2025-07-31-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 01/08/2024 Period start date To 31/07/2025 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	In 2024-2025 we planned a programme of four concerts of music ranging from the traditional classical Haydn_Creation_, written in 1798, to Will Todd’s Jazz-inspired Passion Music, written in 2021. We held a lively open workshop with the composer himself to give singers an opportunity to learn this new work. We collaborated with Portchester’s Castle Primary School on a carol concert and enjoyed a rousing concert of Opera Choruses.
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 N/A Para 1.38 Policy on grant making

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. Many members (including the Trustees) and friends regularly volunteer in roles in fundraising, behind- the-scenes organisation and helping with audiences and refreshments at events.
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	We started the 2024 -2025 season with a new Deputy Music Director and Accompanist in place, Mrs Sue Graham Smith, Happily, she settled in quickly and proved to be a tremendous asset to the choir’s rehearsals and a key support and backup to our Music Director Mr David Gostick. Our first performance of the season was a classical choral favourite, Joseph Haydn’s The Creation, working with the orchestra Southern Pro Musica and with three gifted young soloists. This was followed by a traditional Christmas Carol concert accompanied (and upstaged by) the school choir from Portchester Castle Primary School who we invited to share the evening. Our spring concert was planned to be a real contrast in repertoire, with works by two Modern composers. We sang Feel the Spirit, a choral setting of spirituals by John Rutter, and a recently-written work by Will Todd, Passion Music, which is a retelling of the Easter Story with a jazz/gospel fusion with choral music. This was a challenging step away from our usual classical comfort zone but we were greatly enthused and informed by a workshop with the composer himself. This was also attended by members of the Medici Choir from London who we invited to sing in the concert with us. We learned a lot about a more free- form way of singing in harmony and were able to perform in a way that passed on our enjoyment and understanding of the music to the audience.

Our summer concert was another style again, with a night at the opera performing favourite opera choruses. Supported by two expert and dramatic opera soloists, Lynsey Docherty and David Pendred we had a fun evening with a slightly lighter note to finish the season.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Achievements against objectives set	Para 1.41	In 2024-2025 we gave 4 concerts ranging in style from the modern to the classical and held an educational workshop led by the composer of one of the compositions. We collaborated again with the Medici choir and with young singers from Portchester Castle Primary School. We were able to work with professional orchestral musicians and with a range of different expert soloists.
Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set	Para 1.41	Our fundraising is mainly through membership subscriptions and ticket sales, plus internal fundraising events. We are finding some external sources of income, like the local charitable lottery. We are planning some bigger events for our 150thanniversary in four years time and are exploring strategies for fundraising for this.
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 which we achieved in this financial year.
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 reserves held	Para 1.22	£ 68,313.91 as of 31/07/2025
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	Our audience are still smaller than before Covid, and we are also concerned that the age profile of our audiences and membership is creeping higher.

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.
Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted	Para 1.46	We have one investment with a fund tailored for charitable investments.
A description of the principal risks facing the charity	Para 1.46	Rising costs are making it harder to afford venues and put on full orchestral concerts. We are also concerned about the smaller audiences that now come to concerts.
Other

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter)	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	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.
		We co-operate with other musical groups and other choral charities in the area to

The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works	Para 1.51	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

Charity name	Portsmouth Choral Union
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 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole **year **	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany)
	Mrs Sylvia Mary Lock	Chair
	Mrs Jane Helliwell	DeputyChair
	Dr Andrea Hegedus	Treasurer
	Mrs Sonia Schofield	Registrar
	Mrs Lois Houston	Marketing and PublicityOfficer
	Dr Alison Barker	Secretary
	Julie Ann Smith	Ticket Manager
	Carolyn Ann Keyzor	Soprano Representative	Until 31stJuly 2025
	Susan Florence Ward	Soprano Representative	From 7thOctober 2025
	Lesley Evelyn Chapman	Alto Representative
	Dr David Gweirydd Griffiths	Tenor Representative
	Mr James Sweasey	Bass Representative	Until 1stOctober 2024
	Mr Anthony Spender	Bass Representative	From 1stOctober 2024 until 7thOctober 2025
	Mr Paul Alistair Hately	Bass Representative	From 7thOctober 2025

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	N/A
Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the	N/A

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
	15/05/2026
	15/05/2026

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CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trustoesl members of fH C+loAfvL IAAJIDKJ On accounts for the year endad 31, £0£4- Charlty no {if any) L£6974 Set out on page$ (rpw•mtx ty) rwJmLws d adtJrfK)nai th*ts1 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ('the Trust-) for the year ended Rasponsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust. you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Ad 2011 {-the Act.). I report in resped 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 und8r sèction 145{5}Ib) of the Act. I have complete(I my examination. I confim that no material matters have ome to my attention {other than that disd0s8d below.) in connection wth 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 ¥Mth the accounting records Independent examinerfs statement I have no ¢))ncems and have come across no other matt8rs in connedion with the examination lo which attention should be drawn in ordor to enab18 a proper urKlerstanding of the accounts to be reached. . Please delet8 the words in the bockets rf they do not apply. Slgnod: Date: 12 oq Name: )Prf4NiÉ f l24£qc4 Relevant professlonal qualification{s) or body (if any): IcAev Address: 13 e&7É£S RoPrf) Lo￿s HÉATA So21 tse IER October 2018