Edinburgh Competition Festival Association
Trustees Report
1** May 2024 — 30" April 2025
The Edinburgh Competition Festival Association (ECFA) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation, SC 006128. The aims and objectives of the Association are to advance education in the arts, in particular the arts of music, speech and drama. It does this primarily by holding an annual Festival of competitive and non-competitive classes. Due to lack of entries, speech and drama classes were taken out of the syllabus several years ago, The Festival is now called The Edinburgh Music Competition Festival to reflect this. The name and aims of the association remain unchanged.
Each year, under the constitution of ECFA, the members elect a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, a Secretary and a Treasurer as officials. They, along with up to 24 elected members, make up the Council. The Council may also co-opt up to two more members. The management of the Association is the responsibility of the Council which meets at least three times a year. The members of the Council are the Charity Trustees.
During 2024 — 2025 the Council Members were:
Following the resignation of our Vice-Chairman i at the 2024 AGM, our council members have all stepped up to fill the numerous tasks that Fulfilled. We are enormously grateful to ao: the many years she dedicated to our festival and thank her for being ready to offer advice in this year of transition. At this year’s AGM our treasurer MMMwill step down after keeping care of our financial and OSCR related business for many years. He has worked hard to keep us financially secure even in the COVID period.
This year the Concerto class first round was held on the 17" and 18" January. The numbers were restricted to 50 this year. We had 34 initial entries with 26 eventually taking part. There were four talented finalists, chosen by adjudicators and ...They were and Violin), Piano). (Alto The Association ran its main 2025 Festival from the 4" to the 16th of March. We had over 900 entries in more than 100 classes. Our piano, strings, wind and vocal classes were particularly popular. Harp, guitar and percussion classes all had an encouraging, but smaller number of entrants. For the second year running we had no Accordians. We hope to build this up again next year.
We did have a problem with venue availability this year which led to us to having to manage six different venues over the two weeks of the Festival. This was problematic in terms of logistics but thanks to the hard work of our Council and volunteers we made it work and had a very successful festival. Our venues were, St Mark’s Unitarian Church in Castle Terrace, St Michael’s and All Saints in Brougham Street, St Cuthbert’s Parish Church, Lothian Road, Greyfriars Church, Candle Maker Row, St Vincent’s Chapel, St Vincent Street and Stockbridge Parish Church, Saxe Coburg Street.
We give thanks to the excellent specialist adjudicators and accompanists who played their part in making the Festival the success it was. Thanks go to those who promote our Festival and increase our profile on social media platforms. This year we increased our presence on Facebook and gained a large following.
As last year, we held our Highlights concert and the concerto Finale in St Cuthbert’s Parish Church. This was held on Sunday 16th March. It was a wonderful festive occasion attended by the Lord Provost of Edinburgh. We enjoyed outstanding performances from winners of the Festival classes. Then The Friends of the Festival Orchestra, conducted byP| played with the four finalists in the Concerto Class. The adjudicators, Moray Welsh andpo declared PF a: the winner of the Audrey Innes Trophy.
Our 15 minute recital class winners were again invited to perform in the music series “St Giles at 6”. This was attended by a very appreciative audience of over 200 on Sunday 6" April.
The success of this year's Festival is also reflected in the financial figures. For the period ending 30" April 2025, the income was £26,767, up 5.9% from last year's income. The venue costs of £8,902 were up 17.7% this year but we had pre-empted this by raising, reluctantly, competitor entry fees, the first rise since 2020. Total expenditure was £25,154, an increase of 7%, which meant that there was a small surplus on the year.
As at 30* April, our available cash reserves were £26,144, whichis just above the level the Trustees regard as necessary for initiating next year’s Festival. We cannot be complacent however because costs generally are still rising, although we did manage to make some one-off savings this year. We therefore still need to secure external finance to support amateur music, and its performance particularly for the young.
The Association records with gratitude the financial assistance of sponsors large and small, in particular The Plum Trust, The Educational Institute of Scotland, and The Hope Scott Trust. It is, however, important that we continue to attract donations and grants as we seek to develop our Festival and make it even more accessible to all.
As always, we are also grateful to the Council members who donate a great deal of their time and expertise to the planning and administration of the festival throughout the year and for the day to day management of the Festival itself. Without them and the many other volunteers, hosts and stewards, we would not be able to run a successful event.
We also thank the many schools, teachers and parents whose interest and enthusiasm encourages the growing number of entrants to our festival. And finally, thanks must go to the venues for providing excellent facilities and for making us feel very welcome in their space.
EDINBURGH COMPETITION FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR 1 May 2024 to 30 April 2025
==> picture [494 x 393] intentionally omitted <==
----- Start of picture text -----
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|2024/2025|2023/2024|
|Notes|
|RECEIPTS|£|£|
|Membership subscriptions|875|1,367|
|Entry fees|13,175|10,837|
|Audience takings|1,303|1,550|
|Sale of Programmes|1,247|1,240|
|Advertising|910|1,000|
|Grants|7,600|1|7,380|
|Donations|1,181|650|
|Bank|interest|received|476|180|
|Other|-|1,075|
|Total|Ordinary|Receipts|26,767|25,279|
|PAYMENTS|
|Adjudicator/Accompanist|Fees/Expenses|8,286|9,381|
|Adjudicator Accommodation|2,534|1,930|
|Administration|1,555|2|1,437|
|Printing|2,470|2,010|
|Awards|368|292|
|Venues|8,902|7,558|
|Instruments/Music|365|195|
|Federation|Membership &|Insurance|570|632|
|Other|104|82|
|Total Payments|25,154|3|23,517|
|Surplus|(Deficit) for year|1,613|1,762|
----- End of picture text -----
Notes
1 The grants were from The Plum Trust, The EIS and The Hope Scott Trust 2 Covers range of costs, mainly postage, stationery, IT and the on line entry system. 3 Total Expenses incurred by and reimbursed to ten Trustees was £2649
EDINBURGH COMPETITION FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION
STATEMENT OF BALANCES AS AT 30 April 2025
==> picture [488 x 527] intentionally omitted <==
----- Start of picture text -----
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|At|30.4.25|At|30.4.24|
|£|Notes|£|
|Bank|Accounts|
|Virgin|Money|Account|-|21,317|
|CAF|Bank|Treasurers|Account|3,763|3,159|
|CAF|Bank|Gold|Account|22,381|55|
|(SN|Ss|Oe|
|Total|26,144|24,531ae|
|Total|Net|Balances|
|26,144|24,531|
|Balances|at|30.4.24|24,531|22,769|
|Surplus|for|Year to|30.4.25|1,613|1|1,762|
|Balances|at|30.4.25|26,144|24,531|
|Other|Assets|
|Computer|50|50|
|Music|light and|2|music|stands|50|50|
|Banners|1|1|
|Trophies|1,000|1,000|
|Total|1,101|2|1,101|
|Notes|
|1|Surplus from|Receipts|and|Payments|Account|
|2 Atestimated current|value. =|
----- End of picture text -----
Other Assets
A Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation SC 006128
Edinburgh Competition Festival Association
Examination Period 1%*May 2024 to 30" April2025
Examiners Opinion Statement
| have examined the Balance Sheet of the Edinburgh Competition Festival Association as of 30" April 2025 and related statements of Income and Expenditure and changes to balances for the period 1** May 2024 to 30" April 2025.
My examination was made in accordance with generally accepted standards and, accordingly, included such tests of the accounting records and other such examination procedures | considered necessary. In my opinion, the accompanying financial statements present fairly the financial position of the Edinburgh Competition Festival Association as at 30" April 2025