REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 07129908 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1138309 REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD I FEBRUARY 2023 TO 29 FEBRUARY 2024 FOR THE BRASS IN CONCERT CHAMPIONSHIP Gibson Booth Limited 12 Victoria Road Barnslev South Yorkshire S70 2BB
THE BRASS IN CONCERT CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD I FEBRUARY 2023 TO 29 FEBRUARY 2024 Page Reference and Administrative Details Report of the Trustees Independent Examiner's Report Statement of Financial Activities Balance Sheet 10 to 11 Notes to the Financial Statements 12 to 16 Detailed Staternent of Financial Activities 17 to 18
THE BRASS IN CONCERT CHAMPIONSHIP REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DEfAILS FOR THE PERIOD I FEBRUARY 2023 TO 29 FEBRUARY 2024 TRUSTEES P R Beere Ms F Johnstone H A Stephenson N C Stevens Ms M Bedford REGISTERED OFFICE 17 Montalbo Road Barnard Castle Co. Durham DL12 8BP REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER 07129908 {England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1138309 INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Gibson Booth Limited 12 Victoria Road Barnsley South Yorkshire 570 2BB Page I
THE BRASS IN CONCERT CHAMPIONSHIP REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE PERIOD I FEBRUARY 2023 TO 29 FEBRUARY 2024 The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the period l February 2023 to 29 February 2024. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland {FRS 1021 (effective l January 2019}. OBJEcfivES AND AcfiviTIES Objectives and aims The Brass in concert championship is a charitable, brass band music festival and youth brass development organisation based in the North East of England at our resident auditorium of The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, formerly known as The Sage Gateshead. As at the end of the period the Brass in concert organisation has successfully delivered 46 annual festivals and over recent years has expanded its mission through a relationship with Newcastle and Northumberland tnU5ic hub5 (Music Partnership North) to deliver a growing nutnber of elementary youth brass educational projects. The festival is widely considered the most prestigious brass band entertainment festival in the World and remains dedicated to supporting and promoting brass banding activities through showcasing the finest and World's highest ranked brass bands. Page 2
THE BRASS IN CONCERT CHAMPIONSHIP REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE PERIOD I FEBRUARY 2023 TO 29 FEBRUARY 2024 OBJECTIVES AND AcfiviTIES Significant artivities The financial period 2023-24 was a pivotal period in providing us with much needed new and more detailed financial data, audience feedback and advice gathering from our strategic partners on how the festival should be structured in a post pandemic World, a World in which the event management community more generally has unanimously confirmed is a very different landscape to what the event and entertainment industry had experienced pre Covid. Audiences are booking later. are significantly more conscious and sensitive to the rising cost of living which has seen much higher hotel and travel costs to come to weekend festivals such as Brass in Concert. Meaning the detailed timing of our festival components have to be carefully planned for those who wish to travel to the festival and back home on the same day. The moving of our flagship element of the festival, the Brass in Concert Championship, to a Saturday from its traditional Sunday due to increasing demand from the competing bands for this also has had an ongoing impact on the shape and planning of the festival which is still being worked through in terms of commercial and risk management. Linked to this, in 2023 the board of trustees agreed that it was important to try to reintroduce the Gala Concert as an element of the festival. Ticket sales did prove difficult, however, and we were forced to look at educational discounts and heavier marketing costs to get to the lower levels of our targeted Income and Sales. Despite this the concert was an artistic succe55. delivered some clear educational benefits that we had not originally considered and on balance suggested that the gala concert is an achievable objective with the right artists suited to a very targeted audience. This element of the festival will be paused in 2024 with the ambition to bring it back in 2025, giving us time to consider the right format for this important festival component. On the educational programme front we continued to demonstrate in 2023 our commitment to young people with a newly branded outreach and education programme. Aspire. Delivered by our partners at Brass Bands England, Aspire brought together over 250 young people from schools in Northumberland, Newcastle and Durham to take part in educational workshops in an exciting brass day at The Glasshouse on Friday 17 November, to kick-start the Brass in Concert Festival. Aspire proved to be once again well attended, educationally expertly delivered and achieved all its objectives. That said the board were faced with some difficult decisions post festival in accepting that from a funding perspective and with an eye to sensible risk management there was a strategic choice to be made as we move into 2024 as to whether we continue with our Aspire programme or decide if there was a greater need and legacy opportunity in reviving Youth Brass in Concert as the UK'S only entertainment contest for elite youth bands. Page 3
THE BRASS IN CONCERT CHAMPIONSHIP REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE PERIOD I FEBRUARY 2023 TO 29 FEBRUARY 2024 OBJEcfivES AND ACTIVITIES Based on our board trustees with expertise in this field and input from our advisors at Brass Bands England the decision has been taken to dilute (not cease) our activities relating to Aspire and to relaunch Youth Brass in Concert. This important change to the festival lineup was only made possible through the close partnership we have with Glasshouse International Centre for Music who have helped to make this commercially and financially viable. Despite the financial challenges in the financial period we presented the Brass in Concert Championship with 11 World class bands competing on Saturday 18th November 2023. Box office sales were again excellent with approximately 1,400 patrons in attendance. For the first time we launched a formal audience feedback process which we got a good response rate to, and this provided us with a platform for a further expanded survey to be developed in 2024. This has given us significantly improved data on which to continue to design and build the festival components, marketing approach and channels to ensure further success for the festival in the future. We continued to develop the new element of the festival introduced in 2022 of a festival party enabling players and audience to mingle and socialise in the concourse areas and we built on this concept in 2023 by moving the formal results ceremony from the main auditorium into the concourse areas where the musicians congregate. This proved to be an incredible success and one that showed the board that although breaking with long held tradition is very difficult, carefully managed change can be extremely positive. The seeded draw for the Championship was adopted as standard in 2023 in that it has now proven successful at stabilising audience numbers in the auditorium throughout the day. The use of the European Brass Band Championships live stream, this year in Malrno (Sweden), as a mechanism to get high publicity for the festival as part of the draw was once again adopted. In terms of the overall evaluation there is still much for the board to consider, and many critical decisions are still to be worked through in 2024. There is a clear and undeniable tension between the increasing and much heralded succes5 of the festival and the changes. modernisation and professionalization the board have made, by the sector press, the artists (the bands) and its loyal audience, rubbing against the difficu Ities in continuing to deliver the festival to its financial targets. This in a climate of high inflation for our cost base and higher costs of living for our audience. Page 4
THE BRASS IN CONCERT CHAMPIONSHIP REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE PERIOD I FEBRUARY 2023 TO 29 FEBRUARY 2024 ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Charitable activities The Brass in Concert Championship continues to provide a platform for the finest brass bands in the world to entertain and display. free of artistic restriction. their excellence as performers of high-quality original and arranged brass band music. Thi5 is achieved through creative and inspiring programmes and presentations reflerting the most current and progressive form of the genre, designed to appeal to both the general listener and enthusiasts of the discipline alike. Our Youth and Education activities are progressivety being designed to showcase all that is good in live music and deliver and support opportunity for young people to have the right to sample and learn a brass or percussion instrument regardless of background. The formal partnering and service agreements that we began to put in place in 2021 are now maturing with our strategic partners to ensure the ongoing success of the festival. These relate to Music Partnership North IMPNI where the now signed agreement formalises the scope and operating arrangement5 of the partnership on Educational projects. Similarly with Brass Bands England {BBE) we have now formalised and successfully utilised the support services partnership for the delivery of project management, grant writing. marketing and artistic advisory they provide to Brass in Concert. These partnership agreements have been duly approved by the board and authorised by the CEO and all financial implications have been included in the 2023/24 accounts and 2024125 budgets by our Finance Director. FINANCIAL REVIEW Financial position It continues to be challenging to develop an event which can break-even and start to generate surpluses to invest in the festival further. Since the pandemic we have continued to trial various options to find the most effective way forward, both artistically as well as financially. There is clearly a need for the board to take a more strategic stance with clearer ownership within the board for funding. The board recognise that this is a critical step in being able to continue the development of the festival and would need to be a multi-year approach looking at all the funding sources available to us. Grants received We would like to thank the following organisations for their support through the awarding of grants in the year.. The Barbour Foundation The D'oyly Carte Charitable Tnjst The Foyle Foundation Page 5
THE BRASS IN CONCERT CHAMPIONSHIP REPORT OF THE TRUSfEES FOR THE PERIOD I FEBRUARY 2023 TO 29 FEBRUARY 2024 FINANCIAL RE¥llEW Reserves policy The reserves that we have set aside provide financial stability and the means for the development of our principal attivity. We intend to maintain our reserves at a level which is at least equivalent to £25,000, rising to £40,IKIO over the next 10 years. We intend to use the reserves to invest in and develop the Brass in Concert Festival event over this time frame. The Board annually reviews the amount of reserves that are required to ensure that they are adequate to fulfil our continuing obligations. STRucfuRE. GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT GoverninE document The charity is controlled by its governing document. a deed of trust, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee. as defined by the Companie5 Act 2(K)6. Changes to the Board of Trustees There have been no changes to the Board of Trustees in the year. Governance The board has continued to hold both trustee and operational meetings online during this financial period agreeing that it was continuing to deliver excellent results in conducting busine55 effectively and in terms of Cost savings. On-site meetings at The Gla55house International Centre for Music, Gateshead Iformerly known as The SaEe Gateshead) were limited to two occasions in the period. In Conclusion This period was again notable for the continuing successful delivery of the Brass in Concert Championship and its associated Educational Programme at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, Gateshead. This wa5 only made p055ible through the strengthening of the partnership5 in place with our sponsors Iworld of Brass, Banks Group. Yamaha Music) our Educational Project partner {Music Partnership Northl and our delivery partner (Brass Bands England). The board have worked diligently throughout this financial period to continue the progress made in 2023 and to look ahead but it is clear that new trustee recruitment is required in the forthcoming year to ensure we have a balance of skills and experience around the board table relevant to events management and development and to provide for adequate succession planning. A strategy for the recruitment has been completed which will target potential trustees with backgrounds in Event Marketing, Digital and Social Media Management and Event Project Management as key requirements. Approved by order of the board of trustees on 20June 2024 and signed on its behalf by= /Jxa N C Stevens- Trustee Page 6
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSfEES OF THE BRASS IN CONCERT CHAMPIONSHIP Independent examiner's report to the trustees of The Brass In Concert Championship ('the Company,) I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the period l February 2023 to 29 February 2024. Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purpose5 of company lawl you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 20061'the 2006 Act,). Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 {'the 2011 Act'l. In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 14515} {bl of the 2011 Act. Page 7
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE BRASS IN CONCERT CHAMPIONSHIP Independent examiner's statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe: accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by Section 386 of the 2006 Act; or the accounts do not accord with those records; or the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of Section 396 of the 2006 Act 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; or the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland IFRS 102)). I have no concerns and have come across no other matter5 in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the account5 to be reached. Scott Mell Gibson Booth Limited 12 Victoria Road Barn51ey South Yorkshire S70 2BB Date: A* LJL Page 8
THE BRASS IN CONCERT CHAMPIONSHIP STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL AcfiviTIES (INCORPORATING AN INCOME AND EXPENDrruRE ACCOUNT) FOR THE PERIOD I FEBRUARY 2023 TO 29 FEBRUARY 2024 Period 1.2.23 to 29.2.24 Unrestricted funds Year Ended 31.1.23 Total funds Notes INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies 11.390 22,249 Other trading activities Investment income 85,308 73,959 Total 96.700 96,208 EXPENDITURE ON Charitable artivities Provision of events 101,864 86,512 NET INCOMEI(EXPENDITURE) (5,164) 9,696 RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward 33,099 23,403 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 27.935 33,099 The notes form part of these financial statements Page 9
THE BRASS IN CONCERT CHAMPIONSHIP BALANCE SHE 29 FEBRUARY 2024 29.2.24 Unrestrlcted funds 31.1.23 Total funds Notes CURRENT ASSETS Debtors Cash at b3nk 1,298 35,656 30,197 30,197 36.954 CREDITORS Amounts fallinE due within one year 12,262) (3,8551 NET CURRENT ASSETS 27,935 33,099 TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 27,935 33,099 NET ASSETS 27.935 33,099 FUNDS Unrestricted funds 27,935 33,099 TOTAL FUNDS 27,935 33,099 The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the period ended 29 February 2024. The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial Statements for the period ended 29 February 2024 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006. The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for la) ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company. (bl The notes form part of these financial statements Page 10 continued...
THE BRASS IN CONCERT CHAMPIONSHIP BALANCE SHEET- continued 29 FEBRUARY 2024 These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime. The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 20 June 2024 and were signed on its behalf by= N C Stevens- Trustee The notes forni part of these financial statements Page 11
THE BRASS IN CONCERT CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD I FEBRUARY 2023 TO 29 FEBRUARY 2024 CHANGE IN ACCOUNTING PERIOD The reporting period is 13 months to 29 February 2024. The cotnparative figures relate to a 12 month period to 31 January 2023. Therefore the comparatives figure are not wholly comparable to the new period. ACCOUNTING POLICIES Basis of preparing the financial ststements The financial statements of the charitable cornpany. which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP IFRS 1021 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities= Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FR5 1021 (effective l January 20191,. Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland. and the Companies Act 2006. The financial 5tatementS have been prepared under the historical cost convention. Significant judgements and estimates No judgements have been made in the process of applying the below accounting policies that have had the most significant effect on amounts recognised in the financial statements. There are no key assumptions concerning the fitture and other key sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting date that have a significant risk of causing material adjustment to the carrying amounts of asset5 and liabilities within the next financial year. Income All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably. Expenditure Liabilitie5 are recognised a5 expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it Is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Taxation The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities. Fund accounting Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitsble objectives at the discretion of the trustees. Page 12 Continued.
THE BRASS IN CONCERT CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE PERIOD I FEBRUARY 2023 TO 29 FEBRUARY 2024 ACCOUNTING POLICIES- continued Fund accounting Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes. Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements. OTHER TRADING AcfiviTIES Period 1.2.23 to 29.2.24 Year Ended 31.1.23 Ticket and programme sales Media and advertising Spon50rship and streaming Prize donations School hub match funding Coach parking Performance lighting Rehersal room hire 55,183 2.075 25.280 1,500 300 70 900 45,854 1,975 22,780 1,500 500 loo 1.200 50 85.308 73,959 INVESTMENT INCOME Period 1.2.23 to 29.2.24 Year Ended 31.1.23 Deposit account interest Page 13 continued...
THE BRASS IN CONCERT CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEME1s- continued FOR THE PERIOD I FEBRUARY 2023 TO 29 FEBRUARY 2024 TRUSTEES. REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS There were no tru5tees' remuneration or other benefits for the period ended 29 February 2024 nor for the year ended 31 January 2023. Tru5tees' expenses The reimbursement of trustees expenses during the period was £1.675 (2023- £1,569). DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR 29.2.24 31.1.23 Trade debtors VAT 1,224 74 1,298 CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR 29.2.24 31.1.23 Trade creditors Accruals and deferred income 512 1.750 97 3,758 2,262 3,855 MOVEMENT IN FUNDS Net movement in funds At 29.2.24 At 1.2.23 Unrestricted funds General fund Foyle Foundation 33,099 (9,866) 4,702 23.233 4.702 33.099 (5.164) 27,935 TOTAL FUNDS 33,099 (5,164) 27,935 Page 14 continued...
THE BRASS IN CONCERT CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS- continued FOR THE PERIOD I FEBRUARY 2023 TO 29 FEBRUARY ZOZ4 MOVEMENT IN FUNDS- continued Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows: Incoming resources Resources expended Movement in funds Unrestricted funds General fund Foyle Foundation 91.700 5.000 {101,566) (298) 19,866) 4,702 96,700 (101,864) 15,164) TOTAL FUNDS 96,700 (101,864) (5.164) Comparatives for movement In funds Net movement in funds At 31.1.23 At 1.2.22 Unrestricted funds General fund 23,403 9,696 33,099 TOTAL FUNDS 23,403 9,696 33,099 Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows: Incoming resources Resources expended Movement in funds Unrestricted funds General fund 96.208 (86,512) 9,696 TOTAL FUNDS 96,208 186,512) 9,696 The Foyle Foundation grant of £5,000 was received in the year. There has been expenditure of £298 in the year. As at 29 February 2024 the carried forward balance was £4,702. Page 15 continued...
THE BRASS IN CONCERT CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS- continued FOR THE PERIOD I FEBRUARY 2023 TO 29 FEBRUARY 2024 MOVEMENT IN FUNDS- continued The terms of the grant 311ow this to be used against core costs. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES During the year £1,000 (2023 - £1.0001 was paid to Aruba Blue Limited in respect of financial management services. Ms M Bedford, Trustee, is also a director of Aruba Blue Limited Page 16