2024-03-31-accounts

LCGC

Company Limited by Guarantee Charity Registration Number: 1148739 Company Registration Number: 04492955

Annual Report and Financial Statements For the year ended 31 March 2024

Tandem Accounting Chartered Accountants 17 Heathville Road London N19 3AL

LCGC

Annual Report and Financial Statements For the year ended 31 March 2024

Contents

	Page
Legal and administrative information	2
Annual Report of the Trustees	3
Independent Examiner's report to the Trustees	6
Statement of financial activities	7
Balance sheet	8
Notes to the financial statements	9

1

LCGC

Legal and administrative information For the year ended 31 March 2024

Charity Name LCGC

Charity Registration 1148739. Charity was registered with the Charity Commission on 29 August 2012 Company Registration 04492955. The company was incorporated on 23 July 2002 and has a company registration. Registered Office 75 Brookedale Road, London E17 6QH.

Governing Document The Charity’s governing document is the Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 23 July 2002 as amended by special resolution(s) dated 28 March 2013.

• Objectives a) to advance the Christian faith throughout London, the United Kingdom or the world as the Trustees may from time to time think fit and to fulfil such other purposes which are exclusively charitable according to the law of England and Wales and are connected with the charitable work of the charity;

• b) to advance education particularly but not exclusively musical education in accordance with Christian principles by such means as the Trustees may consider appropriate throughout London, the United Kingdom and in such other parts of the world as the Trustees may from time to time think fit.

Trustees The Trustees who served during the year or who were serving at the date of this report were: Leonard Meade Rev Lionel Wallace (resigned 1/3/2024 Leonn Meade Jenny La Touche. (resigned 1/9/2024) Vernetta Lynch (appointed 1/1/2025)

Key Management Those in charge of directing, controlling, running and operating the Charity on a day to day Personnel basis are the Trustees Bankers Santander 301 St Vincent Street Glasgow G2 5NT

2

LCGC

Report of the Trustees For the year ended 31 March 2024

The Trustees submit their report and the financial statements of LCGC (“the Charity”) for the year ended 31 March 2024. The financial statements have been prepared in the format prescribed by the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP2019 (FRS102)). The legal and administrative information set out earlier in this document forms part of this report. This report also constitutes a directors’ report required by section 415 of the Companies Act 2006 as all Trustees of a charity company are directors.

1. Structure, Governance & Management

1.1. Trustees

The Trustees aim to meet 4 times annually to discuss a full range of matters relating to strategy, project work, recruitment, finance and general administration.

The induction process for any individual newly-appointed to the board of Trustees comprises an initial meeting with at least two of the Trustees (whenever possible one of these two Trustees being the Chair) and receipt of copies of:

• the Memorandum and Articles of Association

• the most recent financial statements

• the Charity Commission’s guidance ‘The Essential Trustee’.

1.2 Risk Management

The Trustees acknowledge that they have a responsibility for the identification and proper management of risks faced by the Charity in achieving its primary aims. The Trustees have therefore assessed the major risks to which the Charity is exposed, in particular those relating to the specific operational areas of the Charity and its finances. The Trustees believe that, by monitoring reserve levels, by ensuring that controls exist over key financial systems, and by examining the operational risks faced by the Charity, they have established effective systems and procedures to mitigate those risks.

2. Activities & Public Benefit

In preparing this report, the trustees have had due regard to public benefit guidance published by the UK Charity Commission and have sought to demonstrate that the charity provides identifiable benefits which relate directly to its objectives as stated in its Memorandum and Articles of Association and which outweigh any potential detriment or harm. Further, the benefits are publicly available to all and are not in any way restricted to those able to pay.

The main activity of the charity in the subject financial period remains the provision of workshops, training opportunities in gospel music and the staging of gospel choral concerts. The Charity advances the Christian faith by its concerts and Academy Sessions.

3. Achievements and Performance

The Charity launched the Bazil Meade Gospel Music Academy at a festival in St. Albans in March 2014. This gave an excellent platform for the future vision of the charity and continues to fuel choral projects where local people are encouraged to gather on a bi-weekly basis to experience Gospel Music.

The Charity has been considering ways to expand the Academy activity in order for this to remain sustainable in the future and is proposing the make further moves in this direction in the coming period. Discussions have been held with the Bernie Grant Centre and other organisations in respect of collaboration to realise the activities in a quicker way. The Charity has considered the renaming of the Academy to the Bazil Meade Music Academy to support additional genres of music within its objective and subject to additional formalities, proposes to do so. Restructuring of the organisation is underway and it is the Trustees hope that its educational work and workshops amongst schools will increase significantly. Work with the Music Department of Hertfordshire County Council has been undertaken to develop and strengthen this aspect of the plans.

3

LCGC

Report of the Trustees For the year ended 31 March 2024

The LCGC Youth Choir Workshop will commence 18/1/2025 and the MMP London Disabilities team will commence 23/1/2025. First concert to be held at Hackney Empire April 2025. They will meet on a fortnightly basis and will see in 6 months that it can become weekly.

The Charity has commenced an engagement with a professional PR and Marketing Agency and is developing a more robust network of potential commercial sponsors. Due to lack of funding our relationship with Stand PR ended July 2024.

4. Financial Review

Funding for the Charity came mainly from Choral Project workshop fees, performances and donations.

4.1 Financial Activity and Financial Position

The Statement of Financial Activities and Balance Sheet can be found on pages 6 and 7 respectively. The Charity’s reserves decreased by £1,559 during the year (2023 – decreased by £10,648). The balance sheet shows total net assets of £6,513 (2023: £8,072).

4.2 Reserves Policy

The Trustees have examined the requirements for free reserves. The Trustees consider that, free reserves should be equivalent to approximately 3 months general fund expenditure, plus committed future expenditure on other projects, where funds permit. The Trustees are of the opinion that this provides sufficient flexibility to cover temporary shortfalls in incoming resources and will allow the Charity to cope and respond to unforeseen emergencies whilst specific action plans are implemented. At 31 March 2024 the Charity had net free reserves of £6,513 (2023: £8,072). The free reserves requirement was £5,000 (2023: £5,000).

5. Plans for Future Periods

The Charity is planning to use any surplus towards the establishment of a Music Academy where students will benefit from free or low cost tuition in gospel singing, musicianship and performance. The use of any surplus is also being considered in relation to the establishment of Workshops and performance opportunities for its schools activities.

The workshops in January will start as a taster session and initially any subscription will be as low as possible but will consider young people who are unable to pay

6. Responsibilities of Trustees for the Financial Statements

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice. Charity law in England and Wales requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial period which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the Charity for that period.

In preparing those financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

• select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;

• observe the methods and principles of the Charities SORP;

• make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

• state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and

• prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the activities of the Charity will continue.

4

LCGC

Report of the Trustees For the year ended 31 March 2024

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and enables them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the governing document. The Trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the Charity and financial information included in the Charity’s website.

7. Approval

The report of the Trustees was approved by the Trustees on 30 January 2025 and signed on their behalf by:

Jenny La Touche Trustee

5

LCGC

Report of the Independent Examiner to the Trustees of LCGC For the year ended 31 March 2024

I report on the accounts of the LCGC for the year ended 31 March 2024, set out on pages 7 to 10.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The trustees (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (“the 2011 Act”) and that an independent examination is needed.

Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:

• examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;

• to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and

• to state whether particular matters have come to my attention

Basis of independent examiner's report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

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:

1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

3. 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

4. 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 (FRS 102)].

I 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.

Christine Cheung-Poston 31 January 2025

6

LCGC

Statement of Financial Activities (incorporating the income and expenditure account) For the year ended 31 March 2024

Note Income from: 2 Donations and legacies Charitable activities Total Income Expenditure on: Raising funds Charitable activities 3 Total expenditure Net income before tax Tax payable 4 Net income after tax Other recognised gains and losses Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward		2023 £ 11,554 36,579
	2024
	£
	-
	37,085
		48,133 - 58,781
	37,085
	-
	38,644
		58,781
	38,644
		(10,648)
	(1,559)
		- (10,648)
	-
	(1,559)
		- (10,648)
	-
	(1,559)
		18,720 8,072
	8,072
	6,513

7

LCGC

Balance Sheet As at 31 March 2024

Note Current Assets Cash At Bank And In Hand Creditors - Amounts Falling Due Within One Year 5 Net Current Assets Net Assets Represented By: Unrestricted Reserves				2023 £ 11,628
		2024
		£
		8,761
				11,628 3,556
		8,761
		2,248
				8,072
		6,513
				8,072
		6,513
				8,072
		6,513

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions relating to companies subject to the small companies regime within Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006.

The company is entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2024 and no notice requiring an audit has been deposited under section 476.

The Trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for:

• ensuring that the company keeps accounting records which comply with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006

• preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company as at the end of each financial period and of its profit or loss for the financial period 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 is applicable to the company.

The financial statements were approved by the Trustees on 30 January 2025 and signed on their behalf by:

Jenny La Touche Trustee

Company registration 04492955

8

LCGC

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 March 2024

1. Accounting Policies

The principal accounting policies adopted, judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:

Basis of accounting

The financial statements have been prepared under the Charities Act 2011 and in accordance with the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (Charities SORP (FRS 102)) and Financial Reporting Standard 102 (FRS 102). The financial statements are drawn up on the historical cost basis of accounting.

The Charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.

Going Concern

There are no material uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern and accordingly the accounts have been drawn up on a going concern basis.

Income recognition

Voluntary income and donations (including legacies) are accounted for once the Charity has entitlement to the income, it is probable the income will be received and the amount of income receivable can be reliably measured. Income from the recovery of tax on gift aided donations is accounted for in the period to which the relevant donation is received. Grant income is recognised on a receivable basis.

Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the Charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.

Expenditure recognition

Expenditure is accrued as soon as a liability is considered probable, and the amount of obligation can be measured reliably. Longer term liabilities are discounted to present value. The Charity is not registered for VAT and accordingly expenditure includes VAT where appropriate.

Expenditure included in Raising Funds includes amounts incurred in obtaining grants and other donations.

Charitable expenditure includes those costs in fulfilling the Charity’s principal objects, as outlined in the Report of the Trustees. Charitable expenditure includes governance costs and an apportionment of support costs. Governance costs comprise all costs involving the public accountability of the Charity and its compliance with regulation and good practice. These costs include costs related to the independent examination and legal fees.

Debtors

Debtors are included at the settlement amount due. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid.

Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of opening of the deposit.

Creditors and provisions

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation arising from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are recognised at their settlement amount.

9

LCGC

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 March 2024

2. Income

Voluntary income Donations (including Gift Aid) Charitable activities Performances and workshops				2023 £ 11,553 36,580
		2024
		£
		-
		37,085
				48,133
		37,085

3. Expenditure – Charitable Activities

Session Singers, Musicians & Tutors, Travel Accountancy Sundry Independent examination				2023 £ 46,265 1,608 10,608 300
		2024
		£
		32,129
		1,092
		5,123
		300
				58,781
		38,644

4. Taxation

As a charity, LCGC is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within the provisions of the Corporation Taxes Act 2010 or the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects. No tax charges have arisen on the Charity.

5. Creditors - Amounts Falling Due Within One Year

Other creditors Accruals				2023 £ 448 3,108
		2024
		£
		448
		1,800
				3,556
		2,248

6. Related Party Transactions

There were no related party transactions.

7. Members’ Funds

The company is a private company limited by guarantee with no share capital. The liability of the members is limited to £10 in the event of a winding up.

10