BRECON JAZZ CIO
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Charity RegistraDon No. 1207811
Principal Address:
The Foundry Music Venue Bell Lane, Brecon, LD3 9EE
Current Trustees
Sharon Gunde (Chair)
Roger Cannon
Peter Jones
Rod Paton
OTHER OFFICERS
Minute Secretary : Margot Hollingdale
Independent Examiner/Treasurer:
Chris Baker
Fernlea, 1 St. David's Crescent Llanfaes, BRECON LD3 8DP
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Brecon Jazz CIO
AGM Notes for Annual Report 2025
INTRODUCTION
The idea for ‘Brecon Jazz’ as an organisa[on, to obtain and register for charitable status, was publicly inaugurated in December 2022, when a large group of members of the community met to contribute ideas. This included a representa[ve from PAVO (Powys Associa[on of Voluntary Organisa[ons) whose detailed guidance was invaluable. A set of documents was prepared over the previous year by Roger Cannon of Brecon Jazz Club; this formed the basis for the discussion at the mee[ng where it was unanimously agreed (by vote) for ‘Brecon Jazz’ to apply for charitable incorporated organisa[on status. The mee[ng was minuted, and 7 a`endees at the mee[ng then agreed to be Trustees (viz Sharon Gunde (proposed as Chair), Peter Jones, Roger Cannon, Rod Paton and Lynne Gornall, (as ex offcio for Brecon Jazz Club) plus Angus Kings and Jonnie Howell (both since resigned), including an ex officio representa[ve for the Fes[val Frazz Parade. Chris Baker agreed to become Treasurer and Independent Examiner.
BACKGROUND
Brecon Jazz Ltd as a non-profit corporate body was originally formed in the period1984/86, in order to create a legal framework for the further development of an annual Jazz Fes[val. This arose from the work of The Brycheiniog Associa[on of the Arts in partnership with the Welsh Jazz Society (Cardiff) who were responsible for musical direc[on at the [me. Since 1984, various organisa[ons and operators have taken responsibility for the annual Fes[val, which itself has undergone a number of itera[ons.
In 2015, when the then commercial operators (who had directed BJF for the previous 4 years), withdrew, the directors of Brecon Jazz Club offered to undertake the Fes[val organisa[on on a temporary basis. As the years proceeded, and having successfully sustained BJF by re-establishing it as locally-based and volunteer-run, and steering it through the loss of large-scale funding and a catastrophic Pandemic, it became clear that a restructured legal framework would be required for the future. Various mee[ngs, including with PAVO, local stakeholders, individuals and groups took place up to the end of 2022, leading to the round-table forum described above at Theatr Brycheiniog.
Documents had been prepared and were presented on a draj cons[tu[on for Brecon Jazz CIO (charitable incorporated organisa[on), including a vote in favour of the ‘founda[on model’ of opera[on/structure. This led to a first group of founder member Trustees who further developed the framework, then applying for registra[on with the Chari[es Commission. Approval was received In April 2024, crea[ng Brecon Jazz CIO as an umbrella organisa[on; this was then able to link organisa[ons in the locality - ones that shared a responsibility for aspects of ‘Brecon Jazz’ - into a common associa[on and ‘brand’ iden[ty.
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Fes+val outdoor dance class Bulwark BJF2024. Guildhall Concert BJF2024
GOVERNANCE
The Objects of the Charity remain unchanged apart from the inclusion of educa[on as follows: To advance and promote arts and culture for the public benefit in the genre of 'jazz' and improvised music: by organising events, crea+ng ar+s+c and educa+onal opportuni+es for innova+on, collabora+on and performance in Brecon, and engaging with the widest and most diverse publics, especially younger people, exhibi+ng, documen+ng and securing the Brecon Jazz heritage, Brecon Jazz brand and cultural assets.
The CIO’s governance is kept under review to comply with the Governance Code so far as is reasonably possible. New Trustees are appointed having regard to skills, experience and demographic diversity. Currently, we do not adver[se Trustee vacancies because, in the context of a rela[vely small Board, we believe the current informal approach is appropriate at this stage of the CIO’s development.
Trustees at the date of Incorpora[on. Trustees are requested to undertake training using materials provided.
DeclaraDon of interests : Brecon Jazz upholds the Charity Commission's guidelines, which state that ‘Trustees are required to act reasonably and prudently in all maNers rela+ng to the Charity and need always to bear in mind that their prime concern is the interests of the Charity. They cannot let their . personal views or prejudices affect their conduct as Trustees’
could arise and how they may be managed.
There have been some changes during the year:- two of the Trustees who were involved in the ini[a[on stages of the CIO have since resigned, having played their part; the la`er represented the Brecon Frazz and has been replaced by Lindsay Hay. In February 2025, Margot Hollingdale was welcomed as the new Minute Secretary.
ACTIVITIES
In 2024, the Brecon Jazz CIO, successfully applied for funding from the Welsh Government’s ‘Event Wales’ programme for planning, funding and organisa[on of the annual Brecon Jazz Fes[val. An award of £82K over 3 years was received, covering the financial years 2024/25, 2025/26 and 2026/27, to be drawn down in three instalments. The Charity provided oversight of this project and the first year was successfully delivered by Brecon Jazz Club/Jazz Club Cymru who were the organisers of the
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Club Fes[val account. Discussions for Brecon Jazz Fes[val 2025 took place with the Welsh Government about the transfer of contract for years 2 & 3 via a technical and legal ‘nova[on’ process. This was a transfer to a group who it was agreed would deliver the Event Wales project plan in 2025 and 2026. The group, formerly designated ‘Fes[val Planning Group’ (for BJF2024) set up as a sub group of Brecon Jazz CIO, was subsequently re-designated the ‘Delivery Team’ for the Fes[val, and its Chair (Chris Jones) party to the transfer documents. This process enabled the new group to deliver Brecon Jazz Fes[val 2025 independently.
The main foci of the CIO during 2024-2025 have been consulta[ons about (i) archivisa[on and preserva[on of the heritage of Brecon Jazz Fes[val (an applica[on for assistance to Na[onal Jazz Archives will be re-submi`ed in 2026) and (ii) the embedding of jazz in the community and development of talent through the performances and educa[onal workshops of (in this case) Brecon Jazz Club.
The Trustees undertook a training programme in November 2024, which proved very useful in helping to understand their Trustee role, also the remit and modes of opera[on of the CIO. Materials from these sessions are given to new Trustees, who are also directed to the advice and informa[on on the Charity Commission’s website.
Re (ii) With CIO oversight and agreement, Brecon Jazz Club began to digi[se sample material for archiving. It is hoped that funding can be secured to support and complete this. In addi[on, a commitment had been made at the DOCJazz / Jazz Heritage Wales (JHW) conference in Swansea in 2022, that Brecon Jazz would donate some of its archives and materials to the JHW collec[on at University of Wales Trinity St Davids. These would include a set of the 40-year heritage of posters and brochures, some material artefacts such as merchandise memorabilia, files and so on. There will be a log of items. The handover date for this was November 2024 but JHW asked for an extension whilst their own archives were catalogued and moved. Other venues and ins[tu[ons holding archive material in storage are being encouraged to put this on display and/or to make any Brecon Jazz material accessible.
In addi[on to umbrella rela[onships with the Brecon Frazz, a cons[tuted voluntary group aiming to engage with local community, especially families, with the Brecon Jazz Fes[val, and whose ac[vity is centred on the carnival style parade that takes place annually in the town on the Saturday of the Fes[val. Brecon Jazz Club (both ex officio members) as well as consolida[ng the rela[onship with the (Fes[val) Delivery Team, the CIO also has working agreements and associa[ons with Tån Cerdd (diversity in music/performance) and Brecon Beacons College NPTC Group. The Charity is also maintaining wider links with Cardiff & Welsh Jazz organisa[ons including the Tiger Bay Heritage group, Jazz Team at Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (RWCMD), Jazz and music educa[onal ac[vi[es, the UK Jazz Promo[on Network and so on. We are also in touch with other poten[al archive and heritage repositories. On behalf of the CIO, Brecon Jazz Club as an ex officio organisa[on, has hosted a series of na[onal and interna[onal ar[sts at its well-a`ended monthly events and, also, with support from a small grant from the Gwendoline & Margaret Davies Sisters Charity, instrumental workshops aimed at fostering jazz musicianship (see separate BJC report 2024/25). Plans concerning the 2025 Fes[val were received and will be delivered by the new team (a development of the 2023/24 Transi[on & Planning group), to include major headlines, mul[-venue
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events including use of the Market Hall and Bishops Garden, while the Frazz has announced its Fes[val theme of ‘Our Wild Waters’ to celebrate the River Usk and 250 years of the Monmouth and Brecon Canal. The Jazz Club are planning an instrumental Workshop and also a jazz Heritage event on the links between Cardiff music scene and start-up of Brecon Jazz Fes[val. All are seeking funding, partners, collabora[ons and sponsorships.
Other plans for the future for the CIO itself include formalising exis[ng links to the BJF Delivery Team; integra[ng into the CIO new groups whose objec[ves align closely with those of Brecon Jazz; securing funding to support the objec[ves of Brecon Jazz CIO, especially in the area of educa[on and jazz heritage; recrui[ng young people as Trustees; promo[ng, securing and making more accessible Brecon Jazz’s heritage, brand and cultural assets.
FINANCE
line banking arrangements were not finalised un[l April 2025. By separate agreement, funding and dona[ons received for the Fes[val in 2024 were paid directly to Brecon Jazz Club accounts, in order to deliver the Event Wales project and Gwendoline Davies Charity ac[vi[es. Therefore, for the year April 2024 to March 2025, there were no recorded financial transac[ons rela[ng to the Brecon Jazz CIO.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping accoun[ng records which disclose, with reasonable accuracy, the financial posi[on of the Charity at any [me, and for ensuring that the financial statements comply with Charity law. The Trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the Charity’s assets, and hence for taking reasonable steps for the preven[on and detec[on of fraud and other irregulari[es.
which the Independent Examiner is unaware. Each of the Trustees has confirmed that they have taken all the steps that they ought to have taken as Trustees in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit informa[on and to establish that it has been communicated to the Independent Examiner.
The Trustees are aware that engagement with other organisa[ons carries poten[al risks and challenges. However, the Trustees are developing associa[on agreements that strengthen the quality, reach and impact of the CIO’s work and purposes. Using protocols to help manage risk and maintain CIO independence, these will also allow effec[ve trading structures that can also help us raise funds for the Charity,
umbrella to deliver our purposes and projects, have similar charitable aims and objec[ves and that these are aligned closely with those of Brecon Jazz CIO.
Signed
Sharon Gunde
CHAIR
Date: December 2025
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