The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 30 September 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)” (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2016)
To promote and advance performance arts, most particular the arts of theatre, opera and ballet including through the presentation of a summer season of theatrical performances in Frinton on Sea.
Frinton Summer Theatre runs a seven-week season in July and August. Its home is the McGrigor Hall (formerly the WI Hall). It performs one play a week in repertory ("Weekly Rep"). It is one of the few remaining theatres in the UK to undertaken Weekly Rep. Although Weekly Rep is now a rarity in the theatrical world, Frinton Summer Theatre enjoys a considerable reputation in the theatrical industry. It has been the starting point for many well-known names in the Theatre including Julie Christie, Anthony Sher, Michael Denison, Jane Asher, Vanessa Redgrave, Owen Teale, Linda Bellingham and Neil Dudgeon.
For summer 2024, the productions in the McGrigor Hall were: Chariots of Fire, Bestseller, The Winslow Boy, The Sociable Plover & Constellations, Fanny’s Burning!, Noises Off.
Annie Get Your Gun was the musical produced in the tent on the Greensward.
This summer season was a huge artistic success: social media was ablaze with good wishes and praise for our productions; we have nearly 3000 Mailchimp subscribers with 2,700 Facebook and 1,500 Instagram followers. The Board was very pleased with commercial results too: McGrigor Hall productions took £6,144 more in ticket sales than 2023; the musical took £18,018 more in ticket sales (than My Fair Lady in 2023).
The McGrigor Hall season was extremely close to its target of 80% ticket sales. Noises Off was a sell-out (including two additional matinees). Second best was The Winslow Boy which included a local 14-year-old actor making his professional debut. The least well attended was our double bill - The Sociable Plover/Constellations.
Six actors made their professional debut at FST. Thanks to the Edward Max Directors’ Assistants Programme we were able to give intern opportunities to a new group of Directors’ Assistants hoping to work in theatre. Head of Production Adam Smith gave internships to a group of new set and costume designers, fulfilling our commitment to give graduates/new talent invaluable work experience. We concluded a new house agreement with the actors’ union Equity to ensure fair pay and conditions. (Equity visited us twice and were satisfied). We gave employment to 3 people with disabilities.
This year we continued to work on our front-of-house process to improve customer experience and deliver cost savings. We are proud to give meaningful employment to young people who often join us each year in between their professional drama school training. Our 2024 team included students still in training at East 15 acting school. We welcomed the Clacton Sea Cadets to help with programme sales during The Winslow Boy. In total we were supported by 50 volunteers across the season, including the Friends of Frinton Theatre.
A new online ticketing system allowed the theatre to commence ticket sales in April, bringing in revenue earlier to fund our season preparation. We have a fabulous new, branded horse box (courtesy of Stabililsed Pavements Ltd and Anglian Vehicle Linings) which was much admired and which offered some great cocktails and drinks supplied by our sponsors, Adnams and East Coast Distillery.
Other cost saving were made through a number of Trustees taking up significant operational roles thereby learning more about the workings of the season, as well as bringing their own professional skills and experiences to bear on improving the running of FST. This will help build on towards an even more efficient set-up next year.
Our production manager Adam Smith managed the transition into new and more cost-efficient storage premises.
Financial Support/ End of Season Financial Position
This season we did not receive any grant funding. Ticket sales only cover 66% of our costs so the Board and Producer worked hard to cover our ‘shortfall’ in the following ways:
We are proud to have been supported by five commercial sponsors: Ellisons, Adnams East Coast Distillery, Anglian Vehicle Linings, Stabilised Pavements Ltd, as well as the Friends of Frinton Theatre. The Friends of Frinton Theatre also paid for the McGrigor Hall hire.
We held two sold-out fund-raising events starring Toby Jones and Gyles Brandreth - raising nearly £32,000 between them.
We reached out to a select group of patrons asking for personal financial support this year and we received £57,000 in total, including a generous donation for the Hall seating. We are extremely grateful for this endorsement.
25 businesses advertised in our programmes, bringing in valuable revenue ahead of the season
Frinton Rotary Club provided sponsorship for Bestseller, enabling us to put on a special matinee for elderly and disabled citizens who have difficulty otherwise in coming to the theatre
Our new ticketing system also allowed people to gift aid donations at the point of booking
As in previous years we are applying for the government Theatre Tax Relief (TTR) for a percentage rebate on ‘pre -production costs’ which will take us into credit. The Board has set money aside to engage grant funding expertise for next year. We will see 3 new Trustees join our Board who bring a blend of theatrical and business knowledge to supplement our work.
Given the above results and efforts by our Board, the local community and our Patron Jane Asher, I am delighted to report that the picture for Frinton Summer Theatre is very encouraging.
The accounts for the year show a net surplus of £80,588.
Reserves at the balance sheet date amounted to £241,912, of which £201,818 are unrestricted.
Reserves are held to ensure the Charity has enough reserve funding in place to cover planned expenditure, taking account of known future revenue streams.
Frinton Summer Theatre is a registered charity (No, 1170429). The company was established with solely charitable objects and has operated within these since incorporation so it is treated as a charity from inception. It obtained formal registration with the Charity Commission on 28 November 2016.
The first trustees of the charity were appointed on incorporation. Subsequent trustees can be appointed by the trustees and there is no limit to the term of office. There must be a minimum of 3 trustees at any given time. The board is responsible for the strategic management of the charity and for setting policy. The day to day operational management is delegated to the Executive Directors.
All trustees give their time and expertise on a voluntary basis and receive no remuneration or other benefits.
The Trustees of the charity have referred to the guidance in the Charity Commission's general guidance on Public Benefit when reviewing its aims and objectives and in planning the Charity's future activities, including its guidance 'Public benefit: running a charity (PBS2).'
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:
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Frinton Summer Theatre (the charity) for the year ended 30 September 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 the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, 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.
Frinton Summer Theatre is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales.
The registered address is 92 Station Road, Clacton on Sea, Essex, CO15 1SG.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with 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)” (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2016). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities applying FRS 102 Update Bulletin 1 not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
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 £.
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.
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.
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.
During the year the following estimates were required.
The charge in respect of depreciation is derived after determining an estimate of an asset's expected useful life and the expected residual value at the end of its life. The estimates are based on historical experience with similar assets.
Costs are apportioned to determine 'core costs' incurred on producing and closing the theatrical production. These core costs are used as the basis for calculating Theatre Tax Relief.
Charitable Expenditure
Charitable Expenditure
Artistic programme
Support costs consist of £60,189 (2023: £83,638) of overheads and £3,480 (2023: £2,748) relating to an Independent Examination.
None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration or benefits from the charity during the year.
No staff were employed or remunerated by the charity during the year.
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
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.
Edward Max Director Programme
Donations were received by the Frinton Summer Theatre in relation to the above programme. The programme will offer placements to those training in the performing arts so they can gain valuable director's assistant work experience.
Mr Tomkins
Donations were received by the Frinton Summer Theatre to be used over four years as a contribution towards the annual seating costs at the McGrigor Hall in Frinton.
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 transactions with related parties during the year.