Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 1[st] January 2024 Period start date To 31[st] December 2024 Period end date
Charity name: West Malling Community Choir (WMCC)
Charity registration number: 1157075
Objectives and Activities
| SORP reference | ||
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| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | As per the Constitution of_West Malling_ Community Choir, The Objects of the society shall be: 1. To advance, improve, develop and maintain public education in, and appreciation of, the art and science of music in all its aspects by any means the trustees see fit, including through the presentation of public concerts and recitals; 2. To further such charitable purpose or purposes as the trustees in their absolute discretion shall think fit but in particular through the making of grants and donations. |
| Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
Para 1.17 and 1.19 |
1. Five public performances / concerts during 2024: ●April – Joined the support choir of over 300 voices for the Music Man Project concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London. ●July – hosted a joint concert with ‘Choeur a Coeur du Pays de Thelle’ a French choir from Beauvais. |
| ●September – a mini tour to Suffolk with a joint concert with the_Ipswich_ Gilbert and Sullivan Society. ●November – Festival of Remembrance at Rochester Cathedral with the_Eynsford Concert_ Band, the_Brompton and Invicta_ Military Wives Choir_and the _Canterbury for Ukraine Ladies Choir. ●December – Christmas concert with two local primary schools. 2. Regular weekly rehearsals over three terms a year. 3. Healing Voices_operates as sub-group of _West Malling Community Choir_with designated funds ring-fenced for their use. Led by_WMCC_Music Director,_Healing _Voices_offers an informal twice a month afternoon of singing for well-being and making a positive impact on mental health. |
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| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | Trustees have regard to the guidance on public benefit. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
SORP reference As stated in Objects of the choir above Para 1.38 To further such charitable purpose or
| Policy on grant making | purposes as the trustees in their absolute discretion shall think fit but in particular through the making of grants and donations. |
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|---|---|---|
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 | _WMCC_has no formal policy on social investment but does invest in the purchase of new music from time to time to further develop repertoire and enhance concert content. Choir funds are also used to subsidise transportation to performances, concerts and events to reduce the financial costs to members. |
| Contribution made by volunteers |
Para 1.38 | All_WMCC_Trustees and Committee members are volunteers. WMCC_Music Director and accompanist volunteer their time to lead_Healing Voices and are supported by a group of enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers to aid the mental well-being of attendees. |
| Other |
Achievements and Performance
SORP reference Research has shown that singing is good for physical, emotional and intellectual wellbeing.
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 | _WMCC_and_Healing Voices_both provide this together with social interaction with other members. Regular concerts provide opportunities for the choir members to show what they have learnt and the continued development of its repertoire with each programme sharing musical achievement for public benefit. |
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Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 |
Five performances / concerts during the year have met_WMCC_Objective 1 as stated above. |
|---|---|---|
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | Income from ticket sales and donations for concert programmes has offset the costs of venue hire, printing and other concert expenditure. Donations for refreshments, after cost of provision, at concerts have been used to make donations to identified and nominated charities. |
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | Not applicable. |
Other
Financial Review
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | Year end outturn WMCC ended the year with a net deficit of £1,437, reducing its bank balance to £9,629 (previous year’s net surplus was £1,820). Healing Voices (HV) had a net surplus of £961, increasing its bank balance to £3,903 (previous year’s net surplus was £2,211). WMCC made charitable donations of £767 from its concerts in 2024 (previous year £2,000). Comparison with previous year In 2024 receipts were around £7,586 higher than the previous year and payments were £12,093 higher. Our September tour increased receipts and payments by around £8,000. We provided coaches for both the Music Man project and the Remembrance Concert in November. Some of the cost of the coaches for choir members was subsidised from WMCC funds (the MMP concert had a net deficit of £1,625, the November concert had a deficit of £604). For the July concert we reciprocated the hospitality received from the french choir. We had costs such as the band, some travel costs and some of the food and drink. HV income was around £1,300 lower due to lower grant income in 2024; an exceptionally |
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| high value of grants was received in 2023. We received receipts from sale of WMCC shirts of £764, but the purchase of shirts increased payments by a similar amount. |
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| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | Reserves are held to smooth expenditure from one year to the next. They also allow the choir to subsidise events where they support its objectives but where costs cannot be covered by charges. |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | £13,533 |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | N/A |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | N/A |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 | none |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising) |
Para 1.47 |
The Principal source of funds is from member subscriptions. Additional income may also be gained from any surplus funds from concert ticket sales and donations for programmes, after printing costs and other attributable expenditure. |
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| Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted |
Para 1.46 | |
| A description of the principal | Principal risks include: ●Significant reduction in the number of members and therefore |
| risks facing the charity | Para 1.46 | subscriptions. ●Significant increase in concert expenditure. |
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| Other |
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: |
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| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 | Constitution |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | Unincorporated association |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | Potential new Trustees interviewed by current Trustees. Skills and experience relevant to the Trustee role are sought where appropriate. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees |
Para 1.51 |
Provision of: ●a copy of the ‘Constitution of_West_ Malling Community Choir’. ●A copy of the Charity Commission ‘Welcome – you’re a charity trustee Welcome pack’ document. |
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| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works |
Para 1.51 | As per paragraph 4 of the Constitution: Officers and Committee: The management of the Society shall be vested in the officers - the Chair, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Membership Secretary - together with up to five additional singing members. The Musical Director (non-voting) should, and accompanist (non-voting) may, attend |
| all Committee meetings unless their position is being considered. Committee members shall be elected by and out of the Society's members at the Annual General Meeting (AGM); they shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting and be eligible for re-election. The officers are the charity trustees. |
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| Relationship with any related parties |
Para 1.51 | As mentioned above,Healing Voices operates as a sub-group of_West Malling_ Community Choir, led by the same Music Director and accompanist together with volunteer members of_WMCC_. |
| Other |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charity name | West Malling Community Choir (WMCC) |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | Abbreviated to_WMCC_ ‘Healing Voices’_operating as a sub-group of_WMCC. |
| Registered charity number | 1157075 |
| Charity’s principal address | 9 Tassell Close, East Malling, West Malling, Kent ME19 6QB |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (if any) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Morse | Chairman | Other trustees with approval by the committee and confirmation by a members’ vote. |
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| Patricia Durrant | Treasurer | |||
| Linda Cooper | Secretary | |||
| Jacqueline Baker | Membership Secretary and Librarian |
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– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
Director name
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
Description of the assets none held in this capacity
Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects
Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
Additional information (optional)
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of adviser Name Address Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
Other optional information
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
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Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s)
Full name(s) Patricia Kathleen
Durrant
Position (eg Treasurer
Secretary, Chair,
etc) a
Date
17 June 2025 [a]
oo
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West Malling Community Choir No (if any)
Receipts and payments accounts For the period 1 January 2024 31 December 2024 To from ~~—————~~ Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted funds Unrestricted Endowment Total funds Last year - WMCC funds - HV funds Notes to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ A1 Receipts Subscriptions 9,123 - 9,123 9,330 Tour 8,069 - 8,069 - 1 Concerts 4,991 - 4,991 5,024 2 Healing Voices - 2,084 - 2,084 3,425 3 Gift Aid 1,478 - 1,478 1,436 Other 1,681 - 1,681 625 4 25,342 2,084 - 27,426 19,840 Sub total ~~==SS a= =~~ A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). - - - - - - - - - Sub total - - - - - ~~SSS~~ Total receipts 25,342 2,084 - 27,426 19,840 ~~—~~ A3 Payments Stipends 5,145 - 5,145 4,810 Hall hire 1,710 - 1,710 2,134 Tour 7,810 - 7,810 - 1 Music 1,285 - 1,285 2,959 Concerts 7,137 - 7,137 3,204 2 Healing Voices 1,123 - 1,123 1,214 3 Insurance, membership, audit 977 977 120 Other 2,715 - 2,715 1,368 4 Total payments 26,779 1,123 - 27,902 15,809 = ~~==>>>~~ Net of receipts/(payments) - 1,437 961 - - 476 4,031 A5 Transfers between funds - - - - - A6 Cash funds last year end 11,066 2,943 - 14,009 9,980 Cash funds this year end 9,629 3,904 - 13,533 14,011 ~~==~~ === Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricted Unrestricted Total Categories Details funds - WMCC funds - HV to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ B1 Cash funds West Malling Community Choir 9,629 - 9,629 Healing Voices - 3,841 3,841 cash in hand - 62 62 Total cash funds 9,629 3,903 13,532 == ~~= ==~~ (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Signed by one or two trustees on Signature Print Name Date of approval behalf of all the trustees
23/07/2025
1
Notes to receipts and payments statement
| Tour Music Man concert July concert and fre November concert Christmas concert 1 Receipts Expenses Net surplus 2 Receipts Expenses Net deficit Receipts Expenses Net deficit Receipts Expenses Net deficit Receipts Expenses Net surplus donation to Wings of H |
Healing Voices 8,069 Receipts 7,810 Expenses |
2,084 1,123 previous year 3,425 1,214 |
|---|---|---|
| nch choir hosting Other receipts Other payments 259 Net 961 2,211 HV receipts include: £ Involve Kent 1,000 2,300 3,925 -1,625 Total 1,000 3 331 shirt sales 764 1,608 hall booking deposit refunds 304 -1,277 recharge of printing costs 179 other 434 Total 1,681 256 860 -604 4 purchase of shirts 841 print costs 541 2,104 other 433 744 charity donation Slideaway (Dec 2023 concert) 900 767 paid 9/1/25 |
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| 593 Total |
2,715 |
23/07/2025
2
WEST MALLING COMMUNITY CHOIR YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024 REPORTTO THE TRUSTEES ON THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024 I report to the trustees on my scrutiny of the accounts of the above charity ('the Trust,) for the year ended 31" December 2024. As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible of the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Att,). I have completed my scrutiny of the accounts as required by paragraph 13 of the charity's constitution. Neither an audit nor an Independent Examination as defined in the Act was necessary. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the scrutiny which gtves me cause to believe that in any material respect: accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or . the accounts do not accord with the accounting records. I have come across no other matters in connection with the scrutiny to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: /YAr Date: 20fk /YArcL 202r Name: Mary E Hannant BSC, FCA Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales 30 Cornflower Close, Weavering, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 SUL