NOTTINGHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Registered charity 1108791 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as NSO

The promotion, fostering, improvement and advancement and public education in the art and science of music, singing, and dance and the arts, and the operation of an amateur orchestra of a charitable nature only

Objects

TO PROMOTE, FOSTER, IMPROVE AND ADVANCE PUBLIC EDUCATION IN THE ART AND SCIENCE OF MUSIC, SINGING, AND DANCE AND THE ARTS CO-RELATED THEREWITH RESPECTIVELY, AND IN CONNECTION THEREWITH TO OPERATE AN AMATEUR ORCHESTRA OF A CHARITABLE NATURE ONLY.

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED. IN PRACTICE NOTTINGHAM AND SOUTHWELL, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE AND GRANTHAM, LINCOLNSHIRE.

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

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

Registered contact address: Erewash, East Midlands, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£26k

Latest spending

£25k

Registered

2005

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity's unrestricted reserves stood at £36,231 at the end of the financial year, which the trustees consider well in excess of their stated minimum policy target. The charity reported a net expenditure for the year, noting that it invariably loses money on each concert it promotes and relies on subscriptions, sponsorship, and other income to maintain a sound financial basis.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Member subscriptions including gift aid

“Member subscriptions including gift aid” — page 5

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: a minimum level of reserves should be maintained such that the Orchestra is able to pay any irrecoverable costs in the event that a concert has to be cancelled (reserves figure: £36k)

“The Trustees have determined that a minimum level of reserves should be maintained such that the Orchestra is able to pay any irrecoverable costs in the event that a concert has to be cancelled.” — page 4

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Trading subsidiary: Nottingham Symphony Orchestra (OTR) Ltd

“The Orchestra has a wholly owned subsidiary, Nottingham Symphony Orchestra (OTR) Ltd (‘the production company’).” — page 2

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 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.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Trustee conflicts of interest 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 31/08/2025

Volunteers: 13
Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/08/2024

Volunteers: 10
Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/08/2023

Volunteers: 17
Has a trading subsidiary

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 31/08/2021 (received 15/11/2022, 138 days after the 30/06/2022 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.

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 04856202
Trading subsidiary: NOTTINGHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (OTR) LTD Companies House 11120150

NOTTINGHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (OTR) LTD — per its own Companies House accounts

{"description": "The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nottingham Symphony Orchestra. 4856202.", "quote": "It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nottingham Symphony Orchestra. 4856202."}

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

HUBBARD, Andrew Neville, Doctor — director, appointed 31/05/2025on trustee list
MCCULLOUGH, Benjamin Oliver — director, appointed 02/09/2019on trustee list
DEVLIN, Alison Margaret — director, appointed 03/10/2011on trustee list
BENSELIN, Adrian Gerard — director, appointed 22/03/2010on trustee list
GIBSON, Nicholas Mark — director, appointed 05/08/2003on trustee list
BENSELIN, Adrian Gerard — secretary, appointed 07/12/2015

Official officers record.

Trustees · trustee networks

ADRIAN GERARD BENSELIN
ALISON MARGARET DEVLIN
Benjamin Oliver McCullough
Dr ANDREW NEVILLE HUBBARD
NICHOLAS MARK GIBSON

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

Operates in: Derbyshire · Lincolnshire · Nottingham City · Nottinghamshire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/08/2025	£26k	£25k
31/08/2024	£32k	£27k
31/08/2023	£27k	£25k
31/08/2022	£23k	£22k
31/08/2021	£99	£1k

Common questions

Is NOTTINGHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity's unrestricted reserves stood at £36,231 at the end of the financial year, which the trustees consider well in excess of their stated minimum policy target. The charity reported a net expenditure for the year, noting that it invariably loses money on each concert it promotes and relies on subscriptions, sponsorship, and other income to maintain a sound financial basis. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

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
HUMPHREY RICHARDSON TAYLOR CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£6k

Charities like this

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

THE NORFOLK SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA income £41k
PLYMOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA income £32k
WINCHESTER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA income £28k
THE NOTTINGHAM HARMONIC SOCIETY income £130k
NOTTINGHAM PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA LTD income £51k
SCARBOROUGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA income £33k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
NOTTINGHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA	£26k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
THE NORFOLK SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FY2025	£41k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
PLYMOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FY2025	£32k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
WINCHESTER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FY2025	£28k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE NOTTINGHAM HARMONIC SOCIETY FY2026	£130k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
NOTTINGHAM PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA LTD FY2025	£51k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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