## London Pro Arte Choir
Trustees' report and accounts Year ended 31 August 2024
Charity number 276361 www.lpac.org.uk
## **Report of the trustees for the year ended 31 August 2024**
The trustees of the London Pro Arte Choir present the annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2024. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities.
## **Objectives and activities for the public benefit**
The objectives of the choir as set out in the constitution are "to educate the public and members of the choir in music by the presentation of concerts and other activities". In addition the choir raises money for charities at concerts. This year we had a retiring collection at our December concert which raised £700 for Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice. The choir has had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.
## **Achievements and performance during the year**
The choir promoted four concerts during the year, all at St. Michael’s Church, Mill Hill:
|8 November 2023|Haydn|The Seasons|
|---|---|---|
|9 December 2023|Carols for choir and audience||
|16 March 2024|Franck|Panis Angelicus|
||Gounod|St Cecilia Mass|
||Fauré|Requiem|
|17 June 2024|Rutter|The sprig of thyme|
||Chilcott|Little jazz mass|
||Morley|Now is the month of maying|
||Gibbons|The silver swan|
||Vautor|Sweet Suffolk owl|
||Diemer|Three madrigals|
We had 37 Thursday evening rehearsals to train members in singing and prepare for concerts. We also had social events to raise funds to support the concerts.
## **Financial review**
In 2023-24 our income was £26,057 (2022-23: £27,090) and our expenditure was £25,117 (2022-23: £27,114) giving a surplus of £940 (2022-23: deficit £24).
The choir's income comes primarily from concert tickets, members' subscriptions, sponsorship and donations from choir members. The size of the choir stayed at around 50 of whom some 40 were active. Concessions are available for members who cannot afford the full subscription or are under 25.
We were grateful for sponsorship of £1500 from the Williams Church Music Trust and £1000 from the John Laing Charitable Foundation.
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## **Risk management**
Our principal risk is promoting concerts which make a deficit. We manage this risk by limiting the number of concerts with orchestral accompaniment, budgeting and monitoring our costs closely and seeking sponsorship and other sources of income.
## **Reserves**
We ended the year with reserves of £6,563 (2023: £5,623), which are all unrestricted. The reserves are nearly all in bank deposits and needed to cover concert deficits and ensure we can meet our obligations. Our target reserves are between £5,000 and £10,000.
## **Plans for the future**
We intend to promote a similar pattern of concerts and other activities in 2024-25. We have chosen the musical programme in order to attract audiences and keep costs down. We aim to grow the size of the choir by inviting new singers to join us for Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with a corresponding increase in audiences to increase income in order to avoid a deficit. We have already secured £4000 in sponsorship for our concert in November 2024, which is shown as deferred income
## **Structure, governance and management**
The choir is an unincorporated association operating under a constitution which was adopted on 18 January 1996 and amended on 24 February 2005 and 26 January 2006. The choir is governed by the trustees who form the management committee and are elected at the AGM. Casual vacancies are filled by co-option by the committee. All committee members have specific roles and they are supported by other choir members. Induction and training is provided informally as required by other choir members. No choir members receive any remuneration, but any expenses incurred on behalf of the choir are reimbursed.
The overall programme for the year is decided by the committee and Musical Director. The financial plans and detailed arrangements are decided by the committee and the chairman as appropriate. Detailed musical decisions including rehearsals and selection of performers are taken by the Musical Director, in consultation with the committee. The choir has no employees and the Musical Director, accompanist, soloists and orchestral players are all freelance professionals. The fees of the Musical Director and accompanist are reviewed periodically based on CPI and the remuneration of other performers is negotiated based on market rates.
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## **Charity registration**
## **London Pro Arte Choir** number 276361
## **Address**
The choir does not have an office but can be contacted via St Michael's Church, Flower Lane, London NW7 2JA or at info@lpac.org.uk.
## **Trustees**
Loretta Cox Chairman Shirley Durling Box office Keith Ellen Concert manager Gill Ellen Social events Carole Endersby Publicity Catrin Bradley Minutes secretary Hadley Hunter Treasurer Judy Vicary Librarian
## **Professional musicians**
Tom Winpenny Musical Director Martyn Noble Accompanist (till 16 November 2023) Phoebe Tak Man Chow Accompanist (from 23 November 2023) **Independent examiner** Will Fyans
**Bankers** Metro Bank **Website** www.lpac.org.uk
Approved by the trustees on 8 October 2024
Loretta Cox (Chairman)
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|**LONDON PRO ARTE CHOIR**
**RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS**
**Receipts**
Books
Donations
Friends income
Gift Aid
Music hire income
Other income
Produce
Raffle/tombola
Rebates
Refreshments
Social events
Sponsorship
Subscriptions
Tickets
**Total receipts**
**Payments**
Accompanist
Charity
Church/hall hire
Conductor
Credit card fee
Drinks
Food
Gifts
Instrument hire/tuning
Insurance
Licences and memberships
Miscellaneous costs
Music costs
Orchestra
Orchestral parts
Printing and publicity
Programme printing
Soloists
Website
**Total payments**
**Surplus (Deficit)**
**BALANCE SHEET**
Cash
Stock
Prepayments
Deferred income
Creditors
**Assets**
**Funds**|**ACCOUNTS FOR YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024**
**2023-24**
**2022-23**
30
43
3,004
2,707
210
225
2,549
2,720
51
286
233
-
255
284
406
551
-
18
486
373
1,401
1,563
2,500
3,000
9,280
10,020
5,652
5,300
**26,057**
**27,090**
4,585
5,045
700
581
3,616
3,508
7,310
7,310
67
94
192
180
137
220
107
104
480
2,520
151
99
361
263
73
19
328
534
4,235
3,855
182
-
443
184
85
85
1,925
2,400
139
113
**25,117**
**27,114**
**940**
**(24)**
**31 Aug 2024**
**31 Aug 2023**
10,148
8,865
188
177
227
-
(4,000)
(3,400)
-
(20)
**6,563**
**5,623**
**6,563**
**5,623**|
|---|---|
All receipts, payments and funds are unrestricted
Approved by the trustees on 8 October 2024 Hadley Hunter (Treasurer) Registered charity 276361
## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts**
## _**Section A Independent Examiner’s Report**_
**Report to the trustees/** London Pro Arte Choir **members of On accounts for the year** 31 August 2024 **Charity no** 276361 **ended (if any) Set out on pages** 1-4
**Respective** The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in **responsibilities of trustees** accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). **and examiner**
The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Act and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
- examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,
- to follow the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Act, and
- to state whether particular matters have come to my attention
**Basis of independent examiner’s statement**
My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
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**Independent examiner's** In connection with my examination, no material matters have come to my **statement** attention (other than that disclosed below *) which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
- accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act or
- the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
## * _Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply._
**Signed: Date:** 3 October 2024 **Name:** Norman William Fyans **Relevant professional** Certified Accounting Technician **qualification(s) or body (if any): Address:** 89 Chalet Estate Hammers Lane London NW7 4DL
## _**Section B Disclosure**_
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). **Give here brief details of** None **any items that the examiner wishes to disclose** .
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