**From** ## **Trustees' Annual Report for the period** Period start date Period end date Day 01 Month 08 Year 2024 Day 31 Month 07 Year 2025 **To** ## 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
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12|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (if any)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Nicola Jones|Chair||| ||Marilyn Moore|Secretary||| ||MollyGrace|Treasurer||| ||Benjamin Ashton|Development Officer||| ||Bella Brown|Social Secretary||| ||Jessica Sexon|MarketingOfficer||| ||Karen Mead|Membership
Secretary||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| **Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)** **Name Dates acted if not for whole year** **2024-2025** **TAR** 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** Type of governing document Constitution (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. **2024-2025** **TAR** 2 ## **Section C Objectives and activities** |**Summary of the objects of the**
**charity set out in its**
**governing document**
**Summary of the main**
**activities undertaken for the**
**public benefit in relation to**
**these objects (include within**
**this section the statutory**
**declaration that trustees have**
**had regard to the guidance**
**issued by the Charity**
**Commission on public**
**benefit)**|The objective of the Society is to educate the public in the musical and
operatic arts and to further the development of public appreciation and
taste in the said arts.| |---|---| ||The Society produces two items of opera, operetta or musical theatre
each year in Oxford.
This provides public benefit in a number of ways:
- It gives local performers the opportunity to participate in shows in a
professional theatre.
- It gives audiences the chance to see Operas and Musicals of a high
standard at a lower cost than would be possible with a professional cast.
- We are able to keep alive shows that would not be considered
economically viable by professional companies and to give audiences a
chance to see shows that they would not otherwise be able to see.
In order to help those who have difficulty traveling to the theatre we
organise theatre packages, which include coach transport from many
villages around Oxfordshire. This option is extremely popular, particularly
with older audience members who find it difficult to travel into Oxford for
the evening.
We maintain links with local youth theatre companies thus encouraging
the participation of younger members in opera, operetta and musicals.| **2024-2025** **TAR** 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. **2024-2025** **TAR** 4 Section D Achievements and performance **Treasurer’s Report 2024-2025 Summary of the main** In the 2024-2025 financial year, OXOPS gave audiences a fairytale ending with our **achievements** winter production of _Cinderella!_ at the New Theatre. With our summer production at the **of the charity** Oxford Playhouse, we put our mark on the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic _Jesus Christ_ **during the year** _Superstar._ Here is how our shows and other activities performed in 2024-2025: **Cinderella** Income: £ 63,006 Outgoing: £ 97,738 Profit/loss: £ 34,732 loss **JCS** Income: £ 56,417 (this includes income from 2025-26 FY) Outgoing: £ 74,694 (this includes outgoings from 2025-26 FY) Profit/loss: £ 18,277 loss **Operations** Income: £26,442 (Membership, Patrons, Gift Aid, other donations, interest) Outgoing: £3,126 (insurance, Zoom licence, NODA membership, account fees, replacing OXOPS photocopier, music stands purchase) Profit/loss: £23,316 profit Meaning the financial year ended **DOWN** £29,693. While 2023-24 was also a loss, it was a much smaller one (£1,169). Both shows in 2024-25 faced challenges of increased costs and lower audience turnout. These shows were nonetheless fantastic productions enjoyed by audiences and great experiences for those involved. Huge thanks are due to the production teams of Cinderella and JCS to keep costs down where possible, and to Andrew Moore and Sarah Sykes for bringing in a big chunk of ticket sales for us via the Coach Scheme (special thanks also to Terry and Diana Pemberton-Piggott, and Peter Shaw, for all of their work on the Coach Scheme over the years). Membership fees continue to be vital for the financial stability of the Society. £13, 905 was brought in by fees alone (last year’s figure was higher due to kids’ memberships for Oliver!), with £3,833 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. Give As You Live and other charitable donations continue to be a source of free money (£682 this financial year). A huge thank you is due to our generous patrons, who supported us to the tune of £1,055 this year. The Stephanie Williams Memorial Trust also generously supported our activities. In 2024-25, OXOPS also received a £5,000 bequest from the estate of Ann Southwell, which as discussed at last year’s AGM, will be used to provide development opportunities for members. A HUGE thanks also to Chris Thiele for his independent examination of the accounts. As it becomes harder to break even on shows, the committee are considering measures to correct for this, some of which will be voted on at this AGM. Nonetheless, we ended 2024-2025 with over £70k in the bank, and we are well-placed to produce _Sound of Music_ and the OXOPS anniversary concert in 2025-26 and to consider exciting programming opportunities beyond. ## **Section E Financial review** **2024-2025** **TAR** 5 ## **Brief statement of the** **charity’s policy on reserves** The society aims to keep the cost of 50-100% of a production in reserve. Some shows are naturally more expensive and financially risky than 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 in deficit** None ## **Further financial review details (Optional information)** You **may choose** to include additional information, where relevant about: Our primary sources of funds are ticket sales, membership fees, gift aid and patrons contributions. - 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)** Marilyn Moore **Full name(s)** Molly Grace **Position (eg Secretary, Chair,** Treasurer Secretary **etc) Date** 28/04/2026 28/04/2026 **2024-2025** **TAR** 6 Charity no. 1187711 Paper3/2025 ## **Oxford Operatic Society** ## **Statement of Financial Position** Year 2024/25 **----- Start of picture text -----**
2024 / 2025 2023 / 2024
Balance Balance
FIXED ASSETS
Re-usable set parts 0 0
0 0
CURRENT ASSETS
CAF Gold 51,555 96,622
CAF Cash 3,000 3,000
Barclays 1,172 1,172
Shawbrook 10,315 10,244
Cash & Cash Equivalents 66,042 111,038
Prepayments (made in reporting year) 4,211 1,620
Debtors 254 72
TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 70,507 112,729
TOTAL ASSETS 70,507 112,729
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accruals -7,856 4,466
Deferred Revenue 7,059 7,268
-797 11,733
TOTAL LIABILITIES -797 11,733
Reserves
Opening Balance 100,995 102,165
Profit / (Loss) for the Year -29,693 -1,169
71,303 100,995
TOTAL LIABILITIES & RESERVES 70,506 112,729
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **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 2025 **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 31/07/2025. **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. **Date:** 20/11/2025 **Signed: Name:** Chris Thiele **Relevant professional** FCCA **qualification(s) or body (if any): Address:** 38 Campion Way, Witney, OX28 1ES **Oct 2018** 1 **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 tough year was seen financially with 2 large scale theatre shows, with a material (£30k) loss which reduces those reserves. As in prior years the committee will need to continue to monitor the cash reserves closely for the foreseeable future. The switch to one large show and one concert in the year ahead should hopefully decrease some of the cash risk in the short term. **Oct 2018** 2 **IER**