2024-12-31-accounts

Capella Edina

Capella Edina

Annual Return 31st December 2024

Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) Charity Registration Number: 1206478

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The City of Edinburgh’s Philharmonic Orchestra Patron: His Grace the Duke of Hamilton Honorary President: Sir Thomas Allen CBE

Socials: @capella.edina Bank of Scotland Email: [e-mail] Sort Code: 80-22-60 Web: www.capella-edina.com Account no: 26308162

Analysis House Registered Charity no: 1206478 117–119 Sea Rd Board of Trustees: Robert Ames, Christopher Bruerton, Sunderland SR6 9EQ Jill Dykes, Allan Lapsley, and Luis Schmidt (Chairman)

Capella Edina

Trustees’ Annual Report

(Year ended 31st December 2024)

The Trustees, present their report and the financial statements of the Charity for the year ended 31st December 2024.

Reference and administrative details

Registered charity name:	Capella Edina
Charity registration number:	1206478
Registered office:	Analysis House
	117–119 Sea Rd
	Sunderland
	SR6 9EQ
	United Kingdom
Trustees:	Mr L SchmidtSMISM(Chairman)
	Mr R J Ames
	Mr C H N Bruerton
	Mrs J Dykes (date appointed 01/03/2025)
	Col A C C LapsleyQVRM TD DL (date appointed 30/10/2024)
Accountants:	1st Cloud Accountants
	Analysis House
	117–119 Sea Rd
	Sunderland
	SR6 9EQ
	United Kingdom

Structure, governance, and management

Capella Edina (the Orchestra) was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) by the Charity Commission for England and Wales on the date of 10th January 2024 (no 1206478).

It is governed by its ‘Foundation’ Model Constitution.

Artistic direction is undertaken by three of the Trustees (Mr Ames, Mr Bruerton, and Mr Schmidt), while the administration and management are carried out by Mr Schmidt, overseen by the Board of Trustees.

The Orchestra has had three Trustees upon registration (Mr Ames, Mr Bruerton, and Mr Schmidt) and sought one more Trustee towards the end of 2024 (Col Lapsley) and one at the beginning of 2025 (Mrs Dykes) to represent several professions, including the military.

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The City of Edinburgh’s Philharmonic Orchestra Patron: His Grace the Duke of Hamilton Honorary President: Sir Thomas Allen CBE

Socials: @capella.edina Bank of Scotland Email: [e-mail] Sort Code: 80-22-60 Web: www.capella-edina.com Account no: 26308162

Analysis House Registered Charity no: 1206478 117–119 Sea Rd Board of Trustees: Robert Ames, Christopher Bruerton, Sunderland SR6 9EQ Jill Dykes, Allan Lapsley, and Luis Schmidt (Chairman)

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Capella Edina
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Objectives

The Orchestra’s objectives are to promote, maintain, and advance the education of the public in the arts, and in particular the art of music by providing:

• a) the presentation of a symphony orchestra, featuring contemporary and classical music, to a diverse audience; and

• b) educational workshops about contemporary and classical music through the medium of a symphony orchestra.

The Orchestra utilises a flexible pool of the most talented musicians from the Northeast of England and the Central Belt of Scotland to achieve these objectives. Additional commitment to young talent is reflected in the management and the trusteeship of the Orchestra.

Activities and achievements

The biggest milestone of 2024 was the launch of the Orchestra’s inaugural 2025 season, which took place in autumn. During the course of the year, the Artistic Directors envisioned the guiding principles for the Orchestra’s performances, establishing that every concert should have a specific theme under which the programme combines a variety of works from canonical classical repertoire, compositions from film and television, neglected and contemporary works, to special commissions. These programmes should highlight the breadth of orchestral music and the Orchestra’s commitment to making music more accessible to people from all different backgrounds, exemplified by the Charity’s motto ‘United by Passion for Music’.

The Artistic Directors drew up four concert themes – ‘Inspiration’, ‘Hollywood’s Golden Age’, ‘Vienna in Edinburgh’, and ‘Enigma’ – and respective programmes to be performed in 2025. This was complemented by the appointment of the Orchestra’s first Composer in Residence, Mr James Clay, a PhD student at Newcastle University, whose artistic output incorporates philosophy, heritage studies, and ecology to bring about meaningful creative interventions reinforced by personal and shared experiences. The Composer in Residence was asked to write two special commissions for the 2025 season.

With the artistic plans confirmed, the Trustees decided to prioritise fundraising during 2024 term in order to finance the Orchestra’s inaugural season and cover any operational costs.

Realising that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is the largest employer for musicians in the UK, the Trustees were shocked how difficult it is for service leavers to find employment within civilian professional orchestras. To change this, the Orchestra decided to sign the Armed Forces Covenant at the beginning of 2024 – only the second orchestra in the UK to do so – and was proud to be awarded the Bronze Award of the MOD’s Employer Recognition Scheme.

As part of the Orchestra’s wish to contribute to Edinburgh’s cultural scene, the Chairman had a meeting with the Rt Hon Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, who was most delighted to hear about the creation and mission of the Orchestra. On the day of the 2025 season launch, the Lord Provost officially announced Capella Edina as the City of Edinburgh’s Philharmonic Orchestra, with its operational area spreading into the Northeast, particularly Newcastle, and the wider UK.

Financial review

During the fundraising-heavy period of 2024, the Trustees were pleased to see several respected London- and Edinburgh-based philanthropists join the Orchestra’s supporters’ community, leading to a total (donation)

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The City of Edinburgh’s Philharmonic Orchestra Patron: His Grace the Duke of Hamilton Honorary President: Sir Thomas Allen CBE

Socials: @capella.edina Bank of Scotland Email: [e-mail] Sort Code: 80-22-60 Web: www.capella-edina.com Account no: 26308162

Analysis House Registered Charity no: 1206478 117–119 Sea Rd Board of Trustees: Robert Ames, Christopher Bruerton, Sunderland SR6 9EQ Jill Dykes, Allan Lapsley, and Luis Schmidt (Chairman)

Capella Edina

income of £36,526. This allowed the Trustees to engage a freelance admin officer, market the inaugural season, and invest in orchestra equipment – totalling £23,956 in payments. The Orchestra remains a going concern in a healthy financial state.

Plans for future periods

As part of our inaugural season, the Orchestra is planning to perform four symphonic concerts in 2025. The Trustees realise that the rising cost of living is preventing people increasingly from experiencing live orchestral music and, thus, is trying to make one concert completely free for the audience to attend to combat this.

A particular focus for 2025 lies on increasing engagement with young people for which the Orchestra is set to establish a partnership with a school, allowing pupils access to rehearsals, hosting dedicated workshops, and becoming a part of the wider school community so as to ensure a constant presence of music in the local ward. A second strand of youth engagement lies within increasing the employment of young professional players as part of our concert series to share valuable orchestral playing experience and smooth out the transition from conservatoire to a professional career.

To widen the Orchestra’s operation and finance the charitable activities, the Trustees are keen to develop a recording partnership with Newcastle University, using spaces, equipment, and personnel of the latter to produce high-quality recordings for (film) composers.

All these projects are part of our mission of making orchestral music more accessible and, given a successful first year of fundraising, the Trustees think the Orchestra is well-equipped to battle a more and more challenging environment for the arts.

Trustees’ responsibilities statement

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Charity law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the CIO and the incoming resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure, for that period.

In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

• § select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

• § observe the methods and principles in the applicable Charities SORP;

• § make judgments and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

• § prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Charity will continue in business.

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Charity’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

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The City of Edinburgh’s Philharmonic Orchestra Patron: His Grace the Duke of Hamilton Honorary President: Sir Thomas Allen CBE

Socials: @capella.edina Bank of Scotland Email: [e-mail] Sort Code: 80-22-60 Web: www.capella-edina.com Account no: 26308162

Analysis House Registered Charity no: 1206478 117–119 Sea Rd Board of Trustees: Robert Ames, Christopher Bruerton, Sunderland SR6 9EQ Jill Dykes, Allan Lapsley, and Luis Schmidt (Chairman)

Capella Edina

Independent examiner

Each of the persons who is a Trustee at the date of approval of this Report confirms that:

• § so far as they are aware, there is no relevant information of which the Charity’s independent examiner is unaware; and

• § they have taken all steps that they ought to have taken as a Trustee to make themselves aware of any relevant independent examination information and to establish that the Charity’s independent examiner is aware of that information.

This Report was approved on 29th October 2025 and signed on behalf of the Board of Trustees by:

Luis Schmidt, Esq SMISM Director of Music & Chairman

Wednesday, 29th October 2025

Enclosed

• § Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 31st December 2025

• § Independent examiner’s report

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The City of Edinburgh’s Philharmonic Orchestra Patron: His Grace the Duke of Hamilton Honorary President: Sir Thomas Allen CBE

Socials: @capella.edina Bank of Scotland Email: [e-mail] Sort Code: 80-22-60 Web: www.capella-edina.com Account no: 26308162

Analysis House Registered Charity no: 1206478 117–119 Sea Rd Board of Trustees: Robert Ames, Christopher Bruerton, Sunderland SR6 9EQ Jill Dykes, Allan Lapsley, and Luis Schmidt (Chairman)

~ CHARITYCOMMISSION ~ FORENGLANDANDWALES		I Capella Edina	I Capella Edina							11206478	11206478
			Receipts and payments accounts Fort~~:erlodI 114124 I To I 12131124											CC16a
SectionA Receipts and		payments
			Unrestricted funds	Restricted funds				Endowment funds			Total		funds	Lastyear
			tothenearest £		tothenearest£			to thenearest	£		tothe	nearest£		tothenearest	£
A1Receits
Donations			36,526										36,526-
Sub total(GrossincomeforAR)			38,528	l,o									36,526
A2 Asset and investment sales,
{see table). Sub total			- -			: iI			: iI				: iI		: i
Total receipts		I	36,526I	.. 1_____		-1	1		-II				36,52611		-1
A3 Pavments
Marketing			6 925										6 925
Bank. fees			7									-	7
Office supplies			64										64
Adrrin support			1 659										1.659
Csots re Jan-25 concert			3 915										3.915
			-							'			-
Subtotal			12,570										12,570
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table) Sub total			- ._,,-			: iI			:1	........... 1 _			-iI		. i
Total payments	I		12,s10I	..I____.....-I			..I____.....-I			.. 1______ 12,57011					-I
Netofreceiptsl(payments)		23,956 ______.....,.				.	1, 11		.				23,956	-	.
ASTransfers betweenfunds A6 Cashfundslast year end Cash funds thisyearend	23,956 .______....					.			- - .				- - .23,956		--.

			Unnt1trlcted		Restricted funds	Restricted funds	Endowment
Categories B 1 Cash funds	Details I Cunentaccount		funds to,.,,.,t£ 12,197		tor-.1rnt£		funds to,.a,nt£
		Totalcashfunds	12,897		•
	(~eebalrceswtthreceipts-1dpaymentsaccnrl(a))		/\tJ1.!!mt~rtf:·ro		ov	(;I'
			Unrestricted		Re1trlcted funds		Endowment
			funds				funds
B2 Othermonetaryassets	Details tontlrHt£ It-- VAT_reru_ndd_ue-----.111 f,8~			11	lo,.a,nt£	11	tonearest£ . I
83lnvesbnent.anets	Details Equipmentpurchasedforlongtermuse		FundtowhichasHt belongs 9205.16	11	Colt(optional) . I		Cc,rtntvalue ( •onal)
B4 Assets retainedforthe charity'sownuse	IDetans	Fll'ldtowhich asset belongs 11		11	Colt(optional)	11	Currentvalue (optional) • I
			Fundtowhich		Amountdue		Whenu
85Uablities	l°etalls		llablllty relates		(optional)		(optional)
		11		11	-I I
Signed_by_one_or_twotrusteeson behalfofalthe trustees			Prill Name I_f__351~

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examinevs Report Report to the trusteesl members of Capella Edina On accounts for the year ended 3111212024 Charity no {if any) 1206478 Set oul on pages (reihember lo Include Ihe paqe numbers ol 8ddiiional sheelsj I report to the trustees on my exarninalion of the accounts of the above charity {"the Trust") for the periad ended 3111212024. Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 {"the Act"). I repart in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 14515llbl of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come to my attention (other than that disclosed below ') in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect= accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records Independent examiner's statement I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in Gonneclion with the examination lo which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Signed: Date: 3111012025 Steven Tuckwell Relevant professional qualification{s} or body (if any): ACCA Address: 151 Cloud Accountants 117-119 Sea Road, Sunderland, SR6 9EQ IER October 2018

Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs lo highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and guidan￿ for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER October 2018