CHANGING TUNES

Registered charity 1144789 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Changing Tunes uses music teaching, rehearsing, recording, performance, improvisation and composition to aid the rehabilitation of prisoners and ex-prisoners.

Causes: Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£821k

Latest spending

£755k

Registered

2011

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity ended the year in a financially strong position with a surplus of £65,944. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted reserves of £464,298 were held, which is in excess of the charity's policy target of six months' expenditure. The filing confirms there are no material uncertainties affecting the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £60,000 to £70,000 — below the median for charities its size (£60k)

“One employee (2024: One) received emoluments between £60,000 to £70,000.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Employees paid over £60,000: 1

“One employee (2024: One) received emoluments between £60,000 to £70,000.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: six months’ expenditure (held: £464k)

“The reserves policy of the charity prescribes maintaining a balance of six months’ expenditure.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Payments to trustees: Jane Lings received £1,305 for professional services; no other trustees received remuneration.

“Jane Lings (newly appointed trustee) receieved payments of £1,305 for provision of professional services during the year. These payments are permitted under the Memorandum & Articles of Association. No other Trustee received any remuneration during the current or previous year.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Changing Tunes (matched by registered charity number).

Public-sector contracts awarded

From the official Contracts Finder and Find a Tender notices (supplier matched by exact registered name). Contract income is distinct from grants.

Buyer	Contract	Awarded	Value
Ministry of Justice	Award of a Call-Off Contract under the Prison Education Dynamic Purchasing System for a Music course for Prisoners at HMP Bristol	06/05/2026	£25k
Ministry of Justice	Award of a Call-Off Contract under the Prison Education Dynamic Purchasing System for a Music Programme for Prisoners at HMP/YOI Drake Hall	31/03/2026	£28k
Ministry of Justice	Award of a call off contract under the Prison Education Dynamic Purchasing System for the provision of Creative Engagement Activity for Prisoners at HMP Eastwood Park	21/08/2025	£20k

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2025)

Total income

£821k

Total spending

£755k

Cost of raising funds

£102k

Reserves (reported)

£464k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~7.4 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (60% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 12.4% of total income — above the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (17/07/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (29/10/2024) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (24/11/2020) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (19/09/2013) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Suzanne Joan Dymond-Whitechair · trustee of 1 other charity
Benjamin Simon Judd
Cornelius James L Thorne
Davey George ANSCOMBE
Giulia Balzan
JANE LINGS
James William Rimmer
MICHAEL CULLUM
RICHARD SAYER
Vivian Kenneth Antony Brooke

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

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£821k	£755k
31/12/2024	£792k	£642k
31/12/2023	£627k	£562k
31/12/2022	£503k	£542k
31/12/2021	£499k	£419k

Common questions

Is CHANGING TUNES financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity ended the year in a financially strong position with a surplus of £65,944. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted reserves of £464,298 were held, which is in excess of the charity's policy target of six months' expenditure. The filing confirms there are no material uncertainties affecting the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

What does the highest-paid employee of CHANGING TUNES earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £60,000 to £70,000 band, and 1 employees earned over £60,000.

Who funds CHANGING TUNES?

Funders whose own accounts filings name CHANGING TUNES as a grant recipient include THE BURDEN TRUST, THE AURUM CHARITABLE TRUST, THE HARRISON-FRANK FAMILY FOUNDATION (UK) LIMITED, THE JERUSALEM TRUST, THE NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR YOUTH MUSIC.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE BURDEN TRUST	FY2024	£167k	Support of the Marginalised
THE AURUM CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£55k
THE HARRISON-FRANK FAMILY FOUNDATION (UK) LIMITED	FY2024	£40k
THE JERUSALEM TRUST	FY2022	£30k	Evangelism and Christian Mission in the UK
THE NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR YOUTH MUSIC	FY2024	£30k
THE A B CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£22k
THE BROMLEY TRUST	FY2025	£20k
THE A B CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£20k
THE A B CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£20k	The Justice System and penal reform
THE NISBET TRUST	FY2024	£20k
WILLIAM ADLINGTON CADBURY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£15k	Penal Affairs
THE DAVID ISAACS FUND	FY2022	£15k	Charities
THE DAVID ISAACS FUND	FY2023	£15k	Charities
THE BURDEN TRUST	FY2025	£15k	Support of the Marginalised
THE BURDEN TRUST	FY2022	£10k	Support of the Marginalised
JOHN JAMES BRISTOL FOUNDATION	FY2024	£10k	Children and young people
THE BROMLEY TRUST	FY2022	£10k	Prison Reform
JOHN JAMES BRISTOL FOUNDATION	FY2023	£10k	Other Education
THE THREE OAKS TRUST	FY2023	£10k	Ford prison
THE BROMLEY TRUST	FY2023	£10k	Prison Reform
THE BROMLEY TRUST	FY2024	£10k	Prison Reform
THE ANCHOR FOUNDATION	FY2024	£8k	Creative Empowerment Project - staffing for weekly creative café for 2 years
THE HARRISON-FRANK FAMILY FOUNDATION (UK) LIMITED	FY2021	£6k
THE DAVID FAMILY FOUNDATION	FY2023	£5k
W F SOUTHALL TRUST	FY2022	£5k	Social Action
THE VALENTINE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£5k
COLWINSTON CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£5k	Launch the first year of the 'Young Voices' music learning programme at Hillside Secure Children's Home in Neath
W F SOUTHALL TRUST	FY2024	£5k	Social Action
NEWBY TRUST LIMITED	FY2023	£5k	Welfare
THE BATCHWORTH TRUST	FY2023	£5k
COLWINSTON CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£5k	Grant listed in Note 3.
THE HAROLD HYAM WINGATE FOUNDATION	FY2022	£4k
THE HAROLD HYAM WINGATE FOUNDATION	FY2023	£4k
MISS E F RATHBONE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£3k
The Patricia Routledge Foundation	FY2024	£3k
THE JOYCE FLETCHER CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£3k
W F SOUTHALL TRUST	FY2023	£3k	Social Action
THE ANTON JURGENS CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£3k
THE PARIVAR TRUST	FY2025	£3k
THE PARIVAR TRUST	FY2024	£3k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MATTHEW AND ST NATHANAEL, BRISTOL	FY2023	£2k	Home mission
THE NOEL BUXTON TRUST	FY2022	£2k	To help expand the in-person music and performance services for prisoners and former offenders.
THE DAVID FAMILY FOUNDATION	FY2024	£2k
THE PARIVAR TRUST	FY2023	£2k
GERALD FINZI TRUST	FY2024	£2k
THE JOYCE FLETCHER CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£2k
THE NOEL BUXTON TRUST	FY2023	£2k	To help expand the in-person music and performance services for prisoners and former offenders.
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MATTHEW AND ST NATHANAEL, BRISTOL	FY2024	£2k	Home mission
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MATTHEW AND ST NATHANAEL, BRISTOL	FY2022	£2k	Home mission
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MATTHEW AND ST NATHANAEL, BRISTOL	FY2025	£2k	Home mission

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
A B Charitable Trust	12/10/2023	£22k	A grant to Changing Tunes
The National Lottery Community Fund	23/02/2023	£169k	Changing Tunes at Eastwood Park and Drake Hall Women’s Prisons: a growth project
A B Charitable Trust	23/08/2022	£20k	A grant to Changing Tunes
A B Charitable Trust	07/10/2021	£20k	A grant to Changing Tunes
A B Charitable Trust	08/10/2020	£15k	A grant to Changing Tunes
A B Charitable Trust	10/10/2019	£15k	A grant to Changing Tunes
The National Lottery Community Fund	23/05/2019	£10k	Changing Tunes & St Mungo's Bristol
A B Charitable Trust	03/07/2018	£15k	A grant to Changing Tunes
A B Charitable Trust	25/10/2016	£15k	Reducing re-offending through music
A B Charitable Trust	21/10/2014	£10k	Reducing reoffending through music
A B Charitable Trust	29/10/2013	£8k	Reducing reoffending through music
The National Lottery Community Fund	19/01/2009	£10k	Changing Tunes Training Days
The National Lottery Community Fund	30/03/2006	£4k	work with ex offenders