SOUTHWOLD MUSIC TRUST
A Charitable Investment Organisation
TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
for the reporting period ended 30[th] June 2022
Southwold Music Trust
Trustees Nathan Paul Maturin Williamson Erika Constance Jane Clegg Anthony John Raymond Newhouse
Charity Number 1159521 Office Address Lighthouse Cottage North 3 Stradbroke Road Southwold Suffolk IP18 6LW Bankers Lloyds Bank plc
The Southwold Music Trust was founded to place concerts, community music-making and music education at the centre of Southwold and the surrounding communities. We facilitate musical activity of all kinds, working closely with key partners in the local area. Visit www.southwoldmusictrust.co.uk for details of our recent activity and future plans, as well as how to support us.
Southwold Music Trust
The Trustees present their report and accounts for the financial reporting period ended 30[th] June 2022. The accounts have been prepared on the basis set out in note 1 to the accounts and comply with the trust deed and the Charities Act 2011.
Status and Administration
The Trust was constituted by a deed dated 23[rd] April 2014, as amended by resolution of the trustees dated 30[th] November 2014, and is a registered Charitable Investment Organisation, number 1159521.
Objectives
The objects of the Trust are:
the advancement of the arts in Southwold and its environs through the promotion and presentation of music to the highest possible standard, including: instrumental; choral; orchestral; vocal; sacred; and secular music in Southwold and its environs and elsewhere; and
the advancement of community development and the musical education of the public in Southwold and its environs through facilitating and community and schools participation in public performances of and other community and educational activities and events associated with that music.
The Trustees confirm that they have reviewed the outcomes and achievements of their activities for the period under review to ensure they are focused on their charitable aims and to deliver benefits to the public. The Trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commissioners in deciding what activities the trust should undertake.
A statement of the aims of the Trust is on page 1.
Review of Activities, Developments and Achievements
2021/2022 saw the successful conclusion of the Covid-19 Concerts in Southwold and the start of the first year of our education project with Southwold Primary School.
Southwold ‘Covid-19 Concerts’
In 2020/2021 we planned a series of ‘Covid-19 Concerts’ to provide live music as the community emerged from the restrictions of the pandemic. The planned concerts combined a live concert given to an extremely limited and widely spaced audience in St. Edmund’s
Church, plus a live streaming of the concerts ‘free at the point of use’, for the benefit of those in local care homes or isolating at home. In addition to this we would also provide a shorter concert for the children of Southwold Primary School, for which we adopted the theme, ‘Different sounds from different cultures’.
We planned six such events, of which four were staged in the 2020/2021 accounting period and the remaining two during the reporting period under review.
The first of these was a recital by local baritone Robert Gildon, accompanied by pianist Nathan Williamson. Robert presented an optimistic programme reflecting the relief at the end of the pandemic, singing music by Handel, Schubert, Gurney and Finzi. A hugely experienced educator and animateur, Robert also gave an excellent presentation to the children of Southwold Primary School, performing songs for them but also introducing the many ways he used the sound and expression of his voice to tell the story of songs.
We were delighted that violinist Marije Johnston who, along with her husband Magnus Johnston, had been instrumental in launching the series while living in Southwold during the lockdown, was able to return to Southwold for the final primary school concert. The series then concluded with a solo recital by pianist Nathan Williamson, performing Sonatas by Mozart and Schubert.
The formula of our ‘Covid-19 Concerts’ had been planned to give us the flexibility to adapt to ongoing fears around Covid-19. Although by spring 2022 the majority of lockdown restrictions had been lifted, many of the more vulnerable members of our community were still unconfident about attending live events, and those who did attend often maintained social distancing. We therefore felt justified in continuing to limit the numbers of tickets sold for each event, and to stream the events online for those who preferred to avoid public gatherings. The live streams for these concerts were watched a total of 2762 times, and although we can assume many of these were outside the local area, we do know from feedback that this service was much appreciated and enjoyed by many local residents, including three local care homes.
Education
The Trustees have for some time been in discussions with Southwold Primary School regarding what support we could provide to secure music-making as a part of the school’s weekly activity, year round. The restrictions of the pandemic had of course thwarted the launch of any such venture, but with the groundwork of the aforementioned school concerts coinciding with the lifting of restrictions on schools attendance and visiting staff, the school requested support for the engagement of a weekly singing teacher for all children in years 4, 5 and 6 – approximately half the school, some 35 children.
The first term funded was the summer term of the 2021/22 academic year, beginning in April 2022, the majority of which falls within the current period under review. Eleven sessions were given in this school term as a whole. The songs chosen tied in with themes of the school’s curriculum – environment and climate change, and a history of slavery – and covered a range of styles including folk songs, spirituals, contemporary pop and musical, and those by contemporary classical composers from Britten Pears Arts’ ‘Friday Afternoons’ project.
On Saturday June 25[th] 2022 the school choir gave their first public performance, singing with tremendous aplomb and enthusiasm on the Market Place stage on the opening day of the 2022 Southwold Arts Festival, to an audience of some 150.
Forthcoming Activities
Following the Southwold Primary School Choir’s first performance at the end of June 2022 the choir’s first term of activity was reviewed by the Trustees and the school staff and judged to have been a tremendous success. We have thus committed now to support the choir for the first two terms of the 2022/2023 academic year, beginning in September 2022. By underwriting the first calendar year of activity from our own resources we believe we can demonstrate the vital role of music in young people’s education, and thus attract other funders to ensure its longevity. Our initial short-term goal is for three years of funding, by which time every child who was in Year 1 or above when the choir started will have had at least one year of regular, weekly singing activity.
From an artistic point of view, we hope to introduce the children to a wider range of repertoire, whilst of course encouraging their enthusiasm to sing music with which they are familiar from contemporary media. We will also work with the school to provide more ambitious performance opportunities and thus develop the children’s confidence and presentation skills.
Following the completion of the ‘Covid-19 Concerts’ and the gradual return of audiences to public events throughout the calendar year 2022, the Trustees hope to plan further public concerts in 2023, heading towards a return of the New Year’s Day Concert 2024, last staged in 2020.
Outside the activities of the Trust, we are pleased to note the exciting development of The Art of British Song , an organisation with its roots in collaboration between James Gilchrist and Nathan Williamson, whose seminal recital in the Southwold Concert Series was supported by the Trust in the year ending June 2019. Since then the duo have gone on to make several CD recordings, performed at several distinguished venues, including Snape Maltings, given education projects at Surrey University. The premiere of the organisation’s first commissioned work will be given locally in April 2023. All such activity is funded from elsewhere and no demand has been made on the Trust in this respect. We continue, however, to be fully supportive as the project encapsulates those values for which the Trust stands.
Review of finances
The Statement of Financial Activities for the year ending 30.06.21 is set out on the succeeding page.
Total Income for the reporting period under review was £3997.78, the bulk of which came from ticket sales. The level of fundraising in the previous financial reporting period allowed for a pause in fundraising activities in the financial reporting period under review while the planned concerts were concluded.
The main activity during 2020/2021 was the conclusion of the Covid -19 concert series. Overall expenditure on those concerts over the last three accounting reference periods has amounted to £9092.48. With a welcome donation from the Southwold Trust as to the shortfall, this was funded as to 36% from ticket sales and streaming income, 64% from specific donations with no call on unrestricted reserves. The Trustees believe this to have been a highly satisfactory outcome and would, again, like to thank all those who so generously contributed to the project.
The first payments for the education project undertaken with Southwold Primary School were made at the end of the accounting reference period under review. The Trustees have determined that the project should be funded for the whole of the academic year ending in June 2023 and to this end, as noted in the accounts, have earmarked a further £1950 of the unrestricted reserves as a designated reserve for that purpose.
Reserves Policy
The Trustees foresee that the Education project will make demands upon the unrestricted funds in the current and future reporting periods. As noted last year, the trustees policy as to reserves is to continue to build up and maintain unrestricted reserves to a level, with hope, in the two to three thousand pound range, which allows the Trust to engage in its activities on a continuing basis having regard to future plans.
Structure, Governance and Management
The Trustees are shown on page 2 of the accounts.
The trust deed provides for a minimum of 3 trustees. Any new trustees must be appointed by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the trustees.
On the approval of the Trustees, in which he took no part, Nathan Williamson received remuneration of £2150.
The Trustees met during the period on 3 occasions to review the current position of the Trust and to plan future activities, the initiative for which is taken by Nathan Williamson.
Southwold Music Trust
Statement of Financial Activities For the financial reporting period ending 30[th] June 2022
| Year to 30.06.22 Year to 30.016.21 | |
|---|---|
| Unrestricted Restricted Total | |
| £ £ £ £ | |
| Incoming Resources | |
| Individuals | 60.00 350.00 410.00 3546.00 |
| Institutions | - - - 700.00 |
| Tickets and Streaming | 3587.78 - 3587.78 2333.25 |
| Gift Aid | - - -644.39 |
| Total | 3647.78 350.00 3997.78 6873.64 |
| Outgoing Resources | |
| Previous Projects | - - - 816.56 |
| Covid-19 Concerts | - 5442.80 5442.80 3450.00 |
| Education | 300.00 - 300.00 120.00 |
| Misc | - - - 21.00 |
| Total | 300.00 5442.80 5742.80 4407.86 |
| Surplus/Def | 3347.78 (5092.80) (1745.02) 2446.08 |
| Transfers | (5092.80) 5092.80- - |
| Net Movement in Funds | (1745.02) - (1745.02) 2446.08 |
| Brought Forward 01.07.21 | 6905.35 - 6905.35 4439.27 |
| Carried Forward 30.06.22 | 5160.33 - 5180.33 6905.35 |
| Balance Sheet at 30.0.22 | |
| Assets | £ £ £ £ |
| Cash at Bank | 5160.33-5160.33 6905.35 |
| Funds | |
| Designated | 1950.00 - 1950.00 - |
| General | 3210.33-3210.33- |
| Total | 5160.33-5160.33 6905.35 |
Notes to Statement of Financial Activities and Balance Sheet
Note 1. The above statements are prepared on the receipts and payments basis. Note 2. There were no guarantees or debts outstanding. Note 3. As its income for the period under review is less than £25,000 the Trust has not submitted its accounts for audit or independent examination. Note 4. The Statement of Financial Activities for Yr to 30.06.20 is appended.
| Note 5. Donations | Yr to 30.06.22 |
|---|---|
| £ | |
| C & P Debenham | 350.00 |
| D. Wiener | 60.00 |
| 410.00 |
Note 6. Restricted Funds
| Yr to 30.06.21 Yr to 30.06.22 Total |
|---|
| ‘Covid-19 Concerts’ £ £ £ |
| Donations 2936.00 350.00 3286.00 |
| Tickets sales and streaming1505.00 3587.78 5092.78 |
| 4441.00 3927.78 8378.78 |
| Transfer Unrestricted funds(791.32) 1515.02 713.70 |
| Musicians 2300.00 2936.00 5236.00 |
| Production and Streaming costs 1150.00 2092.80 3242.80 |
| Previous Year198.68-198.68 |
| 3469.68 5442.80 9092.48 |
Note 7. Unrestricted Funds
The Trustees have determined that of the £5160.33 unrestricted funds, £1950.00 should be designated as available for future outgoings of the current education project, the balance of £3210.33 remaining available for general purposes.
APPENDIX
Statement of Financial Activities For the financial reporting period ending 30[th] June 2021
| Incoming Resources | Year to 30.06.21 | Year to 30.06.21 | Year to 30.016.20 | Year to 30.016.20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | ||
| £ | £ | £ |
£ | |
| Individuals | 1310.00 | 2236.00 | 3546.00 | 285.00 |
| Institutions | - | 700.00 | 700.00 | 1000.00 |
| Tickets and Streaming | 1505.00 | 478.25 | 2333.25 | 302.84 |
| Gift Aid | 644.39 | - | 644.39 | - |
| Total |
3459.39 | 3414.25 | 6873.64 |
1339.00 |
| Outgoing Resources | ||||
| Previous projects | - | - | - |
8738.70 |
| Music-in-Exile | - | 816.56 | 815.56 | - |
| Covid-19 Concerts | - | 3450.00 | 3450.00 |
199.68 |
| Education | 120.00 | - | 120.00 | - |
| Misc | 21.00 | - | 21.00 | - |
| Total | 141.00 | 4266.56 | 4407.56 | 8579.38 |
| Transfers | (677.31) | 677.31 | - |
- |
| Net Movement in Funds | 2641.08 |
(175.00) |
2466.08 |
(7420.38) |
Brought Forward 01.07.20 |
4264.27 |
175.00 |
4439.27 |
11679.65 |
| Carried Forward 30.06.21 | 6905.35 | - | 6905.35 |
4439.27 |
| Balance Sheet at 30th June | 2021 | |||
| £ | £ | £ | ||
| Assets | ||||
| Cash at bank | 6905.35 | - | 6905.35 | 4439.27 |
| Total Funds | 6905.35 | - | 6905.35 | 4439.27 |