## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
**From 1 September 2023 To 31 August 2024**
**Charity name: Stafford Sinfonia**
**Charity registration number: 1196465**
## **Objectives and Activities**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|THE OBJECT OF THE CIO IS TO
ADVANCE, IMPROVE, DEVELOP AND
MAINTAIN PUBLIC EDUCATION IN, AND
APPRECIATION OF, THE ART AND
SCIENCE OF MUSIC IN ALL ITS
ASPECTS BY ANY MEANS THE
TRUSTEES SEE FIT, INCLUDING
THROUGH THE PRESENTATION OF
PUBLIC CONCERTS AND RECITALS.|
|Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or
services identified in the
accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|Five public concerts of orchestral music
held on Staffordshire:
Mahler’s Fourth Symphony,
Christmas Concert, “Great Romantics”,
“Out of the Darkness” ,
Summer Concert in Eccleshall.|
|Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|The trustees have regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity Commission on
public benefit.|
**Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Policy on grant making|Para 1.38|Stafford Sinfonia does not make grants.|
|Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|Para 1.38|Stafford Sinfonia does not make social
investments.|
|||Stafford Sinfonia is supported by
volunteers other than its trustees. Ten|
Stafford Sinfonia Trustees Report for the period 2023-24
|Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|individuals volunteered their time to support
Stafford Sinfonia during the reporting
period, undertaking tasks such as
preparing refreshments at concert intervals,
publicising concerts and assisting with box
office duties at events.|
|---|---|---|
|Other||N/A|
## **Achievements and Performance**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.|Para 1.20|Stafford Sinfonia continues to make
significant progress against its aims and
objectives, namely to provide playing
opportunities for people in Staffordshire
and to present high-quality
non-professional classical music events in
the region. Before 2019, Sinfonia presented
three concerts per season averaging
around 350 audience members between
the three performances; in 2023-24, the
orchestra presented five concerts to a
combined audience of c730, more than
double our audiences of five years ago,
and a 4% increase on 2022-23. We have
continued our relationship with Eccleshall’s
Holy Trinity Church and presented our
second Christmas concert in partnership
with St John’s Church in Stafford.
In 2023-24, Stafford Sinfonia presented 5
concerts:
Mahler’s Fourth Symphony
Audience c. 200
Christmas Concert
Audience c. 150
“Great Romantics”
Audience c. 150
“Out of the Darkness”
Audience c. 150
Summer Concert in Eccleshall
Audience c. 80
Total audience: c.730 (2022-23
c.700)
The artistic quality of the orchestra has
continued to rise, driven by ambitious
repertoire selection, member dedication
and recruitment of high-quality musicians to
its ranks. Music Director Jack Lovell-Huckle
(CBSO Assistant Conductor, Music Director
Spires Music) led all our projects this
season. We have begun a new programme
of inviting esteemed professionals from
top-level orchestras including the City of
BirminghamSymphony Orchestra,English|
Stafford Sinfonia Trustees Report for the period 2023-24
Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra of The Swan to coach our members in sectionals. In 2023-24, our winds and brass musicians were coached by Oboist and Cor Anglais player Louise Braithewaite (Orchestra of the Swan, Principal; The Royal Shakespeare Company; City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra & English Symphony Orchestra guest) and the strings worked with CBSO cellist Helen Edgar. In November 2023, soprano Emily Chapman performed works including Mahler’s Fourth Symphony. A young artist building a formidable reputation, Emily is the daughter of a member of Stafford Sinfonia and wowed our audiences with her clear and expressive performance. In March, cellist (and Artistic Director of English Symphony Orchestra, Elgar Festival and Colorado MahlerFest) Kenneth Woods performed Schumann’s Cello Concerto, supported by Tim Toft Violins. And rising star pianist Bocheng Wang joined Stafford Sinfonia in June to perform Grieg’s Piano Concerto, generously supported by Making Music’s Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artists Programme. In our Christmas Concert, we performed the world premiere of local composer Aaron Samuel’s suite “Sylvan Winter Suite”. Orchestrated especially for Stafford SInfonia, Aaron is a Stafford resident and introduced his new work to a large appreciative audience as part of our burgeoning relationship with St John’s Church. For the first time, we have been surveying audiences to our events. Audience feedback from Stafford Sinfonia concerts this season highlights a strong appreciation for the high-quality performances, varied and engaging music programs, and the intimate atmosphere of venues like Rising Brook Church. Attendees particularly enjoyed pieces featuring soloists and praised the conductor's interaction with the audience, especially when educating them about the music. Overall, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many attendees expressing their intent to return for future performances. The orchestra continued to grow its membership, and now has no vacancies to fill in its core membership but continues to welcome violinists and violas. 2023-24 is the first full season using our new website (launched April 2023). Engagement online has increased
Stafford Sinfonia Trustees Report for the period 2023-24
significantly, with over 2500 site visitors and more than 4500 site sessions. Using the ‘pay what you feel’ functionality, we saw increased ticket revenue online, with over 70% of tickets now bought through the website. Financially, overall income was up 34% compared with 2022-23 (largely accounted for by increased ticket sales and increasing the number of member musicians), and expenditure only increased by 25% on 2022-23. This resulted in a surplus of £2,481.26 for the year (2022-23: £1,152.20). This surplus will be invested in a “Play Day” with professional sectional tutors from the English Symphony Orchestra (7 September 2024) and high-quality soloists in future seasons and mitigating uncertain cost inflation such as venue hire which has increased significantly due to rising utility costs for the venues Sinfonia uses. In the 2024-25 season, the orchestra plans to hold a “Play Day” exploring Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony, coached by professional tutors from the English Symphony Orchestra, a professional orchestra based in the English regions. Three programmes with four concerts are planned: November 2024 (Brahms’ Second Symphony, Rossini William Tell Overture and Weber Clarinet Concerto No 1 - soloist Nathan Issac), March 2024 (Mozart Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra - soloists CBSO Leader Eugene Tzikindelean & CBSO viola David Bamung, Schubert Symphony No. 9 "The Great") and June 2024 (Rossini Overture to The Turk in Italy, Mozart "Turkish" Violin Concerto No. 5 - soloist ESO Principal Artist & Leader/ BBC Philharmonic Leader Zoë Beyers), Haydn Symphony No.100). We plan to repeat the concert in June at Eccleshall Holy Trinity Church.
## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
|Achievements against
objectives set|Para 1.41|The Trustees budgeted for a modest
surplus in 2023-24. This has been
achieved.|
|---|---|---|
|Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|Para 1.41|Stafford Sinfonia continued its recruitment
campaign for playing members and
achieved sponsorship via Tim Toft Violins.|
Stafford Sinfonia Trustees Report for the period 2023-24
Stafford Sinfonia does not make investments. Investment performance Para 1.41 against objectives N/A Other
## **Financial Review**
|**Financial Review**|||
|---|---|---|
|Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|Stafford Sinfonia is in a good financial
position, with sufficient reserves and an
operating surplus of £2,481.26 for the
period.|
|Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|
Stafford Sinfonia holds reserves to cover
the costs associated with a need to cancel
activity at short notice as happened in the
COVID-19 pandemic. The Trustees have
determined reserves should be set at 2
concerts’worth of lost income: £1,800.|
|Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|£2110.36|
|Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|N/A|
|Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|N/A|
|Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|The trustees are satisfied that Stafford
Sinfonia is a going concern, with sufficient
operational funds and reserves to plan and
deliver future activity.|
|**Additional information (optional)**
Youmay choose toincludefurtherstatementswhererelevant about:|**Additional information (optional)**
Youmay choose toincludefurtherstatementswhererelevant about:|**Additional information (optional)**
Youmay choose toincludefurtherstatementswhererelevant about:|
|---|---|---|
|The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|Para 1.47|Earned income: concert tickets, programme
sales and programme advertising.
Donations: member musicians and Friends
of Stafford Sinfonia|
|Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|Stafford Sinfonia does not make
investments.|
|A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46|The main risk to the charity is an inability to
give concerts, or to hold rehearsals, as
happened in the COVID-19 pandemic. The
trustees consider this a medium risk and
monitor the situation carefully.|
Stafford Sinfonia Trustees Report for the period 2023-24
A low risk is that the Music Director may resign from Stafford Sinfonia. Such a situation may lead to a fall in playing standards. The Music Director has occasionally been unavailable for rehearsals but a suitable deputy has been engaged (as happened in summer 2023, when a very high quality deputy was sourced in Melvin Tay). A low risk is that of losing key musician members, for example the leader or wind principals. During the absence of activity due to COVID-19, some musicians decided not to re-join Sinfonia on its return. Sinfonia has now recruited excellent musicians to all positions and has implemented a deputy list where, should a musician need to be absent or resigns their position, deputy musicians of a high standard are ready to join the orchestra. This deputies scheme has been very successful, allowing Stafford Sinfonia to programme for larger forces than its membership on occasion, as is planned for the concert of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony in the 2023-24 season. N/A Other
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
|Description of charity’s
trusts:|||
|---|---|---|
|Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|Constitution|
|
How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|CIO|
|Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|As described in article 13 of Stafford
Sinfonia’s constitution (“Appointment of
Charity Trustees”):
a. At every annual general meeting of
the members of the CIO, one-third
of the charity trustees shall retire
from office. If the number of charity
trustees is not three or a multiple of
three, then the number nearest to
one-third shall retire from office, but
if there is only one charity trustee,
he or she shall retire;
b. The charity trustees to retire by
rotation shall be those who have
been longest in office since their last|
Stafford Sinfonia Trustees Report for the period 2023-24
appointment or reappointment. If any trustees were last appointed or reappointed on the same day those to retire shall (unless they otherwise agree among themselves) be determined by lot; c. The vacancies so arising may be filled by the decision of the members at the annual general meeting; any vacancies not filled at the annual general meeting may be filled as provided in sub-clause (e) of this clause; d. The members or the charity trustees may at any time decide to appoint a new charity trustee, whether in place of a charity trustee who has retired or been removed in accordance with clause 15 (Retirement and removal of charity trustees), or as an additional charity trustee, provided that the limit specified in clause 12(c) (Charity trustees) on the number of charity trustees would not as a result be exceeded; e. A person so appointed by the members of the CIO shall retire in accordance with the provisions of sub-clauses (b) and (c) of this clause. A person so appointed by the charity trustees shall retire at the conclusion of the next annual general meeting after the date of his or her appointment, and shall not be counted for the purpose of determining which of the charity trustees is to retire by rotation at that meeting.
## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
|Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction
and training of trustees|Para 1.51|Trustees must read Stafford Sinfonia’s
constitution and affirm they are legally
permitted to act as a trustee of Stafford
Sinfonia.|
|---|---|---|
|The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider|Para 1.51|The members of Stafford Sinfonia appoint
the trustees. The trustees appoint the
Music Director. The members also appoint
among themselves officers as desired,
including publicity officer and librarian.|
Stafford Sinfonia Trustees Report for the period 2023-24
|network with which the
charity works|||
|---|---|---|
|Relationship with any
related parties|Para 1.51|The chair of Stafford Sinfonia is married to
the Music Director, who is a paid freelancer
who provides conducting services to the
CIO. The chair is not permitted to be
present when discussing the Music
Director’s contract, including whether the
Music Director’s contract may be extended,
the fees and expenses due to the Music
Director or whether to terminate the Music
Director’s contract.|
|Other||N/A|
## **Reference and Administrative details**
|Charity name|Stafford Sinfonia|
|---|---|
|
Other name the charity uses||
|Registered charity number|1196465|
|
Charity’s principal address|22 Copeland Drive
Stone
ST15 8YP|
|||
## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
|1
2
3|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**
**Nam**
**e of**
**pers**
**on**
**(or**
**bod**
**y)**
**entit**
**led**
**to**
**app**
**oint**
**trust**
**ee**
**(if**
**any)**|
|---|---|---|---|
||Sebastian
Lovell-Huckle|Chair|
Whole year
N/A|
||Simon Coombs|Secretary|Wholeyear
N/A|
||Kerensa Guest|Treasurer|Wholeyear
N/A|
Stafford Sinfonia Trustees Report for the period 2023-24
## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**
|Description of the assets
held in this capacity|Stafford Sinfonia does not hold funds on behalf of others.|
|---|---|
|Name and objects of the
charity on whose behalf the
assets are held and how this
falls within the custodian
charity’s objects|Stafford Sinfonia does not hold funds on behalf of others.|
|Details of arrangements for
safe custody and
segregation of such assets
from the charity’s own assets|Stafford Sinfonia does not hold funds on behalf of others.|
## **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)**
Jack Lovell-Huckle: Music Director
## **Exemptions from disclosure**
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
**N/A**
## **Other optional information**
**N/A**
Stafford Sinfonia Trustees Report for the period 2023-24
## **Declarations**
**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**
**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees**
**Signature(s)** Kerensa Guest **Full name(s)** Sebastian Lovell-Huckle **Position (eg Secretary,** Chair Treasurer **Chair, etc) Date** 30 November 2024
Stafford Sinfonia Trustees Report for the period 2023-24
## **Stafford Sinfonia Accounts 2023/2024**
||_(Accounts 2022/2023)_|_(Accounts 2022/2023)_|_(Accounts 2022/2023)_|
|---|---|---|---|
|**Money In**|Subs|£4,543.00|
£3,585.50|
||Door (inc programmes)|£7,505.59|£5,366.10|
||Advertising Revenue|£775.00|£655.00|
||Friends of the Sinfonia|£190.00|£100.00|
||Social Events|£0.00|£0.00|
||Subsidiaries|£225.00|_n/a_|
||Donations|£174.56|£258.65|
||**Total Money In**|**£13,413.15**|**£9,965.25**|
|||||
|**Money Out**|Hire of Tillington School|£1,191.00|£1,120.00|
||MD's fees|£3,600.00|£3,400.00|
||Making Music Membership|£181.00|£186.00|
||Publicity|£143.74|£173.94|
||Hire of Venues|£1,625.00|£1,575.00|
||Payments to Players|£1,753.49|£780.00|
||Refreshments|£47.62|£26.65|
||Programme Printing|£285.05|£135.44|
||SumUp/Website Fees|£270.43|£372.52|
||Social Events|£0.00|£0.00|
||Ticket Revenue Share|£1,153.00|£1,025.00|
||Misc|£681.56|£18.50|
||**Total Money Out**|**£10,931.89**|**£8,813.05**|
|||||
|**Opening Bank**|**Balance 01/09/23**|£4,019.07|**£2,866.87**|
|||||
|**Closing Bank Balance 31/08/24**||£6,500.33|**£4,019.07**|
|||||
|**Surplus for Year**||**£2,481.26**|**£1,152.20**|
|||||
|**_Business Saver Account Balance_**||**_£2,110.36_**|**_£2,068.88_**|