2025-07-31-accounts

Trustees' Annual Report for theperiod
From	Period start date			To	Period end date
	1	Aug	2024		31	Jul	2025

Section A Reference and administration details

Charity name Chester Orchestral Society

Other names charity is known by Chester Philharmonic Orchestra

Registered charity number (if any) Charity's principal address	1181355	1181355
	c/o Mrs Susan Taylor
	77 Mill Lane
	Upton
	Postcode	CH2 1BS

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole **year **	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany)
	Mrs Diana Anderson	Chairman		Members of Society
	Mrs Alex Stubbs	Secretary		Members of Society
	Mrs Susan Taylor	Treasurer		Members of Society
	Mrs SallySlater	Librarian		Members of Society
	Mrs Jane Holmes	Chair, Music Committee		Members of Society Members of Society
	Dr James Warwick
	Mrs Jemma Clark		Until 11 November 2024	Members of Society
	Miss Abbie Parr		Until 11 November 2024	Members of Society
	Mrs Madeleine McCraight		From 11 November 2024	Members of Society
	Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)
	Name		Dates acted if not for whole year
	N/A

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)	Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)	Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of adviser Name Address
Independent financial examiner	Angela Moulton	3 Hareswood Close, WINSFORD, CW7 2TP

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information) N/A

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Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Constitution Type of governing document (eg. trust deed, constitution) Charitable Incorporated Organisation - Association How the charity is constituted (eg. trust, association, company) Elected by Society members at AGM or appointed by Trustees. Trustee selection methods

• (eg. appointed by, elected by)

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

• policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;

• the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;

• relationship with any related parties;

• trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.

Chester Orchestral Society is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation that runs Chester Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Trustees of the Society are the members of the Main Committee, all of whom have signed that they are eligible to be charity trustees under current regulations. The Trustees meet regularly, usually 4 times a year, to discuss, implement and approve actions related to Society business. The Main Committee members are all elected by Society members at an Annual General Meeting held in late November. To assist in the musical activities of the Society, the Main Committee appoints a separate Music Committee with members chosen from the Society who have particular, relevant knowledge or expertise with respect to musical repertoire. The Chairman of the Music Committee is also a member of the Main Committee to ensure good communication. All operational aspects of the Society, including reporting, finance, membership, ticket sales, publicity and concert management are the responsibility of the Main Committee.

New Trustees are generally trained by former post-holders who in past years have generally remained playing members of the Society. The Chairman takes overall responsibility for ensuring that Trustees are aware of their Charity Commission obligations.

All Trustees and committee members give their time freely and on a voluntary basis.

The Society is a member of Making Music, a national organisation that represents and supports over 2,900 voluntary and amateur music groups throughout the UK.

Section C Objectives and activities

The object of Chester Orchestral Society is to advance, improve, develop and maintain public education in, and appreciation of, the art and science of music in all its aspects by any means that the trustees see fit, including Summary of the objects of the through the presentation of public concerts and recitals. charity set out in its governing document

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The Society runs Chester Philharmonic Orchestra, a non-professional orchestra drawing its members, aged from 18 to 70+ from the North West of England and North Wales. Members pay an annual subscription to the Society and rehearse weekly from September to June. The orchestra performs 4 main concerts a year, open to the paying public. In addition, the orchestra collaborates in joint concerts with other local amateur music organisations. We aim to perform music that is both interesting and challenging to players and audiences alike, with a mix of familiar and unfamiliar works.

The Trustees consider that the aims and activities of Chester Orchestral Society fulfil the public benefit requirement of the Charities Act, 2011.

The activities of the Society provide the following main public benefits:

Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)

• An orchestra with the opportunity for people to be involved in a creative, enjoyable and fulfilling educational activity by rehearsing and performing concerts whilst developing orchestral repertoire and musical technique.

• Orchestral concerts for people to be presented with exciting, high quality performances that are a pleasurable experience but will sometimes challenge and educate them by extending their musical knowledge.

The Charity’s beneficiaries are all those in the Chester region and elsewhere who wish to experience its activities as performers or audiences.

The following people specifically benefit from Chester Orchestral Society:

• Non-professional orchestral players who join as members of the Society and rehearse and perform in concerts.

• Any member of the public who attends concerts mounted by the Society.

In addition, young professional musicians benefit from the opportunities provided by the orchestra for them to gain exposure and educational experience as soloists and conductors.

Opportunities to benefit as players and audiences are promoted by ensuring that subscriptions and tickets are priced only to ensure that the Society does not incur financial loss and are subsidised wherever possible by other donations and fundraising activities. There are discounted playing membership rates for students and instalment options by agreement with the Treasurer for playing members experiencing financial hardship. Reduced ticket prices are available through an Associate Membership subscription scheme and heavily discounted tickets provided for all students and children.

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:

• policy on grantmaking;

• policy programme related investment;

• contribution made by volunteers.

Members, including Trustees, contribute freely of their time in relation to Society playing activities and volunteer to undertake additional tasks connected with running the orchestra, including providing refreshments for members at rehearsals, ticket selling, promotion of events, more formal committee tasks and concert management. In addition, a number of friends and relatives of members provide additional voluntary support, including programme and ticket selling and clearing up after concerts. Without such volunteers, to whom the Society is very grateful, the orchestra could not function.

Other volunteers include extra non-professional players for concerts who, although not members of the Society, perform in concerts for no fee.

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Section D Achievements and performance

The November concert featured Richard Howarth conducting Vaughan Summary of the main William’s Job : A masque for Dancing and it launched CPO’s 2024-25 achievements of the charity season of Song and Dance. The concert also included Doreen during the year Carwithen’s Men of Sherwood Forrest Overture thereby showcasing music by a female composer which had been requested by members. Lucy Holmes played Prokofiev’s 1[st] Violin Concerto to complete the programme. Lucy is a talented violinist who had recently graduated in performance and composition from the Royal College of Music in London. The Orchestra again joined forces with Chester Music Society Choir for their annual “Christmas Crackers” concert in mid-December , for which we were delighted that our new President, Dr Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason was the guest presenter . A large audience enjoyed the usual mix of seasonal music and readings. Another young performer, Stefan Cucullo, played Mozart’s 1[st] Flute Concerto in the March concert. Stefan was the winner of the 2024 RLPO international flute competition. Jonathan Small made his conducting debut with CPO for this programme in which he chose to guide the orchestra through Mahler’s 1[st] symphony. This work is scored for very large forces and the performance was enjoyed by both performers and audience. The Concert opened with Suite Rustica by the talented but little-known female Czech composer Vitezslava Kapralova. The suite was based on Czech dance tunes. Kapralova was influenced by Stravinsky and his Firebird Suite was one of the works featured in April’s concert. Stephen Thelfall worked the orchestra very hard to get this piece to performance standard and, combined with music from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet ballet suite and Khachaturian’s Sabre Dance and Masquerade waltz, it made for a challenging concert. Feedback from the audience was very positive and the orchestra felt a collective and deserved sense of achievement after the performance. By way of a complete contrast, June’s concert was a programme of operatic overtures and arias conducted by Juan Orturno. Ukranian Soprano Khrystyna Makar and Norwegian-Australian Baritone Marcus Dawson enthralled the audience with operatic excerpts from Wagner, Puccini, Verdi, Mozart, Rossini and Donizetti. The concert was dedicated to the memory of Roger Gibson who had died shortly before the concert. Roger was a bassoonist in CPO for many years and served the orchestra as Chairman, treasurer and librarian. He also established links with the RNCM, Chetham’s School of music and the BBC Young Musician’s Charity, all of which have been of significant benefit to CPO. We believe the 2024-25 season was another successful one whilst acknowledging that the inclusion of several challenging and lesser-known works led some members to comment that they had found it less enjoyable than other seasons. This feedback has been discussed by the Trustees in committee meetings and adjustments made for the current season’s programme. Attendance at our concerts this year has been more variable and so we continue to review our marketing and publicity, as well as our programming, to try retain our current audience as well as to attract new people to the concerts. The Trustees consider that our activities have met our stated objectives and we will continue to run the Society in a similar manner going forwards.

Section E Financial review

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The Society seeks to have SuffiC￿nI income lo cover expenditure during a gwen playing season. Due to the variability and uncertainty of audien numbers. we aim to maintain un￿stricted reserves sufficient to cover the next three to four planned concerts. Annual budgets are prepared to inform financial planning and decisions made by the Trustees over the use of reserves lo support activrties. Any funds surplus to requirements are hetd in an interest-bearing dep)sit accx)unt and are reviewed on a ular basis. Brlef statement of the ¢harity'$ policy on reserves Details of any funds materially in deficit No funds wefe in defictt at any stage during the financial year. Further flnanclal review detalls (Opllonal Inforniatlon Funds were raised mainly by member subscriptions (which help offset the osts associated with running regular V￿klY reheatsalsl, ticket sales linduding the Associate Membership scheme). donations {from members and sponsors), fund-raising Ifrom concerts with other organisats'ons and member acltvrt￿> and Gift Aid on e1￿ible donations Currently, all surplus income over expenditure goes inlo an Unrestricted Fund and we have no Restricted Funds. You may choose lo indude additional information, where relevant about". the charity's pnncipal sources of funds (including any fundraisingl., how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity., investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted. Expenditure was related lo mounting orchestral rehearsals and concerts th professional soloisls arKI conductors and the associated administrative tasks requi￿. In addition. we also improved the rangè of our percussion instruments. reducing potential future rental costs and provided improved storage solutions lo protect these assets. These activities all fell wthin our charitable aims of furthering education and the public appreciation of rnus￿ so vRre appropriate usages of our funds. Our unresln'cted resevrfes supported the experKliture connected with percussion Improvements. Hov•ever, operational changes in the Cathedral events business required us to pay VAT on nave hire from January 2025. increasing our budgeted costs signrficantly In addition. slwjhtly lower aUdIen￿S for all our concerts led lo a larger than planned reduction in unrestricted reserves. Thus. overall, although the Society continues lo maintain a heathy level of reserves, rt has not been able to plan for 2025126 Y￿thOUt an increase in both member subscriplions and ticket Section F Other optional information Section G Declaration The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees. report above. Signèd on behalf of the charlty's trustses SIgna￿re(sI Diana Anderson ca 1*2025.Ilm 144lJ)TZ TAR- COS Oct 2025

Susan Margaret Taylor Full name(s) Diana Mary Anderson Position (eg Secretary, Chair, Chairman Treasurer etc) Date 29/10/25

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CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the truslee811 members of ' Chester Or¢he$tral Swety On accounts for tho yoar ended 31 Juty 2025 Charity no {if any) 1181355 Sat out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charty (-the Trust-) for th8 year ended 3110712024 Rospon81bllit108 and As the charty trustees of the Trust. you are responsible for the preparation ba•1• of report of the accounts in accordance wrth the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Acr). I report in respect of my examinats'on of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applTrcabk Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145{5)(b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm thal no material matters have come lo my attention (other than that disclosed below ") in connection with Ihe examination which gwes me cause lo believe that in, any material respect.. accounting records were not kept in arLordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting r8cords Indop•nd•nt oxamlnorf$ •tatem•nt I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in con￿￿tIon with the examination to wh￿h attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understsnding of Ihe accounts to be reached. ' Please delete the wonls in Iha brnckets if they do not appty. Signed: Dato: 3NJw 2015 Name: OUL Tc)hJ Relevant professional qualification{s) or b¢xly lif any): FGA Addres8: ES ￿aCK)r) SE GkEES141 (iE J? LTP Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs lo highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independenl examinats.on of charity accounts". directions and guidance for examiners). IER October 2025

Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER October 2025

Charity Name		No (if any)
Chester Orchestral Society		1181355
Receipts andpayments accounts			CC16a
For the period from	Period start date 01-Aug-24	To Period end date 31-Jul-25

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 £		Last year to the nearest £
Ticket &programme sales	12,658						12,658		17,482
Concert fees	500						500		500
Member subs	7,298						7,298		7,691
Associate member subs	3,220						3,220		3,866
Bank interest	713						713		783
Gift Aid	1,474						1,474		1,584
Fund raising	349						349		357
Miscellaneous	207						207		-
Ear-marked donations	-						-		-
A2 Asset & investment sales Total receipts A3 Payments	26,419		-		-		26,419		32,264
							-
	-		-		-		-		-
	£26,419		£0		£0		£26,419		£32,264
	9,644 11,075 3,238 90 2,045 2,859 - 566 64 -						9,644 11,075 3,238 90 2,045 2,859 - 566 64 -
Professional artists: conductors/soloists/extras	9,644						9,644		10,803
Concert Hall costs	11,075						11,075		12,761
Rehearsal Hall costs	3,238						3,238		2,181
Instrument costs	90						90		144
Music costs:hire/postage	2,045						2,045		2,155
Printing& advertising	2,859						2,859		2,587
Fund raising	-						-		-
MakingMusic subscription & insurance	566						566		543
Bank fees	64						64		63
Miscellaneous	-						-		1,950
**Sub total **	29,581		-		-		29,581		33,188
A4 Asset & investment purchases Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end							3,216 32,797 - 6,378
	3,216		-		-		3,216
	32,797 - 6,378		- -		- -
									33,188
	- 6,378		-		-		- 6,378		- 924
	-		-		-		-
	36,492		-		-		36,492		37,416
	30,114		-		-		30,114		36,492

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at Ihe end of the period Urbre5tricted ftjnds Restrictsd funds Et)dowment fijnds 81 Cash fund• 17 2?,30J rotaic•sh lunds 30.114 Unwtrkt•d Il•¥tyl¢ts funds fundB Endowmont lunds 83 Inv••trnont au•ts Cwr•ni ¥41 B4 A88•ts r•tsln•d lor th• charity's us• 35 95 bDard Pércuw w)Xtruirnis IOC% 2021 BM5 IfOl A ni 2022 Fir&rd iJih ZS) 252 urrfeitred F•b 25 2,825 o io% h)M 85 Liabllttl Cmd Provkwn InYty(w not I recavell .120 207 4J27 T)tl trnd •bior• Nlusbc hire knr r￿￿ •••• 2ts Toild•bl $yn•d by or• orttlv tr¥•l•• on O¥te tyf val Ciana Sumn Tayby,