New Life Community Church (North Walsham) Registered Charity No. 1037991
Annual Report and Accounts for the year to 31 January 2024
Prepared by: Mr I Dallain (Chair of Trustees)
Approved by: Mr N Lawrence (Trustee) Mr M Fairchild (Trustee) Mr B Lee (Trustee) Mrs L Owen (Trustee) Mr T Greene (Treasurer)
New Life Community Church (North Walsham) Annual Report and Accounts
1 February 2023 to 31 January 2024
Contents:
NEW LIFE COMMUNITY CHURCH (NORTH WALSHAM) ..................................................... 2-3 AIMS AND PURPOSES ................................................................................................................... 2 OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES ......................................................................................................... 2 ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE ......................................................................................... 2-3 OTHER ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS ......................................................................................... 3 FINANCIAL REVIEW ................................................................................................................ 4-5 STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT ............................................................................... 4 ORGANISATION ............................................................................................................................ 4 TRUSTEES ................................................................................................................................... 4 ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION ..................................................................................................... 5 TRUSTEES APPROVAL .................................................................................................................. 5 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 JANUARY 2022 .......................... 6-9 RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT: ................................................................................ 6 Receipts Schedule ................................................................................................................... 6 Payments Schedule ................................................................................................................. 6 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES .......................................................................... 7 NOTES .................................................................................................................................... 8-9 PAYMENTS MADE TO TRUSTEES/TREASURER DURING THE ACCOUNTING PERIOD .............................. 9 INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES ........................................................... 10
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New Life Community Church (North Walsham) Annual Report and Accounts
1 February 2023 to 31 January 2024
New Life Community Church (North Walsham)
Aims and Purposes
New Life Community Church is a Christian church based in the Norfolk market town of North Walsham. The Church works together with local churches and community groups across North Norfolk, and the Eastern Counties.
The principal activities of the Charity during the year, to which this report refers, were to build up the church members in Christian worship and teaching, to serve and to communicate the Christian message to non-members in the surrounding community and administer the Church. New Life Community Church operates primarily in the town of North Walsham and the surrounding towns and villages.
Objectives and Activities
The church holds regular services, primarily on Sundays, involving worship and teaching from the Bible, as well as other activities such as children’s groups and midweek small groups.
The church believes that the Christian life isn’t just about Sunday mornings, so encourages people to live out biblical values in their everyday life.
To enable this, the church runs various activities and groups throughout the week. As this involves serving those in need, the church attempts to use its resources (whether in time offered by its members or other facilities) to benefit those living in the area, and particularly those in the greatest need. Fortnightly Youth Clubs, Parent Café for carers of children with additional needs and a weekly tots group are examples of this.
Achievements and Performance
Sunday services
The church is keen to hold services that are beneficial to all, particularly welcoming those who do not regularly attend the church.
As many people as possible are involved in the running of each service, so each week different people will lead worship, oversee the meeting, preach from a bible passage, as well as undertaking various more practical tasks such as welcoming people as they arrive and serving refreshments.
Children
The church has a large number of families with a lively set of engaging children’s groups. These are run by a team of volunteers, and Thirtyone:eight (www.thirtyoneeight.org) guidelines are followed, including use of their guidance to form the church’s Safeguarding policy, to ensure the safety of the children among us.
Youth
A particular area we concentrate on is the youth of the town, both those involved in our church and those who aren’t. We therefore run various youth activities; some are religious in nature; others are purely social.
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New Life Community Church (North Walsham) Annual Report and Accounts
1 February 2023 to 31 January 2024
‘Harvest’ youth groups are aimed at providing teaching and support to the young people in the church, and ‘The Attic’ on a bi-weekly basis providing an ‘open door’ youth venue for young people on a Friday night.
The Harvest youth groups regularly attend the ‘Newday’ festival, for fellowship and teaching organised by Newfrontiers.
Other Activities and Achievements
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Social events, meetings and meals together
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Christmas and Easter events
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Various conferences and regional Relational Mission events.
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Other groups ran during the year, including New Life Tots; a weekly parent and toddlers’ group, and Parents Café, a group supporting those responsible for children with additional needs.
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Weekly small groups
New Life Building
Up until August 2023 most of our activities were run at St Benets Hall, but in summer 2023 we purchased our own building. Almost all of our activities are now based here or in people’s homes.
We would like to thank St Nicolas church North Walsham for allowing us to use St Benets Hall and their generosity and flexibility in making us feel so welcome.
Ecumenical Relationships
New Life Community Church is self-supporting and autonomous, and as such is not part of a denomination. However, it does have an affiliation with a family of evangelical churches with similar aims and beliefs called 'Relational Mission' (www.relationalmission.org), which numbers around 100 churches across the UK and abroad.
The Church maintains close links with Relational Mission affiliated Churches in the local area, especially Aylsham Community Church and Life Church, Sheringham.
Through ‘Churches Together in North Walsham’ New Life also works closely with the other churches in the town and surrounding areas.
New Life Church is a member of the Evangelical Alliance UK (www.eauk.org).
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New Life Community Church (North Walsham) Annual Report and Accounts
1 February 2023 to 31 January 2024
Financial Review
The charity’s income for the year grew from £59,630 (2022) to £123,044 as a result of increased donations from its members, and other churches and individuals supporting the purchase of the New Life Building, which completed in July 2023. The building was purchased for £325,000 freehold, utilising a £185,000 30-year mortgage along with charity reserves.
Expenditure for the year, excluding the building purchase and associated legal costs, totalled £54,134, a £13,653 increase from last year. This increase primarily occurred as a result of additional costs associated with moving in to and running the new building. The largest areas of expenditure excluding the building purchase costs during the year were: Salaries (31%), Gifts (19%) and Accommodation running costs, including servicing the mortgage (32%).
As at 31 January 2024, New Life Community Church had a total cash balance of £61,826 (£137,622 - 2023) along with a Gift Aid debtor outstanding of £11,436.
The Trustees have a formal reserves policy to ensure the continued running of the charity. The charity currently maintains more than is required by the policy for the aim of developing the building in the future.
The Trustees have considered the risks the charity could face and have taken the necessary steps to mitigate or eliminate these risks. For example, all major insurable risks are subject to normal churches and employers’ insurance. Contractual risks are reviewed before being entered into to ensure that they could not significantly impact upon the church’s ability to fulfil its objectives.
Structure, governance and management
Organisation
During the year the Church was led by a team of four Elders; Mr I Dallain, Mr T Greene, Mr J Schaitel and Mr G Owen, supported by the Trustees listed below and a wider leadership team. There is a close working relationship between the Elders and Trustees ensuring financial accountability.
Trustees
The Trustees of New Life Community Church (North Walsham) during the accounting period were:
Mr M Fairchild
Mr N Lawrence
Mr I Dallain (took over role of Chair of Trustees from M Fairchild in January 2024) Mr T Greene (took over role of Treasurer from M Fairchild in January 2024) Mrs L Owen
Mr B Lee
The principal aim of the Trustees is to ensure effective governance of the financial, reputational and legal obligations of the Charity, enabling the Church leaders to oversee the pastoral and evangelical ministries of the Church. The Trustees perform their roles for the sole benefit of the Church and give their time freely. They did not receive payment for their duties and only claimed ‘out of pocket’ expenses, except for Ian Dallain, who was the only trustee employed in New Life Church during the period being reported.
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New Life Community Church (North Walsham) Annual Report and Accounts
| February 2023 to 31 January 2024
Administrative Information
New Life Community Church is based in North Walsham, Norfolk.
Registered Charity: No.1037991 Governing Document: Declaration of Trust dated 5" May 1994.
Church office and correspondence address: New Life Building Laundry Loke North Walsham Norfolk NR28 OBD
Bankers:
HSBC Bank 18 London Street Norwich Norfolk NR28 9BH
The Trustees have opted (under S42(3) of the Charities Act 1993) to account on a receipts and payments basis.
Trustees Approval
This report has been approved at a meeting of the Trustees of New Life Community Church (North Walsham), on 3% July 2024 and is signed on behalf of the Board of Trustees.
Mr I Dallain (Chair of Trustees) Dated .....>.. 3907....29
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New Life Community Church (North Walsham) Annual Report and Accounts
1 February 2023 to 31 January 2024
Financial Statements for the year ending 31 January 2024
Receipts and Payments Account
Receipts Schedule
| Receipts Schedule | Receipts Schedule | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 2022/23 | |||||||
| Unrestricted Funds |
Restricted Funds |
Unrestricted Funds |
Restricted Funds |
|||||
| RegularGiving | Notes | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| Tithes and Offerings (Gift Aid) | 1, 4 | 25,705 | 20,040 | 28,176 | 0 | |||
| Tithes and Offerings (Non Gift Aid) | 24,677 | 0 | 9,646 | 2,903 | ||||
| Gift Aid Returns | 2 | 6,598 | 0 | 18,514 | 0 | |||
| 56,980 | 20,040 | 56,336 | 2,903 |
| 2023/24 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2022/23 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted Funds |
Restricted Funds |
Unrestricted Funds |
Restricted Funds |
|||||
| Other Receipts | Notes | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| Gifts Received | 4 | 0 | 34,212 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Grants | 3 | 0 | 11,000 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Miscellaneous Income | 36 | 0 | 120 | 0 | ||||
| Bank Interest | 776 | 0 | 271 | 0 | ||||
| 812 | 45,212 | **391 ** | 0 | |||||
| Total Receipts | 56,980 | **66,064 ** | 56,727 | 2,903 |
Payments Schedule
| 2023/24 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2022/23 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted Funds |
Restricted Funds |
Unrestricted Funds |
Restricted Funds |
|||||
| Direct Charitable Payments | Notes | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| Salaries | 5 | 9,869 | 6,761 | 17,070 | 0 | |||
| Church Events | 1,758 | 0 | 1,055 | 0 | ||||
| Youth Events | 6 | 923 | 0 | 1,866 | 0 | |||
| Children & Youthwork | 1,253 | 0 | 1,082 | 0 | ||||
| Training | 425 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Gifts | 7 | 7,731 | 2,325 | 7,160 | 0 | |||
| Publicity | 1,028 | 0 | 222 | 0 | ||||
| Accommodation | 8 | 9,189 | 0 | 6,590 | 0 | |||
| Equipment and Resources | 9 | 1,749 | 0 | 1,803 | 0 | |||
| Administration | 67 | 0 | 148 | 0 | ||||
| Insurance | 838 | 0 | 405 | 0 | ||||
| Professional Fees/Subscriptions | 10 | 2,163 | 0 | 1,285 | 0 | |||
| New Building professional fees | 4,946 | 0 | 1,795 | 0 | ||||
| Building purchase | 4 | 76,261 | 63,739 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Building improvements | 969 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Mortgage payments | 7,086 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total Payments | 126,255 | 72,825 | **40,481 ** | 0 |
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New Life Community Church (North Walsham) Annual Report and Accounts
1 February 2023 to 31 January 2024
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
| 2023/24 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2022/23 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Categories | Details | Unrestricted Funds |
Restricted Funds |
Unrestricted Funds |
Restricted Funds |
||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||
| Cash Funds | Current Account Balance | 47,234 | 0 | 33,878 | 0 | ||
| Reserve Account Balance | 14,592 | 0 | 103,744 | 0 | |||
| Total Cash Funds | 61,826 | 0 | 137,622 | 0 | |||
| Other Monetary Assets |
Debtors | 11,436 | 0 | 6,470 | 0 | ||
| Assets retained for the Charity's own use |
Speakers and Wireless Mic | 1,200 | 0 | 1,426 | 0 | ||
| Church Tents | 300 | 0 | 514 | 0 | |||
| PA equipment | 1,400 | 0 | 1,952 | 0 | |||
| Attic equipment - TVs, Sports Tables & Consoles | 1,300 | 0 | 1,545 | 0 | |||
| Kidswork laptop | 560 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| New Life Building | 325,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Disabled ramp | 800 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total Assets retained for Charity's use | 330,560 | 0 | 5,437 | 0 |
| Total Liabilities |
Mortgage on New Life Building | 183,993 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lovewell Blake | 135 | 0 | 390 | 0 | ||
| Emma Lee | 0 | 0 | 350 | 0 | ||
| St Benets | 0 | 0 | 448 | 0 | ||
| Churches Together | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Glen & Lysa Owen (reimbursement of expenses) | 136 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total Liabilities | 170,738 | 0 | 1,188 | 0 |
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New Life Community Church (North Walsham) Annual Report and Accounts
1 February 2023 to 31 January 2024
Notes
1 – Tithes and Offerings
The total amount received through Tithes and Offerings for the year ended 31 January 2024 was £70,422 (£40,725 - 2023). Of this figure, £45,745 qualified for Gift Aid (£28,176 - 2023). Within income £2,325 was raised by the Church and given to towards the purchase of generators for Ukraine. Further giving was raised by the church towards the purchase of the building, see note 5 below.
2 – Gift Aid Returns
During the year the Church received £6,598 from Gift aid returns, which represents the period of February 2022 to January 2023. Included within Debtors is £11,436 for Gift Aid receivable for the period of February 2023 to January 2024.
3 – Grants
Two grants were received by the church. £10,000 towards the salary of a children and families worker, and £1,000 toward the cost of a replacement door to facilitate disabled access to the Building.
4 – Building purchase
On 31st July 2023 the church purchased the New Life Building in North Walsham for £325,000. To support the purchase of the building the church raised £17,715 through a Gift day. The church was also supported by other churches and individuals who gave a total of £34,212.
5 – Salaries
Salary expenditure at £16,630 (£17,070 - 2023) provides New Life with two part-time members of staff; Ian Dallain (Church leader) and Suzie Schaitel (Children’s and Families Worker), the former being reimbursed for one day a week and the latter two days a week.
6 – Youth/Children’s Work
The Youth Events that the Church financially supports each year are: The Attic, Newday, Youth Weekend Away (YWA) and Harvest. The Attic is a fortnightly youth club serving an average of 40 children each time. Newday is a festival held each year for around 6,000 young people. YWA is our Relational Mission youth residential weekend and Harvest is our weekly Church youth group.
During the year £2,176 (£2,948 - 2023) was spent on supporting these groups and events, which continue to serve hundreds of young people every year.
The church spent £853 contributing towards the cost of Newday tickets for leaders serving and children who could not afford to go themselves. A further £641 was spent on activities and resources for the young people in our Church activities, the Attic, Harvest and Kidzone.
Youth and children’s work continue to be an area that the trustees and elders see as important to the life of the Church and resources and activities were provided for Youth and children to engage with during the services and in their midweek groups.
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New Life Community Church (North Walsham) Annual Report and Accounts
1 February 2023 to 31 January 2024
7 – Gifts
The Church gave gifts totalling £10,056 (£7,160 – 2023). Regular giving to Relational Mission (£3,600), Good News Church in Serbia (£3,000), a £2,500 donation to a Ukraine appeal of which £2,325 was given by individuals for this purpose, and gifts to support individuals (£760) of which £50 was a gift to a visiting speaker.
Giving to others continues to be very important to the Church and the trustees had previously agreed to make an emergency fund available to those people being served by the Church, who had immediate financial need. Nothing was paid out during the year, but the trustees anticipate that the fund will be utilised during 2024.
8 – Accommodation
The total of £3,224 (£6,590 – 2023) was paid for the use of St Benets Hall for weekly Church meetings and for The Attic and New Life Tots groups.
£5,956 was expended on the New Life Building on items such as utilities (£2,125), catering costs (£829), fixtures and fittings and other sundry amounts for the new building (£3,011).
9 – Equipment and Resources
£1,749 was spent on new equipment during the year (£1,803 – 2023), this was primarily for two laptops and an iPad to be used for children’s work and by people serving in the church.
10 – Professional Fees/Subscriptions
£2,163 was spent (£1,285 – 2023) on general processional fees including copyright licenses, Evangelical Alliance membership fees, DBS checks, website and domain renewal, independent examiner fees and payroll costs.
A further £4,946 was spent on building-related professional fees for planning applications, solicitor’s fees (conveyancing), land registry searches and a mortgage arrangement fee.
11 - Reserves
During the year the church utilised a significant proportion of its reserves to purchase the New Life Building.
Sufficient reserves have been retained (£61,826) to meet the requirements of the reserves policy, and with the aim of developing the building in the future.
12 - Payments made to Trustees during the Accounting Period
During the year, £355 was paid to Ian Dallain, £1,728 to Lysa Owen, and £149 to Neil Lawrence, to reimburse them for Church expenses paid directly, wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the Church. Receipts or Invoices were received to ensure the validity of these claims.
None of the other trustees made any payments on behalf of the Church during the accounting period, and therefore did not receive any reimbursement from Church funds.
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New Life Community Church (North Walsham) Annual Report and Accounts t February 2023 to 3} January 2024
independent Examiner's Report to the trustees of New Life Community Church (North Walsham)
| report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 31 January 2024, which are set out on pages 6 to 9.
Respective responsibilities of 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 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the 1993 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under section 43 of the 1993 Act;
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e to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 43(7)(b) of the 1993 Act; and
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e 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 whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
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:
- e« to keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the 1993 Act; and e to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 1993 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.
Name: Stacey Borrow
Address: 31 Bluebell Road, North Walsham, NR28 9EH Date: S/ 97/74
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