Barnet Choral Society Trustees’ Annual Report 1st August 2024 to 31st July 2025
Section A: Reference and Administration Details:
Charity Name: Barnet Choral Society Other names: None Registered Charity No. 273403 Charity’s Principal Address: 4 Derwent Road London, N13 4PU
Charity trustees managing the charity:
| Trustee Name | **Office (if any) ** | Dates acted if not fullyear |
|---|---|---|
| Shelagh Cohen | Chair | |
| Jacqueline Thomson | Secretary | |
| James Crawford | Treasurer | |
| Michael Benaim | Resigned 12thJune 2025 | |
| Marilyn Lehmann | ||
| MegKirk | ||
| Jo Nelhams | ||
| Jim Nelhams |
Section B: Structure, Governance and Management
Governing document: Constitution, last amended October 2024. How we are constituted: Association Trustee selection: Elected from membership
Section C: Objectives and Activities
Objects of the charity: (a) The study and practice of choral music for personal development and enjoyment and in order to foster public knowledge and appreciation of such music by means of public performance.
(b) The provision of such grants and donations for individuals or such charitable associations, bodies and organisations as the trustees in their absolute discretion shall think fit.
Public benefit:
We performed an exciting autumn concert with works by Faure, Stanford and Puccini which was followed by our usual Christmas concert in December 2024. We then held a Saturday public open workshop to study the Brahms German Requiem in January 2025. We also performed two further concerts, one featuring the choral works of Bach, Kuhnau and Pachelbel, and the other a much more modern programme featuring works by Stanford, Richard Rodney Bennett and Dani Howard. Concerts with Rory usually feature a combination of amateur and professional musicians and are well received.
We have continued our policy of letting individuals sing with us for an introductory term at no cost as a way of introducing people to choral singing. We also charge reduced fees for those in full-time education or those in straitened circumstances.
Barnet Choral Society Trustees’ Annual Report
1st August 2024 to 31st July 2025
Section D: Achievements and Performance
Main achievements: The choir is thriving under our new MD, Rory McCleery. The technical and musical standard of the output from the choir continues to improve under the baton of our Music Director. We have been able to showcase some lesser known repertoire both ancient and modern and bring these interesting and attractive works to a wider public audience. In December 2024 at our Christmas Concert we raised the sum of £552.39 as a donation to Chipping Barnet Foodbank; a sum contributed to by the Choir and the audience. In January 2025 our workshop on the Brahms German Requiem proved to be very popular with both the membership of the Choir and also the public. Later in the year Making Music confirmed that we had been selected against stiff competition, to be a partner to a new composer in the commissioning of a new choral work. As a result we will be singing songs newly composed by Au Arias in our future concerts. Our membership has maintained a similar level to the prior year.
Section E: Financial Review
General:
Reserves policy:
Investments:
This year Barnet Choral Society has fared better financially compared with recent years, making a very small surplus. We have delivered a full musical programme while maintaining firm financial control. Various improvements have been made in terms of transparency of accounting and in cash control procedure. During the year the banking arrangements for the 200 Club have been closed out and the 200 Club cash balances transferred into the main bank account at CAFBank. The maintenance of a continuous cash float has also been stopped. The Trustees put in place a series of measures to increase income and to control our costs and these have substantially helped and will be continued.
The Charity has continued to retain reserves to cover at least 50% of one year’s expenditure throughout the year as per the policy. Current reserves comfortably exceed that.
Our reserves are held in accounts at CAF Bank, Shawbrook Bank and the Cambridge and Counties Bank. The treasurer keeps interest rates under review and the rates the charity's savings receive are competitive with most others in the market.
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the Charity’s trustees
Signature:
Shelagh Cohen
Full Name(s):
Shelagh Judith Cohen
Position: Chair
Date: 20th November 2025
ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR 1[ST] AUGUST 2024 TO 31[ST] JULY 2025
Barnet Choral Society is a Registered Charity – No. 273403
Barnet Choral Society accounts for the year ending July 31st 2025
General Purposes Fund: Receipts and payments account: Opening and closing account balances
| Opening and closing account balances | ||
|---|---|---|
| July 31st 2025 | July 31st 2024 | |
| £ | £ | |
| CAF Bank Cheque Account | 669.70 |
500.00 |
| CAF Bank Deposit Account | 3,467.93 | 4,599.19 |
| Cambridge& Counties savings account | 15,506.34 |
10,000.00 |
| Shawbrook savings account | 104.81 |
104.81 |
| Cash | Nil | 385.48 |
| Total | 19,748.78 | 15,589.48 |
BCS Funds Brought forward 1[st] August 2024 £15,589.48 200 Club funds as at 1[st] August 2024 £4,111.57 Income less Expenditure for the year £47.73 Consolidated BCS funds carried forward 1[st] August 2025 £19,748.78
Surplus over the year £47.73
Income and Expenditure: Income:
| 2024/25 | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2023/24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |||
| Member and visitor subscriptions | 14,304.67 | 13,900.00 | ||
| Donations & Sponsorship | 939.74 | 404.95 |
||
| Concert ticket income | 5,494.75 | 6,377.64 |
||
| Workshopincome | 1,196.00 | 0.00 | ||
| Gift Aid | 3,060.28 | 2,749.03 | ||
| Interest | 793.09 | 922.64 | ||
| Music Lending | 407.33 | 260.01 | ||
| 200 Club | 318.21 | 0.00 | ||
| Other income | 0.00 | 19.30 | ||
| Total income | 26,514.07 | 24,633.57 | ||
| ture: | ||||
| 2024/25 | 2023/24 | |||
| £ | £ | |||
| Rehearsals | 8,424.99 | 6,957.80 | ||
| Workshops | 555.00 | 0.00 |
||
| Concerts | 11,634.06 | 12,609.41 | ||
| Administration | 912.14 | 806.00 | ||
| Donations | 552.39 | 321.60 | ||
| BankCharges | 60.00 | 60.75 | ||
| Venue hire | 2,541.50 | 2,244.50 | ||
| Refreshments | 533.64 | 475.29 |
||
| Music hire &production | 1,252.62 | 2,368.32 |
||
| Total expenditure | **26,466.34 ** | **25,843.67 ** | ||
| Surplus/ (deficit) over the year | 47.73 | (1,210.10) |
Expenditure:
2
Barnet Choral Society accounts for the year ending July 31st 2025
Concerts 2024/25:
November 2024: Faure, Stanford, Puccini
| Income | Income |
|---|---|
| Tickets - inperson | £911.27 |
| Tickets - online | £564.30 |
| Programmes and refreshments donations | £108.77 |
| Total income: | **£1,584.34 ** |
| Expenditure | |
| Venue hire | £508.00 |
| MD | £1,970.00 |
| Accompanist | £1,210.00 |
| Soloists | £1,450.00 |
| Orchestra | £725.00 |
| Publicity & programmes | £70.19 |
| Refreshments | £184.50 |
| Music Hire & Production | £223.70 |
| Total expenditure: | £6,341.39 |
| Total profit (loss) | (£4,757.05) |
December 2024: Christmas concert
| Income | Income |
|---|---|
| Tickets - inperson | £927.30 |
| Tickets - online(net of commission) | £355.50 |
| The cottage | £152.03 |
| Charitydonation | £400.36 |
| Total income: | £1,835.19 |
| Expenditure | |
| Venue hire | £508.00 |
| MD | £1,200.00 |
| Accompanist | £570.00 |
| Publicity&programmes | £65.34 |
| Refreshments | £24.00 |
| Donation to ChippingBarnet food bank | £552.39 |
| Total expenditure: | £2,919.73 |
| Total profit (loss) | (£1,084.54) |
3
Barnet Choral Society accounts for the year ending July 31st 2025
– January 2025: Workshop Ein Deutsches Requiem
| Income | Income |
|---|---|
| Tickets | £1,196.00 |
| Total income: | £1,196.00 |
| Expenditure | |
| Venue hire | £330.00 |
| MD | £355.00 |
| Accompanist | £200.00 |
| Music hire &production | £26.26 |
| Refreshments | £18.32 |
| Total expenditure: | £929.58 |
| Total profit | £266.42 |
– April 2025: Finding Light Bach, Kuhnau, Pachelbel
| Income | Income |
|---|---|
| Tickets - inperson | £1,293.98 |
| Tickets - online(net of commission) | £393.30 |
| Programmes and refreshments donations | £97.00 |
| Total income: | £1,784.28 |
| Expenditure | |
| Venue hire | £558.00 |
| MD | £2,090.00 |
| Soloists x 4 | £1,700.00 |
| Orchestra | £3,300.00 |
| Accompanist | £1,040.00 |
| Chamber Organ Hire | £450.00 |
| Music hire& production | £705.12 |
| Publicity &Programmes | £69.39 |
| Refreshments | £157.60 |
| Total expenditure: | £10,070.11 |
| Total profit (loss) | (£8,285.83) |
July 2025: Gold and Silver – Stanford, Rodney Bennett, Howard
| Income | Income |
|---|---|
| Tickets - inperson | £861.00 |
| Tickets - online(net of commission) | £188.10 |
| Programmes | £34.00 |
| Total income: | £1,083.10 |
| Expenditure | |
| Venue hire | £550.00 |
| MD | £2,050.00 |
| Accompanist | £1,310.00 |
| Soloist/musicians | £625.00 |
| Publicity&programmes | £101.64 |
| Music hire | £261.14 |
| Refreshments | £118.24 |
| Total expenditure: | £5,016.02 |
| Total profit (loss) | (£3,932.92) |
4
Barnet Choral Society accounts for the year ending July 31st 2025
200 Club
Historically the 200 Club was an informal group raising funds specifically for the benefit of Barnet Choral Society from the membership of that society. The 200 Club controlled its own bank accounts. This year the Barnet Choral Society committee agreed that the 200 Club results should be fully consolidated into the results of Barnet Choral Society, there is no longer sufficient independence of the Club from the Society to justify non-consolidation. The results of the 200 Club are consolidated as from 1[st] August 2024. The bank accounts formerly used by the 200 Club have been closed and the funds paid across to the main Barnet Choral Society accounts at CAF Bank.
Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31[st] July 2025
Monetary Assets
| General purposes | |
|---|---|
| £ | |
| Main accounts | 4,137.63 |
| Deposit accounts | 15,611.15 |
| Total | 19,748.78 |
The Society no longer holds a running cash balance and no cash payments are now made. Receipts of cash are immediately banked. The Society had no liabilities as at 31[st] July 2025.
In addition the Society has non-monetary assets as follows:
Equipment
The Society holds a half share in a set of staging which is used regularly for performances in venues which lack such facilities. Purchase costs in previous years totalled £2,181.19. When not in use the staging is stored at St. John's URC, New Barnet. The Society also owns a conductor's platform and stand, replaced in 2023; a set of music stands, sets of music folders, orchestra lights a hand-held card reader, and some minor items.
The Society owns a teapot, urn and minor items relating to the provision of refreshments. The Society also holds approximately £50 worth of refreshments' stock, to be used in future rehearsals or concerts.
Choral Music Scores
Assorted items of music, insured for £5,600.
James Crawford - Treasurer Date – 27[th] October 2025
M. Wiffen – Independent Examiner Date – 27[th] October 2025
5