Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 26.09.2024 Period start date to 31.03.2025 Period end date
Charity name: Thrapston Plaza Opera
Charity registration number: 1210231
Objectives and Activities
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | To educate and entertain the public in the dramatic and operatic arts, and to further the development of public appreciation in the said arts, through the performance of plays, dramas, comedies, operas, operettas and other dramatic and operatic works. |
| Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
Para 1.17 and 1.19 |
Thrapston Plaza Opera has performed La Boheme in February 2025 to capacity audiences involving professional soloists, local singers as soloists and chorus including children. The Company was also involved in the first performance of Carmina Comica, a new work by Colin Sell and Chris Lowe, bringing new music to local audiences. |
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | The trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by Charity Commission on public benefit. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
SORP reference |
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|---|---|---|
| Policy on grant making | Para 1.38 | Not relevant as Thrapston Plaza Opera is not in a position to make grants. |
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 | |
| Contribution made by volunteers |
Para 1.38 | Thrapston Plaza Opera is fortunate to have a number of volunteers who help with staging the performance both dramatically and musically, no-one is paid for their role. |
Volunteers help with making and painting scenery, running front of house, including a licensed bar and providing chaperones for the children. Other
Achievements and Performance
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 | Thrapston Plaza Opera had a stimulating 2025 with our own performance of “La Boheme” getting the year off to our traditional start and later, the Company played a full part in the initial Thrapston Festival of Voice. “La Boheme”. One of the most popular operas out there. The Company was pleased to welcome two young, professionally trained artists to the performance, but most of the principals and chorus were recruited from the local area and many have sung with the Company for years. The work that goes into rehearsal and learning the roles is quite intense and engages people from all backgrounds and abilities. Our chorus, which is the heart of any performance, is not auditioned and anyone with the enthusiasm is made very welcome. Some of our principal singers sung in the chorus with very little experience and have progressed to main roles. The Company has always welcomed children to sing with us and to act as characters in the street and town scenes and, as always, our sterling band of urchins, all of whom are local to the area, put in a knockout performance! “La Boheme” played to full and enthusiastic houses for the three performances that we put on, and the Company sends grateful thanks to everyone involved in the show, whether on stage, or as important, behind the set and in the technical roles. Of course, the locally recruited orchestra was wonderful and was key to the success of the run! The Company had something of a triumph, when we were invited to (unofficially) make the initial performance of a choral cantata “Carmina Comica”composed by Colin Sell, |
of “I’m sorry, I haven’t a clue” fame and Chris Lowe as lyricist. A wonderful humorous, but respectful work taking choral music from classical gods and heroes, through the Baroque and Classical eras into the 19[th] and 20[th] Centuries. Wonderful fun and several members of the Company performed in the “official” world premiere with our friends from Market Drayton Choral Society. The Thrapston Festival of Voice saw members of the Company participate in Masterclasses with renowned Baritone Jamie Hall, giving valuable training to some of our soloists and the Company joined a full orchestra for a performance of Beethoven’s Mass in C, which was a great success! As always, we have had a busy year. TPO is a friendly and welcoming Company and we are always delighted to welcome people from all parts of the community. If you love music, don’t worry if you feel you haven’t the ability. You do! and we will work with you to be the best you can be! The Company was founded in 2010 by our excellent Music Director, Vince Davey and without his love for music, his passion to get the best out of everyone and his wonderful empathy with all performers, there simply wouldn’t be a company. Bravo Maestro!! In preparation for the 2026 season, the Company is hard at work rehearsing for our upcoming performance of Offenbach’s “Orpheus in the Underworld” and we encourage everyone in the community to come and see a rather interesting take on classical mythology… The next ideas will soon be revealed! David Brackenbury Chairman Thrapston Plaza Opera
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | La Boheme was performed to capacity audiences in February 2025 and very well received. A new work, Carmina Comica, was introduced to local audiences before being |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| made available to a wider audience and for other societies to perform. |
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|---|---|---|
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | No fundraising was undertaken in the period of this report. |
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | N/A |
| Other |
Financial Review
| Financial Review | ||
|---|---|---|
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | The charity has covered all costs for the performances of La Boheme in February 2025 and has reserves on to which to build ready for 2026. |
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | Reserves are held in the charity bank account to fund the forthcoming production which often requires fees to be paid in advance eg Music Hire. |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | £2,000 maximum |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | N/A |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | None |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 | None |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising) |
Para 1.47 |
Main sources of funding are ticket sales, programme advertising, sponsorship from local businesses and licensed bar at performances. Annual fundraising stall at Thrapston Charter Fair in June. |
|---|---|---|
| Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted |
Para 1.46 | N/A |
| A description of the principal risks facing the charity |
Para 1.46 | Pandemic leading to social isolation and audiences not allowed to gather. Illness amongst significant members of the cast. Non-availability of the venue. Lack of ticket sales. |
| Other |
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: |
||
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 | Written constitution in line with guidance from Making Music |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | The Charity is a CIO |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | Currently there are three Trustees as sadly one of the original Trustees died on 31. 12. 24. Additional trustees will be recruited at the TPO AGM in March 2026. All members of Thrapston Plaza Opera are eligible to be Trustees. |
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees |
Para 1.51 |
No formal induction processes in place at present. |
|---|---|---|
| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works |
Para 1.51 | The Charity is a member of Making Music which provides public liability insurance, professional advice and a forum for sharing information and ideas. |
| Relationship with any related parties |
Para 1.51 | |
| Other |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charity name | Thrapston Plaza Opera |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | |
| Registered charity number | 1210231 |
| Charity’s principal address | 1 Chandler Gardens, Thrapston, Kettering, Northants, NN14 4UA |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Brackenbury | Chair | |||
| June Davy | Trustee | |||
| Simon Thompson | Trustee | |||
– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
Director name
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
Description of the assets None held in this capacity
Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects
Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
Additional information (optional)
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of Name Address adviser
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
Other optional information
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s) Full name(s) June Diane Davy
Position (eg Secretary, Trustee/ Secretary Chair, etc)
Date
20.01.2026
Charity Name N Thrapston Plaza Opera 12
Recei ts and a ments accou p p y
Period start date 26.09.24
For the period from
To
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted funds
Endowment funds
Restricted funds
to the nearest £
to the nearest £
to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Members' Subscriptions | 1,275 | - | - | ||
| Ticket Sales - Carmina Comica | 963 | - | - | ||
| Ticket Sales- La Boheme | 6,902 | - | - | ||
| Refreshments,Raffle and Programmes | 2,141 | - | - | ||
| Advertisingand Sponsorship | 3,270 | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) | 14,551 | - | - |
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) | 14,551 | - | - | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A2 Asset and investment sales, | |||||
| (see table). | |||||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| Sub total | - | - | - | ||
| Total receipts | 14,551 | - | - |
A3 Payments
| A3 Payments | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hire of rehearsalpremises |
1,908 | - | - | ||
| Printingandpublicity | 1,027 | - | - | ||
| Hire of music | 745 | - | - | ||
| Musicians' fees | 5,885 | - | - | ||
| Production costs | 1,936 | - | - | ||
| Insurance and membership of Making Music | 245 | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| **Sub total ** | 11,746 | - | - |
| A4 Asset and investment | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| purchases, (see table) | |||||||||
| - | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | - | |||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | - | - | ||||||
| Total payments | 11,746 | - | - | ||||||
| Net of receipts/(payments) | 2,805 | - | - | ||||||
| A5 Transfers between funds | - | - | - | ||||||
| CCXX R1 accounts (SS) A6 Cash funds last year end |
1 |
- | - | 18/01/2026 - |
Cash funds this year end 2,805 - -
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
18/01/2026
2
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the perio
| Categories B3 Investment assets B2 Other monetary assets B1 Cash funds |
Details Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) 2,805 Details Details |
Unrestricted funds to nearest £ |
|---|---|---|
| - | ||
| - | ||
| - | ||
| 2,805 | ||
| OK | ||
| Unrestricted funds to nearest £ |
||
| - | ||
| - | ||
| - | ||
| - | ||
| - | ||
| - | ||
| Fund to which asset belongs |
||
| Fund to which asset belongs |
||
B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use
Fund to which Details liability relates
B5 Liabilities
CCXX R3 accounts (SS)
18/01/2026
3
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees
| Signature JuneD Davy |
Print N |
|---|---|
| JUNE D | |
CCXX R4 accounts (SS)
18/01/2026
4
o (if any) 210231
unts CC16a
Period end date 31.03.25
Total funds
Last year
to the nearest £ to the nearest £
| 1,275 | - | |
|---|---|---|
| 963 | - | |
| 6,902 | - | |
| 2,141 | - | |
| 3,270 | - | |
| - | - | |
| - | - | |
| - | - | |
| 14,551 | - |
| - | ||
|---|---|---|
| - | - | |
| - | - | |
| 14,551 | - |
| 1,908 | - | |
|---|---|---|
| 1,027 | - | |
| 745 | - | |
| 5,885 | - | |
| 1,936 | - | |
| 245 | - | |
| - | - | |
| - | - | |
| - | - | |
| 11,746 | - |
| - | ||
|---|---|---|
| - | ||
| - | - | |
| 11,746 | - | |
| 2,805 | - | |
| - | - | |
| 5 - |
- | |
CCXX R5 accounts (SS)
18/01/2026
2,805 -
CCXX R6 accounts (SS)
18/01/2026
6
od
| Restricted funds to nearest £ - - - - OK Restricted funds to nearest £ - - - - - - |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|---|---|
| - | |
| - | |
| - | |
| - | |
| OK | |
| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| Cost (optional) - - - - - |
Current value (optional) |
|---|---|
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| 7 Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Amount due (optional) - - |
Current value (optional) |
|---|---|
| - | |
| - | |
| - | |
| - | |
| - | |
| - | |
| - | |
| - | |
| - | |
| When due (optional) |
|
| - | |
| - |
CCXX R7 accounts (SS)
18/01/2026
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Name Date of approval
DAVY 18.1.2026
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CCXX R8 accounts (SS)
18/01/2026
8