STONELEIGH YOUTH ORCHESTRA

Registered charity 1199210 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as SYO

SYO aims to educate in the art and science of music. We hold weekly rehearsals during term time for musicians aged up to 21 drawing children from SW London, Surrey & Middlesex. Our three concerts each year are open to the public, and we organise an annual/biannual tour abroad. Most members pay to belong to the orchestra but no child with musical talent is excluded because of inability to pay.

Objects

A) TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC IN THE ARTS AND SCIENCES, PARTICULARLY THE ART AND SCIENCE OF MUSIC B) TO ADVANCE THE MUSICAL EDUCATION OF YOUNG PERSONS UNDER THE AGE OF 21 YEARS.

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: Epsom and Ewell, South East, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£146k

Latest spending

£130k

Registered

2022

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The charity reported a surplus of £16,696 for the year ended 31 August 2025, with total unrestricted reserves of £179,792. This reserve level exceeds the trustees' policy target of maintaining reserves equivalent to one year's expenditure. The accounts were subject to an independent examination rather than a full audit, with no matters requiring attention identified by the examiner.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: one year’s expenditure (reserves figure: £180k)

“The Executive Committee has resolved that the Charity will endeavour to maintain unrestricted reserves broadly in line with one year’s expenditure.” — page 6

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Trading subsidiary: SYO Production Company Limited

“Following its incorporation, SYO Production Company Limited took over responsibility for paying these fees.”

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
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

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: 20
Has a trading subsidiary

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

Volunteers: 20
Has a trading subsidiary

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

Volunteers: 25

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

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

Register events

Received assets from another charity (29/02/2024) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Isobel Stephenchair
Bridget Merchant
Josephina Brinker
Noriko Rudd
Stephen Grant

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

Operates in: City Of Westminster · Croydon · Hammersmith And Fulham · Kensington And Chelsea · Kingston Upon Thames · Lambeth · Merton · Richmond Upon Thames · Surrey · Wandsworth

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/08/2025	£146k	£130k
31/08/2024	£143k	£124k
31/08/2023	£68k	£92k

Common questions

Is STONELEIGH YOUTH ORCHESTRA financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The charity reported a surplus of £16,696 for the year ended 31 August 2025, with total unrestricted reserves of £179,792. This reserve level exceeds the trustees' policy target of maintaining reserves equivalent to one year's expenditure. The accounts were subject to an independent examination rather than a full audit, with no matters requiring attention identified by the examiner. 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
THE GUYLL-LENG CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£455k
KARIN BRASS MEMORIAL FUND	1	£55k
THE OFENHEIM CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£48k
COLWINSTON CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£37k
THE KIRBY LAING FOUNDATION	1	£24k
THE JOHN R. MURRAY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£20k
THE ELMLEY FOUNDATION	1	£19k
MISSES BARRIE CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£11k

Charities like this

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

YORCHESTRA TRUST income £37k
NATIONAL YOUTH STRING ORCHESTRA income £186k
EALING YOUTH ORCHESTRA income £119k
THE NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF GREAT BRITAIN income £5.2m
SWINDON MUSIC SERVICE income £1.2m
NOTTINGHAM YOUTH ORCHESTRA LTD income £186k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
STONELEIGH YOUTH ORCHESTRA	£146k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
YORCHESTRA TRUST FY2025	£37k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
NATIONAL YOUTH STRING ORCHESTRA FY2025	£186k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
EALING YOUTH ORCHESTRA FY2025	£119k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF GREAT BRITAIN FY2025	£5.2m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
SWINDON MUSIC SERVICE FY2026	£1.2m	£60,001 - £70,000	1	above	—	no doubt

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