Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 1 May 2023 Period start date To 30 April 2024 Period end date
Charity name: East London Metropolitan Opera (ELMO)
Charity registration number: ELMO is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). It was entered on the Register of Charities kept by the Charity Commission on 13 September 2019 with the registered charity number of 1185310.
Objectives and Activities
| SORP reference | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | According to its constitution, ELMO’s objective is to promote for the benefit of the inhabitants of Greater London and the surrounding area the provision of facilities for recreation or other leisure time occupation of individuals who have need of such facilities by reason of their youth, age, infirmity or disablement, financial hardship or social and economic circumstances or for the public at large in the interests of social welfare and with the object of improving the condition of life of the said inhabitants. ELMO operates in the fields of arts, culture, heritage and science and provides services and promotes participation in arts and crafts and in particular music. It operates in the London boroughs of Hackney and Islington. It aims to carry out its purpose by running projects in schools and prisons that provide participants with technical and practical musical education and performance opportunities. |
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| Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
Para 1.17 and 1.19 |
Objectives and activities Since 2019, ELMO’s principal focus, under the title Music in the Ville, has been on providing a programme of live music at HMP Pentonville with performances and workshops on the prison wings. Once a month, where possible, a group of four professional musicians run a whole day of musical activities for the prisoners, engaging them through group songs and performances. These sessions improve the wellbeing of the prisoners and raise morale |
in the prison. Weekly half-day workshops using three professional musicians are also organised for smaller groups, encouraging the prisoners involved to make their own music and to perform to each other, boosting the self-confidence and morale of participants. Achievements and performance ELMO has continued to make significant progress in fulfilling its core aims in the year under review. The trustees have met six times since April 2023. Two trustees have resigned since the last year end and to date two new trustees has been appointed including a new treasurer. This means there are currently seven trustees. We also have a new consultant with lived experience of prison attending meetings. We have applied for him to become a trustee and his application is currently being considered by the Charity Commission. Since April 2023 we have managed to run classes weekly with very few breaks. This has embedded us further into the prison regime and we have been given better spaces to work in and more access to the Wings, including the Neurodiversity Wing and Vulnerable Prisoners Wing. Huge appreciation continues to be shown by the men and prison staff, including the Head of Reduction of Reoffending, and the Deputy Governor who has attended a class and is keen for us to continue to grow the project. As well as running workshops in classrooms, ELMO has continued to receive support from senior management and prison officers and thus to gain access directly onto the Wings, and has performed and engaged prisoners on all five wings of the prison, on some days reaching several hundred prisoners and staff. This has the huge advantage of reaching men and staff who would not attend classroom workshops. As in the previous financial year, ELMO’s representatives have had ongoing consultation sessions with prisoners most weeks, collecting very encouraging feedback and suggestions for development which were integrated into the work undertaken during the year. A professional evaluator was employed and produced a full report of all sessions run between 12th June and 14th July 2023. She ran a focus group with prisoners, observed several
| sessions, collected feedback from prisoners, interviewed prison staff and produced a report. There is a pool of 10 professional musicians of diverse musical styles who come into the sessions at different times. Emma Dogliani, the main organiser, is at most sessions providing continuity and recruiting the men to join the group. The principal tutor is Kate Shortt, cellist, singer, composer and educator, who works in many different genres of music. Different professional musicians are brought in each week to stimulate and engage the men and staff and to keep the project constantly fresh. It is very important to us that these musicians come from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. We are constantly working to extend this to further reflect the diversity of the men currently living in Pentonville and of the staff working there. A substantial part of the music we work on in the sessions is written by the prisoners themselves. As last year, ELMO took more visitors into the prison alongside the musicians to witness and gain a better understanding of the project. Many of the visitors have been inspired to help with fundraising and other practical sides of the project. Emma Dogliani has been to visit various other prison music projects at three other UK prisons to gain ideas and make new contacts to help develop the project. A very successful fundraising event took place on 11 May 2023 at The Supreme Court with participation by both former prisoners and prison staff and an auction which included art works by prisoners and future performances by our musicians. This funding, alongside more individual donations and donations from grant giving bodies, is enabling ELMO to continue to grow and develop in a sector where there is a huge need for positive input in the most challenging circumstances. |
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|---|---|---|
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | The Trustees have had regard in the year under review to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. |
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Policy on grant making | Para 1.38 | N/A |
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 | N/A |
| Contribution made by volunteers |
Para 1.38 | We have had weekly assistance from Official Prison Visitors and a volunteer Humanist Chaplain who are all prison key- holders and come to help organised sessions. We now have a man with lived experience of prison attending our trustee meetings and acting as a regular advisor to the trustees. We hope he will become a trustee and we are awaiting a decision on this from the Charity Commission. Some prison officers have given up their own time to attend our events and to take part. Many friends and supporters helped organise the Supreme Court event. |
| Other |
Achievements and Performance
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 | ELMO’s Music in the Ville project has managed to continue in challenging circumstances and to increase the number of workshop sessions in HMP Pentonville. The regularity of weekly sessions has really embedded the project into the prison regime and as such we are receiving growing support from the staff and management of the prison. Pentonville is struggling on many levels with overcrowding, low staffing and crumbling buildings. We manage to boost morale of men living in the prison and staff working there. In the year under review, we have gained access to all the wings of the prison, reaching men who are not attending any purposeful activities and spending many hours locked in cells. ELMO has also spread the word of the project and now many visitors have seen our work and |
witnessed at first-hand how badly needed this kind of project is in our current prison system. Supporting men living in prison with our project makes them more likely to engage with education and positive activities when they move on from Pentonville. Men encouraged to feel more positive about themselves are less likely to behave badly and thus less likely to reoffend on release. Our activities improve relationships between prisoners and prison staff making conflict less likely. We also boost flagging staff morale with our live performances on the wings and staff see prisoners in a different light when they are performing music and vice versa when staff join in themselves. We have also managed to send several men on to a music group outside the prison on their release which has great results at improving their mental wellbeing. This helps to prevent reoffending and thus benefits society at large.
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | |
|---|---|---|
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | |
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | N/A |
| Other |
Financial Review
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | As the attached financial statements show, ELMO started the year with a bank balance of £21,054. During the year it received £25,574 in donations and grants, which included £10,000 of restricted income, details of which are given in Note 3 to the accompanying financial statements, and £15,574 of other unrestricted income. Total expenditure incurred in the period amounted to £34,602, resulting in an overall deficit of income over expenditure in the year of £9,028. This was planned as we had a surplus of income raised at the end of the previous financial year but intended for spend in this year. Thus, at the year end, ELMO had £12,026 of funds carried forward, of which £3,306 were unrestricted funds and £8,720 were restricted funds. The restricted funds were used in April, May and June 2024 to pay for a programme of musical events at HMP Pentonville funded by HMPSS. |
|---|---|---|
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | In April 2023 the Trustees reviewed ELMO’s policy on reserves. As a result, £2,000 from unrestricted reserves has now been earmarked to cover the anticipated costs of any winding down or cessation of activity, although no such winding down or cessation are envisaged at present or in the foreseeable future. |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | £2000 |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | N/A |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | N/A |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 | At present, ELMO’s continuing activities depend on receiving further awards and donations in order to continue and complete the programme of events planned for the remainder of the current financial year. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: See details of major donations and awards in the receipts and payments account. The charity’s principal sources of funds (including Para 1.47 any fundraising) N/A Investment policy and objectives including any Para 1.46 social investment policy adopted
| A description of the principal risks facing the charity |
Para 1.46 | • Financial – failure to raise further funds to cover costs of the planned music programme. • Security/health – inability to deliver the planned programme of activity at the Prison because of access restrictions imposed by prison management for security or public health (e.g. pandemic) reasons. • Reputational risks • Key staff – the delivery of our planned programme of activity depends heavily on the continued involvement of our technical and artistic director, Emma Dogliani, and a small group of professional musicians and tutors which she has assembled. • Prison working – we and our musicians run risks by working in the Prison. We take all necessary steps to mitigate and minimise these risks by following our safeguarding policy and ensuring that prison staff are close by at all times. |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Since 30 May 2023, ELMO has been recognised by HMRC as a charity for tax purposes and is therefore able to reclaim Gift Aid on eligible donations. |
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: |
||
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 | ELMO’s governing document is a Constitution dated 28 April 2019 and registered 13 September 2019 as amended 10 January 2023 which is based on the Charity Commission’s CIO Foundation Model. In this model, trustees make the decisions and are only accountable to each other for any decisions made. |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | ELMO is a CIO |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | Trustees are elected or re-elected by the existing Trustees. No external person or body is entitled to appoint one or more trustees. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Policies and procedures adopted for the induction Para 1.51 and training of trustees N/A The charity’s organisational structure and any wider Para 1.51 network with which the charity works N/A Relationship with any Para 1.51 related parties Other
Reference and Administrative details
| Charity name | East London Metropolitan Opera (ELMO) |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | N/A |
| Registered charity number | 1185310 |
| Charity’s principal address | Flat 40 Chelsfield Point Penshurst Road Hackney London E9 7DY Main contact: Emma Dogliani |
Flat 40 Chelsfield Point Penshurst Road Hackney London E9 7DY Main contact: Emma Dogliani |
|---|---|---|
| Email: Website |
info@eastlondonmetropolitanopera.com eastlondonmetropolitanopera.com |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole **year ** |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria Eze | Chair | N/A | ||
| Olivia Kilmartin | Secretary | N/A | ||
| Richard Miller | Treasurer | 22/10/19 – 5/12/23 | ||
| Louise Walport | Treasurer | 15/1/23 onwards | ||
| Paul Julian | N/A | |||
| Bill Miller | N/A | |||
| John Northover | N/A | |||
| Alex Wakefield | 22/10/19 – 15/1/24 | |||
– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
Director name
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
| Description of the assets held in this capacity |
N/A |
|---|---|
| Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects |
N/A |
| Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets |
N/A |
Additional information (optional)
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 |
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| Bankers | HSBC | 50-52 Kilburn High Road, London, NW6 4HJ |
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information) N/A
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
N/A
Other optional information
ELMO has no employees. However, we do use a number of self-employed musicians to assist with the planning, administration and delivery of our programme of musical events in the Prison.
Declarations The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees, report above. Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees Signaturelsl Full name{sl Posltion (eg Secretary, Ichair Chair, etcl Victoria Eze Louise Walport Treasurer Date
3 3 2 2
2
4
2
3
| East London Metropolitan Opera(ELMO) Charity Name |
East London Metropolitan Opera(ELMO) Charity Name |
East London Metropolitan Opera(ELMO) Charity Name |
East London Metropolitan Opera(ELMO) Charity Name |
East London Metropolitan Opera(ELMO) Charity Name |
1185310 No (if any) |
1185310 No (if any) |
1185310 No (if any) |
CC16a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For the period from |
01/05/2023 Period start date |
To | 30/04/2024 Period end date |
||||||
| Section A Receipts and payments | |||||||||
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 5,000 - 4,210 1,050 800 4,314 200 - 15,574 - - - 15,574 |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ - 10,000 - - - - - - 10,000 - - - 10,000 |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Total funds to the nearest £ 5,000 10,000 4,210 1,050 800 4,314 200 - 25,574 - - - 25,574 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
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Hilden Trust Award(Y1 of 2) |
5,000 | - | |||||||
| HMPPS Grant | - | - | |||||||
| Auction Income | 4,210 | - | |||||||
| Advance Ticket Sales | 1,050 | - | |||||||
| Largest Individual Donation | 800 | - | |||||||
| Other Individual Donations | 4,314 | - | |||||||
| Advertising | 200 | - | |||||||
| - | - | ||||||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) | 15,574 | - | |||||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
|||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| - | - | ||||||||
| Sub total | - | - | |||||||
| Total receipts A3 Payments |
|||||||||
| - | |||||||||
Musician's Payments |
6,230 | 15,615 | - | 21,845 | - | ||||
| Administration, planningand travel | 8,870 | 380 | - | 9,250 | - | ||||
| Bank Charges | 60 | - | - | 60 | - | ||||
| Other expenses including insurance and fundraising |
2,275 | - | - | 2,275 | - | ||||
| CharityEvaluation | 755 | - | - | 755 | - | ||||
| Cateringcosts | 417 | - | - | 417 | - | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| **Sub total ** | 18,607 | 15,995 | - | 34,602 | - | ||||
| 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 |
|||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| - 3,033 | - | ||||||||
| - | - | ||||||||
| 6,339 | - | ||||||||
| 3,306 | - |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
13/01/2025
1
Section B Statemenl of assets and liabilities al the end of the period Unrestricted funds Restrfcted funds Endowrnent funds to nenrtst É tDrnllrVt e Bl Cashfvnds Bank &J I,TID Totalcash fijnds 3.306 0,72LI Unro$trf¢i fvd$ Re6trf¢td funds EndowrnoTrt funds etail trs naarg4£ B2 (Xher monetary assets Ft0 whleh $bS¢t rAmntWdl Dotails B3 Inyeslment assets Detatl% cost10ptrI1l B4Assets retalned for the ¢harity'$ own use tth* loMFanall B5 IlabllRfe$ aiyned Dne or Iw) trustees on behèll ol al thè irusltsox Sign7lure Print Namp Date ol appttsvai CLofi3 Ezè chalr LOU9 waort ITre8surerl 1310112025 CCXX Rl accounts Is51 131011202E
Notes
1. Accounting policy
The financial statements are drawn up on a receipts and payments basis.
2. Fundraising event – ticket sales and auction income
Ticket sales of £1050 and auction income of £4210 for an event held by ELMO in May 2023 were in addition to £5,550, received during the previous financial year in March and April 2023, as advance sales of tickets Catering costs include costs of £246 which were paid for this fundrasier in addition to costs of £2,952 in respect of the same event which were paid in advance in April 2023.
3. Restricted and unrestricted funds and reserves
New restricted income in AY23/24 of £10000 represent 1 award received during the year under review which were made subject to specific conditions. Details are as follows:
in March 2024, ELMO received an award of £10,000 from HM Prison and Probation Services
The award was made in order to fund eight half day and three full day music sessions at HMP Pentonville and additional evaluation costs of £570. These funds are likely to be fully utilised in the financial year ending 30 April 2025.
Restricted income from grants of awards received during the previous financial year AY22/23
in March 2023, ELMO received a donation of £3,600 from Sage Publishing, a US publishing company. £835 was spent in AY2223. The remainder contributed towards the cost of delivering three further one day music workshops in HMP Pentonville in this AY2324. These funds were fully utilised in May, June and July 2023.
in March 2023, ELMO received an award of £8,000 from National Lottery Awards for All England, a part of the National Lottery Community Fund. The award was made in order to partially fund eight full day monthly music sessions at HMP Pentonville. £1000 was spent in AY2223. The remainder of these funds were fully utilised in this financial year ending 30 April 2024.
in April 2023, ELMO received a grant of £4,950 from The Postcode Society Trust, a charity registered in Scotland which uses funds raised by the the People's Postcode Lottery to support smaller charities and good causes in the south of England. The grant was made to contribute towards the costs of employing freelance musicians at HMP Pentonville in the year ending 30 April 2024 at a total weekly cost of £450 for 11 weeks. These funds were fully utilised in this financial year ending 30 April 2024.
Unrestricted income from grants or awards received during the financial year AY23/24
Unrestricted funds and reserves are not subject to specific conditions and can therefore be used by the Trustees for any of ELMO's charitable purposes.
in October 2023, ELMO received an award of £5,000 from The Hilden Trust The award was made towards the costs of the Music in the Ville project (£10000 awarded in total, £5000 in this financial year with a second £5000 to be awarded in Nov 2024). This first year of funding was fully utilised in this financial year ending 30 April 2024.
There have been no transfers of funds between restricted and unrestricted funds in the period under review.
4. Unpaid musician’s fee
This includes payment of an unpaid musician’s fee, outstanding since December 2021, which was paid in July 2023
5. Reserve policy
In April 2023, the Trustees implemented a new reserve policy
£2000 of unrestricted reserves are designated to cover the anticipated costs of winding down or cessation of activity although no such winding down or cessation are envisaged at present or in the foreseeable future
CCXX R3 accounts (SS)
13/01/2025
3
EASBY HOUSE HIGH STREET GREAT CHESTERFORD SAFFRON WALDEN ESSEX CB10 1PL Telephone +441799 530473 Mobile +447785 790951 Email TheTrustees East London Metropolitan Opera CIO IELMOI Flat 40, Chelslield Point Penshurst Road Hackney, London E9 7DY 21° lanuary2025 Dear Sirs, I report to the trusteelon Tlly examination ofthe accounts of East London Metropolitan Opera CIO IELMOI for the year ended 30" April 2023. Responsibilities and basis ol report As the chartytrustees ofthe Charity you aTe respjnsible for the preparation ofthe accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Chartties Act 20111.the Act.). I report in respect ot my examination of the Charivs accounts canied out under section 145 ofthe 2011 Act and in carryingoth my examination I have followed 811 the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145{5llbl ofthe Act. IndependeDt èxaminer's statement I have completed my examination. l Conftrni that no material matters have come to rny attention in connection with the examinatiori giving me cause to believe that in any material respect= 1. accounting recor(Is were not kept in respect of the Char¥tyas required ty section 130 of the Act.. or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understandingof the accounts to be reached. Yours sincerely. Matthew Bullock Fellow of Chartered Institute of Financial Services Easby House. High Street. Great Chesterford. SaffTon Walden. Essex. CB10 I PL