Morning Chorus (Borough of Ealing) Annual Report for the period ending 31 December 2023.
Chair’s Report
This report covers the period from July 2022 to 31 December 2023. This is our first full period since adopting our constitution and becoming Morning Chorus (Borough of Ealing).
The first AGM of Morning Chorus was held in June 2023 and at this meeting the interim accounts and an interim report were presented to members.
As at the end of December 2023 we had 67 full members. The choir meets on Mondays in term time in Hanwell and Thursdays in Ealing. Singers can attend either or both sessions in a week for one inclusive fee.
Terms are 12 weeks and the fee is currently £100 plus £5 for copyright material.
The choir was formally a not-for-profit organisation from its inception in July 2022. It became a charity on 23 August 2023 and was granted Charity Commission registration on 20 October 2023 (Registration number 1025341).
Trustees
Trustees of the charity are as follows; Denise Field – Chair David Bourne –Treasurer Val Woodroofe – Secretary
Music Director
Paul Ayres
In addition we are very grateful for the voluntary work of the following members;
Sukyi Ma - who has a lot of work to manage our accounts and who does so with professionalism and efficiency. Sukyi is stepping down from this role in August 2024 and we are seeking a new accounts manager.
Lynn Laws - who works with local community groups to put together our programme of performances. Lynn will be stepping down from this role in July 2024.
Alex Broman - who manages new enquiries with enthusiasm and encouragement.
Chris and Gilly Popham - who have so generously managed our publicity material. Gilly stepped down from the choir during the year. Moira Brookfield – who manages our Facebook page.
My thanks, too, to other members of the choir who help on an ad hoc basis.
Members discussed keeping the choir to manageable numbers at the AGM in June 2023, consistent with our objectives and the capacity of the rooms in which we rehearse. Trustees have decided that a maximum number of 70 singers with
some flexibility is right for the choir at this point of our development. As we reached 31 December we had 3 places available.
Our main purpose is to enjoy singing together at our twice weekly rehearsals. In addition we perform at community events in the local area.
Since our inception in July 2022 we have provided the following concerts.
We have provided a small choir to entertain people at Hanwell Neighbourly Care both at Christmas 2022 and as part of their Coronation celebrations in May 2023.
We have performed in July 2023 and in December 2023 for the Memory Café at St Barnabas church, Pitshanger Lane W5.
We performed at a Macmillan Cancer Support fundraising event in October 2023, as well as passing on £310 of donations from choir members to Macmillan.
We showcased our work at Lighting the Lane, a community-based Christmas event, in Pitshanger Lane in November 2023.
We performed and led a sing-along at Haven Green Baptist church for their Friendship café in December 2023.
In addition through friendships and connections which have formed some of our members sang with Holy Cross church choir, in Greenford at their carol concert in December 2023 and with a charity group which sang at Kew Christmas market in December 2023.
In addition we held an afternoon workshop at Ealing Green Church in September 2023 to attract new members.
A full programme of gigs has taken place in the Spring term 2024.
FINANCES
We finish the financial period with cash funds of £7,699 (see accounts). This has enabled us to offer special arrangements to those people who are either unwaged or whose health means they are not able to attend choir regularly.
External Factors
There have been no external factors which bear directly on the work of the choir or its financial position.
Future plans
Our small surplus has enabled us to plan the purchase of a portable keyboard and amplifier to enable us to perform for community groups who do not have access to this equipment .
We have sung songs not only in English but in Japanese, Indian languages, Welsh, German, French reflective of some of our members’ backgrounds and the population of the borough.
Music Director
My special thanks to our Music Director, Paul Ayres, whose professional expertise and knowledge of working with choirs enables us to meet the
challenges of a wide range of material and who teaches us week by week how to use our voices and work together on our choral sound.
Most of all my thanks to all the members of the choir whose friendliness, enthusiasm and willingness to give anything a try means every session is a joy!
Denise Field Chair June 2024
Financial Report- to 31 December 2023 Background This report covers the period from the start of Morning Chorus on 28 July 2022 to the end of our last financial year at 31 December 2023. People who We members at this time last year mav remember the accounts we presented at the last AGM: these accounts cover the same t1 period but extend them to the end of the financbal year. These are the accounts that will be submitted to the Charity Commission. The format of the accounts has charyed from the accounts we presented last year. Those attounts followed the accountancy format rrMallY used for businesses (referred to as an accruals basis). We have now adopted a new forrn•t. as pro4ided by the Charity Cornmission for charities of our small size. This format is simpler. The accounts show what cash income was received and what cash payments were made durirq the accounting period, and reFt¢rts the period end cash balance. The startin cash balance plus the ta5h paid in, minus the cash paid out. must equal the period end cash balance. Comments When it started, Morning Chorus took on the cash and the outstanding debts of its predecessor, the daytime choir. The cash1£4491 is shown as income. and the outstandin8 payments have been incorsxjrated into the payments shown. The a¢¢ount5 show that we ended 2023 with £7,699 cash in the bank. The new accountancy fornat does not require u5 to report reserves, but il £5,040 of the cash received during Ccember 2023 Constituted mernber fees in respect of the spring term. and ill we had no bills outstanding, so of that £7,699 cash, about £2,6CKI was uncommitted and can be considered as reserves. We therefore believe the choirf5 finanual position to be stable. David eourne Treasurer June 2024
Attachment CHARIIY COMMISSIO Recei ts and payments accounts èd To CC16a Fw th•pwd Seclioii A Receipts and pa ments Jw IWA) luTrJs Jl.'12r2033 (Wfne C 44• IOZ4 563 {S•• lbl•). 16.>>J A3Pa J71 t2.519 . rl 611 vi 471KrtYv J7 310 51• cha4% Isqe t•bl• iUS4 A6 Cash th15 thst erKI
Soclion B Statement of assels and Iiab51ilies at the end ol the period UrffesiFKipd REStrted Endowment 81 Cash •$ 84 AS15 r•l•irnd lty It• ¢Ilty, Own B6 Li•bilil twe ol
Trustees of Morning Chorus (Borough of Ealingl I confirm that on 4 May 20241 reviewed the accounts of Morning Chorus {Borough of Ealing} for the financial year ended 31 December 2023, as presented to me bythe Treasurer, David Bourne. In doing so l identified no issues with the accounts. SandyThompson