## SOUND SENSE - Financial Statements For the year ended 31 March 2024 *s - 

## Company registration number 3933421 Charity number 1080918 [7 * a 

Members of the board and professional advisers . = It - Page 2 Trustees annual report =a Pages 3- 8 b a Independent examinees statement to the members *. al . Page 9 Statement of financial activities Leal]od -3 — Page 10 La Balance sheet = Page 11 Cashflow statement -= Page 12 . Notes to the financial statements Pages 13 -18 4 

1 I Page 



Members of the board and professional advisers
The board of trustees
Carol Bowden
Dave Camlin
Rebecca Denniff
Kimberley Harper
Lee Holder
Xenia Horne
Eleanor Knott
Gica Loening
Tenley Martin
Holly Radford-james
Jessica Pitt
Ceri Tippetts
Rory Wells
Company secretary
Clare Adams
Reglstered offlce
Sound Sense
LCB Depot
31 Rutland Street
Leicester LEI IRE
Correspondence address
Sound Sense
LCB Depot
31 Rutland Street
Lelcester LEI IRE
Independent examlner
Ed Day
Accountant
Pipistrelles, Barn
Pond Hall Road
Hadleigh
IP7 5PQ
21 Page

Trustees, annual report
The trustees, who are also directors for the purposes of the Companies Act, have the pleasure of presenting
their report and the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024.
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
The full name of the company is Sound Sense, registered company number 3933421. The company is a charity
registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Details of the company's registered offlce and
other company information are set out on page 2.
The trustees who are also company directors, who senied the charity durlng the year and/or during the
preparation of this report were:
Jessica Abrams
Mark Blck
Carol Bowden
Dave Camlln
Chalr, resigned 26 October 2023
Resigned 26 October 2023
Elected 12 October 2023
Elected 23 October 2024
Resigned 23 October 2024
Cholrfrom 26 October 2023
Elected 12 October 2023
Elected 26 October 2023
Sarah Fisher
Rebecca Denniff
Kimberley Harper
Lee Holder
Xenia Horne
Eleanor Knott
Gica Loening
Ashleigh Lowes
Tenley Martin
Marina Perryman
Jessica Pitt
Holly Radford-james
Georgia Reitano
Ceri Tippetts
Rory Wells
Elected 26 October 2023
Elected 23 October 2024
Resigned 26 October 2023
Elected 26 October 2023
Resigned 26 October 2023
Elected 12 October 2023
Elected 26 October 2023, resigned 8 April 2024
Elected 23 October 2024
STRucfuRE. GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
The company is constituted as a private charitable company limited by guarantee. The company's objectives
and powers and other constitution31 matters are set out in its governing document and its Memorandum and
Articles of Association.
Appointment of trustees to Serve on the board of directors requires election by the members. All members
are informed in advance of their right to stand for election and are encouraged to do so. Trustees also take
steps to encourage nominations from member groups under-represented on the board. The Articles of
Association provide that one-third of the board retire at each annual general meeting. The Articles allow any
member who has senied for not more than two consecutive terms of three years and any former member
3 | Page

who has not served during the previous twelve months to offer themselves for election to the board. The
board is entitled to appoint further trustees to fill casual vacancies or to increase their number until the next
annual general meeting. Any person so appointed to the board must be a member of the company. The board
may also appoint non-members with specialist skills or knowledge on a yearly basis for up to six consecutive
years. New board members benefit from an induction process at their first board meeting and contact with
and support from the chair thereafter.
A chair is elected bythe trustees to serve for three years, after which they must resign from the board. Jessica
Abrams was elected as chair on 29 October 2020 and sen4ed until 26 October 2023. Rebecca Denniff was
elerted as chair on 26 October 2023.
The trustees in the form of the Board of Management are responsible for the overall strategic development
and control of the charity's activities. Sub-committees may also exist to deal with various issues. Day to day
operational management of the charity is delegated by the trustees to Sound Sense staff.
Throughout 2023124, Clare Adams continued to serve as part-time General Manager, our sole permanent
employee. Two people joined the staff team on part-tlme freelance contracts: Claire Francis as
Communications Manager In May 2023 and Basma Sbihi as Membership Coordinator in June 2023.
The trustee5 have conducted a review of the major risks to which the charity is exposed and systems have
been established to minimise those risks. Significant external risks to funding are minimised by carrying a
reasonable level of unrestricted reserves. Internal risks are mlnlmised by the implementation of procedures
for authorisation of transactions. These procedures are periodically reviewed to ensure that they still meet
the needs of the charlty.
OBJEcfivES AND ACTIVITIES
Objectlves
Sound Sense is established to promote, maintain, improve, and advance education particularly by the
improvement and development of public taste, appreciation and understandlng of music. Our particular
contribution to that aim is to support the activity of community music. This is music-making which:
involves musicians from any musical discipline workin8 With people to enable them to develop actlve
and creative participation In music
is concerned with putting equal opportunities into practice
happens in all types of community, however defined, where it reflects the context in which it takes
place
In other words, community musicians work primarily to improve the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable
people through music-making; and {as a second-tier or infrastructure organisation) we support their work in
two specific ways:
by promoting the significance and value of community music
by assisting in the professional development of community musician5
Activities
We have continued working to our corporate plan Community Music Everywhere, extending its period of use
to the end of 2024. This includes a range of activities grouped under four headings, summarised as follows:
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Growing Sound Sense
Review and further develop our membership offer, working in partnership where appropriate
Develop and deliver regular, member-led networking opportunities
Develop and deliver a strong strand of CPD, including online training, for music practitioners
Maintain a strategic overview of community music nationally and internationally, taking an active role
in discussions around the development of policy and best practice
Strategic partnerships
Build and maintain partnerships with training providers to improve community music CPD offer5
Build and maintain partnerships with HE/Universltie5 for research purposes, to inform best practice
8uidance and documentation
Develop a mentoring scheme where community musicians share skills and develop learning on the
job" to gain experience in a high-quality, practice-based environment
Fundraise for and/or deliver projects for and wlth community music practitioners and organisations
Bulldlng a programme of networklng OPPOrtunltles
Develop and deliver a series of networking opportunities, delivered in small group sessions, regionally,
by members, for members
Set up an online forum where the discusslon polnts can be shared natlonally among members
Further develop our Find a Musiclan" member directory as a networking resource
Bulldlng a resource bank
Create a one stop-shop for resources to support community music practice including:
Templates for small businesses, including project planning and budgeting
Tools for workshop best practice documentation, evidencing impact and other practical resources
We continue to use our outcomes-focused method of assessing how well we are doing against our workplan.
As in previous years, the board will be able to scrutinlse the work done and challen8e assessments of progres5.
Users and beneflclarles
Our users and beneficiaries consist of professional community music practitioners and community music
organisations, including those with an interest in community music, such as musicians, teachers, music
therapists, researchers, administrator5 and others. Through the work of practitioners, our beneficiaries also
Include participants.
Our advocacy work benefits all our users without charge. We offer advlce, information and contacts for free
to all on our website and through our social media. However we are a membership organisation, and upon
joining, members receive additional benefits including monthly newsletters, a quarterlyjournal, access to DBS
checks and professional insurance5 (for individual members).
Public benefit
In shaping our objective5 for the year and planning our activities, the trustees have considered the Charity
Commi55ion's guidance on public benefit; and are confident that our work results in more capable communitv
musicians, who then can provide better services to the ultimate beneficiaries of our work as described above.
Trustees have also considered the guidance on public benefit and fee charging. The organisation relies on
grants and the income from fees and charges to cover its operating costs. In setting the level of fees, charges
and concessions, the trustees carefully consider the accessibility of our activities for those on low incomes.
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ACHEIVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
Our programme of activitles was focused in two key areas:
Continuing to develop and deliver our core services for Sound Sense members
Growing and working in partnerships to promote high quality networkin& training and
professlonal development for communlty muslc practltloners
Sounding Board journal: Insplring themes, diverse contrlbutlons
We have continued to publish four issues of Sounding Board each calendar year as an online journal.
Communications Manager Claire Francls has encouraged and worked with people to help them contribute
their experiences, Stories and knowledge via a range of media and article types. During 2023124, we published
themed editions as follows: Music education & alternative provision (July 20231, Celebrating the Muslc
(September 2023), Music, Mind & Body (October 20231, Early Years Music (December 20231 and Being in
Business (March 20231. We used board discussions and monthly Gatherings to develop these themes, ensurin8
that the voice of our members ran through and informed our publications, and that they responded to the
needs and interests of the membership.
Monthly onllne gatherlngs
We have continued to hold online Gatherings each month for community music practitioners. These events
have been open to all (not just Sound Sense members) and have provided a safe and supportive space for
practitloners to share experlences and practice, ask questions, and discuss successes and challenges. Sound
Sense board members have facilitated Gatherings on a voluntary basis, hosting a diverse range of participants
from students to seasoned practitioners working In a range of settings across the UK and beyond. These
Gatherings have become a hugely valuable mechanism for connecting directly with members and 5UPPOrting
them in their practice. During 2023124, we started to plan and deliver Gatherings around topics of interest to
the host, and this has helped engage new and returning attendees. Topics have included early years muslc,
mental health & wellbeing, creative evaluation, and 'activism day-to-day,.
Member services
We have provided our nearly 900 members with our usual range of support and servlces throughout the year,
and developed these further to help community music practitioners and organisations deliver high quality
experiences for their participants:
We continued to offer DBS checks onllne to our members in partnershlp with People Danclng, with
Digital ID checking option available to people with UK passports, and alternative arrangements using
paper documents and a Zoom meeting for those without
We continued to publish our monthly members newsletter Bulletin Board, with links to job, training
and funding opportunities, and news updates relevant to the field of community music
As described above, Sounding Board brought new voices to the fore and covered a huge variety of
work throughout the UK. The journal continued to cover a range of thematic articles and reports
around the community music practice, to provide inspiration and examples of new ways of working
We have seen steady engagement across our social media channels and a modest amount of member-
to-member sharing in our private Facebook members forum
Working in partnerships
Partnerships enable us to work better, more efficiently, and/or deliver a wider range of benefits to the
community music sector. Due to capacity limitations, we have not delivered face to face events in 2023/24,
however we have developed a brand new partnership that will deliver a major new national event in March
2025. Based on ourfindingsfrom and experiences of delivering ourfouryearTraining the Comrnunity Musician
6 | Page

{rrcM) programme, this event will offer an interactive and enriching professional development experience
for community musicians at all career stages. Our event partner5 are AMP {an organisation member, formerly
known as NYMAZI and Leeds Beckett University, who will be hosting us at Leeds School of Arts.
Sound Sense remained an active memberof the Music Education Council (MEC), Music Network UK, the APPG
for Muslc Educatlon and (via the individual membership of board members) the Internatlonal Soclety for
Music Educatlon (ISME), Within these forums, we continue to seek to raise the status of community music
within the wider music education sector and increase Sound Sense, reach and connections in the UK and
internationally. We have also continued to collaborate with International Centre for Communlty Muslc, York
St John Unlverslty to support research in the field of community music, participating in their student research
symposium in November 2023.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
As has been the case for many years, our principal source of income continues to be Sound Sense membership
subscrlptlons. Durlng 2023/24, member numbers remained stable and we benefited from the rates increase
made In late 2022/23; therefore we saw an increase in member income: £53,554 in 2023124, up from £50,748
in 2022123. We received no grant income during 2023124.
The net incoming resources forthe year amounted to a surplus of £411. Based on known funding and a prudent
estimate of member income, together with reserves of £23,652 (which includes £7,095 held in a designated
fund for redundancies), the company is fully able to continue to operate in its core model staffed by one part-
time employee supported by part-time freelance roles for the foreseeable future.
Reserves pollcy
Since 2018, Sound Sense reserves policy has been:
The trustee's policy is for the organisation to operate on known income alone. The organisation's
basic level sustainable business model, operatlng on membership income alone, allows Sound Sense
to maintain a skeleton staff of two part-time staff, with delivery of membership services at its core.
Project funding is continually being sought. When such Income is secured, the organisation will
operate flexibly, increasing and decreasing its staffing levels in line with known income stream,
enabling Sound Sense to undertake and deliver additional project work in line with its charitable
rnemorandums & articles.
Investment powers and pollcles are to retain surplus funds of not less than three months operating
costs, not immediately required in such investments, securities or property as thought fit, subject to
any legal restriction5. Currently the organisation splits its reserves between various charity deposit
accounts, balancing a desire to operate ethically with a need to maximise interest rates and ensure
funds are not placed at undue risk"
The board of trustees reviewed and approved this reseNes policy as fit for continuing use, subject to annual
review, at their meeting on 15 July 2024.
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FUTURE PLANS
We continue to work within our corporate plan, Community Music Everywhere, supported by our established
core operations model, and seeking to develop and improve where possible.
In 2024125 our plans include:
Core member benefits continue as for 2023/24, including professional insurances, access to DBS
checks, a digital member badge and online member directory, monthly Bulletin Board newsletters,
quarterly online Sounding Board journal, discounted safeguarding training, and additional online
Informatlon and resources
Continue with our popular monthly online 'Gatherings', selecting a range of days/times/themes to
engage with a greater number and diverslty of music practitioners
Deliver a two-day in-person event for community music practitioners, managers and students at Leeds
School of Arts in March 2025, in partnership with AMP and Leeds Beckett University
Continue to seek partnership opportunities and funding to help us design and dellver an expanded
offering to support community musicians in delivering quality work, including online and in-person
CPD and networking opportunities supported by a suite of online resources
Finalise and disseminate a revised and updated verslon of our Code of Practlce In consultatlon wlth
Sound Sense members and the wider community music field, and in collaboration5 With Sing Up
Continue to raise the profile of Sound Sense, its members and the community music sector as a whole;
on our social media platforms and as an active member of UK and international forums and
programmes
Work to promote continulng growth In Sound Sense member numbers across all four UK nations
Launch a new corporate plan, Community Music Now, to run for four years from 2025 to 2029.
By order of the Board
Rebecca Denniff
Chalrnrustee
yaygRirfr 2024
q /12/201+
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS ON THE UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS OF
SOUND SENSE LIMITED FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
I report to the members on my examination of the accounts of Sound Sense Limited for the year ended 31
March 2024.
Responslbllltles and basls of report
As members of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the
requirements of the Charities Act 20111'the Act'},
I report in respect of my examination of the charity's accounts (set out on pages 8 to 191 carried out under
section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions
given by the Charity Commission under section 145(51{bl of the Act.
Independent examlnerfs statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in
connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in any material respect:
the accountlng records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or
the accounts did not accord with those accounting records; or
the accounts did not comply with the applicable accounting requirement5 concerning the
form and contents of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) 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 connection wlth the examination to which
attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be
reached.
Ed Day
Pipistrelles Barn
Pond Hall Road
Hadleigh
IP7 5PQ
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SOUND SENSE
Statement of Flnanclal Actlvltles
Year ended 31 March 2024
Unrestricted Deslgnated
Funds
Funds
Restricted Total Funds Total Funds
Funds
2024
2023
Note
Note 2
Income
Donations and legacies
From charitable activities
- developing community muslc
Investments
53,554
84
53.554
54,210
Total Income
53,638
53,638
54,212
Expendlture
Raislng funds
On charltable actlvltles
Total expendlture
53.227
53,227
53,227
53,227
51,914
51,914
Movement In funds
Net Income lexpendlturel
Funds brought forward
Transfers between funds
Funds carried forward
411
411
2,298
20,943
17,341
(1,1951
16,557
5,900
1,195
7,095
23,241
23,652
23,241
The Statement of flnanclal activltles Includes all galns and losses recognised In the year.
All Income and expendlture derives from contlnuln8 actlvltles.
The notes on pages 13 to 18 form part of these flnanclal statements
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SOUND SENSE
Balance sheet
31 March 2024
Note
2024
2023
Current assets
Debtors
Cash at bank
967
39,457
39.457
37,803
38,770
Credltors: Amounts fallln8 due wlthln one year
{15,805)
115,5281
Net current assets
23,652
23,242
Net assets
io
23,652
23,242
Funds
Deslgnated
Unrestricted
Total funds
7,095
16.557
23,652
5,900
17,341
23,241
For the year ended 31 March 2024 the company was entltled to exemptlon from audlt under Sectlon 477
of the CompanSes Act 2006 relating to small companies.
No members have required the company to obtain an audit of Its accounts for the year In question In
ac¢ordance wlth Sectlon 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The dlrertors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requlrements of the Act with
respect to accounting record5 and for the preparation of accounts.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provlslons appllcable to companies
subject to the small companies regime.
These financial statements were approved by the members of the board on
slgned on th
beh
ecember 20241 and are
Rebecca Denniff
Chair/Director
The notes on pages 13 to 18 form part of these flnancial statements
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SOUND SENSE
Cash Flow Statement
For the year ended 31 March 2024
Notes
2024
2023
Cash flows from operating actlvltles
Net cash 8enerated by operatln8 activities (see below)
1,655
3,912
Change In cash and cash equlvalents In the year
Cash and Cash equlvalents at l Aprll 2023
37.803
33,891
Cash and cash equlvalents at 31 March 20Z4
li
39.458
37,803
Reconclliatlon of cash flows from operatln8 actlvlties
Net Income for the year (see statement of flnanclal artlvltle$)
411
2,298
Ilncrease}/decrease in debtors
967
1751
Increase/ldecreasel in creditors
277
1,689
Net cash generated by operatln8 artlvltles (see above}
1,655
3,912
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SOUND SENSE
Notes to the financial statements
Year ended 31 March 2024
l. Accountlng pollcles
Basls of preparatlon
The flnanclal statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The financial
Statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice, effective
l January 2015, in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 102, applicable UK Accountin8
Standards and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared on the golng
concern basis. The principal accounting policie5 adopted In the preparation of the financlal statements
are set out below.
Key judgements and assumptlons
The nature of the company's affairs Is such that the dlrectors believe that there are no areas of
Si8nSficant Jud8ement and no significant assumptions that are required in the preparation of the
flnanclal statements other than those relating to going concern. Goln8 concern rests on the avallablllty
of future fundin8 and whilst the company continues to run at a deflcit future levels of expenditure are
closely monitored by the trustees to ensure that sufflclent funds are avallable to enable them to be
met.
Income
All Income is Included in the statement of financial activlties when the charlty Is legally entitled to the
Income and the amount can be quantlfled wlth reasonable accuracy.
Grants from government and other agencles have been Included as Income from activities In
furtherance of the charlty's objects where these relate to a contract for servlces, but as donatlons
where the money is given in response to an appeal or wlth freedom of use withln the charity's objects,
for example, block grants.
Expendlture
Expenditure includes attributable VAT which cannot be recovered.
Debtors
Trade debtors relate to services provided and invoiced prlor to the balance sheet date whlch remain
outstanding at that date. Prepayments, relating to expenditure incurred which has economic beneflt In
future acountin8 periods.
131 Page

SOUND SENSE
Notes to the financial statements
Year ended 31 March 2024
Credltors: Amounts falling due withln one year
Trade creditors relate to amounts involced for servlces received before the balance sheet date which
remain outstanding at that date. PAYE and social security relate to payroll taxes deducted and incurred
before the balances sheet date which remain outstanding at that date. Accruals, relating to
expenditure not paid until after the balance sheet date which confers economic benefit on the current
accountin8 period. is recognised at the amount of that economic benefit. Deferred income. relating to
Income received in the current accounting perlod but which relates to future periods, is recognised as
the whole of the income In question.
Funds
Funds fall Into two categories, restricted, where their use is governed by the wishes of the entity
provldin8 the funds or the contractual terms under which the funds are earned and, unrestrlcted,
where there are no pre-condltlons to the use of the funds other than the charitable objectives of the
or8anlsation,
Withln unrestrlcted funds deslgnated funds are malntained to meet Identlfled planned future costs
whlch are not capable of belng met out annual budgets.
The trustees aim to ensure that unrestricted reserves are at such a level as to ensure that the planned
future net expendlture for the forthcomlng year can be met.
141 Page

SOUND SENSE
Notes to the flnanclal statements
Year ended 31 March 2024
2 Comparative Statement of Financial Affairs
The detailed Statement of Financial Affairs for the year ended 31 March 2023 is set out below
Unrestrlrted Deslgnated Restrlcted Total Funds
Funds
Funds
Funds
2023
Income
Donations and legacles
From charitable actlvltles
developing community mu51C
Investments
Total Income
54,210
54.210
54,212
54,212
Empendlture
Raislng funds
On charitable activitles
51,914
51.914
Total expendlture
51,914
51,914
Movement In funds
Net income lexpendlture)
Funds brought forward
Transfer between funds
Fund5 carried forward
2,298
15,943
(900)
17,341
2,298
20,943
5,000
900
5,900
23,241
3. Investment Income
2024
2023
Bank Interest receivable
151 Page

SOUND SENSE
Notes to the financlal statements
Year ended 31 March 2024
4. Total resources expended
Contract
On-8olng servlces and
actlvltles
projects Total 2024 Total 2023
Salaries
Development and project management
Project running costs
RunnSng costs, member servlces
Information and advocacy
Premises and office costs
Depreciation
Examlnatlon fees
Board costs
Other
19,114
750
19,114
750
17,907
4,500
2,500
21,927
334
481
28,495
28,495
3,935
3.935
3,760
400
400
585
52
S2
53.227
53,227
51,914
5. Staff and trustees
The aggregate payroll ¢osts were:
2024
2023
Salarles
Pension costs
Social securlty costs
18,739
375
18,252
360
19,114
17,907
Partlculars of employees:
2024
2023
The average number of staff
was
No.
No.
Full-tlme equivalents
Numbers of individua15
No employee's emoluments exceeded £60,000
No member of the board received reimbursed expenses 12023 3- £5851.
No trustee received remuneration during the period
16 | Page

SOUND SENSE
Notes to the flnanclal statements
Year ended 31 March 2024
6. Net outgolng resources
Net outgoing resources are stated after charging:
2024
2023
Depreciation
Examiner's fees
400
400
7. Debtors
2024
2023
Trade debtors
967
Prepayments
967
8. Credltors: amounts falllng due wlthln one year
2024
2023
Trade credltors
PAYE and social security
Deferred income
8,498
154)
6,461
900
8,102
1241
6,551
900
15,528
Accruals
15,805
9. Deslgnated funds
Movement In resource$:
Balance at
l Aprll 22
Balance at
Transfers 31 March 23
Incomlng
Out8oln8
Redundancv
5,000
5,000
900
900
5,900
5,900
Balance at
l Aprll 23
Balance at
Transfers 31 March 24
Incomlng
Out8olng
Redundancy
5,900
5,900
1,195
1,195
7,095
7,095
Oescrlptlon of funds and transfers
Redundancy - A designated fund to cover redundancy costs in the event ofthe company having to
cease business.
171 Page

SOUND SENSE
Notes to the flnancial statements
Year ended 31 March 2024
10. Analysls of net assets (between restrlcted and unrestrlcted funds)
Tanglble flxed Other net
assets
assets
Total
Restricted funds:
Unrestricted funds
Designated funds
16,557
7,095
23,652
16,557
7,095
23,652
11. Analysls of cash and cash equtvalents
2024
2023
Short term deposlt accounts
24,008
23,923
Current accounts and petty cash
15,450
13,880
39,457
37,803
12, Regulatory and other Informatlon
The company 15 a registered charity, number 1080918, Ilmlted by guarantee re8lstered In England &
Wales.
The reglstered offlce Is:_
LCB Depot
31 Rutland Street
Leicester
LEI IRE
The charity is a Public Benef it Entity.
181 Page