Royston Choral Society
Financial Accounts
for the year ended 31st July 2025
|
|
Registered Charity Number 1090459
\ :
.
----- Start of picture text -----
Royston Choral Society
Financial Statements for the year ended 31st July 2025 —
Trustees’ Report
Committee Members .
Huw Jenkins Chair Lyn Grove Tessa Rock
Caroline Franks Treasurer Carole Kaszak Pauline Rowe
Andrew O'Brien Musical Director Jenny Leitch Fay Skinner ,
Sue Pegram Secretary Penny Morgan
Part Representatives
Brigid Hickey Soprano rep Chris Lee Tenor rep
Sue Pegram Alto rep Anthony Pigg Bass rep
Addréss c/o Mrs A C Franks
74 High Street, Standon, Herts SG11 1LB
; Bankers Lloyds Bank ple
Independent Examiner Cathy Smith
----- End of picture text -----
Accounting Policies
The accounts are prepared on a receipts and payments basis with a statement of assets and liabilities. The charity maintains a general unrestricted fund representing unrestricted income that is expendable, at the discretion of the committee, in the furtherance of the objects of the charity. Reserves are held against losses incurred from time to time in performing large scale concerts.
Governing Document and appointment of Trustees
The charity is governed by constitution. Trustees are elected by members at the Annual General Meeting.
Objects and achievements
The object of the charity is to promote public education in and appreciation of choral music by the presentation of public choral concerts and associated events. We performed four concerts in the year, all in St John's. In November, we sang Faure's Requiem, along with Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb and Parry's Blest Pair of Sirens, accompanied by a string sextet. Our Christmas concert was well received and in March our orchestral concert was Bach's Matthew Passion. In July, we revisited Purcell's Dido and Aeneas and Come ye Sons of Art, which we performed in Andrew's first season with us. This, too, was accompanied by string quartet. Members of the choir sang a number of solo parts in our concerts, joining our professional soloists. We were delighted that both our November and March concerts were sold out. Our membership has remained strong, and we ended the year with 83 singers on our books. The Hundred Club was well supported, though there is space for more members, and ten monthly draws were made for prizes of £25 and £10.
Our sustained higher membership has meant that our rehearsal account has ended the year in surplus again, which helps fund our concerts. We have only obtained a small amount of grant funding this year, but our rehearsal account and reserves have covered our concert deficits.
A back claim of gift aid tax has contributed significantly to our funds this year.
Our fixed costs are predominantly our Making Music membership and insurance, and rental of storage space for our staging. .
Our accounts are prepared on a receipts and payments basis. This means that some income relating to last financial year appears in this year's accounts, though we try to manage our cash flow to minimise this. When we buy music for our tibrary, that cost is written off completelyin the year of purchase, rather than over several years. The amounts due at the end of the financial year are shown on the statement of assets and liabilities. In the year to 31st July 2025, the accounts show that we received £3,626 more than we spent. , , Our financial position at the end of the year is sound. At 31st July, our reserves, represented by our bank account balances, totalled £37,328.
1
;
a
me
Royston Choral Society Receipts and Payments Account for the year ended 31st July 2025
| Total | Total | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | 2025 | 2024 | ||||||||||
| £ | £ | |||||||||||
| oe | ||||||||||||
| INCOMING RESOURCES | ||||||||||||
| Subscriptions received | 14,819 | 14,159 | ||||||||||
| Donations received | 447 | 623 | ||||||||||
| GiftAid tax - previous year | . | 1,017 | ||||||||||
| Gift Aid tax - currentyear | 4,469 | 1,260 | ||||||||||
| Incomefrom concerts Income from activities for generating funds |
- | ‘ | 4 2 |
15,424 895 |
15,365 946 |
|||||||
| Music sold to members | 2 | 1,456 | 4,122 | |||||||||
| Bank Interest | 363 | 424 | ||||||||||
| Total incoming resources | 37,872 | 34,916 | ||||||||||
| . | ||||||||||||
| . | ||||||||||||
| RESOURCES EXPENDED | — | |||||||||||
| Rehearsal costs | 11,116 | 9,307 | ||||||||||
| Concertcosts | 1 | ' | 16,252 | 17,856 | ||||||||
| Music purchased | : | 1,683 | 1,157 | |||||||||
| Costs offundraising activities | , | 2 | 362 | ' | 370 | |||||||
| Management and administrative costs | . | 922 | 682 | |||||||||
| Purchase of staging, chairs and camera | 3,726 | |||||||||||
| Purchase ofglasses and card reader for | concerts | 184 | ||||||||||
| Purchase ofchairs & podium | 1,041 | |||||||||||
| - | Total resources expended | 34,246 | . 30,413 | |||||||||
| NET INCOMING /(OUTGOING)RESOURCES FORTHEYEAR | 3,626 | 4,503 | ||||||||||
| Funds brought forward | 3 | 33,702 | 29,199 | |||||||||
| . | ||||||||||||
| FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD | 37,328 | 33,702 |
2
;
Royston Choral Society Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at 31st July 2025
.
| Note | 2025 | 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank Balances and Cash | |||||||
| Cash at bank - unrestricted | 37,328 | 33,702 | |||||
| Other Assets | . | ||||||
| Staging & chairs at cost2006, 2024, 2025 | 9,582 | 6,029 | |||||
| Estimated valuation | 6,000 | 3,000 | |||||
| Music library at cost | 6,357 | 6,140 | |||||
| _ | Estimated valuation (depreciated at 10% pa) | 1,070 | 1,486 | ||||
| 7070 | 4486 | ||||||
| Other Liabilities | |||||||
| Subs received for next season | |||||||
| Performing Rights payments dueon season's | concerts (est) | 170 | 120 | ||||
| 170 | 120 | . |
These accounts were approved by the Royston Choral Society committee on 22.07.2025 and signed on its behalf.
Mr Huw Jenkins (Chair)
Mrs Caroline Franks (Treasurer)
3
Royston Choral Society Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31st July 2025
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ConcertAccount | November | December | March | July | Total | ||||
| Tickets | 3,874 | 2,905 | 4,766 | 2,415 | 13,960 | 12,082 | ||||
| Bar | 513 | 123 | 391 | 337 | 1,364 | 1,533 | ||||
| Programme advertising | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| Sponsorship & grants | 400 | 100 | 1,750 | |||||||
| 4,387 | 3,027 | 5,257 | 2,752 | 15,424 | 15,365 | |||||
| Musicians & expenses | 1,725 | 725 | 8,344 | 2,719 | 13,513 | 14,953 | ||||
| Venue | 300 | 300 | 300 | 300 | 1,200 | 1,237 | ||||
| Publicity, tickets, progs | 229 | 247 | 366 | 214 | 1,057 | 931 | ||||
| Bar | 142 | 142 | 90 | 108 | 483 | 629 | ||||
| PRS for2022-2023 | 106 | |||||||||
| 2,396 | 1,415 | 9,100 | 3,341 | 16,252 | 17,856 | |||||
| — | ||||||||||
| Surplus/(deficit) | 1,991 | 1,613 | (3,843) | (589) | (829) | (2,491) | ||||
| 2 | Activities for generating | funds | ||||||||
| Income | Costs | Net | ||||||||
| Hundred Club | 760 | 350 | 410 | - | 460 | |||||
| Hire of Music | 135 | 12 | 123 | 116 | ||||||
| 895 | 362 | 533 | 576 |
Sale of music to members is shown separately in the receipts and payments account. Cost of music sold is included in music purchased. In 2024-25, the society raised £138 (2024 £125) by selling music to members at RRP and obtaining bulk buying discounts from suppliers. In addition, we bought music consting £150 to be sold to members next season. We also spent £217 on music for our own library (2024 £90).
3 Information regarding Employees and Committee Members
There were no employees in the year.
Andrew O'Brien, as Musical Director, received payments during the year totalling £5,630. Other trustees were reimbursed for expenses at cost.
4 Related Parties
There were no related parties during the year.
; |
4
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees and members of Royston Choral Society (Registered Charity Number 1090459)
| have examined the accounts for the year ended 31st July 2025 as set out on pages 1 to 4 of Royston Choral Society Financial Accounts 2025, which have been prepared under the accounting policies set out on page 1.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
-
e examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act, ° to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5}(b) of the Charities Act, and
-
e to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s statement
My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner's statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
-
(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements:
-
¢ to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and
-
° to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act
have not been met; or
- (2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Cathy Smithy
Cathy Smith 14" September 2025