Trustees' Annual Report for the period
Period start date Period end date 01 07 2023 30 06 2024 From To
Section A Reference and administration details
Charity name Other names charity is known by Registered charity number (if any) 1190783
SUSTAINING HARMONY
Charity's principal address 9 Beeton Close Pinner Postcode HA5 4NZ
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole **year ** |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Charles Bell | Trustee | |||
| Nicholas Brecker | Treasurer | |||
| Cllr Jean Lammiman |
Trustee | |||
| Cressida Leonora Lindsay |
Trustee | |||
| Simon Noel Ovens | Trustee | |||
Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)
Name Dates acted if not for whole year
TAR
March 2012
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) David Phelops, Creative Director (voluntary)
Section B Structure, governance and management
Description of the charity’s trusts
Governed under regulations for CIO Foundations Type of governing document (eg. trust deed, constitution) The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation How the charity is constituted (eg. trust, association, company) The trustees can appoint additional persons to serve as trustees of the Trustee selection methods charity. (eg. appointed by, elected by)
Additional governance issues (Optional information)
You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:
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policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
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the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
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relationship with any related parties;
The charity has developed and maintained good working relationships with Rethink Mental Illness, Harrow Council, Harrow Interfaith, Voluntary Action Harrow and at Parklife, a community café in Harrow Weald. Major risks: the charity is heavily dependent on the work of its volunteers. In particular, the Creative Director and the Assistant Musical Director, both of whom have experienced health challenges during the reporting period. Major risks: the charity’s increased focus on fundraising has started to pay off (particularly in the period following that covered by this report) but further work is needed to increase the visibility of the charity to potential donors and grant makers. In the following period (24/25) the charity has received an offer of financial support from Rethink Mental Illness towards the expense of hall hire (and other costs) but will still need to find a source of long-term funding for this particular expense.
- trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.
Section C Objectives and activities
Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document
The object of Sustaining Harmony is the relief of those in need by reason of ill mental health and their carers ,in particular but not exclusively by providing the opportunity to take part and perform in a choir with others affected by mental health issues and support groups to help alleviate the mental health issues they face .
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March 2012
2
The Charity has now settled in its new rehearsal space at Victoria Hall, Harrow and has begun to rebuild attendance at the weekly rehearsals. In the reporting year, there were a total of 50 in-person rehearsals and external events, attended by between 9 and 34 beneficiaries. The charity reached a total of 84 different beneficiaries. Average attendance was similar to the previous period at 21 beneficiaries on average at each session.
The charity has continued the online sessions, using Zoom technology, and these continue to be a valuable resource to the beneficiaries. A total of 135 Zoom sessions were held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Summary of the main Saturdays with attendance of between 4 and 14 beneficiaries. Average activities undertaken for the attendance at online sessions was 8 beneficiaries (similar to the previous public benefit in relation to reporting period). these objects (include within The Tai-chi sessions held immediately prior to a choir sessions remained this section the statutory popular, however the volunteer who led these sessions decided that, at declaration that trustees have the age of 85, it was perhaps time to take things a little easier and the had regard to the guidance weekly Tai-chi sessions finished in November 2023. issued by the Charity Performances at external events and visits by coach or taxi to events Commission on public outside Harrow have continued as has the support provided through a benefit) moderated WhatsApp group .
The trustees confirm that they have complied with their duty to have due regard to the commission’s public benefit guidance when exercising any powers or duties to which the guidance is relevant
Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)
The trustees would like to thank all the volunteers who have contributed to the work of the charity during this period. It is these volunteers who have made the activities of the charity possible and who have generously donated their time and expertise to help further the aims of the charity.
The trustees would particularly like to thank: David Phelops – Voluntary Creative and Music Director David co-ordinates and runs the choir sessions, both online and inperson; chooses and arranges the music; networks with external organisations and sources and supports external music professionals to attend, teach, or run workshops for the beneficiaries. David is assisted by Janet Bell, the voluntary Assistant Musical Director, who co-hosts with and/or deputises for David.
You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:
- policy on grantmaking;
• policy programme related investment; Peter Williams, Philip Hawkins, Paul Whitlock and Karen Hanson, all beneficiaries, who have assisted with setting up and clearing down at • contribution made by contribution made by rehearsals and external events.
- contribution made by contribution made by volunteers.
Peter Williams for assistance with transport and Paul Whitlock as our poet in residence.
Christiane Kobus, a beneficiary, who has facilitated the weekly, online, Tai-chi sessions (until November 2023).
Jessie Atack, a beneficiary, who assists the board of trustees by attending and minuting the formal meetings of the board of trustees and also oversees the stocking and serving of refreshments at rehearsals.
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March 2012
3
Section D Achievements and performance
The charity has worked hard in the period under review to rebuild the Summary of the main number of beneficiaries that the charity reaches and the records of achievements of the charity attendance at the weekly rehearsals and external performances during during the year the year show that this work has paid off. Finding a stable home at the Victoria Hall in Harrow has seen rehearsal numbers recover with an average attendance of 21 beneficiaries and a total of 84 different beneficiaries reached by the charity. 50 in-person events were held during the year (a similar number to the previous period (2022 – 23: 52)) and attendance varied between 9 and 34 beneficiaries (2022-23: 15 – 30). The sense of community and mutual support which was a feature remarked upon prior to Covid appears to be returning. External events were appreciated by the beneficiaries, with performances at venues both within and without Harrow. The charity entered in to a collaboration with Parklife Community Café in Harrow Weald and 34 beneficiaries attended a party at this venue in August 2023. One outcome was that the charity was introduced to a professional opera singer, who has subsequently offered (starting in February 2025) to lead some opera tuition sessions for the beneficiaries on a voluntary basis. The choir again performed at a commemorative event at Harrow Arts Centre on Holocaust Memorial Day where on 25 January 2024 23 beneficiaries took part in the joint event organised by Harrow Council and Harrow Interfaith. In March 2024 a coach with 23 beneficiaries joined many other singers at Beaconsfield Festival of Choirs in a musical experience which is becoming an annual event for the charity. And in June 2024 the choir again made a visit to the Guildhall School of Music for a workshop session with 2[nd] year students of Music Therapy, facilitated by one of the trustees, Cressida Lindsay, who is Lecturer in Music Therapy at the Guildhall. The active support group on WhatsApp continued and is used by a community of 44 beneficiaries. This moderated space is provided to ensure that all messages contribute positively to the wellbeing of the participants and some intervention was needed during the period to maintain this as a safe space. There is also a WhatsApp information group and this is subscribed to by 76 beneficiaries. On Christmas day 2023 three online Zoom sessions were again offered during the day for beneficiaries providing a total of 6 hours of support on that day. The Creative Director met twice with choir leaders from other choirs to provide mutual support and discuss and share development opportunities. The Creative Director also met on 9 occasions during the period with members of Spiral Arts group to discuss and participate in personal development activities including dance, poetry and music sessions. Since the end of the reporting period the Creative Director has been invited to become a Director of Spiral Arts, a CIC based in Ealing. The trustees will continue to keep the strategic aims of the charity under review to ensure that the activities of the charity continue to support the charitable objectives.
TAR
March 2012
4
Section E Financial review
Brief statement of the
It is the trustees policy to maintain sufficient reserves to cover 3 months overheads expenditure .
charity’s policy on reserves
Details of any funds materially in deficit
Further financial review details (Optional information)
You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:
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the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising);
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how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;
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investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted.
The majority of the charity’s funding is from public donations, either direct to the charity, or via the charity’s page on its Just Giving website. The charity received a donation of £900 during the period from another charity, Frustrated Communication, towards the cost of renewal of the choir’s music folders, and this amount has been ring-fenced by the charity for this purpose.
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The largest item of running expenditure in the period was the weekly hire fees for the rehearsal space and storage at Victoria Hall which was on average £350 per month. The trustees consider that in-person rehearsals are a very important aspect of the work of the Charity and that this expenditure is both reasonable and proportionate and directly supports the key objectives of the Charity.
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The income for the year to 30 June 2024 was £2,668. In the same period total payments, including rental of the rehearsal space at Victoria Hall, came to £4,516.
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The trustees have agreed that expenses incurred since formation by the Creative Director on behalf of the charity should be reimbursed and payment of these expenses, which total £2,227, will be made during the following period.
Cash at bank and in-hand carried forward at the end of the period was £2,635.
Section F Other optional information
The charity continues to be supported by its partner organisation, Rethink Mental Illness, who provided expertise including risk assessments and DBS checks.
Special thanks are due to Ann Freeman, voluntary joint coordinator of the Harrow Rethink Support Group, for her continuing support for the work of the charity.
Section G Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s) N Brecker
Full name(s) Nicholas Brecker
TAR
March 2012
5
Position (eg Secretary, Chair, Treasurer etc) Date 18/4/2025
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March 2012
6
| Receipts | 1190783 30/06/2024 |
1190783 30/06/2024 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSTAINING HAR | MONY | 1190783 | CC16a | |||||
| andpayments ac | counts | |||||||
| For the period from |
01/07/2023 | To | 30/06/2024 | |||||
| Section A Receipts and payments | ||||||||
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 2,661 7 - - - - - - |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - |
Total funds to the nearest £ 2,661 7 - - - - - - |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|||
| Donations | 2,661 | - | - | 2,661 | 5,089 | |||
| Interest | 7 | - | - | 7 | 9 | |||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) | 2,668 | - | - | 2,668 | 5,098 | |||
- - |
- - |
- - |
||||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
||||||||
| None | - | - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| Sub total | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| Total receipts A3 Payments |
||||||||
| 2,668 | - | - | 2,668 | 5,098 | ||||
| 4,516 - - - - - - - - |
- - - - - - - - - |
4,516 - - - - - - - - |
||||||
| Expenses for fundrasing activities | 4,516 | - | - | 4,516 | 3,100 | |||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| **Sub total ** | 4,516 | - | - | 4,516 | 3,100 | |||
| - - |
- - |
- - |
||||||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
||||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | - | |||||
| **Sub total ** | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
||||||||
| 4,516 | - | - | 4,516 | 3,100 | ||||
| - 1,848 | - | - |
- 1,848 | 1,998 | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| 4,483 | - | - | 4,483 | 2,485 | ||||
| 2,635 | - | - |
2,635 | 4,483 |
| Section B Statement of assets a | nd liabilities at the end of the period | nd liabilities at the end of the period | nd liabilities at the end of the period | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities |
Details |
Unrestricted funds to nearest £ |
Restricted funds to nearest £ |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
||
| Bank account balance | 2,635 | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | ||||
| ( g p and payments account(s)) Total cash funds Details |
2,635 | - | - | |||
| OK Unrestricted funds to nearest £ - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates Print Na |
OK Restricted funds to nearest £ - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) 1,751 - - - - - - - - Amount due (optional) - - - - - me recker |
OK | ||||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
||||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| Details | Current value (optional) |
|||||
| - | ||||||
| - | ||||||
| - | ||||||
| - | ||||||
| - | ||||||
| Details | Current value (optional) |
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| Computer equipment | - | |||||
| - | ||||||
| - | ||||||
| - | ||||||
| - | ||||||
| - | ||||||
| - | ||||||
| - | ||||||
| - | ||||||
| Details | When due (optional) |
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| Signature | ||||||
| Date of approval |
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| N Brecker | Nicholas B | recker | 18/04/2025 |