LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL CHORUS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025 CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION REGISTERED CHAIUTY NUMBER 1197192 DAINS AUDIT LTD Chartered Accountants 2 Cha￿berIal￿ Square Paradise Cireus Birmingham B3 3AX LICHFIELD CATHED114L CHORUS INDEX TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMEf4TS Pages Annual Report Independent Examiners Report Statement of Financial Activilies Balance Sheet Notes to the Financia] Statements 10-12 LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL CHORUS ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025 Reference and Administr4tive information H(*Dorary President: Mr David Cliffe The Trnstees who served during the year are:_ Mr5 Charlotte Groves Mr Mike Tighe Dr Paul Ecclesione-BTown Mrs Robin2 Bettson Mr5 IK4inna Andrews Mr John Skurr Mr Nigel Lindsell Mr Stephen Bushill Chairnian Secretary Treasurer & Ticket Officer Choir Representative Minutes Secretary Music Officer Choir Representative & Vice Chairnian Membership Secretary Pritseipal Address: Lichfield Cathedral ChoNs o Paul Ecclestone-Brown 153 Leomansley View Lichfield WS13 8AU Registered Cbarity Number.. 1197192 Independent Examiner: M Gumey FCCA, DChA of Dains Audit Ltd 2 Chamberlkin SquaTe Paradise Circus Birniingham B3 3AX PriDcipal Bankers: Cooperative Bank plc POBOX 101 l Balloon Street Man¢hester N160 4EP LICHFIELD CATHEDIL4L CHORUS ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025 {CONTINUED} Report of the Trusl¢e5 for tb¢ year ended 31 July 2025 The members of the Managing Committee present their report along with the Finaneial Statements of the Charity foT the year ended 31 July 2025. The F￿￿ne1a] statements have been prepared in aecordanct with the accounting policies set out on page 10 and comply with the Charity's Constitution, the Charities Act 2011 ond Accounting and Reporting by Charities.. Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities pr¢paring their acc4)unts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ir¢land effective l January 2019. Structsre, GoveTn#n¢e #Dd ma￿ageMent Charity Number 1197192 is governed by its ¢on5titution and was registered with th¢ Charity Commission on 17 December 2021 as a CIO. Under the constitution there must be at Ivdst three trustees and not more than twenty. Trustees are appointed at the AGM. One-third of the trustees shall retire from office at eaeh AGM as set out in (he Consti￿tiOn. The retirees are able to stand for re-election provided they have no¢ exceeded 7 years of eontinuous servi¢e. The Trustees nornially rneet six tilnes per year to consider the Charity's affairs. New Trustees are appointed from anJongst the mernbership of the Cho￿$. Objects. OrganisatlOD and Activities The Charity is established io advanee, improve, develop and maintain public education in, and foster appreciation of The art and science of music in all its aspects by any means the trustees see rit. including through the presentation of public concerts and recitals in the Caihedrdl Church of Lichfield and elsewhere and to furth¢r such charitable purpose or purposes as the charity trustees in iheir ab501uie discretion shall think fit. but in partieular by the making of grants and donations. Members of the chorus compri5e'. P¢rfornJing members, who take part in the perforniance of choral works; and Patr(Fns. b) All members pay the annual subscription. Th¢ rates for 202412025 were s¢t as follows.. Full sub5CriPtion £175 Students £25 Patrons £25 minimum Ben Lamb, the Director of Music at the Cathedrdl. is our Musical Director. Liam Condon. Assistant Director of Music at Coventry Cathedral, is our Ac¢ompanist. In the event of winding up of the Chorus any surplu5 assets sh811 be given or transferred to an organisation having similar objects to those ofthe Chorus. LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL CHORUS ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025 (CONTINUED) A¢hi¢vements and Performances Our first concert in November was a large perforniance of four parts of Bach's Christm Oralorio. The Choir responded beautifully to a great baroque orchestra resplendent with piccolo trumpets, moumful oboes d'amore and baroque string5. The [￿ve of the Cathedral was nearly full, however the large c05t of the professional orchestra n)eant that the concert ran at a £1.706 Ioss. Our Christmas period was marked by three appearanc¢s of members of the choir. Two were fJnan¢ially risk fr¢e singing carols at Shugborough Hall and at the Cathedr21's Illuminations. The Christmas Carol Concert was put on as one of our thre¢ Cathedral concert hires. One quarter tsf seats were reserved at a low charge to enable us to produce a surplus of £1,061. Our Summer concert was a departure from our norn]al in which we joined for¢es with the Birniingham Philhamionic Orchestrd, Sarum Voices and some magnificent soloists to perform Elgar's Dream of Ger(Jnlius. This was a well-attended concert. but despite ow collaboration with the BPO it was an expensiY¢ c4)ncert to produce. The concert ran at a £2,008 105S. We ran a midsummer's come and sing Mozart's Requiem at the Coton Centre, Tamworth. This encouraged several new members. The day was enhanced with a profes5i0nal string quartet. This expenditure was not originally planned. but many mernbers of the choir kindly donated significant amounts so that the event could go ahead in its augmented fom. FiD4Dcial Review Costs have continued to increase significantly due to global inflationary pressures. The trustees have explored several ways of reducing cost and incieasing revenue. We are looking for lotal corporate sponsorship, to ensure that we keep the price of concert ticket$ as affordable as possible, whilst being able to work with talented soloists and instrLllnental perforniers. With the so¢ietal trend of Thursday night being the "new Friday night" The cathedral is now increasingly f]nding it hard to make the spa¢e available foi use by the Chorus for rehearsals as its own commercial needs mean that it has had to increase the marketing of its space as a commercial venu¢. This m¢an5 that the trustees have creat¢d a relationship with Lichfield Methodist Church for more regular use of its ¢hureh as a rehearsal v¢nue. This has incr¢ased venue hire costs foi the ChoNs. After much deliberation, the trustees decided to set subscription5 at £183 per year for the 2025n6 season. Members are now able io pay these as a one-off Sum or by continued use of the increasingly popular direct debit mngement. As always, members who feel that they are unable to pay the fvll fees are welcome to confidentially requesi a lower rate to the tr¢asurer or the chairman. The attached financial statements show the ¢urr¢nt state of the finances of the CIO organisation. which the Trustee5 considei. to be Sound. Free reserves at 31 July 2025 were £26,481 {£25,620 at 31 July 2024). This falls within the range agreed by the TnJstee5 and is held to financ¢ working capital requirements and Cover any fu￿re shortfall in income. Public Benefit The Trusiees ¢onfm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commis5ion'g general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the Charity's aims and objectives and have complied with their duties under the Charities Act 2011. LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL CHORUS ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025 (CONTINUED) Trustees R¢spoDsibilities in Rel8ti0tt to the Fffinan