2025-04-05-accounts

Annual Report and

Financial Statement 2024/25

Registered Charity Number 1203948

Charity Name	Beautiful Noise
Charity Registration Number	1203948
Charity Structure	Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
Principal Address	2 Manor Farm Court, Old Wolverton Road, Old Wolverton, Milton Keynes, MK12 5NN
Period covered by this report	6 April 2024 to 5 April 2025

Message from the Chair of Trustees - Helen Marriott Smith

Building on our foundational first period, this year has seen Beautiful Noise expand its reach and lay crucial groundwork for future impact.

We have consolidated our learning and moved purposefully towards creating sustainable and scalable ways to bring the joy and benefits of music to more young people in Sussex.

Our core Rock School offering continued successfully throughout the year, providing funded places during every school holiday period and reaching a greater number of children eligible for support. While we acknowledge the ongoing challenge of gathering formal feedback, the anecdotal responses remain overwhelmingly positive and affirm the value of these immersive experiences.

We successfully piloted our Studio Ninja digital music production course, moving it from concept to an effective learning opportunity now running as an after-school club. This adds an important technological and creative dimension to our provision.

A major focus this year has been the strategic development of the Future Sounds partnership model. Significant progress has been made in building relationships with multiple schools across East Sussex, co-designing projects tailored to their needs, launching the Future Sounds website, and even recruiting our first dedicated tutor under this initiative. This collaborative approach holds immense potential for broadening access to music education in innovative and sustainable ways.

The enthusiasm we continue to witness from young people, parents, carers, and our growing network of partners fuels our determination. While navigating the complexities of funding and impact measurement requires ongoing attention, we are heartened by the progress made and excited by the plans taking shape for the year ahead.

About the Annual Report and Financial Statement

The financial statement has been set out to comply with the Charity’s Constitution, the Charities Act of 1993 and as per the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting of Charities published in 2005.

Beautiful Noise - Charity Number: 1203948

web: https://beautifulnoise.org.uk/ email: [e-mail] phone: [phone]

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Beautiful Noise - Mission and Objectives

Beautiful Noise is a registered charity based in Sussex dedicated to enriching the lives of young people through the transformative power of music.

By providing musical education experiences, we aim to inspire and bring joy to children. We focus our support and resources on young people:

• from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, currently identified as young people who are eligible for free school meals;

• with a health or developmental condition that is impacting on their everyday life, often referred to as an additional need. Additional needs could be developmental, physical, learning, behavioural or sensory.

Our mission is to provide musical education experiences that enable young people to develop their creativity, confidence, and self-esteem. We believe that music has the power to transform lives, inspire creativity, and bring joy and happiness to people of all ages.

Our objectives, as established in our constitution (dated 11 July 2023), are to promote and advance the musical education and experiences of children and young people by:

• arranging and funding musical tuition, providing performance opportunities and exposure to specialist resources

• the funding of musical resources and equipment

Music is about much more than learning notes and rhythms; it’s about nurturing cognitive abilities and fostering holistic development. Research shows that music education enhances critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and spatial awareness, empowering young people to navigate complex challenges with confidence and creativity. Participation in musical activities also fosters a sense of community and belonging, promoting empathy, collaboration, and communication skills.

Research also suggests that children who receive early exposure to music education demonstrate improved academic performance and social skills, setting them up for success in various aspects of life.

Beautiful Noise works with specialist partners to develop and deliver a range of programmes designed especially for young people. Investing in music education is an investment in lifelong learning, personal growth, and an enriched quality of life.

Beautiful Noise - Charity Number: 1203948

web: https://beautifulnoise.org.uk/ email: [e-mail] phone: [phone]

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Headline achievements against objectives 2024/25

• Successfully expanded the provision of funded Rock School places across all school holiday periods (Easter, May, Summer, Christmas, February), providing 261 days of activity for around 70 children.

• Completed the design, testing, and initial rollout of the Studio Ninja digital music production course, now running as an after-school club within a partner school.

• Significantly advanced the development of the Future Sounds partnership model, establishing formal discussions and project planning with five initial school partners.

• Launched the Future Sounds website (futuresounds.org.uk) as a key communication and recruitment tool for partners.

• Commenced operational delivery under the Future Sounds model by launching the Future Sounds Singers club with one school partner.

• Expanded the network of potential delivery partners by engaging with and recruiting new music tutors.

• Maintained robust governance and operational procedures.

web: https://beautifulnoise.org.uk/ email: [e-mail] phone: [phone]

Beautiful Noise - Charity Number: 1203948

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Strategic aims

Our strategy continues to be informed by research into local music provision, which highlighted inconsistent quality in mainstream education, the need to actively generate interest among young people, the scope for more inclusive and engaging activities beyond the traditional curriculum, and the importance of sustained engagement.

We concluded that Beautiful Noise should develop core offerings addressing our charitable objects while also building a lifecycle approach spanning introductory experiences through to deeper engagement.

The aims of each of these pillars are:

• Group experiences - To open young people’s minds to the possibilities of music.

• Visits - To encourage a deeper appreciation of music and live performance.

• Rock School - To provide an entry point for collaborative music making and performance.

• Studio Ninja - To provide longer term skills development and collaborative opportunities in music throughout the year, not only during school holidays.

Beautiful Noise - Charity Number: 1203948

web: https://beautifulnoise.org.uk/ email: [e-mail] phone: [phone]

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● Grants and Bursaries - To provide individual support for the most gifted and committed.

Our strategy revolves around this lifecycle, initially built on pillars including group experiences, visits, Rock School, Studio Ninja, and grants/bursaries.

During 2024/25, while Rock School remained a core delivery pillar, significant strategic effort was dedicated to developing Future Sounds as a primary mechanism for achieving our aims.

Future Sounds operates as a network, building partnerships between schools, tutors, and funders (including Beautiful Noise) to tailor and deliver music projects addressing specific school needs and expanding access alongside the curriculum. This model allows for greater reach, potential sustainability through blended funding models, and the integration of diverse musical offerings. The progress detailed below demonstrates the charity's commitment to embedding this strategic approach.

web: https://beautifulnoise.org.uk/ email: [e-mail] phone: [phone]

Beautiful Noise - Charity Number: 1203948

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Achievements and Performance 2024/25

Pillar 3 - Rock School

Building on the previous year's pilots, Beautiful Noise funded Rock School places provided by Red Butler Music School (RBMS) during all main school holidays in the 2024-25 period:

• April 2024 (Easter): 15 days funded (5 children)

• May 2024 (Half Term): 27 days funded (9 children)

• Summer 2024: 143 days funded (36 children)

• December 2024 (Christmas): 32 days funded (8 children)

• February 2025 (Half Term): 44 days funded (11 children)

In total, 261 days of funded places were provided, benefiting 69 children eligible under the charity's objects, at a total cost of £13,256.30 . Costs per place varied slightly due to differences in food provision arrangements for each holiday period.

Access to these places continued primarily via the waiting list for the East Sussex County Council HAF programme managed by RBMS. Formal feedback remains reliant on the HAF survey, which experiences low response rates. However, anecdotal feedback from participants, parents/carers, and RBMS remains overwhelmingly positive. Beautiful Noise acknowledges the need for more direct and robust methods for assessing feedback and impact and plans to implement these in the 2025-26 period.

Pillar 4 – Studio Ninja

Following development in the previous period, the Studio Ninja digital music production course moved into its pilot phase:

• The six-lesson course design was finalised.

• Five Chromebooks were procured (£440) to facilitate delivery.

• Initial testing with six children (aged 8-9) took place successfully in July 2024.

• Based on positive outcomes, Studio Ninja was launched as an after-school club at Chiddingly Primary School in the Autumn term (October 2024). Initial feedback from the school and participants was positive.

Beautiful Noise - Charity Number: 1203948

web: https://beautifulnoise.org.uk/ email: [e-mail] phone: [phone]

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• Five funded places were offered to the school for Beautiful Noise beneficiaries, and there was no uptake from our target population with the club populated by privately paying participants (incurring no direct cost to Beautiful Noise for those individuals).

• By the year-end, Studio Ninja is considered an effective product. While no places are currently being funded directly by the charity, it is now positioned as a key offering within the Future Sounds programme, and interest has been expressed by another partner school for delivery in 2025-26.

Future Sounds Development

Developing the Future Sounds model was a major strategic focus throughout 2024/25:

• Concept & Approach: The model was refined as a collaborative network bringing together schools, tutors, and funders to create tailored, sustainable music education projects.

• Website: The Future Sounds website (futuresounds.org.uk) was built in-house and launched (£200 cost) to explain the offering and engage potential partners.

• School Partnerships: Significant progress was made in establishing relationships:

• Uckfield College (Founding Partner): We developed project proposals (Mix Mentor, Sandbox, Prodigies) with detailed business cases drafted; planning commenced for a major collaborative event, "Future Sounds presents: Uckfield Rocks the Weald" (scheduled for July 2025); engagement with school governors initiated to strengthen strategic buy-in.

• Bourne Primary School: Partnership established following meetings in Jan/Mar 2025. Agreement reached to launch the first operational Future Sounds project – a lunchtime Future Sounds Singers club starting Summer term 2025. Exploration of further group singing and SEND support is also planned for the Summer term.

• Primary School 2: Positive initial meeting held, with interest expressed in individual tuition and particularly the Studio Ninja digital music offering. Awaiting confirmation of partnership commitment from the school's leadership team.

• Primary School 3: Positive initial meeting held, with interest in partnership. Our next steps await discussion with the music lead of the Federation to which this school belongs.

Beautiful Noise - Charity Number: 1203948

web: https://beautifulnoise.org.uk/ email: [e-mail] phone: [phone]

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• Primary School 4 (Federation music lead): Positive meeting held. Interest identified in digital music support, visiting musicians, and CPD for non-specialists. Agreed to explore funding options and the lead agreed to promote Future Sounds discussions within the Federation's other schools.

• Tutor Partnerships: Discussions were held with potential new singing and percussion tutors to broaden the skill base available beyond RBMS. The first new peripatetic tutor was recruited to deliver the Future Sounds Singers club.

This work has successfully established Future Sounds as a viable operational model and built a strong pipeline of potential activity for the coming year.

Strategic Objectives for 2025/26

Building on the progress made, Beautiful Noise aims to achieve the following in the next financial year:

1. Continue the provision of funded Rock School places, potentially expanding reach or refining the referral process.

2. Support the delivery of Studio Ninja and other developed projects (e.g., Future Sounds Singers) within partner schools via the Future Sounds model.

3. Actively progress Future Sounds partnerships: launch the Uckfield Rocks the Weald event, expand activity at Bourne, confirm projects with the Primary schools identified above, and engage new potential school partners.

4. Implement improved methods for gathering feedback and measuring the impact of all programmes.

5. Continue efforts to diversify income streams beyond the initial committed funding, including grant applications and exploring corporate support.

6. Further develop the Beautiful Noise / Future Sounds website to include resources for schools, parents, and young people.

7. Recruit additional trustees to broaden the Board's skills and experience in line with strategic growth.

Beautiful Noise - Charity Number: 1203948

web: https://beautifulnoise.org.uk/ email: [e-mail] phone: [phone]

Page 9 of 17

Financial Position

Summary of Financial Performance at year end.

The charity generated a surplus during the financial year.

• Total income: £82,978

• Total expenditure: £76,647

• Net surplus (before other cash movements): £8,331

• Closing cash balance: £10,263

Overview of Income and Expenditure

Income increased significantly compared to the previous period, primarily from unrestricted grants and donations (£77k), supplemented by Gift Aid claimed from the previous year (£5.9k) and a limited amount of bank interest.

Expenditure also increased, reflecting the full year of CEO employment and expanded programme activity. Key costs included Direct Wages (£53.9k), Charitable lessons

(primarily Rock School places - £13.7k), and professional fees (Accountancy - £3.9k).

Financial Health and Sustainability

The charity remains financially healthy due to the secure multi-year funding commitment. The closing cash balance has improved. However, reliance on a single primary funding source remains a key consideration. A strategic priority for 2025/26 is actively pursuing income diversification through grant applications and potentially corporate engagement to enhance long-term sustainability.

Reserves

Beautiful Noise does not have a Reserves Policy or hold formal reserves. The charity aims to maintain a cash balance which can meet two months’ of operating costs as a mitigation for any delays to payments from the multi-year funding commitment.

Financial Health and Sustainability

Beautiful Noise is financially healthy having secured a commitment of funding for the first three years of operations. This funding is from a single source, so a priority for the coming year is to diversify our sources of income to mitigate the risks associated with this by:

Beautiful Noise - Charity Number: 1203948

web: https://beautifulnoise.org.uk/ email: [e-mail] phone: [phone]

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• Applying for additional grants from national and local funding bodies.

• Building a corporate sponsorship program.

• Launching fundraising campaigns to engage individual donors.

Financial Statement

Our accounts have been produced on a Receipts and Payments basis (pages 15 and 16) and have been reviewed by our independent examiners – Ad Valorem Accountancy Services - in line with our statutory obligations as detailed in the Independent Examiner’s Report (page 17).

web: https://beautifulnoise.org.uk/ email: [e-mail] phone: [phone]

Beautiful Noise - Charity Number: 1203948

Page 11 of 17

Structure, Governance, and Management

Overview of the Charity’s Structure and Governance framework

The charity’s constitution was registered on the 11th July 2023. The charity is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).

Beautiful Noise is governed by a Board of Trustees which oversees the strategic direction and ensures compliance with regulatory requirements.

Information on Sub-Committees and their Roles

At present Beautiful Noise does not operate any sub-committees and all oversight is undertaken by the full Board of Trustees.

Trustee Selection

Trustees are selected based on their skills and commitment to our mission.

New trustees are being sought to join our Board during 2024/25 to provide advice on achieving our future strategic objectives.

List of Current trustees and their roles

• Chair: Helen Marriott Smith (2 year term from 11 July 2023)

• Trustee: Tom Ragan (3 year term from 11 July 2023)

• Trustee: Benedict Rumbold (3 year term from 11 July 2023)

Changes to the Board during the Year

• None.

Information About Key Staff

Our operations are undertaken by a Chief Executive Officer who manages all day-to-day activities to deliver on the strategy agreed by the trustees. The CEO provides a monthly update on key activities and actions achieved during the month and seeks the views and advice from the board to ensure operations align with strategic direction.

Chief Executive Officer: Allan Marriott Smith

Beautiful Noise - Charity Number: 1203948

web: https://beautifulnoise.org.uk/ email: [e-mail] phone: [phone]

Page 12 of 17

Key Risks Identified

Safeguarding risks were identified as the key risk by the Trustees. Beautiful Noise does not work directly with young people (all contact is through delivery partners). We have a comprehensive Safeguarding and Child Protection (SCP) Policy to protect children participating in our programmes.

The Chief Executive of Beautiful Noise has received enhanced DBS clearance, and this level of clearance is also required from all staff and contractors of our delivery partners who work with children.

Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities

Trustees’ Responsibilities in Preparing the Report and Financial Statements The trustees are responsible for ensuring that the annual report and financial statements are prepared in accordance with applicable law and regulations, providing a true and fair view of the operations and financial arrangements of Beautiful Noise.

Confirmation of Compliance The trustees confirm that this report and the associated financial statement comply with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 and the charity’s governing documents.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s Trustees.

Helen Marriott Smith

Chair of trustees

11 January 2026

web: https://beautifulnoise.org.uk/ email: [e-mail] phone: [phone]

Beautiful Noise - Charity Number: 1203948

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Acknowledgements and thanks

Donors, Sponsors, and Partners We extend our heartfelt thanks to all our donors and delivery partners for their generous support. Your contributions make our work possible.

Contact Information

Beautiful Noise

2 Manor Farm Court, Old Wolverton Road, Old Wolverton Milton Keynes MK12 5NN

Email: [e-mail] Phone: [phone]

Website www.beautifulnoise.org.uk

Beautiful Noise - Charity Number: 1203948

web: https://beautifulnoise.org.uk/ email: [e-mail] phone: [phone]

Page 14 of 17

Beautiful B•outrful Nots• 1203941 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a Forthe porlod Seclion A Receipts and payments Unr•%trlct•d fund• Rostrictod fund• Endowrnent fund• Total funds Lait yèar Al Ro￿1 D¢naty(rfrf Inleiesl Inc¢ 77.MJ 47 fY,00) 47 •21 2&• Sub tot•llGn>ss incL)Th for AR) 41.974 12,971 2&12 A2 A8set •nd ￿n￿ltm•￿t MIM, lu• ¢aty•l. ub tot•1 To1￿ f•c•Ipts .978 3&•24 A3P• AdvÈrtA Audil & 1.4BS 13.722 11722 InyuTanc S4iw• SJ.875 Bank c Sub tot•1 74112 74112 A4 Asw Ind Inv•im•rtt urchas•s. • tabl• mgnt Sub tot•1 53$ 74,147 74.647 23,1 N•t olr•ctlpWfp•ym•nts) A5 Transfers between lund• A6 Ca8h fund• last ￿or•￿j Cash lunds this ye•rend 8.231 8,331 1,932 1.•32 10.263 10.263 1.gJ2 Beautiful Noise- Chority Number.. 1203948 beoutifulnoise.or -uk emoiL' en uiries beoutifulnoise.or web.. htt .uk phone= 07919523594 Po9e 15 of 17

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