Reflecting on Settle Stories’ work, achievements and challenges in 2023/24, it is clear that the Charity is continuing to make significant progress with its change programmes:
We are increasingly well known for the quality of our digital as well as face to face programme delivery.
In 2023, we delivered a successful Yorkshire Festival of Story (YFOS).
We have continued to develop our base, the Joinery, so that it can become a niche venue in terms of digital and broadcast capacity, and local and online programme delivery.
We have completed our first year as an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, with a funding package of up to four years from April 23 to support our core costs.
The full detail of our work in the last financial year is given in the various sections of this Trustees’ report. From another successful YFOS, artists’ retreats (including to inform the development of Storyful Way), masterclasses, community based activities, and continuing to develop our international links, to broadcasting real time international events and discussions in local schools - I believe that Settle Stories is really well placed to continue to grow its programmes and audiences, and help enrich people’s lives through the power of storytelling.
We would like to restate our thanks to all our funding organisations and individual funders without whom Settle Stories would not exist.
Arts Council England
Paul Hamlyn Foundation
North Yorkshire Council
The Craven Trust
The Spark Fund
National Lottery Heritage Fund
Finally I would like to thank the Settle Stories Team (including all volunteers) and my fellow Trustees for all their hard work in strengthening the range and quality of the charity’s products, and for delivering and supporting another successful year with high quality cultural programmes. Through their commitment the Charity continues to develop ever more creative ways of strengthening Settle Stories’ position within Craven and far beyond.
The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024.
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 charity'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).
a. Policies and objectives
Settle Stories is a charity with a mission to collaborate with exceptional artists to create transformative experiences for people and communities.
Stories are the most powerful way to engage, inspire and move people to action. We teach the art of storytelling so that people can make a difference. We share stories from diverse cultures across the globe, explore traditional myths and folktales and reveal current stories of today. We present stories through year round events, and our live and online workshops, retreats and learning programmes connect people and are open to all. Through our schools programme we work with thousands of school children annually. We work closely with our rural community by co-creating projects, bringing into focus hidden stories, and enabling the vulnerable and disinvested people to have a voice.
b. Strategies for achieving objectives
We are an independent arts charity based in Settle in the Yorkshire Dales, one of the most rurally isolated parts of the UK. From our venue, The Joinery, and online, we challenge perceptions of art produced in rural areas.
Our aims:
To produce narrative centred, socially relevant art using a range of media for people across Yorkshire through Yorkshire Festival of Story.
To support artists and individuals on their quest to become great storytellers.
To bring cultural activity and creative expression to diverse communities.
To promote a dynamic and creative approach to learning through storytelling for children and young people.
To build a home for adventurous storytelling from The Joinery in rural Yorkshire.
Our values:
Be open and inclusive.
Encourage curiosity.
Be the best you can.
Be mindful.
Think creatively.
c. Activities undertaken to achieve objectives
Settle Stories has developed a range of well established artistic programmes and events to deliver its objectives. It also continues to develop, test and refine newer programmes, especially in terms of its schools programme.
Examples include:
Yorkshire Festival of Story (YFOS);
The 2023 theme was: ‘If stories and fairy tales speak truth to power, how can they help us to achieve justice in the world?’ Jack Zipes was Festival Director.
Took place from 3 - 19 November 2023, in a range of media, both in-person and livestreamed. Yorkshire Festival of Story had a wide programme of activities to suit all audiences.
The audience for Yorkshire Festival of Story was global, coming from six continents.
There were 63 events (19 in person), some delivered in partnership with North Yorkshire Libraries, Skipton Town Hall, Action for Climate Emergency, Rosetta Life, Msitu wa Ndoto.
The Children’s Story Competition was judged by Atinuke.
Total Attendance - 6143
43% of the audience was new to Settle Stories:
78% of the audience are women
29% are those with disabilities or health conditions and 8% neurodivergent
72% value the free offer
Stories for Schools
Developed a programme of activity for Stories for Schools and run events and activities for schools. We reached 32,000 children through our digital and in-person events.
World Book Day
British Science Week
Stand up to Bullying
Diwali
Remembrance Day
Africa Day
Ramadan
Black History Month:
Children’s Mental Health week
Christmas
We have also created a new site for Stories for Schools with a range of resources related to the curriculum. Initial testing of the site for schools has also been completed.
Artist Development
We filmed three new courses for our platform Storyversity. We have 198 learners, most of these are for our free course. In addition we have run a range of workshops and masterclasses. This includes:
Monthly Settle Writers Group
Monthly Creative Writing and Mindfulness Classes
Masterclasses
Climate Justice in partnership with Adverse Camber
Entrepreneurship for Artists with the Burnley Festival
Storytelling for teachers - September
The Storyful Way
We have developed a new programme of work using storytelling, mindfulness and creative activities to build resilience and mental well-being for primary schools. We developed the programme with Artists through an in-person retreat as well workshops in the classroom. The work is being externally evaluated.
The Charity continues to develop its digital skills and capacity so that it can reach new and wider audiences, and remove barriers to participation. This includes investing in smarter technology for internal operations as well as audience facing platforms.
We have invested in the latest broadcast technology at the Joinery, which will enable us to improve our delivery of hybrid events, and to make the Joinery itself a niche venue in Craven.
As part of our NPO agreement we have agreed to undertake a Perception Audit about Settle Stories. We are working with Lancaster University to deliver this.
d. Public benefit
In setting objectives and planning for activities, the Trustees have given due consideration to general guidance published by the Charity Commission relating to public benefit, including the guidance 'Public benefit: running a charity (PB2)'.
Main achievements of the charity:
2023/24 proved to be another good year for Settle Stories. We continued to build on the lessons learned during the pandemic, on the experience the team has gained in terms of digital delivery, and on emerging opportunities as we build on the post covid period.
2023/24 was also significant in terms of developing the thinking behind Stories for Schools, building production and delivery expertise, developing the back catalogue, relevant partnerships, and exploring funding opportunities.
We had another successful Yorkshire Festival of Story with Jack Zipes as Festival Guest Director.
The Charity has also reviewed its staffing and organisational structures, taking advantage of natural churn and staff rationalisation to bring in new skills and develop a more agile workforce to help the organisation to deliver its existing and developing programmes.
a. Going concern
After making appropriate enquiries, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. For this reason, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements. Further details regarding the adoption of the going concern basis can be found in the accounting policies.
b. Fundraising
The fundraising (and financial climate generally) remains very challenging – especially for smaller charities, and our successes have been fewer in 2023/24.
c. Reserves policy
The Trustees aim to maintain free reserves in unrestricted funds at a level which equates to approximately three months of non-project specific expenditure. The Trustees consider that this level will provide sufficient funds to respond to applications for grants and ensure that support and governance costs are covered.
The Operating costs for Settle Stories are currently running at £13,518 per month which includes overheads associated with tenancy of the Joinery, office and administration costs and staff costs for permanent employees. The Trustees consider £40,555 (3 times overhead costs) appropriate for FY 23/24 and will hold this amount in unrestricted funds as reserves.
Reserves policy for Settle Stories is reviewed annually at the AGM.
a. Constitution
Settle Stories Limited is registered as a charitable company limited by guarantee without share capital.
b. Methods of appointment or election of Trustees
The management of the charity is the responsibility of the Trustees who are elected and co-opted under the terms of the Memorandum and Articles of Association.
c. Policies adopted for the induction and training of Trustees
A governance review was carried out internally in 2022, and identified future training needs for Trustees and also skills gaps amongst the current Board. Work is ongoing to recruit new Trustees with financial, commercial, e- commerce and artistic practice skills and experience.
The Board is supported by a Finance committee, a Digital committee, and a Remuneration Committee which meets annually to consider salaries and other employee related issues.
To enable the Charity to focus on developing its key products (especially Stories for Schools) the last year has also seen an emphasis on product development and refinement (rather than actual sales) to ensure we are in the best position when we relaunch the service offer.
This emphasis on product development has been reflected in a review of staffing resources.
We have appointed Lynne Wilson as PR and Marketing Manager
After 8 years, Gillian Muir, Financial Officer moved on to work for Giggleswick school. We have replaced her role with a service purchased from Heather Parker, an experienced Bookkeeper and trained accountant.
We continue to work with 5 interns in partnership with Lancaster University who developed new skills at the same time as providing additional capacity for the Charity.
We have also worked with 36 volunteers over the period April 2023-March 2024.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
The trustees, who are also the directors of Settle Stories 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 charity 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; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity 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 charity 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 charity 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 Settle Stories Limited (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2024.
As the trustees of the charity (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 charity 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 charity’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 charity’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 Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, 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 charity 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.
Settle Stories Limited is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is The Joinery, Dawson's Court, Market Place, Settle, North Yorkshire, BD24 9ED, England.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity'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 charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. 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 charity 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 charity 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.
At each reporting end date, the charity 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 charity 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 charity's balance sheet when the charity 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 charity’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 charity 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 charity’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 received
Income from charitable activities
Premises costs
Office and administration costs
Computer and website costs
Motor and travel costs
Box office, PR and marketing
Event costs and artists fees
Merchandise costs
Staff training
Legal and professional costs
Other costs
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The remuneration of key management personnel was as follows:
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity 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.
The Arnold Clark Community Fund, The National Lottery Project Grant from the Arts Council and The Royal Astronomical Society Grant contributed to and supported the Yorkshire Festival of Story.
The National Lottery Project Grants from the Arts Council along with the North Yorkshire County Council, Get Going Grant, supported the Stories for Schools programme.
The Digital Lift Grant enables the purchase of software for the Storyversity Project.
The National Lottery Community Fund enabled the running of Youth Pride animation workshops to support young people.
Transfers in the year represent unrestricted funds used to cover over-spends on restricted projects.
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.
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2023 - none).