## **THE LYMINGTON CHORAL SOCIETY**
**ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] JULY 2024**
**Registered Charity Number 288724 Correspondence address – Locarno, Fox Pond Lane, Lymington SO41 8FW**
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## **The Lymington Choral Society Registered Charity Number 288724**
## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 31[st] July 2024**
## **Structure, governance and management**
The Lymington Choral Society is an association consisting of performing members, associate members and patrons. The Lymington Choral Society has adopted the Model Constitution provided by Making Music, which was authorised for adoption by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
Trustees are appointed at the Annual General Meeting in October and consist of the Society’s Officers (Chair, Secretary and Treasurer) and the following representatives of the Society. The Trustees for the year to 31st July 2024 are
Chair Patricia Mennie Secretary Rebecca Millington Treasurer Karen Brett Fundraiser and Membership Secretary Sheila Hammond to 18 October 2023 Fundraiser and Archivist Jill Hendey Librarian Ann Blacklock Associate Members & Patrons Ann Lewington Soprano Representative Jane Gibbons Alto Representative Sue Rusling to 18 October 2023 Cathy Rose from 18 October 2023 Lower Voices Representative Christopher Hobby
The Society banks with HSBC and is a member of Making Music.
## **Objectives and Activities**
The Lymington Choral Society aims to enable singers and musicians in the New Forest and beyond to enjoy making music, developing their musical expertise by the presentation of choral and classical works in accessible local venues.
The Society performed three sold out concerts this season,
- St Thomas’ Church Lymington:
- Messiah & Festive Favourites for Choir & Audience in December 2023.
- `o` Gloria! Karl Jenkins and John Rutter in May 2024
- St Mary Magdalene Church, New Milton
- The Crucifixion, John Stainer in March 2024
Membership numbers remain healthy in the Soprano and Alto sections. There has been a good increase in the members of the Bass and Tenor sections which has much enhanced the sound balance of performances.
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## **Treasurer’s Report**
The Society’s accounts for the year which are presented on a receipts and payments basis are shown on page 5 with supplementary information on the accounts shown on page 6. There is a surplus for the year which has been added to the Society’s reserves, all of which are held as unrestricted funds to meet future requirements.
Subscriptions were maintained at £60 per term for this year. Ticket prices were maintained at £15 each for concerts at St Thomas’ Lymington. Tickets for the St Mary Magdalene concert were priced at £10 as this was a shorter performance, in a smaller venue.
At the committee meeting on 19 January 2024, it was unanimously agreed to increase the remunerations of the Music Director and the Accompanist.
||Previous Rehearsal|New Rehearsal|Previous Concert|New Concert|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Music Director|£100|£120|£450|£500|
|Accompanist|£80|£95|£350|£400|
The Music Directors preparation fee of £200 per concert will remain the same. This payment includes orchestra preparation and on-line publicity.
The expenses for the recording and the production of the CD were in the previous year’s accounts. Income from CD sales are shown in this year’s accounts.
The weekly Raffles continue to raise very valuable funds. Thank you to Sue Strong for organising these.
A Fundraising Lunch and Raffle was again held at Milford on Sea which raised valuable funds and was an enjoyable social event. Thank you to Maureen Askin and her team.
The Trustees express their grateful thanks to:
- VEC Acorn Trust
- Rachel Sharman Trust
- Christine Clode
for generous grants and donations received.
## **Declaration**
The trustees declare that they have approved the accounts.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Patricia Mennie, Chair
Karen Brett, Treasurer
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## **The Lymington Choral Society Registered Charity Number 288724**
## **Independent Examiner’s report on the accounts - Draft**
I report on the Accounts of the Society for the year ended 31[st] July 2024 which are set out on pages 5 and 6.
## **Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner**
The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to
- Examine the accounts (under section 43 of the Act)
- To follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 43 (7)(b) of the Act), and
- To state whether particular matters have come to my attention
## **Basis of Independent Examiner’s Report**
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. 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 you as 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.
## **Independent Examiner’s Statement**
In connection with my examination no matter has come to my attention
1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements
- a. to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 41 of the Act and
- b. to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the act
- have not been met, or
2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Nichola Kirby
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## **Lymington Choral Society** (Registered Charity 288724) **Receipts and Payments Account 1 August 2023 to 31 July 2024**
|9,450
725
9,670
3,000
630
3,900
348
1,815
1,509
6
**2022/23**|9,450
725
9,670
3,000
630
3,900
348
1,815
1,509
6
**2022/23**|**Receipts**
Subscriptions
Full Members
Associate Members and Patrons
Concert tickets and programmes
Beaulieu Payment
Other concert income
Grants and donations
Music hire and sales
Recording Sales
Gift Aid Tax Recovered
Fundraising
Interest|9,870.00
650.00|10,520.00
11,014.71
7,309.43
**2023/2024**|10,520.00
11,014.71
7,309.43
**2023/2024**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||10,275.00
739.71|||
||||2,575.00
100.00
1,050.00
2,081.25
1,490.11
13.07|||
|**31,053**||**Total regular income**|||**28,844.14**|
|6,230
2,495
1,750
1,057
74
620
1,724||**Payments**
Concert costs
Orchestra and keyboards
9,345.00
Soloists
690.00
Conductor
1,450.00
Church and hall hire
1,545.00
Concert publicity and programmes
447.00
Music
Voice
312.00
Orchestra
561.60
873.60
Otherconcert expenses
1,367.66||||
|**13,951**||**Concert costs**||**15,718.26**||
|2,900
2,320
3,078
148
733||Rehearsal costs
Conductor
3,220.00
Accompanist
2,560.00
Hall hire
3,175.00
Choir Publicity and printing
-
MM - Insurance/PRS
922.96||||
|**9,179**||**Rehearsal costs**||**9,877.96**||
|830
650
300
2,000||Recording Costs
Orchestra and keyboards
-
Conductor
-
Church hire
-
Recording
-||||
|**3,780**||**Recording Costs**||**-**||
|138
0
302
92
50||Administration
Fundraising costs
Website hosting and maintenance
Bank charges
Miscellaneous||199.40
-
510.30
80.40
71.00||
||**27,491**|**Total regularpayments**|||**26,457.32**|
||**3,562**|**Surplus/(Deficit) for the period in respect**
**of regular activities**|||**2,386.82**|
|21,369
**24,931**
748
**748**
**25,678**
25,678
0
**25,678**|21,369|5
Balance from previous year
Balance carried forward in respect of regular activities
Entertainment Fund balance from previous year
Entertainment Fund
**Total balance carried forward**
**Represented by**
Cash at bank
Cash in hand||747.84|24,930.58|
||**24,931**||||**27,317.40**
**747.84**|
||**25,678**
25,678
0||||**28,065.24**|
||||||28,061.24
4.00|
||**25,678**||||**28,065.24**|
|||||||
**The Lymington Choral Society Registered Charity Number 288724**
# **Notes to the accounts for the year to 31[st] July 2024**
## **Note 1 Grants and donations**
During the year the Society has benefitted from the following grants and donations used either for specific purposes or for general activities.
Rachel Sharman Trust £1000 Vec Acorn Trust £1500 Christine Clode £75 Total £2575
## **Note 2 Gift Aid Tax Recovered**
A claim was made for tax to be recovered under HMRC’s Gift Aid scheme. Going forward a claim will be made annually and all members are asked to consider participating where possible.
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