THE LEICESTER-SHIRE MUSIC
AND CULTURAL TRUST
Charity Number 1163682
Annual Report for the Year ended 5 April 2025
The Leicester-Shire Music and Cultural Trust
Annual Report for the Year ended 5 April 2025
The Leicester-Shire Music and Cultural Trust Charity Number 1163682 Name by which the Charity is also known LMCT
Trustees
Dr Mike Griffiths Mr Mike Staunton Mr Phil Iley Ms Annabel Bannister Mrs Asha Bishop (Chandara)
Mr Lachlan Lindsay
Introduction
Bankers: HSBC 10 Market Place, Hinckley, Leicestershire, LE10 1NU
Investments: BM Brooks Macdonald 72, Webeck Street, London, W1G 0AY
The trustees continue to feel strongly that music and the arts have suffered as emphasis has been on a more functional curriculum in schools. However, the National Curriculum is being reviewed and there are now greater efforts to include the arts and music as part of the experience of young people. The Trust supports this approach to young people’s experience
Structure, Governance & Management
There have been no changes to the operation of LMCT over the 2024-25 period, with the Chair continuing as Vice-chair of the local Education Music Hub Executive Board. The Arts Council (England) has been making major changes to the structure of music in school areas, but no changes were proposed to the Leicestershire and Leicester City area. Leicestershire Music made a successful bid to become the Lead Organisation of the new local Music Hub and the Trust is in discussion to see how we can work within the new arrangements. LMCT keeps in close touch with Leicestershire Music to understand the musical needs of young people.
Governing Document
The Charity is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and is governed under its Constitution, dated 22 September 2015. No changes have been made in governance during the year
Trustees
There have been no changes to the Trustee Board during the year, but the Board is looking to recruit more members. The Chair and Treasurer were re-elected to their posts during the year. The trustees received no remuneration or benefits for their contributions to the Trust. It is anticipated that one or more members of Leicestershire Music may join or be co-opted to the Trustees to ensure closer understanding and engagement.
Charitable Objects and Activities
The Charity Aims to:
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Advance education in music and the arts for the benefit of the public of Leicester City, Leicestershire and elsewhere
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Advance the arts particularly, but not wholly, by promoting and facilitating access to and performance of music and other art forms
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Help young people, especially but not exclusively, through leisure time activities, so as to develop their capabilities that they may grow to full maturity as individuals and members of society.
The Trust puts its aims into action, primarily, by supporting children and young people in learning to play musical instruments and to sing and to take part in ensembles and concerts.
Achievements and Progress
Following the strategic agreements made in the previous year, the Trust has been working closely with Charnwood College, in Loughborough, and its feeder primary School, Robert Bakewell, to set up a long term instrumental teaching project. 16 students started to learn brass instruments in 4 groups of 4 students in the second half of year 5. These students then continued into year 6. Students also started brass tuition in Charnwood College and the same brass teacher has started taking lessons in a second primary school. A successful concert took place before Christmas 2024 which demonstrated the skills that students were learning. This process is being carefully monitored to see how students progress and how their parents engage with the project. It is felt that, in order to ensure ‘buy-in’ to the project, parents and each school need to contribute some funding as well as the Trust. Plans are in place to roll this model of tuition across more primary schools and to increase the variety of instruments being learnt/taught.
Meanwhile the trustees are pleased to report that the double bass project started in another school has resulted in one student, who would not have been able to pay for lessons, being recruited to play in a local youth orchestra. Three other students are currently engaged in this project as well. The Trustees are keen to support the learning of instruments, such as the double bass, which are ‘endangered’ - not being learnt by many
students. The trustees also invested a small sum into a third school in order to start a clarinet programme with children in a feeder primary school. The Trustees await the analysis of this venture.
Finally, the Trustees are pleased to report that two students, with reduced financial circumstances, were able to go on the Leicestershire Music Orchestral Tour in the summer of 2024.
The Future role of the Trust
The Trust is fully committed to its Charitable Objects delivered through the following strapline and practical approach….
LMCT - What do we stand for?
We wish to....
Inspire every young person in Leicester(shire) to love, sing and play music
In particular, we wish to....
Use our funds and bid for further funds to
support early opportunities to play instruments, especially those learnt less frequently, support talented young people to develop their playing further particularly supporting those young people from areas of deprivation
In addition, the trustees are also in discussion with Leicestershire Music to strengthen the Trust’s role as a potential fundraising arm for the Leicestershire Music Hub. Plans are in hand to support a fundraising scheme which will be run with alumni from Leicestershire Music Ensembles.
Financial Issues
No additional capital investments have been made, the trustees believing that there are sufficient operational sums in the current account to finance an experimental level of activity over the next few years. It is also anticipated that investments will start to make a helpful return to finance more activity in future years, following the decision to move half of the investment fund from a low risk to a medium risk fund, having taken advice from our investment adviser.
The Trustees continue to appreciate the financial support and gifts from sponsors and donors, some of whom benefited from Local Authority sponsored tuition when they were taking music lessons as students in the past.
Risk Management
LMCT continues to be a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, with Trustees who are volunteers with a passion for musical education. The Trustees have a risk management policy which:
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involves an open and receptive approach to solving risk problems, gives clear policies, guidelines and support to volunteers and identifies risks, monitoring these closely when they arise
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makes conservative and prudent decisions when considering financial and other areas of risk
Public Beneft
There have been no changes made to the Charity’s aims and objectives in its constitution and the Trustees confirm that they comply with guidance on public benefit published by the Charity Commission when planning and carrying out activities.
Investment Policy
Under the constitution, the Trustees have unrestricted powers of investment and are empowered to invest in a wide range of investments.
The Trustees consider that the funds they are using, invested through Brooks Macdonald, are medium to low risk and are soundly based in government securities and blue-chip stocks that will provide income and longer term capital growth in the medium to long term. Thus the Charity’s funds are well protected and can grow for future benefits.
On behalf of the Trustees:
Mike Griffiths, Chair
Mike Staunton, Treasurer
January 2026
eandEx endlture Account forThe Lelcester-shlre Muslc and Cultura Trus For the year 0610412024 To 0510412025 IIK(xi)e and EXP@nditiire Lknf•gtrlrt•d Fundg knv••tm•nts c•th A•gtrlct•d Fufth Qo th• Tr•w•it £ th• n•w••Q £ EndO¥fflrt Fund• to th• ft•w••Q £ Totd Fun0• t• th• La¢ Y•w t• th• ft•w•J¢ £ 1.234 Grt$ Gift Ald 85S lon Fea 8•nk Intffest Recel ts Inve5tmffit Irlcorne Idwffids L) 3,912 3,912 3,912 b totsl 1234 12 S8 Asset •nd Investrnfflt S•les Loss on DlspoAI of 1nve5trnts 91.046 91J)46 91 40 b total 91,046 Totsl Il•c•lpts 1234 94,958 96,193 53 Investrnffits tlvities Trnn Grnnt P ent Conductors ional Coachln Te•chi Tour VffiueHire dition Ex. Concort Expthditure Runnln Othex Investrnt Char 120 11 3.446 1,400 3.446 1.400 se IA71 1.731 1.731 218 2.143 2,143 btot 6.577 2.143 8.720 IOJ50 InVestrnts Purchased 95502 95.502 46,244 btot 95502 95,502 46244 6,577 97,645 104222 56394 43 4.687 4,029 95 D•btors Cr•dltorJ A5 TrwMf•rs b•t*••n ndS A6 Cath fid5 lart ar •nd Cth ndS thls ar •nd -2.995 39,407 34,064 6589 3,903 -2,995 -11.024 .995 Annual Profit and Loss Statement Investments Operational ChganizatK)ns G•ln or (Lws) I14•$trn 140.697 143,120 2,423 Galn or(Loss) -5.343 -2.920 Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period O•talls Unr•rtrlct•d Funds R•strlrt•d Funds to n•w•st £ to n•ar•st £ 34.978 3.903 38.881 to n•w•gt £ HSBC-61813757 Brooks & M•cdonald Total C4sh Funds D•btors Inv•stm•nts 139217 Uabllftl•• Cr•ditors 0110412025 178,098 SGn•J by oneor Two oftheTrustees bth4fof 41 theTfUSt•e5 nature Print Name DateofFI nature M T Staunton 20 z4t>¢lxL oc MJ Grlfflths