20,000 VOICES
ANNUAL REPORT
For the Period Ended 31 March 2023
20,000 Voices 258 Frome Road Trowbridge Wiltshire BA14 0DS
20,000 Voices is a company limited by guarantee Company Number 3550680 and a Registered Charity Number 1073394
20,000 VOICES
DIRECTOR’S REPORT for period ended 31 March 2023
1. PRINCIPAL ACTIVITY
20,000 Voices promotes, supports and develops participation in singing principally, and in music making in combinations with instrumental music for all. The organisation encourages activities which enhance enjoyment and develop skills across a wide range of vocal styles and across the widest possible community. Originally founded and based in Northumberland and the North East, the organisation now enjoys a widening reach across all sectors of the community across the UK and beyond.
Singing is important:
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Singing is a basic natural human activity
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Singing develops physical, mental, social, emotional and creative capacities
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Singing promotes the health and wellbeing of individuals and groups
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Singing develops self-confidence and self-esteem
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Singing is enjoyable
Objectives:
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Empower all people through singing;
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Engage people in the development of vocal & communication skills;
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Enrich lives through learning and participation;
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Enhance health and wellbeing through the benefits of singing;
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Extend access to participation in singing
We aim to meet our objectives by:
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working with people of different ages, backgrounds and abilities
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providing activities in a wide range of vocal styles
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providing workshops, courses and projects
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using highly skilled leaders
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developing the talents and skills of a variety of participants and potential leaders
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encouraging the creation and performance of new vocal music
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disseminating information about best practice in singing and vocal events
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working in partnership with organisations in voluntary, public and private sectors
Key activities:
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Advocacy - promoting the benefits of singing and encouraging others, including decision makers, to share our beliefs
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Developing Networks - offering singers and leaders opportunities to learn from each other, and developing partnerships with other organisations
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Providing - delivering a unique programme with energy, enthusiasm & efficiency.
2. FUNDERS
During the current accounting period 20,000 Voices has continued to enjoy support from The Early Music Shop and the North East Early Music Forum (NEEMF).
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3. ACTIVITIES
OVERVIEW
20,000 Voices as a small charity principally involved in promoting the benefits of singing, and wider music making for well being and life enhancing experience. In common with all other arts and cultural organisations it has continued to experience considerable challenges during this period, threatening its survival. These difficulties have been created by both cultural, political and economic changes. In addition the long term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which particularly affected singing, has been close to catastrophic. The return to singing in particular, but many group activities, and especially those engaging with older members of the community remains restricted.
We are at a stage where a major reset is now urgently required to enable positive changes to the organisation, to ensure its resilience and future growth.
The ethos of 20,000 Voices has always been to encourage people to engage with singing, through a variety of introductory workshops, and the subsequent formation of choirs, supplemented by further workshop opportunities and a range of creative and performance projects.
The absorption of the summer school HISS (Historically Informed Summer School) has maintained this principle, and also extended it to instrumental involvement. This has become the principal activity for the organisation. However this period, which straddles one cycle of the summer school and into the next, has shown an upturn in interest and involvement from all those involved, both as participants and as tutors.
ESTABLISHED ACTIVITIES
Choirs & Singing Days
- The suspension of our community choirs and the Silver Singers programme (for over 50s) came to an abrupt halt with the lockdowns in 2020. These choirs have not returned, or have restarted on a much more localised and informal ad hoc basis, which has made them unviable for us as an organisation to sustain. Therefore, there has been no activity of this kind during the current accounting period.
SPECIAL PROJECTS
Summer School (HISS)
The annual summer school (HISS – Historically Informed Summer School), which has been running for more than a decade now, has shown the resilience we need to ensure its future. Held online during 2020 in person courses took place in 2021 and in the current period, 2022, we have seen a rise in numbers again. These have not reached the heights of the pe-COVID courses, but with 60+ participants, and the team of internationally recognised tutors, there has been a growing interest from the folk music side of the operation. We have also once again welcomed overseas visitors to the course. It is hoped that in August 2023 we will be back on top form, with the addition of some new tutors. Approx 70% of the course is formed of “returners”, some having every year since its inception. With a revitalised tutor team, we look forward to increased representation across the region, and beyond.
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Advocacy and Networking
20,000 Voices has continued to provide an informal service for the region and beyond supporting singers, students, choirs and other community musicians, by offering information and advice to those wanting to develop their singing and musical skills.
4. FIXED ASSETS
The Company holds no fixed assets.
5. DIRECTORS
The Directors who served during this financial period are:
Peter Carey (1998) – chair Eleanor Carr (2022 - ) Rose Lawrence (2022 - )
Following consultation with Making Music and its recent guidelines on management structures, additional Board members have been identified, and once activity resumes a level close to its former scale and range, the Board will again be fully functional.
7. FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
It is hoped that 20,000 Voices will see continued improvements as it moves forward again.
Whilst maintaining the organisation as a viable concern continues to represent a challenge in these difficult times, it also remains a priority, with a target of replenishing core funding with continuing funding streams, as a result of regular work and ongoing projects, still high on the target list.
Signed dated 21 November 2023 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Graham Coatman, Company Secretary
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Registered Number 03540680 20.OIJO VOICES .Micro-entity Accounts 31 Trlarch 2023
20.000 VOICES Registered Number 03550680 Micro-entitv Balance Sheet as Ydt 31 March 2023 Noles 2n23 2(J22 Fixed Assets Current Assets 19.949 12,395 Prepayments and at¢rued illcome Creditors: amounts falling due Thithin one )ear INet current assets (liabililies) (1,400) (9(K)} 18.549 11,495 Total #Ssets less current liabilities 18.549 11,495 Creditors: arnounts falling due after more than one year Provisions for liabilities Accrua15 and deferred income Total net assets {liabilities) 18.549 11.495 Reserves 18.549 11,495 For the year endino 31 March 20?3 the conpan). 'aS entitled to exemption under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating lo sinall cotnpanies. The niembers have not required the company to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006. The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying wilh the requirements of th¢ Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts. Tlie auLounls have beeIi preparesj in acLordanLe wilh ilie niiLro*Iilily provisiuns aiid delivered in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime. Approved by the Board on 27 December 2023 And signed on their behalf by= Peter Carey? Director
20.000 VOICES Registered Number 03550680 Notes to the Micro-entitv Account5 for the period ended 31 March 2023 Employees 2023 2022 Averagc numbcr of employees during the pcriod This docum¢nt was d¢liver¢d using ¢leclronic communications and authenticaled in accordance with the r¢gistrar's rules r¢laling to ¢l¢ctronic forni. authentication and mann¢r ot delivery under s¢¢tion 1072 of the Companies Act 2006.