THE IIOYAL SCHOOL OF CHURCH MUSIC REPORT OF COUNCILAND ACCOUNTS For the year ended 31 December 2023 Enabling the flourishing of church music Registered Charrty Number 312828 A Company knmited ty Guarwrt*. C Reg￿traI)c￿ Numb& 25(X)31 Registered Office 19 The Close. Salistmry. Wiitshift SP12EB ## Founded by Sir Sydney Nicholson in 1927 ## Registered Charity Number 312828 A Company Limited by Guarantee, Company Registration Number 250031 ## **Registered Office** 19 The Close, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 2EB ## **Governing Document** Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 25 July 1930, most recently amended at RSCM’s AGM on 18 September 2017 ## **Charitable Objects** The RSCM exists to promote the study, practice and improvement of music and other matters relevant to the conduct of Christian Worship. Our main activities in pursuit of this object are the provision of programmes of education, training courses, resources, publications and advisory services to subscribing individuals, churches, colleges and other bodies, both in house and by working in partnership with other organisations. ## **Royal Patron** His Majesty the King ## **Patrons** The Right Revd The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland His Eminence the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster The Revd The Moderator of the Free Churches Group The Rt Revd and Rt Hon The Lord Carey of Clifton ## **President** His Grace The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury ## **Vice-Presidents** The Right Revd David Stancliffe Brian Kay 1 ## **Reference and administrative details** ## **Council (Trustees and Directors)** 1. Phil Taylor (Chair) (from March 2023) 2. Andrew Morgan (Vice Chair) (from March 2023) 3. The Very Reverend Dr John Hall (Chair until March 2023) 4. Brigid Parkin 5. Mary Evans (until September 2023. Died January 2024.) 6. Chris Bridges 7. Edward Wild 8. Revd Angie Paterson (until March 2023) 9. Tansy Castledine 10. Nicholas Riddle 11. John Halsey 12. Margaret Greenwood 13. Julia Mixter 14. Susan Pope 15. Martin Honeywood (from June 2023) 16. Sammi Tooze (from June 2023) 17. Sean Costello (from June 2023) ## **Honorary Advisors** 1. The Revd Dr Maggi Dawn 2. Trevor Ford 3. The Revd Douglas Galbraith 4. Dr Simon Lindley 5. The Revd Dr Timothy Macquiban 6. The Revd Peter Moger 7. Mr Richard Morrison 8. Patrick Russill 9. Dr John Rutter 10. Professor Peter Toyne 11. Dr Noël Tredinnick 12. Dr Mary Archer 2 ## **Senior Officers and Managers** Director Hugh Morris Deputy Director Education and Mission Delivery Sal McDougall (until 31/3/24) Assistant Director Operations/Company Secretary Paul Hedley ## **Advisers** Auditors Rothmans Audit LLP Avebury House, 6 St Peter Street, Winchester, SO23 8BN Principal Bankers Santander, Bootle, Merseyside, L30 4GB Common Banking CAF (Charities Aid Foundation), 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4TA Insurance Brokers Bridges Insurance Brokers, 61 Northdown Road, Cliftonville, Margate, Kent, CT9 2RJ Investment Managers Brewin Dolphin, 12 Smithfield Street, London EC1A 9BD Solicitors Batt Broadbent, 44 Castle St, Salisbury SP1 3TX Pensions Administrators Origen Financial Services Ltd, Infor House, 1 Lakeside Road, Farnborough GU14 6XP 3 ## Objectives and Activities ## Aims The mission of the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) is to enable the flourishing of church music. The RSCM’s current 5-year Strategic Plan continues to provide the reference point for our planning and activity; coupled with the milestone of RSCM’s centenary in 2027 our focus is on long-term horizons and clarity of future direction. The key purpose of the RSCM is enabling the flourishing of church music by: ## **Celebrating our past** ## **Encouraging and resourcing the present Inspiring the future** It is based on the following **Missional Values:** The RSCM is an independent UK charity dedicated to supporting, nurturing and sustaining church music. We provide relevant education, training and resources to our members and to the wider church in countries all around the world. - We work to improve the study and standard of music in Christian worship. - We advocate for music as a missional tool for church growth. - Our work is underpinned by our Christian faith. We value each person as bearing the image of God and as a being who should be protected from harm. - We strive to broaden the church music landscape, to make it more inclusive and more active. In 2023, further work was undertaken to clarify the RSCM’s **principal beneficiaries** . These are: 1. **Young people** , without whom there is no future for church music or, indeed, for the church as a whole. 2. **Music leaders** , who bear the responsibility for the flourishing of church music in their context today and play a key role in the nurture and support of the next generation of church musicians. 3. **Worship leaders** (including, but not exclusively, clergy), who can help to ensure that music finds its place within the mission and ministry of the local, diocesan, and national church, supporting growth in faith and discipleship. Young people need to form the focus of thinking if we are to enable the long-term flourishing of church music. 4 ## Our vision for the future In 2027, the RSCM will celebrate its Centenary. This will be a good opportunity to celebrate the rich heritage of church music, to remember the RSCM’s positive role in shaping that history over the past one hundred years, and to map out its future. It will also be a moment to reflect upon our core values. We must redouble our efforts to encourage the church to recognise the power of music as an agent for growth. We must encourage and support churches to make the most of the musical resources they have and to be ambitious about their music making. Perhaps above all, we must ensure the future flourishing of church music by inspiring young people. ## **Strategic Priorities** (drawn from the RSCM Strategic Plan) ## **1. Encouraging the development of church music and musicians** Part of our mission is to improve the study and standard of music in Christian worship. This requires the RSCM to function as an educator and to train current and future generations of church musicians. We have a mandate to provide a coherent, comprehensive educational offering that is relevant to the church, to our members and to all those whom we serve, regardless of age or ability. This must include positive engagement with young people as we enable them to begin a lifelong encounter with church music. ## **2. Bringing people closer to God through music** We will motivate churches to align with our aims and values. Our resources encourage our members and the wider church to view music as a tool for mission and growth. If church music is to flourish in the future, it is essential that we introduce more children and young people to the joy of singing in church. ## **3. Promoting music in worship and excellence in music** The RSCM promotes the value of church music in the wider world. We are advocates in a range of spheres, working with appropriate partner organisations and in relevant public forums. We build upon the rich heritage of church music, while celebrating the diversity found within the contemporary landscape. We ask what the wider world can bring to church music, and what sacred music can bring to the life of the church and society in general. RSCM’s business plan, supported by detailed project plans, allows senior management, together with Council, to deliver the strategic plan effectively, focused on achieving maximum impact from the resources available. 5 ## The RSCM in 2023: Achievements and Performance Education is at the heart of the RSCM’s name, and at the heart of its mission. Key achievements during the year include the delivery of new resources to support the strategic priorities, and a more complete resumption of Education courses, especially those for young people. The week-long, residential **Bath Course** , an annual fixture in the RSCM’s Education calendar, was back to its pre-pandemic capacity, with all 95 places filled. Considerable efforts were made to ensure that the range of music included during the week represented a range of musical styles and traditions, and a good gender balance of composers. A new commission from Jack Oades was premiered, linked to him running a composition workshop for course attendees. A highlight for all was the significant engagement with the worship which forms such a central core to this course. _I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on the course and I just wish I had found out about it sooner. I’d do it again if I could and I will be recommending it to young people in my area. It’s been an amazing week, thank you!_ _**Singe** r_ _I absolutely love the sense of community on the Bath Course. The house I was in very much felt like a complete family by the end of the week and I loved seeing friends that I made and hadn’t seen since last year and making new ones._ _**Singer**_ _It was a very fun week and it definitely improved aspects of my singing and made me more confident._ _**Singer**_ _Thank you to all the staff for such a wonderful course in Bath. It was my son's first time and he absolutely loved it and is keen to return next year. He sang for the entire journey home!_ _**Parent**_ As part of this course, and also in the summer residential week for the **RSCM Millennium Youth Choir** , we advanced the next stage of our Emerging Leaders programme. This aims to provide music leaders of the future with the skills they need to be their own catalysts for growth. On these two courses, Emerging Leaders are given mentored supervision and experience-gaining sessions. The next phase of expansion of this is to deliver a more farreaching, online training programme for the much larger number of applicants for the limited number of in-person places we are currently able to offer; this will start in September 2024. _being an emerging leader is a valuable step in my career. I now need to pay even closer attention when singing so that I can put what I have learnt into practice when I’m standing in front of the choir._ _**Emerging Leader 2023**_ _I remember in my interview they asked what I was hoping to improve when coming here. I said “I’m hoping to find out what I don’t know I need to know”._ _**Emerging Leader 2023**_ 6 _This programme makes me feel as if I have fingers in several pies: I’m singing, and I’m doing some conducting, I’m getting experience recording, which I don’t think anyone else would let you do at this level._ _**Emerging Leader 2023**_ The RSCM’s work to encourage more young people to sing, and specifically to do so in church, continues to grow and expand, and is now aligned into logical learning pathways. **Hymnpact®** continues to be an important first-step resource. In line with the planned strategy and approach, a further 10 items were added to the resource in 2023. Feedback from users continues to be positive. The Church of England has funded a pilot project to evaluate how encouraging this kind of singing in schools opens the doors to singing in church, engagement with families, and on to encounters with discipleship. This is taking place in the Dioceses of Salisbury and St Albans. A particular highlight in 2023 was children who have been part of this pilot project singing for the Archbishop of Canterbury at a summer outdoor service in Salisbury. Next steps include to encourage more churches to create an environment to capitalise on the gains this resource provides within school contexts; and to further grow the number of schools subscribing to the resource. _'Being part of the choir is really important as it shows we are a unit. The song was easy to learn (possibly because we loved it so much) and it was great to be able to perform it!'_ _**Toby 9 years old**_ _'Personally speaking, and I’m sure that other people will agree, I think this is one of the best things the RSCM has done in quite a while and congratulations for this sort of thinking and for making that available.'_ _**Mick – Diocesan Music Adviser**_ **Voice for Life®** continues to be a key part of the Education strategy. There are many resources available within this supporting choir training and vocal development at local level. Continuing the RSCM’s approach to making the best of available technology, **Voice for Life Digital** has now launched and is being used and adopted by a growing number of choirs and choristers. The key features are that it enables independent learning, embeds multimedia approaches, and allows choir trainers to monitor and respond to the progress of individuals, without taking up lots of precious time. It is available both on computer and mobile app. Importantly, the outcomes of the five levels are cross-compatible with the original bookbased resource. **RSCM Singing Awards** , a focused track of the wider Voice for Life pathway, continued to increase in number, at bronze, silver and gold levels. In 2023, there were 260 successful candidates (2022: 239). For 2024 and beyond, a new approach to working with local partners (mostly, but not only churches and cathedrals) to provide an efficient, effective network of exam venues is being adopted. Work towards OFQUAL accreditation of the Awards is underway, a prerequisite for which has been the increased quality of our standardisation and examiner training procedures. **Church Music Skills** has existed for many years as a correspondence course. Of the four strands (organ, choir trainer, cantor, and music group leader), the first of these – Organ - has now been re-released and revised as a digital course using the RSCM learning hub. The progress to release of this has been a long, gradual one but the increase in quality of the 7 resource is very apparent and has immediately resulted in a good number of users at the start of 2024, (currently 39). **RSCM Celebration Day** – at which the RSCM presents Honorary Awards to those who have made significant contributions to church music at all levels from international to local – was held this year in Chester Cathedral; it linked the Area festival with the presentation of awards in a service of Evensong. Over 150 singers led the worship for our honoured guests, and large congregation. ## Local events and RSCM Areas Throughout 2023, 95 local events took place including Area Festivals, Come & Sings and educational training events. Some of these were drawn from the Education Menu following its launch in 2022. Further to a review of RSCM’s finances in the wake of the effect of COVID, and a strategic decision to focus on supporting our priority beneficiaries (young people, music leadership and clergy/lay leadership) with a limited number of centrally organised events, RSCM’s Council made the significant decision to remove the Regional Manager posts in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. This in turn led to the setting down of the local RSCM Area structure during 2023, including disbanding the Area Teams. Post-pandemic, the structure of the Areas had become increasingly difficult and costly to maintain, and events often falling short of predicted financial budgets and attendance. The transition during 2023 and into 2024 has therefore been away from a Regional Managerled structure of Area Teams to a new, more dynamic system of supporting Member Organised Events. This newprocess launched in the first part of 2024. It includes guidance and support for those preparing and promoting the events, and listing these events on our website and in our Events newsletters. Volunteer support and goodwill will be retained in harnessing volunteer time and talents in new ways. A limited number of ‘RSCM-labelled’ events will take place each year, which will receive a greater amount of central staff support. Whilst changing the way the RSCM delivers local activity, we will continue to nurture relationships with our Diocesan and Provincial Representatives, and look to work more closely with the dioceses on training for all those who lead worship. This is gaining momentum, and enables Member churches to have a more active relationship with the administration support available from the office staff team. An important part of the task of closing the Areas was to thank all of our volunteers who in some cases, had many years of involvement with the RSCM at a local level and many were nominated for RSCM Honorary Awards to acknowledge their dedication and success. 8 ## Raising funds Raising funds to support our work is a critically important activity. **RSCM Music Sunday** (11[th] June) included a new fundraising initiative. RSCM’s Director, Hugh Morris, and Assistant Director, Paul Hedley, undertook a sponsored tandem cycle ride. This was intended to draw together a number of themes. It was a route of 96 miles in the charity’s 96[th] year; and deliberately went from our former home in Addington Palace, Croydon, to our current offices in Sarum College, Salisbury. It also straddled RSCM Music Sunday, which highlights the value of music in worship, and the countless number of people who support and provide such music. The trip thus included visits to a member church (St Thomas on the Bourne, Farnham) on the morning of Music Sunday, and Winchester Cathedral for evensong the same day. The target of raising £9600 was exceeded (£11091.15 including Gift Aid), and it provided a good range of radio, newspaper and online media coverage. The **Friends scheme** continues to work well, with 199 friends at different levels of support. In 2023 this represented a total of £25,548 of giving pa (NB Gift Aid not included). |Friend (£50+)|101|£5349| |---|---|---| |St Gregory(£100+)|76|£9000| |St John (£250+)|13|£3749| |St Cecilia (£500+)|3|£1,950| |St Nicolas (£1,000+)|6|£5,500| |_Total_|_199_|_£25,548_| As part of the scheme, the St Nicolas tier of Friends were invited to attend a lunch in Oxford, at which Nicholas Cleobury was the guest speaker. This was followed by a demonstration of the new organ in Magdalen College Chapel by Mark Williams (Informator Choristarum), an introduction to the Merton Choirbook in Merton College’s Old Library, and a memorable Evensong in Merton College Chapel. An invitation to our **Annual Lecture** is one of our Friends benefits, and in 2023 Professor Jeremy Dibble spoke on Stainer’s _Crucifixion_ , the choice of topic selected because it combined with the launch of the New Critical Edition published by RSCM. This was held at St Marylebone Parish Church in London, where the piece was first heard in 1887. The option on the web shop to donate to our work in training young people at the point of checkout has continued to be a valuable source of free-will offering, providing £1810 of additional income, which has been used to support our educational work in training choristers. 9 The **Legacy Society** continues to be well supported, and in 2023 the annual service reverted to Sarum College Chapel. A highlight for attendees was the additional post-lunch talk. This was given by 1953 Coronation Chorister Allan Ledger, and was appropriate not only because this followed in the weeks after the 2023 coronation, but also because the 1953 massed choir was resourced and trained by the RSCM. The **Annual Appeal** in 2023 was considerably more successful than in 2022, raising £12,947 + £2140 in Gift Aid (2022: £5500) ## Safeguarding A culture is now well established of Safeguarding being embedded in all aspects of RSCM’s work. Policies have been successfully reviewed, revised and updated. Much of that safeguarding work inevitably happens in a way that is not externally visible, but which nonetheless involves significant correspondence, liaison and co-operation with statutory agencies, including the police and individual LADO staff in support of investigations. Active work has also taken place with Dioceses in managing risks presented by people of concern. An active approach to implementing our Safer Recruitment processes has enabled the RSCM to ensure it makes appropriate staffing appointments. Tailored training for staff working on RSCM courses has been delivered; and there continues to be awareness and involvement from all RSCM departments in relevant aspects of safeguarding. ## Membership The RSCM is a membership organisation, and supporting that membership remains a key priority for the charity. The relational focus to supporting our valued members continues to be a key priority. As planned, the new **Members Area** of the website launched in March 2023, enabling previously scattered information to be collated into one place. Significant new benefits included the launch of **Sunday by Sunday Plus** , an enhanced online version of the printed magazine which allows effective planning of services and organising of musicians. New membership benefits in 2023 included a partnership with Sing for Pleasure, and also the launch of a regular, monthly series of online events which are intended to expand on our commitment to resource and support our members. 10 For the first time, our new database allowed us to actively track renewals and follow up lapsed memberships. Doing so resulted in 78 new or refreshed Memberships which represents 49% of those contacted. Membership figures at the end of 2023 stood as follows: ||**Number**
**of**
**Memberships **|**_Previous_**
**_year_**|**Trend**| |---|---|---|---| |UK Group(Affiliate)|2879|3040|-161| |UK Individual|1065|1074|-9| |UK Under 25|34|40|-6| Connections with RSCM’s International Partners, whose 894 memberships are not listed in the lines above, were further strengthened by ongoing online meetings. An additional 74 international members are administered directly from the UK. ## International Partners The RSCM has five partners who are constitutionally independent from the RSCM UK charity. ## **RSCM America** 2023 was a vibrant year for RSCM America. The Board met in February to elect new officers and discuss changes in strategy and structure to better deliver value to our members. A Board retreat occurred in May where goals for the future of RSCM America progressed, along with a year-long strategic timeline and 3 and 5 year goals. They are exploring how a revised membership structure might allow greater impact, so that anyone who sings in an RSCM America choir considers themself a part of RSCM America; singer-focused rather than institution-focused. In terms of summer courses, the pandemic led to the closure of three historic and beloved courses. One new course was launched and is gaining good traction. The Board, as well as the local committees of the six surviving residencies, worked hard to make sure the experiences stayed vital and sustainable, chiefly because the benefits these weeks offer to individual singers cannot be quantified and they are the most tangible and recognizable aspect of our work. The President is heartened by the energy and diversity of the current Board, while at the same time concerned about the fiscal situation. He hopes, though, that with some of these pivots being undertaken a bright future for church music in America is on the horizon. 11 ## **RSCM Canada** The Covid pandemic severely impacted Canada, especially Ontario where most of the membership resides. Choirs and directors had worked with fewer people and smaller music budgets. In 2023, small areas of growth were seen. The Board is looking at a new website to allow more space for information and easier access. There has been interest from individuals who were keen to be part of the RSCMC Board. Events have started up again in a small way. ## **RSCM New Zealand** The highlight of the RSCM year in New Zealand was the Cambridge Summer Festival in January 2023. Significant numbers of choristers from established choirs travelled from considerable distances to participate. Other 2023 activities included: (1) Putting in place plans for the distribution of the RSCM National Library holding. (2) Reviving the appointment of RSCM Advisors. The Otago-Southland Branch has led the way with the appointment of Richard Madden ARSCM (3) A renewed search for examiners for VFL Awards. (4) Partial resolution of CMQ supply issues. ## **RSCM South Africa** Cape Town (Western Cape) struggled to hold a quorate in-person AGM but succeeded on a second (hybrid) attempt and elected a new Chairman. Kwa Zulu Natal (KZN) branch has an increasingly ‘mature’ membership and is finding it difficult to retain committee and officeholders. Some English language congregations are facing musical and worship changes that have impacted on choirs and organists. Northern Branch (Johannesburg et al) faced leadership issues and administrative challenges in releasing bank and investment accounts with deceased and emigrated signatories. Eastern Cape branch was sadly dissolved. Nationally, increasing difficulty in holding nationwide residential events put pressure on the National Board’s constitutional obligations to meet in person. An in-person National Board meeting was held in Cape Town in December. ## **RSCM Australia** RSCM Australian activity in 2023 included the Winter School in Brisbane in July, which after some careful work to re-think the programme proved to be a successful occasion. The national council has met on a number of occasions, and each of the Branches has planned and delivered a range of sessions and activities. Further work included planning of a series of events to capitalise on the visit of the RSCM’s Director in March 2024. 12 ## RSCM Publishing At the beginning of 2023, RSCM publications became a limited company, wholly owned by the charity. The purpose of this was primarily to improve the support offered to the work of the charity through increasing the profitable out-turn of publishing activity. The new **‘RSCM Enterprises’** is also able to undertake a wider range of activities in pursuit of financially supporting the charity. RSCM publications continued the recovery in sales started in 2022, with improvements through 2023 in all areas of trading. The year started particularly strongly with a specially commissioned anthem to celebrate the Coronation by Joanna Forbes L’Estrange, ‘Sing for the King’. This was the focus of a major campaign of the same name, with the opportunity of supporting our aim to bring more people into contact with church music and fulfilling the priority of ‘bringing people closer to God through music’. It was available in multiple formats for Unison or SATB choirs, piano or organ, printed or digital download copies. The anthem was taken up and performed by hundreds of choirs around the country and beyond (284 bought the digital download, and 2689 physical copies were sold), and we were able to use the recordings made by the composer herself and by Royal Holloway Choir to support the initiative. 241 different choirs told us of their performances, including Church Choirs, School Choirs, Community and Chamber Choirs, Choral Societies and Cathedrals. Further new products published in 2023 included a new critical edition of Stainer’s Crucifixion, edited by Professor Jeremy Dibble, referring to the manuscript score in the University of Durham Library; Come & Sing Evensong, a collection of Responses, Canticles and Anthems for putting on your own Come & Sing event (aligning to the RSCM’s priority of promoting music in worship); and Two-Part anthems, a collection of newly composed anthems by contemporary composers for choirs with limited voice parts, meeting the needs of a post-Covid, changed church landscape. All three of these new publications sold above expectations, and re-prints were required for them all within the first year of publication. The publishing and trading activities of the RSCM are now much more visible; for the first time this includes separate accounts for the trading subsidiary and the charity, as well as combined, consolidated accounts. 13 ## Online Presence The RSCM’s connection to wider networks has grown as a result increased social media presence and engagement; a new strategic approach to co-ordinating our output on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram has had significant benefit: |**Period – June to Sept **|**2023**|**2022**| |---|---|---| |Posts across all networks|153|84| |Post impressions|235K|105K| |Post reach across networks|207K|79K| |Facebook –post engagement|5.28%|4.65%| |Instagram –post engagement|11.15%|6.73%| |Twitter –post engagement|2.93%|3.07%| Our e-Newsletters continue to be an effective tool for engagement. Notes from the Director is issued every four weeks, and currently goes to 8971 unique recipients. The new Events newsletter has a circulation of 6600, and the Publications newsletter a circulation list of 7066. ## Partnerships and connections The RSCM has a growing list of organisations with which it has an active and engaged relationship, enabling us to have a stronger, more audible voice and presence. These include: Association of British Choral Directors Cathedral Music Trust Cathedral Organists Association (for which RSCM acts as administrator) Choir of the Earth Chorally Church of England Flourish Network/Hubs Church of England Growing Faith Foundation Church of England Vision and Strategy team Churches Conservation Trust Guild of Church Musicians Hymns Ancient and Modern Let’s Go Sing National Churches Trust Royal College of Organists Sarum College Sing for Pleasure Singing Network UK St Stephen’s House Oxford (Institute of Sacred Music) The Church Times Woodard Schools foundation 14 The RSCM also hosted a meeting in the House of Lords, sponsored by Lord Cormack RIP, which in addition to attendance by some of the above groups also included representation from Historic England and English Heritage. ## Supporting activity The office support aspects of the RSCM from our home in Salisbury Cathedral Close remain important to the operations of the charity. RSCM has fully integrated hybrid working, with some staff working full-time in the office. During the year, there have been a number of key staffing changes. The Regional Manager roles came to an end. The Safeguarding Assistant moved to another role in Salisbury, and as part of the reorganisation of processes, our finance team went from three to two, and the Data Manager role was combined with the Digital officer’s responsibilities. The holder of the externally-funded post of Hymnpact project manager resigned for family reasons, and in 2024 this role has been re-configured to enable better connection with the partners involved with the project. 15 ## Assessing performance **Successes** are many. Some of these are as listed above. The most important is that the RSCM’s strategy, stated priorities, and plans are more intentional and better defined than for many years. As we moved towards the end of 2023, a new member benefit was created, ready to launch in 2024 to enable all RSCM member churches to register their locally organised events and provide publicity through RSCM channels. New resources to help our members plan successful events add to the support provided for RSCM members to continue music making at a local level. In synergy with this, the creation of a new monthly RSCM events newsletter, sent to our ever-growing publicity network, helps event promoters reach a far greater number of potential attendees at events. This new newsletter includes centrally organised events and new ‘member organised events’. Our transition from a passive stance regarding membership to an active one has paid tangible dividends. The overall church landscape we serve is in a very challenging place but we are becoming a stronger and more visible presence again. Our education work is well planned and organised, and our Hymnpact! resource is connecting us back into schools, and actively kick-starting the singing and church music journey for a new generation. **Challenges** are not without number. The first of these is that the financial consequences of the pandemic continued to wash through and have a significant impact on the RSCM. Further to the poor performance of invested funds in 2022, and the shortfall in operating income and resulting significant budgetary shortfall, significant action was taken in early 2023. This resulted in the reappraisal of Council’s 2019 decision to invest in, and develop, the Area structure. Setting down a structure which has been place for several decades was inevitably a challenge. This also has the consequence of moving into a different landscape without teams of volunteers to help deliver events at a local level, and requires us to find new ways to make the RSCM visible locally. Further responses to enable the rebuilding of RSCM’s financial reserves have included other reductions in the staff expenditure. The total staff resource of the RSCM at the end of the 2023 is therefore significantly smaller than at the start of the year, and this has required reorganisation, and re-prioritisation. Some of the work we had hoped to undertake in 2023 has had to be pushed further into the future. The transition to separate Enterprises as a trading subsidiary from the charity as a whole proved to be a more complicated and frustrating experience than anyone had anticipated, with new banking sector regulations and compliance proving a significant hurdle to surmount. 16 A wider challenge for RSCM continues to be the tendency of many involved in church music, and indeed in the church, to have a backwards-focused view. Despite our regular communications, newsletters, information on our website, and more, there are still many who think we continue to occupy Addington Palace, which we left in 1996. This rear-view mirror thinking makes it more difficult to get the key messages of RSCM’s current and future strategy and priorities heard and adopted. However, those who attend and engage with the RSCM’s work continue to be very positive about it; but finding effective ways of marketing those opportunities for engagement remains an ongoing challenge (though, as detailed above, the engagement with RSCM’s social media continues to rise). Fundraising was still a difficult arena in 2023, and continues to be in 2024. Grant-making bodies and trusts have in many cases reduced the level of funds available, and/or changed the criteria for applications, and this is set against a steep rise in the number of applications they have received; this is widely acknowledged across the charity sector. The priority for the RSCM through 2024 is to develop and then enact the long-term case for support, harnessing the opportunity which the narrative of our upcoming 2027 centenary offers. ## Summary The RSCM has a very clear set of priorities and vision for the future. The work set in train over the last few years, particularly in the provision of new, digitally-focused resources and support mechanisms, is now bearing fruit and will be capitalised on during 2024 and beyond. New, much-improved finance processes and reporting mechanisms, together with significant learnings from the application of the 2023 budget, have radically improved the ability of senior staff and Council to take knowledge-based, financially-led decisions; and this is already having a significant, positive impact on organisational performance in 2024. The RSCM is a rapidly evolving and changing organisation, responding to meet the opportunities and challenges for the markets it serves and wishes to serve. Our ambition is to ensure that numbers joining us on our journey to the future increase and multiply; for whilst an organisation focused on Godly things, we are nonetheless grounded in people, who ultimately remain our principal asset. 17 ## Financial review Financial results for 2023 show a positive direction of travel from the years prior, though challenges still remain. Raising funds continues to be difficult in the current economic climate, and significantly lower than expected legacy income in the year took its toll on the overall outturn figures. It is clear that the current financial challenges are twofold: income generation, and the consolidation of the balance sheet (see section below regarding reserves.) Expenditure, however, is being very well contained. 2023 also contained very positives moves in our financial processes and reporting, making it much easier for decisions to be financially informed and made in a timely fashion based on dependable information. A major reconfiguration of our Sage setup took place in early January 2024, which has further cemented this agenda of timely and accurate, system based financial reporting. The first year of trading for RSCM Enterprises was not without its challenges, but a good foundation has now been laid for growth in the coming years. Separating out this activity was always intended to enable different sort of work and product, and the initial stages of that transition to a more commercial mindset will begin to be visible in 2024. 2023 was also the year in which CIVIcrm has really started to deliver for the organisation. Direct Debits for membership and friends are all running simply, with little intervention, and automation of reminders and other communications is well underway. The new means of searching and reporting has also been a game-changer for RSCM in how it is able to utilise its data, and our understanding of the system, and how it can be used has grown significantly. Major pieces of work in the latter part of the year were developed in-house (including a new Event registration system and Exams portal), and both will be live in 2024. ## Reserves Organisational reserves, and restricted and designated funds have been a major focus of work this year. Given the income challenges detailed above, the intended improvement in our General Unrestricted fund has been less than was planned for in 2022, meaning that we still sit significantly below our stated policy level. The General Fund, or ‘free reserves’, stands at £119,741. The charity’s free reserves target stands at £293,000. The Trustees recognise that while some improvement has been made in this regard in 2023, this position must be addressed with some urgency to return the balance sheet to a more sustainable position. 2024 will address this specifically, in particular through a charity commission exercise to rationalise and simplify our restricted income funds. Alongside this, focus is being put on active and targeted use of restricted reserves over the coming period, to try to rebalance the current allocation of endowment, restricted and unrestricted funds the organisation holds. Several Designated funds have been closed during the financial year as they no longer serve the purpose for which they were established: Area activity has changed, and given the way our investments now work, keeping a significant amount bound up as a revaluation reserve no longer makes sense. This simplifies the Unrestricted picture significantly. 18 Total reserves amount to £1,094,737 of which £433,441 is held in endowment funds and £502,601 in restricted funds. Of the unrestricted funds, £28,685 is designated to represent the amount of funds tied up in fixed assets, £10,269 of funds are designated to the Cathedral Organists Association. ## Risk Assessment Risk has always been part of the FAC remit, and a new approach was developed during the year, enabling RSCM to better track and assess both strategic and operational risks, and put in place appropriate mitigation measures. As the organisation becomes more digital in its operation and delivery, IT risks are becoming more significant for the organisation as a whole. Much work has been done over this period on hardening and system security, which will culminate in 2024 with RSCM applying for Cyber Essentials accreditation. We have continued to manage down risks, measured on a scored basis that looks at a combination of severity and probability, and also maps the effects of relevant mitigations alongside the ownership of those actions. Areas assessed include: - Safeguarding - Fraud - Financial collapse of key income streams - Strategic IT risks (including GDPR, key providers and system vulnerabilities) - Major PR/media failures - Unforeseen multiple losses of Council or senior management team-members Risk registers are also maintained for our various service-providers, our partnering relationships elsewhere, and for the various overseas local bodies who are permitted to use the RSCM brand in USA, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. ## Investment Policy The investment portfolio refers to the sums currently invested in diverse investment instruments under the management of an investment manager, currently Brewin Dolphin. The charity has recently revised its investment policy, which is summarised as follows: The charity’s invested funds will be managed within the framework provided by the RSCMs appetite for risk, its ethical investment policy, its target rate of return, and any other such criteria as are deemed appropriate by Council. These will be determined and reviewed annually in the context of, inter alia: - i. Advice from the investment manager - ii. Comparison with other similar sized charities - iii. The RSCMs extant financial position - iv. The global and national economic climate. 19 The RSCM does not wish directly to profit from, or provide capital to, activities that are materially inconsistent with its Christian values. An appropriate industry-standard ethical screening tool, such as Moody’s ESG, may be used by our investment manager for the purposes of identifying appropriate investments. Council will review the investment portfolio annually and, from an ethical perspective, reserves the right to instruct the investment manager with respect to specific investments. This ethical policy does not apply to pooled investments, such as investment trusts. ## Investment Performance 2023 was a significantly better year for the Investment portfolio than 2022, with an overall net return of 6.8% (2022: -10.2%), outperforming the ARC Steady Growth indicator on the year. Income held up well, and the overall capital value has grown too, returning to the level in early 2022. Asset class positioning by Brewin Dolphin was a positive contributor to overall performance, and while it was difficult to participate fully in the strength of the ‘Magnificent 7’ tech companies in the US, the portfolio did benefit from positive performance in US equities and technology. The boost provided by a late year market rally was very welcome for the overall outturn. 20 ## How the RSCM raises voluntary income The RSCM appeals for donations directly to its members and existing supporters (by post, and by electronic communication). The RSCM also receives income both directly and through various online giving websites. ## Fundraising is carried out by RSCM staff and volunteers. In 2023, we continued to make use of an external consultant to further our development work, working to a specific brief and under the oversight of the RSCM Director. There was one complaint received during 2023 about RSCM fundraising activity, which related to the human error in our system transition, resulting in the mailing of a small number of individuals who should not have been approached. This was resolved directly with the complainant concerned through our normal GDPR process. The RSCM protects the privacy of its donors by not sharing any of its data with third parties, except where it is necessary for carrying out its legitimate operations and complies with relevant data protection laws. The RSCM appeals to an individual at most twice in one year and all such appeals are made under the direction of the Director of the RSCM who is responsible for Development. ## 2023 Voluntary income In 2023 individuals, churches, and trusts donated £127,110, (2022: £91,648) to support the charitable work of the RSCM. By gift aiding their donations, our supporters contributed a further £13,361 in 2023 (2022: £11,181). 21 ## **Legacy income** Income from gifts in wills has long provided a significant, if unpredictable, income stream. In 2023, the RSCM’s receipts of legacies were unprecedently significantly lower than in any of the last 10 years. In 2023 RSCM received £28,962 (2022: £105,549) of which none represented restricted funds. In addition, the RSCM was in receipt of various donations in memoriam totalling £1,750. ## **Grants** The value of grants received in 2023 is £110,330. This represents an increase on 2022 of £31,600. We are deeply grateful to the Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation for their ongoing support and to all the Trusts and Foundations that have supported us during the year either with grants or donations. ## These include: - Allen Charity Trust, The - Donald Byford Charitable Trust, The - Church of England, Strategy & Development Unit, The - G.F. Eyre Charitable Trust, The - Garfield Weston Foundation, The - Kirby Laing Foundation, The - Marsh Charitable Trust, The - G.M Morrison Charitable Trust, The - Open Fountain Trust, The - Ouseley Church Music Trust, The - Miss Kathleen Beryl Sleigh Charitable Trust, The 22 ## Plans for the future The priority beneficiaries for the RSCM’s work are: - Young people - Music leadership - Clergy (and lay worship) leadership. Plans for 2024 and beyond, not least towards and through the milestone of RSCM’s Centenary in 2027, are focused on supporting these key groups of people, whilst recognising that we are also a membership organisation with a wide and diverse membership base. Education remains a key part of what the RSCM does, and, with the launch of new resources including Voice for Digital and the relaunched Organ strand of Church Music Skills, a priority is to maximise the engagement and take up of these, as they support our educational strategic objectives. The Education strategy itself is due revision and further development and will then be linked to the membership strategy, and the development strategy as the reference point for fundraising. Plans for the OFQUAL accreditation of our Singing Awards will also continue to be developed. The Emerging Leaders programme continues to grow and develop, with a series of online sessions to be offered to all 2024 applicants from September. The Tutor network will be engaged to deliver more Education Menu events and to help us forge relevant partnerships with e.g. dioceses to provide need-based, relevant, high-quality training. Partnerships with other organisations will continue to be developed where of mutual benefit; examples include the Church Choir Award offered in partnership with the Cathedral Music Trust; the Post-graduate qualifications offered by the Institute of Sacred Music at St Stephen’s House, Oxford, and Sing for Pleasure, offering bespoke RSCM training courses for choral leaders at a broad range of levels. Consideration of the best way of planning for the future of RSCM’s considerable archive, together with the Colles library, will also begin. These have been in temporary storage since the RSCM moved to Salisbury 2007, and this has never been a satisfactory way of using this asset. Work to strengthen our relationship with our members – both group and individual – will continue, along with encouragement to the membership to engage with the benefits on offer. In particular, the key resource of Sunday by Sunday Plus deserves a better level of take- 23 up than it is currently achieving. The need to reach out to wider networks to gain new members remains evident. The RSCM also needs to increase both the number of financial supporters, and the total monetary value of support they offer. A key challenge is to convert goodwill into financial tangibility. This is set against a tougher-than-ever financial climate, especially with regard to grant-giving organisations. The priority for RSCM, therefore, is to set out our plans for the Centenary so that each and every potential supporter and advocate with whom we engage can see our vision for the next 5 years. By the end of 2024, the Centenary Plan will be in place. RSCM Enterprises Ltd will be encouraged to develop a more ambitious plan for growth, including the active development of the RSCM Music Direct branding; and look to promote RSCM publications to wider markets. Marketing, including for Enterprises, will be encouraged to build on and sustain the increased engagement of the last few months. Support systems and administration, including Safeguarding, will be monitored and developed; with so many things the RSCM _could_ be doing, the need to effectively manage priorities is paramount to make the most effective use of precious, finite staff resource. The work of staff is overseen by Council. Phil Taylor was elected as Chair and Andrew Morgan as Vice-Chair at the March 2023 Council meeting. By extraordinary resolution, Phil Taylor’s term on Council was extended past the end of the second term to allow him act as a transitional chair. From June 2024, the Chair will be Baroness Susan Hayman. RSCM wishes to place on record sincere and grateful thanks for the work Phil Taylor has done to support RSCM’s mission in his time as trustee and most particularly as Chair of Council. We are most grateful. 24 ## Structure, governance and management ## Council and Honorary Advisors Full principles for the organisation structure of the RSCM are contained within the charity’s governance document. The Charity is overseen by a Council of trustees. Decisions are taken by Council or by staff on such delegated terms as Council approves. Generally, strategic decisions are taken by Council, and the day-to-day management of the charity is delegated by Council to the Director and his Deputy and Assistant Director colleagues who are considered key management. The members of Council are the Trustees of the charitable assets and activities of the Company and are the Directors of the Company for the purposes of Company Law. The number of Council members is now limited to sixteen, and Members of Council are recruited with a view to Council’s overall balance of skills and interests. A Council Recruitment group of trustees oversees the process of appointment of new trustees. The approach is to advertise through appropriate social media and other channels, including RSCM’s own newsletters and website. Qualified candidates go through the Safer Recruitment processes before recommendation to Council for appointment. New members of Council are supplied with an induction pack, including among other items the Charity Commission’s The Essential Trustee, the RSCM’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, and the current business plan and published accounts, and are informally briefed by the Chair with regard to the requirements of the role. All Council members are kept informed as to key governance-related issues by the Secretary to Council. Budget provision is made for ongoing training for all members of Council. The Council and staff have access to Honorary Advisors who are available to support decision making at Council level. Smaller _ad hoc_ working groups consisting of appropriately skilled members of Council and Senior Officers are formed to consider specific issues in preparation for Council meetings. In 2023, these included the Finance and Audit Committee, an IT Steering Group, Brand Development and Marketing group, Safeguarding Group, and Development Committee; and the separate Enterprises board for the trading subsidiary. For 2024 these have been reviewed and restructured to ensure best practice for Governance is in place. Members of Council are covered by the RSCM's indemnity insurance, subject to normal exclusions, in the event of a personal liability arising to them in their capacity as Trustees of the Charity. This cover is provided as part of a combined insurance policy and the amount of the premium applicable to Trustees' indemnity cannot be quantified. 25 All trustees give of their time freely and received no remuneration during the year. Summary details of any incidental expenses claimed during the year are documented elsewhere in note 7 to these accounts. Senior staff remuneration (the Director, and the Deputy and Assistant Directors) is reviewed annually as part of, and commensurately with, any annual salary review for all payroll staff. Some account may sometimes be taken of recognised indices such as RPI and CPI in determining any such general annual review, but any percentage increase for staff, including the three senior posts, will be determined at least as much by projected affordability, as by reference to any such published or otherwise recognised index. ## Audit Information So far as each of the directors at the time the Report of Council is approved is aware: a) there is no relevant information of which the auditors are unaware; and b) they have taken all relevant steps they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditors are aware of that information. ## Statement of Council Responsibilities Council (who are also directors of the Royal School of Church Music for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Report of the Council and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.) Company law requires Council to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under company law Council must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and group and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, Council are required to: - select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; - observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP; - make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; - state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, - subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; - prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is - inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business. 26 Council are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. The Council's report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions relating to small companies Within Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006. Public Benefit In pursuing these activities, the Council confirms that it has complied with the duty in Section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission General Guidance on Public Benefit. In particular, the RSCM'S training programmes, publications and associated resources serve to promote the charitable purposes of the advancement of education, religion, arts, culture, heritage or science. We consider that our work is of significant public benefit, not only directly to the organisations and individuals, especially children and young people, who are engaged with us, but also. indirectly, to the congregations and communities which they serve. On behalf of Council Andrew Morgan Vice Chair of Council 27 ## **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) ## **Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of The Royal School of Church Music For the year ended 31 December 2023** ## **Opinion** We have audited the financial statements of The Royal School of Church Music (the “Charity”) and its subsidiaries (the "Group") for the year ended 31 December 2023 which comprise the Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities, the Consolidated and Charity Balance Sheets, the Consolidated Cash Flow Statement and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). In our opinion, the financial statements: - give a true and fair view of the state of the Group and Charity’s affairs as at 31 December 2023 and of the Group's incoming resources and application of resources, includings its income and expenditure, for the year then ended; - have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; - - have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 and the Charities Act 2011. ## **Basis for opinion** We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the Charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. ## **Conclusions relating to going concern** In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate. Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the Charity's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue. Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report. ## **Other information** The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. 28 ## **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) ## **Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of The Royal School of Church Music For the year ended 31 December 2023** In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard. ## **Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006** In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit: - the information given in the trustees’ report (incorporating the directors’ report) for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and - the trustees’ report (incorporating the directors’ report) has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements. ## **Matters on which we are required to report by exception** In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the Charity and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Trustees’ Annual Report (incorporating the directors' report). We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion: - adequate accounting records have not been kept or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; - the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; - certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or - we have not obtained all the information and explanations necessary for the purposes of our audit. - the trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies exemption in preparing the Directors’ Report and take advantage of the small companies exemption from the requirement to prepare a Strategic Report. ## **Responsibilities of the trustees** As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement, the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as they determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the Group's and the Charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the Charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so. 29 **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) **Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of The Royal School of Church Music For the year ended 31 December 2023** ## **Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements** Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements. A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report. ## **Extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud** Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below. The objectives of our audit, in respect to fraud, are to identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements due to fraud, to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the assessed risks of material misstatement due to fraud, through designing and implementing appropriate responses and to respond appropriately to fraud or suspected fraud identified during the audit. However, the primary responsibility for the prevention and detection of fraud rests with both those charged with governance of the entity and management. In identifying and assessing risk of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and noncompliance with laws and regulations, our procedures include the following: - The engagement partner ensured that the engagement team collectively had the appropriate competence, capabilities and skills to identify or recognise non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations; - We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks that are applicable to the charity and those laws and regulations that had a direct effect on the financial statements through discussions with trustees and management. The key laws considered are FRS102, the Charities Act and the Companies Act 2006. - We understood how the charitable company is complying with those frameworks by making enquires of management and we corroborated our enquiries by reviewing Board minutes. - We assessed the susceptibility of the charitable company's financial statements to material misstatement, including how fraud might occur, by making enquiries of management as to where they considered there was a succeptibilty to fraud, their knowledge of actual, suspected and alleged fraud and by considering the internal controls in place to mitigate risks of fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations and we have evaluated opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the financial statements including management override. - Based on this understanding we designed our audit procedures to identify non-compliance with the laws and regulations identified above, which included, but were not limited to, identifying and testing journal entries made during the year and at the year-end and agreeing financial statement disclosure to underlying supporting documentation. 30 The Royal School of Church Music (Company No:00250031) Independent Auditor'5 Report to the Members of The Royal School of Church Musi¢ For the ear ended 31 December 2023 There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described above, and there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the directors and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment forgery. collusion, omission or misrepresentation. Use of our report This report is made solely to the Charitys members, as a body. in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Charity's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Charity's members as body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed. 1111 Susan Sullivan FCA (Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of Rothmans Audit LLP Chartered Accountants & Statutory Auditors Avebury House 6 St Peter Street Winchester Hampshire S023 8BN Date.. 31 **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) **Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities (including the Income and Expenditure Account) For the year ended 31 December 2023** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Total Total
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Funds Funds
Funds Funds Funds 2023 2022
£ £ £ £ £
Income and Endowments from:
Donations and legacies 2a 226,363 3,070 - 229,433 287,108
Income from charitable activities:
-
Membership Income 531,363 531,363 480,185
Education & Outreach 95,619 60,000 - 155,619 104,998
- -
Publication sales & royalties 349,666 349,666 316,306
Area committees 46,747 - - 46,747 42,017
Investment Income 2b 2,156 25,155 - 27,311 26,571
Other Income 2c 8,843 - - 8,843 7,079
Total Income 1,260,757 88,225 - 1,348,982 1,264,264
Expenditure on:
Raising funds 3 127,259 2,945 2,637 132,841 136,743
Charitable activities
Membership services 3 269,300 - - 269,300 296,430
Education & Outreach 3 280,974 74,507 - 355,481 333,613
Publications 3 348,749 500 - 349,249 326,540
Area committees 3 253,089 - - 253,089 288,944
Total expenditure 1,279,371 77,952 2,637 1,359,960 1,382,270
Net income/(expenditure) (18,614) 10,273 (2,637) (10,978) (118,006)
Transfers between funds 16,288 (16,288) - - -
Net Gains/(losses) on investments 11 1,992 15,601 17,632 35,225 (112,547)
Net movement in funds (334) 9,586 14,995 24,247 (230,553)
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward 16 159,029 493,015 418,446 1,070,490 1,301,043
Total funds carried forward 16 158,695 502,601 433,441 1,094,737 1,070,490
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The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derives from continuing activities. _The notes form part of these financial statements_ 32 The Royal School of Church Music (Company No:00250031) Consolidated Balance Sheet For the year ended 31 December 2023 Group 2023 Charity 2023 Group 2022 Charity 2022 Notes Flxed Assets Intangible assets Tangible assets Investments in Subsidiaries Investments Total fixed assets 1,013 28,685 8,430 28,700 8,430 28,700 28,685 10 844,386 874,084 844,386 873,072 814,955 852,086 814,955 852,086 Current Assets Stock Debtors Areas, cash at bank and in hand Cash at bank and in hand Total current assets 12 13 134,940 111,902 20,052 108,111 375,005 147,518 141,876 19,210 109,226 417,830 147,518 141,876 19,210 109,226 417,830 258,592 20,052 75,127 353,771 Liabilities Creditors= Amounts falling due within one vear 14 154,352 127,506 199,426 199,426 Net current assets 220,653 226,265 218,404 218,404 Total net assets 1,094,737 1,099,337 1,070,490 1,070,490 The funds of the charity. Endowment funds Restricted Funds Unrestricted Funds Total Charity Funds 16,17 16,18 16,19 433,441 502,601 158,695 1,094,737 433,441 502,601 163,295 1,099,337 418,446 493,015 159,029 1,070,490 418,446 493,015 159,029 1,070,490 No Charity statement of Financial Activities is presented as permitted by section 408 of the Companies Act 2006. The Charity's surplus for the financial period is £28.847. These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companie5 and constitute the annual accounts required by the Companies Act 2006 and are for circulation to members of the company. The financial statements were approved by the trustees on ....-................. and were signed on their behalf by: Andrew Morgan - ce Chair of Council The notes form part of these finonciol stotements 33 **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) **Consolidated Cash Flow Statement For the year ended 31 December 2023** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Notes 2023 2022
£ £
Cash flows from operating activities
Cash generated from operations CF1 (21,627) (69,845)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities (21,627) (69,845)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of tangible fixed assets (11,751) (17,871)
Purchase of fixed asset investments (266,733) (257,576)
Sale of fixed asset investments 260,446 270,916
Cash withdrawn from investment portfolio 12,081 (7,655)
Investment dividends & interest received 27,311 26,571
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities 21,354 14,385
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period (273) (55,460)
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting
period 128,436 183,896
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period CF2 128,163 128,436
CF1. Reconciliation of Net Income to Net Cash Flow from Operating Activities
2023 2022
£ £
Net movement in funds for the reporting period
(as per the statement of financial activities) 24,247 (230,553)
Depreciation and amortisation charges 19,184 43,077
(Gain) / Loss on investments (35,225) 112,547
Interest and dividends received (27,311) (26,571)
Decrease in debtors 29,974 (43,421)
Increase / (Decrease) in creditors (45,074) 69,673
(Increase) / Decrease in stocks 12,578 5,403
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities (21,627) (69,845)
CF2. Analysis of cash and cash equivalents 2023 2022
£ £
Cash at bank and in hand 128,163 128,436
Total cash and cash equivalents 128,163 128,436
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34 **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) **Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2023** The Royal School of Church Music is a charitable company, limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Its registered office and principle place of business is 19 The Close, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 2EB ## **1. Principal Accounting Policies** ## _**a) Basis of accounting**_ The financial statements of the Charity, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) second edition 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)', the Companies Act 2006 and the Charities Act 2011. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention except that investments are carried at market value. The financial statements are prepared in sterling which is the functional and presentational currency of the Charity. The financial statements are rounded to the nearest pound. The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the Charity's ability to continue as a going concern and these accounts are prepared on a going concern basis. There are no significant judgements which affect the amounts recognised in these financial statements. With respect to the next reporting period, the most significant areas of estimation uncertainty that affect the carrying value of assets held by the Charity are the level of investment return and the performance of investments. These financial statements consolidated the results of the charity and its wholly owned subsidiary RSCM Enterprises Limited on a line-by-line basis. As separate Statement of Financial Activities for the charity has not been presented because the charity has taken advantage of the exemption afforded by section 408 of the Companies Act 2006 ## _**b) Periods Covered**_ The accounts cover the year to 31 December 2023, with comparatives for the year to 31 December 2022. ## **c) Area Committees** These financial statements consolidate the income and expenditure of RSCM Area Committees, which arrange local training activities throughout the UK, on a line by line basis. The net assets of the committees, most of which are held in cash, are shown separately on the balance sheet as the Trustees believe this method is the closest to a true and fair view. ## _**d) Legal Status of the Charity**_ The Charity is a company limited by guarantee and has no share capital. The liability of each member in the event of winding-up is limited to £1. 35 **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) **Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2023** ## _**e) Fund Accounting**_ Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Unrestricted funds include a revaluation reserve representing the restatement of investment assets at market values. Designated funds are unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the charity for particular purposes. Endowment funds represent those assets which must be held permanently by the Charity. Income arising on the endowment fund is included as restricted income. Any capital gains or losses arising on the investments form part of the fund. ## **f)** _**Incoming resources**_ All incoming resources are recognised once the charity has entitlement to the resources, it is certain that the resources will be received and the monetary value of incoming resources can be measured with sufficient reliability. The following policies are applied to particular categories of income: - Voluntary income received by way of grants, donations and legacies is recognised when the charity's entitlement has been ascertained, the conditions for receipt have been met and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. Donations are deferred where the donor has imposed conditions that specify the time period in which the expenditure of resources can take place. - Government grants are recognised using the performance model and grants which have specified future performance-related conditions are initially recognised as a liability and are released to income only when the related conditions are met. Grants which have no performance-related conditions are recognised when the proceeds are received or receivable. - Investment income is recognised when receivable by the charity. - • Membership income is received annually in advance and the amount relating to the next financial year is carried forward as deferred income. - Income from education, outreach and publication sales and royalties is recognised in the period it is receivable. Fees received in relation to courses occurring after the balance sheet date are carried forward as deferred income. - The charity does not receive any donated goods, facilities or services. In accordance with the Charities SORP the contribution of general volunteers is not recognised within these financial statements. Details of the role played by general volunteers are given in the Trustee's Report. ## _**g) Expenditure**_ Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis when a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully recovered, and is reported as part of the expenditure to which it relates. - Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them. - Governance costs are included within support costs and include those costs associated with meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements of the charity and include the audit fees and costs linked to the strategic management of the charity. - Costs are allocated to the expenditure categories of the SOFA on a basis designed to reflect the use of the resource. Costs relating to a particular activity are allocated directly and where costs cannot be directly allocated they are apportioned using staff costs, as set out in note 3. 36 **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) **Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2023** ## _**h) Foreign Currencies**_ Monetary assets and liabilities in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rates of exchange prevailing at the balance sheet date. Transactions in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rate of exchange prevailing at the date of the transaction. Exchange variances are taken into account when arriving at the net income or expenditure for the year. ## _**i) Pension Contributions**_ Contributions in respect of the charity's defined contribution pension scheme are charged to the SOFA in the year in which they are payable to the scheme. Differences between contributions payable and contributions actually paid in the year are included within other creditors at the year-end. The costs of the defined contribution scheme are charged to the unrestricted funds of the charity using the methodology set out in note 1g. ## _**j) Fixed Assets**_ Fixed assets (excluding investments) are stated at cost less depreciation/amortisation. Assets below £100 are not capitalised. Depreciation and Amortisation are provided on a straight line basis over the estimated useful economic life of each asset, which is considered to be: |each asset, which is considered to be:|| |---|---| |Major software packages|4 years| |Other computer hardware & software|3 years| |Other furniture, plant & equipment|5 years| |Copyrights & publication rights|3-5 years| |Website & webshop|3-5 years| The useful economic lives of theses assets are the periods over which it is anticipated that they will continue to generate an appreciable amount of income for the organisation. Impairment reviews are carried out as and when evidence comes to light that the recoverable amount of a functional fixed asset is below its net book value due to damage, obsolescence or other relevant factors. ## _**k) Investments**_ Investments (in external funds) are a form of basic financial instrument and are initially recognised at their transaction value and subsequently measured at their fair value as at the balance sheet date using the closing quoted market price. The statement of financial activities includes the net gains and losses arising on revaluation and disposals throughout the year. All gains and losses are taken to the statement of financial activities as they arise. Realised gains and losses on investments are calculated as the difference between sales proceeds and opening market value. Unrealised gains and losses are calculated as the difference between the opening and closing market value. Realised and unrealised gains and losses are not separated in the statement of financial activities. Investments in subsidiaries are accounted for at cost less impairment. ## _**l) Stock**_ Stocks of publications are valued at the lower of cost or net realisable value, after providing for slow-moving items. 37 **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) **Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2023** ## _**m) Debtors**_ Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at cost which is time-apportioned over the period to which the expenses relate. ## _**n) Creditors and provisions**_ Creditors and provisions for liabilities and charges are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due. ## _**o) Operating Leases**_ Rentals applicable to operating leases where substantially all of the benefits and risks of ownership remain with the lessor are charged to the SOFA as they are incurred. ## **p) Taxation** The charity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling with section 505 of the Taxes act 1988 or section 252 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects. 38 **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) **Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2023** |**2. Incoming resources**
**a) Donations and legacies**
Grants and donations
Affiliate fundraising
Friends income
Legacies
**b) Investment income**
Listed investments
**c) Other incoming resources**
Commission
Sundry income
Management fees
**3. Total resources expended**
Costs of Generating Funds
Fundraising
Investment management
Expenditure on Charitable Activities
Membership
Education and development
Publications
Area Committees|**2023**
**£**
164,345
10,578
25,548
28,962
229,433
27,311
27,311
767
8,076
-
8,843
**Direct**
**Support**
**Total**
**costs**
**Costs**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
**£**
93,311
30,424
123,735
9,106 -
9,106
233,561
35,739
269,300
295,310
60,171
355,481
329,357
19,892
349,249
190,332
62,757
253,089
1,150,977
208,983
1,359,960|**2022**
**£**
128,890
35,084
17,585
105,549
287,108
26,571
26,571
2,211
4,868
-
7,079
**Total**
**2022**
**£**
129,835
6,908
296,430
333,613
326,540
288,944
1,382,270| |---|---|---| Support costs constitute central management and administrative costs which are necessarily incurred to enable the charity to carry out its activities. These costs have been allocated to the charity's charitable activities and fundraising on the basis of staff costs. They are made up as follows: |Office costs
Professional fees
Finance costs
Depreciation
Amortisation
Governance|**Fundraising Membership Education Publication**
**Areas**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
25,178
29,576
49,796
14,832
51,938
171,320
198
232
391
58
407
1,286
1,423
1,672
2,814
2
2,935
8,846
1,893
2,224
3,744
-
3,905
11,766
-
-
-
-
-
-
1,732
2,035
3,426
5,000
3,572
15,765
30,424
35,739
60,171
19,892
62,757
208,983|**2022**
**£**
128,243
-
3,367
17,446
1,935
10,397
161,388| |---|---|---| 39 **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) **Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2023** ## **4. Governance Costs** |Governance meetings and expenses
Auditors fees - audit
Auditors fees - non-audit services
**5. Net income / (expenditure for year)**
This is stated after charging:
Depreciation
Amortisation
Auditors remuneration - audit
Auditors remuneration - accountancy services|**2023**
**£**
2,867
8,033
4,865
15,765
**2023**
**£**
11,766
-
8,033
4,865|**2022**
**£**
2,866
4,698
2,833
10,397
**2022**
**£**
17,455
25,623
4,698
2,833| |---|---|---| Audit services were provided by Rothmans Audit LLP and accountancy services were provided by Rothmans LLP, a partnership associated with Rothmans Audit LLP. ## **6. Staff Costs** |Total staff emoluments for the year were as follows:
Gross salaries and wages
Social security
Employers contributions to defined contribution pension schemes|**2023**
**£**
519,535
34,110
21,764
575,409|**2022**
**£**
561,558
41,766
22,689
626,013| |---|---|---| No employees had total emoluments above £60,000 (2022: none). The total remuneration, including employer national insurance and pension contributions, of the key management personnel was £97,588 (2022: £96,693). The average monthly head count of employees in the year was as follows: |Membership
Education and development
Publications
Governance, area committees and fundraising|2
8
1
10
21|2
8
2
14
26| |---|---|---| ## **7. Trustee remuneration and related party transactions** The charity trustees were not paid any remuneration, nor received any other benefits from employment with the Charity during the year. Travel and training costs amounting to £863 (2022: £286) were reimbursed to 5 (2022:3) members of Council. There are no other related party transactions in the reporting period that require disclosure. 40 **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) **Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2023** |**8. Intangible fixed assets**
**GROUP**
**Cost**
As at 1 January 2023
Additions
Disposals
As at 31 December 2023
**Amortisation**
As at 1 January 2023
Charge for the year
Elimination on disposal
As at 31 December 2023
**Net Book Value**
As at 31 December 2023
As at 31 December 2022
**CHARITY**
**Cost**
As at 1 January 2023
Additions
Transferred to trading subsidiary
Disposals
As at 31 December 2023
**Amortisation**
As at 1 January 2023
Charge for the year
Transferred to trading subsidiary
Elimination on disposal
As at 31 December 2023
**Net Book Value**
As at 31 December 2023
As at 31 December 2022|**£**
123,270
-
-
123,270
121,787
470
-
122,257
1,013
1,483
**£**
123,270
-
(123,270)
-
-
121,787
-
(121,787)
-
-
-
1,483
**Copyrights &**
**publication**
**rights**
**Copyrights &**
**publication**
**rights**|**£**
48,282
-
-
48,282
41,335
6,947
-
48,282
-
6,947
**£**
48,282
-
(48,282)
-
-
41,335
-
(41,335)
-
-
-
6,947
**Website &**
**Webshop**
**Website &**
**Webshop**|**Total**
**£**
171,552
-
-
171,552
163,122
7,417
-
170,539
1,013
8,430
**Total**
**£**
171,552
-
(171,552)
-
-
163,122
-
(163,122)
-
-
-
8,430| |---|---|---|---| 41 **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) **Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2023** ## **9. Tangible fixed assets** |**GROUP & CHARITY**
**Cost**
As at 1 January 2023
Additions
Disposals
As at 31 December 2023
**Depreciation**
As at 1 January 2023
Charge for the year
Elimination on disposal
As at 31 December 2023
**Net Book Value**
As at 31 December 2023
As at 31 December 2022|**Furniture**
**& Equipment**
**£**
273,087
11,751
-
284,838
244,387
11,766
-
256,153
28,685
28,700| |---|---| The Royal School of Church Music owns a collection of books and manuscripts which were a bequest from its founder, Sir Sidney Nicholson, and which are currently held at Westminster Abbey on their behalf. These items, which have been valued for insurance purposes at £159,000, are not included in the financial statements as there is inherent uncertainty as to the Charity's interest in them and therefore their valuation. RSCM Enterprises does not hold any tangible fixed assets. 42 ## **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) ## **Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2023** ## **10. Investments in Subsidiaries** |**CHARITY**
Investment in RSCM Enterprises Limited|**GROUP**
**2023**
**£**
-
-|**CHARITY**
**2023**
**£**
1
1|**GROUP**
**2022**
**£**
-
-|**CHARITY**
**2022**
**£**
1
1| |---|---|---|---|---| On 25 November 2022 the charity incorporated a trading subsdiary, RSCM Enterprises Limited, with Company Number 14483158 and a registered office at 19 The Close, Salisbury, SP1 2EB. The charity owns 100% of the issued share capital in this subsidiary. The subsidiary was dormant in 2022 and commenced trading on 1 January 2023. As at 31 December, 2023 the results of the trading subsidiary were as follows: |**RSCM Enterprises**
**2023**
**£**
_Income Statement Summary:_
Turnover
349,666
Cost of Sales
(305,185)
Administrative Expenses
(44,302)
Interest payable
(4,779)|**RSCM Enterprises**
**2023**
**£**
_Income Statement Summary:_
Turnover
349,666
Cost of Sales
(305,185)
Administrative Expenses
(44,302)
Interest payable
(4,779)|**RSCM Enterprise**
**2022**
**£**
-
-
-
-|**RSCM Enterprise**
**2022**
**£**
-
-
-
-| |---|---|---|---| |Net Loss|(4,600)||-| |_Balance Sheet Summary:_
Assets
Liabilities
Capital
Reserves|22,247
(26,846)
(1)
4,600||1
-
(1)
-| ||-||-| 43 ## **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) ## **Notes to the Financial Statements** ## **For the year ended 31 December 2023** ## **11. Fixed assets investments** |**GROUP & CHARITY**
Market value at 1 January 2023
Additions at cost
Disposals at carrying value
Increase/(decrease) in cash
Net gain/(loss) on revaluation
Market value at 31 December 2023
Investments at market value comprised:
UK listed investments
Overseas listed investments
Cash on deposit
Historical cost as at 31 December 2023
Listed investments
Cash with investments manager
**12. Stock**
Goods for resale
**13. Debtors**
Trade debtors
Other debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
Loan to subsidiary|**GROUP**
**2023**
**£**
814,955
266,733
(260,446)
(12,081)
35,225
844,386
248,240
568,068
28,078
844,386
766,088
28,078
794,166
**GROUP**
**2023**
**£**
134,940
134,940
**GROUP**
**2023**
**£**
64,704
26,254
20,944
-
111,902|**CHARITY**
**2023**
**£**
814,955
266,733
(260,446)
(12,081)
35,225
844,386
248,240
568,068
28,078
844,386
766,088
28,078
794,166
**CHARITY**
**2023**
**£**
-
-
**CHARITY**
**2023**
**£**
32,415
17,988
15,120
193,069
258,592|**GROUP**
**2022**
**£**
933,187
257,576
(270,916)
7,655
(112,547)
814,955
330,221
456,212
28,522
814,955
767,509
28,522
796,031
**GROUP**
**2022**
**£**
147,518
147,518
**GROUP**
**2022**
**£**
80,754
37,298
23,824
-
141,876|**CHARITY**
**2022**
**£**
933,187
257,576
(270,916)
7,655
(112,547)
814,955
330,221
456,212
28,522
814,955
767,509
28,522
796,031
**CHARITY**
**2022**
**£**
147,518
147,518
**CHARITY**
**2022**
**£**
80,754
37,298
23,824
-
141,876| |---|---|---|---|---| 44 ## **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) ## **Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2023** ## **14. Creditors - amounts falling due within one year** |Trade creditors
Other creditors
Accruals
Deferred income|**GROUP**
**2023**
**£**
29,544
24,320
18,232
82,256
154,352|**CHARITY**
**2023**
**£**
20,701
11,317
13,232
82,256
127,506|**GROUP**
**2022**
**£**
66,504
32,589
7,820
92,513
199,426|**CHARITY**
**2022**
**£**
66,504
32,589
7,820
92,513
199,426| |---|---|---|---|---| ## **15. Deferred Income** Deferred income comprises the portion of membership subscriptions that relate to periods after the balance sheet date, income received for courses occurring after the year-end and donations where donors have imposed conditions that specify the time period in which the donation should be used. |**GROUP & CHARITY**
**Membership**
**£**
Balance Brought Forward
47,079
Amount released to incoming resources
(47,079)
Amount deferred in the year
65,778
Balance Carried Forward
65,778
**16. Analysis of net assets between funds**
**GROUP**
**Endowment**
Fund balances are represented by:
**Funds**
**£**
Intangible fixed assets
-
Tangible fixed assets
-
Fixed asset investments
433,441
Net current assets
-
Total net assets
433,441
**Analysis of net assets between funds - previous year**
**Endowment**
Fund balances are represented by:
**Funds**
**£**
Intangible fixed assets
-
Tangible fixed assets
-
Fixed asset investments
418,446
Net current assets
-
Total net assets
418,446|**Courses**
**Other Income**
**£**
**£**
6,400
39,034
(6,400)
(39,034)
2,980
13,498
2,980
13,498
**Restricted**
**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**£**
**£**
-
1,013
-
28,685
312,413
98,532
190,188
30,465
502,601
158,695
**Restricted**
**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**£**
**£**
-
8,430
-
28,700
286,607
109,902
206,408
11,997
493,015
159,029|**Total**
**£**
92,513
(92,513)
82,256
82,256
**Total**
**£**
1,013
28,685
844,386
220,653
1,094,737
**Total**
**£**
8,430
28,700
814,955
218,405
1,070,490| |---|---|---| 45 ## **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) ## **Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2023** ## **16. Analysis of net assets between funds (continued…)** |**CHARITY**
**Endowment**
Fund balances are represented by:
**Funds**
**£**
Tangible fixed assets
-
Fixed asset investments
433,441
Net current assets
-
Total net assets
433,441
**Analysis of net assets between funds - previous year**
**Endowment**
Fund balances are represented by:
**Funds**
**£**
Intangible fixed assets
-
Tangible fixed assets
-
Fixed asset investments
418,446
Net current assets
-
Total net assets
418,446|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-
312,413
190,188
502,601
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-
-
286,607
206,408
493,015|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
28,685
28,685
98,532
844,386
36,078
226,266
163,295
1,099,337
**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
8,430
8,430
28,700
28,700
109,902
814,955
11,997
218,405
159,029
1,070,490| |---|---|---| 46 **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) **Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2023** ## **17. Endowment funds** The capital of the Endowment Funds, which form part of the investment portfolio, cannot be spent. The funds have been given to the charity by way of donations, legacies and memorial appeals to be invested to provide income for the purposes detailed below: |**CHARITY & GROUP**
Overseas development fund
(For overseas travel and development)
Hymns Ancient & Modern Lectureship Fund
(To help pay for lecturers on RSCM courses)
Harold Smart Competition Fund
(To fund an annual competition for composers)
To provide grants to students attending RSCM co
Hubert Crook and other bursary funds
Wiles Family Bequest
The Minsall-Jones Bequest
Derek Marsden Fund for educational bursaries|**Fund**
**Gains**
**Fund**
**B/Fwd**
**Income**
**Expenditure Transfer & Losses**
**C/Fwd**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
32,522
(205)
-
1,371
33,688
32,695
(206)
-
1,377
33,866
11,863
(75)
-
500
12,288
urses:
169,161
(1,066)
-
7,129
175,224
93,369
(588)
-
3,934
96,715
60,644
(382)
-
2,555
62,817
18,192
(115)
-
766
18,843
418,446
-
(2,637)
-
17,632
433,441| |---|---| Note: Expenditure on Endowment Funds relates solely to investment management fees. ## **Endowment Funds - Previous year** |**CHARITY & GROUP**
Overseas development fund
(For overseas travel and development)
Hymns Ancient & Modern Lectureship Fund
(To help pay for lecturers on RSCM courses)
Harold Smart Competition Fund
(To fund an annual competition for composers)
To provide grants to students attending RSCM co
Hubert Crook and other bursary funds
Wiles Family Bequest
The Minsall-Jones Bequest
Derek Marsden Fund for educational bursaries|**Fund**
**Gains**
**Fund**
**B/Fwd**
**Income**
**Expenditure Transfer & Losses**
**C/Fwd**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
37,014
-
-
-
(4,492)
32,522
37,211
-
-
-
(4,516)
32,695
13,501
-
-
-
(1,638)
11,863
urses:
192,523
-
-
-
(23,362)
169,161
106,263
-
-
-
(12,894)
93,369
69,019
-
-
-
(8,375)
60,644
20,705
-
-
-
(2,513)
18,192
476,236
-
-
-
(57,790)
418,446| |---|---| 47 **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) **Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2023** ## **18. Restricted funds** Restricted funds include income from endowments, legacies and donations subject to specific instructions on how they may be spent, as indicated below. The accumulated income from endowments and other restricted donations and legacies are allocated a proportion of the general investment portfolio, unless it is expected that a legacy or donation will be applied in accordance with the wishes of the donor within a reasonable period of receipt. |receipt.|| |---|---| |**CHARITY & GROUP**|**Fund**
**Gains**
**Fund**
**B/Fwd**
**Income**
**Expenditure Transfer & Losses**
**C/Fwd**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**| |Overseas Development Fund Income
Hymns A & M Lectureship Fund Income
Harold Smart Fund Income
Hubert Crook and other Bursary Funds
Wiles Family Bequest income fund
The Minsall-Jones Income Fund
Derek Marsden Fund for Education
Regional development in specific areas
Bursaries for Cathedral Courses
Bursaries for RSCM study programmes
Liz & Terry Bramall
The Norman Kirkham Fund for organ scholarships
RSCM Voices general bursaries fund
K Guppy Fund for training/support of boy choristers
Parish Organ Scholarships Project
Post-Ordination clergy training project
The Headley Trust bursaries grant for young people
PA Mason Memorial Fund for courses
MB MacAuley Fund for choir training
DF Todd Fund
Cathedral Courses Income Fund
Ouseley Trust
Area funds
Pipeline Organ Scholarship
Oglethorpe Fund for bursaries for young choristers
J Thiselton fund for Chorister Training
David Willcocks Music Trust Grant
The Williams Church Music Trust Grant
Kirby Laing Grant
Gladys Mabel Fillary
Mullineaux
Webshop Donate|3,534
1,126
(22)
-
118
4,756
12,948
1,368
(280)
-
430
14,466
7,776
568
(546)
-
251
8,049
59,578
6,904
(375)
-
1,993
68,100
30,978
3,756
(692)
-
1,028
35,070
16,472
2,332
(1,594)
-
526
17,736
4,823
699
(277)
(2,450)
157
2,952
1,164
-
-
(1,164)
-
20,476
518
(129)
-
685
21,550
7,062
179
(45)
-
236
7,432
-
60,000
(60,000)
-
-
-
2,324
59
(15)
-
77
2,445
1,082
27
(7)
-
36
1,138
52,766
1,336
(333)
-
1,765
55,534
5,436
138
(34)
-
182
5,722
7,985
202
(50)
-
267
8,404
5
-
5
34,689
878
(219)
-
1,160
36,508
146,231
3,632
(6,499)
-
4,797
148,161
37,778
956
(238)
-
1,263
39,759
3,261
-
(3,261)
-
2,228
-
(2,228)
-
11,186
-
(11,186)
-
205
-
(205)
-
2,577
65
(16)
-
87
2,713
1,979
50
(12)
-
66
2,083
1,483
38
(9)
-
50
1,562
2,472
63
-16
-
83
2,602
4,851
-
(5,360)
509
-
9,666
1,521
(69)
-
344
11,462
-
-
(15)
2,405
2,390
-
1,810
(1,100)
1,292
2,002| ||493,015
88,225
(77,952)
(16,288)
15,601
502,601| The transfer of £2,450 to the Derek Marsden Fund for Education corrects an immaterial understatement of expenditure in the prior year. The transfer of £2,405 from Area Funds to Mullineux identifies the specific purpose of a subset of these monies. The transfers of £1,164 from Regional development in specific areas, £3,261 from the Cathedral Courses Income Fund, £2,228 from the Ousesley Trust, £8,781 from Area Funds reflect the outcomes of a review by the Council, which identified that these funds did not need to be restricted. The transfer of £205 from the Pipeline Organ Scholarship fund de-restricts a deminimus amount remaining on this fund after its purpose had been fulfiled. The transfer of £509 to the Kirby Laing Grant fund covers an excess of expenditure over income received. The transfer of £1,292 to Webshop donate adjusts for an immaterial sum which should have been assigned to the fund in the prior period. 48 **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) **Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2023** ## **18. Restricted Funds (continued…)** ## **Restricted Funds - previous year** |**Restricted Funds - previous year**|| |---|---| |**CHARITY & GROUP**|**Fund**
**Gains**
**Fund**
**B/Fwd**
**Income**
**Expenditure Transfer & Losses**
**C/Fwd**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**| |Overseas Development Fund Income
Hymns A & M Lectureship Fund Income
Harold Smart Fund Income
Hubert Crook and other Bursary Funds
Wiles Family Bequest income fund
The Minsall-Jones Income Fund
Derek Marsden Fund for Education
Regional development in specific areas
Bursaries for Cathedral Courses
Bursaries for RSCM study programmes
Liz & Terry Bramall
The Norman Kirkham Fund for organ scholarships
RSCM Voices general bursaries fund
K Guppy Fund for training/support of boy choristers
Parish Organ Scholarships Project
Post-Ordination clergy training project
The Headley Trust bursaries grant for young people
PA Mason Memorial Fund for courses
MB MacAuley Fund for choir training
DF Todd Fund
Cathedral Courses Income Fund
Ouseley Trust
Area funds
Pipeline Organ Scholarship
Oglethorpe Fund for bursaries for young choristers
J Thiselton fund for Chorister Training
David Willcocks Music Trust Grant
The Williams Church Music Trust Grant
Kirby Laing Grant
Gladys Mabel Fillary|6,285
1,143
(3,541)
(353)
3,534
12,843
1,301
(200)
(996)
12,948
8,374
537
(500)
(635)
7,776
58,455
6,585
(930)
(4,532)
59,578
29,707
3,592
(2,321)
30,978
15,927
2,266
(495)
(1,226)
16,472
4,776
679
(270)
(362)
4,823
1,238
23
(97)
1,164
21,775
402
(1,701)
20,476
7,510
139
(587)
7,062
-
60,000
(60,000)
-
-
2,471
46
(193)
2,324
1,191
22
(40)
(91)
1,082
56,116
1,035
(4,385)
52,766
5,781
107
(452)
5,436
8,492
157
(664)
7,985
5
-
-
5
36,890
681
(2,882)
34,689
155,514
2,869
(12,152)
146,231
40,486
744
(300)
(3,152)
37,778
3,468
64
(271)
3,261
2,369
44
(185)
2,228
11,896
219
(929)
11,186
218
4
(17)
205
2,740
51
(214)
2,577
2,104
39
(164)
1,979
1,577
29
(123)
1,483
2,629
48
(205)
2,472
5,046
(195)
4,851
10,055
(389)
9,666| ||500,837
97,927
(66,276)
-
(39,473)
493,015| 49 **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) **Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2023** ## **19. Unrestricted funds** |**CHARITY**
Designated funds:
Fixed assets
Area development
Fair value reserve
Cathedral Organists Association
General fund
**GROUP**
Designated funds:
Fixed assets
Area development
Fair value reserve
Cathedral Organists Association
General fund
**Unrestricted Funds - previous year**
**CHARITY & GROUP**
Designated funds:
Fixed assets
Area development
Fair value reserve
Cathedral Organists Association
General fund|**Fund**
**Gains**
**Fund**
**B/Fwd**
**Income**
**Expenditure Transfer & Losses**
**C/Fwd**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
28,700
-
(11,766)
11,751
-
28,685
8,934
-
-
(8,934)
-
-
2,570
-
-
(2,570)
-
-
13,746
12,392
(9,869)
(6,000)
-
10,269
105,079
933,564
(938,335)
22,041
1,992
124,341
159,029
945,956
(959,970)
16,288
1,992
163,295
**Fund**
**Gains**
**Fund**
**B/Fwd**
**Income**
**Expenditure Transfer & Losses**
**C/Fwd**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
28,700
-
(11,766)
11,751
-
28,685
8,934
-
-
(8,934)
-
-
2,570
-
-
(2,570)
-
-
13,746
12,392
(9,869)
(6,000)
-
10,269
105,079
1,248,365
(1,257,736)
22,041
1,992
119,741
159,029
1,260,757
(1,279,371)
16,288
1,992
158,695
**Fund**
**Gains**
**Fund**
**B/Fwd**
**Income**
**Expenditure Transfers & Losses**
**C/Fwd**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
28,274
(17,455)
17,881
28,700
8,934
8,934
118,763
(100,909)
(15,284)
2,570
11,972
10,490
(7,805)
(911)
13,746
-
156,027
1,155,847
(1,290,734)
83,939
105,079
323,970
1,166,337
(1,315,994)
-
(15,284)
159,029| |---|---| 50 **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) **Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2023** ## **19. Unrestricted funds (continued…)** As at 31 December 2003, Council created a fund designated to represent fixed assets. Fixed asset additions are transferred to the fund and depreciation is charged to the fund. As at 31 December 2010, Council created a fund designated for Area Development. £30,000 was transferred from the general fund to provide underwriting or grant support for Area education and outreach programmes where the necessary funds are not available locally. Unspent funds were released in 2023. The Fair value reserve comprises the net revaluation gains on investments held by the charity. In 2022 a transfer was made to agree the accumulated balance on this fund to the gains held within the investment portfolio and in 2023 the fund was closed. The Cathedral Organists Association is part of the Royal School of Church Music but operates within a separate framework within the overall governance arrangements of the Charity; the trustees take the view that this level of operational independence is best recognised by identifying the funds relating to the Cathedral Organists Association as a designated fund as those funds will be used only for the Association’s purposes. The general fund represents those funds which are unrestricted and not designated for other purposes. ## **20. Operating lease commitments** At 31 December 2022, the Charity had total commitments under non-cancellable operating leases as follows: |**CHARITY & GROUP**
Due within one year
Due between one and five years
Due in more than five years|**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
5,500
23,958
3,208
8,708
-
-
8,708
32,666
**Land and buildings**| |---|---| ## **21. Pension Commitments** The charity operates a defined contributions scheme on behalf of its employees. The RSCM contributes a minimum of 5% of each members gross salary into the scheme where the member contributes a minimum of 3% of gross salary. The assets of the scheme are held separately from the charity in a fund administered by Aegon. The annual pension commitment under this scheme is £21,764 (2022: £22,689). No contributions, including employee contributions, were outstanding at the balance sheet date (2022: £NIL). 51 **The Royal School of Church Music** (Company No:00250031) **Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2023** ## **21. Comparative Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities** |**Income and Endowments from:**
Donations and legacies
_Income from charitable activities:_
Membership Income
Education & Outreach
Publication sales & royalties
Area committees
Other incoming resources
Investments
**Total Income**
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
Charitable activities
Membership Income
Education & Outreach
Publication sales & royalties
Area committees
**Total expenditure**
**Net income/(expenditure)**
**Transfers between funds**
Net Gains/(losses) on investments
**Net movement in funds**
**Reconciliation of funds:**
Total funds brought forward
**Total funds carried forward**|**Total**
**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**Endowment**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
212,144
74,964
-
287,108
480,185
-
480,185
104,998
-
-
104,998
316,306
-
-
316,306
42,017
-
-
42,017
3,608
22,963
-
26,571
7,079
-
-
7,079
1,166,337
97,927
-
1,264,264
136,743
-
-
136,743
296,430
-
-
296,430
267,337
66,276
-
333,613
326,540
-
-
326,540
288,944
-
-
288,944
1,315,994
66,276
-
1,382,270
(149,657)
31,651
-
(118,006)
-
-
-
-
(15,284)
(39,473)
(57,790)
(112,547)
(164,941)
(7,822)
(57,790)
(230,553)
323,970
500,837
476,236
1,301,043
**159,029**
**493,015**
**418,446**
**1,070,490**| |---|---| 52