2025-08-31-accounts - Congleton Choral Society

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator. This document is also available as Markdown.

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 1[st] September 2024 To 31[st] August 2025 Charity name: CONGLETON CHORAL SOCIETY

Charity registration number: 515851

Objectives and Activities

Objectives and Activities	Objectives and Activities

Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document THE OBJECTS OF THE SOCIETY SHALL BE TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC IN THE ARTS AND SCIENCES, AND IN PARTICULAR THE ART AND SCIENCE OF MUSIC, IN THE PROMOTION OF CONCERTS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES.
Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. The Trustees have complied with the duty in section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 to have due regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. Membership of the choral society is open to any singer, subject to passing an audition by the Music Director. Rehearsals are then directed towards 4 public concerts per year. We believe that our activities benefit both singers and audience; for participants learning music, developing sight reading skill and vocal technique, and singing as a group. For our audience the enjoyment of hearing (and at Christmas participating in a variety of musical styles, often involving professional soloists and instrumentalists. Tickets are competitively priced to attract a wide audience with both concession and children’s tickets available. All full time students and under 26 year olds benefit from a reduced membership subscription rate. In addition, any member with financial difficulties can privately discuss a special reduced subscription arrangement with the Membership Secretary. We also hold choral workshops, which are open to all singers, and offer the chance to learn a variety of choral works with famous and local conductors concluding with an informal sing through. The Community choir was established for new non auditioned singers to experience both singing and music sight reading and taking part in performances. Many of these singers then move on to join the main choir.
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit	The trustees have complied with the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.

Achievements and Performance

Achievements and Performance

Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.

In September 2024 we began our fourth choir year with
Music Director Tom Newall and Accompanist Rachel
Fright. Ably helped by Ian Pickford as deputy conductor
when Tom is not available.
Tom’s choice of music has given us yet more new works
to master and enjoy whilst including pieces from the
standard repertoire. Tom and Rachel have developed a
quality of excellence which has put Congleton on the map
as one of the best choral societies in the area.
Tom & Rachel led and accompanied our annual Singing
Day with Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man, and over 100
singers. We also offered non-CCS singers the chance to
join the choir for a performance of the work at our Spring
Concert. And we gained a few new members.
In November we gave a performance of Brahms’ Requiem
in the town hall with Rachel and Lauryna Sableviviute on
2 pianos and soloists.
In December, for our Christmas Concert, we returned to
the Town Hall with a brass quintet from Wilmslow
Symphony Orchestra in a varied programme. This also
included a piece by Rachel our accompanist.
In January 2025 we started rehearsals for Karl Jenkins’
The Armed Man. This was our first collaboration with
Acceler8 Band and was hugely successful. It was a
sellout concert with expenses and income shared with the
band. We also sang a choral version of Sibelius’
Finlandia.
In May we moved to a new venue, Wellspring Methodist
Church, mainly for free parking, as Cheshire East had
imposed evening charges on town centre car parks.
Our summer concert featured Haydn’s Nelson Mass,
Britten’s Serenade for tenor, horn and strings and the
Sunrise Mass by Ola Gjeilo, a new composer to our
repertoire. We were joined by the National Festival
Orchestra and 4 soloists.
In their 24/25 season the 45 members of Congleton
Community Choir performed 4 free concerts for the local
community.
There were Sunday afternoon concerts in autumn and
spring, and evening Christmas and summer concerts.
In addition, the Community Choir joined the Choral
Society in June to provide 2 hours of free entertainment
from the bandstand in Congleton Park organized by the
Friends of Congleton Park.
The season ended with another free concert in Astbury
Church with donations for church repairs.
The society has also been active in the wider community.
Planning is underway for the schools’ project to be led by
our Creative Producer, Joe Clarkson. And we have also

hosted ‘Conductlings’ at a rehearsal, encouraging young people at the beginning of their musical career. A generous bequest from a longstanding member of the choir is to be used to sponsor the next summer concert ‘Songs from the Shows’. Meanwhile our new website continues to develop by the ‘website’ team, both to inform the choir but also to publicise our activities to the community.

Financial Review

==> picture [416 x 442] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
Review of the charity’s The funds at 1st September 2024 were £33402.23 and at 31st
financial position at the end August 2025, £30,114.03.
of the period Although keeping to our plan for 2 orchestral concerts and 2
with piano accompaniment a year, expenditure was nearly
double that of our income for 4 concerts. Audience numbers
are still varying but concert expenses are increasing.
However, subscriptions from September 2024 to
£180 per year have enabled us to have more flexibility when
choosing venues and accompaniments for concerts.
Statement explaining the As most of the society's energies are directed to the
policy for holding reserves preparation and staging of four choral concerts each year and
stating why they are held that we cannot rely solely on audience numbers to cover our
costs, reserves should therefore reflect the amounts needed
to provide these objectives. Based on costs over previous
years the society believes that it is prudent to maintain
reserves of €20,000, based on two orchestral and two
keyboard concerts, which will be reviewed annually at the first
meeting of the Executive Committee after the Annual General
Meeting.
Amount of reserves held £20,000
The charity’s principal Profit from Concerts and Singing Days.
sources of funds (including Fundraising such as raffles, carol singing, garden
any fundraising trail, socials.
Investment policy and
objectives including any Our reserves are held in an interest bearing savings account
social investment policy
adopted
----- End of picture text -----

Structure, Governance and Management

==> picture [191 x 65] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
Description of charity’s
trusts:
Type of governing document | Constitution
How is the charity Society
constituted?
----- End of picture text -----

Reference and Administrative details

==> picture [408 x 65] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
Congleton Choral Societ
Othernamethecharityuses |
Registered charity number 515851
Charity’s principal address 68 Fence Avenue
Macclesfield
SK10 1LT
----- End of picture text -----

Names of the Charity Trustees who manage the charity

==> picture [235 x 197] intentionally omitted <==

Declarations

==> picture [334 x 10] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
----- End of picture text -----

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

==> picture [416 x 89] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
Signature(s) NDF Loa 2+ 2
Full name(s) Pamela Upchurch Lynne Evans
Position (eg Secretary, Treasurer
Chair, etc)
Bate isk bec 29S.
----- End of picture text -----

Congleton Choral Society income and Expenditure accounts for year ending 31st August 2025 RECEIPTS PAYMENTS

==> picture [560 x 422] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
||||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Concert|Income|Concert|expenses| |Autumn|Concert|£1,993.94|Autumn|Concert|£3,955.73| |Christmas|Concert|£2,523.43|Christmas|Concert|£2,810.78| |Spring|Concert|£3,550.59|Spring Concert|£3,622.45| |Summer|Concert|£1,331.84|Summer|Concert|£7,199.67| |£9,399.80|£17,588.63| |Bank|interest|Running|Costs| |NFMS|subscription/Insurance|£566.00| |Skipton|Buiding Society|£534.32|Musical|Director|£7,210.00| |Accompanist|£4,865.00| |Subscriptions|£14,623.00|Hall|Hire|£1,919.25| |Website|£176.04| |Eundraising|£710.00|£14,736.29| |HMRC Gift Aid|£3,393.52|Deposits|£487.20| |Music|loans and|sales|£1,079.00|Music|Hire and|purchase|£2,123.05| |Sale|of uniforms|£40.00|Uniform|£84.00| |Donations|£2,236.00|Sundries|£719.67| |Community Choir|£7,508.90|Community|Choir|£8,003.39| |Armed Man Singing Day 24|£1,741.11|Armed|Man|Singing|Day|24|£1,232.42| |Coleridge|Singing|Day 25|£420.80| |£32,286.65|£12,649.73| |Total|Income|£41,686.45|Total|Expenditure|£44,974.65| |Loss|for Year|-£3,288.20| |Total|£41,686.45|Total|£41,686.45| |Reserves|brought forward|£33,402.23|Reserves|carried forward|£30,114.03|

----- End of picture text -----

==> picture [558 x 235] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
|||||||||||||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Represented|by:-|Represented|by:-| |Opening|balances|at|1st September 2024|Closing balances|at|31st Augustc 2025| |Co-op|Current account|£3,337.61|Co-op|Current account|£2, 748.98| |Co-op|Membership account|£8, 435.22|Co-op|Membership account|£4, 567.74| |Co-op|Community choir account|£6,929.32|Co-op|Community Choir account|£7,562.91| |Virgin|Charities account|£14, 700.08|SkiptonBS|—|Charities account|£15, 234.40| |£33,402.23|£30,114.03| |Auditor's|report|.| |||have|examined|the|receipts,|books and|accounts|of|Congleton|Choral|Society for the year ending|31st August|2025| |||hereby|verify that|in|my|opinion|the financial|statements,|which|have|been|prepared|on|an|income|and|expenditure| |basis|using|historical|cost convention,|give|a|true|and|fair view|of the|financial|affairs|as|at|31st August,|2025.| |Signed|by:|-|Signed|by:|-| |Pam|Upchurch|(Honorary Treasurer)|John Tudor|(Auditor)|

----- End of picture text -----

Congleton Choral Society income and Expenditure accounts for year ending 31st August 2025 RECEIPTS PAYMENTS

==> picture [560 x 422] intentionally omitted <==

----- End of picture text -----

==> picture [558 x 235] intentionally omitted <==

----- End of picture text -----