## **Mothers Union Diocese of Birmingham** Registered Charity: 1065815 ## **Annual Report for Year ended 31st December 2023** **Bankers** MU Diocesan Office The Church of England CAF Bank Ltd John Cadbury House 25 Kings Hill Avenue 190 Corporation Street Kings Hill Birmingham B4 6QD West Malling , Kent Tel 0121 643 0938 ME19 4JQ Email: office@mubham.org.uk CBF Church of England Funds 80 Cheapside EC2V 6DZ **Trustees** : Mrs Deirdre Moll (President) Mrs Rowena Nicholls, Mr Peter Johnson (Treasurer), The Revd Colleen Shekerie, Mrs Val Timmins, Mrs Elaine Diskin, the Revd Canon Martin Stephenson (Chaplain), Mrs Diana Murungu, Mrs Linda Nugent (from March 2023) **Patron and member** : vacancy in see. The Right Reverend Dr Michael Volland appointed as Bishop of Birmingham in November 2023 to be in post in March 2024. **Mothers' Union** is an international Christian membership charity of over four million members living in over eighty-three countries whose vision is to bring about a world where God’s love is shown through loving, respectful, and flourishing relationships. **The Aim and Purpose of Mothers’ Union** is to demonstrate Christian faith in action by the transformation of communities worldwide through the nurture of families in their many forms. ## **The Objectives are:** - Maintaining a worldwide fellowship of Christians united in prayer, worship, and service. - Promoting conditions in society favourable to stable family life and the protection of children - Helping those whose family life has met with adversity. - Promoting and supporting marriage - Encouraging parents in their role to develop the faith of their children. 1 Mothers’ Union, Birmingham has worked to fulfil the Aim and Objectives of the charity by supporting both local projects and the worldwide work through the central global charity Mothers’ Union based at Mary Sumner House, London **The Trustees** submit their report and financial statements for the Mothers’ Union – Birmingham Diocese, for the year ended 31[st] December 2023. These will be presented to the Members’ Meeting on October 26th, 2024. The Board of Trustees met five times during the year. Four meetings were held virtually by Zoom and one in person in the Diocesan Offices. There were two Members’ Meeting in the year, in March and October. One was held in the diocesan offices in Birmingham city centre and the second was in St Mary’s church, Handsworth to the west of the diocese. These meetings are open to all members and the varied locations are chosen to encourage attendance by as many as possible. Guests are also welcome but have no voting rights. The charity is dependent on its members for funding and is staffed by volunteers and one parttime salaried secretary. An annual subscription is levied on members to cover subscription to the central charity of the Mothers’ Union, Birmingham’s administrative expenses and to provide funding for Projects and other expenses incurred by the charity in fulfilling its objectives. In 2023 the subscription was £29: £21 being the central charity levy and £8.00 retained for the diocese. The trustees were pleased to be able to hold the total subscription at the same level as in 2022 despite the rise by £2 of the central charity levy. This was achieved by budgeting for a drop in the diocesan reserves of £540 There were 490 members at the end of the year; the majority of members are in active branches attached to parish churches but also including 24 Diocesan members who have no formal attachment to any branch. Some twenty of the members are housebound but remain linked to a branch and are known as Indoor Members. Discussions continue as to how best to promote membership as branches face challenges in finding volunteers to take on some of the necessary administration. The charitable activities were administered through two areas of governance. - Faith & Policy - Finance, Administration and Projects ## **Faith & Policy Group** The work of this group is centred on providing opportunities for worship and to raise awareness of social justice issues . In January, MU Birmingham took its part in maintaining the continuous worldwide Wave of Prayer. The Annual Diocesan Festival Service was held in the Cathedral in April 2023 In June, a very well attended Quiet day was held at Temple Balsall. The Worldwide Group which is a subcommittee of the Faith and Policy Group, has put much effort into nurturing relationships with our links in Bukedi, (Uganda), Enugu, (Nigeria), The Seychelles (Indian Ocean), Marathwada, (Northern India) and the four dioceses in Malawi. Support was also 2 given to supplying items for the container of goods which is sent annually to Malawi through the Church of England Birmingham Diocesan link. ## **Finance, Administration and Project Group** Regular meetings were held to insure good governance and proper financial management. A financial statement is given each month to the Trustees. Additional Income is gained from the sale of cards and goods through Mothers’ Union Enterprises, which is based at Mary Sumner House in London. Gift aid is also collected on subscriptions and donations where possible. The data base continues to be updated regularly. There were no safeguarding issues reported in 2023. There were no reported breaches of GDPR in 2023. They both remain as standing items on the agenda at Trustee meetings. Branches are required to comply with the Diocesan Child Protection and Safeguarding guidelines. These were updated during the year and sent out to all branches who are required to confirm that they have been implemented. Records of this are kept in the Mothers’ Union Office. Projects have included : **AFIA - Away from It All** . This a project that funds holidays for those in great need. In 2023 twelve holidays for individual families were arranged and AFIA also part funded the costs of three day trips. The total cost was £8,848. **Prison work.** The work in the prisons continued. In HMP Birmingham Mothers’ Union works closely with Halow Birmingham, a charity which supervises the Visits Centre, and supplied toys for prisoners’ families and cards at Christmas time. Similar provision was made for those in Swinfen Prison. **Women’s Aid** . Donations of household goods, clothing, baby items and toiletries continued to be made to families affected by domestic violence through our association with Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid. **Craft work** Knit and Natter groups exist in many branches which support the production of goods such as premature baby items for local hospitals whilst also providing an opportunity for a social gathering easily inclusive of others who may be lonely or vulnerable. Twiddle muffs and Fiddle pinnies were also made for use by dementia patients in their own homes or in care homes. Our Birmingham Mothers’ Union social media output is proving an effective way to spread news and highlight coming events. A bi-monthly e-newsletter was sent directly to members who have email, with branch leaders being asked to distribute hard to those without email. The consolidated accounts for 2023 have been completed and have been independently Examined by Rosamund Douglas ACA We have pleasure in commending this report. 3 Approved by the Board of Trustees and signed on their behalf by Deirdre Moll, Chairman and Diocesan President. ~~…~~ Date 14[th] September 2024 Deirdre Moll Diocesan President Mothers’ Union Birmingham 4 ## **THE MOTHERS' UNION - DIOCESE OF BIRMINGHAM** **(Registered Charity No. 1065815)** ## **Consolidated Accounts for the year ended 31st December 2023** ## **1. Receipts and Payments Account - General Fund** |**Receipts**
From voluntary sources:
Subscriptons from members
Donatons
Unit & Diocesan Actvites
Gif Aid Tax Recovered
Fund raising events - branches
- diocese
Branch Outngs and Visits
Sundry Receipts
From assets
Bank and other Interest
From charitable trading
Sale of MU enterprises Ltd goods
Turnover Related Grant from MU enterprises Ltd
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**|**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
14,094.00
13,583.00
9,135.89
4,918.82
325.89
361.50
1,849.34
1,506.32
8,565.04
7,143.49
806.50
562.50
866.50 -
27.00
206.00
836.20
202.75
4,269.68
4,462.03
678.50
589.79| |---|---| ||**41,454.54**
**33,536.20**| Page 1 ||**2023**|**2022**| |---|---|---| ||**£**|**£**| |**Payments**||| |Direct Charitable Expenditure:||| |Members' Subscriptons paid to MSH|10,290.00|10,040.00| |Branch projects|3,141.02|1,215.09| |Unit & Diocesan actvites|915.51|1,236.42| |Purchase of MU enterprises Ltd goods|4,448.52|4,584.55| |Donatons to other charites|600.00|620.00| ||19,395.05|17,696.06| |Other Expenditure:||| |Secretarial Costs|4,118.40|4,123.20| |Administraton Expenses|534.64|358.13| |Diocesan rent and room hire|1,125.00|1,500.00| |Conferences & Travel|176.55|140.80| |Insurance|449.50|0.00| |Branch rent and room hire|1,197.00|1,533.00| |Branch running costs|1,258.28|1,115.96| |Fund raising costs:- Branches|894.93|362.95| |- Diocese|236.37|-| |Branch Outngs & Visits|981.00|200.00| |Sundry Payments|-|200.00| |Other Expenditure:|-|222.81| ||10,971.67|9,756.85| |Transfers from Branches' General Funds to Other Funds:||| |Overseas|708.21|88.58| |Relief|100.00|50.00| |Literacy & Financial Educaton Programme|654.28|130.00| |MSH Appeals|407.70|99.00| |Away-From-It-All (AFIA)|5,690.56|3,309.13| |Transfer from Diocesan General Fund to AFIA|1,900.00|-| ||**9,460.75**|**3,676.71**| |||| |**TOTAL PAYMENTS**|**39,827.47**|**31,129.62**| |**NET SURPLUS (PAYMENTS) FOR THE YEAR**|**1,627.07**|**2,406.58**| |**Balance on hand 01.01.23**|**32,110.39**|**29,703.81**| |**Balance on hand 31.12.23**|**33,737.46**|**32,110.39**| Page 2 |**2. Receipts and Payments Account- Overseas Fund**
**Receipts**
Donatons & Fund Raising Events
Gif Aid Tax Recovered
Transfers from Branches' General Funds
Timing Diference: Hamstead 2022
Timing Diference Hamstead 2023
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**
**Payments**
Funds transferred to Mothers' Union centrally
**TOTAL PAYMENTS**
**NET SURPLUS (PAYMENTS) FOR THE YEAR**
**Balance on hand 01.01.23**
**Balance on hand 31.12.23**
**3. Receipts and Payments Account- Relief Fund**
**Receipts**
Donatons & Fund Raising Events
Gif Aid Tax Recovered
Transfers from Branches' General Funds
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**
**Payments**
Funds transferred to Mothers' Union centrally
**TOTAL PAYMENTS**
**NET SURPLUS (PAYMENTS) FOR THE YEAR**
**Balance on hand 01.01.23**
**Balance on hand 31.12.23**||**2023**
**£**
1,548.76
191.04
708.21
80.00
(70.00)|**2022**
**£**
1,958.64
301.02
88.58
(80.00)
-| |---|---|---|---| |||**2,458.01**|**2,268.24**| |||2,488.01|2,238.59| |||**2,488.01**|**2,238.59**| |||**(30.00)**|**29.65**| |||**30.00**|**0.35**| |||**-**|**30.00**| |||-
5.00
100.00|-
-
50.00| |||**105.00**|**50.00**| |||75.00|80.00| |||**75.00**|**80.00**| |||**30.00**|**(30.00)**| |||**(30.00)**|**-**| |||**-**|**(30.00)**| Page 3 |**2023**
**2022**
**4. Receipts and Payments Account- Literacy & Financial Educaton Progamme**
**£**
**£**
**Receipts**
Donatons & Fund Raising Events
-
-
Gif Aid Tax Recovered
-
-
Transfers from Branches' General Funds
654.28
130.00
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**
**654.28**
**130.00**
**Payments**
Funds transferred to Mothers' Union centrally
654.28
130.00
**TOTAL PAYMENTS**
**654.28**
**130.00**
**NET SURPLUS (PAYMENTS) FOR THE YEAR**
**-**
**-**
**5. Receipts and Payments Account- Other MSH Funds**
**Receipts**
Donatons & Fund Raising Events
304.30
327.00
Transfers from Branches' General Funds
407.70
99.00
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**
**712.00**
**426.00**
**Payments**
Funds transferred to Mothers' Union centrally
by Diocese
680.00
195.00
by branches
32.00
231.00
**TOTAL PAYMENTS**
**712.00**
**426.00**
**NET SURPLUS (PAYMENTS) FOR THE YEAR**
**-**
**-**|**2023**
**2022**
**4. Receipts and Payments Account- Literacy & Financial Educaton Progamme**
**£**
**£**
**Receipts**
Donatons & Fund Raising Events
-
-
Gif Aid Tax Recovered
-
-
Transfers from Branches' General Funds
654.28
130.00
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**
**654.28**
**130.00**
**Payments**
Funds transferred to Mothers' Union centrally
654.28
130.00
**TOTAL PAYMENTS**
**654.28**
**130.00**
**NET SURPLUS (PAYMENTS) FOR THE YEAR**
**-**
**-**
**5. Receipts and Payments Account- Other MSH Funds**
**Receipts**
Donatons & Fund Raising Events
304.30
327.00
Transfers from Branches' General Funds
407.70
99.00
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**
**712.00**
**426.00**
**Payments**
Funds transferred to Mothers' Union centrally
by Diocese
680.00
195.00
by branches
32.00
231.00
**TOTAL PAYMENTS**
**712.00**
**426.00**
**NET SURPLUS (PAYMENTS) FOR THE YEAR**
**-**
**-**| |---|---| |
**Receipts**
Donatons & Fund Raising Events
Transfers from Branches' General Funds
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**
**Payments**
Funds transferred to Mothers' Union centrally
by Diocese
by branches
**TOTAL PAYMENTS**
**NET SURPLUS (PAYMENTS) FOR THE YEAR**|| ||**712.00**
**426.00**| ||680.00
195.00
32.00
231.00| ||**712.00**
**426.00**| ||**-**
**-**| Page 4 |**2023**
**6. Receipts and Payments Account- Away-From-It-All-Fund (AFIA)**
**£**
**Receipts**
Donatons: PCCs
1,442.14
Individuals
2,251.00
Other
109.70
Members’ Donatons & Fund Raising Events
300.30
Gif Aid Tax Recovered
737.75
Grant from Mary Sumner House
-
Transfers from Branches' General Funds
5,690.56
Transfer from Diocesan General Fund
1,900.00
Timing Diference: Hamstead 2021
-
Timing Diference: Hamstead 2022
65.00
Timing Diference : Hamstead 2023
(60.00)
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**
**12,436.45**
**Payments**
Assisted holidays and trips
8,848.84
**TOTAL PAYMENTS**
**8,848.84**
**NET SURPLUS (PAYMENTS) FOR THE YEAR**
**3,587.61**
**Balance on hand 01.01.23**
**3,399.17**
**Balance on hand 31.12.23**
**6,986.78**|**2023**
**6. Receipts and Payments Account- Away-From-It-All-Fund (AFIA)**
**£**
**Receipts**
Donatons: PCCs
1,442.14
Individuals
2,251.00
Other
109.70
Members’ Donatons & Fund Raising Events
300.30
Gif Aid Tax Recovered
737.75
Grant from Mary Sumner House
-
Transfers from Branches' General Funds
5,690.56
Transfer from Diocesan General Fund
1,900.00
Timing Diference: Hamstead 2021
-
Timing Diference: Hamstead 2022
65.00
Timing Diference : Hamstead 2023
(60.00)
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**
**12,436.45**
**Payments**
Assisted holidays and trips
8,848.84
**TOTAL PAYMENTS**
**8,848.84**
**NET SURPLUS (PAYMENTS) FOR THE YEAR**
**3,587.61**
**Balance on hand 01.01.23**
**3,399.17**
**Balance on hand 31.12.23**
**6,986.78**|**2022**
**£**
150.00
915.00
-
53.00
172.50
1,000.00
3,309.13
-
200.00
(65.00)
-| |---|---|---| |
**Receipts**
Donatons: PCCs
Individuals
Other
Members’ Donatons & Fund Raising Events
Gif Aid Tax Recovered
Grant from Mary Sumner House
Transfers from Branches' General Funds
Transfer from Diocesan General Fund
Timing Diference: Hamstead 2021
Timing Diference: Hamstead 2022
Timing Diference : Hamstead 2023
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**
**Payments**
Assisted holidays and trips
**TOTAL PAYMENTS**
**NET SURPLUS (PAYMENTS) FOR THE YEAR**
**Balance on hand 01.01.23**
**Balance on hand 31.12.23**||| ||**12,436.45**|**5,734.63**| ||8,848.84|5,479.43| ||**8,848.84**|**5,479.43**| ||**3,587.61**|**255.20**| ||**3,399.17**|**3,143.97**| ||**6,986.78**|**3,399.17**| Page 5 ## **7. Statement of Assets and Liabilites as at 31st December 2023** ## **MONETARY ASSETS** |**Bank and cash balances**
**Diocese**
**Branches**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**General Funds 31.12.23**
Bank & Building Society Accounts
19,114.92
13,650.05
32,764.97
Cash in hand
-
972.49
972.49
**Total Bank and cash**
**19,114.92**
**14,622.54**
**33,737.46**
**General Funds 31.12.22**
Bank & Building Society Accounts
19,441.67
12,148.02
31,589.69
Cash in hand
-
520.70
520.70
**19,441.67**
**12,668.72**
**32,110.39**
Overseas Fund 31.12.22
30.00
-
30.00
Relief Fund 31.12.22
(30.00)
-
(30.00)
**Total Bank and cash**
**19,441.67**
**12,668.72**
**32,110.39**
**The Diocesan Bank Accounts are earmarked for use as follows**
**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
Visit to Link Dioceses Fund
703.01
703.01
Patricia Law Bequest Fund
1,457.80
2,345.00
General Purposes
16,954.11
16,393.66
Overseas Fund 31.12.22
-
30.00
Relief Fund 31.12.22
-
(30.00)
**19,114.92**
**19,441.67**
Away-From-It-All-Fund (AFIA)
**6,986.78**
**3,399.17**
**OTHER MONETARY ASSETS**
**MU Enterprises Ltd**
Stock of goods for resale
1,036.38
1,149.29
Cash in hand from sale of goods
610.02
681.07
Sundry Debtors from sale of goods
113.55
0.00
**1,759.95**
**1,830.36**|**Diocese**
**Branches**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
**£**
19,114.92
13,650.05
32,764.97
-
972.49
972.49|**Diocese**
**Branches**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
**£**
19,114.92
13,650.05
32,764.97
-
972.49
972.49|**Diocese**
**Branches**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
**£**
19,114.92
13,650.05
32,764.97
-
972.49
972.49| |---|---|---|---| ||**19,114.92**
**14,622.54**
**33,737.46**||| ||19,441.67
12,148.02
31,589.69
-
520.70
520.70||| ||**19,441.67**
**12,668.72**||**32,110.39**| ||30.00
-
30.00
(30.00)
-
(30.00)||| ||**19,441.67**
**12,668.72**
**32,110.39**||| |Visit to Link Dioceses Fund
Patricia Law Bequest Fund
General Purposes
Overseas Fund 31.12.22
Relief Fund 31.12.22
Away-From-It-All-Fund (AFIA)
**OTHER MONETARY ASSETS**
**MU Enterprises Ltd**
Stock of goods for resale
Cash in hand from sale of goods
Sundry Debtors from sale of goods|||| |||**19,114.92**
**19,441.67**|| |||**6,986.78**
**3,399.17**|| |||1,036.38
1,149.29
610.02
681.07
113.55
0.00|| |||**1,759.95**
**1,830.36**|| ## **OTHER ASSETS** The charity possesses no other assets of material value. ## **LIABILITIES** The charity had no material liabilities as at 31.12.23 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 The Shottery 39 Four Oaks Road Sutton Coldfield West Midlands B74 2XU 4th September 2024 To The Trustees of the Mothers, Union - Diocese of Birmingham Independent Examination of the Consolidated Accounts for the year ended 31$t December 2023 Following my reappointment as Independent Examiner, I have completed my work on the consolidated accounts ot. the Mothers, Union - Diocese ot B￿rninghaM As stated in my report, I am satisfied that adequate accounting records have been kept and that the accounts have been correctly drawn up from the records in all material respects. I have identitied a tew mmor points which I have discussed with the 'l"reasurer. Yours faithfully Rosamund J Douglas Independent Examlner's Report to the Trustees of The Mothers, Union - Diocese of Birmingham T re.nnrt tn the. tniste.pq nn mv e.x2minAtinn nf the. e.nnqnlidAte.d 8c.rniintg nf Thp. Mnthe.rg' Union - Diocese of Birniingham (the Trust) for the year ended 31" December 2023. Responsibilities and Basis of Report As the charity's trustees, you are restx>nsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (the 201 l Act). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the ?0 I I ACL and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5Kb) of the 2011 Act. Independent Examiner's StatemeDt I have completed my examination. I confErni that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination. giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: ( l ) accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the 2011 Act; or (2) the accounts do not accord with those records. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report In order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. 39 Four Oaks Road, Sutton Coldfield September 2024