The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2025.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the trust's Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Companies Act 2006 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)".
The trust's objects are:
a) to advance education by such means as the trustees may consider appropriate including by means of establishing and operating any educational establishment or establishments in such parts of the World as the trustees may from time to time think fit particularly but not exclusively by means of the promotion and encouragement of indigenous culture music and traditional story telling amongst ethnic people groups throughout the World and to fulfil such other purposes which are exclusively charitable according to the law of England and Wales and are connected with the charitable work of the charity;
b) to relieve sickness and financial hardship and to promote and preserve good health by the provision of funds, goods or services of any kind in such parts of the world as the Trustees from time to time may think fit.
The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the trust should undertake.
The Trust continued its outreach and relief work on a moderate scale. It was decided to close down the restricted funds, 'Sing to the Well' and 'Garlands for Ashes,' as these projects (although still in progress) are now in a 'maintenance position’ and repairs etc can be funded from the General funds in future.
There was a deficit for the financial year of £1,010 on General funds (2024: deficit £1,796).
It is the policy of the trust that unrestricted funds which have not been designated for a specific use should be maintained at a level equivalent to three month’s expenditure. The trustees consider that reserves at this level will ensure that, in the event of a significant drop in funding, they will be able to continue the trust’s current activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised.
The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the trust is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.
The trust is a company limited by guarantee, registered with the charity commission in England + Wales. Details of addresses and registration numbers are given on the flysheet.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute up to £10 in the event of a winding up.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
The trustees, who are also the directors of Voices from the Nations for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the trust and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that year.
In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the trust will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the trust and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the trust and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
In order to assist you to fulfil your duties under the Companies Act 2006, we have prepared for your approval the financial statements of Voices from the Nations for the year ended 31 December 2025, set out on pages 5 to 13 from the charity’s accounting records and from information and explanations you have given us.
As a practising member firm of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, we are subject to its ethical and other professional requirements which are detailed at https://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/member/standards/rules-and-standards/rulebook.html.
This report is made to the charity's trustees, as a body, in accordance with the terms of our engagement letter dated 22 June 2022. Our work has been undertaken solely to prepare for your approval the financial statements of Voices from the Nations and state those matters that we have agreed to state to the charity's trustees, as a body, in this report in accordance with the requirements of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants as detailed at www.accaglobal.com/content/dam/ACCA_Global/Technical/fact/tf-audit-exempt-companies-jan-24.pdf. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than Voices from the Nations and the charity's trustees as a body for our work or for this report.
It is your duty to ensure that Voices from the Nations has kept adequate accounting records and to prepare statutory financial statements that give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and deficit of Voices from the Nations. You consider that Voices from the Nations is exempt from the statutory audit requirement for the year, and is not required to obtain an independent examiner's report.
We have not been instructed to carry out an audit or a review of the financial statements of Voices from the Nations. For this reason, we have not verified the accuracy or completeness of the accounting records or information and explanations you have given to us and we do not, therefore, express any opinion on the statutory financial statements.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
Voices from the Nations is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Chantry House, 22 Upperton Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 1BF.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the trust's Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Companies Act 2006 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)". The trust is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The trust has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities applying FRS 102 Update Bulletin 1 not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the trust. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the trust has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Unrestricted general funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives unless the funds have been designated for other purposes. This fund receives donations for the charity and represents its core activities.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors or grantors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the trust has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Expenditure is classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges are allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.
Expenditure is recognised in the period it is incurred and includes unrecoverable VAT.
Any costs the charity incurs in the manufacture and production of recordings are written off in the year. No value is carried forward.
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
Basic financial assets, which include trade and other receivables and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Basic financial liabilities, including trade and other payables and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Trade payables are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade payables are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the trust’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
In the application of the trust’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.
Sing to the Well
This fund is for constructing and maintaining wells and a medical unit in Tanzania and supplying food for the drought situation.
Garlands for Ashes
This fund is for re-establishing Cambodian Arts and Music which was decimated during the Pol Pot regime. A CD and DVD tell the story of the street children in Phnom Penh. The Arts School provides housing for vulnerable children.
Restricted funds
During the year, both the Sing to the Well and Garlands for Ashes projects were deemed to be in a maintenance position. The remaining surplus balances totalling £317 were transferred to the unrestricted general fund.
The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2024 - none).