Finance Score: -3

Governance Score: 9

Support Score: 9

Poor Liquidity: -1
Multiple Deficits and declines: -5
Fundraising costs low: +3

Good trustee age range: +3
Dynamic board: +3
Gender balanced board: +3

Overall weighted support: +9

Overall GiG Score: 15

BRIGHTER SOUND LTD

Inspiring and creative music-making projects & activities including residencies, workshops, courses and training for children, young people, emerging professional musicians and adult learners. Consultation and support for the music education sector and strategic development of the music offer for the region with emphasis on children in challenging circumstances and emerging musicians.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

The charity has received backing from several prominent grant makers recently
Fundraising costs are unusually low relative to funds raised
The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and gender and dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

One or more trustees receive payments or benefits from the charity for providing services to the charity

Financial issues to consider:

Liquidity appears to have been slender at the latest year end
Income has been volatile and on several occasions in recent years less than spending

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?

Sources of Income ?

Y/E	Income £k	Spending £k	Surplus/ Deficit £k	Fundraising Cost £k	Total Funds £k	Unrestricted Funds £k	Mths Rsrvs	Staff	Volun- teers
31/03/23	£544	£727	£-183	£11	£201	£51	0.8	13	15
31/03/22	£728	£816	£-88	£7	£384	£91	1.3	13	5
31/03/21	£753	£492	£262	£13	£472	£90	2.2	11	10
31/03/20	£649	£563	£86	£6	£211	£71	1.5	11	15
31/03/19	£759	£758	£1	£9	£125	£68	1.1	8	20
31/03/18	£631	£591	£41	£7	£124	£45	0.9	8	0
31/03/17	£466	£413	£53	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
31/03/16	£445	£485	£-40	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
31/03/15	£566	£567	£-1	£129	£32	£32	0.7	6	0

Show more rows -->

Show financials table -->

Download accounts

Financial Ratios

Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 2.7%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 1.5%
Highest pay band: Less than £60,000
Liabilities/Assets: 16%
Liabilities/Income: 7%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 26%
Reserves/Spending: 0.8 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 3 months
Quick Ratio: 1.4

Asset Split ?

Balance Sheet History

Established: 11 years
(20 years as a company)

www.brightersound.com

info@brightersound.com

0161 546 5334

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Tweets

Listed activities

Arts/Culture/Heritage/Science
Economic/Community Development/Employment
Education/Training

GiG Classification

Performing and visual arts

How it operates

Provides advocacy/advice/information
Provides buildings/facilities/open space
Provides services

Where it operates

Throughout England,

Who it helps

Children/Young People

Who supports them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years

Youth Music	£249,000
Esmee Fairbairn	£186,000
DCMS	£76,505
The Foyle Foundation	£20,000
Manchester City Council	£15,550

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Brighter Sound
£6,000	06/02/2023	Towards unrestricted core costs as a Cost of Living Uplift
The Foyle Foundation - Arts
£20,000	29/11/2022	towards core costs over 12 months
Youth Music - Be The Change
£249,000	12/10/2022	Be The Change
Manchester City Council - Grant to Brighter Sound Ltd
£5,000	30/06/2020	Cultural partnership Agreements. The purpose of the funding is to support cultural organisations in Manchester City which are delivering against the City's priorities and meeting the themes of the Cultural Ambition
DCMS - Brighter Sound - Culture Recovery Fund Application
£51,505	01/04/2020	To support Arts and Culture throughout England
DCMS - Brighter Sound - Culture Recovery Fund Application
£25,000	01/04/2020	To support Arts and Culture throughout England
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Brighter Sound
£180,000	31/03/2020 36	Towards costs for a new initiative of creative development and structured support for musicians and producers across the North.
Manchester City Council - Grant to Brighter Sound Ltd
£10,550	27/03/2020	Grant towards support for the MANCHESTER MUSIC CITY LEADERSHIP Projects: Manchester Music City & the Music City Network
Manchester City Council - Grant to Brighter Sound Ltd
£5,000	01/04/2019	Cultural Partnership Agreement grant to fund and support cultural organisations that contribute to making Manchester a thriving, attractive and equitable city with high quality cultural experiences which all Manchester people can benefit from
National Lottery Community Fund - St Francis Village Hall Moving On
£9,000	21/02/2019 12	The funding will be used to expand and renovate the village's communal facilities ' including the village hall ' used for events and activities that bring local residents together.
Manchester City Council - Grant to Brighter Sound Ltd
£5,000	01/04/2018	Cultural partnership Agreements. The purpose of the funding is to support cultural organisations in Manchester City which are delivering against the City's priorities and meeting the themes of the Cultural Ambition
Manchester City Council - Grant to Brighter Sound Ltd
£5,000	01/04/2018	Cultural Partnership Agreement grant to fund and support cultural organisations that contribute to making Manchester a thriving, attractive and equitable city with high quality cultural experiences which all Manchester people can benefit from
Manchester City Council - Grant to Brighter Sound Ltd
£5,000	01/04/2018	Cultural Partnership Agreement grant to fund and support cultural organisations that contribute to making Manchester a thriving, attractive and equitable city with high quality cultural experiences which all Manchester people can benefit from.
Youth Music - Fund C: Inclusion and Innovation
£160,000	19/01/2018	Fund C: Inclusion and Innovation
Youth Music - Both Sides Now
£30,000	07/07/2017	Both Sides Now

Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (11)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 23-68

ANDY LOVATT Appointed: 2016, Occupation: Managing Director

DR VIRGINIA ANN TANDY (Chair) Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Director

JOHANNE HARVIE Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Chartered Accountant

LYNDSEY OLIVIA SHAW Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Solicitor

MATTHEW WILDE Appointed: 2016, Occupation: Project Manager

MICHAEL JOHN BALL Appointed: 2016, Occupation: Director

RACHEL DAVIES Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Television Commissioner

ROBERT MATTHEW SHAW Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Fundraising & Management Consultant

SANA RAHIM Appointed: 2021

THOMAS FAZAL RABBANI Appointed: 2021, Occupation: None

WING HON ANTHONY LEE Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Content Manager

Legal constitution

Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 29/11/2013, number: 1154803
Registered at Companies House on 13/04/2004, number: 05100495

Gift Aid

Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid

Policies in force

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

Filing Record

9 returns made; all on time

Main office

GREEN FISH RESOURCE CENTRE
46-50 OLDHAM STREET
MANCHESTER
M4 1LE

Objectives

TO ACT AS A RESOURCE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING IN [ENTER IF REQUIRED ] BY PROVIDING ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE AND ORGANISING PROGRAMMES OF PHYSICAL, EDUCATIONAL AND OTHER ACTIVITIES AS A MEANS OF:(A) ADVANCING IN LIFE AND HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE BY DEVELOPING THEIR SKILLS, CAPACITIES AND CAPABILITIES TO ENABLE THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN SOCIETY AS INDEPENDENT, MATURE AND RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUALS; (B) ADVANCING EDUCATION, PARTICULARLY IN MUSIC; (C) RELIEVING UNEMPLOYMENT; (D) PROVIDING RECREATIONAL AND LEISURE TIME ACTIVITY IN THE INTERESTS OF SOCIAL WELFARE FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN THE AREA OF BENEFIT WHO HAVE NEED BY REASON OF THEIR YOUTH, AGE, INFIRMITY OR DISABILITY, POVERTY OR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES WITH A VIEW TO IMPROVING THE CONDITIONS OF LIFE OF SUCH PERSONS. ADVANCING EDUCATION IN THE ARTS BY PROVIDING TRAINING IN MUSIC, INCLUDING WORKING WITH EMERGING MUSICIANS WHO HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND, OR NEED SUPPORT IN FINDING EMPLOYMENT.

Data Sources

Watch Inspiring Videos

Save the upside down forest

Change the ending - the pain of Alzheimers

Help Dads in prison stay in touch with their children