2023-12-31-accounts - The Friends Of Gloucester Cathedral CIO

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

A PLACE for FRIENDS

ANNUAL REPORT 2024 No. 92 SPRING 2024

EDITORIALCONTENTS

Editorial	3
From the Dean	4
From the Chair	6
From the Secretary	8
Events Committee Report	9
Music Department Report	10
Report of Council	15
Support a Pipe Appeal	19
Summary of Accounts	20

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

EDITORIAL

Welcome to the Friends of Gloucester Cathedral Annual Report

The papers in this report will be presented at the 2024 Annual General Meeting on Saturday 6 July. Please see inserts and information within the report for ofÏcial papers.

As you will see from the events information within the report, there is plenty going on in the next few months. Please do join us for events if you are able. More comprehensive write-ups of these can be found in our autumn newsletter.

If anyone has ideas for content for future newsletters, please do contact fogc.editor@gmail.com.

Ally McConnell, Mary Chapman, Ann Lewis Friends of Gloucester Cathedral newsletter committee

SAVE THE DATE FRIENDS’ DAY AND AGM

Each year the Friends host an exclusive event for all their members, and it is always a highlight in the Cathedral calendar. It's an opportunity for members to come together in the magnificent surroundings of this building to enjoy world-class music, fascinating talks and to participate in the AGM, which will include reports from the Council, the Dean and the Cathedral Architect.

This year it is taking place on Saturday 6 July, and Friends are warmly welcome, along with a guest.

For more information please visit:

www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk/whats-on/friends-day-2024

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

Many of you will have seen me write, or heard me speak, about my hopelessness when it comes to anything to do with the garden. When I was a curate in Yorkshire, my front garden was apparently known among the young people of the town as the “Goldthorpe Jungle”. Nevertheless, I have always loved what gardens and nature bring to our lives; and at the time of writing this report, with the emergence of daffodils, snowdrops and bluebells all around us, I love to see the renewal, transformation and hope that nature brings each spring.

Having been Dean now for a year, it has been encouraging to reflect on so many signs of renewal, transformation and hope over the course of 2023 and into 2024. Following the wonderful service of Installation in April 2023, there was the joyful thanksgiving for the Coronation and celebration of volunteers in the Cathedral and across the county and diocese. A tremendous Three Choirs Festival was the highlight of last summer, followed in the autumn by the powerful Light Eternal installation, which brought nearly 20,000 people to the Cathedral. We then had the pleasure of welcoming thousands of people for worship, concerts, and family activities over the course of Advent and Christmas. Both of the Cathedral Carol Services were full to capacity, with over a thousand people attending on each occasion. It was excellent too to hold the Friends’ Carol

Service at the beginning of December with a glorious programme of music from our wonderful Choir. It was so encouraging to see the return of prepandemic attendance numbers and the buoyant vibrancy this has brought to the Cathedral community.

There has been a similarly positive beginning to 2024. January saw the arrival of the new Precentor, which now completes the Cathedral team after such a long period of transition and vacancy. We are delighted to have Craig, Sarah and their family with us: he has already demonstrated what an excellent appointment we have made.

Our In Tune organ and music campaign was launched last summer at the Three Choirs Festival and I am pleased that it is progressing well, with the appeal reaching the £400,000 mark at the time of writing – thanks not least to a generous grant from the Friends, giving it the very best of starts. Of course, we still have a long way to go. You will have seen from Friends’ mailings last Christmas about the Friends’ own Support a Pipe

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

appeal which is running alongside the In Tune campaign. There has already been a good response to this appeal, for which we are tremendously grateful. We are also grateful for the Friends’ continuing support of the Cathedral’s music through the Friends’ sponsored choristers. This contributes so much to the sustainability of our musical tradition for future generations.

Last autumn, the Chapter engaged with an excellent away-day. It was an occasion to discuss how in this new season of the Cathedral’s life we might seek to achieve the goals of deepening the community in worship and prayer; securing the future of our buildings and finances; engaging with the city, county and diocese in social outreach and action; and living out our tradition of Benedictine hospitality, together with our vision for the Cathedral in the next five, ten and fifty years. Our reflections included how we might develop a plan for the

maintenance and renewal of the many historic buildings that form part of the Cathedral precincts and a blueprint for the Cathedral’s mission and ministry in the coming years. This has already helped us better to understand how we live ‘in tune with heaven and in touch with daily life’ and to show this forth in all that we do from day to day.

We have particularly valued the Friends’ support over recent years, which have been some of the most challenging in living history, with the pandemic followed by a major cost of living crisis. We could not have got through it without your help and, as we look to a brighter future in this new season of the Cathedral’s story, we know that we are fortunate to have such steadfast Friends at our side. Thank you for all you do to ensure that the Cathedral stands secure, visible and accessible as a beacon of hope, pointing to the love of Christ for all people.

----- Start of picture text -----
Credit: Caroline Potter
----- End of picture text -----

In February 2024 HRH The Duke of Gloucester, Patron of FOGC, along with the Duchess, were welcomed to the Cathedral by Hon. Hugh Tollemache, President of FOGC, his wife Rosie, and Dean Andrew.

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

This is my first report since I was elected your Chair twelve months ago. And it has been a busy twelve months for the Friends, thankfully for all the right reasons. I see the Council of the Friends as having two main mandates to fulfil. First, we are responsible for managing the financial affairs of our charity, especially focusing on the needs of the Cathedral and the distribution of grants to support, as our Object in the constitution says, “… the material wellbeing and to extend the spiritual influence of the Cathedral…”. Second we, as your Council, are responsible for ensuring we engage with the members of the Friends and provide them with an extensive offering of events and keep everyone up to date via both physical and emailed newsletters. The latter have proved very popular with members as they contain timelier and more up to date information about news on upcoming events and Cathedral activities. To the first point: grants. After the hiatus of the pandemic when the Friends were able to provide vital funding to support the Cathedral, 2021 and 2022 were years of more modest grant requests from the Cathedral and the Friends were able to rebuild our reserves. This proved a timely strategy as the requests from the Cathedral in 2023 and into 2024 have been more substantial. It is probably worth noting as well that the nature of the requested grants has also slightly migrated. Long term, we of course continue to pay a grant to support the Friend’s Choristers, one girl chorister and one boy chorister. This is an annual grant we make to the music department for which they always go

out of their way to express their thanks. Of course the other major longer term project we have been supporting is the In Tune organ and music campaign. We granted to this project as “first funders”. The Cathedral really values the Friends’ early donations to a project like the organ as it gives them seed funding which they can then leverage when approaching other potential donors. We have also supported the In Tune appeal with our own Support a Pipe campaign and I thank everyone who has given so generously to that appeal. If you would like to get involved there, please see page 19 for ways to donate. While the likes of music, organs and major building works are very headline projects that attract much attention, the Cathedral has less glamourous, but no less vital, needs. Needs for which it might be difficult for the Cathedral to raise funds, and often in quite short order. Many of you will have been grateful that we had a warm Cathedral this last winter thanks to a grant we made to repair the flues of the boilers. We also funded an update to the fire suppressant system for the library, critical to protecting the Cathedral’s unique collection of manuscripts, books and maps. And earlier this year we paid a grant to cover the cost to urgently update the Cathedral’s fire alarm system that had been

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

discovered to be unrepairable if a fault had occurred. I think we all agree we don’t want to be another Notre Dame! Boiler flues, fire suppressant systems and fire alarms. Not very glamorous projects but all vital to the protection and functioning of our great Cathedral building. I will leave the finer details of our grant giving in 2023 to the Financial Review on page 15. To the second mandate: events. Thanks to Rob Ingram (Chair of the Events Committee) and his team we have hosted an enhanced and broad variety of social events, talks, study days and outings in the last twelve months which have been very well attended by members of the Friends. I will allow Rob to expand on these in his report on events on page 9 but, if I may, I would like to say a special thank you to our President the Hon. Hugh Tollemache and his wife Rosie for hosting the Friends at their Coronation Meadow last June, one of the most spectacular naturalised wildflower meadows you will have ever seen. This also gives me the chance to thank Hugh for his continued support of the Friends and all he does to promote the Friends throughout the county and for the support and advice he gives the Council. It was also wonderful that Hugh was able to help welcome our Patron, HRH The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, during their visit to the Cathedral in February. A big thanks is owed by us all to my fellow members of Council. They dedicate a lot of their time and energy on a voluntary basis to ensure the continuing running of your charity. I think this is especially the case at present as, and I am happy to be corrected if I am wrong, I believe we have the youngest Council the Friends is likely to have had! Of the current eight elected members of Council, five work full time and we should all be grateful for the time they set aside for the Friends. They bring youthful

energy and enthusiasm to your Council. Enthusiasm and energy are qualities also brought to the Friends by our Office Administrator, Claire Saunders. We all owe her a thanks of gratitude for her dedication to the Friends, and I would also like to thank her personally for the amazing support she has been to me in my first, transitionary, year as Chair of the Friends.

I am happy to report that the working relationship with the Cathedral, which was much enhanced under our previous Chairlady, Margaret Austen, continues to strengthen and grow. We have thoroughly enjoyed working with Dean Andrew, Theo Platt (Chief Operating Officer) and their senior team on the vital projects we support at the Cathedral.

For those of you who have attended and voted at many previous AGMs may I remind you that under the new Constitution of the CIO all trustees are Elected Trustees and the Constitution (13.1.a) requires that one-third of the members of Council must retire at each AGM. Please see the agenda for the meeting for a more detailed explanation as to who is “retiring” and why. I am delighted to say that all three have put themselves forward for re-election which should ensure continuity for your Council. Please do vote for them (and in the interest of full disclosure…I am one of them!). We continue to have two vacancies on Council and we will work hard this year to fill those positions with individuals with motivation, interest and skill sets that map the requirements of our charity, The Friends of Gloucester Cathedral CIO. It remains for me to thank you, our members, for the continuing financial and moral support you offer to the Friends.

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

Every year seems to feature different developments in the life of the Friends, and this last year has been no exception. As I was writing last year’s Secretary’s Report, the Cathedral Chapter had been augmented by the arrival of Dean Andrew, who has on countless occasions expressed his strong support for the Friends and all that we stand for in terms of our support for the Cathedral’s music and fabric. The more recent arrival of Craig HuxleyJones as the Cathedral’s new Canon Precentor has also been a great source of joy. We were very grateful indeed for the wonderful contribution to the life of the Cathedral that Michael Garland made during his period with us as Canon Succentor. He was given a very warm and appreciative send off. We are all pleased to see him and Viv continue as part of the Cathedral congregation.

The Friends’ Council has continued to meet regularly to make decisions. This has involved meetings with Theo Platt, the Cathedral’s Chief Operating Officer, and his team to discuss how we can best support the Cathedral’s work. The Friends’ office has moved from its previous home at No.11a College Green to the main Cathedral office next door, where it is easier to liaise with the members of the Cathedral team who are key to the Friends’ activities. Our Office Administrator, Claire Saunders, continues to be an indispensable figure to our events programme and

general organisation, and I am most grateful for all that she does.

We continue to be well supported by the Cathedral’s Development Team and the Marketing and Communications group, who do a wonderful job in keeping our members informed about the various events that we provide. Our membership numbers continue to be healthy, with 881 full members, and 53 new members since the last Annual Report. Our talks and visits continue to be well supported.

In summary, the Friends go from strength to strength, collectively contributing to the life, support and witness of our majestic and wonderful treasure.

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

EVENTS COMMITTEE REPORT

This last year has seen a continuation of our programme of events at the Cathedral and further afield. In June we enjoyed a lovely tea and reception at Highnam Court, courtesy of Roger Head. It was a gloriously sunny afternoon, which enabled us to see the house and its wonderful gardens at their very best. Later that month, we had the great pleasure of a visit to the home of our President, The Hon. Hugh Tollemache and his wife Rosie, to see their magnificent Coronation Meadow, and to enjoy a sumptuous tea. This was very much appreciated. The final event in June was our much-delayed visit to Worcester College, Oxford, where we were able to have a guided tour of the college and its superb gardens, and to meet up with the Chaplain in its fine chapel. It was excellent to visit the college, with which our Cathedral had such important connections.

Friends Day followed in July, where we bade farewell to two key figures in the Friends. Margaret Austen had been our Chairlady for six years, during which time the Friends have gone from strength to strength, both in numbers and financial stability. Sally Annesley had organised countless talks of a very high quality over several years, and again, we owe her a considerable debt. A delightful concert in the Lady Chapel, a talk by the Masons team and Evensong made this a very special afternoon. Richard

Auckland repeated his Study Day on ‘Sacred Space and Common Ground’ in September, a very popular event. Our final talk of the year was in November, when David Evans gave us a splendidly constructed account of the Cathedral’s development since the Civil War, a masterful exposition. Finally, we repeated the Advent and Christmas concert on 6 December, when over 130 Friends and their guests enjoyed some magnificent singing by the Cathedral Choir, followed by a reception at the rear of the nave.

The first events in our 2024 programme incorporated two visits, to Tewkesbury Abbey on 7 March, and the churches of Fairford and Northleach on 21 May; and a talk on Robert of Normandy on 20 April. A Study Day investigating Medieval Medicine and Herbalism will be taking place on 8 June.

My thanks go to the Events Committee for their ideas and support, to Carolyn Clark for her planning and organisation of our talks and, as always, to Claire Saunders for her unstinting work and support.

We are delighted that our new Dean, The Very Reverend Andrew Zihni, is such a strong supporter of the Friends and all that we are trying to achieve.

Rob Ingram

Chair of Events Committee

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

MUSIC DEPARTMENT REPORT

The 2023 Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester, which already is becoming a distant memory, was a triumph for the Cathedral’s choirs, and was a fitting climax to a year of hard work by all the Cathedral’s musicians.

As is always the case after the Festival, each choir lost a significant number of its experienced singers as some Choristers came to the end of their years of service, and some boys’ voices changed. The Cathedral Choir lost a wonderful team of singers as Harriet Perfect, Jemima McVittie, Brontë Cooper, Charlotte Prosser, Emma Stevens, Kirstie Philcox, Florence Lucas, Charles McKee, Joshua Wood and Thomas Caruthers Little left. I am pleased to say that four moved straight into the Cathedral Youth Choir, and two more will be joining the choir later in the year.

Therefore, in September last year, we began with two rather inexperienced teams. The Boys were helped by Jude Freeman who stayed and served with distinction as Head Chorister until Christmas. Jude has now moved to the Youth Choir. Our team of Girl Choristers in September was the youngest ever, with a team of little Probationers filling the places of those seven older girls who left last year.

But this is the wonderful thing about Cathedral Choirs: the personnel regularly changes, so the institution never becomes stagnant. Each year the Music Staff think “How will we

manage without our fantastic team of experienced singers?” But each year, the younger ones grow in confidence and experience, and by Easter are as good as their predecessors. I am writing this directly after taking a Choristers’ rehearsal in our little Song School. The children sang brilliantly this morning; and with the Spring sunshine pouring through the large Song Room window as they sang Bach, Elgar and Tomkins, I was really ‘on a high’! Even after half a lifetime of working in Cathedral music, I never take the music and the process for granted; it is a privilege to be sharing everything with all these young people. And what we expect of them is stupendous! Most Choristers will know many hundreds of pieces of music by the time they leave. The disciplines, knowledge and skills which they acquire as Cathedral Choristers serve them all their lives. I should know, I was a Chorister at Worcester Cathedral from 1966-1971, and I still use those things I learned as an eight-year-old.

As a result of having two young teams of Choristers, I have kept the Cathedral Choir’s itinerary as light as possible for the past six months. However, this does not mean that we haven’t been busy! As well as the Choir offering music for seven choral services per week in term time, it performed at several very important extra services, for example, that for the visit of Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

the Installation of our new Canon Precentor, the Reverend Canon Craig Huxley-Jones; and the choir offered a much-praised concert for the Friends of Gloucester Cathedral in December. March saw the Choristers perform in Bach’s masterpiece, the St. Matthew Passion in the Cathedral; this will be an experience which they will not forget.

The Cathedral Junior Choir also began in September with a very young team. But through highly-skilled direction and great motivational skills, the choir’s conductor, Nia Llewelyn Jones has once again moulded an excellent young team, who always sing beautifully at the monthly Family Eucharists, and produced a fantastic Christmas Musical, Glory to God, written by Nia. Nia also directed the children in a Lenten production in February called The Tale of the Three Trees, which was hugely enjoyed by those who attended the show.

Nia conducts the Cathedral Middle Choir as well, which is an excellent little group of singers who are too old for the Junior Choir and too young for the Youth Choir. Some of this team sang at Evensongs in February and

March this year and excelled themselves.

I have enjoyed directing the Cathedral Youth Choir this academic year for the first time since 2016. The Choir’s usual conductor, my great colleague Jonathan Hope, went on paternity leave in September so I took over the running of the choir for that month and enjoyed it so much I decided to direct it for the whole year! (Congratulations to Lauren and Jonathan on the birth of their son Cameron, who attended his first Music Department Meeting this week!) There are very many brilliant teenage singers in the choir, who come from a variety of local schools. Thursday Evensongs are a delight, and I wish more people would attend them. Sadly those singers who are sitting public examinations this summer are now leaving the choir, so attendance will be rather thin through the summer. I am hoping that they will all return to the choir for this year’s Three Choirs Festival in Worcester.

Canon Adrian Partington

The Friends' boy chorister Jordan, who was 'madeup' in September 2023, along with the Friends' girl chorister Evie, their parents and Honorary Secretary Rob Ingram.

Photo credit Clive Barzillia

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

BOOKING FORM Annual Report 2024

You can now book online via our website: www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk/support/friends/friends-events/ using a credit or debit card.

We try to make a modest profit from events to help the Friends support the Cathedral. Thank you for making this possible.

Friends’ Day 2024 Saturday 6 July 2024, 1pm - 5.30pm 1pm: AGM (Chapter House), 2pm: Talk by Jonathan Hope, Assistant Director of Music, Gloucester Cathedral: “The organ at Gloucester – the cathedral’s heartbeat” (Chapter House), 3pm: Concert by Boy and Girl Choristers, conducted by Nia Llewelyn Jones (Lady Chapel), 3.30pm: Tea and cake (ticket holders only) and time to socialise (Chapter House), 4.30pm: Evensong (Quire)

Friends’ Day 2024 Saturday 6 July 2024, 1pm - 5.30pm	Friends’ Day 2024 Saturday 6 July 2024, 1pm - 5.30pm	Friends’ Day 2024 Saturday 6 July 2024, 1pm - 5.30pm	Friends’ Day 2024 Saturday 6 July 2024, 1pm - 5.30pm
1pm: AGM (Chapter House), 2pm: Talk by Jonathan Hope, Assistant Director of Music, Gloucester Cathedral: “The organ at Gloucester – the cathedral’s heartbeat” (Chapter House), 3pm: Concert by Boy and Girl Choristers, conducted by Nia Llewelyn Jones (Lady Chapel), 3.30pm: Tea and cake (ticket holders only) and time to socialise (Chapter House), 4.30pm: Evensong (Quire)

Postal Booking Deadline:Thursday 27 June
FOGC Member Tickets	£0.00	No of Tickets Required:
Guest Tickets	£0.00	No of Tickets Required:
FOGC Tea and cake	£5.00	No Required:
			£
Guest Tea and cake	£7.50	No Required:
			£
Visit to Deerhurst and Stoke Orchard Wednesday 18 September 2024, 10.15 - 3pm
10.15am: St Mary the Virgin, Deerhurst (incl lunch) 2pm: Depart Deerhurst for St James the Great, Stoke Orchard Ticket price includes guided tour of Deerhurst church by Michael Hare, and a tour of Stoke Orchard church. Lunch will be included.NB: Own transport required.
Postal Booking Deadline:Thursday 5 September
FOGC Member Tickets	£30.00	No of Tickets Required:
		Total:	£
Guest Tickets	£35.00	No of Tickets Required:
		Total:	£

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

Donation to the Friends (optional): £ Total enclosed: £ Payment Method: Cheque Cash Bank Transfer

Physical tickets are no longer being provided. Please enclose an SAE if you do not have an email address and require confirmation of your booking.

Send completed forms to:

Friends Office, 12 College Green, GLOUCESTER GL1 2LX

Cheques made payable to “Friends of Gloucester Cathedral”

Or by bank transfer (NB: new acct) to:

Sort Code: 30-99-50 Acct Number: 31893960 Ref: EVENTS [+Your Name]

Please provide an email address (preferred) and/or telephone number in case we need to contact you about any event.

----- Start of picture text -----
Name:
(if known - printed on mailing address sheet) :
Friends Membership
Number:
Address:
Telephone:
Email:
----- End of picture text -----

I consent to the Friends contacting me by email with news and details of events.

----- Start of picture text -----
Signed:
----- End of picture text -----

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

Friends Event Bookings Policy

With the move to enhanced online booking we have ceased the provision of physical tickets. Entry to events will be based on a guest list of ticket holders. Online or email bookings will automatically receive a confirmation of booking. Email confirmation will be provided where possible. Please enclose an SAE with your ticket application if acknowledgement of a postal booking is required and you do not have an email address.

Tickets will be promoted in Friends publications, along with a booking form which should be returned to the Friends Office: 12 College Green, Gloucester, GL1 2LX

Tickets can also be purchased online via www.fogc.co.uk or reserved by sending an email to office.administrator@fogc.co.uk, supported by a bank transfer, or cheque. Please remit the necessary funds as detailed on the booking form, and send an email with the details of tickets required.
Our preferred method of payment is bank transfer, which enables us to give more of your ticket money to Gloucester Cathedral.
Entry to events will be based on a guest list of ticket holders, rather than physical tickets.
Refunds will not be given after the booking deadline has passed, unless an event is sold out and the ticket can be resold.

Future Visits and Events

We hope the following visits and events will also take place in 2024/2025:

Mars: War and Peace – 17 November (confirmed) Christmas Concert – 5 December 2024 (confirmed) Architecture Course (6 sessions starting in Spring 2025) Spring Lecture 2025 Visit to Kelmscott Manor and gardens (Spring/Summer 2025)

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

REPORT OF COUNCIL

The Council of the Friends of Gloucester Cathedral CIO presents its report with the Financial Statements of The Friends of Gloucester Cathedral for the year ended 31 December 2023.

Reference and Administrative Information Charity Name: The Friends of Gloucester Cathedral CIO (‘the Friends’) Charity Number: 1199707 Registered Office: 12 College Green, Gloucester GL1 2LX Telephone: 01452 528095 Email: office.administrator@fogc.co.uk Patron: His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester President: The Hon Hugh Tollemache Chair: Antony Wilton-Steer BA (Oxon) Honorary Secretary: Robert Ingram MA (Oxon) Honorary Treasurer: Tim Watkins FCA Office Administrator: Claire Saunders BA

Cathedral Architect: Antony Feltham-King RIBA, GradDiplConsAA, AABC Independent Examiner: Jon Cartwright, Hazlewoods, Windsor House, Bayshill Road, Cheltenham, GL50 3AT Bankers: Lloyds Bank, 19 Eastgate Street, Gloucester GL1 1NU Inestment Managers: JM Finn and Co, Stockbrokers, St Brandons House, 31 Great George St, Bristol BS1 5QD

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

The management and operation of the Friends are governed by a Constitution. A copy of the Constitution and supporting policies is on the Friends’ website or available from the Friends’ Office. The governance of The Friends of Gloucester Cathedral CIO is vested in the Council, which exercises general control and management of the administration of the Charity.

Trustees and Members of Council

The full list of Members of Council and Trustees of the CIO as at 20 May 2024 are: Antony Wilton-Steer Chair Matthew Clayton Marcus Green Robert Ingram Sinclair Johnston Ally McConnell Felicity Read Timothy Watkins

Ex-officio members of Council and also Charity Trustees: Dean of Gloucester: The Very Reverend Andrew Zihni Nominated member of Chapter: The Reverend Canon Craig HuxleyJones

The following may be invited to attend Council Meetings but are not Council Members/Trustees: Chief Operating Officer: Theo Platt Office Administrator: Claire Saunders Cathedral Architect: Antony Feltham-King

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

Objects and Activities

The objects of the Friends of Gloucester Cathedral CIO are set out in its Constitution approved by the Charity Commission in 2022.

The Chapter of Gloucester Cathedral identifies particular financial needs and applies to the Friends for grants. The Council considers grant applications and makes grants which accord with the charitable objects.

Statement on Public Benefit

The Trustees are aware of the Public Benefit provisions of the Charities Act 2011 and of the relevant guidance provided by the Charity Commission from time to time. The Trustees are not aware of any Trustee receiving private benefit from the Charity’s activities. The provision of public benefit is achieved by providing financial and other support and assistance to ensure the material well-being and to extend the spiritual influence of Gloucester Cathedral with a particular focus on fabric and music. The building and the music are accessible to all members of the public. Admission to the Cathedral is free.

Gift Aid

We are grateful to all Friends who have signed Gift Aid declarations. We have been able to reclaim £7,023 from HMRC in 2023 (£6,236 in 2022). Once a gift aid declaration has been signed, there is no need to prepare a fresh one, unless here is a change of address. This is an important source of income for the Friends, and we would encourage all tax-paying members to participate. It would be a considerable loss if the Friends were denied gift aid reclaims. If you cease to be eligible for gift aid, please let us know.

Further information and advice can be obtained from the office (01452 528095) or office.administrator@fogc. co.uk.

Legacies

Over the years legacies have been a vital and significant source of income for the Friends. They have contributed significantly to the grants we have been able to make to the Cathedral. We would be very grateful if you could consider leaving a legacy to the Friends in your will. You will wish to consult your solicitor about your will, but further information can be obtained from the Friends’ office. We are extremely grateful to members who have remembered the Friends in their wills. In 2023 we received legacies totalling £69,625 from:

Miss Joan O Nelson
Mrs Patricia Fudge
Revd David Yerburgh
Miss Patricia C Bath
Miss Kathleen Mary Dowding � Mr John Punshon

Legacies make a tremendous difference to the work the Friends can do and we very much appreciate all these gifts, which we will put to very good effect.

FINANCIAL REVIEW, ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Results for the Year

The general economic and geopolitical environment remained testing for many through 2023. Inflation continued to run at a relatively high level meaning that costs across the board continued to rise. The Cathedral’s costs are dominated by three areas: salaries, building costs and energy prices and these particularly remained challenging in 2023 not least as the Cathedral has little control over these expenditures which are either set at national level or at the mercy of global market prices. While it has been very encouraging to see the Cathedral’s general income

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

recovering, driven not least by an uptick in visitor numbers, this has not been able to keep pace with the increase in general expenditure. It is at times like these that the Friends can truly be the Cathedral’s “Best Friend”. In 2023 we paid out our usual music grant, this year just over £43,000 to support the Friends’ girl and boy choristers. We have committed to be a core funder of the In Tune organ and music project and were able to be a first funder by granting the project an initial £50,000 in 2023 and committing a further £100,000 going forward. At the start of the year the Friends were able to fund two rather unglamourous but vital projects. A combined £65,000 was granted to ensure the heating system burst into life again and to renew the fire suppressant system in the library.

After a difficult year in 2022, the stock market was more stable in 2023. This resulted in a net gain on the Friends’ investments of £32,826 and we were also able to generate investment income of £22,624 from our savings. Our net expenditure for 2023 was significantly up at £156,617 (2022 £20,666) but please bear in mind that this number includes significant grants that were pledged in 2023, and therefore needed to be included in our Grants and Donations number for the 2023 accounts, but will not be paid out until 2024 or 2025.

Donations of £13,435 were received in 2023 (£9,582 in 2022) and we are very grateful for the generosity of our donors. Legacy income in 2023 totalled £69,625 compared with £64,238 in 2022. We are extremely thankful to those who have left the Friends a legacy and also to their families for whom, by definition, dealing with a legacy comes at a difficult time. These figures can fluctuate significantly from year to year.

Subscriptions (excluding gift aid) increased from £27,696 in 2022 to £29,517 in 2023. Some life memberships can make a big difference to these figures. Events and Excursions generated a surplus of £3,594 in 2023 compared with £2,056 in 2022. We are especially grateful to the Cathedral Guides and staff who have worked with us on events.

General expenditure on office support and governance showed a modest rise to £17,821 in 2023, compared with £16,978 in 2022. Grants have been made to the Cathedral in 2023 as follows, totalling £158,235 (£42,696 in 2022)

£158,235 (£42,696 in 2022)
2023
Music grant	£43,235
Heating system and library
fire suppressant system	£65,000
Organ	£50,000

Reserves Policy

The Trustees have set a Reserves Policy which requires that reserves be maintained at a level which ensures that the Friends’ core activity could continue during a period of unforeseen difficulty for the Cathedral, and that a proportion of reserves be maintained in readily realisable form.

The Trustees have adopted the following policy which was last reviewed in April 2024:

To distribute all amounts received as general grants and donations to the Cathedral. The Charity relies and depends on the Chapter to advise on projects and specific needs that meet the objects of the Charity and that require funding. In the event of there being no projects to support then surplus funds will be carried forward to be used for future grants. As the Charity selects the projects it wishes to support there may be occasions where levels of reserves are held with a view to supporting a future need and

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

these will be noted at the time. A sum of £350,000 should be established as a strategic reserve and £25,000 should be considered as an operating reserve. These amounts shall be reviewed annually.

In addition, Council has reviewed the Friends’ cash position in view of the global situation and potential stock market volatility. At the meeting on 31 January 2022 Council resolved to hold a cash contingency fund of £50,000 over and above the amount needed to meet known liabilities, to enable the Friends to assist with future Cathedral emergencies.

transactions. The Trustees are responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Friends and for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law, United Kingdom Accounting Standards and United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice. The Trustees have considered the major risks to which the Charity is exposed. In their opinion the existing systems are sufficient to mitigate those risks.

Investment Policy

The Trustees have adopted the following policy which was last reviewed in May 2024:

To invest in the stock market funds which are not likely to be required in the near future for grant purposes, bearing in mind that equities are less liquid than cash and there is a cost involved in buying and selling equities. The investment of any sum in excess of £25,000 shall be referred to Council, except placing monies in the Friends’ deposit account.

Independent Examiner

Jon Cartwright, Hazlewoods, Windsor House, Bayshill Road, Cheltenham, GL50 3AT was reappointed at the AGM on 8 July 2023. We are very grateful to them for undertaking this work at a substantially discounted fee.

On behalf of the council: Tony Wilton-Steer Chair 20 May 2024

The Friends follows ethical investment policies promulgated by the Church of England and engages J. M. Finn & Co. as stockbrokers. All policies of the Friends are reviewed triennially.

Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities

The Honorary Treasurer maintains an overview of the financial affairs of the Charity, ensuring its financial viability and is responsible for maintaining proper books and procedures, with the assistance of the office administrator, for the preparation of income and expenditure accounts and a balance sheet. Proper books are such records as are necessary to give a true and fair view of the state of the Friends’ financial affairs and to explain

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

If music is the heart of Gloucester Cathedral, then the organ is its heartbeat.

Music has long been a central part of Gloucester Cathedral’s mission. Its organ is, quite simply, one of the most important musical instruments of its kind in the world. Originally constructed in 1666 by Thomas Harris, it represents the only complete 17th Century cathedral organ case in this country.

Now, the Friends of Gloucester Cathedral are invited to play a vital role in protecting our musical heritage by supporting an organ pipe as part of the refurbishment and renewal of this historic organ. Exclusive to the Friends, the Support a Pipe appeal provides a range of donation opportunities, starting from £25 to support a 1’ pipe, up to £5,000 to support a 32’ pipe.

By sponsoring a pipe, you will not only leave a lasting legacy on the beautiful music of this sacred space, but also receive exclusive benefits as a token of our gratitude.

These include VIP invitations to celebrate the completed works, as well as the opportunity to hear more about the organ refurbishment from the organ building experts at Nicholson & Co. Ltd, who have been contracted to refurbish and renew the instrument in time for the 2026 Three Choirs Festival.

Please see the FOGC website to find out how you can support this appeal. Alternatively, you can scan the QR code below. We are most grateful for any donation you are able to give. Thank you.

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTS Friends of Gloucester Cathedral Grants awarded in 2022 and 2023 Organ Granl 1150.000.00 Music Grant 2023 £43.235.00 Cathedfal Heating and Library Fire Safety System £65.000.IJO Music Grant 2022 £41.030.00 Welcome Desk memberships- 1stye8r subs donation 2023 £440.00 Welcome De$k mÈmb&rship$- 1 styear subs donation 2022 £650.00 OfBan relurbishment deposit- in memoriam £1.016.00 2Q09.2V22fba5ed Dll AnnualAccount$201xQ1j-GrathSaV*sdÈdItslhÈc1thÈoryd1 tolalin ace55 offl.62 mllhin Th•nkYoul•rm•rythB•p¥rtspUiblo 20 ANNUAL REPORT 2024

Friends of Gloucester Cathedral Income: 2019- 2023 {5 years) 5.3. Léeacie5 Et28.28 32 39t Dth•TinEL £5.0?6 t112.$40 28.3% Oonplion¥ EZI,E4J 5.4 GrfiAMJ E25.812 Friends of Gloucester Cathedral EKpencJiture.' 2019- 202315 ye8rsI Grarts £ad3, 1"[ 83.6 £11.365 2.1% f12.135 2.3 £3e.938 ?.3 E8203 T•* [16.547 3.lryb ANNUAL REPORT 2024 21

TIIK FRIKP4lbS OF GLoucwsfER CATUEDRAL C10 FOR'fHX YLAR 1)D 31 DECEhfBfR 2•23 2023 ]NCOME FROM 11951ry) 8053 107752 5125 6974 CTh¥Jitsblc 4¢tivitiea 314682 iw¢i glin510) NET tN(X)MFJ {150637) RE(X)NCJLtATiON oFFiD8.. 734610 FiJNDSCARRIFIJ FORWARD 22 ANNUAL REPORT 2024

THK FRIENDS OF GLOUCXVUI CATIIKDRAL CIO BALANCE SHE AS AT 31 DICTMBFJi 2•ZI F]XED ASSEPS 10 564461 4J191 64193 112620 17 8778J 8593 173347 I569 LTABILMES 12 13512 157951 TOTAL fvtsSETS LESS TIM WATKINS Iotrp 13 10ftheseoxwts ANNUAL REPORT 2024 23

The Friends Prayer

Eternal God

creator of all things and source of life and inspiration, we thank you for this Cathedral Church of Gloucester, its prayer, hospitality and witness.

We ask you to bless the Friends of this Cathedral in their work of supporting the maintenance and conservation of the fabric, and the worship and music of this place.

We pray that by extending the hand of friendship, we may participate fully in the ministry and mission of this great Cathedral, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

A PLACE for FRIENDS

12 College Green, Gloucester GL1 2LX Telephone: 01452 528095

Email: office.administrator@fogc.co.uk Website: www.fogc.co.uk Registered Charity: 1199707

SPRING 2024

INDEPENDKiYf EXAlWItNER?S REPORT TO TRUSTEES OF THK FRIENDS OF GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL CIO I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the a¢counts of the charity for year ended 31 De£ember 2023 which are set out on pages 8 to 13. RdwOngiblltsl an&b ofreport As the charity's trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requitEm¢nts of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act). I report in respect of my examination of the charity's accounts ¢arried out under se¢tion 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Dire¢¢ions gtven by the Charity Conllnission under section 145(5)(b) of the A. Independent 4Yufftln¢r'sstatemenl I have compl¢ted my examinatio I confimi that no Mala1 mattet3 have come to my attention in conn¢ction with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material reS¢t.. l. Accounting records We not kept in r&spect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act" or 2. The ac¢wnts do not accord with those records: or 3. The accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the forni and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts ttnd Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts giv¢ a'true and fair view, whi¢h is not a matter considered as part of an ipendent ¢xamination. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in comection with th¢ examination to which attention should b¢ drawn in this report in order to enable a prOr understanding of the accounts to reache(L Jon Cartwright Parlner HazlewOLS LLP. Windsor Hous( B84yshill R08& Ci]¢ftenham, GL50 3AT Date: 22 May 2024

THE FRJENDS OF GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL CIO STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 Notes 2023 2022 INCOMB FROM Donation8 and legacies Othcr trading activities 119580 8053 22624 872 107752 5125 20091 2218 Other TOTAL 151129 135186 EXPENDrruRE ON Raising fund8 Charitable activities Grants and donations Other costs of charitable activities 8089 6974 314682 42696 17821 16978 TOTAL 340592 66648 Net gains/(1058) on Inves(ments 32826 89204 NEf Com (NEf EXPENDtruRE) (156637) (20666) RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS: Funds brougbt forward 734610 755276 FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD The not¢S 8¢¢ out on pages 10 to 13 form part of these a¢¢ounts

FRIEM)S OF GLOi7CESTER CATHEDRAL CIO BALANCE SHEKT AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 Note8 2023 2022 FIXED ASSETS io 564461 576659 CURR ASSE'rs Debtors attd ppaYme1) Ca8h at bank and in hand Deposit aoUnt8 Current aceounts li 43191 64193 112620 17536 87783 8593 173347 160569 CURRENT LIABILITTES Crediton and a¢¢rual$ 12 159835 2618 13512 157951 TOTAL AssEfs LESS CURRENf LtABILITIES FUNDS Unr¢8tri¢ted income fund Approved by the C¢)un¢il on: 20 May 2024 alld signgd ou its behalf by. AKTHONY WILTON.STEER Ttm WATKtNS Th¢ notss s¢1 out on pages 10 to 13 forni part of these accounts

THE FRIELYDS OF GIA)UCESTER CATHEDRAL CIO NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 l. Status On l January 2023 The Friends of Gloucester Cathcdral changed it's status to that of a Clwitable Incorp)rated Orgatiisalion (CIO). Previously The Friends of Gloucester Cathedral was an unincorporated association and registered charity. The comparativc figures in these accoun18 are those for the unitOrated associatiO]L 2. Accountin olicies a) Basis of aration Th¢ accounts {fiDancial statcm¢nts) have been prepared in accordance wilh the Statement of Recommended Pt7Ctice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Finala1 Reporting Standard applicabl¢ in th¢ UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued on 16 July 2014 andthe Financial RertIng Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Rwublic of Ireland (FRS 102) and thc Charities Act 2011 and UK Genernlly Acccptcd Practice as it applies from l Jojllwy 2015. The accounts (fi]]all statements) have bccn prepared to giv¢ a 'tru¢ and fair, view and have departed from the Charities {Accounts and Reports) R¢gulations 2008 only to tbe extent required to provide a 'tNe llnd fair view,. This dcparture has involved following Accounting and Rq)orting by Clwiti¢s preparing tILeir accounts in accordance with the Fillancial Rq)orting Statlllard applicable in th¢ UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) i8sued on 16 July 2014 rather thanthe Accounting and Reporting by Charities". Stat¢m¢nt of Reconll Prnctice effective frotn l ApTiI 2005 which has siuce been witlthwn. concern After making enquiries. the trustee8 are not aware of any material uncertaintie8 Ihat cast doubt on going concern and have a reasonable cxpectation that Ihe CIO will be able to continue its activities for the forese¢able future, and at least twelve montbs from the date of approval of these accounts. Accordingly, they h&ve continued to adopt tbe going concern basis in the financial statements. c) Inc4)me Income is rOgnised when the chttY bas entitl¢m¢nt to th¢ funds. Monetary (lonalions and gifts are included in the period in which the CIO is cntitled to rec¢ipt and the amount Can be measured with reasonable certainty. Income is deferr£xl only when the CIO has to fulfil conditions before becoming entitled to it or where the donor has specified that the incom¢ is to be expended in a future period. For legacies, entitlement is taken as the earlier of the date on whickL cither. th¢ CIO is awar¢ tl)at probate has been granle4L tbe estate has been finalised and notification has made by the executorfs) lo tILC Tntst that a distribution will be made, or when a distrtbution is received from the estate. Rcceipt of a legy, in whole or in part, is only considered probable wben the amount call be measural reliably and the clwity has been rLotified of the executor's intention to make a distribution. d) Ex ernditure Liabitities are r¢wgmi8¢d as reSoue8 expenda as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the CIO to the expeThditure. All expenditure is accounted for on an aCQnlS basis and has been classified undcr beadings that aggregate all costs (including ivrable VAT) related to the category.

FRIENDS OF GLOUCESTER CATHEDIL4L CIO NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR EM)ED 31 DECEMBER 2023 Costs of generating thnds include ail cost8 associatol with generating voluntary income includiL]g investment manager's fees. Ciwitabl¢ a¢tiviti¢s include all grants made, 8UPPOrt costs and govcrnatLce costs, being costs Incu1 in fillfilling the Friends, objectives. ¢) Funds Structure Unrestricted funds are funds which are available for use at the discreLion of the trustees in fLlltherance of th¢ genernl objectives of the CIO. Within this fund the CIO has d¢signat¢d an Eveuts and Excur8ion8 14m D Fixed assets D¢pTeciation 18 provided at a rate of 50 % in order to write off computer equipment over its useful life using the strdight line method. The computer equipmellt has been fully depreciatal so there is no charge in these accounts. g) Investments tnvestments are shown at nwket value at the year end. h) Grdnts able GTaDts payable are payments made to the Cathedral in the furtherance of the charitabl¢ objectives of the CIO. The grallts are accounted for when approved by the Council. Any grants uDpaid at the year end have been included as liabilitie8. Dollaliolls and I 2023 2(Y22 Subscription8 Gift Aid refimd Donations Leg&cie8 . 29497 7023 13435 69625 27696 6236 9582 64238 119 tnvestment inco 2023 2022 Quoted illv¢8ttn¢nts Int¢rwt re¢eiYabl¢ 19193 3431 I)82 1009 Raisin 2023 2022 Event and excursions JnvesttneTht manager's feeB 4459 630 3069 3905

THE FRIENDS OF GIA)UCESTER CATHEDRAL CIO NOTKS TO THE ACCOUNrs FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECELIIBER 2023 6. Grants 2023 2022 ChoT8J Scholarships Donations (Cathedr&l) Fire al8rn1 Heating system 43235 41030 650 56447 65000 150000 1016 42696 Other costs of CPrItable ctiviti 2023 2022 Bank charges 134 737 213 760 1800 2612 1285 120 Marketing Newsletters Office expenses Rates 2792 2069 125 6790 Govemance Costs Administrative assistance Annual rep)rt atld me¢ting tndwd¢nt Examination fee 9331 2081 8206 1502 480 11964 10188 Totsl No memb¢t8 of the Council or Executive Collllnittee or any oll ¢onn¢¢ted with them has received or is due lo r¢¢eive any remulleration for the year directly or indirectly from the CIO'8 funds. 8. Net ain8 on inve8tsnellts 2023 2022 Profitl(loss) on disposal of invesiment assets UDreaiised profitl(loss) on revaluation of Inv]ent &88ets 13255 19571 (166) 89038 826

THE FRIENDS OF GLOUCESTER CATHEDIL4L CIO NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEI AR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 Fix¢d A88¢t$ Cost As at 31 Dember 2022 and 31 De¢ember 2023 Dcpr¢¢iation AS at 31 DeMb¢r 2022 and 31 Dwcmber 2023 Net Book Valu¢ As at 31 Decanbor 2021 And 31 December 2023 10. Investments 2023 2022 MaTkcl valu¢ at start of year Additions Disposals Net wJreali8ed inYe8tment gain (1088) 576659 81103 (112872) 195 699430 13172 (46905) 89038 Mthet value at end of year Investments li8ted on UK Stock Exc 2023 2022 Fixed interest and Bonds Equities and Fulld8 106690 457771 19 103610 18 473 Ll 82 5fi44 IQQ 57fjf IQQ 2023 2022 11. Debto T8XAtion LKgaci¢s due Other d¢btors M15 34000 4776 2134 57238 4821 2023 2022 12. Creditors alld accruals Grants payablc Accruals 156447 3388 2618