BARNET EDUCATION ARTS TRUST
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON
MONDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2014
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MEMBERS AND DIRECTORS
*Martin Baker (Chair)
Philip Elgar
*Colin Dowland
*Tom Gray
*Flo Armstrong
*Mary Musker
*Geoffrey Thompson
*Simon Vincent
CHIEF EXECUTIVE (CE)
*Lynn Holman-Fox
COMPANY SECRETARY
*Smiljana Kadelburg
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* denotes member present
IN ATTENDANCE
Paul Sharp (Musician’s Union)
Julia Turner (FMC Violin Teacher)
Aidan McAtominey (FMC Percussion Tutor)
Jayne Barnes (Head of Centralised A Level Music Courses)
Sharon Broughall (Director of Learning and Participation)
Anthony Filby (Director of Standards and Excellence)
Rita Porgi (Director of Standards and Excellence)
George Peradigou (Clerk)
PART I
14/30WELCOME
The Chair welcomed Members of the Board and representatives from partner organisations and staff to the Annual General Meeting (AGM).He thankedcolleagues for their valued contributions over the past year.
14/31ACCEPTANCE/NON-ACCEPTANCE OF APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence had been received and accepted on behalf of Philip Elgar.
14/32TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT
The Chair presented the Trustee’s annual report and explained that it would be made available via the Trust’s website and via the Charity Commission following the meeting.
Structure, Governance and Management:
The charitable company limited by guarantee was incorporated on 28 November 2012, at which point the Articles of Association for the Trust’s Board were also agreed.
The Trust’s charitable registration was completed on 13 December 2012.
At present there was one Local Authority (LA) Trustee, one Primary School Headteacher, one Secondary School Headteacher, one ex Headteacher, two Parents, a lawyer, and an ex Director of Children’s Services. Trustees were inducted at their first meeting and then mentored by existing Trustees.
Strategic Decisions were made by the Board of Trustees and a number of committees were established to support the work of the CE. The CE would take decisions on a day to day basis.
The Company Secretary was responsible for preparing and reporting financial accounts to the Trustees at termly meetings.
The Trust was presently working collaboratively with seven other North and North West London based music hubs (collectively known as Music8London) as well as Cause 4 Limited to identify joint streams of activity and fund raising opportunities.
Aims and Objectives
The Chair highlighted the aims and objectives of the trust, as outlined in the Trustees report:
-To advance education by promotion of the arts for the benefit of the public of Barnet and elsewhere.
-To help young people but not exclusively through creative activities, so as to develop their capabilities that they may grow to full maturity as individuals and members of society.
It was noted that, at present, the Trust provided lessons, workshops and performance opportunities in music education for all young people in Barnet.
The main charitable objectives for 2014-15 were noted as follows:
-To provide a number of performance opportunities for young people. This would include a major event at the Royal Albert Hall (April 2015), and Infant School Music Festival (October 2014), and planning for a Schools Music Festival (June 2015). The Chair recorded thanks to Sharon Broughall for her hard work and contribution towards these events.
-To offer training and support for all music teachers in Barnet. In response to a query, the CE explained that the Trust was working with the seven other music hubs in Music8London on a collaborated approach towards continuing professional development (CPD) for instrumental teachers.
-To offer free whole class instrumental tuition for one term to all schools at KS2 for one year group.
-To offer scholarships to children provided by the Mayor of London’s Fund for Music.
-To provide a remission of instrumental tuition fees for children eligible for free school meals attending schools where the Trust provides the teachers.
-To provide instrumental tuition free of charge to children in care attending schools where the Trust provides the teachers.
-To provide free use of an instrument where available to those children in the above two categories.
-To support the work of the centralised music and music technology A levels.
-To work collaboratively with 7 other North and North West London Music hubs to extend the range of musical opportunities for young people using collective expertise and economies of scale.
Achievements and Performance
The following achievements from the Trustee’s report were highlighted by the Chair:
-75 schools took part in the previous Music Festival at the Arts Depot.
-40 Schools took part in the Infants Music Festival 2014.
-68 schools took part in whole class tuition programmes over the past academic year.
-9 children in care are in receipt of free instrumental tuition.
-210 children eligible for free school meals have received remission of fees.
-A level and AS level music and music technology results have been among the highest in the country over the past year.The CE and Trustees joined the Chair in recording their thanks to colleagues who had worked hard to reach this achievement.
Woodhouse College Lease
The Chair was pleased to report that the LA would relinquish its lease at Woodhouse College. This meant that the Trust could negotiate its lease with the college directly.
14/33REPORT FROM THE CE
The CE presented her report to the Trustees and colleagues. Arising from the discussion:
Whole Class Tuition
The CE confirmed that every primary school in Barnet had now signed up to whole class tuition, including school which were not engaging while the service was part of the LA.
Tom Gray joined the meeting at this point.
Fundraising
It was noted that, with the help of a catalyst capacity building grant, a community fundraiser had been appointed and that the Trust had been working with Cause4 Ltd to assist in the submission of bids for funding.
In response to a query, the CE confirmed that the Trust would be applying to the Arts Council for further grants.
The following fundraising activities were highlighted:
-Marathons
-Parent donations
-Green tokens at Waitrose
-Bag packing in Asda
-Busking outside the Arts Depot by A Level students
-A charity let and a reduction in the fee for live streaming at the Royal Albert Hall
-A Virgin Money initiative
-Advertising in programmes
In response to a query, the CE said that an interesting challenge for her was running the Trust as a charity. She said that she was continually developing in this area and taking advantage of knowledge sharing opportunities with colleagues from other charitable organisations.
Central Fundraising Strategy
The CE explained that the Trust’s central fundraising strategy was devised collectively with all eight Music8London music hubs in order to develop the following elements:
-Vocal8: a number of centrally employed teachers to work in beacon schools and with hub choirs to improve the quality of singing across the region.
-Elev8: a strategy to support senior pupils through chamber groups, providing funding for each hub for a co-ordinator for one day a week who will support senior ensembles and be a mentor for advanced students.
-Celebr8: Joint promotion and sponsorship opportunities for concerts and events and partnership with local venues.
-Innov8: To increase how much the Trust works with a range of colleagues to support pupils who experience barrier to accessing music education.
14/34FINANCIAL REPORT AND PRESENTATION OF ACCOUNTS
The Company Secretary presented the audited financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2014. It was noted that the financial statements complied with the current statutory requirements, the memorandum and articles of association and the Statement of Recommended Practice – Accounting and Reporting by Charities March 2005.
The Chair highlighted that, according to the Trust’s auditors, the Trustees were required to prepare financial statements for each financial year and to ensure that financial statements complied with the Companies Act 2011.
It was noted that Godfrey Wilson Ltd had been appointed as the Trust’s auditors during the year and had expressed their willingness to act in that capacity.
Upon extensive review of the Statement of Financial Activities and Balance Sheet, it was noted that the Trust had achieved a reserve of £63,599. The Company Secretary explained that the aim was to achieve a reserve of three times to salary outgoings, as suggested by the Trust’s auditors.
The Company Secretary recorded thanks to the Trust’s auditors, Godfrey Wilson Ltd, for setting up new accounting protocols for the Trust. She explained that this would make financial reporting an easier process in the future.
In response to a query, the CE confirmed that the Trust had the right to apply for gift aid.
Flo Armstrong joined the meeting at this point.
A discussion ensued regarding Cause4 and the deliverable outcomes in comparison to the time and money being invested. The CE and Chair undertook to monitor this. In response to a query, the CE confirmed that the fundraiser employed was working for the Trust and not Cause4, although she had been doing some training with them.
Action: Chair and CE
The Chair thanked the Company Secretary for her full and informative report and explained that Philip Elgarregularly met with her to monitor the financial health of the Trust.
14/35FEEDBACK FROM COLLEAGUES
The Chair asked colleagues to provide feedback on their experiences working for/with BEAT as a Trust. The following feedback was NOTED:
-‘The sense of ownership has been liberating’.
-‘Schools seem more willing to participate and agree with the Trust’s objectives’.
-‘Music centres are ran in the same way but this lack of disruption is seen as a positive outcome’.
-‘With clearer lines of communication and less bureaucracy, it has been easier and quicker to get things done’.
-‘Generally, parents have not noticed much difference, which reflects that the transition has caused no concerning disruptions in service’.
-‘Parents who know that BEAT is now a charity seem more willing to pay tuition fees on time. The list of overdue payments has decreased. This also reflects their sense of ownership for the charity’.
-‘Schools have confidence in dealing with a Trust which has two Headteachers, a former Headteacher, and a former Director of Children’s Services on its board’.
The Chair thanked all for their helpful feedback and thanked all Trustees, staff and partner organisations for their hard work towards shared aims and objectives.
It was noted that the Trust’s second AGM would be held at the same time the following year.
14/36NEXT AGM MEETING
It was noted that the next AGM would be arranged to take place at approximately the same time the following year.
There being no further business, the AGM closed at this point.
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