REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 07747048 (England and Wales)

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1144299

Report of the Trustees and

Financial Statements

for the Year Ended 31 March 2026

for

Zest Theatre

Page

Report of the Trustees

1

to

8

Independent Examiner's Report

9

Statement of Financial Activities

10

Statement of Financial Position

11

Notes to the Financial Statements

12

to

17

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 31 March 2026. 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

The Charity's objects are specifically restricted to the following:

1. To advance in life and help young people through:

(a) The provision of recreational and leisure time activities provided in the interest of social welfare, designed to improve their conditions of life.

(b) Providing support and activities which develop their skills, capacities and capabilities to enable them to participate in society as mature and responsible individuals.

2. To advance the education of young people in all aspects of the dramatic arts.

3. To advance the education of the public in all aspects of the dramatic arts and the development of public appreciation of such art by the putting on of performances.

Significant activities

In deciding what activities to undertake, the trustees have had due regard to the guidance published by the Charity Commission regarding public benefit.

Zest exists to make space for young people to be heard, using creativity to amplify their voices through theatre, public art and cultural experiences. Our mission is rooted in youth voice, co-creation and access, with a focus on young people under the age of 25. Our vision is to become the leading force for youth-led creativity, transforming communities, shaping national culture, and driving policy change with the voices of a generation.

Founded in 2007, Zest creates work with and for young people across theatres, festivals, schools, digital platforms and public spaces. Over time, our practice has evolved beyond traditional theatre-making to include youth-led public art, creative consultation, artist-led youth provision and cultural experiences designed to meet young people where they are. This reflects our belief that creativity can be a powerful tool for connection, confidence, belonging and social change, particularly when barriers to participation are removed.

Zest became an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation in 2023/24 and was appointed Associate Artists at Lincoln Arts Centre in the same year. Now reaching the end of the third year of this investment period, these developments have enabled the charity to strengthen its artistic programme, deepen local and national partnerships, and build the organisational capacity needed to deliver increasingly ambitious work. This year reflects a strategic evolution in our practice: alongside maintaining significant reach, we have prioritised deeper engagement through touring productions, participatory programmes, youth leadership, and long-term community relationships. The result is a body of work that creates meaningful opportunities for young people to shape culture, influence decision-making, and experience high-quality creative activity in the places where they live.

Across this period, Zest recorded 44,737 attendances and engagements through its programmes, including young people and their wider communities. This impact was delivered nationally and locally: from the virtual, national reach of Future Proof to the national tour of Sound Board. At the same time, The Zone extended its reach beyond Lincoln, visiting four towns and cities across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire over 12 weeks of delivery.

Highlights of the year included:

- Continued youth governance and consultancy through Future Proof, Zest’s youth consultancy group, ensuring young people remained central to the charity’s decision-making, strategic thinking and creative development.

- The national tour of Sound Board, a new unscripted production co-created with young people and designed for festivals, public spaces and non-traditional performance settings, including performances within The Zone.

- The continued expansion of The Zone, Zest’s free mobile youth space for 11–18-year-olds, which welcomed 3,326 visits across summer 2025 and reached new communities across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.

- Delivery of Landmarks and Legends in Grimsby, a youth heritage and youth voice project exploring local stories, identity and place through creativity.

- Delivery of the Mansfield Youth Voice project, extending Zest’s partnership with Mansfield District Council by engaging hundreds of young people across the district and using creative consultation to inform future youth strategy and decision-making.

ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE

Measuring Our Impact

Zest reports engagement figures using a consistent attendance-based methodology across all projects.

Participant Attendance refers to the number of times young people participated in workshops, advisory groups, creative activities, or other participation-based sessions. This reflects total participatory engagements rather than the number of unique individuals.

Audience Attendance refers to the total number of people who experienced our public-facing work,

including performances, installations, events and other cultural activities. These figures are based on ticket sales, attendance records, known visitor numbers, or estimated footfall where appropriate.

This approach provides a consistent measure of the scale and reach of our activity across different programmes and reflects the fact that individuals may engage with Zest multiple times throughout the year. All figures reported within this document follow this methodology unless otherwise stated.

Charitable activities

All of the projects listed below worked collectively to allow Zest to fulfil its Charitable Objects in this period:

Future Proof & Future Proof+

Future Proof is Zest’s youth consultancy group, made up of young people from across the country, many of whom first engaged with the organisation through previous programmes and productions. Meeting monthly online, the paid group provides advice and challenge across the charity’s artistic programme, governance, recruitment, policies and strategic development. Approximately 15 young people attend each session.

During this period, Future Proof continued to play an important role in shaping the organisation’s work. The two young trustees appointed through Future Proof+ remained active members of the Board, while the paid Future Proof Co-Leader continued to co-lead sessions and support communication between the group and the charity’s governance structures. Together, these roles provide meaningful pathways for young people to influence decision-making and develop their leadership skills within the organisation.

Participation Sessions: 13

Participant Attendance: 186

The Zone

The Zone is Zest’s free-to-access mobile youth space for young people aged 11–18, designed to create welcoming environments where young people can connect, create, relax and take part in arts and cultural activity. The project was originally developed in response to research involving more than 1,500 young people across Lincoln, which identified a need for safe, creative spaces where young people could spend time, feel a sense of belonging and access culture on their own terms.

Following a successful pilot in Lincoln during summer 2024, The Zone expanded significantly during the reporting period. Across summer 2025, the project toured to Lincoln, Mansfield, Newark and Sleaford, transforming city centres, town centres and public spaces into temporary creative hubs for young people.

Working alongside cultural organisations, community partners, local artists and Zest’s Youth Arts Workers, The Zone offered a blend of creative workshops, live performances, games, music, arts activities and informal opportunities for young people to spend time with friends. The programme was intentionally designed to remove barriers to participation, enabling young people to engage as much or as little as they wished.

Throughout the summer, The Zone welcomed 1000’s of visits from young people and demonstrated the potential of artist-led youth provision within public spaces. 36% of participants were engaging with arts and cultural activity for the first time, while 30% came from neighbourhoods within the most deprived 30% of areas nationally. These figures demonstrate the project’s success in reaching young people who may face barriers to accessing arts, culture and youth provision.

Delivery across four locations enabled Zest to test and refine the model in different communities, build new partnerships and develop a stronger understanding of how public space can be used to support belonging, creativity and youth voice. The success of the programme has strengthened Zest’s commitment to public space practice and informed future plans for both The Zone and the development of new touring models capable of reaching even more communities.

Participation Sessions: 118

Participant Attendance: 6,409

Sound Board

Following a successful research and development phase in the previous reporting period, Sound Board toured nationally throughout summer 2025. The production represents a significant evolution in Zest’s artistic practice, combining elements of theatre, live facilitation, games and conversation to create an experience that is shaped by the people taking part.

Designed specifically for festivals, public spaces and non-traditional performance settings, Sound Board challenges conventional approaches to audience engagement by placing young people’s voices at the centre of each performance. Rather than following a fixed script, the show responds to the ideas, opinions and experiences shared by participants in the moment, creating a unique experience for every audience.

A key feature of the project was the involvement of local Youth Hosts in each location. Young people worked alongside Zest’s professional team to help facilitate performances, represent the voices of their communities and develop their confidence, communication and leadership skills. This model ensured that local perspectives remained embedded within the work wherever it toured.

During the reporting period, Sound Board toured to nine locations across England, delivering 26 performances in festivals, public spaces and community settings. Through a blend of games, discussion and creative interaction, the production created opportunities for young people to explore issues affecting their lives, connect with others and contribute to meaningful conversations about identity, wellbeing, community and the future.

The success of the tour demonstrated the potential for innovative, youth-led performance experiences to engage audiences beyond traditional theatre venues. It has also provided Zest with a scalable model for future touring, enabling the organisation to reach more young people while maintaining its commitment to participation, accessibility and youth voice.

Participation Sessions: 41

Participant Attendance: 156

Performances: 26

Audience: 1,187

Refresh

During this period, Zest continued to share and exhibit artworks created through its Refresh programme, extending the reach and impact of youth voice projects developed in previous years.

Across South and East Lincolnshire, artworks created with young people from East Lindsey, Boston Borough and South Holland continued to tour community events, cultural venues and public spaces throughout summer 2025. In Darlington, artworks developed through Refresh Darlington remained on display across participating primary schools into the new financial year, ensuring young people’s voices continued to be seen by pupils, staff and visitors.

Zest also worked with partners to bring Refresh artworks to new audiences. At Stockton International Riverside Festival 2025, artworks originally created with local young people in 2023 were re-displayed alongside the community carnival route, contributing to one of the festival’s most visible public events. Meanwhile, members of Future Proof attended Arts Council England’s Engaging Communities Through Arts and Culture conference at The Lowry, where they shared young people’s perspectives on mental health and unveiled specially commissioned Refresh Your Perspective artworks created for delegates attending the event.

Together, these projects demonstrate the long-term value of the Refresh model, ensuring that young people’s voices continue to influence public conversations long after the initial consultation and creative process has concluded.

Audience Attendance: 36,036

Landmarks & Legends

Commissioned by Unseen Arts and Culture House, Landmarks and Legends enabled Zest to strengthen and deepen its relationships with arts and cultural organisations in Grimsby, an important strategic location within Greater Lincolnshire and a recognised priority place for cultural investment and development.

Working with young people from across the town, the project created opportunities for participants to explore Grimsby’s history, landmarks, stories and cultural heritage through a creative process that encouraged reflection on both the town’s past and its future. Through workshops, conversations and creative activities, young people were invited to share their own perspectives on what makes Grimsby unique and what they would like future generations to understand about the place they call home.

The project combined heritage engagement with Zest’s youth voice methodology, ensuring that young people’s experiences, aspirations and ideas were central to the creative process. In doing so, Landmarks and Legends provided opportunities for participants to develop their confidence, creativity and connection to place, while contributing new perspectives to local conversations about identity, culture and community.

The project demonstrates how creative practice can be used to connect young people with local heritage in ways that are relevant, participatory and forward-looking, ensuring that contemporary youth voices form part of the ongoing story of Grimsby.

Participation Sessions: 18

Participant Attendance: 417

Performances: 1

Audience: 69

Mansfield Youth Voice

During the reporting period, Zest delivered the Mansfield Youth Voice project in partnership with Mansfield District Council, building on a growing relationship between the two organisations and a shared commitment to ensuring young people’s voices are heard in local decision-making.

Working with hundreds of young people from across the district, Zest used its creative consultation methodology to gather insights into young people’s experiences, aspirations, challenges and priorities for the future. Through workshops, conversations and creative activities, participants were encouraged to share honest reflections on their communities and the issues that matter most to them.

The findings were brought together into a series of reports, presentations and practical recommendations designed to support future planning and decision-making within the district. By using creative approaches to consultation, the project enabled a wider range of young people to participate and ensured that their contributions were accessible, meaningful and representative of diverse experiences across Mansfield.

The project demonstrates the value of combining creativity and youth voice to inform public policy and strategy. It provided young people with a genuine opportunity to influence conversations about the future of their communities while helping local partners develop a deeper understanding of the needs, ambitions and perspectives of the next generation.

Participation Sessions: 15

Participant Attendance: 277

TOTAL PARTICIPATION SESSIONS: 204

TOTAL PARTICIPANT ATTENDANCE: 7,445

TOTAL PERFORMANCES: 27

TOTAL AUDIENCE ATTENDANCE: 37,292

TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 44,737

It is the trustees view that the requirement to demonstrate public benefit is met by its charitable objectives and by the means of delivery and provision of opportunity for engagement and participation. Specific examples of relevant modes of operation include the wide range of artwork created and the high levels of engagement in participation projects at a time of great uncertainty and crisis for communities. In addition to this we've also maximised opportunities for young people to take part for free, or even as paid opportunities.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Reserves policy

The charity had £60,610 at the end of the period, exceeding the aim for free reserves of £51,000 in order to cover six months basic overheads. The free reserves are calculated by taking the unrestricted reserves balance at the end of the year, less any fixed asset funds.

Going concern

Thanks to Arts Council's significant investment into Zest Theatre, we remain a going concern with £180,000 of public money being awarded each year until March 2027. This new funding has seen Zest nearly double its turnover, expand its team and capacity, increase reach, and bolster our free reserves. This new investment is furthered through a range of new national partnerships, bringing support from local authorities into the charity to support our work.

Financial Review

Zest closes this accounting period with a deficit of £24,625 (2025: surplus of £58,632).

At the time of writing this report Zest Theatre remains a going concern through careful financial management and further development of the company's income.

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.

Zest Theatre is both a company limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006, and a registered charity. Its governing document is the Memorandum and Articles of Association adopted on 19 August 2011, as last amended by special resolution dated 1 February 2016. In the event of the company being wound up, members are required to contribute an amount not exceeding £10.

Recruitment and appointment of new trustees

The Directors of the company are also charity trustees for the purposes of charity law and throughout this report are collectively known as the trustees. The existing board of trustees were individually appointed on the strength of their respective background and an obvious enthusiasm and commitment to support the company on an ongoing basis. As set out in the Articles of Association, the board may from time to time and at any time appoint a new trustee to join. The decision to elect new trustees to the board is based upon the availability of suitable candidates with a requisite skills base together with an acknowledgement by the board that additional support would be beneficial in order to assist in the company's development.

Organisational structure

The Board of Trustees administers the charity. The Artistic Director & CEO is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company. To facilitate effective operation, the Artistic Director & CEO has delegated authority, within terms of delegation approved by the Trustees, for operational matters including finance, employment and artistic performance related activity.

Induction and training of new trustees

New trustees are provided with:

- information on their legal obligations under charity law,

- the Memorandum and Articles of Association,

- the committee and decision-making process,

- the business plan and recent financial performance of the company.

During this induction they meet key employees and other trustees. Trustees are also encouraged to attend projects and view work delivered by Zest Theatre employees.

Establishment and history of Zest Theatre

Zest exists to make space for young people to be heard, using creativity to amplify their voices through theatre and cultural experiences. Established in 2007, we make a range of work for theatres, festivals, public spaces, schools, and digital platforms. Our award-winning work has been described as ‘unpretentious’ (The Stage) and ‘essential’ (The Guardian). Our productions and installations actively place the audience right at the heart of the story.

We are passionate about amplifying the voices of young people, creating productions, digital pieces, and public art installations inspired by the needs, lives and imaginations of those aged under 25. Our work releases the voice of a generation to make the world a better, and more creative, place.

We have eclectic tastes and love creating bold new ideas – this means that there is no such thing as a ‘Zest Style’; each of our projects are very different. However, innovation, joy, empowerment and accessibility are integral to everything we produce, creating a DNA that is unmistakably Zest's.

We are proudly based in Lincoln and work closely with local partners to support the development of Lincolnshire’s arts and culture sector.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Registered Company number

07747048 (England and Wales)

Registered Charity number

1144299

Registered office

Barbican Creative Hub

11 St Mary's Street

LINCOLN

Lincolnshire

LN5 7EQ

Trustees

N Ellwood

G Kaur Bains

A Zia (resigned 8.1.26)

R Baynton

A J Davey

C W Elmer-Gorry

E J Lugrin

M Hutchinson

J Gomez-Ejimbe

S R Booth (appointed 26.3.26)

J Lazenby (appointed 26.3.26)

Independent Examiner

Richard Hallsworth FCA

Nicholsons

Chartered Accountants

Newland House

The Point

Weaver Road

LINCOLN

Lincolnshire

LN6 3QN

Bankers

NatWest Bank Plc

225 High Street

LINCOLN

Lincolnshire

LN2 1AZ

Solicitors

Wilkin Chapman

The Maltings

11-15 Brayford Wharf East

LINCOLN

LN5 7AY

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 3 August 2026 and signed on its behalf by:

N Ellwood - Trustee

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Zest Theatre ('the Company')

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 March 2026.

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

Since your charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a listed body. I can confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:

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.

Richard Hallsworth FCA

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales

Nicholsons

Chartered Accountants

Newland House

The Point

Weaver Road

LINCOLN

Lincolnshire

LN6 3QN

3 August 2026

2026

2025

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

Total

funds

funds

funds

funds

Notes

£

£

£

£

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM

Donations and legacies

2

9

-

9

2,168

Charitable activities

Zest Theatre Core

147,149

-

147,149

-

Artistic programme

183,898

-

183,898

310,898

Investment income

3

837

-

837

453

Other income

4

-

-

-

52,232

Total

331,893

-

331,893

365,751

EXPENDITURE ON

Charitable activities

5

Zest Theatre Core

92,812

-

92,812

111,276

Artistic programme

263,706

-

263,706

195,843

Total

356,518

-

356,518

307,119

NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

(24,625

)

-

(24,625

)

58,632

RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS

Total funds brought forward

93,625

-

93,625

34,993

TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD

69,000

-

69,000

93,625

2026

2025

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

Total

funds

funds

funds

funds

Notes

£

£

£

£

FIXED ASSETS

Tangible assets

11

8,390

-

8,390

5,135

CURRENT ASSETS

Debtors

12

4,521

-

4,521

11,238

Cash at bank

68,644

-

68,644

87,218

73,165

-

73,165

98,456

CREDITORS

Amounts falling due within one year

13

(12,555

)

-

(12,555

)

(9,966

)

NET CURRENT ASSETS

60,610

-

60,610

88,490

TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES

69,000

-

69,000

93,625

NET ASSETS

69,000

-

69,000

93,625

FUNDS

14

Unrestricted funds

69,000

93,625

TOTAL FUNDS

69,000

93,625

The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2026.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2026 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 3 August 2026 and were signed on its behalf by:

N Ellwood - 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.

At the period end the balance sheet shows a net current asset of £60,610 and there is a deficit for the period of £24,625.

After reviewing the position after the balance sheet date, Zest remains a going concern, therefore the accounts have been prepared on a going concern basis.

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.

Donated services and facilities:

Donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item, any conditions associated with the donated item have been met, the receipt of economic benefit from the use by the charity of the item is probable and that economic benefit can be measured reliably.

On receipt, donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised on the basis of the value of the gift to the charity which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay to obtain services or facilities of equivalent economic benefit on the open market; a corresponding amount is then recognised in expenditure in the period of receipt.

The Charity is VAT registered. All figures shown are exclusive of VAT.

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 costs 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.

Goodwill

Goodwill, being the amount paid in connection with the acquisition of a business in 2012, is being amortised evenly over its estimated useful life of ten years.

Tangible fixed assets

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

Drama and stage equipment

-

25% on reducing balance

Fixtures and fittings

-

25% on reducing balance

Computer and sound equipment

-

33% on cost

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 objectives 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.

Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits

The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charitable company's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.

Financial instruments

Only basic financial instruments as defined in FRS 102 are held. Financial assets and financial liabilities are recognised in the accounts only when the entity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument and their measurement basis is as follows:

Financial assets - trade and other debtors are basic financial instruments and are debt instruments measured at amortised cost. Prepayments are not financial instruments.

Cash at bank is classified as a basic financial instrument and is measured at transaction price.

Financial liabilities - trade creditors, accruals and other creditors are basic financial instruments, and are measured at amortised cost. Where a financial liability constitutes a financing transaction it is initially and subsequently measured at the present value of future payments, discounted at a market rate of interest.

Government grants

Government grants which have been accounted for under the accruals model in respect of a revenue nature are credited to income so as to match them with the expenditure to which they relate.

2.	DONATIONS AND LEGACIES

2026

2025

£

£

Donations

7

2,014

Cashback/rewards

2

154

9

2,168

3.	INVESTMENT INCOME

2026

2025

£

£

Deposit account interest

837

453

4.	OTHER INCOME

2026

2025

£

£

Theatre tax relief

-

52,232

5.	CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COSTS

Support

Direct

costs (see

Costs

note 6)

Totals

£

£

£

Zest Theatre Core

68,375

24,437

92,812

Artistic programme

65,486

198,220

263,706

133,861

222,657

356,518

6.	SUPPORT COSTS

Human

Governance

Management

Finance

resources

costs

Totals

£

£

£

£

£

Zest Theatre Core

24,437

-

-

-

24,437

Artistic programme

186,640

277

997

10,306

198,220

211,077

277

997

10,306

222,657

7.	NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):

2026

2025

£

£

Other assurance services

6,790

6,854

Depreciation - owned assets

2,746

484

Included in governance is fees payable to the reporting accountant with regards to external scrutiny of £3,000 (2025 : £3,000) and other services £3,790 (2025 : £3,854).

Included in income from charitable activities are grants from Arts council england these have been received and spent.

8.	TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2026 nor for the year ended 31 March 2025.

Trustees' expenses

There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 March 2026 nor for the year ended 31 March 2025.

9.	STAFF COSTS

Period

Period

1.4.25

1.4.24

to

to

31.3.26

31.3.25

£

£

Wages and salaries

142,101

115,867

Social security costs

6,914

6,219

Pension costs

3,335

2,679

152,350

124,765

The average monthly head count was 19 staff (2025 : 5) and the average monthly number of full-time equivalent employees (including casual and part-time staff) during the year were as follows:

2026

2025

Direct charitable employees

4

5

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

10.	INTANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

Goodwill

£

COST

At 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026

25,000

AMORTISATION

At 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026

25,000

NET BOOK VALUE

At 31 March 2026

-

At 31 March 2025

-

11.	TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

Drama and

Fixtures

Computer

stage

and

and sound

equipment

fittings

equipment

Totals

£

£

£

£

COST

At 1 April 2025

6,957

929

2,162

10,048

Additions

2,183

685

3,133

6,001

Disposals

-

-

(961

)

(961

)

At 31 March 2026

9,140

1,614

4,334

15,088

DEPRECIATION

At 1 April 2025

2,738

390

1,785

4,913

Charge for year

1,600

240

906

2,746

Eliminated on disposal

-

-

(961

)

(961

)

At 31 March 2026

4,338

630

1,730

6,698

NET BOOK VALUE

At 31 March 2026

4,802

984

2,604

8,390

At 31 March 2025

4,219

539

377

5,135

12.	DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

2026

2025

£

£

Trade debtors

150

7,482

VAT

-

102

Prepayments and accrued income

4,371

3,654

4,521

11,238

13.	CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

2026

2025

£

£

Trade creditors

1,917

1,537

Social security and other taxes

3,424

2,502

VAT

2,087

-

Other creditors

1,104

1,123

Accruals and deferred income

4,023

4,804

12,555

9,966

14.	MOVEMENT IN FUNDS

Net

Transfers

movement

between

At

At 1.4.25

in funds

funds

31.3.26

£

£

£

£

Unrestricted funds

General fund

93,625

55,180

(79,805

)

69,000

Arts Council Funding

-

(79,805

)

79,805

-

93,625

(24,625

)

-

69,000

TOTAL FUNDS

93,625

(24,625

)

-

69,000

Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

Incoming

Resources

Movement

resources

expended

in funds

£

£

£

Unrestricted funds

General fund

147,992

(92,812

)

55,180

Arts Council Funding

183,901

(263,706

)

(79,805

)

331,893

(356,518

)

(24,625

)

TOTAL FUNDS

331,893

(356,518

)

(24,625

)

Comparatives for movement in funds

Net

Transfers

movement

between

At

At 1.4.24

in funds

funds

31.3.25

£

£

£

£

Unrestricted funds

General fund

34,993

121,377

(62,657

)

93,713

Arts Council Funding

-

(62,745

)

62,657

(88

)

34,993

58,632

-

93,625

TOTAL FUNDS

34,993

58,632

-

93,625