ORA CHOIR

Registered charity 1160228 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

To advance, improve, develop and maintain public education in, and appreciation of the Arts, in particular choral music by the presentation of concerts and recordings, the commissioning of composers and the support of young musicians.

Objects

TO ADVANCE, IMPROVE, DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN THE PUBLIC EDUCATION IN, AND APPRECIATION OF, THE ARTS, IN PARTICULAR CHORAL MUSIC BY ESTABLISHING AND DEVELOPING CHORAL LEADERS TO RUN CHOIRS AND BY PUBLIC PERFORMANCE.

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

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

Registered contact address: Islington, London, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£282k

Latest spending

£253k

Registered

2015

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity achieved a net income of £28,350 for the year ended 30 June 2025, resulting in total funds carried forward of £80,822. The trustees report that they were able to maintain their official reserves during this period. The financial position is supported by unrestricted funds of £24,174 and restricted funds of £56,648.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: Under £60,000 — in the top quarter for charities its size (median £60k)

“No employee received emoluments in excess of £60,000.” — page 17

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.

Financial reserves policy and procedures
Investment
Paying staff
Safeguarding policy and procedures

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

Trustees · trustee networks

Lizzie Riddingchair
Annamaria Koerling
Dr MICHELLE CASTELLETTI
Garreth Spillane
Mark Tatlow
Matthew Philip Byrne
Prof Henrietta Bowden-Jones
Richard Allain
Robert John Graham-Campbell

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

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
30/06/2025	£282k	£253k
30/06/2024	£216k	£201k
30/06/2023	£182k	£232k
30/06/2022	£170k	£190k
30/06/2021	£212k	£131k

Common questions

Is ORA CHOIR financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity achieved a net income of £28,350 for the year ended 30 June 2025, resulting in total funds carried forward of £80,822. The trustees report that they were able to maintain their official reserves during this period. The financial position is supported by unrestricted funds of £24,174 and restricted funds of £56,648. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

What does the highest-paid employee of ORA CHOIR earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the Under £60,000 band.

Who funds ORA CHOIR?

Funders whose own accounts filings name ORA CHOIR as a grant recipient include THE KARLSSON JATIVA CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, THE BOLTINI TRUST, THE ADRIAN SWIRE CHARITABLE TRUST, VAUGHAN WILLIAMS FOUNDATION, THE PENCHANT FOUNDATION.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE KARLSSON JATIVA CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2021	£30k	support of a mentoring programme in vocal composition for young aspiring composers and its free digital educational platform
THE KARLSSON JATIVA CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2022	£28k
THE MICHAEL BISHOP FOUNDATION	FY2025	Unverified read£10k
THE BOLTINI TRUST	FY2025	£10k
THE ADRIAN SWIRE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£5k
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS FOUNDATION	FY2023	£2k	Public Performance
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS FOUNDATION	FY2024	£2k	Public Performance
THE PENCHANT FOUNDATION	FY2025	£2k
The Ethos Foundation	FY2025	£1k	smaller donation
CHAPMAN CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£1k

Grants marked “Unverified read” were flagged by automated checks as possibly misread from the funder’s filed accounts. They are listed, but left out of the totals, counts and funder relationships this site computes.

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
MERTON VOLUNTARY SERVICE COUNCIL	1	£25k
THE BLYTH WATSON CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£6k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with SONORO.

SONORO income £92k
OPDA income £538k
CHAPTER HOUSE CHOIR income £45k
SHERBORNE CHAMBER CHOIR income £28k
ASHFORD (KENT) CHORAL SOCIETY income £52k
HARROW CHORAL SOCIETY income £59k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
ORA CHOIR	£282k	Under £60,000	unclear	—	no doubt
SONORO FY2026	£92k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
OPDA FY2025	£538k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
CHAPTER HOUSE CHOIR FY2026	£45k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
SHERBORNE CHAMBER CHOIR FY2025	£28k	—	above	—	no doubt
ASHFORD (KENT) CHORAL SOCIETY FY2025	£52k	—	unclear	—	noted

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