2025-07-15-accounts - EPIC Young People

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

Scottish Charity Number: SC047511

www.epicea.scot

Trustees Annual Report For the period 16[th] July 2024 to 15[th] July 2025

EPIC East Ayrshire Pipe Band Academy – TAR Report 2024 – 2025

Trustees Report

The trustees have pleasure in presenting their report together with the financial statements for the period ending 15[th] July 2025. EPIC began its activities on 8[th] April 2017 and obtained charitable status with OSCR as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) on 16[th] June 2017. Delivery of our first year of EPIC Community Chanter Clubs began in August 2018 and project delivery has continued uninterrupted. The accounts represent all financial transactions from 16[th] July 2024 to the 15[th] July 2025.

Reference and Administrative Information

Charity Name: Charity Number: EPIC East Ayrshire Pipe Band Academy SC047511

Address: Ceol Mor, Carsphairn, DG7 3TQ

Website: www.epicea.scot

Structure, Governance and Management

Constitution

The charity is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (a SCIO). It was registered on 16[th] June 2017. The trustees are members of the charity.

Trust Purposes

a) To advance education, the arts, heritage, culture and community and social development.

b) To encourage young people in East Ayrshire to take up and play the chanter, pipes and drums.

c) To establish and support the development of school and community pipe bands.

Appointment of Trustees

The trustees shall be entitled, by way of a resolution passed by majority vote at a meeting of the Trustees, to appoint any individual as a Trustee.

Charitable Purposes

To provide social and educational facilities and resources to enable young people in East Ayrshire the opportunity to learn chanter, pipes and drums, who would not normally be able to participate in this activity.

EPIC East Ayrshire Pipe Band Academy – TAR Report 2024 – 2025

Activities, Achievements and Performance

We have performed at local events throughout the year including the Muirkirk Gala Day, local community concerts, Burns Suppers and p7 graduations. We have also provided entertainment for local care homes on request free of charge. At the very end of our year one of our students performed at a Horse Riding for the Disabled event, where he was tasked to ‘pipe in’ HRH Princess Anne.
Two of our senior students auditioned and achieved selection to the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland, and performed with them in Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.
Three of our students, one of our teachers and two of our trustees have been busy in solo piping and drumming competitions with various successes from local to international level, with one student securing 5[th] place in the World Solo Drumming Competition.
One of our students was named “Robert Burns Academy Young Musician of the Year” after participating in a competition at his school where he had to perform alone in a community concert. He even performed his own composition amongst other well known pieces. After winning for his school, he went through to the East Ayrshire final – and although he played very well he was not selected for the national final in Glasgow. We used this as a big learning experienced and hired a professional accompanist to perform with him for his set, but he had to do all the pre-gig organisation dealing with the accompanist and the venue to ensure the tech specs were suitable for his performance, and he had to instruct the accompanist of what he wanted for his set. This was a big opportunity for personal growth and although he did not make the national final, we were very proud of what he achieved through this experience.
We had a large group of students sit their National 5 and Higher music exams in school supported by our instructors, who not only taught them for their performance exams, but also ran classes on composition to assist with their course work. One student sat his SCQF Level 5 Piping exam at the National Piping Centre in Glasgow.
We had our largest graduation of new players progressing into our training band, with 10 pipers, 5 tenor drummers, 1 bass drummer, and 3 snare drummers making the leap. We are immensely proud of this achievement and very excited to see our plans come to fruition at long last.
We ran a junior leaders course for 3 of our senior students where they were given leadership training and instruction on techniques of teaching. They then each underwent a term of being in
charge of a different group (under supervision of a qualified instructor). This has been interesting to see one student in particular really rise to the challenge and take this role very seriously which we have loved to see, one student who did do well as an instructor but decided not to pursue it further at this stage, and one student who did well and has now joined our senior band.

EPIC East Ayrshire Pipe Band Academy – TAR Report 2024 – 2025

We have successfully secured grant funding from; the Gannochy
Trust; the Mary Janet King Memorial Fund, administered by Foundation Scotland; the William Syson Foundation; the Hugh Fraser Foundation; East Ayrshire Council; the Gordon Fraser Charitable Trust; and the Sylvia Aitken Charitable Trust.

• We have been building our reserves by putting aside 10% of performance fees earned. This figure currently stands at £1,170.

• We have opened a merchandise store in partnership with Rainbow Ink where students and supporters can purchase our merchandise and support our charity.

• We have developed relationships with local groups and stakeholders; primarily Netherthird Community Centre; East Ayrshire Caledonia Pipe Band; The National Piping Centre; The National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland; East Ayrshire Council; The Piping Hour radio show; and the Shasta Piping Society. We have also managed to form stronger connections with our main stakeholders – our students and their parents and carers.

We have developed a very strong relationship with the Netherthird Community Centre and have an established mental health support link with them where we can refer our young people for professional counselling support free of charge and without any waiting period. With the current mental health crisis following covid we feel this link is absolutely essential for us to provide our young people with full support as they are growing up. Our young people attend the biggest super school in the country where children do not have relationships/bonds with any of their classroom teachers; there are constant fights and reports of bullying and knife carrying; and children do not feel supported or encouraged by their school or teachers. After losing a young person to suicide due to the disruption of the covid lockdowns, we are incredibly grateful to the Netherthird Community Centre for this support lifeline and never want to go through that heart break ever again.

Challenges

Our main challenge this year was one we were very happy to have – an over-subscription of students. We never want to turn students away if we can help it – we believe every child should have the chance to learn if they so wish. To help cope with demand, we volunteered extra hours, and took more students in each group. It was more demanding for the instructors but it was felt that every effort should be made that anyone who wants to learn was given that opportunity.

Plans

We start our annual tuition in September and this year our focus will be starting the next generation and offering this opportunity to the next age group coming through, developing our training band players and helping to transition them into our junior band, and transitioning 5 players into our ‘pheonix club’ which is the training group for entry to our senior band. We also have our most senior student who will be preparing to apply to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and trying to ensure he has as many leadership opportunities and training as possible to help him as he progresses to his next stage.

EPIC East Ayrshire Pipe Band Academy – TAR Report 2024 – 2025

Financial Review

Funding for this year was obtained from various sources:

e £10,000 - the Gannochy Trust
e £5,000 - the Mary Janet King Memorial Fund, administered by Foundation Scotland
e £5,000 - the William Syson Foundation
e £3,000 - the Hugh Fraser Foundation
e £3,000 - East Ayrshire Council
e £1,400 - the Gordon Fraser Charitable Trust
e £1,000 - the Sylvia Aitken Charitable Trust
e These awards (totalling £28,400) will fund our work from September 2025, with fundraising ongoing.
e £275 was raised through performance fees.
e £407.08 was raised through donations.

EPIC East Ayrshire Pipe Band Academy - TAR Report 2024 - 2025

Statement of Receipts and Payments for the period 16 July 2023 - 15 July 2024

Opening Balance

40,561.91

Receipts Grant Funding 28,400 Performance Fees 275 Donations 407.08

Total Receipts

29,082.08

Payments Cost of Charitable Activities 38,021.80 Bank Service Charges 71.40 Insurance 345.52 Exam Fees 110 Merchandise 209.68 Performance Fees 450 Website/Email Annual Cost 209.71

Total Payments

39,418.11

Statement of Balances - As at 15 July 2023

Surplus/ (Deficit) for the year

-10,336.03

Represented by cash in bank At 15 July 2025

30,225.88

EPIC East Ayrshire Pipe Band Academy - TAR Report 2024 - 2025

Notes to the accounts – for the period ended 15[th] July 2025

1. Basis of accounting

These accounts have been prepared on the Receipts and Payment basis in accordance with the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended).

2. Natures and Purpose of Funds

Unrestricted funds are those that may be used at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the objects of the charity. The trustees maintain a single unrestricted fund for the day-to-day running of EPIC.

3. Related Party Transactions

Trustees remuneration: No fees are paid to trustees for their services as board members.

4. Donations

Unrestricted Funds

Donations 407.08 Performance Fees 275

5. a) Grants Received

Unrestricted Funds

Hugh Fraser Foundation	3,000
Gordon Fraser Charitable Trust	1,400
Sylvia Aitken Charitable Trust	1,000

5. b) Grants Received

Restricted Funds

The Gannochy Trust 10,000 The William Syson Foundation 5,000 Mary Janet King Memorial Fund, administered by Foundation Scotland 5,000 East Ayrshire Council 3,000

6. Cost of Charitable Activities

Unrestricted Funds

Running Costs 38,021.80 Miscellaneous (detailed p6) 1,396.31

EPIC East Ayrshire Pipe Band Academy – TAR Report 2024 – 2025

EPIC East Ayrshire Pipe Band Academy Scottish Charity Number SC047511

Independent Examiners Report:

I report on the accounts of the charity for the period 16 July 2024 to 15 July 2025.

Respective responsibilities of trustee’s examiner

The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the terms of the Charities and Trustees Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. The charity trustees consider that the audit requirements of Regulation 10(1)(d) of the Accounts Regulation does not apply. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts as required under section 44(1)(c) of the Act and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of Independent Examiners Statement

My examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. An examination included a review of the accounting records kept by a 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 seeks explanation 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 I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by these accounts.

Independent Examiners Statement

In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention

Which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect requirements:
e To keep accounting records in accordance with Section 44(1)(a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations, and
e To prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with Regulation 9 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations

Have not been met, or

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

----- Start of picture text -----
Address: risMer BELL ACC OURTAVNCY UL Wwe KAS SDPI/
gS HILCHEAD CRESCELT , MAM ,
Date: " | —
----- End of picture text -----

—__———— FPIC East Ayrshire—Pipe Band Academy - TAR Report 2024 - 2025 ———————___-