Treasurer’s Report - 2024-25
1 Summary
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Our adjusted figures show we have made a deficit of £438
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The Committee are recommending that our subscriptions for those in a single section should increase from £130 to £150 for 2025-26 It is also recommended that the separate sub for the Contemporary Ensemble should increase from £20 to £25.
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The Committee are recommending that our ticket prices should be unchanged for 2025-26.
2 Background
The accounts have been adopted by the KEMS Committee, circulated to all members and are being presented at the Society’s 2025 AGM for its approval. Our thanks go to Mike Horner as our Independent Examiner. Mike has approved the accounts and has generously made no charge for examining them.
3 Membership
There are currently c154 members of KEMS (157 last year): Band c44 (49) Orchestra c43 (44), Choir c67 (64). There are 11 members in the Contemporary Ensemble. These figures are approximate and double count members in more than one section.
4 Subscriptions
Our total subscription income showed a very small decrease (of 2.0%) compared with last season. This is not highly significant in itself but we need to monitor numbers carefully and always be aware of recruitment opportunities.
5 Audiences
We have aimed for a minimum audience of 100 in all our nine ticketed events. In fact we have achieved around 92 on average. Had we achieved an average of 100 it would have gained us another c£1,000. This stresses the importance of promoting ticket sales to friends and family and more importantly to the public.
6 Contemporary Ensemble
This now has a subscription of £20 and (not before time!) pays Julia an honorarium as Musical Director.
This payment and other figures such as subscription income are included in the main income and expenditure tables in the accounts but it may be of interest to look at the specific Contemporary figures:
Income: Subs £220, Anonymous Sponsorship of Buxton Fringe Event £250 (+ ticket sales to come)
Expenditure: Honorarium £150, Music purchase. £65, Buxton Fringe room hire £250, Printing £47
7 Charitable Giving by / through KEMS
Although a charity ourselves, we are usually able to support other charities. However, the annual event scheduled at Tatton on 22 December had to be cancelled on this occasion owing to a power outage.
8 Committee Decisions following KEMS Finance Subgroup Recommendations
The Finance Subgroup, containing members from all sections, was set up in March 2022 and has met several times, most recently on 10 April 2025, to make recommendations to the full Committee.
Taking these recommendations into account the Committee decided at its meeting of 27 April 2025:
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a) The Committee are recommending that our subscriptions should increase from £130 to £150 for 202526 (with membership of more that one main section being increased to £225). Our subscription last rose in Sep 2022. It is also recommended that the separate sub for the Contemporary Ensemble should increase from £20 to £25.
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b) There should be no rise in ticket prices for 2025-26 (Our ticket prices last rose in Sep 2023).
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c) There will be an increase of 3% to all fees (to the nearest pound) for all five of our professionals for 2025-26.
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d) As the programme for the next season is being planned, it will only be finalised once approximate music hire or purchase costs are established.
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e) For many years we have received a variable amount each year (in the range £800 to £2,500) from the Charles Beswick Trust toward our general expenses. We have now received a final one-off payment of £10,828 in addition to £2,374 for the current year. We are intending to “taper” the use of this sum over a number of years. However, we will retain the ability to vary this approach if desirable, for instance to fund a major event or events in our “platinum” year of 2027.
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f) As has happened in the past an appeal will be made for some individual members (or others) to sponsor a soloist or concert (anonymously if they wish).
Paul Spedding, July 2025
King Edward Music Society of Macclesfield: Accounts 2024/25
Income Expenditure
| Income | Income | Income | Income | Expenditure | Expenditure | Expenditure | Expenditure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note 2024/25 2023/24 |
Note 2024/25 2023/24 |
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| 1 | Subscriptions | 18,863 | 19,249 | MD-Tony Houghton | 6,645 | 5,941 | |
| Concert Income | 12,503 | 10,985 | MD-Julia Harding |
6,611 | 5,751 | ||
| Charles Beswick Trust | 13,202 | - | MD-Mark McCombs |
6,796 | 6,325 | ||
| HMRC-Gift Aid April 2025 | 4,977 | 4,745 | Orchestra Leader-Henry Rankin | 3,688 | 3,729 | ||
| Donations (Gift Aided) | 1,257 | 1,667 | Choir Accomp-James Heathcote |
3,604 | 1,998 | ||
Donations |
- | - | Choir Accomp-Rachel Fright | - | 739 | ||
| Interest | 806 | 664 | Soloists |
648 | 960 | ||
| Refreshment Donations (Reh'ls) | 208 | 308 | Soloist Travel & Subsistence | 300 | 100 | ||
Refreshment Donations (Concerts) |
910 | 482 | Guest Players | 540 | 875 | ||
Raffles (Concerts) |
1,208 | 582 | Refreshments-concerts |
389 | 149 | ||
KEMS Contemporary Meeting |
- | 43 | Rehearsal/Meeting Venues | 5,516 | 5,054 | ||
Band Tour Summer 24 |
11,803 | 4,613 | Concert Venues |
2,959 | 1,381 | ||
| Band Tour Summer 24 Collection | 272 | - | Music hire/copy/purchase: Band | 154 | 710 | ||
| Programme adverts | 200 | - | Music hire/copy/purchase: Choir |
771 | 903 | ||
Orch Petrushka W/S 23 Nov |
1,086 | - | Music hire/copy/purch: Orchestra |
1,860 | 2,983 | ||
| Through-100 Carols for Choirs | 66 | - | Music hire/copy/purch: Contemp'y |
65 | - | ||
| 2 | Equipment hire |
415 | - | Making Music |
566 | 652 | |
| Miscellaneous | 55 | 157 | Printing,Publicity,Postage etc |
1,578 | 1,195 | ||
| 3 Other income in 2023/24 1,226 TOTAL 67,832 44,721 |
Equipment | 188 | - | ||||
| Yapsody commission | 73 | 67 | |||||
Staging Storage |
500 | 500 | |||||
Band Tour Summer 24 |
12,187 | 4,046 | |||||
| Orch Petrushka W/S 23 Nov | 613 | - | |||||
| Through-100 Carols for Choirs | 66 | - | |||||
BandTour 2026 |
250 | - | |||||
| Alcohol Licence | 42 | - | |||||
| Miscellaneous | 118 | 98 | |||||
| 4 | Other expenditure in 2023/24 1,182 TOTAL 56,725 45,338 Unadjusted surplus 11,107 Adjustments 11,545 - ADJUSTED DEFECIT 24-25 438 |
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| ADJUSTED DEFECIT 24-25 438 |
Notes
1 Membership: Total c154 (157 last year): Band c44 (49) Orchestra c43 (44), Choir c67 (64). Also Contemporary 11 2 Equipment Hire: Northern Chamb Orch Staging £200, North Staffs Orch Drums £100, St M's lighting £115 3 Other Income in 2023/24 included £907 Singing day Oct 23
4 Other Expenditure in 2023/24 included £524 Singing Day Oct 23
Adjustments: total £11,545
1) Beswick Trust: final payment of £10,828 included in £13,202 above: to be used in future years on a tapered basis
2) St Michael's booking fee for 17 May to be paid c£302
3) £415 (our income from equipment hire) transferred to the Capital Reserve Fund
KEMS Accounts 2024/25 - Page 1 of 3
Independent Examiner's Report on the King Edward Musical Society of Macclesfield
| report on the financial statements of King Edward Musical Society of Macclesfield (Registered Charity No 517554) for the year ended 31 May 2025.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The Society through its Committee is responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The Committee considers that an audit is not required for this year (under section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the 1993 Act)) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
- examine the accounts (under section 43(3)(a) of the 1993 Act);
° to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 43(7)(b) of the 1993 Act); and
° to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner's report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the Committee and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the Committee concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently | do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.
Independent examiner's statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the 1993 Act; and
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° to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 1993 Act;
have not been met; or
(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
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