Girona Community Orchestra NIC108752
Trustees’ Report
For the year ended 31[st] August 2025
Reference and administrative details
Charity no. 108752 Registered office 29 Loughan Hill Ballymena BT43 5LR
Trustees The trustees who served during the year and up to the date of this report: Carolyn Bell (Chairperson) Francesca Graham Dr Peter Langton Rachel McBride (Treasurer) Chanelle McCauley (Secretary) Susan Ross Laura Wragg
The reference and administrative information set out on page 1 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, our Constitution and the Statement of Recommended Practice – Accounting and Reporting by Charities, effective from January 2019.
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Girona Community Orchestra NIC108752
Trustees’ Report
For the year ended 31[st] August 2025
Structure, governance and management
Our orchestra is governed by our Constitution and is managed by our committee of 7 trustees, elected at our AGM by the orchestra members. We are mostly funded by member subscriptions, concert ticket fees and by hamper raffles held at our concerts. We are an unincorporated association.
Objectives and activities
The orchestra’s purposes are to benefit the inhabitants of the Causeway Coast and Glens (and beyond), promoting community involvement, musical practice and performance, education, understanding and appreciation of music. We meet once weekly. This past year our members have continued to benefit from our rehearsals, performances, social outings and the opportunity to spend a day rehearsing and playing with the Ulster Orchestra.
Achievements and performance
We have continued to bring people together to enhance their love of music, involving our members, local school pupils, care home residents and our concert audiences.
We welcomed a viola player, a violinist and a flautist this year, but our bassoonist was off to study and work in Edinburgh. One clarinettist was unable to return. A clarinet pupil of our conductor, Dr. Langton, joined us later in the year.
The Christmas Concert at Flowerfield had to be cancelled as the venue could not accommodate us on our specified dates.
On 12[th] December a group of us performed in Abbeyfield Nursing Home for residents, family members and staff. The Christmas tunes and carols were enjoyed by all…lots of compliments!
We had an enjoyable Christmas party in December. Most of our members were able to attend.
Our rehearsals were curtailed in January 2025 due to storms and icy conditions.
In March, once again, some of our members attended the Ulster Orchestra ‘Come and Play’ and as ever, they found the experience to be very motivating.
In March and April, we performed in Coleraine and Portstewart Festivals, achieving good comments and high scores…86 and 87. Both adjudicators were delighted that our orchestra was a viable, thriving organisation. They were happy to see local musicians coming together to create music. This serves, in part, to illustrate our purposes and public benefits.
Our Movie Night concert in Flowerfield in March was a great success, according to feedback. Two orchestra members performed solos, Alys and Laura. We were delighted once again to have the services of our local pianist, Amanda. She clearly enjoys being part of our orchestra and we also enjoy hearing her solo pieces.
The hamper raffle helped raise funds, once again.
Having had our spring concert earlier this year meant that we were able to choose and begin rehearsing new music in good time for our concert in December 2025.
On 26[th] June, we enjoyed another social outing at a local restaurant, rounding off the term. Such events always allow us the opportunity to get to know each other better.
Our two octogenarians celebrated their 87[th] birthdays at the start of the summer! Two inspiring gentlemen.
Our three 18-year-olds received excellent results in their A’ Levels and one of them, Felicia, is going to study music at university. We hope that her experience playing with The Girona for several years has helped towards achieving her goals.
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Girona Community Orchestra NIC108752
Trustees’ Report
For the year ended 31[st] August 2025
Behind the scenes, once again, there has been a lot of work carried out by the trustees for the benefit of the orchestra, its members and the community in general: organising music and performances, conducting roles, keeping the finances, social media updates and social activities. Finally, and especially, our members continued to demonstrate dedication in attending weekly practices, despite other commitments they may have had.
Public Benefit Statement
The trustees confirm that they had due regard in determining their activities to The Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.
This past year our members have continued to benefit from our rehearsals, performances, social outings and the opportunity to spend a day rehearsing and playing with the Ulster Orchestra. Our local community has benefitted from our concert, our performance at a local care home and two festival performances. The benefits are evidenced by the feedback from our members, our guest pianist, Flowerfield Arts Centre, two festival adjudicators, care home residents, family members and staff, and the general public (audience members).
No harm has occurred and there has been no private benefit.
Financial Benefit
Total income for the year was £1392 compared to £2143 in the previous year.
Total expenditure was £1377 compared to £2251 in the previous year.
The charity currently holds £5348 in reserves at the year end. The trustees consider that they have sufficient free reserves at the year end to continue in operation for the foreseeable future, and that the charity remains a going concern.
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Girona Community Orchestra NIC108752
Trustees’ Report
For the year ended 31[st] August 2025
Statement of responsibilities of the trustees
The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees’ report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102: the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
The law applicable to charities in Northern Ireland requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, giving a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and the incoming resources and application of resources, including the net income or expenditure, of the charity for the year. In preparing those financial statements the trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
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observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
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make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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state whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and which enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities SORP, the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 and the provisions of the Constitution. The trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and therefore for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity.
Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
…………………… for bd
Carolyn Bell – Trustee Chair, September 1[st] 2024 to August 31[st] 2025
Date: 8[th] May 2026
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