## **Trustees Report for 2022/23 accounts** 20 June 2024 ## **1. INTRODUCTION** 2022/23 saw the completion of the programme supported by **Sustainability Programme Funding from Arts Council England** , which enabled the Foundation to make significant strides in the area of Children & Young People’s (CYP) Mental Health & Wellbeing (MHW) and create a more sustainable platform for future developments. Sing Up Foundation’s Sustainability Programme focused on 3 main areas, which collectively aimed to impact on improvements to CYP’s mental health and wellbeing through a better skilled and more knowledgeable workforce planning and delivering singing activities in this area: 1. **Resources** – curation and publication of song resources already existing within Sing Up’s library, repurposed and added to. 2. **Partnerships** – enabling greater depth and reach for this field of work, and new formal and informal expert networks of practitioners, researchers, health professionals, CYP, etc. 3. **Online skills sharing & training** – extending Sing Up’s teacher/practitioner network offer to include a digital space for collaboration, discussion and reflection, including CPD content. 2022/23 also saw continuing activity around the **legacy programme for World Voice** , a landmark international singing programme originally led by the British Council, the legacy of which – with a small amount of funding – was awarded to Sing Up Foundation to continue in a sustainable way. This included a commissioned research report from the University of Limerick into singing for young people who are displaced. **2. ACTIVITIES ACROSS THE YEAR** Supported by the ACE funding, 2022/23 saw a significant period of research and consultation with teachers, practitioners, mental health professionals, project managers and other stakeholders, to help inform the Foundation’s direction of travel. These included facilitated discussions about: - Pedagogy and Practice - Repertoire and Resources - Do, Know, Be – the effective practitioner - ‘Creative Vocals’ – creative singing (e.g. songwriting) to support MHW A key aim of the consultations was to inform the Foundation’s work around resource development and partnerships, focused towards the new online platform and a new podcast ( _Inspiring Voices_ ). The online platform (which launched in Spring 2024) was integrated into the existing SUF website rather than as a separate project. This was felt to be better for sustainability and to make for a more intuitive user experience. The site was created to feature User Guides with pre-selected content, to make it easier for new users to find their way around, with users able to create their own library and checklists. The site was constructed and maintained by the Joint Heads of the Foundation, with expert input only where needed, to keep design, construction, and ongoing costs as low as possible. Content included commissioned new resources from a range of partners to promote understanding around singing for mental health, and build up a bank of knowledge around effective practice. In May and June 2023, Sing Up Foundation partnered with the Singing for Health Network to run a 2-day online conference on singing for children & young people’s mental health & wellbeing. This featured a session on the University of Limerick report, chaired by SUF trustee Andrew McWilliams. September saw the launch of Series 1 of the Sing Up Foundation podcast, _Inspiring Voices_ , giving insights into the extraordinary work of teachers, music leaders and researchers in using singing as a tool to support mental health and wellbeing. Recognising that fundraising would play an important role in the future development of the Foundation, Sixth Voice Consultancy were commissioned to create a fundraising strategy for the Foundation. **3. COMMENTARY ON THE 2022/23 ACCOUNTS** ## **Income** ACE Sustainability Funding was awarded to Sing Up Group Ltd on behalf of the Sing Up Foundation. Receipt of this income was by transfer from Sing Up Group Ltd and is shown as Restricted Income during the period (£117,211 – S02). Further transfers of funds from Sing Up Group Ltd to cover Foundation costs were by donation, and shown as Unrestricted Income (£10,375), together with £96 of income through external donations (S01). The staff costs of £26,408 were all met by Sing Up Group Ltd, shown as Other Income (S06) [and Other Expenditure (S11)]. ## **Expenditure** Expenditure against Raised Funds (S08) included Unrestricted spend related to commissioned website content from Nebula Productions (£1,138) and Restricted funds from the ACE programme used to commission a fundraising strategy from Sixth Voice Consultancy (£8,000). Expenditure against Charitable Activities (S09) included Unrestricted spend on training and bank transfer fees (£540), while Restricted funds accounted for all remaining expenditure (£122,363), which included: - ACE Project Lead fees - Roundtable consultation events – costs and participant fees - Podcast guest fees, editing and technical - Advisory Group fees - Website expenses – costs, UX and UI consultants - Photography and other marketing assets - World Voice costs – University of Limerick fees Other Expenditure of £26,408 (S11) is for staff costs which were all met by Sing Up Group Ltd, [shown as Other Income (S06)]. The above activity generated a small deficit for the year of £4,360 (S22). Offset against brought forward funds from 2021/22 of £38,900, the year closed with carried forward funds of £34,540 (S24). Signed: Jeremy Sleith Chair of Trustees COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 10364807 Sing Up Foundation Company Limited by Guarantee Filleted Unaudited Financial Statements 30 September 2023 TRA HAN AND Chartered accountants Epworth House 7 Lucy Street Chester le Streel Co. Durham DH3 3UP Sing Up Foundation Company Limited by Guarantee Statement of Financial Position 30 September 2023 2￿23 2022 Current assets 34.540 38.gjo Nel current assets 34.540 38.900 Total assets less Current Ilabllitles 34,540 38.900 Capital and reserves 34,540 38,900 For the year ending 30 September 2023 the company was entitled lo exemption from audit under seclion 477 of the Ci)fflpanies Acl 2CQ6 relaling lo small companies. Director's responsibilities.. The members have not required the company lo obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year in question in accordance with section 476- The director acknO￿edgeS his responsibililies for COmp￿.ng y￿th the requirements of the Act wth respecl to accounling records and the preparat￿n of financial statements. These financial slalements have been prepared in accordance with the micro-enlty provisions and have been delivered in accordance with the provisions applicable to o)mpanies subject lo the small companies regime. These financial stslements were approved by the board of directors and aulhorised for issue on 27 June 2024, and are signed on behalf of the t*)ard ty. M J James Director Company registration number.. 10364807 The company is a prwate ￿rnpanY limf(ed by guarantee, regISter￿j in England and Wales. The address of the regislered office is Gateshead IntematK)nal Business Centre, Mulgrave Terrace, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, NE38 7QT. Sin Inde U Foundation Limited endent Examiners Re rt fo¥ the ear ended 30th Se tember 2023 I report on the accounts of the Chafity for the year ended 30th September 2023 which are sel out on the attached pages. Res ective res onsibilities of trustees and examiner The charity's Iruslees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charitys trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 14412) of the Charities Act 2011 and that an independent examination is needed. It is my Testx)nsibility to examine the accounts (under section 145 of the 2011 Act): follow the procedures laid down in the General Direcbons gwen by the Charity Commissioners {under seth'on 145{51{b} of the 2011 Act).. and stsle whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of inde endent examlnerfs ststernen My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Cornmissioners. An examination includes a rewew of the accounts.ng 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 you as Iruslees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequenuy no opinion is gNen as to whether the accounts present a 'lrue and fair Vie￿ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. Inde endent exarninerfs statement In connection with my examination. no matter has come lo my attention which gtve me Cause to believe that in any material respect the accounting records were not kept in accordan￿ wth secb'on 130 of the charit￿S Act., or the accounts did not accord with the ￿cOuntrng records," or the accounts do not compty with the applicable requirements conceming the fi)m and content of accounts set out in the Charities Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fairf vtew which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examinalton. I have no COn￿rn$ and have come across no other matters in conneclson with the examination lo which attention should be drawn in this retx)rt in order lo enable a proper understanding of the accounts lo be reached. ,.IIA,.I fo aughan B J Slraughan and Co Chartered Accountants Epworth House 7 Lucy Street Chester le Street County Durham DH3 3UP Dale