## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
**From: 1/1/25 (Period start date ) To: 31/12/25 (Period end date)**
## **Charity name: Seed Studios CIO**
## **Charity registration number: 1172658**
## **Objectives and Activities**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|The purpose of Seed Studios CIO is to promote
social inclusion for the public benefit by
preventing people from becoming socially
excluded, relieving the needs of those people
who are socially excluded and assisting them to
integrate into society by providing a
community music and arts service.|
|Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or
services identified in the
accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|We have improved local health, creativity and
connections through two main activities.
• Provision of weekly volunteer-led Community
Music Wellbeing Workshops which are free,
open to all adults and suitable for all abilities
• Provision of 1-to-1 music sessions by
sessional workers for adults referred to Seed
Studios through local health and community
partners|
|Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|In planning and decision-making, the Trustees
kept in mind the Charity Commissions guidance
on public benefit.|
## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Policy on grant making|Para 1.38|N/A|
|Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|Para 1.38|N/A|
||Para 1.38|Volunteers remained at the heart of Seed
Studios in 2025, playingan essential role in|
|Contribution made by
volunteers||delivering a vibrant programme of musical
activities across Trafford, contributing over
1,000 hours of volunteer-led sessions,
highlighting the incredible commitment and
talent within our community.|
|---|---|---|
|Other|||
## **Achievements and Performance**
||SORP
reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of
the main
achievements
of the charity,
identifying the
difference the
charity’s work
has made to
the
circumstances
of its
beneficiaries
and any wider
benefits to
society as a
whole.|Para 1.20|**Headlines:**
Secured a TNL 3 year Reaching Communities grant, which
will help to cover staff costs until Dec 2027
Attracted six additional grants totalling nearly £30,000
Increased footfall by nearly 600 to just short of 2,600
attendances in total with more than 250 in June, our
busiest month so far.
Ten different workshop sessions per week with over 20
hours of provision from Beginners Guitar to the Ukelele
Singalong.
Our volunteers delivered over 1,000 hours of free
workshops in the year.
90 participant musicians had the chance to perform in
front of an audience, many for the 1sttime.
We launched a new songwriting workshop called The
Orchard which has already established a vibrant and
growing community of core members.
We were able to secure funding to continue our social
prescribing work for the next year with the aim to be
delivering 7 hours a week by the end of 2026.
Developed 6 new partnerships: Reform Radio, Old
Trafford Limelight, Dementia Disco, Trafford Choices,
Altrincham Priory and the Contact Hostel.
Maintained our existing partnerships with: String of Hearts
CIC, Bluesci Support, Manchester International Roots
Orchestra, Trafford Community Collective and others.
We delivered open mic events at Limelight Old Trafford in
March; Broomwood in June
Manchester International Roots Orchestra (MIRO)
delivering a series of Roma music workshops at our Old
Trafford and Broomwood studios.
In November, members of our community were invited to
perform and close Trafford Council’s Arts, Health, Action
Day.|
|
Delivered the Celebrate Seed Studios event in December|
|---|
|at Band on the Wall, that saw over 40 musicians perform|
|in seven different groups on the iconic stage, many|
|performing for the first time and over 100 audience|
|members (not including musicians) attended.|
|We predominantly worked with people aged between 35 and 75|
|plus. This is a more diverse range from previous years but still|
|highlights that an area for development is to increase engagement|
|amongst 18 to 35-year-olds. With this in mind, we are in the|
|process of setting up a new partnership with nearby Gorse Hill|
|Studios, who have spare capacity, and generally work with|
|younger people|
In common with many smaller charities, we are very focused on ‘doing it’ but sometimes less good at ‘recording it’ and showing what we’ve achieved. We do have an ongoing informal debate with our volunteers and participants, but recognise that this will be an area of improvement for 2026.
## **Financial Review**
|**Financial Review**|||
|---|---|---|
|Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|The charity had bank balances totalling
£41,418 at the end of the year. The charity
had receipts totalling £37,263 for the year.
The charity had payments totalling £59,273 for
theyear.|
|Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|The reserves policy for this financial year was
to maintain sufficient reserves to meet
statutory obligations regarding staff
redundancy and notice periods, as well basic
operational costs for up to a year of insurance,
bank charges and basic accountancy.|
|Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|£6,043|
|Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22||
|Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24||
|Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23||
## **Reference and Administrative details**
|Charityname|Seed Studios CIO|
|---|---|
|Other name the charityuses|Seed Studios|
|Registered charitynumber|1172658|
|Charity’s principal address|54-56, Seymour Grove,
Old Trafford,
Manchester
M16 0LN|
## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
|1
2
3
4|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not**
**for whole year**|**Name of person (or body)**
**entitled to appoint**
**trustee (ifany)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Andrew Hodson|Chair|||
||LucyKohoutek Power||||
||PhilipHandscomb|Treasurer|||
||Ann-Marie Crowley||||
## **Declarations**
**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees**
**Signature(s)** Andrew Hodson **Full name(s)** Andrew Christopher Hodson **Position (eg Secretary,** Chair **Chair, etc) Date** 20/8/26
Seed Studios Management accounts 1/1/25 to 30/04/26
## **Seed Studios Management accounts**
Jan 1st 2025-Dec 31st 2025
|**Income**||
|---|---|
|OpeningBalance|£41,418|
|Grants|£34,610|
|Donations|£2,504|
|Interest|£59|
|Sundries|£90|
|||
|**Total**|**£78,681**|
|||
|||
|**Expenditure**||
|Staff Costs|£39,788|
|CommunityConnector Costs|£5,078|
|WellbeingSupport|£4,372|
|Facilitator Costs|£3,357|
|Volunteer Expences|£1,462|
|Subs & Fees|£1,217|
|Events & Promotion|£2,814|
|Equipment|£1,185|
|||
|**Total**|**£59,273**|
|||
|**Balance**|**£19,408**|
|BB 31/12/25|£19,408|
CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES
Independent examinerfs report on the
accounts
Section A
Independent Examiner s Report
Report to the trustees
On accounts for the year
ended
Charlty no
{rf any)
Sot out on pages
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
charity (Ihe Trusf) for year end8d
R•sponsibilities and
basis of report
As the charity's Iwslees. you are reskxK6ible for the preparation of the
accounts in acC(Kdan with th8 requirements of the Charities Act 2011
rthe ALY).
I report in res of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out
under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination. I
have followed all the applicable Directions gtven by the Charity Commission
under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent I have completed my examination. I confirrn that no material matters have
examinerfs statement COFne to my attenti in conneckn wFEh the examination whth gtves me
cause to believe that in. any material respect:
the acrnuntFng records were not kept in accordance with seCtn 130
of the Chars15es Act., or
the accounts did not accord wlth the accountlng records: or
acrJJunts di(1 not ccffnply with the applicable requirements
ncerning the fomi and cuilent of accounts s8t out in the Charities
(Acry)unts and RetM)rts) Regulations 2C()8 other ttn any requirement
Ihat the accounts give a Mrue and fairf view which is not a matter
considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no nCnS and have o)me a(xoss no other matters in connection
with the examination to whtch attention shcyjld be drawn in this report in
order
enable a proper understanding of ac(t)unts to be r8ached.
Signed:
Name:
Relevant professional
quallfication(s) or l)ody
(ff any):
Ejt. m.pki •)[wJ
I 0£
IER
Oct 2018