New Sussex Singers
Trustees’ Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31 December 2025
The Trustees have pleasure in presenting their report and the financial statements for the charity for the year ended 31 December 2025. The Trustees confirm that the financial statements have been prepared to comply with s133 Charities Act 2011.
Objects and Activities
The Objects of the choir are to promote, improve, develop and maintain public education in, and appreciation of, the art and science of choral music in all its aspects, in particular but not exclusively by the presentation of public concerts as determined from time to time by the choir through its trustees.
The trustees have complied with the duty in section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission (PB2).
In pursuing our aims to provide benefit for the public, the choir believes it has achieved a threefold positive impact in the last year.
-
a) Singers engage in a creative, enjoyable, fulfilling and sociable educational activity, providing opportunities to develop vocal technique and repertoire as well as to experience public performance.
-
b) For audiences, the choir presents high quality, varied and innovative performances which should always be a pleasurable cultural experience. In addition, it provides opportunities from time to time for the people attending concerts to be challenged and educated by extending their music experience and knowledge. At each concert, information is provided about each piece of music, in a way that is both educational and entertaining.
-
c) New Sussex Singers offers occasional workshops, publicising widely to encourage a broad breadth of participants. These focus on developing expertise in various aspects of choral singing.
To ensure that its activities are affordable, Trustees provide concessionary rates as necessary for both membership subscriptions and concert tickets. Any member with financial difficulties can privately discuss a reduced subscription arrangement with the Membership Secretary.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
In the year covered by this report we organised two workshops with quite different themes, the first focussing on techniques for choral singing and the second led by John Rutter. Between them they brought over 350 people together to share and develop their musical knowledge.
As part of our community activities, we collaborated with All Saints Lindfield to perform the Coleridge Requiem and our Christmas concert performance was enhanced again with the contribution from the choir at South Malling School. We also performed a Christmas programme in support of Kent, Sussex and Surrey air ambulance.
Our other performances were the German Requiem (Brahms) with four hands and a concert celebrating the music of John Rutter in his 80[th] birthday year which particularly focused on the tradition of choral jazz spearheaded by Rutter and Shearing.
Review
The Trustees are pleased to report a successful year delivering a surplus despite rising costs. The Trustees are considering appropriate ways to manage this surplus in relation to the charity’s objects and public benefit and look forward to reporting more in 2027.
Details of any funds held as a custodian trustee – none.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Recruitment and appointment of trustees
Trustees are appointed every year through election at the AGM. During the period covered by this report they met six times
The charity is governed by a constitution ((based on the Charitable Associations (unincorporated) Model Constitution Ver Nov 13 New format Jan 17)) adopted on 9 March 2023.
Reference and administrative information
Name of Charity New Sussex Singers Charity Registration Number 1204239 Principal Address Castle Precincts Cottage Castle Precincts Lewes East Sussex BN7 1YT
Trustees
The trustees and officers serving during the year and since the year end were as follows: -
Alison Lawfield Marion Umney (resigned March 2026) Lisa Quilter Melinda Stone Elizabeth Dandridge Peter Ashley (appointed March 2026)
New Sussex Singers
Charity registration number: 1204239
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED TO 31 DECEMBER 2025
New Sussex Singers
Charity registration number: 1204239
Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025
Receipts and Payments
| Receipts Subscriptions from members Donations Gift aid received Income from concerts(see note 1) Music score hire Rehearsal refreshments Subtotal Asset and investment sales Sale of investments Sub total Total receipts Payments Music director fees for rehearsals Accompanist fees for rehearsals Hire of rehearsal venues Expenses for concerts(see note 1) Publicity Music scores Insurance Subscription to MakingMusic etc. Website Sundry Beamish - First instalment of Commission Sub total Asset and investment purchases Equipmentpurchased Sub total Total payments Net of receipts/ (payments) Transfers between funds Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
Unrestricted funds £ 9,095 260 2,369 16,151 - 182 28,057 - - 28,057 5,440 3,475 1,290 11,251 - 391 155 464 355 50 1,200 24,071 - - 24,071 3,986 - 4,971 8,957 |
Restricted funds £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Endowmen t funds £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Total funds 2025 £ 9,095 260 2,369 16,151 - 182 28,057 - - 28,057 5,440 3,475 1,290 11,251 - 391 155 464 355 50 1,200 24,071 - - 24,071 3,986 - 4,971 8,957 |
Total funds 2024 £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7,786 | |||||
| 405 | |||||
| 1,402 | |||||
| 7,468 | |||||
| 30 | |||||
| 86 | |||||
| 17,177 | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| 17,177 | |||||
| 4,750 | |||||
| 2,520 | |||||
| 1,234 | |||||
| 8,694 | |||||
| 10 | |||||
| 583 | |||||
| 107 | |||||
| 401 | |||||
| 15 | |||||
| 86 | |||||
| - | |||||
| 18,400 | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| 18,400 | |||||
| 3,986 | - | - | 3,986 | (1,223) | |
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4,971 | - | - | 4,971 | 6,194 | |
| 8,957 | - | - | 8,957 | 4,971 |
1
New Sussex Singers
Charity registration number: 1204239
Notes
Concerts
| Concerts | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ticket Sales Receipts Ticket sales Fee received Bar sales CD sales Programme advertising Donations Contribution to music score replacement Contribution to weekend rehearsal Total income Less: income not yet received Total receipts |
Prior year £ - - - - - - - - - - - |
Workshop 22.3.25 61 £ 984 - - - - 55 - - 1,039 - 1,039 |
Coleridge Requiem 18.4.25 150 £ 1,740 - - - - 50 - - 1,790 - 1,790 |
Rutter workshop 7.6.25 296 £ 7,205 - - 225 - 199 - - 7,629 - 7,629 |
Utterly Rutterly 28.6.25 95+5 (under16) £ 1,545 - 339 - - 115 - - 1,999 - 1,999 |
German Requiem 15.11.25 110+6 (under 16) £ 1,866 - 129 - - - - 490 2,485 - 2,485 |
Sing Noel 13.12.25 98 + 24 (under 16) + 4 (under 5 £ 1,194 - - - - - - 15 1,209 - 1,209 |
Ardingly 18.12.25 £ - 275 - - - - - - 275 (275) - |
Next year £ - - - - - - - - - - - |
Total 2025 £ 14,534 275 468 225 - 419 - 505 16,426 (275) 16,151 |
Total 2024 £ |
| 5,579 | |||||||||||
| 1,000 | |||||||||||
| 399 | |||||||||||
| - | |||||||||||
| 30 | |||||||||||
| 346 | |||||||||||
| 37 | |||||||||||
| 77 | |||||||||||
| 7,468 | |||||||||||
| - | |||||||||||
| - | 1,039 | 1,790 | 7,629 | 1,999 | 2,485 | 1,209 | - | - | 16,151 | 7,468 |
Payments
| Payments | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music director fees | - | 350 | 350 | 200 | 300 | 350 | 275 | 275 | - | 2,100 | 1,440 | |||||||||||
| Accompanist fees | - | 200 | 200 | 300 | - | 777 | 180 | - | - | 1,657 | 700 | |||||||||||
| Soloists | - | - | - | - | - | 700 | - | - | - | 700 | 456 | |||||||||||
| Instrumentalists | - | - | - | - | 750 | - | - | - | - | 750 | 2,867 | |||||||||||
| Additional singers fees | - | - | 130 | - | - | - | 130 | 130 | - | 390 | 455 | |||||||||||
| Gift for John Rutter | - | - | - | 150 | - | - | - | - | - | 150 | - | |||||||||||
| Hire of venues | - | 157 | - | 1,045 | 269 | 56 | 182 | - | - | 1,709 | 414 | |||||||||||
| Event facilitator | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 411 | |||||||||||
| Publicity | - | - | - | 219 | 170 | 144 | 127 | - | - | 660 | 384 | |||||||||||
| Hire of music scores | - | 59 | 165 | 771 | 280 | 194 | 111 | - | - | 1,580 | 770 | |||||||||||
| Music scorepurchases | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 105 | |||||||||||
| Finance costs | - | 52 | - | 359 | 76 | 82 | 60 | - | - | 629 | 235 | |||||||||||
| Performingrights societyfees | (9) | - | 82 | - | 60 | 60 | 60 | - | - | 253 | 171 | |||||||||||
| Bar costs | - | - | - | 126 | 180 | 163 | - | - | - | 469 | 269 | |||||||||||
| Donation | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||||
| Cost of CDs | - | - | - | 123 | - | - | - | - | - | 123 | - | |||||||||||
| Other | - | - | - | - | - | - | 26 | - | - | 26 | 17 | |||||||||||
| Total expenditure | (9) | 818 | 927 | 3,293 | 2,085 | 2,526 | 1,151 | 405 | - | 11,196 | 8,694 | |||||||||||
| Less: payments made last year | - | (25) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | (25) | - | |||||||||||
| Add: payments made for next year | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 28 | 28 | - | |||||||||||
| Less: outstanding payments | - | - | - | - | - | (60) | (139) | - | - | (199) | - | |||||||||||
| Add: payments made for last year | 251 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 251 | - | |||||||||||
| Total payments | 242 | 793 | 927 | 3,293 | 2,085 | 2,466 | 1,012 | 405 | 28 | 11,251 | 8,694 | |||||||||||
| Net of surplus/ deficit for concerts | 9 | 221 | 863 | 4,336 | (86) | (41) | 58 | (130) | - | 5,230 | (1,226) |
2
New Sussex Singers
Charity registration number:
1204239
Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025
Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
funds funds funds
£ £ £
Cash Bank current account 8,857.00 - -
Cash float 100.00 - -
-
Total cash funds 8,957.00 - -
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
funds funds funds
£ £ £
Other assets Prepaid Music Hire 28 - -
- - -
Total 28 - -
Fund to which Insured
asset belongs Cost value
Assets retained
for the charity’s
own use
Fund to which
asset belongs Amount due When due
Liabilities Members' sub/donation in advance Unrestricted 36 < 1 year
Concert expenses unpaid Unrestricted 199 < 1 year
----- End of picture text -----
No trustees received any remuneration or expenses during the year. There are endowment funds or restricted funds at present.
Signed on behalf of all the trustees: Signature Name Date of approval Alison Lawfield 16/03/2026
3
Charity No. 1204239
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of New Sussex Singers
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of New Sussex Singers (the Trust) for the year ended 31 December 2025, which are set out on pages 1 to 3.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011(‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trustee’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
(1) accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or
-
(2) the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Jenny Dinnage FCA Chartered Accountant ICAEW
Suite 3, 1 – 3 Warren Court Park Road Crowborough East Sussex TN6 2QX
Date: 16 March 2026
4
New Sussex Singers
Charity registration number: 1204239
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED TO 31 DECEMBER 2025
New Sussex Singers
Charity registration number: 1204239
Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025
Receipts and Payments
| Receipts Subscriptions from members Donations Gift aid received Income from concerts(see note 1) Music score hire Rehearsal refreshments Subtotal Asset and investment sales Sale of investments Sub total Total receipts Payments Music director fees for rehearsals Accompanist fees for rehearsals Hire of rehearsal venues Expenses for concerts(see note 1) Publicity Music scores Insurance Subscription to MakingMusic etc. Website Sundry Beamish - First instalment of Commission Sub total Asset and investment purchases Equipmentpurchased Sub total Total payments Net of receipts/ (payments) Transfers between funds Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
Unrestricted funds £ 9,095 260 2,369 16,151 - 182 28,057 - - 28,057 5,440 3,475 1,290 11,251 - 391 155 464 355 50 1,200 24,071 - - 24,071 3,986 - 4,971 8,957 |
Restricted funds £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Endowmen t funds £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Total funds 2025 £ 9,095 260 2,369 16,151 - 182 28,057 - - 28,057 5,440 3,475 1,290 11,251 - 391 155 464 355 50 1,200 24,071 - - 24,071 3,986 - 4,971 8,957 |
Total funds 2024 £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7,786 | |||||
| 405 | |||||
| 1,402 | |||||
| 7,468 | |||||
| 30 | |||||
| 86 | |||||
| 17,177 | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| 17,177 | |||||
| 4,750 | |||||
| 2,520 | |||||
| 1,234 | |||||
| 8,694 | |||||
| 10 | |||||
| 583 | |||||
| 107 | |||||
| 401 | |||||
| 15 | |||||
| 86 | |||||
| - | |||||
| 18,400 | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| 18,400 | |||||
| 3,986 | - | - | 3,986 | (1,223) | |
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4,971 | - | - | 4,971 | 6,194 | |
| 8,957 | - | - | 8,957 | 4,971 |
1
New Sussex Singers
Charity registration number: 1204239
Notes
Concerts
| Concerts | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ticket Sales Receipts Ticket sales Fee received Bar sales CD sales Programme advertising Donations Contribution to music score replacement Contribution to weekend rehearsal Total income Less: income not yet received Total receipts |
Prior year £ - - - - - - - - - - - |
Workshop 22.3.25 61 £ 984 - - - - 55 - - 1,039 - 1,039 |
Coleridge Requiem 18.4.25 150 £ 1,740 - - - - 50 - - 1,790 - 1,790 |
Rutter workshop 7.6.25 296 £ 7,205 - - 225 - 199 - - 7,629 - 7,629 |
Utterly Rutterly 28.6.25 95+5 (under16) £ 1,545 - 339 - - 115 - - 1,999 - 1,999 |
German Requiem 15.11.25 110+6 (under 16) £ 1,866 - 129 - - - - 490 2,485 - 2,485 |
Sing Noel 13.12.25 98 + 24 (under 16) + 4 (under 5 £ 1,194 - - - - - - 15 1,209 - 1,209 |
Ardingly 18.12.25 £ - 275 - - - - - - 275 (275) - |
Next year £ - - - - - - - - - - - |
Total 2025 £ 14,534 275 468 225 - 419 - 505 16,426 (275) 16,151 |
Total 2024 £ |
| 5,579 | |||||||||||
| 1,000 | |||||||||||
| 399 | |||||||||||
| - | |||||||||||
| 30 | |||||||||||
| 346 | |||||||||||
| 37 | |||||||||||
| 77 | |||||||||||
| 7,468 | |||||||||||
| - | |||||||||||
| - | 1,039 | 1,790 | 7,629 | 1,999 | 2,485 | 1,209 | - | - | 16,151 | 7,468 |
Payments
| Payments | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music director fees | - | 350 | 350 | 200 | 300 | 350 | 275 | 275 | - | 2,100 | 1,440 | |||||||||||
| Accompanist fees | - | 200 | 200 | 300 | - | 777 | 180 | - | - | 1,657 | 700 | |||||||||||
| Soloists | - | - | - | - | - | 700 | - | - | - | 700 | 456 | |||||||||||
| Instrumentalists | - | - | - | - | 750 | - | - | - | - | 750 | 2,867 | |||||||||||
| Additional singers fees | - | - | 130 | - | - | - | 130 | 130 | - | 390 | 455 | |||||||||||
| Gift for John Rutter | - | - | - | 150 | - | - | - | - | - | 150 | - | |||||||||||
| Hire of venues | - | 157 | - | 1,045 | 269 | 56 | 182 | - | - | 1,709 | 414 | |||||||||||
| Event facilitator | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 411 | |||||||||||
| Publicity | - | - | - | 219 | 170 | 144 | 127 | - | - | 660 | 384 | |||||||||||
| Hire of music scores | - | 59 | 165 | 771 | 280 | 194 | 111 | - | - | 1,580 | 770 | |||||||||||
| Music scorepurchases | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 105 | |||||||||||
| Finance costs | - | 52 | - | 359 | 76 | 82 | 60 | - | - | 629 | 235 | |||||||||||
| Performingrights societyfees | (9) | - | 82 | - | 60 | 60 | 60 | - | - | 253 | 171 | |||||||||||
| Bar costs | - | - | - | 126 | 180 | 163 | - | - | - | 469 | 269 | |||||||||||
| Donation | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||||
| Cost of CDs | - | - | - | 123 | - | - | - | - | - | 123 | - | |||||||||||
| Other | - | - | - | - | - | - | 26 | - | - | 26 | 17 | |||||||||||
| Total expenditure | (9) | 818 | 927 | 3,293 | 2,085 | 2,526 | 1,151 | 405 | - | 11,196 | 8,694 | |||||||||||
| Less: payments made last year | - | (25) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | (25) | - | |||||||||||
| Add: payments made for next year | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 28 | 28 | - | |||||||||||
| Less: outstanding payments | - | - | - | - | - | (60) | (139) | - | - | (199) | - | |||||||||||
| Add: payments made for last year | 251 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 251 | - | |||||||||||
| Total payments | 242 | 793 | 927 | 3,293 | 2,085 | 2,466 | 1,012 | 405 | 28 | 11,251 | 8,694 | |||||||||||
| Net of surplus/ deficit for concerts | 9 | 221 | 863 | 4,336 | (86) | (41) | 58 | (130) | - | 5,230 | (1,226) |
2
New Sussex Singers
Charity registration number:
1204239
Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025
Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
funds funds funds
£ £ £
Cash Bank current account 8,857.00 - -
Cash float 100.00 - -
-
Total cash funds 8,957.00 - -
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
funds funds funds
£ £ £
Other assets Prepaid Music Hire 28 - -
- - -
Total 28 - -
Fund to which Insured
asset belongs Cost value
Assets retained
for the charity’s
own use
Fund to which
asset belongs Amount due When due
Liabilities Members' sub/donation in advance Unrestricted 36 < 1 year
Concert expenses unpaid Unrestricted 199 < 1 year
----- End of picture text -----
No trustees received any remuneration or expenses during the year. There are endowment funds or restricted funds at present.
Signed on behalf of all the trustees: Signature Name Date of approval Alison Lawfield 16/03/2026
3
Charity No. 1204239
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of New Sussex Singers
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of New Sussex Singers (the Trust) for the year ended 31 December 2025, which are set out on pages 1 to 3.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011(‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trustee’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
(1) accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or
-
(2) the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Jenny Dinnage FCA Chartered Accountant ICAEW
Suite 3, 1 – 3 Warren Court Park Road Crowborough East Sussex TN6 2QX
Date: 16 March 2026
4