2024-04-05-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 6 April 2023 To 5 April 2024

Charity name: Horizon Voices

Charity registration number: 1203409

Objectives and Activities

	The reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17	TO ADVANCE, IMPROVE, DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN PUBLIC EDUCATION IN, AND APPRECIATION OF, THE ART OF MUSIC BY THE ORGANISATION AND/OR PRESENTATION OF EDUCATION WORKSHOPS, COMMUNITY PROJECTS, CONCERTS AND RECORDINGS OF HIGH ARTISTIC AND EDUCATIONAL MERIT, AND BY OTHER SUCH MEANS AS THE TRUSTEES SHALL FROM TIME TO TIME DETERMINE.
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	● Brighton Early Music Festival o Primary schools’ singing workshops o Cantatas performance project with adult amateur period orchestra o Whispering Dome community performance project with amateur adult and school choirs ● Byrd Reasons to Sing Project o Project trial with Birmingham schools o Digital education resources created for schools o Full online and in-person project delivered in Birmingham schools o CPD sessions delivered to teachers o Full online and in-person project delivered in Newcastle schools o Purchase and use of digital equipment (microphones/loop pedal) to enhance schools’

		access and engagement with project ● Other digital education resources recorded for future online projects
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit	Para 1.18	The trustees confirm they have regarded the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit during this reporting period.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:	Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:	Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
	SORP reference
Policy on grant making	Para 1.38	n/a
Policy on social investment including program related investment	Para 1.38	n/a
Contribution made by volunteers	Para 1.38	Chris Rowlands has been a regular Volunteer for a number of performance events as Front of House support and also as a secretary for taking minutes for the charity’s annual general meetings.

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	In our first year as a registered charity, we have demonstrated much success in the fields of music education, outreach and performance, in accordance with our charitable objectives. Our varied work with Brighton Early Music Festival has resulted in successful performance projects and collaborations with local amateur adult choirs, orchestras and school/youth choirs. We delivered a series of singing workshops in primary schools across Brighton and Crawley designed to engage young people in the performance of early music, rounds and canons, alongside a focus on developing vocal technique, different types of vocal warm-ups and ensemble musicianship. We enjoyed working alongside the BREMF 415 Orchestra, an adult amateur period ensemble, with whom we workshopped and performed a number of extracts from well-known Baroque choral works, with consideration of historical stylistic interpretation. Finally, the major collaborative event ‘Whispering Dome’ featured a wide range of adult and youth choirs, western classical and non-western musicians in a musical ‘journey’ across the world. The concept, arranged by Jeremy Avis, brought together professional and amateur musicians to work within both familiar and unfamiliar musical styles, therefore developing participants’ skills and understanding of different musical contexts. With successful funding bids from a number of organisations, we were able to design, pilot and fully implement our Byrd: Reasons to Sing education project in conjunction with Stile Antico and university lecturers and researchers at Birmingham and Northumbria Universities. This exciting hybrid project featured 4 online Zoom sessions with Year 8 classes in Birmingham and Newcastle, culminating in an in-person performance workshop. These sessions and workshops were well received by staff and students, and we have received lots of positive and constructive feedback which has been incorporated into further adaptations of the project. As part of this project, digital education resources and a website module course was created which schools are able to access and utilise after the completion of the project, whilst also being available to other schools who haven’t participated. CPD sessions with school teachers at the start of the project developed teachers’ confidence further with facilitating the online sessions and

additional resources were created for schools to use in-between sessions. Looking ahead, we will deliver the final wave of this project in schools in Birmingham, Darlington and Peterborough in 2025. Additionally, we have begun creating a bank of digital resources for both future projects and to increase accessibility, engagement and interaction with choral music for students in schools across the UK.

Financial Review

Financial Review
Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period	Para 1.21	We opened at the beginning of this financial period with an opening balance of £1701.85, comprising various small gifts and donations which were received before the CIO was formed. Our income this year principally from grants totalled £13,404.00 and a further £1500.00 from performance events. After making payments of £9209.13, our closing balance at the end of this period is £7396.72. This residual balance is principally due to funding received from the Simon Gibson Charitable Trust in 2023-24, which is to be used for the advancement of the charity and its charitable objectives in future reporting periods.
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	We do not require a significant amount of reserves due to the nature of our charitable objectives, in which we apply for funding for specific education, outreach and performance projects and proceed with the projects upon successful funding awarding/allocation. We hold a small reserve to account for any unforeseen expenditures and to account for any rising costs/inflation.
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	We have a reserve of £1700.00, which was devised from the initial gifts and donations received before the CIO was formed.
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	n/a

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising)	Para 1.47	Principal sources of funding this year have been: ● University of Birmingham Society for Renaissance Studies ● Simon Gibson Charitable Trust ● Arts Council England ● Brighton Early Music Festival
Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted	Para 1.46	n/a
A description of the principal risks facing the charity	Para 1.46	Operational – increased number of projects and events will eventually result in the need for an individual to work for the charity on a freelance basis to manage the administrative and operational aspects of the charity. This is being discussed for future years and will depend on successful funding for this position. Financial – income and financial sustainability should be monitored. Although projects do not take place until successful funding awards have been received, the same funding pots cannot be relied upon and the charity should seek to diversify their funding bids with a range of funding bodies and other means for generating income e.g. donations, creation of a friends’ scheme, etc.

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter)	Para 1.25	CIO Constitution (based on the model constitution provided by the Charity Commission)
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

The charity (Horizon Voices) appoints trustees through an advertising and application process.

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name	Horizon Voices
Other name the charity uses	n/a
Registered charity number	1203409
Charity’s principal address	5 Barnack Grove Royston Hertfordshire SG8 5HQ

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1 2 3	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (if any)
	Dr Katherine Bank	Chair	Whole year 2023-2024 The charity – Horizon Voices
	Edmund Whitehead	Trustee	Whole year 2023-2024 The charity – Horizon Voices
	Duncan Brown	Trustee	Whole year 2023-2024 The charity – Horizon Voices

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Full name(s)[Dr Katherine Bank ] Position (eg Secretary, Chair of Trustees Chair, etc) Date 18 January 2025

Horizon Voices Charity No 1203409

Accounts to 5	April 2024 prepared on a cash basis	April 2024 prepared on a cash basis
Opening balance		£1,701.85 (See Note 1)
Income
	Grants	£13,404.00
	Events	£1,500.00
	Total income	£14,904.00
Payments	Total payments	£9,209.13
Closing balance		£7,396.72

Note 1 : various small gifts and donations received before the CIO was formed