The Trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2026.
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)” (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2019)
The principal activity of the company is as a registered charity to raise and apply funds to promote arts for the public benefit.
The charities objectives as set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association is the promotion of arts for the public benefit, in particular, but not exclusively, through performances using arts as a means of furthering equality and diversity, and to promote, maintain and advance the education of the public by the encouragement and interpretation of the arts, with particular reference to arts and culture from diverse communities.
The Trustees are aware of their duty under S.17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Public Benefit Guidance published by the Charity Commission. As such, the Trustees ensure that the activities of the charity are for the public benefit.
Essex Cultural Diversity Project energises cultural diversity in arts and heritage. Our mission is to create opportunities, stimulate participation and provide a focal point for the development, celebration and co-ordination of cultural diversity through arts and heritage activity.
We achieve this through an exciting programme of projects, festivals and events; commissioning artists to explore community, diversity and place; and supporting artists, arts organisations and communities working in diversity through training and networking events, signposting opportunities and providing important platforms for their work.
We work strategically with creative practitioners, culture and heritage sectors, diverse communities and the voluntary sector to help develop skills, build sustainable networks and infrastructures, alongside creating new opportunities to enhance diverse artists’ work.
Essex Cultural Diversity Project is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation
Essex Cultural Diversity Project delivered a wide programme cultural programme including festivals, commissions, exhibitions, projects and events. We reached over 100,000 attendees across the region and beyond, engaging over 2,500 community participants, and directly supporting more than 300 creative practitioners.
Key events and highlights of 2025/26 have been the Thetford Mela, African storytelling in the gardens of the National Trust’s Rainham Hall & our Global Village at Jaywick Sands at Bhaji on the Beach.
Community cohesion has been always at the heart of our work.100% of the audience surveyed across our programmes this year agreed that it helped them to understand and value different cultures, and 98% felt welcome and included, no matter what their background.
Our Creative Health series of events continues to grow, as we harness the power of creativity to help improve people’s mental and physical health. We’ve had beach walks along the Tendring coast, as well as forest walks in Epping, and dance for young people in Chelmsford, bringing communities together to be active and keep fit.
As a small organisation with a strong focus on collaboration, we value our partnerships with councils, funders, and other arts and heritage organisations, working towards shared goals of improving community wellbeing, championing the environment, addressing inequality, and contributing to local economies.
Essex Cultural Diversity Project received grants through Arts Council England, Essex County Council and other funders and partners who have supported our work throughout 2025/26
During the year, the charity continued to operate within its available resources and maintained a satisfactory financial position. Total income for the year amounted to £355,380 (2025: £349,460), with expenditure of £348,805 (2025: £351,691), resulting in net movement in funds of £6,575 (2025:£(2,231)). The trustees are satisfied with the charity's overall financial performance during the year and consider that its financial position at the year end remains stable.
ECDP maintained its general reserves throughout 2025-26 to ensure that the organisation can cover three months of operational costs if necessary and has contingency to support project work and further investment.
It is the policy of the charity that unrestricted funds which have not been designated for a specific use should be maintained at a level equivalent to between three and six month’s expenditure. The Trustees consider that reserves at this level will ensure that, in the event of a significant drop in funding, they will be able to continue the charity’s current activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised. This level of reserves has been maintained throughout the year.
At the balance sheet date the charity has reserves of £51,698 (2025: £45,123 ), of which £26,028 (2025: £35,976) is unrestricted. The reserves policy requires unrestricted reserves of between 3 and six months expenditure and this refers to its fixed operating costs. Therefore the Trustees deem the reserves held at the balance sheet date to be sufficient.
Investment policy
The Trustees have considered the policy for investment. Surplus reserves are held in the Charities NatWest Current Account for general purposes, taking into account the Charity is entirely dependent on grant income and fundraising activities as its main source of income.
Risk Factors
The Trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.
Looking forward 2026/27
Essex Cultural Diversity Project is reviewing its strategic vision going forward for 2026 and beyond through various strands of working including Health & wellbeing, Environment and nature, Festival, events and convening & Heritage.
Retain principles and focus on culture, diversity, place and communities & primarily work on a ‘place-based’ principle – a progressive take on ‘Pride in Place’ and other government strategic concepts such as ‘Town of Culture’ considering the importance of place, stories and pride.
Space to evolve, respond to changing policy and wider societal challenges, while maintaining a focus on the original purposes of the organisation
The new strategic vision for 2026 and beyond will pave the way for the organisation to change its name which will further provide opportunity to forge regional relationships with new local authorities and mayoral authorities (Essex and Norfolk/Suffolk)
We will work with our core funders Arts Council England and other Strategic partners to look at the name change and take the right approach and direction from these organisations
Planning for the year ahead is now underway, with our Team who are busy putting together an exciting programme of projects, commissions, festivals and events across the East of England as we enter our ninth year as an Arts Council England National Portfolio organisation.
We’ll be teaming up with the National Trust for the eighth year running, hosting a creative commission at Flatford to celebrate the 250th anniversary of John Constable's birth. We are also working with Colchester & Ipswich Museums, sharing stories of migration on the theme of tea to develop museum resources for schools and future visitors. More commissions are already in the pipeline for Shoeburyness and Basildon.
The Festival of Thetford & Punjab 2026 will be bigger and better, celebrating the culture of the town through local, national and international perspectives. We are delighted to be working in partnership with Arts La’Olam this year, co-hosting an exciting commission to develop décor for this year’s Mela in partnership with the local community, and delivering a series of workshops to engage Thetford residents in the run up to the festival.
Global Village will also be touring again, bringing an explosion of colour and noise to all corners of the region. We will have a special match day procession in Chelmsford to celebrate the Women’s International T20 Match India vs England, and there are plans for an event to energise diversity in Sudbury.
We’ll be supporting creative practitioners and nurturing new talent across Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk with a new programme of Salons, and taking Stand Up for Diversity events to Clacton, Chelmsford, Felixstowe and more.
We will also be returning to Rainham Hall National Trust property in September for another Global Village following on from last year’s successful event
Our International Development work continues with Global Village Development lead and Creative Director attending WOMEX 2026 to further develop our cultural programming for festivals and events.
Our organisation will be a key partner in the Chinese Story exhibition at Harwich Arts & Heritage Centre. Organised by the China Photographers Association, supported by the Chinese Embassy in the UK, and co-organised by the UK-China Photography Association, the UK Colchester Chinese Culture Society.
Overall, 2026/27 will bring new opportunities for our organisation to continue to establish itself as a key arts and heritage organisation, through the support from our main funders Arts Council England and Essex County Council.
The charity is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association (amended 16 July 2012).
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 outlined in the Articles of Association, the number of Directors/Trustees including Officers shall not be less than six, or more than twelve members. The trustees are elected by the membership, although the board also has the power to co-opt trustees during the year. Co-opted trustees only hold membership until the next AGM, where they are eligible for re-election.
The Board of Trustees is responsible for overall strategy and management of the organisation. Indi Sandhu is Creative Director, implementing the decisions of the trustees, overseeing the day to day running of the charity and making applications for grants.
The trustee board reviews its membership at least annually to ensure it is representative of the service users and the community which we serve. The Board of Trustees comprises a mixture of individuals from a wide range of backgrounds including volunteers, and individuals with specific professional skills. It is important for the charity to keep this balance as we are committed to the organisation having strong user involvement at all levels.
The board also reviews the skills and professional expertise of Trustees to ensure there are no knowledge or experience gaps, which would put the strategic management and development of the organisation at risk.
Potential candidates are identified by the existing Trustees and creative directors of the Project, initially serving as co-opted members and, if desired, confirmed at the next AGM to serve as a Trustee. They receive a briefing about the roles and responsibilities of a Trustee and have the opportunity to attend a Board meeting to understand the Project. New Trustees undergo an orientation meeting to brief them on their legal obligations under charity and company law, the content of the Memorandum and Articles of Association, business plans and recent financial performance of the charity.
The Directors' and trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
The Trustees, who are also the directors of Essex Cultural Diversity Project Limited for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Directors' And 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 charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that year.
In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
I report to the Trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Essex Cultural Diversity Project Limited (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2026.
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.
Since the charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000, the independent examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of ICAEW, 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 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.
Essex Cultural Diversity Project Limited is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Parish Rooms, C/o Rochford Parish Council, 82 West Street, Rochford, Essex, SS4 1AS.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance 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)” (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 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 applying FRS 102 Update Bulletin 1 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 make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is classified under the following activity headings:
Costs of generating funds include the costs of commercial trading activities and its associated support cost and fundraising costs incurred in inducing people and organisations to contribute financially to the charity's work, this includes the cost of advertising for donations and the staging of special fundraising events and all associated support costs.
Expenditure on charitable activities includes all expenditure directly related to activities undertaken to further the purpose and achieve the objectives of the charity and their associated support costs.
Other expenditure represents those items not falling into any other heading.
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.
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 measured at transaction price including transaction costs 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 are 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.
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 at transaction price.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
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.
Project management & service delivery
Telephone
Insurance
Printing, postage & stationery
Travel & subsistence
Computer software & maintenance
Accountancy fees
Bank charges
Subscriptions
Sundry expenses
None of the Trustees received any remuneration or benefits from the charity during the year.
Key Management represents the role of Creative Director as the Trustees delegate the day to day management of its activities. The creative Director is the only employee and the amounts stated above represent salary and benefits received by I Sandhu from the charity during the year.
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.
The remaining balance on the following restricted projects relate to the net book value of assets purchased as part of the projects:
- Essex Community Foundation
- Global Village Doddinghurst
- Global Village Rochford
- Covid Vaccination
- Household Support Fund
- Partition Project
The remaining restricted funds hold funds for the following reasons:
- Ipswich and Colchester Museums - The balance of this project related to the NBV of assets purchased as part of the project as well as a small expenditure deficit, which is covered by funding received in April 2025.
- Arts and Health Chelmsford - This project materially completed in the 2025, the remaining balance relates to trivial expenditure that was paid in April 2025.
- Networks Project - This fund is in deficit as the first element of funding, due in March 2025, was not received until April 2025. This fund does not remain in deficit after the receipt of this funding.
- National Trust Flatford Mill is a project set to commence in the 2026/27 year, for which funding began in the 25/26 year.
- Colchester Tea Party is a project set to commence in the 2026/27 year, for which funding began in the 25/26 year
All transfers relate to the use of unrestricted funds to cover overspends on projects.
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.
During the year the charity entered into the following transactions with related parties:
During the year the charity entered into the following transactions with related parties:
The provision of freelance project management services by A Sandhu, the daughter of I. Sandhu, totaling £1,000 in the current year (2025:£1,800).
Production assistance was also provided on a freelance basis by A. Sandhu, the son of I. Sandhu, totalling £1,900 in the year (2025: £1,000).
All services were provided on normal business terms with no amounts outstanding at the year end date. No amounts have been written off to any related parties in the current year.
The Trustees have not been paid expenses or remuneration for their role as Trustee of the charity.