## **Kington Choral Society**
## **Charity Number:1103552**
**Trustees’ Annual Report & Financial Statements Year ended 31 December 2025**
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|**Contents**||
|---|---|
|Trustees’Annual Report|p3-5|
|Independent Examiner’s Report on the Financial Statements|p6|
|Financial Statements comprising:||
|Receipts & Payments Account|p7|
|Statement of Assets & Liabilities|p8|
|Notes|p9-12|
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## **Trustees’ Annual Report**
## **Aims and charitable objectives:-**
Kington Choral Society (KCS) aims to “ _foster public appreciation of the art of music of all kinds, by the promotion of public choral concerts and other musical activities, for the society’s funds and other general purposes of such charitable institutions or other exclusively charitable purposes as the committee may from time to time decide_ ”
The Trustees believe that we have met the aims this year with a wide and varied programme
## **Achievements and Performance:-**
2025 has been a busy year and, our objectives above have been fully met.
We said goodbye to Rob Evans last year and welcomed in Simon Harper as our new Director of Music and he has risen to the challenge with huge enthusiasm and professionalism. Welcome, Simon, and we thank you for a fantastic year for KCS !
We kicked off the year in Spring with Rossini’s Petite Messe Solonelle which, as Clive pointed out to me was neither “petite” nor “solonelle” and not really a “Messe” either, but was very enjoyable and Simon brought us all to a high standard.
Sadly we lost a long-standing member of the choir, Richard Rathbone. He was a true gentleman and a scholar. His widow Frances donated £1,200 to the society and this funded our Easter concert at St Mary’s of Stainer’s crucifixion which we performed in his memory.
In May we held our customary workshop which, this year, was focussed on Purcell. The feedback that we received was that all who took part loved it and a few thought that the afternoon session was perhaps too long for tired voices. Many thanks go to both Simon and Paul for making this session a success.
Our summer concert of “The Creation” by Haydn was truly epic with an eighteen piece orchestra to back us up and to give us both inspiration and depth. It was a wonderful evening and enjoyed by everyone who attended and even more so by those who took part !
In the Autumn we performed a mix of sacred songs – (for me the Rachmaninov was absolute bliss !) together with Faure’s requiem. We made a stunning sound and it was hugely enjoyable.
We rounded off the year with a carol service at Kington. I think our rendition of ”Ding Dong Merrily on High” was up there with the best of them. As Simon always tells us, if you look up and watch him, then we really do make a great sound. Easy enough to do when you know the piece by heart of course !
As is always the case, all members of KCS have worked extremely hard to ensure that the Society remains active and financially buoyant. Our sales at rehearsals, donations for refreshments and the raffle are all important income streams for us and everyone’s assistance with this is very welcome and appreciated.
The operation for one week of the charity shop was, once again, a vital tool in our fund raising, raising over £2.065 (gross), and it should be noted that the generous donations at our rehearsals
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mentioned above also raised over £2,000 – again! These are really important income streams for us and the efforts made by everyone are much appreciated.
Colin has announced his intention to stand down from the committee in 2026, but has very kindly agreed to continue with the charity shop and raffles etc. at rehearsals. Colin – this is very much appreciated and I believe that very few of us realise quite how much work and effort this takes. Colin – many thanks for your help !
We also must draw everyone’s attention to a very generous donation of £10,000 which was made in December 2025. The donor wishes to remain anonymous and that wish will be respected. This really is incredibly generous and the donor expressly wishes for those funds to be used “ to encourage our conductor to be venturous with concerts using ensembles and soloists” . Both the choir members and the public will see the effect of this with our forthcoming concerts in 2026 which will feature soloists and orchestras to the full. It makes a huge difference to what we can afford to do. We take this opportunity to thank them – it really will make a huge difference to 2026 and part of 2027.
Now we come to the committee’s recommendation on subscriptions. This is a topic which we have discussed at great length in committee meetings. We have a very strong Balance sheet as you can see showing total assets of £25,882 compared to last year’s £15,855. However, you will also note that this is boosted by the generous donation of £10,000. If that donation had not taken place, the Balance Sheet would be showing almost exactly the same figure as last year, which is why we have taken the decision to put the donation into a separate restricted fund as it is to be used for specific purposes.
We are responsible as a committee for making sure that KCS remains financially viable. Before the donation of £10,000, we had decided to cut back on the costs of our performances given that they tend to struggle to be viable, in spite of all of our other fundraising that we do. We believe in striving to give great musical events that attract people and enthuse them. It is difficult to achieve this without equivalent fantastic support from a variety of musicians , but they come at a cost which, of course we are happy to support. This incredibly generous donation has enabled us to continue to do this, but our cash- flow predictions show that this is not sustainable in the long run.
For this reason, we are recommending a rise in annual subscriptions from £100 to £115.
For the sake of clarity, the committee cannot impose this on members – it is up to you to vote yes or no today at the AGM and we will of course be keen to hear your decision.
Finally, I would like to thank all of the volunteers who help out during the year. Your efforts are fantastic and help our events to go smoothly. It would also be remiss of me not to mention our fabulous committee members. Kate is always there with sourcing the music, Rita (and helpers) just breezes along sorting out food and hospitality, Colin whose contributions I have already mentioned, John for keeping a detailed track of our finances and who has produced this report for the year, Christine for recording everything we do (and also maintaining diplomatic order at times !), and finally Sandie who is always on the case. Sandie’s phenomenal work output keeps KCS up there at the top of local choirs.
## **Structure, Governance and Management:-**
We are constituted as an unincorporated Society and our Constitution governs our operation as a charity. All committee members are Trustees.
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5|Page
## **Kington Choral Society - Charity Number: 1103552 (‘the Society’) Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees For the year ended 31 December 2025**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Society for the year ended 31 December 2025.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the trustees of the Society, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act).
I report in respect of my examination of the Society’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
examination which give me cause to believe in any material respect:
1. Accounting records were not kept in respect of the Society as required by section 130 of the 2011 Act; or
2. The accounts do not accord with those accounting records; or
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed: C. E. Law
______________________________
Charles Law B.Sc., MBA Independent Examiner
Oaklands Glasbury on Wye Hereford HR3 5LH
17 January 2026
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## Receipts & Payments Account
## **Registered Charity Number: 1103552**
## **Financial Statements for the Year ended 31 December 2025**
## **Receipts and Payment Accounts**
|**General**
Total
**Fund**
Funds
**2025**
2024
**Receipts**
**Note**
**£**
£
Subscriptions
6,360
6,046
Donations
3
11,280
450
Fundraising : At Rehearsals inc Sales
3
2,273
2,442
Fundraising: Community Shop Takings
2,065
2,016
Concerts and Events
3
6,155
7,386
Deposit Account Interest
121
264
Other Income
3
5,369
1,918
**Total Receipts**
33,622
20,522
**Payments**
Musical Director & Accompanists
4
6,300
7,260
Rehearsal Venues
4
1,257
1,256
Fundraising Costs
4
767
770
Concerts and Events
4
12,961
9,145
Administration & Other Payments
5
2,321
6,804
**Total Payments**
23,605
25,235
**Net Receipts/(Payments) for the year**
10,017
(4,713)
Cash at Bank and in Hand at 1 January
15,865
20,578
**Cash at Bank and in Hand at 31 December**
**25,882**
**15,865**|**General**
Total
**Fund**
Funds
**2025**
2024
**Receipts**
**Note**
**£**
£
Subscriptions
6,360
6,046
Donations
3
11,280
450
Fundraising : At Rehearsals inc Sales
3
2,273
2,442
Fundraising: Community Shop Takings
2,065
2,016
Concerts and Events
3
6,155
7,386
Deposit Account Interest
121
264
Other Income
3
5,369
1,918
**Total Receipts**
33,622
20,522
**Payments**
Musical Director & Accompanists
4
6,300
7,260
Rehearsal Venues
4
1,257
1,256
Fundraising Costs
4
767
770
Concerts and Events
4
12,961
9,145
Administration & Other Payments
5
2,321
6,804
**Total Payments**
23,605
25,235
**Net Receipts/(Payments) for the year**
10,017
(4,713)
Cash at Bank and in Hand at 1 January
15,865
20,578
**Cash at Bank and in Hand at 31 December**
**25,882**
**15,865**|
|---|---|
|Donations
3
Fundraising : At Rehearsals inc Sales
3||
|Fundraising: Community Shop Takings
Concerts and Events
3
Deposit Account Interest
Other Income
3
**Total Receipts**
**Payments**
Musical Director & Accompanists
4
Rehearsal Venues
4
Fundraising Costs
4
Concerts and Events
4
Administration & Other Payments
5
**Total Payments**
**Net Receipts/(Payments) for the year**
Cash at Bank and in Hand at 1 January
**Cash at Bank and in Hand at 31 December**||
|||
|||
|||
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Notes
## **Kington Choral Society Registered Charity Number: 1103552**
## **Financial Statements for the Year ended 31 December 2025**
## **Notes to the Accounts**
## **Note**
## **1 Basis of Accounting**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Section 133 of the Charities Act 2011 using the Receipts and Payments basis.
The financial statements comprise of the Receipts & Payments schedule, Statement of Assets & Liabilities and associated Notes
## **2 Funds**
## _**General Fund**_
The General Fund is the charity's unrestricted, undesignated fund available for any of the charity's purposes without restriction
## _**Concert Fund**_
The Concert Fund is the charity’s fund made available from a donation which restricts its use to the support of concert expenses more particularly the hire of musicians and soloists
## **3 Further Analysis of Receipts**
|**Donations:**
Donations from rehearsals
Other Donations (not concert related)
**Total Donations**
**Fundraising :At Rehearsals:**
Raffle
Refreshments
Sales
**Total fundraising at rehearsals**
**Concerts and Events:**
_Spring Concert_
Tickets
Bar
Sponsorship & Donations
_Total Spring Concert_
_Summer Concert_
Tickets
Bar
Sponsorship & Donations
_Total Summer Concert_
_Winter Concert_
Tickets|**General**General
**Fund**
Fund
**2025**
2024
£
£
80
50
11,200
400|
|---|---|
||**11,280**
450|
||917
1,193
922
1,001
434
247|
||**2,273**
2,441|
||1,100
1,380
244
0
0
0|
||**1,344**
1,380
1,542
870
290
211
0|
||**1,832**
1,081
1,850
3,395|
9|Page
|N
Bar
Teas
Sponsorship & Donations
_Total Winter Concert_
_Come & Sing_
Tickets
_Donations_
**Total Concerts and Events**
**Other Income:**
Hire & Sales of Scores
Loan receipt|otes
248
350
0
0
0
0|
|---|---|
||**2,098**
3,745
880
1,180
0|
||**880**
1,180|
||**6,155**
7,386|
||485
643
0
0
4,883
1,041
0
234|
|Gift Aid Received from HMRC||
|Other (talk/presentation)
**Total Other Income**||
||**5,369**
1,918|
## **4 Further Analysis of Payments**
|**Musical Director & Accompanists:**
Musical Director:
Accompanists
**Total Musical Director & Accompanists**
Rehearsal Venues:|**General**General
**Fund**
Fund
**2025**
2024
**£**
**£**
3,675
4,455
2,625
2,805|
|---|---|
||**6,300**
7,260|
||1,200
1,200
**57**
56|
|Room Hire
Heating||
|**Total Rehearsal Venues**
**Fundraising Costs:**
Refreshments
Raffles
Community Shop Costs|**1,257**
1,256|
||195
296
248
297
324
171
0
6|
|On-Line transaction costs (Not concert related)
**Total Fundraising Costs**||
||**767**
770|
|**Concerts and Events:**
_Spring Concert_
Soloists/ Conductor/Accompanists
Scores
Orchestra Performance fees
Venue
Bar
Other
Advertising/ Programmes
Online Ticket Transaction Costs
_Total Spring Concert_|1,850
766
0
0
0
0
399
300
202
0
169
0
447
123
29
28|
||**3,096**
1,217|
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Notes
|_Summer Concert_
Soloists/ Conductor/Accompanist
Scores
Orchestra Performance fees
Venue
Bar
Other
Advertising/ Programmes
Online Ticket Transaction Costs
_Total Summer Concert_
_Winter Concert_
Soloists/ Conductor/Accompanist
Scores
Orchestra Performance fees
Venue
Bar
Teas
Other (flowers, gifts, lighting, page turner)
Advertising/ Programmes
Online Ticket Transaction Costs
_Total Winter Concert_
_Easter – Stainer’s Crucifixion_
Soloists/ Conductor
Scores
Refreshments
Advertising/ Programmes
_Christmas Carol Concert_
Conductor/Accompanist
Refreshments/Printing/Gift
_Come & Sing_
Conductor/Accompanist
Venue
Refreshments
Printing of scores
Online Ticket Transaction Costs
_Total Come & Sing_
**Total Concert & Events**
**5**
**Administration & Other Payments:**
Making Music – Membership
Making Music -Insurance
Making Music -PRS payment
Website
Administration & Governance (IE)
Hire and Purchase of Scores
Hire and Purchase of Scores re 2026 concert
Plastic MAPAC folders & chair covers|1,250
787
0
0
2,900
0
225
225
86
113
689
25
400
407
23
14|
|---|---|
||**5,572**
1,571|
||1,100
1,900
0
0
0
2,290
325
484
90
65
0
0
197
272
389
531
33
62|
||**2,134**
5,603|
||575
0
0
29
130|
||**735**|
||550
0
100|
||**650**|
||500
550
135
160
28
0
79
0
32
44|
||**775**
754|
|||
||**12,961**
9,145|
||427
313
155
155
224
84
326
133
381
700
0
307
210
0
0
433|
11|Page
|N
Singing lessons for choir members
Coach hire Kington Junior School
Clavinova wheels
Hire Parish hall for committee meetings
Various items for shop week
Square reader/iPhone set up costs
Photographer
Equipment
Bursary
Loan repayment N Cooke
Xmas Party
Late payment St Andrews re Mozart concert 2023
Late payment re Messiah concert 2024|otes
0
900
0
300
0
249
140
240
29
384
46
352
0
35
0
0
0
880
0
700
137
109
0
325
202
0
0
3
45
202|
|---|---|
|Other on-line costs||
|General publicity and equipment costs||
||**2,321**
6,804|
## **6 Trustees & Related Party Transactions**
During the year, no Trustee received remuneration as Trustee (2024: £0). Trustees received out of pocket expenses, totalling £1867.69 for 6 trustees (2024: £2134.70 for 6 trustees)
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