## **Mothers Union Diocese of Birmingham**
Registered Charity: 1065815
## **Annual Report for Year ended 31st December 2024**
MU Diocesan Office **Bankers** 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 (Vice President), Mr Peter Johnson (Treasurer), The Revd Colleen Shekerie (until March 2024) Mrs Val Timmins, Mrs Elaine Diskin, Revd Canon Martin Stephenson (Chaplain), Mrs Diana Murungu, Mrs Linda Nugent, Mrs Sandra Jongwe (until September 2024)
**Patron and member** : The Right Reverend Dr Michael Volland, Bishop of Birmingham became our patron in March 2024 after his installation as Diocesan Bishop.
**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** are 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.
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Mothers’ Union, Birmingham has worked to fulfil the Aims 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 2024 and presented to the Members’ Meeting on 18[th] October 2025.
The Board of Trustees met five times during the year. Four meetings were held by Zoom and one in person in the Diocesan Offices.
There were two Members’ Meeting in the year. The March meeting was held at Holy Trinity, Sutton Coldfield. The speaker was Emily Brailsford, the National MU lead on Domestic Violence. The October meeting was held at St Martin’s in the Bullring with the focus on a review of the triennium and beginning planning for the 150[th] celebrations of Mothers Union in 2026. 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 overseen by volunteers with one parttime salaried secretary. An annual subscription for membership is levied to cover the 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 2024 the subscription was £29: £24.50 being the central charity levy and £4.50 retained by the diocese. The trustees were pleased to be able to hold the total subscription at the same level as in 2023 despite the rise of the central charity levy.
There were 444 members at the end of the year; most are in active branches attached to parish churches but 22 are 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
Elections were held during the second half of the year for the positions of Diocesan President and for Trustees. These were for the triennium beginning in January 2025 and duly followed the process as laid down in the Constitution and Regulations of the charity. Rowena Nicholls was elected as the Diocesan President for the triennium 2025-2027.
## **Faith & Policy Group**
The work of this group is centred on providing opportunities for worship and spiritual welfare 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 2024.
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In July a very well attended Quiet day was held at St Paul’s Convent in Selly Park.
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 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 ensure 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 2024. There were no reported breaches of GDPR in 2024. 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. Updates were sent out to all branches during the year with a requirement that the Branch confirmed that they had been implemented. Records of this are kept in the Mothers’ Union Office.
Projects have included:
**AFIA - Away from It All** . This is a project that funds holidays for those in great need. In 2024 10 holidays for individual families were arranged and AFIA also funded the costs of a coach and snacks to support a day trip for a group of families in need. The total cost was £6088.
**Prison work.** The Mothers Union works in both Birmingham and Swinfen Hall prisons with the charity PACT providing toys for visiting children and cards for visitors at Christmas. Cards are also provided for distribution by Chaplaincy to inmates. We also provide chocolate for prisoners attending Christmas services. Parenting courses were also run at 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.
**Souls of our Shoes.** This is an exhibition of a collection of shoes with accompanying quotes to speak on behalf of victims of Domestic Violence. It was held at several locations during the year with the first being at St Martin’s in the Bullring. Over 2,800 people visited the church during the week the exhibition was held.
**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.
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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 copies to those without email.
The consolidated accounts for 2024 have been completed and have been independently examined by Rosamund Douglas ACA
We have pleasure in commending this report.
Approved by the Board of Trustees and signed on their behalf by Rowena Nicholls, Chair and Diocesan President.
Rowena Nicholls
……………………………………………………………………………………… Date 18/10/2025……….
Rowena Nicholls
Diocesan President Mothers’ Union Birmingham
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## **THE MOTHERS' UNION - DIOCESE OF BIRMINGHAM**
**(Registered Charity No. 1065815)**
## **Consolidated Accounts for the year ended 31st December 2024**
## **1. Receipts and Payments Account - General Fund**
|**Receipts**
From voluntary sources:
Subscriptons from members
Donatons
Diocesan Events & 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**|**2024**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
13,306.00
14,094.00
4,935.27
9,135.89
506.49
325.89
1,670.22
1,849.34
7,527.22
8,565.04
280.00
806.50
0.00
866.50
0.00
27.00
889.41
836.20
4,879.81
4,269.68
569.17
678.50|
|---|---|
||**34,563.59**
**41,454.54**|
Page 1
||**2024**|**2023**|
|---|---|---|
||**£**|**£**|
|**Payments**|||
|Direct Charitable Expenditure:|||
|Members' Subscriptons paid to MSH|10,580.00|10,290.00|
|Branch projects|2,179.07|3,141.02|
|Diocesan Events & Actvites|1,675.64|915.51|
|Purchase of MU enterprises Ltd goods|4,195.95|4,448.52|
|Donatons to other charites|865.00|600.00|
||19,495.66|19,395.05|
|Other Expenditure:|||
|Secretarial Costs|4,764.84|4,118.40|
|Administraton Expenses|1,114.96|534.64|
|Diocesan Rent|1,125.00|1,125.00|
|Conferences & Travel|374.70|176.55|
|Insurance|449.50|449.50|
|Branch rent and room hire|1,779.33|1,197.00|
|Branch running costs|1,224.05|1,258.28|
|Fund raising costs:- Branches|463.92|894.93|
|- Diocese|0.00|236.37|
|Branch Outngs & Visits|0.00|981.00|
|Sundry Payments||-|
||11,296.30|10,971.67|
|Transfers from Branches' General Funds to Other Funds:|||
|Overseas|531.64|708.21|
|Relief|200.00|100.00|
|Literacy & Financial Educaton Programme|663.51|654.28|
|MSH Appeals|227.00|407.70|
|Away-From-It-All (AFIA)|2,880.25|5,690.56|
|Transfer from Diocesan General Fund to AFIA|0.00|1,900.00|
||**4,502.40**|**9,460.75**|
||||
|**TOTAL PAYMENTS**|**35,294.36**|**39,827.47**|
|**NET SURPLUS (PAYMENTS) FOR THE YEAR**|**(730.77)**|**1,627.07**|
|**Balance on hand 01.01.24**|**33,737.46**|**32,110.39**|
|**Balance on hand 31.12.24**|**33,006.69**|**33,737.46**|
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 2023
Timing Diference Hamstead 2024
Timing Diference Yardley Wood (2024)
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**
**Payments**
Funds transferred to Mothers' Union centrally
**TOTAL PAYMENTS**
**NET SURPLUS (PAYMENTS) FOR THE YEAR**
**Balance on hand 01.01.24**
**Balance on hand 31.12.24**
**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 01.01.24**
**Balance on hand 31.12.24**||**2024**
**£**
1,457.01
162.23
531.64
70.00
(100.00)
(25.00)|**2023**
**£**
1,548.76
191.04
708.21
80.00
(70.00)
0.00|
|---|---|---|---|
|||**2,095.88**|**2,458.01**|
|||2,095.88|2,488.01|
|||**2,095.88**|**2,488.01**|
|||**0.00**|**(30.00)**|
|||**0.00**|**30.00**|
|||**0.00**|**0.00**|
|||0.00
0.00
200.00|0.00
5.00
100.00|
|||**200.00**|**105.00**|
|||200.00|75.00|
|||**200.00**|**75.00**|
|||**0.00**|**30.00**|
|||**0.00**|**(30.00)**|
|||**0.00**|**0.00**|
Page 3
|**2024**
**2023**
**4. Receipts and Payments Account- Literacy & Financial Educaton Progamme**
**£**
**£**
**Receipts**
Donatons & Fund Raising Events
21.00
0.00
Gif Aid Tax Recovered
65.26
0.00
Transfers from Branches' General Funds
663.51
654.28
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**
**749.77**
**654.28**
**Payments**
Funds transferred to Mothers' Union centrally
749.77
654.28
**TOTAL PAYMENTS**
**749.77**
**654.28**
**NET SURPLUS (PAYMENTS) FOR THE YEAR**
**0.00**
**0.00**
**5. Receipts and Payments Account- Other MSH Funds**
**Receipts**
Donatons & Fund Raising Events
148.00
304.30
Transfers from Branches' General Funds
227.00
407.70
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**
**375.00**
**712.00**
**Payments**
Funds transferred to Mothers' Union centrally
by Diocese
375.00
680.00
by branches
0.00
32.00
**TOTAL PAYMENTS**
**375.00**
**712.00**
**NET SURPLUS (PAYMENTS) FOR THE YEAR**
**0.00**
**0.00**|**2024**
**2023**
**4. Receipts and Payments Account- Literacy & Financial Educaton Progamme**
**£**
**£**
**Receipts**
Donatons & Fund Raising Events
21.00
0.00
Gif Aid Tax Recovered
65.26
0.00
Transfers from Branches' General Funds
663.51
654.28
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**
**749.77**
**654.28**
**Payments**
Funds transferred to Mothers' Union centrally
749.77
654.28
**TOTAL PAYMENTS**
**749.77**
**654.28**
**NET SURPLUS (PAYMENTS) FOR THE YEAR**
**0.00**
**0.00**
**5. Receipts and Payments Account- Other MSH Funds**
**Receipts**
Donatons & Fund Raising Events
148.00
304.30
Transfers from Branches' General Funds
227.00
407.70
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**
**375.00**
**712.00**
**Payments**
Funds transferred to Mothers' Union centrally
by Diocese
375.00
680.00
by branches
0.00
32.00
**TOTAL PAYMENTS**
**375.00**
**712.00**
**NET SURPLUS (PAYMENTS) FOR THE YEAR**
**0.00**
**0.00**|
|---|---|
|
**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**||
||**375.00**
**712.00**|
||375.00
680.00
0.00
32.00|
||**375.00**
**712.00**|
||**0.00**
**0.00**|
Page 4
|**2024**
**2023**
**6. Receipts and Payments Account- Away-From-It-All-Fund (AFIA)**
**£**
**£**
**Receipts**
Donatons: PCCs
327.50
1,442.14
Individuals
660.00
2,251.00
Other
0.00
109.70
Members’ Donatons & Fund Raising Events
289.70
300.30
Gif Aid Tax Recovered
189.75
737.75
Transfers from Branches' General Funds
2,880.25
5,690.56
Transfer from Diocesan General Fund
0.00
1,900.00
Timing Diference: Hamstead 2022
0.00
65.00
Timing Diference : Hamstead 2023
60.00
(60.00)
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**
**4,407.20**
**12,436.45**
**Payments**
Assisted holidays and trips
6,088.50
8,848.84
**TOTAL PAYMENTS**
**6,088.50**
**8,848.84**
**NET SURPLUS (PAYMENTS) FOR THE YEAR**
**(1,681.30)**
**3,587.61**
**Balance on hand 01.01.24**
**6,986.78**
**3,399.17**
**Balance on hand 31.12.24**
**5,305.48**
**6,986.78**|**2024**
**2023**
**6. Receipts and Payments Account- Away-From-It-All-Fund (AFIA)**
**£**
**£**
**Receipts**
Donatons: PCCs
327.50
1,442.14
Individuals
660.00
2,251.00
Other
0.00
109.70
Members’ Donatons & Fund Raising Events
289.70
300.30
Gif Aid Tax Recovered
189.75
737.75
Transfers from Branches' General Funds
2,880.25
5,690.56
Transfer from Diocesan General Fund
0.00
1,900.00
Timing Diference: Hamstead 2022
0.00
65.00
Timing Diference : Hamstead 2023
60.00
(60.00)
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**
**4,407.20**
**12,436.45**
**Payments**
Assisted holidays and trips
6,088.50
8,848.84
**TOTAL PAYMENTS**
**6,088.50**
**8,848.84**
**NET SURPLUS (PAYMENTS) FOR THE YEAR**
**(1,681.30)**
**3,587.61**
**Balance on hand 01.01.24**
**6,986.78**
**3,399.17**
**Balance on hand 31.12.24**
**5,305.48**
**6,986.78**|**2023**
**£**
1,442.14
2,251.00
109.70
300.30
737.75
5,690.56
1,900.00
65.00
(60.00)|
|---|---|---|
|
**Receipts**
Donatons: PCCs
Individuals
Other
Members’ Donatons & Fund Raising Events
Gif Aid Tax Recovered
Transfers from Branches' General Funds
Transfer from Diocesan General Fund
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 01.01.24**
**Balance on hand 31.12.24**|||
||**4,407.20**
**12,436.45**||
||6,088.50
8,848.84||
||**6,088.50**
**8,848.84**||
||**(1,681.30)**
**3,587.61**||
||**6,986.78**
**3,399.17**||
||**5,305.48**
**6,986.78**||
Page 5
## **7. Statement of Assets and Liabilites as at 31st December 2024**
## **MONETARY ASSETS**
|**Bank and cash balances**
**General Funds 31.12.24**
Bank & Building Society Accounts
Cash in hand
**General Funds 31.12.23**
Bank & Building Society Accounts
Cash in hand|**Diocese**
**Branches**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
**£**
18,338.63
13,432.42
31,771.05
0.00
1,235.64
1,235.64|**Diocese**
**Branches**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
**£**
18,338.63
13,432.42
31,771.05
0.00
1,235.64
1,235.64|
|---|---|---|
||**18,338.63**
**14,668.06**
**33,006.69**||
||19,114.92
13,650.05
32,764.97
0.00
972.49
972.49||
||**19,114.92**
**14,622.54**|**33,737.46**|
|**The Diocesan Bank Accounts are earmarked for use as follows**
**2024**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
Visit to Link Dioceses Fund
703.01
703.01
Patricia Law Bequest Fund
273.38
1,457.80
General Purposes
17,362.24
16,954.11
**18,338.63**
**19,114.92**
Away-From-It-All-Fund (AFIA)
**5,305.48**
**6,986.78**
**OTHER MONETARY ASSETS**
**MU enterprises Ltd**
Stock of goods for sale
788.73
1,036.38
Cash in hand from sale of goods
85.76
610.02
Sundry Debtors from sale of goods
414.55
113.55
**1,289.04**
**1,759.95**|**The Diocesan Bank Accounts are earmarked for use as follows**
**2024**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
Visit to Link Dioceses Fund
703.01
703.01
Patricia Law Bequest Fund
273.38
1,457.80
General Purposes
17,362.24
16,954.11
**18,338.63**
**19,114.92**
Away-From-It-All-Fund (AFIA)
**5,305.48**
**6,986.78**
**OTHER MONETARY ASSETS**
**MU enterprises Ltd**
Stock of goods for sale
788.73
1,036.38
Cash in hand from sale of goods
85.76
610.02
Sundry Debtors from sale of goods
414.55
113.55
**1,289.04**
**1,759.95**|
|---|---|
|Visit to Link Dioceses Fund
Patricia Law Bequest Fund
General Purposes
Away-From-It-All-Fund (AFIA)
**OTHER MONETARY ASSETS**
**MU enterprises Ltd**
Stock of goods for sale
Cash in hand from sale of goods
Sundry Debtors from sale of goods||
||**18,338.63**
**19,114.92**|
||**5,305.48**
**6,986.78**|
||788.73
1,036.38
85.76
610.02
414.55
113.55|
||**1,289.04**
**1,759.95**|
## **OTHER ASSETS**
The charity possesses no other assets of material value.
## **LIABILITIES**
The charity had no material liabilities as at 31.12.24
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Page 15
Tbe Shottery
39 Four Oaks Road
Sutton Coldfield
West Midlands B74 2XU
25 August 2025
To The Trustees of the Mothers, Union - Diocese of Birniingham
Dear Tnjstees
Independent Examination of the Consolidated Accounts
st
for the year ended 31 December 2024
Following my reappointment as Independent Examiner. I have completed my work on
the consolidated accounts of the Mothers. Union - Diocese of Birn]ingham
As stated in my report, l 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 identified a few minor points which I have discussed with the Treasurer.
Yours faithfully
Rosamund J Douglas
Independent Examlner's Report to
the Trustees of The Mothers, Union - Diocese of Bimingham
I report to the trustees on my examination of the consolidated accounts of The Mothers.
Union - Diocese of Birn)ingham (the Trust) for the year ended 315t December 2024.
Responsibilities and Basis of Report
As the charity's trustees, you are responsible 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 catried out under section
145 of the 201 I ACL and in carying out my examination I have followed all the
applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the
2011 Act.
IndependeDt ExamiDer's Statement
I have completed my examination. I confirn 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 &s required by section
130 of the 2011 Act. or
(2) the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have corne 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.
Rosamund J Douglas
39 Four Oaks Road, Sutton Coldfield
August 2025