FRIENDS_OF_THE_EDWARD_SAI - Accounts

The Trustees present their report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2021.

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the accounts and comply with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006 and “Accounting and Reporting by Charities: 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)” (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2016)

The charity's objects are to develop an understanding and appreciation in the UK of the work of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music of Palestine, to enable an exchange of musical knowledge and expertise for students and teachers, to introduce Palestinian musicians to the international community, and to improve awareness and appreciation within the wider public.

The Trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.

In spite of the difficulties of the COVID pandemic this year our Charitable Activity has included support, as before, to Palestinian students at UK Conservatoires specifically to PalMusic Scholar Tibah Saad, who was studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS). We also sent direct payments to the Conservatory’s Gaza Branch and continued to support our Long Distance Learning Programme in Gaza which links tutors from Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London, with students and teachers of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music branch in Gaza. The Academic Supervisor at the Gaza Music School, Anas al Najjar, said that the initiative has brought a real uplift in spirit to students and teachers alike. In addition to development of skill and talent, it provides connection with the ‘outside world’, helping everyone to feel part of the wider human community.

Due to the global COVID pandemic, PalMusic held a series of online concerts featuring performances by our students at the Conservatories and guest performers. The Chair, Heba Zaphiriou-Zarifi hosted the online concerts in July and December 2020. In the first of our online concert series PalMusic UK featured the work of three Arab musicians who personally chose pieces for the event: Kinan Azmeh: Clarinet player and composer, Dima Bawab: Soprano and Salma Abassi, Oud player and teacher at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music. Our musicians were joined by Sir Vincent Fean, former British Consul General to Jerusalem and Director of the Balfour Project, who explored how music has managed to transcend the impact of COVID-19 and occupation, helping preserve Palestinian cultural identity and community. Our second online concert series, Follow the Star, featured performances and interviews with Pianist and educator Tala Tutunji, Oud player and Academic Director at ESNCM Tamer Sahouri, and Layth Sidiq, award winning violinist, composer. We also featured special festive performances by The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music’s (ESNCM) Children’s Orchestra and The Bethlehem Choir.

We held an urgent COVID fundraising appeal in July raising almost £13,000 to support the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music.

Through the generosity of the Jabsheh family PalMusic UK was granted awards to enable establishment of the Hana Jabsheh Scholarship Fund to support our next piano scholar, Marc Kawwas who will arrive in the UK in September 2021, to start his four year musical education at Chetham Music School in Manchester and a further award by IGI insurance as part of a three year funding commitment of unrestricted funding.

We were able to thank our major donors with the establishment of the ‘Guardian’ and ‘Friend’ programme, recognising the generosity of long term supporters who enable future planning and ongoing support by PalMusic UK of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music.

Throughout 2020 PalMusic collaborated with the UK Palestine Mental Health Network for a fortnightly ‘Café Palestine’ a showcase of Palestinian culture and discussion on mental health issues facing Palestinian society.

We thank our former Chair, Heba Zaphiriou-Zarifi for her hard work as Chair over three years, during which time, she raised the profile of the Charity and its beneficiaries and significantly increased income. We are very grateful for her effective tenure, hard work and commitment. Ms Jay Crossland and Ms Susannah Pickering-Saqqa joined the Committee in January of 2021. We are most grateful for their commitment and input.

Our Accounts for the year reflect the level of activities described above. Income was £107,764, Expenditure £89,806, the Total Fund balance at 31/03/21 was £40,809 split between Restricted Fund Balance £21,011, and Unrestricted Fund balance £19,798. There are sufficient reserves to meet the reserves policy of three to six months.

The Trustees have considered the major risks to which the charity is exposed and particularly the effects of the Coronavirus crisis which broke over us all at the start of the year under review, which led to the cancellation of planned events and activities and drastic changes to our plans and also affected the operations of the Conservatory. However our donors responded generously to a special appeal and the trustees believe that the financial situation of the charity enables it, for the foreseeable future, to continue to operate usefully despite the very difficult new circumstances both at home and in the Holy Land .

The concerts we organise are designed both to provide showcases for young Palestinian musicians, part of our core objectives, and to raise funds. This division is also reflected in the related and other activity in the office. So in the accounts we allocate 50% of expenditure on administrative Staff and Office Costs to “Raising Funds” and 50% to “Charitable Activities”. This split is necessarily arbitrary but the Trustees believe it gives a true and fair view of the charity’s activity.

The charity is a company limited by guarantee established by memorandum and articles incorporated on 13 November 2012.

The Trustees who served during the year were:

None of the Trustees has any beneficial interest in the company and none of them received any remuneration.

The Report was approved by the Board of Trustees.

The Trustees, who are also the directors of Friends of The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music UK for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company Law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company 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 adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 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.

I report to the Trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Friends of The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music UK (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2021.

As the Trustees of the charity (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (the 2006 Act).

Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act). In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

the financial statements do not accord with those records; or

the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or

the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).

I 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 financial statements to be reached.

Donations

Charitable activities (income)

Charitable activities (expenditure)

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.

All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

The company is entitled to the exemption from the audit requirement contained in section 477 of the Companies Act 2006, for the year ended 31 March 2021.

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of financial statements.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year in question in accordance with section 476.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

Friends of The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music UK is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 1 Gough Square, London, EC4A 3DE.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: 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) (effective 1 January 2019)". The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.

The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities applying FRS 102 Update Bulletin 1 not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

At the time of approving the accounts, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the Trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the accounts.

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives unless the funds have been designated for other purposes.

Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.

Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.

Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.

Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.

Donations

Charitable activities (income)

Music events

Charitable activities (expenditure)

Music events

Music sponsorships

The average monthly number of employees (who were part time) during the year was:

Restricted funds of £21,011 at 31 March 2021 are wholly related to a specific Scholarship.

There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2020 - none).