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BRIGHTON AND HOVE PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY LIMITED

Registered charity 250921 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as BRIGHTON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, FRIENDS OF THE PHILHARMONIC

The Society is established to promote and assist the study, practice, knowledge and appreciation of music, and generally advance the cause of music. It aims to bring pleasure to the local community through providing high quality, varied classical music programmes, professionally performed, at realistic prices to the audience, within the Society's available resources.

Objects

TO PROMOTE AND ASSIST THE STUDY, PRACTICE, KNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATION OF MUSIC, AND GENERALLY TO ADVANCE THE CAUSE OF MUSIC. (FOR FULLER DETAILS SEE MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION.)

Area of benefit: BRIGHTON

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

Latest income
£505k
Latest spending
£689k
Registered
1967
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £185,483 for the year, which was funded from accumulated reserves. The trustees note that the underlying operating deficit before legacies was £325,399, but significant legacy income allowed the charity to maintain its concert programme. The trustees identify medium and longer-term financial sustainability as the major risk, noting that the charity has not focused sufficiently on fundraising and intends to address this in the coming year.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: six months' operating costs in an average operating year (held: £1.5m)
“The trustees consider that reserves should be maintained at a minimum level of £250,000, based on six months' operating costs in an average operating year.” — page 12
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Payments to trustees: One trustee received £1,911 in fees as a musician for work outside of their role as a trustee.
“During the year, one trustee was paid £1,911 fees as a musician for work outside of their role as a trustee (2024: none).” — page 27
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: One of our trustees is a musician and performs with the Orchestra. They receive the same remuneration as an equivalent player in the Orchestra.
“One of our trustees is a musician and performs with the Orchestra. They receive the same remuneration as an equivalent player in the Orchestra. Complimentary concert tickets are provided to trustees who wish to bring guests as part of the promotion of the Orchestra. The trustees receive no other benefits from their work with the Society.” — page 15
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Brighton Orchestral Productions Limited
“Brighton Orchestra Productions Limited was established in August 2022 as a subsidiary company of the Society for purposes of reclaiming Orchestral Tax Relief (OTR).” — page 12
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.

Corporate structure

BRIGHTON ORCHESTRAL PRODUCTIONS LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts
  • Donated/gift-aided to the charity: £8k
  • The balance sheet notes disclose a creditor balance of £8,412 owed to group undertakings.
“Amounts owed to group undertakings 8,412”

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra (matched by registered charity number).

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

Official officers record.

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income
£505k
Total spending
£689k
Cost of raising funds
£92k
Reserves (reported)
£1.5m
Employees
3

Reported reserves equal ~26.4 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 18.1% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.9%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Brighton And Hove

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£505k£689k
31/03/2024£549k£560k
31/03/2023£509k£361k
31/03/2022£652k£327k
31/03/2021£351k£127k

Common questions

Is BRIGHTON AND HOVE PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY LIMITED financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £185,483 for the year, which was funded from accumulated reserves. The trustees note that the underlying operating deficit before legacies was £325,399, but significant legacy income allowed the charity to maintain its concert programme. The trustees identify medium and longer-term financial sustainability as the major risk, noting that the charity has not focused sufficiently on fundraising and intends to address this in the coming year. 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.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
COLWINSTON CHARITABLE TRUST3£85k
DR RADCLIFFE'S TRUST3£15k
THE IDLEWILD TRUST3£14k
THE THOMPSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST2£1.2m
THE SAINTBURY TRUST2£79k
THE MICHAEL BISHOP FOUNDATION1£1.1m
THE ERANDA ROTHSCHILD FOUNDATION1£191k
DAVID AND ELAINE POTTER FOUNDATION1£80k

Charities like this

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

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
BRIGHTON AND HOVE PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY LIMITED£505k—0unclear—no doubt
ROYAL PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY FY2025£539k£80,001 - £90,0001unclear—no doubt
BRIGHTON FESTIVAL CHORUS FY2025£138k—0unclear—no doubt
OXFORD PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA TRUST FY2025£3.1m£80,001 - £90,0001within—no doubt
B:MUSIC LTD FY2025£13.6m——unclear—no doubt
WIMBLEDON CHORAL SOCIETY FY2025£116k—0unclear—no doubt

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