LEWISHAM MUSIC
Registered charity 1169721 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register
Lewisham Music is the lead music education hub organisation in Lewisham, funded by Arts Council England. It operates in accordance with the core and extension roles for music hubs. The charity also facilitates a wide and diverse network of local, regional and national partner and associate organisations which enrich musical opportunities and pathways for young people across the borough.
Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £45,876 for the year, resulting in a decrease in total net assets from £694,655 to £459,779. The trustees confirm that unrestricted free funds of £240,701 are maintained at a level practically meeting the stated policy target of three months' salary, premises costs, and contractual obligations. The auditor confirmed the financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis with no material uncertainties identified.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £241k; policy: three month’s salary, premises costs and contractual obligations)
“The remaining £240,701 (£268,314 in 2024) represented unrestricted free funds. Overall the charity therefore practically meets it target reserves policy as set out above.” — page 12
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: SEL Music Education Ltd
“A new company limited by guarantee, SEL Music Education Ltd, was incorporated on 30 September 2023 to act as Hub Lead Organisation (HLO) for the South East London Hub.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by Haines Watts Swindon Limited. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.
Leadership, per the charity’s website
- Keith Sykes — Chief Executive (source)
- Simon Francis — Director of Business & Operations (source)
- Ania Wróblewska — Director of Community Programmes (source)
Listed on the charity’s own website when we last crawled it; roles may have changed. Pay-band disclosures above are anonymous statutory disclosures and are not attributed to any named individual.
Funders the charity credits
Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).
- Arts Council England — “As a music education hub we receive core funding from Arts Council England.” (source page)
- Merchant Taylors’ Foundation — “Join others like Merchant Taylors’ Foundation in investing in long‑term community impact. Our five-year partnership with them supports bursa…” (source page)
- Youth Music — “Sonic Minds is an award-winning creative music programme delivered by Lewisham Music and funded by Youth Music and BBC Children in Need.” (source page)
- BBC Children in Need — “Sonic Minds is an award-winning creative music programme delivered by Lewisham Music and funded by Youth Music and BBC Children in Need.” (source page)
Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Cost of raising funds
£19k
Reported reserves equal ~2.2 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (53% 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: 1.5% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).
- Audrey Bleazard
- James Ripley
- Jenetta Hurst
- Kathleen Mary Boyle
- Lateefah Rukiya Brown-Grant
- Nadiya Hoffman
- Natalie Antoinette Clarke
- Robert Kiruta-Kigozi
- Thomas Oliver Toomse-Smith
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Throughout London
Income and spending
Common questions
Is LEWISHAM MUSIC financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £45,876 for the year, resulting in a decrease in total net assets from £694,655 to £459,779. The trustees confirm that unrestricted free funds of £240,701 are maintained at a level practically meeting the stated policy target of three months' salary, premises costs, and contractual obligations. The auditor confirmed the financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis with no material uncertainties identified. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Haines Watts Swindon Limited.
Who funds LEWISHAM MUSIC?
Funders whose own accounts filings name LEWISHAM MUSIC as a grant recipient include The Merchant Taylors' Foundation, THE MAYOR OF LONDON'S FUND FOR YOUNG MUSICIANS, KUSUMA TRUST UK, SIR WILLIAM BOREMAN'S FOUNDATION, THE NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR YOUTH MUSIC.
Known funders
Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.
Government & lottery funding
Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).
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.
Charities like this
Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with NEWHAM MUSIC TRUST.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.