nhgs 

## **North Herts Guild of Singers FINAL  50th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Held on Thursday 29 September 2022 at 7.30** 

## **at Benslow and via ZOOM** 

## **PLEASE NOTE:** 

Since September 2021, we have been holding hybrid rehearsals with people attending in person or via Zoom. This meeting took place prior to our usual rehearsal with members attending either in person or via Zoom. In order to fulfil the requirements and keep the proceedings manageable via the hybrid platforms, the following arrangements were made: 

Notice of the meeting was given via email The agenda was circulated via email 

All the relevant documents (Agenda, Minutes of last year’s meeting, Treasurer’s Report, Accounts, Notes on the proposal to raise the subscription) were posted in the Members’ Section of the website. Members were invited to submit any questions or comments prior to the meeting. 

As there were no other nominations, the meeting was asked to elect the Officers separately and the Committee _en bloc_ 

Attendees were asked to vote in the usual way by a show of hands. Kate Evans was appointed as teller to count the votes of those participating via Zoom. Dave Tinney was appointed to count the votes of those present. 

Notice of the rate of next year’s subscription will be circulated via email after the meeting. The information will be posted to members without access to email or the internet. 

The Chair’s Report and the MDs report will be posted on the website soon after the meeting. Paper copies will be posted to members without access to email or the internet. 

## **MINUTES OF THE MEETING** 

## **1. Apologies:** 

Evelyn Marsh, Sarah Carrick, Marion Bradbury, Bill Pargeter, Sue Covington, Jess Peyton Jones, Phyl Corvosso, Karen Williams, Chris Blackman, Celia Lord, Mags Sykes, Peter Goff, Cecelia Mills 

## **Number in attendance** : 76 members (plus 8 non-members) 

## **2. Minutes of the 49th AGM held on Thursday 19 September 2021** . 

The minutes were unanimously approved and signed by the Chair. 

## **3. Matters Arising** 

None arising. 

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## **4. Chair’s Report** 

At the end of our Summer 2021 concert, which was online, I expressed the hope that it would be our last virtual concert. Happily, although it proved to be a huge challenge, we returned to live rehearsals in September. We succeeded in putting on 4 live concerts and a successful workshop. 

In order to do this we had to complete endless risk assessments, fill in many spreadsheets, carry out surveys of the choir’s views, follow all sorts of guidelines and precautions and make extra visits to venues. Lists were collated by section leaders, precise seating plans created, detailed notes were sent out and thousands of covid tests were taken. But it all proved worthwhile, and it was a wonderful moment when we were at last able to sing together, albeit a metre apart. 

Our first challenge was actually finding a rehearsal venue, as Benslow could only accommodate us for a handful of dates. Our rehearsals for almost 2 terms were held at St Mary’s church, which had the benefit of space and plenty of air, its flow assisted by the open doors, welcoming in the freezing night. The choir arrived in many layers. We were very grateful to the St Mary’s Churchwardens for accommodating us at short notice and low cost. 

Harry mastered the hybrid rehearsal. Thus we could still offer zoom, with those at home able to hear their choir. Most of us at some point found ourselves using zoom in the course of the year. 

A hard working and dedicated team of members prepared the church for our rehearsals every week and I’d like to thank them. 

Our AGM was held online and our new updated constitution and rules were carried unanimously. This was the culmination of 3 years’ hard work and hopefully will make the choir more secure in future years. 

In October our MD, Harry Bradford, took part in the Eric Ericson Award in Stockholm, reaching the final and conducting the Swedish Radio Choir. It was an astonishing performance.  Many of us watched the nailbiting final, and were delighted to see Harry the runner up. 

We carried out another survey of members on their views before having a live concert. After careful analysis of the results we opted for a distanced concert and an audience limited to friends and family. Our French concert in November was an absolute joy, and much appreciated by choir, audience and zoomers. At this concert we celebrated with the audience our accompanist’s 10 years with the Guild. 

Not only is Colin Spinks a very talented player, he is a go to for questions of music, language and pronunciation. He is able to read the mind of conductors, and is the singer’s friend as we search for elusive notes. He proved a huge asset to us throughout our zooming and went to great lengths to record accompaniments for us. 

By the time of our Christmas concert things on the covid front were looking a little worrying, indeed many choirs who had their concerts the following week were forced to cancel. Wearing our now customary red and black the Christmas hats were even more outrageous than usual – we all needed cheering up. The concert was described to me as ‘joyous and celebratory’. Many of us found it moving, to sing together as a 

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choir the beautiful Normandy version of Away in a Manger which we had recorded in lockdown. Our zoomers also took part, wearing their Christmassy outfits. 

Our January newsletter was titled ‘Reasons to be cheerful’ and most welcome. 

Our March concert saw quite a few members unwell and having to drop out at the last minute. However, many joined us on zoom. It was our first concert at Walsworth Rd Baptist Church. Many of us wore yellow and blue ribbons to support the Ukraine and at the start of the concert we all stood for their National Anthem. Afterwards the concert was described to me as wonderful, uplifting, inspiring and joyous. 

In April we returned to Benslow and things began to feel a little more normal. In June we held what was a real highlight of the year, our Platinum Jubilee Come and Sing. We had an amazing day, a sell out, with lots of visiting singers. I received many positive comments from both visitors and choir. 

Here are some of them: _‘miles ahead of any singing event I've ever done’, ‘wonderful’, ‘joyful’, ‘fabulous’, ‘a super day’, ‘I would have paid more’ and ‘My head is still buzzing! I enjoyed the day enormously - your organisation, the refreshments and friendly, welcoming atmosphere made for a very special day’._ 

A lot of members worked towards this, and I thank them, as well as local councillor Keith Hoskins who to donated £500 towards it from his locality budget. 

Unfortunately, by the summer concert in Ashwell many members were unwell and the number on stage was quite small. However, we must have made a pretty good sound as the enthusiastic audience had a wonderful time, one said it was fabulous and brought big smiles to everyone in the audience. 

Membership: our members increased from 108 to 117 with 23 new members. Sadly, we lost some much- loved members. We remember, Maureen Lewinski, a former member of the sopranos, Gill Harwood, a second sop and long- standing member, Alan Miller, a bass who had only recently joined us, and of course Alan Biller. Alan served the choir in many ways, including as Chairman, Secretary, and Librarian, and most recently independent examiner. He was always ready to help and probably knew more about the choir than anyone. He leaves an empty space in the front row of the basses. 

The committee has expanded, joined by Kate Evans, Jane Kirk, Hannah Shaw and Jenny Squires. Kate has taken over from Francis as Librarian, Hannah is doing publicity and Jenny is now our Concert Manager. We are grateful to Frances, who is remaining on the committee, and to Peter Todd who has stepped down as Concert Manager. Your committee do a splendid job. 

I have to thank all those who have contributed to the running of the choir this past year, and especially our very hard-working Secretary Christine and our Treasurer Diane, who have put in many hours, and been a constant support. I’d also like to thank my husband, Richard, designer of all our posters since 2015, tenor section leader, but also unofficial assistant Chair taking on all sorts of tasks without complaint. 

As you know, I am stepping down as Chair of NHGS after 4 eventful years. I have realised just how important our choir is to so many of us from all the emails and 

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comments received. Hopefully things are now more normal, although we still have some challenges to face. Let us look forward to our 55[th] season. 

## **Deborah Dean (Chair NHGS)** 

## **5. Music Director’s report.** 

It is wonderful to be reporting to you all this year after a complete year of in-person music making! It is crazy to think that only 12 months ago we were taking our very first, somewhat nervy steps back to singing with socially distanced rehearsals in St Mary’s. It’s been a long and tough road back but I am incredibly proud of how we have navigated the hurdles of covid and how optimistic the future of the choir feels as I report to you today. If Covid taught us nothing else, it’s that the joy of choir and communal music making is somewhat irreplaceable and such an important and indeed essential part of our lives – it is something worth preserving and fighting for. 

Our programme this time last year saw us begin with an exploration of 20[th] century French music with the somewhat bombastic mass setting of Louis Vierne paired with Durufle’s incomparable Requiem. Despite our distance and somewhat sub-optimal rehearsal temperatures, the choir quickly brushed off any covid cobwebs and were able to really enjoy the details of both scores. The concert day was a triumph and I couldn’t think of a better way to reintroduce ourselves to live audiences than with the opening of the Vierne Kyrie – it really was quite something! We were joined by the excellent Rosamond Thomas, Nina Kiva and of course the inimitable Colin Spinks. Throughout the process, thanks mostly to the work of John Chamberlain and his team, we were also able to cast our rehearsals and concerts online so that those unable to join us initially were able to share in the joy of our music making – bravo. 

Having been bereft of a proper Christmas in 2020, our December concert saw us feasting in carols with the Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia paired with a number of classics from the Carols for Choirs books. As an MD, there’s always a love-hate relationship with Christmas music as once you are on your 1000[th] iteration of ‘Away in a Manger’ for the season it can become a bit tedious but this year felt slightly different with every single carol feeling unbelievably fresh and vivid. Despite nearly losing our excellent baritone soloist, Charlie Baigent, at the wrong end of the church and dealing with a less-than-excellent MD who left his copy in the dressing room…the choir performed extremely well and brought such exuberance to these familiar carols. This, in turn, engendered a certain gusto from the audience I have not heard in a while… Although I personally had another Christmas ruined by Covid, I slept safely in the knowledge that I’d got my Christmas music fix before everything went downhill – so thank you all for that. 

Our concert in April saw us tackling the Handel Coronation Anthems, the Mozart Missa Brevis in B flat and the heroic Stanford Te Deum. Musically, I think this was one of the most satisfying concerts I have ever done with the Guild. Everyone knew exactly what they were doing, there was such attention to detail in terms of dynamics and articulation and I got the sense the choir had developed a real ownership of the music. Despite occasional worries that I might fall to an untimely death, such was the great hight of my podium in Walsworth Road, I had such fun conducting the concert and the acoustics of the church were very generous to the intricate writing of the Handel in particular. This was also the first concert that we stopped socially distancing and I could feel a palpable sense of relief at being able to hear everything much more clearly. Our soloists Claire Ward, Sally Lundgren, Alex Hume, Jo Moore and guest 

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organist Richard Leach were all extremely complementary of the choir  and I think we were very worthy of their praise. 

The summer term saw us moving into a completely different territory, to the music of battles, of romance, of angry coppers and 19[th] century extravagance – it could only be Opera Choruses and G and S. It must be said that I would never have included G and S as ‘my music’ so to speak, as I’ve never really had the chance to ‘get into it’ but the music making over the Summer really enamoured the music to me – it was fantastic fun to approach this repertoire, sometimes not in the most sensible of ways…! That being said the music did present challenges for us – four different languages, lots of text, dramatic renderings (saying nothing of Bob Beasley’s excellent props) and much, much more. The concert in the delightful setting of Ashwell was great fun and it was lovely to see such a warm and supportive audience. The choir sang with fantastic commitment and, after much encouragement from yours truly, even began to smile as if they were enjoying the experience – imagine that, singing for enjoyment (I must be doing something wrong). Soloists, Tamsin Raitt, Hannah Bennett and Samuel Kibble wowed the crowd with their solo arias and page turner extraordinare over here was accompanied ably by Colin Spinks on the piano, despite having to temporarily apply WD40 to the waning Ashwell instrument! 

In the midst of the summer term, we also donned our Red, White and Blue for a super fun Jubilee Bring and Sing which featured coronation anthems throughout the ages and Mozart’s Coronation Mass. It was great to welcome singers from all over the county to join us for the day and I’d like to think they were impressed by the music making but more importantly the level of baking which was quite simply extraordinary! Thanks to all those who made the day such a success and I look forward to running more workshops like that in the future. 

Overall, it has been a wonderful year of music making with many happy memories. I’m sure this season will be remembered for years to come as the season where, like a Phoenix, the Guild was reborn from the ashes of Covid. As ever I’d like to extend my thanks to the committee and essentially to everyone who has to put up with my administration or lack thereof. Frances and Kate (library), Chris (membership), Peter (concert manager), Diane (treasurer) to name but a few but in particular I’d like to thank our wonderful chair Deborah for her constant reassurance and encouragement. I can’t really imagine what life in the Guild will be like without her constant presence as chair but I couldn’t imagine anyone better to guide me through my first 3 and half seasons with the choir. As for Colin, well what can I say – not only is he an excellent musician and colleague but he’s also one of the most resilient and good-natured people I know. This is your annual reminder that we are very lucky indeed to have him. To the choir, thank you for your constant support in all aspects of my musical life – there have been a couple of big occasions over the last year in which I’ve been very touched and indeed overwhelmed by the lovely messages and emails that I have received. It always feels like I have an extended family here and I really appreciate that! I’m already looking forward to seeing what special musical moments the coming season will bring. 

## **Harry Bradford (MD NHGS)** 

## **6 Treasurer’s report for the year 2021-2022** 

The  Treasurer  presented  her  report,  as  follows,  together  with  the  financial statement for the year. 

I attach the NHGS accounts for the year 2021-22 which are presented in the format expected by the Charity Commission 

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Thanks to the continued financial support of the Members and the hard work of our professionals we were able to hold in person rehearsals, four live concerts, (none with an orchestra), and a Jubilee workshop this year. A surplus of £3,617 was acquired due to  obtaining  some  concert  income,  which  was  not  in  the  budget  due  to  the uncertainty of the pandemic, a £500 grant for the Jubilee workshop and significant increases in fundraising revenue and general donations 

The key differences in income and expenditure between the financial year 2021-22 and the previous year are: 

1. Gift  Aid  has  decreased  primarily  due  to  a  10%   decrease  in  the  number  of Members who can offer Gift Aid plus an increase in the teaching element (16 to 26%) that has to be deducted from subscriptions before making a claim. This is calculated from the previous year’s figures where our overall costs were low due to the  pandemic,  compared  to  the  teaching  costs..  This  should  improve  going forward. 

2. A £500 grant was received from the Locality Budget Scheme of Herts County Council for the Jubilee Workshop and is shown in Note 5: Grants, legacies and general donations. 

3. There were no Performing Rights Fees paid this year. These are paid one year in arrears and no in-person concerts were held during the year 2020-21 

4. General Administration expenses included the course fees for our First Aiders to renew their qualifications, the renewal of a Zoom licence for Committee meetings and some rehearsals, and the honorarium paid to our Independent Examiner. 

5. Bank charges, particularly for the use of cheques and cash were introduced part way through the year. 

6. Accruals – Creditors comprising £90 of advertising income and £84 of unclaimed ticket income carried forward for two successive years were written off this year.; Debtors and payments in advance consist of £200 venue deposits for concerts in future years. 

7. The  total  reserves  has  increased  to  £53,492.  These  are  made  up  of  three components, namely the unrestricted (free) reserves of £45,152, the tour reserve of £2,640, and £5,700 set aside to cover the cost of depreciation of our staging. The readily available (cash) reserve is currently £44,742 

Thanks to generous support from Members and cost savings made by the Committee, we are fortunate to be in a financially good position at the moment. However we have approximately 25 fewer members than before the start of the pandemic and concert attendee numbers, (and hence revenue) are down by half of pre-pandemic figures. This loss in revenue equates to our former budget for orchestras of £10-12k.  We intend to start to use orchestras in 2022-3 but are also expecting increased costs all round. However we have acquired nearly an £18k surplus over these past 3 years which will be used to subsidise orchestra costs during the next few years. My thanks go  to  our  extremely  talented  professionals  who  have  had  to  adapt  to  changing circumstances throughout the year and to all the Committee and many other helpers who have had to plan and execute many tasks at short notice. Thank you too, to all Members who have continued to support the Guild and you can be assured that the Trustees will endeavour to manage the finances as best we can to ensure the long term future of the Guild. 

## **Diane Richards (Treasurer NHGS)** 

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Peter Todd proposed that the financial report should be accepted, and this was seconded by Ruth Garrod.  All were in favour. **7 Annual subscription for the 2022-2023 season** The Committee proposed that the subscription should be increased by £30 to £198 per annum. 

The amount of the proposed increase was questioned from the floor. Deborah referred to the rationale that Diane had circulated prior to the meeting. She also pointed out that we were holding two concerts with an orchestra in the forthcoming season, both carrying a predicted budgeted loss (£5,380 for the November concert and £7,345 for the Spring concert). Deborah also reminded everybody that we had not raised the subscription since 2019 and that, even with the proposed increase, it worked out at less than £5 per rehearsal. With our membership down on pre-COVID numbers, all costs rising and with audience numbers slow to return to pre-pandemic levels, careful budgeting will be essential moving forward. 

Another question from the floor involved the hiring out of our staging as a means of raising money. Deborah pointed out that the staging that we have requires careful assembly by people familiar with the system. It can be very easily damaged. We have recently hired out a small amount of staging as a favour to another, small choir. It required a volunteer to oversee the collection of the staging and give instruction in its use. Another volunteer had to be available to check the staging on its return and store it safely. Hiring the staging could be considered a high risk enterprise which requires a lot of volunteer time for very little financial reward. 

The motion was put to the meeting that the annual subscription should be increased to £198 per annum. 

Proposed by Judy Bigley and Seconded by Pat Salmon 

The motion was carried unanimously. 

## **8 Appointment of an Independent Examiner** 

The Treasurer had prepared a statement which, in her absence, was read by Dave Tinney. 

After the sad loss of our Independent Examiner Alan Biller (who carried out the Independent Examination for a small honorarium), we were unable to find another suitably qualified volunteer to take on the role.  We therefore appointed an accountancy firm who handle Independent Examinations for small charities. HW Associates in Hitchin provided us with a competitive quote and carried out the work in an efficient manner meeting our tight deadlines for completion in time for our AGM. (Other firms that were approached could not guarantee to do the work during August.)   It is therefore recommended that, subject to a satisfactory quote, we should appoint HW Associates to carry out our Independent Examination for the year 202223. 

Diane Richards (Treasurer) 

Peter Williams proposed that the Treasurer’s recommendation should be accepted. This was seconded by Barry Goodman. Approval was unanimous. 

It was noted that, in preparing his report, the Independent Examiner was extremely complimentary about the work of our Treasurer, notably her clear record keeping and 

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the way in which she presented her report and the accounts for examination.  We are all very grateful to Diane. 

**9 Election of Officers of NHGS** . Deborah is stepping down as Chair at this meeting. There have been no nominations to succeed her. 

Prior to this meeting, the Secretary contacted the Charity Commission to report our situation and was assured that we would still be able to operate legally with a Vice Chair. 

**Chair:** No nominations 

## **Hon. Secretary:** Christine Goodwin 

Proposed by Ruth Garrod and seconded by Liz Sillars 

Although there were no other nominations, the approval of the meeting was sought. 

Approval was unanimous. 

**Hon. Treasurer:** Diane Richards: 

Proposed by Bob Beasley and seconded by Sue Trost Although there were no other nominations, the approval of the meeting was sought. 

Approval was unanimous. 

## **10 Election of members to serve on the Committee from 29 September 2022** 

The following Members were elected to serve on the Committee: 

Anne Blackman, Frances Chamberlain, Kate Evans, Jane Kirk, Penny Lazenby, Pat salmon, Hannah Shaw, Jenny Squires, Dave Tinney 

Proposed by Judy Bigley and seconded by Richard Dean. 

Although all were standing unopposed, the approval of the meeting was sought. Approval was unanimous. 

## **9 Any other business** 

No other business had been notified in advance of the meeting. 

At this point, the Secretary, on behalf of everyone on the Committee and all the membership, thanked Deborah for her outstanding leadership during her tenure as Chair We have all been grateful for her encouragement and guidance as well as the amount of time and hard work she has dedicated to guiding the choir through some unprecedented times. Deborah was presented with a bottle of prosecco as a small token of our appreciation. 

The meeting closed at 8.10 pm 

Signed ..........................................................  (Chair) Date........................................... 

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## **North Herts Guild of Singers** 

## **Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 July 2022** 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
2020/21 (£) 2021/22 (£)<br>20,251 Members' Subscriptions 20,061<br>2,924 Gift Aid recoverable - for this year 2,211<br>23,175 Sub-total 22,272<br>153 Fund-raising activities ( Note 1) 453<br>0 Concert income (Note 2) 4,561<br>0 Hire of music/folders to Members 646<br>0 Administration and Other Income (Note 3) 133<br>0 Choral Workshop (Note 4) 1,156<br>130 Grants, legacies and donations (Note 5) 675<br>4 Sundry Income 11<br>23,462 Total incoming resources 29,907<br>RESOURCES EXPENDED<br>0 Costs of fundraising (Note 1) 0<br>4,770 Concert costs (Note 2) 8,273<br>8,990 Rehearsal costs 11,766<br>0 Music & folders hired/purchased 1,108<br>3,077 Administration and Other Expenses (Note 3) 3,555<br>0 Choral Workshop (Note 4) 1,544<br>0 Bank Charges 44<br>16,837 26,290<br>6,625 Surplus/(Excess) of resources expended 3,617<br>Balance Sheet as at 31 July 2022<br>Fixed assets<br>9,975 Staging (Note 6) 8,550<br>Current assets<br>339 Debtors and other payments in advance (venue deposits) 200<br>97 Cash in hand 97<br>37,146 Bank Deposit Account balance 44,557<br>92 Bank Current Account balance 88<br>47,649 53,492<br>Less: Current liabilities<br>174 Creditors and accrued expenses  0<br>47,475 Net current assets and net assets 53,492<br>Financed by:<br>40,610 General reserves at 1 August 2021 47,235<br>6,625 Surplus / (Excess) of resources expended in the year 3,617<br>47,235 General reserve at 31 July 2022 50,852<br>240 Tour Reserve (Note 7) 2,640<br>47,475 Total reserves at 31 July 2022 53,492<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


Deborah Dean (Chair)                                                             Diane Richards (Treasurer) 



## **North Herts Guild Of Singers** 

## **Notes to the Accounts 2021/22 - Page 1** 

|**Note 1:  Fund raising activities**<br>Sale of Music<br>Easyfundraising<br>Amazon Smile<br>Competitions<br>Advertising<br>Other<br>**TOTALS**|**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>£<br>**Income**<br>**Costs**<br>**Net**<br>**20/21**<br>133<br>0<br>133<br>8<br>147<br>0<br>147<br>83<br>43<br>0<br>43<br>62<br>0<br>0<br>0<br>0<br>90<br>0<br>90<br>0<br>40<br>0<br>40<br>0<br>**453**<br>**0**<br>**453**<br>**153**|
|---|---|



## **Note 2:  Concerts** 

|**Note 2:  Concerts**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Income**|**Costs**|**Net**|**20/21**|
|Prior year concerts -2020|84|0|84|0|
|Autumn (2021)|661|2,042|(1,381)|(1,420)|
|Christmas (2021)|1,345|1,833|(488)|(1,500)|
|Spring (2022)|1,240|2,288|(1,048)|(470)|
|Summer (2022)|1,231|2,109|(878)|(1,380)|
|**TOTALS**|**4,561**|**8,273**|**(3,712)**|**(4,770)**|



## **Note 3:  Admin  & Other Expenses** 

|**Note 3:  Admin  & Other Expenses**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Income**|**Costs**|**Net**|**20/21**|
|Making Music Subscription|0|275|(275)|(365)|
|Insurance|0|137|(137)|(132)|
|Performing Rights fees|0|0|0|(97)|
|Website maintenance and operation|0|103|(103)|(103)|
|Equipment|0|75|(75)|0|
|Concert scarves|133|0|133|0|
|Staging storage rental|0|936|(936)|(780)|
|Staging Depreciation|0|1,425|(1,425)|(1,425)|
|Social Events|0|0|0|0|
|General Administration expenses|0|604|(604)|(175)|
|**TOTALS**|**133**|**3,555**|**(3,422)**|**(3,077)**|



## **Note 4: Jubilee Workshop June 11** 

|**Note 4: Jubilee Workshop June 11**||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**Income**|**Costs**||**Net**|**20/21**||
|Venue||0|165||(165)||0|
|Professionals||0|1,100||(1,100)||0|
|Entry charges for participants||1,156||0|1,156||0|
|Music hire||0|229||(229)||0|
|Gifts and hospitality||0||50|(50)||0|
|**TOTALS**||**1,156**|**1,544**||**(388)**||**0**|
|**Note 5  Grants, legacies and other donations**||||||||
|||**Income**|**Costs**||**Net**|**20/21**||
|General Donations||175||0|0|130||
|Grant - Herts CC for Jubilee workshop||500||0|0||0|
|**TOTALS**||**675**||**0**|**0**|**130**||





## **North Herts Guild Of Singers** 

## **Notes to the Accounts 2021/22 - Page 2** 

**Note 6: Fixed Assets (Staging)** 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
Cost Depre'cn  Net Book<br>10% strt line Value<br>Balance @ 1 August 2021 14,250 4,275 9,975<br>Charge for the year 21/22 1,425 (1,425)<br>Additions 0 0 0<br>Less disposals 0 0 0<br>TOTALS 14,250 5,700 8,550<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


**Note 7:  September 2022 tour to Whitby -Cancelled** 

||**Income**|**Costs**||**Net**|**20/21**||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Deposits received from Members|5,200||0|5,200||0|
|Deposits refunded to Memembers||2,800||(2,800)||0|
|TOTALS|5,200|2,800||2,400||0|
|Deposits retained for 2023 Tour||||2,400|||
|**Tour reserve**|||||||
|Balance  @1 August 2021|240||0||240||
|2023 Tour deposits passed to Tour Reserve|2,400||0||||
|**Tour reserve at 31 July 2022**|2,640||0|2,640|240||





## **Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of the North Herts Guild of Singers** 

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the North Herts Guild of Singers (the Trust) for the year ended 31[st] July 2022. 

## **Responsibilities and basis of report** 

As the charity trustees of the Trust 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 Trust’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: 

1. Accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or 

2. The accounts do not accord with those records; or 

3. The accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. 

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. 

Mark Hjertzen BA FCA HW Associates Limited Portmill House Portmill Lane Hitchin Herts SG5 1DJ 

Dated ……17 October 2022……………………………………………………………