**GROBY SINGS (Registered Charity No. 1180490)** ## **ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS for year ending 31 JANUARY 2024** **Approved by the Groby Sings’ board of trustees on 16 April 2024** ## **CONTENTS** ## ANNUAL REPORT Establishment and objects Structure, governance and management Review of developments, activities and achievements Financial review STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES ## **ANNUAL REPORT** The Trustees present this report and the financial statement of Groby Sings for the period ended 31st January 2024, in accordance with the Charities Act 2011. ## **Establishment and objects** Groby Sings was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO, Foundation model) on 30 October 2018, No. 1180490. Its charitable object is for the public benefit to advance, improve, develop and maintain public awareness in, and appreciation of, the art and science of music in all its aspects by any means the trustees see fit, including through the establishment and operation of a fully socially inclusive community choir and the presentation of public concerts. The Trustees have given due consideration to the Charity Commission’s published guidance on the Public Benefit requirement under the Charities Act 2011. The main activities undertaken to further Groby Sings’ purposes for the public benefit in the period were related to the promotion and performance of music as described in the review of developments, activities and achievements section. ## **Structure, governance and management** Groby Sings is governed by its constitution adopted on 11th October 2018. The Trustees consist of elected Officers and other members. The Trustees meet twice a year, plus extra meetings as necessary. The routine management of Groby Sings is the responsibility of a Management Team who, as per the constitution (section 14, paragraph 1), have delegated powers, the terms of which are determined by the Trustees. 1 The key personnel during the year under review were as follows. Changes made during the year are in **bold** . Trustees, in order of date of (re-)appointment (Trustees are appointed for a 3-year term and can be re-appointed at the end of that term.) PAUL COX Re-appointed 17 May 2021 STEPHEN GEORGE Re-appointed 17 May 2021 CAROL KNILL Re-appointed 17 May 2021 **Resigned 2 March 2023** LOUISE ROSS Re-appointed 17 May 2022 NICOLA BASHFORTH Appointed 13 June 2022 HAYLEY HOWLETT **Appointed 2 March 2023** CLIFF ASHBY Re-appointed 17 May 2020 **Re-appointed 17 May 2023** ANDREW SCOTT **Appointed 12 July 2023** ## Management Team, in order of date of appointment (Members of the Management Team are appointed by the Trustees. At least one member of the Management Team must be a Trustee.) CLIFF ASHBY (Trustee) JANE COX JODIE TOTMAN Appointed 17 May 2018 Appointed 17 May 2018 Appointed 19 July 2022 **Resigned 9 Jan 2024** HELEN O’BRIEN Appointed 31 Oct 2022 **Resigned 28 Aug 2023** ANDREW SCOTT (Trustee) GEMMA SPURLING **Appointed 12 July 2023 Appointed 29 Jan 2024** The address for correspondence to the Charity is: 18 PYMM LEY LANE GROBY LEICESTER LE6 0GZ 2 ## **Review of developments, activities and achievements** With a diminishing need to take Covid-19 into consideration, the choir was able to return to the ‘normal’, pre-pandemic arrangements for rehearsals and performances. The spring/summer season ( _Groby Sings at the Movies_ ) saw the number of adult singers rising steadily, with past singers returning and new recruits joining the choir. The children’s choir was well attended, with nearly all the youngsters returning after the winter break plus a few new faces. A variety of songs was selected from various ‘Movies’ to reflect the diversity of the age and tastes of the singers. Nearly all of the singers decided to take part in the performances in June. The size of the choir - well over 100 singers - was sufficient for us to return to the sports hall at Brookvale Groby Learning Campus for two concerts. Those who chose not to sing in the concerts supported the choir by buying tickets to listen, and all singers encouraged friends, neighbours and family to come to hear the glorious singing that the musical director coaxed out of the choir. The return to the venue and format of previous concert weekends felt triumphant after the missing years of the pandemic, and it was felt to be the right decision despite a financial loss being made. In the summer break, preparations were made for the autumn season of songs relating to ‘Opera’ ( _Groby Sings at the Opera_ ). Once again, the numbers of adults attending grew. Unfortunately, the number of children singing decreased: some primary-school children moved onto secondary school and took part in performances there rather than singing with the choir; and some older teenagers joined the adults in the evening. To attract more children, the musical director and accompanist raised awareness of the choir with some school visits; and publicity was directed to local parents and carers through Facebook and local magazines. The Management Team had reviewed the annual budget and, because of increased costs at BGLC, they had negotiated use of the auditorium at English Martyrs’ School, which would save the cost of hiring staging and allow the ticket price to be held without increase. The November performances were hugely successful. Singers and audience preferred the new venue, which had superior acoustics and more comfortable seating than BGLC’s sports hall. Funding from grants has enabled us to maintain and expand our adult choirs. New singers have included older people, those with memory loss and their carers, and people who were socially isolated. It has been heart-warming to hear people tell us how much they look forward to Wednesdays, how it’s a break from routine, how it gets them out of the house, and how much better they feel after singing. People expressed the feeling that this is a highlight of the week for them, where they can meet old friends and make new ones. (In the Easter and summer breaks, they have been able to keep in touch with others at the weekly gatherings at the local library for tea and cake.) Funding specifically related to dementia focused our attention on the needs of those singers who have dementia and their carers who attend with them. The work of the choir was recognised with two awards during 2023. It was shortlisted for the _Radio Leicester Make A Difference Awards_ in the _Community_ category _._ And in November, Groby Sings received an award and a medal from Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council for ‘ _Creating a Sense of Community_ ’. Both awards were the result of nominations by choir members and friends of the choir. This was a well-deserved thank you for the dedication of the Musical Director and of the many singers and volunteers who give their time and talents to support this charity. As always, we are very grateful to Groby Club, who allow us to use their premises for our rehearsals. 3 Testimonials from singers: _‘I suffer from frequent migraines and find that singing at Groby Sings reduces them significantly … You would think that singing would have the reverse effect, but I find that the headaches disappear, for a time at least.’_ _‘I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my first season, met new friends and reignited my passion for singing. A massive thank you to all the volunteers’_ ## **Financial review** The year to the end of January 2024 was a financially stable year for Groby Sings. Our income from all activities was £16,299 (in 2023: £10,933). This consisted of £7,009 in various donations and a Grant of £2,000 from Leicestershire County Council. In addition to this, we received recovered Gift Aid (including GASDS) of £1,893 on donations from 2022 up to the end of the first half of 2023. The other major source of income was the sale of performance tickets which amounted to £3,650. The Grant and the recovered Gift Aid were items of extraordinary, one-off income, which we will need to continue to pursue if we are to ensure our continual viability. We recognise the work of Louise Ross in securing grants and the support of Leicestershire County Council to enable this. Total payments for the period were £14,905 (2022: £9,284). The largest single portion of this continues to be the cost of conductor and musicians, £6,725 (2022: £5,590). Performance costs, which were £4,890 (2022: £921), were not directly comparable to the previous year which had made use of a ‘free to use’ venue. The use of a new venue for the second season reduced the overall cost of venue and staging, making the performances more financially viable going forward. Rehearsal venue costs for the year were £1,000. The closing bank balance for the period was £9,089, an increase of £1,395 over the previous year. ## Other assets The charity owns a number of assets which it retains for its own use and for which we have shown cost but to which we have assigned no current value. ## Reserves policy Groby Sings aims to maintain the accumulated fund at a minimum balance of £3,200. This level of reserves, in conjunction with Groby Sings’ insurance policy, would ensure that Groby Sings could cover the costs of any concert abandonment should the need arise. This level is currently under review to ensure adequacy in the face of rising costs. ## Financial statements The statutory financial statements of Groby Sings are attached. They comprise a Statement of Financial Activities, setting out the income and expenditure for the year, both from concert activities and from Groby Sings’ general activities. The financial statements conclude with a Balance Sheet summarising Groby Sings’ financial position. Annual Report signed on behalf of the Trustees: ## **Steve George** Chair 4 ## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR 12 MONTH PERIOD ENDED 31 JANUARY 2024 (all amounts to nearest £)** ## Income and spending |Income and spending||||| |---|---|---|---|---| ||**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to 31/01/24**|
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to 31/01/24**|
**Total funds**
**to 31/01/24**|Total funds
to 31/01/23| |**Income**||||| |Donations andgrants|£9,009|
**-**|
£9,009|
£9,119| |Sales(CDs, music,pencils)|1,567|
**-**|
1,567|
1,043| |Performance refreshments|181|
**-**|
181|
225| |CO2 meter refund|-|
**-**|
-|
66| |Performance ticket sales|3,650|
**_-_**|
3,650|
480| |Recovered Gift Aid|1,892|
**_-_**|
1,892|
-| |||||| |**Total income**|
**£16,299**|
**_-_**|
**£16,299**|
£10,933| |||||| |**Spending**||||| |Conductor and musicians|£6,725|
-|
£6,725|
£5,590| |Rehearsals|1,606|
-|
1,606|
867| |Music, licences,printing|909|
-|
909|
1,212| |Admin., insurance, misc.|471|
-|
471|
560| |Performance costs
(includingticket refunds)|4,890|
-|
4,890|
921| |CO2 meter|-|
-|
-|
66| |CDs|304|
-|
304|
69| |||||| |**Total spending**|**£14,905**|
**-**|
**£14,905**|
£9,284| |||||| |**Net of income /(spending) **|**£1,394**|
**-**|
**£1,394**|
£1,649| ## Cash funds ||**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**at 31/01/24**|
**Restricted**
**funds**
**at 31/01/24**|
**Total funds**
**at 31/01/24**|Total funds
at 31/01/23| |---|---|---|---|---| |**Cash at bank**|**£9,089**|-|
**£9,089**|£7,694| ## Assets retained for the charity’s own use |**Details**|**Original Cost(£)**| |---|---| |Solta TA-Sub Sound Array|2,200| |LaneyMonitors(4)|585| |QSC Touch Mix 8 Mixer|692| |Roland FP-80 Keyboard|1,500| |Systor 1-7 CD Duplicator|485| |Other miscellaneous equipment|1,350| Statement of financial activities signed on behalf of the Trustees: ## _Steve George_ Chair ## **ACCOUNTING POLICIES** ## _**Basis of accounting**_ Charities registered in England and Wales that are not companies are allowed under section 133 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Charities Act’) to prepare receipts and payments accounts provided the charity’s gross income is not over £250,000. As such we are not required to prepare accounts on an accruals basis and the Trustees have opted not to do so. In addition as the gross income does not exceed £25,000, we have opted not to subject the accounts to independent examination. ## _**Funds and reserve policy**_ At the year end, all the charity's funds are unrestricted. Groby Sings aims to maintain the accumulated fund at a minimum balance of £3,200. This level of reserves, in conjunction with the Groby Sings insurance policy, would ensure that Groby Sings could cover any concert abandonment costs should the need arise. ## _**Designated and Restricted reserves**_ The charity has received no restricted donation nor has designated any specific funds and hence has no such reserves. ## _**Income**_ All income is accounted for on a receipts basis. ## _**Expenditure**_ All expenditure is accounted for on a payment basis. ## _**Cash at bank and in hand**_ All cash is banked in total upon receipt and no cash floats or banking receipt residual are now kept. All such funds during the period in question, were banked as of the end of the financial year. ## _**Creditors and provisions**_ Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. ## _**Preparation of the accounts on a going concern basis**_ The trustees consider there are no material uncertainties about the Charity’s ability to continue as a going concern. The review of our financial position, reserves levels and future plans gives the Trustees confidence that the charity remains a going concern for the foreseeable future. **Charity Name No (if any) Groby Sings 1180490** **Receipts and payments accounts For the period** Period start date Period end date **To from** 01/02/2023 31/01/2024 |**Section A Receipts and payments**|**Section A Receipts and payments**|**Section A Receipts and payments**|||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |**A1 Receipts**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**||**Restricted funds**
**to the nearest £**||**Endowment**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**||**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**
**9,009**
**1,567**
**181**
**-**
**3,650**
**1,892**
**-**
**-**
**16,299**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**16,299**
**6,725**
**1,606**
**909**
**471**
**4,890**
**-**
**304**
**-**
**-**
**14,905**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**14,905**
**1,394**
**-**
**7,694**
**9,089**| |
Donations and Grants|**9,009**||**-**||**-**||**9,009**| |Sales(CDs,Music, pencils)|**1,567**||**-**||**-**||**1,567**| |Performance refreshments|**181**||**-**||**-**||**181**| |CO2 meter refund|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| |Performance ticket sales|**3,650**||**-**||**-**||**3,650**| |Recovered Gift Aid|**1,892**||**-**||**-**||**1,892**| ||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| ||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| |**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for AR)_|**16,299**||**-**||**-**||**16,299**| ||||||||| |**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**|||||||| ||**-**||||||| ||**-**||||||| |**_Sub total_**|**-**||||||| |**_Total receipts_**
**A3 Payments**|||||||| |
Conductor and Musicians|**6,725**||**-**||**-**||**6,725**| |Rehearsals|**1,606**||**-**||**-**||**1,606**| |Music,Licences,Printing|**909**||**-**||**-**||**909**| |Admin,Insurance,Misc|**471**||**-**||**-**||**471**| |Performance costs (including ticket refunds)|**4,890**||**-**||**-**||**4,890**| |CO2 Meter|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| |CDs|**304**||**-**||**-**||**304**| ||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| ||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| |**_Sub total_ **|**14,905**||**-**||**-**||**14,905**| ||||||||| |**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**|||||||| ||**-**||||||| ||**-**||||||| |**_Sub total_ **|**-**||||||| |**_Total payments_**
**_Net of receipts/(payments)_**
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**_Cash funds this year end_**|||||||| ||**1,394**||||||**1,394**| ||**-**||||||**-**| ||**7,694**||||||**7,694**| ||**9,089**||||||**9,089**| CCXX R1 accounts (SS) 29/09/2024 1 ## **Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period** |**Categories**
**B1 Cash funds**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**
**B5 Liabilities**
**B3 Investment assets**|Other miscellaneous equipment
**Details**
**Details**
Solta TA-Sub Sound Array
Laney Monitors (4)
QSC Touch Mix 8 Mixer
Roland FP-80 Keyboard
Systor 1-7 CD Duplicator
**Details**
**Details**
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments account(s))
**Details**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
Agreement Error
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which asset**
**belongs**
**Fund to which asset**
**belongs**
Unrestricted
Unrestricted
Unrestricted
Unrestricted
Unrestricted
Unrestricted
**Fund to which**
**liability relates**|**Restricted funds**
**to nearest £**| |---|---|---|---| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||OK| ||||**Restricted funds**
**to nearest £**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**Cost (optional)**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**Cost (optional)**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**Amount due**
**(optional)**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees ## Signature Print Name Andrew Scott Steven George CCXX R2 accounts (SS) 29/09/2024 2 **----- Start of picture text -----**
CC16a
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **Last year** ## **to the nearest £** **9,119 1,043 225 66 480 - - - 10,933** **10,933** **5,590 867 1,212 560 921 66 69 - - 9,284** **9,284 1,649 - 6,045 7,694** CCXX R3 accounts (SS) 29/09/2024 3 **----- Start of picture text -----**
Endowment
funds
to nearest £
**----- End of picture text -----**
OK **Endowment funds to nearest £** **-** **Current value (optional) - - - - -** **Current value (optional) - - - - - - - - -** **When due (optional)** Date of approval CCXX R4 accounts (SS) 29/09/2024 4