‘Sing Your Heart Out’ Annual Report 2024 - 2025
Charity Number 1185038
‘Sing Your Heart Out’ (SYHO) Charity Number 1185038
Annual Report 2024 - 2025
Period covered by this report: 1 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
Governance
‘Sing Your Heart Out’ is a Foundation Model Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). Its only members are the Trustees. The Charity is managed by a Central Organising Group (COG) which at the end of this reporting period comprised 9 trustees. The trustees and officers of ’Sing Your Heart Out’ on 31 March 2025 were:
Julia Rumsby (Chair); Ruth Emerson (Joint Treasurer); Jenny Ford (Secretary); Carolyn Bain; Penny Holden (Systems Manager); Maggie Wheeler; Neil White (Joint Treasurer); Lyn Forde; Cherri Moseley (appointed Sept 2024).
One of our trustees, Sylvie Taylor, stepped down in January 2025. Sylvie provided a valuable link between the Trustees and the Kings Lynn group, and was a strong supporter and advocate of SYHO for many years, so we were very sorry to see her leave. As no-one else from the KL Local Organising Group wished to replace Sylvie as a trustee, we are working closely with those volunteers to support and guide them to ensure that the regular programme of workshops can continue.
During 2024-2025 we held 7 full trustee meetings, all of which took place online. Sub-groups also met mostly online. As well as overseeing our charity’s activities and planning for any events, these meetings enable us to review, update and maintain our policies and procedures, to monitor our financial position and funding and to receive regular updates from the Musical Director.
We recognise the need to recruit new people with relevant skills and experience to succeed some of our current trustees who are ready to step down for reasons including age and health challenges, but this is not easy.
In exercising their duties, and when making decisions or determining policies, the trustees take account of SYHO’s charitable purposes. We have due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on furthering these for the public benefit. For example, SYHO’s singing workshops are inclusive and free of charge - participants are only invited to voluntarily donate what they can afford.
SYHO’s aims and purposes
Sing Your Heart out promotes good mental health and wellbeing through singing workshops which enable participants to reap the known benefits of group singing in harmony. The sessions are carefully designed to encourage people who might normally feel unable to join more formal choir
Registered address: 3 The Street; Sparham; Norwich; Norfolk; NR9 5AQ
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‘Sing Your Heart Out’ Annual Report 2024 - 2025
Charity Number 1185038
settings, often through mental ill health. They can participate in the group singing without experiencing discrimination, and benefit from engaging in a social activity without the stigma associated with mental ill health.
Sing Your Heart Out’s regular singing workshops are held in 5 locations across Norfolk so that people can access workshops in their local area. The 5 SYHO groups are located in Norwich (SYHO Central), Kings Lynn (SYHO West), Hingham (SYHO South), Great Yarmouth (SYHO East) and Sheringham (SYHO North). We use venues with the broadest range of accessibility, including wheelchair access.
SYHO’s challenges and achievements of 2024-25
Between 1[st] April 2024 and 31[st] March 2025 we ran a full programme of 150 workshops - 30 in each of the 5 locations. Average weekly attendance figures remain healthy at around 120+ singers, and we saw a pleasing increase in the number of singers coming to the Great Yarmouth group.
Having missed out on being able to hold a Big Sing between 2019 and 2023 because of the fallout from Covid, we decided that 2024 was the year to bring it back as part of SYHO’s 20[th] Anniversary celebrations.
So we booked Swanton Morley Village Hall - a central venue - for the whole day on Monday10 June. Singers from the across all 5 SYHO groups came along, together with other guests who had played a significant part in SYHO’s journey over the years. We produced a special souvenir song card, provided tea and cake and - despite the poor weather - 150 people enjoyed a joyful day of singing and celebration, led by SYHO’s singing tutors past and present.
Registered address: 3 The Street; Sparham; Norwich; Norfolk; NR9 5AQ
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‘Sing Your Heart Out’ Annual Report 2024 - 2025
Charity Number 1185038
The tutors continue to work together as a strong team, under the guidance and management of Musical Director, Natasha. When Joey left SYHO in Spring 2025 the remaining three tutors rearranged their schedules to ensure that all workshops were covered. We were very sad to lose Joey and wish her well for the future.
Technology plays an important role in the administration and management of our charity, as well as in informing the wider community about SYHO. For some time now we have been trying to find volunteers with the technical skills to help us to maintain our IT systems and our website. This remains a challenge but we have not given up!
Whenever possible, Sing Your Heart Out contributes to research into the benefits of group singing and promotes, educates and informs people about how such activity can improve mental health and wellbeing.
Our outreach activity this year included visiting the Norwich branch of ‘Headway’ and the ‘Forward Day Centre’ in Kings Lynn. We also participated in Norfolk’s Creativity and Wellbeing Week in May 2024, and the Care for Carers event in Oct 2024.
In November two representatives from the ‘Caring Together’ Charity, which supports unpaid carers, came to a Norwich workshop. They talked to individuals during the break and provided information and advice. This exchange of information and details was mutually beneficial to both our Charities.
SYHO’s Finances
As SYHO receives no public funding and relies heavily on grants and donations, we are always working hard to raise funds. Local SYHO groups regularly make the most of the workshops by organising table-top sales and raffles, and by sharing home-grown produce in return for donations.
Our overall income in 2024-25 was £48059, including £12385 in donations. We received a total of £25910 from grants: £19910 from the National Lottery Community Fund and £6000 from the D’oyley Carte Charitable Fund The rest of the income (£9764) came from bank interest, gift aid, reimbursements and fundraising activities.
Our overall expenditure in 2024-25 was £31795, the main costs being to cover the teaching team’s fees and travel (£25297), and the hiring of venues (£4623). The remaining £1875 covered our administration costs (eg bank charges, external account examination, insurance, website, subscriptions), publicity and Training & Development.
Volunteers and trustees continue to give generously of their time and, along with their help in areas such as printing, this means that SYHO’s administrative costs can be kept low. We are extremely grateful for all their support and commitment.
At the end of the 2024-25 financial year SYHO’s cash funds stood at £56976 compared to £40712 the previous year. As our core costs continue to rise, this is a positive financial position for 2025-26 and enables us to plan ahead with relative confidence
Ideally, at any one time we would like to maintain a balance of funds sufficient to cover a year of SYHO’s running costs ie - around £45K. Having reviewed our reserves policy in February 2025, we need to ensure we hold a minimum of £20K, in order to cover potential situations such as contingency, commitments, cashflow and closure.
Registered address: 3 The Street; Sparham; Norwich; Norfolk; NR9 5AQ
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‘Sing Your Heart Out’ Annual Report 2024 - 2025
Charity Number 1185038
Looking ahead to 2024-25
We know that the principles and structure upon which we base our SYHO workshops are both effective and efficient, so they will continue to guide us in the coming year. However, we are not complacent and will do what we can to:
expand the number and diversity of singers;
explore new and potential sources of funding and of fundraising;
refresh and enhance the SYHO website and find sources of expertise to support us in this and in other aspects of Information Technology;
keep the size of the teaching team under review.
The trustees declare that they approved the trustees’ report above on 16 July 2025
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
Signature(s): Julia Rumsby and Ruth Emerson Full name(s): Julia Christine Rumsby Ruth Elizabeth Emerson Position (eg Chair, Secretary etc): Chair Treasurer
Date 16 July 2025
Registered address: 3 The Street; Sparham; Norwich; Norfolk; NR9 5AQ
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----- Start of picture text -----
Charity Name No (if any)
Sing Your Heart Out
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period Period start date Period end date
To
from 01.04.2024 31.03.2025
----- End of picture text -----
| from | from | from | 01.04.2024 | To | 31.03.2025 | 31.03.2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section A Receipts and payments | |||||||
| Unrestricted funds A1 Receipts to the nearest £ Donations & Legacies 1,802 Donations Cash Boxes 10,043 Fees & Reimbursements 540 Fundraising 5,972 Grants - Bank Interest 1,204 Gift Aid 2,048 - |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ 540 - - - 25,910 - - - |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - |
Total funds to the nearest £ 2,342 10,043 540 5,972 25,910 1,204 2,048 - |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|||
| Donations & Legacies | 1,802 | 2,342 10,043 540 5,972 25,910 1,204 2,048 - |
4,122 | ||||
| Donations Cash Boxes | 10,043 | 8,702 | |||||
| Fees & Reimbursements | 540 | 60 | |||||
| Fundraising | 5,972 | 1,501 | |||||
| Grants | - | 10,000 | |||||
| Bank Interest | 1,204 | 730 | |||||
| Gift Aid | 2,048 | 1,177 | |||||
| - | - | ||||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
21,609 | 26,450 | - | 48,059 | 26,292 | ||
| - - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
|||||||
| - | - - |
||||||
| - | - | ||||||
| Sub total | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Total receipts A3 Payments |
119 83 - 20 - 1,755 4,527 581 - 21,609 |
1,606 10 37 - - 2,867 18,278 1,911 - 26,450 |
- - - - - - - - - - |
1,725 93 37 20 - 4,623 22,805 2,492 - 48,059 |
|||
| 26,292 | |||||||
| Administration Costs & Website | 119 | 1,725 93 37 20 - 4,623 22,805 2,492 - |
1,253 | ||||
| Bank Charges | 83 | 60 | |||||
| Publicity | - | 239 | |||||
| Subscriptions & Memberships | 20 | 20 | |||||
| Training& Development | - | 150 | |||||
| Venue Charges | 1,755 | 5,129 | |||||
| SingingTutor Fees | 4,527 | 22,575 | |||||
| SingingTutor & Volunteer Travel | 581 | 2,732 | |||||
| - | - | ||||||
| Sub total | 7,085 | 24,710 | - | 31,795 | 32,158 | ||
| - - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
||||
| 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 |
7,085 14,524 - 33,945 |
24,710 1,740 - 6,767 |
31,795 16,264 - 40,712 |
||||
| - | 31,795 | 32,158 | |||||
| - - - |
|||||||
| 14,524 | 16,264 | - 5,866 |
|||||
| - | - 40,712 |
- | |||||
| 33,945 | 46,578 | ||||||
| 48,469 | 8,507 | - | 56,976 | 40,712 |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
11/07/2025
1
| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the | period | period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details Details Details Details Signature RRRuth EmersonuthRRuthRR |
Unrestricted funds to nearest £ - - - |
Restricted funds to nearest £ - - - |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| 48,469 | 8,507 | - | |||
| Unrestricted funds to nearest £ Fund to which asset belongs OK - - - - - - |
OK | ||||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| Current value (optional) |
|||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| Current value (optional) |
|||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| When due (optional) |
|||||
| Date of approval |
|||||
| RUTH EMERSON | 16/07/25 | ||||
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
11/07/2025
2
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Sing Your Heart Out Charity Name Sing Your Heart Out On accounts for the year 31 March 2025 Charity no 1185038 ended (if any) Set out on pages 1 - 3
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Charities Act”) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,
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to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
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Basis of independent My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given examiner’s statement by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention examiner's statement (other than that disclosed below *)
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which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act
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have not been met; or
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to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
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Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.
Date: 11/07/2025 Signed: Name: Nicola Fowler, NJF Accounts Ltd
IER
1
Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants Associate of the Chartered Institute of Taxation
Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any):
Address:
21 Springfields Poringland, Norwich NR14 7RG
Section B Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material problems.(E.g. accounting records have not been kept in accordance with s132 of the Charities’ Act 2011 and those accounts do not comply with the requirements of the 2008 Regulations setting out the form and content of charity accounts; any material expenditure or action which appears not to be in accordance with the trusts of the charity; any failure to be provided with information and explanations by any past or present trustee, officer or employee; and any material consistency between the accounts and the trustees’ annual report.)
IER
2
Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .
IER
3