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 |Incoming Resources
Subscriptions – members
Gift Aid tax refund
Subscriptions – friends and patrons
Donations
Grants
Advertising revenue
Fund raising
Interest
Music sales and hire
Concert income – tickets
Other
Total Incoming Resources
Expenditure
Direct Charitable Expenditure
Musical Director
Accompanist
Hall hire
Orchestra / instrument hire
Soloists
Storage
Printing, publicity
Music purchase and hire (Note 2)
Other
Governance Costs
Administration
Total Expenditure
Net Incoming (Outgoing) Resources
Total Cash brought forward at beginning of period
Total Cash carried forward at end of period||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) |Incoming Resources
Subscriptions – members
Gift Aid tax refund
Subscriptions – friends and patrons
Donations
Grants
Advertising revenue
Fund raising
Interest
Music sales and hire
Concert income – tickets
Other
Total Incoming Resources
Prior year equivalent
Expenditure
Direct Charitable Expenditure
Musical Director
Accompanist
Hall hire
Orchestra / instrument hire
Soloists
Storage
Printing, publicity
Music hire
Other
Governance Costs
Administration
Total Expenditure
Prior year equivalent
Concert Net Incoming (Outgoing) Resources
Year ended 31 July 2024
Year ended 31 July 2023||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|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|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|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