WRITING EAST MIDLANDS C.I.C.

Company limited by guarantee

Company Registration Number:
06459299 (England and Wales)

Unaudited statutory accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023

Period of accounts

Start date: 1 April 2022

End date: 31 March 2023

WRITING EAST MIDLANDS C.I.C.

Contents of the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 March 2023

Directors report
Profit and loss
Balance sheet
Additional notes
Balance sheet notes
Community Interest Report

WRITING EAST MIDLANDS C.I.C.

Directors' report period ended 31 March 2023

The directors present their report with the financial statements of the company for the period ended 31 March 2023

Principal activities of the company

Artistic ProgrammeThese accounts represent the fourteenth year of trading for Writing East Midlands and the seventh period since converting to Community Interest Company status in support of the organisation's artistic aims and social values. The organisation continued to create opportunities for new and experienced writers to connect with communities. We believe in an open society which for us means that everyone should have equal access to the means of creativity, the arts, and expression.WEM works to build the region's reputation for the quality and diversity of its writers and as a place where writing is valued as an art and for its social impact. We run programmes that raise the skills and aspirations of writers connecting them to communities. We aim to be the place in the East Midlands, where people exchange ideas for working in the literature sector knowing we can connect them with partners among organisations, artists, producers, local authorities, schools, universities, museums, libraries, heritage organisations, and the health sector.2022-23 was marked by an intense focus on bidding for the next round of NPO grants 2023-26, managing the continuing repercussions of Covid-19, and the economic downturn. We found that these, alongside increased competition for online services, affected opportunities to generate sales income. Considering this, WEM decided to move its focus away from the delivery of short courses. This was reflected in the sales of the subsidiary company Writing School East Midlands Ltd. where income fell further from £6,130 to £5,387. With the public less able to engage in paid for activity because of the cost-of-living crisis, we also saw the focus of grant givers increasingly aimed at the support of basic needs, leading to an increase in competition for arts-based funding. However, we were successful in fundraising an additional £98,803 resulting in the organisation maintaining its general financial position.WEM's strong social mission continue to find support from Trusts and Foundations. This was also reflected in its ability to meet Arts Council England's Let's Create strategy and a subsequent award of a further NPO grant for 2023-2026. The Directors were delighted by that an uplift to the core grant of £70,000 p.a which will contribute to the removal of the historic funding gap. WEM will be better able to be a source of innovative initiatives for social good, supports the diverse cultural life that marks healthy societies, and generate paid employment for artists at a time when social and economic pressures are increasing.The organisation is committed to diversity and inclusion with an emphasis on the following areas:- empowering the neurodiverse community, particularly autistic people, through creative writing activity.- reduce feelings of isolation in older people through creative writing activity- providing more creative, and career development opportunities for young people from diverse backgrounds and areas of lesser provision.Activity that supported these aims included Beyond the Spectrum, which has been running since 2020 with the support of a variety of funders. In 2022 WEM received a grant of £34,500 from the National Lottery Reaching Communities fund which supported the extension of the project. We gathered evidence of the positive impact of the activity on participants and are now committed to submitting significant funding bids in 2023/24 to offer the benefits to autistic people, while connecting the project to arts organisations, libraries, NHS social prescribers, and specialist Autism service providers across the country. A grant from The Mighty Creatives also allowed us to run a Bronze Arts Award course for a group of Autistic children.A further grant of £8,498 from Shine in Lincolnshire allowed the Surviving by Storytelling project to continue into a second year led by Dr Mark Pearson and Dr Helen Foster from the University of Nottingham. The workshops were designed to support the mental health of participants in a safe and inclusive environment. A grant of £9,965 was also secured for further activity in 2023/24 with a particular focus on carers in the Boston area.We continued to lead and collaborate on projects which satisfied our aims to work with diverse groups of children and young people, particularly in areas of lesser provision. A partnership was developed with the young person's charity Eastside, to deliver Spoken Word Power (SWP) in the East Midlands. SWP connects students with leading poets to encourage self-expression and confidence. The programme will continue in 2023/24 to include a greater number of schools in Lincolnshire.Our WEMterns programme, which supports 18-25-year-old writers taking the next steps in their writing careers, continued to grow. Members were provided with opportunities to shadow established writers, engage with work experience, and take part in arts leadership and governance, including Scribble Fest, a one-day event commissioned by The Nottingham Poetry Festival. In 2023/24 our Youth Advisory Board will allow these young voices to play an important role in WEM's governance and decision-making.Once again, we worked with Serendipity in Leicester to deliver the Black Ink writing competition for writers from the African-Caribbean diaspora. WEM's annual writing competition, Aurora, ran for the seventh time, as did Solstice the nature-themed, young writers prize. WEM was commissioned by ArtReach to produce the Journeys Gazette which was distributed at Journeys Festival International in Leicester in August 2022. Collaborating with local communities with experience of migration and resettlement, the newspaper aimed to challenge the negative assumptions about asylum seekers and migrants portrayed in some medias, and celebrates Leicester as a welcoming city.



Directors

The directors shown below have held office during the whole of the period from
1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023

Ms J M Allnatt
Ms S Chauhan
M J Molloy
R R Parmar
C S R Walker
Ms G G P Pendse


The director shown below has held office during the period of
24 January 2023 to 31 March 2023

Ms C A Adlam


The director shown below has held office during the period of
18 January 2023 to 31 March 2023

Ms C O'Farrell


Secretary H Mullin

The above report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions in part 15 of the Companies Act 2006

This report was approved by the board of directors on
25 October 2023

And signed on behalf of the board by:
Name: M J Molloy
Status: Director

WRITING EAST MIDLANDS C.I.C.

Profit And Loss Account

for the Period Ended 31 March 2023

2023 2022


£

£
Turnover: 226,841 257,461
Cost of sales: ( 48,798 ) ( 78,087 )
Gross profit(or loss): 178,043 179,374
Administrative expenses: ( 177,467 ) ( 167,179 )
Operating profit(or loss): 576 12,195
Interest receivable and similar income: 189 12
Profit(or loss) before tax: 765 12,207
Tax: ( 228 ) ( 2,504 )
Profit(or loss) for the financial year: 537 9,703

WRITING EAST MIDLANDS C.I.C.

Balance sheet

As at 31 March 2023

Notes 2023 2022


£

£
Fixed assets
Tangible assets: 3 1,057 1,591
Total fixed assets: 1,057 1,591
Current assets
Debtors: 4 4,954 6,988
Cash at bank and in hand: 116,674 120,486
Total current assets: 121,628 127,474
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year: 5 ( 68,936 ) ( 75,853 )
Net current assets (liabilities): 52,692 51,621
Total assets less current liabilities: 53,749 53,212
Total net assets (liabilities): 53,749 53,212
Members' funds
Profit and loss account: 53,749 53,212
Total members' funds: 53,749 53,212

The notes form part of these financial statements

WRITING EAST MIDLANDS C.I.C.

Balance sheet statements

For the year ending 31 March 2023 the company was entitled to exemption under section 477 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 Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.

These accounts have been prepared and delivered in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

This report was approved by the board of directors on 25 October 2023
and signed on behalf of the board by:

Name: M J Molloy
Status: Director

The notes form part of these financial statements

WRITING EAST MIDLANDS C.I.C.

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 March 2023

  • 1. Accounting policies

    Basis of measurement and preparation

    These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions of Section 1A (Small Entities) of Financial Reporting Standard 102

    Turnover policy

    Turnover is measured at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable, excluding discounts, rebates, value added tax and other sales taxes and includes government grants.

    Tangible fixed assets depreciation policy

    Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.Plant and machinery etc - 25% on cost and 15% on cost

    Other accounting policies

    Hire purchase and leasing commitmentsRentals paid under operating leases are charged to surplus or deficit on a straight line basis over the period of the lease.Pension costs and other post-retirement benefitsThe company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the company's pension scheme are charged to profit or loss in the period to which they relate

WRITING EAST MIDLANDS C.I.C.

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 March 2023

  • 2. Employees

    2023 2022
    Average number of employees during the period 6 6

WRITING EAST MIDLANDS C.I.C.

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 March 2023

3. Tangible assets

Land & buildings Plant & machinery Fixtures & fittings Office equipment Motor vehicles Total
Cost £ £ £ £ £ £
At 1 April 2022 5,343 5,343
Additions 330 330
Disposals
Revaluations
Transfers
At 31 March 2023 5,673 5,673
Depreciation
At 1 April 2022 3,752 3,752
Charge for year 864 864
On disposals
Other adjustments
At 31 March 2023 4,616 4,616
Net book value
At 31 March 2023 1,057 1,057
At 31 March 2022 1,591 1,591

WRITING EAST MIDLANDS C.I.C.

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 March 2023

4. Debtors

2023 2022
£ £
Trade debtors 4,725 6,716
Other debtors 229 272
Total 4,954 6,988

WRITING EAST MIDLANDS C.I.C.

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 March 2023

5. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year note

2023 2022
£ £
Trade creditors 1,551 6,108
Taxation and social security 3,069 5,135
Other creditors 64,316 64,610
Total 68,936 75,853

WRITING EAST MIDLANDS C.I.C.

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 March 2023

6. Financial Commitments

The company had total commitments at the balance sheet date of £2,933 (2022: £2,933) relating to the lease in respect of the offices.

COMMUNITY INTEREST ANNUAL REPORT

WRITING EAST MIDLANDS C.I.C.

Company Number: 06459299 (England and Wales)

Year Ending: 31 March 2023

Company activities and impact

REVIEW OF BUSINESSArtistic ProgrammeThese accounts represent the fourteenth year of trading for Writing East Midlands and the seventh period since converting to Community Interest Company status in support of the organisation's artistic aims and social values. The organisation continued to create opportunities for new and experienced writers to connect with communities. We believe in an open society which for us means that everyone should have equal access to the means of creativity, the arts, and expression.WEM works to build the region's reputation for the quality and diversity of its writers and as a place where writing is valued as an art and for its social impact. We run programmes that raise the skills and aspirations of writers connecting them to communities. We aim to be the place in the East Midlands, where people exchange ideas for working in the literature sector knowing we can connect them with partners among organisations, artists, producers, local authorities, schools, universities, museums, libraries, heritage organisations, and the health sector.2022-23 was marked by an intense focus on bidding for the next round of NPO grants 2023-26, managing the continuing repercussions of Covid-19, and the economic downturn. We found that these, alongside increased competition for online services, affected opportunities to generate sales income. Considering this, WEM decided to move its focus away from the delivery of short courses. This was reflected in the sales of the subsidiary company Writing School East Midlands Ltd. where income fell further from £6,130 to £5,387. With the public less able to engage in paid for activity because of the cost-of-living crisis, we also saw the focus of grant givers increasingly aimed at the support of basic needs, leading to an increase in competition for arts-based funding. However, we were successful in fundraising an additional £98,803 resulting in the organisation maintaining its general financial position.WEM's strong social mission continue to find support from Trusts and Foundations. This was also reflected in its ability to meet Arts Council England's Let's Create strategy and a subsequent award of a further NPO grant for 2023-2026. The Directors were delighted by that an uplift to the core grant of £70,000 p.a which will contribute to the removal of the historic funding gap. WEM will be better able to be a source of innovative initiatives for social good, supports the diverse cultural life that marks healthy societies, and generate paid employment for artists at a time when social and economic pressures are increasing.The organisation is committed to diversity and inclusion with an emphasis on the following areas:- empowering the neurodiverse community, particularly autistic people, through creative writing activity.- reduce feelings of isolation in older people through creative writing activity- providing more creative, and career development opportunities for young people from diverse backgrounds and areas of lesser provision.Activity that supported these aims included Beyond the Spectrum, which has been running since 2020 with the support of a variety of funders. In 2022 WEM received a grant of £34,500 from the National Lottery Reaching Communities fund which supported the extension of the project. We gathered evidence of the positive impact of the activity on participants and are now committed to submitting significant funding bids in 2023/24 to offer the benefits to autistic people, while connecting the project to arts organisations, libraries, NHS social prescribers, and specialist Autism service providers across the country. A grant from The Mighty Creatives also allowed us to run a Bronze Arts Award course for a group of Autistic children.A further grant of £8,498 from Shine in Lincolnshire allowed the Surviving by Storytelling project to continue into a second year led by Dr Mark Pearson and Dr Helen Foster from the University of Nottingham. The workshops were designed to support the mental health of participants in a safe and inclusive environment. A grant of £9,965 was also secured for further activity in 2023/24 with a particular focus on carers in the Boston area.We continued to lead and collaborate on projects which satisfied our aims to work with diverse groups of children and young people, particularly in areas of lesser provision. A partnership was developed with the young person's charity Eastside, to deliver Spoken Word Power (SWP) in the East Midlands. SWP connects students with leading poets to encourage self-expression and confidence. The programme will continue in 2023/24 to include a greater number of schools in Lincolnshire.Our WEMterns programme, which supports 18-25-year-old writers taking the next steps in their writing careers, continued to grow. Members were provided with opportunities to shadow established writers, engage with work experience, and take part in arts leadership and governance, including Scribble Fest, a one-day event commissioned by The Nottingham Poetry Festival. In 2023/24 our Youth Advisory Board will allow these young voices to play an important role in WEM's governance and decision-making.Once again, we worked with Serendipity in Leicester to deliver the Black Ink writing competition for writers from the African-Caribbean diaspora. WEM's annual writing competition, Aurora, ran for the seventh time, as did Solstice the nature-themed, young writers prize. WEM was commissioned by ArtReach to produce the Journeys Gazette which was distributed at Journeys Festival International in Leicester in August 2022. Collaborating with local communities with experience of migration and resettlement, the newspaper aimed to challenge the negative assumptions about asylum seekers and migrants portrayed in some medias, and celebrates Leicester as a welcoming city.FINANCIAL SUMMARY The organisation continue to benefit from strong support from Arts Council England through National Portfolio funding. ACE provided a core activity grant of £128,038 in the period. The Directors noted that the direction of these activities correspond closely with Arts Council England's. Let's Create 10-year strategy to support creative people; cultural communities, and a creative and a cultural country. This will be demonstrated in future activity during the during the new NPO period 2023-26. The company maintained its financial position in what are still difficult circumstances. £98,803 (£129,423) additional funds were raised from all sources. This saw a decrease in turnover to £226,841 (£257,461). Administrative expenses were £177,280 (£167,021). After deductions for costs of sales £48,798 (£78,087), this resulted in an operating surplus before tax of £765 (£12,365). The Board notes that reserves have therefore increased to £53,749 (£53,212). While this is in line with a previously stated policy of moving reserves to a minimum position equivalent to three months of operational costs, the current environment makes it prudent to raise expectations and requirements for holding a higher level of reserves measured against a proportion of turnover. By this measure reserves in the last period were equivalent to 21% of total income. We would like to increase this to 25% by the end of the next period. DIRECTORS The directors shown below have held office during the whole of the period from 1 April 2022 to the date of this report. Ms J M Allnatt Ms S Chauhan M J Molloy R R Parmar C S R Walker Other changes in directors holding office are as follows: Ms C O'Farrell - appointed 18 January 2023 Ms C A Adlam - appointed 24 January 2023Ms G G P Pendse ceased to be a director after 31 March 2023 but prior to the date of this report. This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

Consultation with stakeholders

Arts Council England is our major funder. We provide quarterly cashflow and management accounts plus annual accounts in order to draw down our funding. Our ACE Relationship Manager regularly reviews our activity.

Directors' remuneration

No remuneration was received

Transfer of assets

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration

This report was approved by the board of directors on
25 October 2023

And signed on behalf of the board by:
Name: Mr Martin Molley
Status: Director