REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 07992590 (England and Wales)

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1148154

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2025

FOR

HAMPSTEAD ARTS FESTIVAL

Page

Report of the Trustees

1

to

3

Independent Examiner's Report

4

Statement of Financial Activities

5

Balance Sheet

6

to

7

Notes to the Financial Statements

8

to

9

The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31st March 2025. The trustees have adopted the provisions of 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).

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Objectives and aims

For many years there has been an annual celebration of the arts in Hampstead, originally as a joint festival with Highgate and, since 2012, as the Hampstead Arts Festival. Its objects are essentially to promote and enhance the public enjoyment of the creative and performing arts (including in particular music, literature and the visual arts) through concerts, performances and exhibitions for the public benefit at an annual festival in Hampstead, and at other times if the Trustees wish; and to make grants for any charitable purposes the Trustees wish to support.

The festival provided an eclectic mix of music and literary events in some of Hampstead's most beautiful venues. Innovative programmes curated by the music director Eric Usadi and his literary counterparts, and performances of exceptional quality made the festival a distinctive voice in and around Hampstead. But in 2020 Covid-19 forced the festival into hibernation and in September 2022 Eric retired after almost a decade at the helm.

We were fortunate to appoint the cellist Gemma Rosefield and violinist Benjamin Nabarro as the new artistic directors, working alongside the literary director Valeria Vescina. The timing of this change made it impossible to put on a festival in 2022 and, despite our best efforts, it did not prove possible in 2023 or 2024. However, we are committed to relaunching the festival as soon as we can, while remaining fiscally responsible. We are hopeful of appointing a festival manager in the very near future to help us achieve that.

In determining our objectives, the trustees have considered the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit. Our aim is to engage closely with the local community across the generations, and develop an outreach programme to bring music to those who cannot access our events, drawing on our artistic directors' extensive experience of outreach work in other parts of the country.

The Festival's background

The festival is run and governed by an enthusiastic and skilled volunteer board, with some additional help from a small but loyal group of volunteers during festivals. The board members have backgrounds or experience in music, literature, business and law. We have a wide range of contacts within the world of music and books, and the new artistic directors have their own professional networks.

Charitable Activities

As there was no festival in 2024, it was again not possible to host a concert jointly with Hampstead Parish Church, as we have done previously, to raise funds for a local charity.

Future Activities

Our focus as a board is to create a stable administrative and financial platform on which to relaunch the festival, initially on a small scale, and build on its artistic vision. We are optimistic about planning for the future provided we can raise the necessary funds to operate and maintain the festival on a firm footing. That is our first priority. Once we have a festival in place, we will be looking to bolster the board with new appointments.

Our artistic aspirations

The festival's aim is to build on its reputation for innovation and artistic excellence and reinvigorate the mix of events to make them relevant and appealing to Hampstead. We want the community to be enthused and inspired.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Reserves policy

We recognise our current resources are limited, both in terms of human and financial capital. We are seeking to ensure the festival's continued success in the future, once it resumes. Our ideal position would be to secure sufficient working capital to enable us to plan for more than a year in advance. This would decrease exposure to later booking patterns which makes our cash flow less predictable.

The charity aims to build an adequate level of reserves, which the trustees consider to be the amount required to meet its planned activities and events for the year ahead, subject to the constraints of the current circumstances. Our working capital, although positive, only provides security and planning for one season at a time.

To build a high class, forward-looking festival which has wide recognition with artists and audiences in North London, and art and music lovers from further afield, we would greatly benefit from 3 to 5 years of assured funding. Multi-year funding would give us the stability to act with a longer-term perspective and ensure our ability to deliver both the artistic and the educational goals of the festival at the highest artistic level.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document

The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.

Recruitment and appointment of new trustees

The existing trustees will appoint new trustees on the basis of their knowledge and experience and their ability to contribute to the achievement of the charity's objectives.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Registered Company number

07992590 (England and Wales)

Registered Charity number

1148154

Registered office

First Floor, Jebsen House

53-61 High Street

Ruislip

Middlesex

HA4 7BD

Trustees

J S White

J Karpel

M V Vescina Warszewski (resigned 28.10.25)

A Zelkina

M J F M Dolmans

Independent Examiner

Sproull & Co.

Chartered Accountants

First Floor, Jebsen House

53-61 High Street

Ruislip

Middlesex

HA4 7BD

This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 28th October 2025 and signed on its behalf by:

J S White - Trustee

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Hampstead Arts Festival ('the Company')

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31st March 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company 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 your charity's accounts as carried out under Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner's statement

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:

1.	accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by Section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

2.	the accounts do not accord with those records; or

3.	the accounts 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

4.

the accounts 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 accounts to be reached.

Michelle Wickwar A.C.A., F.C.C.A.

Sproull & Co.

Chartered Accountants

First Floor, Jebsen House

53-61 High Street

Ruislip

Middlesex

HA4 7BD

30th October 2025

2025

2024

Unrestricted

fund

Total funds

Notes

£

£

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM

Donations and legacies

505

405

EXPENDITURE ON

Charitable activities

Concerts and literary events

1,193

1,334

Other

1,076

913

Total

2,269

2,247

NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

(1,764

)

(1,842

)

RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS

Total funds brought forward

20,581

22,423

TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD

18,817

20,581

2025

2024

Unrestricted

fund

Total funds

Notes

£

£

CURRENT ASSETS

Debtors

4

1,554

1,554

Cash at bank and in hand

18,284

19,997

19,838

21,551

CREDITORS

Amounts falling due within one year

5

(1,021

)

(970

)

NET CURRENT ASSETS

18,817

20,581

TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES

18,817

20,581

NET ASSETS

18,817

20,581

FUNDS

Unrestricted funds

18,817

20,581

TOTAL FUNDS

18,817

20,581

The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31st March 2025.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31st March 2025 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for

(a)	ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and

(b)

preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime.

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 28th October 2025 and were signed on its behalf by:

J S White - Trustee

1.	ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements

The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) '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)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

Income

All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Expenditure

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, 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 accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

2.	TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31st March 2025 nor for the year ended 31st March 2024.

Trustees' expenses

During the year, £Nil (2024 - £Nil) expenses were reimbursed to the Trustees in relation to promotional and fundraising expenses.

3.	STAFF COSTS

The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:

2025

2024

Trustees

5

5

No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000.

4.	DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

2025

2024

£

£

Gift aid recoverable

1,554

1,554

5.	CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

2025

2024

£

£

Accrued expenses

1,021

970

6.	RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31st March 2025.

7.	LEGAL STATUS OF THE CHARITY

Hampstead Arts Festival is a charitable company limited by guarantee and has no share capital. The liability of each member in the event of winding-up is limited to £1.