Hastings Christian Trust
Financial Statement for the year ended 31 March 2024
Includes
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Trustees’ Annual Report
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Independent Examiner’s Report
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Statement of Financial Activities
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Balance Sheet
Christian Schools Workers Hastings
report to the Charity Commission
on its work for the school year from
September 2023 – July 2024.
Operating Name – Christian Schools Worker Hastings (CSWH). Registered Charity number 1024041
What we do.
Christian Schools Workers Hastings (CSWH) comes under the umbrella of the Hastings Christian Trust and is the operational side of the work. CSWH aims to work with all of the academies and schools in the primary and secondary phases, twenty one in total, across the towns of Hastings and St. Leonards-on-sea, by offering the following activities that introduce Jesus to the students:
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acts of collective worship (assemblies)
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Religious Education (R.E.) lessons
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JAFFA (Jesus A Friend For All) Clubs in primary schools
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Hot Chocolate Clubs in secondary schools
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Prayer Spaces
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Year 6 transition days
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Link Youth – for teenagers to help bridge the transition from in-school clubs to joining a local church
The work is carried out by one employed full-time worker. The worker oversees a small team of volunteers that assist in enabling the programmes to be carried out. The work in schools is overseen by a Management Committee of five volunteers from different backgrounds who bring a variety of skills to help the work in schools and to assist it to operate efficiently and effectively. This Committee reports to the Trustees, five at present, who have a strategic role in the work. CSWH is a Mission Partner of Scripture Union which enables our organisation to benefit from their training opportunities, legal and personnel advice and networking arrangements.
Autumn Term 2023.
Acts of collective worship (ACW), Jesus A Friend for All (JAFFA) and Hot Chocolate Clubs took place in several primary academies. Link Youth numbers declined and the difficult decision was taken to close this group as it had become unviable. Additional ACWs were held before Christmas. The decision was also taken to replace the Management Committee with a Support Group as it had become difficult to find members for the former. The Support Group is a better group to involve volunteers and the meetings were transferred from evenings to afternoons. Prayer Spaces have been rearranged from a collective block in Term 5 to one at the end of each term where there is demand.
Spring Term 2024
Acts of Collective Worship, JAFFA Clubs and Hot Chocolate Clubs (HCC) continued to run. It was encouraging that additional volunteers to assist with HCC had been found. Our worker magnificently completed walking the Hastings Half Marathon which proved to be a successful fundraising activity as well. Another prayer was held.
Summer term 2024.
In term 6 the worker took the Moving On activity day into four primary schools. This is a cross-key stage 2-3 transition activity that has been run annually. Although the Moving On books have been made available to all year 6 students the take up to the offer of Moving On presentations had significantly declined.
Conclusion
It has become increasingly apparent from before the commencement of this school year that the Trust faces significant financial challenges and there is also the practical consideration that there are fewer volunteers to assist the worker with CSWH activities. This has impacted upon the capacity of the CSWH to offer a full range of activities. The Trustees therefore came to the difficult, but necessary, decision that the CSWH would cease. This decision was made with great regret but great thanks to God for all that had taken place over its 23-year history. The Trustees made the sole worker redundant, however, it was with thanks to God that she was able to find a new job in a local primary school. Handover arrangements were made to continue providing links between some local churches, a few volunteers and some schools, which was encouraging. The Trustees made arrangements to close Hastings Christian Trust in August and dispose of its remaining assets in line with Charity Commission requirements. CSWH resources were disposed of, mainly to local churches, to help support children and young people’s work. Finally, a well-attended and uplifting celebration event took place at Elim Church Centre which had been the CSWH office home over its latter years, providing a welcoming, warm and spacious accommodation that had hugely assisted with enabling CSWH to carry out its work. We pray that the thousands of young people who will been told about Jesus over these twenty-three years will have a further encounter with the Lord who loves each one of them.
Tom Collins
Trustee.
Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature
Roger Mitchell
Trustee
30 January 2025
Signature
Martin Fletcher
Trustee
30 January 2025
Independent Examiner’s Report to the trustees of Hastings Christian Trust
I report on the accounts of the trust for the year ended 31 March 2024 which are set out below.
Respective responsibilities of the trustees and examiner:
The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
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Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
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To follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
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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 by an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a “true and fair view” and the report is limited to those matters as set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner’s statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to by attention:
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which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements
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a. to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and
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b. to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act
have not been met; or
- to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Name – Ian Russell
Address – 11 Royal Terrace; St Leonards on Sea; East Sussex; TN37 6QH
Date – 26 January 2025
| Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended | Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended | 31 March 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | ||
| £ | £ | ||
| Income | |||
| Donations | 25634 | 25204 | |
| Gift Aid Refund | 2300 | 2011 | |
| Penny pots | 728 | 812 | |
| Total Incoming Resources | 28662 | 28027 | |
| Resources used | |||
| IYM | 1093 | 1460 | |
| Exhibitions | 1900 | 0 | |
| Jaffa | 415 | 225 | |
| Prayer Spaces | 604 | 519 | |
| Link | 0 | 68 | |
| Travel/Entertainment | 619 | 412 | |
| Printing/Stationery | 302 | 0 | |
| Telephone/IT | 174 | 410 | |
| Staff costs | 31952 | see note 1 | 37846 |
| Insurance | 879 | 826 | |
| Sundry Expenses | 1000 | 583 | |
| Total resources used | 38938 | 42351 | |
| Net | -10276 | -14322 | |
| Reconciliation of funds | |||
| unrestricted | |||
| Brought forward from 1/4/23 | 22007 | ||
| carried forward to 31/3/24 | 11731 | ||
| Funds brought forward at 1/4/22 | £22007 | ||
| Deficit for year | £10276 | ||
| Funds carried forward at 31/3/23 | £11731 |
Note 1
No trustees have received any remuneration
Hastings Christian Trust
Balance Sheet
31 March 2024
Balance sheet at 31 March 2024
| 31-Mar-24 | 31-Mar-23 | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| Current assets | ||
| Debtors | 2300 | 2011 |
| Nat West | 9431 | 19996 |
| 11731 | 22007 | |
| Represented by | ||
| Unrestricted fund | 11731 | 22007 |
| 11731 | 22007 |
The financial statements were approved by the trustees on January 2025 and signed on their behalf by: