(-h2rity number.. 11785C)()
The Lute Society
Rep()rt 2nd accnunts
f()r the year ended _31 December 202_3
**The Lute Society**
**Contents**
**Charity No. 1178599**
|Report of the trustees|1-3|
|---|---|
|Statement of financial activities|4|
|Balance sheet|5|
|Notes forming part of the accounts|6-11|
|Report of the independent examiner|12|
**The Lute Society**
**Charity No. 1178599**
**Report of the trustees**
_for the year ended 31 December 2023_
The trustees present their report and accounts of the Lute Society (the “Society”) for the year ended 31 December 2023. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the second edition of SORP (FRS 102) (“the Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 102”), FRS 102 itself, the Charities Act 2011 and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.
In following SORP (FRS 102), the accounts have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 which require an earlier Charities SORP, since withdrawn. This departure is as advised by the Charity Commission and is only to the extent required to provide a ‘true and fair view’.
## **Objectives and activities**
The objects of the Society are to advance the study of, and to educate the public in, the history, playing technique, music, construction and other aspects of the lute and related instruments.
To further these objectives the Society produces a quarterly magazine for members and an annual scholarly journal; publishes editions of sheet music for the lute; maintains a collection of lutes and related instruments available for hire; and holds regular public meetings, mostly in London, with presentations of research papers and performances of lute music.
In setting our objectives and planning our activities the trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance.
## **Achievements and performance**
Further details of the Society's activities, publications and lutes available for hire can be found on the Society's website at www.lutesociety.org.
## _Membership_
Anyone interested in the lute, whether as a maker, player, student, musicologist, or for whatever reason, is welcome to become a member for a modest subscription. Concessionary subscriptions are available. There were 1,092 (2022: 1,183) subscribing members at the end of December, including 453 electronic-only members (2022: 452) who in return for a lower subscription receive the magazine and journal in electronic format.
|UK
Europe
USA and Canada
Japan
Australia and New Zealand
Other countries|**2023**
466
302
232
43
40
9
1,092|**2022**
496
324
259
49
41
14|
|---|---|---|
|||1,183|
## _Magazine and journal_
The quarterly magazine for members, _Lute News_ , distributed to members by post or on-line, and the _Lutezine,_ available to them on-line _,_ include articles on subjects related to the lute, and a music supplement with sheet music not generally accessible otherwise. New members are sent an introductory _New members’ pack_ with a selection of sheet music for the lute.
The annual scholarly journal, The Lute, is produced in arrears, and is sent to those who were members of the Society for the relevant year. The Society published the 2018 journal in 2023, and plans to issue the journal for 2019 and further journals in 2024.
1
**The Lute Society**
**Report of the trustees (continued)** _for the year ended 31 December 2023_
**Charity No. 1178599**
## _Publications_
The Society publishes sheet music editions, working plans, and other publications relating to the lute and related instruments. Popular titles are pre-printed and held in stock, while others are printed to order. During the year, the Society published Cancionero de Uppsala (duets for vihuela arranged by Massimo Marchese and Ugo Nastrucci) and a new edition of Brian Wright’s arrangements of twelve German carols originally published by the German Lute Society. The Society reprinted four collections of lute music originally published by Lyre Editions. Work in progress includes editions of the works of Daniel Bacheler and François Dufault, and a facsimile edition of Playford’s _Choice Ayres, Songs and Dialogues_ .
The Society also sells publications from other publishers who are no longer active including the Brian Jordan/Scolar Press editions of English Ayres and early guitar music from Chanterelle. The Society continues to promote modern lute music, and makes compositions by members available for downloading from its web page.
## _Hire of instruments_
The Society's collection of lutes and similar instruments enables potential players to experiment before buying their own instrument. The more unusual instruments in the collection, including lutes of different sizes and tunings, enable groups to perform the particular works requiring these instruments, and the smaller lutes encourage children to take up the lute.
Three renaissance lutes valued at £4,300 in total were donated to the Society during the year: a seven-course lute donated by the Midland Early Music Forum, an eight-course lute converted from a Turkish oud by Ian Harwood and formerly owned by the late Ailsa Dixon, and a bass lute donated by Sam Brown.
## _Public meetings_
The Society holds regular public meetings, normally at the Dutch Church in London, which include the presentation of papers, and live performances of music for the lute and similar instruments either in a formal concert setting or illustrating papers. Attendance at the meetings is free for members of the public but there is an admission fee for the main recital at the end of the day. Parts of the meetings are recorded so that members unable to attend can view them later on-line.
## _Educational and outreach activities_
Benslow Music Trust held a four day educational course, the 'Lutefest', at Hitchin in Hertfordshire, in association with the Society, which was led by Lynda Sayce and included individual tuition for participants, and workshops and performances with singers, other instrumentalists and lute consorts. The ‘Lutefest’ will be repeated in 2024.
The Society encourages members to participate in a variety of lute related activities. Playing days to encourage players of all levels were held in Bristol and in Yorkshire. Several informal 'Flow my beers' evenings were held in pubs, with opportunities for lutenists to play. Members of the Society joined the European Lute Orchestra for their concert in Prato near Florence.
The Society also maintains links with related societies worldwide, and sent a representative to their meetings in Paris, Rome and Utrecht.
## **Volunteers**
The Society is indebted to the considerable work done voluntarily by its members and others which include editing publications and getting them ready for publication, contributions to the magazine and journal, participation in public meetings, and serving on the committee.
2
**The Lute Society**
**Report of the trustees (continued)**
**Charity No. 1178599**
_for the year ended 31 December 2023_
## **Financial review**
Funds at the end of the year were £173,362 (2022: £166,640) including £5,654 (2022: £17,123) in the general fund, £157,306 (2022: £149,160) in the instrument fund and £754 (2022: £357) in the student bursary fund.
## _Reserves policy_
The reserves policy is to set the instrument fund equal to the value of instruments held in fixed assets, to set aside the Gillian Brown fund (see note 13) for special projects over five years, and to maintain the remaining reserves in a general fund at a level where income covers expenditure (excluding one-off costs) year on year. The financial risks of rising and falling demand are managed by matching expenditure on activities to the related income where possible.` The Society's cash surplus results in part from membership subscriptions received up to three years in advance and the backlog of annual journals for previous years not yet produced. The trustees consider this policy adequate to cover future contingencies as if additional cash is needed the Society can sell instruments.
## **Structure, governance and management**
The Lute Society is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), charity no. 1178599, formed under a constitution dated 5 May 2018. It is the successor to the unincorporated Lute Society, which was formed in 1956 and became a registered charity on 24 January 2001, and which transferred its operations and assets to the CIO on 31 December 2018.
As trustees, the elected members of the committee examine the major risks which the Society faces when preparing and updating plans for future activities.
## _Principal office_
3 Dolcey Way, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, MK44 1LE.
|_Charity trustees_|_Officers and co-opted members of the committee (non-voting)_|
|---|---|
|David van Edwards, President|Secretary: Christopher Goodwin|
|Luke Emmet, Chair and website editor|Publicity secretary: Hector Sequera|
|Nancy Carlin|New CD listings, reviews editor: John Reeve|
|Sam Chapman||
|Richard Corran|_Other roles_|
|Kevin Drake|Lute hire administrators: Bridgewood & Neitzert|
|Martin Hudson|Plans administrator: Bruce Brook|
|Peter Jones|Microfilm librarian: John Reeve|
|Ciska Mertens (appointed 20 May 2023)|Donald Gill librarian: Djilda Segerman|
|David Protheroe, Treasurer|Magazine editor: Christopher Goodwin|
|Sarah Shepley|Journal editor: Christopher Goodwin|
|Alain Verberkmoes|Editorial sub-committee: Michael Lowe, Tim Crawford,|
||John Robinson, Peter Forrester, Matthew Spring,|
||David van Edwards, Christopher Page, Peter Holman|
|_Honorary members_||
|Anthony Bailes, John Robinson, Peter Lay, and|_Independent examiner_|
|Dame Emma Kirkby CBE|Michael Gray|
Approved by the trustees on 13 April 2024 and signed on their behalf by:
Luke Emmet, Chair
3
**The Lute Society**
**Statement of financial activities**
**Charity No. 1178599**
_for the year ended 31 December 2023_
|Note
**Income**
_from donations and legacies_
Donations of instruments
Donations to student bursary fund
Gillian Brown bequest
13
Other donations
_from charitable activities_
Membership subscriptions
Magazine and journal
3
Publications
4
Hire of instruments
5
Public meetings
6
_other income_
Bank interest
**Total income**
**Expenditure**
_on charitable activities_
Magazine and journal
3
Publications
4
Hire of instruments
5
Public meetings
6
Awards of student bursaries
**Total expenditure**
**Net income for the year**
_Reconciliation of funds_
Total funds at 1 January
**Total funds at 31 December**
**13, 14**|Unrestricted
funds
**£**|Restricted
funds
**£**|Total
**2023**
**£**
4,300
900
-
1,213
6,413
39,231
255
17,070
14,643
1,742
72,941
1,117
**80,471**
42,429
15,438
7,468
7,911
503
**73,749**
**6,722**
166,640
**173,362**|_Total funds_
**2022**
**£**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||4,300
-
-
1,213|-
900
-
-|4,300
900
-
1,213|_5,400_
_410_
_9,648_
_1,079_|
||5,513|900||_16,537_|
||39,231
255
17,070
14,643
1,742|-
-
-
-
-|39,231
255
17,070
14,643
1,742|_39,832_
_140_
_18,225_
_14,928_
_2,723_|
||72,941
1,117
**79,571**
42,429
15,438
7,468
7,911
-
**73,246**
**6,325**
166,283
**172,608**|-
-
**900**
-
-
-
-
503
**503**
**397**
357
**754**||_75,848_
_175_|
|||||**92,560**|
|||||_47,581_
_15,977_
_7,572_
_8,638_
_389_|
|||||**80,157**|
|||||**12,403**
_154,237_|
|||||**166,640**|
4
**The Lute Society**
**Charity No. 1178599**
**Balance sheet**
_at 31 December 2023_
|Note
**Tangible fixed assets**
8
**Current assets**
Stock
9
Debtors
Short term deposits
Cash and cash equivalents
Liabilities: amounts falling due within one year
10
**Net current assets**
**Total assets less current liabilities**
11
**Provisions for liabilities**
12
**Net assets**
**Funds**
_Unrestricted funds_
Instrument fund
13
Gillian Brown fund
13
General fund
13
_Restricted income funds_
Student bursary fund
14
**Total funds**
**Liabilities:**amounts falling due after more than one year|31 December
**2023**
**£**
158,659
2,885
2,217
40,761
14,938
60,801
(22,711)
38,090
196,749
(4,028)
(19,359)
**173,362**
157,306
9,648
5,654
172,608
754
**173,362**|_31 December_
**2022**
**£**
_152,080_|
|---|---|---|
||||
|||_3,836_
_1,824_
_10,059_
_53,772_|
|||_69,491_
_(27,513)_|
|||_41,978_|
|||_194,058_
_(5,302)_
_(22,116)_|
|||**166,640**|
||||
|||_149,160_
_-_
_17,123_|
|||_166,283_
_357_|
|||**166,640**|
The accounts on pages 4 to 11 were approved by the trustees on 13 April 2024 and signed on their behalf by:
Luke Emmet, Chair
5
**The Lute Society**
**Charity No. 1178599**
**Notes forming part of the accounts**
_for the year ended 31 December 2023_
## **1. General**
The Lute Society is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales under number 1178599. Its principal office is at 3 Dolcey Way, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, MK44 1LE.
## **2. Accounting policies**
## _Basis of preparation_
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) second edition, FRS 102, the Charities Act 2011 and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.
## _Accounting convention_
The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention as modified by the inclusion of donated assets at fair value in 1997 or at the date of acquisition if later. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis.
## _Going concern_
The trustees consider the Society is a going concern as there are no material uncertainties affecting its ability to continue and it is able to manage its costs in line with income.
## _Support costs_
Support costs are apportioned to activities to present the costs of those activities fairly, in proportion to the related income, the purpose of the expenditure, or the secretary’s time on each activity.
## _Fixed assets_
Fixed assets are recorded at cost or, if donated to the Society, at their fair value on the date of the gift. Depreciation is provided at 20% a year on cost for office equipment in order to write it off over its estimated useful life. No depreciation is provided on instruments for hire because of their high residual value. Fixed assets are regularly assessed for impairment, and written down if impaired.
## _Stock_
Stock is recorded at the lower of cost of net realisable value. Because of the long periods over which stock for resale is held, ten years or more, and the uncertainty over future sales, net realisable value is generally taken as zero once a title reaches its break-even point. The effect of this is that stock for resale is written down by cumulative sales until the value of the stock reaches nil. Any further sales are credited directly to income.
Slow moving stock is assessed for impairment at the end of each year, and impairment losses are recognised or reversed accordingly.
## _Deferred income_
Subscriptions paid in advance are carried forward in the balance sheet as deferred income. Deferred income is discounted by the time value of money, if material, over the period until it is expected to be settled.
## _Provisions_
The costs of printing and distributing the annual journal and quarterly magazines are provided in the year to which the journal or magazine relates because members are entitled to receive a copy for each year that they belong. The provision is discounted by the time value of money over the period until it is expected to be settled, if material.
## _Instrument fund_
The instrument fund is an unrestricted fund designated by the trustees to establish a collection of lute and related instruments. Donated instruments which the trustees intend to hold permanently for the benefit of the Society are credited to the instrument fund at the fair value on the date of donation. When an instrument is purchased, the amount of the purchase is transferred from the general fund to the instrument fund. Impairments or reversals are charged or credited to the instrument fund. Other income and expenditure relating to the instruments is included in the general fund.
6
**The Lute Society**
**Charity No. 1178599**
**Notes forming part of the accounts**
_for the year ended 31 December 2023_
## **2. Accounting policies (continued)**
## _Student bursary fund_
To encourage greater uptake of the instrument among music students, the society has set up a bursary fund to fund places on short courses such as the Society’s annual residential weekend at Benslow, for students who want to try the lute. It is classed as a restricted income fund, in that any money raised for the fund can only be used for this purpose.
## _Donated goods and services_
Donated goods are recognised at fair value at the date of the donation. Donated services are measured at the value of the gift to the Society. No accounting value however is placed on the time contributed by volunteers because it is impractical to calculate reliably.
## _Cash flow statement_
No cash flow statement has been presented as FRS102 exempts small entities from disclosing cash flows.
## **3. Magazine and journal**
|**Magazine and journal**
Income from advertising in magazine
_Expenditure_
Quarterly magazine printing
Annual journal printing
New members’ packs reprinting
Design software
Postage and packing
Apportionment of support costs (note 7)
Net expenditure on magazine and journal
**Publications**
Income from sales of publications
_Expenditure_
Printing to order
Cost of sales from stock (note 9)
Postage and packing
Apportionment of support costs (note 7)
Net income on publications
**Hire of instruments**
Income from hire of instruments
_Expenditure_
Repairs and maintenance
Instrument administration
Apportionment of support costs (note 7)
Net income from hire of instruments|**2023**
255
10,721
724
-
596
13,664
16,724
42,429
42,174
17,070
5,220
1,238
5,164
3,816
15,438
1,632
14,643
2,427
3,280
1,761
7,468
7,175|**2022**
_140_|
|---|---|---|
|||_13,057_
_2,700_
_1,592_
_596_
_14,000_
_15,636_|
|||_47,581_|
|||_47,441_|
|||_18,225_|
|||_4,961_
_1,178_
_5,531_
_4,307_|
|||_15,977_|
|||_2,248_|
|||_14,928_|
|||_2,960_
_2,702_
_1,910_|
|||_7,572_|
|||_7,356_|
## **4. Publications**
## **5. Hire of instruments**
7
**The Lute Society**
**Charity No. 1178599**
**Notes forming part of the accounts**
_for the year ended 31 December 2023_
|**6. Public meetings**
Income from concert tickets and refreshments
_Expenditure_
Performers and lecturers
Hire of venue
Secretary’s travel to public meetings
Public liability insurance
Apportionment of support costs (note 7)
Net expenditure on public meetings
**7. Support costs**
Secretary's fee
Office costs
Bank charges
Publicity
Travel in respect of office move
General travelling expenses
Depreciation of office equipment (note 8)
_Apportionment of support costs to charitable activities_
Magazine and journal (note 3)
Publications (note 4)
Hire of instruments (note 5)
Public meetings (note 6)|**2023**
1,742
3,120
2,604
484
96
1,607
7,911
6,169
19,691
1,845
1,439
419
-
399
115
23,908
16,724
3,816
1,761
1,607
23,908|**2022**
_2,723_|
|---|---|---|
|||_3,734_
_2,653_
_453_
_96_
_1,702_|
|||_8,638_|
|||_5,915_|
|||_18,516_
_1,733_
_1,619_
_-_
_849_
_709_
_129_|
|||_23,555_|
|||_restated_
_15,636_
_4,307_
_1,910_
_1,702_|
|||_23,555_|
The apportionment of costs is based on the secretary’s time or, for bank charges, on the relevant income. Some costs which used to be included in support costs are now directly attributed to the relevant activity. Comparative figures have been restated accordingly. There was no impact on fund balances or on net income.
The independent examiner received no remuneration (2022: £nil).
8
**The Lute Society**
**Charity No. 1178599**
**Notes forming part of the accounts**
_for the year ended 31 December 2023_
|**8. Tangible fixed assets**
_Cost or valuation_
At 1 January 2023
Acquisitions
Disposals
Donations
At 31 December 2023
_Accumulated depreciation and impairments_
At 1 January 2023
Charge for the year
Disposals
At 31 December 2023
_Net book value_
At 31 December 2023
_At 31 December 2022_
**9. Stock**
Held for resale
Consumables
There were no capital commitments (2022: £nil).|Instruments
for hire
153,656
1,200
-
4,300
159,156
1,850
-
1,850
157,306
_151,806_||Office
equipment
Total
4,192
157,848
1,194
2,394
(2,726)
(2,726)
-
4,300
2,660
161,816
3,918
5,768
115
115
(2,726)
(2,726)
1,307
3,157
1,353
158,659
_274_
_152,080_
31 December
**2023**
2,595
290
2,885|_31 December_
**2022**
_3,416_
_420_|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||
||||||
||||||
||||||
||||||
||||||
|||||_3,836_|
Stock held for resale includes facsimiles, modern editions of lute music, working drawings and CDs. Other publications printed to order are not included in stock. The stock of consumables comprises postage stamps for future mailings.
|_Movement of stock_
At 1 January
Acquired
Postage of magazine and journal
Postage of publications
Publications sold from stock (note 4)
General postage
At 31 December|Held for resale
3,416
417
-
-
(1,238)
-
2,595|Consumables
420
10,059
(5,159)
(4,933)
-
(97)
290|**2023**
Total
3,836
10,476
(5,159)
(4,933)
(1,238)
(97)
2,885|**2022**
_Total_
_4,734_
_9,477_
_(4,996)_
_(4,021)_
_(1,178)_
_(180)_|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||
|||||_3,836_|
9
**The Lute Society**
**Charity No. 1178599**
**Notes forming part of the accounts**
_for the year ended 31 December 2023_
|**10. Liabilities: amounts falling due within one year**
Trade creditors
Secretary's fee
**11. Liabilities: amounts falling due after more than one year**
_Deferred income: subscriptions received in advance_
between one and two years ahead
between two and three years ahead
between three and four years ahead
**12. Provisions for liabilities**
_Provisions for journal and magazine printing and distribution:_
expected to be produced in the following year
expected to be produced in the year after
_Movement in provisions_
At 1 January
Increase in provision
Utilised in the year
At 31 December
**13. Unrestricted funds**
_Movement in year_
Instrument
At 1 January
151,806
Net income for the year
4,300
Funds transfer: instruments purchased
1,200
Designation of Gillian Brown fund
-
At 31 December
157,306
Deferred income: subscriptions and hire income received
in advance for the following year|**10. Liabilities: amounts falling due within one year**
Trade creditors
Secretary's fee
**11. Liabilities: amounts falling due after more than one year**
_Deferred income: subscriptions received in advance_
between one and two years ahead
between two and three years ahead
between three and four years ahead
**12. Provisions for liabilities**
_Provisions for journal and magazine printing and distribution:_
expected to be produced in the following year
expected to be produced in the year after
_Movement in provisions_
At 1 January
Increase in provision
Utilised in the year
At 31 December
**13. Unrestricted funds**
_Movement in year_
Instrument
At 1 January
151,806
Net income for the year
4,300
Funds transfer: instruments purchased
1,200
Designation of Gillian Brown fund
-
At 31 December
157,306
Deferred income: subscriptions and hire income received
in advance for the following year|**10. Liabilities: amounts falling due within one year**
Trade creditors
Secretary's fee
**11. Liabilities: amounts falling due after more than one year**
_Deferred income: subscriptions received in advance_
between one and two years ahead
between two and three years ahead
between three and four years ahead
**12. Provisions for liabilities**
_Provisions for journal and magazine printing and distribution:_
expected to be produced in the following year
expected to be produced in the year after
_Movement in provisions_
At 1 January
Increase in provision
Utilised in the year
At 31 December
**13. Unrestricted funds**
_Movement in year_
Instrument
At 1 January
151,806
Net income for the year
4,300
Funds transfer: instruments purchased
1,200
Designation of Gillian Brown fund
-
At 31 December
157,306
Deferred income: subscriptions and hire income received
in advance for the following year|Journal
15,100
2,700
(3,100)
14,700
Gillian Brown
-
-
-
9,648
9,648||31 December
**2023**
5,223
4,691
12,797
22,711
3,955
73
-
4,028
12,959
6,400
19,359
**2023**
Magazine
Total
7,016
22,116
4,659
7,359
(7,016)
(10,116)
4,659
19,359
**2023**
General
Total
14,477
166,283
2,025
6,325
(1,200)
-
(9,648)
-
5,654
172,608|_31 December_
**2022**
_9,290_
_3,106_
_15,117_|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||_27,513_|
|||||||_4,695_
_607_
_-_|
|||||||_5,302_|
|||||||_8,900_
_13,216_|
|||||||_22,116_|
|||||||**2022**
_Total_
_18,763_
_9,716_
_(6,363)_|
||||||||
|||||||_22,116_|
|||||||**2022**
_Total_
_153,901_
_12,382_
_-_
_-_|
||||||||
|||157,306||||_166,283_|
## _Instrument fund_
Donations of instruments are allocated to the instrument fund. All other unrestricted income and expenditure is allocated to the general fund.
## _Gillian Brown fund_
Former member Gillian Brown bequeathed £9,648 to the Society in 2022. In 2023 the Trustees designated the bequest as an unrestricted fund to be spent over the next five years on strategic initiatives to extend the Society’s impact.
10
**The Lute Society**
**Charity No. 1178599**
**Notes forming part of the accounts**
_for the year ended 31 December 2023_
## **14. Restricted fund**
|**. Restricted fund**|||
|---|---|---|
|_Student bursary fund_
At 1 January
Donations received
Awards of student bursaries
At 31 December|**2023**
357
900
(503)
754|**2022**
_336_
_410_
_(389)_|
|||_357_|
The student bursary fund encourages greater uptake of the instrument among music students by providing places on short courses, such as the annual residential weekend at Benslow, for students who want to try the lute. It is classed as a restricted fund because money raised for the fund can only be used for this purpose.
## **15. Related party transactions**
Trustees or parties connected to them received £1,284 (2022: £1,539) in total for specialist services provided to the Society. These were reasonable amounts for the services provided and were pre-agreed by the Society having regard to Charity Commission guidance in respect of the remuneration of trustees. Two trustees claimed expenses of £161 in total (2022: three trustees £306).
## _Specialist services provided by trustees_
|_Specialist services provided by trustees_||||
|---|---|---|---|
|Service provided
Repairs to lutes for hire
Lecture and recital fees
Royalties on working drawings
Purchases of books for resale
Total services|Trustee or connected party
Luke Emmet, trustee
Matthew Spring, trustee
David van Edwards, trustee
Smokehouse Press, connected to David von Edwards, trustee|**2023**
1,274
-
10
-
1,284|**2022**
_1,310_
_200_
_10_
_19_|
||||_1,539_|
No other trustee or person connected with a trustee has been paid remuneration or received other benefits from the Society.
11
**Charity No. 1178599**
## **Report of the Independent Examiner to the trustees of The Lute Society on the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2023**
I have examined the accounts on pages 4 to 11.
## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner**
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act, to follow procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Your attention is to drawn to the fact that the charity has prepared the accounts in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) second edition in preference to the earlier Charities SORP issued on 1 April 2005 which is referred to in the extant regulations but has been withdrawn.
I understand that this has been done in order for the accounts to provide a true and fair view in accordance with the Generally Accepted Accounting Practice effective for reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2015.
## **Basis of independent examiner's report**
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the financial statements 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 I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.
## **Independent examiner's statement**
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention
1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements (a) to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act, and (b) to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act, have not been met; or
2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Michael Gray
15 Chesterfield Road, Cambridge, CB4 1LN
13 April 2024
12