## **Danesborough Chorus** Charity Number 1188026 ## **Trustees’ Annual Report Year ended 31 August 2023** ## **Activities during the year** After four years of interrupted rehearsals and performances we made it through this season with a full complement of concerts. We performed on four occasions. In November 2022 we performed Cherubini’s _Requiem_ and Fauré’s _Requiem_ and _Cantique de Jean Racine_ . Our Christmas concert was performed in Hockliffe Street Baptist Church which proved to be a good venue. In March 2023 we sang Stabat Mater by Dvorak and for our Summer concert in June 2023 we achieved a partial standing ovation with our performance of Purcell’s _My Heart is Indicting_ and Puccini’s _Messa di Gloria_ which was wonderfully uplifting. Unfortunately, ticket sales were, again, lower than usual even though the weather for the interval picnic was ideal. In addition to our own concerts Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue Service invited us to perform at their Christingle Service and to support their congregational carol singing. We also sang at the Carols on the Cobbles Christmas light switch-on in Woburn and provided some additional voices to Redbourne School choir in their Community Concert. ## **Day-to-day running** We are fortunate to have many members who assist in our day-to-day operation. Without these helpers, concerts would not run as smoothly as they do and the fun of belonging to the choir would be considerably reduced. Having many members performing these various functions means that noone has to be overcommitted. As with all these tasks, we do need to have new members joining the band of helpers as some inevitably do retire, and so we appeal to those among you, whatever your skills, to see if you can assist in some small way. As a Committee we have met four times in the past year. Danesborough Chorus continues to face financial challenges and these are influencing programming decisions heavily. We find ourselves looking at programming more popular classics, to try and increase tickets sales, and looking for pieces with reduced orchestration or alternative accompaniment to keep costs low in this area. We are also finding that our membership levels have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. We are operating below our optimal membership of 100 and are finding recruitment difficult. This impacts on income from membership fees (and associated Gift Aid) and ticket sales as members tend to sell to family and friends. ## **Administrative Information** Danesborough Chorus is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and was registered in February 2020. Its objects, set out in the constitution, are to educate the public in the arts and sciences and in particular the art and science of Music. The address for communications is 3 Ackroyd Place, Shenley Lodge, Milton Keynes, MK5 7PA. The Trustees who have served during the year are: Tessa Cox (Chair); Peter Snelling (Treasurer); Ian Smith (Musical Director); Siân Rees (Secretary); Julia Dickens; Imogen Allen and David Roberts. The Trustees are elected at the charity’s AGM with a further two places being available for co-option of members by the Committee. No members came forward to fill these places this year so they became vacant. Ordinary members of the Committee can only serve for a maximum continuous period of three years. ## **Finance** The annual accounts are attached to this report. The choir has reserves which are necessary for the performance of concerts which have to be financed before the concerts take place. Reserves considered necessary need to be sufficient to cover the average costs of a season’s concerts. Concerts generally run at a loss which is covered by members’ subscriptions and other revenues but we cannot put on a concert without having adequate reserves to cover the costs of performances. We sustained a loss of £3,200 in the year under review and our reserves now stand, as shown by the accounts, as just over £26,000. There will be a small increase in the membership subscription for the coming year and the ticket pricing structure is also under review. ## **DANESBOROUGH CHORUS** ## **BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 AUGUST 2023** |Current Assets
Debtors and Prepayments
Music Stock
Bank
Petty Cash
Current Liabilities
Creditors and Accruals
Net Assets
Represented by
Funds
General Fund
Staging Fund
Friends Reserve|12 Mths ended
31.8.23
£
£
5985.00
1192.27
23657.69
0.00
30834.96
332.45
332.45
30502.51
26262.65
590.00
3649.86
30502.51|6 Mths ended
31.8.22
£
£
2985.00
1300.98
28486.82
0.00
32772.80
0.00
0.00
32772.80
29472.94
590.00
2709.86
32772.80| |---|---|---| |||| P J SNELLING TREASURER 1st November 2023 on behalf of the Trustees The notes on the attached pages form part of the accounts Registered CIO No 1188026 ## **DANESBOROUGH CHORUS** ## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE 12 MTHS ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023** The CIO became active on March 1st 2022 and the comparative accounts are for the 6 month period until the end of our financial year on August 31st 2022. |12 mths ended
31-Aug-23
General
Staging
Friends
Total
Fund
Fund
Reserve
Funds
Notes
£
£
£
£
Income
General Income
2
23372.87
0.00
1000.00
24372.87
Concerts
3
11071.53
0.00
0.00
11071.53
Grants
4
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
Total Income
34444.40
0.00
1000.00
35444.40
Expenditure
General Expenditure
2
13964.03
0.00
60.00
14024.03
Concerts
3
23690.66
0.00
0.00
23690.66
Total Expenditure
37654.69
0.00
60.00
37714.69
Net Income/(Loss)
(3,210.29)
0.00
940.00
(2,270.29)
Funds Brought Forward
29472.94
590.00
2709.86
32772.80
Funds Carried Forward
26262.65
590.00
3649.86
30502.51|6 mths ended
31-Aug-22
General
Staging
Friends
Total
Fund
Fund
Reserve
Funds
£
£
£
£| |---|---| ||4645.46
0.00
0.00
4645.46
5725.31
0.00
0.00
5725.31
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00| ||10370.77
0.00
0.00
10370.77
5173.79
0.00
388.36
5562.15
15101.84
0.00
0.00
15101.84| ||20275.63
0.00
388.36
20663.99| ||(9,904.86)
0.00
(388.36) (10,293.22)| ||39377.80
590.00
3098.22
43066.02| ||29472.94
590.00
2709.86
32772.80| ## **DANESBOROUGH CHORUS** ## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE 12 MTHS ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023** The CIO became active on March 1st 2022 and the comparative accounts are for the 6 month period until the end of our financial year on August 31st 2022. ## 1 **Accounting policy** These accounts have been prepared under the historic cost convention in accordance with applicable accounting standards and the Statement of Recommended Practice on accounting by charities. |2 **General Income and Expenditure**
Income
Members subscriptions
Friends
Gift Aid tax refunds
Bank interest
Fundraising income
Wedding & funeral income
Donations
Programme advertising
Music hire income
Sponsorship
Expenditure
Rehearsal fees
Rehearsal premises
MM/PRS fees
Publicity
Officers expenses
Sundry expenses
Training
Store rental
Christmas costs
(Deficit)/Surplus
3 **Concerts**
Income
Tickets
Programmes
Expenditure
Orchestra
Soloists
Conductor
Music
Premises
Programmes
Publicity
Other costs
Deficit
Summary of all concerts
Income
Expenditure
Deficit|12 mths ended
31-Aug-23
15948.00
2150.00
3000.00
0.00
690.07
230.00
355.00
208.00
291.80
500.00
.
23372.87
8740.00
1178.00
634.62
158.88
24.68
263.59
0.00
2364.00
600.26
13964.03
9,408.84
12 mths ended
31-Aug-23
Woburn
Nov 2022
3,687.48
129.00
3,816.48
400.00
350.00
1,450.00
30.00
900.00
140.09
92.73
625.02
3,987.84
171.36
12 mths ended
31-Aug-23
11071.53
23690.66
12619.13|6 mths ended
31-Aug-22
545.00
1055.00
2126.37
0.00
256.09
350.00
170.00
50.00
93.00
0.00
4645.46
3320.00
615.00
0.00
0.00
31.44
222.35
0.00
985.00
0.00
5173.79
(528.33)
Woburn
Woburn
March 2023
June 2023
3,510.00
3,500.00
117.00
128.05
3,627.00
3,628.05
4,385.00
5,350.00
2,300.00
1,450.00
1,450.00
1,350.00
41.20
180.87
900.00
700.00
144.46
150.75
108.08
129.97
522.00
540.49
9,850.74
9,852.08
6,223.74
6,224.03
6 mths ended
31-Aug-22
5725.31
15101.84
9376.53| |---|---|---| |||3,627.00| |||4,385.00
2,300.00
1,450.00
41.20
900.00
144.46
108.08
522.00| |||9,850.74| |||| |||6,223.74| |||| 4 **Grants and Sponsorship** |Neville Funeral Services
5 **Fundraising detail (part of note 2)**
Members
Music hire (ext)
Sundries
Hire of choir
Coffee
easyfundraising
Sale of music/books
Total|12 mths ended
31-Aug-23
500.00
500.00
12 mths ended
31-Aug-23
76.00
62.50
1.79
200.00
0.00
329.78
20.00
690.07|6 mths ended
31-Aug-22
18.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
127.91
110.18
0.00
256.09| |---|---|---| ## **6 Trustees Remuneration** No Trustees received remuneration or expenses in their role as Trustees ## **7 Staff** No staff are employed by the charity ## **8 Related Party Transactions** During the year musical director fees totalling £9275 (2022: £8480) were paid for the services of trustee, Mr I Smith, Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of ESBOROUGH CHORUS On aGcounts for the year ended 31 AUGUST 2023 Charity no (rfanyl 1188026 Set out on pages Respective charity's tnJstees are reSp￿Sible for the weparation of the a¢counts. The responsibilities of chanty's trustees consider that an audrt is not required for this year under section trustees and examiner 144 of the Charrbes Act 2011 (the Charths Act) and that an indeFendent examinalion i8 needed. 11 is my responsibilty lo". examine the a(￿Unts under ￿tiOn 145 of the Charities Ac( lo follow the procedures laid d(ywn in the general DiFedFtins given by the Charity ComrnissK)n lunder secbon 14515llbl of the Charities Act. and to state whether parb(xJi4r maliers have ￿rne to my attent￿. Basis of independent My examina￿￿ vrds carried (Mrt in accordance vnth general Directions gwi ty the examinerfs ststernent Charity Commiss￿n. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the a¢counts presented wrth those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or dis¢losures in the a¢￿￿nIs, and seeking explanab.ons from the trustees GOn￿ming any such matters. The pr(￿dIJfeS Ltndertaken do not provide all the evHJence that would be required in an audc and consequently rK) opinion Is gNen as lo whether the xcDunts pwnt a 'true and fairf view and the report is limrted to those matters set out in the statement beltyw. Independent In conneth.on with my examination, matter has come lo my attentK)n which gwes examinerfs statement me reasonabk cause to telieve that in, any material ￿SpeCt, the requiiements.. to keep aCC￿nting r￿d5 in *¢(Kdan￿ with secb.on 130 of the Charities Act., and to p￿pa￿ accc¥Jnts wh￿h accord wth the accounting records and comply with the ￿)u￿trn9 requirerrEnts of the Charities Act have not been meL' or to whK*, in my opinion, attent￿n should be drawn in order to enable a p￿per understanding &counts to be reathed. Signed: Date: Name: JAMES LEGG Relevant professional qualification(sl or body if any): Acmrt Addre￿. 28 Grasmere Way Leighton Buzzard LU7 2QN IER March 2012