REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 05023067 (England and Wal8s) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1103002 REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEmE￿rs FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 FOR SOUNDABOUT Ad Valorem Accountancy SeNices Limited Chartered Certified Accountsnts 2 Manor Fami Court Old Wolverton Road Old Wolverton Buckinghamshi MK12 5NN SOUNDABOUT CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 Page Reference and Administratlve Details Report of the Trustees 2 to 14 Independent Examlnerfs Report 15 Statement of Financial Activities 16 Balance Sheet 17 to 18 Notes to the Financial Statements 19 to 25 Detailed Statement of Financial Actlvities 26 SOUNDABOUT REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 TRUSTEES S J Claridge (resigned 1 0￿r2024) Y Dattani (resigned 31912024) M Hartley K Ungerer E Newsome (resigned 101712024) C Thomson B Weston-conway E Nunns (appointed 11512023) C W Yuen (appointed 116r2023) H Chandler {appointed 171712024) B Travis (appointed 17￿12024) J Baird (appointed 171712024) REGISTERED OFFICE John Eccles House Robert Robinson Avenue Oxford Oxfordshire OX4 4GP REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER 05023067 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1103002 INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Ad Valorem Accountancy se￿ices Limited Chartered Certified Accountants 2 Manor Fann Court Old Wolverton Road Old Wolverton Buckinghamshire MK12 5NN BANKERS CAF Bank 25 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill West Malling Kent ME19 4JQ Charity Bank Limited Fosse House 182 High Street Tonbridge TN9 1BE Page 1 SOUNDABOUT REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companie5 Act 2006, present their report wrth the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Char(ties". Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their &counts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019). OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Public benefft Charitable objects as per the Memorandum and Articles of Asscciation: To provide relief to people with severe learning difficulties and physical difficulties by the provision of interactive music making sessions. Vision: A world where everyone can access and experien￿ music. Mission: Soundabout uses music, sound, and silence to create opportunrties where18arning Disabled people with complex support needs thrive. Values Kind.. We are kind, friendly, and supportive to everyone. Person-centred.. We ￿lebrate each person,. creating sound and music together. Inclusive". we work hard to create we1cC￿ling and accessible spatss. Aspirational". We use our energy to leam and aim for the best for everyone, while being curious, fun, and creative. We are working to our strategic business plan 'Soundabout Build, which runs until 2027 and focuses on consolidation and stabilisation of offer, team, and finances. and preparing for the future. We want to build on expertise, knowledge, and learning, while creating new opportunities, innovation, and trailblazing in best practice in the field. We want to ensure that our offer is excellent in all ways, that we can keep Soundabout running robustly and sustainably, that we set ourselves up to grow in the future, and that we lead the sector by sharing our leaming. This includes a range of activities listed below under the 'Our programmes, section. In shaping our objectives for the year and planning our activities, we can confirm that the Trustees have considered the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefft and are confident that the work of the charity falls in line with the guidance. Page 2 SOUNDABOUT REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE Sounda1￿Ut Community Introduction We asked the Soundabout commun¢ty What does Soundabout mean to you?, The Soundabout Participant Advisory Group felt that the responses from our communty would make a fitting introduction to the 2023-24 Annual Report.. Magic; Happy., Lrfe Affiming., Flowing; SUC￿Ss,. Smiles,. Joyous. Fun. Fabulous,. Joy; Universal; Smiles., Communiscate., Magical; Community., Hope; Inclusive; Amazing,. Happiness; Welcome. Brilliant; Uplifting., Love. Chair & CEO Introduction We'd like to thank the Soundabout*rs and our wonderful Participant Advisory Group for creating such a fitting opening to the 2023-24 Annual Report. We've been working hard to ensure creative, aC￿Ssible, and musical ways for the Soundabout community to feed into decision making at every level of the organisation" living and breathing our'person centr8d' value. In September 2023 we launched 'Soundabout Build,, our three year strategy to help lay the foundations for long-term growth and sustainability of Soundabout, enabling us to continue doing what we do best developing exciting music making opportunities alongside incredibly creative Leaming Disabled people with complex support needs. The year has been full of incredible achievements, too many to mention in this foreword, so we would like to take the opportunity to highlight the dramatic progress of a programme that has shaped our thinking and culture as an organisation deeply this year. In September we welcomed our third cohort of Leaming Disabled young people to the year-long accredited Emerging Leaders course. We also rolled out a graduate wo placement programme that saw young people undertake 65 bespoke placements. The graduates have enhanced the Soundabout workforce immeasurably and we are incredibly proud to be leading the development of inclusive career pathways with Learning Disabled people in music. This report will spotlight a selection of highlights from the year related to our strategic aims and newly identrfied core outcomes for the Leaming Disabled people we support, communication, seffexpression, connectedness, health and wellbeing. and enjoyment. This report is a celebration of the wonderful time, energy, passion, and generosity so willingly offered to Soundabout by the staff team, practitioners. volunteers, trustees, supporters, funders, and families. Thank you to all of you. Thank You Soundabout's Chair of Trustees, Emily Newsome, has steadfastly led the organisation as Chair, so generously volunteering an incredible amount of time, energy, passion, and determination. Emily joined Soundaboufs board through a young trustee scheme in March 2019 and courageously stepped into the chair position at a time when the role was unexpectedly vacant. Emily has dedicated an incredible amount of time behind the scenes to support Soundabout, always leading with deep kindness, care, and thoughthlness, taking time to listen to others, while always working in the very best interests of the charity. Emily is due to step down as a Trustee in July 2024, and we would like to thank Emily for everything she has contributed to Soundabout. We wish Emily the very best in her future endeavours. Page 3 SOUNDABOUT REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED31 MARCH 2024 OWECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES About Soundabout and our communty We are Soundabout- the nation's specialist Leamlng Disability music charity Soundabout utilises the power of music, sound, and silence to make a difference to the lives of Learning DiSab￿d people of all ages, and with complex support needs. Helping every individual to develop their abilty to communicate and interact with the world around them in welcoming and a¢￿SSIble spaces both in-person and online. With ￿enty eight years, experience, Soundabout supports around 1,500 participants per year by organising over 900 interactive music making sessions. Equally importantly, Soundabout provides training for families, carers, professionals, and partner organisations enabling them to integrate the benefits of Soundabout's immersive music making programmes into the daily lives of the Leaming Disabled people they support. Soundabout Communty At Soundabout, we use the tern 'Leaming Disabled people with complex support needs, to describe the people we work alongside because, having consulted with Soundabout families and Disabled people, we have found this temi to be most aligned with the social mcxjel of disabilty (the understanding that disability is something created by barriers in society). At the same time, we also respect that individuals may choose to identify differently, and that care and education sectors may use 'Profound and Multiple Leaming Disabilities. (PMLD). There are" 1.3 million Leaming DisabEed people in England - 20,000 Leaming Disabled adutts and 10,000 Learning Disabled children with complex support needs. - Only 5.10/0 of Leaming Disabled adulis are in paid work. Barriers often faced by individuals in the Soundabout communty include.. More than one disabilty, including a physical disability Requiring those who know them well to interpret communication - Complex physical and mental health needs Inaccessible career, leisure, and artlcultural opportunities Isolation and poor visibilty in society Our Vision.. A workl where everyone can access and experience music. Our Mission: Soundabout uses music, sound, and silence to create opportunities where leaming Disabled people with complex support needs thrive. Our Values: Kind.. We are kind, friendly, and supporttve to everyone. Person£entred: We celebrate each person., creating sound and music together. Inclusive: we woth hard to create welcoming and actsssible spaces. Aspirational: We use our energy to leam and aim for the best for everyone, while being curious, fun, and creative. To achieve our mission, we focus on 4 key outcomes for the Leaming Disabled people we support: Improving Connectedness; Developing Communication., Encouraging Enjoyment., Increasing Self-Expression. Page 4 SOUNDABOUT REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES We also focus on 4 key strategic aims to help Soundab)ut build from strength to strength: H￿h quality delivery frDm a diverse practitioner team. Developing our impact measurement., Build sustainability by diversifying income,. Grow Soundabout's profile. To understand the difference we make, we measure our impact by collecting data from our projects and talking to the people who take part. We are proud to share insight5 into our seNices and the impact they have. We need music now more than ever- let us show you how music changes lives. Our Programmes Soundabout Choirs.. a national ne￿[k bringing Leaming Disabled people of all ages and their local communities togeth er to share their voices in ways accessible to them. Sounds Wirtual: onlin& music-making sessions accessible live and on demand, meaning nEmbers can join from home, hosp ices, hospitals, day centres, and school! Sounds Sensory: projects transfoming schools and communty spaces into themed immersive multi-sensory e nvironments that engage all the senses. Sounds Wild: innovative music-making sessions in inspiring outdoor spa￿S using a Forest School approach to a¢￿$$ th e many benefits of connecting with nature. Sounds Together: faCe-tO-fa￿ community music making sessions with small groups of Learning Disabled people where they design the projecti Training: families, carers, professionals, and partner organisations to use Sound8bout techniques in the daily lives of the Leaming Disabled people they support. Emerging Leaders and Graduates: accredited course and placements supporting Leaming Disabled people to enhance leadership skills an d confKlence will preparing to become music praclitioners. Timeline & Our Year in Numbers Key Dates between April 2023-March 2024 - April - First Joint Workshop with National Children's Choir of Great Britain - May - Sounds Together community programmes launched - June- Perfomances and fundraising at Chalkhouse Green Farm Open Gardens July- Parallel Windsor Challenge Event - August- Emerging Leaders Graduation - September- Choir performances at Great Barn Festival - October- Soundabout feature in London Science Museum Exhibition Launch - November- First Soundabout Family Support Roadshow Event - December- Sparkle with Soundabout Campaign and Events - January - Moveabout Campaign started - February - Finalists in 2 categories at the Music and Drama Education Awards March - Sounds Sensory 'Trip to the Bazaarf tour of West Midlands Overvlew In Numbers for April 2023-ma￿h 2024 - 962 Sessions - 3,341 Total Attendees 1,576 Learning Disabled Participants - 753 Parents I Carers - 890 Professionals - 40,775 YouTube Views Page 5 SOUNDABOUT REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES - 65 Graduate Emerging Leader Work Pla￿MentS - 1000/0 Arts Award Qualification Success Rate Outcomes Review This section reviews Soundabouys progress towards the 5 main outcomes we aim to achieve with Leaming Disabled people. We have provided data from a range of sources as eviden￿ of progress towards each outcome. Outcome 1: Improving Connectedness Soundabout music making opportunities are group opportunities thai enable Leaming Disabled people with complex support needs to build positive relationships with their peers, parents and carers, and wider communities. Soundabout activities build strong ne￿orkS and friendships that forge a sense of belonging. We use our national platform to showcase our Gommunity's talents and to shine a light on their experien￿. Evidence towards improving connectedness: "It allowed her to be with her peers and a chance to make friends. Opportunities like this she does not get as there is not many places and people she can be around as she is profoundly Disabled, we have found it very, very hard for her to access people and places... This is the one place where she is just able to be her, despite what's going on with her health and her needs...she is part of a community, everybody knows her, she understands who's there... Everyone just understands her...that's the most important thing., (Paren( Sounds Together) 'We really have just had the best day! A's been unwell for weeks. She's missed the last 2 112 weeks at school and has missed all her Christmas parties and events and we've just felt really isolated and OVe￿helmed the last few days. Last night she had a huge seizure and was left looking so broken. I thought tojay would be a wrste off. Today we tentativety woke her and took things very slowly in the hope she might manage something but was wonied the seizures would retum and wipe her out again. As s￿n as she heard Phil's volts, it was like a little re-set button was hit. She had been so sad before, but it instantty lffted her, and we've rolled with it all day! It's just felt like the best Christmas paty. that's made up for everything she's missed, and we've not had the hassle of worrying about travel or changing places. YOu￿e been everything A needed and more! Thanks to everyone for continuing to make us feel seen, for continuing to champion the most vulnerable and for never leaving anyone behind. We've cried happy tears tonight after having the best day with A's online friends and a team that feel like family." (Parent, Sounds Virtual) "All too often we are unable to participate in events and activities, bLrt we feel part of something with Soundabout and it helps us feel less isolated." (Paren( Soundabout Choirs and Song Explorers) "My f￿t about emerging leaders is meeting friends." (Young Participant. Emerging Leaders) As part of our efft)rts to improve connectedness within the communty and extemally. we have supported learning Disabled musicians in Soundabout choirs to release 6 public music videos which have been view 4,500 times, and to perfotTn to audiences across the country. 100 /0 of Song Explorer participants showed some form of progress against the Interacttve area of the Sounds of Intent Framework from September 2023 - June 2024 by.. 1. Interacting with others using sound. 2. Interacting through imitating others, sounds or through recognising self being imitated. 3. Engaging in dialogues using distinct groups of musical sounds. Page 6 SOUNDABOUT REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THEYEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 O&JECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Outcome 2: Developing Communication Soundabout uses music, sound, and Silen￿ as tools to explore and enhance communication with and between learning Disabled people and the communities around them. Communication might be through vocalising or non-verbal e.g. facial expressions or gestures. Our sessK)ns allow plenty of Space and time to explore Gommunication and interactions, along with allowing space for silence and processing time. We work closely with leaming Disabled people and their close supporters to learn their communication styles and follow their lead. We also support parents, carers. and professionals to learn how to interact and communicate musically so they Gan continue this outside of sessions. Evidence towards developing communication: "It's guided me on how we can do things together, interact tcgether. It's just made us closer. It makes me noti￿ things about Lydia, her expressions, and the noises she makes. Her clucking is a happy noise. It helps me focus. l think I've got to know her more. She's 14 now and I know her better now since doing Soundabout with her than I've ever known her." (Parent, Song Explorers) "I think really early on when we were told she was blind, I found it hard to come to terms with what is she going to enjoy and how can we play with her... I searched during lockdown and stumbled across Soundabout and we joined the choir... Music soothes her and then we saw how much she would enjoy simple sounds. As she has got older, it's really helped her speech and so her communication has really come on from using lots of songs and sounds. We now play lots wlth our voices at home... in choir, she pick5 up songs really quickly, which has really helped with vocabulary." (Parent, Choir) "As the project developed, we fett O's became more confident in his communication and began to v￿alise more around choice making and interaction, and he also made more and more eye contact wrth both practitioners., (Carer, Sounds Together) 50 % of participants across Afterschool Club and Song Explorers made progress against the Sounds of Intent: Me F￿MeWOrk, particularly 'Me, You & Other People, communicative elements of the framework be￿een June 2023 & June 2024. Sounds Together Henley Example Soundabout Practitioners are also asked to share any observations around participant's communication during Sounds Together sessions. 'Communication' covers a wide range of aspects including vocalisations, eye contact, body language, facial expressions etc. Practitioners mark against each participant from the start to the end of the project when they eviden￿ any fomi of communication. 710h of participants showed progress across the dffferent areas of communication from the start of Sounds Together Henley to the end. Pa￿nVCarer Communication Parents, carers, and other professionals are present at all Soundabout sessions and so we introduce them to tools and techniques to enhance their musical communication skills on a regular basis. This year we supported 753 Parents I Carers and 890 Professionals to develop musical communication skills that they can use during and outside of Soundabout sessions. Parentlcarer Tower Hamlets Roadshow Example This year the Family Support Co-ordinator intrOdU￿d a roadshow where they visit different locations and groups of people to offer support, guidance, and to signpost to Soundabout resources and opportunities. The Family Support cO￿rdInatOr visited a group of 20 par8nUcarers of Disabled childr8n from across Tower Hamlets at Phoenix School and provided training on the use of Soundabout resources. Page 7 SOUNDABOUT REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Following the training.. - 86 /0 felt confident in using Soundabout resources for musical interaction after the workshop 100 /0 found the workshop useful in leaming new ways to interact musically Outcome 3: Encouraging Enjoyment Being playful wtth mLJSiC and sound is a big part of the Soundabout ethos, resulting in increased feelings of enjoyment. The atmosphere of our sessions is relaxed and fun with playful interactions being at the heart of our delivery. We aim to encourage everyone to enjoy music making at our sessions showing delight through laughing, smiling, indicating for 'Mo￿, and retuming to Soundabout sessions. Eviden￿ towards encouraging enjoyment: "I should just congratulate everyone invofved. in the most brilliant, lrfe-affimiing concert we have ever, ever been tol We had such an amazing time last eveningl It was so wonderful to meet musicians from totally different worlds to our ownl My goodness it was so joyousl M got so much out of it. He's on a real high. Three of his support assistants from his day centre came to watch and they were blown away by all of it. They absolutely loved to see M shine... Thank you for all the thought and care you took into organising and arranging it. We all felt so comfortable and happy, and it was lovely to meet other parents and carers fa￿ to fa￿ . .Thanks again." (Parent, Oxford and Beyond Choir) "He had such a good day yesterday and his party was great fun. We all really enjoyed it, and it was so very special to be able to celebrate A's birthday with frtends and family in a way that was suitable for A. A hasn't had a birthday party since he was 2 years old. I truly don't know what we would have done and how we would have marked the occasion if we hadn't been a part of Soundabout. It has been lovely to see A make friends during the after school sessions and to be able to invite them to his 18th birthday party was so special. It also meant all of A's family, on both sides, were able to share the same special memories with A on his birthday, something Y￿ wouldnl have been able to achieve otherwise. Having the invite, recording and birthday song as well means that we have lasting memories of this special day. So, the biggest of thank you's for making this happen., (Parent, Sounds Virtual & Birthday Party booking) "It was really gcM)d. I want to do it again...I'll give you ten out of ten" (Young Partlclpant, Emerging Leaders) 'Vknrk experience is a lot of fun and enjoyable. Wrthin the work experience I have kept my leading skills and trying new things like the backing track for the new songs. I have leamt new things Wlthin the work experience and really enjoyed myself. {Young Particlpant, Graduate Emerging Leader5) All Sounds Wild school survey respondents from summer 2023 said 1000A of their pupils enjoyed the sessions, all rating enjoyment levels as 10110 (10 being highest). Sounds Sensory families from the spring 2024 programme who completed the post event suNey weFE asked on a scale of 1-10 110 is highest) how much the person they were supporting enjoyed the sessions. 200 resFonded 8110. 400kn responded 9110, 40 % responded 10110. Sounds Wild families from the summer 2023 programme who completed the post event survey were asked on a scale of 1-10 (10 was the highest) how much the person they were supporting enjoyed the sessions. 83.30h responded 10110, the remaining 16.70/0 responded 8110. 1CrtJO/o of Sounds Wild families from the summer 2023 programme and 100 % of Sounds Sensory families from the spring 2024 programme who completed the post event suNeys said that they would return. Outcome 4: Increasing Self-Expresslon Everyone has a right to agency and self-expre55ion. Soundabout techniques provide opportunities to explore that sense of self and provides a C￿atiVe outlet with Learning Disabled people. Page 8 SOUNDABOUT REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES By self-expression we mean being able to participate in creative sound-based activities, to enhance sense of self and others (explored via interactive activtties), being able to make choices. and express likes and dislikes. Our person ￿ntred approach means that sessions are co-designed with attendees, following their lead and their choices throughout. Eviden￿ towards increasing selF-expression'. "It's a scary realty for M's future and so it is incredibly comforting to find people who work so hard to find things that are inclusive and that are accessible to all with no limitations, like Soundabout. You SEE M as person, as an individual and show her respect and dignity with every interaction. That means so much. Every sound, breath, and movement she makes means something who so many ignore, but even through a screen, you guys embr￿ those and instantly puts value on her existen￿ and participation as a person, an individual and as a human being. I will always be so very grateful to you all for that. {ParenL Sounds Virtual and Song Explorers "He has shown self-expression by making Ah Ah sounds singing and laughing to show enjoyment. With support he has used his body moving hips whilst in his chair. The use of the sound beam has given M the opportunity to use and control music independently without having someone hold his hand to help him move the instruments. This has helped him to make a clear Choi￿ of using an instrument by moving his head from side to side." (Family Member and Carer, Sounds Together 'Yesterday was fantastic, P really enjoyed the get together. Thank you for letting P sing IPhantom of the Opera] at the end, he is gradually building his confidence, and Emerging Leaders is really helping wth this." (Carer. Emerging Leaders "I'm crying with pride" (Young Participant, Emerging Leaders) "N - Chose to play the chimes. This was not a reflex but intended as he moved his ann 5 times to make the sound. N... has not demonstrated this beforel Amazing Nl" (Practitioner, Sounds Together) 710/0 or participants made progress across the different areas of communication and self*xpression from the stsrt of Sounds Together Henley to the end. Showing marked progress in the following areas.. 1. Initiating Interactions 2. Making intentional choiceslpreferences 3. Making eye contact or eye pointing 4. Vocalising By the end of Sounds Together, TouchBase Pears, 100 % of participants were either achieving or excelling in the 'Me.' My Thoughts & F￿lingS, area of the Sounds of Intent.. Me Framework across Levels 2 & 3. Outcome 5: Promoting Health and Wellbeing Music. Sound and Silence can support a sense of well-being by engaging in positive, enjoyable activities. We refer to health and wellbeing of our community as any observedlrecorded positive impact on physical and mental health. Th'is could refer to direct impacts e.g. on mentsl health, or In￿Irect e.g. by emotionally supporting participants while having medical Inte￿entiOnS. Our sessions bring groups toJether fr)r meaningful activities, reducing isolation and bringing wellbeing through a sense of purpose. Our Sounds Wild provision provKJes opportunities to connect with nature and reap the benefits of being outdoors. Page g SOUNDABOUT REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Evidence towards promoting health and wellbeing: "George was very poorly this summer and in intensrve care for a long time. Soundabout arranged for Ed [Soundabout practitionerl to come and visit George. It happened on his last day of ten weeks in hospital. George was very, very thin and very weak. BLrt as soon as he saw Ed he got really and he was engaged with every second of probably 2 hours that he got to have with Ed. It was like watching Hary Styles with your child because Ed is that f8mous in our house. George just absolutely loved it, had a really special time. We've had really special music sessions with Soundabout Sin￿ he came home. He was really weak. He's not been at schwl. They kindly invited us to a session in Henley which we could access once a week. George gained so much from thosé sessions. George got to see other children and young people..... They [Soundabout practitioners] worked really hard to help him hold things and touch things because he's quite tactile aversive. He's been practising strumming the guitar with the practitioners. It's really helped him to start holding things. And today he actually helped Frankie [carer] to peel an orange for the first time. He's never done anything like that. I think thays down to what they have been working on every week. It's an added extra to the musical fun.... Soundal)out brings a sparkle to George's life every day because li changes his whole mood. IVS like a switch or a magic wand... (Parenc Sounds Virtual, Sounds Together, Choir) "O has started using his left hand in these sessions, which he never does but he's been reaching out for things and holding instruments with his left hand, it's amazing and he's been so animated... when can we come back?" Icarer. Sounds Together) "Having music as part of hi8 timetable in the week has made my son calmer. { Parent. Sounds Together 30 Sounds Wild events delivered in inspiring natural spaces enabled 309 attendees to enjoy and reap the health and wellbeing benefits of being OLrtdoors. Review of Stratagic Aims This section reviews progress towards Soundabout's 4 Strategic Aims for 'Soundabout Build, our strategy and business plan for 2023-27. Each strategic aim has related objectives to help achieve the aim and we've shared highlights below to demonstrate progress towards these aims. Strategic Aim 1: To become the 'go to, charity within our speclalism in England and Wales, by creating consistently highquallty musical opportunities with our participants facilltated by a diverse team of expert music practitioners. Progress review.. Through the Soundabout Choirs and Sounds Together programmes we have broadened our geographical reach this year to include new areas such as the North West and North East. We also used several new community Venues to deliver in-person opportunities in new parts of regions already familiar to Soundabout. Our 'Soundabout Grow, Youth Music funded workforce development programme has enabled the development 'Sound Practice, a Quality Assurance Framework for our delivery. We overachieved in our targets to Carry out observations and peer visits to help improve Practi￿ with 12 observation visits undertaken by senior practitioners and 29 peer visits completed. We also rolled out of practitioner self-assessments to support their ongoing personal devebpment. We worked with 19 Emerging Leaders, 3 above target, across cohort 2 (autumn 2022 to summer 2023) and cohort 3 (course ending summer 2024). The groups met weekly and 717 from cohort 2 achieved a Bronze Arts Award Accreditation through Trinty College London. We exceeded targets for Graduate Emerging Leader work placements with 65 placements undertaken during the year, 11 above target. Placements were bespoke and included song writing, cardlgraphic design, concert compering, choir leading, group facilitation, disco DJ, signing video prcKluction, social media content, presenting at information events, backing track production. Page 10 SOUNDABOUT REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES To increase the level of support and training offered to those interested in leaming Soundabout techniques both internally and externally we delivered 132 training opportunities to 873 people (excluding Emerging and Graduate Leader programmes). Opportunities induded public training programmes, training projects wilh schools and other organisations, mentoring programmes, and reflective sharing sessions. We continued to share our expertise across our sector and more widely, notable examples include presenting at Music Mark's National Conference in autumn 2023 sharing learning around our Emerging Leaders programme, and publishing an article about quality in inclusive practice for the Sounding Board Joumal by Sound Sense- the UK Association for Community Musicians. Strategic Aim 2: To further understand and demonstrate the value of our work by developlng the way we measure impacL Progress review.. Throughout the year we developed and began implementing a new robust evaluation and monitoring framework that spans the entire organisation to help build a culture of reflective practi￿ and continual le8ming. This framework focusses on the 5 core psrticipant outcomes reviewed in the previous section of this report, along with outcomes for parentslcarers and training attendees. We worked hard to enhance the Family Support participation agenda ensuring more voices from the Soundabout communty feed into decision making and organisational development. Our Soundabout Participant Advisory has increased representation of Leaming Disabled participants with a core membership of 3 pa￿cIpants and 6 parentslcarers. Widgit symbol versions of our annual community survey were provided this year alongside 3 focus groups designed around the needs of the attendees. These are examples of our push for greater accessibility aGross all our decision making prO￿3$e$. With support from pro bono volunteers, we reviewed the use of our monitoring prO￿sseS to gather accurate data on Soundabout's current reach and across participants, long-tenn journeys with Soundabout., this work is ongoing. The new evaluation frameworf( has enabled us to start publishing qualitative statistical data to help demonstrate our impact more effectively. The 'SoundaboLrt Grow, workforce development programme has énabled us to continue to innovat8 by resourcing staff time to explore and develop besunew practice. The Soundabout Practitioner team benefitted from 3 external expert training events across the year, along with sharing events to collectively explore best practices. Every member of the core staff team has undertaken training across the year covering a variety of areas related to their interests and progression. Strateglc Alm 3. Build Soundaboufs resilience and sustainability by diversifying income streams, enabling the organisation to evolve within the landscape we operate in. Progress review: W8 have been wort