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 STATEME1￿s- 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