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← Gloucester Choral Society

2024-06-30-accounts

GLOUCESTER CHORAL SOCIETY Registered Charity No. 1168137

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS

FOR THE PERIOD ENDING 30 June 2024

Charity number: 1168137

GLOUCESTER CHORAL SOCIETY

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 30 June 2024

Trustees in office during the period:

Jane Ayres Ordinary Member (until 06/11/2023) Madeline Sebastian Burtenshaw-Snellgrove Secretary (until 07/02/2024) Jennifer Bury Concerts Manager Hamish Charters Marketing Manager (until 23/02/2024) Ordinary Member (until 30/06/2024) Richard Clutterbuck Ordinary Member Helen Colson Ordinary Member Simon Draper Secretary (from 23/02/2024) Mary Gellhorn Ordinary Member (from 23/02/2024) Annette Hecht Ordinary Member (until 04/05/2024) Peter Holmes Contracts Manager (until 23/02/2024) Michael Hurst Treasurer Eleanor Kercher Chairman-Elect (from 23/02/2024) Andrew Moodie Chairman Robert Riley Vice Chairman Gerard Walshe Marketing Manager (from 23/02/2024) Kate Whitson Contracts Manager (from 23/02/2024)

Principal Address: 6 Ardmore Close GL4 0BL

Charitable Status: Gloucester Choral Society is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.

Objectives and Activities

The objects of the Society are 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. These objectives have not changed during the year.

Public Benefit Statement

The Trustees have reviewed the public benefit nature of the Society and consider it meets the requirements of the Charities Act. In particular, the Society presents concerts, talks and workshops which are open to all and which inspire its audiences and benefit the community as a whole. Particular attention is given to engaging and involving the interest of young people as members of the audience. The Society offers reduced price tickets to its concerts for school children, students and under-25s.

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As reported previously, the Choral Apprentice scheme (for students aged between 14 and 18) was put on hold as a result of Covid-19. Sadly, following several attempts to find volunteers to take this scheme forward, there are insufficient volunteers to manage the scheme and the Trustees have agreed to put this on hold indefinitely unless sufficient numbers of volunteers come forward. Given the challenges in operating this scheme, the Trustees have been considering alternative ways to encourage younger people generally to join the Society and is intending to concentrate its efforts on those aged 18 years and older but under 25-30 years old, with membership being free for those aged under 25.

The Society engages artists and ensembles of the highest international standards and supplies a crucial part of the musical provision at Gloucester Cathedral, where most of its concerts are performed. Tours overseas are organised periodically, with the opportunity to perform choral works by British composers to audiences who may be less familiar with the music. These tours are fully funded by the touring members.

Review of the Year

During the year under review, the Society promoted the following concerts:

Hire the Choir bookings have been put on hold since October 2022 as no volunteers have been found to administer the scheme.

Financial Review

The Society experienced a slight deficit of £525 during the period, reducing reserves (all unrestricted) to £36,390 as at 30th June 2024. Continuing disappointing ticket revenue was offset by reduced spending on orchestras and a generous donation.

The Society’s policy “… to progressively build up reserves to around £50k, which sum represents about half of typical turnover” continues to be challenging, and the Trustees have decided to limit expenditure on employing orchestras for the time being, this being the main avoidable cost.

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The Trustees regularly review the Society’s reserves policy, and assess the principal risks associated with the promotion of its concerts and other activities.

Structure, Governance and Management

Trustees are normally elected from within the membership of the Society at the Annual General Meeting for a period of one year, but may stand for re-election. Skills audits are conducted periodically across the membership to identify specific experience which might prove useful and beneficial for the Society.

The constitution also enables non-singing members from outside the choir to be appointed as Trustees, who can thereby broaden the breadth of expertise available to the Society as a whole.

The Trustees will ensure that any external Trustees appointed in this manner will be suitably and appropriately qualified.

If Trustees are required to work with the Society’s Choral Apprentices group, statutory DBS checks are carried out in accordance with the Society’s Child Protection Policy. The Society has no employees. It engages the services of its Musical Director and Accompanist, and such other artists, ensembles and orchestras as may be needed to fulfil its annual concert programme.

The Society is managed by, and administered through, the Trustees who are elected annually. The Trustees are supported in this work by Committees as set down in the following chart:

GCS Structure Chart 2023-2024

Each of the Committees is chaired or vice-chaired by an elected Trustee. Membership of the Committees comprises members of the Society with particular interests or expertise, who

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provide their time voluntarily and without remuneration. The Trustees are dependent on the input from these members, and wish to record their gratitude for their invaluable and continuing contribution to the Society’s achievements.

Following the 2022-23 AGM it was agreed that the constitution of GCS should be reviewed by the Trustees. This work is currently in progress.

The Trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.

Signed ..................................... A Moosé-

Andrew Moodie – Chairman – on behalf of Gloucester Choral Society

Dated 2 February 2025 .

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Notes to the Financial Statements for the period ending 30 June 2024

Company information

Gloucester Choral Society (GCS) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO - registered number 1168137) which performs choral works and promotes a variety of musical events for the benefit of the community as a whole. It was incorporated on 8th July 2016, and inherited the assets and liabilities of the former unincorporated Gloucester Choral Society (registered number 900118).

None of the trustees (nor any persons connected with them) received any remuneration, benefits or expenses from GCS during the period. There were no related party transactions during the period. There were no employees during the period.

Accounting policies

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard (FRS 102) and the Statement of Recommended Practice for charities (SORP).

At the time of approving the accounts, the Trustees' have a reasonable expectation that GCS has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the Trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing these accounts.

All the charity’s funds are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.

Income is recognised when GCS is legally entitled to it after any performance conditions have been met, the amounts can be measured reliably, and it is probable that income will be received. Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once GCS has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid is recognised at the time of the donation. Any income specifically relating to a project in a subsequent year is treated as deferred income.

Resources expended are recognised in the period in which they are incurred. Resources expended include attributable VAT which cannot be recovered. Any expenditure specifically relating to a project in a subsequent year is usually treated as accrued expenditure.

Comparison with previous accounting period

The previous accounting period included two concerts deferred from before the pandemic that were more expensive than usual. The year reported here is more typical.

Statement of Financial Activities

Donations and Legacies

Donations includes some sponsorship money allocated to designated funds.

Charitable Activities - Income

The figure for other charitable activities is mainly the sale of concert programmes.

Other Trading Activities

This represents gross proceeds from fundraising activities.

Charitable Activities - Expenditure

The figure given for payments to professional musicians does not include rehearsals.

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Charity number: 1168137

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Balance Sheet

Current Assets

Cash at bank and in hand

Cash nil
CAF Bank current account £3,126
CAF Bank Gold Deposit £70,342

Accrued income is Gift Aid tax that had been claimed but not received by year end.

Liabilities

Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. The largest single item under Accruals is a late invoice for cathedral hire. Deferred Income represents receipts for the planned foreign tour in 2025.

Provisions

Performing Rights liabilities for concerts are not yet known accurately..

Analysis of net assets between funds

GCS holds currently holds no restricted funds. There are designated funds for foreign tours, sponsorship and a legacy.

Unrestricted Unrestricted **Total **
General
Fund		 Tour
Fund		 Sponsorship
Fund		 Legacy Total
Funds
Brought
forward		 £18,960 £2,955 nil £15,000 £36,915
Carried
forward		 £26,161 £3,062 £1,167 £6,000 £36,390

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