BURY ST EDMUNDS BACH SOCIETY

Registered charity 1181842 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as BURY BACH CHOIR, THE BURY BACH CHOIR, THE BURY ST EDMUNDS BACH SOCIETY

A choral society based in Bury St Edmunds Suffolk, dedicated to public performances of classical choral works, particularly those of JS Bach.

Objects

THE MAINTENANCE OF THE BURY ST EDMUNDS BACH CHOIR IN THE STUDY AND PRACTICE OF CHORAL MUSIC, AND THE PROMOTION OF MUSICAL PERFORMANCES BOTH GENERALLY AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF SUCH CHARITABLE PURPOSES AS THE TRUSTEES MAY FROM TIME TO TIME THINK FIT

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: West Suffolk, East of England, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£70k

Latest spending

£59k

Registered

2019

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity ended the year with unrestricted reserves of £49,044, which exceeds the trustees' stated policy target of £32,049. The charity reported a net surplus of £11,317 for the year, indicating that income from subscriptions, ticket sales, and patronage was sufficient to cover charitable and administrative expenditures.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: the total costs of the most expensive concert in the coming year plus 10% (held: £49k)

“This is calculated as the total costs of the most expensive concert in the coming year plus 10%. On that basis our cash reserves should be at least £32049.”

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
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

Rougham Estate Trust — “Our Major Sponsor Rougham Estate Trust” (source page)
Alfred Williams Charitable Trust — “Our Corporate Sponsors Alfred Williams Charitable Trust” (source page)
Greene & Greene — “Our Corporate Patrons Greene & Greene” (source page)

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

Register events

Received assets from another charity (04/05/2022) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Carolyn Awdry Heywood
Dr James Anthony Heathcote
Dr Joanna Dekkers
Dr Richard Fletcher
John Harvey White-Thomson
Julia Rance
Marian Jane Rutherford
Mary-Clare O'Sullivan
SARAH MANSFIELD
Slade Charles Paget Fulcher
Stephen William Ruthen

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

Operates in: Suffolk

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/07/2025	£70k	£59k
31/07/2024	£63k	£62k
31/07/2023	£71k	£67k
31/07/2022	£54k	£58k
31/07/2021	£17k	£12k

Common questions

Is BURY ST EDMUNDS BACH SOCIETY financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity ended the year with unrestricted reserves of £49,044, which exceeds the trustees' stated policy target of £32,049. The charity reported a net surplus of £11,317 for the year, indicating that income from subscriptions, ticket sales, and patronage was sufficient to cover charitable and administrative expenditures. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with SHEFFIELD BACH SOCIETY.

SHEFFIELD BACH SOCIETY income £35k
EXETER BACH SOCIETY income £29k
BURY ST EDMUNDS TOWN TRUST income £33k
BENSON CHORAL SOCIETY income £47k
DERBY BACH CHOIR income £42k
BINGHAM AND DISTRICT CHORAL SOCIETY income £26k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
BURY ST EDMUNDS BACH SOCIETY	£70k	—	above	—	no doubt
SHEFFIELD BACH SOCIETY FY2025	£35k	—	below	—	no doubt
EXETER BACH SOCIETY FY2025	£29k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
BURY ST EDMUNDS TOWN TRUST FY2025	£33k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
BENSON CHORAL SOCIETY FY2025	£47k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
DERBY BACH CHOIR FY2025	£42k	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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