Annual Report of Community Bible Study International UK
for the year ended 31 August 2023
: Registered charity numbers
Charity Commission: 1044255, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator: SC0037863
Index: Trustees report Pages 2 – 6 Independent examiners report Page 7 Accounts Pages 8 - 9
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Trustees Report
Structure and governance
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The charity is established by a trust deed and is governed by a board of trustees (listed below).
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The trustees are individuals appointed under the trust deed or subsequently by the board.
Operating name:
Community Bible Study UK
Contacts:
National office correspondence address: 6 Warren Lane, Witham St Hughs, Lincoln, LN6 9US. Email: info@cbsuk.org
Other contact details are on the website at https://uk.communitybiblestudy.org/
Governance and management
Day to day management is in the hands of the National Coordinator and the National Servants Team (NST) which comprises:
Simon Baker - National Coordinator
Virginia Aspinall - Midlands Regional Coordinator and National Study Library Supervisor Jane Hutchinson - Midlands Regional Coordinator Simon Baker - Northern and Southern Regional Coordinator Dinah Ball - Regional Coordinators for North West England Paul Scrivner - Regional Coordinators for North West England Keith and Natasha Doughty - Regional Coordinators for Wales and the Bristol area Ann Baker - Children and Youth Supervisor Bonnie Fletcher - Pastoral lead
Appointments and objectives
Trustee and National Coordinator appointments are reviewed for reappointment every three years. Trustees are recruited from within the CBS UK family and people recommended by them. They initially have discussions with the existing chair of trustees or National Coordinator before attending a trustee meeting as observer where they have chance to meet the other trustees and consideration can be made on both sides whether an appointment would be appropriate and useful.
All officers and staff during this period were unpaid volunteers.
Although the charity is independent, it is associated with Community Bible Study International and uses study material under licence.
The objects of the charity are the advancement of the Christian Religion and the advancement of education by:
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developing and publishing study and devotional material of a religious nature and in particular Bible study notes and commentaries and other teaching materials pertaining to the Bible on the pattern established by Community Bible Study International.
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establishing training classes for Bible study class leaders utilising the materials referred to above.
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establishing and promoting Bible study classes utilising the said materials and conducting such classes in co-ordination and co-operation with Christians of all denominations.
Focus
The focus during this period has been the formation of a clear growth strategy (See, Join, Stay) and the extension of the work to new areas especially Birmingham. During the year the charity developed further the programme of online groups and study.
Leadership
The Board of Trustees met formally twice during the year (12 November 2022 and 18th March 2023 online). There were communications by email and telephone between meetings. The NST met every 2 months. The Trustees are very grateful to the NST for all the work they have done in continuing the work of the charity.
An Annual General Meeting was held online on 13 May 2023.
Classes (now Groups)
There were 90 fully operative group with 1045 participants. The trend is towards smaller more easily managed and leg groups. CBS UK has English, Russian, Welsh, Spanish and Arabic speaking groups and some Farsi speakers.
Groups are established and run by local volunteers with training, resources and support from the national organisation. We are increasingly referring to classes as groups.
Conference 2023
The year's conference was held face to face at the Hayes Conference Centre. Participant numbers were excellent for this event, there was a real sense of prayer and we were grateful to our speaker Dr Jógvan Zachariassen for the challenging talks.
Europe
A grant based on 10% of the UK income is paid to support the wider European work in line with the Community Bible Study International licensing agreement.
Ambassadors
The Ambassador connection draws people experienced in the work of CBS to particular regions or countries to start new work or to extend existing work.
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We are privileged to have a team working with us in Scotland, Wales and in Northern Ireland. Our ambassadors were not able to travel during the pandemic but have stayed in touch with the ministry online.
Additionally, several people from the UK serve God through CBS in Europe in a parallel role.
Training
All training this year was carried out successfully online and the curriculum adapted suitably. Additions were made to the training in respect of topics which can cause controversy (amber topics).
Class Visitors
Class visiting has been patchy across the regions. Bonnie Fletcher has been appointed as pastoral care lead to make a review of our pastoral care arrangements and to see where we can improve our pastoral care. A model of regional leadership meetings on Zoom is under assessment.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding training is given to all leaders who have Adults with additional support needs or children in their groups either locally or online. Changes are implemented regularly updating the Policy Documents and manual and a system for obtaining DBS checks is in place, and a Safeguarding Coordinator is responsible for these actions. Notably we currently have no deputy Safeguarding coordinator.
Study materials
Studies are now available in printed format, spiral bound, electronic format (pdf). New study material became available this year.
Financial
The trustees are pleased with the net income for the year, despite the pandemic. The charity’s reserves policy is to maintain sufficient funds to continue to complete the current class studies if the income were to cease, to cover the advance costs of the annual conference and accrue for capital costs of irregular large projects (such as bulk folder purchasing done every few years). Additionally, the current NST members use their homes as offices. Should there be a need in the future for an office, reserves might be needed to help cover such costs. The trustees are satisfied that reserves are sufficient to cover these needs.
Special projects
We received a grant that enabled us to supply tablet devices to people, especially the isolated, to join groups studying the Bible. There remains a surplus and the trustees have not yet decided how to channel this.
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Signed on behalf of the trustees:
Paul Hudson 29[th] February 2024
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The Trustees of Community Bible Study International UK
The following served as trustees during the year and are appointed solely by the Board:
Richard Alvarez Alison Bagg (Chair) Dr Simon Baker (National Coordinator) Stuart Crossley Paul Hudson (Treasurer) Michelle Smith
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORTTOTHETRUSTEES OF COMMUNITY BIBLE STUDY INTERNATIONAL UK Charity Commission number 1044255, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator number SC0037863 I report on the oc¢ounts of the Associationfvr the Yeor Ended to 31st AUGUST2023, (rttoched. RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES AND EXAMINER The choritys trustees ore respon5iblefvr the preparation of the t7ccounts. The charity s trustees consider thut on oudit is not requiredfor thi5 yeor undersertion 144 of the Chtsrities Art 2011 (the Chorities Actj ond that on independent exominution is needed. It is my responsibility to.'_ exomlne the occounts undersection145 of the Charities Act tofollow the procedures loid down in the Genert71 DArections given by the Chorlty Commission (under sectiort 145(5J(b) of the ChoritiesAct), and to stote whether particular matters hove come to n7y Qttention BASIS OF INDEPENOENT EXAMINER'S REPORT My examinotion wos corried out in occordonte with the Generol Directions given by the Chority Commffjssioners. An exominution includes o revlew of the occounting records kept by the charity and o comporison of the accounts presented with those records. It Glso includes considerotion OA any urtU5uoI items or disclosures in the occounts ondseeking explon(Jtionsfrom the trustees concerning any such motters. The procedures undertaken do notprovide (711 the evidence thot would be required in on oudit tsnd consequently no opinion is give os to whether the occounts present o 'true ondfoir, view ond the report is limited to those motter5 set out in the stotement below. INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S STATEMENT In connection with my extjminatioft, no motter hos come to my uttention.- (l) which gives me reosonG¢ble couse to beIve thot in ony m(7teriol respect the requirements to keep t7ccounting records in occordonce with section 130 of the Ch(Jrities Art and to prep0 accounts which accord with the occounting records ond comply with the occounting requirement5 of the Charitie5 Act hove not been met, or (2J to which, in my opinlon, attention should be drown, in order to enoble (J proper understonding of the accounts to be reGGhed. DAVID R S WELCH FCA, DChA. CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT 3 AL VINGTON GROVE. HAZEL GROVE, STOCKPORT, CHESHIRE, SK75LS •iJL8wL(4 Date: iothApril 2024 ICAÈ
Community Bible Study International UK
Charity Commisson number 1044255, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator number SC0037863
Income and Expenditure Account for the year ended 31 August 2023 (receipts and payments basis)
| INCOME Donations Conference Class Registration & Offerings Gift Aid Interest Received Study materials CBS Europe - share of costs Sundry income - bank compensation Total Income EXPENSES Decrease in money with classes Advertising & promotion Independent examination Donation: CBS Western Europe Conference Evangelical Alliance Insurance CCPAS costs Office Costs / Administration Materials / Study booklets / class costs Meetings: NST Sundry Training National Coordinator travel Youth and Children CBSI Website and software Total Expenses NET INCOME Net funds last year end Net funds this year end |
£ £ 6,271.23 20,150.58 16,470.60 - 479.33 5.00 - 350.00 43,726.74 2,224.83 9,197.45 400.00 2,627.23 23,744.72 85.00 453.43 245.50 1,686.82 59.00 260.45 299.74 1,014.00 500.00 - 1,540.42 44,338.59 -611.85 38,526.60 £37,914.75 2023 Unrestricted and Total Funds |
£ £ 5,600.98 - 17,113.87 3,557.48 39.25 50.00 113.40 - 26,474.98 4,715.25 6,055.13 - 4,443.40 7,566.87 125.00 503.82 181.25 760.03 12.98 976.65 177.00 - - - 1,358.69 26,876.07 -401.09 38,927.69 £38,526.60 2022 Unrestricted and Total Funds |
£ £ 5,600.98 - 17,113.87 3,557.48 39.25 50.00 113.40 - 26,474.98 4,715.25 6,055.13 - 4,443.40 7,566.87 125.00 503.82 181.25 760.03 12.98 976.65 177.00 - - - 1,358.69 26,876.07 -401.09 38,927.69 £38,526.60 2022 Unrestricted and Total Funds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26,474.98 26,876.07 |
|||
| -401.09 38,927.69 |
|||
| £38,526.60 |
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Community Bible Study International UK
Charity Commisson number 1044255, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator number SC0037863
Balance Sheet at 31 August 2023 (receipts and payments basis)
| Cash Funds Current Account CCLA Deposit Account Cash with classes Total Cash Funds Debtors CBS Europe Liabilities Net assets Donations for translations paid over in advance Donations received for translations not yet paid over |
£ £ 15,516.71 15,107.54 6,648.41 £37,272.66 79.31 562.78 £642.09 0.00 £0.00 £37,914.75 Unrestricted and Total Funds 2023 |
£ £ 17,016.77 14,628.21 8,873.24 £40,518.22 0.00 0.00 £0.00 1,991.62 £1,991.62 £38,526.60 2022 Unrestricted and Total Funds |
£ £ 17,016.77 14,628.21 8,873.24 £40,518.22 0.00 0.00 £0.00 1,991.62 £1,991.62 £38,526.60 2022 Unrestricted and Total Funds |
|---|---|---|---|
| £0.00 | |||
| £1,991.62 | |||
| £38,526.60 |
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