Natural Voice Network Charitable Incorporated Organisation
Registered charity 1171644
Trustees annual report and Financial statements for the year ended 31 July 2024
Natural Voice Network CIO
Annual report of the trustees for the year ended 31 July 2024
The trustees present their annual report together with financial statements for the period under review. The trustees have adopted Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) and the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK (FRS 102) in preparing the annual report and financial statements of the charity.
The attached financial statements cover the year ended 31 July 2024.
Objectives and activities
The objects of the charity, as stated in its governing document, are the advancement of the art of natural voice singing with the public through the maintenance, development and improvement of the practice of natural voice and community song, and in particular the development of practitioners.
These objectives are achieved by:
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providing opportunities for practitioners to share information, ideas, materials, skills and experiences
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organising and supporting training events and conferences
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publicising and promoting the work of the organisation and the activities of singing practitioners and choirs.
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seeking funding and acquiring resources to support the work of the charity and its members
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promoting and developing good practice and high standards in the field of natural voice and community song, by encouraging members to undertake training and continuing professional development
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producing publications which are a resource for practitioners and choirs
The trustees have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the Charity Commission in exercising their powers and duties.
Achievements and performance
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Supporting the 700+ members to find training and support locally to them, using a monthly email that highlights all the training opportunities offered by members
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Promoting natural voice singing by maintaining a regular newsletter including all the opportunities for singing, nationally and internationally
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Arranging an in-person Annual Gathering of 150 NVN practitioners, offering the opportunity for networking, CPD through workshops, and resource sharing
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Arranging regular online workshops on a variety of themes including: Disrupting Whiteness, Singing and Menopause, Inclusivity Training, Singing and Mindfulness, Singer-Centred Leading: prioritising singer needs and accessibility, Drumming for Community Singing and Postcards from the Colonies: community singing in Aotearoa (New Zealand)
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Maintaining the NVN website which highlights the work of the Network, enables members and nonmembers to find song leaders and singing groups in their area, and enables members to find resources for their professional development through the collections of articles, research reports, toolkits, blogs, podcasts, and other resources
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Continuing the support to members in the Facebook members-only discussion forum where resources and knowledge can be shared and good practice disseminated
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Using the Anti-Racism and Cultural Honouring (ARCH) levy to support the attendance of 3 Persons of the Global Majority at the 2024 Annual Gathering
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Supporting the Black Lives Matter Commissioning project by receiving the payments for the songs
created and sold through Choir Community and passing these on to the composers, worldwide
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Reviewing the financial state of NVN and starting to move to an automated accounting process
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Identifying the need for a review of our policy and guidance documents
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In January 2024, the Trustee Board cancelled the process for the election of new Trustees, in breach of the NVN Constitution. Subsequently, the membership was made aware of difficulties within the Trustee Board which affected functionality and led to the resignation of some Trustees
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Following requests from the membership, a General Meeting was held on 19.5.24 and a new Interim Trustee Board (ITB) appointed to take over until the election of a new Trustee Board in January 2025. All remaining Trustees resigned. The ITB included four members who had previous experience on the Trustee Board, or the previous Executive Committee, and two members with experience of being a Charity Trustee with other organisations
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The new Trustees immediately instituted working principles and procedures for themselves, began a review of recent events for the membership, and undertook a fundamental appraisal of procedures to ensure a solid foundation for the new Trustee Board
Financial review
The principal funding source of the charity is membership subscriptions.
A summary of the charity’s financial transactions during the year is as follows:
| 22-23 | 23-24 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||
| 72992 | Incoming resources | 80031 | |
| 82044 | Resources expended | 80881 | |
| _____ | _____ | ||
| £ | (9052) | Net (defcit) | £ (850) |
| 32194 | Balance at start of year | 23142 | |
| _____ | _____ | ||
| £ | 23142 | Balance at end of year | £ 22292 |
| _____ | _____ | ||
| 674 | Membership at start of year | 667 | |
| 667 | Membership at end of year | 744 |
Reserves
The charity aims to hold a level of reserves to continue its activities by covering operational costs and emergency expenditure, to manage cash flow and mitigate any downturn in income. The charity is also obliged to pay advance deposits on venues for events and if an event did not take place, the charity might forfeit the deposits and be liable for other associated costs. The trustees have agreed that the charity’s bank account should not fall below a figure representing 50% of annual membership income. The trustees consider the current level of general reserves is necessary and appropriate taking into account continuing commitments.
Structure, governance and management
Natural Voice Network is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) with voting members other than its trustees, formed on 16 February 2017. It is a registered charity in England and Wales (number 1171644) and operates under a constitution adopted upon incorporation.
The charity’s principal address is 10 St. Albans Road, Sheffield, S10 4DP.
The charity is managed by trustees appointed at a general meeting by the members. Additional trustees may be co-opted by existing trustees, but must be confirmed in office by members at the subsequent AGM. The constitution limits the term of individual trustees to periods of four consecutive years. At each AGM one third of the trustees retire by rotation but are eligible for re-appointment if not at the end of their term. The trustees meet several times a year in person or by video call.
Trustees who served during the during the year under review were:
| Co-opted | Appointed | Stood down | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jessica Baker | 09.01.21 | 20.03.24 | |
| Tembre de Carteret | 14.01.23 | 19.05.24 | |
| James Dawes-Hughes | 09.01.22 | 11.01.24 | |
| Siobhan Donnelly | 09.01.22 | 10.05.24 | |
| Lisa Doscher | 30.09.22 | 14.01.23 | 20.03.24 |
| Satnam Galsian | 09.01.22 | 27.11.23 | |
| Rose Hodgson | 14.01.23 | 19.05.24 | |
| Neal Jolly (treasurer) | 08.06.22 | 14.01.23 | 19.05.24 |
| Roxane Smith | 11.01.20 | 13.01.24 | |
| Kate Valentine | 14.01.23 | 19.05.24 | |
| Omolara Awen | 19.05.24 | ||
| Clara Clay | 19.05.24 | ||
| Rebecca Denniff | 19.05.24 | ||
| Aaron Evans | 19.05.24 | 21.05.24 | |
| Sarah Harman | 19.05.24 | ||
| Una McCann | 19.05.24 | ||
| Lucky Moyo | 19.05.24 | 19.08.24 | |
| Ryan O’Riordan (treasurer) | 19.05.24 | ||
| Andrea Small | 19.05.24 | ||
| Sorrel Wilde | 19.05.24 |
No remuneration or waiving of subscriptions were given to trustees. Details of expenses reimbursed
The trustees declare that they have approved the above report. Signed on behalf of the Interim Trustee Board
Ryan O’Riordan Trustee
Date: 3 December 2024
Natural Voice Network CIO Statement of financial activities for the year ended
31 July 2024
| 22-23 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| note | ||||
| £ | £ | |||
| Incoming resources | ||||
| Charitable activities: | ||||
| 30123 | Membership subscriptions | 31980 | 1 | |
| 37478 | Events | 41332 | 2 | |
| 2146 | Publications | 2508 | 3 | |
| 60 | Workshops | 500 | ||
| 3185 | ARCH levy | 3550 | 5 | |
| Donations | 161 | |||
| ___ | ___ | |||
| £ | 72992 | £ 80031 | ||
| ___ | ___ | |||
| Resources expended | ||||
| Charitable activities: | ||||
| 31782 | General charitable activities | 31850 | 4 | |
| 43363 | Events | 43428 | 2 | |
| 1036 | Publications | 1015 | 3 | |
| 500 | Workshops | 1848 | ||
| 1774 | Event bursaries including annual gathering | 1000 | ||
| 3589 | ARCH grants including annual gathering | 1740 | 5 | |
| ___ | ___ | |||
| £ | 82044 | £ 80881 | ||
| ___ | ___ | |||
| £ | (9052) | Net movement in funds (defcit) | £ (850) | |
| 32194 | Balance at 1 August 2023 | 23142 | ||
| ___ | ___ | |||
| £ | 23142 | Balance at 31 July 2024 | £ 22292 | |
| ___ | ___ |
Natural Voice Network CIO Balance sheet 31 July 2024
| Natural Voice Network CIO Balance sheet 31 July 2024 |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22-23 | ||||||
| note | ||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| Current assets | ||||||
| 1644 | Stocks | 2258 | ||||
| 3396 | Debtors & prepayments | 23449 | 6 | |||
| 36313 | Cash at bank | 17725 | ||||
| _ | _ | |||||
| 41353 | 43432 | |||||
| Creditors: amounts falling due within one | year | |||||
| 17322 | Amounts received in advance | 20408 | 7 | |||
| 888 | Creditors & accruals | 732 | ||||
| 18210 | ______ | ______ | 21140 | |||
| _ | _ | |||||
| £ | 23143 | Total net assets | £ 22292 | |||
| _ | _ | |||||
| Funds of the charity | ||||||
| 1631 | Restricted funds | 3441 | 5 | |||
| 21511 | Unrestricted funds | 18851 | ||||
| _ | _ | |||||
| £ | 23142 | £ 22292 | ||||
| _ | _ | |||||
| Approved by the trustees on 27 November 2024 | ||||||
| Signed on their behalf by | ||||||
| Ryan O’Riordan | ||||||
| Trustee/Treasurer |
Natural Voice Network CIO Notes to Accounts
for the year ended 31 July 2024
22-23
1 Membership income
| Number of members: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 July 2022 | 674 | |||
| 31 July 2023 | 667 | |||
| 31 July 2024 | 744 | |||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 29962 | Membership subscriptions | 31827 | ||
| 161 | E-mail services | 153 | ||
| __ | __ | |||
| £ | 30123 | £ | 31980 | |
| __ | __ | |||
| Subscriptions are allocated to each accounting year with the amount | ||||
| relating to the subsequent year shown as received in advance (note 7). |
| 2 | Events | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual gathering | |||||
| 37478 | Fees received from participants (including | bursaries) | 41332 | ||
| Less: expenses: | |||||
| 31383 | Venue hire | 34639 | |||
| 4313 | Event organiser | 3004 | |||
| 834 | Organising committee accommodation | 1080 | |||
| 2251 | Tutor fees, travel & accommodation | 656 | |||
| 1710 | Recording, videography, streaming | 900 | |||
| 335 | Sundry expenses and offce costs | 311 | |||
| 707 | Payment processing fees | 774 | |||
| 41533 | __ | __ | 41364 | ||
| __ | __ | ||||
| £ (4055) | Operating defcit for year | £ (32) | |||
| Additional expenditure: | |||||
| 1560 | Administration charge | 1640 | |||
| 270 | Accommodation for administrator | 270 | |||
| 1830 | __ | __ | 1910 | ||
| _ | _ | ||||
| £ (5885) | Defcit after additional expenditure | £ (1942) | |||
| _ | _ | ||||
| Yorkshire Regional Day expenditure | 154 | ||||
| _ | |||||
| Total | |||||
| 37478 | Income | 41332 | |||
| 43363 | Expenditure | 43428 | |||
| __ | __ | ||||
| £ (5885) | Defcit for year | £ (2096) | |||
| __ | __ |
Natural Voice Network CIO Notes to Accounts for the year ended 31 July 2024
| Natural Voice Network CIO Notes to Accounts for the year ended 31 July 2024 |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22-23 | ||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| 3 | Publications | |||||
| To Grace the Earth | ||||||
| 690 | Sales | 940 | ||||
| Less : expenditure | ||||||
| 14 | Payment processing fees | 20 | ||||
| __ | __ | |||||
| £ 676 | Surplus for year | £ 920 | ||||
| __ | __ | |||||
| This Room Sings | ||||||
| 1456 | Sales | 1568 | ||||
| Less : expenditure | ||||||
| 659 | Production costs | 721 | ||||
| 168 | Administration charge | 183 | ||||
| 169 | Postage and packing | 73 | ||||
| 26 | Payment processing fees | 18 | ||||
| 1022 | __ | __ | 995 | |||
| __ | __ | |||||
| £ 434 | Surplus for year | £ 573 | ||||
| __ | __ | |||||
| Total | ||||||
| 2146 | Income | 2508 | ||||
| 1036 | Expenditure | 1015 | ||||
| __ | __ | |||||
| £ 1110 | Surplus for year | £ 1493 | ||||
| __ | __ | |||||
| 4a | Resources expended on general charitable | activities | ||||
| 8764 | Contractor costs: administration | 9483 | ||||
| 2317 | Contractor costs: bookkeeping | 3621 | ||||
| 302 | General travel and related expenses | 162 | ||||
| 1946 | Trustees' expenses (see note below) | 1309 | ||||
| 2430 | Accommodation for trustees at annual gathering | 2430 | ||||
| 1791 | Trustee training | 0 | ||||
| Mediation and legal fees | 1608 | |||||
| 428 | Room hire | 0 | ||||
| 7503 | Members' insurance scheme | 8116 | ||||
| 168 | Website management & hosting | 2040 | ||||
| 2948 | Website development | 150 | ||||
| 225 | Offce costs | 239 | ||||
| 625 | Independent accounts examination | 675 | ||||
| 1017 | Payment processing fees | 848 | ||||
| 835 | Software costs | 887 | ||||
| 83 | Subscriptions | 82 | ||||
| 400 | Consultancy fees – ARCH levy | 200 | ||||
| __ | __ | |||||
| £ | 31782 | £ 31850 | ||||
| __ | __ |
Natural Voice Network CIO Notes to Accounts for the year ended 31 July 2024
22-23
- £ £
£
£
4b Trustees' expenses
Trustees are reimbursed for expenses incurred in the course of carrying out their duties: travel based on a mileage rate of 45ppm or fares incurred, other expenses based on invoices produced.
1088 Travel 904 444 Subsistence 405 414 Accommodation 0 1946 _ _ 1309 __
No remuneration or waiving of subscriptions were given. Attendance at a the annual gathering (accommodation cost £2430) is provided to enable attendance at the AGM and associated trustees meeting and facilitate interaction with members.
5 Restricted Funds
Anti Racism & Cultural Honouring 2035 Balance brought forward 1631 3185 Membership levy 3550 (3589) Less: grants made (1740) _ _ £ 1631 Balance carried forward £ 3441 _ _
6 Debtors and prepayments
2993 Annual gathering 20250 Insurance 2843 403 Subscriptions 356 _ _ £ 3396 £ 23449 _ _
Advance payment was made in respect of the Annual Gathering to be held in January 2025, which could be considered a material risk. At the date of accounts approval, the trustees are not aware of any realised risk.
7 Amounts received in advance
£ 17322
Membership subscriptions allocated to subsequent year £ 20408
Natural Voice Network CIO Accounting policies Year ended 31 July 2024
Summary of significant accounting policies
a) General information and basis of preparation
The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) effective 1 January 2015 as updated through Update Bulletin 1, published on 2 February 2016, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Charities Act 2011, and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (GAAP).
The charity does not include a cash flow statement as it is applying FRS 102 Section 1A.
The financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention modified to include certain items at fair value. The financial statements are prepared in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity.
The significant accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies are consistently applied to all years presented unless otherwise stated.
b) Funds
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity and which have not been designated for other purposes. Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised or allocated by the charity for particular purposes.
c) Incoming resources
All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when the charity is legally entitled to the income after any performance conditions have been met, the amount can be measured reliably and it is probable that the income will be received.
Membership subscriptions are apportioned to each accounting year with the amount relating to the subsequent year shown as received in advance (note 6).
d) Resources expended
All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis. Expenditure is recognised where there is a legal or constructive obligation to make payments to third parties, it is probable that the settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Where deposits are paid for services to be delivered after the year end, and at the time of accounts preparation have been delivered or there is reasonable expectation that the services will be delivered, these are allocated to the subsequent year and are therefore included as prepayments (note 5).
Grants payable to third parties are within the charitable objectives. Where unconditional grants are offered, this is accrued as soon as the recipient is notified of the grant, as this gives rise to a reasonable expectation that the recipient will receive the grant. Where grants are conditional to performance then the grant is only accounted for when payment becomes due, but is noted as a capital commitment if significant.
e) Going concern
The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis as the trustees believe that no material uncertainties exist. The trustees have considered the level of funds held and the expected level of income and expenditure for twelve months from authorising these financial statements. The budgeted income and expenditure is sufficient with the level of reserves for the charity to be able to continue as a going concern.
Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Natural Voice Network CIO for the year ended 31 July 2024
Respective responsibilities of treasurer and examiner
The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Act and that an independent examination is needed. An audit is not required by the charity’s constitution.
Basis of independent examiner’s statement
It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,
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to follow the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Act, and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention
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 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
I confirm that in the course of my examination, no matters have come to my attention that give me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Christopher Lee Cider Mill Cottage, Haw Bridge, Tirley, Gloucester, GL19 4HJ 5 December 2024