Trustees' Annual Report for the period
Period start date Period end date 01 07 2024 30 06 2025 To
From
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
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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;
The charity’s working relationships with Rethink Mental Illness, Harrow Council, Harrow Interfaith, Voluntary Action Harrow and at Parklife, a community café in Harrow Weald, have been maintained and nurtured. Major risks: the charity is heavily dependent on the work of its volunteers. In particular, the Creative Director and the Assistant Musical Director.
Major risks: significant financial support from Rethink Mental Illness towards the expense of hall hire (and transport to external events) was received during the period but a source of long-term funding needs to be found to ensure that this important activity can continue.
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relationship with any related parties;
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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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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 continuing focus of the charity is the provision of opportunities for beneficiaries to meet and sing together to alleviate symptoms of mental ill-health and social isolation. The community choir is supported by weekly in-person meetings and also opportunities to meet and share time together online three times a week over Zoom. The weekly in-person singing sessions in the rehearsal space at Victoria Hall, Harrow are now well established. In the reporting year, there were a total of 58 in-person rehearsals and external events, attended by between 11 and 31 beneficiaries. The charity reached a total of 91 different beneficiaries. Average attendance at in-person events was 21 beneficiaries.
The charity has continued the online singing sessions, using Zoom technology, and these continue to be a valuable resource to the beneficiaries. A total of 123 Zoom sessions were held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays with attendance of between 3 and 13 beneficiaries. Average attendance at online sessions was 7 beneficiaries. Performances at external events and visits by coach or taxi to events outside Harrow have continued as has the support provided through a 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 inYou may choose to include person; chooses and arranges the music; networks with external further statements, where organisations and sources and supports external music professionals to relevant, about: attend, teach, or run workshops for the beneficiaries. • David is assisted by Janet Bell, the voluntary Assistant Musical Director, policy on grantmaking; who co-hosts with and/or deputises for David.
- policy programme related investment;
Peter Williams, Philip Hawkins, Paul Whitlock, Brenda McAlister and Karen Hanson, all beneficiaries, who have assisted with setting up and clearing down at rehearsals and external events. Peter Williams for assistance with transport and Paul Whitlock as our poet in residence.
- contribution made by volunteers.
Nami Shah, an opera singer recruited at one of the events at Parklife Café, for teaching sessions on the rudiments of operatic singing. 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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Section D Achievements and performance
The stable base at the Victoria Hall in Harrow has been beneficial and Summary of the main the records of attendance at the weekly rehearsals (47) and external achievements of the charity performances (11) during the year show a steady improvement. Average during the year attendance at the weekly rehearsals has been maintained at 21 and the number of beneficiaries reached by the charity has increased to 91. A total of 58 in-person events were held during the year and attendance varied between 15 and 31 beneficiaries (2023-24: 9 – 34). The sense of community and mutual support which has been an integral part of the choir continues to develop and mature. External events were appreciated by the beneficiaries, with performances at venues both within and without Harrow. In March 2025 a coach with 20 beneficiaries joined many other singers at Beaconsfield Festival of Choirs in a musical experience which has been an annual event for the charity. However, the Festival will not take place in 2026 but is expected to return again in 2027. The majority of the transport cost for attending this event was provided by a local charity Harrow Care Plus. In June 2025 the choir 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 transport costs for attending this event were provided by the national charity Rethink Mental Illness. The weekly Zoom sessions were continued throughout the period with 123 sessions reaching 50 beneficiaries. Attendance varied between 3 and 13 beneficiaries with an average attendance of 7 at a session. Over 2,110 songs were shared during the period. The charity was successful in a grant application for a project called “Stories of Harrow”, celebrating the 60[th] anniversary of the formation of the London Borough of Harrow and the ethnic, religious and linguistic diversity of the borough, and was awarded £10,000 from the National Lottery Heritage fund administered and curated by local charities Harrow Giving and Headstone Manor Museum. The aim is to produce a mixed media archive of recorded interviews, transcripts and a short video documenting beneficiaries experience of the effect of music on their mental health during their lives. Work on the project commenced in January 2025 and is due to complete in July 2026. January to June 2025 was a period of research and development, consisting of networking opportunities with 15 other organisations in Harrow who also qualified for grant support. Workshops were provided by the grant funders to equip the participating organisations with skills to recognise the importance of heritage, collecting oral histories, social media and photography skills. The active support group on WhatsApp continued and is used by a community of 39 beneficiaries. This moderated space is provided to ensure that all messages contribute positively to the wellbeing of the participants and was maintained throughout the period as a safe space. There is also a WhatsApp information group and this is subscribed to by 79 beneficiaries. On Christmas day 2024 two online Zoom sessions were offered during the day for beneficiaries providing a total of 6 hours of support on that day.
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Section D Achievements and performance
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 16 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 became 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.
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Section E Financial review
Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves
It is the trustees policy to maintain sufficient reserves to cover 3 months overheads expenditure .
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.
During this period under review, the largest item of expenditure, weekly hire fees for the rehearsal space and storage at Victoria Hall which was on average £350 per month, with 70% of this cost met directly by our partner charity, Rethink Mental Illness, and the balance paid from general funds of the charity.
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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 trustees would like to thank Rethink Mental Illness and Harrow Care Plus for their contributions to the costs of transport to external events and the weekly hire fees for Victoria Hall.
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Other income in this period was a grant from the National Lottery for the Stories of Harrow project, which commenced part-way through the period under review and is expected to finish at the end of the next review period.
The charity also receives public donations, either direct to the charity, or via the charity’s page on its Just Giving website.
The income for the year to 30 June 2025 including restricted funds of £5,000 was £8,920. In the same period total payments, came to £5,231 , creating a cashflow surplus for the year of £3,689.
Cash at bank and in-hand carried forward at the end of the period was £6,324.
Section F Other optional information
The charity continues to be supported operationally by its partner organisation, Rethink Mental Illness, who provided expertise including risk assessments and DBS checks.
Section G Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
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Signature(s) N Brecker
Full name(s) Nicholas Brecker Position (eg Secretary, Chair, Treasurer etc) Date 22/4/2026
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Section A Receipts and payments
A1 Receipts Donations Interest
Sub total(Gross income for AR)
A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). None
Sub total
Total receipts
A3 Payments Costs of charitable activities
Sub total
A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) Computer equipment
Sub total
Total payments
Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end
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Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Categories
B1 Cash funds
B2 Other monetary assets
B3 Investment assets
B4 Assets retained for the charity�s own use
B5 Liabilities
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees
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SUSTAINING HARMONY
Receipts and payments accounts For the period from
01/07/24
| Unrestricted funds | Unrestricted funds | Restricted funds | |
|---|---|---|---|
| to the nearest | � |
to the nearest� | |
| 3912 | 5000 | ||
| 8 | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| 3920 | 5000 | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| 3920 | 5000 | ||
| 5231 | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| 5231 | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| 5231 | - | ||
| -1311 | 5000 | ||
| - | - | ||
| 2635 | - | ||
| 1324 | 5000 |
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Details
Bank account balance Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details Details Details Computer equipment
Details Signature N Brecker
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1190783
CC16a
30/06/2025
| To | 30/06/2025 | ||||
| Endowment funds | Total funds | Last year | |||
| to the nearest� | to the nearest� | to the nearest� | |||
| - | 8912 | 2661 | |||
| - | 8 | 7 | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | 8920 | 2668 | |||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | 8920 | 2668 | |||
| - | 5231 | 4516 | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | 5231 | 4516 | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | 5231 | 4516 | |||
| - | 3689 | -1848 | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | 2635 | 4483 | |||
| - | 6324 | 2635 |
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| Unrestricted funds | Restricted funds | Endowment funds |
|---|---|---|
| to nearest� | to nearest� | to nearest� |
| 1324 | 5000 | - |
| - | - | - |
| - | - | - |
| 1324 | 5000 | - |
| OK | OK | OK |
| Unrestricted funds | Restricted funds | Endowment funds |
| to nearest� | to nearest� | to nearest� |
| - | - | - |
| - | - | - |
| - | - | - |
| - | - | - |
| - | - | - |
| Fund to which asset belongs | Cost (optional) | Current value (optional) |
| - | - | |
| - | - | |
| - | - | |
| - | - | |
| - | - | |
| Fund to which asset belongs | Cost (optional) | Current value (optional) |
| 1751 | - | |
| - | - | |
| - | - | |
| - | - | |
| - | - | |
| - | - | |
| - | - | |
| - | - | |
| - | - | |
| Fund to which liability relates | Amount due (optional) | When due (optional) |
| - | ||
| - | ||
| - | ||
| - | ||
| - | ||
| Print Name | Date of approval | |
| Nicholas Brecker | 22/04/2026 |
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