UK Harmony Brigade
Registered Charity 1176276
Report of Trustees for 2022-2023
Objective
The UK Harmony Brigade’s objective is to further the education of the general public in all aspects of close-harmony singing and singing in the Barbershop Harmony style.
To achieve this, we organise an annual event that is open to applications from singers who wish to improve their learning, vocal and quartet-singing skills.
Structure
All trustees are unpaid volunteers, and additional unpaid volunteers are recruited from a pool of past participants to participate in organisation and preparation of the event.
We open registration many months in advance of the annual singing event, promoting it through social media and contact with part participants. Prospective participants apply for the limited places, and are screened to ensure a minimum of qualifications for quartet singing.
Participants receive a set of music and begin the task of learning this music. We provide guidance to new participants to improve their learning, and we promote privately-organised rehearsals both on line and in person.
Finances
The source of all financing for our annual operation is fees paid by the participants in our event. In addition to the required fees that are designed to cover the costs of the event on a break-even basis, participants are invited to contribute to a scholarship and hardship fund that allows us to offer places to young people or hardship cases at a reduced rate.
Costs
Our largest expenditure is for the accommodation and meal costs for participants. Sourcing our music (purchase of sheet music and learning tracks) and obtaining copyright licenses is another significant cost. Overhead expenses make up the balance of our costs, such as website, insurance, printing, sourcing of awards, and others.
Results
Our UK Harmony Brigade event, held at the University of Nottingham in February 2023 had 95 participants and achieved a high rating of 4.8 out of 5 on our feedback survey. Most participants expressed a desire or willingness to attend future brigade events.
The event included a contest judged by qualified judges from the national Barbershop associations, as well as an eventing show that was open to the public. The show helped motivate some members of the public to join us at future events, and participants all benefitted from a challenging learning experience.
Future
The Trustees approved plans to continue the annual event (the next scheduled for February 2024) as well as to add a “Treble Harmony Brigade” event (a similar event suing music suitable for upperrange voices).
UKHB Income and Expenditure 2023
| UKHB Income and Expenditure 2023 | UKHB Income and Expenditure 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Income | |||
| Harmony Brigade Subsciption | £5,420.00 | ||
| Hotel accommodation | £26,684.03 | ||
| Shirt sales | £250.00 | ||
| Other | £12.31 | ||
| £32,366.34 | |||
| Expenditure | |||
| Venue and accommodation | -£29,103.19 | ||
| Music | -£1,806.42 | ||
| Bank and payment charges | -£20.88 | ||
| Insurance | -£299.00 | ||
| Shirts | -£180.69 | ||
| Room/riser hire | -£350.00 | ||
| Concert | £0.00 | ||
| Miscellaneous | -£282.69 | ||
| -£32,042.87 | |||
| Surplus/(Excess) | £323.47 | ||
| Balance Sheet | |||
| Funds at Bank: | |||
| - Metro Bank | £5,345.36 | ||
| - Nationwide | £1,391.77 | ||
| - PayPal | £5,675.47 | ||
| £12,412.60 | |||
| Reserves | |||
| - UKHB Reserve | £9,866.78 | ||
| - Scholarship Fund | £2,545.82 | ||
| £12,412.60 |
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees
UK Harmony Brigade
On accounts for the 30 June 2023 Charity 1176276 year ended no (if any) Set out on pages 1 and 2 (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 30 June 2023.
Responsibilities and As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the basis of report accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters statement have come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that disclosed below) which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
-
the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
-
the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
-
the accounts did 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.
- Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.
Signed:[Catherine Philli][p][son ] Date: 26 May 2024
Name: Catherine Phillipson
Oct 2018
IER
1
Relevant professional qualification(s) or body
none
(if any):
Address: 82 St Ann St, Salisbury, SP1 2DX
Section B Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .
The charity uses three bank accounts:
- A Nationwide personal bank account belonging to the chairman and to which no other trustee has access. Transactions in this account are not regularly notified to the treasurer. - A MetroBank personal bank account belonging to the treasurer and to which no other trustee has access. - A Paypal account. Payments on each account can be authorised by the owner alone. The charity’s cash assets are split across the three accounts.
I have recommended setting up a business account for the charity and discontinuing the use of both the personal accounts.
Oct 2018
IER
2