Trustees ’ annual report (including Directors ’ report) for the period
From: Period start date January 2024
To: Period end date December 2024
Charity name: Music For Hope
Charity registration number: 1167556
Objectives and activities
| Summary of the | ● To actively promote our work as a positive, non-violent alternative to gangs for |
|---|---|
| purposes of the | young people in the Bajo Lempa; |
| charity as set out in its | ● To promote confidence and leadership qualities in all the young musicians we work |
| governing document | with and create opportunities for cross-project team building; |
| ● To support La Asociación para el Desarrollo de las Artes y la Cultura en Jiquilisco | |
| (ASDACJI) and our team to explore alternative options for funding Music for Hope’s | |
| activities and team expenses; | |
| ● To support and promote Music for Hope’s bands to achieve higher standards and | |
| greater exposure inside and outside of the Bajo Lempa; | |
| ● To provide students and teachers with instruments, equipment and various learning | |
| materials including online tuition for our teaching team; | |
| ● To continue to improve communication and coordination between Music for Hope | |
| collaborators locally and internationally; | |
| ● To continue to improve our music classes; | |
| ● To maintain and develop our social media capacity and build our Facebook | |
| community; | |
| ● To capture and record aspects of Music for Hope’s cultural history and legacy, as well | |
| as that of the Bajo Lempa communities. |
| Summary of the main | To actively promote our work as a positive, non-violent alternative to gangs for the young |
|---|---|
| activities in relation to | people of the Bajo Lempa, we continue to provide music tuition, music workshops, |
| those purposes for the | performance opportunities and psychological support. We stand strong in our belief that |
| public benefit, in | shared music-making nurtures social and emotional wellbeing, as well as fostering |
| particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
community resilience and connection, and have persisted in our pledge to facilitate opportunities where children, young people and adults within their communities can come together through music. The new music centre we opened last year has developed well; as a result, we have been able to offer peace and solidarity through music-making to even |
| more young people than previous years. | |
| To promote confidence and leadership qualities in our young people, we frequently create | |
| opportunities where students of Music for Hope can play a role in tutoring their peers. The | |
| experienced teacher team use musical workshops to help build students’ confidence and | |
| where appropriate, will encourage students to lead classes, granting students valuable | |
| experiences of autonomy and leadership. Another vital part of project delivery is | |
| songwriting, which supports development of independent thinking as well as requiring | |
| students to work collaboratively and cooperate with one another. Our music teachers listen | |
| respectfully to students’ ideas, offering guidance if needed and in turn, modelling effective | |
| and compassionate leadershipto theyoung people we reach. |
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To support our team in exploring alternative funding options we have developed an ethical corporate sponsorship package and will be approaching ethical companies that share or uphold our values in the coming year. We have also begun to explore the function of online music classes to Music for Hope’s wider community as a way of contributing to funding Music for Hope’s charitable work in the Bajo Lempa. Music for Hope’s sound-system investment continues to bring in additional contributions by being hired out for private events in the communities.
To support the Music for Hope bands in striving for high standards and receiving more exposure, our teacher team provide high-quality music classes across six different music centres, educating on average 250 students and inspiring a generation of musical performers. Students of the project have the opportunity to perform in their own communities as well as neighbouring communities where Music for Hope is involved. For example, many students were involved in a new concert this year: "El Bajo Lempa Has Talent”. The teachers are always on the look out for different opportunities for students and regularly respond to any requests made for musical performances. Our prominent online presence is a great way for many of the Music for Hope bands to gain exposure and we have live streamed as many performances as possible to help raise the profile of our bands. Music for Hope’s collaboration with La CAMENA, Mexico is still in progress and will provide another avenue for our bands to share their music while communicating the history of the communities through poem and song.
We have maintained the upkeep of instruments and provided new instruments and equipment where needed by budgeting for this effectively to ensure everyone involved in Music for Hope has what they need. Instruments are treated with care and respect and stored securely along with musical equipment such as sound systems.
To continue to improve communication and coordination between Music for Hope collaborators locally and internationally, the UK team has remained committed to meeting online bi-monthly. Meetings always start with an update from El Salvador which is relayed by our co-ordinator who provides a vital link between the Salvadoran and UK teams. Our active social media engagement helps keep the UK team up to date with the work happening in El Salvador too, as does the annual trip to El Salvador made by our chair, which always aids in strengthening the bonds of solidarity between the two countries.
Our teacher team are passionate about improving our music classes and the musical opportunities provided to students. The teacher team and psychologist listen to the needs of our students and think of creative ways to use music to educate and inspire, as well as alleviating day-to-day anxieties around recent political unrest. In order to ensure the team continue to develop their professional capabilities, they received training for online music teaching for fundraising purposes, as well as further training in social media use and safeguarding. In 2024, our active social media platforms were Facebook and Instagram. We are able to measure the reach of our Facebook page and have seen a significant growth in our following and content interaction, thanks to effective training from our social media subgroup and increasing efforts from the teacher team to use Facebook to our advantage. To capture and record the cultural history and legacy of Music for Hope and the Bajo Lempa, the teacher team intentionally draw on specific musical elements of the Andean and Cumbia traditions when teaching. This keeps the traditional music of the land at the centre of Music for Hope, and as a result, many of the songs composed by Music for Hope bands are written in these styles. Music is taught aurally, as per the tradition of the region, and students are encouraged to consider past and present situations when songwriting, so that we nurture civil responsibility and social cohesion in our students and their communities.
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Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit
The trustees of Music for Hope continue to work in accordance with the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and always hold this guidance in mind when making decisions and planning activities as trustees.
Achievements and performance
Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity ’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole.
In 2024, our teachers in El Salvador delivered music lessons on an individual or group basis in six music training centres (Nueva Esperanza, El Zamoran, Amando López, La Papalota, El Marillo and La Canoa) and fourteen nearby communities in the Bajo Lempa region. 250 people, children and adults, currently access Music for Hope directly and there are approximately 1500 beneficiaries of the project when including those affected indirectly (e.g. family members of the young people).
This year, the programme has continued to provide vital support to young people in the Bajo Lempa, providing them with a safe and supportive atmosphere in which they can develop the essential skills (e.g. teamwork, creativity, problem solving) and confidence to overcome challenges they face in a context of socioeconomic hardship and social violence. Routine workshops and lessons provide the structure and consistency for these goals to be achieved; however, Music for Hope’s impact can often be seen most clearly during community performances and celebrations. The current socio-economic context in El Salvador makes these communal events even more important. They allow young people to reclaim communal spaces and enter local discourse on social issues in a non-violent manner, as well as remain visible as valued community members in full view of local authorities.
One community event that is awaited eagerly every year is Music for Hope’s Christmas concert. This year it that was held in El Marillo, a community that previously had been isolated from others in the area due to gang-related issues. Through the programme, the local young people were able to learn songs and perform them at this intercommunal event, helping to welcome the community’s residents into the wider musical family that Music for Hope has created. This concert was a major achievement for both residents of El Marillo, who celebrated wholeheartedly, and the charity, fulfilling its objective of improving intercommunal relationships. In another celebration, Nueva Esperanza marked its anniversary as an established community with an event titled “El Bajo Lempa Has Talent”. This showcase featured young participants who had developed their performances through the Music for Hope programme. A long-term teacher and ex-participant from the programme was also invited to be a judge, embodying the aim of Music for Hope to give its young people the skills and confidence to become community leaders.
Music groups that are well-established in their communities, such as Fuerza Tropical, frequently contribute to community events. Through lasting friendships, formed through making music together, these groups have become cohesive enough to write and perform original songs in traditional styles. The lyrics that accompany these speak directly to the local audiences about life in the Bajo Lempa. This year, the Zamoran-based group marked the anniversary of the Mangle (Mangrove) organisation in the Ciudad Romero community with a concert. This was an important show of support and solidarity from a band which originated from Music for Hope, with another grassroots organisation that has aligning goals and values, such as environmental justice and conservation.
Music for Hope has also made efforts to educate young people attending local schools in the communities about climate change and its effects. The Música Libre Group composed a song with lyrics that emphasise the collective environmental responsibility that the communities of the Bajo Lempa have. This was shared with schools to be presented in
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activities that are aimed to inspire and raise awareness amongst students. Further collaboration with schools is also an aspiration for the UK team who have developed a cultural exchange pack to facilitate sessions that engage UK students in thinking about how their values (e.g. environmental conservation) and interests (e.g. music) are similar.
All of this valuable work being done by the team in El Salvador was celebrated and promoted by the UK team at the El Sueño festival in Machynlleth, Wales (a celebration of Latin American culture and political solidarity). Along with a stall that spread the word, Emily, one of the charity’s trustees and Tony, a trustee who moved to the UK from the Bajo Lempa, provided a workshop on Music for Hope. Tony’s moving story and their discussions of how the charity has evolved to serve its beneficiaries in ever-changing contexts were received with real support and interest by the audience. Through these activities at the festival and reconnecting with those involved in solidarity networks with Latin America, Music for Hope raised funds and gained more vital supporters. Also in the UK, this time in Greenwich, Andrew Redden and Emily McIndoe were involved in a research project with Pablo Bradbury titled “Changing the Picture”. It explored how a mural that was painted in solidarity with El Salvador during the civil war (1985) is connected to the work of Music for Hope in how they both present a radical vision of hope, achievable through community agency and solidarity. These projects are essential to our understanding of the impact that the charity and its music education programme in the Bajo Lempa has, as well as how the charity’s values are firmly rooted in the strong collective spirit that has been developed and nurtured in the communities since their foundation.
Financial review
| Financial review | ||
|---|---|---|
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | See end of annual report |
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | We aim to keep 3 months’ running costs in reserve in case of an emergency where funds need to be sent urgently to El Salvador to ensure the project continues to operate. |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | £8,860 |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | N/A |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | N/A |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 | N/A |
Structure, governance and management
| Description of charity’s trusts: | N/A |
|---|---|
| Type of governing document: for example, trust deed, memorandum and articles of association etc |
Constitution |
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| How is the charity constituted? for example limited company, unincorporated association, CIO |
Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) |
|---|---|
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Trustees are usually selected after having served as a volunteer for the charity so that they have a thorough understanding of Music for Hope’s mission. If we need to, we will advertise for a trustee by creating a job description and circulating to our contacts. The appointment of trustees takes place at our annual general meeting where someone puts themselves forward for election. A motion is officially passed after a vote of confidence is expressed, and only when the charity is quorate. The election and resignation of trustees is set out in our governing document. Music for Hope is a ‘horizontally’ rather than ‘vertically’ structured organisation and the work that we do is based on communication and consensus between the two teams.; one based in the UK and one in El Salvador. Both teams work closely together and communicate regularly with each other via online platforms such as Zoom. This communication is facilitated by our contracted coordinator based in the UK who meets monthly with the teacher team in El Salvador, and more frequently with our Salvadoran co-ordinator if necessary. The UK team is there to support the work and needs of the El Salvador team. Updates, needs, queries and issues from the El Salvador team are communicated to the UK team via the UK-based coordinator. |
Reference and administrative details
| Charityname | Music For Hope |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | |
| Registered charitynumber | 1167556 |
| Charity’sprincipal address | 12 Holman Road,Garston,Liverpool,L19 5NS |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (if any) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Redden | Chair | |||
| Sophie Helsby | Treasurer | |||
| Lucie Phillips | Secretary | |||
| Katherine Girling Rogers | ||||
| Cornelia Graebner | ||||
| Emily Mcindoe |
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
Description of the assets held N/A in this capacity
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Name and objects of the N/A charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity ’s objects Details of arrangements for N/A safe custody and segregation of such assets from the ~~a~~ charity ’s own assets
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
N/A
Declarations
The company has taken advantage of the small companies ’ exemption in preparing the report above.
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees ’ report (including directors ’ report) above. on behalf of the charity ’s trustees Signature(s) Andrew Redden Full name(s)[Andrew Redden ] Sophie Helsby Position (for example Chair Treasurer Secretary, Chair, etc) Date 08/10/2025 ~~—~~
Signed on behalf of the charity ’s trustees
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER ’S REPORT
TO THE TRUSTEES OF Music for Hope
I report on the accounts for the charity for the year ended 31st December 2023 which are set out on pages 8 to 9 and are receipts and payments accounts.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
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(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
-
examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
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to follow the procedure laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145 (5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner's report
My examination was carried out in accordance with 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 you as 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 the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act
have not been met; or
(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Paul Cowham FCA DChA Withington Works Withington Baths 30 Burton Road Manchester, M20 3EB
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Music for Hope
Year ending 31 December 2024
Receipts and Payments Accounts
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Total funds | Unrestricte d funds |
Restricted funds |
Total funds | |
| Receipts | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| CD and book sales | 158 | - | 158 | 144 | - | 144 |
| Donations | 3,169 | 500 | 3,669 | 2,512 | - | 2,512 |
| Gift aid | - | - | - | 789 | - | 789 |
| Main project grant | - | 12,800 | 12,800 | - | 12,800 | 12,800 |
| School Exchange Project | 980 | 980 | - | |||
| Songwriting (Liverpool Uni | - | 1,625 | 1,625 | - | - | - |
| Total receipts | 3,326 | 15,905 | 19,231 | 3,445 | 12,800 | 16,245 |
| Payments | ||||||
| Programme delivery in El | ||||||
| Salvador | - | 13,047 | 13,047 | - | - | - |
| School Exchange Project | - | 317 | 317 | - | - | - |
| English Language Support | - | - | - | - | 50 | 50 |
| Accountancy and | ||||||
| Independent examination | - | 500 | 500 | - | 850 | 850 |
| Postage | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Project | ||||||
| coordination | - | 4,800 | 4,800 | - | 4,800 | 4,800 |
| Travel expenses | 80 | - | 80 | - | 117 | 117 |
| Meeting expenses | 234 | - | 234 | - | 40 | 40 |
| IT costs | 36 | 187 | 223 | 72 | 185 | 257 |
| Venue Hire | - | - | - | - | 250 | 250 |
| Total payments | 350 | 18,851 | 19,200 | 72 | 6,292 | 6,364 |
| Net of receipts/(payments) | 2,976 | (2,946) | 31 | 3,373 | 6,508 | 9,881 |
| Transfers | 413 | (413) | - | - | - | - |
| Cash funds last year end | 6,021 | 6,508 | 12,529 | 2,648 | - | 2,648 |
| Cash funds this year end | 9,410 | 3,149 | 12,560 | 6,021 | 6,508 | 12,529 |
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Music for Hope
Year ending 31 December 2024
Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the year
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notes | Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Total funds | Unrestricte d funds |
Restricted funds |
Prior period |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| Cash funds | ||||||
| 9,410 | 3,149 | 12,560 | 6,021 | 6,508 | 12,529 | |
| Assets | ||||||
| Monies received after 31 | ||||||
| Dec 24, relating to the | ||||||
| year | - | - | - | - | 980 | 980 |
| Liabilities | ||||||
| Items paid after 31 | ||||||
| December 24 relating to | ||||||
| the year | 550 | - | 550 | 900 | - | 900 |
| 8,860 | 3,149 | 12,010 | 5,121 | 6,508 | 11,629 |
Signed on behalf of the trustees:
Andrew Redden ~~ol~~ Name Signed Sophie Helsby Name Signed Date 08/10/2025
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Audit trail Audit trail
9 Dropbox Sign Sign
Music for Hope signed accounts 2024 Title Title File name File name M014_accounts_draft_3_2024.pdf Document ID Document ID 5e6c586127d3b98757f9c4521cef2369d1d2d804 Audit trail date format Audit trail date format MM / DD / YYYY Status Status e Pending signature
10 / 08 / 2025 Sent for signature to Sophie Helsby 10:19:08 UTC (finance@musicforhope.org.uk), Andrew Redden (andrewredd1@aol.com) and Paul Cowham (contact@pcowhamaccounts.com) from paul.cowham@gmail.com IP: 88.97.178.110
10 / 08 / 2025 Viewed by Sophie Helsby (finance@musicforhope.org.uk) 12:52:08 UTC IP: 80.194.242.187 10 / 08 / 2025 Signed by Sophie Helsby (finance@musicforhope.org.uk) 12:53:59 UTC IP: 80.194.242.187 10 / 09 / 2025 Viewed by Andrew Redden (andrewredd1@aol.com) 10:23:11 UTC IP: 188.29.223.218 10 / 09 / 2025 Signed by Andrew Redden (andrewredd1@aol.com) 10:32:28 UTC IP: 188.29.223.218 10 / 09 / 2025 This document has not been fully executed by all signers. 10:32:28 UTC
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