## **Bury St Edmunds Bach Society - 1181842** ## **Trustees’ Report on the 2020-21 Season** The object of the Bury St Edmunds Bach Society is the maintenance of the Bury Bach Choir, in the study and practice of choral music and the promotion of musical performances given before a public audience and thus for public benefit. The Society provides a beneficial contribution to the art and culture of the local area. Bury Bach Choir was founded in 1932 to perform the great choral works of Bach. Today, the choir numbers approximately 100 singers from the Bury St Edmunds area, and would normally perform up to four concerts a year with professional soloists and orchestra. Bach’s music remains central to the choir’s activity, as do the large scale classics of the choral repertory. Over the years, the choir has also successfully explored some of the less familiar choral repertoire, including much twentiethcentury British music. Our Joint Presidents, Graeme Danby and Valerie Reid are both renowned soloists and perform at many of the choir’s concerts. Our Music Director, Philip Reed is a graduate of Leeds, who completed a PhD at the University of East Anglia. He is an acknowledged authority on the life and works of Benjamin Britten and has published a number of books about the composer. The Bury St Edmunds Bach Society is recognised as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) by the Charity Commissioners (Registration Number 1181842) and enjoys the support of a number of local patrons. New choral members are admitted by audition. The charity has no permanent official address and its Trustees are the persons elected to the Society’s Committee at its Annual General Meetings, which are usually held in September. The following persons were Trustees during all or part of the 2020-2021 financial year. - Tessa Wright (Chair) - Susanna Spall (Secretary) - Richard Fletcher (Treasurer) - Janet Todd - Sarah Mansfield - Liz Hartley - Arland Shawe-Taylor - Linda Cleveley - Jack Pennell (Vice Chairman) - Kathryn Leigh - Kim Judge - Susan Kodicek - Charlotte Leeder The Trustees have complied with their duty to have due regard to the Commission’s guidance on all matters including public benefit. Activity during the 2020-2021 Financial Year, which ran from 1st August 2020 to 31st July 2021, was severely curtailed by the COVID-19 Pandemic. The choir was unable to perform any of its four planned concerts during the year and met only briefly for socially distanced rehearsals shortly before Christmas 2020. In order to support choir members and choir cohesion, various on-line activities were organised throughout the year including informative talks by our Music Director, vocal coaching by our Joint Presidents and social gatherings. Income and expenditure were both substantially reduced. Income comprised mainly reduced subscriptions, fund-raising and individual sponsorship. ## **Risk Management** Trustees have focussed this year on the risk to choir members from COVID-19. As indicated above, this has been mitigated primarily by a move to on-line activity. Full risk assessments have been undertaken prior to any meetings and necessary mitigating measures adopted (e.g. masks for singing, adequate ventilation and social distancing). The major risk to the Society is the instability of income. We rely on member subscriptions to support the cost of rehearsals, and ticket income and sponsorship to fund the concerts. The Trustees meet regularly to discuss all operational aspects and consider publicity and maintaining a high profile. This is extremely important, as it encourages new members, patrons, sponsors and good audiences at our concerts, all of which help to improve income. We prepare detailed annual budgets and plan future concerts within the expected resources of the Society. A major concern is that, should a concert be cancelled at the last minute, the Society would incur all the costs, but receive none of the income from ticket sales. This unplanned loss could be between £5,000 and £20,000 on any one occasion. We hold insurance which covers these losses, under unavoidable circumstances, although not those related to COVID-19. The Society endeavours to keep a fund reserve of at least £20,000, so that should we unexpectedly lose a significant amount at any time, the Society would be able to continue functioning while the Trustees develop a new programme that would bring the reserve up to a reasonable level again. In 2007 the Society launched an endowment fund, with a view to providing a regular interest income to the main choir funds. This is managed by a sub-committee and we continue to endeavour to increase the fund and therefore the interest income. The Society finances have been administered by the Treasurer and reviewed by an independent firm of accountants. The Treasurer provides regular reports to the Trustees, expenditure is agreed before it is incurred and two signatures are required for all payments. The Society has an appointed Health and Safety Officer, who advises us on all Health and Safety aspects of the regular meetings and events. The Society holds Public Liability insurance cover. BURY ST EDMUNDS BACH SOCIETY (Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation No 11818421 ACCOUNTS Accounts for the ear ended 31 Jul 2021 Davld Roberton & Co 84 Whiting Street Bury St Edmunds IP33 INZ BURY ST EDMUNDS BACH SOCIETY INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORTTO THE TRusfEES YEAR ENDED 31 Jul 2021 I report on the accounts of the Society for the year ended 31 July 2020 set out on pa8e$ 2 to 4. RfSPEcfivE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TRusfEES AND THE INDEPENDENT EXAMINER As the chaf1t￿5 Trusteesyou are responsible for the preparation of the accounts.. you consider that the audit requirement of Section 144121 of the Charities Act 2011 Ithe 2011 Adl does not apply and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to examine the atcounts undei section 145 of the 2011 Act, follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions 8iven by the Charitv Comrnission under Section 14515llbl of ihe 2011 Act. and state whether particular matters have come to my attent40n. BASIS OF INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT My examination was carried out in accordan¢e with the general directions given by the Charity Ctsmmission. An independent examination includes a review of the accovntin8 record5 kept by the tharity and a comparison of ihe accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusval item5 or disclosures in the accounts. and seekin8 explanations from you a5 Trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures vndertaken do not provide all the evidence thai would be requifed in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audlt opinion on the view given by the accounts. INDEPENOENT EXAMINER'S STATEMENT In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements :. lal to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 130 of the 2011 Act. and Ibl to prepaie accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accovntin8 requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met, or to which, in my opinion. attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the account5 to be reached. Stephen Cook MA FCA DAVID ROBERTON & CO Chartered Accountants 84 Whittng Street Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP33 INZ 18 Octobei 2021 Pa8e I BURY ST EDMUNDS BACH SOCIETY IReBistered Charitable Incorporated Organisation No 11818421 Accounts for the ar ended 31 Jul 20ZI 2021 2020 Receipts and Payments Account Income Re¢elpts Voluntary Sources Slnglng Mernbtrs Sub5Iriptions Fund ralslng efforts 19.283 1,495 1.277 5,161 20.778 Cket sale5 direa to choir, at the door & other outlets T&cket sèles at the box office Sponsorshlp Supplying copies of rnusK tts sin8ers Sale of pro8r4mmes at concerts Advertisements In concert pro8r3mmes Other concert Incorne 8.490 16.224 Is 2.482 919 S25 100 420 43S 29,740 Patronage Corporate patrons Personal patrons Tax refunds on covenants MSscellaneou5 Patronage Grants from Local ALrthorltles 2,500 2,455 4.227 890 2.600 3.879 230 9.182 7.599 Tradin8 ArtiTAtles social events Miscellaneous trading 30 30 Investmtnt Intomè 8ank Interesi 1.733 1,804 Totsl Recelpts 16,511 59,951 Page 2 BURY ST EDMUNDS BACH SOCIETY IRe8iStered Charitable Incorporated Organisation No 11818421 Aicounts for the 31Jul 2 ear ended 21 2021 2020 Dlfert Charltablè Expendlture Rehear51n8 Conductor5, fees Accompani5ts' fees Venues 3,023 90 192 3.830 2,238 2,515 3,305 8.583 Conrerts Conduttors, fees 50loists' fees Orchestra's fees Hlre ol Instrument5 and orchestral sco￿$ Venue5 Sta8in8 and Llghtlng Handbllls, Posters and Banner Performin8 Ri8ht5 fees Box o￿lee tommission SupplySng copies of rnu51C to sin8eTS Concert programmes Charr(able donation from concert Miscellaneous concert expen5e5 2.475 2,775 4,980 11,025 773 3,190 2,869 1.742 420 2.661 2,921 382 1.183 140 165 2.780 34.922 Other Expendhure Tradlng General Publicity 5(Kial events Purchase or repair of fixed ass￿5 2,063 2.760 139 2,760 2.203 AdMI￿$tratIon and Mana8ement Conduttors lofficers expenses and rneetlngs Makint Music Subscription and insurance Mlscellaneous Expenses 90 846 1,734 2,146 558 2.670 3,545 Aw4yd•y E￿tI￿lture Total Expendlture 11.515 49.253 Page 3 BURY ST EDMUNDS BACH SOCIETY (Registered Charitable Incorporated Or£3nisation No 11818421 Accounts for the ear 31 Jul 2021 2021 2020 Net receipts for the perlod Cash Ind Bank balance5 at l August 2020 Cash and Bank balances at 315t July 2021 4,996 31,216 36.212 10.699 20,517 31,216 )ubSlee Fund at i" August Receipts Revaluation of lTrvested lund5 Balance at 31st July 2021 $6,641 55,231 7,936 S4,577 1,410 56.641 Statement of Asstts •nd LlabSlFtle5 at 31st July 2021 Monetary Assets Cash and Blnk 801on¢es Current Account- Barclay5 Bank Busine55 Prernium Account- Barcky5 CurTent Account- HSBC Cash In Hand COIF A£count Choir Fund 1.886 10,891 189 246 2,573 5,389 250 23.0(K) 23,000 36,212 31.216 COIF Account- Jubilee Fund COIF Investrnent A¢count-Jubllee Fund 262 64,314 262 $6,379 64,576 100,788 56,641 87,857 Tot•1 Monetsry Assets DebtOf5 LSabllltSe5 Creditor5 PRS Hal Leoftard 418 418 418 418 Total Monetsry Assets, less liabllitles 100,738 87,807 Non-moft￿ary Assets Tanglble Flxed Assets At cost 15,665 IS.66S Pa8e 4