Reg. Charity 284300
Annual Report of the Trustees and Accounts for the year ended 30 June 2024
Objectives and activities for the public benefit
Brockham Choral Society registered as a Charity in 1982 and is governed by a Constitution which was most recently updated in September 2022. This states the objectives of the Society as being “primarily the enjoyment of music and also the promotion and development of musical knowledge and competence through the presentation of concerts and in other ways determined from time to time by the Society.”
Membership is open to all sectors of the community, with no requirement for previous experience or auditions. The Society seeks to involve local area schoolchildren in suitable concerts, for example, we were joined by the Surrey Youth Choir for our performance of J S Bach’s St Matthew Passion in May 2022, and children from local primary schools and youth choirs have taken part in Christmas and other concerts in recent years.
The Trustees of the Society have complied with the duty in section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission as set out below. The benefits of the Society are enjoyed by both its members and the public who attend the concerts. The concert programme for each year is set within a context of performing a wide range of both familiar and less familiar choral works composed by a variety of composers from different musical periods. The advancement of the arts is thus achieved through the exposure of both choir and audience members to different styles and genres of music.
The Trustees recognise the need to encourage participation of young people either as a member or as a concert attendee. In this way they may be more likely to participate in classical music when older, as participant or attendee. Accordingly, those aged 25 or under who are either in full time education or who are unemployed are granted free membership or discounted tickets, as appropriate.
Typically, three concerts are held each year, usually with professional soloists and orchestral players. Ticket prices are kept affordable with concert deficits being met by a combination of subscription income, fund raising and grants from local and national bodies.
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Performances
2 December 2023 St Martin’s Church, Dorking
Alec Roth A Time to Dance St Martin’s Church, J S Bach Magnificat Dorking Soprano Rosanna Harris Alto Lauren Macleod Tenor Timothy Peters Bass Richard Bannan Orchestra The British Sinfonietta Organist Katherine Dienes-Williams Musical Director Cole Bendall 23 March 2024 Verdi Requiem St Martin’s Church, Soprano Olivia-Rose Tringham Dorking Alto Rebecca Anderson Tenor Joshua Baxter Bass Jonathan Forbes-Kennedy Orchestra The British Sinfonietta Musical Director Cole Bendall
8 June 2024 Dawn to Dusk Concert St Paul’s Church, A selection of songs by British, French and American composers, Dorking featuring ‘A Fancy of Folksongs’ by Cecila McDowall, and ‘Nocturnes’ by Morten Lauridsen Accompanist & Soloist Marion Lea Musical Director Cole Bendall
Our Professionals
A freelance conductor and vocal coach, Cole Bendall joined Brockham Choral as Musical Director in January 2020. He works on the music staff of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain and the Rodolfus Foundation, and is Musical Director of Woking Choral Society and Holmbury St Mary Choral Society, as well as being Director of Music at St Peter’s Church, Limpsfield. He is also a Visiting Singing Teacher at Cranleigh School and Ewell Castle School, Surrey, and for the choirs of St Thomas-on-the-Bourne, Farnham. We value and appreciate the support from our excellent accompanist Marion Lea both in rehearsal and on the occasions when she accompanies or is a soloist at a concert.
Review of the Year
There were 64 members during the year, the same as the previous year. Weekly rehearsals for the Autumn Concert commenced at St John’s School in September 2023. A recruitment event for the Verdi Requiem was held in January 2024 for the Spring Concert, which resulted in a number of additional singers joining us for the concert.
We completed sales of our redundant lighting system during the course of the year.
The new staging – delivered in October 2022 – continued to prove its worth at the December and March concerts at St Martins by being much easier to assemble and dismantle and was much welcomed as an improvement by the choir members.
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Our June “Dawn to Dusk” concert was a less formal concert with the audience in St Paul’s Church sitting at tables where they enjoyed their own food and drink before the concert started and in the interval.
We undertook a tour to Rouen, France, from 12 to 16 July 2023 and sang in three concerts: Eglise Sainte-Foy, Conches-en-Ouche; Cathédral Saint-Pierre, Beauvais; and Église SaintSamson, Ouistreham. The Tour cost was self-funded by the participating choir members.
Finances
The Accounts for the year ended 30 June 2024 are on pages 5 to 11.
At the September 2023 AGM it was agreed that members’ subscriptions would be increased to £165 per annum, with those who sang for only one or two terms paying £80 per term.
There was an overall deficit on concerts of £7911 . This compares to the £6712 deficit that had been budgeted for at the beginning of the choir year, the difference being due mainly to the Spring Verdi concert where the originally budgeted ticket price for this popular concert was later adjusted down to a more realistic figure.
In February 2024 the Society received a legacy of £3000 from the estate of the late Fred Harrison who had been a very active member of the choir for many years. The Society will be using much of this legacy to finance a concert and events in memory of Fred including commissioning a new choral work in his memory from a local composer and using a poem written by a choir member in memory of Fred.
The Society received a grant of £3,000 from the Humphrey Richardson Taylor Charitable Trust, we are most grateful for their support.
Fundraising efforts this year contributed a net £3,496. Included in this sum was £714 from the Mole Valley Community Lottery, in which Brockham Choral is one of the registered charities which ticket purchasers can support, with half their ticket cost donated to the charity.
There was an overall increase of £3,540 in current assets for the year which included the £3,000 Fred Harrison legacy. Without the legacy, current assets would have increased by £540, close to the budgeted increase of £753.
Reserves Policy
The Trustees have considered the needs of the Society and have agreed that the Society needs unrestricted funds equivalent to between 50% and 100% of concert expenditure for a typical year to provide cover the Society for un-insured losses in the event that those concerts cannot take place. The general reserve at the end of the year is sufficient for this need.
Administrative Information
Charity Number: 284300 Office Address: c/o 37 Fairfield Drive, Dorking. RH4 1JQ Bankers: Lloyds Bank, PO Box 1000 Andover Branch EPSOM (308486) Insurers: Insurance: Making Music Commercial Combined Policy, Covea Insurance, A&B Mills, Dean Clough, Halifax. HX3 5AX
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Trustees:
In October 2015 the Committee agreed the Trustees should be the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer plus up to 4 other Committee members, as shown below. The Chairman and Committee are elected annually by members present at the Annual General Meeting. The Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer are regarded as the key management personnel.
Jane Stride Chairperson Briony Bowen Secretary – appointed 8[th] February 2024 Nick Hands-Clarke Making Music representative Mick Rance Treasurer Estelle Earnshaw until 8[th] February 2024 Ed Criswick
The Trustees have considered whether moving to Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) status would be appropriate. They have agreed this is not currently necessary or appropriate but will review the situation from time to time.
Approved by the Trustees on 06 August 2024, and signed on their behalf by
J Stride and M Rance
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Brockham Choral Society Statement of Financial Activities For the Financial Year Ended 30 June 2024
| See | TOTAL | TOTAL | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | 2023/2024 | 2022/2023 | ||||||||
| Income | £ | £ | ||||||||
| Concert income | 9 | 10,221 | 7,462 9,130 560 2,233 6,375 2,500 2,316 3,538 37 |
|||||||
| Member' subscriptions | 7 | 10,345 | ||||||||
| Friends' subscriptions | 7 | 500 | ||||||||
| Gift aid on subs & donations | 8 | 2,143 | ||||||||
| Grants | 10 | |||||||||
| Humphrey Richardson Taylor Charitable Trust |
3,000 | |||||||||
| Gatwick Airport Community Trust | - | |||||||||
| Donations: | ||||||||||
| General | 901 | |||||||||
| Fred Harrison Legacy | 3,000 | |||||||||
| Fundraising: | 11 | 7,228 | ||||||||
| Administration | 12 | 75 | ||||||||
| Interest received | 106 | |||||||||
| Total incoming resources | 37,519 | 34,151 | ||||||||
| 11,978 4,380 3,306 2,105 1,218 2,458 2,764 |
||||||||||
| Expenditure | ||||||||||
| Concert expenditure | 9 | 18,132 | ||||||||
| Rehearsal costs: | 0 | |||||||||
| Musical Director | 4,760 | |||||||||
| Accompanist | 3,600 | |||||||||
| Rehearsal venues | 2,040 | |||||||||
| Administration | 12 | 1,715 | ||||||||
| Other expenditure: | 0 | |||||||||
| Fundraising costs | 11 | 3,732 | ||||||||
| Staging depreciation | 4 | 2,764 | ||||||||
| Total resources used | 36,743 | 28,209 | ||||||||
| 5,942 | ||||||||||
| Net income/(expenditure) | 776 | |||||||||
| Net movement in funds | 776 | 5,942 | ||||||||
| Reconciliation of funds | ||||||||||
| Total funds brought forward | 23,584 | 17,642 | ||||||||
| Total funds carried forward | 24,360 | 23,584 |
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Brockham Choral Society Balance Sheet for the Financial Year Ended 30 June 2024
| See | TOTAL | TOTAL | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | 2023/2024 | 2022/2023 | ||||||||
| Fixed Assets | £ | £ | ||||||||
| Tangible assets - staging | 4 | 8,294 | 11,058 | |||||||
| Current Assets | ||||||||||
| Debtors and prepayments | 5 | 25 | 1,552 | |||||||
| Cheque accounts | 5,482 | 3,624 | ||||||||
| Deposit accounts | 10,811 | 7,705 | ||||||||
| Total Current Assets | 16,318 | 12,881 | ||||||||
| Liabilities | ||||||||||
| Creditors and accruals | 6 | (252) | (355) | |||||||
| Net Current Assets | 16,066 | 12,526 | ||||||||
| Total Net Assets | 24,360 | 23,584 | ||||||||
| Charity Funds | £ | £ | ||||||||
| Unrestricted funds | 24,360 | 16,319 | ||||||||
| Restricted funds | 4 | - | 7,265 | |||||||
| Total Charity Funds | 24,360 | 23,584 |
The notes on pages 7 to 11 form part of the financial statements.
These accounts were approved by the Trustees on 06 August 2024, and signed on their behalf by
J Stride
and
M Rance
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Brockham Choral Society
Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 30 June 2024
1. General Notes
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention in accordance with FRS102 (2019) as the applicable accounting standards and the 2019 version of the Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP(FRS102)).
Incoming resources from fundraising activities are generally reported gross in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA).
Resources are recognised on an accrual basis based on when they are due. Generally, liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the Charity to the expenditure.
2. Employees
The Charity does not have any employees. The remuneration of the key management personnel for 2023/2024 is £nil (2022/2023: £nil). Pension payments are not applicable and £nil has been paid.
3. Trustees and other related parties
During the year neither the trustees nor any persons connected with them have received any remuneration. Some small items of expenditure incurred on behalf of the Society were reimbursed to Trustees.
There were no other related party transactions with Trustees enjoying the same rights of membership as other members of the Society.
4. Tangible Fixed Assets and Investment Assets
New staging was purchased in October 2022 at a cost of £13,822. The Trustees have agreed that this equipment should be depreciated over a period of five years using a straight line depreciation formula:-
| Staging Value | £ |
|---|---|
| As at 30 June 2023 | 11,058 |
| Depreciation | |
| As at 1 July 2023 | 0 |
| Charge for the year | (2,764) |
| As at 30 June 2024 | (2,764) |
| Net book value | |
| As at 1 July 2023 | 11,058 |
| As at 30 June 2024 | 8,294 |
In the 2022-2023 choir year, Grants, donations and fundraising specifically for the new staging, totalling £9,081, were shown as restricted income in the 2022-2023 Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA).
The 2022- 2023 SOFA showed depreciation expenditure of £2764 comprising a £948 unrestricted fund and a £1816 restricted fund which is a 34% unrestricted to a 66% restricted split.
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The 2022 2023 Balance sheet showed the staging £11,058 Tangible Asset as comprising a £3793 unrestricted fund and a £7265 restricted fund which is a 34% unrestricted to a 66% restricted split.
Recognising that all of the restricted £9081, raised to help pay for the staging, was used for that purpose. the Trustees have agreed to treat the staging Tangible Asset simply as a wholly unrestricted fund in the 2023-2024 accounts rather than to continue showing it as a 34% to 66% split
Consequently the Balance Sheet in these accounts for the 2023-2024 year shows only unrestricted funds.
5. Debtors and prepayments
This is in respect of a £25 payment for printing flyers for an Elgar “come and sing” event that will be held in September 2024.
6. Creditors and accruals
There were no cheques issued and not cleared at the financial year end. Income received already for the 2024/2025 season comprises advance payments totalling £252 from 3 local businesses for programme adverts in our Autumn, Spring and Summer concerts.
7. Subscriptions
At the September 2023 AGM it was agreed that members’ subscriptions would be increased from £150 per annum to £165 per annum, with those who sang for only one or two terms paying £80 per term. The £10,345 raised represents 53 full time members, and 11 part time (£9,130 in the previous year with 58 full time members and 6 part time).
At the September 2023 AGM it was agreed that Friends’ subscriptions would be increased from £20 per annum to £25 per annum. Friends Subscriptions raised £500 (£560 in the previous year).
8. Gift Aid
In accordance with current Making Music advice regarding HMRC Gift Aid regulations the amount claimed for eligible members subscriptions was based on the full subscription amount. The £2,143 received from HMRC Charities comprised £1,969 from eligible Members’ subscriptions and £174 from eligible donations.
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9. Summary of Concert Finances for the Season ended 30 June 2024
Concerts 2023/24
| Autumn Spring Summer TOTAL |
TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 2024 2024 2023/24 |
2022/23 | |
| £ £ £ £ |
£ | |
| Income | ||
| Ticket sales | 2,790 4,275 1,020 8,085 |
5,225 |
| Programme sales | 144 196 54 394 |
374 |
| Cushions | 4 10 - 14 |
7 |
| Refreshments | 198 - - 198 |
306 |
| Advertising revenue |
146 146 146 438 |
396 |
| Guest Singers | - 105 - 105 |
- |
| Music hire | 460 135 392 987 |
1,154 |
| Total income | 3,742 4,867 1,612 10,221 |
7,462 |
| Expenditure | ||
| Conductor | 500 500 525 1,525 |
1,500 |
| Musicians | 4,653 4,704 330 9,687 |
3,738 |
| Soloists | 1,350 1,450 - 2,800 |
2,850 |
| Bumpers | 150 130 - 280 |
360 |
| Music | 987 281 405 1,673 |
1,489 |
| Programme printing |
170 130 95 395 |
285 |
| Venue Hire | 417 432 250 1,099 |
1,097 |
| Refreshments | 147 - - 147 |
212 |
| Other expenses | 153 204 169 526 |
447 |
| Total expenditure |
8,527 7,831 1,774 18,132 |
11,978 |
| Surplus (Deficit) | (4,785) (2,964) (162) (7,911) |
(4,516) |
There was an overall deficit on concerts of £7911 . This compares to the £6712 deficit that had been budgeted for at the beginning of the choir year, the difference being due mainly to the Spring Verdi concert where the originally budgeted ticket price for this popular concert was later adjusted down to a more realistic figure,
The “Other expenses” items shown above chiefly comprise publicity posters and flyers plus the towing costs for the staging trailer between its storage location and the concert venue. There is also a small element of commission (1.69%) where tickets have been sold using the choir’s SumUp card reader.
10. Grants
The Society is most grateful this year for the £3000 grant from the Humphrey Richardson Taylor Charitable Trust.
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11. Fundraising
----- Start of picture text -----
Income £ Expenditure £
Annual Dinner 2200 1813
Carol Singing for Kids for Kids 223 183
The £183 collected and
donated to Kids For Kids
Carol Singing Meal 465 346
Verdi Choir Workshop 957 535
Easy Fundraising 49 -
Mole Valley Community
715 -
Lottery
Quiz Evening November
2023 * 1245 381
Quiz Evening February 2024 * 1190 474
Lighting Equipment Sales 177 -
Music Folder Sales 7 -
Includes Raffle Income
Totals 7,228 3,732
Net Income 3,496
----- End of picture text -----*
The Fundraising net income of £3,496 is £2,416 greater than last year, reflecting the Society’s aim to have a small net overall income over the year.
12. Administration Expenses
General fund expenses include those for the AGM, John F music files, Making Music membership, performing rights fees, annual insurance, website maintenance, staging trailer servicing and storage, and moving and installing a donated piano into our rehearsal venue. There is also a small element of commission (1.69%) where subscriptions, members’ music hire, tickets and the like have been paid for using the choir’s SumUp card reader.
13. Other Disclosures
During the period of office of the charity trustees, they or their close family members made donations totalling £1,313 during 2022/23 (£2,052 for 2022/23). This includes member and friend subscription income but excludes receipts in respect of ticket sales and hire of music. It also excludes fundraising income. No donations were made with conditions attached which require the charity to alter its existing activities. No ex-gratia payments have been made (2022/23: nil). No termination or redundancy payments have been made (2022/23: nil).
The Charity has no material commitments which have not been included in the accounts and has given no guarantees to third parties that could be called on at the year end.
The Charity has granted no loans and has made no ex-gratia payments during the year.
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Statement of Financial Affairs – 2022/2023
SORP (FRS102) requires the accounts to show a breakdown by fund for the prior year totals in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA).
Brockham Choral Society Statement of Financial Activities For the Financial Year Ended 30 June 2023
| Brockham Choral Society Statement of Financial Activities For the Financial Year Ended 30 June 2023 |
Brockham Choral Society Statement of Financial Activities For the Financial Year Ended 30 June 2023 |
Brockham Choral Society Statement of Financial Activities For the Financial Year Ended 30 June 2023 |
Brockham Choral Society Statement of Financial Activities For the Financial Year Ended 30 June 2023 |
Brockham Choral Society Statement of Financial Activities For the Financial Year Ended 30 June 2023 |
Brockham Choral Society Statement of Financial Activities For the Financial Year Ended 30 June 2023 |
Brockham Choral Society Statement of Financial Activities For the Financial Year Ended 30 June 2023 |
Brockham Choral Society Statement of Financial Activities For the Financial Year Ended 30 June 2023 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| See | TOTAL | TOTAL | |||||||||
| Unrestricted | Restricted | ||||||||||
| Note | 2022/2023 | 2021/2022 | |||||||||
| Income | £ | £ | £ | ||||||||
| Concert income | 9 | 7,462 | 7,462 | 8,744 | |||||||
| Member' subscriptions | 7 | 9,130 | 9,130 | 10,190 | |||||||
| Friends' subscriptions | 7 | 560 | 560 | 567 | |||||||
| Gift aid on subs & donations | 8 | 1,802 | 431 | 2,233 | 2,090 | ||||||
| Grants | 10 | ||||||||||
| Humphrey Richardson Taylor Charitable Trust |
6,375 | 3,000 | |||||||||
| 2,500 | 3,875 | ||||||||||
| Gatwick Airport Community Trust | 2,500 | 2,500 | |||||||||
| Donations: | |||||||||||
| General | 241 | 241 | 558 | ||||||||
| For new staging | 2,075 | 2,075 | |||||||||
| Fundraising: | 11 | ||||||||||
| General | 3,338 | 3,338 | 4,807 | ||||||||
| Auction for new staging | 200 | 200 | |||||||||
| Interest received | 37 | 37 | 2 | ||||||||
| Total incoming resources | 25,070 | 9,081 | 34,151 | 29,958 | |||||||
| Expenditure | |||||||||||
| Concert expenditure | 9 | 11,978 | 11,978 | 19,176 | |||||||
| Rehearsal costs: | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| Musical Director | 4,380 | 4,380 | 3,890 | ||||||||
| Accompanist | 3,306 | 3,306 | 2,652 | ||||||||
| Rehearsal venues | 2,105 | 2,105 | 1,900 | ||||||||
| Administration | 12 | 1,218 | 1,218 | 912 | |||||||
| Other expenditure: | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| Fundraising costs | 11 | 2,458 | 2,458 | 3,666 | |||||||
| New Staging | 4 | 948 | 1,816 | 2,764 | |||||||
| Total resources used | 26,393 | 1,816 | 28,209 | 32,196 | |||||||
| Net income / (Expenditure) | (1,323) | 7,265 | 5,942 | (2,238) | |||||||
| Net movement in funds | (1,323) | 7,265 | 5,942 | (2,238) | |||||||
| Reconciliation of funds | |||||||||||
| Total funds brought forward | 17,642 | - | 17,642 | 19,880 | |||||||
| Total funds carried forward | 16,319 | 7,265 | 23,584 | 17,642 |
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