2021-07-15-accounts

WARE CHORAL SOCIETY CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION

(A Registered Charity No 1169375)

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED

15 JULY 2021

WARE CHORAL SOCIETY CIO

(A Registered Charity No: 1169375)

6 Scotts Road, Ware SG12 9JG

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 15 JULY 2021

The Trustees present their report for the year ended 15 July 2020..

PRESIDENT: Lesley Garrett CBE

TRUSTEES

Those who served during the year are as follows:

Mr David Horner Chairman Mr Graham Warby Vice Chairman and Honorary Treasurer Mrs Diana Perkins Clerk to the Trustees Mrs Jo Beynon Mr Keith Wilson Dr Colin Brookbanks

GENERAL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Those who served during the year are as follows:

Mr Colin Brookbanks Chairman Vacant Vice Chairman Mr Graham Warby Treasurer Mr Tim Edwards Concert Management Mrs Mary Pick Secretariat Mrs Jill Woolgar Membership Secretary Mr Paul Watson Librarian Mrs Sue Quelch Communications Mrs Amanda Barnes and Mrs Margaret Rank Social Secretaries Mrs Anne Ingram Booking Secretary Mrs Pauline Preston Website and D P Manager Mrs Sheila Knowles and Mrs Mary Pick Assistant Librarians Mrs Jenny Brown, Mrs Jenny Scott and Mrs Bridget Turnbull Social Events

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER

Mr David Emsley, 46 Fanshawe Street, Hertford SG13 8PF.

BANKERS

CAF Bank Limited, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ.

GOVERNING DOCUMENT

The Charity is regulated by the Charity Commission and was registered on 27 September 2016. It is governed under the Constitution adopted on 14 September 2016.

MANAGEMENT OF THE CHARITY

The charity is managed by a Board of Trustees and organised in accordance with its Constitution. The Board delegates their powers to the General Management Committee, which includes the Treasurer to undertake the day to day management. At each meeting of Trustees the Treasurer reports on the current financial position. Because of the coronavirus pandemic the Trustees have had to conduct business by zoom meetings. Prior to the onset of the pandemic the Management Committee met when required.

CHARITABLE OBJECTS

There are two charitable objects:

• 1 The study and practice of choral music in order to foster public knowledge and appreciation of such music by means of public performance and such other ways as the Society through its charity trustees shall from time to time decide.

• 2 To further such purposes as are exclusively charitable in accordance with the laws of England and Wales as the trustees may from time to time decide by making grants to charities registered with the Charity Commission from funds raised at public performances of choral music.

PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT

The trustees have complied with their duty to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission. In pursuing the objects of the Society the Trustees believe that the Choir conforms to the requirements of the Charity Commission to provide public benefit through its public concerts, weekly rehearsals of members and other endeavours as set out below.

SAFEGUARDING

The charity has a written policy in place for the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults. Our designated safeguarding person is Mrs Carol Taylor. No safeguarding concerns have been reported to Mrs Taylor.

MUSIC DIRECTOR

Shortly after the commencement of the financial year we were saddened to receive the news that our Music Director, Julian Williamson was retiring. Julian has led the choir for over 40 years and his musical and conducting ability are of the very highest order. Thanks to Julian, our Wednesday evening rehearsals are not only a great musical experience but also immense fun. Our concerts, under Julian’s superb leadership, have given pleasure to many thousands of local people over the last four decades.

The trustees formed a recruitment panel in order to undertake the task of finding a new musical director. The post was widely advertised and we received a number of applications. Seven candidates were shortlisted and the recruitment panel interviewed them by zoom. The candidates also had informal meetings by zoom with some choir members.

Following the recruitment process, we were delighted to appoint Harry Sever as our new Music Director. Harry has a distinguished record and we look forward to singing under his leadership.

PERFORMANCES

This has been an extraordinary year and we hope never to see anything like it again.

It was impossible to hold any performances during the financial year because of the coronavirus pandemic. However following the easing of lockdown we started making arrangements to resume rehearsals

and were able to have some online rehearsal under the leadership of our new Music Director.

We are now actively planning a Christmas Concert to which all members of the choir are looking forward.

FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

The accounts of the Society for the year in question are presented separately. It will be seen that the Society remains in a very strong financial position.

GRATITUDE

Another momentous retirement has occurred this year – our trustee GrahamWarby has stepped down after many years. Graham has been a mainstay of the Society for half a century and its impossible find words to express our thanks for all he has done for us in so many ways – as chairman, trustee, committee member, treasurer and, of course, singer.

Julian and Graham’s retirements were marked by a special singing day at which presentations were made to both of them.

As ever we must express our gratitude to our assistant musical director and accompanist, Barbara Manning, another wonderful musician who has given us the benefit of her talent over many years.

Finally the trustees extend their grateful thanks to the recruitment panel who worked so hard to appoint our new Music Director and to all members of the Management Committee, without whose hard work nothing could be achieved.

Signed on behalf of the Trustees on 1st October 2021.

David Horner – Chair of Trustees

WARE CHORAL SOCIETY CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION

(A Registered Charity No 1169375)

ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED

15 JULY 2021

WARE CHORAL SOCIETY CIO (A Registered Charity No: 1169375) RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 15 JULY 2021

Receipts Donations Payments Professional fees Fees, subscriptions, insurance Bank charges Sundry expenses Surplus for the year	£ 3,190 650 83 97	£ 5,000 4,020
		£980

STATEMENT OF MONETARY ASSETS AS AT 15 JULY 2021

Note

Cash at bank	2
	£54,418
Represented by:
Accumulated Fund 16 July 2020		53,438
Surplus for the year		980
		£54,418
Approved by the Trustees on 29 September 2021.
Graham Warby – Trustee and Hon Treasurer
The notes on page 2 form part of these fnancial statements.

WARE CHORAL SOCIETY CIO (A Registered Charity No: 1169375) NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 15 July 2021

1. Accounting Policies

a)

The Accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis.

b) It is the policy of the Society to retain at least a full season’s concert expenditure in reserve.

2. Assets

In addition to cash at bank and in hand which are unrestricted funds, the other assets were transferred from Ware Choral Society.

Cost: 2002/2003 Back cloth curtains 2003/2004 Chair trolley 2006/2007 Additional back cloth curtain 2011/2012 Conductor’s podium Donated by the family of Mr Robert Vivian: 2001/2002 Petrov upright piano Donated: 2016/2017 Electronic keyboard	£ 2,876 88 430 890
	£4,284
	£4,159
	£600

3. Trustees’ Remuneration

No trustee received any remuneration or reimbursed expenses for their work as trustees during the year under review (2020: £Nil).

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF WARE CHORAL SOCIETY CIO

I report on the accounts of the Organisation for the year ended 15 July 2021.

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 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 included 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, no matter has come to my attention:

• (1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements:

• to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and

• to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities 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.

D R Emsley 46 Fanshawe Road Hertford SG13 8PF

8 August 2021