Charity registration number: 1013555
Company registration number: 02713653 (England and Wales)
The Norden Farm Centre Trust Limited
Annual Report and Consolidated Accounts
For the year ended 31 March 2024
The Norden Farm Centre Trust Limited
Trustees' Report
(Including Directors' Report under Companies Act 2006)
For the year ended 31 March 2024
The trustees present their annual trustees’ report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024. These are also prepared to meet the requirements for a directors’ report and accounts for the purposes of the Companies Act.
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the accounts, and comply with the charity's governing document, the Charities Act 2011 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 published in October 2019. They are also prepared to meet the requirements for a directors' report and accounts for the purposes of the Companies Act.
Aims and activities of the charity
The objects of the charity are:
"To advance education in the knowledge and appreciation of the arts and fine crafts of all descriptions and improvement and maintenance of artistic taste in Great Britain and in particular among the inhabitants of Maidenhead and the surrounding locality."
This has been condensed into a short phrase for internal use to:
"Norden Farm enriches lives through creative experiences."
The organisation is dedicated to fostering inclusivity through the provision of enriching activities. We are committed to engaging with educational institutions and extending our services to marginalised communities and underserved populations, in a quest to ensure equal and affordable access to cultural experiences for all.
To deliver these aspirations, Norden Farm Centre Trust has four main strands:
1) Design and delivery of a varied programme of art, cultural and educational activities through our facilities at Norden Farm in Maidenhead. This includes attracting national and international artists, delivering live relays from theatres, a full cinema programme, art exhibitions, classes, major community events and a family Christmas show.
2) Develop, raise funds for, and deliver a range of enriching creative activities for schools, young people, and disenfranchised and deprived communities which otherwise may not have access to such opportunities. Much of this work takes place outside the Centre
3) Raise funding through hiring out our spaces, our expertise and our specialist technical staff which contributes to our running costs
4) Provide an in-house catering operation for those attending the Centre.
Following the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit (Public Benefit: Running a Charity PB2), the Trustees periodically review the Aims and Objectives and engage with the Senior Leadership Team and with the Membership to ensure that Norden Farm remains a relevant and award-winning Centre at the heart of Maidenhead. Where practicable we aim to ensure local arts, community and business organisations can use the Centre.
Performance and achievements
Overall the attendances to shows, participatory events and to the Centre in general continued to grow significantly as visitor numbers recovered from the years of COVID restrictions despite the centre only being open for 5 days per week.
Attendances 2023/24 2022/23
Total visitor attendance 151,770 104,185
Theatre and film events 38,390 34,908
Participative and educational events 39,735 29,908
Use of Café Bar 39,451 13,129
Highlights of the year included:
Becoming a National Portfolio Organisation by the Arts Council; recognition that the work of NFCT is of national relevance. This resulted in a three-year project to develop the arts at a venue in the neighbouring town of Slough which has also contributed to some of the running costs of Norden Farm.
Continuation of the contract with the MOD for the military bands to rehearse at Norden Farm offering the opportunity of free, open access for the community.
Second successful wedding event staged at Norden Farm using the whole building.
Winner of 'Best Theatre in Berkshire' from the Little Ankle Biters Awards.
Finalist for 'Best Family Event' for the Kite Festival from Muddy Stilettos.
Hosting the Maidenhead Drama Festival.
Creating 3 large scale festivals for the town: Quest - the family arts festival; Maidenhead Kite Festival; and Maidenhead Lantern Parade.
Delivering over 360 performances and over 300 film and live event cinema screenings.
Delivering over 1,000 classes for adults.
Delivering 279 sessions for 1,879 disadvantaged children and families working in partnership with seven local organisations including:
- Achieving for Children (RBWM)
- Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice
- Thames Valley Adventure Playground
- Number 22 (mental health)
- Family Friends (army families and young carers)
- Berkshire Autism Group
- DASH (women's refuge)
Delivering 123 sessions to 4,279 students from all of the 27 schools in Maidenhead.
Spending £143,376 from charity fundraising on provision of outreach activities into the community.
Expanding the social isolation creative programme to meet demand by delivering 56 subsidised arts & crafts sessions for 567 local isolated over 60's people. Including fundraising to cover free transport with our partner 'People to Places'.
Financial review of charity and group
Norden Farm Centre Trust continues its recovery from the pandemic, and is working successfully with fewer staff and shorter opening times.
Total earned income in 2023/24 returned to the pre-pandemic level reached in 2019/20.
Contribution from Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, which operates the arts programme, increased to £191,402 (2023: £175,520). The arts programme contribution is recovering but is still below pre-pandemic level.
Facility hires, which have been the source which lifted our total income to pre-pandemic level, increased further to £238,832 (2023 £220,305).
We were very pleased to obtain continued support from RBWM with a core grant maintained at £115,000 (2023: £115,000).
Resulting from the above Norden Farm Centre Trust reports a surplus before depreciation of £60,116 (2023: £17,218).
After depreciation the charity reports a loss of £104,887 (2023: £138,180).
The Centre's cash balances continue to be sufficient for the near future with £875,897 on hand at 31 March 2024 (2023: £807,836).
The board acknowledges the resilience, creativity and commitment of the Chief Executive and her small team in keeping Norden Farm viable and enthusiastic in challenging times.
We recognise the invaluable contribution from our volunteers without whom the Centre could not function as a welcoming venue.
We also thank our supporters who maintain the Centre by coming to events, purchasing from the Café-Bar, paying memberships, making donations and contributing to fund raising appeals.
Summary of financial performance in the Management Accounts for the Centre
The management accounts which we use for budgeting and controlling performance exclude the large depreciation charge which mostly relates to our arts facility which is currently valued at £3.9 million on our balance sheet. Depreciation has no effect on our cash position.
The management accounts are based on the contribution from all the activities run by the Centre, which is income minus direct costs.
The management accounts set out below show the net operating surplus for 2024 after grant at £60.1K compared with £17.2K in 2023.
We also show the deficit after depreciation reported in the statutory accounts for 2024 at £104.9K compared with £138.2K in 2023.
These figures can be seen in the "Net income/(deficit) and net movement in funds" lines in the Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities in this annual report.
Please refer to the accounts filed in pdf form
with the Charities Commission for this data.
Reserves policy and going concern
Past events such as the COVID pandemic have underlined the need for an effective reserves policy to enable the organisation to: survive seasonal variations in income; endure unforeseen disruptions to funding; safeguard funds received in advance; cover known liabilities; provide for unpredictable repairs and replacements in our ageing building; and provide for new investment opportunities.
Accordingly we maintain a repairs and renewals fund and a general reserve.
The repairs and renewals fund has a target of £70,000 and is designated to provide for future planned and unanticipated work. This is important as our buildings are now more than 20 years old.
The Trustees have a general reserve target of at least nine months of operating costs. The charity's general and undesignated funds balance at 31 March 2024 was £474,236 (2023: £430,065) which would fund around 7 months operating costs as shown in the management accounts. This could be used to cover various types of expenditure described above and is therefore held as an 'unrestricted' fund.
The Council has agreed to provide grant support of £115,000 under a one-year extension to the existing multi-year funding agreement.
Unrestricted reserves – cash analysis
A comparison of the reserves target against our available unrestricted cash funds:
Target Actual
1. Reserved for repair or replacement of essential capital equipment and facilities 70.0 70.0
2. Unforeseen events and investment opportunities 629.3 474.2
Total (in £000s) 699.3 544.2
Restricted reserves
The majority of the £3,867,538 restricted funds at 31 March 2024 (2023: £4,016,596) relates to the Norden Farm site and buildings. The remainder is from grants made specifically for the provision of activities to the local community in our role as a charity.
Going concern statement and plans for the coming year
The Finance, Risk and Audit Committee continually monitor a rolling cash flow forecast.
This cash forecast shows sufficient cash through to March 2026 and indicates that the charity can continue as a going concern for the year ahead.
The trustees will continue to monitor the assumptions in the cash forecast and would take appropriate remedial action if it proves necessary.
Arts Council (NPO)
One of the income streams to Norden Farm has been from the provision of our expertise to support The Curve Venue in Slough, providing them with technical support for their theatre.
Slough is one of the areas that the Arts Council consider in need of additional support and encouragement in the provision of artistic and cultural activities.
Recognising our strengths as a well-run arts Centre, The Arts Council awarded a grant to Norden Farm to provide programming and technical support for Slough for a period of three years via admission of the Trust to their National Portfolio Organisation programme. This demanding project is not only of benefit to Slough but also provides us with additional income for our skills and expertise. The project is managed using a new incorporation called StoryDen Ltd. This is a company limited by guarantee. It is not owned by the Trust but has common directors and is controlled by the Trust.
We are grateful to the Arts Council for this support to arts in the area.
Reference details
Charity number : 1013555
Company number : 02713653
Registered office : Norden Farm Centre for the Arts
Altwood Road, Maidenhead, Berks SL6 4PF
Our advisers:
Banking : NatWest Bank, Maidenhead
Audit : Durrants Chartered Accountants
Structure, management and governance
Governing document
The Norden Farm Centre Trust Limited is a company limited by guarantee and is governed by its current Memorandum and Articles of Association which were updated on 30 October 2017. It is registered as a charity with the Charity Commission.
Membership
Membership is open to anyone who is interested in furthering the 'Charitable Objects' of Norden Farm. At present there are 577 members each of whom agrees to contribute £1 in the event of the charity winding up. Ordinary members are encouraged to become subscribing members which supports Norden Farm in addition to entitling them to specific additional benefits according to their level of subscription.
Trustees and directors
For the purposes of company law, the trustees are also Directors. Those who served during the year were:
I Donaldson
S Egan (Chair)
C Joseph
M Kaye
N Maan
C Perkins
J Seymour
D Shangari
N Winton
Trustee appointment, induction and training
Trustees are elected by the Members at the AGM as set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association. They can also be co-opted during the year and their appointment confirmed by election at the subsequent AGM. All Trustees are Members of the Company and none receive remuneration for their work as trustee or have a beneficial interest in the company or related undertakings.
Trustees have previous experience which is relevant to Norden Farm and receive further training on the job. New trustees receive a briefing on their legal obligations under both charity and company law together with information about our committees, terms of reference, code of conduct, relevant policies and procedures, companies in the group and the risk register.
Additional training includes specific briefings during board meetings.
The Memorandum and Articles of Association requires that one third of trustees retire each year and may offer themselves for re-election at the AGM. Additionally, the Charity Code of Conduct recommends that a trustee should normally retire after nine years unless there are exceptional circumstances, and this policy has been adopted by the board.
J Seymour has been a trustee for over nine years. As indicated above, the Charity Code of Conduct recommends explanation of a tenure longer than nine years - the board recommended John's reappointment due to his extensive knowledge and experience in oversight of the organisation's finances.
Management and organisation
Management of the charity is delegated to the Chief Executive & Artistic Director, Jane Corry. She is supported by a senior leadership team consisting of the Deputy Director & Technical Manager: Matt Biss; the Marketing Manager, Sally Worman; the Digital Marketing Manager, Alex van der Borght; and the Financial Controller, Ray Bower.
Catering at Norden Farm is considered as vital to ensure audience retention and this is provided by Long Barn Catering Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary which donates its profits to the Trust.
The Trustees and the Chief Executive direct and control the Trust and the management team run day to day operations.
The group employed an average of 39 staff on a mix of full and part-time contracts with a full time equivalent of 27 people. Furthermore, the charity would not be able to operate without the services of over 120 volunteers who fill important roles such as stewarding and front of house services. We are very grateful for their contribution to our success.
Pay policy
All the trustees give their time freely and no director received remuneration or expenses in the year with the exception of those mentioned in 'Relationships with related parties' below.
Trustees review the Chief Executive's pay annually by reference to similar roles and what is considered affordable. The management reviews and proposes staff pay within the limits of the budget which is then approved by a sub-committee of the board.
Wherever possible the organisation follows best practice in all pay, statutory pension, and staff welfare policies.
Risk management
A risk register is maintained by the management and has been reviewed bi-annually by the board.
The register identifies both financial risks e.g. increased competition, and non-financial risks e.g. fire, health & safety, with an estimated probability of an occurrence of the risk and of the impact on Norden Farm in the event that it materialised, leading to a risk score. All risks identified have a mitigation plan and whether the risk is considered high, medium or low.
Environmental, Social, Governance
While the main focus of Norden Farm is to enrich lives through creative experiences, every organisation today is mindful of the impact it makes on the world.
To this end, Norden Farm consider the environmental impact of each investment or repair to the buildings and the infrastructure and whether harm to the environment can be reduced. In particular, discussions relating to heat pumps to reduce energy usage and disposal of waste have featured in management and board discussions.
Greater awareness of the responsibilities of being a good employer has been introduced and improved a number of policies and guidelines.
Lastly, the board regularly reviews recommendations and guidelines from the Charity Commission on the role of the trustee, the board and what constitutes best practice.
Charity code of conduct
The trustees have taken note of the Charity Governance Code published by the Charity Governance Steering Group. Although not a legal requirement, voluntary adoption is encouraged proportionate to the size of the organisation.
The trustees have reviewed the Charity Governance Code and implemented those recommendations which are considered relevant including the trustees' terms of office (see above).
Relationships with related parties
Any connection between a trustee or senior manager of the charity with a production company, contracted actor, performer, exhibitor or supplier must be disclosed to the board of trustees in the same way as any other contractual relationship with a related party.
No related party transactions were reported.
The catering facilities at Norden Farm are operated by Long Barn Catering Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary company which donates all its profit to the Trust. This service is considered essential to support the operation of the arts centre as a performance space.
The charity also has a cost sharing agreement with Norden Farm Centre for the Arts Ltd, a company limited by guarantee. This company is not owned by the Trust but has directors in common and is controlled by the Trust. It is responsible for running the theatre and facilities on behalf of the Trust.
Trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the accounts
The charity trustees, who are also the directors of The Norden Farm Centre Trust Ltd under company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the accounts in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the charity trustees to prepare accounts for each year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and the group and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable group for that period. In preparing the accounts, 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;
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the accounts comply with the Companies Act 2006 and the Charities Act 2011. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and the group and hence taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information on the charitable company’s website.
Statement as to disclosure to our auditors
We, the directors of the company who held office at the date of approval of these accounts as set out above each confirm, so far as we are aware, that;
there is no relevant audit information of which the company's auditors are unaware; and
we have taken all the steps that we ought to have taken as directors in order to make ourselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the company's auditors are aware of that information.
By order of the board of trustees
S Egan
Director and trustee Dated: 12 July 2024
Report of the Independent Auditors
to the trustees of The Norden Farm Centre Trust Limited
Opinion
We have audited the accounts of The Norden Farm Centre Trust Limited for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise the Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheets, the Statements of Cash Flows and the related notes, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion the accounts:
give a true and fair view of the state of the group and the parent charity company's affairs as at 31 March 2024 and of the group's incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;
have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice applicable to charitable companies; and
have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the accounts section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the accounts in the UK, including the FRC's Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
Conclusions relating to going concern
In auditing the accounts, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the accounts is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charitable company and group's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least 12 months from when the accounts are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
Other information
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the accounts and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information.
Our opinion on the accounts does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
In connection with our audit of the accounts, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the accounts or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the accounts or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
Matters on which we are required to report by exception
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:
The information given in the trustees' report is inconsistent in any material respect with the accounts; or
sufficient accounting records have not been kept; or
the accounts are not in agreement with the accounting records; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
Responsibilities of trustees
As explained more fully in the trustees' responsibilities statement in the Trustees' Report, the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of accounts that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the accounts, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company and group's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the accounts
We have been appointed as auditor under section 152 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with regulations made under the Act and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the accounts as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these accounts.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:
Regular consolidated monthly management accounts are prepared and presented at meetings of the trustees which include financial oversight.
There are no significant laws and regulations applying to the parent charity company or its subsidiary which in themselves could cause a material misstatement in the accounts.
Our assessment of the risk of fraud , including discussion of this with management, was that this was low and opportunities were minimal and the audit testing performed did not lead to any revision of this assessment. Large and unusual transactions were tested, including journals, and this did not indicate anything to the contrary.
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the accounts is located on the Financial Reporting Council's website at:

"https://www.frc.org.uk/Our-Work/Audit/Audit-and-assurance/Standards-and-guidance/Standards-and-guidance-for-auditors/Auditors-responsibilities-for-audit/Description-of-auditors-responsibilities-for-audit.aspx".

This description forms part of our auditor's report.
Use of our report
This report is made solely to the charitable company's trustees, as a body, in accordance with Part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company's trustees those matters we are required to state to them in a Report of the Auditors and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company's trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
Dated: 12 July 2024
Durrants, Chartered Accountants 24 Wellington Business Park
Statutory Auditor Dukes Ride
Crowthorne
Berks RG45 6LS
Durrants is eligible for appointment as auditor of the charitable company by virtue of its eligibility for appointment as auditor of a company under section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.
The Norden Farm Centre Trust Limited
Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities
Including Consolidated Income and Expenditure Account under Companies Act 2006
For the year ended 31 March 2024
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total Total
2024 2024 2024 2023
Note £ £ £ £
Income from:
Donations 6 192,175 - 192,175 194,532
Charitable activities 7 471,751 294,488 766,239 611,810
Other trading activities 8 428,156 - 428,156 364,652
Investments 9 23,813 - 23,813 9,148
Total 1,115,895 294,488 1,410,383 1,180,142
Expenditure on:
Raising funds 10 372,272 - 372,272 319,188
Charitable activities 11 683,507 294,488 977,995 843,736
Depreciation 19 15,945 149,058 165,003 155,398
Total 1,071,724 443,546 1,515,270 1,318,322
Net income/(deficit) for the year 44,171 (149,058) (104,887) (138,180)
Transfers between funds - - - -
Net income/(deficit)
and net movement in funds 44,171 (149,058) (104,887) (138,180)
Reconciliation of funds: 25
Total funds brought forward 500,642 4,016,596 4,517,238 4,655,418
Total funds carried forward 544,813 3,867,538 4,412,351 4,517,238
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The notes form part of these accounts.
The Norden Farm Centre Trust Limited
Balance Sheets
Company registered number 02713653
As at 31 March 2024
Group Group Charity Charity
2024 2023 2024 2023
Note £ £ £ £
Fixed assets
Tangible assets 19 3,936,114 4,077,613 3,936,114 4,077,613
Investments 20 - - 47,000 47,000
Total fixed assets 3,936,114 4,077,613 3,983,114 4,124,613
Current assets
Stocks 21 7,264 10,458 - -
Debtors 22 83,554 34,077 205,964 119,901
Cash at bank and in hand 875,897 807,836 743,597 712,247
Total current assets 966,715 852,371 949,561 832,148
Liabilities
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 23 (490,478) (412,746) (474,001) (393,200)
Net current assets 476,237 439,625 475,560 438,948
Total net assets 4,412,351 4,517,238 4,458,674 4,563,561
The funds of the group and charity: 25
Restricted income funds 3,867,538 4,016,596 3,867,538 4,016,596
Unrestricted funds 544,813 500,642 591,136 546,965
4,412,351 4,517,238 4,458,674 4,563,561
Continued on next page.
The charity is entitled to the exemption from the group audit requirement contained in section 477 of the Companies Act 2006, for the year ended 31 March 2024, although an audit has been carried out under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011. No member has deposited a notice, pursuant to section 476, requiring an audit of these accounts under the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
The trustees have prepared group accounts in accordance with section 398 of the Companies Act 2006 and section 138 of the Charities Act 2011. These accounts are prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act relating to small companies and constitute the annual accounts required by the Companies Act 2006 and are for circulation to members of the company.
The notes form part of these accounts.
Approved by the board of trustees and directors on: 12 July 2024
S Egan
Director and trustee
The Norden Farm Centre Trust Limited
Statements of Cash Flows
For the year ended 31 March 2024
Group Group Charity Charity
2024 2023 2024 2023
£ £ £ £
Cash flows from operating activities:
Deficit for the year (104,887) (138,180) (104,887) (138,180)
Adjusting for:
Interest receivable (23,813) (9,148) (23,813) (9,148)
Depreciation 165,003 155,398 165,003 155,398
Movement in stocks 3,194 (3,319) - -
Movement in debtors (49,477) 8,622 (86,063) (77,202)
Movement in creditors 77,732 72,252 80,801 68,295
172,639 223,805 135,928 137,343
Net cash provided by operating activities 67,752 85,625 31,041 (837)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Interest 23,813 9,148 23,813 9,148
Purchase of tangible fixed assets (23,504) (3,989) (23,504) (3,989)
Net cash used in investing activities 309 5,159 309 5,159
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period 68,061 90,784 31,350 4,322
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period 807,836 717,052 712,247 707,925
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period 875,897 807,836 743,597 712,247
The Norden Farm Centre Trust Limited
Notes to the accounts
For the year ended 31 March 2024
1 Accounting policies
The significant accounting policies applied in the preparation of these accounts are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all years presented.
Company information
The charity is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. In the event of the charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per member of the charity. The arts centre and registered office address is: Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Altwood Road, Maidenhead, Berks SL6 4PF.
Basis of preparation
The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with 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 issued in October 2019, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Charities Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006 and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.
The accounts are presented in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity and group, rounded to the nearest £.
Going concern
The charity reported an annual net cash inflow of £31,350 and inflow of £68,061 on a group basis. The trustees are of the view that the level of cash reserves, projected cash inflows and future funding already in place, secure the immediate future of the charity for at least 24 months following the year end.
Group accounts
These accounts consolidate the results of the charity and its wholly owned subsidiary Long Barn Limited on a line-by-line basis. A separate Statement of Financial Activities and Income and Expenditure Account for the charity has not been presented because the charity has taken advantage of the exemption afforded by section 408 of the Companies Act 2006.
Income
Trading income is measured at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable and represents amounts receivable for goods and services provided in the normal course of activities, net of discounts and VAT where applicable.
Income from charitable activities is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the item(s) of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Donations and income from government and other grants, whether ‘capital’ grants or ‘revenue’ grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached or implied have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Income (continued)
Legacies are recognised on receipt or otherwise if the charity has been notified of an impending distribution, the amount is known, and receipt is expected. If the amount is not known then the legacy is treated as a contingent asset in the accounts.
Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the Bank.
Expenditure
Expenditure is recognised in the accounts once there is either a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Expenditure is classified under the following activity headings (excluding associated support costs):
Raising funds: Comprise the costs incurred in attracting voluntary funds and of commercial trading including the café bar.
Expenditure on charitable activities: Includes the costs of events, exhibitions and other educational or social activities undertaken to further the purposes of the charity.
Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds are available for activities that further any of the purposes of charity. Designated funds are unrestricted funds which the trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose. Restricted funds are grants and donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular areas of the charity’s work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity.
Allocation of support costs
The SORP (FRS102) requires that support costs are disclosed by activity. Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Support costs normally include back office costs, finance, personnel, payroll and governance costs which support the programmes and activities.
As the cost of expenditure on charitable activities is inclusive of the cost of raising funds and these are not practically identifiable, the support costs cannot be meaningfully allocated.
Tangible fixed assets
Individual fixed assets costing £1,000 or more are capitalised at cost and are depreciated over their estimated useful economic lives on a straight line basis as follows:
Land and buildings : 2% straight line
Machinery, fixtures and equipment : from 2% to 33% straight line
The carrying values of tangible fixed assets by class are reviewed annually for any indications of impairment in value.
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 net income/(expenditure) for the year.
Fixed asset investments
Fixed asset investments, being shares in the wholly owned subsidiary undertaking, are recorded at the full cost of shares acquired in the charity's own accounts. Any premium paid on shares so acquired is treated as a notional transfer within the group unrestricted funds in so far as the corresponding share premium account arising in the subsidiary undertaking is reduced by way of a solvent capital reduction.
The carrying value of investments is reviewed annually for any indications of impairment in value.
Stock
Stock is included at the lower of cost or net realisable value. Donated items of stock are recognised at fair value which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay for the items on the open market.
Debtors
Trade, activity and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any discount offered.
Cash and cash equivalents
Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.
Creditors and provisions
Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.
Financial instruments
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. The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments recognised initially at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value.
Employee benefits
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 company is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
Pensions
Contributions to the charity's defined contribution plan are expensed in the period to which they relate.
Operating leases
Rentals payable under operating leases, including any lease incentives received, are charged to income on a straight line basis over the term of the relevant lease.
2 Critical accounting estimates and judgements
In the application of the accounting policies, the directors 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.
3 Financial Performance of the charity
The consolidated statement of financial activities includes the results of the charity's wholly owned subsidiary, Long Barn Catering Limited, which operates the café bar facilities. The summary financial performance of the charity alone is:
2024 2023
£ £
Income 1,008,814 847,657
Donation from subsidiary undertaking (note 4) 29,297 13,297
Total expenditure (977,995) (843,736)
Operating surplus/(deficit) of the charity before depreciation 60,116 17,218
Depreciation (165,003) (155,398)
Net result (104,887) (138,180)
Total funds brought forward 4,563,561 4,701,741
Total funds carried forward 4,458,674 4,563,561
Represented by:
Restricted income funds 3,867,538 4,016,596
Unrestricted income funds 591,136 546,965
4,458,674 4,563,561
4 Financial performance of the subsidiary undertaking
The consolidated statement of financial activities includes the results of the charity's wholly owned subsidiary, Long Barn Catering Limited (company registration number 03870502), which operates a café bar facility. The summary financial performance of the subsidiary is as follows:
2024 2023
£ £
Income 401,569 332,485
Grant allocation - -
Expenditure (372,272) (319,188)
Donation to parent undertaking (under a Deed of Covenant) (29,297) (13,297)
Net result - -
Current assets 139,564 106,047
Current liabilities (138,887) (105,370)
Total net assets 677 677
Share capital and reserves 677 677
5 Net income 2024 2023
£ £
Net income / (expenditure) is stated after charging / (crediting):
Depreciation 165,003 155,398
Auditor's remuneration for audit services 8,000 8,000
Auditor's remuneration for non-audit services 4,850 4,300
6 Income from donations 2024 2024 2024 2023
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total Total
£ £ £ £
Group:
Core funding from the local authority 115,000 - 115,000 115,000
Angels, patrons and member subscriptions 27,144 - 27,144 30,825
Donations received via film programme 26,724 - 26,724 23,145
Tax credits and other donations 23,307 - 23,307 25,562
192,175 - 192,175 194,532
7 Income from charitable activities 2024 2024 2024 2023
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total Total
£ £ £ £
Grants/ income for specific activities - 294,488 294,488 178,980
Hire of facilities 238,832 - 238,832 220,305
Costs recovered under cost sharing agreement (note 17) 191,402 - 191,402 175,520
Sales and sales commissions 23,722 - 23,722 21,686
Booking fees 17,795 - 17,795 15,319
471,751 294,488 766,239 611,810
8 Income earned from other activities 2024 2024 2024 2023
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total Total
£ £ £ £
Commercial trading operations 401,569 - 401,569 332,485
Other fundraising activities 26,587 - 26,587 32,167
428,156 - 428,156 364,652
9 Investment income 2024 2024 2024 2023
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total Total
£ £ £ £
Bank interest receivable 23,813 - 23,813 9,148
10 Expenditure on raising funds 2024 2024 2024 2023
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total Total
£ £ £ £
Commercial trading operations 372,272 - 372,272 319,188
11 Analysis of expenditure 2024 2024 2024 2023
on charitable activities Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total Total
£ £ £ £
Grants made - - - -
Staff and related costs in the charity 414,541 147,111 561,652 483,221
Educational and social projects - 147,377 147,377 125,426
Marketing costs 30,871 - 30,871 28,105
Establishment costs 103,304 - 103,304 80,717
Insurance 28,501 - 28,501 29,495
Administrative costs 26,095 - 26,095 19,288
Repairs and renewals 43,370 43,370 40,155
Legal and professional 11,436 - 11,436 12,455
Audit and accountancy fees 12,850 - 12,850 12,300
Bank charges 11,690 - 11,690 10,252
Other charitable activities 849 - 849 2,322
683,507 294,488 977,995 843,736
12 Summary analysis of expenditure and related income
for charitable activities
This table shows the cost of the main charitable activities and the sources of income directly to support those activities of the charity in the current period.
Core
activities Education Total
£ £ £
Total expenditure (683,507) (294,488) (977,995)
Income from cost sharing agreement 191,402 - 191,402
Core funding from the local authority 115,000 - 115,000
Grants and income for specific activities - 294,488 294,488
Net cost funded from other income or from funds brought forward (377,105) - (377,105)
13 Analysis of governance and support costs
The charity considers that all the work it undertakes is directly attributable to its charitable objective, that is the provision of an arts centre to the local community.
The trustees do not consider that any additional analysis or apportionment in relation to support and governance costs, between the costs of raising funds and of charitable activities, is meaningful or required in the context of the charity operations and expenditure as any amounts attributed beyond the annual audit fee would be trivial.
14 Trustee remuneration
The trustees were not paid or received any other benefits from employment with the charity or its subsidiary in the year (2023: £nil), neither were they reimbursed expenses during the year (2023: £nil).
15 Key management
The key management personnel of the charity and its subsidiary undertaking comprise the trustees, the chief executive and artistic director, the deputy director and technical manager, the events and operations manager, the marketing manager, and the financial controller. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel were £177,605 (2023: £202,537) for the group and £174,457 (2023: £177,222) for the charity.
16 Employees and staff costs 2024 2023
£ £
Amounts paid to staff employed in the group:
Wages and salaries 640,418 557,446
Social security costs 46,319 42,974
Pension costs 15,832 10,708
702,569 611,128
No employees had employee benefits in excess of £60,000 (2023: none). Pension costs are allocated to activities in proportion to the related staffing costs incurred and are wholly charged to unrestricted funds.
2024 2023 2024 2023
The average monthly number of employees No. No. FTE FTE
and full time equivalents were as follows:
Management 1 1 1 1
Box office, marketing and administration 16 14 12 10
Technical support 5 5 5 5
Catering 17 12 9 8
39 32 27 24
17 Related party transactions
Norden Farm Centre for the Arts Limited provides the live 3rd party performance and film programme in the Trust premises. The trustees of the charity are also directors of this company. The charity recovered £191,402 (2023: £175,520) from Norden Farm Centre for the Arts Limited under a cost sharing agreement including rent. At the end of the year the charity owed £164,441 (2023: £141,663) to this company.
No trustee, or close family members thereof, conducted any transaction with the charity or its subsidiary undertaking during the year, other than as disclosed in the Trustees' Report.
18 Taxation
The charity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within section 505 of the Taxes Act 1988 or section 252 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects. The trading subsidiary is a company within the charge to tax but no provision is made as all profits are donated in full to the parent charity each year.
19 Tangible fixed assets
Land and buildings Plant and equipment Total
Group and charity:
Cost
At 1 April 7,255,268 575,269 7,830,537
Additions 10,139 13,365 23,504
Disposals - - -
At 31 March 7,265,407 588,634 7,854,041
Depreciation
At 1 April 3,264,849 488,075 3,752,924
Charged in year 146,800 18,203 165,003
On disposals - - -
At 31 March 3,411,649 506,278 3,917,927
Net book value
At 31 March 2024 3,853,758 82,356 3,936,114
At 31 March 2023 3,990,419 87,194 4,077,613
20 Fixed asset investments
The charity holds 100 shares of £1 each in its wholly owned trading subsidiary company Long Barn Catering Limited (company number 03870502). These are the only shares allotted, called up and fully paid. The activities and results of this company are summarised in note 4.
2024 2023
Charity: £ £
Cost and carrying amount
At 1 April 47,000 47,000
Movement in year - -
At 31 March 47,000 47,000
21 Stock Group Group Charity Charity
2024 2023 2024 2023
£ £ £ £
Goods held for resale in the café bar 7,264 10,458 - -
22 Debtors Group Group Charity Charity
2024 2023 2024 2023
£ £ £ £
Activity receivables 29,811 27,181 29,811 27,181
Due from group undertakings - - 122,410 85,824
Due from related undertakings 13,414 6,896 13,414 6,896
Other debtors - - - -
Prepayments and accrued income 40,329 - 40,329 -
83,554 34,077 205,964 119,901
23 Creditors: Group Group Charity Charity
amounts falling due within one year 2024 2023 2024 2023
£ £ £ £
Trade and activity payables 47,410 9,218 45,809 6,234
Due to group undertakings - - - -
Due to related undertakings 164,441 141,663 164,441 141,663
Taxation and social security 34,211 10,151 30,435 (111)
Other creditors 62,325 75,947 62,325 75,947
Accruals 115,352 93,926 104,252 87,626
Deferred income (note 24) 66,739 81,841 66,739 81,841
490,478 412,746 474,001 393,200
24 Deferred income 2024 2023
£ £
Group and charity:
Grant for core funding - -
Grants for specific activities 66,739 81,841
66,739 81,841
Grant for core funding comprises financial support provided quarterly in advance, by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, to fund the operation of the Norden Farm Centre for the Arts in accordance with the "Standard Agreement for the Provision of Services" originally dated 28 June 2016.
25 Analysis of group and charity funds
The income funds of the charity include both restricted funds, which comprise unexpended balances of income held on trust for specific purposes, and unrestricted funds, which include funds designated for particular purposes. Analysis of the funds movements in the year is as follows:
At 1 April Incoming resources Outgoing resources Adjustment
/Transfers
At 31 March
£ £ £ £ £
Charity designated funds 70,000 - - - 70,000
Charity general funds 430,065 1,115,895 (1,071,724) - 474,236
Subsidiary undertaking 577 401,569 (401,569) - 577
Total group unrestricted funds 500,642 1,517,464 (1,473,293) - 544,813
Charity land and buildings 3,979,228 - (144,732) - 3,834,496
Charity equipment 37,368 - (4,326) - 33,042
Special projects - 294,488 (294,488) - -
Theatre repair and restoration - - - - -
Total group restricted funds 4,016,596 294,488 (443,546) - 3,867,538
Total group funds 4,517,238 1,811,952 (1,916,839) - 4,412,351
Total charity funds (see note 26) 4,563,561 1,410,383 (1,515,270) - 4,458,674
26 Description of funds
Charity designated funds comprise £70,000 (2023: £70,000) set aside for the upkeep of the Arts Centre.
Charity land and buildings and charity equipment restricted funds represent funds raised to establish the Norden Farm Centre for the Arts in Maidenhead, and depreciation charged thereon. The Arts Council awarded National Lottery funds of £5,295,000 for the capital project plus £492,000 for the initial land purchase. The balance was raised from local authority funding, Foundation for Sports and the Arts, and local fundraising from companies and individuals.
The Special projects restricted fund represents the grants and donations received from the Arts Council, Spoore Merry and Rixman Foundation, Prince Phllip Trust, Cyril Taylor Trust, Baylis Trust and others, to fund specific social and education programmes run by the charity. Any transfers to this fund represent the amount of the education activities that is funded from unrestricted funds during the year.
27 Analysis of net assets between funds
Funds balances at 31 March are represented by:
General funds Designated funds Restricted funds Total
£ £ £ £
Group:
Tangible fixed assets 68,576 - 3,867,538 3,936,114
Net current assets 406,237 70,000 - 476,237
474,813 70,000 3,867,538 4,412,351
Charity:
Tangible fixed assets 68,576 - 3,867,538 3,936,114
Investments 47,000 - - 47,000
Net current assets 405,560 70,000 - 475,560
521,136 70,000 3,867,538 4,458,674
28 Financial instruments Group Group Charity Charity
2024 2023 2024 2023
£ £ £ £
Carrying amount of financial assets:
Debt instruments measured at amortised cost 919,122 841,913 909,232 832,148
Equity instruments at cost less impairment - - 47,000 47,000
919,122 841,913 956,232 879,148
Carrying amount of financial liabilities:
Measured at amortised cost 308,387 236,979 303,010 223,733
29 Post balance sheet events
There are no events occurring after the end of the year that require disclosure in these accounts,
30 Guarantees and commitments
No guarantees have been given or received. There are no financial commitments in place at 31 March 2024 requiring disclosure.
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