2024-12-31-accounts - Seaham Music Academy

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Annual Report 2024

eaham Music Academy is a not-for-profit organisation operating within Seaham but drawing membership from neighbouring towns, Stoo.

Mission Statement: “To promote participation in and enjoyment of music in the local community without barriers to access”.

During the course of 2024 the Academy met on 39 Saturday mornings.

Committee

The committee comprises:

President: James Bagley Chairman: Christopher Brown Musical Director: Frances Abbott Fundraising Head: Joanne Curtis Joint Public Relations Managers: Rosie Curtis & Jamie Lowes AGM & Meeting Secretary: Susan Topping

Annual General Meeting

Our AGM was held on Tuesday 23[rd] April in St. Mary Magdalen’s church hall.

The full list of Trustees is as follows:

Founded 1992 Music Makes Friends

Reg. charity no. 1023382 Please address correspondence to The President, 18, Northdene Avenue, Seaham, Co. Durham. SR7 7BH Tel: 07984 959848 e-mail: Seaham.musicacademy@yahoo.co.uk www.seahammusic.co.uk

Frances Abbott James Bagley Joanne Curtis Janie Lowes Steve Williams

There was keen discussion regarding many aspects of the Academy’s organisation and performance.

Membership

Over the course of the year we attracted 66 new members. At the end of the year our membership totalled 187.

Staf

The Academy currently enjoys the benefit of thirty-one tutors. We appointed an additional piano tutor in May to absorb some of the insistent demand from pupils to learn this instrument. We still have a piano waiting list bearing sixteen names.

We are also grateful to our six volunteer tutors: Gareth Brown, a brass tutor; Lynne Dakers, who supplements the work of the paid flute tutors and helps greatly to co-ordinate and organise their work; Robert Clark who teaches bass guitar; Richard Lilley and Joanne Curtis who help out with violin tuition and Janie Lowes who fills any gaps in keyboard teaching.

This is also an appropriate time to thank the adult volunteers who stock and run our “tuck shop” each Saturday morning for their cheerful hard work. Profits from the tuck shop make a significant contribution to our annual income.

Instruments

It is Academy policy to loan instruments to members who do not possess them. So far it is our experience that we can never have too many instruments.

This year we have added three new trumpets and we have also had six guitars donated.

We are also pleased to report a steady increase in the Academy’s library of sheet music and tutor books.

Founded 1992 Music Makes Friends

Concerts and Performances

Our first performance of the year came with a ceilidh for a birthday party for one of our members. This took place on 20[th] January at Westlea Club and was a very well-attended affair with our ceilidh band earning thoroughly deserved plaudits.

Our end-of-term Spring concert was held at Seaview School on the morning of March 23rd. Our kindermusik children got proceedings underway: there then followed fifteen solo, five duet and one trio performances from our school-aged children on flute, piano, violin, recorder, cello, clarinet, trumpet and bassoon. In addition there were contributions from a junior string group, a violin quartet, a string orchestra, a wind ensemble, a concert band and a pop group. It was a very busy morning! The concert also raised £350 for Academy funds.

Our first performances of the summer term actually took place before the term had even started. This year the Seaham Mayor’s Ball was held on Friday 5[th] April. Our wind band provided the entertainment as the guests arrived and continued until the meal was served. Them during a later intermission our choir, Seaham Academy Singers, serenaded the guests. Both performances were very much appreciated.

Our summer concert, held on the morning of Saturday 6[th] July, featured 24 different acts. Our kindermusik children began proceedings to introduce a concert which featured solo and duet performances on piano, baritone, violin, recorder, flute and clarinet.

There were also contributions from a saxophone group, a string ensemble and the Academy wind band. The concert was concluded by our guitar group who played and sang four songs to bring a more modern edge to the morning’s music.

Proceeds from the concert exceeded £240. This was a total of admission money, raffle ticket sales and income from the sale of tea, coffee and tuck.

Our final outing for the term was a visit by Seaham Academy Singers to Church View Care Home in Murton on Sunday 28[th] July.

In the Autumn term our ceilidh band played at a local venue on 26[th] October and then performed at a very well-attended dance in Stockton in late November.

The approach of Christmas always heralds a big increase in the demand for concerts and performances. This year our brass players and choir were

Founded 1992 Music Makes Friends

invited to take part once again in the Mayor of Seaham’s ecumenical Christmas carol service on 4[th] December. This was a well-attended service. We had eight choir members who gave renditions of two carols while our seven brass players supported the entire service.

Three days later we held our own in-house end-of-term Christmas concert. This was certainly a case of “standing-room only” for the many people who arrived too late to claim a seat. An extremely successful concert featured groups of singers, kindermusik members, six beginner brass players, violinists, flautists, a wind band, a saxophone group, and string players.

There were also solo performances by two clarinettists, a flautist, six pianists, a trombonist, and a cellist.

Our choir, Seaham Academy Singers, visited homes to try to inject a little joy to the residents’ Christmas. On 5[th] December we visited the Church View Care Home in nearby Murton. Then on 12[th] December we sang at Parklands Care Home. Over the course of two hours the singers sang many Christmas songs and carols supplemented by musical theatre and other popular songs. Both performances were extremely well received.

Our final performance this year was at our local Asda store on Saturday 21[st] December. From 10 until noon members of our wind band and choir played and sang Christmas music. Then from 2 until 4 our string players and a pianist provided a festive atmosphere for shoppers. Thanks to the generosity of the customers we raised £708 for Academy funds.

Examinations

On February 24[th] we were delighted to welcome an examiner from Trinity College London. We had fourteen candidates on string and woodwind instruments as well as piano and drum kit. The range was from Grade 1 to Grade 7. We are delighted to report that all of our candidates passed their exams with two earning distinctions and five gaining merits. We have also seen three more of our members pass examinations online. One student plays trombone, another violin and the third piano. All three candidates passed with distinction.

Partnerships

Since 2005 we have met in Seaview Primary (Deneside) School where we enjoy the use of fifteen separate classrooms, a hall for our main ensemble group to use for rehearsals, a hall for use by our kindermusik group and

Founded 1992 Music Makes Friends

two cupboards to store our instruments and music. We are both very happy with the accommodation and very proud of our long relationship with the school.

Grants

Since one of the Academy’s main aims is to ensure that music-making is affordable and accessible to all, we deliberately suppress the membership fees. A consequence of this policy is that we must seek some financial help to guarantee the proper payment of our tutors.

In May we received the first £5,000 instalment of a three-year grant from The Sir James Knott Trust. This body has supported us in the past and we are truly indebted to them. In the same month we also received £500 from the retiring Mayor of Seaham’s Charity Fund.

In October The Shears Foundation granted us £5,750 and two representatives of the Foundation were very welcome guests at our Christmas concert.

Point North, formerly known as The County Durham Community Foundation, which has given us great support in the past awarded us £5,000 in October.

Our gratitude to our benefactors cannot be overstated.

F inally, to everyone who helped to make 2024 such a worthwhile and productive year – from tutors to parents, from students to helpers and especially our benefactors – thank you very much.

Dr. Richard Lilley James Bagley Auditor President

Founded 1992 Music Makes Friends

Richard Lilley

10 Frosterley Drive

Great Lumley Co Durham 31/03/2024

To Whom it may concern

Re Audit of Financial Accounts of Seaham Music Academy for 2024

The accounts for the financial year 2024 were prepared by Jim Bagley. As in previous years the accounts are well organized for the three terms and summarized in a monthly spreadsheet for the year.

The Cash income continues to be checked and signed by 2 volunteers, now including the larger cash income for the Christmas music events. Sampling several random months shows all the bank transfers and cash income is entered in the income spreadsheets.

The expenditure for one term was fully assessed. All expenditure has a numbered receipt or signed tutor receipt and is recorded accurately in the accounts. All Cheques for cash in hand are documented in the expenditure spread sheet.

The bank account balance in the accounts is £3K less than the actual end of year bank account balance. This appears to be due to Durham County Council not drawing a £3K cheque sent for the Autumn premises rental; which has happened before.

I have no further recommendations to make for future financial statements.

Richard Lilley

Volunteer Auditor.