2024-05-31-accounts - Woodbridge Choral Society

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Co-chair Report - AGM 24th September 2024

It has been a huge privilege to work with Jane to lead this great choir, founded so long ago in 1883. I feel proud that the WCS is in a very strong position, in its membership but also financially strong, thanks to a fantastic season - we surprised ourselves - it was a huge but deserved success and well done to us all.

What has been happening since that glorious day - 2/3/24?

In May we raised a good sum for Deben Rotary, we will be singing carols for them again this year.
In June - we launched our new website

I could not have managed this without Ken Odam’s advice. He and I put in a good few hours sorting things out, including his many digital files of historical programmes, going right back to early days in the 1880s. We were concerned that as time passed these might be lost. After a huge effort from Ken, they are now stored at The Hold in Ipswich. These can be found via a link to Ken’s website in the History section of our new website.

We are advised that for longevity we need a set of physical programmes which could be stored safely at The Hold. Maybe between us we could we put together a programme from each concert going back some years.

Supporter Scheme - launched last November, it raised a most useful sum and we are enormously grateful to our donors and our sponsors. This summer Sara and I have been reporting on choir success and our plans to the Supporters and Sponsors, and taking action to help ensure that they come back to donate every year.

This scheme has given an incredible boost to our reserves which Joanna will report on and this means that we can be more bold, we can plan more adventurous choices of repertoire. While giving audiences what they want - and that we enjoy singing, we can also tempt them with more unfamiliar works, and include new work for ourselves to learn.

I hope this season will bring as much joy as the last.

Finally, I want to say that, as co-chair, these last two years were a tremendous challenge, but also a most enjoyable and a hugely rewarding episode of my life. Thank you for allowing me to have this privilege.

Tricia Findley

Thanks –

We were saddened to receive the resignation of Peter Willsher after many years as our accompanist at rehearsal and on several occasions at concerts. We wish him a very happy retirement and thank all those who contributed towards a gift for him for their generosity.

Ken Odam - is stepping down this year after serving on the committee for many years as Webmaster and also as a valuable adviser on all technical issues. We thank him for his stalwart service, especially most recently in helping to set up the new website and to advise on the new constitution that was approved last February.

As you are aware, Tricia and I are also stepping down as co-chairs. We have shared the great privilege of leading this wonderful choir - both of us have enjoyed the experience and we will miss the work we have shared greatly as well as the camaraderie during our fantastic working relationship. We are not going far! I will step down from the committee but will remain a keen volunteer, helping whenever time allows. Tricia will stay on the committee

We are confident that the Chair elect, Dawn Gilmour will do a marvellous job as she takes on yet another role after 20+ years of experience on the committee. We wish her every success and much happiness in her future role.

As I step down as co-chair, I would like to thank all those who have helped and supported the choir in so many ways over my last four years on the committee. It has been a great pleasure for me to work alongside Andrew and Tricia in particular.

I will never forget Snape 2024, a proud moment in my life and one that I will always cherish.

Thank you!

Jane Hall

WOODBRIDGE CHORAL SOCIErY Reglstered charity no 276627 Proflt and Loss account 2023- 2024 YEAR ENOED 31st MAY 2024 Income 202212023 202312024 Interest Advert15ing revenue Conterl RLYeipts 56.91 225.96 1296.00 16907.37 12165.35 Subscrlptlons, grants and donatlons: Subscription5 Frlends Grants 7538.64 964.45 10256.20 535.00 1500.00 2000.00 Patronsand bequest, wlth don3lion5 not paid dlrectly Into supporters fund Donations dlrwtly paid into supporters fund Gift Aid Score sales Mlscellaneous olhel Income Cholr members donatlons 1240.00 2749.40 9455.00 2649.60 1465.69 3.24 623.50 681.20 610.00 25256.55 47666.96 Expondlture Professional fees for concert performer5 Other performance expenses Score purcha5e5and hlrecosts Rehearsal expenses, sundry costs and admin15trativecosts Mlscellaneous costs Includin8 equipment purchases Social event costs Expenses fof extra fundialsing concert 7368.12 2462.80 556.76 16867.07 2377.68 1580.96 3718.11 1175.30 769.56 3299.40 546.84 439.40 934.87 15608.19 9648.36 26488.68 21178.28 Excess of income over expen5e5 TOTAL 25256.55 47666.96 Notes: l. In 202212023 the cholr worked hard to recover our flnanclal posifjon. and were successful in niovln8 from an overspend of more than £3000 in 202 112022, to an Income In exce55 of spend of £9648 In 202212023. Thls was helped by generous donations from the Friends. and by a bequest followlng the Sad death of choir n)ember and stage manager lan Ke8el. lJaLiC l of 4

We also revlewe(J our con5titiitton and how well our poslt(on matched recommendauons made by the Charity Commission. This led to an acknowledgement that we dld not have sufficlent financlal reserves. It wa5 a150 reallsed that whlle the arttons taken last year led to a 8reatei ivicome in e¥cess of spend Ihan we expected. the methods were not Sustainable. We were very grateful lo our musical director foi the effort he pul Into the fundraislng recital he gave, but he cannot be expected to undertake such a fecital annually* nor would a re8ular event ralse as much money. The signilicantly lower subscription income in 202212023 reflected the fact that the frnanclal Ilmits we imposed led to a programme which wa5 le55 attractlve to members. Revlewlng our opdon5 and what other cholrs have done to iackle the155ue, thÈ commlttee declded Ih3t setting up a 5Ltpporters' scheme was the best way forward. We are grateful for the hard work put into this scheme by comrnittee members and tlio5e who have helped them. A separate bank savings account was Set up to receive donah.ons Into the scheme and the balance in the account has reached £10,000. We are grateful for our supporters. generosity. We are now wrifjng to them to thank them for their past SLJpport and to check that they are wllling to continue to contribute annuallv. 2. The cholr had a remarkably successful season. After a full house for the Chrlstmas concert. in March we saw a sell.out concert at Sn3pe M31tin8s - a rare event for any amateLÈr cholr. The applause at the end of the concert was rapturous. We featured new composltion by local composer Ben Ponniah, along with Moiart Requiem and the exciting Choial Fantasy by Beethoven. wlth Andrew Leach dif ecting from the plano. This sell-out has meant that we still have £ 10.000 In the supporters, fund account to help us wlth our plans for the next 18 months whlch include an ambldous concert at Snape Maltings In November 2025. 3. Last year the clalm to HMRC for GIftAld was not made In tlme to be Included In the 2022-2023 income. and so the GiftAid income for 2023-2024 covers 2 years. More than half the money donated to our Supporters, scheme w35 glven by corporate sponsors, for whlch Gift Aid does not apply, whSch Is why the total may appear low 8iven the total In the Supporters. scheme account,

Balance sheet 202212023 202312024 E23,362.44 É33,010.80 £9,648.36 £21.178.28 Opening balance Excess of Incorne over expense5 8alance carrled forward £33,010.80 £54,189.08 Represented by.. Cash In hand in Lloyds account Balanceon deposlt account Balance in supporters fund account Total cash and Investments £21,010.80 £32.175.67 £12.000.00 £12.000.00 £10.013.41 £33,010.80 £54,189.08 202212023 202312024 £23,362.44 £33,010.80 £9,648.36 £21,178.28 £33,010.80 £54,189.08 Opening balance Excess ol Income over expenses Balante carried forward Represented bv: Cash in hand In Lloyds account Balance on deposit account Supporters Fund account Total tash and Invèstments £21,010.80 £32,175.67 E12,000.00 £12,000.00 EIO,013.41 33,010.80 E54,189.08 Fixed assets Value InLM equlpment purchased thls yearl Asset value to becarried forward E965.44 Hmed asset Ilst Item Purchase prlce É645.69 E199.00 E120.75 £965.44 LED lights and aswciated cables Card payment terminal wineglass storage trays TOTAL price12023-20241 PJbie 3 01.4

Treasurer Joanna Crowe Date l).C).2L+ Independent examlnerfs report I have undertaken a review of the Society's receipts and payments for the year 2023-2024 and can conh'f m that the statenient as presented to Ihe members at the AGM 15 an accurate reflection of the transacn'ons undertaken during the year. Independent exarnlner Mlke Culllngton Date: l)IlbL' 4 01. 4