- ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2024 25
The Hackney Singers (the Choir) is a charitable trust registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (Registered Charity Number 294564).
Charitable Objectives
The objectives of the Choir are to advance, improve, develop and maintain public education in, and appreciation of, the art and science of music in all its aspects, by any means the Trustees see fit, including through the presentation of public concerts and recitals; and to further such charitable purpose or purposes as the Trustees in their absolute discretion shall think fit. The Choir is governed by its constitution, which is available on the Choir’s website at www.hackneysingers.org.uk.
Management of the Choir
The Choir is managed by a Committee. The members of the Committee are the Trustees of the charity and are elected by the Members of the Choir at the AGM. The Committee may co-opt new Committee members (but no more than 25% of the elected Committee). The Committee engages a Music Team to facilitate the charitable objectives.
Public benefit
The trustees of the Hackney Singers have complied with the duty in section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission.
In pursuing our aims for the public benefit, the Hackney Singers believes it impacts on people’s lives in two ways. First, for members of the choir, we involve people in a creative, fulfilling and enjoyable educational activity. For many members, the choir provides a musical education that they haven’t previously had access to, including the opportunity to develop vocal technique and performance skills and explore a wide repertoire. We also believe we provide a strong community, with many members developing important social networks that bring benefits both by attending rehearsals and through other social activities made possible by the relationships built through the choir.
Secondly, for our audiences, we present exciting and varied concerts, which include audience favourites, but also repertoire that will sometimes challenge them and educate them by extending their musical knowledge.
We also seek to develop relationships with other groups in our community, such as
children’s choirs, to provide positive musical experiences for both our members and others in our community.
The trustees of the Hackney Singers are conscious that the opportunities to benefit from our activities must not be unduly restrictive. We are a non-audition choir and welcome any
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member who is willing to work towards and can maintain a certain standard. At times, we are unable to accept new members in some voice parts, due to the need to maintain a balance of voices to ensure a positive experience for both members and audiences. We offer significant concessionary rates to those who are receiving certain benefits or are on low income. We offer concessionary prices on tickets, and reduced prices for children.
Music Team
Dan Ludford-Thomas – Musical Director Andrew Storey – Assistant Musical Director
Committee Members and Trustees during the year ended 31 August 2025
Chair - Bill Goodall Secretary - Jill Ellenby TreasurerCathie O’Driscoll Committee - Carole Sired Jane Gibson Sally Williams Meg Orpwood-Russell Jessica Norrie Teresa Brennan Judy Spours Martin Stevenson N. Deniz Ucpinar
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Chair’s Report for the year ended 31 August 2025
Hackney Singers’ 2024–25 season of concerts opened on 19 October 2024 at St John of Jerusalem Church in Hackney, where the choir performed Poulenc’s Gloria and A Symphony of Psalms by Stravinsky. This second piece was especially challenging, but with accompaniment by the Percussion Ensemble of London on the day the choir really rose to the occasion. The choir also performed Deus in Adjutorium Meum by Benjamin Britten, and we were also treated to a wonderful performance of an arrangement of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue for four hands played by our superb accompanists Cliodna Shanahan and James Orford. Anyone who was lucky enough to have been present will know how special that was, and we are very fortunate to be able to work with such accomplished musicians on a regular basis.
On Sunday 22 December we held our annual Carol Concert at our regular venue of St Peter’s Church in De Beauvoir Town in Hackney. We had a good audience and were delighted to collect £1955 for our designated charity the Hackney Night shelter. The previous day, 21 December, a group of singers sang carols in Broadway Market where in total we collected more than £700 for the Hackney Speaker’s charity. Thanks as always go to Mary, Cheryl and Lynne for organising the event and for arranging for the singers’ refreshments at Off Broadway in the market.
On 12 February 2025, a little earlier in the year than we might have preferred, we returned to the Royal Festival Hall where we performed Brahms’ German Requiem and the rarely heard Hiob by Fanny Hensel. Once again Hackney Singers joined forces with Lewisham Choral Society and, accompanied by the London Mozart Players, put on a performance of which we could all be very proud. The audience was lower than that of our previous appearance at the South Bank, in part due to the early scheduling, but nevertheless we were able to show a small profit from the performance. We have been performing with the Lewisham Choral Society at the Royal Festival Hall since 2012, and very much hope that we will continue to do so in future.
The early scheduling of our Spring concert, and the fact that it made a profit, meant that we were able to hold an event in the summer of 2025. This was dubbed the Hackney Singers Summer Soirée and was held on 14 June at St Mathias Church in Stoke Newington, another of our regular venues. By popular request from some members of the choir we reprised Hiob by Fanny Hensel, previously performed by us at the Royal Festival Hall, as well as Britten’s Deus in Adjutorium Meum which formed part of the programme in our Autumn concert in 2024. In addition we included the fourth movement from Brahms’ German Requiem and, by way of a preview of our forthcoming concert in Autumn 2025, the Agnus Dei from the Requiem by Maurice Duruflé. It wasn’t all recycled material however, as the choir also performed Morten Lauridsen’s Nocturnes and O, Magnum Mysterium . At the Soirée we were delighted to be joined by members of Vox Next Gen, the young artists’ programme of Vox Urbane, who performed a selection of glorious polyphonic works by
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Hildegard von Bingen, Kerensa Briggs, William Byrd, Maddalena Casulana and Fernand Laloux. The performance by Vox Next Gen undoubtedly enhanced the concert, and we hope to be able to collaborate with them in the future. The concert was followed by a social event in the form of a barbecue in the church garden. The whole event was a great success and was enjoyed by all. As a result we hope to be able to include more summer events in the future.
My thanks, and that of the committee and the whole choir, go to our music team. Dan and Andy’s commitment to the choir is hugely appreciated, far more than I’m able to put into words. Our rehearsals are (literally) conducted with professionalism and humour and are enjoyed by all, a fact reflected in the large numbers of members who attend each week. It is a tribute to the music team, and long may they remain with us.
This is my first year as Chair of Hackney Singers, and I would like to thank everyone in the choir, and especially Dan, for their support and for making my first year fairly painless. It really does mean a lot to me.
In all there were five changes to the committee this year, and I would like to thank everyone for their help and support as we all adjust to our new roles. All committee members play their part in ensuring that everything runs smoothly behind the scenes, but this year I would like to say a special word of appreciation to our Concert Manager Sally Williams and our Librarian Tony Price for their tireless commitment and professionalism to what are very demanding and complex roles.
Looking ahead, the highlight of our 2025–26 season promises to be a performance of J.S. Bach’s St John Passion with period instrument accompaniment at Hackney Church on 28[th] March 2026.
Bill Goodall
Bill Goodall (Jan 8, 2026 10:07:11 GMT)
Bill Goodall Chair
Date: 08/01/26
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Treasurer’s Report for the year ending 31[st] August 2025
The Annual Accounts for the year ending 31st August 2025 are presented to the members of the Hackney Singers. The accounts are attached.
Introduction
The main financial aims for the choir during the financial year 2024-2025 were to consolidate and maintain the membership level of the choir to around 150 people and to enable the choir to stage four events over the year with complete financial security. If successful, it was then intended to pursue the aim of four annual events into the ongoing future.
Membership
At the end of August 2023, paid membership stood at 142
At the end of August 2024, paid membership stood at 147
Events
During the year, four events were staged:
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Autumn Concert 19.10.24. The concert cost £12,074.47 but raised £4,150 in ticket sales, a loss of £7,924.47
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Carol Concert 22.12.25. This cost the choir £2,102.78 but raised £1,955 for our designated charity, Hackney Night Shelter. The choir costs included the hire of the church hall for our Christmas social
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Spring Concert 12.02.25 Royal Festival Hall This concert was staged jointly with Lewisham Choral Society and the final accounts settlement for Hackney Singers was £978.80 (profit)
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Summer Soiree 15.06.25 St Matthias Church with Vox Next Gen. This concert cost £8,469.71 but raised ticket sales of £4,846.94 a loss of £3,622.77 .
Income and expenditure
Subscription income including Gift Aid and donations totalled £38,420. The costs of rehearsals, music and other overheads totalled £16,342. The four concerts resulted in a loss of £12,671.72.
Overall, we made a profit on the year of £8,653 and ended the year with £31,627.25 in the bank.
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Ongoing Risks and Opportunities
Our two main income streams come from membership fees (including Gift Aid) and concert ticket sales. We receive a relatively small income in donations. We note the increasing costs of all aspects of concert production but are keen to maintain the precedent of staging four concerts per year.
To be able to manage this safely, the committee have decided to undertake two measures:
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To increase subscriptions for the year 2025/26 to £220 annually, concessions £100 annually.
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To increase ticket prices for concerts and pursue a more proactive approach to marketing and ticket sales
Outlook
Overall, financially Hackney Singers is currently in good standing, and the committee members are trying hard to maintain the strength and stability of the choir into the future.
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| Hackney Singers | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receipt and Payments Account | |||||
| Year ended 31 August 2025 | |||||
| 2024-25 | 2023-24 | 2022-23 | |||
| Receipts | |||||
| Gifts, donations and other voluntaryreceipts |
|||||
| Membership | £ 25,789 | £23,337 | £23,498 | ||
| Gift Aid refund from HMRC | £ 10,357 | £4,617 | |||
| Donations | £ 44 | £1,097 | £2,097 | ||
| CharityCollections | £2,335 | £2,721 | |||
| Other | £1,038 | ||||
| Membership receipts and Donations |
£ 38,525 | £ 28,193 | £30,212 | ||
| Receipts from tradingactivities | |||||
| Charitable trading | |||||
| Concert Income | £ 9,181 | £11,234 | £13,959 | ||
| Non-charitable trading | £ - | £ - | |||
| Advertising in programmes etc |
£ 1,330 | £940 | £2,020 | ||
| HS 50thparty | £2,240 | ||||
| Tradingreceipts | £ 10,511 | £ 14,414 | £15,979 | ||
| Other receipts | £ 11,144 | £636 | |||
| Bank interest | £ - | £ - | £ - | ||
| TOTAL RECEIPTS | £ 60,180 | £ 42,607 | £46,827 | ||
| Payments | |||||
| Musicpurchase & hire | £ 1,322 | £2,160 | £2,570 | ||
| Rehearsal costs | £ 14,820 | £20,183 | £15,485 | ||
| Concert costs | £ 18,973 | £25,461 | £11,028 | ||
| Publicity& fundraisingcosts | £ - | £1,218 | £ - | ||
| Management and administration |
£ 1,420 | £1,318 | £1,109 | ||
| Otherpayments | |||||
| Costs of goods for resale (inc bar costs) |
£ 451 | £ - |
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| Disbursement of funds | £ - | £ - | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | £526 | £1,609 |
|||
| Subs refund | £ 200 | £185 | £902 |
||
| Charitydonations | £2,230 | £2,721 | |||
| HS 50thparty | £2,356 | ||||
| Other | £ 12,111 | £416 | £724 |
||
| TOTAL PAYMENTS | £ 51,527 | £ 56,544 | £33,428 |
||
| NET ANNUAL SURPLUS/SHORTFALL |
£ 8,653 | -£13,937 | £13,399 |
Hackney Singers Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31 August 2025
| Cash Funds | 2024-25 | 2023-24 |
|---|---|---|
| CommunityCurrent Account | ||
| Total Cash at bank | £31,627.25 | £23,074.25 |
| Other Assets | ||
| Cash | £105 | £0 |
Cathie O’Driscoll
Treasurer
Date: 08/01/26
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF HACKNEY SINGERS
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Hackney Singers (the Charity) for the year ended 31 August 2025.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the trustees of the Charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the Charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Jason Foxwell
Jason Foxwell (Jan 9, 2026 18:52:17 GMT)
Mr J P Foxwell FCCA FCIE independent-examiner.net
12 Hillbourne Road, Poole, BH17 7JB
Date: 09/01/26
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Hackney Singers Annual report 24-25
Final Audit Report
2026-01-09
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