Report of the Trustees
and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2023
for
RAINBOW CHORUS REGISTERED CHARITY 1161330
RAINBOW CHORUS REGISTERED CHARITY 1161330
| Contents of the Financial Statements | |
|---|---|
| for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 | |
| Page | |
| Report of the Trustees | 2-10 |
| Receipts and Payments Accounts | 11-12 |
| Statement of Assets and Liabilities | 13 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 14 |
| Report of the Accountants | 15 |
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RAINBOW CHORUS REGISTERED CHARITY 1161330
Report of the Trustees
for the Year Ended 31 March 2023
The Trustees present their report together with the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023. The financial statements have been prepared under the receipts and payments basis.
Trustees
The trustees shown below have held office during the whole of the period covered by this report.
Ms Finola Brophy Mr David Cooper Mr Edwin Borgars Ms Beverley Morgan Ms Carolyn Ansell
The principal office of the RAINBOW CHORUS is:
St George's Church St George's Rd, Kemptown Brighton England BN2 1ED
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RAINBOW CHORUS REGISTERED CHARITY 1161330
Structure, governance and management
Description of the charity’s trusts
Type of governing document
Constitution
How the charity is constituted
Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
Trustee selection methods
The members voted to accept an updated constitution at the last AGM. For governance purposes and to ensure efficient oversight and communication, at least one committee member must be appointed as a trustee. The committee may appoint up to a maximum of 5 trustees from within their number. Further external trustees (external to committee, so may or may not be RC members) up to a maximum number permitted by the constitution may be appointed. These external appointments require a majority vote of both the existing trustees and the committee members.
Additional governance issues
All Trustees are and will be provided with the latest ‘The Essential Trustee' publication on appointment, together with copies of our Constitution and policies, our latest Annual Report and accounts information.
To ensure effective governance, the Chair of the Trustees is not on the operating Committee and the constitution states the Chair of the Committee may not be the same as the Chair of the Trustees.
Working together with other organisations has been and will continue to be an important part of how Rainbow Chorus operates. Covid restrictions were lifted prior to the start of this year but member concerns continued to inform our activities at the start of this financial year. Our various activities have included outdoor performances to mark some important dates in the LGBTQ+ calendar and a return to more normal indoor concerts and gigs, including working with Brighton Gay Mens Chorus, The Actually Gay Mens Chorus and Marco Nardi our sign language interpreter to produce our joint concert for World Aids Day to raise awareness of issues around HIV and Aids.
Working together makes us all stronger and sends clear messages of support and solidarity.
The Rainbow Chorus is part of Proud Voices, the UK and Eire choral network and Legato, the European Association of LGBTQ+ choirs. We also belong to Community Works, a networking and support organisation and the local LGBT+ Groups Network.
Membership of all the above organisations helps our reputation
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RAINBOW CHORUS REGISTERED CHARITY 1161330
and enables us to exchange good practice. It further promotes our activities and allows us to access advice and training which helps us to run the charity and meet our objectives.
Risks
Financially the risks for Rainbow Chorus are:
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That we may not receive future funding for projects that are grant funded e.g. RC+ and our outreach to the Deaf & sign language user community;
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That a concert may have to be cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances;
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That a concert might make a loss;
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That our membership numbers dwindle;
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That the Trustees take decisions they believe to be in the best interests of the chorus, which are challenged, resulting in a loss to the chorus finances.
We therefore have some reserves in case these risks materialise - see reserves policy. Other risks for loss/damage/injury are covered by an insurance policy that includes public liability and cover for our members and volunteers.
There were no risks arising in the current year, with our concerts being the most profitable of any year since we became a charity.
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RAINBOW CHORUS REGISTERED CHARITY 1161330
Objectives and activities
The Charity's objectives are:
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To advance public education in, and appreciation of, the art of choral singing, its study, practice and performance, and to contribute to the quality and range of community events and to assist other charitable causes.
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To promote social inclusion for the public benefit of people who are socially excluded on the grounds of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This will be achieved by relieving the isolation and needs of those people.
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To promote equality and diversity for the public benefit by the elimination of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, in particular but not exclusively by raising public awareness of discrimination towards and issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, Queer and other associated identities), and in such other ways as are exclusively charitable as the Trustees may from time to time determine.
The trustees have complied with the duty in section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 and 2011 to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission.
As the largest LGBTQ+ community choir in the South East outside London we actively reach out to the whole community and we welcome Trans members and supporters. Supporting Trans Pride and Trans Day of Remembrance, having a dedicated Trans rep, promoting RC+ (our outreach project) and ensuring that our social media is explicitly inclusive sends a positive message to the Trans community.
We continue to raise awareness of deaf issues and to develop our work with the Deaf and sign language user community. Disablism against LGBTQ+ Deaf people is a regular experience for those within this community. Marco Nardi continues to support us using British Sign Language to interpret our main performances. Rainbow Chorus was delighted to win the public vote in local Tesco stores to enable us to continue our work with Marco: Tesco Community Grants awarded us £1500 to provide BSL interpretation at 3 concerts in 2023
The level of discrimination and racism experienced by LGBTQ+ people in our communities and around the world continues and Rainbow Chorus ensures that our performances promote and support equality and diversity.
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RAINBOW CHORUS REGISTERED CHARITY 1161330
RC+: Thanks to grants from Brighton & Hove City Council in the period to July 2022 and from The Brighton Rainbow Fund from October 2022 we have continued with RC+, our workshop choir, giving all members of the LGBTQ+ community the opportunity to sing for fun. It is a safe space particularly for less confident or isolated members of the LGBTQ+ community (some living outside Brighton & Hove). It is also a safe space for members of the Trans community who may wish to explore their vocal ability and changing voice. Many members of the performing Rainbow Chorus continue to attend to improve their music skills.
We also signpost members to other LGBTQ+ services particularly those needing support with their mental health.
Choral festivals are once again being organised and members were looking forward to Various Voices Bologna in May 2023, shortly after the end of this financial year. Early preparations were also started for the next Hand-in-Hand event in Bristol in 2024.
We retain our policy of ensuring no-one is excluded from any of our activities on the grounds of cost and this starts with subscriptions. Some members therefore pay reduced, minimal or no payment. This all helps us to meet our objective of promoting social inclusion. In addition to ensuring none of our members are excluded, we retain the concert ticket concession price at two thirds of our full price tickets. This hopefully helps those members of the public on reduced or lower incomes to be able to attend our concerts. We also provide some free access to service users of a local HIV/AIDS charity to further ensure our performances are as inclusive as possible.
We perform at some community events without charge, to further raise our profile and ensure that those in the wider community are aware of discrimination towards and issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community. This year we supported these events with live performances :
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IDAHOBIT (international day against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia).
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Trans Pride
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Brighton Bear Weekend
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Trans Day of Remembrance
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World Aids Day
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RAINBOW CHORUS REGISTERED CHARITY 1161330
Additional details of objectives and activites
The John Kernaghan Bursary Fund invites applications from any member who would otherwise be unable to take part in our activities, particularly tours away. There is a policy covering application and how decisions are made, with quidelines for applicants and the Trustees, including evidence needed. Applications are anonymised, so that decisions are made on the basis of evidence without favour. We currently have a healthy balance in this fund and are not actively fundraising for it.
Our volunteers are known as our 5[th] section: We could not manage to run our concerts and other activities without our 5th section of volunteers, co-ordinated this year by Jane MacDonald with the support of Chris Cunningham.
The 5th section is made up of partners, friends and family of RC members and members of RC+ who carry out a whole range of tasks from serving food, running bars and stewarding to filming, driving and joining sub groups to work on our fundraising and other activities. Our Committee members are all volunteers and run Rainbow Chorus with great enthusiasm for both our core activities and extra projects that add value for the wider community. There are also many members who give their own time to help with any number of projects or ongoing work to run the Chorus. Our MD, accompanist and treasurer invoice us for their time but also contribute a number of hours pro bono. We are extremely grateful to our volunteers, music team, members, the LGBTQ+ and wider community. Their support is always a source of inspiration and encouragement.
Achievements and performance
2022 was a landmark year for Rainbow Chorus, celebrating both our 25th birthday and the 10 year anniversary of our music team. Our logo was given a refresh thanks to Gareth Pugh and our concerts celebrated these important events.
The following is a timeline of Rainbow Chorus activities and events in which we have taken part during the year to 31st March 2023. In some way each of the activities and events has helped us to further or achieve the aims laid out in the Objectives of our constitution.
April:
5th - Our music team celebrate their 10 year anniversary with the chorus. May:
17th - IDAHOBIT: RC/RC+ performance outside at Jubilee Square - great to be singing outside and supporting this event in person again. Always an important day to show our solidarity and support for LGBTQ+ people and communities everywhere who continue to experience discrimination, hatred and violence.
June:
Beginning a Rainbow - an article by current member and founder of Rainbow Chorus, Carl Boardman, is featured in Gscene, detailing the origins of the choir, now in its 25th year.
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RAINBOW CHORUS REGISTERED CHARITY 1161330
July:
Throughout July, August & September, members of the public are invited to vote in local Tesco stores, via the blue token scheme, to support our deaf outreach with a programme of 3 concerts including a BSL interpreter.
9th - '25' our summer concert.
16th - We were invited to perform at 2 community events on the same day: Trans Pride Brighton and Brighton Bear Weekend, with a great turnout at both events from the public.
August:
6th - Rainbow Chorus and RC+ decorated a bus shelter in preparation for the Brighton Pride parade route and further joint lamp post advertising with Brighton Pride was added, promoting 25 years of our diverse voices, with the theme "We Stand Together" 9th - Brighton Pride and the Rainbow Chorus float returns. September: 12th - a return to our New Members' Night.
24th - A Rainbow wedding - our Chair, Katy, celebrated her wedding to Liza, also a long term member. The choir helped them both to celebrate with performances including outside the venue, which drew a large appreciative crowd.
October:
13th - Solidarity Vigil against Hate Crime, Rainbow Chorus did not perform but many members attended to support the event. November:
1st - Rainbow Fund grant awards. We were awarded £7000 to support RC+ and £1800 to support our outreach to the Deaf and sign language user community. These grant awards cover the period October 2022 to September 2023 and are paid in arrears.
20th - Trans Day of Remembrance vigil at Jubilee Square and the Ledward Centre with a performance by the chorus.
23rd - Rainbow Chorus were advised they had won the public vote at Tesco and were awarded a £1500 grant from Tesco Community Grants to provide BSL interpreters at 3 concerts in 2023. 75% (£1125) was paid in advance with 25% (£375) due Jan 2024.
December:
1st - World Aids Day with the joint choirs’ concert, co-arranged by Rainbow Chorus and featured joint performances by 3 MD's, including our own, Aneesa Chaudhry.
10th - 25 at Christmas, a final celebratory concert for our birthday year. January:
16th – New Members’ Night.
In addition to the above we ran 12 RC+ Workshop Choir sessions.
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RAINBOW CHORUS REGISTERED CHARITY 1161330
Financial review
Brief statement of the charity's policy on reserves
Further financial review details
Reserves policy
During the year our expenditure varies each month, partly due to some annual membership/website payments. We also purchase our music scores in advance and these costs are necessarily incurred in advance of terms rather than equally spread out over the year. This is the same for voice part file purchases online or their creation if completed by our music team. Our policy of ring fencing funds for specific projects and areas of expenditure ensures we are always aware of the true level of free reserves available for any unforeseen eventuality. However the fluctuating level of monthly expenditure can mean monthly income may not cover that month's expenditure. For these reasons, we need to hold a certain amount of reserves. We also consider it prudent to hold some level of reserves to cover a few months running expenses particularly as grants are paid following payment of expenditure on receipt of a claim from us. When adjusted to include credits received (£1325) and payments made just after our year end (£3101), the year end reserve balance was £27870 (including £5108 bursary fund, £5167 held on behalf of members in payment for their trip to Bologna and £1125 as Tesco grant 75% paid up front but not yet spent).
The charity's income is sourced from 5 main areas: Membership subscriptions, grants, fundraising, donations and income from concerts and performances. We continue to be mindful of those members who are on a fixed or suddenly reduced income, or who have had little or no salary increases for a number of years and treat each case individually. This helps us create a balance between maintaining our income level and ensuring anyone can be a member of the chorus irrespective of income.
This year has seen a return to income & expenditure levels similar to those last seen pre-covid in the year ended 31st March 2019 (when
Tour income & expenditure is removed). When income & expenditure is adjusted so that only entries relating to this financial year are included, and tour income is removed, income was 21% higher than our budget forecast (mainly due to a return to more normal concert income), with expenditure only being 4% higher than our budget forecast.
Details of any funds materially in deficit
None.
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RAINBOW CHORUS REGISTERED CHARITY 1161330
| Details of any debt owed by | |
|---|---|
| the CIO | None. |
| Details of any guarantees | |
| given by the CIO | None. |
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Rainbow Chorus Registered Charity 1161330
Receipts and Payments For the Year Ended 31 March 2023
| Receipts and Payments For the Year Ended 31 March 2023 |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | Last | |||
| funds | funds | funds | year | |||
| Receipts | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Membership Subscriptions | 21152 | - | 21152 | 19233 | ||
| Gift Aid | 5215 | 23 | 5238 | 3412 | ||
| Grant Income | ‐ | 5287 | 5287 | 5000 | ||
| Concert Income | 11656 | ‐ | 11656 | 3590 | ||
| Bursary, Donations to Chorus & Sponsorship | 5721 | 90 | 5811 | 605 | ||
| Sundry income & refunds | 183 | ‐ | 183 | 6687 | ||
| Uniforms & Merchandise | 448 | 1434 | 1882 | 440 | ||
| Bucket Collections, Grand Draw & Raffles | 1838 | ‐ | 1838 | 785 | ||
| Special Projects (Tours) | - | 19480 | 19480 | ‐ | ||
| Bank Interest | 74 | 26 | 100 | 27 | ||
| Previous year reclassification of income | ‐ | - | ‐ | ‐ | ||
| Sub total | 46287 | 26340 | 72627 | 39779 | ||
| Asset and investment sales etc | ‐ | ‐ | ‐ | ‐ | ||
| Total receipts | 46287 | 26340 | 72627 | 39779 | ||
| Payments | ||||||
| Music Director & Accompanist's fees | 17868 | 3730 | 21598 | 20716 | ||
| Other musician & professional fees | 6535 | ‐ | 6535 | 4695 | ||
| Regular rehearsal costs | 1942 | 163 | 2105 | 1356 | ||
| Performance costs | 1695 | ‐ | 1695 | 716 | ||
| Marketing & publicity | 55 | ‐ | 55 | 65 | ||
| Subscriptions & website fees | 1186 | 90 | 1276 | 1417 | ||
| Postage & stationery | 680 | ‐ | 680 | 215 | ||
| Travel | 120 | ‐ | 120 | - | ||
| Music purchases | 2229 | 132 | 2361 | 1168 | ||
| Insurance | 110 | 33 | 143 | 137 | ||
| Storage | 2959 | ‐ | 2959 | 2923 | ||
| Uniforms & Merchandise | 1052 | 1563 | 2615 | 440 | ||
| Special projects | 1115 | 14425 | 15540 | 546 | ||
| Community events | 1546 | ‐ | 1546 | - | ||
| Props, equipment & costumes | 509 | ‐ | 509 | 693 | ||
| Accountancy | 1110 | ‐ | 1110 | 990 | ||
| Donations | - | ‐ | - | - | ||
| Sundries | 566 | ‐ | 566 | 328 | ||
| Bank charges | 210 | - | 210 | 217 | ||
| Sub total | 41487 | 20136 | 61623 | 36622 | ||
| Asset and investment purchases | ‐ | ‐ | ‐ | ‐ | ||
| Total payments | 41487 | 20136 | 61623 | 36622 | ||
| Net of receipts/ (payments) | 4800 | 6204 | 11004 | 3157 |
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RAINBOW CHORUS REGISTERED CHARITY 1161330
Receipts and Payments
For the Year Ended 31 March 2023
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | Last | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| funds | funds | funds | year | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Transfers between funds | - | - | ||
| Cash funds last year end | 13,560 | 5,082 | 18,642 | 15,485 |
| Cash funds this year end | 18,360 | 11,286 | 29,646 | 18,642 |
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RAINBOW CHORUS REGISTERED CHARITY 1161330
| Statement of Assets and | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liabilities For the Year Ended 31 | Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | |
| March 2023 | funds | funds | ||
| £ | £ | £ | ||
| Cash funds | ||||
| Bank balances | 18,360 | 11,286 | 29,646 | |
| 18,360 | 11,286 | 29,646 | ||
| Other Monetary Assets | ||||
| Outstanding Grant Funding | - | 1325 | 1325 | |
| - | 1325 | 1325 | ||
| Liabilities | ||||
| Creditors | 3101 | - | 3101 | |
| 3101 | - | 3101 |
Name of Trustee:
----- Start of picture text -----
…Edwin Borgars................
Signature:
….......................................
Date of approval:
…. 29-Jan-2024.............
----- End of picture text -----
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RAINBOW CHORUS REGISTERED CHARITY 1161330
Notes to the Financial Statements
for the Year Ended 31 March 2023
1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of preparing the financial statements
The financial statements have been prepared under the receipts and payments basis.
Incoming resources
Unrestricted funds
The unrestricted funds represent membership subscriptions (including RC+), gift aid, fundraising unless targeted for a specific purpose, website donations and concert income.
Restricted funds
The restricted funds represent grant funding (including RC+), Bursary fund, fundraising targeted for a specific purpose, uniforms and monies received for special projects.
Other incoming resources
There are no restrictions on the use of other incoming resources towards achieving the organisations charitable objectives.
Resources expended
Resources expended are accounted for by way of nature and on a receipts and payments basis.
2. PAYMENTS MADE FOLLOWING THE FINANCIAL YEAR END:
Payments were made shortly after the financial year end amounting to £3101 which related to expenses that were incurred in the financial year to 31 March 2023. There was also one debtor with a sum owing to rainbow Chorus of £1325. If this credit had been received and the expenses had been paid prior to 31 March 2023, these would have been included in the receipts and payments in this year's financial statements, resulting in a decrease in the net surplus and a reduction in cash funds held.
Last year's report advised of expenses to be paid by RC of £1460, relating to the financial year to 31 March 2022. These amounts are included in this year's figures as it had not been possible to process these before 31st March 2022.
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RAINBOW CHORUS REGISTERED CHARITY 1161330
Report of the Accountants to the Trustees of Rainbow Chorus
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT
I report on the financial statements of Rainbow Chorus for the year ended 31 March 2023, which are set out on pages 2 to 14.
Respective responsibilities
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under Section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 ("the Charities Act") and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act, to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of Independent Examiner's report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair' view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent Examiner's statement
In connection with my examination, I confirm no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives 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 no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed by the Independent Examiner
Lauren Newman MAAT Thomas Christopher & Co 44 Orange Row Brighton East Sussex BN1 1UQ
Date........29-JAN-2024
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