## **CONCERTS AT CRATFIELD CIO** ## **2021 ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS** ## **CHAIRMAN'S REPORT** 2021 marked the return of Concerts at Cratfield, albeit in somewhat truncated form and after much deliberation among the Trustees of the financial risks we faced in trying to mount any concerts at all. The Covid pandemic had forced us to cancel the whole of the 2020 season at a relatively late stage in the preparations: significant printing and postage costs had been incurred, for example, and ticket sales had got under way. Unravelling all this was expensive and time-consuming and led to significant financial losses for the artists who had been booked to play for us. Through the great generosity of our Patrons and Friends and many who had already bought tickets and declined to request a refund we were able to pay those artists 30% of the fee they were due to receive. As a result of this we were able to show a small surplus at the end of 2020 and maintain sufficient balance of reserves with which to face the future. But as 2021 began, we found ourselves in yet another lockdown amid a new surge in Covid cases. At a time when preparations for the forthcoming season would normally have been well advanced we were yet again faced with great uncertainty as to how best to move forward. We decided that the only thing to do was sit tight until the situation became clearer. One thing that was clear early on was that a return to a full season of standard length concerts would be impossible. In late spring we decided that our best – and, short of cancelling the season entirely, our safest financial option—would be to mount two short concerts on each of two Sundays. Four concerts in all, performed by two of the groups of artists who had been originally booked for the 2021 season. We judged that audiences would not feel comfortable with longer concerts given the continuing emphasis on social distancing. So we asked our artists to divide the programme into two concerts of around an hour or so each and we arranged for there to be a 90 minute gap between the two performances. This enabled us to reclean the church and to provide ample time for those only attending one concert or the other to leave or arrive in comfort. So on Sunday 15 August 2020 Concerts at Cratfield returned, with two performances given by the Chamber Music Box; and on Sunday 12 September, BBC New Generation Artists the Consone Quartet joined us to give two more performances. The audiences were much smaller but large enough for the church to feel comfortably full and the performers were received with great enthusiasm: everyone was delighted to be back at Cratfield. The nature of the concerts was not the only change last year. Our limited financial resources and with a smaller number of Trustees than used to be the case, meant we had to streamline and modernise our operations. We commissioned a completely new website making it eye-catching and easier to navigateWe introduced a new online booking system which made booking much simpler for most concertgoers (while making sure those without internet access could still book tickets) and enabled us to reduce our costs significantly. One unwelcome but thankfully temporary change was the absence of tea and cakes but I am delighted to say they have returned in 2022. We made a loss, albeit a tiny one, on the 2021 season. We did end the year with decent reserves, but there is no doubt that the pandemic hit us badly and left us in a more vulnerable financial position than we would have liked, in spite of the artistic success of the 2022 season which has just ended. During 2021, three of our Trustees resigned: David Mintz, our Chair, Kathrin Peters and Alan Maclean. Alex Campkin joined us as a Trustee (although he resigned at the end of the 2022 season). As a result of these changes, I took over as Chairman in the summer of 2021, and Jonathan Birt became Vice-Chairman. Peter Baker ## **CONCERTS AT CRATFIELD CIO REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021** The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2020. ## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES** ## **Objectives of the charity** To promote, improve, develop and maintain public education in and appreciation of the art and science of chamber music in all its aspects by the presentation of professional public concerts and by such other ways as the Society through its Committee shall determine from time to time. **Activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to its objects** We have referred to the guidance in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aims and objectives and in planning our future activities. In particular the trustees have considered the activities of the Charity as set out in the Chairman's Report and assessed their future plans. They are satisfied that the criteria for public benefit are comprehensively achieved. ## **ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE** Since the Chairman has also fulfilled the role of Concert Organiser, his report (see above) reports on the Charity's activities for 2021. ## **FINANCIAL REVIEW** ## **Financial position** The deficit for the period was £16. The surplus brought forward was £16,178 leaving a surplus carried forward of £16,162. ## **Reserves policy** It is the policy of the Charity to maintain unrestricted funds, which are free reserves of the Charity, at a level which are considered sufficient to maintain positive cashflows. ## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT** ## **Governing document** The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006. ## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS** ## **Registered Company number** CE008089 (England and Wales) ## **Registered Charity number** 1169617 ## **Registered office** 44 Calabria Road London N5 1HU ## **Trustees** The trustees for the year ended December 31 were: Mr David Mintz (Chairperson (resigned 1 June 2021) Mr Graham Ingham (Treasurer) Mr Peter Baker (Chairman from 1 June 2021) Mr Alan McLean (resigned 11 April 2021) Mr Michael Taylor Ms Clare Webb Mr Jonathan Birt Mrs Marilyn Reeves Mr Alex Campkin (took office 18 May 2021) Bankers: Lloyds Bank PLC ## **Independent Examiner** Lesley Taylor Red Lodge Barn Middleton Moor Suffolk IP17 3LN Approved by order of the board of trustees on 10 October 2022 and signed on its behalf by Peter Baker Trustee ## **CONCERTS AT CRATFIELD CIO** ## **Annual Report and Financial Statement for the year ended 31[st] December 2021** ## **Independent Examiner's Report to the members of Concerts at Cratfield for the year ended 31[st] December 2021** I report on the accounts for the year ended 31[st] December 2021 ## **Respective responsibilities of Trustees of Concerts at Cratfield and the Independent Examiner:** The Trustees note that neither an audit nor an independent examination is required by the Charity Commission but take the view that an independent examination is desirable. It is my responsibility to Examine the accounts under Section 145 of the Charities Act (2011) Follow the procedures laid down by the Charity Commission under the Act State whether particular measures have come to my attention ## **Basis of the Independent Examiner's Statement** 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 Trustees and a comparison of financial statements with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosure in the financial statements and seeking explanation from the Trustees concerning such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in a full audit and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the financial statements. ## **Independent Examiner's Statement** In connection with my examination, no matters have come to my attention: 1. Which give me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements To keep accounting records in accordance with Section 145 of the Act To prepare financial statements which accord with the accounting records have not been met; or 2. To which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached. ## **L Taylor Red Lodge Barn, Middleton Moor, IP17 3LN** ## **10 October 2022** ## **CONCERTS AT CRATFIELD CIO ACCOUNTS 2021** ## **INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL STATEMENT** As I write the Cratfield 2022 has recently ended – the first full season since 2019. As everyone knows, the 2020 season had to be cancelled entirely and because of the continuing uncertainties at the beginning of 2021, the Trustees took the decision not to mount a full season in 2021. Instead, four concerts were mounted over two summer Sundays a month apart. This approach enabled us to bring Cratfield back in some form while keeping the financial risks to a minimum. From an artistic point of view this was a great success: although audience numbers were greatly reduced, the concerts were very well received, with those attending generally delighted to be back – even without the interval tea and cakes. And our decision to proceed cautiously enabled us to cover virtually all of our costs from current income, so leaving our reserves largely intact (we made a loss of £15.63 on the year). We also made a virtue out of necessity by acting to reduce many of our administrative costs (made all the more crucial because of the smaller number of Trustees). The dramatic changes in the use of online technology during the pandemic enabled us to start the process of moving many of our administrative functions online. Building up an email database meant we could contact the great majority of our regular supporters via email, thus saving some of our postage and printing costs. And the introduction of a new online ticketing system means that we have been able to make substantial savings on credit card commission charges and also meant that we could end our expensive contract with BT for a box office phone line which we no longer need. Some of these savings were immediate; others will become more obvious from 2022 onwards. The online ticketing system has two other advantages. First it makes payments more secure: Concerts at Cratfield has no access to credit card numbers which are encrypted by the payment provider – previously concert goers had to write their credit card details on the order form or give them over the phone. But the second advantage is that we get much more information about those buying tickets: an email address which enables us to add people to our mailing list (with their consent) and a postal address which tells us where concert goers are coming from and helps us target our promotion more effectively. Because of the structural changes in the way we operate we have also decided to streamline the way our accounts are presented so as to make it easier to see how we raise money and how we spend it. There is no change to the amount of detail we present: just a clearer picture of our overall financial position. Graham Ingham Treasurer ## **CONCERTS AT CRATFIELD CIO** ## **ACCOUNTS 2021** |**INCOME**|| |---|---| |**Membership subscriptions**|**£3874**| |**Donations**|**£600**| |**Ticket sales**|**£2576.25**| |**Petty cash paid in**|**£25**| |**Bank interest**|**£1.57**| |**TOTAL INCOME**|**£7076.82**| |**EXPENDITURE**|| |**Musician fees**|**£3660**| |**Payment to church for use of venue**|**£270**| |**Toilet hire**|**£624**| |**Making music membership**|| |**(including insurance)**|**£508.44**| |**New website design and subscription**|**£966**| |**Printing and postage**|**£396.63**| |**Accountants**|**£300**| |**Credit card fees and BT phone line**|**£88.90**| |**Purchase of new gazebos**|**£179.98**| |**Retirement gift for Trustee**|**£98.50**| |**TOTAL EXPENDITURE**|**£7092.45**| |**Net deficit over year of £15.63**|| |**BANK BALANCES**|| |**AT 1 JANUARY 2021**|**£16,177.92**| |**AT DECEMBER 31 2021**|**£16,162.29**| ## **CONCERTS AT CRATFIELD CIO ACCOUNTS 2021** ## **COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS YEARS** |**Total income**
**Total expenditure**
**Net surplus (loss)**|**2019**
**£29,780**
**£26,430**
**£3,350**|**2020**
**£11,170**
**£10,187**
**£983**|**2021**
**£7,077**
**£7,092**
**(£15)**| |---|---|---|---| **{Note all figures rounded to nearest £}**