Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 1 August 2024 To 31 July 2025
Charity name: Summertown Choral Society
Charity registration number: 900317
Objectives and Activities
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | From the SCS Constitution: ‘The objects of the Society shall be to educate the public in the art and science of music by the rehearsal of choral music, the presentation of public concerts and other charitable 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. |
Para 1.17 and 1.19 |
The main activities in FY 2024-25 were: A total of 36 rehearsals over the year, leading to two public concerts. These gave opportunities for members to work with professional musicians to achieve the standard required for public performance. Concert on 1 February 2025 The choir were joined by a leading professional orchestra, the Instruments of Time and Truth, and professional soloists in performing J S Bach’s_St John Passion_. Concert on 17 May 2025 The choir and professional soloists were accompanied on piano and performed: Dvořák_Mass in D_ Tippett_Five Spirituals_ Holst_Five Partsongs_ |
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | The trustees have regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and ensure that the activities we undertake comply with and support our charitable aims. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| N/A | ||
| Policy on grant making | Para 1.38 |
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 | N/A |
|---|---|---|
| Contribution made by volunteers |
Para 1.38 | The choir is run by volunteers. The trustees are elected from and by choir members and form a Committee which is also responsible for managing the choir. They are assisted by other members, together with volunteers from outside the choir, who help with essential tasks such as organising seating and staging in concert venues, stewarding, programme sales and refreshments. Two professional freelance musicians are commissioned and paid to train the choir and lead it in performances. |
| Other | N/A |
Achievements and Performance
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
Para 1.20 | The charity provides for its members: • Proven benefits of singing for physical and mental health • Increased musical expertise and singing ability through rehearsing and performing • Wide access with no auditions and subscription reductions for young people, all students and people in financial difficulties to enable their participation • A variety of choral music to appeal to a range of tastes and so interest more people in singing For the wider public: • High quality concerts at affordable prices with free entry for children • Support of young professional musicians starting out by paying them to sing/play with us and professional groups such as the Instruments of Time and Truth orchestra. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| Achievements against objectives set |
Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | • Two successful concerts held with good attendance, one with a near capacity audience of over 300, fulfilling the object to educate the public in choral music. |
|---|---|---|---|
| • A mixed programme of music, ranging from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries, from J S Bach to Dvorak, Holst and Tippett, appealing to a range of singers and audience members • The choir maintained a healthy size with over 130 members at its height. |
||
|---|---|---|
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | The principal fundraising activities are membership subscriptions and sales of tickets for concerts which together comprised 88% of revenue in this year. The total income was very close to budget and there was also a decrease of 3% in budgeted expenditure . |
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | N/A |
| Other |
Financial Review
| Financial Review | ||
|---|---|---|
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | The charity’s financial position is sound, with funds of £29,764 in the bank at year end, representing 25% growth in funds for 2024-25 over the previous year. |
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | Reserves are held to: • fund expenditure needed before revenue is received or meet smaller annual losses incurred as part of normal activities when annual revenue does not meet expectations (operational reserves) • cover extraordinary events which cause major disruption to the choir’s activities and income and which cannot be covered by other sources such as insurance (emergency reserves) • invest in future projects which cannot be met out of annual income (discretionary spend reserves) |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | £29,764 at end of FY 24-25, breaking down roughly as: • operational £12,000 • emergency £12,000 • discretionary £5,764 |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | N/A |
|---|---|---|
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | N/A |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 | N/A |
| Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements |
where relevant about: |
|---|---|---|
| The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising) |
Para 1.47 | As above, the principal sources were membership subscriptions and ticket sales. These were supplemented by small amounts of sponsorship, bank interest, money made by sales of concert refreshments and of scores to members. |
| Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted |
Para 1.46 | N/A |
| A description of the principal risks facing the charity |
Para 1.46 | Risks to charity include: • rising costs due to inflation, especially of professional performers and venues • ageing membership • potential loss of charity discounts due to financial problems of suppliers |
| Other |
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: |
||
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 |
Constitution |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | Unincorporated |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | • Trustees are elected every year from and by choir members in an Annual General Meeting on a one member, one vote basis. Choir membership is open to anyone interested in furthering the objects of the Society and pays its subscription. • After five continuous years in office trustees are not re-eligible for election until a year has elapsed. • There are three officers (Chair, Treasurer and Secretary) and a minimum of three and maximum of six other members who all have specific management roles and responsibilities |
(eg concert manager, membership secretary, publicity coordinator).
| Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements |
where relevant about: |
|---|---|---|
| Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees |
Para 1.51 | N/A |
| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works |
Para 1.51 | The choir’s organisational structure has been described above. It is a member of the National Association of Choirs. |
| Relationship with any related parties |
Para 1.51 | N/A |
| Other |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charity name | Summertown Choral Society |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | N/A |
| Registered charity number | 900317 |
| Charity’s principal address | 47 Templar Road Oxford OX2 8LS |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole **year ** |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sean Wilson | Chair | Choir AGM(byelection) | ||
| Keith Young | Secretary | “ | ||
| LindseyCharles | Treasurer | “ | ||
| Maria Scott | Membership Secretary |
“ | ||
| Caroline Best | Librarian | “ | ||
| FelicityRecord | Social Secretary | “ | ||
| Sue Palmer | Concert Manager | “ | ||
| Julia Wigg | PublicityCoordinator | 1/8/2024 – 28/11/2024 | “ | |
| Deborah Lawrence-Wilson |
Publicity Coordinator | 28/11/2024 – 31/07/2025 | “ | |
Corporate trustees – names of the directors at the date the report was approved
Director name N/A
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
Dates acted if not for whole year
Trustee name N/A
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
Description of the assets N/A held in this capacity Name and objects of the N/A charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for N/A safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of adviser Name Address N/A
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
N/A
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
N/A
Other optional information
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
| Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date |
Sean Wilson |
Lindsey Charles |
|---|---|---|
Sean Padraic Wilson |
Lindsey Charles | |
Chair |
Secretary | |
| 1 March 2026 | ||
| 1 March 2026 |
SUMMERTOWN CHORAL SOCIETY
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025
All funds are unrestricted
| 2023-24 2024-25 Term 1 Term 1 |
2023-24 2024-25 Term 2 Term 2 |
2023-24 2024-25 Totals Totals |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts | |||
| Subscriptions Concert tickets Gift Aid Sponsorship Score sales for 2024-25 Score sales for 2025-26 Concert refreshments Programme sales Bank interest Misc Total receipts |
£11,922.50 £12,350.00 £5,941.43 £5,575.84 £0.00 £1,000.00 £1,000.00 £316.73 £282.90 £270.59 £330.19 290.92 £500.77 £530.70 £0.00 £0.00 £20,294.52 £20,018.05 |
£8,658.69 £8,062.50 £4,267.83 £3,147.69 £3,992.26 £3,929.81 £477.24 £581.00 £343.52 £802.00 £254.00 £248.00 £254.10 £178.45 £345.92 £368.21 £200.00 £171.39 £18,793.56 £17,489.05 |
£20,581.19 £20,412.50 £10,209.26 £8,723.53 £3,992.26 £3,929.81 £1,000.00 £1,000.00 £793.97 £581.00 £343.52 £802.00 £536.90 £518.59 £584.29 £469.37 £846.69 £898.91 £200.00 £171.39 £39,088.08 £37,507.10 |
| Expenditure | |||
| Rehearsals: Professional fees Hire of venue Scores hire/printing Score to sell 2023-24 Scores to sell for 2024-25 Scores to sell for 2025-26 Rehearsal refreshments Total rehearsals: Concerts: Singers and conductor Instrumentalists and music Venue, lights, organ Audience drinks, soloist gifts Printing, publicity, programm Total concerts: General: Stationery, postage, printing Additional/replacement musi Choir socials Gifts NAC sub & insurance John Fletcher Web costs Sundries Total general expenditure: Total expenditure: Surplus/loss |
£4,835.00 £5,203.00 £1,752.00 £1,578.00 £772.55 £421.00 £536.19 £0.00 £0.00 £40.95 £52.35 £7,936.69 £7,254.35 £2,375.64 £3,691.88 £7,643.36 £5,198.40 £1,174.24 £1,107.74 £231.18 £225.98 e £653.60 £661.60 £12,078.02 £10,885.60 £96.58 £0.00 c £32.85 £0.00 £421.04 £374.71 £83.75 £0.00 £236.18 £251.86 £242.00 £242.00 £156.26 £269.22 £16.02 £28.40 £1,284.68 £1,166.19 £21,299.39 £19,306.14 -£1,004.87 £711.91 |
£3,525.00 £3,745.00 £1,298.00 £953.00 £272.00 £857.93 £117.87 £318.54 £493.20 £759.48 £100.86 £52.53 £5,632.27 £6,861.14 2301.39 £2,719.21 £450.00 £450.00 £979.16 £961.76 £125.59 £205.51 £605.60 £704.00 £4,461.74 £5,040.48 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £80.00 £263.90 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £201.19 £0.00 £81.47 £173.06 £362.66 £436.96 £10,456.67 £12,338.58 £8,336.89 £5,150.47 |
£8,360.00 £8,948.00 £3,050.00 £2,531.00 £1,044.55 £1,278.93 £654.06 £0.00 £318.54 £493.20 £759.48 £141.81 £104.88 £13,568.96 £14,115.49 £4,677.03 £6,411.09 £8,093.36 £5,648.40 £2,153.40 £2,069.50 £356.77 £431.49 £1,259.20 £1,365.60 £16,539.76 £15,926.08 £96.58 £0.00 £32.85 £0.00 £501.04 £638.61 £83.75 £0.00 £236.18 £251.86 £242.00 £242.00 £357.45 £269.22 £97.49 £201.46 £1,647.34 £1,603.15 £31,756.06 £31,644.72 0 £7,332.02 £5,862.38 |
| Summary | 2023-24 | 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash funds brought forward | £16,569.73 | £23,901.75 |
| Surplus/loss | £7,332.02 | £5,862.38 |
| Cash funds taken over | 23901.75 | £29,764.13 |
| Statement of assets at end of | FY | |
| CCLA | _£16,427.95 _ | £26,326.86 |
| NatWest | £7,473.80 | £3,437.27 |
| Total Assets | £23,901.75 | £29,764.13 |
Approved by the Summertown Choral Society at its Annual General Meeting on 20 November 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
Chair: Sean Wilson
Secretary: Keith Young
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees/ Summertown Choral Society members of On accounts for the year 31[st] July 2025 Charity no 900317 ended (if any) Set out on pages Pages 1-2 attached (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets) I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/07/2025. Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have examiner's statement come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
-
the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed: David L Thomas Date: 21/10/2025 ~~Ps fF~~ Name: David Lloyd Thomas ~~Po~~ Relevant professional Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. qualification(s) or body (if any): Address: 17 Cornwallis Close Oxford OX4 3NJ