The Trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2023.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the 's [governing document], 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 (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 2019).
The objectives of the charity are:
To advance the education of children and young adults in the arts of theatre and drama and in so doing provide them with a thorough technical grounding in the craft and associated practices of theatre and the art of acting.
To provide or assist in the provision of facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation or other leisure time occupation of individuals who have need of such facilities by reason of their youth, age, infirmity or disability, financial hardship or social circumstances with the object of improving their conditions of life.
The promotion for the benefit of the public, urban or rural regeneration in areas of social and economic deprivation (and in particular in the parish of Soham) by all or any of the following means:
a) the advancement of educations, training or re-training, particularly among unemployed people and providing unemployed people with work experience
b) the maintenance, improvement or provision of public amenities
c) the provision of recreational facilities for the public at large or those who by reason of their youth, age, infirmity or disablement, financial hardship or social or economic circumstances had need of such facilities
d) or such other means as may from time to time be determined subject to the prior written consent of the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales.
To promote, maintain, improve and advance education by the encouragement of the arts including, without any limitation, the arts of drama, mime, dance, singing and music.
The Trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the should undertake.
Charitable activities
Viva provides quality training and performance opportunities, but also uses theatre and the arts, culture and heritage to help increase creativity; fuel the imagination; build confidence; widen perspectives; encourage new ways of communicating; combat social exclusion and loneliness; encourage a sense of community; encourage volunteering, improve health and wellbeing and inspire and motivate people to learn.
In an average year the charity works with around 300 young people, over 200 adults and over 300 volunteers. We do not charge high fees or ticket prices or insist on auditions. The ethos is that everyone is welcome and valued. Viva strives to be a totally inclusive organisation of the highest possible artistic quality, and we strive for excellence in all that we deliver. We receive no ongoing public subsidy and have always survived by keeping our overheads low and generating our own income via being dynamic and entrepreneurial, rather than relying on grants. An example of this is our hugely successful charity shop. The shop provides the core funding each year that Viva needs to run. The charity is massively well loved and valued by its community and is a grass roots organisation run by and for its community having grown from community need, however, also has a reputation that far exceeds our size or geographical area.
We strive to be fully relevant and inclusive and continue to run a variety of initiatives to ensure this is the case including our bursary fund which awards bursaries to anyone who cannot afford the full cost of taking part in our activities, meaning that finance is never a barrier to participating, our Youth Council and our Agents for Change who specialise in Diversity and Mental Health.
Due to the energy crisis 2023 has been another very challenging year. Especially given we are still recovering from the effects of COVID-19.
A summary of projects and activities would be:
Spencer Mill Project/The Viva Theatre - In 2018 Viva purchased Spencer Mill in Soham. It was a derelict but historic Mill building. Viva raised the funds to redevelop this building to create a theatre/ community and arts centre for the district and provide a permanent home for Viva. 2022 saw the long-awaited opening of Spencer Mill (now called The Viva Theatre) and the successful completion of the capital project. During 2023 The Viva Theatre has offered a packed programme of touring shows, comedy, film and community events. The building has become a real community hub with many local organisations making use of the facilities. We have also expanded the building with 2 new extensions thanks to funding from the local authority and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.
Cinema and Gallery – Our new venue has a fully equipped cinema and a beautiful gallery space. We have successfully started showing National Theatre Live productions and various other films. We have also started relaxed and dementia screenings. Our Gallery hosted an exhibition from The Hayward Gallery Touring collection and several exhibitions featuring the work of local artists.
Viva Youth Theatre and Viva Community Theatre – We have managed to run 6 successful community productions during 2023. We also took one production to the brand new Thorington Open Air Theatre. These projects have all been very successful and helped people to feel less isolated, feel creatively engaged again and boost morale.
Creative Apprenticeship Scheme – We have continued to run our Creative Apprenticeship Scheme, designed to provide professional and accredited pathways into the creative industries for young people who would not otherwise have access or ‘a way in’.
Masterclass, Community Choir and Dance Project – we ran a very successful series of performing arts masterclasses led by top industry professionals and a community singing/choir project concentrating on singing for fun and wellbeing and a dance project for young people concentrating on the positive effects of dance on mental and physical health.
Charity Shop – This continues to provide core funding for the charity. It will take time to re-build trade, volunteers and stock levels, but we are confident that we will have a thriving charity shop once again, which is able to contribute vital funds to our charity via its income.
Saturday School and Holiday Workshops – Our open access Viva Theatre Saturday School for young people ages 5 – 16 years has continued to grow throughout 2023. The Saturday School is a key part of our youth engagement strategy for our new theatre. The Saturday School also offers young people the opportunity to gain accredited outcomes for their work via LAMDA, Duke of Edinburgh Awards and Arts Awards. We also run special subsidised performing arts holiday workshops throughout all of the school holidays during 2023 attracting over 150 young people throughout the year.
We plan to further develop our training and skills offer in partnership West Suffolk College and The WEA.
Official Opening and Awards Ceremony – Viva Arts and Community Group, Soham, are thrilled to announce that the new Viva Theatre (the permanent home to Viva Arts and its activities) had its official opening on 12th April 2023. Viva was honoured to have the venue officially opened by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh KG GCVO at a lunch time ceremony attended by 150 guests including funders, trustees, supporters, and Viva members who presented a 20 min show to a delighted audience. Also 2023 saw the re-introduction of our annual awards ceremony to recognise the achievements of everyone involved in this inclusive community Theatre Group. 250 members, Trustees, Presidents, Patrons, Dignitaries, Industry Celebrities and Supporters came together to celebrate for the first time since lockdown.
With the Energy Crisis hitting hard, the year ahead looks equally as challenging so Viva will need to continue to seek help and continue reviewing the flexibility of funds available for all our charitable activities in general. We also plan to investigate solar as a solution to our increasing energy costs. The trustees continue to seek specialist advice on the VAT impact of changing the way that funds are available in relation to the use of the VAT cultural exemption.
Fundraising activities
The Viva Charity Shop is a traditional charity shop run from the Viva Centre to raise core funds for the charity and its projects.
Our volunteer fundraising teams continue to carry out significant local fundraising via a variety events and initiatives. This year we have successfully secured project funding from The Heritage. Lottery Fund for our 2 year Village Colleges Project and we have a separate capital fundraising strategy in place to raise the funds needed for The Mill Project.
Principal funding sources
Viva Community Trading Ltd
The Heritage Lottery Fund
Investment policy and objectives
Aside from retaining ·a prudent amount in reserves each year most of the charity's funds are to be spent in the short term so there are few funds for long term investment.
The trustees have set a reserves policy that requires the general fund to be maintained at a level that ensures the charity's core activities could continue for a period of approximately 6 months, during a period of unforeseen difficulty. This takes into account the risks associated with each income stream and expenditure being different from that budgeted, the planned activity level and the charity's commitments. To meet the aims of the charity, covering normal expenditure, including the maintenance and repair of the Viva Centre a reserve of £75,000 is preferred.
The Charity had a surplus from unrestricted reserves of £92,250 (2022 £65,264)
The Statement of Financial Activities shows net incoming resources of £632,597 for the period and net outgoing resources of £387,127.
The total reserves at the year-end are £2,610,101. Free unrestricted reserves are £360,790.
Spencer Mill
Further, grants have been received to help with the restoration of Spencer Mill and this has again had the effect of increasing the charity's total income and expenditure significantly this year.
Governing document
Viva Youth Theatre was registered as a charity (Charity Number 1088558) on 24 September 2001 under a Trust Deed. On 27 March 2007, it transferred all its funds into Viva Arts and Community Group (Charity Number·1118S66) with a new trust deed that had a wider objects clause than the original trust.
Viva Arts and Community Group Limited was incorporated on 7 December 2007 and registered as a Charity on 23 September 2008. It took over all the assets of the former Charity and commenced operations on I February 2009.
The Trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
Recruitment and appointment of new trustees
Trustees are selected to represent a range of expertise for the charity drawn from the community the charity operates within. There are trustees representing the town and district Councils, schools, local businesses, the arts, community development as well as trustees with skills in the financial, legal, personnel., charitable and artistic field, as well as parent/member representatives.
No formal training of trustees is given as generally they are already knowledgeable in their field.
The board of trustees meets every quarter and are responsible for the strategic direction, financial management and policy of the charity. Day to day management of the youth theatre, all youth and arts and community projects is the responsibility of the Projects Coordinator under the direction of the performances, projects and marketing sub group of the board. Day to day management of the Viva Charity Shop and the Viva Centre is the responsibility of the current appointed Managers under the direction of the finance, human resources and trading sub group of the board. Line management for staff is provided by the Chair, D Schumann. These trustees ensure that the team continues to develop their skills and working practices in line with good practice and follow the policy documents agreed by the board.
The finances of the organisation are overseen by the board and subject to an external Independent Financial Review. Day to day management of the finances is the responsibility of the finance, human resources and trading sub group of the board.
The charity is heavily reliant on the work of many volunteers who cover much of the operation and management of the charity. We are constantly recruiting volunteers and provide a variety of training opportunities and support for our volunteers.
The charity also relies on a variety of donated goods, services, equipment, skills and facilities. We work with a range of individuals and partner organisations in order to achieve and maintain this and we are constantly reviewing ways to mitigate the loss of any ofthese donated items.
The trustees actively review, on a regular basis, the major risks which the charity faces and believe that maintaining the free reserves at the current levels combined with the annual independent financial review will provide sufficient resources in the event of adverse conditions. The trustees also regularly examine other operational and business risks which they face and confirm that they have established systems to mitigate the risks.
The Trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
The Trustees, who are also the directors of Viva Arts & Community Group Limited for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company Law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that year.
In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the will continue in operation.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
I report to the Trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Viva Arts & Community Group Limited (the ) for the year ended 31 December 2023.
As the Trustees of the (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (the 2006 Act).
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the ’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act). In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
Since the ’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of [ENTER IN DATABASE cy1015], which is one of the listed bodies.
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 that in any material respect:
accounting records were not kept in respect of the as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
the financial statements 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
the financial statements 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 102).
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 financial statements to be reached.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
Viva Arts & Community Group Limited is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 14 Churchgate Street, Soham, Ely, Cambs, CB7 5DS.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the 's [governing document], the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the Charities SORP "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 1 January 2019). The is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the . Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, [modified to include the revaluation of freehold properties and to include investment properties and certain financial instruments at fair value]. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the Trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors or grantors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, 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 classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges are allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:
The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the statement of financial activities.
Fixed asset investments are initially measured at transaction price excluding transaction costs, and are subsequently measured at fair value at each reporting date. Changes in fair value are recognised in net income/(expenditure) for the year. Transaction costs are expensed as incurred.
A subsidiary is an entity controlled by the . Control is the power to govern the financial and operating policies of the entity so as to obtain benefits from its activities.
At each reporting end date, the reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
The has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the 's balance sheet when the becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the ’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
In the application of the ’s accounting policies, the Trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
Grants
Theatre tax relief
Sale of goods
Productions and trips
Restoration of Spencer's Mill
Community projects
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
The operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the in an independently administered fund.
The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.
Edinburgh Bursary Fund
This is a discretionary fund to be used to support students taking part in the Edinburgh trip.
Building Fund
This was a grant received from Soham Town Council and has been used towards the upkeep of the building and to fund the repairs to the roof last year.
Fixed Asset Reserve Fund
This reflects the original purchase cost of the building and the cost of refurbishment covered by capital grants received less written off depreciation to date.
CLT Project
A project to provide funding to set up a community land trust.
Nellie Tuk Tuk
Nellie is a Tuk Tuk vehicle run by volunteers to provide transport for older people in and around Soham.
Mill Project (and associated funds)
The purchase (February 2018) and renovation of Spencer's Mill, Soham to transform it into a community arts centre.
Projector & EPOS
The purchase of a projector system for the theatre and EPOS system to help run the theatre and bar.
Arts Council England
To help fund various productions as agreed with the Arts Council.
Combined Authority Grant
For the continued development of Spencer's Mill and surrounding areas.
ECDC Grant
For the continued development of Spencer's Mill and surrounding areas.
The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.
During the year the entered into the following transactions with related parties:
MHH Partnership Ltd, a business controlled by the trustee Mr M G Hawes, provides accounting services to the Charity, amounting to £7,373 (2022 - £6,500). This was provided on commercial terms.
These financial statements are separate financial statements for Viva Community Trading Limited.
Details of the 's subsidiaries at 31 December 2023 are as follows: