GUILDFORD BOOK FESTIVAL

Registered charity 1158746 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Organisation and running of an annual book festival in Guildford, Surrey

Objects

TO ADVANCE EDUCATION FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT BY PROMOTING ANDPROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE APPRECIATION, UNDERSTANDING ANDENJOYMENT OF LITERATURE AND THE ARTS, IN PARTICULAR BY OPERATING ANANNUAL LITERARY FESTIVAL.

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

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

Latest income

£60k

Latest spending

£59k

Registered

2014

Accounts read

FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that the charity delivered a net income of £1,533 for the year ended 31 December 2024, compared to £9,282 in the previous year. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted reserves stood at £29,888, which the trustees consider adequate to ensure financial continuity into the following year.

Automated summary of the FY2024 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: adequate reserves to ensure financial continuity into the following year and Festival season (held: £30k)

“The Trustees have adopted a reserves policy, which seeks to ensure that the Guildford Book Festival maintains a positive cash balance throughout the year and concludes each financial year with adequate reserves to ensure financial continuity into the following year and Festival season.” — page 8

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

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.

Complaints policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

Guildford Borough Council — “Partly funded by Guildford Borough Council” (source page)

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

Register events

Received assets from another charity (10/11/2016) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Nikki Katrin Nelson-Smithchair
Andrew Whitby-Collins
Charmian Jane Purnell
Christopher Wade
Emma McKenzie
Michael John Hacon
William Robert Salmon

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

Operates in: Surrey

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2024	£60k	£59k
31/12/2023	£59k	£50k
31/12/2022	£63k	£78k
31/12/2021	£68k	£66k
31/12/2020	£45k	£57k

Common questions

Is GUILDFORD BOOK FESTIVAL financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that the charity delivered a net income of £1,533 for the year ended 31 December 2024, compared to £9,282 in the previous year. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted reserves stood at £29,888, which the trustees consider adequate to ensure financial continuity into the following year. Its FY2024 accounts were independently examined.