## **BETHEL CHURCH** ## _**Dunrobin Street, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent ST3 4NA**_ ## **Minister’s report to the trustees for the year ending 5[th] April 2022** This is my twenty-second report as Chairman to the trustees and it comes at the end of a difficult year following the Covid-19 lockdowns and trying to re-establish our church and community activities. However, I am pleased to report that we have continued to support those in need in our community through these difficult times. ## **Local community involvement** Reopening our community activities after the Covid-19 lockdowns has proved to a be a slow process. Light Lunch reopened on 10[th] June with 26 paid meals being served. A donation of cakes, milk, and other essentials was gratefully received from the Tesco Longton Community Champion as we reopened. On Thursday 16[th] December we held our Light Lunch Christmas meal which was attended by 56 people. This was a much lower number than previous years, but we managed to support people in other ways. For example, Bethel Church Longton distributed 30 Christmas hampers as well as 30 wrapped presents donated by _TWIST_ to families in our local area. Also, we teamed up with Stoke-on-Trent Foodbank who partnered with the ‘Give for Good’ Stoke initiative team to deliver 130 Christmas dinners to local people. We have also partnered this year with Stoke-on-Trent Adult Social Care to further help those who attend our weekday meals and access our food donations. Unfortunately, due to poor attendance, we had to close the Thursday meals again at the beginning of 2022 for an additional 8 weeks. On 24[th] March we started a craft group for people with learning disabilities on Thursday mornings to run alongside the meal and within a couple of weeks we had 14 people attending this group. We have continued throughout the year as a distribution centre for Stoke-on-Trent Foodbank on Wednesday mornings and again hosted their AGM on Friday 15[th] October. A buffet was provided for the 70 people who attended. In addition, we have continued to deliver food parcels to those who still need support following the Covid-19 lockdowns. 1 _SPLAT_ used our facilities to run 5 children’s sessions during the summer holidays and they continued with sessions on Tuesday evenings until the end of November. A local ukulele band has started using Bethel Church’s main hall for practicing. We have also hosted events and meetings for local residential homes and the Florence Park Residents Association. ## **Bethel church** Our Sunday services resumed on 25[th] July and since then there has been a steady growth in numbers with some new attendees. Sunday 12[th] December saw our Christmas Music Special with buffet. It was attended by approximately 100 people and Bethel’s house band as well as the local _Uke ‘n’ Sing_ group performed a variety of songs. Necessary upgrades and improvements have been made to Bethel Church’s building this year. These have included decorating the main hall, minor hall, back corridor, and toilets after being closed for a long period of time. The sound equipment has been upgraded, a drum booth established, and new lighting has been set up in the main hall. Also LED lights have been fitted in the minor hall, rear corridor, and preparation area which are more cost effective. Upgrades to the sound system have meant that that the large mixer desk cabinet at the rear of the main hall has been removed which has given us additional space for tables for the meals. Also, the notice board in the minor hall has been re-done. ## **Funding, grants, and donations** In June 2021 a sponsored walk of the 55-mile Derwent Valley route raised £1050.58. Also, a donation of £100.00 was received from the Masonic Charitable Foundation and in September a donation of £200.00 from Silito Housing. Councillor Lilian Dodd provided £300.00 of Ward Funding to support us in running our Christmas meal. Further donations of £250.00, £300.00, and £150.00 respectively were received in memory of individual persons. Additionally, £113.65 was received from the Monday Mental Health Support Group. Restart grants for the charity shop were received from Stoke-on-Trent City Council amounting to £5334.00 as well as £7025.03 from the Government’s furlough scheme. A further grant of £1000.00 came from _Tesco Bags of Help_ which helped towards the cost of roof repairs. 2 As well as these monetary donations we are grateful to those who have supported Bethel through donations of food and goods. These included Sandford Hill Primary School who generously gave tins from their harvest collection in October and in December we were accepted as one of the charities in the Tesco Longton and Aspire Christmas toy appeal. These toys were distributed to needy families in our area. Regular food donations have been received from Tesco (Longton Extra and Meir Hay Express), Lidl, KFC, DHL, and Nisa (Stoke). One food collection from Nisa in December helped to feed a total of 250 people at Christmas. Also, our fortnightly deliveries from Fareshare Midlands have continue to be a valuable source of food. We have also received donations from Tesco Meir Extra and in February this year we commenced weekly food collections from PAK foods Dresden. We are also grateful for the regular donations of food and other essentials from _TWIST_ as well as goods from Tesco Longton Extra and Tesco Meir. ## **Conclusion** During these difficult times Bethel Church Longton remains committed to supporting the people in our local community. As we seek new ways of reaching out to those who need support, we value those who continue to help us through prayer, finances, various donations, and volunteering both in the church and through our charity shop. 3 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR fNGiAND AND WALES TrIE BETHEL CMURCH 1052513 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For thg ￿TI¢d from 6th APRIL 2021 5th APRIL 2022 To Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted funds Restricted lurKIs Endowment fvnd$ Totsl funds Last year tr*th•n•arwt £ toth• n•*•¥i£ toth• nMr•Bt É toth• th••i•si£ A1 R•e•l ts SUNDAY SERWCE LIGHT LUNCH F14LL HIRE SHOP TAKINGS HMRC. FURLOIJGH PAY GRANT- STOKE-ON-TRENT CITY COUNCIL OTHER GRANTS AND FUNDING MISCELLANEOUS IP4COME& OOIiAT￿S 1,163 20 37,496 26,770 39,338 7,356 5,926 1,605 12,%0 7.025 5.534 1.300 9.214 7,025 9214 Sub tOtal(Grt￿ income forAR) 111.S$2 118.852 125,624 A2 Asset and Investrnwlt sales, l•ee tabk). Sub total 118.552 118.5$2 125.624 A3Pa ments SALARIES- MINISTERS LARIES- OTHERS PAYE LIGHTING. HEATING & WATER LITERATURE. STATIONERY ETC REPAIRS. IMPROVEMENTS. &CLEAN REACHERS SECS. GIFTS & TRIPS ANNUAL PAYMENTS CHURCH PHONE & INfERNEr FLXED PROFrr CAR SCHEME SHOP EXPENSES FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES ASSEMBLIES OF GOO VOLUNTEER EXPS. WORKWE4R & TPAINING SAFEGUARDING EXPENSES THIRTYONE EIGMT PENSIONS CHURCH INSURANCE 27 30,394 25.284 24.749 Z.611 $,141 $72 2,942 30.594 J.820 J.887 JM7 89 7,496 23B 2,35 1,745 2,369 1,74$ 923 1,62Q 2,086 22.376 932 23.076 2),Q76 1,123 743 129 2.813 2,740 743 129 2,813 2.740 If1,9t4 2,737 2,826 91,192 Sub total A4 Asset and InY•sbn•nt purch￿e￿. (￿e tsblèl Sub total 111,914 96.192 Net ofrecth'pts/(pa￿ents} AS Tran$f•F¥ btrtween funds A6 Cash fund$ last year end Cash funds thts year end 6,638 6.638 29.432 31A78 38,116 31,478 38,116 2.046 31,478 CCXX R1 accounts ISSI CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of Chanty Nwre ThE BETHEL CHURCH On accounts for the year ended YEAR ENDED 5th APRIL 2022 Charfty no Ilf any) 1052513 Set out on pages 1AND2 Irenwknr to the ptye n￿￿er$ ofadditional sh¢e¢sl I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity {Ihe Trust.) for the year ended 0510412022. Responslbllities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you a￿ responsible for the preparation basls of report of the accounts in accordan￿ with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Acf). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 ofthe 2011 Ad and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Chanty Commission under section 145{5)(b} of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confinn that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me use to believe that in, any material resped.. accounting records were not kept in a￿OrdanCe with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records Independent examinerfs statsment I have no concems and have come a(xoss no other matters in connection wtih the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Please delet the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Slgned: Date: 2023 Name: GL NN GERALD PARKES MBE Relevant professlonal qualification(s) or body (If any): CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT Address: THE MANSE, TEMPLE STREET. FENTON, STOKE-ON-TRENT. ST4 4NW. Section B Disclosure Only complete rf the examiner needs to highlight matters of concem (see CC32, Independent examination of charity ac¢ounts". directions and guidance for examiners). IER October 2018