2022-01-31-accounts

The NEWMAN ASSOCIATION

Promoting open discussion and greater understanding in today’s Church

Annual Report 2021-2

www.newman.org.uk

The NEWMAN ASSOCIATION

A Company Limited by Guarantee Registered in England and Wales No. 434364 Registered office: c/o Swallow & Company, Commercial House, Bridge Road, Stokesley, North Yorkshire, TS9 5AA Registered Charity: No. 1006769

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OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL 2021-2

President

Winifred Flanagan Birmingham Circle Email: [e-mail]

Council Members

Secretary Sophie Rudge Email: [e-mail]

Dr Harcourt Concannon Manchester and North Cheshire Circle Email: [e-mail]

Treasurer

Anthony Baker Hertfordshire Circle Email:[e-mail]

Alex Mthobi Eastbourne and Bexhill Circle Email: [e-mail]

Membership Registrar

Dr Patricia Egerton Cleveland Circle Email: [e-mail]

Chaplain

Mgr Patrick Kilgarriff Email: [e-mail]

Journal Editor

Barry Riley Ealing Circle Email: [e-mail] (Co-opted ex officio)

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PRESIDENT'S REPORT

2021-2 was again a difficult year for the Association; the Covid lockdown at the start of the year meant that activities were limited to the use of the internet and video links, but some local Circles continued to provide on-line talks for their members and also for their wider parish communities; one enterprising Circle started to put talks on You-Tube for general offering. During the year several Circles started to meet again in person, though there is anxiety that only about half the 20 Circles have now established full programmes. Council has sought to support Circles through periodic on-line forums with Circle representatives.

Most members are also active in their local parishes and Diocesan organisations, so Council encouraged members to support their local consultations on Pope Francis' initiative to create a "Synodal" Church, an invitation warmly supported by the Association.

National activities continued their regular pattern. The Association's Council met five times during the year by video link. Council is much smaller than it was 5 years ago, which makes for efficient conduct of business, and reduces costs of meetings. However some tasks have to be delegated to members outside the Council, and it is hard to recruit replacements. Succession planning for the main officer roles is also harder. Nevertheless Council continued to promote activities in the Circles and also arranged two national events - a pilgrimage to Ravenna in September 2021 and in November a retreat at Douai Abbey led by our chaplain Monsignor Patrick Kilgarriff. Such national activities help to bond members together across Circles and enable wider recruitment of national volunteers.

The Newman journal and the website www.newman.org.uk continue to be our main national sources of publicity. The Newman journal, run by an editorial team under Barry Riley was published in May and November 2021. Its intellectual articles and editorials provide a thought-provoking and sometimes trenchant commentary on events in Church and State. Past issues of the journal are placed as website documents which are available to a wider readership beyond the Association.

Council also arranged for membership approval of the long-planned new Constitution as a CIO. The required in-person AGM was, alas, further delayed by bad weather and disrupted travel; approval is awaited later in 2022.

The Association continued its regular support of the National Council for Lay Associations and the National Board of Catholic Women. Our long-standing relationship with Pax Romana was renewed, and our backlog of subscriptions was paid up to date.

The financial state of the Association is healthy and given the size of our reserves, Council began consideration of how the financial support previously provided to a few educational institutions may be made more widely available. Positive plans should emerge nest year.

In conclusion I offer warm thanks to my colleagues on Council and to the Circle officers who have been worked hard this year to revive their Circles

Winifred Flanagan

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REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES (INCORPORATING THE DIRECTORS’ REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED JANUARY 31, 2022

The trustees present their report and the financial statements for the year ended January 31, 2022. The trustees, who are also directors for the purposes of company law and who served during the year and up to the date of this report, are listed on page 2.

Aims and Objectives

The object of the Association is to further the mission to the world of the Christian religion with particular reference to the Roman Catholic Church and in the light of the life and work of Saint John Henry Newman, by promoting greater understanding of the Christian faith and the application of its principles to the contemporary world.

Much of the activity of the Association is carried out through activities in local “circles”, though some members are “unattached” where no circle exists locally. These activities, typically talks or conferences on religious subjects, are open to non-members including nonCatholics, non-Christians and those professing no religion. The trustees confirm that in governing the Association they have had regard to the Charity Commission statement on public benefit.

Structure, Governance and Management Governing Document

The Newman Association is a charitable company limited by guarantee, founded in 1942, incorporated on 1 May 1947 and registered as a charity on 13 December 1991. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association, which defines its objects and powers, and is governed under its Articles of Association. In the event of the company being wound up members may be required to contribute an amount not exceeding £1.

The new Governing Document was completed during 2021 with the intention of being adopted by the membership in 2022 and approval by Companies House and the Charities Commission.

Recruitment and Appointment of Council

The directors of the company are also charity trustees for the purposes of charity law and under the company’s Articles are known as members of Council. The chaplain of the Association, while a member of Council, is not a director/trustee. Under the terms of the Memorandum and Articles of Association, directors either may be appointed by the Council to fill a casual vacancy or are to be elected by the Society’s members at the annual general meeting to serve a one-year (for officers) or two-year term of office. All appointed directors must submit themselves to election at the annual general meeting immediately following their appointment. There is no limit to the number of terms a director may serve, subject to approval of the membership in general meeting, though the periods of consecutive office as Council officer or ordinary member are specified in the Articles. Council meets at least four times each year. The company’s success in meeting its aims and objectives is reviewed each year in the president’s report.

New trustees are directed to the Charity Commission website, in particular those sections outlining the legal obligations of trustees under charity law. They also receive a copy of the

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previous year’s annual report and accounts and a representative section of the Association’s current literature. All trustees are encouraged to continue to make themselves aware of information published by the Charity Commission and to keep abreast of developments in Charity governance.

Financial Review

The directors and trustees regard as satisfactory both the financial position as at January 31, 2022 and the level of activity of the charity during the year. The Statement of Financial Activity shows a central account surplus for the year of £6007 of which £5789 is in respect of the increase in the value of the COIF investment together with an operational surplus of £218. (2021 surplus £6146). It should be noted that the value of this fund is not fixed and may decrease in the future.

The trustees confirm their decision in September 2008 to seek to hold a basic financial reserve of around £80,000, which was then intended to provide an annual income to make grants, both to underwrite the Association’s conferences and to promote appropriate activities elsewhere.

The intention remains to hold a further reserve sufficient to meet the working capital needs of the Association, including the probable fluctuations in income and expenditure over a fiveyear cycle. The trustees confirm their intention that, over the next few years, they intend to continue to use reserves to finance projects within the Association, and also to make external grants in keeping with the Association’s objectives.

Responsibilities of the Trustees

Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements that give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity at the end of the financial year and of its surplus or deficit for the financial year. In doing so the trustees are required to:

• Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently:

• Make sound judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent and

• Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis, unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Association will continue on that basis.

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records, which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. The trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. In accordance with company law, as directors of the company, we certify that:

• So far as we are aware there is no relevant audit information of which the company’s independent examiner is unaware and

• As the directors of the company, we have taken all the steps that we ought to have taken in order to make ourselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the charity’s independent examiner is aware of that information.

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This report has been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities (FRS 102) and in accordance with the special provisions of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small entities.

Approved by the Board of Trustees on 17 September 2022 and signed on its behalf by: i- ��-3� Winifred Flanagan, President

Statement of Financial Activities (including Income & Expenditure Account) for the Year Ended January 31, 2022

	fr the Year Ended January 31, 2022
	Balance Sheet
2021		2022
£		£
122,628	Net assets brought frward	128,774-
6,146 128,774	Net gain/(loss) in the year Net assets carried frard	6,006 134,780
86,025 25,881 15,920	Represented by: COI Charities investment Fund Cash in bas managed by Newman Council Cash in Circles bas	91,814 26,262 15,733
2,886	Debtors and prepayments	2,250
130,712	Gross Assets	136,059
1,938	Less liabilities	1,279
128,774	Net Assets	134,780
	Operational Income and Expenditure
2021	Income	2022
11,544	Membership subscriptions	11,067
54	Donations	250
2,236	Gif Aid Receipts	2,006
	National events - retreat	984
1,497 2,517 3,032	Circles Income (notel) Bak and investment income Increase/ (decrease) in value of COI	3,306 2,696 5,789
	investment
	Other income	79
20,880	Total income	26177
	Expenditure
3,592	National events - retreat Newman Joural	1,160 3,597
744	Public liability insurance	759
2,516	Circles expenditure - note 1	3,862
1,381	Annual general meeting	906
284 2,523	Council meetings Website maintenace costs	0 1,843
840	IT /Zoom services Pa Romana ad national subscriptions (note2)	1,498 3,125

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1,000	Donations to educational institutions	1,000
1,854	Other expenses (note 3)	2,421
14,734	Total expenditure	20,170
6,146	Overall Surplus/( defcit)	6,006

The notes below form part of these accounts.

For the year ended January 31, 2022 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies. Directors' responsibilities

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year ended January 31, 2022 in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006. The directors acknowledge their responsibility for complying with the requirements of the companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and preparation of accounts. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

Approved by the Board of Trustees on 17 September 2022 and signed on its behalf by:

Winifred Flanagan ffi�:J�

President & Director

Lrc Anth��i, Treasurer & Director

Notes on the accounts 2021-2

Notes on the accounts 2021-2
Note 1	2021	2022
Circles Income
Meetings	931	506
Functions	0	2,027
Other	566	773
Total	1,497	3,306
Circle expenditure
Meetings	1,648	1,253
Functions	100	1,820
Other	768	789
Total	2,516	3,862
Note2
Pax Romana and national subscriptions
Pax Romana*	600	3,080
National Board of Catholic Women	85	45
National Council fr Lay Associations	155	0

• the 2022 amount included a backlog of partly unpaid subscriptions over 3 years

2021 2022

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Note 3 Miscellaneous expenditure

Note 3 Miscellaneous expenditure
Bank charges		251
BACS charges	80	159
Chaplain's honorarium	600	600
Examiner honorarium	360	900
Registered office services	561	188
postage	150	225
Other small items	103	98
Total	1,854	2,421

Note 4 Trustee remuneration and related party transactions

No member of the Board of Trustees received any remuneration during the year (2020-1: nil)

No trustee or any other person related to the charity has any personal interest in any contract or transaction entered into by the charity during the year, save as a potential beneficiary of the charity in the normal course of its activities (2020-1: none)

No travel expense was reimbursed to any trustee in the course of the year (2020-1: nil)

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE NEWMAN ASSOCIATION

I report on the accounts of the company for the year ended 31 January 2022 which are set out in pages 5-8.

Respective Responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner

The Trustees (who are also directors of the Company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (The 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:

• examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act

• to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act

• to state whether particular matters have come to my attention

Basis of Independent Examiner's Report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to

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whether the accounts present a "true and fair view" and the report is limited to those matters set out in the next statement.

Independent Examiner's Statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:

• to keep accounting records in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006 and

• to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records, comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities

have not been met or

(2) To which in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

David A Swallow F.C.A.

Commercial House, Bridge Road, Stokesley, TS9 5AA September 2022

MEMBERSHIP REPORT 2021-2

There have been so many distressing consequences of the COVID pandemic. Among the more trivial, rather than tragic, outcomes has been the necessary rescheduling of meetings and publications. Thus the Circles of the Newman Association cancelled their planned programmes, and cycles of meetings and publications have been interrupted.

The Membership Report for the 2020-21Annual Report was written in October 2021, and covered the period April 2020 to October 2021. That Annual Report, after several postponements, was actually delivered at the Newman AGM in Newcastle in June 2022. Since it is desirable ‘to get back on track’, this Membership Report covers the period October 2021 to February 2022, so that - from now on - the standard February to February cycle can be resumed.

During the difficulties of recent months there have been many members and ex-members of the Newman Association who have died. Some we have been told about, others we may not be aware of. We pray that they may all rest in peace.

Between October 2021 and February 2022, the Newman Association was delighted to welcome the following four new members of the Association:

Miss Brenda Bolton (Herts) ; Mr Timothy Marks (North Gloucester) ; Ms Jane Lavery ( Coventry) ; Mr Paul Duff (North Merseyside).

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Despite most welcome newcomers, the overall number of members of the Association continues to fall, through deaths and resignations. In the Report 2018-19 it was 623, in the Report 2019-20 it was 585, in the Report 2020-21 it was 536, and in February 2022 it can be seen to be 512. By the end of 2022 it will inevitably be below 500.

Circles are just now, post-COVID, rebuilding their programmes of activities. We wish them all well, as the Newman Association revives - hopefully to grow and thrive.

Patricia Egerton Membership Secretary

Circle	Roll	Roll	Change
	October	2021February 2022
Birmingham	12	10	-2
Cleveland	27	27	0
Coventry	44	42	-2
Ealing	24	23	-1
Eastbourne & Bexhill	13	9	-4
Edinburgh	16	16	0
Glasgow	32	31	-1
Hertfordshire	58	58	0
Manchester & North Cheshire38		38	0
North Gloucester	16	16	0
North Merseyside	17	17	0
Overseas	3	3	0
(Surrey Hills)	7	6	-1
(Swansea University)	6	5	-1
Tyneside	23	23	0
Unattached	116	111	-5
Wimbledon	18	18	0
Worcester	29	26	-3
Wrexham	19	18	-1
York	18	15	-3
TOTALS	536	512	-24

In Memoriam - Requiescant in pace

In the period February 2021-January 2022, the deaths of the following member were notified to the Association:

Mrs P. MacDonald, Miss D. Pritchard, Miss A. Breaks (N Merseyside); Mrs C. Wiggins (Wimbledon); Mrs M. Grimm, Mr D. Bartley (London); Dr O. Urwin (N Staffs); Mrs N. Green, Mrs M. Redfern (Ealing); Mr A. Vivian, Miss E. Cheverton (N Glos); Mr D. Cairns, Mrs M. Conway (Tyneside); Mr E. Harber (Herts); Mrs N. Sowerby (Cleveland); Rev M. Fewell (Swansea); Mr J. Brown (Coventry).

Miss Eileen Cheverton was President of the Association in 1991-3, and for many years was Editor of The Newman journal.

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