Charity registration number: 1180167
The Bristol Reggae Orchestra Annual report and Unaudited Financial Statements
For the year ended 30 September 2021
The Bristol Reggae Orchestra Contents
| Trustees Report | 1 - 4 |
|---|---|
| Statement of Receipts and Payments | 5 |
| Statement of Assets and Liabilities | 6 |
The Bristol Reggae Orchestra Reference and Administrative Details
| Charity Registration Number | 1180167 |
|---|---|
| Patron | Gary Crosby OBE |
| Trustees | Adam Wilson |
| Arden Tomison (Chair) | |
| Barrington Chambers | |
| Kat Branch | |
| Kevin Millwood | |
| Mark Spence | |
| Norma Daykin | |
| Leader | Rebecca Allen (appointed Spring 2022) |
| Treasurer | Sue Lamble |
| Music Director | Ben Jenkins |
| Principal Address | Malcolm X Community Centre |
| 141 City Road | |
| St Pauls | |
| Bristol | |
| BS2 8YH | |
| Bankers | Lloyds |
Page 1 The Bristol Reggae Orchestra Trustee Report
The Trustees present the annual report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 30 September 2021.
Objectives and activities
Objects and aims
The objects of the charity are to advance the art of music, particularly reggae and music of Jamaican origin for the benefit of the public by performing such music to the public and providing opportunities to develop musical skills.
Public benefit
The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the requirements of section 4 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
Achievements and performance
The beginning of this reporting period was still overshadowed by the restrictions imposed by the public health emergency. Virtual meetings (including the AGM) continued but there was no return to live “inthe room” rehearsals until May 2021.
This limited income from subscriptions and impaired membership recruitment. However, our return to playing was given a fillip at the end of 2020 by the award of £5,000 (£4,500 received in period) funding from Bristol City Council’s Arts and Culture Fund to develop a music outreach programme around the city in schools, youth centres and community venues.
This “Reaching Out” programme began in earnest in summer 2021 with the appointment of a project co-ordinator who developed a challenging programme for us to run from the autumn of that year. With subsequent Covid-induced delays the project continues to run and will conclude in mid-2022.
The formal outcomes will be reported next year but we seem to have discovered a genuine hunger for community instrumental music-making around the city which will inform future funding bids.
As we returned to rehearsals we began to attract new members, commissioned new works and delivered our only live performance of this reporting period at a sold out St George’s Bristol in August generating a performance income of £813 and winning a lot of friends.
In summary, we have survived the challenges of the pandemic, we have a sustainable financial position thanks to our membership and sponsors and have an exciting programme of activity to look forward to in the year ahead.
Page 2 The Bristol Reggae Orchestra Trustee Report (continued)
Financial review
The total cash fund position at the end of the period was £8,402 (Unrestricted funds: £4,080, restricted funds £4,322). The Charity reports a surplus during the period of £5,716 (Unrestricted funds: £1,394, restricted funds £4,322).
Income from members subscriptions totalled £2,500 (2020: £2,259) an increase on the previous year due in part to the membership fee increase and the increased use of direct debit. Members continue to remain committed to paying their subscription fees and it is recognised that these fees enable the Charity to meet its minimum annual operating costs, as reflected in the Statement of Receipts of Payments.
Rehearsals only restarted at the end of May 2021, due to the restrictions of covid and the safety of the members, so there were only 10 in the year compared to the normal 22 which would take place in an ordinary year. This demonstrates the members continued commitment to subscriptions despite the inability to rehearse formally and take part in performances.
During the period the Charity received a restricted grant from Bristol City Council (“BCC”) of £4,500 (2020: nil) in relation to the “Reaching Out” Project. Due to the pandemic, the majority of the restricted grant expenditure will be incurred in the next financial year.
Efforts are ongoing to seek and attract grant funding to support the development of the orchestra and engagement with communities across Bristol.
The pandemic impacted the first seven months of the year during however several promotional videos and exciting new compositions were produced (cost included in “musical project costs” within the statement of Receipts and Payments).
The Charity expects to be able to return to attending performances and providing workshops in future periods and expects income in relation to performance income and donations to increase in future. Financially, the Charity has weathered the pandemic well and remains in a strong position to meet its objectives and plans for future periods.
The Treasurer and Board of Trustees would like to thank all members and donors for supporting the Orchestra, through what has been a difficult few years.
Plans for future periods
The year ended with huge promise. As we look to the future, we are in active collaboration with a local partner organisation to develop new music with performances for their Windrush Generation project, new commissioned pieces are in rehearsal.
We are exploring funding opportunities with other partners and our Reaching Out project will begin in earnest which will take us around the city engaging with local communities.
Structure, governance and management
The Bristol Reggae Orchestra is a registered charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) and is governed by its constitution dated 2 October 2018. The CIO was registered with the Charity Commission on 2 October 2018 .
Page 3 The Bristol Reggae Orchestra Trustee Report (continued)
The CIO is administered by the Board of Trustees. The Board meets six times a year. The management committee has been in abeyance during this period but will be re-established in the coming year. Formal action groups are in place to assist with orchestral section management, planning, development, communications and finance who meet on an ad hoc basis.
The Board recognises The Bristol Reggae Orchestra members are the integral part of the orchestra and the Board continually seeks to listen to the important voice of its members in order to meet the charity aims and objectives.
The action groups consist of the following:
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Finances and income: responsible for managing the money, generating income, pursuing funding opportunities, sales and merchandising
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Membership: responsible for managing recruitment, keeping a balance of musicians, involving members and volunteers, running rehearsals with refreshments
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Musical development: responsible for working closely with the Musical Director to define our repertoire, manage the music library, commission new works and arrangements, seek educational and funded projects.
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Media and Marketing : responsible for publicity, recruitment strategies, managing social media and web-based activity, marketing and point of contact for bookings.
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Performance logistics: responsible for maintenance and storage of all equipment, managing all aspects of performances including contracts, liaison, logistics (including transport), set-ups and take-downs.
Recruitment and appointment of Trustees
Trustees are formally appointed by the membership at the Annual General Meeting and are appointed on the basis of their skills and relevant experience to meet the objects of the charity. Trustees serve terms of one year and are eligible for re-appointment at the next Annual General Meeting.
Induction and training of trustees
Once appointed, new trustees are fully briefed by the Board with regard to:
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their obligations as members of the Board of Trustees, including relevant publications from the Charity Commission;
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relevant documentation regarding the legal framework of the charity, e.g. Constitution;
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relevant financial information as set out in the most recent published annual accounts;
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strategic plans and objectives.
Page 4 The Bristol Reggae Orchestra Trustee Report (continued)
Declaration
The Trustee’s declare that they have approved the Trustee report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
Arden Tomison Trustee 19th July 2022
Page 5 The Bristol Reggae Orchestra Statement of Receipts and Payments
| RECEIPTS Donations, legacies, grants Membership subscriptions Performance income Merchandise sales Asset and investment sales Total receipts PAYMENTS Musical director Musical project costs Musician fees (non-members) Rent / Hire of rooms Storage Advertising Insurance Website maintenance Merchandise Asset and investment purchases Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) Transfer between funds Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
2021 2021 2021 Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total Funds £ £ £ 797 4,500 5,297 2,500 - 2,500 813 - 813 - - - - - - 4,110 4,500 8,610 830 - 830 950 143 1,093 30 - 30 548 - 548 - - - 35 35 180 - 180 178 - 178 - - - - - - 2,716 178 2,894 1,394 4,322 5,716 - - - 2,686 - 2,686 4,080 4,322 8,402 |
2020 2020 2020 Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total Funds £ £ £ 109 - 109 2,259 - 2,259 - - - 56 - 56 |
|---|---|---|
| - - - |
||
| 2,424 - 2,424 1,455 - 1,455 - - - 180 - 180 - - - 9 - 9 - - - 180 - 180 263 - 263 - - - |
||
| - - - |
||
| 2,087 - 2,087 |
||
| 337 - 337 |
||
| - - - |
||
| 2,349 - 2,349 |
||
| 2,686 - 2,686 |
Page 6 The Bristol Reggae Orchestra Statement of Assets and Liabilities
| Details Cash funds Cash at bank Other monetary assets - Investment assets - Assets retained for the charity's own use Merchandise Musical equipment Liabilities Creditors |
2021 2021 2021 2020 2020 2020 Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total £ £ £ £ £ £ 4,080 4,322 8,402 2,686 - 2,686 |
|---|---|
| - - - - - - - - - - - - 2,283 - 2,283 2,283 - 2,283 |
|
| 3,858 - 3,858 3,858 - 3,858 |
|
| - - - 450 - 450 |
Page 7 The Bristol Reggae Orchestra Statement of Assets and Liabilities
The financial statements on pages 5 to 6 were approved by the trustees, and authorised for issue on 18thJuly 2022 and signed on their behalf by:
…………………………. Arden Tomison Trustee