CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER: $C050362
Lochaber Music School SCIO
Unaudited Financial Statements 31 August 2025
RA CLEMENT ASSOCIATES CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS Chartered accountants
5 Argyll Square Oban Argyll PA34 4AZ
Lochaber Music School SCIO
Financial Statements
Year ended 31 August 2025
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|Trustees’|annual|report|1|
|Independent|examiner's|report|to|the|trustees|4|
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|Statement|of Balances|6|
|Notes|to|the|financial|statements|7|
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|Detailed|statement|of financial|activities|14|
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Lochaber Music School SCIO
Trustees’ Annual Report
Year ended 31 August 2025 eee The trustees present their report and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 August 2025.
Reference and administrative details
Registered charity name Lochaber Music School SCIO Charity registration number SC050362 Principal office C/O Education Department Offices Camaghael Hostel Camaghael Fort William PH33 7NE The trustees Charlotte Cant - Chair Clare Reynolds - Secretary John Man - Treasurer Alison Stringer - Music Director Fiona Davies Robert Strachan Sara Hamilton Charlotte Sutton Claire Hamilton (Appointed 1 November 2024) Gillian Hamilton (Resigned 11 November 2024) Independent examiner Angus MacGillivray FCCA Of R A Clement Associates 5 Argyll Square Oban Argyll PA34 4AZ
Structure, governance and management
The charity known as Lochaber Music Charitable Trust SCO015312 was wound up and transferred all assets to Lochaber Music School SCIO SC050362 on the 23-08-2020. Lochaber Music School SCIO was established on the 31-07-2020 and the transfer of assets was approved by the charity regulator OSCR on the 03-09-2020.
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Lochaber Music School SCIO
Trustees' Annual Report (continueg) Year ended 31 August 2025 le
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Objectives and activities
The organisation's charitable purposes are to advance musical education in Lochaber, primarily for school and pre-school age children, supplementing that provided by the Highland Council, and in particular:
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to provide musical instruction principally for stringed instruments including the clarsach,
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to provide aural and rhythmic training in groups,
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to promote group playing, chamber music and orchestra; fostering interest in both Scottish traditional and European mainstream music,
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to give such other musical support and music therapy as may be required to all age groups but with special emphasis on school and pre-school ages.
Achievements and performance
The 2024/2025 year at Lochaber Music School has proven to be a highly successful year with a marked improvement in performance quality and student attainment. At the start of the year our enrollment rates were at 152 dropping to 135 remaining steady after the initial drop off. We offered instrumental lessons on violin, viola, cello, clarsach and piano as well as group classes including Music Explorers (6 month3 years), Music Makers (3-8years), Musicianship and Theory, Junior and Senior Choir, Junior and Senior Orchestra, Trad Ensemble and Group Violin lessons. While our group classes have stayed Steady for enrollment, we have struggled with a drop off in Music Explorer classes, typically once parents return to work, and with Senior Orchestra, where we see older students giving up their instruments entirely. This has been noted through S3-S6 which is a typical point of exit when school exams take focus. In contrast we have kept a healthy wait list for instrumental lessons with most popular instruments being piano, violin and voice.
This year we started a new programme of Casual Concerts, operating once or twice per term. This allowed students to gain experience in solo performance in a more relaxed setting as well as giving performance opportunity for students prior to taking exams. This was highly successful and will continue going forward. We also held our annual Christmas Concert, with a return to Roybridge Church and reception in Roybridge Village Hall. The location proved highly successful for the concert, however, the reception showed lower numbers in attendance than previously. This negatively impacted our fundraising for this event. In June we held our end of year Summer Concert which had a remarkably high level of performance across the board. We held ABRMS exams in June with many receiving Merit, and a few Distinctions. Musically this has been a very successful year.
During the year we were able to fundraise from concerts and a prize bingo event, however, this brought lower yields than we had anticipated. We were in receipt of private sponsorship from Mowi, Lorna and Colin Ungoed Thomas and Jan-Hendrick Erasmus. This totalled to £8k collectively. We also received a gift of nearly £10k from Audrey Scott's family and we sold Audrey's gifted cello for a further £10k. This has allowed us to shore up our reserves as well as fund our programme this year.
Financial review
Income of £75,978 (2024: £56,659) was received in the year, including £41,520 (2024: £39,324) from lessons and fees for the year. Expenditure of £61,973 (2024: £65,379) was incurred in the year.
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Lochaber Music School SCIO
Trustees’ Annual Report continuea)
Year ended 31 August 2025 o_o>
Trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the financial statements
The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report
Law applicable to charities in Scotland requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the charity and of the income and expenditure of the charity for that year. In preparing these financial statements the trustees are required to:
-select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
-observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
-make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
-State whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
-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 portion of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial Statements comply with the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and regulation 8 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable Steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Angus MacGillivray FCCA of R A Clement Associates was deemed to be appointed as independent examiner and the trustees recommend that Angus MacGillivray remains in office until further notice. The trustees’ annual report was approved on Jed fas... and signed on behalf of the board of trustees by:
Charlotte Cant - Chair Trustee
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Lochaber Music School SCIO
Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Lochaber Music School Scio
Year ended 31 August 2025 ---————eeeoo
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| report to the trustees on my examination of the financial Statements of Lochaber Music School SCIO (‘the charity’) for the year ended 31 August 2025.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 (the ‘2005 Act’) and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). You are satisfied that your charity is not required by charity law to be audited and have chosen instead to have an independent examination.
| report in respect of my examination of the charity's financial statements as carried out under section 44(1)(c) of the 2005 Act. In carrying out my examination | have followed the requirements of Regulation 11 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended).
Independent examiner's statement
Since the charity has prepared its accounts on an accruals basis your examiner must be a member of a body listed in Regulation 11(2) of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). | can confirm that | am qualified to undertake the examination because | am a registered member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants which is one of the listed bodies.
| have completed my examination. | confirm that no matters have come to my attention giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept as required by section 44(1)(a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended); or
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the financial statements do not accord with those records; or 3. the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of Regulation 8 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended).
| have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Angus MacGillivray FCCA Of R A Clement Associates Independent Examiner
5 Argyll Square Oban Argyll PA34 4AZ
ees
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Lochaber Music School SCIO
Statement of Balances
31 August 2025
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| 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Bank Accounts | |
| Opening bank balance Receipts Payments |
30,704 75.978 (61.973) |
| Closing bank balance | 44,709 |
| Other Assets | |
| Trade debtors Other debtors |
5,141 2,704 |
| Other Liabilities | |
| Accruals Pension |
955 90 |
These financial statements were approved by the board of trustees and authorised for issue on Idd AL fas... and are signed on behalf of the board by:
Charlotte Cant - Chair Trustee
The notes on pages7 to 12 form part of these financial statements. ea Ie Ee REESE ey
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Lochaber Music School SCIO
Notes to the Financial Statements
Year ended 31 August 2025 -— ee S—esesesesesSsSsS—
- General information
The charity is a public benefit entity and a registered charity in Scotland and is unincorporated. The address of the principal office is C/O Education Department Offices, Camaghael Hostel Offices, Camaghael, Fort William, PH33 7NE.
2. Statement of compliance
These financial statements have been prepared in compliance with FRS 102, 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland’, the Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (Charities SORP (FRS 102)) and the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charity Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended).
- Accounting policies
Basis of preparation
The financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis, as modified by the revaluation of certain financial assets and liabilities and investment properties measured at fair value through income or expenditure.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the entity.
Going concern
There are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue.
Disclosure exemptions
The entity satisfies the criteria of being a qualifying entity as defined in FRS 102. As such, advantage has been taken of the following disclosure exemptions available under paragraph 1.12 of FRS 102:
(a) No cash flow statement has been presented for the company.
(b) Disclosures in respect of financial instruments have not been presented.
Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty
The preparation of the financial statements requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported. These estimates and judgements are continually reviewed and are based on experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.
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Lochaber Music School SCIO
Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)
Year ended 31 August 2025
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- Accounting policies (continued) Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees to further any of the charity's purposes.
Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the trustees for particular future project or commitment. Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure declared by the donor or through the terms of an appeal, and fall into one of two sub-classes: restricted income funds or endowment funds. Income
All income is included in the statement of financial activities when entitlement has passed to the charity, it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the charity and the amount can be reliably measured. The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of income: - income from donations or grants is recognised when there is evidence of entitlement to the gift, receipt is probable and its amount can be measured reliably.
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legacy income is recognised when receipt is probable and entitlement is established.
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income from donated goods is measured at the fair value of the goods unless this is impractical to measure reliably, in which case the value is derived from the cost to the donor or the estimated resale value. Donated facilities and services are recognised in the accounts when received if the value can be reliably measured. No amounts are included for the contribution of general volunteers. - income from contracts for the supply of services is recognised with the delivery of the contracted service. This is classified as unrestricted funds unless there is a contractual requirement for it to be spent on a particular purpose and returned if unspent, in which case it may be regarded as restricted.
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Lochaber Music School SCIO Notes to the Financial Statements (continuea) Year ended 31 August 2025 ees 3. Accounting policies (continued)
Expenditure
Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully recovered, and is classified under headings of the statement offinancial activities to which it relates: - expenditure on raising funds includes the costs of all fundraising activities, events, noncharitable trading activities, and the sale of donated goods.
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expenditure on charitable activities includes all costs incurred by a charity in undertaking activities that further its charitable aims for the benefit of its beneficiaries, including those support costs and costs relating to the governance of the charity apportioned to charitable activities.
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other expenditure includes all expenditure that is neither related to raising funds for the charity nor part of its expenditure on charitable activities.
All costs are allocated to expenditure categories reflecting the use of the resource. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs are apportioned between the activities they contribute to on a reasonable, justifiable and consistent basis.
Financial instruments
A financial asset or a financial liability is recognised only when the charity becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at the amount receivable or payable including any related transaction costs. Current assets and current liabilities are subsequently measured at the cash or other consideration expected to be paid or received and not discounted.
Debt instruments are subsequently measured at amortised cost.
Where investments in shares are publicly traded or their fair value can otherwise be measured reliably, the investment is subsequently measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognised in income and expenditure. All other such investments are subsequently measured at cost less impairment.
Other financial instruments, including derivatives, are initially recognised at fair value, unless payment for an asset is deferred beyond normal business terms or financed at a rate of interest that is not a market rate, in which case the asset is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest for a similar debt instrument.
Other financial instruments are subsequently measured at fair value, with any changes recognised in the statement of financial activities, with the exception of hedging instruments in a designated hedging relationship.
Financial assets that are measured at cost or amortised cost are reviewed for objective evidence of impairment at the end of each reporting date. If there is objective evidence of impairment, an impairment loss is recognised under the appropriate heading in the statement of financial activities in which the initial gain was recognised.
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Lochaber Music School SCIO Notes to the Financial Statements (continuea)
Year ended 31 August 2025 oo
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For all equity instruments regardless of significance, and other financial assets that are individually significant, these are assessed individually for impairment. Other financial assets are either assessed individually or grouped on the basis of similar credit risk characteristics.
Any reversals of impairment are recognised immediately, to the extent that the reversal does not result in a carrying amount of the financial asset that exceeds what the carrying amount would have been had the impairment not previously been recognised.
4. Donations and legacies
| Unrestricted | Total Funds | Unrestricted | Total Funds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | 2025 | Funds | 2024 | |
| Donations | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Donations | 27,453 | 27,453 | 4,460 | 4,460 |
| Grants | ||||
| Highland Council Funding Subscriptions |
= 1,660 |
~ 1,660 |
10,000 2,816 |
10,000 2,816 |
| 29,113 | 29,113 | 17,276 | 17,276 |
5. Charitable activities
| Unrestricted | Total Funds | Unrestricted | Total Funds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | 2025 | Funds | 2024 | |
| Instrument Hire Lessons Music CentreFees Music Makers Concerts OtherIncome |
E 940 28,631 6,816 1,582 2,033 1,518 |
£ 940 28,631 6,816 1,582 2,033 1,518 |
£ 660 27,151 8,360 910 2:143 130 |
£ 660 27,151 8,360 910 2,113 130 |
| 41,520 | 41,520 | 39,324 | 39,324 |
6. Other trading activities
| Unrestricted | Total Funds | Unrestricted | Total Funds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | 2025 | Funds | 2024 | |
| Shopincome Sale of instruments |
2 245 5,100 |
£ 245 5,100 |
£ 59 - |
£ 59 - |
| 5,345 | 5,345 | 59 | 59 |
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Lochaber Music School SCIO
Notes to the Financial Statements (continueg)
Year ended 31 August 2025 aSSSSSFSSSSSSSSSsFsFhFeFesesesesSsSsSsSsSsSs
| 7. | Expenditure on charitable activities by fund type | Expenditure on charitable activities by fund type | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | TotalFunds | Unrestricted | Total Funds | ||
| Funds | 2025 | Funds | 2024 | ||
| Charitable Activities Support costs |
E 61,073 900 |
£ 61,073 900 |
£ 64,479 900 |
£ 64,479 900 |
|
| 61,973 | 61,973 | 65,379 | 65,379 |
8. Expenditure on charitable activities by activity type
| Activities | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| undertaken directly |
Support costs |
Total funds 2025 |
Total fund 2024 |
||
| Charitable Activities Governance costs |
£ 61,073 - |
£ ~ 900 |
£ 61,073 900 |
£ 64,479 900 |
|
| 61,073 | 900 | 61,973 | 65,379 | ||
| Independent examination fees | |||||
| 2025 | 2024 | ||||
| Fees payable to the independent examiner for: | £ | £ | |||
| Independent examination ofthe financial statements | 960 | 900 | |||
| Staff costs | |||||
| The total staffcosts and employee benefits forthe reporting | period | are | analysed as | follows: | |
| 2025 | 2024 | ||||
| Staff -Wages&Salaries Staff -MusicDirector Staff - Self Employed Tutors |
£ 12,071 24,185 20,222 |
£ 14,240 22,291 22,826 |
|||
| 56,478 | 59,357 |
9. Independent examination fees
10. Staff costs
The average head count of employees during the year was Nil (2024: Nil).
No employee received employee benefits of more than £60,000 during the year (2024: Nil).
- Trustee remuneration and expenses
3 trustees received remuneration during the year totalling £20,907 (2024: £25,907).
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Lochaber Music School SCIO
Notes to the Financial Statements (continue)
Year ended 31 August 2025
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12. Analysis of charitable funds
| Unrestricted funds | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| At | At | |||
| General funds | 1 Sep 2024 £ 30,704 |
Income £ 75,978 |
Expenditure £ (61,973) |
31 Aug 2025 £ 44,709 |
| At | At | |||
| General funds | 1 Sep 2023 £ 39,424 |
Income £ 56,659 |
Expenditure £ (65,379) |
31 Aug 2024 £ 30,704 |
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Lochaber Music School SCIO
Management Information
Year ended 31 August 2025
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The following pages do not form part of the financial statements.
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Lochaber Music School SCIO
Detailed Statement of Financial Activities
Year ended 31 August 2025
| Yearended31August2025 | Yearended31August2025 | Yearended31August2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Year ended 31 August 2025 sr enn |
||
| 2025 | 2024 | |
| £ | £ | |
| Income and endowments | ||
| Donations and legacies | ||
| Donations | 27,453 | 4,460 |
| Highland Council Funding Subscriptions |
- 1,660 |
10,000 2,816 |
| 29,113 | 17,276 | |
| Charitable activities | ||
| Instrument Hire | 940 | 660 |
| Lessons | 28,631 | 27,151 |
| Music Centre Fees | 6,816 | 8,360 |
| Music Makers Concerts |
1,582 2,033 |
910 2,113 |
| Other Income | 1,518 | 130 |
| 41,520 | 39,324 | |
| Other trading activities | ||
| Shop income | 245 | 59 |
| Sale ofinstruments | 5,100 | ~ |
| 5,345 | 59 | |
| Total income | 75,978 | 56,659 |
| Expenditure | ||
| Expenditure on charitable activities | ||
| Staff - Wages & Salaries | 12,071 | 14,240 |
| Staff- Music Director | 24,185 | 22,291 |
| Staff - SelfEmployed Tutors | 20,222 | 22,826 |
| Insurance | 700 | 675 |
| Other motor/travel costs | 967 | 1,021 |
| Legal and professional fees | 900 | 900 |
| Other office costs | 1,899 | 1,534 |
| Other costs | 1,029 | 1,209 |
| Musical instrument purchases | - | 683 |
| 61,973 | 65,379 | |
| Total expenditure | 61,973 | 65,379 |
| Netincome/(expenditure) | 14,005 | (8,720) |
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Lochaber Music School SCIO
Notes to the Detailed Statement of Financial Activities
| Yearended 31 August 2025 arans ANREP ee Pe |
a | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | ||
| Expenditure on charitable activities | £. | £ | |
| Charitable Activities | |||
| Activities undertaken directly | |||
| Staff -Wages & Salaries Staff-MusicDirector |
12,071 24,185 |
14,240 22,291 |
|
| Staff - SelfEmployed Tutors | 20,222 | 22,826 | |
| Insurance | 700 | 675 | |
| Professional - Payroll Costs | 967 | 1,021 | |
| Office Expenses -PSA | 1,899 | 1,534 | |
| Other Costs | 1,029 | 1,209 | |
| Musical instrument purchases | - | 683 | |
| 61,073 | 64,479 | ||
| Governance costs | |||
| Professional -Accountancy Fees | 900 | 900 | |
| Expenditureoncharitableactivities | 61,973 | 65,379 |
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