**o**
## **AUDIOVISABILITY**
(Charity Registration Number: 1195285)
**Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 July 2025**
## **AUDIOVISABILITY**
## **For the year ended 31 July 2025**
|**Contents**|**Page**|
|---|---|
|Trustees’ Report|3–7|
|Statement of financial activities|8|
|Balance sheet|9|
|Notes to the financial statements|10–11|
## Audiovisability
## **Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 July 2025**
The full title of the charity is “Audiovisability”, Charity No. 1195285. The trustees present their statutory report, together with the accounts of Audiovisability, for the year ended 31 July 2025. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 and comply with the charity’s Trust Deed, applicable law, FRS 102, the Charities SORP (FRS 102), and the Charities Act 2011.
## **Structure, governance and management**
## **Status and administration**
Audiovisability was founded as a charity governed by a Trust Deed dated 23 July 2021. It is registered in England and Wales under Charity Commission reference number 1195285. The trustees are responsible for the administration and decisions of the charity in accordance with the Trust Deed.
The trustees have adopted the elements of accounting policies recommended in the Charities SORP (FRS 102).
## **Trustees**
The trustees, who held office during the year and subsequently were: Lucy Dunkerley Bryony Parkes Nnaemeka Martin Glover Lawrence Abramson Catherine Taylor
The trustees are appointed in accordance with the Trust Deed. The day-to-day running of the charity is delegated to Ruth Montgomery, Artistic Director and CEO.
## **Principal address**
33 Park Avenue, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 2AB
## **Bankers**
CAF Bank Ltd, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4JQ
## **Objectives and activities**
The charity’s purpose is to advance education in the arts by delivering high-quality classical and popular music projects to deaf children and young people. This is achieved through promoting public awareness and understanding of how deaf people can participate in the arts and public life, and by supporting young deaf people through music and arts activities to enable them to realise their full potential.
The trustees have applied the income of the charity solely in furtherance of these objects. The Board of Trustees met three times during the year.
The trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity’s aims and objectives and in planning future activities and setting the budget for the year.
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## Audiovisability
## **Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 July 2025**
## **Artistic and Educational Achievements**
The year saw the continued development of our training services. In May 2025, we designed and launched our own programme of online courses, which will be repeated in 2026.
Youth development remains our primary focus. We successfully launched our research project, _The Lived Experience of Deaf Musicians_ , which will inform our strategic priorities for 2025/26 with funding from The Ovingdean Foundation and Sounds of Intent.
In March 2025, our Artistic Director, Ruth Montgomery, was invited to attend the _No Limits Festival_ in Hong Kong. At this prestigious event, she was selected to perform and to deliver a series of workshops to the deaf community.
## **Consultancy, Mentorship and Partnership Work**
We undertook the following projects and events during the year:
**Dublin City University:** Working with partners in Ireland, Ruth Montgomery travelled to Dublin to review the current music curriculum and share feedback and recommendations for improvement. The event brought together stakeholders from across deaf education and culminated in a series of presentations. Ruth also delivered a _‘Visuality of Music’_ workshop, sharing her own experience of music education for deaf children and young people.
**Aurora Orchestra:** We participated in Aurora Orchestra’s _‘Stories in Sound’_ project and contributed to the development of an educational resource pack. We also worked with their presenter during filming to ensure that British Sign Language (BSL) was used correctly and that all materials were accessible to deaf children.
**TriBorough Music Hub (TBMH):** We were invited to return to this roundtable event held at the Royal Albert Hall, where 80 professionals and stakeholders from across music education met to discuss TBMH’s report on provision for deaf children and young people. The report was written in partnership with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) and the Royal College of Music (RCM). Ruth consulted on the report and presented her findings and observations.
**Sounding out Symposium:** A further roundtable event brought together 12 professionals working in music education. The symposium focused on the recruitment and retention of music educators, and Ruth was invited to share her expertise and report on the progress and impact of the project to date.
## **Workshops and Training**
We delivered the following workshops and training activities during the year:
**Deaf Connect:** Commissioned by Deep Roots Tall Trees (DRTT), we delivered a number of sessions in Northampton for deaf children and young people. Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust (NMPAT) provided instruments for 15 participants, who were given opportunities to explore composition during the sessions. We also delivered a session for music educators during the year, in which deaf musicians Ruth Montgomery and Miriam Dubois led a workshop on teaching music to deaf children and young people, alongside broader deaf awareness. The session was attended by 12 practitioners.
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## Audiovisability
## **Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 July 2025**
**Athy, Ireland:** Commissioned by Music and Health Ireland (MHI), this event brought together members of the Irish Deaf community for a day of social activities. Ruth delivered the family-focused workshop _‘Around the World’_ which combined imaginative play, storytelling and live music. Sessions were repeated twice throughout the event. The event aimed to raise awareness of Irish Sign Language and the Deaf community.
**Deaf Gathering Cymru:** Held in Wales, Ruth delivered a presentation, _‘There’s not much point in doing music with them if they’re deaf, is there?’_ , followed by a workshop where she shared her views on attitudes towards music education for deaf children and young people. Her second presentation featured the popular _‘The Visuality of Music – Music and Colour’_ workshop, supported by deaf percussionist Miriam Dubois.
## **British Library:** We were commissioned to deliver three events throughout the year.
The first, _‘Come Aboard!’_ , combined live music and storytelling and focused on imaginative play for children aged 0–5 as part of the Library’s family event. All sessions were fully booked. The session, delivered in BSL, had to be repeated due to demand. During Deaf Awareness Week in May, we delivered a session, _‘All About Me’_ , which was designed to support deaf identity and career opportunities for deaf children. This proved particularly effective through the inclusion of mentorship and positive deaf role models and also featured live music.
**Operasonic,** Newport, Wales: At this event, Ruth delivered the popular _‘Visuality of Music’_ and _‘Deaf Awareness’_ workshops. Participants were drawn primarily from the hearing music community, and the sessions were supported by Emily Rose, a deaf artist from Wales.
**Bup! Festival,** in Chatham, Kent: Hosted by See & Create and DLive! this session featured _‘The Visuality of Music’_ , delivered by deaf musicians Ruth Montgomery, Miriam Dubois and Alicia Wiseman to an audience of more than 30 people. Aimed at British Sign Language users, the session used percussion instruments and visual imagery to explore musical elements such as rhythm, pitch and emotion. Participants were encouraged to think visually and to express how they felt music might ‘look’ using a range of materials, including paint. Live music from Alicia Wiseman (violin) and Miriam Dubois (djembe) formed an integral part of the session.
**Sound of Intent (SOI):** We delivered a deaf awareness workshop for staff from SOI Music Hub. This was delivered online, recorded, and made available as a resource for those working across the SOI Music Hub network.
**Roding School:** We delivered a full day of music workshops to KS1 classes. _‘Noises in the Night’_ was an interactive workshop combining storytelling, live music and movement. Children were provided with instruments and encouraged to express how they thought sounds were created at night. Across the day, we reached approximately 120 children.
**TBMH:** As part of the _Sparks_ event, Ruth Montgomery delivered a two-day workshop for young deaf musicians. Participants worked as part of an ensemble, created their own compositions, and received a masterclass in their chosen instrument. The event culminated in a performance for family members. The weekend was designed to reduce the isolation often experienced by young deaf musicians, encourage peer networking, and provide positive role models from the Deaf community.
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## Audiovisability
## **Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 July 2025**
## **Volunteers**
There were no volunteers in the year.
## **Risk assessment**
The major risks, to which the charity is exposed, as identified by the trustees, have been reviewed and systems and controls have been established to mitigate these risks.
## **Financial review**
The income for the year was £26,851 (2024: £20,213) with expenditure of £27,543 (2024: £19,040), giving rise to reserves carried forward of £7,809 (2024: £8,501). The policy towards reserves is to ensure that they do not fall to a level that would mean curtailing charitable objectives. The Trustees consider this level of reserves to be sufficient.
## **Safeguarding**
The charity’s safeguarding policy is available on the charity’s website: www.audiovisability.com/safeguarding There were no recorded safeguarding incidents in the year.
## **Future plans**
The charity will continue to develop projects in furtherance of its charitable objectives. We are currently seeking funding from Arts Council England and other trusts and foundations which, if successful, will enable us to deliver projects on a larger scale. We remain grateful for the continued generosity of our donors.
We have received a generous donation of £5,000 from FP McGregor OBE John Hearing Charity to fund our Christmas Concert on 6th December 2025). This concert shall bring together deaf musicians in central London for an evening of classical music and will allow us to fundraise to continue our work in 2026. We would like to thank Gloria and John McGregor for the generous donation.
## **Training and resources**
We will continue to share our innovative practice by developing and making resources available to support the creation of a music curriculum for deaf children, together with accompanying teacher training materials. We remain committed to research and plan to undertake a series of projects to identify and assess the current provision for deaf children across the UK.
We plan to develop Quest III, an immersive orchestral storytelling project inspired by the remarkable achievement of deaf sailor Gerry Hughes, who circumnavigated the globe solo. The project will be delivered to schools and community groups and will provide opportunities for music learning and performance, including the chance to work alongside deaf musicians, film-makers, artists and role models.
## **Going concern**
The trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future being a period of at least 12 months from approval of the financial statements. No material uncertainties in relation to the ability of the charity to continue on a going concern basis have been identified by the trustees. Thus, they continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
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## Audiovisability
## **Trustees’ Responsibilities Statement**
The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards).
The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial period which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the
## **Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 July 2025**
incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:-
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable United Kingdom Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the accounts; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the
- charity will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the Trust Deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Lucy Dunkerley **Chair of Trustees** Date 13/05/2026
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## Audiovisability
## **Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 July 2025**
|Notes
**Income from:**
Interest Received
_Charitable activities:_
Events
Donations
**Total income**
**Expenditure on:**
Bank Charges
Charitable activities
4
**Total expenditure**
4
**Net (expenditure)/ income**
**Reconciliation of funds:**
Total funds brought forward
8
Total funds carried forward
4|**2025**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**2025**
**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**2025**
**Total Funds**
**2024**
**Total Funds**
**£**
**£**
**£**
£
**-**
**16**
15
**-**
**20,735**
**20,735**
19,243
**-**
**6,100**
**6,100**
955|
|---|---|
||**-**
**26,851**
**26,851**
20,213
**-**
**(127)**
**(127)**
(103)
**-**
**(27,416)**
**(27,416)**
(18,937)|
||**-**
**(27,543)**
**(27,543)**
(19,040)|
||**-**
**(692)**
**(692)**
1,173|
||**209**
**8,292**
**8,501**
7,328|
||**209**
**7,600**
**7,809**
8,501|
The notes on pages 10 to 11 form part of these financial statements.
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## Audiovisability
## **Balance sheet as at 31 July 2025**
|**alance sheet as at 31 July 2025**||||
|---|---|---|---|
|||**2025**|**2024**|
||Notes|**£**|**£**|
|**Current assets**||||
|Accrued income||**-**|2,350|
|Cash at bank||**9,069**|7,921|
|**Total current assets**||**9,069**|10,271|
|**Liabilities**||||
|Creditors – Amounts falling due within one period|3|**(1,260)**|(1,770)|
|Net current assets||**7,809**|8,501|
|**Total net assets**||**7,809**|8,501|
|**Funds of the charity**||||
|Restricted|4|**209**|209|
|Unrestricted Funds|4|**7,600**|8,282|
|**Total funds**||**7,809**|8,501|
The financial statements of Audiovisability set out on pages 8 to 11 were authorised for issue and approved by the trustees on **13 May 2026** and signed on their behalf by:
Lucy Dunkerley
**Chair of Trustees**
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## Audiovisability
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **1. Accounting policies**
## **Basis of Accounting**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS102) applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland and the Charities Act 2011 and United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (UK GAAP).
The financial statements have been prepared to give a ‘true and fair’ view and have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the extent required to provide a ‘true and fair view’. This departure has involved following Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued on 16 July 2014 rather than the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice effective from 1 April 2005 which has since been withdrawn.
Audiovisability meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy notes.
## **Taxation**
As a charity Audiovisability is exempt from taxation of income and gains received within categories covered by The Corporation Taxes Act 2010, Part 11 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects. No tax charge has arisen in the year.
## **Going Concern**
The trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future, being a period of at least 12 months from the approval of the financial statements. No material uncertainties in relation to the ability of the charity to continue on a going concern basis have been identified by the trustees. Thus, they continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
## **Income**
All income is recognised once the charity has entitlement to the income, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount of income receivable can be measured reliably.
Donations are recognised on receipt unless Audiovisability has been notified in writing of both the amount and settlement date. Charitable activities include income generated through fundraising events hosted by Audiovisability and income is recognised on a receipts basis.
Interest on money in the bank is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.
## **Expenditure**
All expenditure is accounted for in the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which the cost relates and is apportioned to cost categories based on the nature of the cost incurred. Grants are accounted for in the period in which they are made or communicated to the third party. The grant-making policy is discussed further in the Trustees’ Report.
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## Audiovisability
## **Notes to the financial statements (continued)**
## **Funds**
Unrestricted funds can be spent on any charitable purpose in accordance with the objects of the charity at the discretion of the trustees.
## **2. Staff costs**
There were no employees in 2025.
No Trustees received remuneration for their services or were reimbursed for expenses incurred.
## **3. Creditors**
|**3. Creditors**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**2025**|**2024**|
||||**£**|**£**|
|Accrued costs|||**1,260**|1,770|
||||**1,260**|1,770|
|**4. Movement in funds**|||||
||2024|**Income**|**Expenditure**|**2025**|
||Total|||**Total**|
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Restricted|209|**-**|**-**|**209**|
|Unrestricted|8,292|**26,851**|**(27,543)**|**7,600**|
|Total|8,501|**26,851**|**(27,543)**|**7,809**|
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