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“...an amazing opportunity; an inspired idea...”

Annual Report and Financial Statements For the year ending 5[th] April 2022

Torbay and South Devon Music Centre[1] advancing music education for young people

The committee is pleased to present its report for the year ended 5[th] April 2022

Torbay and South Devon Music Centre has been supported by:

Devon and Torbay Music Education Hub Torquay Boys’ Grammar School The Hill Family The Lee Family All our members and their parents; The music Centre wouldn’t happen without you. We thank them all.

1 “.... the chance to be part of music making at its best - with others..”

Our Objectives - Why What We Do Matters ............................................................................... 4 Activities - What We Do ............................................................................................................. 7 Review of Developments and Achievements ............................................................................. 9 Rehearsals, Concerts and Events .......................................................................................... 9 Members ...............................................................................................................................11 Staff .......................................................................................................................................14 Volunteers .............................................................................................................................15 The Clatworthy Legacy ..........................................................................................................16 Conventions, Conferences and Training ................................................................................16 Music Education Hubs ...........................................................................................................16 Financial Review - How We Spent Your Money ........................................................................17 Expenditure ...........................................................................................................................17 Income ..................................................................................................................................18 Our Reserves - Where We Go Next ..........................................................................................19 Double Reed Playing .........................................................................................................20 Publicity and Communications ...........................................................................................20 Residential Weekends .......................................................................................................20 The Committee and Trustees - Who We Are .............................................................................22 Governance - How We Work .....................................................................................................24 Our Ethos ..................................................................................................................................26 Risk Management .....................................................................................................................27 Independent examiner's report ..................................................................................................31

Our Objectives - Why What We Do Matters

“Arts and music education are not merely ‘extras’, but central to who we are.” - Barack Obama

Music plays a key role in the lives of most people, particularly adolescents.

Evidence shows that children who experience high quality musical training have advantages across all school subjects and that participation in music

enhances positive attitudes towards school, leading to
higher attendance,
increased motivation and
improved behaviour.

The Music Centre provides an important, complementary service that encourages children to continue enjoying and benefitting from their playing.

We believe that group music making, amongst people of all backgrounds, offers the opportunity to

engage in wider cultural experiences,
explore new ideas,
broaden experience and
encourage tolerance.

Our data shows that some young people stay with us for as long as 10 years, demonstrating that The Music Centre is an important part of their lives through childhood and adolescence. Playing in an ensemble contributes to feelings of

social inclusion,
self-confidence and
aspiration.

Our members learn about

teamwork,
communication and
relating to others in a positive way.

But above all else, The Music Centre allows children to have fun.

The National Plan for Music Education

“When young people make music together, they work toward a common goal that has the potential to change lives profoundly for the better.” - The National Plan for Music Education

Through its collaboration with the Devon and Torbay Music Education Hub, The Music Centre is engaged in delivering some aspects of the National Plan.

In providing a variety of ensembles, we ensure that children have an opportunity to make music with others, and that music education is supported outside schools.
Our concerts provide an opportunity for children to perform regularly.
By offering ensembles of varying standard, we give children the opportunity to progress along clearly signposted routes.
We guide young people to other live music making opportunities. More experienced members have played with county ensembles and with Torbay Symphony Orchestra.
Our bursaries and subsidies help children from all backgrounds to learn to play, and to progress, by making our ensembles affordable.
Older members provide inspiring role models for younger ones.
We ensure all members can learn from specialist instrumental teachers, and that enhanced experiences are available through providing access to specialist ensembles and instruments.
The use of specialists ensures that our teaching is of a high quality.
Through us, Hubs can deliver an offer that reaches beyond school boundaries and draws on additional expertise.
We allow children to experience a range of musical genres and activities and stretch their boundaries.

We provide teaching and progression routes beyond what individual schools can offer. These experiences can be broader and more challenging.
These opportunities are not one-offs; they allow for continuous and ongoing progression.
Residential weekends and attendance at specialist events allow our members to benefit from expert tuition, and to experience high quality playing at large scale events, at prestigious venues and with professional musicians.
Our feedback demonstrates that our members experience enjoyment and success through all their stages of musical learning.

And that’s what matters to us the most.

The objectives of the trust are established in our declaration of trust of 14[th] April 1998, as varied 22[nd] May 2012.

The trust’s purpose is the advancement of musical education in South Devon by the:

promotion and support of music training; and
staging of musical events for young people in the area.

Activities - What We Do

Torbay and South Devon Music Centre operates under that name and as the Peninsula Clarinet Choir. We have approximately 70 members.

The Music Centre provides an opportunity for its members to enjoy playing their instruments and improve their musical skills by performing together. Orchestras and bands are led by experienced musicians and there are opportunities to play in concerts as well as weekly rehearsals. There are groups for players of all standards and all ages, though our focus is on the under 25s.

We also offer members the chance to try new and endangered instruments (such as piccolo, cor anglais, contrabass clarinet) and to become familiar with a greater range of musical styles.

Each term’s work culminates in a concert performance staged in front of a live audience. This allows all our students to play in separate ensembles and the full orchestra. Senior students experience participation in a high quality musical production whilst the more junior members not only participate but are inspired to strive for future success and development. This year we have performed two concerts in The Centenary Hall at TBGS and one outdoor concert on The Terrace, The Old Manor House, TBGS.

Annually, each group presents a prize to each outstanding member and a “Young Musician of the Year Award” is presented to the member who has made the greatest contribution to The Music Centre overall. This is given at the last concert of the season.[2]

This academic year of 20-21 year the award was given to Francis Lee (flute). As well as being a supportive member of the Music Centre, he is an outstanding player and

achieved his ARSM Diploma in June. We wish him every success in his future studies at Oxford University where he is studying English but also plays in three orchestras there.

The Peninsula Clarinet Choir draws its membership from clarinet enthusiasts across the region, meeting approximately monthly at various venues. It also holds a residential

2 “...fabulous teaching, fabulous concerts…”

weekend with a professional masterclass and recital; and attends the single reed day at Wells Cathedral School.

The committee is determined to ensure that as many young people as possible can access our service. To this end we

operate a bursary system remitting subscriptions in cases of financial hardship;
subsidise the cost of our residential weekends; and
have adopted an equal opportunities policy.

Everyone is welcome[3] at The Music Centre without regard to gender, religion, sexuality, or ethnicity.

3 “...giving children of all ages and abilities the chance to take part.”

Review of Developments and Achievements

Rehearsals, Concerts and Events

Summer Term 2021

The government rules for performing were that we had to either have no audience and an indoor concert or have a live audience but perform outside.

The solution was a fantastic venue of The Terrace situated behind the Old Manor House at TBGS. We rehearsed inside and outside and performed a picnic in the park style concert with all groups socially distanced and family groups bringing their own food and drink. The weather was dry until the very end of the last

piece when umbellas were useful!

We had some fantastic comments from parents who were in tears to hear the live music of their children’s groups which they had not heard for over two years. It was an amazing feeling to be back performing infront of an audience again.

Mid Summer Music Event 2021

Our inaugrual summer event based at TBGS for three days in August. This was an event to enable children of 7-18 years to come to try orchestral instruments with our tutors giving workshops and master classes on each of the four instrument families. We had 34 children over the 3 day event. We also had some of our regular members helping out with the workshops and performing in the master classes. We invited

a trumpet student from The Royal College of Music to give input to the brass master class.

Autumn Term 2021

Our concert was in TBGS Centenary Hall. We could have a concert indoors with an audience, but people were still wearing masks if they wanted to, and seating was socially spaced. We dedicated the concert to our late friend and colleague Susan

Durant who directed the Brass Ensembles for TSDMC for many years and who sadly passed away on 31[st] October 2021.

All the groups performed on the stage in turn for the first time in two years and the Fast Forward performance was made up of Oldway and Torquay groups, joined for the first time by our Fast Forward group from Brixham who sat together in the front of the stage.

We also invited the children from The Mid-Summer Event to the concert to be presented with their Arts Award Discover. 7 out of the 8 children pictured are now members of TSDMC.

Spring Term 2022

We had our Spring concert in The Centenary Hall at TBGS and were pleased to see some children back that we had not seen for a year or two due to the pandemic. All our groups played a great programme of music showing their progress

and hard work to families and friends.

It is a tradition of TSDMC that when a child leaves us to go to university or college they are presented with a mug with our logo on. The Music Centre mug was presented to Abigail Bevan as she left this term to go to Exeter College.

Some of our ensembles are preparing to take part in the Devon County Show and The Mix festival next term now that things are getting back to normal.

Members

Involving as many young people as possible in our work has long been a priority for the committee and we are determined to see our membership increase.

Fast Forward[4]

To this end we have undertaken a number of projects, including satellite groups, to reach out to primary schools in the Bay. The Music Centre has built on the success of the established “Fast Forward” group aimed at primary school children. This group has attracted very young people, learning to play musical instruments for the first time. We have been delighted to welcome these new members both to weekly rehearsals and to the termly concerts where they have done themselves proud.

This year this took the form of an Orchestra for All, based on our existing Fast Forward group held on Tuesdays after school from 4-5pm at Oldway Primary School in Paignton and from September 2021 on Thursdays after school from 4.30-5.30pm at Brixham College, Brixham. The locations gave children, who found transport to the Torquay main Music Centre, the opportunity to join us. These children joined together with the Fast Forward group from Music Centre to perform in the Autumn and Spring concerts. Attendance has increased this year and we continue to work on building these numbers.

4 “We really enjoy being part of the Music Centre family.”

We are also pleased to report that a number of these younger students have progressed sufficiently to become full members of The Music Centre and join more advanced groups.

Low Membership Fees

Low membership fees are also important to us. The Music Centre is pleased to implement a scheme to support free membership for those in receipt of free school meals, funded by Devon and Torbay Music Education Hub. It has also made it possible to offer membership of Fast Forward groups (for very young musicians) for £20 a term.

As always, our members continue to impress. Congratulations to all those who passed grade exams this year: Ali Jamson, Grace Deam, Lauren Tanton, Emily Gaffney, Finley Doets, Seren Hickman-Heritage, Carolina Toribio, Tommy Weston; Esther Franklin; Thomas Crawford; Isabella Woulfe, Arthur Eastman, Max Moorman, Kayleigh Sandeman, Hannah Spear and Victor Aram.

And in particular congratulations to Thomas Ward (Violin), Ben German (Drum Kit), Thomas Young (Drum Kit) and Daniel Spear (Saxophone) who all passed their Grade 8 and Francis Lee (Flute) who passed his ARSM diploma.

Communication with all our members has been key this year, with so many changes taking place and sometimes at short notice. Emails and social media have proved invaluable to the continuation of our provision. Future online communication and website development will be part of our plans looking forward.

Adult participation in centre activities continues, with appropriate regard to our safeguarding policy. The presence of adults strengthens the family atmosphere of the Centre, using work skills to benefit the charity. The committee is grateful for time and effort given.

Alumni News

Our congratulations and best wishes also go to former members

Jack Oades (violin), who was the winner of the Buckfast Abbey Millennium Composition Competition;
Ellie Kendall (flute and sax), who, as part of her master’s degree, has played with the Gothenburg and Helsingborg Symphony Orchestras;
Jake Downs (viola), continuing doctoral musicology research at Sheffield University;
Jason Hill (clarinet), graduating with a master’s in orchestral performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and performing with the National Orchestra of Wales;
Sophie Williams (cello), at the Royal Welsh College, studying music;
Sebastian Boot (clarinet), now studying music at Cardiff University;
Poppy Bell (violin), now in the Royal Marines Band Service;
Hannah Capstick (flute), now studying music at the University of Oxford.

“As a previous member of the Music Centre, attending for 8 years, I am full of gratitude for all the Music Centre has done to further and encourage my musical education.” – Hannah Capstick

Our best wishes go to all those who are applying to university this year and wish them every success in their studies and music making.

Staff[5]

The trustees are convinced of the importance of recruiting and retaining highly qualified staff, who are as passionate about music education as the committee itself.


Brass Ensemble	Sue Durant ALCM GLCM PGCE passed away and Hannah Spooner BMus(hons) GRNCM PGCE (secondary music) has stepped in to continue Sue’s work. Our heartfelt sympathy goes to Sue’s husband and daughter. She will be very much missed at the Music Centre.

Percussion Ensemble	Colin Bellworthy BMus(Hons) ATCL LTCL FTCL

Fast Forward Group (for very young musicians)	Tom Deam BA(Hons) PGCE Dip.ABRSM

Flute Choir	Claire Hindle BA(Hons)

Clarinet Choir	Marina Kummer BA(Hons) Cert.Ed.

Concert Orchestra	Helen Wills ALCM Suzuki Level 2

Youth Strings	Goska Kosmaczewska BA(Hons)

Youth Orchestra	Moira Devonport BEd (Hons)

Fast Forward Orchestra for All Oldway and Brixham	Louise Darvid BA(Hons) PGCE Mark Farin BA Moira Devonport BEd (Hons)

Peninsula Clarinet Choir	Marina Kummer BA(Hons) Cert.Ed Graeme Hardman BA(Hons) PGCE

Both Marina Kummer and treasurer, Deborah Blackmore, are established as arrangers and have a body of works in print. Marina is also the musician librarian at Dartington International Summer School.

As Faculty Leader for Creative Media at Brixham College, Graeme Hardman is an experienced classroom teacher and musician.

5 “The dedication of the staff is wonderful…”

Tom Deam is a member of the Gustav Benzel Hot Club, a Gypsy Jazz / Klezmer band. He also once played fiddle for a colony of seals.

Marina Kummer plays with Torbay Symphony Orchestra and Moira Devonport is a member of Exeter Symphony Orchestra.

We would like to thank the staff for their unfailing professionalism and good-natured support throughout the year, and hope they are looking forward to the next one as much as we are.

Volunteers

Our volunteers play a vital role in the life of The Music Centre and the trustees are very grateful for all the support they receive:

The members of the committee are an invaluable sounding board;
Our external advisors provide expert opinion;
The first aiders help keep our members safe;
Our team of concert volunteers sell tickets and provide refreshments, helping create the inclusive and welcoming atmosphere that our members enjoy.

All our volunteers are a source of enthusiasm and inspiration. The trustees couldn’t manage without them, and we thank them all for their important contribution. More volunteers are always welcome.

The Clatworthy Legacy

In 2014, The Music Centre was very pleased to be awarded £10,000 from the estate of the late Mr Henry Clatworthy. This sum is dedicated to promoting the playing of the oboe, and related instruments, and to this end The Music Centre[6] provides a specialist teacher to give subsidised tuition. We are actively looking for children to take up the oboe.

Conventions, Conferences and Training

These continued to be affected by the aftermath of the pandemic and were mostly limited to online workshops and training.

Training has been undertaken on communications, safeguarding and website management.

Music Education Hubs

Following the restructuring of the local Music Hubs, we have been glad to continue our collaboration with the Devon and Torbay Music Education Hub, working as one of their delivery partners. This relationship is strengthened by our staff members, Tom Deam and Lou Darvid being part of the board of the Hub.

The trustees would like to record their thanks to the Music Education Hub for their support. We look forward to further collaboration in the years to come.

6 “...what an asset we have in South Devon!” - Stover School

Financial Review - How We Spent Your Money

Expenditure

----- Start of picture text -----
tuition costs manager's fee
premises hire administration and governance
instruments and equipment working with professional musicians
----- End of picture text -----

Our total expenditure for the year was £37k, considerably more than 2020/21 as we begin the ‘new normal’. As with every other organisation, the Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on our operations and continued to do so post lockdowns. We were proud of our rapid response and transition to online provision, a testament to the flexibility and professionalism of our staff and manager. Although this facility is no longer paramount for the running of the Music centre, we have the structures in place to use this again if needed.

As ever, staffing and premises costs form the bulk of our expenditure. We pride ourselves on the quality of our teaching, management and musicianship and make no excuse for the sums we spend. Our staff are our greatest asset.

The committee would like to thank Moira for her tireless work and all our staff for their patience during the course of the year.

Of course, our staff need a venue in which to work and, as always, premises hire has been a significant expense, this year amounting to £2.6K.

Of the £1.7K spent on administration and governance, more than half of this cost (£760) is insurance. We appreciate the importance of protecting our members, the public and the charity’s assets and take expert advice to ensure we have appropriate cover.

Income

Our total income for the year was £41.9K, with grants and donations (£32.8K) and members’ subscriptions (£8.5K) our principle sources of funds. The committee has highlighted the lack of diversity in our income streams and addressing this risk to the charity continues to be a major focus in our risk management strategy.

The use of the gift aid scheme provides a welcome boost to our finances and we encourage our members to sign up to the scheme whenever possible.

Our Reserves - Where We Go Next

The trust holds both restricted and unrestricted reserves as detailed in the financial statements.

Unrestricted funds are held to:

meet costs arising at short notice, such as instrument repairs;
cover ongoing costs incurred in running Music Centre and the Clarinet Choir, including staff fees and premises hire; and
meet the costs of projects as directed by the trustees.

Restricted reserves have been given to meet specific areas of expenditure as described in the financial statements.

----- Start of picture text -----
4% [3%]
8%
27%
6%
2%
50%
operating costs Legacy B
hiring professional musicians Peninsula clarinet choir
Clatworthy legacy general purposes
residential fund
----- End of picture text -----

The charity holds total reserves of £87k, of which £8k are restricted. The movement on and size of the reserves are described in the financial statements. Reserves are utilised as and when volunteers become available to undertake projects, with no fixed timescale.

Legacy B

We were all saddened by the death of a longstanding supporter of the Music Centre but delighted to receive a legacy of £48k; the last of her many acts of kindness to us.

While we have many ideas of how to put these funds to work, for the time being, until the pandemic is over, the committee has decided to hold fire on new developments until we see how the musical landscape lies.

Operating Costs

The trustees decided to hold our operating costs reserve at £30k to meet potential, unfunded operating costs. This represents 2 terms' costs and is intended to provide a financial breathing space if external funding is withdrawn.

Peninsula Clarinet Choir

Peninsula Clarinet Choir is expected to be financially self-supporting and generates, and spends, its own funds under the umbrella of The Music Centre. The reserve of £5.3k in respect of this represents the result of its activities.

Hiring Professional Musicians

This reserve was created following a donation of £5k from a generous benefactor. The committee is using this sum to extend the involvement of professional musicians with our young performers.

Double Reed Playing

The Clatworthy legacy of £8k will continue to provide opportunities for double reed playing.

Publicity and Communications

The committee is very aware that the members are the lifeblood of our organisation and that attracting new young musicians is vital. Accordingly, we set aside £5k to fund improvements to our literature and other publicity vehicles. In 2015/16 we revised our graphics and invested in more advertising opportunities. In 2016/17, we commissioned a new website. This cost £1k.

In 2019/20, The Music Centre commissioned a promotional video which is now being used on social media, at conferences and in schools.

We are further developing our digital reach and are using Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to take our message to a wider audience.

Refreshing this reserve will be considered at forthcoming trustees’ meetings, taking account of the pandemic.

Residential Weekends

Residential weekends provide a welcome and valuable opportunity for members to spend time with like-minded friends and to focus on their playing for extended periods.

They are also a forum in which young musicians can learn from, and interact with, professional players in an informal environment. The committee is keen to support these events and make them accessible to as many students as possible. To this end we set aside £5k to subside the cost to our members. Of this, £2.6k remains and will be used to offset the cost of future residential weekends.

In order to make our reserves work as hard as possible for us, the committee has invested £20k in an ethical fund managed by a specialist provider. The choice of amount and the nature of the fund reflects the trustees’ investment policy: £20k is sufficient to increase the diversity of our assets, without incurring excessive risk.

The Committee and Trustees - Who We Are

The Music Centre committee has a number of different elements, all working together for the furtherance of the charity’s aims. The ethos has always been one of inclusive, happy and equal collaboration, something for which the trustees are very grateful.

The members of the committee during the year were:


Chair and trustee	Martin Hill DipPFS

Treasurer and trustee	Deborah Blackmore BSc(Hons) ACA and member of the Charity and Voluntary Sector Group of the ICAEW

Member and trustee	Kelvin Boot BSc (Hons)

Member and trustee	Nicola Smith BA(Hons) PGCE MA(Ed)

Member and trustee	Elizabeth James BA(Hons) PGCE

Member and Manager	Moira Devonport BEd (Hons)

Member and primary education representative	Louise DarvidBA(Hons) PGCE

Member and staff representative	Marina Kummer BA(Hons) Cert.Ed.

Member and secondary education representative	Graeme Hardman BA(Hons) PGCE

The committee devises the strategic direction of the trust, and the manager works under the direction of the committee. However, all responsibility for the management and conduct of the charity rests with the trustees alone.[7]

Committee members advise the trustees in their decision making, bringing a wider range of views and professional opinion to the table. No formal roles are assigned to committee members in recognition of their other responsibilities, away from The Music Centre, but their support is invaluable.

Trustees are appointed at a special meeting, serving for a period of three years. In making new appointments, the existing trustees take into account the residence,

7 “...well led and managed and offers excellent progression opportunities…”

employment, occupation and specialist knowledge or personal qualifications of each candidate.

All the trustees and committee members give their time for free and no remuneration or expenses are paid to them. As a committee, we are always pleased to receive expressions of interest and are happy to discuss membership further.

Advisors

Safeguarding[8] Lisa Barker-Jones BA(Hons) Diploma in Social Work Insurance Seaway Insurance Consultants Ltd. Banking Lloyds TSB plc Independent Examiner Robin Breeze MA BA CertEd

8 “...secure and positive…”

Governance - How We Work

Contact details:

Web http://tsdmc.org.uk Email torbayandsouthdevonmusiccentre@gmail.com Twitter @torbaymusiccent Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TSDMusicCentre Instagram torbaymusiccentre Telephone 07862 922739 Post c/o Torquay Boys’ Grammar School, Shiphay Manor Drive, Torquay, TQ2 7EL

Legal Status

Torbay and South Devon Music Centre is a charitable trust, constituted by deed, and registered with the Charity Commission and HM Revenue and Customs.

Other Memberships, Affiliations and Registrations

Arts Council England National Council for Voluntary Organisations South Hams Community and Voluntary Service Small Charities Coalition Making Music LawWorks National Centre for Diversity Online Compass

Both the treasurer and manager report to the committee at each meeting, where members review the financial position and day-to-day running of The Music Centre. An annual budget is agreed at the start of each new financial year and used to monitor both income and expenditure as that year unfolds. The committee members make extensive use of Charity Commission guidance, and other resources, to inform their discussions and ensure they are acting in accordance with best practice and the public benefit.

Our Ethos

The committee has considered and adopted the seven principles of standards in public life or 'Nolan Principles'. These are:

selflessness : Committee members have a duty to act in the best interest of the organisation as a whole. They should not do so in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, their friends or the organisations they come from or represent;
integrity : Committee members should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might influence them in the performance of their duties;
objectivity : In carrying out their duties, including making appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits, committee members should make choices on merit;
accountability : Committee members are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public, funders and service users. They must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their role;
openness : Committee members should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands;
honesty : Committee members have a duty to declare any interests relating to their role and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in favour of their trustee role; and
leadership : Committee members should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.

(Source: National Council for Voluntary Organisations)

Risk Management

The trustees are responsible for identifying and managing risks faced by The Music Centre and are assisted in this by the committee and external advisors. At present, the areas of highest risk are considered to be:


risk	mitigated by
Safeguarding – As young people, our beneficiaries are vulnerable and this is an ongoing risk we face. The committee fully appreciates the importance of maintaining best practice in this area.	Involvement of a qualified practitioner to advise the committee. In 2018, we undertook an in-depth review of our policy and procedures, which produced more detailed protocols. These have been communicated to both staff, beneficiaries and their parents. Safeguarding is also a standing item on our meeting agendas, to ensure that any issues arising are identified and addressed as soon as possible. Trustees are also encouraged to take training in this area.
Over dependency on public funding – Public funding is subject to unpredictable changes in policy and direction, which are beyond our control.	The committee believes in taking a holistic and proactive approach to promoting the future viability of the charity. We have implemented a reserves policy which allows for the possibility that funding will be withdrawn. Use of the NCVO sun tool has allowed us to identify weakness in our sustainable funding strategy and address them. We are also actively pursuing alternative sources of income, including applying to grant making trusts. In tandem with this, the committee is building up expertise in the areas of impact measurement and evidence gathering. These tools should aid us in demonstrating our worth to current and potential supporters.
Trustee recruitment - We are conscious that, as a small body, our pool of resources is limited and that succession planning is problematic.	Following successful appeals, we recruited two new trustees to join us in 2017/18. They bring welcome expertise in primary education and communications. We will be appealing for more trustees this year.

All areas of significant risk are addressed on an annual basis.

During the course of the year, the committee also considered the following issues:

communication with funders and supporters
stakeholder feedback, including improved dialogue with our staff
promoting the playing of ‘endangered instruments’
evidencing the charity’s work and the helpfulness of measuring outcomes
data protection, the use of digital technology and preparing for GDPR
conflicts of interest
progression and continuation following on from a child’s first access to music education
the security of charity assets
their policy on reserves.

External Scrutiny

In 2019, The Music Centre was subject to evaluation by staff from the Devon Music Education Hub who concluded that,

‘With a well-established weekly music centre, providing a variety of ensemble and progression activities, a strong offer is in place for children and young people drawn from schools across Torbay, South Devon and as far as Plymouth and Cornwall. An experienced team of specialist instrumental teachers provide high quality experiences, with many students progressing to an advanced level of ability and some choosing to pursue music further through county groups and/or further studies.’

Statement of the Responsibilities of the Trustees

The trustees are required to comply with their obligations under the Charities Act 2011 and the declaration of trust to

keep accounting records;
prepare annual statements of account;
present these statements for audit or independent examination;
prepare an annual report; and
provide the Charity Commissioners with such information as is required by law.

Gift Aid


Every £1 a UK taxpayer pays in membership subscriptions	allows The Music Centre to claim 25p from the taxman, providing you sign a gift aid declaration.


This costs you nothing	but earns us £2-3k each year, enough to pay for our premises.


Please sign up if you can

How You Can Help


Donate	All donations, large and small, are always welcome and help us maintain financial sustainability.


Volunteer	We can always use more help, particularly at concerts.


Join the committee	An informal commitment where you can contribute as much or little as you feel able.


Become a trustee	We meet 6 times a year and attendance is expected of trustees. We lighten the load by making the meetings as sociable and informal as possible.

If you would like to know more about us and our work, please speak to Moira.

Public Benefit

The trustees confirm that they have had due regard to the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit when determining the activities of the trust.

Basis of Preparation

This report has been prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2011.

Martin Hill DipPFS Deborah Blackmore BSc (Hons) ACA Chair Treasurer[9] 24[th] January 2023 24[th] January 2023

For and on behalf of the committee.

9 “Fantastic!”

Independent examiner's report

I report on the accounts of the trust for the year ended 5th April 2022, which are set out on pages 31 to 37.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of independent examiner's report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent examiner's statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:

to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the
accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met;
or to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Name: Robin James Breeze

Relevant professional qualification or body: MA BA CertEd

Address: 2 Rowe’s Barns, Stoke Gabriel, Devon, TQ9 6RT Date: 24.1.23

Income and Expenditure Account for the Year Ending 5[th] April 2022

		Unrestricted Funds	Restricted Funds	2022	2021
	notes	£	£	£	£
Income
grants and donations	2	32,818	-	32,818	26,032
members' subscriptions	3	8,529	-	8,529	2,280
concert proceeds	4	539	-	539	-
sundries		48	-	48	6
Total income		41,934	-	41,934	28,318

Expenditure
tuition costs	5,6,7	19,726	-	19,726	12,508
manager's fee		12,375	-	12,375	12,245
premises hire	8	2,654	-	2,654	660
administration		713	-	713	620
insurance		762	-	762	762
working with professional musicians		735	-	735	-
governance		230	-	230	-
repairs and music consumables		368	-	368	-
sheet music		112	-	112	43
Total expenditure		37,675	-	37,675	26,838

Net movement in cash funds		4,259	-	4,259	1,480
Cash funds brought forward		82,938	8,051	90,989
Cash funds carried forward		87,197	8,051	95,248	90,989

Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 5[th] April 2022

		Unrestricted Funds	Restricted Funds	2022	2021
	notes	£	£	£	£
cash at bank		87,198	8,051	95,249	90,989

postage stamps		25	-	25	25
tuck shop stock		70	-	70	70
fixed assets held for charity's own use	10	5,600	-	5,600	6,865

Total assets		92,893	8,051	100,944	97,949

The notes on pages 34 to 37 form part of these financial statements.

Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf.

Martin Hill DipPFS, Chairman 24[th] January 2023

Deborah Blackmore BSc(Hons) ACA, Treasurer 24[th] January 2023

Notes to the Accounts

1. Accounting Policies

These accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis, under the historic cost convention and in accordance with the relevant sections of the Charities Act 2011. The accounting policies have been applied consistently throughout the current and previous periods.

Depreciation

Provision for depreciation of fixed assets is made at the following rates based on the estimated useful life of these assets and their residual value:

Instruments 5% of cost per annum Vehicles and other equipment 25% of cost per annum.

Tuck shop stocks

Stocks for resale are valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value.

Unrestricted and restricted funds

Unrestricted funds consist of the general purposes fund and designated funds. Designated funds are funds established by the committee from time to time for specific projects or purposes and are not in any way restricted. Any surplus or deficit will be transferred to/from the general purposes fund when the designated fund is closed.

Restricted funds are funds subject to specific restrictions imposed by the donors or by the purpose of the appeal.

Investments

Capital of £20k has been invested by the trustees (in accordance with the charity’s investment policy) over the medium to long term. No income has been withdrawn from our investments and none in included within these accounts.

2. Grants and Donations


	2022	2021
	£	£
Grants	32,500	22,640
Donations	318	120
Legacy from a generous benefactor	-	3,272
	32,818	26,032

3. Subscriptions

The priority of the committee was to encourage as many young people as possible to continue playing through the pandemic by providing an online service. No subscriptions were charged for our online provision during 2020-21. We charged subscriptions for 3 full terms in 2021-22.

4. Concert Proceeds

No concert proceeds were raised in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

5. Tuition Costs

	2022	2021
	£	£
Music Centre	14,509	12,508
Orchestra for All - Paignton	360	-
Orchestra for All - Brixham	540	-
Midsummer Music	4,317	-
	19,726	12,508

In 2022, we (re)started 3 satellite projects to reach more young musicians, who cannot access our regular provision. This contributed to the increase in our tuition costs.

6. Employees

There were no employees during the year (2021: none).

7. Committee Expenses and Benefits

Moira Devonport, Graeme Hardman, and Marina Kummer were remunerated for their work as members of staff. No other payment was made to committee members.

8. Premises Hire


	2022	2021
	£	£
Music Centre	2,143	660
Satellite Projects	511	-
	2,654	660

In 2021 rehearsal space was hired for only one term due to the pandemic, and there were no satellite projects.

9. Funds


	Opening balance	Funds allocated	Funds expended	Transfer	Closing balance
	£	£	£	£	£
Unrestricted:
General purposes	(2,574)	6,020			3,446
Operating costs	26,000				26,000
Legacy B	48,272		840		47,432
Peninsula clarinet choir	5,569		186		5,383
Working with professional musicians	3,055		735		2,320
Residential fund	2,616				2,616

Restricted:
Clatworthy legacy	8,051				8,051

Total of all funds	90,989	6,020	1,761	-	95,248

10. Fixed assets


	Instruments	other equipment	total
	£	£	£
Cost
At beginning of year	11,735	1,437	13,172
Additions	-	-	-
Disposals	-	-	-
At end of year	11,735	1,437	13,172

Depreciation
At beginning of year	5,548	1,437	6,985
Charge for the year	587	-	587
Disposals	-	-	-
At end of year	6,135	1,437	7,572

Net Book Value
At 5th April 2022	5,600	-	5,600
At 5thApril 2021	6,865	-	6,865

2022-04-05-accounts