strathaven to enjoy a well-organised and unique (in Scotland) event and to celebrate history, culture and community spirit. The festival will aim to encourage a wide range of people with different skills to help organise the event and to work with schools, charities, authorities and others to make the festival a success . It aims to interest all age groups and people of any background.
Projects and events connected with the festival are aimed at
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Advancing education through school projects;
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Teaching about ; and
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Teaching the techniques and procedures essential to balloon flight.
For the purposes of the 2005 Act, the following charitable purposes are particularly relevant:
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The advancement of citizenship or community development;
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The advancement of the arts, heritage, culture or science; and
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The advancement of education.
Publications
The aim is to provide a weekend of hot air ballooning along with a host of entertainment in the Strathaven parks. It attracts the support of balloon crews and 40,000 members of the public in the hope of the best possible weather conditions.
Every year, we publish The Balloon Festival souvenir programme. This year as last year, it provided detail on the weather conditions required to fly, how to inflate a balloon and tether it. There was a brief history of how the Balloon Festival came to be formed in Strathaven and the role of Sheena McKinnie, a cousin of Don Cameron of Cameron Balloons, with a resume of the first festival.
The achievements of Don Cameron and his importance to the Balloon Festival are explained in great detail in the programme. He and a group of friends built the first modern hot-air balloon called the Bristol Belle which flew in 1967. Cameron Balloons in Bristol built the first ever hot-air airship, manoeuvred by using a -filled craft for one man. His company developed the technology for special-shaped balloons such as the
Orient Express train, a bust of Beethoven, a parrot and Donald Duck and they are all fully certified as aircraft. Some of these special shapes are inflated and tethered at this festival. He has advanced the science, technology and art of lighter-than-air flight to its highest level. Cameron Balloons makes 75% -shaped balloons, 85% of which are exported Export. Through ability, commitment, enthusiasm and hard work, he has made his dreams a reality. He is a regular visitor to our festival and was an important adviser to us as the festival was developing in the early days.
The programme
from fossil fuels to new technologies that assist safer and ore efficient flying. By installing battery storage alongside solar panels, they can store excess electricity generated for use at a later time. The Airfield runs as Not-For-Profit and has no access to subsidies for green initiatives. It supports community involvement by encouraging the development of further eco-friendly systems, but it also shows other airfields that making ground-based operations zero-carbon is actually viable.
The programme detailed the huge variety of important anniversaries of local groups, celebrated by exhibitions presented at The John Hastie Museum, another volunteer-run Not-For-Profit facility. Open from mid-February to mid-December, exhibitions included 40 years of Strathaven Rugby Club, 50 years of Strathaven Gala and 75 years of Strathaven Miniature Railway. The programme provided much more detail about them and of even more anniversaries in 2025.
It provided an update on the development of Avondale Radio who host entertainment during the festival from the bandstand in the George Allan Park. Avondale Radio was launched on March 14[th] 2022 and has over 150,000 listeners per month currently online but hoping to move to DAB. Now a registered charity, it has several unique shows with 50 volunteer presenters providing entertainment for all ages and information on local community projects.
listener to catch up on missed shows. Its success has generated sponsorship rendering it less dependent on grant support.
And we repeated the 2024 touching tribute to David Leggate who was a South Lanarkshire Leisure employee who died early in 2024. He was not a member of the organising committee, but he was at the heart of the Balloon Festival from the first festival, providing endless support from early morning till late at night. His passing has left a huge gap in the smooth running of all events hosted in the park and he is very sadly missed.
In anticipation of the 25[th] anniversary of the Festival, a limited-edition book was produced which documented the history of the Balloon Festival with excerpts from past programmes, newspaper reports and lots and lots of photographs. With tributes to our staunchest supporters and nostalgic articles from those involved from the start, it is a wonderful and accurate history of a unique (to Scotland) event. It was so thoroughly researched, and so well written and put together. For those of us who were there at the time, this is a book we will treasure.
Achievements and Performance
There is still an enthusiastic Hot Air Balloon Festival Committee looking for any opportunity to put on not just a show but a major festival including education on ballooning with a variety of on and offstage entertainment and field demonstrations and attractions and Activities Review. But we did have our problems.
The Balloon Festival is a massive undertaking. It is organised by volunteers, but volunteers who are pilots, air traffic controllers, publishers and radio announcers, teachers and skilled event organisers. Even the Resilience Committee at South Lanarkshire organised.
he Strathaven Hot Air Balloon Festival is not intended as a once-in-a-lifetime experience: we want our audiences to return year after year. We have to prepare 2025 to stop previous problems being repeated, but it will always be weather dependent. We need each year to be an improvement in scale, design and implementation on what went before. A strong committee with committed volunteers will help us achieve that.
Financial Review
The Hot Air Balloon Festival is an expensive event to host. Securing funding is key to the success of the event. Local businesses have shown remarkable financial support. Council support has historically been terrific for purchase of equipment essential to the event, equipment that is available to organisers of all other events in the area. The council is not funding running costs, so we have to address that with other ideas.
The Festival has a successful Just Giving page at https://justgiving.com/crowdfunding/strathavenbf.
There were no fundraising events in the year. Every fundraising opportunity is assessed for viability and pursued if appropriate, but previous experiences have left the committee despondent as the net gain did not justify the time spent organising them. To add insult to injury, Trustees paid essential costs out of their own pocket with no chance of reimbursement, declaring the expense a donation, rather than declare an event a failure after it had taken a lot of effort to put together.
Local businesses contributed £8,910 (2024: £4,750) in sponsorship. Donations from the public amounted to £23,050 (2024: £81). We sold 191 programmes (2024: 2) which generated £956 (2024: £10), and gained £1,680 on the Park & Ride (2024: loss £1,000). Non-refundable pre-booked flight crew accommodation and hospitality cost £8,218 (2024: £4,620). At the end of the year, there is a surplus of £6,261 (2024: loss of £4,368) which is added to reserves. We start planning for 2026 with £9,125 of unrestricted working capital and zero in restricted funds plus some branded, un-dated goods we can sell in August 2026.
Investment policy
The Trustees have no funds on deposit and no investments and there are no plans for either. Funds are required for working capital.
Reserves policy
The Trustees have considered the reserves required to meet their current and future liabilities. There are insufficient funds to put on another Festival without successful fundraising. We rely heavily on the continuing support of local businesses and the public. We never assume grant support.
Future plans
It is important to keep the event fresh, relevant and interesting so we will continue to review the entertainment on offer. We will continue to nurture our relationship with Strathaven Academy, Primary Schools and local Drama and Music Schools to provide emerging talent with an opportunity to perform on a professional stage with a world-class sound system in front of a live audience.
We are no further forward finding an alternative site for re-gassing the balloons: somewhere safer and easier to access than the current facility, somewhere we could store gas and buy direct from suppliers much more cheaply than we can at present. CCTV security will help. It would be a fantastic resource, but finding somewhere suitable is harder than it sounds.
The easiest solution to funding the festival is to approach big business, but it then becomes their festival and it loses the Strathaven identity. The Trustees want to keep this local and unique and will continue to seek local funding from locals, visitors and local businesses.
Structure, Governance & Management
Constitution
The Charity is an incorporated organisation. It is governed by its constitution which was adopted on 17 May 2016.
The Charity was granted charitable status by HMRC on 28 February 2019.
Appointment of Trustees
The appointment of Trustees is governed by sections 10 and 21 of the constitution, as follows:
10.1 A person will not be eligible for election or appointment as a Charity Trustee unless he is a Full Member.
10.2 The minimum number of Charity Trustees is three and shall include a Chairman of the SCIO. The number of Charity Trustees may be altered by a resolution of the Charity Trustees.
- 10.3 The affairs of the SCIO shall be managed by the Charity Trustees.
21.1 Subject to clause 10, the Charity Trustees may appoint any person who is willing to act as a Charity Trustee either to fill a vacancy or as an additional Charity Trustee by way of a resolution passed
21.2 The Charity Trustees shall endeavour to recruit to the Board individuals with appropriate and relevant experience and skills.
21.3 In any case where, as a result of death, the SCIO has no Charity Trustees, the personal representatives of the last Charity Trustee to have died have the right, by notice in writing, to appoint a person(s) to be a Charity Trustee(s).
21.4 For the purposes of clause 21.3, where two or more Charity Trustees die in circumstances rendering it uncertain who was the last to die, the younger Charity Trustee is deemed to have survived an older Member.
Management of the Committee and Risk
The Trustees are responsible for the strategic direction and governance of the Hot Air Balloon Festival. Day-to-day management is delegated to specific members and other volunteers with relevant skills. All members attend trustee meetings to discuss progress and development.
The trustees are aware of their responsibilities for health & safety, but mindful that ballooning activities and the huge crowds they attract carry risk. The committee consists of experienced event organisers, an air traffic controller, balloon pilots, teachers and volunteers with relentless enthusiasm and commitment to this charity. Our Trustees all have disclosures under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. The trustees are responsible for ensuring compliance with all relevant legislation including the Data Protection Act 2018. They take their responsibilities seriously.
In addition to comprehensive insurance, we hire the services and skills of sound engineers, medical personnel and security (to name but three) to get to the standard that must be achieved to secure a safe and successful event.
Committee. Our Trustees provide regular presentations to this committee on the layout of the park, safety compliance, remote parking arrangements and so on.
Although provided for under section 9 of the constitution, the Trustees receive no remuneration, no expenses and no benefits in kind other than the satisfaction that comes with knowing they are doing something worthwhile.
Reference and Administrative Information
Charity Name The Strathaven Balloon Festival Charity No SC046563 Address C/o Mr Colin Dempster, 39 Bridge Street, Strathaven, Lanarkshire, ML10 6AN.
Current Trustees who served throughout the year 2024-25:
Mr Matthew Smith Chairman Mr Leslie Hoggan Secretary Mr Donald Cooper Treasurer Mr Allan Evans Mr Les Madden Miss Gail Clark Mr Andrew Laing Mr Gordon McAllan Mr James Mackie
Trustees who were appointed during the year 2024-25:
Mr Scott Neilson Vice-Chairman Appointed 1 July 2025
There were no Trustees on 1[st] October 2024 who retired during the year to 30 September 2025.
Trustees who retired after 30 September 2025:
Jacqui Laing Resigned in December 2025 Martin MacLaughlan Resigned in December 2025
The Committee takes this opportunity to thank our retiring Committee Members & Trustees for their support and hard work. We wish them every success with their future endeavours.
The charity trustees are responsible for preparing the T Annual Report and Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
The law applicable to charities in Scotland requires the charity trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
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observe the methods and principles in the applicable Charities SORP
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
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state whether applicable UK accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charity Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the charity information and any Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other countries.
Approved by the trustees on 26[th] . March 2026 and signed on their behalf by:
Matthew Smith Les Hoggan Mr Matthew Smith Mr Les Hoggan Chairman Secretary
Inde
For the year ended 30 September 2025.
The Strathaven Balloon Festival
I report on the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 30 September 2025 which are set out on the following pages.
Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner
consider that the audit requirement of Regulation 10(1)(d) of the 2006 Regulations does not apply. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts as required under section 44(1)(c) of the 2005 Act and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
My examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeks explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently, I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.
In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention:-
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Which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements a. to keep accounting records in accordance with section 44(1)(a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Regulations, and
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b. to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with Regulation 9 of the 2006 Regulations
have not been met, or
- to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Colin A. Dempster
Mr Colin A. Dempster, M.A., B.A., C.A.
39 Bridge Street, Strathaven, Lanarkshire, ML10 6AN.
26[th] . March 2026.
STRATHAVEN HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL
BALANCE SHEET
AS AT 30th SEPTEMBER 2025
| Note ref Current assets Stock Debtor Cash at bank Total current assets Current liabilities (including provisions) Deferred income - all unrestricted funds 4 Accrued charges Total current liabilities Net assets Represented by the following Unrestricted income funds Restricted income funds Total charity funds |
Unrestricted Restricted Unrestricted Restricted funds funds Total funds funds Total 2025 2025 2025 2024 2024 2024 £ £ £ £ £ £ 308 308 616 616 235 235 680 680 8,962 - 8,962 14,789 2,000 16,789 |
|---|---|
| 9,505 - 9,505 16,085 2,000 18,085 |
|
| - - 12,050 - 12,050 380 380 3,172 - 3,172 |
|
| 380 - 380 15,222 - 15,222 |
|
| 9,125 - 9,125 863 2,000 2,863 9,125 9,125 863 863 - - 2,000 2,000 |
|
| 9,125 - 9,125 863 2,000 2,863 |
STRATHAVEN BALLOON FESTIVAL SC046563
INCOME AND EXPENDITURE STATEMENT
FOR THE YEAR TO 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
| Note ref INCOME Donations 5 Donations & Sponsorship Grants 6 South Lanarkshire Council, Kype Muir Community Fund & Strathaven & Glassford Community Council Receipts from fundraising activities 7 From public and stall lets Total income EXPENDITURE Payments relating directly to charitable activities 8 Total expenditure Net income/(expenditure) and net movement in funds for the year Reconciliation of funds Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward |
Unrestricted Restricted Unrestricted Restricted funds funds Total funds funds Total 2025 2025 2025 2024 2024 2024 £ £ £ £ £ £ 31,960 31,960 4,831 4,831 1,100 1,100 4,000 4,000 24,189 24,189 3,300 3,300 56,149 1,100 57,249 8,131 4,000 12,131 47,888 3,100 50,988 14,498 2,000 16,498 47,888 3,100 50,988 14,498 2,000 16,498 8,261 2,000 - 6,261 -6,368 2,000 -4,368 863 2,000 2,863 7,231 0 7,231 9,125 - 9,125 863 2,000 2,863 |
|---|---|
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derives from continuing activities.
The Strathaven Balloon Festival
Notes to the Accounts
For the year ended 30 September 2025
1. Accounting Policies
(a) Basis of preparation and assessment of going concern
These accounts (financial statements) have been prepared in accordance with Accounting & Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities published on 16[th] July 2014, the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (FRSSE)(effective January 2015), the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended).
The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts.
The trustees consider that there are no uncertainties about the ability to continue as a going concern.
(b) Nature and purpose of funds
Unrestricted funds are those that may be used at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the objects of the charity. The trustees maintain two unrestricted bank accounts for the proper management of the Committee, as follows:
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The Balloon Festival current account is for day-to-day management
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The Balloon Festival deposit account has £2.00 in it but is otherwise dormant.
Restricted funds are intended for specific purposes and have conditions attached by the donor. The only restricted funds would relate to grants received.
(c) Income recognition
All income is recognised once the Balloon Festival has entitlement to the income, is certain of receipt and the amount to be received. But if grants have been received that are subject to conditions, the income is deferred and not recognised until those conditions are met.
The Strathaven Balloon Festival
Notes to the Accounts continued
For the year ended 30 September 2025
Accounting Policies continued
(d) Expenditure recognition
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the Balloon Festival to that expenditure, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
The accounts are prepared on an accruals basis.
(e) Stock
Stock is included at the lower of cost or net realisable value.
2. Trustee remuneration and expenses
The trustees all give freely of their time and expertise without any form of remuneration or other benefit in kind. No expenses were paid to the trustees in the year.
3. Legal status of the Strathaven Balloon Festival
The organisation is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO). In terms of section 49(4) of the 2005 Act or otherwise, the Charity Trustees have no liability to pay sums to help meet the debts (or other liabilities) of the SCIO if it is dissolved.
The Charity Trustees have certain legal duties under the 2005 Act and the foregoing does not apply to any personal liabilities they might occur if they are in breach of those duties, which would result in personal liability.
4. Deferred income unrestricted funds.
Income received as donations or payment for stall lets, as follows:
| 2025 £ Donations from local businesses - - - |
2024 £ 7,000 5,050 12,050 |
|---|---|
STRATHAVEN BALLOON FESTIVAL SC046563
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS CONTINUED
FOR THE YEAR TO 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
| Note ref 5 Donations Donations from the public Business sponsorship 6 Grants County Durham Community Grant Kype Muir Community Fund Strathaven and Glassford Community Council 7 Receipts from fundraising activities Programme sales Raffle income Sale of branded merchandise Park & Ride Stall & pitch lets Hiring out our own equipment Sale of 25th Anniversary book 8 Payments relating directly to charitable activities Out of date stock written off Licences & insurance Printing & publicity Stage, sound system & lighting Entertainers First Aiders Flight crew accommodation & hospitality Balloon flight gas Equipment for infrastructure Park & Ride bus costs Portable toilets, radio communications & sundries Security Quiet zone costs 25th Anniversary book printing & launch event |
Unrestricted Restricted Unrestricted Restricted funds funds Total funds funds Total 2025 2025 2025 2024 2024 2024 £ £ £ £ £ £ 23,050 23,050 81 81 8,910 8,910 4,750 4,750 31,960 - 31,960 4,831 - 4,831 - - 1,000 1,000 1,100 1,100 3,000 3,000 - - - 1,100 1,100 - 4,000 4,000 956 956 10 10 1,425 1,425 2,772 2,772 152 152 - - 12,741 12,741 - - 8,750 8,750 - - - - - - 165 165 518 518 24,189 - 24,189 3,300 - 3,300 - - - - 2,335 2,335 1,652 1,652 286 286 729 729 5,001 5,001 2,724 2,724 - - - - 10,639 10,639 - - 8,218 8,218 4,620 4,620 7,868 7,868 - - - 547 547 11,061 11,061 1,000 1,000 3,558 3,558 3,309 3,309 - - - - 270 270 259 259 1,000 - 1,000 - 659 1,000 1,659 37,175 12,061 49,236 14,498 2,000 16,498 |
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