SURREY HEATH CHORAL CIO performing as SURREY HEATH SINGERS
Annual report for Charity Commissioners
BACKGROUND
We have an ongoing plan to achieve a lasting place in the life of our community and to reach a sustainability in financial, membership and audience terms that enables us to take on a variety of innovative projects each year with confidence.
This plan requires us to improve our music all the time and our reputation for performances, to achieve exposure in the community for both music and outreach, recruit new members and audiences, and to win soft and hard (financial) support from all aspects of our local community. Sometimes we can also achieve progress by innovative partnerships.
The strategic direction is clear and accepted, and was reaffirmed at the start of each year. While we retain our charitable and community focuses, we do everything to achieve goals that make our choir more sustainable. The management team is able to take on new challenges each year because everyone knows and accepts the model.
A REVIEW OF 2020-21
As was expected when we started this year, our practical targets as a Community Choir were directly impacted by the Pandemic and the rules introduced by Government to combat it. However, through sound financial management we were able to maintain a strong financial footing for the time when we could begin Concerts and Outreach activities again. We also managed to meet key short term objectives whilst under strict guidelines:
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Do all in our power to appoint and support a new MD.
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Restart rehearsals as soon as practical and safe.
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Maintain the functioning of the choir as a viable and solvent organisation.
These objectives were all met thanks to the Trustees and many others who worked so hard in negative and frustrating circumstances to achieve our aims.
2020-21, however, was a year that was abruptly shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic and the English National Lockdown that forced us to cancel our planned Concerts, and with it any opportunities to increase revenues through the financial year. We did, however, manage to complete our key objective of recruiting a new Musical Director (MD).
The CIO’s Management Committee took a number of sound decisions concerning the early cancellation of the planned concerts and addressed the ongoing challenges brought about by the National lockdowns. The CIO met all its financial obligations and made sure that future commitments were upheld and protected where possible. This has enabled the organisation to remain on a sound financial footing through this challenging time whilst preparing for the time when we were allowed to prepare for live Concerts once again. Our Membership remained supportive during this difficult time, although a percentage of membership commitments to
continue annual payments during the national constraints did fall. This has been as a direct impact of the national constraints introduced and personal concerns of Members over the Pandemic. Membership numbers during the year have therefor been a concern to the Trustees. From a level of over 60 before last year we are now at around half that. In effect this will halve our assured income in the short term. We have therefore placed some financial restrictions on our Concerts in the near future, but will release these once we are confident that more of our members will return to the fold.
Actual activities in 2020-21
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We continued to practice as a Choir using Zoom technology.
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Although our Concerts had to be cancelled, we were able to schedule one activity within the restrictions defined by Government in the late summer of 2021 – a rehearsal held in a local community park where we sung as a choir whilst socially distanced. Members of the public who were using the park were able to listen to us and it proved a great success, lifting the spirits of many who passed by.
MANAGEMENT CAPABILITY
We have maintained a full and vibrant management team with a variety of skills and experience.
This was the third year as a new charitable organisation (Surrey Heath Choral CIO, No. 1179358) having converted from Surrey Heath Choral Society at the beginning of the 2018/2019 financial year.
OUTREACH PROJECT
Our outreach work is on a completely voluntary basis, by contrast with our concert programme where we expect members to attend as many rehearsals as possible and to perform in the concerts. Due to Government restrictions, our Outreach activities were temporarily shelved during this financial year.
BUSINESS LINKS
The links with Siemens plc and their choir Zero Harmony have been a key element of our local Community business partnerships, however, during this financial year Siemens took the decision to move its operations away from Surrey Heath and so the partnership has come to an end. The CIO will actively look for new Partnerships in the local business community.
Stewart & Co, a local firm of accountants very much involved with local business and the reconstruction of the town centre, act as our auditors indefinitely, on a pro bono basis.
QUALITY IN PERFORMANCE
Our feedback from audiences is actively solicited after every concert and a representative sample is posted on our website. For the last eight years, we judge that audience feedback has been unreservedly appreciative, and our regular audience say that the quality of performance
continues to climb year on year, although Concerts have not been possible due to Covid restrictions.
FINANCIAL PLAN
Of our targets for this coming year, these will continue to be impacted by the ongoing Pandemic, however, through sound financial management we expect to maintain a strong financial footing for the time when we can begin Concerts and Outreach activities again. A key target for 2021/2022 will be to start the process of growing our membership once again.
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