## **LAWYERS’ MUSIC** **_______________________** ## **REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** **For the year ended 31 August 2024** |**REGISTERED ADDRESS:**|49 Croham Road| |---|---| ||South Croydon| ||CR2 7HD| |**COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER:**|1952985| |**CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER:**|293015| |**BANKERS:**|HSBC| |**HONORARY PRESIDENT:**|H W Ashton| |**COMMITTEE MEMBERS:**|A M Blankfield (resigned 8 July 2024)| ||B Cater – Chair| ||I Dal Soglio (appointed 21 October 2024)| ||S M Gibbons| ||W F G Hess – Treasurer and Secretary| ||T Le Brocq (appointed 29 January 2024)| ||R J Reid (resigned 8 July 2024)| ||O Curd (appointed 30 October 2023)| ||S Sadoughi| ||J Tuppen| ||S Webbe| **LAWYERS’ MUSIC** ## **REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE** The Committee Members submit their report and the financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2024. The names of those who served on the Committee during the year are given on page 1. ## **Structure, governance and management** Lawyers’ Music is a company limited by guarantee, constituted in accordance with its Memorandum and Articles of Association. Each of the members has undertaken to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 towards the assets of the company in the event of the same being wound up and the assets being insufficient to cover its liabilities. The company is managed by the Committee, which is made up of members whose appointment is subject to approval by the membership as a whole in General Meeting. ## **Objectives and activities** The company is established “to advance the aesthetic education of the public throughout the world in the art and science of music”. It works to achieve this aim: - by recruiting amateur singers and instrumentalists to form the London Lawyers’ Symphony Orchestra and the London Lawyers’ Chorus, and - by the Orchestra and Chorus presenting a series of public concerts each year, usually in central London. The company publicises its activities through its website www.lawyersmusic.org.uk. The Committee members have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. ## **Achievements and performance** The charity enjoyed a successful year of music-making and charitable activities, putting on the following programme of events: - On 18 November 2023, the orchestra started the year performing, with Mark Prescott conducting, Dvorak’s Othello overture, Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and He Zhenhao and Chen Gang’s Butterfly Lovers concerto with orchestra member Lydia Cheng as violin soloist at St. Giles’ Cripplegate; - On 29 November 2023, the choir performed their first concert of the year at St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden, performing Bruckner’s Requiem and other motets under the baton of Rupert Gill; - On 23 March 2024, Mark Prescott once again took up the baton, and the orchestra performed Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto (with orchestra member Larissa Joy as soloist), Brahm’s 3[rd] Symphony, and and Mendelssohn's "Ruy Blas" Overture, at the National Musicians’ Church, Holy Sepulchre; - On 14 March 2024, the choir performed Vivaldi's Gloria, Byrd’s Ave Verum and Purcell's Come Ye Sons of Art at St Andrew's, Holborn under the baton of Chris Oakley; Page 2 **LAWYERS’ MUSIC** - On 29 June 2024, the choir and orchestra together finished the musical year with Puccini's Messa di Gloria and Dvorak’s Symphony no. 6, at St Giles's Church, Barbican with Mark Prescott conducting. ## **Membership** Following a successful year in 2023, 2024 was a disappointing year for recruitment. From 81 paying members in 2022, 2023 had seen growth to 108 paying members. However, in 2024 this dropped to 85. In 2024, the split between paying members in the orchestra and choir was 47 versus 38, which compares to 54 versus 54 in 2023 and 41 versus 40 in 2022. Recruitment and ensuring that all members who are able to pay their subscriptions do pay will be a key focus in the 2025 season and the Committee intend to look at this closely. ## **Financial review** Following a post-Covid boosted 2023, 2024 saw a slightly weaker year with lower membership numbers than anticipated and hoped for combined with continued inflationary pressures (albeit these were not as significant as in 2023). The financial result for the year was an excess of expenditure over income of £4,353 ( _2023: surplus of £15,656 albeit this included the one-off impact of the 40[th] anniversary donations campaign and prior year orchestra tax relief claims: the normalised net-deficit in 2023 was £18_ ). As at 31 August 2024 the company had bank deposits totalling £24,526 ( _2023:_ £25,064). The company also had amounts recoverable under gift aid of £4,018 ( _2023: £9,343_ ). The sums include general reserves which the company aims to maintain at the level of at least half a year’s expenditure and this will continue to be closely monitored. They also include the balance of the Helen Sibthorp legacy (£19,622, of which £2,073 remains) bequeathed to Lawyers’ Music by former member Helen Sibthorp “ _in the hope that they will do something truly interesting with it_ ”, together with a further legacy of (£5,000, of which £553 remains) bequeathed by former member Sylvia Kapp in October 2014. The Committee expects to use a portion of these during the 2024/25 season. This report has been prepared taking advantage of the small companies exemption in accordance with s.415A, Companies Act 2006. This Report was approved by the Committee on 20 November 2024. B Cater Committee Chair 20 November 2024 Page 3 **LAWYERS’ MUSIC** ## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES** ## **For the year ended 31 August 2024** |**Note**
**Income– Resources arising**
Income from regular concerts
Income from special events
Donations and legacies
Subscriptions
Income Tax recoverable under Gift Aid
6
Interest receivable
Orchestra Tax Credit
7
**Expenditure– Resources used**
Direct charitable expenditure:
Costs of regular concerts
2
Costs of special events
Administration costs
3
**Net movement of resources in the year**
**(Deficit)/surplus**
Reserves brought forward
Reserves carried forward|**2024**
**2023**
£
£
6,332
8,336
0
35
1,112
7,545
18,627
20,635
4,651
6,169
0
0
6,274
8,360| |---|---| ||36,996
51,080| ||(36,125)
(30,953)
(100)
(1,465)
(5,124)
(3,006)| ||(41,349)
(35,424)| ||(4,353)
15,656
36,285
20,629| ||31,932
36,285| ## _The notes on page 6 form part of these financial statements._ The above results, which have been calculated on the historical cost basis, are wholly attributable to the continuing activities of the company. There are no recognised gains or losses for either year, other than those shown above. Page 4 **LAWYERS’ MUSIC** ## **BALANCE SHEET** ## **As at 31 August 2024** |**Current assets**
Debtors and prepayments
Cash at bank
**Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
Other creditors and accruals
**Net assets**
**Reserves**
Income and expenditure account -
Balance brought forward
(Deficit)/surplus for the year
Balance carried forward
Of which:
Legacy reserves
Sibthorp legacy brought forward
Movement in the year
Sibthorp legacy carried forward
Kapp legacy brought forward
Movement in the year
Kapp legacy carried forward
General reserves
Brought forward
Movement in the year
Carried forward|**2024**
**2023**
£
£
7,405
11,220
24,526
25,065| |---|---| ||31,931
36,285
0
0| ||31,931
36,285| ||36,285
20,629
(4,353)
15,656| ||31,932
36,285| ||2,073
2,073
0
0| ||2,073
2,073| ||553
553
0
0| ||553
553| ||33,659
18,003
(4,353)
15,656| ||29,306
33,659| _The notes on page 6 form part of these financial statements._ For the year ended 31 August 2024 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006. The members have not required the company to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006. The directors acknowledge their responsibility for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and for the preparation of accounts. These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to small companies’ regime. B Cater Committee Chair Approved by the Committee on 20 November 2024. Page 5 **LAWYERS’ MUSIC** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** ## **For the year ended 31 August 2024** ## **1. Accounting policy** ## **Basis of Accounting** The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention in accordance with applicable accounting standards. ## **2.** ## **3.** |**Concert expenses**
Soloists’ and instrumentalists’ fees and expenses
Conductors’ fees and expenses
Hire of venues
Hire and carriage of music
Publicity and programmes
Hire of equipment and instruments
Other concert expenses
**Administration costs**
Society website and membership platform
Registrar of Companies
Making Music (National Federation of Music Societies)
PRS for Music fees
Account fees
Advertising
Sundry expenses|**2024**
£
14,605
5,905
13,209
892
294
1,050
170
36,125
**2024**
451
13
596
0
60
1,300
2,704
5,124|**2023**
£
12,572
3,310
11,702
1,031
494
1,318
526| |---|---|---| |||30,953| |||**2023**
772
13
476
0
62
1,637
46| |||3,006| ## **4. Committee members’ emoluments** The Committee Members receive no emoluments in respect of their services on the Committee. The Charity has no employees. ## **5. Income** Income is accounted for on the basis of amounts received or receivable in respect of activities in the financial year. ## **6. Tax status** Due to the charitable status of the company, no taxation arises on the results for the year. Income tax recoverable on subscriptions and donations paid under Gift Aid is accrued and amounted to £4,651 (2023: £6,169). Page 6 **LAWYERS’ MUSIC** ## **7. Orchestra Tax Credit** Due to the orchestral productions undertaken by Lawyers’ Music, Orchestra Tax Credit is available with respect to the production cost of Orchestral events. After expenses, the Orchestra Tax Credit accrued in the current year was £6,274 (2023: £8,360). Note, of the current year figure, a portion relates to additional amounts received with respect to prior years. The amount which relates to concerts during the year ended 31 August 2024 is £2,727. ## **8. Related Party Transactions** During the year, Lawyers’ Music engaged Susie Blankfield, who is the daughter of committee member Andrew Blankfield. In total she received £250 (2023: £335) which was all settled within the year. Andrew Blankfield took no part in any discussions relating to this appointment. Page 7 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesldirectorsl members of Lawyers. Music On accounts forthe year ended 31 August 2024 Charity no.: 293015 Company no.. 1952985 Set out on pages I report to the chanty trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 3110812024. Responsibilities and basis of report As the chartVs trustees of the Company {who are also the diredors of the company for the purposes of company law), you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordan￿ wtth the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Acr). Hawng satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audtted for this year under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in resped of my examination of your chanty's accounts as carrted out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 {"the 2011 Acri. In carrying OLrt my examination, I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145{51(bl of the 2011 Act. Independent examinerfs statement I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come to my attention which gives me cause to believe that.. ' accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006" or . the accounts do not accord with such records,. or . the accounts do not comply with relevant accounting requirements under sethon 396 of the Companies Act 2006 other than any requirement that the accounts grve a 'true and fair. view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination,. or .the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the Charibes SORP (FRS1021. IER October 2018 I have no con￿M$ and have come across no other matters in connection wf(h the examinab.on to vthich attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understarmling of the accounts to be reached. . Hease delete the woffls in the brackets rfthey not apply. Signed: Date: 30 April 2025 Name: Geoffrey Matthew Hunter Relevant professional qualificationlsl or body (if any): FCA {ICAEW) Address: Flat 34 Darwin Court Gloucester Avenue LONDON NW1 7BG Section B Disclosure Only complete rf the examiner needs to highlight material matters of con￿rn {see CC32, Independent examination of charity a￿)unts. diredions and guidance for examiners). Give he￿ brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disc105e. IER October 2018