2024-01-31-accounts - Drybrook And District Silver Band

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Drybrook & District Silver Band | 2024 Trustees’ Report

Drybrook & District Silver Band 2023 - 2024 Trustees’ Report

This Report covers the period from Start of February 2023 to End of January 2024 .

Charitable Incorporated Organisation Details

Name : Drybrook & District Silver Band Registration Number : 1154033

Contact : Mr David Harding Contact Address : 41 Hollywell Road, Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire, GL17 0DL

Trustee Names as of 31/01/24 : David Harding, Lesley Harding, Richard Coltart, Liz Sheridan, Elizabeth Forster, Andrew C. Jones, Hannah L. Macmillan and Georgina Motterham

Charitable Incorporated Organisation – Structure & Management

The CIO is structured in two layers…

Charitable Trustees : the group of individuals who manage the organisation, govern finances, maintain the requisite documentation and define rules for the smooth running of the band. Appointments to the Officer Roles of Chairman, Treasurer, Charity Secretary, Contest Secretary & Engagement Secretary are made within this group.
Members : the wider membership who contribute to and benefit from the running of the organisation and who elect the Charitable Trustees in accordance with the CIO Constitution.
As of the End of January 2024, Membership stood at 26 individuals with a further 2 Trustees who were not Members.

Activities & Objects

The following Activities & Objectives are listed on the Charity Commission website.

Activities ( as listed on the Charity Commission website )

Provision of regular rehearsals, musical tuition and instrument hire in support of musical learning and enjoyment.
Provision of concerts, local events and participation in contests for enjoyment of players and audiences.
Active role in furthering local brass banding, through the organisation of an annual contest and summer concert series.

Objects ( as defined in the Constitution & listed on the Charity Commission website )

The objects of the CIO are to advance the education and appreciation of the public in the art and science of brass band music, in particular but not exclusively by the presentation of concerts and similar activities.

Drybrook & District Silver Band | 2024 Trustees’ Report

Performance (February 2023 – January 2024)

The Band’s Trustees assess the progress of the band against five strategic focus areas...

“WE ARE OPEN & FRIENDLY” : We are an organisation that players want to be a part of and would be pleased to invite their friends to join. We are supportive and sociable both internally and with neighbouring bands.

Throughout the year many of our players supported other local brass bands by playing at their engagements. At the same time, we have welcomed and been supported by players from local bands at our engagements and contests. Such networking allowed us to support the banding community and sustain the local brass band tradition. Moving through the year we have been pleased to welcome new players and their families into the organisation.
We maintained our Social Media presence on Facebook and the website was kept up to date with news, recordings and a diary of future events to keep friends up to date.
Social events are regularly organised for players and their families, this year the band held a Christmas Social evening for local people and band member families. Band members enjoy frequent opportunities to socialise together at band engagements and after rehearsals. The closed Facebook group is used to share details of these opportunities to ensure all are welcome.

“WE ARE VALUED BY OUR COMMUNITY” : We are well known in our local communities, support local causes and engage with neighbouring musical organisations to sustain our musical heritage.

Over the reporting period, the band supported communities across the local and wider area. Performing concerts in Drybrook, St Braivels, Mitcheldean, Fownhope, Pershore and Ross on Wye.
Throughout the year, our Band Room facilities continued to be made available to our fellow local music group, the Drybrook and District Ladies Choir, for their rehearsals and regular fundraising and social events. The Band Room is also made available as an election polling station and the local parish council meet regularly at the band room for their meetings.
The Band took on responsibility for organising Ross-on-Wye Town Council’s “Bands in the Park” Summer programme once more in 2023, arranging for bands and other groups perform at Ross Bandstand on Sunday afternoons throughout the summer.
The band also maintained its membership of the Gloucestershire Brass Band Association, which organises events in the region and represents local bands on the West of England Council of Brass Band Associations.

Drybrook & District Silver Band | 2024 Trustees’ Report

“WE ARE FOCUSED ON SUCCESS” : We engage in regular competition and work hard to win prizes through high-quality rehearsals and commitment from our players and Musical Director, supported by good facilities and equipment.

The band continued to fund the provision of expert Musical Direction for the enjoyment and improvement of players. Additionally, regular ‘sectional rehearsals’, focusing on smaller groups, were held prior to the contest performance. Attendance and focus in rehearsals remained high with members keen to return to banding. In addition, the trustees arranged a music workshop for the cornet section run by a professional tutor. This proved very popular, and the intention is to repeat such experiences for other sections in the band. As in previous years, the band has funded focussed rehearsal days were players and the musical director benefit from the support of a visiting professional as part of the November and March contest preparation. Moreover, this year the band has been supported by 2 additional members to the musical direction team, Nigel Howard joined the band in April 2023 and supported the professional MD to take rehearsals and conducting the band at some engagements. Following on from this David Hamilton joined the team to take rehearsals on Thursday evening to support the band as they prepared for the Area Finals in March.
Band-owned instruments continued to be utilised by a proportion of the Band members.
The Band Room, which the organisation is fortunate to own, remained a key enabler for high quality provision. Other venues were also hired as required, to support contest preparations.
During this year the band gained promotion from the 1[st] Section to the Championship section, after gaining a 2[nd] place at the Area competition in Torquay the band qualified for the National Final held in Cheltenham.
The band competed in several contests in this period.
February 2023 Oxfordshire and District BBA Winter Contest – 3[rd] First Section
March 2023 – West of England First Section Area Finals, Torquay, 2[nd] Place
September 2023 – National Championship of Great Britain (First Section Final) 5[th]
November 2023- Wessex BBA Open Contest 4[th]
World Rankings – up to January 2024, the band is ranked 115[th] in the world rankings.

“WE ARE ACTIVE IN FOSTERING TALENT” : We support efforts to bring new players into brass banding and ensure safety and security in our own settings. We actively promote young players within our organisation.

Each year the band organise and host the Bailey Lane End music festival, the 52[nd] event ran in May 2023 at Five Acres High School. Many young people from across the banding community in the Forest of Dean came together to compete. The event was adjudicated by Jack Lythaby who is a local player who currently plays for Tredegar Band.
While the band are currently unable to offer tuition to those wishing to learn brass playing, we are keen to offer younger players opportunities. We currently have 2 young players being supported in their playing careers in the cornet section.
As part of the bands commitment to safeguarding, the trustees have reworked and updated the Safeguarding policy with support, training and guidance from Brass Band England’s BandSafe service. The band has now appointed a safeguarding officer to ensure that the updated policy translates into quality practice.

Drybrook & District Silver Band | 2024 Trustees’ Report

“WE ARE FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE” : We are financially secure due to prudent spending and the support of our players and local sponsors, who support our aims. We are legally compliant and transparent in our management.

The band were once again fortunate to receive sponsorship from A. W. Parker Coal Merchants. Our longstanding relationship with this local company has been a key enabler for the achievement of many recent successes.
As a charity, the Trustees are capitalising on the Gift Aid process to reclaim additional funds against Member subscriptions and donations received.
The band is currently in a financially secure position, largely due to members paying monthly subscriptions to cover rehearsal costs. The band was also fortunate to receive government support grants during the pandemic.

Financial Report (to Year ending 31[st] January 2024)

The Financial Report for the Year ending 31[st] January 2024 is provided separately and contains points of interest from the Treasurer.

Report Acceptance - 6[th] April 2024 - Meeting held on Facebook Messenger to agree the financial report and the trustees’ report.

A W PARKER(DRYBROOK) 20•3124 2092n3 20•in2 20•OQI 2019nO 2018119 201",118 2016117 Recei Instrument Sales Sponsorship Playing Fees & Carolling Members Subscripts'ons Use of bandroom Grants & Donats"on5 Gift Aid Contest Prize Monies Concert Promotion Social & Fundraising Events Lea Balley Contest Income Torquay Hotel Payments Natr"onal Tickets Money Received Natr"onal Final Photos Received Miscellaneous Income Total Recelpts 235.50 3,600.00 2,631.71 4,776.00 1,650.00 151.00 1,959.15 3,6CQ.IX) 1,877.IX) 3,5CQ.LK) 1,320.0) 74.29 3,750.0) 1,247.60 4,610.0) 1,165.0) 2,998.44 1,355.49 500.0) 5,346.88 3,6LKI.Lh) 572.95 4,705.Ch) 1,3CQ.Ch) 17,319.21 997.50 3,6CQ.IX) 3,6W.LKI 3,6. 250.IX) 2,690.77 2,378.54 4,890.IX) 5,430. 4,782.IXI I,1. 1,920. 11,334.IX) 10.70 1,357.03 1,147.19 400.00 3,6LKI.O) 2,326.84 3,740.0) 1,375.0) 71.50 1,146.40 100.00 206.24 125.CKI 5,346.88 141.50 227.84 2,326.IXI Ico. 4,420.96 610.CKI 234.45 3,260.C(I 20.53 267.18 159.43 276.43 1,989.Q) 250.54 1,210.00 1,757.C#) 497.50 19.8LYJ.61 18.643.51 21.132.84 33.115.62 24.188.03 15,343.87 16.463.90 11.535.79

A W PARKER(DRYBROOK) •0?3n4 209?n3 •o?In? ?o•oni ?01gno ?018Q9 2017118 2016117 ment5 Condurtors Fees Insurance Uniform Contest Expenditure Concert Expenditure Concert promotr.on Expenditure Bandroom Improvements Instruments & Equipment Bandroom Costs Music 9,475.00 1,135.32 58.69 3,341.36 8,832.IXI 1,038.84 259.67 5,694.84 6,625.CKI 720.26 171.76 995.CKI 2,3CKI.I)O 716.52 6,060.CK) 676.52 132.73 2,910.C4) 6,8W.CKI 866.29 233.57 1,170.87 6,975.IXI 963.72 44.94 767.50 6,775.IXI 970.73 491.77 906.94 4,080.00 3,750.tJJ 365.78 4,656.35 1,388.20 250.27 2,454.95 185.96 1,028.99 664.76 368.60 6,632.00 504.46 1.364.68 35.00 850. 219.IXI 1,448.21 318.16 624.80 1.183.41 527.39 1,885.06 1.276.06 8.30 342.65 1,752.61 333.35 1,198.14 229.54 Instrument Repairs Lea Bailey Contest expense Subscripttons & Memberships Miscellaneou5 Torquay Hotel Nabonal Final Phot05 Paid Nabonal Tickets Mone Paid Total Payments 35.00 135.LLI 1,390.LN) 220.53 IcN).Ii 825.94 3,229.00 15.IXI 15.00 75.ijo 447.12 1,106.00 1,771.00 227.50 436.05 2,767.50 750.1)) 207.27 191.68 69.84 1,930. 46.98 142.84 55.80 1,157.IXI 87.99 199.00 47.23 194.40 502.03 306.44 51.02 1.785.00 393.00 24,253.09 30,552.CK) 13.911.71 14.186.89 20,564.65 14,319.89 12,582.39 10,429.57 SurpluslDeficit for Year 15,609.581 (9,419.16) 19,203.91 10,fXII.14 1764.04) 1,023.98 3,881.51 1,106,22 Balance at stsrt of Year 37,631.92 18,428.01 8,426.87 9,1.91 8,166.93 4,285,42 3,179.20 'or ear accnunt5 Balance at End of Year 2L603a8 28,212.76 37.631.92 18,428.01 8.426.87 9.1.91 8,166.93 4,285.42 d -.J bi'l < S",3te'iie'i-. es< c u",Staid ifj G P35'mept-