Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ending 30 June 2025
Reference and Administration details
The name of the Charity is Ashtead Choral Society, whose Registered Charity Number is 265400. The principal address of the charity is 98 Craddocks Avenue, Ashtead, KT21 1NL.
Names of the Trustees who manage the Charity
The Trustees are as follows:
Mr V Desmond (Chair) Mrs A Bailey (Secretary) Mr A J Williams (Treasurer) Mrs J Beck (from November 2024) Miss A Curran (from January 2025, co-opted) Mrs L Crook Mrs I Kenward Mrs K Lewis Mrs L Morrell Mr A Moss Mrs C Price
The following also served as Trustees during the year:
Mrs C Greenwood (resigned August 2024) Mrs S Early (resigned November 2024)
The Society’s Making Music representative is Mrs M Stephen
Music Director: Rehearsal Accompanist:
Dr Andrew Storey Stephen Ridge
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Structure, Governance and Management
The Charity is an unincorporated association. A revised Constitution was adopted on 7 February 2022.
The Charity is managed and administered by a Committee constituted in accordance with Rule 5 of the Charity. Trustees are appointed in accordance with Rule 7 of the Charity. No section representative may serve as such for more than three consecutive years.
Objectives and Activities
The object of the Charity shall be:
to advance, improve, develop and maintain public education in, and appreciation of, the art and science of music in all its aspects by any means the trustees see fit, including through the presentation of public events.
In shaping our objectives for the year and planning our activities, the Trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit, and, in particular, the specific guidance to charities for the advancement of the arts.
The benefits of the society are enjoyed by both choral society members and members of the public who attend our concerts, and can be seen in the diverse selection of choral music that is performed by the society. In deciding the concert programme for each season, the Music Director and the Trustees are mindful to ensure that the choir performs both familiar and less familiar choral music. The music that we perform has been written by a variety of composers from different musical periods from both the sacred and secular repertoire available to choral societies of our size. The advancement of the arts is thus achieved through the exposure of both choir and audience members to different styles and genres of music.
The Trustees are mindful of the need to ensure that sections of the public are not excluded from participating as a member of the choral society through the use of financial assistance to those who might otherwise not be able to afford to join the society. Membership of the society is free for people aged 25 and under and there is a 50% reduction in the subscription for those members aged 26-30. Subscriptions may also be paid in instalments or reduced temporarily in the case of unforeseen hardship.
In recent years we have undertaken concerts where we have engaged local young musicians either to accompany us or to sing the solo parts of certain musical items. In this way, our public benefit has been extended to a wider section of society, as many of those young people have benefited from the experience of performing with a large choral society and in front of larger audiences than might otherwise be possible for them.
Our key objectives this year have been to:
-
provide a variety of choral music repertoire in support of our object above
-
support professional soloists
-
support local community charities
-
develop the choir musically
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provide joy and support well-being of singers
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grow the choir to 120 singers
-
grow concert audience numbers
-
collaborate with another choir
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Achievements and Performance
75[th] Anniversary – We celebrated our 75[th] anniversary through the season, noting it on our posters and programmes. At our last rehearsal of the season we celebrated with singers and supporters past and present with a celebration at the place where ACS started - Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall – and singing the first piece the choir performed – Coleridge-Taylor’s Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast .
Music - During this season we kept true to our mission of bringing live choral performance to the community with three concerts featuring music from the 18[th] , 19[th] and 20[th] centuries, all with full orchestra and featuring both young and established professional soloists. Our plans to collaborate with Surrey Youth Choir did not work out due to their funding challenges and so that element was replaced with African Sanctus in the second concert of the season.
Community – During the season we raised over £1,700 for two charities at our annual carols for charity event: LeatherHEADSTART and Crossroads Care.
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We also raised over £500 for the 2024 Poppy Appeal as part of a collaboration with Epsom and Ewell British Legion for our Remembrance in Troubled Times Concert.
I’m thrilled to pass on the figures from your singers, musicians and audience‘s generous support at your concert, which totalled 526.91!!!!!.
This is an amazing amount and we all thank you. This money, together with all the funds collected in Epsom and Ewell and throughout the country, will be used to mend the broken bodies and minds of serving and veteran armed forces and their families and ensure they are never forgotten.
Chair, RBL Epsom and Ewell
A small group of singers supported the local Brownie group’s 2024 nativity play with carols.
Choir Development – We did not hit our target of achieving 120 members, however we did grow from 96 to 109 singers. Our Music Director observed musical progress as follows, “Musically, we have gone from strength to strength. New faces in the choir as well as some returning ones has meant we have had just upwards of 90 on the stage and that has helped with the richness and quality of the sound. In addition, we approached a wide variety of music with our usual gusto and energy and that is what makes rehearsals and “match days” so enjoyable.”
Wellbeing – During the season we offered a series of vocal health and training workshops with the support of Helen Pritchard, a qualified vocal coach. 48 singers participated in these workshops which covered: the so-called ‘break’ in the voice, vocal tiredness, breathing, flexibility, articulation, vocal range and changes in the voice. These were very well received.
Marketing – We more than doubled our investment in promotion which focussed on growing singer and audience numbers. This was mostly used for social-media advertising and we benefited from the skills of some of our members in developing promotional content and videos. Overall, our promotional efforts appear to have attracted more singers as described above, but less so concert ticket sales which rely heavily on members promoting concerts. This season provided useful experience allowing us to focus promotional efforts for future seasons.
Technology – During the year we purchased and configured the Making Music digital administration platform. This will allow us to operate a secure database for trustees to manage the society and will provide a dedicated members’ area on our website. We plan to launch this in the 2025/6 season.
People - None of these activities – musical, charitable or otherwise - would be possible without the support of our super professional music team: musical director, Dr Andrew Storey, and accompanist, Mr Stephen Ridge. Nor would they be possible without the volunteers who give their time to organise everything from charity events to venue booking, and from tours to paying invoices. We thank you all for your commitment and support.
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Financial Review
The cost of concerts this year totalled £21,254, compared with £18,225 in 2023/24. Although ticket prices were maintained at the same level, audiences were up slightly resulting in ticket sales of £7,527 compared with £6,952 the previous year. This is encouraging, but we would still like to see larger audiences. The overall loss on concerts this year was thus £13,727, compared with £11,273 in 2023/24. Much of the increase was from the African Sanctus concert, where costs were higher because of the need to hire audio equipment and to book the church for a longer period to allow for setup of the equipment.
The Trustees were delighted to receive an increased grant of £3,000 (£1,500 in 2023/24) from the Humphrey Richardson Taylor Charitable Trust towards our concert costs for the year. The support of the Trust for music-making in the Surrey area is greatly appreciated.
Subscription income was significantly higher this year at £22,385 (£19,225 in 2023/24). This was partly as a result of subscription rates increasing by 10% over the previous year, but also because of a welcome increase in membership. Membership continues to represent very good value for money when looked at in the light of the number of rehearsals and concerts held each year, working out at around £2.40 per hour of music-making.
No fundraising events were held during the year. However, income continued to be received from Easy Fundraising (£221) and from donations made by choir members at the tea interval (£382).
Our Carols for Charity morning was again very successful and £1,747 was split between our two chosen charities – Surrey Crossroads and LeatherHEADSTART.
As noted in the accounts, there was a delay in receiving the Gift Aid payment from HMRC for subscriptions and donations during the 2023/24 season, which was eventually received after the end of the society’s financial year. The amount attributable to subscription and patrons/friends income for 2024/25 is therefore less than shown in the Income and Expenditure Account. Excluding the gift aid income attributable to 2023/24, total income (unrestricted funds) in 2024/25 would have been £42,390. Thus, there would have been a modest reduction in unrestricted funds of £1,057 over the season. The Trustees continue to look carefully at concert planning, a continuing drive to recruit new members and the possibility of one or two fundraising activities.
Charity’s policy on reserves
The Trustees recognise that there are expenses associated with the putting on of concerts which may need to be covered even if those concerts cannot take place. There are also expenses associated with running the choir on a day-to-day basis that would have to be met even if the society were to wind up. Having considered these issues the Trustees have decided that an appropriate level of reserve to be held is £12,000 in unrestricted funds.
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Declaration
The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ Report above.
Signed on behalf of the Charity’s Trustees:
| Vincent Desmond | Anthony Williams | |
|---|---|---|
| Position | Chair | Hon Treasurer |
| Date | 3 November 2025 | 3 November 2025 |
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Ashtead Choral Society Charity Commission Number - 265400 Receipts and payments accounts For the period from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025
| Receipts Income from concerts (note 3) Member subscriptions Income tax recovered (note 4) Friends/Patronage donations Income tax recovered (note 4) Other donations Income tax recovered Music hire and sales Funds raised for other Charities 100 Club Bank interest Grants (note 5) Fundraising income Tour Miscellaneous income Total receipts Payments Concert expenditure (note 3) Honoraria Hire of rehearsal rooms Music hire and purchases Publicity Gifts and donations Subscriptions, sundry fees, other dues, and bank charges Secretarial and admin. Expenses Tour Miscellaneous expenses Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
Unrestricted funds Restricted income funds Total 2025 Total 2024 £ £ £ £ 7,527 - 7,527 6,952 22,385 - 22,385 19,225 7,304 - 7,304 - - 1,160 1,160 885 - 275 275 - 1,089 - 1,089 48 187 - 187 - 1,911 - 1,911 1,365 - 1,747 1,747 1,486 524 - 524 453 1,236 - 1,236 1,515 3,000 - 3,000 1,500 603 - 603 567 - - - 45,628 25 - 25 25 |
|---|---|
| 45,791 3,182 48,973 79,649 |
|
| 21,254 - 21,254 18,225 10,950 - 10,950 11,144 5,235 - 5,235 5,507 1,721 - 1,721 1,401 1,941 - 1,941 797 - 1,747 1,747 1,486 1,619 - 1,619 983 - - - 68 - - - 45,738 727 - 727 253 |
|
| 43,447 1,747 45,194 85,602 |
|
| 2,344 1,435 3,779 (5,953) 14,238 16,960 31,198 37,151 |
|
| 16,582 18,395 34,977 31,198 |
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Ashtead Choral Society Charity Commission Number – 265400 Statement of assets and liabilities as at 30 June 2025
| Unrestricted funds Restricted income funds Total 2025 £ £ £ Cash Funds Barclays current account 7,763 - 7,763 COIF Deposit account 8,819 18,395 27,214 Total bank accounts 16,582 18,395 34,977 Assets retained for the charity’s own use Piano 2,000 - 2,000 |
Total 2024 £ 5,221 25,977 |
|---|---|
| 31,198 | |
| 2,000 |
Signed on behalf of all the trustees
Anthony Williams Hon Treasurer Date of approval 3 November 2025
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Ashtead Choral Society Notes to the Accounts For the year ending 30 June 2025
1 Basis of accounting
The financial statements have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis.
2 Endowment and restricted income funds
The charity has no endowment fund. It has one restricted income fund, the Judy Williams Memorial Patronage Fund, which was established to enable the choir to be able to afford to perform works which it would not otherwise be able to do. No monies were utilised from this fund during the year ended 30 June 2025.
The Charity does not have any designated funds.
3 Financial results of concerts
| Concert income Concert Expenditure Professional fees Venue Other costs Total concert expenditure 2024/25 Expenditure relating to concerts in previous year Total Concert Expenditure |
November 2024 £ |
March 2025 May 2025 Total 2025 £ £ £ 2,235 2,656 7,527 2,750 7,720 14,140 1,601 1,076 3,513 1,529 994 3,521 5,880 9,790 21,174 80 21,254 |
2024 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,636 | 6,952 | ||
| 3,670 836 998 |
11,680 2,457 4,088 |
||
| 5,504 | 18,225 | ||
| - | |||
| 18,225 |
- 4 Gift Aid
There was a delay in the receipt of Gift Aid in respect of subscriptions and friends/patrons donations from HMRC in 2023/24 which meant that payment was not received until after the end of the society’s financial year. These payments therefore appear in the accounts for 2024/25. The amount of Gift Aid in respect of each year was as follows:
| 2023/24 £ |
2024/25 £ |
Total £ |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Subscriptions(unrestricted funds) | 3,401 | 3,903 | 7,304 |
| Patrons/friends donations(restricted funds) | 144 | 131 | 275 |
5 Grants
A grant of £3,000 was received from the Humphrey Richardson Taylor Charitable Trust towards the 2024/25 season.
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Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
| Report to the Trustees/ members of |
Ashtead Choral Society | Ashtead Choral Society | Ashtead Choral Society |
|---|---|---|---|
| On accounts for the year ended |
30 June 2025 | Charity no | 265400 |
| Set out on pages | 7-9 | ||
| Responsibilities and basis of report |
I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above Charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 30 June 2025. As the Charity Trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). I report 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 145(5)(b) of the Act. |
||
| Independent examiner's statement |
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention 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 I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. |
||
| Signed: | E A Storey | Date: | 5/11/2025 |
| Name: | Mrs Elisabeth Storey | ||
| Relevant professional qualification: |
FCA | ||
| Address: | 29 Barrett Road, Fetcham, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 9HL |
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