Forming an Association

You'll need a small, committed group willing to serve on a working committee. Enthusiasm and time matter more than numbers at this stage.

Decide early how the association will actually sit, legally. Most choristers' associations need nothing elaborate, but it's worth knowing the options and their trade-offs before you settle on one.

• Informal group — no constitution, no separate identity, just a handful of people organising events. Pros: zero admin, nothing to register, you can start today. Cons: no legal protection for organisers, no bank account in the group's own name, no formal way to hold funds, and no continuity if the founders step back.
• Unincorporated association — a constitution, a committee and a membership register, but no separate legal personality of its own. Pros: the standard, well-understood structure most cathedral associations use (see our Generic Constitution Template below); most banks will open an account in the association's name; low cost, nothing to register with Companies House. Cons: no separate legal personality, so committee members can be personally liable for the association's debts and obligations; the association can't own property in its own name.
• Operating as part of the cathedral — the association isn't a standalone entity at all; it runs as an informal group under the cathedral's own charitable structure, using its bank account, insurance and admin support. Pros: no separate legal or financial admin at all; strong institutional backing and existing insurance cover. Cons: less independence, since funds and decisions sit with the cathedral; harder to build a distinct identity; depends on the cathedral being willing to take this on.
• Community Interest Company (CIC) — a company with a defined social purpose, registered with Companies House and the CIC Regulator. Pros: separate legal personality that protects directors from personal liability; an “asset lock” that keeps funds tied to the association's purpose; a credible structure for grant funders. Cons: registration and annual filing requirements (accounts and a CIC report), more admin overhead, and no automatic Gift Aid eligibility — likely more structure than most reunion-focused associations need.
• Company Limited by Guarantee — separate legal personality without share capital; members act as guarantors with a nominal liability cap (often £1). Pros: full personal liability protection; the standard legal form for charities, so it's a natural next step if you later want to register as one; can hold property and sign contracts in its own name. Cons: Companies House registration and annual filing, and formal directors' duties under company law — disproportionate for most small associations.

For most choristers' associations, an unincorporated association — using our Generic Constitution Template below — is the right level of structure. Only consider a CIC or company limited by guarantee if you plan to hold significant funds, employ staff, own property, or take on financial risk beyond ticket sales and modest subscriptions.

Reflect your cathedral or choral foundation and its tradition — e.g. “Old”, “Former”, “Past” or “Ex-Choristers' Association”, or simply “Choir Association”.

Give members something to rally around — regular reunions with Choral Evensong are a strong, simple foundation; fundraising or outreach can add further purpose.

Decide clearly who can join — former choristers (trebles and sopranos), lay clerks, musicians, Precentors — and whether “friend” or “associate” status will be offered.

Keep a simple membership register (spreadsheet or database) recording names, postal/email/phone contacts, and years of service. Avoid recording dates of birth. UK associations must register with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) before collecting personal data — usually free, renewed annually. Associations in other countries should check their local equivalent.

Most associations run on very little, and there are far more ways to raise a modest founding pot than the obvious “ask everyone for money”. A start-up or relaunch grant of up to £100 is also available from Once a Chorister itself — a good first port of call before looking further afield.

Ask the existing community directly

• Founder/patron donations — approach a handful of well-off alumni first to seed a small “founding gift” pot before the general ask.
• One-off launch appeal by email/letter to all known former choristers, framed around a specific need (website, first reunion event, archive project).
• Annual membership subscription (even a modest £10–£20/year) — gives you a recurring base rather than relying only on one-time gifts.

Piggyback on the cathedral/institution

• Ask the cathedral or choir school if they'll provide small seed funding, free meeting space, or admin support — many are keen to support alumni bodies since it strengthens their own fundraising and recruitment.
• Joint events with the cathedral's own development office — a reunion Evensong followed by a reception is a natural, low-cost launch event that can also double as a fundraiser.

Events

• A reunion concert or Evensong with a retiring collection or ticketed reception afterward.
• A choral workshop/masterclass day for current choristers' families, with proceeds to the new association.
• Anniversary dinners tied to a significant choir milestone (50th, 100th anniversary of the choir/school).

Grants and external bodies

• Cathedral Music Trust — worth checking, given they already appear on the “Once a Chorister” member list; they sometimes support choral heritage initiatives.
• Local charitable trusts/community foundations, particularly ones focused on heritage, music education, or local history.
• Crowdfunding platforms (GoFundMe, JustGiving, Localgiving) for a specific, well-defined ask — people respond better to “help us fund X” than a vague appeal.

In-kind cuts to reduce the funding need

• Use free/cheap tools rather than budgeting for a bespoke website — many similar associations run on simple WordPress sites or even a Facebook group initially.
• Ask a member with relevant skills (web design, accountancy, printing) to donate services rather than seeking cash for them.

Once you know roughly what you can afford, here's a starting toolkit — almost all free or free-to-start, so you can pick and mix rather than build a whole stack on day one.

Communications & Outreach

• EmailOctopus — GDPR-compliant email marketing, free up to 2,500 contacts / 10,000 emails a month.
• Mailchimp — free tier up to 500 contacts/1,000 emails a month, more widely known with slightly more polished templates.
• WhatsApp Broadcast/Groups — free, useful for quick informal updates alongside formal email.
• Facebook — social media platform, free to use.
• Instagram — social media (predominately image based), free to use.
• LinkedIn — free professional social platform for reaching alumni and sharing updates.
• Eventbrite — free for free events, low fee for ticketed ones; handles RSVPs for reunions and concerts.
• Apple Invites — free event invitation & tracking tool.

Website

• Weebly — free website builder.
• Wix — free tier with more design flexibility, easy for non-technical committee members.
• WordPress — free tier, huge ecosystem of plugins if the site grows more complex.
• GitHub — free tier, ability to store and develop code for a website.
• Cloudflare — at-cost domain purchase, free web hosting, free basic web security offerings.

Payments & Banking

• Stripe — card, wallet and BACS payment processing.
• GoCardless — a good alternative for recurring membership subscriptions via Direct Debit, often cheaper than cards for regular small payments.
• Monzo — free business banking account.
• Starling Bank — another free business banking option, popular with small charities/associations.
• JustGiving/GoFundMe — free or low-fee platforms for one-off appeals and fundraising campaigns.

Finance & Admin

• Zoho Books — free-tier accounting software.
• Google Workspace — free docs, sheets and cloud storage.
• Trello or Asana — free tiers for committee task management.
• Asana — free tiers for event planning.
• Canva — free tier for designing newsletters, posters and social graphics without a designer.

Once your association is up and running, affiliate with Once a Chorister to join a federation of associations facing the same questions you've just worked through. You get a direct line to an Ambassador or the Executive Committee for advice, access to our start-up and relaunch grant, an invitation to host or attend the annual Festival and AGM, and a wider audience for your association through our publications, member directory and “round robin” information-sharing network.

In short: you don't have to build this on your own, and affiliating costs nothing. See the full list of benefits in Why Affiliate → below.

Regular email, postal or social updates matter. We strongly recommend avoiding postal mailings as a default — the cost is disproportionate to the benefit — but do support members without internet access, ideally by asking a local member to print for them, or by having recipients pre-fund next year's postage.