2024-07-31-accounts - The Billingshurst Choral Society

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

Trustees' Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 July 2024

BILLINGSHURST CHORAL SOCIETY

TRUSTEES' REPORT for the YEAR ended 31 JULY 2024

Billingshurst Choral Society is governed by a Constitution. The previous one dated 11 July 2017 was revised, mainly to streamline the composition of the Management Committee, and the new one was approved by Members at the AGM on 12 September 2023. The Charity is registered with the Charity Commissioners, no. 801503. The Charity's postal address is 27 Blackthorn Avenue, Billingshurst, West Sussex RH14 9GW. The website address is www.billingshurstchoralsociety.org.uk. The Trustees of the Charity are the officers and a number of elected ordinary members. All Trustees are elected or re-elected annually.

Management Committee

During the year, the Management Committee was as follows:-

Keith Paul – Chairman David Lowe – Vice Chairman (resigned 12 September 2023) Julie Wilson – Honorary Secretary Christopher Kirk – Honorary Treasurer Joy Baggs Susan Cooper Catherine Nye Helen Pullen (resigned 12 September 2023

The Independent Examiner is Christopher Edwards.

Objects, Organisation and Activities

The Society has two objects: (1) to promote, develop and maintain public education in and appreciation of choral music by the study, practice and performance of choral works and by such other means as the Society shall determine, and (2) to support such charitable purpose(s) or charitable institutions as the Society shall decide.

In furtherance of these aims, the Society rehearses from September to June and usually stages three, sometimes four, concerts each season for which it engages such professional soloists and orchestral players as are necessary. Members of the Society pay an annual subscription, and social events and other activities are held to help raise some additional funds. Non-performing memberships are offered to patrons and friends of the Society.

Review of Progress and Achievements

Under the Society's Music Director, Marcio da Silva, there have been three concerts staged in the year, brief details of which are set out below. All three concerts were enjoyable to perform in and enjoyed by the increasing numbers in our audiences.

The Autumn concert, at St Gabriel's Church, comprised a performance of Rossini's Messe Solennelle, with piano and harmonium accompaniment.

Page 1

The Society decided not to stage a Christmas concert, opting instead to involve various members in local carol singing events, thereby increasing the funds already raised at our concerts for Macmillan Midhurst Palliative Care.

The Spring concert was Mozart's Requiem and Te Deum, again performed in St Gabriel's Church in Billingshurst. The Requiem was marketed as a “Come and Sing” event, as a result of which we were joined by twenty-six non-members. Orchestral support came from the Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra, which also played Mozart's D major Serenade. For this concert, the Society was delighted to receive a grant of £1,500 from Billingshurst Parish Council.

The Summer concert was devoted entirely to chorus arrangements of works from Gilbert & Sullivan operettas and was staged at the Billingshurst Community Centre. It was an enjoyable concert performed to a full hall.

The financial result was a surplus of £715 in the year (2023 – deficit of £(3,985)), resulting in a bank balance of £6,480 (2023 - £5,765).

Policy on Reserves

The Management Committee has worked hard in the post-COVID era to maintain financial stability in a time of increasing costs and a reduction in membership numbers. The Trustees consider it prudent to build on the current level of cash funds to ensure that the Society's objects can be met.

Bankers

The Society's bankers are HSBC, 21 High Street, Storrington, West Sussex RH20 4DR.

Keith Paul Chairman On behalf of the Trustees of the Billingshurst Choral Society

Signed on 10 September 2024

Page 2

BILLINGSHURST CHORAL SOCIETY

Statement of Financial Activities for the Year ended 31 July 2024

2024 General Concert Total Account Account £ 8,510 0 8,510 2,244 0 2,244 560 0 560 937 0 937 0 1,500 1,500 0 1,490 1,490 2,335 0 2,335 78 0 78 218 0 218 0 5,140 5,140 447 1,551 1,998	2024 General Concert Total Account Account £ 8,510 0 8,510 2,244 0 2,244 560 0 560 937 0 937 0 1,500 1,500 0 1,490 1,490 2,335 0 2,335 78 0 78 218 0 218 0 5,140 5,140 447 1,551 1,998	2023 General Concert Total Account Account £ 10,095 0 10,095 2,188 0 2,188 500 0 500 276 0 276 0 0 0 0 1,070 1,070 1,665 0 1,665 100 0 100 93 0 93 0 5,760 5,760 615 929 1,544	2023 General Concert Total Account Account £ 10,095 0 10,095 2,188 0 2,188 500 0 500 276 0 276 0 0 0 0 1,070 1,070 1,665 0 1,665 100 0 100 93 0 93 0 5,760 5,760 615 929 1,544	2023 General Concert Total Account Account £ 10,095 0 10,095 2,188 0 2,188 500 0 500 276 0 276 0 0 0 0 1,070 1,070 1,665 0 1,665 100 0 100 93 0 93 0 5,760 5,760 615 929 1,544
£15,329	£9,681 £25,010	£15,532	£7,759 £23,291
3,800 2,263 1,323 0 0 275 35 0 2,882 346	1,500 5,300 800 3,063 1,632 2,955 4,505 4,505 2,300 2,300 0 275 1,135 1,170 765 765 734 3,616 0 346	3,690 2,044 1,503 0 0 730 28 564 2,118 630	1,900 5,590 953 2,997 1,519 3,022 5,688 5,688 3,760 3,760 0 730 767 795 859 1,423 524 2,642 0 630
£10,924	£13,371 £24,295	£11,307	£15,970 £27,277
£4,405	-£3,690 £715 £5,765 £6,480	£4,225	-£8,211 -£3,986 £9,751 £5,765
				£5,765

Page 3

BILLINGSHURST CHORAL SOCIETY Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31 July 2024

Cash funds Other monetary assets Debtors Gift Aid repayment claim Other prepayments Investment assets Assets retained for the charity's own use At approximate historic cost (Note 4) Liabilities Creditors due within one year Accruals		2024 £ £6,480	2023 £ £5,765
		80 53 311	0 299 280
		£444	£579
		£0	£0
		£4,200	£4,200
		0 50	0 250
		£50	£250

Signed on behalf of all the Trustees on 10 September 2024

…........................................... Keith Paul, Chairman

…........................................... Christopher Kirk, Honorary Treasurer

Page 4

BILLINGSHURST CHORAL SOCIETY

Notes to the Accounts for the Year ended 31 July 2024

1. Accounting Policies

These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention in accordance with applicable accounting standards, the Charity Commission's Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP2005) and the Charities Act 2011. The basis of preparation is 'receipts and payments' under the Charity Commission's Guidance Statement CC3.

2. Depreciation

The Charity does not account for depreciation, as the costs of assets which it holds are written off as expenditure in the year of purchase. Purchases of music scores made in the year amounted to £24 (2023 - £564).

3. Trustees' Remuneration and Expenses

No Trustees received any remuneration, payments or benefits for their volunteering services.

Trustees were reimbursed for expenses properly incurred on Charity business.

Two Trustees (2023 – one) were reimbursed £619 mileage incurred on Society business (2023 - £89). All such expenses were donated back to the Charity by those Trustees.

4. Assets

The Charity's assets, together with the year of purchase and the Trustees' estimates of their value, are as follows:

Musical scores, procured variously over the years (2023 - £4,000)	£4,000
Other assets (2023 - £200)	£200
Total estimate (2023 - £4,200)	£4,200

Other assets comprise an upright piano, a conductor's stand, over thirty music stands, music folders and banners.

5. Detailed Concert Analysis

The analysis of incoming resources and expenditure relating to concerts is attached at page 6, and forms part of these notes to the accounts.

Page 5

BILLINGSHURST CHORAL SOCIETY

Detailed Concert Analysis for the Year ended 31 July 2024 (Note 5 to the Accounts)

2024 £ 0 0 0 0 1,500 1,490 0 0 0 5,140 1,551	Earlier concerts 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0	Autumn 2023 0 0 0 0 0 650 0 0 0 1,295 309	Christmas 2023 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0	Spring 2024 0 0 0 0 1,500 420 0 0 0 2,135 875	Summer 2024 0 0 0 0 0 420 0 0 0 1,710 367

£9,681	£0	£2,254	£0	£4,930	£2,497
£7,759 1,500 800 1,632 4,505 2,300 0 1,135 765 734 0	£0 0 0 225 0 0 0 0 0 25 0	£1,709 500 400 500 915 1,200 0 356 307 180 0	£808 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0	£3,279 500 200 500 3,240 900 0 413 190 266 0	£1,963 500 200 407 350 200 0 366 268 263 0
£13,371	£250	£4,358	£0	£6,209	£2,554
£16,062 -£3,690 -£8,303	£92 -£250 -£92	£4,092 -£2,104 -£2,383	£1,828 £0 -£1,020	£6,842 -£1,279 -£3,563	£3,208 -£57 -£1,245

Page 6

BILLINGSHURST CHORAL SOCIETY

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Billingshurst Choral Society

I report on the accounts of the Charity for the year ended 31 July 2024 which are set out on pages 1 to 6.

Respective Responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner:

The Charity's Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the Accounts. The Charity's Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an Independent Examination is needed.

It is my responsibility:

To examine the Accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,
To follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act), and
To state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of Independent Examiner's statement:

My examination was carried out in accordance with General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the Charity 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 Trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the Accounts present a 'true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

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:
to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act, and
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act,

have not been met; or

(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed on 10 September 2024

Christopher Edwards Durbans Round Street Common Wisborough Green West Sussex RH14 0AR

Page 7