VOICES OF APHASIA Registered Charity Number: 1204491 Annual Report and Financial Statements For the period of 1st August 2023 to 31st July 2024 **VOICES OF APHASIA** Registered charity number: 1204491 **Annual Report and Financial Statements** ## **Table of Contents** |||**Page**| |---|---|---| |1.|Trustees’ Annual Report|1| |2.|Independent examiner’s report to the Trustees|4| |3.|Statement of financial activities|7| **VOICES OF APHASIA** Registered charity number: 1204491 **Annual Report and Financial Statements** ## **1. Trustees’ Annual Report** ## **Reference & Administration Details** **Charity name:** VOICES OF APHASIA **Charity number:** 1204491 **Charity's operating address:** 6 Stoke Mead, Limpley Stoke, Bath, BA2 7GX. Sarah Jane Webb Choon Ngee Willcocks **Names of Trustees for the** Stuart Ashman **Charity:** Vivien Quick MBE Sandra Pera Fiona Carr **Structure, Governance & Management** **Type of Governing Document:** Constitution **How the Charity is Constituted:** Charitable Incorporated Organisation **Trustee Selection Method:** Recruited from existing beneficiaries and volunteers ## **Objectives & Activities** **Objectives** For the public benefit, the objective of Voices of Aphasia is to promote health and well-being and the relief of disability for people affected by aphasia and other acquired long-term communication disability, through: 1. the provision of accessible community groups and music therapy treatment; 2. the provision and promotion of activities and services that have a proven beneficial effect on the health of people affected by aphasia; 3. the provision of access to the creative arts amongst the community of people affected by aphasia. Page 1 **VOICES OF APHASIA** Registered charity number: 1204491 **Annual Report and Financial Statements** ||| |---|---| |**Mission and**
**purpose**|Voices of Aphasia builds communities and raises the voices of people
affected by aphasia through the power of music and singing. The charity
delivers specialist accessible choirs for people affected by aphasia
(communication difficulties after stroke or brain injury). People with
aphasia can have difficulty speaking but can often still sing fluently.
Singing, particularly in a group, can help improve people’s mood and
emotional well-being.
Bath Aphasia Choir is the flagship project of Voices of Aphasia, led by two
Music Therapists. Voices of Aphasia hopes to continue connecting and
supporting people with aphasia and their carers, especially those who
might not be able to access other singing groups and choirs.
As a charity, Voices of Aphasia is committed to inclusion and equity at all
levels of operation. All Voices of Aphasia trustees are current members of
the Bath Aphasia Choir and are people affected by aphasia, including
stroke survivors with aphasia, a present carer of people with aphasia,
widows of people with aphasia and retired professionals who worked
closely with people with aphasia.| |**Activities**|Providing weekly hybrid aphasia choir sessions; regular performances;
awareness raising presentations about aphasia and the power of music;
providing music therapy student placements; volunteering opportunity and
social events for service users.| |**Achievement & Performance**|| |The Bath Aphasia Choir was established in 2017, and in 2022 it was recognised that the choir
should be part of a standalone charitable organisation in order to secure its future and create
more opportunities for future expansion and growth. Laura Cook and Denise Wong, the Choir
Leaders and Music Therapists, recruited a team of fantastic trustees, and Voices of Aphasia was
registered with the Charity Commission in August 2023. The charity has had a very successful
first year, growing financially and attracting passionate supporters.
In 2023-24, Voices of Aphasia ran 30 Bath Aphasia Choir sessions: 22 individuals attended the
sessions, including face-to-face and online attendance. The charity held two fundraising
concerts: over 50 individuals attended the Christmas concert on 11th December 2023, and 35
individuals attended the summer concert on 20th July 2024. The choir regularly involved 7
session volunteers and a team of 11 volunteers for the performances.
The Bath Aphasia Choir performed at the Royal United Hospital in Bath in March 2024. This
performance allowed patients in the Acute Stroke Unit to witness the abilities and progress of
other stroke survivors, and the Bath aphasia Choir members also had an opportunity to
reconnect with the staff from the hospital who cared for them after their strokes. As the
performance took place in the main atrium of the hospital, it also raised the profile of the Bath
Aphasia Choir and the charity as a whole.
In partnership with the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Community
Stroke Service provided by Sirona Care & Health, Voices of Aphasia provided clinical placements
for two music therapy trainees within the hospital ward and the community. The students|| Page 2 VOICES OF APHASIA IIOIPFe OF APHASIA Annual Report and Flnanclal Statement$ provided musie iheiapy the stroke wafd for a day every fortnight for 8 months. In the local community in the Bristol area. 9 individuals benefrted fTom l-tO-1 music therapy and a small- scale aphasia choir. Together with the rnusic therapists at Voices of Aphasia. the two students led Christmas and summer performances at the South Bristol Community Hospital, which were brilliantly received by the staff and patients. To raise awareness. the directors of Voiees of Aphasia carried out a singing workshop at the national aphasia conference in May 2024, helping to raise public awareness about aphasia and the power of music. Voices of Aphasia received a surTr of funds from the choirfs previous bank account. which funded the first Iwo terms of choir sessions. The charily then secured grant funding from the Quartet Community Fund. which supported the costs of choir sessions and a concert in the Summer term of 2024, and funding from the National Lottery Community Fund Awards For All programme. The National Lottery funding was used for core costs such as charity m8n8gement and administratior towards the end of the 2023-24 finanual year and will fund a whole year of costs for the Bath Aphasia Choir in 2024-25. Family members of choir members have also generously supported the charity after seeing the value of our activities for their loved ones. A team of five fundraisers ran the Bath Half Marathon for Voices of Aphasia in March 2024, raising over £2000 in sponsorship. Financial Review See the Receipts and Payments accounts for 29th September 2023 to 28th September 2024. Declaration The Trustees declare that they have approved the Annual Report above. Approved by the Boafd for issue on 16 105 12025 Signature.. Name and position.. Page 3 **VOICES OF APHASIA** Registered charity number: 1204491 **Annual Report and Financial Statements** ## **2. Independent examiner’s report to the Trustees** ## **VOICES OF APHASIA** ## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT** ## _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2024**_ I report on the financial statement of the charity for the year ended 31[st] July 2024, which are set out in these pages. ## **Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner** The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Charities Act”) and that an independent examination is needed. ## - Examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act - To follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and - To state whether particular matters have come to my attention ## **Basis of Independent Examiner’s Statement** My examination was carried out in accordance with general directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a “true and fair” view, and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. ## **Independent Examiner’s Statement** In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention 1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements: · to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act: and - to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act have not been met: or 2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached Signed: Richard HW Beath BSc FCCA Ashlar House 58a Combe Road, Combe Down, Bath BA2 5HZ Date 30 / 5 / 2025 Page 4 VOICES OF APHASIA nlffe OF APHASIA Annual Report and Fln8ncial Stslements 2024 2023 Noles Tumover 38,255 Adminislrati¥e expenses (14.058) Restrfcted Expendlture (5,722) Surplusl(defictt) for year 18,474 2024 2023 Assets retalned for the Charlty's use 1,533 Cash funds (unrestricted bank) 919 Cash fund$ (restricted bank) 17,556 Other monetary assets (Gift Aid claimed) 684 Liabilities TOTAL ASs￿s 20.692 Approved by the Board for issue on 16 105 12025 Signature.. MoiL Name and position.. Page 5 **VOICES OF APHASIA** Registered charity number: 1204491 **Annual Report and Financial Statements** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2024**_ ## **1. Accounting policies** ## **1.1 Accounting convention** The financial statements are prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective April 2008). The accounts have been prepared on a cash basis. ## **1.2 Turnover** Turnover represents amounts receivable by way of donations, grants and sales of handicrafts. ## **2. Claim on Gift Aid Scheme with HMRC** In 2024 the Company recognised claims with HMRC for reimbursement under the Gift Aid Scheme on donations received during the 2024 reporting period that are eligible for Gift Aid. Under this scheme donations received in 2024 have a gross value of **£3,418.75** . ## **3. Trustee Benefits** Trustees undertake their responsibilities on a fully honorary basis and as such receive no benefits or remuneration for these services. ## **4. Employee / Consultant Benefits** The Trust did not engage anyone on a salaried employee basis. All professional input was done by contracted consultants who were paid on a self-employed basis. **2024 2023 £ £** Total professional consultant fees during the period 15,960 - **5. Breakdown of Annual Turnover 2024 2023 £ £** Sales 5,132 Donations 4,473 Donations from group or society 1,436 Choir member contributions 440 Grant income 3,496 Grant income restricted 23,278 **Total Turnover for the year to 31 July 38,255 -** ====== ====== **6. Breakdown of Administrative Expenses 2024 2023 £ £** Freelance and sub-contractor costs 15,960 Venue Hire 1,842 Marketing and promotions 874 Travel event and fundraising 269 Merchandise 239 Office costs and IT 597 ______ ______ **Administrative expenses for the year 19,781 -** ====== ====== Page 6 **VOICES OF APHASIA** Registered charity number: 1204491 **Annual Report and Financial Statements** **4. Statement of Financial Activities** Page 7 VOICES OF APHASIA VOICES OF APHASIA Annual Report and FlnaTrclal Stalem Sectlon B Statement of assets and Ilabllttles at the end of the perlod Unrestricted lundx EiiJ¢w*cnT lund8 ltyTrDyrq¥t£ Bl C•*h k tr 919 17556 Totslc•shfuntts 919 17556 U•¥e51ricted lunds tOr￿*T￿* e R*siri¢led ftsfflds Endowrn•nt lunds 82 lknei monetary d55et8 Grft Akwi1202S v41 Cc4ti•r•ii CLYr•irt ¥alu* 84 Ass•ts retained thé charty's own use Swvce deb¥ery Servce debv 349 tr¢tor screen case for scr*n 1.10Z Case tor e*ClI￿ pa Servce dehvery 1(Ocrnl I￿0￿1> B5 Llabllkn•$ S￿Re￿ by one 011¥￿ t￿51￿•8 OTr ohaf olhi iNe-.￿Stoe5 nalure PDnt Not Dale olapwoval ick Page 8