REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 03200475 (England and Wales)

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1058130

Trustees' Report and

Audited Financial Statements

for the Year Ended 31 March 2025

for

The Old Meeting House Trust

Page

Trustees' Report

1

to

10

Report of the Independent Auditors

11

to

14

Statement of Financial Activities

15

to

16

Balance Sheet

17

Cash Flow Statement

18

Notes to the Financial Statements

19

to

31

The Trustees, who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report and the audited financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025. The trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) Accounting and Reporting by Charities in preparing the annual report and financial statements of the charity.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in notes 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. Since the Company and Group qualifies as small under section 383 of the Companies Act 2006, the strategic report required of medium and large companies under the Companies Act 2006 (Strategic Report and Directors’ Report) Regulations 2013 has been omitted.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Objectives and aims

The objects of the Charity as set out in its Memorandum and Articles of Association are to foster, promote and to increase amongst the general public the knowledge and appreciation of art, music and literature and for those purposes to promote and to organise art exhibitions, music recitals and concerts, poetry recitals and readings, lectures and films upon artistic, musical and literary subjects and such other activities as are calculated to assist in the attainment of the said purposes".

These objects are pursued through the development and operation of Helmsley Arts Centre in Helmsley, North Yorkshire.

Public benefit

Our aims and objectives are reviewed each year, taking into account the success of each of our activities and the benefits they have brought to the people we aim to reach. The review ensures we remain focused on our aims, objectives and activities, and achieve our stated purpose. We have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aims and objectives and in planning future activities.

STRATEGIC REPORT

Achievements and performance

Management

Helmsley Arts Centre remains a strong institution and a much-loved hub of creative activity and entertainment for the rural district of northern Ryedale and beyond.

The trustees wish to pay tribute to the excellent overall management and leadership provided by Natasha Jones as artistic director and the meticulous administration and cost control exercised by Karen Gosney as general manager and finance officer. Natasha and Karen are very well supported by other part-time paid staff in marketing, box office, housekeeping, technical roles, and by our dedicated volunteers - whose multiple contribution to the life of the Arts Centres are organised with skill and patience by Sarah Barker as Volunteer Co-ordinator. Trustee sub-committees for HR and finance also play their proper part in HAC's management.

Events and Programming

Programme

In the last financial year, our 31st year hosting events at HAC, we welcomed an average of 500 people per week into HAC through our classes, groups, cafe, box office and exhibition. Alongside this we welcomed over 10,500 people over the year through our ticketed events including theatre, music, cinema, workshops, talks, comedy, spoken word, live screenings and fundraisers.

That's 13 touring theatre companies, 5 1812 Theatre Company productions, 2 1812 Youth Theatre productions, 105 musicians, 11 comedians/writers, 10 creative workshop facilitators, 37 cinema screenings, 7 live screenings, 2 fundraisers, 6 artists exhibitions and not forgetting the numerous private hire events, meetings and activities where we also welcomed many people through our doors.

The 1812 Theatre Company produced 4 shows in the last financial year, Double Bill Contractions in April 24, The Vicar of Dibley in July, Christmas Pantomime Pinocchio in December and Art in February 25. Those productions welcomed an impressive 2200 audience members through the door and included a total of over 100 people in the casts and crews. The total profit made by the 1812 productions was almost £18,500, which is an incredible feat from an amateur dramatics company where the majority of the work involved is done by volunteers. It is those volunteers, every single person involved, who are the most impressive element to me. For a small arts centre in a rural area to have a supportive and friendly theatre group who welcome all members of the community to get involved creatively with theatre, dance, music and everything involved in creating a production, is a true asset, and one that should be nurtured as a crucial element of HAC. I'd like to thank all members of the 1812 committee and the membership for their involvement and support of HAC.

Similarly, our 1812 Youth Theatre continues to welcome children and young people from 5-19yrs across the four groups who meet weekly in term time. March 2025 saw both group 3 and 4, our most senior age groups, performing a play each at HAC with group 4 also performing at York Theatre Royal in April 2025 as part of the National Theatre Connections programme. Group 3 created an ensemble performance of How to Be A Kid by Sarah Mcdonald-Hughes, a play about grief, resilience and the care system. Group 4 produced Brain Play by Chloë Lawrence-Taylor and Paul Sirett. A play which explores themes of trauma and healing, as the main character, teenage Mia, tries to find a cure for her father's brain injury. The group collaborated positively with skill, imagination and admirable passion to create a production that they, 1812 and HAC were incredibly proud of.

Alongside these groups, we are also fortunate to have the Ryedale Writers group who are always supportive of HAC's events and generously share their work at various fundraisers, often alongside our HAC Singers group, skillfully led by Jessa Liversidge, who demonstrate how music and singing can benefit health and wellbeing as well as having a beneficial social element in a rural area. Local Artist Hannah Turlington led the Creative Connections group in various creative projects, one of which 'CONNECTED' involved volunteers, staff, all groups and classes from HAC contributing to an art installation with the opportunity to reflect on what the word 'Connected' means to them and how this could be visually represented. The installation hangs in the foyer of HAC and short films were made interviewing various participants on their involvement which will be shared on our website once ready to publish.

Our Harminis music group for 0-5's with expert early years music education leader Kate Tyson continues to go from strength to strength with a sold out session on Friday mornings and since February 2025 a second almost full session straight after!

The hire booking activities at HAC, including ballet, yoga, pilates and Zumba provide a fitness and dance element to our community arts venue and encourage involvement from members of the community who might not otherwise engage with HAC too! It also encourages positive health & wellbeing, connection and fun - things we are advocates for at HAC.

For further details on this year's activities, achievements and challenges, please see pages 2-5 of the Trustees Report for the Year End 31 March 2025. A copy of the full report can be borrowed from HAC Office.

Marketing

Our current marketing channels are printed literature (bi-annual brochure & bi-monthly posters/flyers), Online platforms (Website, email, social media), Advertising and Press.

We use a marketing platform called Mailchimp to our email subscribers. We currently have 4850 people on our mailing list, an increase of over 200 over the past year. Expanding this list is crucial to our audience engagement and positively we currently have an average open rate of 50%, which is 27% higher than national audience average on the same platform.

Social Media

Facebook Followers: 2,512

Instagram: 2,505 (fastest growing social platform following)

Youtube: 325 subscribers, 32,098 views in the last year, compared to 17,400 in the previous year.

Areas to explore / expand

- More warm content for social media platforms to maintain current audiences and encourage new followers to build audiences

- Implementing more traceability for various channels and tracking conversions through our website and ProVenue

- Automated communication between mailing platform and ticketing platform to enable a more efficient and streamlined system, including building mailing list and communicating with customers

- Creating more content for Youtube to optimise use of platform

Technical

AGM Tech report, September 2025

'The past year has gone well, all the feedback from performers has been positive. Plus, we have a new team member, Mathew Trolle.

The new theatre lights have made a huge difference! I've even received positive feedback from an audience member. Regarding other equipment: a few faulty cables and one piece of video equipment have been replaced.

Currently the main concern is with the cinema equipment. Recently there have been glitches with both the server and projector. These haven't yet stopped or disrupted any screenings, but these issues are concerning. Sound Associates, who service the equipment, say the problems are due to age. Some parts are no longer available. Unfortunately, this means the projector and server will need replacing in the not too distant future.

As for the future: With the continued growth of live music gigs at HAC, we would benefit from an audio upgrade: Adding 2 speakers at the rear would improve sound coverage in the auditorium. Upgrading to a modern mixing console that has more audio tools would improve the sound quality of the system and would allow us to plug in more microphones and instruments. Plus expand our microphone stock. This would all better fulfill technical requests from musicians.'

Volunteers

We have over 70 volunteers in roles covering our exhibition installations, Front of House, Box Office, Bar, Gardening, and Friday Cafe. On average we see an active group of 25 volunteers in event roles. With 2-3 events per week, we can see that our active volunteers are going above and beyond to support HAC and ensure that our audiences are welcomed and the events are suitably staffed. However, increasing our number of active volunteers, especially Duty Managers who lead the volunteer team for events, is crucial to continue with our varied programme and to ensure our current volunteers are happy and not overstretched. Phye Bell is doing an excellent job at recruiting new volunteers and introducing them to roles at HAC. I'd like to thank her, every single one of our volunteers for their support of Helmsley Arts Centre and the time, skills and care they give so generously.

Overall, the last financial year was another excellent example of HAC providing Arts for Everyone in Ryedale and beyond.

Thanks to our trustees, staff, volunteers, facilitators, audiences, group members, artists, communities and all the people who make Helmsley Arts Centre a space where art and heritage meet everyday life, and where visitors and residents alike can feel part of something truly special.

And since then ...

We have welcomed new staff to our HAC team. We thanked and wished luck to box office team member Florrie Stockbridge as she headed off to pastures new. Local artist Kate Brown joined our Box office team and has also been supporting HAC with her creative skills; new Helmsley resident, experienced music producer, DJ and sound engineer Matthew Trolle has joined our team of HAC technicians and this time last year we welcomed the brilliant Phye Bell into the role of Volunteer coordinator, a role she has taken on with great energy and support of our volunteers and HAC. Alongside her role as volunteer coordinator, Phye, along with her husband Neil are now supporting our classical music programme as coordinators and hosts. And finally, for now, our talented 1812 YT leader Amy Gregory went on maternity leave at the end of May and we have welcomed Freya Popplewell to the YT leadership team who will bring her recent graduate experience and professional acting experience to the role.

Our Summer programme saw an impressive 2786 audience members for HAC events, including highest numbers for outdoor theatre at Helmsley Walled Garden so far, totalling 793 attendees!

So, here we are in our Autumn season of 2025 which will hopefully prove a successful, creative and enriching season as we head towards 2026 with exciting opportunities, development and as ever, Arts for Everyone in Ryedale - and beyond.

Fundraising

The charity undertakes only limited fundraising activities and does not engage professional fundraisers or commercial participators. All fundraising is overseen by the trustees, and no fundraising complaints were received during the year.

Financial review

Financial position

During the financial year 2024-25, the Trust received the first tranche of a substantial legacy which will permanently alter our financial profile in a number of ways. The legacy (as referred to elsewhere in this report) came from our former long-serving trustee and Helmsley neighbour Anelay Hart, who died on 1 May 2024. We were aware that the Trust was a beneficiary of his will but not of the full extent of his generosity which - when his interests as an underwriting name at Lloyd's are fully unwound, possibly by 2027 - is expected to amount to some £3 million.

This is truly a blessing for a charitable venture which has survived for more than 30 years by prudent cash management, assisted by smaller donations and grants. The scale of the legacy places a burden of responsibility on Trustees, both to nurture a reserve and income source for the long-term and to embrace the possibilities of expansion and development of the Arts Centre in all its aspects.

These accounts show legacies received within the year of £1.92 million. It is important to note that 'legacies are included as income when the charity becomes entitled to the legacy, it is probable that the legacy will be received, and the amount can be reliably measured.' Following this policy, the figure includes monies held on our behalf by Wilkin Chapman Rollits Solicitors at the balance-sheet date and the probate value of Mr Hart's house (1A Carlton Rd, Helmsley) which forms part of the legacy. Having failed to attract a buyer to date, the house will be rented out pending sale, if and when a suitable offer emerges, during 2026.

Funds from the legacy were also used to purchase new stage lights, for the long-overdue installation of solar panels, and to restore our holding of CCLA investment units as an inner reserve. And in February 2025 a 'beauty parade' of four fund management firms was conducted, with the assistance of external advisers, from which Sarasin & Partners were selected to manage an investment portfolio on behalf of OMHT. To date, £1.45 million has been placed with Sarasin. This is an unrestricted fund for general purposes of the Trust, without restriction as to withdrawal of capital as well as income. An investment sub-committee will be formed to monitor ongoing performance of the fund.

At a conventional 'total return' of 3.0-3.5%, the fund in its current size can provide continuing income of up to £50,000 per annum, meeting (other things being equal) around half of our annual breakeven fundraising requirement without significant diminution of capital. At an eventual £2 million, the return would be £65,000. Thus, it remains the case that we are always likely to need a certain level of fundraising alongside the fruits of the Hart legacy.

Donations and grants excluding legacies for 2024-25, at £57,000, were lower than the previous two years (£73,000 for 2023-24, £85,000 for 2022-23) and well below our long-term annual average. We should however record particular gratitude to four local charitable trusts which supported us again this year, having done so over several previous years: namely, Gillham, Holbeck, Kirkby and Storey. And we acknowledge with affection a legacy of £8,000 from a long-standing HAC volunteer, Marian Lucas.

The Hart legacy generated an extraordinary net income for 2024-25 of £1.86 million. But we should of course look through the legacy benefits to the performance of the underlying trading business. A simple deduction of legacy income from net income suggests a trading loss for the year of around £60,000, of which non-cash depreciation accounted for £28,000 (up from £22,000 in 2023-24) and a decrease in value of our holding of CCLA investment units accounted for £3,000; hence an underlying trading loss in cash terms of just under £30,000, compared to a breakeven result in 2023-24.

We attribute part of this downturn to cost inflation beyond our control - that is, despite the firm grip exercised by our finance officer Karen Gosney - and to the impact on box office and bar income of wider economic pressures on consumer spending. The facts are that box office income (live and screen-based) was down from £148,000 to £136,000 though direct related costs were also down from £137,000 to £119,000, indicating a healthy improvement in margin (12.5% vs 7.5%) and reflecting Natasha Jones's skill in programme selection.

Bar and café income was also slightly down (£32,000 vs £36,000) and the bar profit margin fractionally so (55% vs 56%); likewise, rent and room hire (£18,000 vs £19,000). On the overheads side, salaries and subcontractor costs increased by 9% (£95,000 vs £87,000) - reflecting a positive decision by the Trustees, in the light of the Hart legacy, to bring salaries of our loyal team up to appropriate levels. Heat and light also showed a significant increase of 18% (£12,500 vs £10,600) but future energy costs should be mitigated by the solar panels. Overall overhead costs (excluding depreciation) increased by 8% (£151,000 vs £141,000).

Early indications for 2025-26 indicate that tight consumer spending, economic pessimism and rising employment costs will again affect our trading performance - while incoming legacy funds should generate another healthy bottom line. In plain terms, we know how to run a small arts centre in good times and bad but our new task is to deploy the Hart legacy in prudent, forward-looking ways that both secure our future and raise our arts offering to a new level. How fortunate we are to have such a challenge ahead.

Reserves policy

The trustees review the policy on reserves at least once per year with reference to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission.

The trustees have set a level equivalent to three months of operating costs for the organisation as a desired level of reserve. This fund is a contingency in the event of a sudden reduction in income, in order to protect the future operation of the organisation from the effects of any unforeseen variations in its income and expenditure.

The level of free reserves, that is those unrestricted funds not tied up in tangible fixed assets, nor held in designated funds stood at £1,709,342 at 31 March 2025 (2024: deficit of £78,518).

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governance

The Charity is a charitable trust which operates under the terms of its Memorandum and Articles of Association.

Appointment of Trustees

The Trustees (except those nominated by North Yorkshire Council and Helmsley Town Council) are appointed at the annual general meeting for a fixed period of three years by nomination by a voting member or recommendation by the existing Trustees, followed by a vote of agreement by all voting members present. Trustees may serve a second three-year term if duly re-appointed at the annual general meeting, and a further term or terms, likewise if duly re-appointed, if their contribution to the work and governance of the Charity is considered by their fellow Trustees to be exceptional.

The Trustees are the directors of the company.

Organisation

The governing body of the Trust is the Board of Trustees. It is responsible for ensuring that the objectives of the Charity are effectively achieved in the activities of the Helmsley Arts Centre. For that purpose the Board employs an Artistic Director to be responsible to it for managing the operation, activities and development of the Centre and to lead a team responsible to her of part-time paid and volunteer administrative, marketing, technical and programming staff. This team is supported by a large body of volunteers. The Friends of Helmsley Arts Centre are loyal supporters who pay an annual subscription.

The HR sub committee has been re- formed under the leadership of one of the new trustees who has experience of employment matters. The sub committee, working closely with the charity's Artistic Director and General Manager, has reviewed job descriptions and contracts for all employees and begun work on establishing key performance indicators for all staff. The trustees are particularly concerned to ensure a motivated and happy workforce and the work of the sub committee has been welcomed as an important contribution towards this ethos.

Trustee induction and training

New Trustees are invited to observe business conducted at a meeting and are issued with details regarding the Charity's policies, constitution and procedures, and the duties and responsibilities of Trustees. Further improvements to trustee induction and training are currently being implemented.

Key management remuneration

The charity has established a remuneration policy to ensure that the pay of the key management personnel is fair, transparent, and aligned with the charity's objectives and responsibilities. Pay levels are reviewed annually by the HR sub committee which considers a range of factors such as the market benchmarks for comparable roles within the charity sector and the charity's financial position and long-term sustainability. All decisions are formally recorded. No individual is involved in deciding their own remuneration.

Risk management and policies

The Trustees recognise that effective risk management is essential for good governance and they continually monitor the exposure to major risks by personal involvement in the running of the Trust, both financially and practically. The major risks to which the Charity is exposed have been identified and systems established (including the Risk Management Policy mentioned below) to mitigate those risks. Trustees are acutely aware of the financial risks highlighted above and of the continuing need for fundraising to close the gap between trading income and running costs.

During the year trustees considered and approved a number of policies as follows-:

A Risk Management Policy was fully discusses and implemented with those risks highlighted as of particular concern now reviewed at every trustees' meeting. The policy as a whole will be reviewed at three yearly intervals although any changes deemed necessary meanwhile will be automatically applied.

Following receipt of the substantial legacy from the estate of the late Anelay Hart, trustees discussed and adopted an Investment Policy the terms of which were then advised to their newly appointed investment advisors, Sarasin & Partners. This policy will also be subject to review after three years. In formulating this policy trustees agreed a balanced view of ethical investment and the charity will not therefore invest in the tobacco industry, gambling, pornography or other areas where ethically unacceptable employment, environmental, financial or governance practices are perceived.

A Complaints Policy was also implemented allowing for both an informal procedure expected to resolve most disputes and a more formal method where unresolved complaints can be heard.

A Volunteer Management Policy was introduced covering in particular the recruitment, induction and training of volunteers.

Trustees have had for some time Equality and Safeguarding Policies and these are also reviewed on a regular basis.

A Health and Safety Review is completed annually by Lighthouse, a specialist company.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Registered Company number

03200475 (England and Wales)

Registered Charity number

1058130

Registered office

Helmsley Arts Centre

Meeting House Court

Helmsley

York

North Yorkshire

YO62 5DW

Trustees

S Arnold

N Butcher (resigned 5.9.24)

J B Duncombe

J R Lane

M V Weyer

C G H Belsom

G Garbutt

J Gardner (resigned 29.5.24)

N Andrews (appointed 1.4.24)

A Gilbert (appointed 1.4.24)

R L J Jones (appointed 19.5.25)

N L Vernon (appointed 20.10.24)

W J Sheridan (appointed 1.11.24) (resigned 19.5.25)

Company Secretary

N Andrews

Auditors

BHP LLP

Statutory Auditor

Rievaulx House

1 St Mary’s Court

Blossom Street

York

YO24 1AH

Advisors

Accountants:

Hardcastle France

Chartered Accountants

30 Yorkersgate

Malton YO17 7AW

Bankers:

Barclays Bank Plc

1-3 Parliament Street

York YO1 8SE

Solicitors:

Wilkin Champman Rollits

Forsyth House

Alpha Court, Monks Cross Drive

Huntington

York YO32 9WN

Senior Management

Natasha Jones

Karen Gosney

CONCLUSION

All in all, we are pleased to have adjusted once more so effectively to the increasing economic pressures that beset us and have thus been able to maintain and even increase the wide range and high standard of the activities we promote.

TRUSTEES' RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT

The trustees (who are also the directors of The Old Meeting House Trust for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to

-	select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

-	observe the methods and principles in the Charity SORP;

-	make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

-	state whether applicable 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 charitable company will continue in business.

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for 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 included on the charitable company's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

STATEMENT AS TO DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION TO AUDITORS

So far as the trustees are aware, there is no relevant information (as defined by Section 418 of the Companies Act 2006) of which the charitable company's auditors are unaware, and each trustee has taken all the steps that they ought to have taken as a trustee in order to make them aware of any audit information and to establish that the charitable company's auditors are aware of that information.

AUDITORS

BHP LLP were appointed auditor to the company and in accordance with section 485 of the Companies Act 2006.

The auditors, BHP LLP, will be proposed for re-appointment at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.

Trustees' report, incorporating a directors report, approved by order of the board of trustees, as the company directors, 12 December 2025 and signed on its behalf by:

G Garbutt - Trustee

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of The Old Meeting House Trust (the 'charitable company') for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the cash flow statement and notes to the financial statements, including 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 financial statements:

-	give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company's affairs as at 31 March 2025 and of its 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; 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 responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements 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 financial statements 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 financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements 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's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements 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 trustees' report, other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information. Our opinion on the financial statements 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. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of 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 this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. 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.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

- the information given in the trustees' report, which includes the directors' report prepared for the purposes of company law, for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

- the directors' report included within the trustees' report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the directors' report included within the trustees' report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

- adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or

- the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or

- certain disclosures of trustees' remuneration specified by law are not made; or

- we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or

- the trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies' regime and take advantage of the small companies' exemptions in preparing the directors' report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report.

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the trustees' responsibilities statement, the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements 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 financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company'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.

Our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements 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 financial statements.

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:

- the engagement responsible individual ensured that the engagement team collectively had the appropriate competence, capabilities and skills to identify or recognise non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations;

- we identified the laws and regulations applicable for the charitable company through discussions with management and trustees, and from our knowledge and experience of this organisation;

- we focused on specific laws and regulations which we considered may have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the charitable company, including the Charities Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006, data protection, health and safety regulations and employment law;

- we assessed the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations identified above through making enquiries of management and trustees;

We assessed the susceptibility of the charitable company's financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understand of how fraud might occur, by:

- making enquiries of management and trustees as to where they considered there was susceptibility to fraud, their knowledge of actual, suspected and alledged fraud; and

- considering the internal controls in place to mitigate risks of fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations.

To address the risks of fraud through management bias and override controls, we:

- performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected variances;

- tested journal entries to identify unusual transactions;

- assessed whether judgements and assumptions made in determining the accounting estimates set out in note 1 were indicative of potential bias; and

- investigated the rational behind significant or unusual transactions.

In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to:

- agreeing financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting documentation;

- reading the minutes of meetings of those charged with governance;

- enquiring of management as to actual and potential litigation and claims.

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council's website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our Report of the Independent Auditors.

Other matters

Comparative information in the financial statements is derived from the charitable company's prior period financial statements which were not audited.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charitable company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors' report 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 members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Neil Baldwin (Senior Statutory Auditor)

for and on behalf of BHP LLP

Statutory Auditor

Rievaulx House

1 St Mary’s Court

Blossom Street

York

YO24 1AH

12 December 2025

2025

2024

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

Total

funds

funds

funds

funds

Notes

£

£

£

£

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM

Donations and legacies

2

1,962,720

15,572

1,978,292

73,219

Charitable activities

5

Live performance ticket sales

117,249

-

117,249

124,908

Cinema/live screening ticket sales

18,854

-

18,854

23,423

Subscriptions

16,683

-

16,683

13,738

Bar takings

26,017

-

26,017

30,516

Cafe takings

6,107

-

6,107

5,308

Rent and room hire

17,800

-

17,800

19,197

Exhibition commission

1,022

-

1,022

2,720

Sundry income

231

-

231

326

Other trading activities

3

4,160

-

4,160

11,332

Investment income

4

621

-

621

778

Total

2,171,464

15,572

2,187,036

305,465

EXPENDITURE ON

Raising funds

6

14,772

-

14,772

14,028

Charitable activities

7

Cost of live performances events

97,013

8,273

105,286

117,385

Cost of cinema/live screening events

13,583

-

13,583

17,451

Bar expenses

12,157

-

12,157

15,349

Cafe expenses

1,865

-

1,865

1,860

Management and administration

13,000

-

13,000

-

Other

163,229

16,625

179,854

162,264

Total

315,619

24,898

340,517

328,337

Net gains/(losses) on investments

(2,574

)

-

(2,574

)

1,938

NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

1,853,271

(9,326

)

1,843,945

(20,934

)

RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS

Total funds brought forward

111,938

343,224

455,162

476,096

TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD

1,965,209

333,898

2,299,107

455,162

CONTINUING OPERATIONS

All income and expenditure has arisen from continuing activities.

The statement of financial activities complies with the requirement for an income and expenditure account under the Companies Act 2006 and includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.

2025

2024

Notes

£

£

FIXED ASSETS

Tangible assets

14

441,908

437,246

Investments

15

41,267

-

483,175

437,246

CURRENT ASSETS

Stocks

16

1,245

2,050

Debtors

17

1,845,945

4,242

Investments

18

-

22,841

Cash at bank and in hand

21,057

17,550

1,868,247

46,683

CREDITORS

Amounts falling due within one year

19

(18,690

)

(9,838

)

NET CURRENT ASSETS

1,849,557

36,845

TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES

2,332,732

474,091

ACCRUALS AND DEFERRED INCOME

20

(33,625

)

(18,929

)

NET ASSETS

2,299,107

455,162

FUNDS

22

Unrestricted funds

1,965,209

111,938

Restricted funds

333,898

343,224

TOTAL FUNDS

2,299,107

455,162

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 12 December 2025 and were signed on its behalf by:

G Garbutt - Trustee

Cash flows from operating activities

Cash generated from operations

25

56,904

(6,035

)

Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities

56,904

(6,035

)

Cash flows from investing activities

Purchase of tangible fixed assets

(33,018

)

(5,300

)

Purchase of fixed asset investments

(40,000

)

-

Sale of fixed asset investments

19,000

10,000

Interest received

621

778

Net cash (used in)/provided by investing activities

(53,397

)

5,478

Cash flows from financing activities

Hire purchase repayments in year

-

(150

)

Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities

-

(150

)

Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period

3,507

(707

)

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period

17,550

18,257

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period

21,057

17,550

1.	ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements

Old Meeting House Trust is a charitable company limited by guarantee in England. In the event of the charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to an amount not exceeding £10 per member of the charity. The address of the registered office is given in the charity information on page 8 of these financial statements. The nature of the charity’s operations and principal activities are disclosed in the trustees' report.

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 financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention, modified to include certain items at fair value. The financial statements are presented in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity and rounded to the nearest pound.

The significant accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all years presented unless otherwise stated.

Critical accounting judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty

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 considered to be relevant.

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, if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods.

The estimates and assumptions that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amount of assets and liabilities are outlined below:

Legacy income accrual

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.

Tangible fixed assets

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.

Improvements to property

-

2% on cost

Plant and machinery

-

25% on cost and 10% on cost

Stocks

Stocks are valued at the lower of cost or net realisable value, after making due allowance for obsolete and slow moving items.

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.

Designated funds represent unrestricted funds raised and set aside by the Trustees for specific purposes.

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

Going concern

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis as the trustees believe that no material uncertainties exist. The trustees have considered the level of funds held and the expected level of income and expenditure for 12 months from authorising these financial statements. The budgeted income and expenditure is sufficient with the level of reserves for the charity to be able to continue as a going concern.

Investments

Investments are recognised initially at fair value which is normally the transaction price excluding transaction costs. Subsequently, they are measured at fair value with changes recognised in ‘net gains / (losses) on investments’ in the SoFA if the shares are publicly traded or their fair value can otherwise be measured reliably.

Employee benefits

When employees have rendered service to the charity, short-term employee benefits to which the employees are entitled are recognised at the undiscounted amount expected to be paid in exchange for that service.

The charity operates a defined contribution plan for the benefit of its employees. Contributions are expensed as they become payable.

2.	DONATIONS AND LEGACIES

2025

2024

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

Total

funds

funds

funds

funds

£

£

£

£

Donations

33,962

5,500

39,462

58,253

Legacies

1,921,758

-

1,921,758

-

Grants

7,000

10,072

17,072

14,966

1,962,720

15,572

1,978,292

73,219

Legacies

Legacies are included in income when the charity becomes entitled to the legacy, it is probable that the legacy will be received, and the amount can be reliably measured. Legacies are initially recognised at their fair value, which is the present value of the expected future receipts.

Contingent Asset

During the year, the charity received legacy income of £1,921,758, representing legacies received from estates of deceased individuals. The charity also has a contingent asset in relation to the Hart legacy, where the charity is entitled to the estate, but the final amount is not yet known as this depends on the timing and settlement of part of the estate as noted in the Trustees Report.

Grants received, included in the above, are as follows:

2025

2024

£

£

The Holbeck Charitable Trust

5,000

5,000

The Gillham Trust

1,000

1,000

The Samuel Storey Family Charitable Trust

1,000

1,000

Ryedale District Council

-

4,928

The Kirkby Foundation

7,199

-

North Yorkshire County Council

2,072

2,017

Co-Op Community Fund

-

521

Yorkshire Music Future Fund

-

500

Firefly Arts

801

-

17,072

14,966

3.	OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES

2025

2024

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

Total

funds

funds

funds

funds

£

£

£

£

Fundraising

1,958

-

1,958

9,184

100 Club lottery

2,202

-

2,202

2,148

4,160

-

4,160

11,332