HORSHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Registered charity 1053231 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as HSO

The promotion, preparation and performance of classical music for the enjoyment and education of members and audiences in the Horsham area.

Objects

TO PROMOTE,IMPROVE DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN EDUCATION IN AND APPRECIATION OF THE ART AND SCIENCE OF MUSIC IN ALL ITS ASPECTS BY THE REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE OF PUBLIC CONCERTS AND BY SUCH OTHER WAYS AS THE SOCIETY THROUGH ITS COMMITTEE SHALL DETERMINE FROM TIME TO TIME.

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED -- IN PRACTICE WEST SUSSEX AND MAINLY IN THE HORSHAM AREA.

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Arts/culture/heritage/science · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Horsham, South East, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£34k

Latest spending

£32k

Registered

1996

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a surplus of £2,571.57 for the year ended 31 December 2025, following a period of significant deficits. Per the trustees' report, the orchestra's total reserves stood at £38,259.79, which exceeds the stated policy target of holding reserves equivalent to one year of survival without subscriptions or donations.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: at any time to carry reserves which would allow it to survive for one year without the benefit of membership subscriptions or donations from patrons or other sources - this is determined as an amount at least equal to the likely deficit arising on three concerts assuming a combination of poor ticket sales and significantly higher than anticipated expenses (reserves figure: £38k)

“The orchestra’s reserves policy is at any time to carry reserves which would allow it to survive for one year without the benefit of membership subscriptions or donations from patrons or other sources - this is determined as an amount at least equal to the likely deficit arising on three concerts assuming a combination of poor ticket sales and significantly higher than anticipated expenses.” — page 3

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2025

Volunteers: 100

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2024

Volunteers: 110

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2023

Volunteers: 110

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Annual return filing dates (Charity Commission record)

Of its last 5 annual returns with a recorded received date, 1 was received after the due date: year ending 31/12/2022 (received 22/12/2023, 52 days after the 31/10/2023 due date).

Due and received dates as recorded in the Commission’s annual-return data; the data does not say whether an extension was agreed. Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Trustees · trustee networks

Fiona Henderson CLIFTONchair
ANDREW WILLIAM MEREDITH MA ACA · trustee of 1 other charity
Alexandra Jane Knight
Andrew George SYKES
Angela Jane Kirsten
Craig William JAMES
Dr Clare Elizabeth THORNTON-WOOD
Dr Stephen John MEDHURST
Rebecca Jane GOFFEY
Shen Yan Liow

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: West Sussex

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£34k	£32k
31/12/2024	£41k	£24k
31/12/2023	£35k	£38k
31/12/2022	£24k	£27k
31/12/2021	£18k	£17k

Common questions

Is HORSHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a surplus of £2,571.57 for the year ended 31 December 2025, following a period of significant deficits. Per the trustees' report, the orchestra's total reserves stood at £38,259.79, which exceeds the stated policy target of holding reserves equivalent to one year of survival without subscriptions or donations. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds HORSHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA?

Funders whose own accounts filings name HORSHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA as a grant recipient include HUMPHREY RICHARDSON TAYLOR CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
HUMPHREY RICHARDSON TAYLOR CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£3k	Concerts
HUMPHREY RICHARDSON TAYLOR CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£3k	Concerts

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS FOUNDATION	1	£1k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with CROWTHORNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA.

CROWTHORNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA income £27k
WINCHESTER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA income £28k
WARWICKSHIRE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA income £35k
THE LEICESTER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA LIMITED income £52k
HUNTINGDONSHIRE PHILHARMONIC income £43k
HARROGATE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA income £52k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
HORSHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA	£34k	—	—	above	—	no doubt
CROWTHORNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FY2025	£27k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
WINCHESTER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FY2025	£28k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
WARWICKSHIRE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FY2025	£35k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE LEICESTER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA LIMITED FY2025	£52k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
HUNTINGDONSHIRE PHILHARMONIC FY2025	£43k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.