Opera Sunderland (A Company limited by guarantee) Year ended 31[st] March 2021 Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31[st] March 2021 The Trustees are pleased to present their report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31[st] March 2021 Reference and administrative details Charity name Opera Sunderland Charity Registration number 1157157 Company Registration number 08902353 Registered office and Operational Address 13 Durham Road East Herrington Sunderland SR3 3NR Tyne and Wear Bankers Unity Trust Bank Nine Brindley Place Birmingham B1 2HB Independent examiner Jane Cuthbertson FCPFA Town Hall and Civic Offices Westoe Road South Shields NE33 2RL Directors and Trustees The directors of the charitable company (the Charity) are its trustees for the purpose of charity law and throughout this report and the financial statements are collectively referred to as the trustees The trustees who served during the year were as follows: Anna Snell (Chair) Tony Winfield Peter Moth Fiona Tobin Alex Murchie Peter Sullivan (Treasurer) The Company Secretary is Tony Winfield Opera Sunderland is a charitable company limited by guarantee originally incorporated on 19[th] February 2014 as Music in the Minster. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association. The present Directors are given above together with the name of the Company Secretary. In the event of the company being wound up members are required to contribute an amount not exceeding £1.00. As at 31[st] March 2020 there were six members. The company name was changed by resolution and the new name registered at Companies House on 26[th] January 2017 and also at the Charity Commission. Trustees are recruited by recommendation to meet the specific needs of the organisation for specialist expertise business skills and professional standing within relevant fields. All trustees are familiar with the practical work of the Charity and are encouraged to consult the various Charity Commission publications signposted through the Commission’s guides and the information provided on the website. The board of directors meets regularly to set strategic directions and to review progress and priorities. Persons contracted to the Charity have been granted a range of delegated authorities by the directors in order to run the organisation efficiently. The Trustees regularly review potential major risks to which the Charity can be exposed. As part of the risk management process, the Trustees have implemented a risk management strategy which comprises a regular review of potential risks together with the formulation of procedures to minimise any potential impact on the Charity should any of the risks materialise . Insofar as it is complementary to the Charity’s objects the Charity is guided by local policy and partnerships. The related parties during the financial period are shown in the notes to the financial statements. Internal controls over all forms of commitment and expenditure continue to be refined to improve efficiency. Processes are in place to ensure that performance is monitored and that appropriate management information is prepared and reviewed regularly by both staff and the board of directors. The objects of the Charity are to advance, improve, develop and maintain public education in and appreciation of the art and science of music in the North of England in all its aspects by any means that the trustees see fit, including through the presentation of public performances. This is done by arranging and holding workshops for all interested and from time to time commissioning new work for rehearsal and public performance. Aims, objectives and activities are reviewed each year. The review looks at what has been achieved and the outcomes of work during the previous period. It looks at the success of each activity and the benefits that have been brought to those groups that the Charity is set up to assist. The review helps to ensure that our aims, objectives and activities remain focussed on our stated purposes. Reference is made to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aims and objectives and in planning future activities. Careful consideration is always given in considering how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set. A full review of all operational policies and procedures is undertaken by the Trustees regularly to ensure that these are up to date and reflect best practice. The period of this report was a difficult one because of the COVID restrictions and the pandemic generally. Much that had been planned had to be abandoned although there was a production, further details of which are given in the Chair’s report. The Trustees are indebted to their financial supporters and sponsors all of whom notwithstanding the problems arising continued their support to the changed plans enabling the project outlined to come to satisfactory completion and fruition. Opera Sunderland does not employ any staff. The Charity does however contract the services of self employed persons in appropriate fields. The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards. Company Law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the balance sheet date and of its incoming resources and application of resources including any surplus or deficit for the year. In preparing the financial statements the trustees are required to select suitable accounting policies and then apply then consistently, to observe the methods and principles in the Charities’ SORP, to make sound judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent and to state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements and to prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in operation. The Trustees have overall responsibility for ensuring that the charitable company has appropriate systems and controls, financial and otherwise. The Trustees are also responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. The Trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and for their proper application as required by charity law, and hence for taking reasonable steps to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities and to provide reasonable assurance that Opera Sunderland is operating efficiently and effectively, that all assets are safeguarded against unauthorised use or disposition and are properly applied, that proper records maintained and that financial information used within Opera Sunderland is reliable and that Opera Sunderland complies with relevant laws and regulations. The Trustees who are directors for the purpose of company law and Trustees for the purpose of charity law who served during the year and up to the date of this report are set out above. In accordance with company law, as the Company’s directors, we certify that so far as we are aware there is no relevant information of which the company’s independent examiner is unaware. And that as directors of the company, we have taken all the steps that we ought to have taken in order to make ourselves aware of any relevant information and to establish that the charity’s independent examiner is aware of that information. This report was approved by the Trustees on And signed as below