**To** 


**From** 

## **Trustees' Annual Report for the period** 

Period start date Period end date Day 01 Month 08 Year 2021 Day 31 Month 07 Year 2022 

## Section A                        Reference and administration details 

**Charity name** Oxford Operatic Society 

**Other names charity is known by** OXOPS 

**Registered charity number (if any)** 1187711 

**Charity's principal address** Courtfield House 

Milton Oxfordshire **Postcode** OX14 4EU 

**Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** 

|1<br>2<br>3<br>4<br>5<br>6<br>7<br>8<br>9<br>10<br>11<br>12|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**<br>**year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**<br>**to appoint trustee (if any)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Edward Blagrove|Chair|||
||Marilyn Moore|Secretary|||
||MollyGrace|Treasurer|||
||David Crewe|Development Officer|||
||Clare Dovey-<br>Wilson|Social Secretary|||
||Charlotte Coyne|MarketingOfficer|15 March– 31 June 2022||
||Emma Heritage|MarketingOfficer|15 March– 31 June 2022||
||Alison Smith|Membership<br>Secretary|||
||Nicola Jones|Communications<br>Secretary|||
||||||
||||||
||||||



**Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)** 

**Name Dates acted if not for whole year** 

**TAR** 

**2021-2022** 

1 



## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** 

**Type of adviser Name Address** 

## **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** 

## **Section B              Structure, governance and management** 

## **Description of the charity’s trusts** 

Constitution 

Type of governing document (eg. trust deed, constitution) Charitable Incorporated Organisation How the charity is constituted 

(eg. trust, association, company) Elected by the membership 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. 

**TAR** 

**2021-2022** 

2 



## **Section C                    Objectives and activities** 

|**Summary of the objects of the**<br>**charity set out in its**<br>**governing document**<br>**Summary of the main**<br>**activities undertaken for the**<br>**public benefit  in relation to**<br>**these objects (include within**<br>**this section the statutory**<br>**declaration that trustees have**<br>**had regard to the guidance**<br>**issued by the Charity**<br>**Commission on public**<br>**benefit)**|The objective of the Society is to educate the public in the musical and<br>operatic arts and to further the development of public appreciation and<br>taste in the said arts.|
|---|---|
||The Society produces two items of opera, operetta or musical theatre<br>each year in Oxford.<br>This provides public benefit in a number of ways:<br>- It gives local performers the opportunity to participate in shows in a<br>professional theatre.<br>- It gives audiences the chance to see Operas and Musicals of a high<br>standard at a lower cost than would be possible with a professional cast.<br>- We are able to keep alive shows that would not be considered<br>economically viable by professional companies and to give audiences a<br>chance to see shows that they would not otherwise be able to see.<br>In order to help those who have difficulty traveling to the theatre we<br>organise theatre packages, which include coach transport from many<br>villages around Oxfordshire. This option is extremely popular, particularly<br>with older audience members who find it difficult to travel into Oxford for<br>the evening.<br>We maintain links with local youth theatre companies thus encouraging<br>the participation of younger members in opera, operetta and musicals.|



**TAR** 

**2021-2022** 

3 



**Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)** 

On occasion we offer small grants to individual members for attending theatre skills summer schools or other training opportunities. The award of such grants is decided by the committee. 

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

- policy on grantmaking; 

- policy  programme related investment; 

- contribution made by volunteers. 

**TAR** 

**2021-2022** 

4 



Section D                      Achievements and performance 

**Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year** 

## **Treasurer’s Report** 

In the second half on 2021, as the world started to get back to “normal” and pandemic restrictions loosened, we were able to resume many of our normal activities and get back to spending—and making—money as we normally would. We faced the challenges of audiences being less willing to spend time in enclosed spaces, especially in 2021, but we also received amazing generosity from our patrons. In this dynamic period, how did our shows and other activities perform? **My Fair Lady** Income: £ 67,823 Outgoing: £ 87,564 Profit/loss: £ 19,741 loss **Calendar Girls** Income: £ 44,900 Outgoing: £ 61,839 Profit/loss: £ 16,938 loss **Evita** Outgoing: £ 1,680 (score hire/license) **Membership, Patrons, etc** Income: £23,815 Outgoing: £2,647 (website domain and WordPress renewal; insurance) Profit/loss: £21,168 profit Meaning the financial year ended **DOWN** £15,511. This is in contrast to the 2020-2021 FY which ended UP £8,939 (notably a year with many fewer expenses, given the pandemic). Our losses on shows this years have been slightly larger than we were used to seeing prior to COVID-19. A review of the budget numbers shows this is due to sales, as we actually came in underbudget on both shows. A big thanks to the production teams of both My Fair Lady and Calendar Girls for working with the Committee to make sure we stayed within the budget whilst putting on high-quality productions. Membership fees continue to be vital for the financial stability of the Society. £15,844 was brought in by fees alone, with £2.5k on top from Gift Aid – for which a massive thank you has to go to Martyn Thomas for his hard work on this every year. A huge thank you to our generous patrons, who supported us to the tune of £8,800 this year. Thanks also to Chris Thiele for his independent examination of the accounts and to Guy Grimsley for help in the production and management of these accounts. Give As You Live, Amazon Smile and other charitable donations continue to be a source of free money (£316 this financial year). Although we are still feeling the effects of the pandemic, our finances are in a good shape. Despite the bumps in the road, a history of solid financial management meant that we ended 2021-2022 with over £80k in the bank, and we are well placed to produce Evita and to consider exciting programming opportunities beyond. 

**TAR** 

**2021-2022** 

5 



## **Section E                    Financial review** 

The society aims to keep the cost of 50-100% of a production in reserve. **Brief statement of the** Some shows are naturally more expensive and financially risky than **charity’s policy on reserves** others and therefore we plan shows 1-2 years ahead to ensure we keep within these boundaries. Also, as settlement is made post show, and expenses incurred before, we need to ensure that we have the reserves in place to deal with cash flow. 

**Details of any funds materially** None **in deficit** 

## **Further financial review details (Optional information)** 

You **may choose** to  include Our primary sources of funds are ticket sales, membership fees, gift aid additional information, where and patrons contributions. relevant about: 

- the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising); 

- how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity; 

- investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted. 

**Section F                     Other optional information** 

## **Section G                    Declaration** 

**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** 

**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** 

**Signature(s) Full name(s)** Molly Grace 


Marilyn Moore 

**Position (eg Secretary, Chair,** Treasurer **etc) Date** 02/04/2023 

Secretary 05/04/2023 

**TAR** 

**2021-2022** 

6 



## **Oxford Operatic Society** 

## **Statement of Financial Position** 


Year 2021/22 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
2021 / 2022  2020 / 2021<br>Balance Balance<br>FIXED ASSETS<br>Re-usable set parts 0 0<br>0 0<br>CURRENT ASSETS<br>CAF Gold 65,315 76,404<br>CAF Cash 3,000 3,000<br>Barclays 1,062 927<br>PayPal 0 0<br>Shawbrook 10,107 10,075<br>Cash & Cash Equivalents 79,484 90,405<br>Prepayments 1,358 7,903<br>Debtors 1,091 0<br>TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 81,933 98,308<br>TOTAL ASSETS 81,933 98,308<br>CURRENT LIABILITIES<br>Accruals 1,813 852<br>Deferred Revenue 5,175 7,000<br>Uncleared Cheques 0 0<br>6,988 7,852<br>TOTAL LIABILITIES 6,988 7,852<br>Reserves<br>Opening Balance 90,456 79,434<br>Profit / (Loss) for the Year -15,511 11,022<br>74,944 90,456<br>TOTAL LIABILITIES & RESERVES 81,932 98,308<br>Check -0 -0<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>





## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts** 

## **Section A                        Independent Examiner’s Report** 

**Report to the trustees/** Charity Name **members of** Oxford Operatic Society **On accounts for the year** 31 July 2022 **Charity no** 1187711 **ended (if any) Set out on pages** 2 (remember  to include the page numbers of additional sheets) 

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/07/2022. 

**Responsibilities and** As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the **basis of report** accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). 

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’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** I have completed my examination.  I confirm that no material matters have **examiner's statement** come to my attention in connection with the which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: 

- the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or 

- the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or 

- the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. 

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: Name:** Chris Thiele **Relevant professional** FCCA **qualification(s) or body (if any): Address:** 38 Campion Way, Witney, OX28 1ES 

**Date:** 18/11/2022 

1 

**Oct 2018** 

**IER** 



## **Section B                           Disclosure** 

Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). 

**Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose** . 

As for all amateur theatre groups performing in professional theatres, it remains challenging to break even on a production. Without significant cash reserves the society remains a poor selling show or two away from financial difficulty. A tougher year was seen financially following the return to 2 large scale theatre shows, with a (£15k) loss. 

The year ahead could provide similar challenges, and so the committee will need to continue to monitor the cash reserves closely for the foreseeable future. 

2 

**Oct 2018** 

**IER** 

