Finance Score: 5
Governance Score: 9
Support Score: 11
  • Liabilities <10%: +3
  • Volatile income -1
  • Fundraising costs low: +3
  • Good trustee age range: +3
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • Gender balanced board: +3
  • Overall weighted support: +11
Overall GiG Score: 25 ?

POLKA CHILDREN'S THEATRE LIMITED

Polka empowers children aged 0 to 12 years old to navigate their world through inspirational theatre and creative experiences: improving children's lives, bringing communities together, creating ground-breaking theatre. Since 1979 we have built a local, national and international reputation. Our venue in Wimbledon is a theatre and community hub where everyone is welcome.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • This charity has a robust balance sheet
  • Spending has increased over the last 3 years relative to the previous period
  • Fundraising costs are low relative to funds raised
  • A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government
  • The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and gender and dynamic in terms of composition

Financial issues to consider:

  • Income has been volatile recently but spending has been maintained

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?
Sources of Income ?
Y/E Income
£k
Spending
£k
Surplus/
Deficit £k
Fundraising
Cost £k
Total
Funds £k
Unrestricted
Funds £k
Mths
Rsrvs
Staff Volun-
teers
31/03/23£2,637£2,974£-337£140£9,962£2,1428.633140
31/03/22£2,995£2,281£713£148£10,299£2,16511.42880
31/03/21£2,870£924£1,946£178£9,585£2,20728.71325
31/03/20£4,673£992£3,681£174£7,640£1,67820.31832
31/03/19£3,771£2,285£1,486£188£3,958£1,4757.73815
31/03/18£2,244£2,183£62£81£2,473£1,5368.4370
31/03/17£2,096£2,170£-74£61£2,411£1,5188.4370
31/03/16£2,266£1,979£287£266£2,484£1,4668.9360
31/03/15£2,215£1,956£259£396£2,198£1,5939.8370
31/03/14£1,812£1,794£18£408£1,939£1,56310.5360
31/03/13£1,869£1,804£66£343£1,324£9636.4340
31/03/12£1,647£1,652£-5£350£1,258£9096.6330
31/03/11£1,849£1,809£40£247£1,278£2781.8310
31/03/10£1,789£1,624£164£256£1,253£1,2539.3320
31/03/09£1,859£1,657£202£174£1,112£1,1128.1310
31/03/08£1,568£1,631£-63£215£1,383£1,38310.2330
31/03/07£1,507£1,603£-96£175£276£2762.1320
31/03/06£1,457£1,601£-144n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/05£1,649£1,536£113n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/04*£1,413£1,406£7n/an/an/an/an/an/a

Financial Ratios
Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 5.3%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 4.7%
Highest pay band: Less than £60,000
Liabilities/Assets: 5%
Liabilities/Income: 22%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 22%
Reserves/Spending: 8.6 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 4 months
Quick Ratio: 2.6
Asset Split ?
Balance Sheet History
Established: 56 years

www.polkatheatre.com

ed@polkatheatre.com

02085434888

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies HouseFacebookInstagramX
UN SDGs
?
Listed activities
  • Arts/Culture/Heritage/Science
  • Disability
  • Education/Training
GiG Classification
  • Art or music based therapy
How it operates
  • Provides buildings/facilities/open space
  • Provides services
Where it operates
  • Surrey, Throughout London,
Who it helps
  • Children/Young People
  • People With Disabilities

Who supports them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years
DCMS£1,033,700
Wolfson Foundation£165,000
Garfield Weston Foundation£75,000
Paul Hamlyn Foundation£52,000
True Colours Trust£40,000
BBC Children in Need£31,000
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
Co-Operative Group - Grant to Polka Theatre
£2,707 21/10/2023
You'll be helping to support Polka's Arts Access Programme, which helps us to welcome families with D/deaf, disabled and neurodiverse children to enjoy our fun and educational creative workshops.
Backstage Trust - Programme Costs grant
£5,000 01/02/2023
Contribution to their 'Curtain Up' programme providing free theatre tickets for children
Co-Operative Group - Grant to Polka Theatre
£1,432 22/10/2022
The Re:Sound Choir is a chance for Merton residents to escape their worries through the power of collective singing. There is growing evidence of wellbeing benefits surrounding group singing.
BBC Children in Need - Grant to Polka Theatre
£500 20/10/2022
0
‘Cost of Living uplift: £500 to help projects meet their rising costs and respond to increased demand 31/10/2022’
The Childhood Trust - Arts Access For All
£7,500 12/06/2022
Every child deserves a creative childhood, but for families low income areas, especially those with disabled children, a visit to the theatre or drama class can seem daunting, even unachievable. Please support us to ensure every child can have just ....more
Wolfson Foundation - Grant to Polka Theatre
£45,000 08/06/2022
Installation of energy efficient radiators in the main house and the purchase of an electric van for the production team and schools touring
Paul Hamlyn Foundation - Write Here Write Now literacy project
£52,000 16/05/2022
The Polka Children’s Theatre presents visiting shows for 0–12-year-olds alongside creative learning programmes, providing participation opportunities for schools and the community. This grant supports their Write Here Write Now project for Year ....more
BBC Children in Need - Grant to Polka Theatre
£30,500 31/01/2022
This grant will provide a three strand creative learning programme of workshops for disadvantaged young people in Merton and support them to process their emotions through creative expression.
Wolfson Foundation - Grant to Polka Theatre
£120,000 09/12/2020
WF Covid-19 Support Fund
Co-Operative Group - Grant to Polka Theatre
£4,212 24/10/2020
We want to combine our four intergenerational choirs with partners from the most deprived areas of Merton into one overall community choir.
The Foyle Foundation - Arts
£25,000 30/09/2020
as a further capital contribution due to the increased costs of the capital project and disruption to operation caused by the pandemic (awarded grant in response to coronavirus)
The Childhood Trust - Campaign for Creative Learning (title tbc)
£4,000 03/07/2020
Polka Theatre is the UK’s leading theatre for Children age 0-12. It is critical that Polka can continue to meet the needs of vulnerable children during the Covid-19 pandemic by adapting existing creative programmes and providing new projects which ....more
The Wimbledon Foundation - Equipment, workshops and training for digital delivery
£10,000 01/07/2020
Purchasing laptops to enable our staff to continue to deliver services remotely and continue support for vulnerable families. Making changes to services by moving our services online for example online forums. New additional workshops tailored for ....more
DCMS - Polka Theatre
£580,711 01/04/2020
The wider aim of the scheme is: We are the national development agency for creativity and culture. By 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has ....more
DCMS - Cultural Capital Kickstart Fund
£253,246 01/04/2020
To support Arts and Culture throughout England
DCMS - CRF Second Round - Polka Theatre
£199,743 01/04/2020
To support Arts and Culture throughout England
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£75,000 20/03/2020
FUTURE POLK capital redevelopment
True Colours Trust - Towards access improvements at the redeveloped theatre
£40,000 16/03/2020
Towards access improvements at the redeveloped theatre
The Childhood Trust - Freefalling and creative learning
£5,178 10/12/2019
Freefalling is a tailored drama programme, provided free-of-charge to children aged 9-11 years old at risk of social exclusion or who are experiencing difficulties at home or school. It is a vital part of our wider Creative Learning programme, which ....more
The Clothworkers Foundation - Grant to Polka Children's Theatre
£20,000 22/05/2019
improvement of theatre accessability for a charity which works with children with disabilities in Wimbledon
National Lottery Community Fund - Intergenerational Community Choirs
£10,000 14/12/2018
12
The project will deliver four intergenerational community choirs to local families. The aim is to build lasting relationships through singing.
London Marathon Charitable Trust - FUTURE POLKA: the capital redevelopment of Polka's Wimbledon home of 40 years
£85,000 17/10/2018
Towards the creation of a new outdoor play area at a children's theatre in Wimbledon, providing opportunities for messy play, outdoor learning and physical activity for children. Indoor facilities at the site will also be improved with provision ....more
National Lottery Heritage Fund - Grant to Polka Children's Theatre
£61,000 02/10/2018
Polka 40: Sharing the impact and history of children's theatre over four decades
City Bridge Trust - Grant to Polka Children's Theatre Limited
£100,000 02/05/2018
£100,000 for disabled access works at Polka Children's Theatre.
Wolfson Foundation - Grant to Polka Theatre
£50,000 04/12/2017
Redevelopment
City Bridge Trust - Grant to Polka Children's Theatre Limited
£2,940 29/01/2015
£2,940 for the costs of an independent access audit.
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Polka Theatre
£20,000 30/07/2013
Towards exploring new ways to involve children in the creative process of theatre-making.
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Polka Theatre
£30,000 08/11/2011
Towards production and outreach costs related to a piece of verbatim theatre that gives voice to children's and young people's responses to the riots.
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Polka Theatre
£40,000 10/09/2008
24
Towards Project costs Towards the costs of two theatre/educational collaborations with the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum to test out ways to create the best new theatre for children with integrated education projects.
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (11)
Current Trustees appointed
Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 38-68
  • ALISON JANE HARPUR Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Publishing
  • ARIF FEISAL SAAD Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Investment Strategist
  • CATHERINE SALLY MANUEL Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Marketing Consultant
  • DOMINIC FRANCIS PROCTOR Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Co. Dir.
  • FIONA LOUISE MCLAREN Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Lawyer
  • HELEN ELIZABETH CLARK BELL Appointed: 2023
  • KELLIE LOUISE WILLIAMS-JAUVEL Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Solicitor
  • MICHAEL ANDREW BRADLEY Appointed: 2019, Occupation: Headteacher
  • MICHAEL LORD Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Producer
  • VICTORIA ASPDEN Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Creative Learning Producer
  • VINCENT GERALD O'BRIEN Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Non Executive Director
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 02/10/1968, number: 256979
  • Registered at Companies House on 10/09/1968, number: 00938592
Gift Aid
  • Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid
Fundraising Regulator
First registered: 09/01/2017, current status: Awaiting renewal
Policies in force
  • Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
  • Complaints handling
  • Complaints policy and procedures
  • Conflicting interests
  • Financial reserves policy and procedures
  • Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
  • Internal risk management policy and procedures
  • Investing charity funds policy and procedures
  • Investment
  • Paying staff
  • Risk management
  • Safeguarding policy and procedures
  • Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
  • Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
  • Social media policy and procedures
  • Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
  • Trustee expenses policy and procedures
  • Volunteer management
Filing Record
20 returns made; AR04: 1 days late,
Main office

Polka Theatre
240 The Broadway
LONDON
SW19 1SB

Objectives

TO PROMOTE, MAINTAIN, IMPROVE, AND ADVANCE EDUCATION, PARTICULARLY BY THE PRODUCTION OF EDUCATIONAL PLAYS FOR CHILDREN AND THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE ARTS, INCLUDING THE ARTS OF DRAMA, MIME, PUPPETRY, DANCE, SINGING AND MUSIC AND TO FORMULATE, PREPARE AND ESTABLISH SCHEMES THEREFORE PROVIDED THAT ALL OBJECTS OF THE CHARITY SHALL BE OF A CHARITABLE NATURE.

Defined Area of Benefit:

NOT DEFINED

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving
Charizone

Tips for Selecting Charities

Which areas of philanthropy are most effective?
The text of this post is taken from an article on the Effective Altruism forum. It suggests that you can achieve the most impact by supporting causes that fight extreme poverty, improving animal welfare....more
Our Top Tips for Philanthropy
Here are some ideas to help you gain more satisfaction from your philanthropy and confidence that the causes you have selected are impactful. Engage your brain, as well as your heart You....more
How to become a Philanthropist
In this Blog we outline a strategy to help people who are new to philanthropy and for those who feel dissatisfied with the impact they are having. Effective philanthropy is immensely rewarding for donors,....more

Giving is Great