LEITH HILL MUSICAL FESTIVAL Registered Charity No. 275176 REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
For the year ended 30 June 2025
LEITH HILL MUSICAL FESTIVAL Report and Accounts for the Year to 30 June 2025
Annual report for the year to 30 June 2025
The Trustees submit their Annual Report and independently examined Financial Statements for the Leith Hill Musical Festival (‘the Charity’) for the year ended 30 June 2025. These have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out on page 8 and comply with the Charity’s constitution and with applicable law.
1. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
The Festival is a registered charity: No. 275176. The Leith Hill Musical Festival operates as the Leith Hill Music Festival.
TRUSTEES AND PRINCIPAL OFFICERS
The Principal Officers (who are also the Trustees of the Charity) who held office during the year are:
Chairman G Ray Secretary & Festival Organiser Mrs S Wilkins Treasurer Mrs PM Frankland Trustee Mrs Alison Hunt (appointed 15.09.2023)
The Principal Officers are elected annually.
The Executive Committee consists of the Principal Officers. These members are elected annually.
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER
David Wheeler FCCA Cheeld Wheeler & Co Chartered Certified Accountants Redhill Chambers 2d High Street Redhill Surrey RH1 1RJ
PRINCIPAL BANKERS
NatWest Bank
The charity can be contacted at the following email addresses: chairman@lhmf.org.uk treasurer@lhmf.org.uk
2. STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT GOVERNING DOCUMENT
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LEITH HILL MUSICAL FESTIVAL Report and Accounts for the Year to 30 June 2025
The Charity was founded in 1905 and is governed by its own constitution. The constitution was last revised on 21 May 2021.
The Charity is a member of Making Music (formerly the National Federation of Music Societies) and of the British and International Federation of Festivals. It is also a corporate member of The Royal Philharmonic Society.
The entire resources of the Charity have been unrestricted throughout the year and the Trustees have complete discretion for their use.
Any money or property not immediately required for the Charity’s purposes can be held or invested as the Trustees determine.
APPOINTMENT AND REMOVAL OF TRUSTEES
Appointment of office holders and Trustees is governed by the Charity’s constitution.
The Charity recruits trustees by advertising positions to all the Leith Hill Singing Community via the member choirs and our email distribution list. Appointments are approved by the Management Committee and at the AGM.
ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENT
The Trustees and other members of the Executive Committee meet formally on a regular basis. The new LHMF Management Committee met 4 times in 2024-5.
The accounting function is carried out by the Hon Treasurer, Mrs Pat Frankland.
All the officers are volunteers and the Festival activities are all organised and administered by volunteers. Volunteers’ contributions are essential to the operation of the Festival.
RELATED PARTIES
The Charity is not associated with any other charity.
RISK MANAGEMENT
The Trustees conducted a formal risk assessment exercise during the year. The Trustees believe that the Charity has sufficient assets, combined with regular reviews of accounting procedures and controls, to continue in the event of adverse conditions.
The Trustees have also considered other operational and business risks faced by the Charity and confirm that they have established systems to mitigate any significant risks.
INVESTMENT POWERS
The Charity’s cash resources can be invested at the Trustees’ absolute discretion. The Trustees have full unrestricted power to invest funds as they see fit.
3. OBJECTS AND ACTIVITIES FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT
The objects of the Charity are the study and practice of music in order to foster the public knowledge and appreciation of music by means of public concerts, the holding of musical competitions and other activities.
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LEITH HILL MUSICAL FESTIVAL Report and Accounts for the Year to 30 June 2025
The Charity seeks to achieve these objects by organizing competitions for un-auditioned adult choirs and for youth choirs and by promoting concerts. These activities are intended to educate the performers, inform their audiences and the public and raise musical standards generally.
The trustees have referred to the general guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission when planning future activities.
4. HOW OUR OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES DELIVERED PUBLIC BENEFIT:
A REVIEW OF ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE DURING THE YEAR
During the year the Charity promoted one Sing Day in October 2024, a concert for independent singers in March 2025 and a 2 day Festival in April 2025. Full details of these activities can be found on the Festival’s website. (www.lhmf.co.uk).
The Trustees are very grateful to all those who have helped and supported the Festival over the past year.
5. FINANCIAL REVIEW
The accounts show a surplus for the year of £3,790 (2024: surplus £856).
The generosity of Friends and Patrons and other donations this year have contributed to this year’s income. A grant of £3,000 was received this year from the Humphrey Richardson Taylor Charitable Trust.
Operational Income for the year rose from £81,709 to £84,581.
Income was from singing fees, tickets, donations, Giftaid and Friends and Patrons. Attendance at our public concerts was variable with the Messiah performing to a 69% house while the 2 Festival concerts achieved audiences of 73% and 58%.
Operational Expenditure for the year fell from £84,068 to £80,746.
As at the year end the charity had free funds of £87,336 (2024 - £83,546) available to it.
The income of £1,708 from the 2024-5 assorted fund-raising activities, including the surplus from the Quiz and fundraising at the Sing Day, is shown in note 2 of the accounts.
A summary of the activities in 2024-5 where there was significant income and expenditure is shown in the following table.
The trustees are satisfied that the charity has more than adequate funds in order to continue as a going concern.
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LEITH HILL MUSICAL FESTIVAL Report and Accounts for the Year to 30 June 2025
2024-5
| 2024-5 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Income | Expenditure | Net Surplus/ | |
| (Deficit) | |||
| £ | £ | £ | |
| Come and Sing 2024 | 4,993 | 1,561 | 3,432 |
| Hire & Purchase of Music | 5,328 | 5,973 | (645) |
| 2023-24 | |||
| Income | Expenditure | Net Surplus | |
| £ | £ | £ | |
| Come and Sing 2023 | 3,831 | 2,464 | 1,367 |
| Hire & Purchase of Music | 4,649 | 4,857 | (208) |
As always, the Festival is extremely grateful for the donations and support it receives from Friends and Patrons and its participating choirs.
6. PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
The Trustees do not propose to deviate from the current objectives and activities of the Charity as detailed in section 3 above.
The Trustees expect to hold the October Sing Day, a March concert and a 2 day April Festival over the financial year 2025-6.
The Festival is very fortunate that it still has significant reserves and the backing of the Leith Hill Musical Festival Trust to support it. The greatest challenges to the future of the Festival continues to be the future of our member choirs and the numbers of amateur singers who participate in choral singing and the falling audiences for concerts of choral music. Although choirs resumed after lockdown, many of them have had significant reductions in numbers of singers. The Trustees are aware of this and future plans take this into account.
7. TRUSTEES RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT
The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
The law applicable to charities in England & Wales requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that year. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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observe the methods and principles in the Statement of Recommended Practice – Accounting and Reporting by Charities;
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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LEITH HILL MUSICAL FESTIVAL Report and Accounts for the Year to 30 June 2025
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state whether applicable UK accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the charity’s constitution. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
7. INDEPENDENT EXAMINER
A resolution will be proposed at the Annual General Meeting that David Wheeler of Cheeld Wheeler & Co be appointed as Independent Examiner for the Charity for the ensuing year.
Approved by the Trustees on October 2025 and signed on their behalf by:
Mrs P M Frankland G Ray Hon Treasurer Chairman
DATE
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LEITH HILL MUSICAL FESTIVAL Report and Accounts for the Year to 30 June 2025
Financial Statements
Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 30 June 2025
| INCOME AND EXPENDITURE TOTAL INCOME Concert Income Sale of tickets Programme Incomes Choir and Singers’ Entry Fees Total Concert Income Other Operational Income Friends and Patrons Gift Aid Recovery Donations and Grants Fundraising Interest Come & Sing Hire & Purchase of Music Total Other Operational Income Total Operational Income Contributions to leaving Gifts Bequest including interest Total Income |
2025 £ 27,569 3,609 28,398 59,576 2,780 3,760 4,159 1,130 2,845 4,993 5,338 25,005 84,581 135 0 84,716 |
2024 £ 26,466 3,257 31,210 60,933 3,110 3,218 1,665 1,309 2,994 3,831 4,649 20,776 81,709 1,922 3,098 86,729 |
|---|---|---|
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LEITH HILL MUSICAL FESTIVAL Report and Accounts for the Year to 30 June 2025
| TOTAL EXPENDITURE Concert Expenses Orchestra Soloists Hire of Halls, Organ & Piano Conductor & Accompanist Adjudicators Hire & Purchase of Music Programme Printing Marketing & Advertising Total Concert Expenses Other Operational Expenditure Subscriptions paid Insurance General Admin Expenses Website Come & Sing Bank Charges Quiz Costs Independent Examiner Conductor Recruitment Piano repairs/move Total Other Operational Expenses Total Operational expenditure Leaving Gifts Total Expenditure Net Surplus for the Year |
2025 £ 21,269 6,742 22,307 13,992 426 5,973 3,040 1,482 75,231 611 734 345 870 1,561 154 140 750 0 350 5,515 80,746 180 80,926 3,790 |
2024 £ 21,464 4,595 26,565 12,980 335 4,857 4,286 1,538 76,620 500 865 782 646 2,464 220 0 720 746 505 7,448 84,068 1,805 85,873 856 |
|---|---|---|
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LEITH HILL MUSICAL FESTIVAL Report and Accounts for the Year to 30 June 2025
Balance Sheet as at 30 June 2025
| Fund Balances Brought forward Surplus for the Year Fund Balances Carried forward Represented by: Current Assets 2025 Music Prepayment Bank Current Accounts Bank Business Account CCLA Deposit Account Debtors Total Current Assets |
2025 £ 83,546 3,790 87,336 0 3,406 26,707 57,063 160 87,336 |
2024 £ 82,690 856 83,546 3,664 6,437 18,969 54,476 0 83,546 |
|---|---|---|
G Ray Chairman
Mrs P M Frankland Treasurer
Mrs S Wilkins Secretary and Festival Organiser
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LEITH HILL MUSICAL FESTIVAL Report and Accounts for the Year to 30 June 2025
Notes to the Accounts
1. Accounting Policies
General
These accounts have been prepared on a Receipts and Payments basis in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice on Accounting by Charities
Income
Donations are accounted for when received.
| 2. Fundraising Card and Shop Sales Cake Sales Singday Raffle and sales Quiz Surplus |
2025 230 0 719 759 1,708 |
2024 303 517 489 0 1309 |
|---|---|---|
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LEITH HILL MUSICAL FESTIVAL Report and Accounts for the Year to 30 June 2025
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE LEITH HILL MUSICAL FESTIVAL
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Charity for the year ended 30[th] June 2025 which are set out on pages 6 to 9.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees 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 charity’s accounts as required under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable directions given by the Charities 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 giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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Accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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That accounts do not accord with those records; or
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That accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than the requirement that the accounts give a “true and fair view” which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
David Wheeler FCCA Cheeld Wheeler & Co Chartered Certified Accountants Redhill Chambers 2d High Street Redhill Surrey RH1 1RJ
Date October 2025
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