2023-08-31-accounts - Blackheath Choir

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CHARITY COMMISSION GUIDANCE ON CONTENET OF ANNUAL REPORT

Reports for small non-company charities

If your charity’s income is under £500,000 (and providing it doesn’t have assets worth more than £3.26million), prepare a simple report including:

your charity’s name, registration number, address and trustee names
its structure and details of how it is managed, including how it recruits trustees
its activities and objectives in the year
its achievements and performance, including reporting on its public benefit
a financial review including any debts and details of your reserves policy (if applicable)
details of any funds held as a custodian trustee

BLACKHEATH CHOIR ANNUAL REPORT TO0 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR 2022-23

The Trustees of the Blackheath Choir Charity present their annual report and audited accounts for the year ended 31 August 2023.

WHO WE ARE

Blackheath Choir

Charity No 1012604

Registered address 81 Humber Road, London SE3 7LR

Trustees: Jane Howlett, John Ballard and Marion Kimberley

HOW WE ARE ORGANISED

We operate within the structure of a constitution and a framework of written policies.

The management of the choir is in the hands of a committee elected each year at an AGM of members. The committee then co-opts other members with particular expertise to help it discharge its responsibilities.

The trustees of the choir are the Chair, Treasurer and Secretary of the choir unless the choir at it’s AGM should decide otherwise

The constitution and written policies are reviewed by the committee annually to ensure they remain compliant with current guidance from the Charity Commission and good practice elsewhere. Any changes or additions are reported to the next AGM for discussion.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES 2022-23

Objectives

To promote, improve, develop and maintain public education and appreciation of the art and science of choral music in all its aspects by the presentation of choral concerts and by such other means as the choir through its committee may determine.

Activities

Three concerts were given during the year. In addition, the choir continued its practice of singing carols at Canary Wharf underground station in support of a local charity. This year £3,000 was raised for the Lewisham branch of the Samaritans.

The aim through the year was to produce a programme of concerts that struck a balance between the familiar and unfamiliar, the new and the old and contained an appropriate element of challenge while remaining attractive to members and audiences alike. The choir successfully explored less known and difficult works as well as the more familiar.

The year began with a demanding programme. This was a performance of Ryba’s Czech Christmas Mass and Rutter’s Magnificat. The Mass is as popular as Handel’s Messiah in its native land but much less known or performed in the UK. The choir enjoyed sharing it with an enthusiastic audience

The Spring concert in 2023 embraced the Classical period with Haydn’s Heiligmesse and Schubert’s F Minor ‘Stabat Mater’. The Haydn offered some good opportunities for choir members to take small solo parts alongside our professional soloists.

In the summer concert the choir tackled Brahms’ Liebeslieder Waltzes, in the original German. This was combined with George Shearing’s ‘Music to Hear’. Its jazzy style provided further variety and was well received. The final item, six of Finzi’s settings of Robert Bridges, a challenge even for professional choirs, proved to be a success.

FINANCE

Outturn in 2022-23 was in line with the budget set of the year. There was a small planned reduction in funds held at the end of the year of c£1,500. Reserves at the end of 2022-23 (ie 31 August 2023) were £11,153. The Committee monitored financial performance through the year. The subscription rates and ticket prices agreed at the Choir’s AGM in March 2023 ensured that the choir would remain financially secure and able to finance the programme agreed for the year ahead, ie 202324 and beyond. There were no outstanding debts at the end of the year. All funds are held either with Shawbrook or Barclays Bank.

Trustees

Jane Howlett

John Ballard Marion Kimberley

BLACKHEATH CHOIR FINANCIAL REPORT Au8USt 31, 2023

Blackheath Choir Receipts and Payments Account For the year ended August 31 2023 2022 Receipts Subscriptions Concerts (see Concert Receipts and Payments) Donations GiftAid Refreshments Interest Sundries 12,165 11.010 191 2,777 504 30 10.868 10,233 2.799 3,109 427 30 38 27,504 26.677 Payments Publicity Making Music subscription Concerts (see Concert Receipts and Payments) Fees (conductor and accompanist) Rent Refreshments Sundries 475 418 14.711 9,655 2.602 51 271 28,183 295 16,789 9.703 2.472 401 29,708 Net receipts (payments) Net assets and amount held in Special Projects fund at the be8inning of the year Net assets and amount held in Special Projects fund at the end of the year (1.506) (2.204) 12,659 14.863 11.153 12.659

Blackheath Choir Balan Sheet As at August 31 2023 2022 Barclays Bank Community Account Shawbrook Bank Cash float Total cash resources Accounts receivable Prepaid expenses 5.719 7,522 200 10,919 234 200 12,722 144 12.866 63 12,803 11.153 Refunds due to choir members 11,153 Net assets Balance at the beginning of the year Net receipts (payments) for the year Balance at the end of the year Amount held in Special Projects Fund Net assets and amount held in Special Projects Fund 11,786 {1,506) 10.280 873 11.153 13.990 (2,204) 11,786 873 12,659 Note re: capital assets Blackheath Choir also owns various capital assets whtch, after depreciation, were estimated to have a value of: 438 515 Signed on behalf of all the trustees: Signature

Concert Receipts and Payments For the year ending A• 31 Summer Summer 2022 Late Sheari Expense Inter Spring Rutter Ryba Schubert Other Recelpts Tlcket sales athiance Tlcket sales on the door 716 375 Muslc Muslc hlre Income Muslc sales Income 474 146 952 Pro8rammes, advertising and other 217 3375 621 010 3246 Payments Conductor/Sololsts Orchestra Instrument hlre Music Music hire (orchestral Music purchase {choirl Music hire (choir) L638 L315 3.653 521 781 949 i.o)I 2.731 658 201 615 159 Pro8rammes/advertisln8 PRS fees Publicity Bar expenses Venue hire 179 193 59 52 166 1.395 14.711 6.563 1927 Net Surplu5 or {Delkit) (593) (3.189) 13,701)

Independent Examinerfs Report to the Trustees/members of Blackheath Choir Responsibilities and basis of report I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ("the Trust") set out on pages 1-3 f(K the year erKled 31108/2023. As the Charits ttustees. y(MJ are resw)nsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 {"the Act"). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Art and in carrying out my examirklti¢Jn, I have foll(Med all the applicable Directions given by the Charity c(xnmission under section 145(5)(b) of Act. Independent examiner's statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the exam1rklt1¢ which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect= the accounting records were not kept in accordance wlth section 130 of the Charities Act; or the accounts dfd not accord with the accountTng records; or the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the fonm and content of accounts set out in the Charitles (Accounts and Report5) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair. view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connectlon with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report Sn order to enable a proper rStandIng of the accounts to be reached. Signedz f¥ Date: Iq/ii1£3 Name: Benjamin Grant-jones Professional qualification: The Institute of Chartered Accountants of ScotLind Address 2 Cambridge Drive. LorKkm SE12 8AJ

BLACKHEATH CHOIR FINANCIAL REPORT Au8USt 31, 2023