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Farnham Youth Choir Annual Report and Accounts Financial “] ended 31st August 2024 Registered charity no. 1145358
1. Aims and Objectives
Farnham Youth Choir (FYC) is committed to promoting, improving and developing the musical education of young people in the Farnham area. This is pursued through the creation and maintenance of a youth choir of the highest standards. FYC's activities include the presentation of public concerts, tours both in the UK and abroad, the production of recordings and participation in choral competitions.
The public benefits of the organisation are threefold:
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i. Young people in the Farnham area can participate in choral activities to a musical standard which may not be available to them within mainstream education. The ethos of FYC throughout its existence has been to ensure that no child is barred from accessing this opportunity purely on the grounds of affordability.
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ii. As a community based choir, a significant proportion of FYC’s public concerts are centred on the Farnham area, thus ensuring that the local population can benefit from attending youth choral concerts of the highest international standard.
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iii. Both FYC members and the local community benefit from the fact that FYC makes Farnhama destination of choice for other leading youth choirs from around the world.
2. Financial Position
The FYC annual accounts for the year ending 31* August 2024 are presented on pages5 to 6 of this report. In summary FYC achieved a modest surplus for the year. It should, however, be noted that the accounts were prepared prior to a planned refund of some costs to participants in the New Zealand Tour (reflecting successful fundraising which part-funded the tour costs). The true position after this refund is approximately break-even. FYC’s financial reserves are healthy, with cash reserves of approximately one year of normal operating costs. Trustees are confident of the financial viability of FYC for the immediate future.
The 2023-2024 year presented many challenges, not least the significant fundraising effort required to help fund the choir’s participation in the World Choir Games in Auckland in July 2024. In addition, there were cost increases in many areas and we were obliged to increase subscriptions. As a small charity, we rely mainly on subscriptions, our generous patrons, grant funding and other donors to fund our activities.
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FYC currently has various separate funds, details of which are shown in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities below :
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i. Ageneral fund for the day to day operation of the choir;
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ii. A fundraising and marketing fund to develop FYC’s marketing proposition;
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iii. A tour support fund, aimed at supporting individuals to participate in tours;
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iv. A vocal coach fund;
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v. A Bursary Fund which funds singers across all three choirs who are facing financial disadvantage;
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vi. Aschools’ workshop fund.
3. Activities report from Artistic Director, Patrick Barrett
| am delighted to report that the past year has been one of tremendous success and growth for Farnham Youth Choir. Our young voices have continued to develop, and their hard work has led to outstanding achievements.
Training and Junior Choirs:
Our Training Choir has continued to thrive, with numbers steadily increasing, thanks to the success of our outreach workshops in local schools and the dedication of our staff team. The Training Choir is also fortunate to work with our volunteer Mary, their talented pianist, whose contributions have been invaluable. The Junior Choir's numbers are growing again, and their sound is richer than ever. The annual Singing Spree was a resounding success, attracting our largest turnout yet, and showcasing our ongoing commitment to building a love for music in the local community.
Senior Choir:
The Senior Choir had an exceptional year, with notable highlights throughout the season.
Our commitment to community engagement continued with performances at the Saint Andrew’s civic carol service, where we had the honour of performing in front of local dignitaries. While the Farnham Maltings remains a challenging venue, we managed to make our Christmas concert there a beautiful and memorable occasion. Looking ahead to next year, we are excited that our Christmas concert will take place at Weydon School, providing us with a fresh venue for this festive celebration.
The 40th Anniversary March concert was a particularly special event for us this year. It was a truly memorable celebration of the choir's history, with all of our choirs performing at the very
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top of their game. The energy and spirit of the evening were elevated by the presence of so many alumni, both singing alongside us and in the audience, reconnecting with their musical roots. It was especially heartwarming to have David and Gillian Victor-Smith with us, whose support and dedication to the choir over the years have been invaluable. Their presence added an extra layer of significance to this milestone concert. It was an incredibly moving experience to see the choir's community come full circle, with so much talent and support from past members.
The summer concert at St. Andrew's Garrison Church was another highlight. The beautiful acoustics of the venue provided a perfect backdrop for a lovely evening of music, and it was a truly special experience for both the choir and the audience. It provided an invaluable dress rehearsal experience before heading to New Zealand.
In terms of performance achievements, the Senior Choir excelled in competitions, with notable success on the international stage. Our trip to New Zealand saw the choir win two gold medals—a testament to their dedication and talent. This was such a special and unforgettable thing to do. Memories to last a lifetime. Thanks to everyone for organising this.
In conclusion, | would like to express my deepest gratitude to our dedicated members, staff team, supportive parents, volunteers, and trustees for their continued support and commitment. Particular personal thanks to Melanie Hancox. Farnham Youth Choir is growing stronger with each passing year, and we remain passionate about nurturing young talent and fostering a love for music within our community.
Thank you for your unwavering support.
4. Future Plans
After a very successful and extremely busy season, 2024-2025 will be no less busy, but has the virtue of activities closer to home.
The Senior Choir had the privilege of performing alongside Marliya, Gondwana Voices and the RSNO Youth Chorus at the Barbican in October 2024. This remarkable opportunity (which has already happened as | write in November) gave our young singers a rich musical and cultural experience and the opportunity to perform on one of London’s great concert stages.
The Christmas season will be busy with the Senior Choir’s usual appearance at the Farnham Town Council Civic Service. All of our choirs will perform at our gala Christmas concert, but for the first time this will be at the Medici Theatre at Weydon School. Our Senior Choir makes a welcome return to the Farnham Castle at the invitation of the Castle’s trustees for a second civic festive celebration. It is hoped that this might become an annual event.
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Our Junior Choir will be entering the Barnardo’s National Choir Competition, the final of which is in Birmingham in March. Please join us in wishing them every success.
For the first time, our Senior Choir will perform in a Mother’s Day concert in March, with solo guest appearances from talented members of the choir.
As well as our choirs’ performing and competition activities, we will be continuing our programme of schools’ workshops during this coming academic year. Funding permitting, our music team will visit local primary schools to work across different year groups offering workshops. We are also planning our fourth FYC Singing Spree at the Farnham Maltings and hope, grant application depending, to add an additional event to this schedule. Watch this space!
The season will culminate in a gala concert featuring all three choirs at The Menuhin Hall in Cobham. The choirs will perform alongside viola soloist Stephen Upshaw and the Senior Choir will premiére the commission written for them in 2024 by Errollyn Wallen, ‘The Lilies of the Field’.
In the summer of 2025, we hope to take the Senior Choir to a UK location in order to make a professional recording. Trustees have applied for grant funding and are currently in discussions with a music producer and record company.
5. Structure, Governance and Management
FYC is a registered charity and all activities are planned and implemented under the control of a Management Committee. This includes all arrangements for rehearsals, tours, concerts, recordings and control of finance and expenditure. The committee usually meets at least termly. It comprises a Chair, Vice-Chair and Treasurer and other trustees, supported by our employed Operations Manager and Community Engagement Officer. The Trustees are joined by management officers who are appointed to specific roles and who provide support and feedback to the Trustees. The Trustees are currently looking for two new members of the board to join them.
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Independent examiners report to the trustees of FYC
| report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of FYC charity for the year ended 31st of August 2024
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the charities Act 2011 (the ACT)
| report in respect of my examination at the trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination | have followed all the applicable directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145 (5 ) ( b) of the ACT.
Independent examiners statement
| have completed my examination. | confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the trust as required by section 130 of the act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records.
| have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Cea AVv Ma tl
Signed:
Name: Owen Trotter
Relevant professional qualification or membership of professional bodies if any:
Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales
Address: 8 South Parade, York
Date: 24th June 2025
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ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024
Statement of receipts and payments - year ended 31 August 2024
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|Unrestricted|Restricted|2023/24|2022/23|
|funds|£|funds|£|Total £|Total|£|
|Receipts|
|Subscriptions|42,343|42,343|32,877|
|Gift|Aid|Receipts|2,140|2,140|0|
|Fundraising|1,270|38,241|39,512|4,398|
|Donations|746|15,485|16,231|8,525|
|Patrons|2,850|2,850|2,860|
|Concerts|(net)|7,325|7,325|(1,897)|
|Total|Receipts|56,674|53,726|110,401|46,763|
|Payments|
|Fees|20,781|2,608|23,389|25,892|
|Singing|Spree|601|1,000|1,601|2,918|
|Schools & summer workshops|2,454|2,454|
|Rent|3,823|3,823|3,397|
|Uniforms|(536)|(536)|(222)|
|Bank charges|1,463|1,463|790|
|Administration|33,230|33,230|21,296|
|Music & commissions|1,922|3,000|4,922|1,126|
|Marketing|0|19|19|859|
|Tours|29,564|29,564|7,860|
|Misc|431|431|309|
|Total Payments|61,714|38,644|100,359|64,225|
|Net receipts|/ (payments)|(5,040)|15,082|10,042|(17,462)|
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ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024
Statement of assets and liabilities - year ended 31 August 2024
| Currentassets | 31 Aug2024 | 31 Aug2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment | 1,900 | 1,900 |
| Music library | 2,000 | 2,000 |
| Cash atbank | 67,719 | 57,677 |
| 71,619 | 61,577 | |
| Unrestricted funds | ||
| Generalfund | 19,102 | 19,450 |
| Restricted funds | ||
| Marketing fund | 4,783 | 9,677 |
| Tourbursary fund (previously FFYC) | 10,513 | 8,875 |
| Vocal coach fund | 2,468 | 4,076 |
| Bursaryfund | 11,405 | 10,445 |
| Alumni fund | 13 | 266 |
| Tourfund | 11,890 | 7,855 |
| NZ refunds | 9,807 | |
| Singing Spreefund | 933 | |
| Schoolsworkshops fund | 1,369 | |
| Summer activities fund | 269 | |
| 71,619 | 61,577 |
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On behalf of FYC board of Trustees
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Melanie Hancox
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Chair of Trustees
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Lit Joss”
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