The Alexandra Palace and Park Board were scheduled to meet to discuss the Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust (APPCT) budget for 2025/26, to receive an update on the chief executive's vision and goals, and to discuss the next steps for the Grove. The board was also scheduled to approve appointments to committees.

2025/26 APPCT Budget

The Alexandra Park and Palace Board were scheduled to discuss and approve the APPCT budget for 2025/26.

The report pack stated that the APPCT, like many charities operating in the cultural, heritage, and hospitality sectors, is encountering several significant challenges, including economic uncertainty, rising operational costs, and increasing pressures within the labour market. It noted that all of the sectors that APPCT operates in are vulnerable to external shocks, such as war impacting utilities and supply chains, and climate change.

The report pack stated that an important key performance indicator (KPI) in the Operational Business Plan is achieving a sustainable budget position for the Trust, following multiple years of operating at a deficit. It noted that current forecasts indicate that the Charity is on track to meet this target for the 2024/25 financial year.

The report pack also stated that during the development of the 2025/26 Trust Budget, achieving a sustainable position proved challenging, but that the Trust has successfully achieved a balanced budget through extensive efforts to identify cost savings.

The report pack identified financial challenges including increases to insurance premiums, increased national insurance contributions, increased estate guarding costs, and general cost inflation.

Mitigation strategies to offset these challenges include recognising the restoration levy collected on behalf of the Trust in year rather than in arrears, increasing car park charges, increased fundraising targets, and new leases and tenants.

The report pack stated that the Trustee Board have approved increases to car parking charges to take effect on 1 April 2025.

The report pack stated that the restoration levy is charged on tickets at venues, museums and historic attractions to help fund restoration, maintenance and repairs. At Alexandra Palace, the restoration levy is typically between £1.50 to £2.10 depending on the event.

The Grove

The Alexandra Palace and Park Board were scheduled to discuss the next steps for the Grove and to approve recommendations.

The report pack stated that there are four buildings in the Grove with established uses and long-term occupiers. In 2022, with the end of the leases approaching, the Trust begun a process of options analysis, culminating in a public engagement exercise in 2023/2024.

The report pack summarised the findings of the public engagement exercise, stating that suggestions for improvements included:

• More space for play
• More live music
• A need for public toilets
• More and a wider range of seating options
• Improved safety including lower-level, consistent lighting
• More planting, improved environments for wildlife and a community growing space
• A desire for increased staff visibility
• Opportunities for co-production on projects

The report pack stated that since collating the responses, the Alexandra Park Security forum has been created, the focus on dealing with graffiti has been enhanced, the corner shrub bed has been refreshed with gardening volunteers, shrubs by the Grove Cafe have been trimmed and tidied, the park noticeboards across the site have started to be refurbished, existing lighting is being maintained whilst simultaneously investigating future improvements (LEDs), and new bollards have been installed by the Grove car park entrance.

The report pack stated that the Trust team have been working on the next capital fundraising campaign for the Park and Palace, which includes the Grove under the Community pillar alongside other key areas of the Park (Campsbourne, the play area, skate park and boating lake).

The report pack recommended that the current leaseholders are offered the opportunity to enter into new lease negotiations, for new leases of up to a maximum of five years.

Chief Executive Vision and Goals Update

The Alexandra Palace and Park Board were scheduled to receive an update on the chief executive's vision and goals.

The report pack stated that the report updates the Trustees on the first months of the new financial year 25/26 and aligns with the Trust's Vision to Create a Sustainable Home for All That We Do.

The report pack stated that after six years of hard work from the team, [Alexandra Palace] is now recognised as an industry leader in accessibility, having been awarded the Attitude is Everything Platinum Award.

The report pack stated that the BBC Concert Orchestra has now officially confirmed and announced their partnership with Alexandra Palace as the Palace's first Associate Orchestra.

The report pack stated that staff from several departments have been working towards the first level of the Theatre Green Book¹.

The report pack stated that vital conservation work continues across the east-facing façade and wider site, with a focus on traditional masonry repairs.

The report pack stated that the team are making excellent progress this summer in restoring and replacing the heritage Windsor Park lamps.

The report pack stated that artist Ricardo Cinalli, a graduate of Hornsey School of Art who lost work in the 1980 fire, returned during the rebuild to create a series of neo-classical frescoes for the Londesborough room, which included two gigantic figures on the south wall.

The report pack stated that the Friends of the Park have been undertaking Woodland Quality Assessment of the woodland compartments across the Park.

The report pack stated that the new Tenant of the Grove cafe, Conscientious Coffee, has refurbished the building and increased the opening hours to improve service.

The report pack stated that in collaboration with Friends of the Theatre, dedicated volunteers, and the AP Theatre team, recent research and community-informed narratives were co-curated for a rich display marking the 1875 Theatre anniversary.

The report pack stated that the Fundraising team plan to relaunch their current In Celebration giving to include increased voluntary donations to support the Park and Palace.

The report pack stated that the formal thank you event to Historic England for funding for the North East Office Building (NEOB) Repair Project took place on 30 April.

Appointments to Committees

The Alexandra Palace and Park Board were scheduled to approve the memberships of the Advisory and Consultative Committees for 2025/26, the Finance, Risk, Resource and Audit Committee (FRRAC), the Alexandra Palace Trading Limited (APTL) Board, the Programme Board and Lead Trustee Roles.

The report pack included lists of the proposed members of the Statutory Advisory Committee (SAC) and Consultative Committee (CC) for 2025/26.

The report pack asked the Trustee Board to appoint up to four of its Members to sit on FRRAC in 2025/26 and to appoint a Chair of FRRAC.

The report pack stated that in 2024/25, the APTL Company Directors, were:

• Trustee Directors: Councillors Nick da Costa (Chair), Emine Ibrahim, Anne Stennett, Sean O'Donovan
• APTL Employee Director: Emma Dagnes
• Non-Executive Directors: Jamie Copas & Andrew Morton