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INDEPENDENT CINEMA OFFICE

Registered charity 1109053 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as ICO

Film programming advice and bookings for non profit cinemas; training programmes of non-commercial cinemas; training for the independent exhibition sector; distribution of films; consultancy; organising events for film societies and independent cinemas; advocacy for the sector and grant giving.

Objects

TO PROMOTE ALL PURPOSES RECOGNISED AS CHARITABLE UNDER THE LAWS OF ENGLAND AND WALES FROM TIME TO TIME, IN PARTICULAR, WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO THE GENERALITY, THE PROMOTION, MAINTENANCE, IMPROVEMENT AND ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC BY THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE KNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATION OF THE ARTS OF FILM AND VIDEO.

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED.

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Southwark, London, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income
£1.7m
Latest spending
£1.7m
Registered
2005
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The charity reported a net income surplus of £48,795 for the year ended 31 March 2025, driven by increased BFI funding and programming fees. However, its free reserves of £229,026 remain below the trustees' stated policy target of three months' running costs, which equates to £266,519. The trustees believe the charity is a going concern, supported by three-year funding from the BFI and available general funds.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £60,001 - £70,000 — below the median for charities its size (£70k)
“The number of employees whose employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) exceeded £60,000 was: 31.3.25 1 £60,001 - £70,000” — page 29
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Employees paid over £60,000: 1
“The number of employees whose employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) exceeded £60,000 was: 31.3.25 1 £60,001 - £70,000” — page 29
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Largest income source: BFI (22% of income)
“Income was £17,912 higher than the prior year. This was largely driven by additional projects undertaken by the ICO, which resulted in an increase in funding from the BFI.” — page 10
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy
“Currently, the reserves policy seeks to have three months running costs available to enable the charity to seek alternative or additional funding, if necessary. This equates to £266,519 (2024: £220,522). At 31 March 2025 free reserves were £229,026.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Payments to trustees: Dorothy Wilson received £1,350 for consultancy; Sudha Bhuchar received £300 for consultancy; Simon Ward received £175 speaker fees; Yi Wang received £553 speaker fees; Vision Box (owned by trustee Simon Ward) received £1,000.
“Dorothy Wilson, Chair, received £1,350 for consultancy services relating to the Revisiting Your Cinema Business Model course (2024: £nil). Sudha Bhuchar, trustee, was paid £300 during the year for consultancy services in relation to recruitment (2024: £200). Vision Box, co-directed/owned by Simon Ward, an ICO trustee, and his wife Corrina Ward, was awarded £1000 for the National Lottery Cinema Thank You event "Lights, Camera, Thanet" (2024: £500 for the Cinema Unbound Powell & Pressburger season). Simon Ward, trustee, was paid £175 speaker fees for the FAN programming course (2024: £nil). Yi Wang, trustee, received £553 (2024: £nil) for his services as a speaker at events held by the ICO.” — page 37
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Dorothy Wilson, Chair, received £1,350 for consultancy services relating to the Revisiting Your Cinema Business Model course (2024: £nil).
“Dorothy Wilson, Chair, received £1,350 for consultancy services relating to the Revisiting Your Cinema Business Model course (2024: £nil).” — page 37
“Sudha Bhuchar, trustee, was paid £300 during the year for consultancy services in relation to recruitment (2024: £200).” — page 37
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Sudha Bhuchar, trustee, was paid £300 during the year for consultancy services in relation to recruitment (2024: £200).
“Dorothy Wilson, Chair, received £1,350 for consultancy services relating to the Revisiting Your Cinema Business Model course (2024: £nil).” — page 37
“Sudha Bhuchar, trustee, was paid £300 during the year for consultancy services in relation to recruitment (2024: £200).” — page 37
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Vision Box, co-directed/owned by Simon Ward, an ICO trustee, and his wife Corrina Ward, was awarded £1000 for the National Lottery Cinema Thank You event "Lights, Camera, Thanet" (2024: £500 for the Cinema Unbound Powell & Pressburger season).
“Dorothy Wilson, Chair, received £1,350 for consultancy services relating to the Revisiting Your Cinema Business Model course (2024: £nil).” — page 37
“Sudha Bhuchar, trustee, was paid £300 during the year for consultancy services in relation to recruitment (2024: £200).” — page 37
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Simon Ward, trustee, was paid £175 speaker fees for the FAN programming course (2024: £nil).
“Dorothy Wilson, Chair, received £1,350 for consultancy services relating to the Revisiting Your Cinema Business Model course (2024: £nil).” — page 37
“Sudha Bhuchar, trustee, was paid £300 during the year for consultancy services in relation to recruitment (2024: £200).” — page 37
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Yi Wang, trustee, received £553 (2024: £nil) for his services as a speaker at events held by the ICO.
“Dorothy Wilson, Chair, received £1,350 for consultancy services relating to the Revisiting Your Cinema Business Model course (2024: £nil).” — page 37
“Sudha Bhuchar, trustee, was paid £300 during the year for consultancy services in relation to recruitment (2024: £200).” — page 37
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Locke Williams Associates LLP. Discloses 6 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2025

  • Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£70,001–£80,000: 1)
  • Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit; payments to trustees for services to the charity
  • Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2024

  • Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£60,001–£70,000: 1)
  • Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit; payments to trustees for services to the charity
  • Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2023

  • Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£60,001–£70,000: 1)
  • Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit; payments to trustees for services to the charity; other trustee benefit

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Corporate structure

Leadership, per the charity’s website

Listed on the charity’s own website when we last crawled it; roles may have changed. Pay-band disclosures above are anonymous statutory disclosures and are not attributed to any named individual.

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

1 registered title in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (0 freehold); recorded price paid £1.3m. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram · linkedin

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income
£1.7m
Total spending
£1.7m
Reserves (reported)
£229k
Employees
20

Reported reserves equal ~1.6 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.7 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (100% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.3%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£1.7m£1.7m
31/03/2024£1.7m£1.6m
31/03/2023£1.9m£2.1m
31/03/2022£1.7m£1.7m
31/03/2021£1.5m£1.4m

Common questions

Is INDEPENDENT CINEMA OFFICE financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The charity reported a net income surplus of £48,795 for the year ended 31 March 2025, driven by increased BFI funding and programming fees. However, its free reserves of £229,026 remain below the trustees' stated policy target of three months' running costs, which equates to £266,519. The trustees believe the charity is a going concern, supported by three-year funding from the BFI and available general funds. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Locke Williams Associates LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of INDEPENDENT CINEMA OFFICE earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £60,001 - £70,000 band, and 1 employees earned over £60,000.

Who funds INDEPENDENT CINEMA OFFICE?

Funders whose own accounts filings name INDEPENDENT CINEMA OFFICE as a grant recipient include THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE, SCREENSKILLS LIMITED.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTEFY2021£578kAudience Fund - Organisational Award
SCREENSKILLS LIMITEDFY2021£52kTraining/CPD
SCREENSKILLS LIMITEDFY2022£20kTraining / CPD

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Heritage Fund21/08/2018£66k"New Towns, Our Town - Stories on Screen"

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
BFI TRUST1£1.8m
UGGLA FAMILY FOUNDATION1£542k
REUBEN FOUNDATION1£532k
THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUST1£353k
THE THOMPSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST1£135k
THE CHARLES SKEY CHARITABLE TRUST1£120k
THE CORDON CHARITABLE TRUST1£108k
OLD POSSUM'S PRACTICAL TRUST1£95k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
INDEPENDENT CINEMA OFFICE£1.7m£60,001 - £70,0001below—no doubt
THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE FY2025£128.1m——unclear—no doubt
BIDEFORD FILM SOCIETY FY2025£26k—0unclear—no doubt
THE YOUNG WOMEN'S FILM ACADEMY CIO FY2025£96k—0unclear—no doubt
THE CINEMA MUSEUM FY2025£232k—0below—no doubt
MEDICAL AID FILMS LIMITED FY2025£84k—0above—no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.