## THE VERBUM DEI COMMUNITY
ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020
_(Registered Charity Number 1007825)_
Verbum Dei Centre Nunnery Lane Carisbrooke Isle of Wight PO30 1YR
THE VERBUM DEI COMMUNITY
ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020
_(Registered Charity Number 1007825)_
## **Declaration**
The income and expenditure account for the financial year 1 January to 31 December 2020, set out on pages 6, 7 and 8, the balance sheet as at 31 December 2020 set out on page 9, and the notes to the accounts set out on page 10 are all as approved by the trustees.
Catherine Cruz
For and on behalf of the Trustees
24[th] October 2021
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## THE VERBUM DEI COMMUNITY
ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020
## _(Registered Charity Number 1007825)_
## Annual Report of the Trustees
The Verbum Dei Community, “Verbum Dei Centre”, Nunnery Lane, Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight PO30 1YR is registered with the Charity Commissioners (No 1007825) and constituted by Deed of Trust.
The Charity is administered by the following trustees:
Maria de la Portilla ( _Superior_ ) Catherine Cruz ( _Secretary_ )
Sue Cooper
Verbum Dei is an international Catholic Community whose particular aim is prayer and preaching the Word of God.
## The impact of the Pandemic
As has been universally experienced, the Covid Pandemic has had a huge impact on our activities and also to a certain extent on our income. At the same time, it has opened new possibilities. In January and February there were still retreats as usual at the retreat centres, but from March onwards we stopped hosting people to the retreat centres. Obviously doing an online retreat is very different from having the chance to get away to a peaceful place, but many people who had not been able to attend any kind of retreat for some time really valued the chance to participate from home in a retreat dynamic. The online Easter retreat made a real difference to many who really found it tough not being able to celebrate Easter in church. The Community were able to run a weekly Mass on zoom, courtesy of some of our priests in different parts of the world. And we ran many retreat days and prayer groups via zoom. The advantage of this meant that geographical distances were forgotten and people who had moved far from the community bases in London, Southampton or the Island were once again able to regularly attend zoom based prayer groups. At the same time obviously, this meant that there was a reduction of donations made by those attending retreats. Although at the same time a few individuals made specific donations to the retreat centres to help get through this period. The Community members who were working in pastoral employment, all continued working during this period, obviously from home, but they found different ways to continue to offer pastoral support. Most tragically one of the missionaries had to return to her own country when both her parents contracted the virus and very sadly, she lost her mother.
## Verbum Dei UK contribution during the Pandemic
As mentioned above the Community has been able to organise countless events online that have been a social support for many people in the isolation that people experienced through the lockdowns and social distancing. Another impact was providing a focus for solidarity with other countries where people have far less resources to cope with the pandemic through the international contacts of the missionaries based in the UK. Funds were sent to families in the Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela, as well as other money being raised for the Amazon region in Brazil. Some of this fundraising was in collaboration with other organisations and so does not figure on these accounts.
## Building project
The project to create a Porch entrance to the main Chapel was finally completed in April 2020. This project included creating a glass door that effectively creates another room at the back of the Chapel that is suitable for being used as a ‘crying room’ for families during services in the Chapel also by moving the main entrance it keeps the heat in the Chapel when it’s being used in winter and also keeps down noise when the Chapel is being used for silent retreats. In addition, the outdoor path was raised into a ramp to create a step free access to the Chapel, with additional rails around the entrance to facilitate disabled access. The Community have been very happy with the work, in terms of improved heat conservation and the access and also by giving much greater prominence to the Chapel in the Centre it gives the Chapel greater dignity. Further financial help from sponsors was received to complete this specific project which contributed to overall increase of income for this year.
All in all, as many have experienced it has been a challenging year but has brought unexpected opportunities too.
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The pastoral work of the Community is open to everyone on a totally non-discriminational basis.
The financial situation of the Community is considered to be satisfactory and the Trustees can confirm that there have been no serious incidents.
Catherine Cruz On behalf of the Trustees 24[th] October 2021
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THE VERBUM DEI COMMUNITY
ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020
## _(Registered Charity Number 1007825)_
## **Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of the Verbum Dei Community**
This report is on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2020, which are set out on pages 6 to 10.
## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner**
The charity’s Trustees 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.
It is my responsibility to:
- examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
- follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under section 145 (5) (b) of the 2011 Act; and
- to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## **Basis of independent examiner’s report**
My examination was carried out in accordance with General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes 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 the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit; consequently, I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
In the course of 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 130 of the 2011 Act; and
- to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act 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.
Ashley Rebello ACCA Independent Examiner
14 Vancouver Road HA8 5DA
Date
24[th] Oct 2021
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## **THE VERBUM DEI COMMUNITY**
## **Income and expenditure account for the year ended 31 December 2020**
## **General Purposes Fund**
|**Income**
Donations
Tax reclaimed on Gift Aided Donations
Other Income
Transfer from Verbum Dei overseas
**Total Income**
**Expenditure**
_Direct Charitable Expenditure_
Living Costs and Retreat Costs
Travel and Motoring
_Other Expenditure_
Repairs and maintenance
Equipment expensed
Heating, Lighting and Water
Rent and Council Tax
Printing, Stationery and Postage
Telephone and Fax
Bank Charges
Studies
Sundry Items
Transfer to Verbum Dei overseas
**Total Expenditure**
**Net Income for the Year**
Balance at 1 January (Bank Deposits)
Debtor carried forward
Regulation of Debtor
Gift Aid claim
Transfer from / (to) Building Fund
**Fund Balance at 31 December**|2020
2019
£
£
68,772
61,745
14,030
2,500|
|---|---|
||82,802
64,244
35,998
38,339
-
5,469|
||**118,800**
**108,052**|
||33,359
42,452
14,128
30,342|
||47,487
72,793|
||26,544
28,647
-
-
10,585
14,213
2,393
2,232
2,913
1,631
4,416
4,140
146
20
1,699
1,975
5,171
2,154
3,042
10,495|
||56,910
65,509|
|||
||**104,397**
**138,302**|
||14,403
(30,250)
39,300
56,531
7,098
1,500
(7,098)
(1,500)
10,300
7,098
-
13,019|
||**64,004**
**46,398**|
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## **THE VERBUM DEI COMMUNITY**
## **Income & expenditure account for the year ended 31 December 2020**
## **Building Fund**
|**Income**
Donations
Other Income
Transfer from another account
Bank Interest
**Total Income**
**Expenditure**
Repairs and maintenance
Travel and Motoring
Professional fees
**Total Expenditure**
**Net Expenditure for the Year**
Balance at 1 January
Transfer from General Purposes Fund
**Fund Balance at 31 December**|**2020**
**£**
6,887
20
-
-
**6,906**
58,120
-
-
**58,120**
**(51,213)**
71,141
-
**19,927**|**2019**
**£**
8,773
85
-
-|
|---|---|---|
|||**8,858**|
|||6,181
-
-|
|||**6,181**|
|||**2,678**
81,482
(13,019)|
|||**71,141**|
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## **THE VERBUM DEI COMMUNITY**
## **Income and expenditure account for the year ended 31 December 2020**
## **Summary of Funds**
|**Income**
_Grants and Donations_
Donations
Tax reclaimed on Gift Aided Donations
Bank Interest
Other Income
Transfer from Verbum Dei overseas
**Total Income**
**Expenditure**
_Direct Charitable Expenditure_
Living Costs and Retreat Costs
Travel and motoring
_Other Expenditure_
Repairs and maintenance
Equipment expensed
Heating, Lighting and Water
Rent and Council Tax
Printing, Stationery and Postage
Telephone and Fax
Bank Charges
Studies
Professional fees
Sundry Items
Transfer to Verbum Dei overseas
**Total Expenditure**
**Net Income/(Expenditure) for the Year**
Balance at 1 January (Bank Deposits)
Debtor carried forward
Regulation of Debtor
Gift Aid claim
Transfer from / (to) Building Fund
**Fund Balances at 31 December**|**2020**
General
Purposes
£
68,772
14,030
82,802
35,998
-
**118,800**
33,359
14,128
47,487
26,544
-
10,585
2,393
2,913
4,416
146
1,699
5,171
3,042
56,910
**104,397**
**14,403**
39,300
7,098
(7,098)
10,300
-
**64,004**|Building
Fund
£
6,887
-
6,887
20
-
**6,906**
-
-
-
58,120
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
58,120
**58,120**
**(51,213)**
71,141
-
-
-
-
**19,927**|**Total**
**£**
**75,659**
**14,030**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**89,689**|
||||**36,017**
**-**|
||||**125,706**|
||||**33,359**
**14,128**|
||||**47,487**|
||||**84,664**
**-**
**10,585**
**2,393**
**2,913**
**4,416**
**146**
**1,699**
**-**
**5,171**
**3,042**|
||||**115,029**|
|||||
||||**162,516**|
||||**(36,810)**
**110,441**
**7,098**
**(7,098)**
**10,300**
**-**|
||||**83,931**|
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## **THE VERBUM DEI COMMUNITY**
## **Balance sheet as at 31 December 2020**
|Fixed Assets
Debtor
Bank and Cash Deposits
Net funds
_Represented by:_
General Purposes Fund
Building Fund|2020
Note
£
-
1
10,300
2
73,631
83,931
64,004
19,927
83,931|2019
£
-
7,098
110,441|
|---|---|---|
|||117,539|
|||46,398
71,141|
|||117,539|
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## **THE VERBUM DEI COMMUNITY**
## **Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2020**
## **Notes to the accounts**
## **1. Fixed Assets**
For the use of the Charity and belonging to the General Purposes Fund are buildings at the Verbum Dei Centre, Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight, as well as several cars and furniture & fittings. All fixed assets are recorded in the accounts at a net book value of zero.
## **2. Debtor**
The amount receivable at 31 December represents income tax recoverable from the Inland Revenue on gift aided donations. The entire amount is receivable within one year.
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