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2025-08-31-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report & Financial Statement

1 September 2024 to 31 August 2025

Charity number: 1177728

Contents

Reference & administrative information Page 3
Trustees’ Report Page 4
Overview Page 4
Deliverfunding to young artists in Suffolk who need it Page 6
● Overview Page 6
● SMART Grants Page 8
● SMART Scholarships Page 9
Build and maintain funds to support our mission Page 9
Grow anengaged membershipto support our fundraising activity Page 10
Build astrong identity Page 12
● Building our profile and telling a clear story about our work Page 12
● Trustees & governance Page 12
Treasurer’s Report Page 14
Statement of financial activities for the year ending 31st August 2025 Page 14
Treasurer’s Statement Page 15
Reserves Page 16
Get involved Page 17
Join us Page 17
Volunteer your time Page 17
Spread the word Page 17
Fundraise for us Page 17
Set up a regular donation Page 19
Make a one-off donation Page 20
Shop with EasyFundraising Page 21
Leave us a gift in your will Page 21
Become a trustee Page 21
Find out more Page 22
Flyer - join us as a member Page 23
Flyer - join us as a Youth Trustee Page 24

SMART Annual Report 2024/25 Page 2

Reference and administrative information

Elected Trustees

Elected Trustees Elected Trustees
Ms Rebecca (Becci) Reidy Co-Chair
Miss Victoria (Vicky) James Co-Chair & Grants Officer (resigned 4 February 2025)
Mrs Clare Lewis Co-Chair_(from 4 February 2025)_& General Secretary
Mr William Peall Vice Chair & Designated Safeguarding Officer
Mr Howard Brialey Treasurer
Mrs Wendy James Trustee_(until 4 February 2025) & Grants Officer(from 4_
February 2025)
Mrs Carly Markkanen Membership Secretary & Safeguarding Lead
Miss Eleanor Conroy Fundraising Officer (elected 23 December 2024)

Nominated Trustees

Nominated Trustees Nominated Trustees
Mr Ben Chadwick Head of County Music Service
Mr Chris Greenhill Peter Youngs Memorial Trust Representative1
Miss Morgan Barber Youth Trustee2

Office Address: SMART, ℅ Mr W Peall, 1 Boudicca Road, Suffolk Central Business Park, Stowmarket, IP14 1WF

Charity number: 1177728

Independent Examiner: Kevin Boom

Bankers: Lloyds Bank Plc, Chelmsford Legg St Osc, 1 Legg St, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 1JS

Charity’s Object: To relieve the needs of young people from Suffolk who have needs by reason of youth; in particular, but not exclusively, by the provision of grants to access or participate in art in its widest form, including music.

Constitution : SMART is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation under our Constitution adopted by the Trustees on 26 March 2018, available on the SMART website

1 Please note that the 2023/24 Annual Report incorrectly listed Mr Chris Greenhill as an Elected Trustee rather than a Nominated Trustee 2 Miss Morgan Barber resigned as Youth Trustee after 31 August 2025 and became an Elected Trustee for the Financial Year 2025-26

SMART Annual Report 2024/25 Page 3

Trustees’ Report

Overview

This report covers the activities of SMART during the 2024/25 financial year, from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2025. SMART operates under the following framework, set by the trustees in 2021/22:

We strongly believe that all young people should have access to artistic opportunities, regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, class, disability, religious beliefs, race or ethnicity.

The trustees have complied with our duty to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit, when preparing this report, setting SMART’s strategy, conducting SMART’s activities, and exercising our powers and duties.

During the 2024/25 financial year, the trustees have continued to structure our work around four strategic pillars to deliver SMART’s mission. As SMART’s name and work are becoming better known around Suffolk, we are seeing a steady stream of grant applications, and are receiving approaches from potential donors.

From our inception to the end of the 24/25 financial year we have now:

We are grateful for the time that our trustees, members and supporters have contributed to SMART during the year, to enable progress against each of our strategic aims.

SMART Annual Report 2024/25 Page 4

Highlights include:

- 97.7% of our spending went directly to young people in Suffolk
- Year-on-year increase in:
-
number of grant applications received
-
number of grants awarded
-
total value of grants awarded (£)
- Increased the depth of our support in the Waveney area of Suffolk, with 7 grants from
our PYMT (Peter Youngs Memorial Trust) funds.
- We awarded over £17,800 in grants, to 40 successful applicants
- We welcomed 2 new scholars to our scholarship programme, and supported a third
scholar for the fourth year of their SMART scholarship, with a total scholarship funding
of over £2,600
- The growing stream of grant applications demonstrates that there is an unmet need in
Suffolk which we are positioned to support
-
-		 We welcomed 2 new scholars to our scholarship programme, and supported a third
scholar for the fourth year of their SMART scholarship, with a total scholarship funding
of over £2,600
The growing stream of grant applications demonstrates that there is an unmet need in
Suffolk which we are positioned to support
● Grow an engagedmembershipto drive fundraising activity
- Maintained an engaged and stable membership, with newsletters and regular social
media updates
- Member events throughout the year included:
-
Performance at Stonham Barns Christmas Market - December 2024
-
Performance at Helmingham Hall Illuminated Garden Trail - December 2024
-
AGM, Christmas Raffle and Open Rehearsal of Suffolk County Music Ensembles -
December 2024
-
Performance at First Light Festival - June 2025
● Build and maintainfundsto support our mission
- Although income was lower than in 2023/24, we were able to pursue our strategy of
disbursing our restricted funds, while still making grants from our unrestricted funds and
maintaining sufficient unrestricted reserves
- Maintained a range of income sources
- Our Christmas raffle and collection was a significant source of income, bringing in nearly
£600
- Collections at other concerts continue to be an important source of income
- Member and supporter donations (via Paypal) also continue to be an important source
of income. We were anticipating a private donation of £2,500 during 2024/25 which was
actually received into our accounts on the first day of the 2025/26 financial year.
- Maintained a low & stable costs base
- Our focus is now on growing our unrestricted funds to enable us to support more of
Suffolk’s young people across a wide range of arts opportunities - in particular we will be
focussing on regular giving opportunities across the next year
● Build a strongidentity
- We were chosen by the Chair of Suffolk County Council, Jessica Fleming, as one of her
two charities of the year
- We broadened our trustee skillset, with recruitment of a fundraising trustee with a strong
background in fundraising for a major London orchestra
- We continue to receive unsolicited approaches from potential partners and supporters
and grant recipients, evidence that our reputation continues to grow
- Soft launch of our LinkedIn page, to enable us to reach a wider audience of potential
trustees and donors
- Leadership transition: Vicky James stepped down as Co-Chair to pursue a career
opportunity overseas, and Clare Lewis stepped in to join Becci Reidy as Co-Chair.

SMART Annual Report 2024/25 Page 5

Deliver funding to young artists in Suffolk who need it

Overview

Grants awarded (£)3 Grants:£17,809.06
(2023/24:£9,739.40)
SMART:£6,028.00
FoSYM:£8,465.74
PYMT:£3,315.32
Grants awarded (#)
Total:40		 SMART: 13
FoSYM: 204
PYMT: 7
Scholarships awarded (£) Scholarships:£2,658.30_(2023/24:£2,848.95)_
Scholarships awarded (#) 3
Average award amount (£) Grants: £445.23
Scholarships: £886.10
Arts disciplines supported Music (Classical, Jazz, Rock, Singer-Songwriter),
Theatre, Musical Theatre

Awareness of SMART and our work continues to grow, as does the continuing need for funding for arts opportunities. We saw a significant increase in the amounts of funding sought by applicants compared to previous years. We received 44 grant applications for activity taking place in this financial year, an increase of 15 on the previous year. Although not in a position to meet all of the demand for funding, we were able to deliver a significant increase in the funding awarded to grant recipients and SMART scholars, compared to previous years.

3 This table details awards made for activity taking place in the 2024/25 academic year. Some financial transactions may have taken place before/after the 2024/25 financial year and therefore financial data in the accounts may not match grant and scholarship numbers.

4 I ncludes 4 grants awarded but not taken up.

SMART Annual Report 2024/25 Page 6

We continue to widen the geographic reach of our grants and scholarships, with around half of our grant recipients and scholars based outside of Ipswich and the surrounding areas. In particular we are seeing more grant recipients in northern Suffolk and the Waveney area than in previous years, and we are delighted that the funds we received last year from the Peter Youngs Memorial Trust have been able to support these grant recipients. We are delighted that SMART funding continues to benefit young people throughout the county. Over the coming years, we aim to deepen our reach to ensure our grants reflect the full breadth and depth of artistic opportunities available across all of Suffolk.

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Location of recipients of SMART grants (orange) and scholarships (blue) during 2024/25
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*Graphic excludes 4 grants awarded but not taken up

We continue to receive testimonials from grant recipients and their parents and carers, demonstrating how SMART is helping overcome financial barriers, increasing the well-being of grant recipients and their families, and unlocking opportunities that would not otherwise be available. Feedback received during the 2024/25 year includes:

SMART Annual Report 2024/25 Page 7

SMART Grants

SMART’s grants provide funding for Suffolk's young people to access arts opportunities. This might include:

These grants are available to young people who demonstrate a great deal of commitment to and enjoyment of the arts, but who cannot afford what they need to pursue that passion. At this stage, we are only in a position to offer grants to individuals, not organisations.

During 2024/25, we received 44 grant applications, seeking funding for over £61,000. We were able to support 40 young people, with funding of £17,809.06.

Four of these grants awarded during 2024/25 were ultimately not taken up. In some cases, this was because grant recipients were unable to source sufficient funding from other sources, to combine with SMART funding, to enable them to participate in their activity.

Grant applications continue to cover a range of arts forms (including classical music, jazz, rock, singer-songwriter, theatre, dance, musical theatre) and activities at a range of organisations (including Stagecoach, CTC College, National Youth Jazz Orchestra, alongside Suffolk County Music Service ensembles and in-school activities). Funding included support for instrument lessons, travel costs, instrument hire, theatre classes, ensemble membership fees, purchase of music and PA equipment, costs of attendance at national-level ensembles, and course fees for performing arts higher education.

We supported applicants aged between 7 and 21. We continue to support young people at critical moments in their development, supporting:

*Excludes 4 grants awarded but not taken up

SMART Annual Report 2024/25 Page 8

SMART Scholarships SMART Scholarships
SMART Scholarships are funded by the ringfenced Friends of Suffolk Youth Music (FoSYM) fund.
The Scholarships provide up to 50% of one year’s funding for young people in Years 7-13 to
continue their musical learning through Suffolk County Music Service (SCMS) tuition, to attend a
SCMS area ensemble, and towards any instrument hire costs.
This year SMART supported three scholars, with total scholarship funding of over £2,600. We
welcomed two new scholars to our scholarship programme, and are pleased that SMART continues
to support one of last year’s scholars with a SMART scholarship for the 2024/25 year, their fourth
year of SMART’s scholarship support. (The other two of last year’s scholars completed their time in
secondary education at the end of the 23/24 academic year, and so their scholarships came to an
end.)
All three scholars are playing an active part in Suffolk Youth Orchestra, Suffolk Youth Wind Band
and the SCMS area ensembles.
Build and maintain funds to support our mission
Income
£2,589.33_(2023/24: £11,928.48)
Income Streams
Interest on savings:£1,432.50
Concert collections & raffle:£918.92
Private donations:£123.91
Easyfundraising:£70.25
Paypal Giving:£43.75
Core Running Costs
£434.08(2023/24:£478.83)
Fundraising Costs
£42.63(2023/24: £51.45)
Total Funds
Total:£21,734.66(2023/24: £36,768.75)_
SMART:£1,812.91
FoSYM: £13,170.56
PYMT:£6,751.19
SMART has three funds available to award for grants and scholarships:
-
SMART general funds:unrestricted.
-
Friends of Suffolk Youth Music (FoSYM) funds:ringfenced for activities particularly
relating to the Suffolk Youth Ensembles managed by the Suffolk County Music Service.
-
Peter Youngs Memorial Trust (PYMT) funds:ringfenced for grant recipients in North
Suffolk / Waveney area.
Although our income was lower than our 2023/24 income (which was significantly increased
because SMART took on the ringfenced PYMT fund), we were able to pursue our strategy of
disbursing our restricted funds, while still making grants from our unrestricted funds and maintaining
sufficient unrestricted reserves.
We have maintained a range of income sources this year. Our Christmas raffle and collection was
a significant source of income (£581.72). Collections at other concerts and events continue to be an

SMART Annual Report 2024/25 Page 9

important source of income (£337.20). We are particularly grateful for the collection arranged on our behalf by the West Suffolk Council Chair, Councillor Pat Hanlon, at a charity performance given by Suffolk Youth Orchestra in March 2025 at the Apex in Bury St Edmunds.

Member and supporter donations (via Paypal) also continue to be an important source of income. While we received £123.91 during 2024/25, we were also anticipating a private donation of £2,500 during 2024/25 which was actually received into our accounts on the first day of the 2025/26 financial year (so does not appear in the accounts reported here). Our interest income (£1,432.50) increased compared to last year, thanks to holding some of our funds in fixed term savings accounts

We have maintained a low & stable costs base (£434.08), reducing our actual running costs compared to 2023/24. 97.7% of our spending during 2024/25 went directly to young people in Suffolk.

As seen above, demand for grants continues to grow. We continue to recognise the importance of growing our unrestricted funds, given the growing number of grant applications that are only eligible for unrestricted funds, rather than the ringfenced FoSYM or PYMT funds. Our focus for 2025/26 will be on growing these unrestricted funds - in particular focussing on regular giving opportunities, sustainable sources of income, and diversifying our income streams - to enable us to support more of Suffolk’s young people across a wide range of arts opportunities.

Further financial narrative can be found in the Treasurer’s Statement below.

Grow an engaged membership to drive fundraising activity

As at the end of August 2025, we had 155 active members (an increase of 6 from last year). Members engaged with our newsletters and regular social media updates.

We brought members together on several occasions throughout the year, offering opportunities to perform and socialise together, listen to the current Suffolk County Music Ensembles, as well as benefits such as free entry into events.

SMART Annual Report 2024/25 Page 10

In December 2024, members played together in ensembles at the Stonham Barns Christmas Market, and the Helmingham Hall Illuminated Garden Trail, entertaining attendees with a festive selection of carols and Christmas songs. Performers enjoyed free entry to the Illuminated Garden Trail after the performance at Helmingham Hall, and the opportunity to socialise with other members.

We also held our Annual General Meeting in December 2024, kindly hosted at Northgate Arts Centre by the Suffolk County Music Service, at the end of their winter rehearsal course. This was an opportunity for members and supporters to meet, network and hear updates about SMART’s work, and to attend the SCMS ensembles’ open rehearsal to hear some of Suffolk’s current young artists.

Our Christmas Raffle took place on the same day, raising nearly £600. The trustees are grateful for the support of the many local Suffolk businesses who donated prizes.

In June 2025, SMART returned to First Light Festival for the second year, performing on the Kensington Gardens Stage. On another beautifully sunny day, members came together to form a string quartet and a wind duet, entertaining the crowds with performances that went out live on Suffolk Sound radio. We had the opportunity to raise SMART’s profile by sharing brief highlights of our work with the audience. Our performers then spent the rest of the day enjoying the festival on the beach, exploring the activities and stalls and listening and dancing to other performances.

Our thanks to all those who performed and helped out over the weekend, and to the organisers of the festival for inviting us to perform.

SMART Annual Report 2024/25 Page 11

Build a strong identity

Building our profile and telling a clear story about our work

SMART’s reputation continues to grow, as evidenced by a number of approaches received during the year from potential supporters, partners, and grant applicants.

One such highlight was a request from the current Chairman of Suffolk County Council, Jessica Fleming, for SMART to be one of her two charities of the year, from May 2025 to May 2026. This will give SMART an opportunity to share our work with a wider audience, and benefit from the Chairman’s advocacy and fundraising events in support of SMART. As Jessica says: “ no one should be prevented from access to music due to lack of funds”.

We continue to use our website and social media (Instagram and Facebook) to share stories, photos and videos of our grant recipients’ and scholars’ success, and to showcase member events and other ways to get involved in SMART’s work:

Website: https://www.SuffolkSMART.org Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SuffolkSMART Instagram: @SuffolkSMART

During the year we set up and soft-launched our SMART LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/smart-suffolk-music-arts-alumni-trust. We will look to leverage the impact of our LinkedIn page during 2025/26 to reach potential trustees and donors, connect with potential partners and supporters, and further increase SMART’s profile.

We continue to work closely with the Suffolk County Music Service, who actively promote SMART and permit opportunities for us to build our profile with the young people who take part in their ensembles, and their parents and carers. This has included SMART stalls at performances, adverts in programmes and direct communications to participants and their families, as well as the charity performance by the Suffolk Youth Orchestra in March 2025 at the Apex in Bury St Edmunds, which raised funds for SMART and other charities.

Trustees and governance

As at the end of August 2025, we had 7 elected trustees, 2 nominated trustees and 1 nominated youth trustee, with vacancies for 3 elected trustees [1] .

At our AGM in December 2024, Vicky James, Howard Brialey and Will Peall stood down and were re-elected. Also at our AGM in December 2024, we welcomed Eleanor Conroy as an elected trustee, taking on the role of Fundraising Officer, and bringing her professional experience of fundraising for a major London orchestra.

We were sad to lose Vicky James from the board, when she stepped down in February 2025 to move to Australia to pursue a career opportunity. The trustees are grateful to Vicky for her extensive contributions to SMART since our inception, across strategy, events planning, grants administration and digital communications. Clare Lewis stepped into the Co-Chair role vacated by Vicky James, and Wendy James stepped into the Grants Officer role vacated by Vicky James.

1 Due to further trustee changes in December 2025 and January 2026 (Chris Greenhill stepped down for personal reasons and Morgan Barber stepped down as elected trustee due to other commitments), SMART is currently recruiting for 2 Youth Trustees, 3 elected Trustees and 1 nominated Trustee

SMART Annual Report 2024/25 Page 12

The grants sub-committee met three times during the financial year to consider grant applications. The full trustee board met seven times during the year, and at the AGM in December 2024.

As set out in previous years’ trustee reports, we continue with our strategy to use every trustee vacancy as an opportunity to work towards a strong and diverse board with balanced skills. We identified a need to strengthen our board with specific skills in marketing and communications, and to build links with a wider range of arts organisations in Suffolk through recruitment for our nominated youth trustee vacancy.

While we had some interest in these roles, we have so far been unsuccessful in recruiting, so will continue our search with renewed focus in the 2025/26 financial year. We would welcome interest from members who may be considering joining us as a trustee, particularly those with backgrounds in marketing & communications, or administration and governance. More details on current vacancies are available on the SMART website, and at page 21 below.

SMART Annual Report 2024/25 Page 13

Treasurer’s Report

Statement of financial activities for the year ending 31st August 2025 Statement of financial activities for the year ending 31st August 2025
Income
Private Donations £123.91
Paypal GivingFund £43.75
Collections £918.92
Easyfundraising £70.25
Interest received on SMART funds £1,432.50
Total £2,589.33
Expenditure
Grants - SMART fund £4,168.00
Grants - FoSYM fund £9,049.14
Grants - PYMT £1,915.32
Scholarships - FoSYM Fund £2,079.90
Refunds(Duplicatepayments orgrant refunds) -£65.65
Insurance £174.48
Paypal fees / Commission Charges £2.63
MemberMojo subscription renewal £95.00
Information Commissioner's Office Fees £35.00
Fundraisingcosts £40.00
Website renewal £129.60
Total £17,623.42
**Surplus/(Deficit): **
Surplus/(Deficit)foryear -£15,034.09
Surplus/(Deficit)brought forward £36,768.75
Total £21,734.66
**Represented by: **
Treasurer's Current Account £5,404.81
BB Instant Access Savings Account £4,112.60
Fixed rate Savings Account £12,161.90
Paypal Account £55.35
Total £21,734.66
Made up of:
Restricted Funds(FSYM balance) £13,170.56
Restricted Funds(PYMT balance) £6,751.19
SMART General Funds £1,812.91
Total £21,734.66

SMART Annual Report 2024/25 Page 14

Treasurer’s Statement

The financial year 2024/25 saw a significant intentional drawdown of our restricted funds as SMART successfully met a high volume of requests for grants and scholarships.

The fund balances at the start of the year stood at £36,768.75 (as at 1 September 2024). Incoming resources for the year totalled £2,589.33, driven primarily by £1,432.50 in interest earned on our savings accounts and £918.92 collected at concerts and the Christmas raffle.

Total resources expended for the year were £17,623.42. This figure includes a total of £17,212.36 paid out in grants and scholarships to young artists across Suffolk. This means that 97.7% of our spending during 2024/25 went directly to young people in Suffolk.

As a result of this high expenditure and deliberate drawdown on restricted funds, the net movement in funds was a deficit of - £15,034.09 for the year, leaving the total funds carried forward at £21,734.66 as at 31 August 2025.

The closing balance remains financially healthy, maintaining a strong position in the restricted funds (FoSYM and PYMT) to continue meeting the needs of grant recipients in the coming year. The Trustees remain committed to our strategic pillar of building up the general unrestricted SMART funds through focused fundraising activities planned for the next period.

Income

The largest contribution to our income was from interest on our savings ( £1,432.50 ), a significant increase on last year thanks to holding some funds in fixed term savings accounts, and better interest rates. We received a significant amount from collections at concerts and events such as our Christmas raffle ( £918.92 ). The rest of the income was made up of private donations ( £123.91 ), a receipt from Easyfundraising ( £70.25 ), and a charitable receipt from Paypal ( £43.75 ).

Outgoings

We issued grants from SMART of £4,168 , from FoSYM of £9,049.14 and from PYMT of £1,915.32 .

We also funded scholarships to the value of £2,079.90 from FoSYM.

Note that these figures differ from the totals outlined in the Trustees’ report above, because those figures detail awards made for activity taking place in the 2024/25 academic year. Some financial transactions for those awards took place before/after the 2024/25 financial year, so are reflected in the accounts for other financial years.

Core costs were £434.08 , as well as a small amount ( £42.63 ) of fundraising costs.

Grants

nts
FoSYM Funds
Grants for County Music Activities
£9,049.14
Scholarships for County Music Activities £2,079.90
SMART Funds
Grants given from these funds
£4,168.00
PYMT Funds
Grants given from these funds
£1,915.32

SMART Annual Report 2024/25 Page 15

Reserves

As of 31st August 2025, funds remaining in the following accounts:

Current Account £5,404.81 Instant Access savings account £4,112.60 Fixed Rate savings account £12,161.90 Paypal account £55.35 Total Reserves £21,734.66

Reserves are broken down as follows:

SMART funds £1,812.91 FoSYM restricted funds £13,170.56 PYMT restricted funds £6,751.19 Total Reserves £21,734.66

As set out in SMART’s Investment Policy, the trustees will retain enough easily realisable assets sufficient to meet SMART’s current expenditure plans. This includes keeping enough money in reserves in the current account to fund 2 years’ worth of core running costs. We have successfully maintained our reserves target for the 2024/25 financial year.

Reserves Reserves Reserves Reserves Reserves Reserves
Reserves 2024/25 2023/24 2022/23 2021/22 2020/21
FoSYM
Restricted
Funds		 £13,170.56 £24,233.95 £29,210.40 £32,292.90 £35,276.07
SMART
General
Funds		 £1,812.91 £3,868.29 £9,361.65 £12,673.99 £6,980.06
PYMT
Restricted
Funds		 £6,751.19 £8,666.51 - - -
Total £21,734.66 £36,768.75 £38,572.05 £44,966.89 £42,256.13
Increase /
Decrease on
previousyear		 -£15,034.09 -£1,803.30 -£6,394.84 £2,710.76 £2,435.95

SMART Annual Report 2024/25 Page 16

Get involved!

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Help support the next generation of Suffolk’s young artists
We need you!
Despite our growth, we can currently only meet less than 30% of the financial need identified by
Suffolk's young artists. With your support, we can ensure no talented young person is forced to give
up their passion due to lack of funds.
If you are not currently a member: join us & read on for other ways in which you can get involved.
If you are reading this as a member: thank you for being a part of SMART, we value your support.
Please consider helping us during one of these ways during 2026 and beyond:
Volunteer your time Set up a regular donation Share our social media
Join as a trustee Make a one-off donation Share our flyers
Fundraise for us Leave a gift in your will Shop with EasyFundraising
Volunteer your time
We need your support in 2026! Please get in touch if you are interested in volunteering your time or
skills to help us in any way - in particular we are keen for help at events, with our publicity, website
and social media, and with our administration.
Spread the word
● Tell your family, friends, colleagues, and other contacts about SMART and our work. Talk
about us with anyone who you think might be a potential supporter, donor, member trustee, or
grant recipient
● Share, like and tag us on social media - Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn
● Share our flyers: see the following pages - you can cut and post these on your social media, or
get in touch with us for hard copies or standalone digital copies
Fundraise for us
If you can help fundraise for SMART by holding a raffle or retiring collection, undertaking a sponsored
challenge, or if you have other ideas, please get in touch!
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SMART Annual Report 2024/25 Page 17

Set up a regular donation: support our future

Regular donations are the lifeblood of SMART. They allow us to plan ahead, offering long-term scholarships and multi-term support to Suffolk’s talented young artists. Because our core costs are so low, 97.7% of your monthly gift goes directly to the young people who need it most.

Whether it’s £5, £15, or £50 a month, your steady support ensures that no young person in Suffolk has to give up their passion for the arts due to financial hardship.

How to set up your regular gift

The easiest way to set up a standing order is via your Online banking or Mobile banking app . Simply log in, select "Payments and Transfers," and choose the option to "Set up a Standing Order."

Please contact us at treasurer@suffolksmart.org for details of our bank account name, sort code, and account number. Please use your Initial & Surname (e.g. GRecipient) as the reference, so we can identify your gift.

Make your gift go 25% further with Gift Aid

If you are a UK taxpayer, we can claim an extra 25p for every £1 you give at no extra cost to you.

● To register for Gift Aid: Please send a quick email to our Treasurer at treasurer@suffolksmart.org with your name and address, stating: "I want to Gift Aid my current and future donations to SMART. I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax in the current tax year than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations it is my responsibility to pay any difference.”

Alternatively, you can set up a regular gift and make your Gift Aid declaration through PayPal (this will involve transaction fees).

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Donate via PayPal here:
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The impact of your monthly gift

Thank you for helping us keep the arts alive in Suffolk

SMART Annual Report 2024/25 Page 18

Make a one-off donation

You can give us a one-off donation and make your Gift Aid declaration through PayPal (or follow the QR code above). If you choose to cover the transaction fees, SMART will receive 100% of your donation.

Here’s how your donation could help a young artist in Suffolk:

SMART Annual Report 2024/25 Page 19

Shop with easyfundraising

Raise funds for us for free. With easyfundraising, your online shopping turns into free cashback for SMART.

Sign up and your favourite retailers will donate every time you shop – at no extra cost to you. With over 8,000 retailers, you could help SMART earn vital regular income whenever you do your weekly food shop, order a takeaway, or book a holiday.

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Sign up to easy fundraising as a SMART supporter here
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Music and the arts have the power to transform lives, build confidence, and create lifelong memories. For many of us, these opportunities were the foundation of who we are today. By leaving a gift to SMART in your will, you can ensure that the next generation of Suffolk’s talent has the same chance to shine, regardless of their financial circumstances.

Why leave a legacy to SMART?

A legacy gift is one of the most significant ways you can support the future of the arts in Suffolk. Because SMART is run by volunteers with minimal overheads, you can be certain that your gift will be used effectively:

Types of gifts

You don't need to be wealthy to make a difference. Every gift, no matter the size, helps us support a young person's dreams.

SMART Annual Report 2024/25 Page 20

Information for your solicitor

If you choose to remember SMART in your will, your solicitor will need the following details:

Our promise to you

We understand that your will is a private document and that your family and loved ones always come first. If you choose to support SMART in this way:

If you would like to have a confidential discussion about leaving a gift in your will, please contact our Co-Chairs and Treasurer at admin@suffolksmart.org.

Become a trustee

We are currently looking for people who are passionate about ensuring that every young artist in Suffolk gets the chance to shine, to join us in the following roles:

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To find out more about what is involved in being a trustee, please see the role adverts on our website and get in touch. Please share these adverts with your network and anyone who may be interested.

You do not need to have previous experience with a charity or as a trustee. SMART can support new trustees with training (from current trustees, and from external training providers) to help you ensure that you understand and accept the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship.

Trustees do not need to be based in Suffolk - we currently have trustees based across the UK and abroad who join meetings remotely.

If you are interested in standing for election at our AGM, please email us by Friday 23 January at 5pm. Please include a brief biography and outline of why you would like to be a trustee. Trustees must be aged 16 or over.

Website | www.SuffolkSMART.org

Instagram | @SuffolkSMART Facebook | SuffolkSMART LinkedIn | smart-suffolk-music-arts-alumni-trust Registered Charity no | 1177728

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