Bristol Samba Charity Number: 1165208
Trustees' Annual Report & Financial Statements for the Period 1[st] September 2022 to 31[st] August 2023
November 2023
Bristol Samba
Trustees’ Annual Report & Financial Statements for the Financial Period from 1[st] September 2022 to 31[st] August 2023
Reference & Administration Details
Charity Details:
Name : Bristol Samba
Number: 1165208
Address: The Trinity Centre, Trinity Road, Old Market, Bristol BS20 0NW.
Names of the Charity Trustees who Manage the Charity
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Name Role
Jan Davies Chair/Safeguarding Officer
Elizabeth Elliott Treasurer
Traceydawn White Secretary
Lois Cox Bookings Coordinator
Sally Hare Bulletin Coordinator
Tracy Whale New Members' Coordinator
Claudia Spoto Social Media Coordinator
Laura Chapman Dancers' Representative
Sophie Axford Merchandise Coordinator
Jon Mills Vice Chair
Christine Little Equipment Coordinator
Marcus Kielly Web Coordinator
Sandie Badman Non- portfolio
Jonathan Walford Beginners’ Representative
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With thanks to the following non-Trustees who have helped the Committee over the period: Tom Hinton (IT).
Structure, Governance and Management
Description of the Charity's Trusts
Type of Governing Document
Constitution.
How the Charity is Constituted
Unincorporated Association.
Trustee Selection Methods
Trustees are elected or reappointed by the members during the Annual General Meeting (AGM). In accordance with the Constitution, Trustees are appointed or re-appointed for a term of three years. Trustees may be co-opted in accordance with our Constitution.
Recruiting New Trustees
Vacant Trustee posts are advertised to existing Bristol Samba (BS) members prior to an AGM via the weekly email bulletin. Advertisements include a person specification and listed desirable qualities for each role. Those interested are invited to talk to existing Trustees, or postholders, to find out further information.
How New Trustees are Inducted and Trained
When a BS member is elected to be a Trustee, they are given various documents detailing their responsibilities including the Charity Commission’s document Becoming a Trustee. They are given access to the BS shared Google Drive, which contains all previous documentation relating to BS. New Trustees are given a thorough handover to enable them to complete their role.
Trustees’ Meetings
The Trustees had six meetings during the financial year, with an average level of attendance of 72%.
Objects and Activities
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in our governing document:
‘... 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.’
Statutory Declaration on Public Benefit
The Trustees of Bristol Samba declare that they have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the Charity Commission in exercising their powers or duties.
Executive Summary
We were mindful of the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when considering both the development of our members and the performance bookings that we accepted as Bristol Samba.
Activities, Achievements and Performance
In accordance with our Constitution we welcome anyone (18+) to become a member of Bristol Samba regardless of faith, gender, disability, background or personal circumstances.
Bristol Samba engages friendly, knowledgeable, talented, enthusiastic and experienced tutors to teach, inform, encourage and develop the various groups of Bristol Samba through their passion for music and dance, as well as being part of Bristol Samba.
Each tutor has superb individual qualities that they bring to their classes: the beginners’ teacher nurtures and develops confidence; the later group’s teacher develops and challenges the players to push themselves to excel; the dance teacher encourages and develops those involved to become confident and expressive dancers. Their quality teaching and commitment to Bristol Samba enables us to advance and to achieve what we are today: a distinctive and well-loved samba band.
During this financial year we offered four taught classes – two sessions for drummers and two for dancers, for beginners and performers respectively.
Our beginner drumming class usually starts in September each year. It develops the participants’ musical knowledge as well as advancing their practical skills in Brazilian percussion. Beginner drummers spend a year learning about Brazilian styles of music before advancing to the later class, which develops the participants’ ability and confidence to enable them to perform, should they wish. Dancers begin their journey in the beginners’ class throughout the year, moving to the established performance group, which practices alongside the drummers when appropriate.
In March our Musical Director, Silas Mosbacher, stepped away from teaching any form of percussion due to an acute problem with his hearing. This meant that he could no longer teach the later group or be part of the development of the early drumming group. Silas sought medical advice and, while it was ascertained that his problems were not due to exposure to our drums, he was recommended to avoid any noisy environments until the problem had been identified and could be addressed. To fill the void that was suddenly thrust upon us, Sam Baum stepped in to teach the later group. Sam, one of our gigging directors, was encouraged and supported to teach and develop the talents of the later group drummers. In July, the Trustees asked Dom Kelly to take over the teaching of the later group and Sam the teaching of the beginners’ group. They both accepted the challenge and have continued to develop the talents of both playing groups as well as developing the rhythms that we perform. Through this period, Silas has kept in contact, sharing the progress of his hearing issues, but has sadly still not returned to teaching. Silas has been our Musical Director for many years, and prior to that was our beginners’ teacher. He has been an essential part of BS, shaping the rhythms that we play, and has taught an
incredible amount of drummers over the years. He has high expectations of the players and encourages us all to be the best that we can be. Silas has not stepped away completely, he is still very much a part of BS, albeit in the background at the moment, supporting Dom and Sam, giving advice from his years and experience as a teacher of BS.
In late August we appointed Dom as Acting Musical Director of BS - being a teacher for several years as well as a gigging director, the Trustees thought that he was the perfect person to step up while the future of Silas’s involvement remains undecided.
What a year! We have so much to be thankful for and so much to celebrate.
Members
On 17th of October 2022 we celebrated the class of 2021-22 beginner drummers’ graduation to the later group with a debut performance to family and friends – the audience were enthusiastic and thoroughly enjoyed being part of the celebration.
A new beginners group started the following week. From a gentle introduction to samba, tapping on the floor with sticks, sounding out rhythms, to selecting a preferred drum, the group gradually came together under the expert tutelage of Dom and occasionally Silas. Their first ‘crossover’ at Christmas, where the group played with the performing drummers, created an immense sound where many of the early group felt part of the bigger BS ‘Sambafam’ for the first time. Members of the later drumming group regularly attended the sessions to play alongside the beginners class. Several of the group helped out at gigs which developed their skills and awareness of performing.
Retention of the learner drummers from the class of 21-22 has been good, and they have continued to develop their skills, along with the other players in the later group, on their learning journey. This is due in large part to the patience and skill of both the Beginners’ Tutor and the Musical Director/Later Group Tutor and shows how well they work together to develop the talents of those in both drumming groups, making sessions fun and accessible. Former members have returned to the band, swelling our numbers even more. We are proud to see our established players helping and supporting both the beginners and those who have recently graduated to become confident players.
Our cohort of established, enthusiastic dancers remain at the heart of our performances. Our dance performance group has grown in numbers over the past year or so and it was great to see so many dancers performing at our larger gigs over the summer such as Pride and St Paul’s Carnival. The dedication and commitment shown by the newer members of the performance group has been amazing, and it was great to be able to share the experience of performing over the summer to large crowds in and around Bristol. We have seen a number of dancers start their Bristol Samba journey at our free dance workshops, so we are looking to continue with these to keep recruiting beginners. Our dancers learnt the International Samba Day routine, this was recorded ready for submitting to be part of the International Samba Day video for 2023.
Performances
Every public performance by Bristol Samba is a celebration of our members’ achievements in developing their skills, whether by playing or dancing.
Bristol Samba has been out gigging in force this year, having one of the busiest years yet. The band has played some fantastic events and has performed come rain or shine. We saw the return of many of our favourite events as well as a few new ones:
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In October we celebrated with the hula hooping community at SWHoop, playing late into the night and entertaining crowds who hooped and boogied in their incredible costumes.
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We helped to celebrate a couple of big birthdays within the band this year: our Chair, Jan, then later our drummer, Sandie. Though very different events, the band helped both members celebrate in style.
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Huge crowds lined the streets at Bedminster Lantern Parade, as we headed the parade of incredible illuminated lanterns, made and carried by local children.
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Another favourite was the ever-growing Bristol Irish Society’s St Patrick’s Day Parade, running from the band’s home at Trinity Centre to a celebration in the centre of town, with ‘St Patrick’ making his usual appearance alongside local dignitaries and diverse members of the West of England Irish community.
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Summer saw the return of St Paul’s Carnival after an absence of three years, and Bristol Samba was honoured to be one of only a few bands selected to take part. The streets pounded with rhythms accompanied by incredible costumes celebrating Afro-Caribbean life and culture. This was the largest carnival to be held for some years and the crowds came out in force.
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Bristol Pride was another highlight. We collaborated with NatWest and Pride to ensure safety, then accompanied the parade in colourful costumes to encourage a party atmosphere along the route. Our efforts are always appreciated and celebrated and it’s an incredible celebration of diversity within the LGBTQ+ community.
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Members started early to entertain participants of the Great Run and Bristol 10k. It was a long morning but this was hugely appreciated by the runners; some said it was their favourite part of the route. This event introduced director Sam’s new piece influenced by Drum’n’ Bass rhythms.
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We played two festivals in late summer: Shambala and Forwards. While having their own very different ambience, both were hugely enjoyable. A large number of members signed up to attend both events, but we were limited to the number of performers that we could take. This presented a challenge, and decisions were made with a view to taking a well-balanced, knowledgeable cohort. Unfortunately some performers had to be disappointed, and the Trustees and directors were grateful for their understanding.
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We topped off our gig year with the return of St Werburgh’s Farm Fair, a great favourite of BS which had not been held since before lockdown. Initially planned for its usual weekend in early June, it was postponed to September but definitely worth the wait. A huge amount of drummers and dancers performed, and we loved the
return of the ‘Big Boom’: hearing our music reverberate off the walls as we played in the huge low railway tunnel at the heart of the area.
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Smaller events also included a local refugee festival, and we have also attended several other local public events and private functions during the period.
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One unusual event this year was when ITV Local Evening News included one of our rehearsals in their broadcast. Member Sally, Chair Jan and Acting Musical Director Dom spoke to the presenter about the band, and BS played live to celebrate the start of summer.
Contribution by volunteers
The Trustees remain hugely grateful for the contribution made by our member volunteers who perform with incredible enthusiasm, promoting Bristol Samba to and for the general public benefit.
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the volunteer van drivers and gig organisers without whom we wouldn’t be able to perform.
Our superb team of directors lead us when we perform for public enjoyment. Without their willingness and commitment to learn to direct and lead, Bristol Samba simply would not be able to perform as often as we do and in different spheres/arenas/to different audiences. We continue to train gigging directors to maintain our capacity for public performance.
Thank you to each and every one of you who has been part of this journey, through either playing or dancing, and who are still with us – being part of the Bristol Samba family. We are so proud to say that we are Bristol Samba – the longest-established samba band in Bristol.
Financial Review
State of the Charity’s finances
Bristol Samba’s income in 2022-23 was £29,315, which was an increase from the previous year. The total expenditure was £29,772, giving an overall loss of £457. Our accounts are prepared on a receipts and payments basis.
The principal source of income for the charity comes from members’ subscriptions, which enable members to access tuition as well as to perform with the band at festivals, carnivals and other events. Our overall income from membership subscriptions have increased this year, mainly due to the retention of a large group of performing drummers as well as a large cohort of beginner drummers. We have not raised the individual subscriptions rates this year. The remainder of our income (£5,050) came from bookings for performances. Also listed as sources of income are sale of merchandise and Shambala festival tickets to members, which are sold at cost.
The main costs to the charity are the payment of tutors and directors (£12,557), hire of our rehearsal space and storage of equipment (£6,667), equipment purchase and maintenance (£3,146), the maintenance of our van (£1,514), and ad hoc expenses such as our insurance and other sundry items (£1,578). In 2022-23 we invested heavily in new instruments, which
was seen as essential due to the number of members we now have. Rising costs have also meant that we began to pay a higher fee for our rehearsal venue in April 2023.
Our expenditure supports the key objectives of the charity: paying for the tutors, the hire of rehearsal space, along with purchasing new equipment to ensure that our sound is suitable for performance standards.
Statement of the Charity's policy on reserves
We do not yet have a policy for the charity’s reserves.
We hold cash at the bank of around £10,000, all of which is unrestricted funds. These funds are held in order to meet any unforeseen expenditure that may occur, for example vehicle repair or to account for a fluctuation in the membership numbers, or for purchasing new equipment.
Details of any funds materially in deficit
The Trustees declare that the charity had no funds which were materially in deficit at the date of the statement of assets and liabilities.
Restricted funds
We have no restricted funds.
Designated funds
We have no designated funds.
Particulars of any outstanding guarantee given by the Charity
The Trustees declare that the charity has given no guarantee where potential liability is outstanding at the date of the statement of assets and liabilities.
Particulars of any outstanding debt
The Trustees declare that the charity has no outstanding debts which are secured by an express charge on any of the assets of the charity at the date of the statement of assets and liabilities.
Declaration
The Trustees declare that they have approved the above report and authorised that it be signed on their behalf.
| Signatures | ||
| Full names | Janice Pauline Davies | Elizabeth Elliott |
| Position | Chair | Treasurer |
Date 19/10/23 19/10/23
Bristol Samba Charity No: 1165208 Receipts and payments accounts
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From Period start date: To Period end date:
Day Month Year Day Month Year
1st September 2022 31 [st] August 2023
Unrestric Restricted Total funds Total Funds Total
ted funds funds/ for for 2021-22 Funds for
2022 – 23 Endowment 2020 - 21 2022-23
funds
A1 Receipts
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Subs early group £4,419 £2,181.25 £4,982.50 £4,419
Subs later groups £13,168 - £2,892.75 £8,161.25 £13,168
Subs dancers £2,780 - £2,010.00 £2,500.00 £2,780
- -
New beginners 2022- £1,495.00
23
New Beginners 2021- - £1,695.00 -
22
Gigs £5,050 - £2,560.00 £3,875.00 £5,050
T shirts, kneepads, £316 - £231.90 £758.00 £316
earplugs
Shambala £3,582 - £2,322.00 £3,582
contributions
Donations - -
Sub total £29,315 - £9,054.00 £24,093.75 £29,315
A2 asset and - - - -
investment sales
Total receipts £29,315 - £9,054.00 £24,093.75 £29,315
A3 Payments
Teaching and £12,557 - £4,350.82 £12,775.38 £12,557
Directors fees
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Trinity Hire & storage £6,667 - £1,408.00 £4,494.00 £6,667
General Expenses £1,578 - £421.39 £368.15 £1,578
Van Expenses £1,514 - £956.66 £1381.00 £1,514
Equipment £1,179.00 - £41.95 £1,179.00
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Merchandise £729 £1,207.67 £729
Shambala £3,581 - - £2,365.20 £3,581
Contributions
Sub total £27,805 £7,178.82 £22,591.40 £27.805
A2 asset and £1,967 - £1,039.94 £1,967
investment purchases
(instruments)
Total payments £29,772 - £7,178.82 £23,631.34 £29,772
Net of £1,875.18 £462.41
receipts(payments)
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Section B: Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
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2020-21 2021-22 2022 - 23
B1 Cash funds Cash at the bank £10,049.75 £10,512.1 £10,055
6
B4 Assets retained for the Samba van £6,000.00 £5,750.00 £3,200.00
charities own use
Instruments £8,000.00 £9,000.00 £10,500.00
Stock £136.00 £1,236.00 £1,648.50
(Tshirts/Hoodies)
B5 Liabilities None None None None
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Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Bristol Samba
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Bristol Samba for the period 1[st] September 2022 to 31[st] August 2023.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Bristol Samba, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’). I report in respect of my examination of the Bristol Samba accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed: Name: Arabella Butler
Relevant professional qualification or membership of professional bodies (if any): AAT Address: 33 Lawrence Avenue, Bristol BS5 0LD Date: 19/11/2023