SOUND SENSE- Financial Statements For the year ended 31 March 2025 Company registration number 3933421 Charity number 1080918 Members of the board and professional advisers Trustees annual report Independent examinees statement to the members Statement of financial activities Balance sheet Cashflow statement Notes to the financial statements Page 2 Page$3-8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Pages 13 - 18 11 Page
Members of the board and professional advisers The board of trustees Carol Bowden Dave Camlin Emily Crossland Rebecca Denniff Bela Emerson Kimberley Harper Lee Holder Eleanor Knott Gica Loening Tenley Martin Holly Radford-james Ceri Tippetts Rory Wells Company secretary Clare Adams Registered office Sound Sense LCB Depot 31 Rutland Street Leicester LEI IRE Correspondence address Sound Sense LCB Depot 31 Rutland Street Leicester LEI IRE Independent examiner 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 forthe year ended 31 March 2025. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DEfAILS 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 Offi and other company information are set out on page 2. The trustees who are also company directors. who served the charty during the year andlor during the preparation of this report were: Rebecca Denniff Choir Carol Bowden Dave Camlin Elerted 23 Ortober 2024 Emily Crossland Bela Emerson Elerted 23 Ortober 2025 Elerted 23 Ortober2025 Sarah Fisher Kimberley Harper Lee Holder Resigned 23 Ortober2024 Xenia Horne Resigned 23 Ortober 2025 Eleanor Knott Gica Loening Tenley Martin Jessica Pitt Elerted 23 October2024 Resigned 23 Ortober 2025 Holly Radford-james Georgia Reitano Ceri Tippetts Rory Wells Resigned 8 April 2024 Elerted 23 October 2024 STRucfuRE. GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENr The company is constituted as a private charitable company limited by guardntee. The company's objectives and powers and other constitutional 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 rtght 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 served for not more than two consecutNe ternis of three years and any former member who has not sep4ed during the pVIouS 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 31 Page
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 benefft from an induction pro55, plus contact with and support from the chair thereafter. A chair is selected by the trustees to serve for three year5. after which they must resign from the board. Rebecca Denniff became chair on 26 October 2023 and will serve until October 2026. 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 2024125, Clare Adams continued to serve a5 part-time General Manager, our sole permanent employee. The General Manager was 5UPPOrted by two part-time freelancers on fixed-term contracts: Communications Manager {Claire Francis) and Membership Coordinator (Basma Sbihil. The trustees 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 minimised by the implementation of procedures for authorisation of transactions. These procedures are pertrodically reviewed to ensure that they still meet the needs of the charity. OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Objectives Sound Sense is established to promote, maintain. improve, and advan education particularly by the improvement and development of public taste, appreciation and understanding of music. Our particular contribution to that aim 15 to support the activity of community music. This is music-making which: involves musicians from any musical discipline working with people to enable them to develop active 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 musicians Artivities We have continued working to our corporate plan Community Music Everywhere, extending its period of use to the end of 2025. This includes a range of activities grouped under four headings. summarised as follows: Growing Sound Sense Review and further develop our membership offer. working in partnership where appropriate Develop and deliver regular. member-led networking opportunities 41Page
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 actsve role in di5CU55ions around the development of policy and best practice Strategic partnerships Build and maintain partnerships with training providers to improve community music CPD offers Build and maintain partnerships with HE/Universities for research purposes, to inforni best prattice guidance 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 with community music practitioners and organisations Building a programme of networking opportunities 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 discussion points can be shared nationally among members Further develop our"Find a Musician" member directory as a networking resource Building a resource bank Create a one stop-shop for reSoUrS to support community music practice including: Templates for small businesses. including project planning and budgeting Tools for workshop best prartice 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 scrutinise the workdone and challenge assessments of progress. Users and beneficiaries Our users and beneficiaries consist of professional communty music practitioners and community music organisations, including those with an interest in community music, such as musicians. teachers, music therapists, searCherS, administrators and others. Through the work of practitioners, our beneficiaries also include participants. Our advocacy work benefits all our users without charge. We offer advice. 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 benefrts including monthly new51etters. a quarterlyjournal, access to DBS checks and professional insurances (for individual members). Public benefit In shaping our objertives for the year and planning our activities, the trustees have considered the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit. and a confident that ourwork results in more capable community musicians, who then can provide better sen115 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 considerthe accessibility of our activtties for those on low incomes. 51 Page
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE Our programme of artivities 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 networking. training and professional development for community music practitioners Sounding Board journal: inspiring themes, diverse contributions We have continued to publish four issues of Sounding Board each calendar year as an online journal. Communications Manager Claire Francis has encouraged and worked with people to help them contribute their experiences, stories and knowledge via a range of media and article types. During 2024125, we produced themed editions as follows: Community Music Toolbox (July 2024). Elertronic Music (October 2024), Music Against Racism (December 2024) and Not Just Music {April 2025). We used board discussions and monthly Gatherings to develop these themes, ensuring 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 online gatherings 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 practitioners to share experiences 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. Themes for Gatherings in 2024125 included arts and health, rnusic technology. social media and building community. Member services We have provided our nearly 900 members with our usual range of support and services throughout the year, and developed these further to help community music prartitioners and organisations deliver high quality experiences for their participants: We continued to offer DBS checks online to our members in partnership with People Dancing, with a Digital ID checking option available to people with UK passports, and alternative arrangements using paper documents and a Zoom meet¢ng for those without We continued to publish our monthly members newsletter Bulletin Boord, with links to job, training and funding opportunities. and news updates relevant to the field of community music As described above, Sounding Boord 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 regular member-to-member sharing in our private Facebook members forum Working in partnershlps Partnerships enable us to work better. more efficiently. and/or deliver a wider range of benefits to the ommunity music sertor. During 2024125. we established a key strategic partnership with AMP (a Sound Sense organisation membeT) and Leeds Beckett Unwersity (via Sound Sense board member. Dr Tenley Martin) to deliver a two-day event in March 2025, Community Music Now. Hosted by LBU at the Leeds School of Arts, this event was designed as an interactive and enriching professional development experience for community musicians at all career stages. Some 80 prattitioners attended - many based in Leeds and the surrounding area, while others travelled from much fvrther afield, including Devon, Edinburgh and Barcelona. 61 Page
Sound Sense remained an active member of the Music Education Council {MEC}, the APPG for Music Education and {via the individual membership of board members) the International Society for Music Education {ISME). Within these forums, we continue to seek to raise the ststus 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 Community Music, York Stjohn University to SUPPOrt research in the field of community music, participating in theirstudent research symposium in November 2024. In February 2024, Sound Sense was invited to contribute nominations for the guest list for His Majesty The King's Community Music Makers Reception and Concert at Windsor Castle in April 2025. We were delighted for community music and musicians to receive this recognition, and arranged for a number of our board members and their colleagues to attend, including Rebecca Denniff, Lee Holder, Xenia Horne, Dr Tenley Martin, Jessica Pitt and Holty Radford-james: between them representing a range of prattices, genres and locations within oursector. FINANCIAL REVIEW As has been the case for many years, our principal source of income continues to be Sound Sense membership subscriptions. During 2024125, member numbers remained Stable and there was a small increase in member income: £54,641 in 2024125, up from £53,554 in 2023/24. We received no grant income during 2024125. The net incoming resourcesfortheyearamountedto a surplusof £379. Based on known fundingand a prudent estimate of member income, together with reserves of £24,031 (which includes £5,370 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 policy Since 2018, Sound Sense reserves policy has been: "The trustee's policy is for the organisation to operate on known income alone. The organi53tion's basic level sustainable business model, operating on membership income alone, allows Sound Sense to maintain a skeleton staff of two part-time staff. with delivery of membership services at ts 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 charttable memorandums & articles. Investment powers and policies are to retain surplus funds of not less than three months operating costs, not immediatety required in such investments. securities or property as thought fit, subject to any legal restrictions. Currently the organisation splits its reserves between various charity deposit account5, balancing a desire to operate ethically with a need to maxtmise interest rates and ensure fvnds are not placed at undue risk" The board of trustees reviewed and approved this reserves policy as fit for continuing use, subject to annual review, at their meeting on 23 October 2025. 71 Page
FUTURE PLANS We continue to work with*n our corporate plan, Community Music Everywhe. supported by our established core operations model, and seeking to develop and improve where possible. In 2025126 our plans include: Core member benefrts continue as for 2024125. including professional insurances, ac55 to DBS checks, a digital member badge and online member directory. monthly Bulletin Board newsletter5, quarterly online Sounding Boord journal, discounted safeguarding trainin& and additional online information and SOurceS Continue with our monthly online'Gather1ng, selecting a range of days/times/themes to engage with a greater number and diversity of music practitioners Deliver regional in-person CPD and networking events in partnership with Sound Sense members Continue to seek partnership opportunities and funding to help us design and deliver an expanded offering to support community musicians in delivering qualtty work, including online and in-person CPD and networking opportunities supported by a suite of online resources 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 continuing growth in Sound Sense member numbers across all four UK nations Launch a new corporate strategic plan, Community Music Now, to run forfwe years from 2025 to 2030. By order of the Bo Rebecca Denniff Chairnrustee l December 2025 81 Page
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORTTO THE MEMBERS ON THE UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS OF SOUND SENSE UMITED FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 I report to the members on my examination of the accounts of Sound sense Limtted forthe year ended 31 March 2025. Responsibilities and basis of report As members of the charity you are responsible forthe preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act'l. I report in respect of my examination of the charity's accounts {set out on pages 8 to 19) carried out under settion 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 14515)Ib) of the Act. Independent examinerfs 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 accounting 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 requirements 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 with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in orderto enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Ed Day Pipistrelles Barn Pond Hall Road Hadleigh IP7 5PQ 91 Page
SOUND SENSE Statement of Financial Activities Year ended 31 March Z025 Unrestricted Designated Restrirted Total Funds Total Funds Funds Funds Funds 2025 2024 Note Note 2 Income Donations and legacies From charitable activtties - developing community music Investments Totsl Income 54.641 325 54.641 325 53,554 54.966 53,638 Expenditure Raising funds On charitable artivities 54587 53,227 53,227 Total expenditure 54.587 Movement in funds Net income lexpenditurel Funds brought forward Transfers between funds Funds carried forward 379 379 411 16.557 1.725 ,661 7.095 11.725) 5370 23.652 23,241 24.031 23.652 The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derNes from continuing activf(ie The notes on pages 13 to 18 form part of these financial statements 10 I Page
SOUND SENSE Balance sheet 31 March 2025 2025 2024 Current assets Debtors Cash at bank 235 39,645 39,457 39.457 Credltors: Amounts fairing due within one year (159) {15,8051 Net current assets 24.031 23,652 Net assets io 24.031 23.652 Funds Designated Unrestritted Total funds 5.370 18.661 24.031 7.095 16,557 23.652 For the year ended 31 March 2025 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Art 2(K)6 relating to small companies. No members have required the company to obtain an audit of tts accounts for the year in question in accordance wtth Section 476 of the Companies Att 2L. The direttors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Art with respect to accounting records and for the preparation of accounts. These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime. These financial statements signed on ir beha re approved by the members of the tard on l December 2025 and are Reb enniff Chair/Director ca The notes on pages 13 to 18 forni part of these financial statements 11 I Page
SOUND SENSE Cash Flow Statement For the year ended 31 March 2025 2025 2024 Cash flows from operating attiwties Net cash generated by operating artivitses (see below) 1,655 Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year Cash and cash equivalents at l April 2024 39A57 37,803 Cash and cash equivalents at 31 March 2025 li 39,645 39.458 Reconciliation of cash flows from operating artivities Net income for the year (see rtatement of finandal acthilties) 379 411 {Increase)/decrease in debtors (235) 967 Increasel{decrease) in creditors 277 Net cash generated by operating activrties (see above) 1.655 121 Page
SOUND SENSE Notes to the financial 5tatsments Year ended 31 March 2025 L Accounting policie5 Basis of preparation The financial statements have been prepared under the historical c05t convention. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Ststement of Recommended Prartice. effective l January 2015, in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 102. applicable UK Accounting Standards and the Companies Art 2(M)6. The financial statements have been prepared on the going concern basis. The principal accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the financial statements are set out below. Key judgements and assumptions The nature of the company's affairs is such that the direttors believe that there are no areas of significant judgement and no significant assumptions that are required in the preparation of the financial statements other than those relating to going concern. Going concern sts on the availability of future funding and whilst the company continues to run at a defKit future levels of expenditure are closely monitored by the trustees to ensure that sufficient funds are available to enable them to be met. Income All income is included in the statement of financial actiNllties when the charity is legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. Grants from government and other agencies have been included as income from attivities in furtherance of the charity's objects where these relate to a contract for services, but as donations where the money is gbven in response to an appeal or with freedom of use within the charity's objects, for example. blockgrants. Expendlture Expenditure includes attributable VAT which cannot be recovered. Debtors Trade debtors relate to services provided and invoiced prior to the balance sheet date which remain outstanding at that date. Prepayments. relating to expenditure incurred which has economic benefrt in future acounting periods. 131 Page
SOUND SENSE Notes to the financial ststements Year ended 31 March 2025 Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year Trade creditors relate to amounts invoiced for services 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 economK benefit on the current accounting period. is recognised at the amount of that ecorMiC benefiL Deferred income, relating to income received in the current accounting period but which relates to future periods, is recognised as the whole of the income in question. Funds Funds fall into two categories, re5trirted. where their use is governed by the wishes of the entity providing the funds or the contractual terms under which the funds are eamed and, unrestricted. where there are no pre-conditions to the use of the funds other than the charitable objectives of the organisation. Within unrestritted funds designated funds are maintained to meet identified planned future costs which are not capable of being 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 expenditure for the forthcoming year can be met. 141 Page
SOUND SENSE Notes to the financial statements Year ended 31 March 2025 2 Comparative Statement of Flnancial Affairs The detailed Statement of Financial Affairs for the year ended 31 March 2024 is set out below Unrestricted Designated Re5trirted Totsl Funds Funds Funds Funds 2024 Income Donations and legacies From charitable activitie5 - developing community music Investments 53.554 53.554 Totsl income 53.638 53.638 Expendlture Raising funds On charttable activtties 53227 53227 Total expenditure 53227 53.227 Movement in funds Net income (expenditure) Funds brought fonvard Transfer between funds Funds carried fopward 411 411 17341 (1.195) 16.557 23.241 1.195 7J195 23.652 3. Investment income 2025 2024 Bank interest receivable 151 Page
SOUND SENSE Notes to the financial statements Year ended 31 Marth 2025 Totsl resource5 expended projects Total 2025 Total 2024 Salaries Development and project management Projett running costs Event Costs I46 19.114 750 2276 3058 150 2.276 30.658 Running costs. member services Information and advocacy Premise5 and office costs Depreciation Examination fees Board costs Other 28.495 5.131 5.131 3.935 52 54,589 53,227 5. stsff and trustees The aggregate payroll costs were: 2025 2024 Salaries 14.634 252 18,739 375 Pension costs Social security costs 14.886 19,114 Particulars of employees: 2024 The average number of staff was No. Full-time equivalents Numbers of individuals No employee's emoluments exceeded £60,1 Six members of the board received reimbursed expenses totalling £1.033 (2024 none). No trustee received remuneration during the period 161 Page
SOUND SENSE Notes to the financial ststements Year ended 31 March 2025 6. Net outgoing resour Net outgoing resources are stated after charging: 2024 Depreciation Examiner's fees 7. Debtors 2024 Trade debtors 235 Prepayments 235 8. Creditors: amounts falling due within (V year 2025 2024 Trade creditors PAYE and social security Deferred income Accruals 9.225 8.498 154) 6.461 9(KJ 5.712 15A49 15,805 9. Designated funds Movement in resources: Balance at l April 23 Balance at Transfers 31 March 24 Incomin8 01rt80ing Redundancy 1.195 1.195 7,095 7.095 Balance at l April 24 Balance at Transfers 31 March 25 Incoming Outgoing Redundancy 7.095 7,095 11.7251 11.7251 5.370 5.370 Description of funds and transFers Redundoncy - A designated fund to cover redundancy costs in the event of the company having to cease business. 171 Page
SOUND SÉNSE Notes to the financlal statements Year ended 31 March 2025 10. Anatysi5 of net assets {between restricted and unrestricted funds) Tangible fixed Other net assets Total Restritted funds: Unrestricted funds Designated funds .661 5370 24.031 18.661 5,370 24.031 11.Analysis of cash and cash equivalents 2025 2024 Short term deposit accounts 24333 24,008 Current accounts and petty cash 15312 15.450 39,645 39,457 12. Regulatory and other irrforniation The company is a registered charity, number 1080918. limited by guarantee registered in England & Wales. The registered office is=_ LCB Depot 31 Rutland Street Leicester LEI IRE The charity is a Public Benefrt Entity. 181 Page