CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
Trustees, Annual Report for the period
From
l July 2023 To
30 June 2024
Charity name: CANTUS FIRMUS TRUST
Charity registration number. 1192862
Objectlves and Actlvities
Summary of the purposes of
the charity as s8t out in its
goveming document
Para 1.17
The object of the CIO is the advancement of the
Christian faith includin& but not limited to. the
development of understsndin& worship and
mission
for the benefit of indNidual Christians.
groups of Christians, practitioners,
enquirers and learners
by means of the creative arts- includingi
but not limited to. demonstrations of
and opportunities to participate in high
quality music, dan￿ and drama-
together with a550ciated education and
training. and to support such educatlon
and trdining by the provision of materials
and the maklng of grants
in locations throughout the United
Kingdom. but principally in the counties
of Essex and Suffolk.
Most Cantus Fimius activities are in-person
events and serlices. During the Covid pandemic
lockdown5, the Trust tteated video resources for
thurches and other organisations to use in their
worship. and it maintsins the capabilÉty to create
more in the future.
Summary of the main
activities in relation to tkb)se
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular. the
activities, projects or seN(
identified in the ac¢x￿nts.
P*a 1.17*￿￿
1.19
Most Cantus Fimus events and services are in
partnership with Ic￿1 churches. Some of those
events and sertes are to present Christfan
music and understanding to people who would
not usually hear them. Some others are to help
introduce congregations land other peoplel to
musical land other artistic} styles and materials
that they are not familiar with and want to
consider using.
Some Cantus Fimius events are in partnershlp
with InHarmony. 3 small organisation at St
Edmundsbu
Cathedral to develo
music across

churches in Suffolk Also. some Cantus Firmus
events are in partnership with the Royal School
of Church Music, a charity to develop music
within Christian worship across the UK and
elsewhere.
The Tw5tees continue to ensure that they have
regard to the Charity Commission's public
benefit guidance when carrying out activitles to
which it is relevant.
Statement confinning
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission public
benefft
Pwa 1.18
Additlonal InfoMk￿l0n {optlonal)
You ma
choose to include further statements where relevant about:
SORP refw
Cantus Firnius Trust has a prartice of making
donations to indNiduals who have been heavily
involved in preparing and presentln8 events and
activities. The Artistic Director (who is not a
trustee) makes proposals to the trustees on the
amount of suth donations and the trustees take
these proposals into account when making a
decision. A trustee is able to propose to the
other trustees a donation to a person, who rnav
or may not be already kn¢)wn to the trustees.
who is undertsking study or other activity whlch
is consistent with the objerts of Cantus Firmus
Tnjst and who is in need of financial support. and
the trustees believe that suth study or activity
will generally advance those objects. Any such
donation is at the trustees, absolute discretion
and they will tske into account the circumstances
of the case and the amount of funding which
Cantus Fimius Trust has available. A trustee may
also propose a donatlon to an or8anisation
whose aims are consistent with those of Cantus
Firmus Trust; a similar set of decision crlteria wlll
apply as noted above in relation to an individual.
Pm 1.38
Policy on grant makiNJ
Policy on sttial investment
ir)cluding prcNJram related
investment
P￿1.38
Not applKable.
The Trust relies very heavily on. and is very
grateful for, the contribution of volunteers both
for admlnlstrdtion. singin& accompanying. other
performin , arranging and conductin
music.
During the reporting period. the trustees met in
October 2024. January 2024 and May 2024.
There was no Annual General Meeting of the CIO
in this reporting period: the 2023 AGM was in
June 2023 and the 2024AGM was in Jul 2024..
Contribution made by
volunteers
Pwa 1.38
Other

Achievements and Performance
During 2023-24. Cantus Fim)us provided choirs
and musical leade￿hip for services and events
at churches who had asked for help exploring
and navigating new ways forward for their
music (choice of material and development of
music teams). These included a harvest servi
at pretty￿te Baptist Church Colchester Iwhich
attrarted new people to the church). a Ce￿Ic
Christianity themed service at Colchester
Baptist Church and a clirnate change themed
cOn￿rt at St Andrew's Church Ru5hmere.
Summary ofthe main
achievements of the charity.
identifying the difference the
charity's woth has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to ￿￿Iety as a
whole.
Cantus Fimius rnn one Pilgrirnage of Song this
year Ifrom villages to a large housing estate in
Ipswich). in the format created and used by the
Trust. "Singing pilgrims" spend a day walking
betrween thurthes, with short themed muslcal
seNices at each- experiencing aspects of
pilgrimage and the effecti¥enes5 of services
using well chosen, slmple music and liturgy.
Cantus Firmus provided a large choir and
orchestra for a perfomance of Messy Messlah
in St Edmundsbury Cathedral in November
2023. mes￿ Messiah is a portfolio of material
developed by Cantus Firmus to introduce
school students to the biblical Christmas story
and give them an experience of large-scale,
immersive music. It adapts Handel's Messiah
with children s parts. performance scripts.
opportunities for other art5 and school
assemb￿ material and is intended for further
use in the future. The cathedral drew in c150
students from c8 loc31 primary schools and the
audien￿ filled the cathedral.
In February 2024. Cantus Flnnus led
workshop and service at St Edmundsbury
Cathedral.. to explain and demonstrate Taizé
rnusic in worship, Nearly 200 people from
across Suffolk and beyond participated,
including ministeTs and church members, Wtth
the intention of introduclng Taizé worship into
their own churche
A composition prize, funded by Cantus Flmius,
was awanled to a promising student at London
School of Theology. who plan5 to work in
church MUSK leadership after graduating.
The trust's events and activities are advertised
widely to over 5(K) mailing list subscribers. to
thurches and to the
eneral ublic. Th

also regularly mentioned on BBC Radio Suffolk.
All are welcome to attend and take part.
Addltional InfomMtlon {optlonal)
You ma
choose to include further statements where relevant atxwL'
Achievements against
objectives set
Perfomiance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set
Investrnent perfomiance
against objedives
P*a 1.41
Par8 1.41
Par8 1.41

Financial Review
Review of the charity's
financial posit￿ at the end
of the period
P*a 121
Accounts are maintsined on a 'Re￿Ipts and
Payments, basis.
thjnations from supp)rters of £823 were
received for general purposes. along Wlth
participant donation5 to defray the costs of
events of £4406. The charity is registered with
HMRCfor Gift Aid and claimswere made on
qualifying donations. Other income derives from
organisations with whom we may partner when
presenting an event. The total income was
£9449. Expenditure of £9494 was incurred.
which induded £2080 of administratlve sUPPOrt.
The year*nd balan￿ was £11220. of which £926
is in restricted funds. There was a deficit for the
year of £45. (The full summary of the accountsls
provided in the accompanying document.1
Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held
Para 1Z2
CantU5 Firrnus Trust holds reserves for the
following purposes:
Maintenance of essentlal actlvlties
Risk of project losses
Take up of opportunitles
Exceptlonal activities
The trustees revlew thls policy annualty. They
also dedde on the appropriate level of reserves
on a year-by-year basi5, consistent WFth the
above purposes. and consistent wlth the maln
rlsks and (wportunities identlfied for the Trust.
Amount of reserves hekl
Pwa 122
JCKKI at stsrt of year
£6993 at end of
ar
Not applicalle
Reasons for holding z8ro
reserves
Details of fund materially in
deficit
Explanalion of any
uncertainties about the
charity ￿ntinUIng as a goi
P•4 122
P¥a 124
No fund is in deficit
Pwa 123
No uncertainties with regard to the charity
continuing as a going concem.
Additional information (optional)
You ma
choose to indude fvrther statements where relevant about
The principal sources of funding are donations
and offerings a5￿cIated WFth events. with a
small amount of regular donations from
Para 1.47

The charitys principal
sources of funds (induding
any fundraising)
supportets. Some income results from Gift Aid
claimsto HMRC.
Not applicable
Investment policy and
objectives including any
social inveslment policy
adopted
Para 1.48
The three principal areas of risk identified in the
Trust'5 work are..
A description of the principal
risks facing the charity
Para 1.46
l. Flnanclal: expendlture (most Ilkely on
projectsl rnay exceed income: new opportunities
may arise at short noti￿ that can only be taken
up with additional funding: assets may need
replacing early because of faults.
2. Safety: the Trust s Ilve events have Inevltable
safety hazards le.B. tripping hazards in staged
productions and services. n>ad hazards in
outdoor pil8rim38es of song} whith need to be
assessed and mitigated.
3. Safeguarding: the Trust does not work with
adults at risk. Some projects do involve under
18s- in nearly all cases the Involvement is vla a
school or church, in which case the sthool or
church supervises them. but on rare occasions it
is necessary for the Trust to provlde supervlslon.

Structure. Governance and Management
Description of charitys
tnjsts..
Type of goveming document
P• 125
The Charity is Bovemed by a Constitution
approved by the Charity Commission when
Cantus Firrnus Trust CIO was a
proved.
How is the charity
constituted?
Pam 125
ao
ioraled
Trust8e selection methods.
including details of any
constitLrtional prowsions e.g.
elects'on to post or name of
any person OT bc¥Jy entitbj
to app)int one or rrvxe
trustses
PaTr 125
A5 spectfied ￿ the Constitution land apart from
the first charity trustees) every trustee 15
appointed by a resolution passed at a properly
con¥ened meeling of the tharity trustees.
In selecting individua15 for appointment as
charity trustees. the charity trustees have regard
to the skllls. knowledge and experience needed
for the effective governan￿ and runnin8 of the
ao.
Addltional Infomiatlon (optional)
You ma choose to include further statements where relevant abouL'
Pdicies and procedures
After initial. infonnal discussions with the
adopted for the induction arKI
chairn)an. a prospective trustee attends a
training of trustees
trustees, meeting as an obserrfer. A DBS check Is
carrled out, If appropriate. After appointment.
he or she is provided with information about the
trust's
licies and methods of workin
The trustees meet approximately three-monthlv
to make strategic and financial decisions. There
are two Steering Groups. one for Essex and one
for Suffoll with at least one trustee in each,
whose rnembers propose and manage events in
their re5pertive counties. In the early Stages of
planning each event, the steering groups
prepare. for the trustees, consideration and
approval. a budget and a summary of its
stnKture and content. which shows how It aligns
with the trust s ob"ectives.
The Trust has close links with:
Parn 1.51
The charity's organisatTronal
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works
Relatlonship with any related
parties
Pwa 1.51
St Edrnundsbury Cathedral. which employ5
Richard Hubbard part time (the Trust's Arknstic
Director) as St Edmundsbury and Ipswlth Muslc
Development Director.
London khool ofTheology. whith employed
Richard Hubbard (the Trust's Artistic Dirertorl
part-time during this reporting year.
Several churthes in gjffolk and E55ex.

Reference and AdministratAve details
Chari
name
Other name the cha
uses
Registered chari
number
Charity's principal address
Cantus Firmus Trust
N/A
1192862
49 Marlborough Road
Ipswich
Suffolk
IP45AX
Names of the cha .
trustees vtho mana
the chari
Nam• of porson lor body)
•ntitled to appolnt trustee
Olllce (If ary)
Deborah Ruth Cook
Andrew Philip Charles Davies
David Freestone
Chalr
Howard Roy Gardner
David John Gunton
Treasurer
Andrew James Gosden
Owen Anthony Thurtle
Geoffrey Weaver
te trustees- names of the directors al the date the
Dlr•ctor n•m•
wasa
roved
None
Name of trustees holding tide to propety beknging to the dRrity
Tru8t•• n•mo
None
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
Description of the assets
held in this capacty
Name and objects of the
charity on vthose behalf the
assets are held and how Ihis
falls within the custodian
chari
Details of arTarrfJements
safe custody arKI
segregation of such assets
from the chari
's own assets
Not applicable

Additional inforniation (optional)
Names and addressos of advisors (Optional Inforn￿ll0n}
of adviser Name
Address
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optlonal Information)
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non41sc1c￿jre of ke
nel details
Other o
tional inforniation
Declarations
The trustees daclare that they have approved the truste88' r•port above.
Slgnad on behalf of th• charws t￿￿te¢S
Signature(s)
Full name(s)
Position (eg Secretary.
Chalr, et¢)
Ltr loir

CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
can￿ Firn7us Tnjst
1192862
Receipts and payments accounts
CC16a
For the period
d end Qat8
18tJu
2023
30th JuTr8 2024
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrèstricted
fund¥
Restricted
lund
Endowrnent
tunts
Total funds
Last year
lo the r￿rESt £ tothe thea￿51£ lothe DoarÈ&t£
10th8 noaro8t£
toth• r￿areSt£
Al Rèceipts
Donatsons (private- wn-specffjcl
Donat￿n$ Iprivab- ev￿t-r&atedI
D￿ation lChurd)ÈSl￿￿1th8tor$}
Gift Aicl recDvered
Ticket$ales
Sundries Imeals ai events)
Inwesi and on-line refi&ThJ8
822
822
4406
2055
1784
32
32
Sub total (Gmss income for
AR)
9449
9449
A2 Asset and In￿Stm*nt sales,
l¥ee table).
Lightlnglsound 4uipment
Sub total
Total ts¢eipts
9449
A3Pa
ents
Surwrt servw Iweb hc6bry. in5urarte,
bank ¢h8rge8. etcl
Computer hardware
min supwrt
t)onabon$
Rotyh hiie and trav
Music hire
Equipment
Consufflables
Prinbnglpostage
531
531
3720
1744
114
3720
1744
752
509
752
Sub total
9494
A4 Assét and investment
purchas&¥.
see table)
Sub total
Total payments
9494
Net of reeeipts/(payments)
AS Transfèts between funds
A6 Cash funds last yèar end
Cash funds this year end
10338
1029
92
11 264
92
11 219

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
Unrestriet•d
funds
Re¥trl¢ted
funds
to neare5t£
Endowment
fvnd8
Categorfes
D•lall8
to noar•st£
B1 Ca8h funds
Gwwal {at ￿k)
10 294
c￿ in h¥vJ
aryfirth lat
928
Total cash funds
10294
926
Unrestrtcted
funds
Restrlet•d
funds
to nearest£
Endowm•nt
funds
to rnorest£
D•tslls
to r•èarw£
Fuhd tO7*hkh
9et
Cuntnt va
Detsils
t lopts.ona
B3 Investment assets
. zga>
Fund to whi¢h
Dètalls
Cost loptbma
Cutyent ¥8lu8
ionil
B4 Ass•ts r•tsined ft)r the
charity's own use
Fund tOT*hich
knou#t d
Whpn due
DetaS1s
B5 Llabllltios
SvJned by one orts¥o trustees on
tehalf of all the Irustee5
Dale of
roval
Signature
Print Name
D J Gunton
Trustee 8Ad Treasurer
24 Ocl¢*)er 2024