2025-12-31-accounts - Farnham Sinfonia (CIO)

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Farnham Sinfonia (CIO), Charity number 1197475

Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 December 2025

The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2025. These comply with the governing document of the charity, the relevant Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP 2015), Financial Reporting Standard 102 and the Charities Act 2011.

AIMS OF THE CHARITY

We are a Surrey-based professional orchestra creating music for the community with concerts and outreach programmes. The first public concert was in 2018 and we became a registered charity in 2021. The aims of the charity are:

to advance public education and appreciation of the art of classical music in Farnham and the surrounding area.
to nurture the next generation of musical talent
to create music for the community through public orchestral concerts

ACTIVITIES IN 2025

Concerts were held in March, May and October, the Spring and Autumn concerts were on Saturday evenings at St Andrew’s Parish Church while the summer concert was on a Sunday afternoon at Bury Court Barn. Each concert provided opportunities for young musicians at the start of their professional careers to perform as featured soloists. During the year five violinists, a flautist, an oboist and a conductor benefitted from this policy. The music was wide-ranging, including compositions from the baroque, classical, romantic, and 20[th] century periods. Audience numbers increased by 16% over the previous year to between 180 and 200 each concert. Overall, we believe the aims of the charity have been well met in 2025.

Spring Concert

The main work in the concert was Beethoven’s 7[th] Symphony . It was the first time the orchestra had performed a Beethoven symphony and required a larger orchestra than before, involving 36 musicians. Being the first time a Beethoven Symphony had been played in Farnham for many years, it attracted additional audience — 183 in all, including a number of families with children. The concert opened with a requested repeat performance of Castle Vistas which had been commissioned by the Friends of Farnham Castle and composed by Matthew Taylor two years previously. Two pieces by Mozart followed: his Andante for Flute and Orchestra and the Oboe Concerto . Both soloists, Ami Lodge (flute) and Sasha Pullen (oboe) were performers early in their professional career and were supported by the Fenton Arts Trust. The orchestra made room for four student musicians to join them in the Beethoven Symphony, giving them invaluable performance experience and a significant addition to their CV.

Summer Concert

The concert took place in the countryside near Farnham on a glorious Sunday afternoon at the beautifully restored Barn at Bury Court. Four young professional violinists and former students of the Menuhin School each selected one of the movements from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons to perform as soloist with the orchestra, without a conductor. Each movement was preceded by a reading of the sonnet attributed to Vivaldi illustrating the moods and scenes associated with that season. The soloists then joined together to perform Vivaldi’s spectacular Concerto for Four Violins . Finally, as a complete surprise to everyone, the four gave a sparkling encore: an arrangement of a tango by Astor Piazzolla. The Barn at Bury Court is an intimate venue which the audience filled it to the maximum capacity of 180. It is ideal for a small orchestra and engenders a summer afternoon party atmosphere.

Autumn Concert

The concert took place at St Andrew’s Parish Church on 4[th] October. It began with Mendlessohn’s Hebrides Overture conducted by Guest conductor Sasha Parker. Lloyd

Moore’s Remembrance followed, in the presence of the composer; then Sibelius’s Suite for Strings with violin soloist Sasha Parker. After the interval the orchestra gained extra forces to play Beethoven’s Symphony No 3 ( The Eroica ). The local paper reported “Farnham Sinfonia delivered an exquisite concert in the heart of Farnham that surpassed all expectations. This 40-piece professional orchestra proved once again that musical brilliance is not confined to the grand halls of London. Maestro Matthew Taylor’s interpretation brought a new experience of familiar works. His ability to illuminate structure and emotion gave the audience a fresh and partly new experience of beloved classics.” The audience, numbering 196 clearly agreed as the donations received on the night were the highest for any concert yet.

GOVERNANCE and MANAGEMENT

Governing Document

The governing document is the Constitution adopted on 6[th] January 2022. It is based on the template provided by the Charity Commission for a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) whose only voting members are its charity trustees (foundation model constitution).

Management of the Charity

The trustees have chosen to vest the management of the charity in a committee which meets at least three times a year. The management committee consists of:

the Officer Trustees (Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary)
the Ex-officio Trustees
the Principal Conductor
the President
the Co-opted members, such as the Marketing and Promotions Officer

The management committee is supported by a dedicated team of volunteers without whom it would not be possible to organise the concerts.

Trustees

At the beginning of the year the trustees were Diana Martin, Derek Carpenter and Roy Waight. In July Derek Carpenter and Roy Waight announced their intention to retire in December. Along with Brian Martin who had resigned through ill health in 2024, they were instrumental in setting up the charity and have been tireless in championing the orchestra ever since.

We are grateful to Diana Martin for renewing her term as trustee and taking on the role of Chairman. Four new trustees were welcomed in December and at the end of the year the trustees are Diana Martin (Chairman), Martin Richards (Treasurer), Dennis Attwood (Secretary), John Harrap and Sophie Gunapala.

New trustees are nominated by existing trustees following a review of the skills and experience needed to oversee and develop the charity and after considering any potential conflicts of interest. Following appointment, new trustees receive an induction programme using materials supplied by the Charity Commission.

Trustees serve for a three-year period after which they may be re-elected for a second term, normally for no more than three years. After a second term a trustee may be asked to continue, on an annual basis. Trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no remuneration or other benefits.

Key People

During the year we were honoured to welcome His Serene Highness Dr Donatus, Prince of Hohenzollern as President. In accepting the role, Dr Donatus acknowledged the artistic excellence and growing national reputation of Farnham Sinfonia that he wanted to see flourish further.

The Musical Director and Principal Conductor throughout the year has been Matthew Taylor.

Having first appeared as a Guest Conductor with Farnham Sinfonia in 2023, Sasha Parker has now been appointed Associate Conductor.

During the year Elizabeth Cooney stepped down as Leader of the Orchestra after many years distinguished service in the role. The orchestra is very thankful for her dedication, leadership and support and we wish her much happiness in the future.

In the second half of the year, we were pleased to accept the services of a new Marketing and Promotions Officer, Sara Burnie. In a short time, Sara has updated the website and brought in a professional photographer, Simon Claiden, providing plenty of material for regular postings to our social media sites. All the officers now have Sinfonia email addresses to match the website domain which makes communication with our audience more straightforward. A great deal of effort has already gone into promoting the charity, attracting a younger audience and networking with other music societies in the area. Copy in local newspapers and a profile in Vantage magazine, alongside regular printed jottings, utilising display noticeboards in Farnham Library and listings on local events websites such as Farham Town Events, Guildford Arts and Visit Surrey is bringing new enquiries to join our mailing list. The new approach to marketing was already building awareness and showing results by the end of the year; we are confident it will fuel growth in 2026.

Administrative Details

Charity Registration No. 1197475, Company No. CE027921. In December 2025 the location of the principal office for the charity was changed to 7 Boxalls Grove, Aldershot, GU11 3QS

FINANCIAL REVIEW

The main sources of income for the charity are from donations from private individuals, charitable bodies and other local sources. Entry to all charity concerts is free to those under 18 years of age and to students. Donations are sought from others, with a suggested donation of £20 per person at each performance. However, all donations are voluntary and individuals can give less or more than the suggested amount. All are welcomed, regardless of financial circumstances and any other considerations.

At 31 December 2025, the charity’s free reserves (there were no fixed assets and restricted funds) were £4,884, a decrease of £4,138 from the previous year. The trustees consider that the reserves are adequate to give the first concert in 2026 but will need to be supplemented during 2026 to deliver the stated objectives for the following twelve months. If sufficient funds are not generated the programme of concerts and community support performances may need to be reduced.

We have recently been made aware of the Orchestra Tax Relief scheme and are in the process of submitting a claim for the past two years. If approved, the income will be reported in next year’s accounts and may be expected to make up for the deficit reported for 2025. Likewise, any further income from a claim for gift aid will be reported next year.

Reserves Policy

The charity’s policy is to maintain sufficient reserves to meet uninsured costs in the event of a concert being cancelled at short notice. It does this by maintaining a minimum cash balance of £4,000. It does not keep a separate account for reserves.

Acknowledgements

The Trustees are extremely grateful to the foundations and individual donors whose continued support allows the charity to continue its work. We would particularly like to thank the Fenton Arts Trust which, over the last three years, has enabled twelve aspiring professional musicians to play as featured soloists with the orchestra. We also acknowledge the help afforded by local venues supporting the charity through preferential rates of hire.

Insurance

The charity maintains public and employee liability insurance through the National Federation of Music Societies (Making Music) Insurance Scheme whose policy follows the Charity Commission’s advice that volunteers should be regarded as employees for the purpose of insurance.

Independent Examiner

The scale of the charity’s activities and net assets are below the level requiring an independent audit of the financial statements.

Signed on behalf of the Trustees

Diana Martin Chairman

Date 22[nd] February 2026

Farnham Sinfonia 1197475 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period Period start date Period end date To from 01/01/2025 31/12/2025

Section A Receipts and payments	Section A Receipts and payments
A1 Receipts	Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 8,531 1,862 - 1,835 - 12,228 - - - 12,228 14,750 440 1,176 16,366 - - - 16,366 (4,138)	Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	Total funds to the nearest £ 8,531 1,862 - 1,835 - 12,228 - - - 12,228 14,750 440 1,176 16,366 - - -	Last year to the nearest £
Donations - Concert	8,531				6,131
Donations -Individuals	1,862				1,923
Donations -Trusts	-				5,000
Gift Aid Reclaim	1,835				2,016
	-				-
*Sub total*(Gross income for AR)	12,228				15,070

A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table).
	-				-
	-				-
*Sub total*	-				-
*Total receipts* A3 Payments
					15,070

Musicians	14,750				12,475
Venue Hire	440				440
Expenses	1,176				1,687
*Sub total*	16,366				14,602
* See Trustee's Annual Report
A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table)
	-				-
	-				-
*Sub total*	-				-
*Total payments* *Net of receipts/(payments)* A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end *Cash funds this year end*
				16,366	14,602
				- 4,138
	(4,138)	-	-	- 4,138	468
	-	-	-	-	-
	9,022	-	-	9,022	8,554
	4,884	-	-	4,884	9,022

22/02/2026

CCXX R1 accounts (SS)

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period	Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period	Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities	(agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details *Total cash funds* Details Details Details Details Signature	Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 4,884 - - - - - 4,884 - OK OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - - - - - - - - - - Print Name Martin Richards Dennis (Roy) Attwood	Endowment funds to nearest £
			-
			-
			-
			-
			OK
			Endowment funds to nearest £
			-
			-
			-
			-
			Current value (optional)
			-
			-
			-
			Current value (optional)
			-
			-
			-
			-
			When due (optional)
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-

			Date of approval
		Martin Richards	22/02/2026
		Dennis (Roy) Attwood	22/02/2026

22/02/2026

CCXX R2 accounts (SS)