Our Dementia Choir
(Registered charity, number 1187483) Financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2024
| Page | Contents |
|---|---|
| 2 - 4 | Trustees’ annual report |
| 5 | Independent examiner’s report |
| 6 | Receipts & payments account |
| 7 | Statement of assets & liabilities |
| 8 - 9 | Notes to the accounts |
Our Dementia Choir Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 31 August 2024
Full name Our Dementia Choir
Registered charity number 1187483
Principal address 3rd Floor, Butt Dyke House, 33 Park Row, Nottingham, NG1 6EE
Trustees Grace Meadows Colin Peacock Mark De Lisser Ajay Sethi Thomas Dening Robert Tomlinson Les Marshall Peter Coventry, from 30/06/23 Vicky McClure, until 4 April 2024 Daniela Smith, until 4 April 2024 Emma Cripwell, until 4 April 2024
Independent examiner
John O’Brien, employee of Community Accounting Plus, Units 1 & 2 North West, 41 Talbot Street, Nottingham, NG1 5GL
Governance and management
All Trustees are given an induction pack and an individual introductory session. All Trustees are expected to abide by the Code of Conduct, which sets our Trustees’ responsibilities to the Charity.
The Trustees have a strategic vision for the organisation that is articulated in a plan. The plan ensures compliance with regulators’ requirements (Charity Commission), the Trustees monitor financial performance and projections on a regular basis. Trustees ensure that obligations to funders are fulfilled through the monitoring and evaluation of the performance of the director/head of staff on a regular basis.
The Trustees ensure that there are adequate operational policies and procedures in place in relation to employment law, volunteers, health and safety, children and vulnerable adults. Although not rising often, the board of Trustees will deal with conflicts of interest on the committee in a way that is consistent with current requirements and the organisation’s constitution. It is important to the Board of Trustees to ensure there is an appropriate range of expertise, experience and diversity to make it an effective governing body and that it receives adequate information in the right format and at the right time to make informed decisions.
The charity works with a wide range of external organisations to support the members, carers and wider communities. These include:
-
Alzheimer’s Society
-
Universities for medical research
-
Dementia Connect
-
Social Prescribing
-
BBC and Curve Media
2
Our Dementia Choir
-
Music for Dementia
-
Inspire Music
-
Local NHS and Local Authorities
-
Young Dementia Network
Objectives and activities
Our Dementia Choir offers a choir for a wide range of age groups who are living with dementia.
The charity’s object is for the public benefit, to preserve and protect good health among people with dementia, their families and carers particularly, but not exclusively through the provision of a choir. The Trustees have considered the guidance issues by the Charity commission on public benefit and consider this charity to comply with the requirements.
Public benefit statement
The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit, 'Charities and Public Benefit'.
Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit
During the year we have supported people affected by dementia and their carers through the provision of a choir that is specifically organised for people living with dementia to join.
The charity provides help with the logistics and expenses involved with getting members of the choir to rehearsals and performances, as well as wellbeing events to support them.
We aim to provide a safe and suitable environment for choir members to come together and practise and perform. Members of the choir have direct benefits which flow from this that include a sense of purpose and well-being, an increase in selfesteem and confidence and the great bond of friendship.
We raise awareness of dementia for the public benefit by setting up the choir to perform at concerts and events nationwide. We support other dementia activities and charities, NHS, Local Authorities and businesses by performing at their events and hence contributing to their fundraising efforts.
The beneficiaries are the individual members of the choir, their carers and relatives as well as the general public who attend or view the choir’s performances. During the year the charity was grateful to receive contributions to the activities of the charity by 10 volunteers.
3
Our Dementia Choir
Achievements, performance and challenges
There are almost 1 million people in the UK who live with a form of dementia, and despite the progress being made in the search for a cure, it is unlikely to come quickly enough to help them. For these people, what’s essential is to find the best way of living with their dementia here and now.
The formation of the Choir is now established as what is now known as the ‘Dementia Choir Family’. The choir has been involved in various high profile televised performances, raising awareness of the difficulties for those living with dementia. It participated in a part documentary featuring Vicky McClure; ‘My Dementia Choir’. This aired in September 2019 with a Christmas Special in December 2020. The most recent production was aired on the BBC in October 2022 and most of the programmes are now starting to be played worldwide, including Europe, the USA and Australia.
The charity has been involved in dementia research with medical professionals to understand and see the power of music for those living with dementia. Public events have been attended, raising the profile and awareness of the choir and charity, as well as removing the stigma of those living with dementia. The choir has also recently recorded its own single.
We have been proud to appear at a number of events during this financial year, including our own special performances.
Challenges for the choir continue; keeping up with recruitment, there is currently a waiting list of potential members, fundraising during a financial crisis and the ongoing concerns around dementia care and support.
The Trustees are looking forward to growing the charity within the 3-year strategy.
Financial review
During the year, the charity raised funds totalling £229,996 (2023: £239,371) of the funds generated £32,424 (2023: £34,510) was from JustGiving donations received through our website, as a result of the public relations work undertaken with the BBC.
At the year end, the charity held unrestricted reserves of £91,292 (2023: £113,722). The Trustees have established a 3-year strategy that is on target and being developed as the charity becomes more established. Budget planning has shown that the choir requires £200,000 per annum to run successfully. This is being maintained at present.
The Trustees consider that the charity should carry reserves equal to one and a half times the total expenditure of the charity.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
Signed ______ Date _ Colin Peacock, Trustee
4
Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Our Dementia Choir for the year ended 31 August 2024
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Our Dementia Choir (the charity) for the year ended 31 August 2024.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’). I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
-
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 understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed ____ Date _______ John O’Brien MSc, FAIA, FCIE Employee of Community Accounting Plus
5
Our Dementia Choir Receipts & payments account for the year ended 31 August 2024
| 2023 £ Note Receipts 96988 Donations 2 21000 Grants 2 121383 Merchandise & fundraising - Transport income - VAT received - Sundry receipts 239371 Total receipts Payments 3250 Mechandise costs 27778 Transport 20986 Venue & food costs 2026 Other staff expenses 10696 General expenses 779 IT 7683 Accommodation 807 Safeguarding 746 Carer support 100774 Professional fees 389 Events 890 Bank charges 560 Insurance 4713 Other charitable expenses 31 Computer equipment 182108 Total payments 57263 Net receipts/(payments) 56459 Cash funds at start of this period 113722 Cash funds at end of this period |
2024 £ 81342 69025 54791 8485 11629 4724 |
|---|---|
| 229996 | |
| 10629 22745 33310 95 8330 5401 8573 110 1992 154726 737 710 1163 2229 1676 |
|
| 252426 | |
| (22430) 113722 |
|
| 91292 |
6
Our Dementia Choir Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 August 2024
----- Start of picture text -----
2023 2024
£ Cash assets Note £
113722 Bank accounts 91292
113722 91292
Other monetary assets
1500 Debtors 3 8331
- Prepayments - insurance 920
545 VAT -
2045 9251
Assets retained for the charity’s own use
Three laptops purchased Nov 2023, totalling £1,241.
Liabilities
(528) Independent examination (552)
(1397) Creditors 4 (12994)
(1925) (13546)
----- End of picture text -----
These financial statements are accepted on behalf of the charity by:
Signed _____ Dated _____ Colin Peacock, Trustee
7
Our Dementia Choir Notes to the accounts
1. Receipts & payments accounts
Receipts and payments accounts contain a summary of money received and money spent during the period and a list of assets and liabilities at the end of the period. Usually, cash received and cash spent will include transactions through bank accounts and cash in hand.
2. Grants & donations
| Alzheimer's Society Nationnal Lottery - Awards for All FONO BNA - Tech grant MBF Tesco - Healthy Starts Centre for Ageing Well Sundry grants & donations Debtors Merchandise & fundraising Other receipts Transport income Creditors Travel expenses Catering & refreshments Consulting |
£ 30000 17250 10000 5000 5000 1125 650 81342 |
|
|---|---|---|
| 150367 | ||
| £ 2640 3946 1745 8331 £ 206 3710 9078 12994 |
||
3. Debtors
4. Creditors
5. Trustees’ remuneration
Trustees received the following remuneration during the period for consultancy: Mark de Lisser £7,622, (2023: £2,426)
Daniela Smith £7,137, (2023: £3,210) Emma Cripwell £36,521, (2023: £11,419)
6. Related party transactions
There were no related party transactions during the period.
8
Our Dementia Choir Notes to the accounts (continued)
7. Glossary of terms
Creditors: These are amounts owed by the charity, but not paid during the accounting period.
Debtors: These are amounts owed to the charity, but not received in the accounting period.
Prepayments: These are services that the charity has paid for in advance, but not used during the accounting period.
9