Children’s Concerts Trustees’ Annual Report
Year Ending 30[th] June 2025
The trustees are pleased to present their report on the charity for the period 1[st] July 2024 to 30[th] June 2025.
Objectives and activities
Our first concert took place in 1994, with Children’s Concerts becoming a registered charity in 2011. The charity’s objects are to promote the art of live orchestral music and to advance the education and appreciation of live orchestral music among children and young people.
Financial Review
The concerts had income of £41,545 in the year ending June 2025, of which £22,450 came from ticket sales and a total of £18,339 came from grants. We also supported travel (by bus) costs of state schools who attended, for which we received £24,000. The concerts were generously supported by the Bedhampton Charitable Trust, The Boltini Trust, The Calleva Foundation, The Colles Trust, The Foyle Foundation, the Humphrey Richardson Taylor Trust, The Sussex Community Foundation and an anonymous donor. Concert expenditure totalled £37,759.77, with overheads and administrative costs of £680, which were covered by interest received of £756.
The Charity’s financial reserves are held as cash, to help with the following year’s finances. This year’s surplus will help towards the Charity goal to build up reserves to a level approximately equal to one year’s expenses.
We continue to seek funding in order to be able to increase the number of concerts and broaden the geographical reach of the Charity, thereby giving more children the chance to experience live orchestral music.
We are very grateful to all those whose funding has made the concerts possible, and provided funding to support the cost of coach hire for state school pupils to come to the concerts.
For detail, please see the filed accounts.
Ticket prices are kept at a nominal level to ensure best access for all children, so fund raising is essential to our activities.
Achievements
Approximately 4,900 school children from infant, primary, junior and special schools attended our concerts in January over three days in large public concert venues at Chichester, Guildford and Southampton. In past years we have also produced concerts in Dorking, Worthing, Petersfield, Portsmouth and Winchester. Concerts are one hour in length and comprise a series of short classical orchestral pieces, a narrative piece and a commissioned song for all the children to sing together with the orchestra. The children practise this song at school before the concert. Each year children are invited to contribute designs for the concert programme and we used one to print on the programmes. State schools were offered up to 65% of their coach hire costs subject to funding being available.
The Children’s Concerts in 2025 were happy occasions. Jonathan Willcocks and the Southern Pro Musica continued to perform, as they have done since 1994. They were joined again this year by Neil Henry as compère, who entertained the 5-11 year olds at six concerts in three venues: The Festival Theatre in Chichester, G Live Guildford and Central Hall Southampton. The children listened to orchestral pieces suitable for the age group and joined in a song with full audience participation at the end of each concert.
The pieces played this year included:
Jonathan Willcocks Meet the orchestra Suppé Light Cavalry Overture Handel Hornpipe George Kleinsinger Tubby the Tuba Greig In the hall of the mountain King Elmer Bernstein The Magnificent Seven Ronan Hardiman Lord of the Dance Jonathan Willcocks The Wigwam Song (Song for audience participation)
In their own words
Some comments from teachers who attended the concerts:
They were wowed by the music instruments and the different sounds they made individually and all together. The children we brought had never been to a concert before, so it was truly magical for them.
This was our first time attending, and I thought it was superb on all counts. Brilliantly organised, great choice of repertoire, perfect length for our year 3s, great to get them participating with the song and some conducting, and the magician was a lovely addition to keep them engaged between pieces.
I think that the children love hearing things they know, so the piece where they walk on stage playing known melodies like match of the day work brilliantly.
Structure, governance and management
As a Charitable Incorporated Organisation governed by a Trust Deed, our operations are managed and run by a committee of volunteer trustees, including the founder Elizabeth Gotto and the Conductor and Artistic Director of the Southern Pro Musica orchestra Jonathan Willcocks. The Committee meets three times each year. Three members of the Committee usually attend each concert to ensure all goes well. Responsibility for the children remains with their attending teachers or parents throughout the concert. Venue staff are also always on hand to assist teachers and children.
Trustees (all acted for the whole year):
Elizabeth Curtis (Chairperson) Elizabeth Gotto Francis Gotto James Gotto Sarah Maybury (Treasurer) Hilary Otter Jonathan Willcocks
Andrew Jackson is on the committee as our schools' liaison adviser, but he is not a trustee.
New trustees are appointed by the existing trustees.
We re-registered the charity as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation number 1189148 in 2020. The old charity number was 1143521.
Principal address: 1 Old Manor Farm, Hinton Martell, BH21 7HR.
Contact email: admin@childrensconcerts.org.uk
Website: https://childrensconcerts.org.uk
Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ annual report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Elizabeth Curtis Sarah Maybury Chairperson Treasurer 16 November 2025 16 November 2025
Children’s Concerts
Registered Charity number 1189148
Balance Sheet 30[th] June 2025
Notes
| Current Assets Bank current account Bank deposit account Debtors Sundry debtors 1 Advance payments made Current liabilites Sundry creditors 2 Represented by Retained earnings Balance brought forward Current year surplus/(defcit) Balance carried forward Coach Reserve Balance brought forward Foyle Foundaton Sussex Communites Foundaton Humphrey Richardson Taylor Trust Anonymous donaton The Calleva Foundaton less School reimbursement Balance carried forward |
2025 £ 58.00 0.00 426.27 21,155.14 3,105.84 770.41 7,000.00 4,000.00 3,000.00 0.00 10,000.00 (10,348.47) |
£ 521.85 38,529.34 58.00 39,109.19 426.27 38,682.92 24,260.98 14,421.94 ___ 38,682.92 |
2024 £ 0.00 90.24 0.00 14,214.27 6,940.87 1,545.08 5,000.00 0.00 3,000.00 2,500.00 0.00 (11,274.67) |
2024 £ 0.00 90.24 0.00 14,214.27 6,940.87 1,545.08 5,000.00 0.00 3,000.00 2,500.00 0.00 (11,274.67) |
£ 1,004.67 20,830.64 90.24 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 426.27 | ||||||
| 21,925.55 0.00 |
||||||
| 21,155.14 3,105.84 |
||||||
| 21,925.55 | ||||||
| 21,155.14 770.41 ___ 21,925.55 |
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…………………………………………… Sally Maybury, Treasurer
…………………………………………………….. Elizabeth Curtis, Chairman
Children’s Concerts
Registered Charity number 1189148
Profit and Loss Account 1[st] July 2024- 30[th] June 2025
| Notes Concert income Ticket sales 4 Bedhampton CT Boltni Trust The Calleva Foundaton Colles Trust Foyle Foundaton (2025 see coach fund) Lady Phillimore John Denham Sussex Communites Foundaton Total of grants received Interest Concert expenditure Orchestra 3 Conductor fees 3 Narrator fees Venue hire PRS license Programme costs Sales commission Cr card commission Orchestra refreshments Gratuites Overheads Travel expenses Insurance Subscriptons Website Poster art Postage Net (loss)/ Proft ` |
2025 £ £ 22,450.00 4,039.00 0.00 10,000.00 300.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 4,000.00 18,339.00 756.70 __ 41,545.70 22,420.00 1,890.00 1,050.00 10,168.57 1,393.90 242.83 0.00 319.47 275.00 0.00 37,759.77 3,785.93 40.00 81.00 411.00 108.09 30.00 10.00 (680.09) 3,105.84 _____ |
2025 £ £ 22,450.00 4,039.00 0.00 10,000.00 300.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 4,000.00 18,339.00 756.70 __ 41,545.70 22,420.00 1,890.00 1,050.00 10,168.57 1,393.90 242.83 0.00 319.47 275.00 0.00 37,759.77 3,785.93 40.00 81.00 411.00 108.09 30.00 10.00 (680.09) 3,105.84 _____ |
2024 £ £ 21,660.00 8,000.00 5,000.00 0.00 250.00 5,000.00 500.00 2,500.00 0.00 ___ 21,250.00 130.64 _ 43,040.64 21,355.00 1,800.00 1,050.00 9,868.54 431.52 176.83 162.84 345.43 268.37 0.00 __ 35,458.53 7,582.11 50.00 79.00 392.00 90.24 30.00 0.00 (641.24) 6,940.87 _____ |
2024 £ £ 21,660.00 8,000.00 5,000.00 0.00 250.00 5,000.00 500.00 2,500.00 0.00 ___ 21,250.00 130.64 _ 43,040.64 21,355.00 1,800.00 1,050.00 9,868.54 431.52 176.83 162.84 345.43 268.37 0.00 __ 35,458.53 7,582.11 50.00 79.00 392.00 90.24 30.00 0.00 (641.24) 6,940.87 _____ |
2024 £ £ 21,660.00 8,000.00 5,000.00 0.00 250.00 5,000.00 500.00 2,500.00 0.00 ___ 21,250.00 130.64 _ 43,040.64 21,355.00 1,800.00 1,050.00 9,868.54 431.52 176.83 162.84 345.43 268.37 0.00 __ 35,458.53 7,582.11 50.00 79.00 392.00 90.24 30.00 0.00 (641.24) 6,940.87 _____ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22,420.00 1,890.00 1,050.00 10,168.57 1,393.90 242.83 0.00 319.47 275.00 0.00 |
|||||
| 40.00 81.00 411.00 108.09 30.00 10.00 |
|||||
_____ |
_____ |
7,582.11 (641.24) 6,940.87 |
|||
___ |
Children’s Concerts 2025
charity no 1189148
Notes to the Accounts
1 Debtors
| Debtors | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | ||
| 58.00 | 0.00 | June bank interest | |
| 0.00 | 90.24 | Internet fees paid in advance | |
| 58.00 | 90.24 | ||
| Sundry Creditors | |||
| 2025 | 2024 | ||
| 426.27 | 0.00 | PRS fees payable | |
| 426.27 | 0.00 |
2 Sundry Creditors
- 3 During the financial year the following payments were made to a Trustee in respect of services provided and to orchestral musicians playing for a registered charity connected to that trustee.
| 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|
| 1,890.00 | 1,800.00 |
| 22,420.00 | 21,355.00 |
| 24,310.00 | 23,155.00 |
Jonathan Willcocks - for services as conductor to the concerts. Musicians playing for Southern Pro Musica, of which Jonathan Willcocks is artistic director
| Total Concert Analysis Chichester Guildford Southampton £ £ £ £ Income Ticket sales 8,465.00 8,520.00 5,465.00 22,450.00 Expenditure Orchestra fees 7,473.33 7,473.33 7,473.33 22,420.00 Conductor fees 630.00 630.00 630.00 1,890.00 Narrator fees 350.00 350.00 350.00 1,050.00 Venue hire 3,534.67 4660.4 1,973.50 10168.57 PRS license 413.83 553.80 426.27 1,393.90 Programme costs 80.94 80.94 80.94 242.83 Sales commission 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Credit card commission 253.95 65.52 0.00 319.47 Orchestra refreshments 6.00 0 0.00 275.00 275.00 12,742.73 13,814.00 11,209.05 37,759.77 Net Gross Loss (4,277.73) (5,294.00) (5,744.05) (15,309.77) before grants and donatons Number of seats occupied 1693 1728 1496 4917 |
Chichester Guildford Southampton £ £ £ 8,465.00 8,520.00 5,465.00 7,473.33 7,473.33 7,473.33 630.00 630.00 630.00 350.00 350.00 350.00 3,534.67 4660.4 1,973.50 413.83 553.80 426.27 80.94 80.94 80.94 0.00 0.00 0.00 253.95 65.52 0.00 6.00 0 0.00 275.00 |
Total £ 22,450.00 |
|---|---|---|
| 22,420.00 1,890.00 1,050.00 10168.57 1,393.90 242.83 0.00 319.47 275.00 |
||
| 12,742.73 13,814.00 11,209.05 |
37,759.77 |
- 4 Concert Analysis
The generosity of donors for this series of concerts enabled us to provided tickets without charge to a small number of especially deprived schools, who otherwise would have been unable to give their pupils this life-enhancing opportunity
Children’s Concerts 2024
charity no 1189148
Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Children's Concerts
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 30 June 2025 which are set out on pages 1 to 3.
Responsibility and basis of report
As the charity's trustees 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 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 material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
the 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; or
-
the accounts do 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.
Petersfield Hampshire GU31 4PR
20[th] September 2025
Children’s Concerts 2024
charity no 1189148
Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Children's Concerts
I report to the charity trustees on my examina�on of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 30 June 2025 which are set out on pages 1 to 3.
Responsibility and basis of report
As the charity's trustees you are responsible for the prepara�on of the accounts in accordance with the
requirements of the Chari�es Act 2011 (“the Act”)
I report in respect of my examina�on of the charity's accounts carried out under sec�on 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examina�on I have followed all the applicable Direc�ons given by the Charity Commission under sec�on 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examina�on. no material ma�ers have come to my a�en�on in connec�on with the examina�on giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
the accoun�ng records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by sec�on 130 of the Act; or
-
the accounts do not accord with those records; or
-
the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Chari�es (Accounts and Reports) Regula�ons 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair view' which is not a ma�er considered as part of an independent examina�on.
I have no concerns and have come across no other ma�ers in connec�on with the examina�on to which
a�en�on should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Hampshire
GU31 4PR
20[th] September 2025