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2025-12-31-accounts

The Capricorn Singers 2025 Annual Report

The Capricorn Singers

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2026

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT an Annual General Meeting will be held at St Andrew’s Church in Cleveleys on Wednesday 11[th] February 2026 at 8:30pm to transact the following business:

  1. Receive apologies for absence

  2. Read the Notice convening the Meeting

  3. Confirm the Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 5[th] February 2025

  4. Deal with any matters arising on the Minutes

  5. Approve the Safeguarding policy

  6. Approve the Data Protection policy

  7. Read the 2025 Annual Report.

  8. Adopt the Balance Sheet for the 12 months ending 31[st] December 2025

  9. Confirm the Member Subscription rate for 2026

  10. Elect Members of the Committee and Trustees for the year 2026.

  11. Deal with any other business which the Meeting is competent to transact

2025 Annual Report

CHOIR COMMITTEE

The Assistant Treasurer of the Committee Ann Eastwood was elected at the February 2025 AGM and there were no other changes to Committee Members this year. All six committee members served as Trustees of the Charity.

During 2025, the choir committee consisted of:

The elected members of the committee will retire and stand for re-election to their roles at the 2026 AGM. The position of Musical Director is unelected, but Chrissie Mason will stand for re-election as a Charity Trustee.

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The Capricorn Singers 2025 Annual Report

FINANCIAL REPORT

The Financial Report for the year ending 31 December 2025 has been prepared by Treasurer Susan Ansell and Assistant Treasurer Ann Eastwood.

The figures have been thoroughly checked and prepared in accordance with charity guidance and have been independently checked and verified.

1. Balance of Accounts on 31st December 2025

Account Year End 2025 Year End 2024
Current Account £1,362.71 £2,561.31
Savings Account £0.00 £0.00
Deposit Account £3,000.00 £3,005.01
Petty Cash £196.17 £178.46
Total £4,558.88 £5,744.78

2. Income

Category Year End 2025 Year End 2024
Bank Interest £26.44 £38.34
Concerts (net income) £4,630.19 £1,733.70
Donations Received £615.49 £50.00
Raffle £450.82 £427.50
Subscriptions £10,150.00 £9,576.80
HMRC Gift Aid £656.75 —
Miscellaneous £20.00 £35.56
Total Income £16,549.20

3. Expenses (Costs associated with running the choir)

Category Year End 2025 Year End 2024
Accompanist (Stipend) £2,552.00 £2,288.00
Musical Director (Stipend) £2,887.44 £2,623.44
Administration £128.34 £276.87
Asset (PA System) £793.89 £91.97
Social Buffet £344.50 £737.50
Donations £5,774.15 £2,200.00
External Subscriptions £546.44 £476.60
Isle of Man £693.00 —

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The Capricorn Singers 2025 Annual Report

Festivals £518.46 £112.00
Insurance £222.38 £206.70
Music £39.99 £12.44
Refreshments £161.84 £49.87
Rent (St Andrew’s) £2,250.00 £2,250.00
SumUp Charges £1.69 £12.94
Wardrobe £651.58 £218.17
Welfare £216.75 £465.02
Total Expenses £17,782.45

The donations figure includes £1,000 relating to the 2024 concert, paid in January 2025 to the Alzheimer’s Society. External subscriptions include ChoirMate, Sibelius software, National Association of Choirs membership and website fees. Subscriptions are used to help cover the expenses of running the choir. A new PA system was purchased as an asset and it is hoped that the old system can be sold to reduce the overall spend.

3a. Donations Given

Organisation Amount
Alzheimer’s Society (from 2024 concert, paid 2025) £1,000.00
St Andrew’s Church (summer) £1500.00
St Nicholas Church £300.00
Counselling in the Community £500.00
Care 4 Cleveleys £30.00
St Andrew’s Church (Christmas) £1,294.00
New Central Methodist £605.05
Myeloma UK £700.00
Total £5,929.05

The £30 donation to Care 4 Cleveleys sponsored the January page of the 2026 Cleveleys Calendar. Donations given are generated from income received at concert events.

3b. Donations Received

Source Amount 2025 Amount 2024
Anchorsholme Lodge (Masons) £500.00
Baines Charity £100.00
Easy Fundraising £15.49
Total £615.49 £50.00

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The Capricorn Singers 2025 Annual Report

3c. Gift Aid

In 2024 The Capricorn Singers became registered as a charity and were able to claim Gift Aid. In 2025 we received £656.75 which has provided a valuable addition to our income.

4. Member Subscriptions

It is proposed that there will be no change to member subscriptions for 2026. They will remain at £20 per month or £240 per year, while continuing to maximise income by claiming Gift Aid on eligible memberships.

It is proposed that raffle prizes for concerts will in future be covered by deduction from concert takings.

DONATIONS TO GOOD CAUSES

2025 was an exceptional year for fundraising, with our performances helping to support a wide range of causes close to the hearts of our members and our community. Through the generosity of our audiences and the commitment of the choir, we raised:

Further funds were also raised for St Andrews’ windows appeal thanks to the efforts of our choir members. Jen took part in the Blackpool 10K Run the Lights event, and Cathy S donated the chocolate hamper she won in our summer concert raffle, allowing St Andrews to use it as a prize in their own raffle. In addition, Chrissie secured a £500 donation through the Markerstudy Group Community Fund.

In addition, we donated £1,000 to the Alzheimer’s Society from our Christmas 2024 concerts, £30 to Care for Cleveleys as sponsorship for the 2026 Cleveleys calendar, and £300 to St Nicholas’ Church in Fleetwood. We are incredibly proud of the positive impact these contributions have made.

MUSIC

Our Christmas repertoire saw just one new piece introduced, “White Winter Hymnal”, as rehearsal time was limited while we again prepared for the final of Lancashire Choir of the Year.

We continue to benefit from the dedication of our Section Leaders across all three sections of the choir. Our thanks go to Emily, Karen and Ann for the ongoing support they provide to their respective sections.

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The Capricorn Singers 2025 Annual Report

Jan Risely continues as Deputy Musical Director, with a particular focus on enhancing - diction and pronunciation. Her lively and engaging warm ups have made a noticeable impact on the clarity of our sound and have contributed to the many successes we have enjoyed again this year. Thank you, Jan.

We are unanimous in our appreciation of our accompanist, Ian Whalley, whom we regard as the finest choral accompanist on the Fylde Coast. His skill and musicianship provide - exceptional support, enabling the choir to achieve an ever improving quality of sound. Thank you, Ian, for everything you bring to The Capricorn Singers.

REHEARSALS

Rehearsals continue to go well, although overall attendance does seem to be reducing from previous years.

In March we welcomed Loz Kaye who led a workshop focussing on vocal technique, ensemble sound, and the power of community singing as our prize for achieving third place at Lancashire Choir of the Year. His observations were insightful and his techniques very useful as we continue to improve our quality of sound.

We continue to rehearse at St Andrew’s Church in Cleveleys and greatly appreciate the support we receive everyone from the church.

PERFORMANCES

2025 has been another rewarding year of performances for The Capricorn Singers, with a varied programme that reflected both our refreshed repertoire and the continued development of our sound.

The standout moment of the year was undoubtedly our participation in the Isle of Man Festival of Choirs in October. It was a fantastic and memorable weekend, filled with choral singing across many genres and plenty of opportunities to socialise with fellow choirs. It is a weekend we will treasure for a long time and one we hope to repeat in 2027.

We were also delighted to sing alongside our Patron, Jane, in support of the Fleetwood Music and Arts Festival. The concert was warmly received and helped raise valuable funds for the festival. Earlier in the year, we shared a performance with the wonderful Steeton Male Voice Choir and will be going over to Yorkshire for a reciprocal concert in 2026.

Although we did not win our class at the Skipton Music Festival, taking part once again gave us the chance to hear the tone and quality of other choirs and to reflect on our own musical progress.

We were proud to reach the final of Lancashire Choir of the Year once again—an achievement that speaks to the commitment of our members and the quality of our performances.

We are fortunate to have so many beautiful voices within the choir, and we are grateful to all members who have performed solos or sung in small groups this year. These contributions add richness to our concerts and play an important part in shaping the choir’s distinctive sound.

Christmas 2025 brought a very special close to the year, with three festive concerts raising funds for causes close to the hearts of our members and the choir as a whole. Sharing our Christmas Celebration with our Musical Director Chrissie’s family at New Central Methodist

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The Capricorn Singers 2025 Annual Report

Church, in memory of her father, was particularly poignant. Raising over £2,500 through our Christmas performances was a wonderful achievement.

We were also honoured to be invited to perform at the Lancashire Together at Christmas Community Carol Concert, hosted by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Lancashire at the Marine Hall in Fleetwood. It was a privilege to sing alongside other selected community groups from across the county and to contribute to such a meaningful and uplifting event. The concert was a true celebration of community spirit, and we were proud to play our part in such a special occasion.

Across all our performances, we have continued to receive positive feedback on the warmth of our sound, the clarity of our diction, and the enthusiasm we bring to every event. We remain deeply grateful to our audiences, supporters, and partners for their encouragement throughout the year.

PATRON

Jane Wilkinson continues to be an active and supportive Patron of the choir, and it is a pleasure to work with her. This year she led a workshop focused on developing our a cappella singing, and we also had the opportunity to perform alongside her in support of the Fleetwood Music and Arts Festival.

We look forward to building on our partnership with Jane in 2026.

COMMUNICATIONS

Feedback from members on the introduction of ChoirMate has been very positive, and reliance on “Box” has naturally decreased. We will continue to use “Box” for committee document sharing and for storing our photographic and video archive; however, its use for music and rehearsal tracks will be phased out in favour of ChoirMate.

Our Musical Director, Chrissie, continues to provide weekly email updates to all members, outlining the focus of upcoming rehearsals as well as sharing event information and general news.

Our website is managed and maintained by local company Rain Drop Web Design, with content updates supplied by Chrissie. It remains an effective promotional tool and has generated a number of new membership enquiries over the past year.

MEMBERSHIP

The choir began 2025 with 42 members and ended it with 45 members.

We gained eight new members, Joanne, Margaret, Pauline, Claire F, Emma, Sheona, Claire Y, and Liz, and welcomed back former member Marie. Five members left, Joanne, Margaret, Irene, Lou and former choir Secretary Sandra.

Enquiries from prospective members continue to come through the website and by email; they are responded to by the Secretary, who invites each enquirer to attend and try out the choir for a four-week period.

Rehearsal attendance ranged from 63% to 91%.

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The Capricorn Singers 2025 Annual Report

EVENTS

Declined/cancelled x13 Networking x 1 Workshop x 2 Social x 8 Performance x 15

CHAIRPERSON REPORT

It has once again been my pleasure to serve as chairperson for The Capricorn Singers. Since our last AGM we have performed at many concerts and participated in both raising audience spirits and funds for charity. I thank you all for your continued enthusiasm and hard work in these achievements.

Strong choir friendships have continued to be forged and this is good to see and strengthens our commitment to the enjoyment of music and each other’s company.

I am so proud of all of you and glad to serve The Capricorn Singers once more as your chairperson.

Keep singing and smiling ladies, and let’s see what we can achieve together in 2026.

SECTION LEADER REPORTS

First Sopranos (Emily Dyson)

Thank you to all of my super Soprano 1s for all their hard work, support and beautiful singing this year. We have had a fabulous year, the Festival of Choirs on the Isle of Man being a particular highlight.

Pauline joined our number this year and it is lovely to have her with us. Joanne, Vanessa and Margaret briefly arrived but didn't stay long, a little overwhelmed by the volume of music to learn.

We have enjoyed our sectional rehearsals and I'd like to say thank you to Norma for hosting the majority of them and leading them when I couldn't make it. I am looking forward to

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The Capricorn Singers 2025 Annual Report

another year of singing together and excited about our new music. Hooray for more jolly singing.

Second Sopranos (Karen Dawson)

We have welcomed Sheona, Claire F., Emma and Sarah to the section and they are already adding to the sound we produce; things are on the up for the Soprano 2s.

Unfortunately, Sandra and Irene have both left the choir this year, we wish them well and will keep in touch and maybe they will pop back to see us sometime.

Throughout the year we have produced some wonderful concerts, and it is gratifying to know that together we have helped raise money for several Charities.

A couple of highlights that have cemented the friendship within the choir include our entry into The Lancashire Choir of the Year for the third time, along with our accompanist Ian, where we sang our socks off and came away with 3[rd] position. No mean feat!

Also, the experience of singing in the Isle of Man, although we didn’t get placed it was an excellent team building exercise in getting to know each other better and a great social time - and the weather helped!

I'd also like to say a big Thank You Chrissie for her support during this last year and Ian for his patience every week.

Altos (Ann Eastwood)

Another fantastic year has passed for the Capricorn Singers and, of course, for the altos. Together we’ve enjoyed so many special moments: a workshop with Loz, a mayoral event at the Town Hall, singing at Skipton, hosting Steeton Male Voice Choir for a joint concert, attending the Lytham Festival of Performing Arts in June, and rounding the year off with a fabulous Christmas celebration at the Briardene. We also visited The Venue for our end-of-year social, enjoyed a delicious buffet, took part in concerts, another workshop with Jane Wilkinson, the Fleetwood Music and Arts Festival, the Lancashire Choir of the Year competition, a quiz night, and even a charity shop opening.

Perhaps the most memorable part of the year was our trip to the Isle of Man, a wonderful weekend filled with music, laughter, and friendship.

We have raised money for several charities through our summer and Christmas concerts. Thanks to Jen’s run, and Cathy’s generous donation of a chocolate hamper, we were able to raise additional funds for St Andrews.

The altos welcomed back Marie and were delighted to be joined by Liz and Claire Y. We said goodbye (for now) to Lou. As a section, we’ve enjoyed sectionals at Linda R’s and Joyce’s homes (thank you both), shared a few teas out together, and even sung along (from the audience) with the Shanty Crew at one of their St Annes rehearsals. Throughout the year, great friendship has been shown, with wonderful support offered to one another in times of need.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the altos for their continued hard work and commitment to the section and the choir. My thanks also go to Chrissie, Ian, Jan, and the committee for their time, dedication, and the smooth running of the choir, and to Lillian for taking on the weekly raffle.

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The Capricorn Singers 2025 Annual Report

The year ahead looks exciting, with a new selection of songs that I’m sure will be real crowd-pleasers. May we continue to entertain the local community and beyond and raise even more money for such worthwhile causes.

Thank you.

DATA PROTECTION

Our Data Protection Policy has been drafted and circulated alongside this report for discussion and approval at the Annual General Meeting. We are grateful to Debbie La Gette, who, in her capacity as Choir Secretary, has kindly agreed to take on the role of Data Protection Lead.

SAFEGUARDING

Safeguarding is a legal requirement for The Capricorn Singers. As a registered charity, our trustees are obliged under UK law and Charity Commission guidance to take all reasonable steps to protect anyone who comes into contact with the choir from harm. This includes maintaining an up-to-date safeguarding policy, ensuring safe recruitment practices, and responding promptly and appropriately to any concerns raised.

Our Safeguarding Policy has been drafted and circulated alongside this report for discussion and approval at the Annual General Meeting. We are grateful to Jacqui Mollins, who has kindly agreed to take on the role of Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO).

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