## WARE CHORAL SOCIETY CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION 

(A Registered Charity No 1169375) 

## TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT 

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 

15 JULY 2024 



## WARE CHORAL SOCIETY CIO 

(A Registered Charity No:  1169375) 

6 Scotts Road, Ware SG12 9JG 

## TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 15 JULY 2024 

The Trustees present their report for the year ended 15 July 2024. 

PRESIDENT: Lesley Garrett CBE 

VICE PRESIDENTS: Mr Julian Williamson Mr Graham Warby 

## TRUSTEES 

Those who served during the year are as follows: 

Mr David Horner Chair Mrs Anne Shearman (from 13[th] March 24) Chair Mrs Diana Perkins Clerk to the Trustees Mrs Lesley Godfrey Vice chair / Treasurer Mr Keith Wilson (stepped down 8[th] Nov 23) Dr Colin Brookbanks Mr Nick Gough (from 24[th] April 24 ) Mrs Pauline Preston Mrs Eleanor Jardine Mrs Elizabeth Sweetman 

## GENERAL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE 

Those who served during the year are as follows: 

Mr Colin Brookbanks Chair Mrs Frances Hudson (from 1st Jan 24) Chair Mr Eddie Hunt Concert Management Mrs Mary Pick Secretariat Mrs Gill Woolgar Membership Secretary Mrs Anthea Bickmore Librarian Mrs Sue Quelch Communications Mrs Mary Pick Booking Secretary Mrs Jo Sundman                                                   Website Mrs Sheila Knowles and Mrs Mary Pick Assistant Librarians Vacant Social Secretary Mrs Theresa Casbard                                            Finance Administrator 

## INDEPENDENT EXAMINER 

Mr David Pattman 

## 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  to undertake the day to day management. At each meeting of Trustees the Treasurer reports on the current financial position. The Trustees usually meet at least three times a year. The Management Committee meet 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 Pauline Preston and we are very grateful to her for performing this important role. 

## MUSIC DIRECTOR 

Rosie Howarth has completed her first season with us and it has been very successful. We have had some innovative programming including our first choral jazz work which our audience loved. 

## PERFORMANCES 

Our Christmas concert this last year was “A Starry Night”, an evening of Christmas music with carols for the audience. We had two professional soloists, organist and pianist. 

The spring concert was on the theme of “War and Peace” with music by Haydn, Mozart and Mendelssohn, accompanied by four soloists and The Orpheus Sinfonia. 

The summer concert had a jazz theme, with ‘Mass in Blue’ by Will Todd and George Shearing’s “Songs and Sonnets” of Shakespeare. 

All concerts were well attended. 

In December we also performed “Carols in the Chapel” of Haileybury School in aid of the Isabel Hospice, a charity we have long supported. 

## 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 strong financial position. 

GRATITUDE 



As ever we must express our gratitude to our  accompanist, Barbara Manning, a wonderful musician who completed fifty years as our rehearsal pianist in the summer. We honoured this achievement and her part in the success of this choir in our summer social. She also accompanies us in some of our concerts and contributes solo pieces. 

Finally the Trustees extend their grateful thanks to the members of the Management Committee, without whose hard work nothing could be achieved. 

Signed on behalf of the Trustees 

October 2024 

Anne Shearman 

Chair of  Trustees 

-  3 



# WARE CHORAL SOCIETY CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION 

(A Registered Charity No 1169375) 

## ACCOUNTS 

## FOR THE YEAR ENDED 

15 JULY 2024 



## WARE CHORAL SOCIETY CIO (A Registered Charity No:  1169375) RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 15 JULY 2024 

|Receipts|||£|£|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Subscriptions|||16,800||
|Gift Aid|||3,403||
|Donations|||2,650||
|Interest|||166||
|Social activities|||554||
|Concerts|||10,092||
||||_______||
|||||33,665|
|Payments|||||
|Professional fees|||8,160||
|Hire of halls|||2,057||
|Fees/insurance|||714||
|Bank charges|||171||
|Promotions|||162||
|Sundry expenses|||2,434||
|Social activities|||246||
|Concerts|||17,236||
||||_______||
|||||31,180|
|||||_______|
|Profit for the year||||£ 2,485<br>|
|||||_______|
||STATEMENT OF MONETARY ASSETS AS AT||||
||15|JULY 2024|||
|||Note|||
|Cash at bank||||£ 40,885|
|Represented by:|||||
|Accumulated Fund 16 July 2023||||38,400|
|Profit for the year||||2,485|
|||||£ 40,885|
|Approved by the Trustees on|<br>2<br>nd<br>October 2024||||
|Mrs Lesley Godfrey – Trustee and Hon Treasurer|||||



The notes on page 2 form part of these financial statements. 

[2] 



## WARE CHORAL SOCIETY CIO (A Registered Charity No:  1169375) NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 15 JULY 2024 

## 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 £20,000 in reserve 

## 2. Collections for Charity after Concerts 

- a. £      404.70    for Isabel Hospice 

## 3. Donations 

- a. Includes donations from Friends of Ware Choral Society 

- b. Includes donations from WCS members for gift to Barbara Manning (50[th] celebration) 

## 4. Assets 

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

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



## 5. Trustees’ Remuneration 

No trustee received any remuneration or reimbursed expenses for their work as trustees during the year under review (2024: £Nil). 

[3] 



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 2024. 

## 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 Pattman 1 Tower House Hoddesdon EN11 8UR