The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2025.
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)" (effective 1 January 2019).
The Guild's objects are to promote, maintain, improve and advance education, particularly by fostering, promoting and increasing public interest in craftsmanship. The policies adopted in furtherance of these objects are to establish schemes, classes and workshops for the furtherance of maintaining, preserving and improving standards of craftsmanship and there has been no change in these during the year.
In shaping the Guild’s objectives for the year and planning activities, the trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit, including the guidance ‘public benefit: running a charity (PB2)’. The Sussex Guild relies on income from subscriptions, stand fees and admission charges to cover its operating costs. Affordability and access to the Guild’s programme of activities is important to the Guild and is reflected in the admission charges and member fees set out in detail later in this report.
The Guild endeavours to encourage designer craftspeople working in East and West Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire & Kent to apply to the Guild for membership and also encourages the public to attend Guild craft shows and events held throughout Sussex.
The strategies employed to achieve the charity’s aims and objectives are to:
· Present a broad range of crafts from different disciplines with the intention of both broadening the reputation of the Guild and its members and also stimulating and increasing public appreciation of and interest in the crafts.
· Provide public education via instructional craft demonstrations and talks.
· To ensure and preserve high levels of craftsmanship and design by having a Selection
Committee to assess applicants’ and to continue to monitor members’ work.
· Provide facilities and opportunities for professional designer craftspeople to develop.
These strategies are achieved by five major areas of activities which are:
· A programme of Craft Shows held throughout Sussex.
· Instructional craft demonstrations at selected Craft Shows and at the dedicated Event Room
at the Sussex Guild Shop, Southover Grange, Lewes.
· Instructional workshops at the dedicated Event Room and at members own studios.
· Selection Committee judge applicant’s work on the criteria of Crafts Skills, Design Skills,
Originality, Enrichment & Enhancement.
· Training courses for members being held at the dedicated Events Room and peer support.
Craft Shows
Six Craft Shows were held throughout the year in Sussex at Henfield Hall, Ardingly College, Michelham Priory, Pashley Manor Gardens, De La Warr Pavillion and Midhurst Rother College. The Guild relies on voluntary help by members who assist in the organisation of the Craft Shows and events. For each Craft Show there is one to four members who act as lead Show Co-ordinators who volunteer to give their time to act as Co-ordinator or part of a Co-ordinator Team. They are supported by a social media Team and the Treasurer who carries out the publicity, financial and administration tasks for each event and for the Guild in general. The Shows allow for a broad range of crafts from different disciplines to be on display with the maker present. This allows for the broadening of the Guild’s and its members’ reputation and to stimulate and increase public appreciation of and interest in the crafts. Visitors to the Shows were able to talk to the individual members about their work and to gain an appreciation of the skills and workmanship required.
Instructional Craft Demonstrations
Instructional Craft demonstrations take place at selected Craft Shows. The instructional demonstrations allow for members of the public to engage with the makers and see craft skills in operation. These demonstrations provide public education of the skills and techniques required in various craft disciplines.
Instructional Craft Workshops
Instructional craft workshops & courses take place at members’ own studios. These activities allow members to provide intensive instructional workshops & classes to small groups of participants. These workshops & classes provide in depth public education of the skills and techniques required in various craft disciplines.
The Selection Committee
A panel of eight Guild members meets four times a year to assess applicants’ work. These members have a range of craft disciplines and backgrounds. However, should an unusual technique or craft be presented of which they have little knowledge, they call in specialist advisors. The work submitted by each applicant is discussed at length and is very thoroughly and carefully examined. The Selection Committee is constantly aiming to improve the standard of work in the Guild and is looking therefore for high levels of craftsmanship and design.
All applicants are judged on the following criteria:
Craft Skills – how well does the applicant handle the materials and techniques of their craft and is the standard sufficiently high.
Design Skills – these are extremely important, but of course, highly subjective. What one person considers good design another may consider poor or unattractive. This is why having eight panel members is invaluable – each member has an opinion – though it is surprising how often the decision to accept or reject is unanimous.
Originality – does the work exhibit a personal style? If the maker is working within a recognisable tradition, does the work go beyond a repetition of past styles and contribute to the development of the tradition? The committee likes to see, in the support material submitted (sketch books etc.), evidence of original creative thinking.
Enrichment and Enhancement – how well does the work enrich and enhance the standard of work produced in the Guild.
The selection committee must agree on all four criteria before a decision to offer membership to a candidate can be made.
The selection process ensures and preserves high levels of craftsmanship and design within the Guild.
The Guild held six Craft Shows in 2025
The Craft Shows were held at Henfield Hall, Ardingly College, Michelham Priory, Pashley Manor Gardens, De La Warr Pavilion and Midhurst Rother College. The Guild had around 9,200 visitors to their craft shows throughout the year, slightly up by 8% on 2024. This is in addition to visitors to the Sussex Guild Shop, open 364 days per year, where information of Guild activities and members can be obtained. This figure does not include visitors to events held in the event room at the Sussex Guild shop.
Accessibility for those on modest means was taken into account by maintaining a very modest admission charge, where the Guild had complete control over admission costs, these being Guild Shows held at Henfield, Ardingly College, De La Warr and Midhurst. The Guild successfully negotiated a reduction in the usual venue admission charge at its Shows held at Michelham & Pashley Manor Gardens. A restricted number of invitations offering free admission to all Shows were also available. In total around 2,536 (2,241 in 2024) visitors benefitted from free admission to the 2025 Craft Show Programme.
Three new individual members were granted provisional membership after passing the Selection Committee’s criteria (down from 8 in 2024). By the end of 2025 there were 100 Guild members (counting partnerships as 1 member) in total representing nine broad craft disciplines, namely: Ceramics; Furniture; Glass; Jewellery & Silversmithing; Leather; Metal; Printmaking; Textiles; and Wood. Membership subscription rates were increased in 2025 but have remained the same for 2026. Six members retired/resigned from the Guild at the beginning of 2026.
Income from charitable activities was up by around 9.5% from 2024. Income from subscriptions was also up by just under 7%. Income from investments was down by 28.5% due to interest rates dropping.
Expenditure on central publicity including the social media Team was down in 2025 by just under 11%.
Expenditure on charitable activities remained stable at 1.5% increase on 2024 but is expected to increase in 2026.
Governance costs were up by 0.5% from 2024.
Administrative/Support costs were up by just over 7%.
In total expenditure on charitable activities was down by just over 1%.
The attached accounts fully detail the financial position of the charity. The result for the year shows a loss of £194 (2024: Loss of £7,857).
Investment powers and policy
The trustees, having regard to the liquidity requirements of operating the Guild, have kept available funds in interest-bearing deposit accounts and seek to achieve a rate on deposit which matches or exceeds inflation as measured by the retail prices index. Throughout 2025 deposit rates were decreased and therefore the aim was not achieved in the year. The Aldermore Easy Access Business Account Issue 7 started at 3.5% from 1 Jan and ending with 2.18% from Nov - Dec 2025 (1.88% Jan 2026) against the retail price index of 3.8% for December 2025.
It is the policy of the Guild that unrestricted funds which have not been designated for a specific use should be maintained at a level equivalent to between three (approx. £20,500) and six month’s expenditure (approx. £41,000). The Trustees considers that reserves at this level will ensure that, in the event of a significant drop in funding, they will be able to continue the Guild’s current activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised. At the end of 2025 the Reserves were £45,434 (2024: £46,385).
The Trustees have assessed the major risks to which the Guild is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks. These risks are identified in the areas of finance and the operating assets of the Guild. The Trustees have a Risk Management Policy and Risk Register and these are reviewed annually.
For 2026 the Guild has no current plans for expenditure on equipment or assets. The Sussex Guild Shop Ltd also does not have any plans for expenditure on equipment or assets. For 2026 the show fees have also been raised by £10 per show to increase the income line to help with increased costs. This reflects that Trustees are always mindful not to deplete the Reserves to a level of ideally not less than six months expenditure.
The Sussex Guild is a company limited by guarantee governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 19 April 1983. It is registered as a charity with the Charity Commission. Currently there are 100 members (105 in 2024), each of whom agrees to contribute £1 in the event of the charity winding up.
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:
As set out in the Articles of Association Trustees are appointed by the members at the Annual General Meeting. Trustees serve for three years terms, although they are eligible for re-election. Trustees become members of the Committee.
Committee
The number of members of the Committee shall not be less than seven or more than twelve. Currently there are twelve members of the Committee including three Co-Chairs. The business of the Guild is managed by the Committee which meets quarterly by zoom. The Committee appointed the services of a Treasurer / Administrator Consultant to carry out day to day operations on behalf of the Guild including the Website and a team of members carrying out social media publicity activities. The Minutes of each Committee Meeting & AGM are recorded, and reports are also prepared for each Committee meeting and the Annual General meeting. The AGM is open to all members of the Guild. The Committee has appointed a Selection Committee to carry out the process of considering applications to join the Guild on a quarterly basis.
Risk Management
The Trustees have assessed the major risks to which the Guild is exposed and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks. These risks are identified in the areas of finance and the operating assets of the Guild. The Trustees have a Risk Management Policy and Risk Register, and these are reviewed annually.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of The Sussex Guild (the charity) for the year ended 31 December 2025.
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 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. In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act 2011.
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 Companies Act 2006.
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 Companies Act 2006 other than any requirement that the financial statements 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 financial statements 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.
The Sussex Guild is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Drayton House, Drayton Lane, Chichester, West Sussex, PO20 2EW, England.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the Charities SORP "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). 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 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 £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
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.
Fixed asset investments are initially measured at transaction price excluding transaction costs, and are subsequently measured at fair value at each reporting date. Changes in fair value are recognised in net income/(expenditure) for the year. Transaction costs are expensed as incurred.
A subsidiary is an entity controlled by the charity. Control is the power to govern the financial and operating policies of the entity so as to obtain benefits from its activities.
At each reporting end date, the charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).
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.
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.
Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
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.
Mrs A Cates (Trustee and Member) received communication service fee of £195 (2024: £195) and travel fees of £285 (2024: £418). This has been included within Fundraising & Publicity costs and travel expenses. During the year, Mrs A Cates paid for charitable activities of £1,325 (2024: £1,012) to The Sussex Guild.
Ms E Butlin (Ex-Trustee & Ex-Associate Member Non-Craftsman/Professional Advisor) received consultancy fees of £1,277 (2024: £15,000) in respect of administration and bookkeeping.
Ms E Butlin (Ex-Trustee and Ex-Associate Member Non-Craftsman/Professional Advisor) received consultancy fees of £Nil (2024: £450) in respect of creation & publication of virtual show exhibitor lists. These have been included under Support Costs - Website costs.
Ms M McFadden (Trustee and Member) received fees for Facebook services of £615 (2024 £585) and sundry expenses of £55 (2024: £70). This has been included within Fundraising & Publicity costs and sundry expenses. During the year, Ms M McFadden paid for charitable activities of £985 (2024: £691) to The Sussex Guild.
Miss E Welch (Trustee and Member) received fees for Dropbox & Newsletter related activities of £443 (2024: £468). These have been included within Fundraising & Publicity Costs. During the year, Miss E Welch paid for charitable activities of £1,125 (2024: £1,093) to The Sussex Guild.
Mr A Hauge (Trustee and Member) received communication service fee of £195 (2024: £nil) and travel fees of £425 (2024: £Nil). This has been included within Fundraising & Publicity costs and travel expenses. During the year, Mr A Hauge paid for charitable activities of £400 (2024: £535) to The Sussex Guild.
Ms J McAllister (Trustee and Member) received a thank you fee of £100 for providing written copy for marketing materials (2024: £100). This has been included within Fundraising & Publicity Costs. During the year, Ms J McAllister paid for charitable activities of £60 (2024: £884) to The Sussex Guild.
Ms K Hackett (Trustee and Member) received travel fees of £496 (2024: £92). This has been included within travel expenses. During the year, Ms K Hackett paid for charitable activities of £421 (2024: £660) to The Sussex Guild.
Ms D Rogers (Trustee and Member) paid for charitable activities of £665 (2024: £708) to The Sussex Guild.
Mr B Devitt-Spooner (Trustee and Member) paid for charitable activities of £485 (2024: £530) to The Sussex Guild.
Mrs L Sparks (Trustee and Member) paid for charitable activities of £945 (2024: £845) to The Sussex Guild.
Travel costs reimbursed to Trustees in the year £121 (2024: £22) and these have been included within Trustee expenses (meetings etc). These were reimbursed to Trustee & Member L Sparks.
All trustees are members of the Guild. Mrs A Cates and Mr A Hauge as holders of the position of Sussex Guild Committee Chair were exempt from paying the annual membership fee. All other Trustees pay the standard annual membership fees.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
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 disclosable related party transactions during the year (2024 - none).
These financial statements are separate charity financial statements for The Sussex Guild.
Details of the charity's subsidiaries at 31 December 2025 are as follows: