THE READING SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Registered charity 273969 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as RSO

The Society rehearses weekly under the direction of a professional musical director in order to achieve a high standard of performance. It performs a series of public concerts at venues in the Reading area. It also organises an annual competition for Young Musicians and joint events with other musical societies.

Objects

THE OBJECTS OF THE SOCIETY SHALL BE TO PRACTISE AND PERFORM ORCHESTRAL MUSIC AND TO ENCOURAGE AMATEUR MUSICIANS IN ORDER TO PROMOTE MUSIC APPRECIATION OF THE PUBLIC

Area of benefit: READING

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

Registered contact address: Reading, South East, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£45k

Latest spending

£37k

Registered

1977

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity achieved a surplus of £7,968 for the year ended 31 July 2025, maintaining a strong reserves and cash position with no long-term debts. Per the trustees' report, the general reserve stood at £32,417, which exceeds the stated policy target of at least six months of running expenses. The trustees confirmed there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: at least 6 months of running expenses (reserves figure: £32k)

“The Orchestra aims to maintain general funds of at least 6 months of running expenses so that it is able to enter into contracts to hire performance venues and commit to other expenditure for the following season.” — page 5

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: 13. Related party transactions

“During the year, a commissioning fee of £30,039 (2024: £Nil) was paid to Reading Symphony Orchestra Productions Limited, a connected company, for the production and running of the concert series for the year. At the year end a balance of £10,855 (2024: £Nil) was due from the company.” — page 19

“Trustees paid membership fees to the Charity in the year totalling £1,520 (2024: £1,440).” — page 19

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: 13. Related party transactions

“During the year, a commissioning fee of £30,039 (2024: £Nil) was paid to Reading Symphony Orchestra Productions Limited, a connected company, for the production and running of the concert series for the year. At the year end a balance of £10,855 (2024: £Nil) was due from the company.” — page 19

“Trustees paid membership fees to the Charity in the year totalling £1,520 (2024: £1,440).” — page 19

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: 13. Related party transactions

“During the year, a commissioning fee of £30,039 (2024: £Nil) was paid to Reading Symphony Orchestra Productions Limited, a connected company, for the production and running of the concert series for the year. At the year end a balance of £10,855 (2024: £Nil) was due from the company.” — page 19

“Trustees paid membership fees to the Charity in the year totalling £1,520 (2024: £1,440).” — page 19

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Trading subsidiary: Reading Symphony Orchestra Productions Limited

“During the year, a commissioning fee of £30,039 (2024: £Nil) was paid to Reading Symphony Orchestra Productions Limited, a connected company, for the production and running of the concert series for the year.” — page 19

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
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures

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 31/07/2025

Has a trading subsidiary

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

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

Trustees · trustee networks

Sally Adamschair
Alison Coaker
Christina Beales
Karen Ayton
MR TIM ROBERTS
Molly Richetta
Robin Otter
SASHA MACKAY

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

Operates in: Bracknell Forest · Reading · West Berkshire · Wokingham

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/07/2025	£45k	£37k
31/07/2024	£33k	£32k
31/07/2023	£30k	£27k
31/07/2022	£23k	£23k
31/07/2021	£2k	£8k

Common questions

Is THE READING SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity achieved a surplus of £7,968 for the year ended 31 July 2025, maintaining a strong reserves and cash position with no long-term debts. Per the trustees' report, the general reserve stood at £32,417, which exceeds the stated policy target of at least six months of running expenses. The trustees confirmed there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. 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
HUMPHREY RICHARDSON TAYLOR CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£6k
THE BRIAN LESLIE RACHER 2004 CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£3k
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS FOUNDATION	1	£1k
MISSES BARRIE CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£1k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with TORBAY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA.

TORBAY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA income £26k
THE LEICESTER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA LIMITED income £52k
HORSHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA income £34k
SOUTHAMPTON CHORAL SOCIETY income £29k
THE LONDON SYMPHONY CHORUS income £167k
WARWICKSHIRE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA income £35k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE READING SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA	£45k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
TORBAY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FY2025	£26k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE LEICESTER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA LIMITED FY2025	£52k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
HORSHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FY2025	£34k	—	—	above	—	no doubt
SOUTHAMPTON CHORAL SOCIETY FY2025	£29k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE LONDON SYMPHONY CHORUS FY2025	£167k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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