Trustees’ Annual Report for the period 01 January 2023 to 31 December 2023
Reference and Administration
Registered Name: The Cinema Organ Society Charity Number: 1189263 Registered Address: c/o 7 Larch Way Sleaford Lincolnshire NG34 7UG
Charity Trustees:
| Simon Gledhill | Chairman |
|---|---|
| Malcolm Phillips | General Secretary |
| Stephen Nicholson | Treasurer |
| Damon Cox | Southern District Secretary |
| Simon Field | Sales Officer |
| Nigel Laflin | Archivist |
| John Leeming | |
| David Lowe | |
| Robert Pearsall | |
| Richard Stephenson | Northern District Secretary |
| David Warner | |
| Gordon Whitehouse | Midlands & Wales District Secretary |
Structure, governance and management
Constitution: Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) Governing Document: CIO Association Constitution dated 30/04/2020 Trustee selection: Elected by Members of the CIO to serve for a 3 year period.
All Trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no remuneration or other benefits in return for duties carried out on behalf of the charity.
Objectives
The objects of the CIO are:
Advancement of the arts by the promotion of public education in, and appreciation of music, with special reference to theatre/cinema organ music, in particular by:
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a) acquiring, maintaining and enhancing theatre organs;
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b) building, maintaining and making available, for the benefit of the public, an archive of printed and recorded material on the history of the theatre organ, its technical design and construction, and its music;
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c) holding concerts, silent film presentations, conventions, workshops, and talks focusing on the history, musical use, and playing of the theatre organ; and
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d) providing financial assistance to young people aged 25 or less wishing to attend a convention or workshop who would otherwise be unable to do so, by contributing to the cost of registration and/or travel.
Activities for the Year
The Trustees of the Cinema Organ Society have kept in mind the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when carrying out their duties and activities during the year.
The Cinema Organ Society activities are based around the three regions, each of which has one of the Society’s theatre organs. Following the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions, there was a fall in audience numbers. Whilst numbers are slowly increasing, public concerts are often running at a loss.
The Society’s Ian Sutherland Award is is presented periodically to young organists who demonstrate outstanding talent and potential. A concert is arranged for the award holder, and this year, the concert was in March at Saltaire where Aaron Hawthorne, the current holder, played a joint concert with Simon Gledhill. Declan Poole will be the next holder of the award, and a presentation is due to be made in 2024.
2023 was the 70[th] Anniversary Year of the Society, and the occasion was marked by special events in May in the Midlands and North. That in the Midlands coincided with the May Coronation weekend, and with all bunting and the flying of flags decorating Fentham Hall, made for a suburb and enjoyable afternoon much appreciated by the audience. In the North, our President, John Mann, played a celebratory concert at Saltaire. Unfortunately an event in the South was unable to take place.
Our Annual General Meeting in September was held at Ossett Town Hall which is home to an organ owned by the Northern Theatre Organ Trust. Unfortunately, the number of members attending was disappointingly low. Those who did, were treated to a short concert on the organ following the meeting.
The Society again provided sponsorship for a silent film tour. This year it was the 100-year-old silent epic “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1923). There were 16 performances accompanied by Aaron Hawthorne with a live, improvised score on theatre, pipe or digital organs. During the tour, 1,500 printed programmes were distributed, containing information about silent films, organs and the Cinema Organ Society. There was a social media reach of over 10,000, and also various promotional radio/ broadcast interviews and coverage promoting the theatre organ.
The Society also provided sponsorship to the Regent Street Cinema in London. The Compton cinema organ there was installed in 1936. It is one of only three such instruments in London remaining in its original location. The sponsorship allows the organ to be played at the Matinee Classics programme each month, by a team of organists. Again, most of the audience have not previously heard a cinema organ, bringing it to a new younger generation.
Sponsorship of these events are made possible by legacies.
Organ Maintenance
Regular maintenance work has taken place on the three society organs. The Midlands Compton has received reconditioned amplifiers for its Melotone, an early form of electronic organ, fitted to some Compton organs from 1935 until 1939. The Saltaire Wurlitzer has had further work on its Krumet pipe chest, and a refurbished set of pipes fitted to replace those that had been on loan.
For many years, Southern have looked after the Compton Organ in St. John Vianney church at Clayhall, Ilford. The organ was originally installed at the Ritz (ABC) cinema, Nuneaton in 1937, moving to the church in 1968. The organ is in need of a major refurbishment, and following agreement with the local Diocese over its continued use, the refurbishment programme is due to commence in Spring 2024.
Progress continues with the society archives, and we were able to present much of it in digital format on our website. We have also made most of our past society journals and newsletters freely available to read online. Only the most recent publications are restricted to members access only. This is a major step towards achieving objective (b) with this information now in the public domain.
Membership
As at December 2023, membership of the society stood at 491. As well as supporting the Society with membership subscriptions, members make generous donations which enable the Society to maintain the organs and provide additional funding for public events. Members also give time as volunteers at public events, and with maintenance and archive work.
Financial review
The Society’s principal sources of funding are the membership subscriptions and donations which include the use of the organs for private practice. The Society is grateful for the generous legacies which have been received, which offset the losses on public concerts, and allow continued maintenance of the organs. The Trustees agreed a longer term investment with Schroders, who have a charity-specific unit investment account. This account pays a six-monthly dividend.
As of 31[st] December 2023, the Society had a healthy bank balance which will allow it to progress its charitable objects over the next year.
Approved by the Trustees at their meeting on 15[th] June 2024.
S Gledhill, Chairman
M Phillips, General Secretary
THE CINEMA ORGAN SOCIETY INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT
Year end 31st December 2023
| Registered Charity No 1189263 Incoming Resources Activity for generating funds Subscription renewals Donations Legacies Investment interest Gift aid Total incoming resources unrestricted funds INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT |
||
|---|---|---|
| 21093 | ||
| 9876 | ||
| 14560 | ||
| 1449 | ||
| 2037 | ||
| 3403 | ||
| 52418 |
Resources expended
| Direct costs incurred in generating activity funds Publishing and distribution of printed journals Events sponsorship Marketing Insurance Repair/renewals/tuning/small equipment Administration |
27264 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 6597 | |||
| 4300 | |||
| 905 | |||
| 4728 | |||
| 8613 | |||
| 2070 | |||
| Total resources expended Net outgoing resources |
54477 | ||
| (2059) |
| Total resources expended | 54477 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Net outgoing resources | (2059) |
The Cinema Organ Society
Registered Charity number 1189263
Balance Sheet as at 31st December 2023
| Fixed Assets | |
|---|---|
| Tangible Assets Cinema organs and related equipment b/f Investment Asset Schroder Unit Trust |
107,495 100,000 |
| 207,495 | |
| Current Assets | |
| Debtors and prepayments Cash at Bank and in hand Total current assets |
181 374,515 |
| 374,696 | |
| Creditors amounts due within twelve months |
|
| Trade creditors and accruals | 695 |
| Net Current Assets | 374,001 |
| Net Assets | 581,496 |
| Funds of the Charity | |
| Accumulated funds b/f at 1st January 2023 | 583,555 |
| Deficit for the year Balance at 31st December 2023 |
(2,059) |
| 581,496 |
Independent Examiner’s Report
to the Trustees/members of: The Cinema Organ Society; Charity number 189263 on the financial statements for the Year ended 31[st] December 2023
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity for the year ended 31[st] December 2023
Responsibilities and basis of report
The Trustees of the Charity are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011, and my role is to examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’ statement
I have completed my examination and confirm that no material matters have come to my attention which gives me cause to believe that in, any material aspect;
- The accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charity Act.
The accounts for the year ended 31[st] December 2023 do accord with the accounting records kept by the Cinema Organ Society.
I have no concerns and have not found any matters to which attention should be drawn to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Sue Bickerstaffe Mrs S Bickerstaffe AAT 11 Fairhaven Skelmersdale WN8 6RQ 07/06/2024