THE BIRKENHEAD OPERATIC SOCIETY TRUST

Registered charity 259306 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Musical Theatre Group staging musicals and concerts for the benefit of its members, supporters, and the wider community.Promotion and furtherance of education of the public in the appreciation of the performing arts. Support and encouragement of young people in the above.Participation in fund-raising activities for a variety of charities and good causes.

Objects

A) THE PROMOTION OF FURTHERANCE OF EDUCATION IN AND KNOWLEDGE UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF THE PUBLIC IN THE ARTS OF OPERA, BALLET, MIME, DRAMA, MUSIC AND SINGING OR OF ANY ONE OF MORE OF THOSE ARTS OR B) SUCH OTHER CHARITABLE PURPOSES OR SUCH CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONS AS THE TRUSTEES SHALL IN THEIR ABSOLUTE DISCRETION DETERMINE.

Area of benefit: UNRESTRICTED.

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

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

Latest income

£271k

Latest spending

£284k

Registered

1969

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity made a net loss of £13,737 for the year ended 31 May 2025, resulting in total funds decreasing to £170,989. The trustees report that the organization holds £160,389 in net current assets, which they consider sufficient to continue producing large-scale musicals. No material uncertainties affecting going concern were identified in the independent examiner's report.

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

What the accounts disclose

Fundraising cost ratio: 1.8% of fundraised income, as disclosed

“Fundraising costs 4,735”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: sufficient reserves to produce large-scale musicals at the biggest venues in the area (held: £171k)

“With £160,389 of net current assets (ie. cash, prepayments and debtors,) we continue to have sufficient reserves to produce large-scale musicals at the biggest venues in the area” — page 4

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 policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Paying staff
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

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

Trustees · trustee networks

Keith Blackwellchair
Beverley Dawson
Chris Simmons
DANIEL MCALLISTER · trustee of 1 other charity
Ian James Beattie
Karen Hoile
Laura Steventon
Mark Hoile
Michael Eccles
Rebecca Rose

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

Operates in: Liverpool City · Wirral

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/05/2025	£271k	£284k
31/05/2024	£247k	£278k
31/05/2023	£447k	£352k
31/05/2022	£44k	£38k
31/05/2021	£23k	£18k

Common questions

Is THE BIRKENHEAD OPERATIC SOCIETY TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity made a net loss of £13,737 for the year ended 31 May 2025, resulting in total funds decreasing to £170,989. The trustees report that the organization holds £160,389 in net current assets, which they consider sufficient to continue producing large-scale musicals. No material uncertainties affecting going concern were identified in the independent examiner's report. 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
OPERA NORTH FUTURE FUND	1	£816k
THE LIZ AND TERRY BRAMALL FOUNDATION	1	£600k
The Keith Howard Foundation	1	£307k
PETTMAN (CLASSICAL MUSIC) FOUNDATION	1	£279k
Laidlaw Opera Trust	1	£200k
THE THOMPSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£100k
THE ROPER FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£25k
THE ARNOLD BURTON 1998 CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£15k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE NEWMARKET OPERATIC MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC SOCIETY LTD.

THE NEWMARKET OPERATIC MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC SOCIETY LTD income £141k
OXFORD OPERATIC SOCIETY income £137k
OPERA NORTH LIMITED income £18.8m
BATH OPERATIC AND DRAMATIC SOCIETY income £149k
BRIGHTON AND HOVE PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY LIMITED income £505k
THE MERRY OPERA COMPANY income £178k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE BIRKENHEAD OPERATIC SOCIETY TRUST	£271k	—	0	above	1.8%	no doubt
THE NEWMARKET OPERATIC MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC SOCIETY LTD FY2025	£141k	—	0	unclear	—	noted
OXFORD OPERATIC SOCIETY FY2025	£137k	—	0	unclear	—	noted
OPERA NORTH LIMITED FY2025	£18.8m	—	—	below	—	no doubt
BATH OPERATIC AND DRAMATIC SOCIETY FY2025	£149k	—	0	below	—	noted
BRIGHTON AND HOVE PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY LIMITED FY2025	£505k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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