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. 

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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. 

2 



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. 

3 



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. 

4 



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-