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
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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
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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 p￿VIouS 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
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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 pro￿55, 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
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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 reSoUr￿S 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 sen11￿5 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.
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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.
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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.
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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, ac￿55 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
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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
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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
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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
(15￿9)
{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 t￿ard on l December 2025 and are
Reb
enniff
Chair/Director
ca
The notes on pages 13 to 18 forni part of these financial statements
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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
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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.
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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 ecor￿MiC 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.
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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
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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
I4￿6
19.114
750
2276
30￿58
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
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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.
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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.
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