Woking Choral Society Annual Report for the period to 31[st] July 2025
President – Vacant
Woking Choral Society, 9 Graylands Close, Woking, GU21 4LR Is a registered charity, No 272451 and is constituted by Rules.
The Charity is administered by a Committee comprising: Chair: David Clubley/Carolyn Watkins from September 24 Secretary: Carolyn Watkins Treasurer: Tony Moorwood Assistant Treasurer: John Rowland Other Committee Members are: Maky Manole , Judith Vickers, Martin Lear, John Wheatley, David Huggett (from September 2024) and David Clubley (from September 2024)
The Committee is appointed annually for a period of one year by members at the AGM.
The object of the Society (the charity) is the study and practice of choral music in order to foster public knowledge and appreciation of such music by public performance.
In this period, under their Musical Director, Cole Bendall, the Society performed Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas” with Rameau’s “Forets Paisible” and Hildegard of Bingen’s “Nunc Aperit Nobis” in November 2024. For our spring concert in April 2025 we performed Faure’s “Requiem” together with pieces by Vasks and Carter. In June, we performed Vaughan Williams’ “Dona Nobis Pacem” together with Goodall’s “Eternal Light: A Requiem”. All performances were with a full supporting programme, with professional soloists and most with orchestra accompaniment. In addition, we welcomed Musical Director and vocal coach Joanna Tomlinson to lead us in a vocal technique workshop in February 2025. The Society also funded internally a scholarship scheme with 4 young musicians just starting their musical careers.
The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in Section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard for the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission in determining the activities undertaken by the Charity.
The reserves, comprising the assets less the liabilities, total £13,826 and are needed to support the ongoing activities of the charity, in particular the net cost of the concerts where the shortfall is met by subscriptions paid by our singing members.
We gratefully recognise the support provided by the Friends of Woking Choral Society and the Henry Richardson Taylor Trust.
Carolyn Watkins
Date:
Chair, On behalf of the Committee
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Report to the Trustees & Members of Woking Choral Society
Charity #272451
On the accounts for the year ended 31st July 2025
I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of Woking Choral Society (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31st July 2025.
As 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 on my inspection of the Trust accounts (and other associated documents supplied by the Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer) under Section 145 of the 2011 Act. In carrying out my examination I have followed the relevant directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5)(b) of the Act and the supporting document CC32a issued by the Charity Commission.
Independent Examiner’s Statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with my examination which give cause for me to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in accordance with Section 130 of the Act, and
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the accounts do not accord with the accounting records.
Summary of Examination Work
As part of my independent examination, I carried out the following checks and reviews:
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Verified that income and expenditure entries are recorded in the cashbook and supported by bank statements
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Reviewed all monthly bank statements (current and deposit accounts) from August 2024 to July 2025
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Ensured all donations, subscription and sales income was properly recorded
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Confirmed that no fixed assets were acquired or disposed of during the period
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Checked that bank balances were reconciled at month-end and agreed to the records
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Reviewed prior year accounts and supporting records for consistency
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Assessed the cashbook structure and identified areas of operational risk and improvement
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Sample-checked invoice records against relevant payments to verify supporting documentation
Observations
The Society’s financial records were found to be complete, though the current spreadsheet structure presents some operational complexity and could be simplified for clarity and continuity.
A set of detailed recommendations to improve the structure, robustness, and transparency of the Society’s financial record-keeping has been provided separately to the Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer.
Other Comments
I understand that the Society currently does not have a formally appointed Secretary, and that the Chairman is acting in both roles. While this is not a breach of the Charities Act 2011, it may present a governance weakness in the long term and could affect continuity and resilience. It is recommended that the Trustees consider appointing a separate Secretary in due course.
I also note for transparency that the Assistant Treasurer is my brother-in-law. He does not have authority to act independently in financial matters and has no involvement in the preparation of the accounts. I am satisfied that this does not impair my independence or objectivity in conducting this examination.
Signed:
Michael Davis
Independent Examiner
Date: 1[st] September 2025