## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** ## **From 01/08/2021 Period start date To 31/08/2022 Period end date** ## **Charity name: Portsmouth Choral Union** ## **Charity registration number: 266974** ## **Objectives and Activities** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|The objects of the Society will be to
advance 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 concerts and recitals.| |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|After 18 months disrupted by Covid-19
which for much of the time made group
singing impossible or set extreme
restrictions, we were finally able to resume
rehearsing and giving concerts in autumn
2021, albeit with continuing regard to
recommendations for social distancing and
other safety measures. Between August
2021 and July 2022 we were able to stage
4 full concerts, one of which was given as
part of a series celebrating and supporting
the Organ Restoration Project in St Mary’s
Church, Fratton, Portsmouth. We also held
a Come and Sing with proceeds donated to
Key Changes Music Therapy, a
Winchester-based charity that uses music
therapy to alleviate the emotional effects of
mental illness, learning disability, social
deprivation and developmental delay in
children and adults.| |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
Charity Commission guidance on public
benefit.| ## **Additional information (optional)** ## You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Policy on grant making|Para 1.38|**N/A**| |Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|Para 1.38|**N/A**| |Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|The charity is entirely run by members on a
voluntary basis| |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|After such a disrupted year in 2020-2021,
we were finally permitted to start indoors
singing rehearsals again in autumn 2021
with a full risk assessment in place to
reduce the risks of Covid-19 transmission.
For our first concert piece of the term we
chose Fauré’s_Requiem_, which we had
been rehearsing at times between
lockdowns. We put on a small autumn
concert with a reduced-size choir, as many
of our members were not yet able to return
to singing in concerts, and with a socially-
distanced audience. It was exciting to be
able to do a concert again and to see an
audience enjoying our music after all the
restrictions.
We were encouraged to be more ambitious
for our Christmas concert and perform
Bach’s_Christmas Oratorio_. This is a large
work and normally we would have done a
large November concert and not had time
to rehearse this, so it made for a nice
change. We were not sure until quite late
that we would be able to do the concert, as
there was concern about a new Covid
variant and ticket sales were low. To our
surprise we were able to go ahead and
there was a big rush for tickets on the day,| leaving us rushing to put out more chairs in distanced groups. In the spring our Music Director completed a retranslation of Joseph Haydn’s _Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross_ , with help from choir member and composer Ian Schofield in producing the newly-set arrangement. This work retells the end of the Easter story and was a first performance for the choir. By this stage we had been able to relocate from the church we were using for rehearsals before Christmas back to our usual pre-Covid school venue, having assessed how we might use it safely and with most of the choir having been vaccinated at least once. We felt we were adapting well to new ways of working for concerts as well although ticket sales continued to be unpredictable and the choir was still not back to full size. Although restrictions eased as the year advanced we were cautious, given the older age of many of our members and audience, and continued with some Covid precautions throughout the year. Our fourth concert of the year was planned to celebrate the newly refurbished organ in St Mary’s Church, but technical problems pushed back its reconstruction and our concert was delayed until the end of July. So instead in June we held a Come and Sing Gilbert and Sullivan extravaganza, inviting other singers to come to rehearsals with us and then performing the full ‘ _HMS Pinafore’_ in semi-staged form with soloists from the choir led by Philip Blake-Jones from the former D-Oyley-Carte Opera Company. Sadly this was not attended as well as we had hoped but all those who came, including our guests, had a very good time and we were able to raise a considerable sum of money for Key Changes Music Therapy based in Winchester ( _Registered Charity number 1124102_ ). We then held the organ concert in July with Vierne _Messe Solennelle_ , Poulenc’s _Organ Concerto_ , Parry’s _Hear my Words_ and Bairstow’s _Blessed City_ , accompanied by Daniel Cook, Organist of Durham Cathedral. **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |Achievements against
objectives set|Para 1.41|In 2021-2022 we were able to get back to
holding four concerts and a Come and Sing
that gave audiences chance to hear live
music performances again after an 18-
month gap. We also found ways to offer
opportunities to guests to come and enjoy
singing with us and to raise money for a
worthwhile music charity. Our core
membership really appreciated the care we
took to maintain safe conditions for all this
and the chance to get back to making
music together.| |---|---|---| |Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|Para 1.41|The choir is heavily reliant on membership
subscriptions and tickets sales. Due to
Covid our membership was down by about
30%, with some members unable to return
and normal recruitment much reduced.
Ticket sales were also down, partly due to
the requirements for social distancing and
caution on the part of potential concert-
goers. However we felt that we needed to
get back to a full and ambitious concert
programme to fulfil our choir’s aims and
reward those who could come. We also
had not done as much forward planning as
usual as the uncertainty of Covid had
repeatedly disrupted our plans for 18
months making it difficult to plan effectively.
We therefore had to use reserves to
support this season’s music making.| |Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41|| |Other||| ## **Financial Review** |**Financial Review**||| |---|---|---| |Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|Our policy is to try to hold one year’s
running costs in reserve. At the end of the
previous period we were holding a slightly
higher reserve than usual, but we had to
use this to cover the current year when
costs returned to normal but income did
not..| |Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|We aim to maintain the minimum of one
season’s running costs in hand to act as a
reserve against years when concerts are
more expensive and against unforeseen
events.| |Amount of reservesheld|Para 1.22|£48,306.33| |Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|N/A| |Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|N/A| |---|---|---| |Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|We will need to be able to recruit more
members and audience in the future to
improve our income levels.| **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|Member subscriptions and (normally) ticket
sales provide the majority of our income.
We also receive donations from members
and supporters and from the Portsmouth
Lottery. We also have a ‘Friends’ scheme
of supporters; in the year 2021- 2022 we
identified that this needed a relaunch as it
was no longer meeting our needs.| |---|---|---| |Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|| |A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46|Our risks at present stem from the reduced
size of the choir and audience due to Covid
which is having a negative impact on our
income whilst our outgoings are rising.| |Other||| ## **Structure, Governance and Management** |Description of charity’s
trusts:||| |---|---|---| |Type of governing document
(trust deed,royalcharter)|
Para 1.25|Written constitution dated 30thJanuary
2018| |How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|Unincorporated association| |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|All Trustees are elected at our Annual
General Meeting of members or by
Extraordinary Vote of members following
any mid-term resignations.| **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|All Trustees are made aware of their
responsibilities under the law as Charity
Trustees using guidance from the Charity
Commission.| |---|---|---| |The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51|We co-operate with other musical groups
and other choral charities in the area to
avoid clashes of concert dates as far as
possible and to collaborate on selected
projects| |Relationship with any
related parties|Para 1.51|N/A| |Other||| ## **Reference and Administrative details** |Charityname|PortsmouthChoralUnion| |---|---| |Other name the charity uses|PCU| |Registered charity number|266974| |Charity’s principal address|21, Second Avenue, Emsworth, Hampshire, PO10 8HP| ||| **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
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3
4
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6
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12|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year **|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Mr PhilipStokes|Chairman|To 4thOctober 2022|| ||Mrs Jane Helliwell|DeputyChair||| ||Dr Andrea
Hegedus|Treasurer||| ||Mrs Sonia
Schofield|Registrar||| ||Mrs Lois Houston|Marketing and
PublicityOfficer||| ||Dr Alison Barker|Secretary||| ||Mrs Rosemary
Kerridge|Ticketing Manager|To 4thOctober 2022|| ||Sylvia Mary Lock|Soprano
Representative to 4th
October 2022, then
Chair|From 4thOctober 2022|| ||Carolyn Ann
Keyzor|Soprano
Representative|From 4thOctober 2022|| ||Sarah Louise
Spender|Alto Representative||| ||Mr John Cook|Tenor
Representative||| ||Mr James
Sweasey|Bass Representative||| ||Note that some of
these Trustees are
current but have
been appointed
since the year
covered by this
report.|||| |||||| |||||| – 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 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)**
**Position (eg Secretary,**
**Chair, etc)**
**Date**||| |---|---|---| ||Alison Margaret Barker|Sylvia Mary Lock| ||

Secretary|Chair| ||27/04/23|| ||27/04/23|| PoTtsmoulh Choral Unlon R•¢•lpt• •nd paym•nl• From 1•t uBt 2021 to 318tJul 2022 Se¢tlon A Recel andP eTrts Al Recel ts Subsui I￿n$ Sub donatk)n$ Dona￿On6 and S 16 636.00 458.00 1 266.00 6 528.77 0.00 5.50 0.00 693.13 749.00 14.48 326.00 389.51 295.00 526.14 320.00 394.50 5 185.36 0.00 0.00 0.00 122.49 693.50 87.05 0.00 0.00 0.00 onsornhl Fund Rals- Merthandise Sate5 100 Club E-Fundin Portsmuth Lotte Incon* from ReCo￿1n Incon* from P raTnmè$ Incorne fmm MUS￿ Librd Incon* from Fiiends Subs Rgd Srarves Sund Interest from Investnwnwsavln Bank Inleresl tions 44.17 75.49 0.00 0.27 27 887.80 18 365.06 A2 Asset ald Investment Sates ents Pnfessional Fees Donatlons Hall Hi Storyd Publici Sundries Insuranee Bank Cha Admin and Ststione Bookkee l Accountan Loss from Investment￿s8￿￿ Deficit from Recortt Oeficrt from Pro Deficit from Tour Refunds DgfK4t f￿*M Concerts 11 733.90 350.00 2 049.51 11.177.75 0.00 534.34 1 470.00 400.79 585.20 613.00 162.00 79.61 200.00 0.00 0.00 25.00 34 430.00 500.00 eofsta 1 243.45 610.06 382.00 200.00 101.59 200.00 o.oo 0.00 0.00 16 508.33 36 601.67 50 177.69 A4Asset and In*stment Purthases Net of Rece 713.87 41 812.63 8alars¢8 BIF￿1 from PTrvbu8 Year 62 163.87 93 976.50 Fund Balance Carrf8d fowFJ 53 450.00 62 163.87 Porl•m¢xth Cl￿1 Unl¢)n A•s•ts and Uabllltl•• t 2021 *> 31st Jul 2022 1stA Sedlon Bstatttrnent ofAssets•nd Uabllltles Cost Cost 81 Cash Funds CAF Cash Accounts ank G4F Gold Account tour Pe Cash 3 103.85 699.38 200.00 9 598.16 96.11 200.00 B2 ¢XherMone Pa nts in Advancg: Stv 500.00 100.00 B3 In¥*stment Assets M & G Charibond 48 306.33 51 529.16 B4 Assets Retalned forthe Charivsown use Ke board urthased 13103r20 Com aUd￿hUb urchased 16110r20 678.58 311.86 678.58 311.86 B5 Llabllltles crual- PRS& Recordings Accrual- Bookkeep5ng 150.00 200.00 150.00 200.00 Totsl of AssetslessLlabllltles 53,450.00 62,163.87 ggn*ures nedb one orfvK) Imst8es on behaff of al the tnjstees natu Print Na val Date LWR LGck Akfso 7.3.23 Y.5.23. (HARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts •&"Section A i•MiIthJ" Independent Examlnefs Report •Ji1[￿. Report to the trust••sl members of TAe oQTSMooTH CHo(LAL UNitspI On accounts for the year ended Charity no (if any) 31" JyLq 2022 Set outon pages -f -Fke lie£wef £ofzA + I fL)sl eeg I reFKJrt to the Irustees rry examinatK)n of the accounts of the above charity (Ihe Trustl for the year ended Regponsibilities and basis of report As the chartys trustees. you are responsible forthe prepwation of the aCc￿nts in ￿(¥dan￿ with the requrements ofthe Charities Act 2011 (Ihe Acr). I reFQrt in resFecl of ￿ exaffunatx)n of the Tru$fs &counts carried cNJt under section 145 ofthe 2011 Acl and in ¢2ryng out my examination. I have foNcrwed all the awArable 0￿￿tiOnS gNen ty the Charity Commi8sM)n uryjer sethn 14515Xb) ofthe ACL Independent examinerfs statement apP1Ka￿￿. Delete [ ] rfnot applKable I ha¥e comp￿￿ ry ex*rMnatitin. I CLMffimi that no material matters hw cowt to nry atten￿n in conn￿1￿￿ *fjth the examination (other than that dis¢bsed beb*") wFKh gives me cause to bel￿ that in, any rnateiial resFecl: the arr￿Untir0 recA)rds were rKrt kept in ac£otdance with section 130 of the Charities Acl: or the accounts rfKI nol ac£ord with the ￿ountIng reC￿d$. or the aco)unts dKI nol ¢4Jrpty with the appl￿ble reqUi￿n￿rtts cor)cemirvJ the fonn and content of accounts set (Krt in the Charitie5 (Accounts and Rep￿ts) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the a￿nIS gt¥e a Irue and fairf whth is not a mailer considered as part of an inde￿ndent exarnÉnalion. I have no cortems and have coffe ￿0$S r*) thr matters in connection with the examinatK)n to attention should be drawn in this report (Kder lo enat4e a worer understanding of the ac￿Unts to be re￿hed. . Please delete Ihe wo￿$ in the brackets rfthey do not apply. Slgned: Dale: Name: Tr4IcHÉLLe 2zwfgqc4tsJ Relevant PTofesslonal quallllcation(sl or body IcAewJ ) IER Oct 2018 Irf any): Addre5S: 12 fcTeQS L)P JTHPrM6kny￿, SOZI LÉ Section B Disclosure Onty complete if the examiner needs lo hohlight material matters of ￿nCeM (see CC32. Independent examinatw)n of charity accounts: directh?ns and guidance for exarrmners). Give here brief detsils of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER Oct 2018