New Life Pentecostal Church, Saffron Walden
Trustees Report for 2024
The Church was able to open as usual for the whole of 2024. During the year, some people moved away from the Church, but other new people joined, including some families with young children. The Church also has many members from Polish and Ukrainian communities.
During the year, the Church members continued to tithe generously, but the Church finances were very tight for some of the year.
In January the Church pastor moved out of the house owned by the Church. The Church carried out a lot of work on the house – painting, decorating, repairs, new carpets, garden clearing – in order to rent the house out through an estate agent from September.
We were able to provide a Polish language service once a month, which has grown in popularity, and this will continue throughout 2025. The Church also hosted a Polish Conference and a Ukrainian Conference, both of which were well attended by people from across the country. There was also a Polish and Ukrainian life group held every week in the Church building, and a Polish AA support group. Further Polish, Ukrainian and International events are planned for 2025.
The Church ran a Prayer and Praise evening every Thursday in the Church Building, and a Ladies Strength meeting once a month on a Saturday.
The Church was able to run its Sunday morning children’s groups during the service, including a Creche for the youngest children, a group for Primary aged children, and a group once a month for Secondary aged children.
The Hope Community Hub has continued to work hard to provide for families in need in the local area. The Make Lunch team continued to deliver food bags to families during the school holidays, providing them with essential food or food vouchers, as well as treats and activities. Around 25 families were supported by the Hub, including over 100 children. The Hub also ran a weekly pop-up shop, where families could drop in and choose some food to take home with them, and this was very well received by families in need of extra support.
The Church continued to run a very popular Parent and Toddler group on Wednesday mornings. It is an essential and important group which is very much appreciated by the parents that attend. Around 25 parents along with 40 children attend every week.
The premises were also used by the Town Toy Library, National Childcare Trust, Little Learners, Saffron Players, and a local Cubs/Scouts group.
For and on behalf of the Trustees
Richard Knight
31[st] March 2025
The Christian Centre, 9 Shire Hill, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB11 3AQ Tel: 01799 506045 E-mail: finance@nlpc.co.uk
Accounts 2024
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Summary of receipts and payments accounts '2023 and 2024’
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Summary of cash in hand, non monetory assets & liabilities
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Key Groupings of receipts and payments
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Financial Review
In Fellowship with Assemblies of God in Great Britian and Ireland – Charity No. 1054353
Summary of receipts and payments '2023+2024’
| Income Tithes & Offerings Gift Aid Tax Return Buildings Fund Hire of Church Gift In Baby + Toddler group Hope Hub Income Loan in Extra Mortgage Manse Rent Other income Total |
2023 53,856 14,962 309 2,631 1,134 2,573 184 800 0 0 1,283 77,732 |
2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53,856 | 44,762 | ||
| 14,962 | 8,504 | ||
| 309 | 730 | ||
| 2,631 | 2,480 | ||
| 1,134 | 11,395 | ||
| 2,573 | 2,982 | ||
| 184 | 0 | ||
| 800 | 5,050 | ||
| 0 | 7,660 | ||
| 0 | 5,402 | ||
| 1,283 | 1,134 | ||
| 77,732 | 90,099 |
| Expenditure Salaries, Tax & Pensions Church building & manse Utilities Mortgage Repayments Missions/Ministry Gifts Gifts Music & Technical Youth Work + Hope Cafe Annual Contribution to AOG Cleaning Caretaker Insurance Food & Drink Hope Hub & Make Lunch Polish Church Baby + Toddler group Loan Return Other Total Surplus of Income over Expenditure |
25,979 3,416 7,543 6,706 4,165 436 1,444 623 1,752 3,709 4,049 1,660 449 144 1,300 1,933 1,800 5,535 72,643 5,088 |
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|---|---|---|
| 30,524 | ||
| 19,174 | ||
| 8,236 | ||
| 8,139 | ||
| 3,459 | ||
| 387 | ||
| 1,824 | ||
| 396 | ||
| 2,016 | ||
| 4,151 | ||
| 4,295 | ||
| 446 | ||
| 266 | ||
| 0 | ||
| 1,450 | ||
| 2,587 | ||
| 2,250 | ||
| 6,572 | ||
| 96,172 | ||
| 5,088 | -6,073 |
Cash, Assets & Liabilities
| Cash Santander Account Lloyds Account CAP Account Building Fund Youth Account Cash in hand Change in cash balance |
Cash Santander Account Lloyds Account CAP Account Building Fund Youth Account Cash in hand Change in cash balance |
Opening | Opening | Closing 285.10 520.65 0 0.18 0 805.93 |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6,248.93 | 285.10 | |||||
| 289.15 | 520.65 | |||||
| 0 | 0 | |||||
| 341.12 | 0.18 | |||||
| 0 | 0 | |||||
| 6,879.20 | 805.93 | |||||
| -6073.27 | ||||||
| -6073.27 | ||||||
| Non monetary assets Church & Manse buildings |
1,632,936 | 1,665,595 | ||||
| Liabilities Loan Mortgage Church Building Total Liabilities |
0 -2,800 -27,133 -29,171 -27,133 -31,971 |
Key Groupings of receipts and payments
| KEY GROUPINGS | |||
| INCOME | 2024 | ||
| Tithes & Offerings | 44,762 | ||
| Gift Aid Tax Return | 8,504 | ||
| Hire of Church | 2,480 | ||
| Toddler Group | 2,982 | ||
| Gift In | 11,395 | ||
| Loan | 5,050 | ||
| BuildingFund | 730 | ||
| Extra Mortgage | 7,660 | ||
| Manse Rent | 5,402 | ||
| Other Income | 1,134 | ||
| Total income | 90,099 |
| KEY GROUPINGS | |||
| EXPENDITURE | 2024 | ||
| Salaries,Tax & Pensions | 30,524 | ||
| Utilities | 8,236 | ||
| Mortgage Repayments | 8,139 | ||
| Missions/MinistryGifts | 3,459 | ||
| Caretaker | 4,295 | ||
| Cleaning | 4,151 | ||
| Church Building | 19,174 | ||
| Toddler Group | 2,587 | ||
| Conference expenses | 1,165 | ||
| Loan Return | 2,250 | ||
| Annual Contribution to AOG | 2,016 | ||
| Baking | 2,080 | ||
| Insurance | 446 | ||
| Music & Technical | 1,824 | ||
| Polish Church | 1,450 | ||
| Youth Work & Hope Cafe | 396 | ||
| Coffee | 282 | ||
| Food & Drink | 266 | ||
| Gifts | 387 | ||
| Other expenditure | 3,045 | ||
| Total expenditure | 96,172 |
FINANCIAL REVIEW
New Life Church owns its own building on Shirehill in Saffron Walden, and it also owns the Manse on Pennystone Road, where the Pastor and his family lived until January 2024. When the Pastor moved out of the Manse, the Church carried out a lot of necessary work on the house, to enable it to be rented out from September 2024.
The Church meets every Sunday morning, and there are also several other Church meetings held in the building during the week, including children and youth groups, Parent and Toddler group, Worship band practice, Prayer and Praise meetings, Leader’s meetings, and Ladies’ Meetings.
The Church hires out rooms in the building to groups in the local community, including Teddies Toy Library, The Cubs and Scouts, the NCT, and Saffron Players, and also for birthday parties.
Total income amounted to £90,099 (2023: £77,732). The main income for the Church comes from money given through Tithes and Offerings, a total of £44,762, and Gift Aid tax return, a total of £8,504 in 2024. The income was higher than that of the previous year, mainly due to the Church applying for and receiving an extra mortgage to be able to carry out renovations on the Manse. Since September the Manse has been rented out through an estate agent, and extra income has come in from the rent each month.
The front of the Church needed a new roof during 2024, and a generous gift was received to help with the cost of this. Other gifts were received to help with repairs and maintenance around the Church.
As general finances were tight during the year, a Church member, who is also a trustee, gave the Church a loan of £3,900 to help with costs. This loan is being paid back monthly, and £2,800 was outstanding at the end of December 2024.
Total expenditure amounted to £96,172 (2023: £72,643). This is significantly higher than the expenditure of the previous year, mainly due to the cost of the repairs, painting and decorating of the Manse, and an extra mortgage was received to cover the majority of this cost.
A significant amount of money is spent on Salaries, HMRC and Pensions (the salary of the Church pastor), a total of £30,524, and paying the invoices of the Church caretaker and cleaner – a total of £8,446 altogether. Other large amounts are spent on utilities, mortgage repayments, Toddler group, Music and Technical equipment, and Insurance.
Money is also spent on Missions – the Church continues to support 5 children through Compassion UK, and it also supports a member of the Church with her project in Mozambique. It also gives monthly to the NSPCC, and it supports the Polish language services which are held monthly in the Church building.
The Benevolent Fund is used to support people both within the Church and outside, when they are in need of financial support for a specific purpose (car repairs and food are just 2 examples).
The Church has continued to be part of the NEST workplace pension scheme set up by the government, with the Pastor having joined. Initial contributions were set at 1% of eligible salaries for both employee and employer; however, this increased again in line with the government guidelines in April 2019. From this date, contributions have been set at 3% for employer, and 5% for employee.
NEW LIFE CHURCH SAFFRON WALDEN CHARITY NUMBER 1054353 INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 TO THE TRUSTEES OF NEW LIFE CHURCH SAFFRON WALDEN I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2024. RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TRUSTEES AND THE EXAMINER As the charitys trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Acts 2011 ('Ihe Act"). I report in respect of my examination of your charivs accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act, and in carrying out my examination I have followed the applicable directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S STATEMENT I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the exatnination giving me cause to believe that in any fflaterial respect.. the accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act- or the accounts do not accord with those records.. or the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 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 I have no COnrnS and have come across no other matters in connection wth the examination to which attention should be brought in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Geoff Mann Geoff Mann Limited Dee House Highworth Avenue Cambridge CB4 2BQ