CREATIVE COLCHESTER CIC

Company limited by guarantee

Company Registration Number:
14519935 (England and Wales)

Unaudited statutory accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025

Period of accounts

Start date: 1 April 2024

End date: 31 March 2025

CREATIVE COLCHESTER CIC

Contents of the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 March 2025

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

CREATIVE COLCHESTER CIC

Directors' report period ended 31 March 2025

The directors present their report with the financial statements of the company for the period ended 31 March 2025

Directors

The directors shown below have held office during the whole of the period from
1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025

Mr F Hargrave
H L Loftus


The director shown below has held office during the period of
14 January 2025 to 31 March 2025

Mrs E J Howe


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

This report was approved by the board of directors on
26 August 2025

And signed on behalf of the board by:
Name: H L Loftus
Status: Director

CREATIVE COLCHESTER CIC

Profit And Loss Account

for the Period Ended 31 March 2025

2025 16 months to 31 March 2024


£

£
Turnover: 121,831 106,707
Gross profit(or loss): 121,831 106,707
Administrative expenses: ( 95,125 ) ( 54,691 )
Other operating income: 131
Operating profit(or loss): 26,837 52,016
Profit(or loss) before tax: 26,837 52,016
Profit(or loss) for the financial year: 26,837 52,016

CREATIVE COLCHESTER CIC

Balance sheet

As at 31 March 2025

Notes 2025 16 months to 31 March 2024


£

£
Current assets
Cash at bank and in hand: 80,523 53,803
Total current assets: 80,523 53,803
Prepayments and accrued income: 330 313
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year: 3 ( 2,000 ) ( 2,100 )
Net current assets (liabilities): 78,853 52,016
Total assets less current liabilities: 78,853 52,016
Total net assets (liabilities): 78,853 52,016
Members' funds
Profit and loss account: 78,853 52,016
Total members' funds: 78,853 52,016

The notes form part of these financial statements

CREATIVE COLCHESTER CIC

Balance sheet statements

For the year ending 31 March 2025 the company was entitled to exemption under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.

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

This report was approved by the board of directors on 26 August 2025
and signed on behalf of the board by:

Name: H L Loftus
Status: Director

The notes form part of these financial statements

CREATIVE COLCHESTER CIC

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 March 2025

  • 1. Accounting policies

    Basis of measurement and preparation

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

    Turnover policy

    Income is included in the financial statements as it becomes receivable or due.

    Other accounting policies

    Reporting period These financial statements cover the year ended 31 March 2025, the prior financial statements covered the period from incorporation on 2 December 2022 to 31 March 2024, a period of 16 months. The comparative financial statements may therefore not be entirely comparable. Taxation The company is exempt from corporation tax, it being a company not carrying on a business for the purposes of making a profit.

CREATIVE COLCHESTER CIC

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 March 2025

  • 2. Employees

    2025 16 months to 31 March 2024
    Average number of employees during the period 0 0

CREATIVE COLCHESTER CIC

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 March 2025

3. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year note

2025 16 months to 31 March 2024
£ £
Accruals and deferred income 2,000 2,100
Total 2,000 2,100

COMMUNITY INTEREST ANNUAL REPORT

CREATIVE COLCHESTER CIC

Company Number: 14519935 (England and Wales)

Year Ending: 31 March 2025

Company activities and impact

This financial year, Creative Colchester has: Delivered 29 Growing Business events for Colchester’s community of creative freelancers, including -12 networking meetups and 2 specialist networking events (1 for neurodivergent creatives, 1 for performing arts teachers), -8 skills training workshops -2 panel discussions -2 partnership events with Made in Essex and Screen South -3 funding advice clinics. Here is some feedback from our Growing Business projects: ‘The workshop was really well structured, informative and I came away with a series of actions I can take to get myself and my practice into a stronger position.’ ‘This funding clinic was CRUCIAL on my journey to submitting my ACE funding application. My advisor came very prepared, with lots of notes on my draft, and went above and beyond with his time and efforts to make sure I felt confident and supported through the last week of my application-writing journey.’ ‘Friendly and totally bespoke to our needs. Real practical information that will open many opportunities. Also inspirational! I came out with more ideas.’ -We commissioned 47 creative projects as part of our monthly First Thursdays festival, generating paid work for local creatives and increasing footfall to Colchester’s venues. 1319 community members attended First Thursday events during this period, engaging with creative activities, performances and community based initiatives. We have been able to employ people from the network as Production Assistants for these mini festivals, which have led to further employment opportunities with other event organisers. -We successfully piloted Creative Careers days in two secondary schools, delivering 48 workshops to young people in topics that included event management, graphic design, publishing, songwriting, performance and more. The feedback from staff and students was very positive: -‘I haven’t considered a creative career but after today I’ve found a lot I am interested in’ -‘I want to a doctor or nurse, but after today I have a new idea for a side business in photography’ -‘It was an amazing day and the plan fitted perfectly. All of the year group managed to try something different....it would be great to offer more in the future!’- St Helena School As part of our Creative Careers provision, we also delivered a Career Progression Day at Colchester institute and produced a Creative Careers resource booklet for young people/careers offices. This year we were engaged by Colchester BID to collaborate on a City Centre Programming strategy to look at ways in which spaces can be used for creative events and community projects. This project will continue into the 2025-26 financial year.

Consultation with stakeholders

Creative Colchester’s activity is guided by an advisory board which brings together the key stakeholders in the sector including Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisations, University of Essex, Colchester Institute and representatives from the independent, freelance and business sector. Colchester City Council and Essex County Council, along with the Arts Council, have observer status. The board meets quarterly and provides the strategic direction for the CIC’s activity. Specific workstreams are overseen by a stakeholder steering group which shapes and provides oversight of the programmed activity. These steering groups include relevant wider stakeholders including the local Business Improvement District, community organisations, education representatives and smaller arts/cultural organisations as appropriate. Creative Colchester also conducts regular surveys of the network membership and wider sector, to gather insights into the activities that would most benefit the sector and fulfil the CIC’s mission. The programme of business and freelancer support and training is developed to directly respond to this.

Directors' remuneration

No remuneration was received

Transfer of assets

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration

This report was approved by the board of directors on
28 August 2025

And signed on behalf of the board by:
Name: Hana Loftus
Status: Director