REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: CS006598 (Scotland) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: SC052935
Regort of the Trustees and Unaudited Financial Statements
for_th � eriod 8th November 2023 to 31st March 2025
for
Creative Stranraer SCIO
Parries Kirk & McVean Dumfries Enterprise Park Heathhall Dumfries DUMFRIESSHIRE DOI 3SJ
Creative Stranraer SCIO
|Contents of the Financial
for the feriod 8th November 2023
Report of the Trustees
Independent Examiner's Report
Statement of Financial Activities
Balance Sheet
Notes to the Financial Statements
Detailed Statement of Financial Activities|Contents of the Financial|Statements
to 3lst March 2025
Page
1 to 3
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## **Creative Stranraer SCIO**
## **Report of the Trustees**
## **for the Period 8th Noyemb � 202l 1o 31st 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 period 8th November 2023 to 31st March 2025. The trustees have adopted the provisions of 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 (FRS 102) (effective I January 2019).
## **INCORPORATION**
The charitable company was incorporated on 8th November 2023 and commenced trading on 1st April 2024.
## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES**
## **Objectives and aims**
The Organisation has been formed to benefit the community of Stranraer and West Galloway defined by postcodes DG9 and DG8 (the "Community"), with the following purposes (the "Purposes"):
a) To advance education and training in the arts and creativity with the object of increasing participation and development in the arts and in particular through the development of programmes that use participation in arts and creative projects to teach multiple skills, whilst supporting the economic, social and environmental regeneration of Stranraer and the wider West Galloway region
b) To collaborate and form partnerships with individuals or organisations to benefit the wider community through the arts and advance citizenship and community development by promoting increased community participation through creative consultation and place making which enhances quality of life.
c) To promote the arts, including drama, dance, music, literature, poetry, painting, filmmaking, photography and sculpture and other art forms and areas of artistic endeavour, and in particular (but without prejudice to the generality of that aim) with a view to the involvement of local communities of Stranraer and West Galloway.
d) To use the arts to promote the benefits of social welfare of the inhabitants within Stranraer, West Galloway and surrounding regions, without distinction with regard to age, disability, sex, sexuality, political, religious or other opinions by associating the local statutory authorities, voluntary organisation and local people.
e) To develop and deliver sports activities and events directed towards wider participation in sport
f) To provide recreational facilities and to organise recreational activities, with such facilities/activities being available to the public at large, primarily within the Stranraer and wider West Galloway, with a view to improving their conditions of life.
Creative Stranraer is charity based in the Southwest of Scotland which focuses on supporting innovation and change in the historic town of Stranraer, and the surrounding areas, using art and creativity to engage with the community and as the driver for change.
## Our Mission
Our mission is to use the creative arts to connect, empower, inspire and upskill our community, raising aspirations, building self-esteem, reducing isolation and enhancing wellbeing.
Creative Stranraer runs a town centre creative hub encouraging our communities to take part in culture and enterprise to support a new vision for the town.
## The activity delivered by CS includes:
• Running a physical town centre space (the CS Hub, located in King Street) that brings together the local creative sector of all disciplines, supports the development of individual practitioners and organisations, brings together partnerships and acts as a conduit for regional and national partners to bring creative activity and services to the local area.
- Delivering an inclusive, free to access programme of creative community engagement, visioning, public events and public art projects, communications/public relations work and by creating employment for local creative practitioners and organisations.
- Delivering outreach opportunities through learning for sustainability model into local primary and secondary schools
- Working in partnership with local organisations from different sectors adding value to their work in support of the local community.
Page I
Creative Stranra er SCIQ
## Report of the Trustees
## for the Period B thJ'Sovember 2023_ to 3ht M:1n:h 2025
## **ACHIEV � :MENT AND PERFORMANCE**
## **Charitable activities**
Since we constituted Creative Stranraer as a SCIO 7861 people have participated in Creative Stranraer programme of creative activities equivalent to 75% of town's population.
We have operated a creative hub in a former shop:
Locally Led & Youth-Driven - Our Hub is managed and programmed by a young creative leader (under 30) from Stranraer, ensuring that local talent is at the forefront of shaping the town's creative future.
Inclusive Creative Programmes - We deliver an accessible programme of workshops, public events, exhibitions, and public art projects, ensuring everyone can participate in Stranraer's cultural life and gain wellbeing benefits. We facilitate a number of creative groups (Drawing, Creative Writing, Music, Film) Hubbub and Hubbub holidays - our flagship programme of creative workshops designed by and for local families. 470 participants over 9 workshops.
Large scale Community Festivals - designed and delivered 3 Festivals including 'Raise the Sails - Waterfront' and an annual Active travel focussed festival (Wheels, Water & Wellbeing which has engaged over 1200 local Primary school children)
A Space for the Creative Sector - The CS Hub supports artists, creative practitioners, and organisations across disciplines, providing a base for partnerships and acting as a bridge for regional and national collaborations with a particular focus on using creativity to re-connect people to the natural environment of Stranraer Waterfront.
Free, Outreach & Education - We extend creative engagement into local primary and secondary schools through a Learning for Sustainability model, inspiring young people and supporting wellbeing and future skills development. See hubbub above
827 people have attended 16 Vision + Action meetings ('town hall meetings) convened by Creative Stranraer so far which demonstrates demand for community-led spaces where local voices are amplified to influence change.
We have played an active support role in important partnership projects for the future of Stranraer and contributed to regional initiatives, including:
'One Waterfront' (Stranraer Devt Trust/ DO Council) - re-connecting to waterfront and coastline
The George (Stranraer Devt Trust/ DO Council)- creative spaces for the regeneration of the town centre Black Stank Project, (DO Council) - regeneration of a water course through the town
- Kirkpatrick McMillan Coast to Coast (SOSE, DO Council, SSDA) - community engagement with new coast to coast cycle route
- SCAMP (Solway Coast and Marine Project - Solway Firth Partnership + DO Council) - creative community engagement in
- coastal preservation project
- Stranraer bike festival
- Wild Goose Festival
40 volunteers have helped with delivery
Outreach network with I I local Primary schools+ Secondary School Creative Stranraer Facebook page has **889** followers (76.9% women). CS FB group has 427 members Our database has 523 contacts, average open rate 43%. 47.5% women, 37.5% men, 15.1% unknown
This year's success in engagement has allowed us to be successful in securing support for a 9 month Community Led project called Shorelines exploring Stranraer's Coastal identity through creativity.
We have an active local membership and Board of Trustees. This year we have provided over 30 paid commission opportunities to local freelancers supporting principles of localised economy and community wealth building. Creative Stranraer also supports 2 local members of staff.
We would like to thank the following funders for their support throughout the year as well as our multitude of partners: D&G Council (RWCF & WAC), TSDG (Community led Local development), National Lottery Fund and Kilgallioch Windfarm
## **FINANCIAL REVIEW**
## **Reserves policy**
In the Trustees' view, the reserves should provide the charity with adequate financial stability and the means for it to meet its charitable objectives for the foreseeable future.
The trustees propose to maintain the charity's reserves at a level which is at least equivalent to four to six months operational expenditure and have done so having regards to its manner of operation of likely funding streams.
As at 31 March 2025, unrestricted reserves of£ 1,6 I 6 and restricted reserves of £6,490 were available.
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT**
## **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.
Page 2
CreativeStra_nraer SCIO
## **Report of the Trustees**
## **for the Period 8th November 2023 to 31st March 2025**
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT**
## **Recruitment and appointment of new trustees**
Creative Stranraer was constituted in November 2023 and had 3 Interim Board members who acted until our Inaugural meeting held in March 2024 upon when the members of Creative Stranraer voted for Board members from a recruitment drive from the membership.
## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS**
**Registered Company number** CS006598 (Scotland)
## **Registered Charity number**
SC052935
## **Registered office**
23 King Street Stranraer DUMFRIESSHIRE DG9 7JU
## **Trustees**
Company Secretary
## **Independent Examiner**
Parries Kirk & McVean Dumfries Enterprise Park l-leathhall Dumfries DUMFRIES SHIRE DOI 3SJ
Approved by order of the board of trustees on 16th July 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
- Trustee
Page 3
## **Independent Examiner's Report to the Trusjees of Creative Stranraer SCJ_Q**
## **Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Creative Stranraer SCIO ('the Company')**
I rep01t to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the period 8th November 2023 to 31st March 2025.
## **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 repo1i in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 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:
- I. 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 I 02)).
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.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland
Farries Kirk & McVean Dumfries Enterprise Park I-leathhall
Dumfries DUMFRIESSI-IIRE DGI 3SJ
16th July 2025
Page 4
## **Creative Stranraer SCIO**
## **Statement of Financial Activities for _the Period 8th November J023 to 31st March 2025**
|||Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||fund|funds|funds|
||Notes|£|£|£|
|**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM**|||||
|**Charitable activities**|||||
|CharitableActivities||17,999|37,886|55,885|
|Otherincome||8,072||8,072|
|**Total**||26,071|37,886|63,957|
|**EXPENDITURE ON**|||||
|Raising funds||2,726|5,003|7,729|
|**Charitable activities**|||||
|CharitableActivities||20,929|26,393|47,322|
|Governance||800||800|
|||--|--|--|
|**Total**||24,455|31,396|55,851|
|||-|--|-|
|**NET INCOME**||1,616|6,490|8,106|
|||--|--|--|
|**TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD**||1,616|6,490|8,106|
The notes form part of these financial statements
Page 5
## **Creative Stranra � r SCIO**
## **Balance Sheet**
## **31st March 2025**
|||Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||fund|funds|funds|
||Notes|£|£|£|
|**CURRENT ASSETS**|||||
|Cash atbank||6,927|12,937|19,864|
|**CREDITORS**|||||
|Amountsfalling due within one year|4|(5,311)|(6,447)|(11,758)|
|||-|--||
|**NET CURRENT ASSETS**||1,616|6,490||
||||--||
|**TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT**|**LIABILITIES**|1,616|6,490||
|||-|--||
|**NET ASSETS**||1,616|6,490||
|**FUNDS**|5||||
|Unrestrictedfunds||||1,616|
|Restricted funds||||6,490|
|**TOTAL FUNDS**||||8,106|
The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the period ended 3 I st March 2025.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the period ended 31st March 2025 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for
- (a) ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and
(b) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime.
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 16th July 2025 and were signed on its behalf by:
- Trustee
The notes form part of these financial statements
Page 6
**Creative Stra11raer SCIO**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements**
**for ti � Period 8th November 2023 to 31st March 202_5**
## **1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES**
## **Basis of preparing the financial statements**
The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) '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 (FRS 102) (effective I January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.
## **Income**
All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
## **Expenditure**
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost 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.
## **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.
## **2. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS**
There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the period ended 31st March 2025.
## **Trustees' expenses**
There were no trustees' expenses paid for the period ended 3 I st March 2025.
## **3. STAFF COSTS**
The average monthly number of employees during the period was as follows:
Co-ordinator
No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000.
continued ...
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Creative Stranraer SCJQ
## **Notes** to **the Financial Statements** - **continued for t h e Perfod 8th November 2023---to 31st March 2025**
## **4. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR**
||||£|
|---|---|---|---|
|Trade creditors|||10,958|
|Accrued expenses|||800|
||||11,758|
|**MOVEMENT INFUNDS**||||
|||Net||
|||movement|At|
|||infunds|31.3.25|
|||£|£|
|**Unrestricted funds**||||
|General fund||1,616|1,616|
|**Restricted funds**||||
|KilgallochCommunity Fund||||
|||6,490|6,490|
|**TOTAL FUNDS**||8,106|8,106|
|Netmovementin funds,included inthe above areasfollows:||||
||Incoming|Resources|Movement|
||resources|expended|in funds|
||£|£|£|
|**Unrestrictedfunds**||||
|General fund|26,071|(24,455)|1,616|
|**Restricted funds**||||
|Kilgalloch Community Fund||||
||19,470|(I 2,980)|6,490|
|RegionwideCommunity Fund||||
||3,525|(3,525)||
|Community Led Local Development||||
||8,334|(8,334)||
|Wigtown Area CommitteeTacklingPoverty and||||
|InequalitiesFund||||
||6,557|(6,557)||
|||--||
||37,886|(31,396)|6,490|
||--|--||
|**TOTAL FUNDS**|63,957|(55,851)|8,106|
## **5. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS**
continued ...
Page 8
**Creative Stranracr SCIO**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements - continued**
## **for the Period 8th November 2023 to 31st March 2025**
## **6. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES**
There were no related party transactions for the period ended 3 I st March 2025.
7. **FUNDS**
## **Kilgallioch Windfarm**
Support for our Community Activity programme across the year and our Young person Coordinator.
## **Rcgionwidc Community Fund**
(DOC) - activity programme 'Journey to the George' delivering accessible and inclusive creative activities for Stranraer.
**Community led Local development** (TSDG) and **Wigtownshirc Arca Committee** (DOC) - funding to support delivery of our creative activity programme called "Open Doors" (creative activities & workshops for young people and families experiencing poverty and inequality and give them access to our safe, warm and accessible space)
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**Creatiyc_Strnnraer SCIQ**
## **Detailed Statement of Financial Activities for the Period 8th November 2023 to 31st March 2025**
£
## **INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS**
|**Charitableactivities**||
|---|---|
|Grants|55,885|
|**Other income**||
|Projects & Consultancy|6,541|
|Room Hire|1,343|
|SundryIncome|188|
||8,072|
|**Total incoming resources**|63,957|
|**EXPENDITURE**||
|**Charitable activities**||
|Wages|15,664|
|Cycle Fest|419|
|Engagement Officer|12,813|
|Organisational Support|8,500|
|ProjectCosts|7,991|
|Repairs& Renewals|685|
|Travel & Subsistence|619|
|RoomHire|631|
||47,322|
|**Supportcosts**||
|**Management**||
|Lightand heat|358|
|Postageand stationery|523|
|Advertising|390|
|Sundries|170|
|Rent|4,800|
|Hospitality|423|
|Training|35|
|IT& Software|50|
|Subscriptions & Licences|922|
|BankCharges|58|
||7,729|
|**Governance costs**||
|Accountancyandlegalfees|800|
|Total resources expended|55,851|
|**Netincome**|8,106|
This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements
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