2022-08-31-accounts

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust

Annual Report and Accounts

31 August 2022

Charity Registration Number 1063237

Contents

Reports

Reference and administration details of the	Reference and administration details of the
charity, its trustees and advisers	1
Trustees’ report	2
Independent auditor’s report	19
Accounts
Statement of financial activities	23
Balance sheet	24
Statement of cash flows	25
Principal accounting policies	26
Notes to the accounts	31

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust

Reference and administration details of the charity, its trustees and advisers

Trustees	Rt Rev Paul Gunter OSB (Chairman)
	Rev Alexander Austin OSB
	Mr John Elliott
	Rev Alistair Alban Hood OSB(appointed 1 September 2022)
	Rev Francis Hughes OSB
	Mr Stephen Jones
	Rt Rev Geoffrey Scott OSB
	Rev Hugh Somerville-Knapman OSB
	Rev Godric Timney OSB
	Rev Benedict Thompson OSB
	Rev Gabriel Wilson OSB
Administrative address	Douai Abbey
	Upper Woolhampton
	Reading
	RG7 5TG
Charity registration number	1063237
Auditor	Buzzacott LLP
	130 Wood Street
	London
	EC2V 6DL
Principal bankers	HSBC Bank plc
	69 Pall Mall
	London
	SW1Y 5EY
	National Westminster Bank plc
	135 Bishopsgate
	London
	EC2M 3UR
Principal investment managers	Rathbones Investment Management Limited
	8 Finsbury Circus
	London
	EC2M 7AZ

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 1

Trustees’ report Year to 31 August 2022

The trustees present their statutory report together with the accounts of the Douai Abbey Parishes Trust (the Trust) for the year ended 31 August 2022.

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out on pages 26 to 30 of the attached accounts and comply with the charity’s trust deed, the Charities Act 2011 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).

Introduction

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust (the “Trust”) is a charity established and governed by a trust deed dated 3 June 1997. It is registered with the Charity Commission, Charity Registration No. 1063237.

The Trust was established in 1997 by the separation of the activities of parishes, appropriated to Douai Abbey, from the other activities of Douai Abbey Monastery which are accounted for within Douai Abbey Trust, a registered charity.

The seven parishes accounted for within the charity are as follows:

•  Our Lady and St Joseph, Alcester.

•  St Mary’s, Douai Abbey.

•  St Benet’s, Kemerton together with two special trusts – The Roman Catholic Church Trust of 1842 and The Roman Catholic Poor School Trust for 1852.

•  St Anne’s, Ormskirk.

•  St Elizabeth’s, Scarisbrick together with a special trust – The Benedictine Trust of 1860.

•  St Gregory the Great, Stratford-upon-Avon.

•  St Mary’s, Studley.

Activities, objectives, achievements, future plans and relevant policies

Activities, specific objectives, achievements and future plans

The activities of the charity can be divided into four principal areas: the administration of the Sacraments and maintenance of Divine Service, the education of young people in accordance with the Roman Catholic faith, pastoral work in propagation of the Roman Catholic faith and charitable work in connection with any of the foregoing activities. Each of these is briefly considered in turn below.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 2

Trustees’ report Year to 31 August 2022

Activities, objectives, achievements, future plans and relevant policies (continued)

Activities, specific objectives, achievements and future plans (continued)

Administration of the Sacraments and maintenance of Divine Service

The Woolhampton parish comprises 3 churches located at Woolhampton (St Mary’s), Pangbourne (Our Lady and St Bernadette’s) and Theale (St Luke’s). Mass is celebrated in each church and during the week in rotation. Eucharistic Ministers also take communion to the sick and housebound in their homes. Bi-annual courses are run for First Holy Communion and Confirmation candidates. Weddings and baptisms are regularly celebrated.

St Benet's, Kemerton, has a weekend Mass attendance of about 70, slowly recovering from a drop after the pandemic, with 3 to 9 people for weekdays. A Mass for those who suffered a bereavement during the pandemic was held in October. Funerals, weddings and baptisms continue to be held at the church.

The Ormskirk parish is served by one priest and two deacons. There is much involvement of lay volunteers as readers, extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, church cleaners, catechists, and musicians. There are about 4,000 parishioners in the parish of whom about 500 + regularly attend the two Masses on Saturday evening and Sunday mornings. About 20 people attend daily Mass during the week. Under usual circumstances at Easter and Christmas the congregation can number in excess of 1,200. Other special services are held at various times and for particular occasions. Many non-Catholics attend the services.

We are still recovering from the effects of Covid which curtailed many of our activities. One positive result of the ‘lockdown’, however, is that we now stream our Sunday Mass and other church services as requested and our outreach is sometimes to hundreds of people.

During the past 12 months there were 63 baptisms, 6 weddings and 69 funerals. There were 64 First Communions. There are about 30 young people who serve on the altar and assist in the liturgy. The priest is on call 24 hours a day. He is the Catholic chaplain to the local hospital in Ormskirk. There are many care homes in the parish and the priest makes regular visits to them. The priest visits the sick and housebound in their homes.

St Anne’s parish is a vibrant community and very much involved in the life of Ormskirk. The church itself is obviously the place of worship for Roman Catholics but many others come to use the church. In gathering as we do, the building becomes the centre of our outreach to the people of the town. When the local Mayor is a Catholic we hold the annual civic service in St Anne’s.

St Elizabeth’s Scarisbrick is a small, rural parish, covering a wide area of farmland and a few small hamlets. Sunday Mass attendance averages around 70 in the wake of the Covid pandemic. Decline in numbers has mainly been due to a higher-than-average number of deaths. Offsetting these to a limited extent has been the arrival of some new faces in church from outside the parish borders. We estimate that the Catholic population of the parish stands at around 200.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 3

Trustees’ report Year to 31 August 2022

Activities, objectives, achievements, future plans and relevant policies (continued)

Activities, specific objectives, achievements and future plans (continued)

Administration of the Sacraments and maintenance of Divine Service (continued) The parish is an incorporated parish of Douai Abbey. From 1 September 2021, Father Hugh Somerville-Knapman OSB took over as Parish Priest, though he has resided in the presbytery at Scarisbrick and has been working in the parish since March 2019. He has commitments beyond the parish, to the monastery in various roles and as doctoral student at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. In the past year there has one Mass on Sunday morning, as well as a vigil Mass on Saturday evenings preceded by the opportunity for confessions. Two public Masses are celebrated in church during the week. On high feast days there is also Mass in the church. Baptisms, weddings and funerals have been celebrated throughout the year in higher numbers than usual, in part due to the need to catch up as Covid restrictions were gradually lifted.

The post-Covid return of the traditional Autumn Harvest festival was especially welcomed by the congregation. Nevertheless, regular attendance at Mass is now appreciated in greater depth than prior to the Covid restrictions. A number of parishioners remain unable to attend church and Father Hugh, assisted by a small team of parishioners, ensures they are visited weekly.

The parish at Stratford continues with the administration of the sacraments of baptism, confession, weddings, funerals and first holy communions. Much of the year has been taken up with the Synodal Way, a consultation with parishioners on their needs and desires for the church. There were extensive meetings and a report submitted to the diocese. As a result a pastoral council is in formation and an Alpha Course and Open Day are in preparation. St Gregory’s is now continuously live-streamed which heightens security and enabled a robber who was stealing from money-boxes in the church to be apprehended red-handed. The bulletin continues to be e-mailed but an abbreviated hard copy is now also produced. The renovation of our Shottery church continues and a consensus reached on the way forward with general enthusiasm for the scheme. It will be a great asset not only for the parish but for the local community as it’s hall and meeting room will be hired out. Planning permission has been obtained but we are still awaiting the all clear from the local planners.

At Studley the year has seen 7 baptisms, 3 weddings, 5 funerals, 26 First Holy Communions and 27 Confirmations. We have twelve housebound parishioners and people in nursing homes. There are four nursing homes in the parish all of which we are in contact with. Our Marriage Preparation Course has, unfortunately, ceased. We do still offer preparation for RCIA.

Education

In the Woolhampton parish a major thrust is the theological and spiritual formation of our people, and a small group of parishioners helps the parish priest in preparing and organising a series of teachings and reflections on current topics.

In Kemerton, Father Francis Hughes visits St Gregory’s School, Cheltenham to assist in the services of reconciliation and participate in pre-school liturgies.

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Trustees’ report Year to 31 August 2022

Activities, objectives, achievements, future plans and relevant policies (continued)

Activities, specific objectives, achievements and future plans (continued)

Education (continued)

Within close proximity to the church at Ormskirk are two schools: St Anne’s Primary School with about 320 pupils, and St Bede’s High School with about 700 pupils. Both are highly successful and over-subscribed. Father Godric Timney OSB, the parish rector, is a foundation governor and priest chaplain to both schools. We have scouts, cubs, beavers, guides, brownies and rainbows, and the parish employs a part-time youth minister to support activities for teenagers. He successfully runs the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. 18 young people from the area participated in the annual pilgrimage to Lourdes where they help with the assisted pilgrims. In the parish we run programmes helping parishioners prepare for the celebration of the sacraments of Baptism and First Eucharist, Reconciliation and Marriage.

At Scarisbrick , St Mary’s Primary School adjoins the church land. It is a small school with about 100 pupils, of whom less than half are Catholic. The normal relationship between the parish and school was impaired by the Covid restrictions that applied to both the school and the parish, and most of the usual shared activities were unable to take place. Slowly the links between the school and parish are being restored, though the school itself has other challenges of its own to face which demand significant attention. Father Hugh and several parishioners are active governors of the school and offer the head teacher friendly and significant support as needed.

During the year, there were nine First Communions, the children being prepared in the parish using a new course. The school would like to take a greater part in the preparation of pupils with the removal of the last Covid restrictions. Given the small number of candidates in any one year it has been decided that First Communions will be made every two years.

The parish school at Stratford has 205 pupils and a new head, Katie Wilkes who has settled in very well. The ties between the parish and school are being strengthened and there are three parishioners who are governers. There have been meetings with the parents for first confessions and holy communion and a junior SVP established. Children who do not attend the parish school are prepared for first holy communion at Shottery where the children’s liturgy continues to be popular.

At Studley the parish school is an Extended Services School working with the local social service and other schools. It has a Rainbows Group helping children cope with bereavement and marital breakdown. It is an Eco and Healthy school and has just received the Gifted and Talented Award. It is part of COMENIAS, the British Council global links and has active links with schools in Germany, Finland, South Africa and Palestine, as well as being recognised for its stress on cultural diversity. It has now joined the ‘Our Lady of the Magnificat’ multi academy which currently has 17 schools across Warwickshire and Worcestershire. The school has been rated 'Good' by OFSTED.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 5

Trustees’ report Year to 31 August 2022

Activities, objectives, achievements, future plans and relevant policies (continued)

Activities, specific objectives, achievements and future plans (continued)

Pastoral work

In the Woolhampton parish, the PCT (Parish Care Together) group quietly provides both practical and spiritual support to the elderly needy of the area, regardless of church affiliation. In addition, a small local charity fund, set up by a very generous donor in 1996, enables the parish to help those in need to meet exceptional expenses, e.g. a child’s school trip, a washing machine, a new carpet, etc., The 2 church halls are let to various organisations within the local communities, including a number of charities. In April 2022, the parish began holding weekly coffee mornings to support Ukrainian refugees living in the area.

In Kemerton , the St Benet's Pastoral Council meets regularly to discuss needs and organise events. There was a parish day of reflection in March. Meetings were held as part of the Synod process.

In Ormskirk , the Parish Priest ministers to the people of the parish through the celebration of the sacraments, through the various programmes and talks held in the parish, by visiting people in their homes, as well as being available to people at St Anne’s Priory. There is a parish RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) programme for those wishing to join the Catholic Church, a prayer group which has been meeting weekly for 20 years, and a bereavement support group. Other groups which play an important part in parish life but which cannot be readily categorised include the following: the Union of Catholic Mothers, the Knights of St Columba, the Justice and Peace Group, the St Anne’s Players and the parish environment group.

Our Pastoral Centre can be booked for functions and the use of the Centre is not restricted to just our own Catholic parishioners. The rooms in the Centre have been refurbished to a high standard of décor.

The safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults, and health and safety requirements are taken seriously by the parish, and nominated persons are very conscientious in ensuring the high profile of these two areas.

Volunteers now look after the church grounds, including the graveyard, and have saved the parish thousands of pounds in doing this.

At Scarisbrick , Father Hugh, like most parish priests, is on call for parishioners 24 hours a day. One blessing of Covid has been that parishioners now look out for each other even more than before. Much pastoral support is given by parishioners who know individuals’ circumstances well. When a particular need arises, such as illness, Father Hugh is called in to administer the Sacrament of Anointing or to offer spiritual guidance or comfort.

A parish Finance Committee, consisting of the Parish Priest and members of the parish with appropriate skills meets several times a year, to assist the Parish Priest in his financial responsibilities. Given the small number of parishioners, and in the wake of Covid, a pastoral council has not yet been revived, as most planning and exchanging of ideas can be done easily and informally as needed, for the time being.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 6

Trustees’ report Year to 31 August 2022

Activities, objectives, achievements, future plans and relevant policies (continued)

Activities, specific objectives, achievements and future plans (continued)

Pastoral work (continued)

Since the sale of the parish centre in 2020 the parish is without any facility for meetings and pastoral activities. This has left a gap in the life of the parish which the parish aims to address in the future.

We regularly support charities locally, nationally and, when necessary, the parishioners are quick to respond to international appeals. St Elizabeth’s maintains positive relations with other Christian denominations in the village.

Safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults, and health and safety requirements, are taken seriously by the parish. A new parish safeguarding lead was appointed, who has previous high-level experience in schools. We work harmoniously with the safeguarding office of the Archdiocese of Liverpool. As Catholic Church safeguarding is in the process of national restructuring Fr Hugh follows the safeguarding training and principles of both the monastery and the archdiocese.

At Stratford , Mass attendance, as elsewhere, has fallen but numbers are slowly increasing and are now around 600. There are 40 housebound parishioners who receive communion at home. There have been days of recollection and training for eucharistic ministers. Ecumenical relations are good and the local ministers meet regularly. The Good Friday Walk of Witness drew large crowds. There was a very successful Life in the Spirit Course which inspired many. The weekly supper for the homeless has continued and a local social centre, the Fred Winter Centre, has been opened where a number of the parishioners help out. Parishioners are involved with much local voluntary work including members in local government. The SVP do tremendous work in the area helping those in need and the parish bereavement group provides solace and hope to many organizing masses and socials. We continue to support many charities, particularly Fr Clement’s Lyerekhu School for displaced orphans in Nigeria, Mary’s meals , Stratford Foodbank and CAFOD.

At Studley the parish priest continues to provide Mass for the primary school and to help with preparation for the Sacraments. Although the congregation has halved to around 100, we continue to be as supportive as possible to the local area. The priest visits the sick in their homes, the local hospital and the four nursing homes in the parish. And is helped in this by the support of the parish deacon. The Catholic Women's League has been disbanded due primarily to the age range of the members. However, some of the former members still undertake the visiting of elderly people in the parish, whether Catholic or not. At Christmas, through various fundraising events, they provide essential groceries for those who live on their own or have no one else to provide for them.

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Trustees’ report Year to 31 August 2022

Activities, objectives, achievements, future plans and relevant policies (continued)

Activities, specific objectives, achievements and future plans (continued)

Other charitable work

The Woolhampton parish, as its social outreach project, continues to raise funds for Young People and Children First, a local charity which supports young people coming out of care. Some fund-raising events took place during the year, although they have been limited by Covid restrictions. The parish also collects food and other donations to support the foodbanks in Reading and West Berkshire.

The Kemerton parish supports Tewkesbury Foodbank and Gloucestershire Nightstop (two local charities) by holding fundraising events. The housebound are visited each week with Holy Communion.

The parish hall is used by a group of retired musicians, and it was made available to a village committee supervising the refurbishment of the Village Hall.

In Ormskirk , some of the parish groups are directly geared to help those in need in the locality. The SVP Society is particularly worthy of mention. Much quiet support is provided throughout the year. We have raised money by collections and social events for CAFOD and other charities, both local and distant. St Anne’s parish plays a prominent part in the life of the Ormskirk Community and contributes to town events. We are members of the Ormskirk Churches Together.

Repairs to the church roof have been put on hold for the time being. The church roof appeal has not been very active over the year but funds have continued to grow slowly.

Over the past four years St Anne’s parish has worked with the Home Office to provide a home for a Syrian refugee family. The family has now settled in very well and a wonderful support group of parishioners keeps in touch with them on a regular basis.

Through collections in church, the Scarisbrick parish has contributed to national and local charities, including CAFOD, Nugent Care, and the St Vincent de Paul Society which supports local people in need. Weekly collections of food are taken to St Marie’s Centre for the homeless in Southport. Discreet assistance is provided occasionally to a few families of pupils in our school who are in need from time to time. Soon after the invasion of Ukraine, on its own initiative the parish raised £3,000 for Ukrainian refugees.

Studley parish's involvement with the Arden Food Bank Project has come to an end due to cessation of the charity's activities, but many other charities have been supported over the year including CAFOD and Father Hudson's Society. We also support the Saint Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) in Redditch whose members include parishioners from Studley. The SVP helps several families in the parish, regardless of faith, both financially and physically.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 8

Trustees’ report Year to 31 August 2022

Activities, objectives, achievements, future plans and relevant policies (continued)

Activities, specific objectives, achievements and future plans (continued)

The Parish of Our Lady and St Joseph, Alcester

Our Lady and St Joseph Parish at Alcester is a small parish where parishioners work enthusiastically to support and develop the parish. This has been a challenging year. Covid took its toll, and it was some time before things started to return to any form of normality. We came to Mass in our masks and we kept our distance from others, moving for Holy Communion and not participating in the Kiss of Peace. The school did not come to Mass in church for some time and the Children’s Liturgy came to a halt. As the worry about contacting Covid became less acute, our regular Mass attendance improved and first Communion teaching linked with the school restarted.

The Easter Liturgy was well attended and enhanced by the choir leading good congregational singing. During the year Father Paul, our Parish Priest was elected abbot. He left in May but not before he asked a small committee of four people to carry on the administration of the Parish. Father Paul came back for a few days and we were able to give him a good farewell. The first week after Father Paul’s departure three funerals came in; not ones we were expecting. The Parish Priest of Bidford on Avon, Canon Gary Byrne, officiated at these funerals and as we had no priest he also visited both local schools and said Mass in the Primary school. After Father Paul’s departure, each weekend we had a supply priest who covered the Masses. There is no longer a regular weekend Mass at the Throckmorton’s Private Chapel in Coughton. Funerals, weddings and baptisms can take place there with the priest from Alcester officiating. We were delighted when Abbot Geoffrey joined us in August as our new Parish Priest.

The Parish does not have the benefit of significant cash reserves. There is a small investment with Rathbones. Going forward for 2022/23, we now have internet banking.

The Church has been repaired as required. The presbytery is now in a good state of repair and decoration but the Parish Hall needed major renovation. The project started in 2017 and by August 2022 the Hall was in a state of which we could be very proud. A lot over our £180,000 target, including £43,000.00 from grants and donations has been raised for the Hall, which should have covered the cost of the build and the VAT. The aim was that all the work and snagging would be complete by June 2022. The project was thwarted within a week of the start of the build and work had to be stopped, as the Planners did not like the colour of six different samples of bricks. It took over a year to resolve the issue; after legal advice we were made aware that it was the duty of the Planning Authority to say why they would not let the build continue. Within six weeks, they agreed that special bricks would have to be made to their specification, at a particular brickworks at an extra cost of £17,000. The builders could not restart the project immediately and progress was then disrupted by Covid. The saga continued with the drainage collapsing, incurring additional costs of £20,000, the ceiling needing work (at a cost of £6,000).

As a result, professional, planning and archaeological costs also spiralled, and one very annoying issue was an unnecessary £7,000 electric bill. The Abbey and other Douai Abbey Parishes helped us cope with these issues with loans. The builders have left us with some expensive snagging issues which are not obvious to the casual observer.

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Trustees’ report Year to 31 August 2022

Activities, objectives, achievements, future plans and relevant policies (continued)

Activities, specific objectives, achievements and future plans (continued)

The Parish of Our Lady and St Joseph, Alcester (continued)

£13,000 was set aside to resolve the snagging issues. We are dealing with the issues. It does not look as though the amount withheld will cover what is necessary. We have received professional advice on actions to be taken.

Where are we now: We continue with the Parish Collection and the weekly Parish Development Fund Collection. Parishioners pay by Standing Order, cash or using the Dona machine for both the Parish collection and the parish Development Fund.

People took some time to feel safe to come back to Church and to attend fund raising events, but 2 successful ones have taken place: A concert given by a well-respected choir with wine and nibbles and then an Italian evening. This included a delicious meal cooked by a member of the parish and some of his old staff who, before he retired, had run Italian restaurants. On each occasion there was the obligatory raffle. Our 200 Club continues providing us with an annual donation. Gift Aid is claimed.

Our Hall has been let since February 2022 despite the snagging difficulties. We consider that we are not able to advertise the Hall until all the work is complete. We have planning in place for when we achieve this. Alcester Singers use the Hall each week, the Civic Society monthly, the Alcester Flower Club monthly and several of the local U3A groups. In the town it is expected that local groups get a preferential hiring rate. There have been one off events in the Hall paying the proper hire price. Each of these hirings has happened through word of mouth. Our great asset is the excellent well-lit carparking area. The Hall is very well-appointed and some parishioners have been very generous in helping us achieve this standard. A good piano was bought and given to the Hall. The parish uses the Hall for coffee after Mass, after funerals and baptisms and for various events.

This is a parish with no paid staff; everything is done by volunteers other than our large lawns which must be done by a contractor. He does them at what he calls “Church rates”; negotiated rates much less than we were paying years ago. We are not in a financial position to pay anyone else. We are working hard to get into the position of being able to pay back the loans.

If you came to the Parish, you would see a beautiful site in a Conservation area, well maintained with lovely gardens, a Church, house and Hall looking good with new signage and an external notice board all this belying the fact that the parish watches every penny, raises every penny where possible and keeps getting knocked back by unforeseen financial problems. We have a Dona machine in Church, but it has not achieved what we had hoped; hopefully the technical issues will be resolved. Weekly collections are increasing but are not yet back to pre-Covid standards. Cash for banking must be taken to Bromsgrove or Leamington Spa. We encourage people to pay other than by cash, but this is a slow process.

The Finance Committee oversees the finances of the Parish and the work of the treasurer. Another Committee oversees the Hall but will not be taking full control of the Hall until the work is completed as there are still big expenses.

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Trustees’ report Year to 31 August 2022

Activities, objectives, achievements, future plans and relevant policies (continued)

Policy for donations

The parishes each donate to other charitable causes whose aims and objectives are consistent with those of the charity i.e. the advancement and maintenance of the Roman Catholic religion and the relief of poverty. Donations are made from special collections held within each parish for each specific cause. In addition, each parish makes contributions towards the costs of the Roman Catholic Diocese in which it is situated and assists with meeting the expenses of the repair and maintenance of local Roman Catholic Schools.

Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults

Like all other organisations who serve in the community, the trustees recognise the absolute necessity of ensuring the protection and safety of all those the charity serves in any way. This means that the trustees, volunteers and staff engaged in the work of the charity in Great Britain must obtain clearance from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

The trustees are fully committed to implementing all policies and procedures of the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA). Each parish has a Child Protection Officer which operates under the safeguarding authorities of the relevant Roman Catholic Diocese of which the parish is a part.

Investment policy

The charity has both investment properties and a portfolio of listed investments.

The trustees’ overall policy with regard to the charity’s listed investments is to maximise total return through a diversified portfolio, with the aim of providing the level of income advised by the trustees and, at the same time, with a view to ensuring capital appreciation exceeding inflation over any five-year period. The trustees are conscious of the potential short to medium term impact of current geopolitical and macro-economic events. The trustees are meeting regularly with the investment manager in order to remain apprised of the situation.

Similarly, the trustees acknowledge that current events have impacted property values but believe that the market will recover in the medium to long term. The charity has no plans to dispose of its investment properties and regards them as long-term investments.

Financial review

Results for the year

A summary of the charity’s income and expenditure can be found on page 23 of the attached accounts.

Income for the year totalled £825,001 (2021 – £676,196). The main source of income to the charity is the weekly collection carried out in each parish. In the year to 31 August 2022 general collections accounted for £355,296 (43%) (2021 – £326,429 (48%) of the charity’s income, whilst special collections used to fund donations and grants accounted for a further £29,138 (2021 – £11,440). Other significant income sources include the proceeds from small scale fundraising events; legacies; income from parish centre, room and hall hire; investment income; and interest receivable.

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Trustees’ report Year to 31 August 2022

Financial review (continued)

Results for the year (continued)

Expenditure in the year totalled £695,617 (2021 – £623,653) with the major expenses being in connection with the upkeep of parish churches, presbyteries and similar buildings and the necessary living and personal expenses of the priests serving the seven parishes.

Net income for the year before investment gains and losses, therefore, amounted to £129,384 (2021 – net income of £52,543). Net losses on the revaluation and disposal of listed investments of £186,820 (2021 – net gains of £342,245) and net gains on the revaluation of investment properties of £105,000 (2021 – £nil), resulted in an overall net increase in funds for the year of £47,564 (2021 – £394,788).

Reserves policy

It is the trustees’ current policy to retain free reserves (i.e. those unrestricted funds not represented by tangible fixed assets, designated for specific purposes or otherwise committed) of between six months’ and two years’ expenditure on unrestricted funds. This is not regarded as excessive when viewed in the light of the need to retain sufficient funds at a central level to cover the administrative costs of the charity and, importantly, provide short term loans to parishes in the event of special projects, unforeseen events and/or emergencies.

Financial position

At 31 August 2022 the free reserves of the charity amounted to £59,734 (2021 – £56,156). The unrestricted funds of the charity represent:

•  The original funds deposited by the parishes to form a central fund, and designated as the Commune Depositum, amounting to £21,655 (2021 – £21,655). Despite being designated, these funds are set aside in order to meet emergencies rather than for specific purposes. They are regarded, therefore, as free reserves.

•  Central funds, held to cover the central administrative costs of the charity and provide short term loans to individual parishes should these be required, amounting to £38,079 (2021 – £34,501).

The trustees note that free reserves are in excess of the target set out in the reserves policy above. However, they do not consider the level of free reserves to be excessive.

The restricted funds amounting to £5,626,830 (2021 – £5,582,844) represent the net assets (including land and buildings) of the seven parishes that form part of the charity. Under Canon Law each parish is a separate financial entity and as such each is treated as a separate restricted fund (note 17). Whilst the macroeconomic and geopolitical climate creates challenges, the trustees do not expect material concerns to arise over the charity’s financial position or for the charity’s going concern to be threatened.

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Trustees’ report Year to 31 August 2022

Governance, structure and management

Governance and management

The Abbot of Douai Abbey is Chairman of the Trust. The Abbot appoints a minimum of two other trustees, who must be practicing Roman Catholics and of whom at least one shall be a priest working in one of the Trust’s parishes and at least one shall be a layperson who is active in one of the Trust’s parishes.

The names of the trustees in office at the date on which this report was approved and of those who served during the year are set out on page 1 of this Annual Report and Accounts. Brief biographical details on each of the trustees in office at the date on which this report was approved are given below:

Reverend Paul Gunter OSB

Father Paul Gunter became Parish Priest of Alcester in 2016. At the same time, he serves as Secretary for the Department of Christian Life & Worship of the Conference of Bishops of England & Wales beginning in 2012. Father Paul has been a monk of Douai Abbey since 1985 and was ordained priest in 1991 after graduating in theology from Heythrop College, University of London. Over ten years of parish ministry followed, at Cheltenham in the Diocese of Clifton 1992-1999, where he was contemporaneously chaplain of Cheltenham General Hospital from 1992-1999, chaplain of St Benedict’s School Cheltenham 1997-1999, and deanery representative of the Clifton Diocesan Council of Priests 1995-1999; then parish priest of Studley in the Archdiocese of Birmingham from 1999-2002. In 2002, he went to Rome pursuing further studies in Liturgy, gaining a license in 2004 and a Doctorate in 2006, both from the Pontifical Institute of Liturgy. He is an associate professor there, having lectured there from 2006-2016, at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum 2008-2014, and at the same time was a Consulter to the Office of the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff 2008-2013. During 2021/22, Father Paul was appointed as Abbot of the Community at Douai Abbey.

Reverend Alexander Austin OSB

Reverend Alexander Austin is parish priest of St Gregory's, Stratford upon Avon. He has degrees in Social and Political Science, in Theology and a master’s degree in Christian Spirituality. A priest since 1980, he taught art and Religious Education at Douai School for fifteen years where he was also a housemaster and school chaplain. At the same time he also undertook pastoral work in the monastery for many years including the roles of infirmarian and guestmaster, as well as serving as a councillor to three different abbots. He was novice master at the Abbey for eight years whilst simultaneously serving as assistant priest at Woolhampton and Burghfield Common. In 2000 he left the monastery to become parish priest of Pershore from where he moved in 2002 to become parish priest of St Mary's, Studley. He has been at Stratford since 2010 and is a governor and chaplain to St Gregory's Primary School and to St Benedict's Secondary School in Alcester. He also serves on the Birmingham Diocesan Historic Churches and Art Commission.

Mr John Elliott

John Elliott is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators. John joined The Bird Group of Companies Limited as Divisional Chief Accountant in 1977 and currently is a Director and Group Company Secretary. He is also Treasurer of the Stratford-upon-Avon & District Manufacturers’ Association and Treasurer of St Gregory’s Roman Catholic Parish.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 13

Trustees’ report Year to 31 August 2022

Governance, structure and management (continued)

Governance and management (continued)

Reverend Alistair Alban Hood OSB MA, PhD, PGCE, AdvDip Couns

Prior of Douai Abbey from September 2014 until June 2021. Teacher at Douai School, 1992 - 1995, served on the Douai parish of Ormskirk, 1995 - 2002, (during which time he was a trustee of the Douai Abbey Parishes Trust), Novice Master, 2002-2021 and Choirmaster at Douai since 2002. He was formerly a trustee of the charity from 1998 until 2006. He is on the editorial board of the Douai Magazine and since September 2022 has been Parish Priest of the Douai Abbey parish.

Reverend Francis Hughes OSB

Reverend Francis Hughes, formerly assistant at St Osburg's, Coventry, Pangbourne and Theale, St Anne's Ormskirk, St Joseph's Centre for the Deaf, Manchester, and Parish Priest of Scarisbrick is parish priest of St Benet's Kemerton. A graduate of University College, Galway in Chemistry and Mathematics, he has worked as a teacher. He studied Theology at Oxford and has a MA in Canon Law from the University of London. He completed courses in counselling at the Richmond Fellowship and Manchester University and in Deaf Studies with the Open University. He has worked with the Deaf Community as chaplain and pastoral worker and has been a governor for St Mary's School, Scarisbrick. He has been Prior and Junior Master at Douai Abbey and was also a governor for St Gregory’s School, Cheltenham. He currently assists the Clifton Marriage Tribunal.

Mr Stephen Jones

Steve Jones is a graduate of the University of Liverpool with a degree in Computational and Statistical Science. In the 1980’s he worked as a software engineer specialising in Financial Systems for small and medium sized businesses. In the 1990’s Steve specialised in Payroll and HR systems becoming one of the UK’s experts in the interpretation and application of Profit Related Pay and Salary Sacrifice schemes. In 1996, Steve set up Fairbanks Environmental Ltd with long-time friend and Civil Engineer, Bob Conlin, to employ data analysis to identify leaks within the underground storage systems at retail petrol stations.

Fairbanks enjoyed national and international success, employing 200 UK staff, and providing its services to major petrol retailers in 35 countries, both directly and through a network of distributors. In 2016 Fairbanks was sold to the US based Dover Corporation. Steve continued as Managing Director of Dover’s Data Analysis Business Unit for a further two years, before retiring in 2018.

Right Reverend Geoffrey Scott OSB

Right Reverend Geoffrey Scott of the English Benedictine Community of Douai Abbey is Chairman of the Douai Abbey Parishes' Trust. He has worked as a teacher, headmaster, chaplain and parish assistant. He is at present librarian at Douai Abbey and is a trustee of a number of charities. He was Abbot throughout the year to 31 August 2021.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 14

Trustees’ report Year to 31 August 2022

Governance, structure and management (continued)

Governance and management (continued)

Reverend A Somerville Knapman OSB, MPhil, MA (Theol), STB, BA

Joining the monastery in early 2001, he was ordained a priest in April 2007 after studying in Oxford and Rome. His recently completed theological research at Bristol University was published by Paulist Press of New York in the autumn of 2018. Before entering the monastery, he studied at the University of Sydney and worked in education and then in a civilian role in communications for the New South Wales Police in Sydney, Australia. Currently he serves as the priest in residence at the parish of Scarisbrick in Lancashire and is the Community webmaster. He is engaged in doctoral studies and undertakes various publishing projects for the Community under the imprint of The Weldon Press. He is on the editorial board of the Douai Magazine.

Very Reverend Godric Timney OSB

Father Godric Timney OSB, the Rector of St Anne’s, is a member of the Benedictine Community of Douai Abbey. Father Godric is Cathedral Prior of Worcester and is an Honorary Canon of Worcester Cathedral. He is also a trustee of the Archdiocese of Liverpool, a member of the Archbishop’s Council, Dean of the Pastoral Area of Ormskirk and Maghull, a trustee of the Douai Abbey Parishes Trust. He spent nearly 28 years in secondary education and from 2003-2006 was Chairman of the National Conference of Priests of England and Wales. He is Chairman of the Conference of Vicars for Religious and has been involved in parish and Catholic ministry for 48 years.

Reverend Benedict Thompson OSB

Reverend Benedict Thompson is parish priest of the Studley parish. He is an Associate of the Royal College of Music, London; a Licentiate of Trinity College of Music, London; a graduate of National Opera Studio, London; and a former Principal Tenor with English National Opera. He studied Theology at St Benet's Hall, Oxford and counselling at Westminster Pastoral Foundation, London. He is a former Monastic Choir Master and was assistant bursar to Father Peter in 1997-1998; assistant Priest, Douai Abbey Parish between 2000-2001; Chaplain to Southampton General Hospital between 2001-2004 and was appointed as parish priest of Douai Abbey Parish in 2005 and subsequently as parish priest of Studley in 2010.

Reverend Gabriel Wilson OSB

Reverend Gabriel Wilson was a teacher of English from 1992 to 2008 and an Advanced Skills Teacher in Hertfordshire He has severed at Douai Abbey since 2008, as Director of the Abbey’s Pastoral Programme (Retreats) until 2021, Vocations Director since 2014 and has been parish priest of Woolhampton since July 2021.

Training of trustees

At each of the meetings of the trustees throughout the year, held in the various parishes, recent changes and developments in charity law, in financial strategy, and in questions relating to health and safety are discussed and, if necessary, implemented. A number of the trustees attend in-service training days provided by the dioceses and by the local education authorities in which they are situated. The trustees remain satisfied with the quality of financial and legal advice given to them by their professional advisers, and are able to bring to this Trust the expertise they possess through their work with other trusts and charitable bodies.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 15

Trustees’ report Year to 31 August 2022

Governance, structure and management (continued)

Statement of trustees’ responsibilities

The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees’ report and accounts in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare accounts for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the income and expenditure of the charity for that year. In preparing accounts the trustees are required to:

•  select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

•  observe the methods and principles of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102);

•  make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

•  state whether applicable United Kingdom Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the accounts;

•  prepare the accounts on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and which enable them to ensure that the accounts comply with the Charities Act 2011, the relevant Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Structure and management reporting

The overall responsibility for the charity lies ultimately with the trustees who meet three times a year.

At Woolhampton (Douai Abbey) a parish administrator is responsible for general financial record keeping and the management of the parish office. There is a Finance Committee of five members, and a Parish Pastoral Council with members from each of the three local church committees. This facilitates communication between each of the local churches. Each church maintains its own individual committee which deals with local matters.

At Kemerton there is a Parish Finance Committee composed of the parish priest, the treasurer and five other parishioners. The Finance committee decided that there is no need to meet so often and that on-line discussions would be sufficient to decide on extraordinary expenditure.

At Studley the parish is run by a Parish Committee which is supported by mission, social and finance committees.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 16

Trustees’ report Year to 31 August 2022

Governance, structure and management (continued)

Structure and management reporting (continued)

At both Stratford and Scarisbrick , there is a Finance Committee, a parish committee and a pastoral group which helps to run the parish.

At Alcester there is a Parish Finance Committee which meets monthly. Another recently formed group, the Parish Development Committee, propels projects for maintenance and general purposes, as well as for parish community building projects. There is a qualified coordinator for safeguarding and a data-controller responsible for GDPR.

At Ormskirk the parish priest administers the parish on behalf of the Douai Abbey Parishes Trust. The Parish Pastoral Council meets regularly and offers advice and practical help in organising events. The Finance Committee oversees financial matters and one of the members, a qualified accountant, prepares the accounts for our professional auditors. Health and Safety and Risk Assessments are regularly discussed at the meetings.

Key management personnel

The trustees consider that they alone comprise the key management of the charity in charge of directing and controlling, running and operating the charity on a day to day basis.

The Parish Priest at each parish is also a trustee. The trustees receive no remuneration or additional reimbursement of expenses in connection with their duties as trustees to the charity. The Parish Priests are all members of Douai Abbey, the Community of St Edmund of the English Benedictine Congregation of the Order of St Benedict, Charity Registration Number 236962, and their living and personal expenses are borne by that charity.

Employees

The charity strives to be an equal opportunities employer and applies objective criteria to assess merit. It aims to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, race, colour, nationality, religion, ethnic or national origin, gender, marital status, sexual orientation or disability.

Risk management

The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, in particular those relating to the specific operational areas of the charity, its investments and its finances. The trustees believe that by monitoring reserve levels, by ensuring controls exist over key financial systems, and by examining the operational and business risks faced by the charity, they have established effective systems to mitigate those risks. The trustees review a risk management matrix annually, which includes such potential risks as the loss of key staff, disaster recovery and reputational risk.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 17

Trustees’ report Year to 31 August 2022

Risk management (continued)

With the exception of the risks and challenges presented by Covid-19 which are discussed above, the key risks for the charity, as identified by the trustees, are described below together with the principal ways in which they are mitigated:

• Loss of key management

The trustees are aware that they are very dependent on certain key people and the implications of losing these people would be serious. The trustees consider that strong support from financial advisers, training of trustees, and ongoing discussion of ways of lightening the load of the Abbot will all mitigate this risk. In addition the English Benedictine Congregation, of which the Abbey is a member, has developed structures of congregational support, including the lending of personnel, to assist any parishes who find themselves in difficulties.

• Dependence of income from investments

The charity relies to a large extent on the returns from its investment portfolio to cover its outgoings. The performance of the investment portfolio and the investment strategy are reviewed in meetings of the trustees and in regular meetings with the investment managers, taking into account current and future political and economic uncertainties. This risk and its mitigations are especially important at the present time in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

• Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults

• Like all other organisations who serve in the community, the trustees recognise the absolute necessity of ensuring the protection and safety of all those the charity serves in any way. This means that members engaged in any ministry in Great Britain must obtain clearance from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The trustees are fully committed to implementing all policies and procedures of the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA).

Volunteers

The trustees are very grateful to the many volunteers who have given their time to the charity within the individual parishes over the past year and who have provided invaluable assistance. Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:

Rt Rev Paul Gunter OSB

Trustee

Approved by the trustees on: 21/06/2023

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 18

Independent auditor’s report 31 August 2022

Independent auditor’s report to the trustees of Douai Abbey Parishes Trust

Opinion

We have audited the accounts of Douai Abbey Parishes Trust (the ‘charity’) for the year ended 31 August 2022 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the statements of cash flows, the principal accounting policies and the notes to the accounts. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 ‘The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland’ (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion, the accounts:

•  give a true and fair view of the state of the charity’s affairs as at 31 August 2022 and of its income and expenditure for the year then ended;

•  have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and

•  have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the accounts section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the accounts in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the accounts, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the accounts is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the accounts are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report and accounts, other than the accounts and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the accounts does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 19

Independent auditor’s report 31 August 2022

Other information (continued)

In connection with our audit of the accounts, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the accounts or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the accounts or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities Act 2011 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

•  the information given in the trustees’ annual report is inconsistent in any material respect with the accounts; or

•  sufficient accounting records have not been kept; or

•  the accounts are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or

•  we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement, the trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of accounts that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the accounts, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the accounts

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the accounts as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these accounts.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 20

Independent auditor’s report 31 August 2022

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the accounts (continued)

Our approach to identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, was as follows:

•  the engagement partner ensured that the engagement team collectively had the appropriate competence, capabilities and skills to identify or recognise non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations;

•  we identified the laws and regulations applicable to the charity through discussions with those charged with governance and other management, and from our knowledge and experience of the sector;

•  we focused on specific laws and regulations which we considered may have a direct material effect on the accounts or the operations of the charity, including Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (Charities SORP FRS 102) issued on 16 July 2014, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011;

•  we assessed the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations identified above through making enquiries of trustees and inspecting legal correspondence. We corroborated our enquiries through our review of trustees’ minutes; and

•  identified laws and regulations were communicated within the engagement team regularly and the team remained alert to instances of non-compliance throughout the audit;

We assessed the susceptibility of the Charity’s accounts to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by:

•  making enquiries of trustees as to their knowledge of actual, suspected and alleged fraud; and

•  considering the internal controls in place to mitigate risks of fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations.

To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we:

•  performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships;

•  performed substantive testing of expenditure including testing the authorisation thereof; and

•  assessed whether judgements and assumptions made in determining the accounting estimates were indicative of potential bias.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 21

Independent auditor’s report 31 August 2022

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the accounts (continued)

In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to:

•  agreeing financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting documentation;

•  reading the minutes of meetings of those charged with governance;

There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures described above. The more removed that laws and regulations are from financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of non-compliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the trustees and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.

Material misstatements that arise due to fraud can be harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the accounts is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charity’s trustees, as a body, in accordance with section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and with regulations made under section 154 of that Act. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity’s trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

22 June 2023

Buzzacott LLP Statutory Auditor 130 Wood Street London EC2V 6DL

Buzzacott LLP is eligible to act as an auditor in terms of section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 22

Statement of financial activities Year to 31 August 2022

Notes	Unrestricted funds £	Restricted funds £	Total 2022 £	Unrestricted funds £	Restricted funds £	Total 2021 £
Income from: Donations and legacies 1 Other trading activities . Fundraising activities Investments and interest receivable 2 Charitable activities 3 Refund in respect to sale of property during the prior year Other sources 4 Total income Expenditure on: Raising funds 5 Charitable activities . Charitable donations payable 6 . Support of the Parishes and their ministry 7 Total expenditure Net income before investment gains 9 Unrealised gains on investment properties Realised and unrealised (losses) gains on listed investments 14 Net income and net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds: Total funds brought forward at 1 September 2021 Total funds carried forward at 31 August 2022	— — 1,879 — — 5,803	477,886 10,724 186,151 59,160 50,000 33,398	477,886 10,724 188,030 59,160 50,000 39,201	— — 1,043 — — 3,198	477,825 10,377 120,149 45,240 — 18,364	477,825 10,377 121,192 45,240 — 21,562
	7,682	817,319	825,001	4,241	671,955	676,196
	380 — 35	18,457 73,880 602,865	18,837 73,880 602,900	334 — 546	14,107 78,711 529,955	14,441 78,711 530,501
	415	695,202	695,617	880	622,773	623,653
	7,267 — (3,689)	122,117 105,000 **(183,131) **	129,384 105,000 **(186,820) **	3,361 — 8,912	49,182 — 333,333	52,543 — 342,245
	3,578 56,156	43,986 5,582,844	47,564 5,639,000	12,273 43,883	382,515 5,200,329	394,788 5,244,212
	59,734	5,626,830	5,686,564	56,156	5,582,844	5,639,000

All recognised gains and losses are included in the above statement of financial activities.

All of the charity’s activities derived from continuing operations during the above two financial periods.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 23

Balance sheet 31 August 2022

Notes	2022 £	2022 £	2021 £	2021 £
Fixed assets Tangible assets 13 Investments 14 Current assets Debtors 15 Cash at bank and in hand Current liabilities Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 16 Net current assets Total net assets The funds of the charity: Funds and reserves Income funds: Restricted funds 17 Unrestricted funds . Commune Depositum 18 . Central funds	144,296 687,161	995,333 4,195,402	148,045 791,288	897,112 4,066,248
		5,190,735 495,829		4,963,360 675,640
	831,457 (335,628)		939,333 (263,693)
		5,686,564		5,639,000
		5,626,830 21,655 38,079		5,582,844 21,655 34,501
		5,686,564		5,639,000

Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by: Rt Rev Paul Gunter OSB

Trustee

Approved on: 21/06/2023

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 24

Statement of cash flows Year to 31 August 2022

Notes	2022 £	2021 £
Cash flows from operating activities: Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities A Cash flows from investing activities: Investment income received Purchase of tangible fixed assets Proceeds from the disposal of listed investments Purchase of investments Net cash used in investing activities Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year Cash and cash equivalents at 1 September 2021 B Cash and cash equivalents at 31 August 2022 B	93,285	(80,533)
	188,030 (174,469) 320,571 **(460,997) **	121,192 (89,473) 192,156 (283,692)
	**(126,865) **	(59,817)
	(33,580) 821,126	(140,350) 961,476
	787,546	821,126

A B	Notes to the statement of cash flows for the year to 31 August 2022 Reconciliation of net movement in funds to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 2022 £ 2021 £ Net movement in funds (as per the statement of financial activities) 47,564 394,788 Adjustments for: Depreciation charge 76,071 80,218 Losses (gains) on the revaluation and disposal of listed investments 186,820 (342,245) Gains on the revaluation of investment properties (105,000) — Losses on the disposal of tangible fixed assets 176 — Investment income (188,030) (121,192) Decrease (increase) in debtors 3,749 (42,921) Increase (decrease) in creditors 71,935 (49,181) Net cashprovided by (used in) operating activities 93,285 (80,533) Analysis of cash and cash equivalents 2022 £ 2021 £ Cash at bank and in hand 687,161 791,288 Cash held by investment managers 100,385 29,838 Total cash and cash equivalents 787,546 821,126	Notes to the statement of cash flows for the year to 31 August 2022 Reconciliation of net movement in funds to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 2022 £ 2021 £ Net movement in funds (as per the statement of financial activities) 47,564 394,788 Adjustments for: Depreciation charge 76,071 80,218 Losses (gains) on the revaluation and disposal of listed investments 186,820 (342,245) Gains on the revaluation of investment properties (105,000) — Losses on the disposal of tangible fixed assets 176 — Investment income (188,030) (121,192) Decrease (increase) in debtors 3,749 (42,921) Increase (decrease) in creditors 71,935 (49,181) Net cashprovided by (used in) operating activities 93,285 (80,533) Analysis of cash and cash equivalents 2022 £ 2021 £ Cash at bank and in hand 687,161 791,288 Cash held by investment managers 100,385 29,838 Total cash and cash equivalents 787,546 821,126	Notes to the statement of cash flows for the year to 31 August 2022 Reconciliation of net movement in funds to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 2022 £ 2021 £ Net movement in funds (as per the statement of financial activities) 47,564 394,788 Adjustments for: Depreciation charge 76,071 80,218 Losses (gains) on the revaluation and disposal of listed investments 186,820 (342,245) Gains on the revaluation of investment properties (105,000) — Losses on the disposal of tangible fixed assets 176 — Investment income (188,030) (121,192) Decrease (increase) in debtors 3,749 (42,921) Increase (decrease) in creditors 71,935 (49,181) Net cashprovided by (used in) operating activities 93,285 (80,533) Analysis of cash and cash equivalents 2022 £ 2021 £ Cash at bank and in hand 687,161 791,288 Cash held by investment managers 100,385 29,838 Total cash and cash equivalents 787,546 821,126
	Net movement in funds (as per the statement of financial activities) Adjustments for: Depreciation charge Losses (gains) on the revaluation and disposal of listed investments Gains on the revaluation of investment properties Losses on the disposal of tangible fixed assets Investment income Decrease (increase) in debtors Increase (decrease) in creditors Net cashprovided by (used in) operating activities	47,564 76,071 186,820 (105,000) 176 (188,030) 3,749 71,935	394,788 80,218 (342,245) — — (121,192) (42,921) (49,181)
		93,285	(80,533)
	Analysis of cash and cash equivalents	2022 £	2021 £
	Cash at bank and in hand Cash held by investment managers Total cash and cash equivalents	687,161 100,385	791,288 29,838
		787,546	821,126

No separate reconciliation of net debt has been prepared as there is no difference between the net cash (debt) of the charity and the above cash and cash equivalents.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 25

Principal accounting policies 31 August 2022

The principal accounting policies adopted, judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the accounts are laid out below.

Basis of preparation

These accounts have been prepared for the year to 31 August 2022 with comparative information provided in respect to the year to 31 August 2021.

The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policies below or the notes to these accounts.

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (Charities SORP FRS 102), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011.

The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.

The accounts are presented in sterling and are rounded to the nearest pound.

Critical accounting estimates and areas of judgement

Preparation of the accounts requires the trustees and management to make significant judgements and estimates.

The items in the accounts where these judgements and estimates have been made include:

•  Estimating the useful economic life of tangible fixed assets for the purpose of determining an annual depreciation charge;

•  Determining the probability of the receipt of legacies which are measurable and to which the charitable company is entitled;

•  Estimating the fair value of investment properties; and

•  Estimating future income and expenditure flows for the purpose of assessing going concern (see below).

Assessment of going concern

The trustees have assessed whether the use of the going concern assumption is appropriate in preparing these accounts. The trustees have made this assessment in respect to a period of at least one year from the date of approval of these accounts.

Whilst the current macroeconomic and geopolitical climate may create challenges, given the charity’s, as well as individual parishes’, current levels of reserves and continuing income, the trustees are of the opinion that the charity will have sufficient resources to meet its liabilities as they fall due.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 26

Principal accounting policies 31 August 2022

Income recognition

Income is recognised in the period in which the charity has entitlement to the income, the amount of income can be measured reliably and it is probable that the income will be received.

Income comprises donations, legacies, investment income, interest receivable, income from the sale of books votives and candles, funerals and church yard income, parish centre, hall and room hire, and other miscellaneous income.

Donations and Gift Aid tax recoverable are recognised when the charity has confirmation of both the amount and settlement date. In the event of donations pledged but not received, the amount is accrued for where the receipt is considered probable. In the event that a donation is subject to conditions that require a level of performance before the charity is entitled to the funds, the income is deferred and not recognised until either those conditions are fully met, or the fulfilment of those conditions is wholly within the control of the charity and it is probable that those conditions will be fulfilled in the reporting period.

In accordance with the Charities SORP FRS 102 volunteer time is not recognised.

Legacies are included in the statement of financial activities when the charity is entitled to the legacy, the executors have established that there are sufficient surplus assets in the estate to pay the legacy, and any conditions attached to the legacy are within the control of the charity. Entitlement is taken as the earlier of the date on which either: the charity is aware that probate has been granted, the estate has been finalised and notification has been made by the executor to the charity that a distribution will be made, or when a distribution is received from the estate. Receipt of a legacy, in whole or in part, is only considered probable when the amount can be measured reliably and the charity has been notified of the executor’s intention to make a distribution. Where legacies have been notified to the charity, or the charity is aware of the granting of probate, but the criteria for income recognition have not been met, then the legacy is treated as a contingent asset and disclosed if material. In the event that the gift is in the form of an asset other than cash or a financial asset traded on a recognised stock exchange, recognition is subject to the value of the gift being reliably measurable with a degree of reasonable accuracy and the title of the asset having being transferred to the charity.

Dividends are recognised once the dividend has been declared and notification has been received of the dividend due.

Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.

Income from sale of books votives and candles, funerals and church yard income, parish centre, hall and room hire, and other miscellaneous income, including refund income received in respect to the sale of a property in the prior year, is measured at fair value of the consideration received or receivable, excluding discounts.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 27

Principal accounting policies 31 August 2022

Income recognition (continued)

Income from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has been credited to the statement of financial activities when the salaries covered by a claim have become payable and the amount receivable has been quantified.

Expenditure recognition

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis. Expenditure comprises direct costs and support costs. All expenses, including support costs, are allocated or apportioned to the applicable expenditure headings. The classification between activities is as follows:

• a. The cost of raising funds relates to expenditure incurred in organising and holding small scale fundraising events, managing investment properties and costs in connection with the management of the charity’s listed investments.

• b. The costs of charitable activities comprise expenditure on the charity’s primary purposes as described in the trustees’ report and include:

•  Charitable donations which comprise gifts to other charitable causes with aims and objectives which are consistent with those of the charity i.e. the advancement and maintenance of the Roman Catholic religion and the relief of poverty. Donations are made from Special Collections held within each parish for each specific cause. In addition, each parish makes contributions towards the costs of the Roman Catholic Diocese in which it is situated and assists with meeting the expenses of the repair and maintenance of local Roman Catholic Schools.

•  Expenditure on the support of the charity’s seven parishes includes expenditure on the upkeep of parish buildings (including churches and parishes), staff and related costs, the living and personal expenses of parish priests and other parish running costs.

Allocation of support and governance costs

Support costs represent indirect charitable expenditure. In order to carry out the primary purposes of the charity it is necessary to provide support in the form of financial procedures, provision of office services and equipment.

Governance costs comprise the costs involving the public accountability of the charity (including audit costs) and costs in respect to its compliance with regulation and good practice. Governance costs are apportioned using percentages based on the expenditure incurred on the activities of the charity.

All expenditure on support of the charity’s seven parishes are allocated to the support of the parishes and their ministry as costs in respect to raising funds and giving donations are considered to be minimal.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 28

Principal accounting policies 31 August 2022

Tangible fixed assets

All assets costing more than £1,000 and with an expected useful life exceeding one year are capitalised.

• a Inalienable land and buildings

The freehold of the land and buildings legally owned by the charity and occupied rent free on behalf of the trustees of the governing body of Catholic voluntary-aided schools, which are separate charities and publicly funded, are valued at £nil. The trustees consider that no meaningful value can be attributed to these assets, since they are not used directly by the charity, do not generate income and cannot be disposed of in the open market or put to alternative use while such occupation, which may be indefinite, continues.

• b Churches and similar properties

The trustees are the legal owners of churches and similar land and buildings situated within the seven parishes operated by the charity. In the event of the charity ceasing its work in any of these parishes, the trustees would consider themselves obliged to allow such assets to be used indefinitely to meet the needs of the parish for its church and similar property. As such assets are not, therefore, susceptible to a meaningful valuation and there is no reliable information as to their cost, they are excluded from the accounts.,

• c Functional freehold property

• Freehold properties used for the direct charitable work of the charity are included in the accounts at cost or deemed cost. Deemed cost is based on a mixture of original cost and historic valuations.

Functional freehold properties are depreciated at a rate of 2% per annum on a straight line basis in order to write the buildings off over their estimated useful economic life to the charity.

• d Freehold building improvements

Improvements to functional freehold buildings are included in the accounts at cost as incurred. The improvements, once complete, are depreciated at 10% per annum on a straight line basis, in order to write the cost of these improvements off over their expected useful life.

• e Other tangible fixed assets

Other tangible fixed assets are capitalised and depreciated at the following annual rates in order to write them off over their estimated useful lives:

•  Furniture and equipment 10% to 25% per annum based on cost

•  Motor vehicles 25% to 20% per annum based on cost

Fixed asset investments

Listed investments are a form of basic financial instrument and are initially recognised at their transaction value and subsequently measured at their fair value as at the balance sheet date using the closing quoted market price.

The charity does not acquire put options, derivatives or other complex financial instruments.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 29

Principal accounting policies 31 August 2022

Fixed asset investments (continued)

As noted above, the main form of financial risk faced by the charity is that of volatility in equity markets and investment markets due to wider economic conditions, the attitude of investors to investment risk, and changes in sentiment concerning equities and within particular sectors or sub sectors.

Fixed asset investments comprising long term deposits are stated at the value of the initial deposit as this will be returned in full upon maturity.

Fixed asset investments comprising freehold land and buildings are included in the accounts at a valuation based on market value. Professional valuations are carried out every five to six years on a rolling basis.

Realised and unrealised revaluation gains (or losses) on both listed and property investments are credited (or debited) to the statement of financial activities in the year of valuation.

Debtors

Debtors are recognised at their settlement amount, less any provision for non-recoverability. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid. They have been discounted to the present value of the future cash receipt where such discounting is material.

Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and in hand represents such accounts and instruments that are available on demand or have a maturity of less than three months from the date of acquisition. Deposits for more than three months but less than one year have been disclosed as short-term deposits. Cash placed on deposit for more than one year is disclosed as a fixed asset investment.

Creditors and provisions

Creditors and provisions are recognised when there is an obligation at the balance sheet date as a result of a past event, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefit will be required in settlement, and the amount of the settlement can be estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are recognised at the amount the charity anticipates it will pay to settle the debt. They have been discounted to the present value of the future cash payment where such discounting is material.

Fund structure

Restricted funds comprise monies raised for, or their use restricted to, a specific purpose, or contributions subject to donor-imposed conditions.

Unrestricted funds represent those monies which are freely available for application towards achieving any charitable purpose that falls within the charity’s charitable objects.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 30

Notes to the accounts 31 August 2022

1 Income from: Donations and legacies

	Unrestricted funds £	Restricted funds £	Total 2022 £	Unrestricted funds £	Restricted funds £	Total 2021 £
General collections Special collections Roof restoration project appeal Legacies Other donations Grants receivable Syrian refugee sponsorship Youth project Chaplaincy	— — — — — — — — —	355,296 29,138 19,848 29,000 34,402 — 260 7,440 2,502	355,296 29,138 19,848 29,000 34,402 — 260 7,440 2,502	— — — — — — — — —	326,429 11,440 24,348 27,204 74,593 5,000 1,395 6,016 1,400	326,429 11,440 24,348 27,204 74,593 5,000 1,395 6,016 1,400
	—	477,886	477,886	—	477,825	477,825

2 Income from: Investments and interest receivable

	Unrestricted funds £	Restricted funds £	Total 2022 £	Unrestricted funds £	Restricted funds £	Total 2021 £
Income from listed investments Rental income Bank interest and other income	1,879 — —	74,833 111,264 54	76,712 111,264 54	1,043 — —	39,769 80,298 82	40,812 80,298 82
	1,879	186,151	188,030	1,043	120,149	121,192

3 Income from: Charitable activities

	Unrestricted funds £	Restricted funds £	Total 2022 £	Unrestricted funds £	Restricted funds £	Total 2021 £
Sales of books, candles and votives Funerals and church yard income Parish centre, hall and room hire	— — —	6,597 39,764 12,799	6,597 39,764 12,799	— — —	1,348 42,172 1,720	1,348 42,172 1,720
	—	59,160	59,160	—	45,240	45,240

4 Income from: Other sources

	Unrestricted funds £	Restricted funds £	Total 2022 £	Unrestricted funds £	Restricted funds £	Total 2021 £
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Miscellaneous income	— 5,803	— 33,398	— 39,201	— 3,198	9,065 9,299	9,065 12,497
	5,803	33,398	39,201	3,198	18,364	21,562

5 Expenditure on: Raising funds

	Unrestricted funds £	Restricted funds £	Total 2022 £	Unrestricted funds £	Restricted funds £	Total 2021 £
Fundraising costs Investment property costs Investment management fees	— — 380	2,536 1,171 14,750	2,536 1,171 15,130	— — 334	345 1,230 12,532	345 1,230 12,866
	380	18,457	18,837	334	14,107	14,441

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 31

Notes to the accounts 31 August 2022

6 Expenditure on: Charitable donations payable

The charity makes donations to charitable causes in accordance with its policy for donations set out in the trustees’ report. Donations payable during the year were as follows:

	Unrestricted funds £	Restricted funds £	Total 2022 £	Unrestricted funds £	Restricted funds £	Total 2021 £
Diocesan levies Special collections Syrian refugee sponsorship Miscellaneous donations under £1,000 each	— — — —	34,711 24,740 1,145 13,284	34,711 24,740 1,145 13,284	— — — —	49,153 10,721 2,729 16,108	49,153 10,721 2,729 16,108
	—	73,880	73,880	—	78,711	78,711

7 Expenditure on: Support of the Parishes and their ministry

	Unrestricted funds £	Restricted funds £	Total 2022 £	Unrestricted funds £	Restricted funds £	Total 2021 £ 272,521 77,681 21,100 80,218 9,814 4,531 60,399 4,237 530,501
Church expenses, clergy living and personal costs and sundry parish costs Staff costs (note 10) Priests’ salary and NI equivalent Depreciation Transport costs Youth project Support costs (note 8) Miscellaneous expenses	— — — — — — — 35	323,900 89,577 16,000 76,071 14,629 6,885 70,187 5,616	323,900 89,577 16,000 76,071 14,629 6,885 70,187 5,651	— — — — — — — 546	272,521 77,681 21,100 80,218 9,814 4,531 60,399 3,691
	35	602,865	602,900	546	529,955

8 Support costs

Support costs
	Unrestricted funds £	Restricted funds £	Total 2022 £	Unrestricted funds £	Restricted funds £	Total 2021 £ 21,405 505 16,434 22,055 60,399
Office costs Bank charges Governance Professional	— — — —	24,931 1,795 14,450 29,011	24,931 1,795 14,450 29,011	— — — —	21,405 505 16,434 22,055
	—	70,187	70,187	—	60,399

9 Net income before investment (losses) gains

This is stated after charging:

	2022 £	2021 £
Staff costs (note 10) Auditor’s remuneration . Statutory audit services . Other services Depreciation	89,577 14,300 150 76,071	77,681 14,100 2,855 80,218

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 32

Notes to the accounts 31 August 2022

10 Employees, staff costs and key management personnel

Staff costs during the year were as follows:

	2022 £	2021 £
Wages and salaries Social security costs Pension costs	87,805 1,291 481	76,644 887 150
	89,577	77,681

The average number of employees during the year was 11 (2021 – 11).

No employee earned £60,000 per annum or more (including taxable benefits) during the year (2021 – none).

Wages and salaries include amounts relating to redundancy which have not been shown separately in order to preserve the confidentiality of the redundancy agreements.

The trustees consider that they comprise the key management of the charity in charge of directing and controlling, running and operating the charity on a day to day basis.

The Parish Priest at each Parish is also a trustee. The trustees receive no remuneration or additional reimbursement of expenses in connection with their duties as trustees to the charity. The Parish Priests are all members of Douai Abbey, the Community of St Edmund of the English Benedictine Congregation of the Order of St Benedict, Charity Registration Number 236962, and their living and personal expenses are borne by that charity.

11 Trustees’ remuneration

Many of the trustees are parish priests in the parishes operated by the charity. As such, certain living and personal expenses during the year are borne by the charity. No trustee received any remuneration or reimbursement of expenses in connection with their duties as trustees during the current or previous year.

12 Taxation

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust is a registered charity and therefore is not liable to income tax or corporation tax on income derived from its charitable activities, as it falls within the various exemptions available to registered charities.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 33

Notes to the accounts 31 August 2022

13 Tangible fixed assets

Tangible fixed assets
	Freehold land and buildings £	Freehold buildings improvements £	Furniture and equipment £	Motor vehicles £	Total £
Cost or valuation At 1 September 2021 Additions Disposals At 31 August 2022 Cost Deemed cost: valuation Depreciation At 1 September 2021 Charge for year Eliminated on disposal At 31 August 2022 Net book values At 31 August 2022 At 31 August 2021	894,273 142,779 —	578,040 18,257 —	168,290 13,433 —	92,520 — (8,495)	1,733,123 174,469 (8,495)
	1,037,052	596,297	181,723	84,025	1,899,097
	445,793 591,259	596,297 —	181,723 —	84,025 —	1,307,838 591,259
	1,037,052	596,297	181,723	84,025	1,899,097
	227,345 15,945 —	373,631 46,419 —	147,708 10,945 —	87,327 2,762 (8,318)	836,011 76,071 (8,318)
	243,290	420,050	158,653	81,771	903,764
	793,762	176,247	23,070	2,254	995,333
	666,928	204,409	20,582	5,193	897,112

It is likely that there are material differences between the open market values of the charity’s freehold land and buildings and their book values. These arise from the specialised nature of some of the properties and the effects of inflation. The amounts of such differences cannot be ascertained without incurring significant cost, which, in the opinion of the trustees, is not justified in terms of the benefits to the users of the accounts.

As permitted by FRS 102, the charity has continued to adopt a policy of not revaluing its tangible fixed assets. The historical cost of the properties included above at a valuation cannot be ascertained with any accuracy. Other tangible fixed assets are stated at cost.

Certain of the charity’s properties are subject to covenants which restrict their use and disposal.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 34

Notes to the accounts 31 August 2022

14 Investments

Investments
	Investment properties £	Listed investments £	2022 £
Market value at 1 September 2021 Additions at cost Disposal proceeds Realised gains Disposals at book value Net unrealised investment losses Market value at 31 August 2022 Cash held by investment managers for reinvestment Cost of listed investments	2,008,000 —	2,028,410 460,998	4,036,410 460,998
	— —	(320,571) 26,259	(320,571) 26,259
	—	(294,312)	(294,312)
	105,000	(213,079)	(108,079)
	2,113,000	1,982,017	4,095,017
			100,385
			4,195,402
			1,832,135

	Investment properties £	Listed investments £	2021 £
Market value at 1 September 2020 Additions at cost Disposal proceeds Realised gains Disposals at book value Net unrealised investment gains Market value at 31 August 2021 Cash held by investment managers for reinvestment Cost of listed investments	2,008,000 —	1,594,629 283,692	3,602,629 283,692
	— —	(192,156) 13,016	(192,156) 13,016
	—	(179,140)	(179,140)
	—	329,229	329,229
	2,008,000	2,028,410	4,036,410
			29,838
			4,066,248
			1,624,259

At 30 August 2022, the following material listed investments were held:

Holding	Market value at 30 August 2022 £	Percentag of portfoli %
EquityTrustees’ Fund Services	99,770	5.03%

Investment properties comprise certain of the charity’s properties situated at Ormskirk, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Kemerton and Scarisbrick.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 35

Notes to the accounts 31 August 2022

14 Investments (continued)

The trustees obtained valuations from Armitstead Barnett LLP, Chartered Surveyors, in relation to two properties and adjacent land at Ormskirk (St Anne’s Social Centre and adjacent land, and the former site of St Anne’s School) as at 9 January 2020, the valuations being carried out on an open market value basis. On the basis of the advice obtained, the properties were valued at £400,000 and £60,000 respectively. In the opinion of the trustees there has been no material change in the value between the date of the last formal valuation and the balance sheet date.

The charity’s investment property situated at Stratford-Upon-Avon, St Gregory’s Hall (including the adjoining car park) was valued by ehB Reeves, Chartered Surveyors of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire on 27 February 2023 on the basis of open market value. The valuation was £535,000 for St Gregory’s Hall and £625,000 for the adjoining car park. In the opinion of the trustees, the valuations as at 27 February 2023 are not materially different to the values as they stood at 31 August 2022.

The Coach House at Stratford-Upon-Avon was valued on an open market value basis at £168,000 by Reeves and Partners Chartered Surveyors of Coventry as at 26 February 2018. In the opinion of the trustees, there has been no material change in the valuation of the Coach House between the date of the last formal valuation and the balance sheet date.

The charity’s property based at Kemerton was valued by Andrews Estate agents on 6 February 2023 on the basis of open market value as at that date at £325,000. In the opinion of the trustees, the valuation as at 6 February 2023 is not materially different to the value of the property as it stood at 31 August 2022.

15 Debtors

Debtors
	2022 £	2021 £
Tax recoverable on Gift Aid donations Prepayments and accrued income	92,031 52,265	100,814 47,231
	144,296	148,045

16 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
	2022 £	2021 £
Diocesan levies payable Expense creditors Accruals and other creditors Amount owed to the Archdiocese of Liverpool Amount due to Douai Abbey Trust	80,824 5,481 72,490 156,833 20,000	54,716 3,616 48,528 156,833 —
	335,628	263,693

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 36

Notes to the accounts 31 August 2022

16 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year (continued)

• In 2007 the trustees decided that the Parish Centre attached to St Anne’s, Ormskirk should cease to be managed by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool. This followed considerable discussion regarding financial viability and the recognition of the need to expend considerable sums of money in connection with health and safety enhancements. The amount owed to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool following the decision to terminate the management contract of St Anne’s Parish Centre totals £156,833 (2021 – £156,833).

17 Restricted funds

The income funds of the charity include restricted funds comprising the following unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trusts to be applied for specific purposes:

purposes:
	At 1 September 2021 £	Income £	Expenditure £	(Losses)/ gains £	At 31 August 2022 £
Parishes: . Our Lady of St Joseph, Alcester . St Mary’s, Douai . St Benet’s, Kemerton . St Anne’s, Ormskirk . St Elizabeth’s, Scarisbrick . St Gregory the Great, Stratford . St Mary’s, Studley	208,650 400,727 587,072 817,894 253,879 2,974,717 339,905	51,289 99,214 82,690 170,684 103,179 263,252 47,011	(24,414) (71,960) (52,751) (171,454) (61,902) (248,404) (64,317)	(2,397) (27,433) 90,000 (13,761) (52,349) (64,384) (7,807)	233,128 400,548 707,011 803,363 242,807 2,925,181 314,792
	5,582,844	817,319	(695,202)	(78,131)	5,626,830

	At 1 September 2020 £	Income £	Expenditure £	Gains £	At 31 August 2021 £
Parishes: . Our Lady of St Joseph, Alcester . St Mary’s, Douai . St Benet’s, Kemerton . St Anne’s, Ormskirk . St Elizabeth’s, Scarisbrick . St Gregory the Great, Stratford . St Mary’s, Studley	161,956 325,444 580,665 770,112 254,370 2,801,550 306,232	74,281 89,629 54,590 178,350 38,014 174,665 62,426	(32,721) (74,239) (48,183) (162,054) (38,505) (197,591) (69,480)	5,134 59,893 — 31,486 — 196,093 40,727	208,650 400,727 587,072 817,894 253,879 2,974,717 339,905
	5,200,329	671,955	(622,773)	333,333	5,582,844

The restricted funds represent the net assets held by each individual parish.

18 Commune Depositum

At 31 August 2022, funds amounting to £21,655 (2021 – £21,655) and representing the original funds deposited by the parishes, had been set aside in a fund known as the Commune Depositum. These funds are to be used towards funding any unforeseen events or emergencies or special projects.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 37

Notes to the accounts 31 August 2022

19 Analysis of net assets between funds

	Unrestricted funds £	Restricted funds £	Total 2022 £	Unrestricted funds £	Restricted funds £	Total 2021 £ 897,112 2,008,000 2,058,248 675,640 5,639,000
Fund balances at 31 August are represented by: Tangible fixed assets Investments . Investment properties . Listed investments and cash held for reinvestment Net current assets Total net assets	— — 51,054 8,680	995,333 2,113,000 2,031,348 487,149	995,333 2,113,000 2,082,402 495,829	— — 53,244 2,912	897,112 2,008,000 2,005,004 672,728
	59,734	5,626,830	5,686,564	56,156	5,582,844

The total unrealised gains on listed investments as at 31 August 2022 constitute movements on revaluation and are as follows:

	2022 £	2021 £
Unrealised gains on listed investments at 31 August 2022 Reconciliation of movements in unrealised gains on listed investments: Unrealised gains at 1 September 2021 In respect to disposals in year Net (losses) gains arising on revaluation in the year Total unrealisedgains at 31 August 2022	149,882	404,151
	404,151 (41,190) (213,079)	30,425 44,497 329,229
	149,882	404,151

It is not possible to determine the historic cost of investment properties with reasonable accuracy. As such, the effect of cumulative unrealised gains in respect to investment properties has not been reported in the above.

20 Connected charities and related party transactions

The Douai Abbey Parishes Trust is connected to two other charities by virtue of the fact that the charities have some trustees in common.

the charities have some trustees in common.
	Charity
Name	Reg. No	Charitable objectives
The Community of St Edmund of the English Congregation	236962	The advancement and
of the Order of St Benedict established at Douai Abbey,		maintenance of the
Woolhampton, Berkshire (Douai Abbey Trust).		Roman Catholic religion.
The Benedictine Trust	1086872	To further the religious
		and other charitable work
		of the Roman Catholic
		Church in Scarisbrick.

During the year ended 31 August 2022, rent of £12,000 (2021 – £12,000) for the use of St Mary’s Church was paid to Douai Abbey Trust from Douai Abbey Parishes Trust.

During the year ended 31 August 2021, £6,259 was paid to Douai Abbey Trust in respect of roof works at St Mary’s Church carried out by the Abbey. There were no further amounts paid in respect of this work during the year ended 31 August 2022.

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 38

Notes to the accounts 31 August 2022

• 20 Connected charities and related party transactions (continued)

During the year ended 31 August 2022, the parish church of Our Lady and St Joseph’s, Alcester, signed a loan agreement with four other parishes within the charity and Douai Abbey Trust to fund the construction of a new church hall. The loan received from Douai Abbey Trust amounted to £20,000 (2021 – £nil). At the balance sheet date, £20,000 (2021 – £nil) remained outstanding.

During the year ended 31 August 2022, the charity received aggregate donations from trustees of the charity amounting to £1,500 (2021 – £1,750).

Douai Abbey Parishes Trust 39