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2023-12-31-accounts

SW London Vineyard

Report and Accounts Year ended 31 December 2023

1 Lamb's Passage, London EC1Y 8AB www.stewardship.org.uk

SW LONDON VINEYARD

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

CONTENTS

CONTENTS
SW LONDON VINEYARD
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
Page
Company Information 1
Message from the Chair 2
Annual Report of the Trustees and Directors
Introduction 3
Ministry review 5
Financial gifts 25
Administrative review 25
Financial review 33
Future plans 38
Independent Examiner's Report 41
Statement of Financial Activities 42
Balance Sheet 43
Cashflow Statement 44
Notes to the Accounts 45
Detailed Statement of Financial Activities with Comparatives 54

COMPANY INFORMATION

Key staff Neil Woodward (Senior Pastor)
Catherine Woodward (Senior Pastor)
Governing Document Memorandum and Articles of Association dated February 1995 and
updated February 2023
Company Registration Number 03020873
Charity Registration Number 1045257
Company Secretary Helen Kite
Registered Office Heston Court
and Principal Address 19 Camp Road
London SW19 4UW
Independent Examiner Ajay Rajani FCIE
Stewardship
1 Lamb's Passage
London EC1Y 8AB
Bankers Bank of Scotland
Old Broad Street
London EC2N 1HZ
Solicitors Pothecary Witham Weld
70 St Georges Square
London SW1V 3RD
Investment advisers Mazars
Tower Bridge House
St Katharine's Way
London E1W 10D
Insurers Ansvar Insurance Co. Limited
Ansvar House
St. Leonard’s Road
Eastbourne
East Sussex BN21 3UR

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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am pleased to introduce the 2023 Trustees' Annual Report for the independently examined accounts of SW London Vineyard.

Once again, the vision given us by God has continued to be worked out in a range of diverse ways as outlined in the Ministry & Administrative reviews below. Thanks to the on-going sacrificial giving from within our church family and beyond, through the giving of time, energy, and money of committed members of the church, including a significant volunteer workforce, the church has continued to serve both public benefit and kingdom impact in the lives of those across south west London.

commitment and passion for the Gospel of Jesus has impacted our local communities in realising our vision for the church over what has proved to be another challenging year.

Rachel Moseley Chair of Trustees and Director

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INTRODUCTION

The Trustees of SW London Vineyard, who also act as Directors for the purposes of company law, present their report and independently examined financial statements for the year ending 31 December 2023 in accordance with the Charities Act 2011and the Companies Act 2006.

The Trustees are satisfied, to the best of their knowledge, that these statements comply with the current statutory requirements, the church's governing documents and are in accordance with the Charity Commission's Statement of Recommended Practice ('SORP').

Objectives & Activities

The main object of SW London Vineyard is the advancement of the Christian faith.

This has been achieved primarily, although not exclusively, through:

The Trustees recognise the continuing impact of the current cost-of-living financial crisis and global unrest on the life of the church over the course of the year.

The Trustees also recognise, even in the face of these challenges, that the church is well-established and continues to successfully remain faithful to its calling and mandate as a local church, communicating the Gospel with compassion and mercy to many individuals and families, both from the church and from local communities.

The Trustees wish to express their gratitude for the considerable volunteer time, energy and money that has been so generously given by leaders, church members and members of the local community in achieving the on-going aims and objectives of the church.

The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in Section 4 of the Charities Act 2011 to have regard to the Charity Commission's general guidance on Public Benefit.

The charitable purposes of SW London Vineyard are set out in its constitution and are fulfilled by a range of projects and initiatives run through:

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Public Benefit continued

A wide range of projects are run throughout the year for the benefit of local communities and the alleviation of poverty, and we continue to develop a number of local outreach initiatives impacting the local community. These have all been made possible through the financial generosity and commitment of a significant number of regular volunteers both from the church and from local communities.

Benefits advice (in partnership with Citizen's Advice Bureau); Christmas presents (for women & children escaping domestic violence and modern slavery); children’s activities; Christmas services & events; community projects across the Ashburton & Alton estates; courses for the local community; drop-In spaces; financial support (for those in immediate financial need in partnership with Acts 435); Foodbank (in partnership with The Trussell Trust and Wandsworth Foodbank); Growbaby; Job Club; refugee & asylum seeker support (in partnership with Welcome Churches); Warm Spaces, youth activities and Sunday services

Vision

We remain fully committed to the vision the Lord gave us in 2011. We believe that God has called us to:

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MINISTRY REVIEW

Over the course of 2023 we have implemented the above vision in the following ways, and these activities and initiatives serve and benefit both our local communities and the wider congregation.

In response to the current cost-of-living crisis, we have continued to adapt the ways in which we serve those around us to ensure the ever-challenging needs of others – especially the most vulnerable – are being met.

As always, we remain committed to serving all those around us regardless of ethnicity, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, or beliefs (including lack of religion or beliefs) in such ways that they can benefit from being part of the wider ministry of SW London Vineyard.

Acts 435

Over the course of the year, we have assisted a number of individuals who have come to us through ministries at The Yard and who are in need of basic equipment or services, by utilising Acts 435. The charity operates a website platform by matching up those who want to give, to those in need, enabling needs to be met, whether it is a microwave so that an individual can cook the food given to them via the Foodbank or furniture for an unfurnished flat. Over the course of 2023 we assisted in the provision of beds, mattresses, ovens, slow cookers, air fryers and microwaves. This has meant that those coming towards us most in need have been provided with the necessary equipment and provision to enable both themselves and their families to function more holistically.

Ark Putney Academy

One of the very many challenges faced by those in need during the cost-of-living crisis has been around the provision of basic essentials. To assist vulnerable families from the Ark Putney Academy (‘APA’), SW London Vineyard (‘SWLV’) has provided a range of food items and items of furniture, including beds etc., to be given to those in need. These initiatives through the local school have been wonderful demonstrations of the impact of the local church to meet the practical needs of those from the local community and, once again, reflect the important community partnership that exists between SWLV and APA.

Benefits Advice (in partnership with Citizen's Advice Bureau)

Throughout 2023 we continued to partner with the local Citizen's Advice Bureau by providing a free space and appointments to meet with a CAB advisor for those from the local community and those visiting our community centre, The Yard. In light of the financial pressures so many have been facing this year, this service has continued to prove invaluable to the local community with a number of support initiatives being offered to the most vulnerable. These have included advice on benefits; tax credits; work; consumer advice – especially relating to high energy prices; housing; immigration and debt. By enabling CAB to operate from The Yard, countless people have had access to advice and support directly impacting their financial, emotional and mental wellbeing.

Christmas Events

A range of Christmas events were run during 2023 for both those from the church and wider community. Our Advent series on Sundays reflected on the themes of Hope, Joy, Peace and Love. A Christmas ‘Crafternoon’ and a free Christmas Lunch were hosted at the Yard, again especially with those from the

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local community in mind. Both were well-attended and for some, the opportunity to sit down to a homecooked Christmas meal would have been their only opportunity to do so. We also hosted a well-attended Christmas Singalong for both those from the church and wider community, along with VKids & Youth Christmas parties & events and other points of connection for people to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.

In 2023 we continued to provide Christmas presents for women and children from across the local area who are either escaping domestic violence or have been victims of modern slavery. This year, through the generous donations from people from both the church and wider community, we were able to provide over 600 (2022: 500+) Christmas presents to those aged 0-18 without which they would have quite possibly not have received any gifts at Christmas.

These Christmas initiatives, alongside giving people an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of Christmas, have provided much needed social points of contact for those for whom Christmas can sometimes be a lonely and difficult time. This contact benefits not only their social and emotional wellbeing but also affords an opportunity to help develop their spiritual wellbeing.

Communications

Following the appointment of a Communications Manager in December 2022, we have seen significant improvements to the ways in which ministry across the life of the church has been communicated to both internal and external stakeholders.

In early 2023 a church-wide communications survey was conducted to ascertain people’s preferences as to how and through which channels they engaged with ministry-related communication. As a result of this, a number of new initiatives were launched to help ensure that everyone could remain up to date with all that is going on in and through the church. These included: monthly newsletters; increased social media presence across 5 platforms; well-curated design and graphics for all church events and updated imagery across all platforms.

This included a re-brand for SWLV logos and ministry areas ensuring that these remained fresh and contemporary, whilst reflecting the vision and values of the church. A number of new signs were commissioned to help newcomers navigate their way into the Ark Putney Academy, and The Yard was given a facelift with new signage and window decals to more effectively communicate both its presence and purpose to the wider local community.

Whilst communication may be considered an administrative task, we believe this to be an important area of ministry that communicates our vision, values and purpose to as wide an audience as possible, thereby helping them engage with the Gospel and the kingdom of God.

Conflict Resolution & Peace-making

As part of our on-going commitment to justice, following on from last year’s involvement with the Journey of Hope, we hosted a Conflict Coaching Training Day. This event, led by Rebecca Brierley of St Ethelburga’s Peace and Reconciliation programme, was open to all those from the church and wider community and was designed to help support and equip those experiencing – or supporting others who may be experiencing – conflict in their work or personal life. The focus was on how we can approach conflict in a way that opens communication and bridges divides in these challenging times, thereby helping ourselves

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and others prevent tensions and differences from escalating whilst empowering individuals to understand and transform conflict effectively.

church and, alongside work done through The Difference Course, equip us all with the tools to learn to disagree well especially around issues of community polarization such as: multi-faith relations; youth violence; LGBTQI+ inclusion; class divisions; systemic racism and climate change.

Church Planting

There is only so much SW London Vineyard can do from our single location in London and so from the outset we have been passionate about extending God's kingdom by starting or 'planting' new congregations of followers of Jesus across the country to impact a wide range of other local communities with the Gospel.

This church planting aspect of the life of SW London Vineyard has long served our vision of planting churches by training and equipping potential church planters and by sending and nurturing those called by God.

Alongside church planting, SW London Vineyard has a long history of training and equipping leaders by creating opportunities for people to step into leadership through preaching, leading small groups, leading worship etc.

Our commitment to planting churches reflects our belief that this is the most effective way for communities across the country to be impacted by the blessing that comes from communities of faith that both love and serve God and love and serve those around them – especially those most in need.

The following churches have been planted by South West London Vineyard since 1987 (many of which have subsequently planted other churches that have planted churches):

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SOUTH WEST LONDON VINEYARD 2. Oxf ord J. S•uth•nd 4. 8ristol 5. Chiswick O. Sutt•Tr 7. Wharf•dal• (L••ds) 8. Tr•nt {Nottingham) 9. Winch•st•r 10. Alm•nd (Edlnburgh) 11. H•xton 12. Kingst•n 15. Ab•rde•n 14. Croydon 15. K•nningt•n 10 V01 (8alhomJ 13 10 11 15 12 6 14 16

Environmental Impact

As part of our on-going commitment to justice, we continued to build on the work done in 2021 in partnership with A Rocha UK Eco Church by reflecting on SWLV's care for God's world through our worship and teaching; in how we look after our buildings and land; in how we engage with our local community and in the personal lifestyles of our congregation. We continued to implement and develop our Environmental Policy which covers areas including: climate justice; worship and teaching; buildings; catering, cleaning and purchasing; sustainable office administration; travel; lifestyle and community and global engagement.

The aim moving forwards is for a staff member to take responsibility for the implementation and delivery of the environmental policy and practices as a church whilst working alongside Eco Church to keep our policies and procedures under review.

The impact of this focus on the environment means that, as a church, we are more keenly aware of the effects our choices and actions have on our environments. The intention is that, over time, our impact will only be positive as we seek to reduce any negative impact we may have.

Exploring Faith

Exploring Faith, held at The Yard, has continued to provide a relaxed and informal space for those from the local community to explore the Christian faith. Drawing from the life of Jesus portrayed through the series ‘The Chosen’, guests are invited to reflect on passages from the Gospels and how they might apply to their lives and current circumstances. A free lunch and drinks are served.

Exploring Faith has proved to be a popular space for a wide range of individuals from the local community to ask questions in a safe and open environment. Alongside the relational and community impact it has proved to be a great source of support to many.

Families & Relationships

As part of our commitment to make, train and equip disciples who love and serve Jesus, who love and serve one another and who love and serve their neighbours, throughout 2023 we continued to support family and relationship ministries in a number of ways.

In addition to our VKids, Youth and other family & relationship ministries, we have been in regular contact with families through email and personal contact, providing them with an extensive range of resources and details of courses and events.

Also, throughout the year we have run three family services with content aimed for all ages to enable families to worship together.

These family-based events have provided spaces for families from both the church and the wider community to come together and deepen their relationships with one another and with other families. This helps to provide much-needed relational, emotional and pastoral support for families at all stages.

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Foodbank

As we seek to meet the practical needs of those from the local community, we continued to work in partnership with The Trussell Trust and Wandsworth Foodbank by providing facilities, staffing and resources through The Yard. With the current cost-of-living crisis, the level of need has significantly increased, and we would like to thank both Wandsworth Foodbank and our amazing teams of volunteers for all the tireless work they put in supporting some of the most vulnerable from across the local area.

In 2023 from The Yard 10,143kg of food was given out (2022: 9,429kg: 8%↑); 1,065 people were served (2022: 868: 23%↑); of whom 342 were children (2022: 276: 24%↑); 12,780 meals provided (2022:10,416: 23%↑).

Alongside providing much-needed practical support, Foodbank has proved to be a central space for relational and social connection where vulnerable people can meet with others and, over food and a hot drink, talk – without judgment – about their struggles. This provides invaluable social, emotional and pastoral benefits.

Growbaby

The aim of Growbaby is to provide good quality, new and second-hand, baby clothes and equipment, completely free of charge, to anyone who needs it, regardless of their income, background, or faith. Over the course of 2023 and, again in response to the growing need we are seeing across our local communities as a result of the cost-of-living crisis, we are pleased that this area of ministry has continued to flourish and grow.

Clothes and equipment have been kindly donated by individuals from the church and local communities, and a large quantity of high-end new clothes were kindly donated by Finest for Baby.

Growbaby continues to run each week from The Yard and has provided much needed support to families in need including: those on low income; those escaping domestic violence; those who have been victims of modern slavery and refugees and asylum seekers.

Over the course of 2023 along with formula milk and a range of other baby equipment, 6,489 nappies, 75.27kg of clothes and 53 pairs of shoes have been given out to families in need.

We have also seen an increase in the number of statutory agencies referring clients to Growbaby for support including: Richmond and Wandsworth social workers; Hestia support worker; Wandsworth Health Visitors; St George’s Hospital Midwives; Hillingdon Family Support worker and a number of referrals from Wandsworth Foodbank

Being an available resource for anyone regardless of income, background, or faith has meant that Growbaby continues to provide extensive benefit to those who come along, over and above the provision of essential items. Parents find a caring environment where they are listened to, supported and encouraged. For many, this may be one of only a very few social connections during the week and the opportunity to spend time with the team, meet other parents at a similar life stage while receiving support of all kinds is greatly impacting.

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International Mission

Over the course of 2023 we continued to foster our links with our International Mission partners (Myanmar, Nepal, Kenya, Spain), to support and encourage them as best we can.

In addition to prayer, we sent a financial gift of £6,250 to churches in Ukraine. This gift, given through VCUKI is to be used to bring immediate relief for churches and any benevolence that they can practically express; support the extraction of people, particularly the vulnerable, women, and children from the war zone areas; partner with certain humanitarian organisations where appropriate such as Humanicare, Tearfund, Red Cross; help in the rebuilding, post-war, of the churches and their mission in Ukraine

In recent years the Charity Commission has issued an alert to all Trustees about managing the risks of making payments overseas. Given the potential levels of risk involved and the stringent requirements in place to ensure all funds are used in direct furtherance of the aims and objectives of the charity, it is likely that we will see a reduction in financial support of international partners moving forwards.

Building and developing strong partnerships with international mission groups helps strengthen the important part we all play in contributing to the blessing of the whole Body of Christ and ensuring we remain faithful to the Great Commission to ‘go to all nations…’. We are privileged to be able to share of our resources and experience, and are greatly enriched by all we learn and receive from our brothers and sisters ministering the Gospel in often challenging parts of the world.

Iberia Missions Partnership

In 2023, one of the Assistant Pastors took on the leadership of VCUKI’s Iberia Missions Partnership. The aim of this cross-cultural mission team is to build long-term partnerships where friendships are cultivated, disciples are made, churches are planted, neighbourhoods are transformed and whole countries are impacted. A series of prayer meetings and events open to those across the UK have been hosted.

In December, one of the Assistant Pastors attended the Vineyard Iberia conference held in Barcelona, which was an opportunity to connect with other Iberia partnership leads from around the world and Vineyard church leaders from within Spain. Following the conference, they were invited to lead a service and minister at the Córdoba Vineyard.

Job Club

Job Club provides free 1:1 and group support to anyone who is unemployed or under- employed as they go through the process of finding work. We have been encouraged by the service and commitment of volunteer coaches giving of their time and expertise to those looking for work. Again, as the cost-of-living crisis continues to have increasing impact, the provision of this service continues to have a significant impact on those from the local community. We are grateful to Wandsworth Job Centre for the support they provide to us in referring clients to this free service provision.

Job Club is one of the key ways we can help support people back to the dignity of work and our team of coaches have provided excellent personalised 1:1 support to many. Without the care and attention given – often to those who have been out of work for many years – it is possible that these people would not find work. The impact on their own sense of self-worth, their contribution to both their families and society cannot be underestimated.

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Job Club also provides a benefit to the local Job Centre which, due to limited resources and time, is sometimes unable to provide the personalised support needed for certain clients. The Job Centre refers a number of clients to Job Club, and we are grateful for the partnership that exists between us as together we work towards supporting those looking for employment.

Leaders

We are grateful to the very many effective leaders at SWLV who give tirelessly of their time, energy and money in support of the ministry of the local church. Leaders at SWLV demonstrate a high level of Christian character and commitment and lead small groups, run teams, pioneer ministry areas, lead worship, preach at Sunday services, serve as Trustees, disciple others and live out Jesus’ call on their lives to love the Lord with all their heart, soul and strength.

As part of our commitment to identify, recruit, train, deploy, monitor and nurture leaders, 2023 saw the launch of the VCUKI Leadership Essentials course for all those wishing to grow in this area. Covering many of the more important and foundational aspects of leadership, Leadership Essentials was intended to give developing leaders the opportunity to grow in understanding and insight alongside others from the church family.

The curriculum, made up of a series of 18 pre-recorded video sessions delivered by national and international leaders from across the Vineyard movement, focused around the following areas; Vision and Calling – Understanding vision and calling and its importance in ministry; Spiritual and Emotional Capacity – Recognising the importance of self-awareness and strategic living; Communication – Demonstrating an understanding of key factors involved in communication; Leadership and Multiplication – Understanding the theology of leadership and its importance; Gathering and Mission – Understanding the role of gathering in the process of ministry. With the course being well-attended we are looking at ways in which this can be developed next year.

Throughout the year we held a number of Leaders’ Gatherings to provide training and equipping opportunities for further development, along with creating a space for transparency and accountability where questions could be asked and openly discussed.

In October 2023 we hosted a Leaders’ Houseparty weekend away in Kent to deepen relationships and build friendships. Our focus for the weekend was Embracing Difference where we began a conversation with leaders around how we embrace difference in the church especially relating to sexuality. Following the weekend away, we hosted 2 evenings online to repeat the material discussed at the weekend to ensure that all those unable to attend were able to join the conversation. Clearly this is a difficult and divisive topic, and we are genuinely grateful for the diversity of views held by both leaders and members of the church. Our hope is that we can continue to dialogue as brothers and sisters in Christ as we continue to extend the warm welcome of the kingdom of God to all those coming towards the church.

We are profoundly grateful to the many godly women and men who so freely share their calling, character and gifting with others as they seek to extend the kingdom of God. Without this diverse team of leaders running House Groups, Small Groups, Teams and Ministry Areas, the impact we would have as a church on those around us would be significantly reduced.

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Lent & Easter Events

During Sundays in Lent we ran our series, ‘Living Out Loud’, looking at the life of Jesus from the Gospels and the impact Jesus had on the lives of those from communities He was part of. This series highlighted the importance of us remaining ‘outward-focussed’ in all that we do as a church whether through the formal ministries of the church or through the day-to-day impact we have as followers of Jesus wherever

Over the 40 days of Lent, we ran a series of daily Lenten podcasts with a wide range of contributions being made by members of the congregation. On Good Friday we ran a reflective online communion service and on Easter Sunday celebrated baptisms. In addition, we curated a Good Friday Stations of the Cross Audio Walk, again with a number of contributions from members of the congregation to provide people with a reflective narrative of the events of Holy Week leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

Seasons like Lent and Easter give us all the opportunity to take time to reflect on the part we all play in the lives of those around us, both as wider church community and as individuals. This means that we are more likely to increase the spiritual, social and emotional benefits felt by an ever-wider group of people.

Newcomer Integration

We have seen a number of new people coming to both the church and our community events at the Yard. Newcomers visiting on a Sunday are welcomed by our teams and given a welcome gift, which includes information about the church and how they can get involved. The Senior Pastors then contact them with a personalised follow-up e-mail to find out how we can best support them as they look for a church community. Further follow-up emails are sent out from time to time after this to see how we can help new people integrate into the life of the church.

the church and includes: a letter from the Senior Pastors; information about Small Groups, Helping Out & Generosity; details of our commitment to Safeguarding and other well-designed resources helpful to those wanting to know more about who we are and how the church operates.

Throughout the year we hosted a series of Newcomers' Lunches after the morning service at the Ark, whereby those who are new to the church could meet the team and others who have been part of the church for a number of years and ask any questions they may have.

The Senior Pastors ran an online group for newcomers called Get Connected, which was intended to bring new people together online to find out more about the church and to meet other new people. This was followed up by a 6-week online course called Discovery, looking at the history of the Vineyard, the story of SWLV, our vision and values and some of the key elements of what we believe including: worship; ministry; training and sending.

The care and attention of the Welcome Teams and the quality of the information provided for those new to the church makes it as easy as possible for those coming towards the church to find a spiritual community they can belong to. A number of those new to the church are also new to the local area and so being provided a warm welcome helps them connect with a community of people they can contribute to in a meaningful and positive way.

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Pastoral Care

A core element of making, training and equipping disciples who love and serve one another is pastoral care.

providing extensive pastoral care support to a wide range of church members, local residents and other contacts through difficult times, both on an individual basis and through a range of church ministries and initiatives.

Much of our pastoral care work is unseen, and we are grateful for the many hours spent by so many in providing practical support, prayer, and encouragement to those in need.

facing a sometimes challenging and difficult life stage. A significant proportion of pastoral care takes place in and through our small groups, in particular our House Groups.

The very many hours of on-going pastoral care provided by so many of our leaders is almost impossible to quantify and is a wonderful demonstration of the church loving and serving one another and those around them. We remain incredibly grateful to our gifted and generous leaders who tirelessly devote themselves to ministering to, supporting and encouraging individuals in their care.

Staff and leaders continued to devote a significant amount of time reaching out to both church members and those connected to the church through various ministries to try to ensure that everyone connected to the church was taken care of when needed.

As with any community of people there will always be those facing challenges of many kinds at any given time. The pastoral care available to individuals through the life of the church offers an important lifeline and support to those who are struggling with health concerns; relational challenges; family issues; financial difficulties; bereavement; mental health struggles; spiritual questions; practical needs and a whole host of other needs. This pastoral care is a reflection of the church loving God with our whole heart, soul and strength and our neighbours as ourselves. These demonstrations of pastoral care are not restricted to those who are part of the church, as there are countless stories of members of the church reaching out to support and bless those of all faiths and none.

Prayer

Once again, one of the highlights of the past year has been the way in which the church has responded to the call to prayer.

In January the church committed to a Month of Prayer and during Lent we created additional spaces for people to gather and pray. In May we joined churches around the nation as part of Thy Kingdom Come, a global prayer movement that invites Christians around the world to pray from Ascension to Pentecost for more people to come to know Jesus and God’s kingdom of blessing to be extended in and through our lives. In September we started the term off with a week of prayer.

Over the course of the year, we continued to see prayer and prayer groups continue to thrive as a hugely important aspect of the life of the church. Prayer Online continued to run on a weekly basis, Sunday

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Morning Prayer has continued to flourish and grow, and a series of early morning prayer meetings online were made available throughout the year to encourage people to commit to prayer.

In addition to the above, our Sunday services and mid-week small groups continue to make space each week for individuals to receive prayer ministry. This invaluable expression of pastoral care enables those coming towards the church to stand alongside others in prayer.

Prayer is a vital and central aspect of our Christian faith and, although it can be hard to quantify, its benefits are wide and far reaching. Many of those who pray regularly see it as an opportunity to express their gratitude for things in their lives. Others who may turn to prayer when feeling out of control, stressed or under pressure comment on how prayer reduces feelings of isolation, anxiety and fear bringing instead a sense of calmness, peace, encouragement and support. Ultimately prayer fosters a sense of connection – between ourselves and God and with others for whom we may be praying for or praying with.

Small Groups

A wide range of small groups designed to serve both those from the church and our local communities continued to run across south west London in 2023.

Groups ranged from the highly spiritual to the highly social and included those focussed on the Bible, relationship, community and connection, as well as those designed to tackle more specific topics.

These small groups remain one of the primary points of contact whereby we can make, train, and equip disciples who love and serve Jesus, who love and serve one another, who love and serve their neighbours and who love and serve the world in which we live. Typically, each small group will reflect our key values of worship, fellowship, ministry, training and sending.

Small groups included: House Groups, Growth Groups (Bible study groups or structured courses), Life Stage Groups (for those at a similar life stage) and Connection & Activity groups (including sports and social groups). 24 small groups ran in Spring, 24 over Summer and 27 in Autumn.

Small Group Leaders' Gatherings were held over the course of 2023 with the purpose of connecting with other leaders, updating Small Group Leaders on what's happening across the life of the church, worshipping together, and ministering to one another.

These small groups play an integral part in building community, providing pastoral care and going deeper in our faith. The impact of the relationships built and lives shared cannot be underestimated and provides a safe space and sanctuary for many.

The Trustees would like to thank all those who have led and run small groups over the past year. The faithfulness and servant-hearted nature of the leaders has been a huge blessing and encouragement to so many and has played a significant and central role in ensuring the health and well-being of the church and wider community.

Sunday Services

Over the course of 2023 we gathered together weekly on Sundays as a church community at Ark Putney Academy where provision was made for adults, youth and children. The main focus of our Sunday

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gatherings would always centre around our values of worship, fellowship, ministry, training and sending and this was specifically curated for each specific group.

Age-specific groups, activities and ministries were run for children and youth.

short talk from the Bible, celebrating Communion and making space to minister to one another in the power of the Holy Spirit. Sunday talks throughout 2023 were Bible-based around some of the following themes: Unforced Rhythms of Grace; Prayer; Living out Loud; Vineyard Values; Colossians; Grief; Ruth; Advent.

break and were delighted to welcome back EzeeSport who run age-specific sports activities for children and youth. Guest speakers reflected from the Bible on Why Jesus? and their stories of life as a follower of Jesus.

In the autumn of 2023, we highlighted the importance of safeguarding by holding a Safeguarding Sunday.

Sunday services provide an opportunity for the church to come together as a community of faith and celebrate all that God is doing in and through their lives. The connection and focal point this affords enables us all to go deeper in our relationship with God, with one another and with the world in which we live. We come together as a church family and are sent out to be a blessing to those we meet during the course of our weeks from our local communities and places of work.

Tea & Toast

Tea & Toast continued to run from The Yard and provided a popular and much-needed point of relational connection for those from across the local community. Every Tuesday The Yard has been open for anyone to drop-in for some breakfast and a chance to chat. With over 1,125 toasted sandwiches having been served, the focus is purely social and aims to help foster meaningful relationships between neighbours from across the Ashburton Estate. During the colder months, Tea & Toast functioned as a warm space whereby people could come and keep warm, use phone chargers, laptops and printers.

The social impact of Tea & Toast on the lives of many from the local community has meant that deeper relational connections have been established and a wider sense of community built. It has proved to be a welcoming space where many have felt open to share some of their struggles and challenges before being sign-posted to local agencies who can offer them specialised support and advice.

Twenties & Thirties

With a number of those in their 20s & 30s having been impacted by the pandemic – many of whom moved away from London – we are pleased to see this important part of our church community begin to grow again with a number of those joining the church from this demographic.

A range of social gatherings for those in their 20s and 30s have taken place over the course of the year, along with a new small group, Pub Gospels, designed to create space for relationship and connection whilst sharing together some of the joys and challenges of following Jesus.

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place in a church community with those at a similar stage can be incredibly helpful in combatting loneliness, isolation and potential mental health challenges. As these young adults get connected to the life of the church by being part of small groups and finding somewhere to serve our hope is that they will build and deepen their relationship with God, with others and with those around them.

Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland

120 churches across the country. The church regularly grants a proportion of its income to support the work and objectives of Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland in establishing new churches and missions work abroad.

VCUKI provides a range of help and support to churches across the movement as they each pursue the call of God for their church. This support includes pastoral oversight; relational networking; resourcing and support; teaching and training, all reflective of our shared vision and values.

In 2023 our Children’s & Families Pastor joined the core team of Dream Kids at VCUKI’s summer youth festival, Dreaming The Impossible. Alongside giving a talk, his role included helping plan the programme and leading worship.

The staff team, along with other members of SWLV joined VCUKI’s national Vineyard Leaders’ Gathering in April 2023 for a time of teaching, encouragement and relationship building both for the team and the wider movement.

Over the course of the year, we joined with a range of VCUKI events including: VCKUI Worship conference; VCUKI Regional Days; London Senior Pastors’ events; VCUKI Prayer events; national Senior Pastors’ gatherings; VCUKI Training Days.

Gifts from SWLV granted to VCUKI help support both national and international church planting initiatives; international mission partnerships; coaching provision for local churches; national events including Vineyard Leadership Gathering, Dreaming the Impossible and The Cause to Live For; the development of theological and training resourcing through the Leadership College and Vineyard Ministry Pathway and the provision of gifts and grants to a number of churches across the movement to support the work being done.

In addition to our regular financial gifts to VCUKI, in May 2023, the Trustees approved a gift of £26,587 to VCUKI to support a range of Dreaming the Impossible youth events including the summer festivals.

Being part of a wider family of churches means that together we can become healthier, plant new churches, have greater kingdom impact and develop, train and equip other leaders.

VKids

Our vision for VKids is that our children come to church and have fun, build real friendships and learn what it is to be a family of followers of Jesus who love and serve God, love and serve one another and love and serve the world in which we live.

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VKids remains a fun, safe, engaging space for children to hear about God and experience His love in an age-appropriate way.

VKids is split into the following groups:

All children in VKids have a time for clear and simple teaching from the Bible and join together for worship and prayer.

Our amazing VKids leaders and teams – all of whom are trained, DBS-checked and have a real heart for children and families – have continued to work tirelessly to provide an outstanding level of support and resourcing to children, parents, and families.

Events were run throughout the year to gather, support, equip and encourage VKids teams and leaders alike and, in response to feedback from the teams, improvements have been made in the organisation and provision of resources both at the Ark and at the offices. It is our hope that these and other improvements will encourage, equip and support the VKids teams in the important work they do.

In the spring term, VKids were led through a study of Jesus’ life through the Gospel of Luke. During Lent, the focus was on Jesus the Rescuer. In the summer term VKids worked through the book of Acts and looked at the subject of Worship, before working through Old Testament stories in the autumn. Our Advent series was on the Christmas story.

Over the summer EzeeSport ran a series of sports-based sessions during our Six Weeks of Summer programme, with invitations being extended to those from across the local community. This popular event enables all those who normally serve on VKids & Youth teams to take a much-needed break over the summer holidays and also acts as a summer club for those from the local area in need of free activities for their children over the summer break.

their relationship with God, with themselves, with one another and with the world in which they live. This important area, which provides a welcoming and safe environment for all, strengthens families and helps build community both across the church and beyond.

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Warm Space

In light of the current cost-of-living crisis, especially relating to continued high energy prices, we have been pleased to provide a warm space at The Yard where those from the local community can spend time keeping warm at no extra cost to themselves. Guests are offered free drinks and food, along with the use of phone charging equipment and laptops.

Whilst this may not solve the cost-of-living crisis, this has proved to be a valuable space helping those most in need through the winter months and ensuring they are not alone.

Website

Our new website was launched in October 2023, again designed and delivered by our Communications Manager. This was a large and complex project requiring the time to ensure our website is reflective of who we are as a church community thereby enabling those coming towards the church to gain a real understanding of our vision, values and purpose.

Between October 2023 and February 2024, we have seen over 2,000 new users with 9,700 page views. Most views were of the Home Page (2,700) and Calendar (1,300).

The website redesign has resulted in a significant increase in traffic and a number of those now visiting us on a Sunday comment on how the website proved to be an invaluable resource in them finding out more about us.

The website is an important channel by which people engage with the church and, in many ways, functions as our ‘shop window’. When looking for a church to call home, people will scan websites to see which ones reflect shared values and vision. Providing ready and easy access to helpful categories including small groups and events, along with important policies including Safeguarding; Complaints Handling; Whistleblowing: Spiritual Abuse; Governance; Privacy etc. are all ways in which we can help demonstrate accountability and transparency to all.

Wellbeing Journey

In October we invited those from the church and local community to take part in The Wellbeing Journey.

The Wellbeing Journey is series of interactive videos and discussions to help improve physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. Covering a wide range of topics including: physical wellbeing, emotional wellbeing, spiritual wellbeing, relational wellbeing, financial wellbeing and vocational wellbeing, these sessions are designed to help individuals and communities address some of key challenges facing people in these times.

The Wellbeing Journey was run at a local café in Putney and was well-attended by both those from the church as well as the local community.

Those who attended appreciated the relaxed and informal setting and the opportunity to engage with important topics with an open and supportive group. Given the very many challenges so many are facing – both in the wake of the global pandemic and the current cost-of-living crisis – it is important that individuals from a range of different backgrounds are equipped with the vocabulary to talk about these important areas of mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing.

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Women

Women’s Ministry has continued to flourish over the course of the year with a number of gatherings specifically designed for women and women leaders.

We are fortunate to have such an outstanding group of women at SWLV many of whom bring extensive experience of leadership, entrepreneurship, expertise and wisdom, all of which is freely shared as together we seek to make a difference to the individuals and communities around us.

It has been a privilege to see a number of women speaking on Sundays and taking leadership roles across the life of the church. We remain committed to seeing women taking their rightful place, not only in the life of the church, but in its leadership, management and oversight.

spent time as women to pray for all those affected: for the families, for the school and for the local community all of whom were significantly impacted by these tragic events.

Following the atrocities in Gaza and Israel, we were delighted to welcome a guest speaker. Having just returned from 9 months in Jerusalem, Nicola was able to share her experiences of engaging with communities in East & West Jerusalem, as she travelled through Israel and the West Bank, learning something of the layered stories of many. In the midst of the current escalating conflict, this was a wonderful opportunity to, once again, reflect on ways in which we embrace difference as well as giving space to pray for all those in Israel and Gaza.

Worship

We believe that worship is our highest priority in the Vineyard and central to our commitment to make, train and equip disciples who love and serve Jesus and who love and serve others. Over the course of 2023, we have continued to go deeper in our worship with the Worship Pastor investing in developing and overseeing worship teams.

Throughout the year a series of worship community gatherings were held to strengthen and deepen the relationships between the many people who give of their time and energy in this important area. Alongside training and team building events a number from the worship teams attended the VCUKI worship conference, ‘Come Holy Spirit’.

The Yard

The Yard is our ministry space and community centre on the Ashburton estate in Putney and has been our base throughout 2023 for a range of community-focused initiatives including: Foodbank, Growbaby, Small Groups, Housing Advice, Job Club, Financial Advice, Benefits Advice, Citizen's Advice Bureau Support, and a range of community social events.

These initiatives are led by staff members, lay leaders, external agencies, and a significant number of volunteers.

The Community Outreach & Evangelism Pastor has done a great job developing both existing areas of ministry and pioneering new initiatives tailored to meet the needs of the most vulnerable from the local community. Over the course of the year, relationships and connections with local churches and

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organisations have been strengthened and established with many showing support for the many initiatives at The Yard through generous donations of food and clothing. The Community & Outreach Pastor was invited to speak at local churches specifically about the ministry at The Yard.

Alongside Foodbank and Growbaby, Job Club has built steadily over the year and provided a much-needed support to those looking to get back into work.

The Yard has continued to open up as a drop in space for those from the local community to gather in a warm space and build relationship with one another over a hot drink and some free food. Tea & Toast on Tuesdays and Exploring Faith have been great additions to the services offered at the Yard and key relationships have been forged as a result.

The Yard remains a central part of our calling and mission as a church to serve those around us and especially those most in need. We are grateful for the privilege it is to build and deepen relationship with those from our local community and, wherever possible, to invite them along to church and point them towards Jesus.

welcoming, safe space for all to enjoy irrespective of ethnicity, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, or beliefs (including lack of religion or beliefs) is a wonderful opportunity for all to benefit from being part of the wider ministry of SW London Vineyard.

Youth

Here at SW London Vineyard, we want everyone – especially our young people – to feel welcome and at home. For those of aged between 11 - 18, Youth Church runs every Sunday morning at the Ark and each week over 20 youth gather together for a catch up over breakfast, Bible study, games and sport. Key themes for this year have been the Armour of God and Worship.

On the second Friday of the month, over 20 young people, many of whom are friends of the youth, join our Youth Club in Putney, which is a space to bring friends, chill out, watch movies, eat pizza, and connect with one another in an informal setting.

In February, the youth hosted the Sunday Service in a Youth takeover, leading all aspects of the service including worship, serving, teaching and ministry.

Every so often we run youth social events which in 2023 included a DTI Roadtrip, David’s Tent Worship events, and bowling.

Over the summer 14 youth attended the VCUKI national youth festival Dreaming the Impossible

Especially in the wake of the pandemic, the provision of a safe space for youth to explore their faith with a team of trained and trusted leaders has proved to be invaluable. Not only does this provide them with an opportunity to reflect on their own relationship with God, it gives the young people a safe space to talk through some of the important issues and challenges they face on a daily basis. This in turn has a positive impact on their mental health, spiritual and emotional wellbeing.

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Volunteer Workforce and Leaders

Over the course of 2023 we have seen a number of people joining volunteer ministry teams across the church. These teams are central to our on-going ability to offer the incredibly wide range of ministries and services as we have always done.

A number of key initiatives have helped with this including the appointment of a Teams’ Pastor in January of this year.

The Teams’ Pastor has worked hard to identify opportunities for people to give of their time and energy in a voluntary capacity and has developed a range of materials to ensure this is done in a safe and appropriate way. All teams now receive a Teams’ Welcome Pack which includes: written role descriptions; safeguarding information and a thank you card.

To ensure teams are properly resourced for their roles, volunteers are required to undergo basic training in Child Safeguarding, Adult Safeguarding, First Aid and Health & Safety (risk assessment; fire safety; manual handling; slips, trips and falls). This provision equips all our teams with appropriate training in the areas that apply to their role and helps ensure that SW London Vineyard remains as safe a place as possible for all.

In July 2023, we hosted a Teams ‘Thank You’ event to express our gratitude to the 120+ people who serve in a voluntary capacity here at SWLV. This evening drinks party, at Pembroke Lodge, Richmond Park was a wonderful opportunity to gather together and celebrate all that has been achieved in and through these teams.

We have been incredibly blessed by God and remain deeply indebted to the Lord for the very many wonderful servants committed to Christ, His Church, and His Cause through the ministry of SW London Vineyard, even when faced with the challenges of a cost-of-living crisis and on-going global uncertainty.

In so many very diverse and creative ways servant-hearted, kingdom-focussed, passionate and gifted individuals have set about to

'equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.' Ephesians 4:11-12

Without each one of these doing their part, quite simply, there would be no SW London Vineyard and we are very grateful to each and every one.

Safeguarding & Spiritual Abuse

Safeguarding continues to be a priority and key focus here at SW London Vineyard and we take all safeguarding matters extremely seriously as we work hard to ensure the safety and well-being of all members of the congregation attending any and all SWLV services and events.

The annual Safeguarding Policy review was conducted by the Safeguarding Co-ordinators in March 2023 and the Policy revised and updated according to current legislation and best practice before being reviewed by the Designated Safeguarding Trustee, the Board of Trustees and Thirtyone:eight.

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In light of the number of cases relating to allegations of Spiritual Abuse in the wider church, we felt the only appropriate response was to ensure our policies and practices were made clear to all those at SWLV, to recognise the devastating consequences of spiritual abuse along with how concerns should be raised.

As a church, SW London Vineyard is committed to being open, honest, and accountable before the Lord, and we are wanting to actively encourage healthy and transparent relationships across the church – whether between members of the congregation, teams, staff, Trustees or leaders. Tackling problems, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, is vitally important to maintaining the overall health and wellbeing of the church and all who are part of it.

It is our belief that the Church has a duty of responsibility to guard against the dangers of spiritual abuse and the harm it can bring to individuals and communities. As a result, the Trustees approved a framework, made available to all members of SWLV and publicly available on our website outlining; how to recognise spiritual abuse; key characteristics of spiritual abuse; reporting concerns of spiritual abuse and resources to agencies who specialise in supporting those affected by spiritual abuse.

We would like to express our gratitude to all those who helped contribute to this paper, especially Prof. Lisa Oakley, Professor of Safeguarding and Knowledge Exchange, University of Chester.

Throughout 2023, we have focused on ensuring SWLV is a safe space for everyone. We have done this by reviewing and making updates to our policies, providing ongoing training and ensuring rigorous complaints processes are in place for every member of SWLV, staff, volunteers and those who make use of our activities and services. We have also pro-actively collaborated with social services and other authorities in ongoing situations where appropriate. A large amount of time is spent training our staff and volunteers, and ensuring our processes and procedures are robust and regularly reviewed.

Within our training and resources, we make clear that safeguarding issues can occur within both SWLV and also at associated events. We do also underline that such issues have the potential to occur elsewhere, such as when SWLV members and volunteers open up their homes to others, outside of formal SWLV events and activities.

Additionally, as part of our on-going commitment to Safeguarding, all workers – including volunteers – with Children, Youth or Adults at Risk are appointed, trained, supported and supervised in accordance with government guidance on safe recruitment.

This includes ensuring that:

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In November we joined in with Safeguarding Sunday, a Thirtyone:eight national initiative intended to raise awareness of Safeguarding across the church and specifically to identify appropriate ways of reporting concerns. Key personnel including the Safeguarding Coordinators and Designated Safeguarding Trustee, along with independent agencies, were highlighted to ensure those in the church are aware of resources available to them.

An A5 card outlining Safeguarding principles along with key contact details has been made available to all volunteers, small group leaders, children and youth teams and is included in every newcomers’ pack.

As part of our commitment to Safeguarding, all workers and volunteers – not just those working with Children, Youth or Adults at Risk – will be expected to complete Safeguarding Children and Safeguarding Adults training. This will raise the awareness of Safeguarding across the whole of the church thereby helping to ensure that SWLV remains a safe place for all.

In addition to the above, ‘safeguarding quizzes’ are now included on a regular basis as part of the VKids pre-service team meetings. These short ‘pop quizzes’ reinforce best practice guidelines and are tailored to specific potential situations that could take place in VKids, thereby helping keep the importance of Safeguarding front and centre as well as reinforcing key learning.

Here at SWLV we remain committed to ensuring a high standard of Safeguarding for all children, youth and adults at risk. We work hard to ensure our policies, practices and procedures around safeguarding are robust and frequently reviewed and revised. This practice is central to our ministry and calling to be a welcoming and safe space for all and especially for those who are most vulnerable. As we seek to follow Jesus, we will do all we can to prevent any kind of abuse from happening and to respond well where concerns are raised.

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FINANCIAL GIFTS

Financial Gifts from Appeals

At the beginning of the year we held restricted funds of £12,025. During the year this was boosted by restricted donations (including gift aid and items donated to the Growbaby ministry) totalling £6,912. From this we spent £6,250 to help those affected by the war in Ukraine and just under £6,507 to support projects we ran ourselves to help the local community. At the year-end we held restricted funds of £6,180 and we anticipate that most of this will be spent in 2024.

Other Financial Gifts

In addition to the above, during the year financial gifts were made (or awarded to) the following organisations:

In addition to the above, financial gifts were given via the Acts 435 initiative.

ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW

The Senior Pastors continued to lead South West London Vineyard throughout 2023, with a focus on setting the vision and direction of the overall ministry of the church. One of the Senior Pastors also acted as a Trustee.

In January 2023 a part-time Women’s & Teams’ Pastor joined the team.

In October 2023 our part-time Administrative Manager returned to work from maternity Leave. As a result, the fixed term contract for our part-time Administrative Assistant’s maternity leave cover came to an end. We are delighted that upon returning to work the Administrative Manager, alongside their existing role managing finance and compliance, will be stepping into a new role taking greater responsibility for the management and oversight of the staff team and other key areas of ministry.

In October we were delighted to appoint to the role of Pastoral Assistant: Ministry Support. This role is principally intended to serve as ministry support to our Children’s and Families Pastor and Youth Pastor and we look forward to the impact they will have, given their extensive experience both with SWLV and in professional roles.

During the course of the year, new staff were taken through a full induction process including:

Contracts; Disciplinary Procedures; DSE; Eligibility to work in UK; Employee Handbook; Expenses Claims Forms; Facilities; Fire Safety; Job Description & Person Specification; Job Role; GDRP; Grievance Procedures; Health & Safety; Health & Safety Handbook; HMRC Starter Checklist; Holiday Forms; Hours

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of Work; Lone Working; Offer Letter; Policies & Procedures; Probationary Periods; Record of Equipment Issued; References; Reporting Relationships; Salary; Sickness; Staff Benefits; Whistleblowing.

Following induction, an End of Induction meeting is held after 1 month, an Interim Review after 3 months and an End of Probation Review after 6 months. On completion of the Probationary Period, the staff member is notified in writing of the outcome.

throughout the year. The Staff Team meet regularly both as a whole team and for individual 1:1 meetings.

The Trustees would like to take this opportunity to express their gratitude to the Staff Team for their ongoing hard work and without whom almost none of the many and varied ministries outlined in this report would take place.

Premises

Throughout 2023 Sunday services continued at Ark Putney Academy which offers us both adequate provision of space, car parking and exclusive use, thereby reducing potential Safeguarding risks.

During the summer, due to extensive refurbishment works being carried out to the Main Hall, we relocated to the Upper Foyer. With the promise of a fully functioning new heating installation to the Main Hall, we were more than happy to do this.

The Staff Team continued to work from the church offices at Heston Court, Camp Road, Wimbledon.

The Yard, South West London Vineyard's community centre on the Ashburton Estate in Putney, continued to be used as a focal point for our outreach activities to the local community and as a centre for many of our ministries focussing on those in need.

GDPR, Database and Communications Tools

Over the course of 2023 we continued to use ChurchSuite as our primary database and communication tool, remaining compliant with changes in legislation.

Health & Safety

WorkNest continued to act throughout 2023 as our Health & Safety advisors and in the early part of the year carried out full Health & Safety audits across all sites (Ark, Offices and The Yard). We were pleased to see that the report highlighted only medium to low priority actions, all of which are being actioned by the Operations Pastor.

Through the use of an online portal, we are able to effectively manage risk across all sites and ensure that we remain compliant with current Health & Safety legislation across a wide number of areas including; fixed electrical wiring; RIDDOR; enforcement notices; fire safety; gas safety; first aid; statutory inspections; manual handling; risk assessments; training records; emergency lighting; legionella testing; pest control; lone working; etc. This represents and requires a significant amount of management and control to ensure we continue to provide safe places for workers, volunteers and members of the public across all churchrelated activities.

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WorkNest also provides us with a central location for recording that necessary checks are being completed at regular intervals, along with a central storage location for certificates, policies, risk assessments and other Health & Safety records.

With full access to the Health & Safety Knowledge Hub and with access to Health & Safety and expert legal advice, we are able to effectively monitor and manage this important area for an organisation such as ours.

Training

The Health & Safety Executive requires that organisations with at least one employee should provide the same level of protection to volunteers where they carry out similar activities and are exposed to the same level of risk as employees. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA) protects employees and others who may be affected by work activities. This includes those volunteering for, or on behalf of the organisation and is enforced by HSE.

To ensure that SWLV remains as safe a place for everyone, including all workers and volunteers, we seek to do all we can to protect both employees and volunteers from any potential risks arising from churchrelated activities. A key part of this means that volunteers, as well as employees, are included in risk assessments in order to identify any potential significant risk and implement effective control measures.

requirement to undergo Health & Safety and Safeguarding training provided through Astute (part of WorkNest). The basic training level for all staff, trustees and volunteers includes: Introduction to Safeguarding Adults & Awareness of Safeguarding Adults; Introduction to Safeguarding Children & Awareness of Safeguarding Children; First Aid; Introduction to Working Safely (Your Health & Safety, Risk Assessment, Fire Safety, Slips & Trips and Manual Handling). At the time of writing, 64% of staff and volunteers enrolled on these courses have completed relevant aspects and we continue to work hard to encourage all those volunteering to make this a priority.

We recognise the significant amount of time and effort it takes to work through these modules, and we are grateful to all those who have recognised the importance of undergoing such training to ensure SWLV remains a safe place for all.

In addition to the above basic training modules, the staff team have access to additional modules including; Anti Bribery & Corruption; Appraisals; Coaching; Diversity & Inclusion; Driving at Work; DSE; Electrical Safety; Environmental Awareness; Food Safety (Levels 1-3); Legionella & Water Safety; Managing Personal Stress; Martyn’s Law; Mental Health; Modern Slavery Awareness; New Mothers in the Workplace; Personal Data Protection; Personal Safety; Remote Working; Preventing Discrimination and Harassment in the Workplace; Respect in the Workplace; RIDDOR; Supporting Mental Health at Work; Working with Dual Screens; Working with Young People; UK Equality Legislation; Violence & Aggression.

Alongside the above, members of the staff team have undertaken the following additional training where relevant to their roles; additional Safeguarding training; ChurchSuite training; De-escalation training; Emergency First Aid Training at Work; Fire Warden training; Foodbank Signposting; Mental Health First Aid training; Paediatric First Aid.

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One of the senior pastors gained accreditation as a trainer in C-Me (a behaviour profiling tool designed to empower employees and improve performance). This enabled the team to utilise their personal C-Me profiles as part of a series of team building and personal development exercises.

Policies, Procedures & Practices

With the increasing number of laws and regulations churches are required to comply with, our on-going commitment to review and revise our policies and procedures continued throughout 2023.

Policies and procedures help to ensure that, as an organisation, we comply with best practice and legal regulation. Much like an endoskeleton, policies, procedures and practices provide the necessary support structures; protect the health of the organisation; and enable the church to remain mobile and actively engaged in the important work of ministry.

Over the course of 2023 we have reviewed or revised a number of policies and practices including:

Anti-Money-Laundering, Terrorism & Bribery; Bullying & Harassment; Climate Justice; Complaints Handling; Communications; Cookies; COSHH; Cyber Security; Data Protection; Dealing with the Media; Display Screen Equipment; Environmental Impact; Equal Opportunities; Equality, Diversity & Inclusion; Ethical Investment; Financial Reserves; GDPR; Grievance Procedure; Health & Safety; Internal Control; Lone Working; Making Payments Overseas; Martyn’s Law; Modern Slavery; New & Expectant Mothers; Online Safety; Pastoral Care; Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans; Privacy; Reserves; Risk Management; Sabbatical; Safeguarding Children, Youth and Adults at Risk; Safer Recruitment; Safety in the Workplace; Social Media Usage; Spiritual Abuse; Staff Appraisals including 360° Reviews; Staff Handbook; Stress in the Workplace; Trustee Conflict of Interest; Violence & Aggression in the Workplace; Violence Prevention; Violence Towards Staff & Teams; Whistleblowing; Working Time Regulations; Working at Height; Volunteer Recruitment & Management.

Finance Support

At the start of the Administrative Manager’s maternity leave in October 2022, the Trustees authorised the outsourcing of the day-to-day handling of SWLV finances to an independent firm of accountants, Rogers Spencer. The firm was appointed following the comparison of a number of quotations and they ensured that proper accounting procedures were followed throughout the following 12-month period.

The Trustees would like to express their thanks to the Community Outreach & Evangelism Pastor, a qualified accountant, who – in addition to his current workload – stepped in to monitor and oversee dayto-day financial transactions on behalf of the Staff Team and Trustees.

The agreement with Rogers Spencer was terminated at the end of the Administrative Manager’s period of maternity leave when they returned to their role.

Structure, Governance & Management

SW London Vineyard (incorporated on 13 February 1995) is a charitable company (limited by guarantee) and is governed by the Memorandum and Articles of Association which were adopted on 13 February 1995.

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The governing document was amended by special resolution passed on 3 August 2008 and, more recently, by a special resolution passed in February 2023. As a charity, the church acts entirely as a non-profit making organisation. The church has also been granted exemption from using the word "Limited" in its title.

Trustees would usually be expected to be Christian and either leaders or professionals of some standing and repute. Additionally, they will have become familiar with the values, ethos, ministry and operations of the church through their commitment to the local church.

Checks are undertaken to ensure they are in good standing and that they:

All new Trustees are supplied with the following:

Structure, Governance & Management continued

New Trustees are recruited and appointed by the existing Trustees, although a standing invitation remains in place for anyone who would like to be considered for the role. Trustees are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law. New Trustees are provided with information relevant to their duties and are encouraged to undertake relevant training to help them with their responsibilities.

Ireland, a wider network of approximately 120 churches across the country. SW London Vineyard regularly grants a proportion of its income to the work of Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland to support the establishing of new churches and missions work abroad.

Trustees / Directors

date of this report:

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Martyn Wake served as a trustee until he resigned on 10 July 2023.

Helen Kite served as Company Secretary.

The Trustees met formally on 6 occasions throughout 2023:

Statement of Responsibilities

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Annual Report and Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Charity and company law requires the Trustees/Directors to prepare Financial Statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charitable company as at the balance sheet date and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure, for the financial year.

The Trustees/Directors are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the Financial Statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

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Internal Controls

As part of their continuing responsibility, the Trustees have endeavoured to ensure that reasonable internal control procedures are in place as appropriate for the development of the church.

These include:

Risk Management and Compliance

Throughout 2023, the Trustees continued to maintain a centralised Risk Register to identify and mitigate major strategic, operational and financial risks to the charity. The full Risk Register was reviewed on a regular basis by the Trustees and discussed as a standing agenda item at all Trustees’ Meetings. The Risk Register is available for all Trustees to review at any time via GoogleDocs.

The risks listed in the Risk Register include those which focus on Governance, Leadership, Financial, Operational, Safeguarding and External risks. In addition to the on-going risks that are on the register from year to year, specific risks identified and mitigated during 2023 included:

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current reserve assets; monitoring income trends and making appropriate reductions in costs and/or strategies to increase income accordingly

On-going monitoring was carried out during 2023 with regard to the compliance requirements of the church in the areas of Child Protection, Disability Discrimination, Employment Law, Health & Safety, etc.

WorkNest continued to act as the church’s HR consultants and worked closely with the Senior Pastors and Administrative Manager ensuring compliance in employment matters and enabling the church to keep fully up to date with changes in Employment Law.

WorkNest continued to act as the church’s Health & Safety Consultants, again working closely with the Senior Pastors and Operations Pastor to ensure compliance in health and safety best practice ensuring the church was kept up to date with current Health & Safety legislation and best practice.

WorkNest also provided Staff & Volunteer training modules in the form of an E-Learning platform thereby ensuring that training and equipping resources are made available to all workers and volunteers to keep SWLV a safe place for everyone.

Thirtyone:eight continued to provide support and provision for all Safeguarding matters and we remain indebted to their professional and thorough on-going support and advice whenever Safeguarding concerns are raised.

Mazars Financial Planning Limited acted throughout the year as the charity's Investment Advisers and continued to provide investment advice to the Trustees to ensure the best stewardship of the financial resources entrusted into our hands by God.

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FINANCIAL REVIEW

The 2023 accounts were independently examined by an employee of Stewardship Services (UKET) Ltd.

The charity continues to rely on the generous donations of its members as its principal source of income. In the current cost-of-living crisis, especially with increasing energy prices, we have taken steps to keep bills under review and negotiated a fixed-term contract with suppliers to keep costs as low as possible.

During the year income was almost unchanged at £643,000 (2022: £641,000). Donation income fell by £10,000 but this was more than compensated by increases in income from investments and from the events we ran.

Expenditure increased by £164,000 to £795,000. The main reasons for this were:

operating activities. Changes in the market value of the charity's investments gave rise to a gain of £39,000 (2022: a loss of £121,000) and therefore, overall, the charity has reported a deficit this year of £113,000 (2022: £111,000).

This year's increase in the market value of the charity’s investment portfolio reverses some of the previous year's large fall. The Trustees continue to closely monitor the performance of the charity's investments and take investment advice (see below).

The charity's net assets decreased by £113,000 to £1,254,000. Net assets comprised tangible and intangible fixed assets of £261,000, investments of £927,000 and net current assets of £66,000. Net current assets included cash of £62,000, of which £54,000 was unrestricted.

Investment Policy .

Mazars Financial Planning Limited acted throughout the year as the charity's Investment Advisers.

The Trustees wish to invest principally for capital growth at this point, with any income being accumulated for now but with the potential for income to be paid to SWLV in the future. The Trustees may choose to use the funds for the purchase of property, but they may be used for other expenditure.

In their investment decisions, the Trustees use the following principles:

33

In order to meet the investment objective and to stay within the investment principles, the Trustees have decided to invest most of the portfolio in UK and overseas equities and in fixed interest securities.

Reserves Policy

On the one hand we wish to store up in the good years for use in the years of famine (Genesis 42 v28-31) without hoarding for its own sake, whilst on the other we want to avoid storing up for ourselves treasures

34

on earth (Matthew 6 v19-20) and therefore wish to use any income we receive for the benefit of the kingdom of God as soon as possible.

Our Reserves Policy is framed around holding adequate reserves for:

Category Definition Vehicle Approach
Growth & future
projects		 Money set aside for a
specific future project
or to safeguard the
charity against
anticipated but
unknown future
events		 Mazars Investment
Portfolio		 SW London
Vineyard's
Investment Strategy
is reviewed on an
annual basis. Future
goals discussed with
Mazars on an
annual basis to
ensure funds are
being invested
appropriately
(short-term/ long-
term etc.)
Regular, short- term
fluctuations		 Money which is used
for the charity's
normal day-to-day
spending
Stewardship
recommends that the
charity current
account never drops
below an amount
equal to a full
month's normal
spending		 Bank of Scotland
Current Account
CAF Bank Account
(Balances up to
£85,000 are covered
by the Financial
Services
Compensation
Scheme for each
banking group with
which we bank. The
CAF Bank account will
be used as a back-up
account where the
Bank of Scotland
account exceeds this
amount)		 Monthly review
through MIR and
cashflow of current
operating costs
against income.
Funds can be
withdrawn from the
Mazars Investment
Portfolio – subject
to Trustee written
approval – and held
in the CAF Bank
account where
funds in the Bank of
Scotland account
exceed the FSCS
limit (£85,000)

35

Financial setbacks: Money set aside to
cover ongoing church
costs of the charity in
the event of a loss of
income or an increase
in running expenses
or where a deficit
budget has been
approved
As these funds might
be called on at
relatively short
notice, Stewardship
recommends that it is
generally only
appropriate for them
to be invested in
deposit or notice
accounts where the
amount available is
known, guaranteed
and fully accessible at
short notice		 CAF Bank Account
Mazars Investment
Portfolio		 The Trustees have
agreed to retain
unrestricted and
undesignated
reserves to the
equivalent of 4
months' budgeted
expenditure,
currently £250,000,
in the Mazars
Investment Portfolio
An annual cashflow
is prepared and
updated monthly to
anticipate the likely
timing of
withdrawals from
the Mazars
Investment
Portfolio. In
discussion with our
Account Manager,
these funds will be
prepared for
subsequent
withdrawal and may
be disinvested for
storage in a cash
fund/ short-term
holding account
(e.g. Gilts if to be
held by Mazars), or
otherwise
transferred to the
CAF Bank account
(up to the FSCS limit
of £85,000)

36

The Trustees have set Where the charity is aside £188,000 (3 unable to meet its Designated ‘Wind Up months of average financial obligations Costs’ fund held in expenditure at the Insolvency following the the Mazars point of calculation) liquidation of assets Investment Portfolio to absorb the costs and investments and involved in the event must be wound up of insolvency

The overall target for holding reserves (being unrestricted investments plus unrestricted net current assets) is £633,000. Following the closure of the designated Building fund this year the actual reserves held at the year end amounted to £987,000, which is in excess of the minimum required by the stated policy. For the time being, the trustees plan to continue to invest in the charity’s services and anticipate that the charity will use some of the excess over the coming year.

37

FUTURE PLANS

As we look ahead to 2024, the following are some of the future plans as we look to see the kingdom of God extended in the lives of those around us.

Vision

Our vision for 2024 is to make, train and equip disciples who love and serve Jesus; who love and serve those around us; who love and serve the world in which we live and who love and serve His Body, the church. We want to remain true to our calling from Matthew 22, the Greatest Commandment, to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, soul and strength and to love our neighbours as ourselves. In order to do that we wish to remain faithful to our calling from Matthew 28, the Great Commission, to go to all nations, making disciples, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything Jesus has commanded.

Prayer

Prayer continues to be central to all we do and so, once again, we will begin the new year with a prayer week and ensure a number of prayer spaces including online prayer, Sunday morning prayer and others will be available to people so that they can connect with others to pray.

In May we aim to join with churches from around the world as part of Thy Kingdom Come – a global prayer movement that invites Christians around the world to pray from Ascension to Pentecost.

Alpha

Having run The Wellbeing Journey is 2023 as a form of ‘pre-Alpha’, we plan to run Alpha again giving people the opportunity to ask questions about life and the Christian faith in a safe and supportive environment.

Bereavement Journey

Following the preaching series on grief, we aim to launch The Bereavement Journey, a series of films and discussion groups that gently guide people, bereaved at any time, through the most common aspects of grief and bereavement, enabling them to process the implications for themselves and discern next steps.

This 7-week course offers an optional final session on faith questions in bereavement, provided from a Christian perspective. The Bereavement Journey is suitable for people of any faith or none and will be available to all.

Communications

as wide a group of people as possible with the good news of the Gospel of Jesus and the kingdom of God. We plan to roll out MyChurchSuite – effectively church in your pocket – to all members of the church, thereby enabling them to more easily access all the goings on in the life of the church including; small groups; events; communications; giving etc.

In addition, in order to remain compliant with GDPR, we will be launching the SWLV WhatsApp Community. This will enable all small groups and serving teams across the church to be able to communicate with one another in a safe and compliant way. Members of the church will be invited to join the SWLV WhatsApp Community and will then request to join groups that they are actively part of. Our

38

hope is that these initiatives will help create greater engagement and interaction between church members whilst highlighting the many and varied ways in which we can together engage and be a blessing to our local communities.

keen to continue the conversation as together we find ways to provide a welcoming and safe space for all irrespective of ethnicity, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, or beliefs (including lack of religion or beliefs).

Financial Stability

Given the disruption and uncertainty of the past few years, and the current cost-of-living crisis, we are very mindful of the need to steward the resources the Lord has entrusted to us as well and as faithfully as possible.

We are so grateful for the incredible financial generosity of so many and will continue to work hard to ensure resources are managed in such a way so that we can be faithful to the mandate of our calling as a church.

Over the course of 2024 we will endeavour to communicate more effectively the difference every financial gift makes to those in the church as well as across our local communities – especially to those who are most vulnerable.

Leadership Development

Following on from this year’s Leadership Essentials course, the Senior Pastors plan to start a Disciples & Leaders group in 2024.

The aim of this group will be to further discuss some of the topics explored in the Leadership Essentials course focussing on some of the key ways, here in the Vineyard at least, we believe we've been called to love and serve those around us in light of Jesus' mandate from Matthew 28. Alongside that, to help us focus on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and all we read in Matthew 22 to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and strength, we will be asking those who want to join us to gather with others to work through resources on being a disciple.

Given the challenges of our current cultural moment, we feel it is important to create a space to explore together how we retain our vision and values, whilst doing so in as safe, appropriate and culturally relevant a way as possible.

Policies Audit

Over the course of 2023 a number of policies have been reviewed, revised and updated and over the coming year we aim to continue our on-going reviews of policies and procedures to ensure the proper infrastructure remains in place to enable us to function as well as we can as an organisation.

In light of the number of recent allegations across the wider church regarding leadership failures and spiritual abuse, we want to continue the work we have started on ensuring transparency and accountability in the church. We believe this starts by ensuring we have robust and carefully thought

39

through policies and procedures addressing key issues whilst maintaining open and honest communication.

We would like to thank the Trustees for their support and assistance in ensuring our policies and procedures remain current and are in-keeping with latest legislation.

Sabbatical

One of the things strongly recommended by Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland is that all Senior Pastors should take a 3-month period of sabbatical every 7 years. Having led SWLV for the past 15 years, the Trustees are delighted that the Senior Pastors will be taking their first 3-month sabbatical from May - July 2024.

smoothly in their absence and, while this period of sabbatical will give the Senior Pastors a chance to pause and seek the Lord, it will give the church community an opportunity to step-up and help out.

APPROVAL

This report, which has been prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies, was approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by:

Rachel Moseley Rachel Moseley (Jul 21, 2024 21:14 GMT+1)

…………………………….

Rachel Moseley Chair of Trustees and Director

Jul 21, 2024 Date:……………………………

40

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT

TO THE TRUSTEES OF

SW LONDON VINEYARD

('the Company')

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 December 2023 on pages 42 to 54 following, which have been prepared on the basis of the accounting policies set out on pages 45 and 46.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity’s trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’).

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

Since the Company’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a Fellow of the Association of Charity Independent Examiners, which is one of the listed bodies.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

  3. the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair' view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or

  4. the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Ajay Rajani

Ajay Rajani (Aug 5, 2024 10:34 GMT+1)

Ajay Rajani FCIE Fellow of the Association of Charity Independent Examiners Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage London EC1Y 8AB

Date: Aug 5, 2024

Page 41

SW LONDON VINEYARD

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

Note
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM:
Donations and legacies
3
Charitable activities
4
Dividends and interest receivable
Total income and endowments
EXPENDITURE ON:
Fundraising costs:
Investment management costs
Charitable activities:
5
Total expenditure
Net expenditure before investment losses
Net gains/(losses) on investments
9
Net income/(expenditure)
Transfers between funds
15
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
15		 Unrestricted
Funds
£
611,717
5,860
18,148
635,725
12,182
769,853
782,035
(146,310)
38,946
(107,364)
1
(107,363)
1,354,905
1,247,542		 Restricted
Funds
£
6,912
-
-
6,912
-
12,756
12,756
(5,844)
-
(5,844)
(1)
(5,845)
12,025
6,180		 Total
Funds
2023
£
618,629
5,860
18,148
642,637
12,182
782,609
794,791
(152,154)
38,946
(113,208)
-
(113,208)
1,366,930
1,253,722		 Total
Funds
2022
£
628,879
817
11,057
640,753
12,652
617,696
630,348
10,405
(120,931)
(110,526)
-
(110,526)
1,477,456
1,366,930

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.

All income and expenditure derive from continuing operations.

The statement of financial activities also complies with the requirements for an income and expenditure account required by the Companies Act 2006.

The notes on pages 45 to 54 form part of these accounts.

Page 42

SW LONDON VINEYARD

BALANCE SHEET

AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2023

Note
FIXED ASSETS
Intangible assets
7
Tangible assets
8
Investments
9
CURRENT ASSETS
Stock
10
Debtors
11
Cash at bank and in hand
12
CREDITORS: Amounts falling
due within one year
13
Net current assets
TOTAL NET ASSETS
FUND BALANCES
15
Unrestricted Funds
General funds
Designated funds
Restricted Funds		 Unrestricted
Funds
£
5,500
255,521
927,134
1,188,155
-
45,754
53,541
99,295
39,908
59,387
1,247,542
1,059,542
188,000
1,247,542
-
1,247,542		 Restricted
Funds
£
-
-
-
-
4,350
-
8,080
12,430
6,250
6,180
6,180
-
-
-
6,180
6,180		 Total funds
2023
£
5,500
255,521
927,134
1,188,155
4,350
45,754
61,621
111,725
46,158
65,567
1,253,722
1,059,542
188,000
1,247,542
6,180
1,253,722		 Total funds
2022
£
-
263,727
882,783
1,146,510
2,743
14,080
229,657
246,480
26,060
220,420
1,366,930
652,057
702,848
1,354,905
12,025
1,366,930

The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 December 2023.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2023 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006 however, in accordance with Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011, the accounts have been examined by an independent examiner and their report has been included in these financial statements.

The directors (who are the charitable company's trustees for the purposes of charity law) acknowledge their responsibilities for:

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors and were signed on its behalf by:

Rachel Moseley

Jul 21, 2024 --------------------------------------Rachel Moseley (Jul 21, 2024 21:14 GMT+1) --------------------------------------Rachel Moseley - Trustee and Director Date

Company number: 03020873

Charity number: 1045257

The notes on pages 45 to 54 form part of these accounts.

Page 43

SW LONDON VINEYARD

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

CASH FLOW STATEMENT

Note
2023
£
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
A
(154,082)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of tangible and intangible fixed assets
(8,549)
Purchase of investments
(17,587)
Proceeds from sale of investments
12,182
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities
(13,954)
(168,036)
B
229,657
B
61,621
Note A: Reconciliation of net income/(expenditure) to net cash flow from operating activities
2023
£
(113,208)
Adjustments for:
Depreciation and amortisation charges
11,256
(Gains)/losses on investments
(38,946)
(Increase)/decrease in stocks
(1,607)
(Increase)/decrease in debtors
(31,674)
Increase/(decrease) in creditors
20,098
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
(154,082)
Note B: Analysis of cash and cash equivalents
2023
£
Cash at bank with immediate access
61,498
Notice deposits (with a term of three months or less)
-
Petty cash
123
Total cash and cash equivalents
61,621
Net income/(expenditure) for the reporting period (as per the statement of
financial activities)
Cash and equivalents at the beginning of the year
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year
Change in cash and equivalents in the reporting period		 2022
£
27,823
(7,567)
(10,979)
12,652
(5,894)
21,929
207,728
229,657
2022
£
(110,526)
9,940
120,931
414
1,531
5,533
27,823
2022
£
144,625
84,906
126
229,657

An analysis of changes in net debt has not been presented because the charity does not have any borrowings.

Page 44

SW LONDON VINEYARD

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

1 Statutory Information

The charity is a charitable company limited by guarantee and is incorporated in the United Kingdom. The company's registered number and registered office address can be found on the Company Information page.

2 Accounting Policies

These financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis, under the historical cost convention as modified by the revaluation of certain assets, which are measured at fair value through the Statement of Financial Activities.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the "Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) ("the Charities SORP"), with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland ("FRS 102"), with the Companies Act 2006 and with the Charities Act 2011. The charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity as set out in FRS 102.

The principles adopted in the preparation of the financial statements are set out below.

a) Going concern

The trustees (who are the charitable company's directors for the purposes of company law) have assessed whether the use of the going concern basis is appropriate and have considered possible events or conditions that might cast significant doubt on the ability of the charity to continue as a going concern. The trustees have made this assessment for a period of at least one year from the date of approval of the financial statements. In particular the trustees have considered the charity's forecasts and projections and the possible implications should projected income and / or expenditure vary unexpectedly. The trustees have concluded that there is a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue to operate for the foreseeable future. The charity therefore continues to adopt the going concern basis in preparing its financial statements.

b) Income

Income including investment income is recognised in the period in which the charity becomes entitled to receipt, the amount receivable can be measured with reasonable certainty, and receipt is probable. For the most part, income is generally recognised when it is received. Income is only deferred when the charity has to fulfil conditions before becoming entitled to it or where the donor has specified that the income is to be expended in a future period.

Income includes:

The charity relies on volunteers to carry out many of its activities. However, in accordance with the SORP, the value of these services has not been included in these financial statements as they cannot be reliably measured.

The charity has taken the view that it has only one charitable activity, namely the advancement of the Christian faith, and all income from donations, legacies and charitable activities is in respect of this one activity.

c) Expenditure

Expenditure, including irrecoverable VAT, is recognised when it is incurred or, if earlier, when a legal or constructive obligation for a payment arises provided that it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

The charity makes grants to other institutions and individuals to further its charitable objectives. Grants payable are recognised as constructive obligations arise, which is generally when the charity expresses a commitment to the recipient that can be measured reliably and then only to the extent that any conditions associated with the grant are outside of the control of the charity.

Governance costs, which are included in expenditure on charitable activities but are identified separately in the notes to the accounts, includes costs associated with the independent examination or audit of the financial statements, compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements and any other expenditure incurred on the strategic management of the charity.

The Charities SORP requires charities with income over £500,000 to allocate costs to the various activities undertaken by the charity. The nature of the work of the charity is considered to be so integrated such that all material expenditure is considered to be for just one principal activity, which is the advancement of the Christian faith.

Page 45

SW LONDON VINEYARD

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

2 Accounting Policies continued

d) Fund accounting

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. Restricted funds are donations which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors; they include donations received from appeals for specific activities or projects.

e) Intangible fixed assets

The cost of the charity's website is capitalised and amortised on a straight line basis over its expected useful life, which is expected to be 3 years.

f) Tangible fixed assets

Items purchased or donated for the charity's own use are capitalised when the cost of purchased items, or the fair value of donated items, is more than £500 and the item is expected to benefit the charity over more than one accounting period. Depreciation is charged on a straight line basis so as to write down the value of each asset to its estimated residual value (if any) over its expected useful economic life. To achieve this objective the following rates of depreciation are charged:

Freehold property Over 50 years after taking account of the building's residual value Leasehold improvements Over the remaining lease term or, if shorter, expected useful life Church equipment Over 3 to 5 years

The carrying values of tangible fixed assets are reviewed for impairment in periods when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable.

g) Investments Fixed asset investments are held to generate income and / or for their investment potential. Investments are included at their market value at the balance sheet date. All gains and losses (be they realised or unrealised) are included in the Statement of Financial Activities under the heading 'Net gains / (losses) on investments'.

h) Leased assets Leases which do not transfer substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to the charity are classified as operating leases. Operating lease payments are recognised as an expense on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.

i) Pension scheme arrangements The charity operates defined contribution pension schemes for its employees. Obligations for contributions to these schemes are recognised as an expense when the liability arises. The assets of these schemes are held separately from those of the charity in independently administered funds.

j) Taxation The company is a registered charity; it has taken advantage of the various reliefs from taxation available to charities and no tax is payable on the charity's income.

k) Financial instruments

The charity's financial assets and financial liabilities all qualify as basic financial instruments, as defined by FRS102. Creditors and debtors are generally measured at their expected settlement value (normally the amount of cash that the charity expects to pay or receive).

l) Critical accounting estimates and areas of judgement The trustees do not consider that there any material sources of estimation or uncertainty at the balance sheet date that could result in a material adjustment to the carrying values of assets and liabilities in the next reporting period.

3 Donations and legacies

ations and legacies
Donations made under gift aid
Income tax recoverable
Donations other than by gift aid
Donated items given to Growbaby ministry		 Unrestricted
Funds
£
445,089
112,420
54,208
-
611,717		 Restricted
Funds
£
50
13
2,251
4,598
6,912		 Total
2023
£
445,139
112,433
56,459
4,598
618,629		 Total
2022
£
466,916
116,691
41,958
3,314
628,879

Page 46

SW LONDON VINEYARD

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

4 Income from charitable activities

4 Income from charitable activities
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds 2023 2022
£ £ £ £
Conferences and church activities 5,860 - 5,860 817
5,860 - 5,860 817
5 Charitable expenditure
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds 2023 2022
£ £ £ £
a Costs incurred directly on specific charitable activities
Staff costs 260,562 - 260,562 197,411
Staff expenses 13,311 - 13,311 6,567
Sunday services 66,338 - 66,338 74,597
Other ministry expenses 66,156 - 66,156 38,075
Grants, gifts and community ministries (note 5c) 101,057 12,756 113,813 105,718
507,424 12,756 520,180 422,368
b Costs incurred on support & administration
Governance costs
Cost of accounts preparation and independent examination 4,500 - 4,500 3,900
Staff costs 111,669 - 111,669 84,605
Staff expenses 5,705 - 5,705 2,808
General administrative and office costs 90,559 - 90,559 62,804
Premises 38,740 - 38,740 31,272
Depreciation of tangible fixed assets 10,756 - 10,756 9,220
Amortisation of intangible fixed assets 500 - 500 720
262,429 - 262,429 195,329
Total expenditure 769,853 12,756 782,609 617,696
In addition to the fees payable for the preparation and examination of the accounts, the charity paid £1,386 (2022: £1,211) to
Stewardship for payroll bureau and consultancy services.
c Grants, gifts and community ministries
Institutions Individuals 2023
£ £ £
Financial grants and gifts
Grants for UK and overseas mission 60,041 - 60,041
Grants for the relief of hardship 11,172 2,440 13,612
71,213 2,440 73,653
Community ministries
The Yard: rent, rates, utilities and other premises expenses 29,247
Other Compassion ministry expenses 10,913
40,160
Combined total 113,813
The comparatives for the previous year are as follows:
Institutions Individuals 2022
£ £ £
Financial grants and gifts
Grants for UK and overseas mission 30,781 - 30,781
Grants for the relief of hardship 30,371 3,108 33,479
61,152 3,108 64,260
Community ministries
The Yard: rent, rates, utilities and other premises expenses 24,852
Other Compassion ministry expenses 16,606
41,458
Combined total 105,718

Page 47

SW LONDON VINEYARD

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

5c Grants, gifts and community ministries continued

The charity's principal grants to institutions comprised:

charity's principal grants to institutions comprised:
Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland
to support its general work with the Vineyard movement
to support its work with young people
to support its work in Ukraine
Hestia
Ivy Street Family Centre
Mercy Outreach
Grants to other organisations individually less than £1,000		 2023
£
30,829
26,587
6,250
4,922
2,000
-
625
71,213		 2022
£
29,961
-
25,513
4,514
-
344
820
61,152

The charity makes grants and gifts to a number of organisations and individuals to support activities that are consistent with the charity's own charitable objectives. The charity has undertaken to donate approximately 5% of its income to Vineyard Churches UK.

6 Analysis of staff costs, the cost of key management personnel and trustee remuneration

2023 2022
£ £
Gross wages and salaries 310,938 231,977
Social security 29,315 25,648
Pension costs 31,978 24,390
372,231 282,015
Most of the charity's activities are carried out by volunteers. The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
Number Number
Pastoral 6.00 5.25
Administrative 3.00 1.25
9.00 6.50

This year one employee received emoluments between £60,000 and £69,999 (in 2022 no employees fell in this range) and one (2022: one) employee received emoluments between £70,000 and £79,999.

The charity's key management comprise the trustees and the key staff named on the Company Information page. Total employment benefits payable to key management for the year were as follows:

N Woodward, who is a trustee, and his wife Mrs C Woodward
The following amounts were charged in the previous year:
N Woodward, who is a trustee, and his wife Mrs C Woodward		 Wages &
salaries
131,917
Wages &
salaries
126,330		 Other
employment
benefits
12,070
Other
employment
benefits
10,124		 Employer
pension
contributions
13,038
Employer
pension
contributions
12,487		 2023
£
157,025
2022
£
148,941

Retirement benefits accrued to one (2022: one) trustee (namely N Woodward) under a defined contribution (money purchase) pension scheme.

Mr & Mrs N Woodward served as church leaders and received the above payments for serving in that capacity, not for serving as trustees; these payments are permitted by the charity's governing document. Their salaries are reviewed and agreed by the charity's other trustees by reference to pre-agreed salary scales. Mr & Mrs N Woodward are not present when their salaries are discussed and voted on.

Page 48

SW LONDON VINEYARD

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

7 Intangible fixed assets

Cost
At 1 January 2023
Additions
At 31 December 2023
Amortisation
At 1 January 2023
Charge for the year
At 31 December 2023
Net book value
At 31 December 2023
At 31 December 2022
8
Tangible fixed assets
Cost
At 1 January 2023
Additions
At 31 December 2023
Accumulated depreciation
At 1 January 2023
Charge for the year
At 31 December 2023
Net book value
At 31 December 2023
At 31 December 2022
9
Fixed asset investments
Market value at the beginning of the year
Additions during the year
Disposals during the year
Realised and unrealised gains
Market value at the end of the year
Analysis of investments:
UK equities
Overseas equity investment funds and unit trusts
Gilts and bonds
Cash
Real estate, commodities and other
10
Stock
Stock of items donated, or purchased, for Growbaby ministry		 Freehold
Property
£
347,997
-
347,997
93,338
6,960
100,298
247,699
254,659		 Leasehold
Improvements
£
94,875
1,550
96,425
91,699
1,459
93,158
3,266
3,176		 Church
equipment
£
333,451
999
334,450
327,558
2,337
329,895
4,555
5,893
2023
£
882,783
17,587
(12,182)
38,946
927,134
119,766
344,834
349,021
22,598
90,915
927,134
2023
£
4,350
4,350		 Website
£
9,844
6,000
15,844
9,844
500
10,344
5,500
-
Total
£
776,323
2,549
778,872
512,595
10,756
523,351
255,521
263,727
2022
£
1,005,387
10,979
(12,652)
(120,931)
882,783
110,499
319,649
309,202
34,890
108,543
882,783
2022
£
2,743
2,743

Page 49

SW LONDON VINEYARD

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

11 Debtors

ors
Gift aid recoverable
Prepayments and accrued income
h at Bank and in Hand
Cash at bank with immediate access
Notice deposits (with a term of three months or less)
Petty cash
itors: liabilities falling due within one year
Employment taxes
Other creditors
Accrued expenses
Grant obligations		 2023
£
24,741
21,013
45,754
2023
£
61,498
-
123
61,621
2023
£
7,480
21,343
4,500
12,835
46,158		 2022
£
4,733
9,347
14,080
2022
£
144,625
84,906
126
229,657
2022
£
-
15,792
4,320
5,948
26,060

12 Cash at Bank and in Hand

13 Creditors: liabilities falling due within one year

14 Pension commitments

During the year employer’s pension contributions totalling £31,978 (2022: £24,390) were payable to defined contribution personal pension schemes. At the balance sheet date pension contributions totalling £350 (2022: £nil) were owed.

15 Funds

During the year the movements in the charity's funds were as follows:

Designated Funds
Linda Spicer Memorial Fund
Building Fund
Winding Up Reserve Fund
General Unrestricted Funds
Total Unrestricted Funds
Restricted Funds
Acts 435 Fund
Growbaby Fund
Ukraine Fund
Refugees Fund
Hestia Fund
Community Fund
Total funds		 Opening
balance
2023
£
26,587
676,261
-
702,848
652,057
1,354,905
1
3,944
6,250
1,830
-
-
12,025
1,366,930		 Incoming
resources
2023
£
-
-
-
-
635,725
635,725
1,410
4,661
-
-
691
150
6,912
642,637		 Outgoing
resources
2023
£
(26,587)
-
-
(26,587)
(755,448)
(782,035)
(1,410)
(4,255)
(6,250)
-
(691)
(150)
(12,756)
(794,791)		 Gains and
losses
2023
£
-
-
-
-
38,946
38,946
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
38,946		 Transfers
in year
2023
£
-
(676,261)
188,000
(488,261)
488,262
1
(1)
-
-
-
-
-
(1)
-		 Closing
balance
2023
£
-
-
188,000
188,000
1,059,542
1,247,542
-
4,350
-
1,830
-
-
6,180
1,253,722

Page 50

SW LONDON VINEYARD

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

15 Funds continued

Analysis of net assets by fund

The assets and liabilities of the various funds were as follows:

Intangible fixed assets
Tangible fixed assets
Investments
Stock
Debtors
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors
In the previous year the movements in the
Designated Funds
Linda Spicer Memorial Fund
Building Fund
General Unrestricted Funds
Total Unrestricted Funds
Restricted Funds
Yangon Vineyard & Eden Ministry
Acts 435 Fund
Growbaby Fund
Ukraine Fund
Refugees Fund
Hestia Fund
Aggregate of funds		 charity's funds
Opening
balance
2022
£
26,587
773,099
799,686
669,844
1,469,530
-
1
7,925
-
-
-
7,926
1,477,456		 General
Designated
funds
funds
£
£
5,500
-
255,521
-
739,134
188,000
-
-
45,754
-
53,541
-
(39,908)
-
1,059,542
188,000
were as follows:
Incoming
Outgoing
Gains and
resources
resources
losses
2022
2022
2022
£
£
£
-
-
-
8,672
(9,993)
(95,517)
8,672
(9,993)
(95,517)
602,161
(594,533)
(25,414)
610,832
(604,526)
(120,931)
344
(344)
-
1,815
(1,815)
-

3,450
(7,430)
-

21,763
(15,513)
-

2,500
(670)
-

50
(50)
-
29,921
(25,822)
-
640,753
(630,348)
(120,931)
Unrestricted Funds		 Restricted
funds
£
-
-

-
4,350
-
8,080
(6,250)
6,180
Transfers
in year
2022
£
-
-
-

-
-
-
-
-

-

-

-
-
-		 2023
£
5,500
255,521
927,134
4,350
45,754
61,621
(46,158)
1,253,722
Closing
balance
2022
£
26,587
676,261
702,848
652,057
1,354,905
-

1
3,944
6,250
1,830
-
12,025
1,366,930

Analysis of net assets by fund

The assets and liabilities of the various funds were as follows:

Intangible fixed assets
Tangible fixed assets
Investments
Stock
Debtors
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors		 General
Designated
funds
funds
£
£
-
-
263,727
-
179,935
702,848
-
-
14,080
-
220,375
-
(26,060)
-
652,057
702,848
Unrestricted Funds		 Restricted
funds
£
-
-
-
2,743
-
9,282
-
12,025		 2022
£
-
263,727
882,783
2,743
14,080
229,657
(26,060)
1,366,930

Page 51

SW LONDON VINEYARD

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

15 Funds continued

Information about the various funds held by the charity:

Designated funds

The Building Fund represents funds which have been set aside for the future purchase of a church building. Following a review the trustees concluded that this fund was not required and it was decided that this fund should be closed. Part of the balance was transferred to a new Winding Up Reserve Fund (see below) and the remainder was transferred to general funds.

The Linda Spicer Memorial Fund represents the legacy received from Linda Spicer, a longstanding employee and member of SW London Vineyard, as a result of naming SW London Vineyard as the sole beneficiary of her Unum Life Assurance policy.

Linda made no restrictions as to the way in which the money should be spent. However, on 21 November 2016, the Trustees of SW London Vineyard agreed to establish the fund, to invest it as part of the church's wider investment portfolio and to designate it (but by no means restrict it) for the following:

During the year the charity decided to distribute the remaining balance in this fund to Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland to support their work with young people (known as Dreaming The Impossible)

Though the charity fully intends to continue operating for the foreseeable future, the trustees believe it is prudent to create a new Winding Up Reserve Fund to ring fence the resources that would be needed to close the charity should this eventuality arise. The amount required is believed to equate to about 3 month's operating costs.

Restricted funds

The Yangon Vineyard & Eden Ministry fund represents five specific donations from SWLV members, in support of Yangon Vineyard & Eden Ministry. These were given through their UK charity, Mercy Outreach UK.

The Acts 435 fund represents donations made anonymously by local people online, through the Acts 435 website, for local people in need, that have made an application through us at The Yard.

The Growbaby fund represents financial donations and donations of baby related items given to the Growbaby ministry run at The Yard, which provides new and good quality second hand clothes and equipment to families with children under 5 years, free of charge. Expenditure from this fund relates to the distribution of the clothes and equipment only.

The Ukraine fund was created from donations given to help those affected by the war in Ukraine. From the money received the charity has made grants to Vineyard Churches UK and Ireland to support their work in this area.

The Refugees fund was created from donations given to help support the charity's work with refugees.

The Hestia fund represents financial donations from members of SWLV, who wanted to contribute to the Christmas presents being given to children being supported by Hestia, who are part of families escaping domestic violence.

The Community fund was created from donations received to help support the charity's work in the community from The Yard.

16 Operating lease commitments

The minimum amounts payable (until the next break clause and ignoring the potential effect of future rent reviews) under noncancellable operating leases is as follows:

Within one year
Between one and five years
After five years
Hall hire contract
Property leases
Equipment leases
Payments falling due:
During the year the charity was charged the following amounts in respect		 2023
2022
£
£
1,904
2,991
7,188
748
-
-
9,092
3,739
of its operating leases:
Other		 2023
£
25,565
39,417
-
64,982
2023
£
53,900
40,678
2,578
Land and		 2022
£
25,565
44,000
6,417
buildings
75,982
2022
£
57,340
39,910
2,991

Page 52

SW LONDON VINEYARD

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

17 Transactions with related parties

During the year the charity received donations totalling £259,266 (2022: £244,610) from related parties (which includes trustees, key management and any person or business closely connected to them).

The freehold property referred to in Note 8 'Tangible fixed assets' represents a 45% interest in a residential property owned jointly with Mr & Mrs N Woodward, who occupy the property; Mr Woodward is a trustee and he, with his wife, are the church's senior leaders. The joint ownership agreement for this property contains clauses that restrict the ability of the charity to realise its investment in the property however none of these restrictions would prevent the charity from instructing the sale of the property should the charity require the proceeds to remain financially viable.

During the year the charity was charged £4,489 (2022: £1,611) in relation to services associated with the above property; this expenditure was incurred in respect of the senior leaders' employment duties. No other expenses were paid to, or for, the trustees (except for reimbursements for expenses incurred when acting as agent for the charity).

18 Members

Each member of the company commits to contribute if the charity is wound up an amount of £1.

Page 53

SW LONDON VINEYARD

DETAILED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES WITH COMPARATIVES

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

Note
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM:
Donations and legacies
3
Charitable activities
4
Dividends and interest receivable
Total income and endowments
EXPENDITURE ON:
Investment management costs
Charitable activities:
5
TOTAL EXPENDITURE
Net expenditure before investment losses
Net gains/(losses) on investments
9
Net income/(expenditure)
Transfers between funds
15
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
15		 General
Funds
2023
£
611,717
5,860
18,148
635,725
12,182
743,266
755,448
(119,723)
38,946
(80,777)
488,262
407,485
652,057
1,059,542		 Designated
Funds
2023
£
-
-
-
-
-
26,587
26,587
(26,587)
-
(26,587)
(488,261)
(514,848)
702,848
188,000		 Restricted
Funds
2023
£
6,912
-
-
6,912
-
12,756
12,756
(5,844)
-
(5,844)
(1)
(5,845)
12,025
6,180		 Total
Funds
2023
£
618,629
5,860
18,148
642,637
12,182
782,609
794,791
(152,154)
38,946
(113,208)
-
(113,208)
1,366,930
1,253,722		 General
Funds
2022
£
598,958
817
2,385
602,161
2,659
591,874
594,533
7,628
(25,414)
(17,787)
-
(17,787)
669,844
652,057		 Designated
Funds
2022
£
-
-
8,672
8,672
9,993
-
9,993
(1,321)
(95,517)
(96,838)
-
(96,838)
799,686
702,848		 Restricted
Funds
2022
£
29,921
-
-
29,921
-
25,822
25,822
4,099
-
4,099
-
4,099
7,926
12,025		 Total
Funds
2022
£
628,879
817
11,057
640,753
12,652
617,696
630,348
10,405
(120,931)
(110,526)
-
(110,526)
1,477,456
1,366,930

Page 54