© GlobalConnections
EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION
ALSO KNOWN AS GLOBAL CONNECTIONS
(A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)
ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
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Company No: 3886596
EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION
Report of the Trustees for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
| CONTENTS | CONTENTS |
|---|---|
| 1. | Report of The Trustees ............................................................................................................ 3 |
| 1.1 Reference and Administrative Details ............................................................................... 3 |
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| 1.2 Structure, Governance & Management ............................................................................. 4 |
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| 1.3 Our Aims, Objectives and Activities ................................................................................... 6 |
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| 1.4 Summary of Main Activities and Performance by Strategic Objective in 2024 ................... 7 |
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| 1.5 Summary of Achievements and Performance against Operational Plans in 2024 ........... 11 |
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| 1.6 Financial Review ............................................................................................................. 13 |
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| 1.7 Future Plans and Activities .............................................................................................. 15 |
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| 1.8 Responsibilities of The Trustees ..................................................................................... 15 |
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| 2. | Independent Examiner’s Report to The Evangelical Mission Association (“Global |
| Connections”) ...................................................................................................................... 17 | |
| 3. | Financial Statements ............................................................................................................. 18 |
| 3.1. Statement of Financial Activities (Including Income & Expenditure Account) – Year Ending 31 | |
| December 2024 ................................................................................................................... 18 | |
| 3.2. Balance Sheet (As At 31 December 2024) ............................................................................. 19 | |
| 3.3. Notes To The Financial Statements For The Year Ending 31 December 2024 ...................... 20 |
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&) GlobalConnections
Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Report of the Trustees for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
1. Report of The Trustees
The trustees have pleasure in presenting their report and accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024.
1.1 Reference and Administrative Details
Legal Registration
The Evangelical Mission Association (EMA) is an incorporated charity limited by guarantee, not having share capital. It is registered in England and Wales with company number 3886596 and as a charity with charity number 1081966. It operates under the trading name of Global Connections (GC). The charity also uses Global Connections Jobs & Mission (GC J&M) as a trading name for its vocational activities and has a sub-network in Northern Ireland called the Mission Action Partnership (MAP).
Board of Trustees (also Company Directors)
The following individuals have served as trustees during the year and to the date of this report:
Mr Alan Tower Mrs Louisa Evans Mr Fola Oyeleye Mr Chris Ducker Mrs Anu Ola Mr Mark Pickett (elected Oct 2024) Trustee XX – Trustee with Dispensation Mrs Natasha Rayan (elected Oct 2024) Mrs Cindy Crossley (elected Oct 2024) Mrs Caroline Maxwell (elected Oct 2024) Ms Abi Willetts (elected Oct 2024)
Council
The following individuals, together with the trustees, served as Council members during 2024:
| Abi Willetts* | Evan Winter | Mark Pickett* |
|---|---|---|
| Brian Wakelin (resigned Oct 24) | Gary Sloan | Michael Prest |
| Chris Howles | Girma Bishaw | Natasha Rayan* |
| Cindy Crossley* | Gordon Darragh | Paul Cooke |
| Claire Franks | Henry Lu | Rachael Heffer (Hon member) |
| Dan Yarnell | Iván Neira | Ray Porter |
| David Baldwin (resigned Oct 24) | James Poole | Robert Scott |
| David Cook | John McLernon | Roger Purdom |
| David King | Mark Handley | Siew H Ong |
*Stood down from the Council in March 2024 to join the Board of Trustees as a co-opted member.
Company Secretary during 2024
Mr Andy Law
Officers
Honorary President: Rev Stanley Davies (to 29 March 2024) Chairman of Board: Mr Alan Tower
Key Management Personnel
Dr Chris Wigram (Interim Chief Executive Officer – in post until 21 June 2024) Mr Ben Stansfield (Chief Executive Officer – commenced in post 24 June 2024) Mr Andy Law (Chief Operating Officer)
Registered Office
Caswell Road, Leamington Spa, CV31 1QD
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&) GlobalConnections
Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION
Report of the Trustees for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
Correspondence Address
Caswell Road, Leamington Spa, CV31 1QD
Independent Examiner
K Gomes FCIE MAAT Independent Examiners Ltd Unit 2,The Broadfields Business centre Delling Lane Bosham West Sussex PO18 8NF
Bankers
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Santander, Bridle Road, Bootle, G1R 0AA
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Barclays Bank plc, 29 Borough High Street, London, SE1 1LY
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Kingdom Bank, Media House, Padge Road, Beeston, Nottingham, NG9 2RS
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The Co-operative Bank p.l.c., 1 Balloon Street, Manchester, M4 4BE
1.2 Structure, Governance & Management
1.2.1 Constitution of the Charity and Status
The Evangelical Mission Association (EMA) is an incorporated charity limited by guarantee, not having share capital. It is registered in England and Wales with company number 3886596 and as a charity with charity number 1081966. The company is governed by revised Articles of Association which were adopted on 30[th] November 2011. It operates under the trading name of Global Connections (GC). It is referred to by this name throughout the report. The charity also uses Global Connections Jobs & Mission (GC J&M) as a trading name for its vocational activities and the Northern Ireland Office is called Mission Action Partnership (MAP). The Directors of the company are the trustees for the purposes of the Charities Act. The charity is registered with HMRC, reference XN77672.
The voting membership of the charity is its Council with elections taking place at company meetings following a nomination process agreed by the Council. The Council is representative of the network with the proportions agreed by the Council. The network has a number of non-voting categories which includes network members, network associates and individual associates. The basis for the different categories of the network is set out in the Articles of Association. The Council members that served during 2024 are listed on page 1. The term of office is three years, and each Council member is eligible to serve for up to three terms. The Council’s role is to approve the overall vision, mission and values for the network and debate significant policy and missiological issues. The Council elects the Board of Trustees in accordance with the Articles of Association. The Council met three times during 2024 – two regular meetings, and once for the Annual General Meeting.
It is with sadness that the trustees recognise the death of the charity’s honorary president, Reverend Stanley Davies in March 2024. Stanley made a tremendous contribution to the Evangelical Mission Alliance (then Association), and was instrumental in creating a firm foundation for his successors to build on. All of us connected with the Evangelical Mission Association send our condolences to Stanley’s family, and pray for God’s close presence in their grief.
1.2.2 The Board
The trustees (who together form the Board of Trustees), who held office during 2024, are listed on page 3. There were no resignations during the year, but four Council members and one individual previously external to the network, were co-opted to the Board in March and
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Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Report of the Trustees for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
subsequently elected as full members of the Board, at the Council meeting in October 2024. All trustees have received the Charity Commission’s publications ‘The Essential Trustee’, ‘Charities and Fund-raising’ and ‘Risk Framework’. The term of office is three years, and each trustee is eligible to serve for up to three terms.
None of the trustees had any financial interest in any transaction or arrangement with the charity (other than as a trustee for the charity or as a donor to the charity or as a staff member of a network member) during the period covered by this report. No trustee receives any form of remuneration, other than the reimbursement of expenses. Any such expenses are listed in the notes to the Financial Statements.
1.2.3 Board meetings and organisation of the charity
The operations of the charity are conducted in accordance with the Articles of Association. All the trustees are active in the running of the charity and there is a clear set of roles and responsibilities for trustees and staff. The trustees met four times during the year, with ad hoc meetings when required, as well as participating in Council meetings and other network events. The Board is supported by an advisory committee on finance and governance; this Finance & Governance Committee (F&GC) supports the trustees and senior management with financial planning and oversight, risk identification and management, pension scheme oversight and policy review assessment. At the start of the year, the trustees also invested additional time into the recruitment of a new CEO. The recruitment process was ultimately successful, and Ben Stansfield commenced in post on 24 June 2024.
The trustees approve and monitor the charity’s strategic objectives and retain oversight on the allocation of funding for activities, which are approved within the limits of its financial resources. Legal advice is sought when necessary.
A register of trustees’ interests is held to ensure that there are no conflicts of interest. This is updated annually. Related party issues are fully declared in the financial statements. The trustees abide by a clear conflict of interest policy which states that any trustee with a potential conflict of interest is asked to leave the room and takes no part in the debate or decision. The trustees have reviewed and state that there is no Person of Significant Control.
1.2.4 Risk Management
Risks to the continued operation of the charity are monitored and formally reviewed by the trustees at their meetings. This process seeks to identify all risks to which the charity is exposed, especially seeking to identify the major risks to ensure that all appropriate mitigations are in place. The most prominent risks currently being managed by the charity relate to the potential impact of changes to the GC Pension Scheme, competition from other Christian jobs advertisers, and the implications of being unable to recruit to vacancies in the staff team should they occur. While there are significant financial implications associated with the jobs advertising risk, the trustees are satisfied that adequate mitigations and contingency plans, appropriate to an organisation of its size, are in place to reduce the consequences of this, and all, risks.
The charity maintains a register of the principal identified risks and this is maintained as a working document. Internal risks are minimised by the implementation of control procedures. External risks are minimised by regular monitoring of the external environment covering charity regulation and world mission issues.
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Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Report of the Trustees for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
1.3 Our Aims, Objectives and Activities
Our Purpose
Our charity’s purpose is to maintain, advance and promote the Christian faith throughout the world by such means as the trustees shall think fit. As a membership network, Global Connections has always sought to do this through strengthening and improving the practice of the network members and the UK church in relation to world mission activities, and by the provision of resources that bring benefit and help support their missional activities.
Our Aims and Objectives
Although our aims and objectives will remain generally consistent from one year to the next, the means by which these are achieved (i.e., our activities) are reviewed each year. This review process considers what has been achieved in the last 12 months, what benefits have been realised for our members and what lessons can be learned. The review process also helps us ensure our aim, objectives and activities remained focused on our stated purposes.
The focus of our work and activities
The focus of our work continues to be the growth and development of a network of agencies, churches and individuals dedicated to growing God’s Kingdom through mission. Since a review carried out in 2022, the charity’s strapline and supporting statement remain:
Strapline: Together for the future of mission
Supporting Statement: ‘Connecting and equipping the UK church and mission community in a changing world.
The charity’s key objectives are:
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Connect — help the network build and strengthen relationships and develop collaborative partnerships across organisations, nationalities, and mission fields for the sake of prayer, mutual learning, and sharing of resources.
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Inspire — inspire, encourage, and motivate followers of Christ in the UK to participate in God's mission through relevant Christian ministry and service, both locally and globally.
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Explore — engage with the network in critical, reflective and fruitful conversations about the future of mission, in the context of world Christianity, and the role of the UK mission community in it.
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Equip — prepare and equip members for both local and global mission through the sharing of experience, best practice, and helpful resources.
The trustees believe that these keywords clarify the charity’s objectives and provide a helpful framework for the members and staff of Global Connections, Global Connections Jobs & Mission, and MAP.
The trustees remain mindful of the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit whenever reviewing our aims and objectives and in planning our future activities. In accordance with this guidance, the trustees considered how planned activities will contribute to the agreed aims and objectives.
Who are our charity’s beneficiaries?
As a network organisation, the trustees consider that the main beneficiaries are organisations and churches involved in mission activities (cross-culturally in the UK and around the world).
The charity aims to deliver events and resources to the network members and more widely, that will assist them in their mission of spreading and demonstrating the Christian message.
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Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Report of the Trustees for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
Non-network members can attend events and use resources where available. The trustees consider that the public is well served by strengthening and improving the practise of its members and the UK church in relation to mission activities in the UK and overseas, and by the provision of high-quality resources that bring wider public benefit.
1.4 Summary of Main Activities and Performance by Strategic Objective in 2024
The following points will look at specific work carried out against each of the organisational objectives in each strategy area, and will highlight their impact on the network of mission organisations that we represent.
- 1.4.1 CONNECT – help the network build and strengthen relationships and develop collaborative partnerships across organisations, nationalities, and mission fields for the sake of prayer, mutual learning, and sharing of resources.
As a network of member organisations, Global Connections strives to facilitate individuals, agencies, churches and network associates to connect with one another, to share experiences and learning, and offer mutual support. Global Connections and MAP have continued to facilitate these connections in the following ways:
- a) Forums and Events – Over the course of 2024, Global Connections and MAP delivered a total of 64 events (compared to 27 in 2023). These were a combination of online and in-person gatherings, and included 21 ‘coffee breaks’ which are more informal in nature and focus on peer support and learning. As in previous years, the benefit of bringing people together in a shared physical space is highly valued, but it is clear that members of the network continue to appreciate the option to engage virtually.
The GC staff team continue to value the support of the forum core and steering group members, who together, ensure the forums cover appropriate topics and appeal to the broader network. This arrangement continues to ensure that a range of voices can be heard, and perspectives considered in developing plans for learning and engagement throughout the year.
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b) MAP Meetings & Connection – Members of MAP are invited to join our quarterly in person Big MAP Meetings for times of fellowship and prayer, resourcing, training, and networking. The Student Engagement Team aims to link with students across NI throughout the year to support mission interest and initiatives at home and overseas. The Intercultural Action Team focuses on building relationships with Christians of different cultural backgrounds involved in church and mission in NI, and reaching out to those arriving on our shores. In the past year they organised and ran a training day focused on these issues. MAP members get priority access to 75% of the stands in the Mission Hub at New Horizon, which is overseen by the MAP Coordinator. The MAP coordinator also facilitates the Mission Agency prayer gathering at Bangor Worldwide Missionary Convention.
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c) CEO’s Online Fellowship gatherings - Under the leadership of Dr Chris Wigram (Interim CEO) and Ben Stansfield (new permanent CEO), these gatherings have continued to run every month; they give CEOs, national directors and executive leaders of mission and other parachurch organisations the opportunity to meet together for fellowship, mutual support, and group-think.
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d) Forum ‘Coffee Breaks’ - In recognition of the continuing desire within the membership to meet on a less formal basis, most of the forums now offer several coffee breaks through the year. The sessions provide those attending with the opportunity to talk with others
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Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Report of the Trustees for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
working in similar roles, share experience and learning, and offer support for mutual benefit. Feedback from these sessions continues to be overwhelmingly positive.
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e) Network Prayer gatherings – we consider prayer to be a vital part of our collective mission. After reviewing the format and frequency of the gatherings, the decision was taken in 2024 to run these prayer times on a monthly basis, inviting individuals within the network to lead the sessions and share something of their own mission and learning.
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f) Networking Hub – Despite early growth after its launch, engagement with the Networking Hub in the latter part of 2023 and into 2024 slowed considerably. Recognising that there is still significant potential value to the membership in having a digital engagement platform, the staff team have put considerable effort into developing a new networking site using the Discourse platform which launched towards the end of 2024.
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1.4.2 INSPIRE – inspire, encourage, and motivate followers of Christ in the UK to participate in God's mission through relevant Christian ministry and service, both locally and globally.
Global Connections Jobs & Mission (GC J&M) is a ministry of Global Connections.
A few of the key achievements for GC J&M in 2024 were:
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a) Advertising jobs in the UK - during 2024, GC J&M advertised 276 UK job vacancies (including UK voluntary opportunities) posted by a variety of Christian organisations (members and non-members) through the GC website. This compares to 461 advertisements in 2023. Global Connections remains committed to helping Christians find where they might serve God in the UK or overseas, and is cognisant of changes in the job market that could make this more challenging in the coming years.
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b) Mission opportunity listings – over the course of 2024 we supported the Christian church and broader mission community in sharing 72 short and longer-term mission opportunities in the UK and internationally (compared to 110 in 2023). We see this as an important service to help connect mission ‘senders’ in the UK with Christians looking for opportunities to serve God wherever He may lead them.
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c) Advertising related income – 2024 has been a difficult year in respect of our jobs and mission opportunity related income. Significant fluctuations in the market, have impacted many advertisers, and GC J&M has not escaped. Having achieved an annual income of £65.6k in 2023 (against a budget of £70k), actual income in 2024 was only 52% of that budgeted (i.e. £37.1k against a budget of £70k). This disappointing performance will be given due consideration in budgeting for 2025.
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d) Engagement through our website - the monthly average for webpage views of the UK jobs section for 2024 was 5.66k (total of 67.9k for the year). This represents a decrease of approximately 78.7% on 2023 (26.5k per month; 318k views for the year). It is discouraging to see this decrease, but it is in line with expectation as the new website is more effective at filtering out artificial accounts (and ‘bots’) which we suspect may have artificially inflated reported figures in previous years. We continue to work to improve SEO and the ranking of GC Jobs & Mission under ‘Christian jobs’ keywords.
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e) Social media - there has been a slight decrease in followers on ‘X’, formerly Twitter (from 2160 in 2023 to 2119 in 2024); a slight increase on Instagram (from 1533 in 2023 to 1581 in 2024); a small increase in LinkedIn followers (from 1047 to 1199), and an increase in Facebook followers (from 2035 at the end of 2023 to 2055 at the end of 2024). GC J&M has continued to maintain a constant and regular presence on all channels, and we have
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Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Report of the Trustees for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
taken steps to further target our content to the most relevant audience. During 2024 we also launched a set of customisable images to make job adverts more attractive.
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f) Sign-ups for job alert emails – having thoroughly cleansed the job alert data on launching the new website in September 2023, the number of validated job alert sign-ups continues to grow (now 190 compared to 125 at the end of 2023). The staff team continue working to increase this number.
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g) Engagement with Jobseekers and Recruiters - GC J&M staff continue to support key stakeholders via two regular e-newsletters. The bi-monthly Recruitment Matters provides resources, advice and guidance for those recruiting in the UK Christian church and charity sector, and is sent to those who advertise jobs with us. The Latest Jobs Opportunities email is sent to individuals who have signed up for job alert emails. At the beginning of 2024, we cleaned up our email distribution lists and removed inactive email addresses. Jobseekers and Time fora Recruiters newsletters were relaunched over the summer, and we are now seeing improved average Change? email open rates of 59% for the Latest Job Opportunities email (sent out monthly) and 46% for the Recruitment Matters email (sent bi-monthly). Each email aims to bring both practical and spiritual help as well as pointing to events and resources provided by Global Connections.
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h) Direct mailers – in November 2024 we sent out a direct mail letter to 150 churches containing postcards (see image right) advertising GC Jobs & Mission. We continued our partnership with 10 of Those , supplying them with GC Jobs & Mission postcards to send out in book parcels.
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1.4.3 EXPLORE – engage with the network in critical, reflective and fruitful conversations about the future of mission, in the context of world Christianity, and the role of the UK mission community in it.
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a) CEO Residential – during this two-day event, held at Kings Park in Northampton, approximately 36 CEOs and National Directors came together to reflect on how things have changed since their last meeting in 2018. More importantly, they spent the majority of their time together reflecting on how God is working in the UK church and across the world, and considering what the future mission landscape looks like.
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b) Passion for Mission – this year’s event was kindly hosted by Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, and featured Prof Michael Stroope as the keynote speaker. Over 60 delegates attended the event to hear Prof Stroope, and consider how the framework of mission in the UK might be challenged and reimagined. The event also featured time for delegates to consider some of the practical implications of changing how mission is done, and to hear from a panel of leading thinkers in the field.
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Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Report of the Trustees for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
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c) Intercultural engagement – this has been a key focus for Global Connections in recent years, but 2024 saw additional outworking in this area, in an attempt to raise the profile of intercultural engagement across the mission community. This work included a threepart training course hosted by GC’s Intercultural Engagement Coordinator, Wonu Adefala, in April. While the number of attendees was lower than hoped, the training was insightful and encouraged those attending to think about how changing the face of intercultural engagement could impact the future face of mission in, and from, the UK.
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d) Lausanne Conference 2024 – Was a wonderful opportunity to join discussions as part of the global church. There was a lot of common ground and many crossover points in the research we have done with our membership. We will seek to find ways to continue working together as part of the global church and develop these conversations in the UK.
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e) Short-term Mission forum: Power in Partnership – questions around the balance and flow of power in mission have been mulled over for decades, but as the mission community thinks in more detail around the future shape of mission, this question of power is becoming increasingly relevant. During this session hosted by the STM forum in September 2024, delegates discussed the danger of those ‘going’ on STM trips taking a position of power over those ‘receiving’ or ‘hosting’, and how this can adversely impact the ministry of the local church in that area. The Global Connections staff team are committed to further exploration of this issue, and strive to see some practical outworkings and changes to unhelpful practices.
Through all such conversations, Global Connections looks to facilitate dialogue around the key issues impacting the outworking of mission in, to and from the UK. The intention is not to instruct members on what alternative models should be adopted, but to explore together whether change is required to redress the balance of perceived power and resource.
- 1.4.4 EQUIP – prepare and equip members for both local and global mission through the sharing of experience, best practice, and helpful resources.
The staff team continue to signpost members to a range of valuable resources at source. We believe this approach of pointing to source minimises the potential for misinterpretation of loss of context. As such, we remain confident that this continues to be the most appropriate model to equip our members.
In addition to signposting to external resources, Global connections and MAP continued to equip members with a range of important material resources including:
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a) Discounted and bespoke insurance – we continue to work with Banner and Talent Trust to provide appropriate travel and medical insurance schemes. Through this, and our partnerships with other agencies, the staff team work to support members of the network to comply with the relevant standards and access quality insurance products.
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b) UK Pension Scheme and International Retirement Savings Plan – these two schemes still represent a valuable resource for members of the network. The auto enrolment (AE) compliant group pension scheme operated by Scottish Widows and an international retirement savings plan for people working outside the UK, operated by Zurich International, take into consideration the needs of members and their employees and mission partners. As has been commonplace to pensions and investment funds in recent years, performance of the plans has not been as strong as hoped, but both schemes have continued to perform well against industry benchmarks.
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c) Specialist updates – with the support of specialists in their field, we were able to offer members updates in the following areas, all of which were delivered by specialists in their field:
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Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Report of the Trustees for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
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Money in Mission (March)
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Employment Law (April)
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Fundraising (May)
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Mental Health (May)
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Charity Law (May)
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Coercion & Bullying in the Christian workplace (November)
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Cyber-Security (November)
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Employment status (November)
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d) Issue specific resources – in addition to a wide range of resources already available on the GC website, 2024 saw the addition of an Artificial Intelligence policy template and a suite of resources relating to mission and mental health.
The staff team are especially grateful to all those who helped develop the resources available on the GC website.
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e) Forum ‘Coffee Breaks’ – building on the success of the ‘coffee breaks’ that we launched in 2023 with the Finance & Governance forum, these have now been rolled out to several of the other forums. These sessions continue to provide those working in the network and beyond, the opportunity to come together to share experience and knowledge for mutual benefit. Topics covered are varied, and most importantly, driven by the needs and interests of those attending the sessions. We believe that these sessions will be a central part of the network equipping the network in 2025 and beyond.
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1.5 Summary of Achievements and Performance against Operational Plans in 2024
The trustees are committed to improving the charity’s practise and ensuring that it delivers public benefit by supporting the activities of the members of the network. The strategy sets out clear indicators for monitoring how activities impact the stated aims, and this is evaluated by management and reported at each board meeting.
The principal achievements in 2024 centred on carrying out an extensive listening exercise to help the board and staff team review and reshape the charity’s strategic focus. We also invested considerable time and energy into providing members with an increased number and range of events during the year. This created more opportunities for members to connect with others in the network, and shape their own plans and practises.
In the interest of continuation and consistency, this section of the report will focus on how the charity performed against the plans and future activities set out in the 2023 Annual Trustees Report. These were:
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a) Complete the recruitment process for the new Chief Executive Officer (this commenced in March 2024 ) – following a thorough recruitment process, Ben Stansfield was successfully appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Global Connections & MAP. Ben commenced in post on 24[th] June 2024. The trustees and staff team are thankful for God’s direction and provision throughout the process.
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b) Review and clarify the vision and strategic direction of Global Connections – as previously mentioned in this report, an extensive listening exercise commenced in April and ran through to its conclusion in September. The results of the exercise are now helping the trustees and staff team to shape the charity’s new strategy which will be finalised in early 2025.
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Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Report of the Trustees for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
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c) Complete the review of MAP’s (Mission Action Partnership) strategy and continue to facilitate improved connection between the MAP and GC networks – while the development of MAPs strategy was delayed (because the GC strategy was not finalised), the staff team have continued working to facilitate stronger connections between GC and MAP. This has primarily been in the form of virtual events being shared and run for the benefit of both GC and MAP members. In addition to this, members of the GC staff team have travelled to Northern Ireland during the year to meet in person with MAP members and build stronger relationships.
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d) Continue to deliver a series of events under the “The Future of Mission” banner to facilitate further discussion on issues to be addressed and the practical steps required to implement change – as previously mentioned in this report, while there were no events run during 2024 specifically titled as ‘Future of Mission’, we ran several events including the CEO residential and Passion for Mission, that focused almost exclusively on reimagining the future of mission. Global Connections and MAP remain committed to facilitating members into 2025 to further explore the future of mission; how the current model might need to develop, and the practical implications of doing so.
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e) Establish greater focus on intercultural engagement within the network, and reaching out into Diaspora Christian communities around the country. We aim to take practical steps to build and maintain strong relationships that will help deliver positive change – In her role as Global Connections’ Intercultural Engagement Coordinator, Wonu Adefala invested significant time and energy into building relationships with those in the UK Christian Diaspora. While being a positive exercise in itself, engagement with intercultural related activity within the network has been limited. Despite this, we remain committed to developing intercultural engagement within the mission community, and will explore alternative ways of doing this to improve engagement and impact.
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f) Conduct a comprehensive survey of the GC and MAP members to establish the challenges being faced within the network, how the members would like to see GC respond, and to evaluate the existing range of member benefits – this relates to the listening exercise that was carried out during 2024. The Global Connections & MAP staff are grateful to the 60+ members who took part in the exercise. The feedback received during the interviews with members has been essential in helping the trustees and staff team to formulate a new strategic focus. We would also like to thank the GC Council members for their engagement and suggestions, and to Laura Treneer of Frank Analysis for collating the responses and developing the final report.
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g) Review the range and type of events run for the network, to best meet its needs and preferences – reflecting on the events of 2023, it was clear that the new ‘coffeebreak’ events were well received by members of the network. Having started with the Finance & Governance forum, these events were also implemented during 2024 by the Member Care & TCK, International HR and Short-Term Mission forums. Initial responses from the listening exercise also indicated that events on the practical aspects of charity operations were consider particularly helpful by members. Reflecting members’ preferences, the staff team, with support from forum core group members, delivered a range of events covering a wide range of topics including on cyber-security, coercion and bullying in Christian workplaces, employment status, charity law, fundraising, and mental health to name a few.
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h) Review and revise the type and frequency of communications sent to members and those signed up to receive e-newsletters, to ensure GC and MAP are sharing relevant information in the most appropriate format – this objective was largely dependent on the outcome of listening exercise, and the development of a new strategy. As this work has still to be completed, the review of all communications has not been completed. However, we understand how important it is to complete this work, so it will be an essential part of delivering the new strategy.
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i) Maintain appropriate systems to ensure and record that all Trustees are aware of and compliant with the HMRC guidance on Disqualification Rules for Charity Trustees and HM Revenues guidance on Fit & Proper persons – the trustees are satisfied that appropriate processes are in place to ensure that all new and existing trustees remain compliant with relevant HMRC guidance and regulations. As indicated in the 2023 report, a dedicated Fit and Proper Person self-declaration form has been developed and incorporated into the trustee recruitment process to further enhance the process.
1.6 Financial Review
- 1.6.1 Financial Results While income against two of the three key income streams was more than, or very similar to, the corresponding income in 2023, income from jobs and mission opportunity advertising dropped off significantly in 2024. However, the legacy donation (£147,292) received by the charity in October 2023 continues to bolster unrestricted income in 2024. While this donation contributes to a healthy level of free reserves, the charity’s financial year ended with a deficit of £65,460 against a budgeted deficit of £48,776. This disappointing result was largely due to a significant decrease in income from jobs and mission opportunity advertising through Global Connections Jobs & Mission (previously known as Christian Vocations). At year end, the total income against GC Jobs and Mission was £37,135 against a budget of £70,000. This represents a decrease of 44.6% against the £65,835 received during 2023. On investigating this decline, the trustees and executive management believe that this level of reduced activity is in keeping with competitors, and is a direct consequence of the instability in the financial markets prevalent since the infamous mini-budget of September 2022.
In contrast to jobs advertising, income from events increase from £14,121 in 2023 to £17,650 in 2024. The trustees and staff team were also grateful to the commitment and support shown by members of the network as they provided a valuable £161,275 of income from membership fees in 2024 against a budget of £150,000. This represents a decrease of just £110 on the £161,385 received in 2023.
The total income from the charity’s key activities decreased in 2024, compared to 2023. As already stated the poor performance of jobs advertising, was a significant contributor to this result.
Total expenditure increased by 14% from £276,762 in 2023 to £315,684 in 2024. This increase was largely due to the increased expenditure associated with having a full staff team, including a full-time CEO (as compared to the part-time arrangements of the previous several years).
The combined reduction in income and increased expenditure resulted in a year end deficit of £65,460.
The Trustees continue to express their dependence on God, and gratitude for His provision of sufficient funding. The executive leadership and trustees remain committed to stewarding
Page 13 of 29
&) GlobalConnections
Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Report of the Trustees for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
the charity’s resources with prudence, diligence and discernment. Working with the rest of the staff team, every effort will be made to engage in projects and programmes of work, to the benefit of the wider network and mission community.
As in previous years, restricted funds activity continues to centre on various mission promotion events organised by the cooperation of member agencies in the GC network and facilitated financially by the GC staff team.
1.6.2 Free Reserves Policy
Free reserves are those unrestricted funds not invested in fixed assets nor designated for specific purposes or otherwise committed. This reserve is a means of protecting the organisation against uncertainty over future income or potential emergency expenditure.
The current Board policy is to hold an upper free reserve limit at or above 2.5 months’ expenditure, plus an amount to cover the cost of closure, the total of which currently equates to £100,149. This is referred to as the ‘Early Warning’ Reserve limit. This signifies the point at which the Board must consider the steps to be taken to prevent further depletion of the reserves, and covers the charity’s minimum contractual liabilities and standard operating costs, whilst providing a buffer for unexpected expenditure or loss of income. In addition to this, it is the Board’s policy to recognise the lower ‘Absolute Free Reserve Limit’ which signifies the point at which a decision to continue trading must be taken; during 2024, this limit stood at £32,254.
The actual free reserves are £297,168 - which is the equivalent of just over 11 months expenditure. The healthy state of the free reserves is due to the legacy donation received in 2023. While the intention will be to focus the spending of legacy donations in furtherance of the charitable objectives, it is recognised that they will continue to provide additional financial stability over the next one to two years of planned budget deficits. The executive leadership and trustees will continue to consider how the legacy fund may be used to maximise its benefit.
1.6.3 Going concern
The trustees regularly review the medium-term financial projections for the charitable company, and recognise the need to closely monitor and respond to budgetary fluctuations as and when required. Although it is recognised that there continue to be some risks that are beyond the charity’s control, it is the board’s view that appropriate mitigations are in place and will be monitored on a quarterly basis, or more frequently if appropriate. Although the trustees have approved a deficit budget of £80,060 for 2025, it is noted that unpredictable nature of the jobs market has resulted in a cautious approach to budget setting.
As in the last 2-3 years, there continues to be a degree of uncertainty regarding the financial security within the sector, which could ultimately result in a further reduction in the number of members in the network. When combined with known higher operational costs associated with having a full staff team and other general uplifts impacted by inflation, it remains the view of the trustees that the charity is unlikely to deliver a surplus in the next two years.
Despite this, the charity does not forecast passing below its absolute free reserves limit of £32,254 for at least 12 months from the date of this report. Consequently, the trustees are satisfied that the company is in adequate financial health and the going concern basis is appropriate for their accounting.
1.6.4 Investment Policy
The Board’s policy is to retain surplus liquid funds in interest bearing accounts, generally up to £85,000 per banking institution, currently using the Santander Deposit Fund, Kingdom Bank and the Co-operative Bank accounts. Having received such a significant legacy
Page 14 of 29
©) GlobalConnections
Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Report of the Trustees for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
donation in 2023, the trustees took the decision to deposit all of this money, together with a portion of the funds held in the low interest Santander current account, in a COIF Charities Deposit Fund managed by CCLA, rather than holding it as a cash deposit in the bank. This decision continues to pay dividends in the form of much improved interest payments.
1.7 Future Plans and Activities
In consultation with the Board of Trustees, the staff and executive management team will focus their energy and time during 2025 on the following objectives:
-
a. Finalise and communicate the new vision, mission and strategy
-
b. We have identified five focus areas for the year ahead, from the listening exercise, that we would like to explore together to see where God might take us. These are:
-
i. Exploring opportunities to enable the network to see the next generations engaged more in mission
-
ii. Deepening relationships within the network, connecting members into strategic and supportive relationships and exploring possible collaborations
-
iii. Developing our programme of events, in-person and online, to explore issues that are key to the future of mission
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iv. Investigating new possible areas of work for the future of the network, including the area of leadership development.
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v. Broadening our income base to ensure the long-term sustainability of the network.
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c. Maintain appropriate systems to ensure and record that all Trustees are aware of and compliant with the HMRC guidance on Disqualification Rules for Charity Trustees and HM Revenues guidance on Fit & Proper persons.
1.8 Responsibilities of The Trustees
The trustees (who are also the directors for the purposes of Company Law) are responsible for preparing the trustees’ report and the financial statements in accordance with general applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom General Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
-
a) select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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b) observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
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c) make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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d) state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
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e) prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safekeeping the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Page 15 of 29
©) GlobalConnections
Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Report of the Trustees for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
In so far as the trustees are aware:
-
there is no relevant information of which the charitable company’s independent examiner is unaware; and
-
the trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant information and to establish that the independent examiner is aware of that information.
For the financial year in question the company was entitled to exemption under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies. No members have required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006. The directors acknowledge their responsibility for complying with the requirement of the Act with respect to accounting records and for the preparation of accounts. These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the micro-entity provisions.
The Trustees’ Report was approved by the Trustees on 21/05/2025 and signed on their behalf by:
Mr Alan Tower (Chair):
Date: 21/05/2025
Page 16 of 29
&) GlobalConnections
Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION
Report of the Trustees for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
2. Independent Examiner’s Report to The Evangelical Mission Association (“Global Connections”)
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 December 2024.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND BASIS OF REPORT
As the charity’s trustees of the Company (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law), you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (“the 2006 Act”).
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited for this year under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (“the 2011 Act”). In carrying out my examination, I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S STATEMENT
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention which gives me cause to believe that:
-
accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006; or
-
the accounts do not accord with such records; or
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the accounts do not comply with relevant accounting requirements under section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
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the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS102).
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.
K Gomes FCIE MAAT Independent Examiners Ltd Unit 2,The Broadfields Business centre Delling Lane Bosham West Sussex PO18 8NF
Page 17 of 29
Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
Connections
3. Financial Statements
3.1. Statement of Financial Activities (Including Income & Expenditure Account) – Year Ending 31 December 2024
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | Total | ||
| Funds | Funds | ||||
| Note | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Income from: | |||||
| Donations and legacies | 3 | 19,354 | 180 | 19,534 | 166,673 |
| Charitable activities | 4 | 219,323 | 160 | 219,483 | 245,953 |
| Investments | 5 | 10,361 | 0 | 10,361 | 3,047 |
| Total income | 249,038 | 340 | 249,378 | 415,673 | |
| Expenditure on: | |||||
| Raising funds | 7,088 | 0 | 7,088 | 6,195 | |
| Charitable activities | 307,410 | 1,186 | 308,596 | 270,566 | |
| Total expenditure | 6 | 314,498 | 1,186 | 315,684 | 276,761 |
| Net income/(expenditure) | 7 | -65,460 | -846 | -66,306 | 138,912 |
| Transfers between funds | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | |
| Net movement in funds | -65,460 | -846 | -66,306 | 138,912 | |
| Reconciliation of funds: | |||||
| Total funds brought forward | 362,629 | 6,978 | 369,607 | 230,695 | |
| Total funds carried forward | 297,168 | 6,132 | 303,301 | 369,607 |
The Statement of Financial Activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.
All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities.
Full comparative figures for 2023 are show in Note 2.
The notes on pages 20 to 29 form part of these financial statements.
Page 18 of 29
Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
3.2. Balance Sheet (As At 31 December 2024)
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | Total | |
| Funds | Funds | ||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| FIXED ASSETS | |||||
| Tangible assets | 10 | - | - | - | - |
| CURRENT ASSETS | |||||
| Debtors | 11 | 10,401 | - | 10,401 | 5,508 |
| Cash at bank and in hand | 295,564 | 6,132 | 303,084 | 371,042 | |
| 305,965 | 6,132 | 313,485 | 376,550 | ||
| Creditors: | |||||
| Amounts falling due within one | |||||
| year | 12 | 10,185 | 10,185 | 6,943 | |
| NET CURRENT ASSETS | 295,781 | 6,132 | 303,300 | 369,607 | |
| TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT | |||||
| LIABILITIES | **295,781 ** | **6,132 ** | 303,300 | **369,607 ** | |
| Represented by: | |||||
| UNRESTRICTED FUNDS | 15 | ||||
| General funds | 161,750 | 215,337 | |||
| Designated funds | 135,417 | 147,292 | |||
| 297,168 | 362,629 | ||||
| RESTRICTED FUNDS | 16 | 6,132 | 6,978 | ||
| TOTAL FUNDS | 303,300 | 369,607 |
The notes on pages 20 to 29 form part of these financial statements.
Approved by the Board on 21/05/2025 and signed on their behalf by:
Mr Alan Tower (Chair):
Company limited by guarantee, Number 3886596
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&) GlobalConnections
Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
3.3. Notes To The Financial Statements For The Year Ending 31 December 2024
1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The financial statements have been prepared under the Companies Act 2006 and in accordance with the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), Financial Reporting standard 102 (FRS102) and the Charities Act 2011. The particular accounting policies adopted are described below.
(a) Accounting convention
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.
(b) Depreciation
Depreciation is provided on tangible assets to write off their cost over their estimated useful lives at rates of 20% (furniture and equipment) and 33.3% (computers) on the straight line method, on a quarterly basis. Capitalisation threshold is £1,000 per separable item including irrecoverable VAT.
(c) Leasing
Costs in respect of operating leases are charged as lease payments are due.
(d) Stocks
Stock is included at the lower of cost or net realisable value.
(e) Fund accounting
Funds held by the charity are classified as one of:
Unrestricted general funds – These are funds which can be used in accordance with the charitable objects at the discretion of the trustees.
Designated funds – These are funds set aside by the trustees out of unrestricted general funds for specific purposes or projects.
Restricted funds – These are funds that can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
(f) Pension costs
Pension costs are charged in the period in which they are payable to the scheme.
(g) Irrecoverable VAT
Irrecoverable VAT is included in the cost of the expense to which it relates.
(h) Income
All income is accounted for on a receivable basis. Income received for an event to take place in a future accounting period, whether fees or donations, is deferred to that accounting period and is held at the yearend as a liability.
(i) Legacies
Legacy income is accounted for when receivable. Legacies are regarded as receivable when the charity is notified of its legal entitlement; the amount due is quantifiable; and its ultimate receipt by the charity is probable.
Page 20 of 29
©) GlobalConnections
Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
(j) Donated services and facilities
Donated services and facilities are recognised as income and expenditure of the charity. Seconded staff time is valued at the cost of that time to the seconding agency. Donated meeting facilities are valued at the normal charge made for those facilities.
(k) Expenditure
Liabilities to pay expenses are accounted for when payable. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis. Where categories of expenditure relate to more than one expenditure heading in the SOFA, these are allocated between headings on the basis of an estimate of staff time spent thereon.
(l) Cost of Generating Funds
This comprises 2.5% of all expenditure relating to staff, outside contractors, Office, property and Admin and reflects the proportion of these activities devoted to raising funds for the charity.
(m) Cost of activities in furtherance of the charity’s objects
This comprises all expenditure directly related to the objects of the charity.
(n) Governance costs
This comprises expenditure relating to compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements and other costs, which cannot be treated as cost of activities in furtherance of the charity’s objects. This comprises 3% of all expenditure relating to staff, outside contractors, Office, property and Admin and reflects the proportion of these activities devoted to governance, plus specific costs of the Independent Examiner and trustee expenses and meetings.
(o) Taxation
The company is a registered charity and is exempt from taxation on its charitable activities.
Page 21 of 29
6 Global Connections
Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
2 STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES - COMPARATIVE FIGURES FOR 2023
| Unrestricted | Restricted | 2023 Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Funds | |||
| Note | £ | £ | £ | |
| Income from: | ||||
| Donations and legacies | 3 | 166,538 | 135 | 166,673 |
| Charitable activities | 4 | 245,393 | 560 | 245,953 |
| Investments | 5 | 3,047 | - | 3,047 |
| Total income | 414,978 | 695 | 415,673 | |
| Expenditure on: | ||||
| Raising funds | 6,195 | - | 6,195 | |
| Charitable activities | 264,868 | 5,698 | 270,566 | |
| Total expenditure | 6 | 271,063 | 5,698 | 276,761 |
| Net income/(expenditure) | 7 | 143,915 | -5,003 | 138,912 |
| Transfers between funds | - | - | - | |
| Net movement in funds | 143,915 | -5,003 | 138,912 | |
| Reconciliation of funds: | ||||
| Total funds brought forward | 218,714 | 11,981 | 230,695 | |
| Total funds carried forward | 362,629 | 6,978 | 369,607 |
Page 22 of 29
&) GlobalConnections
Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
Balance Sheet comparative figures for 2023:
| 2023 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | |
| Funds | Funds | |||
| £ | £ | £ | ||
| FIXED ASSETS | ||||
| Tangible assets | 10 | - | - | - |
| CURRENT ASSETS | ||||
| Debtors | 11 | 5,508 | - | 5,508 |
| Cash at bank and in hand | 364,064 | 6,978 | 371,042 | |
| 369,572 | 6,978 | 376,550 | ||
| Creditors: | ||||
| Amounts falling due within one | ||||
| year | 12 | 6,943 | - | 6,943 |
| NET CURRENT ASSETS | 362,629 | 6,978 | 369,607 | |
| TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT | ||||
| LIABILITIES | 362,629 | 6,978 | **369,607 ** | |
| Represented by: | ||||
| UNRESTRICTED FUNDS | 15 | |||
| General funds | 215,337 | |||
| Designated funds | 147,292 | |||
| 362,629 | ||||
| RESTRICTED FUNDS | 16 | 6,978 | ||
| TOTAL FUNDS | 369,607 |
Page 23 of 29
Cj ConnectionsGlobal
Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
3 DONATIONS
| DONATIONS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | |||||
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | |||
| £ | £ | £ | |||
| General Donations | 8,221 | 8,221 | 180 | 8,401 | |
| Legacies | 133 | 133 | - | 132 | |
| Trusts and Grants | 11,000 | 11,000 | - | 11,000 | |
| 19,354 | 19,354 | 180 | 19,534 | ||
| Comparative figures for 2023: | 2023 | ||||
| Unrestricted | Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | ||
| £ | £ | £ | |||
| General Donations | 8,002 | 8,002 | 135 | 8,137 | |
| Legacies | 147,536 | 147,536 | - | 147,536 | |
| Trusts and Grants | 11,000 | 11,000 | - | 11,000 | |
| 166,538 | 166,538 | 135 | 166,673 | ||
| INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES | |||||
| 2024 | |||||
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | |||
| £ | £ | £ | |||
| Conferences and Events | 17,650 | 17,650 | 17,650 | ||
| Contributions from Members | 161,275 | 161,275 | 160 | 160 161,435 |
|
| Direct Charitable sales | 37,135 | 37,135 | 37,135 | ||
| Affinity schemes & miscellaneous | |||||
| trading | 3,263 | 3,263 | 3,263 | ||
| 219,323 | 219,323 | 160 | 160 219,483 |
||
Comparative figures for 2023: |
2023 | ||||
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | |||
| £ | £ | £ | |||
| Conferences and Events | 14,121 | 14,121 | - | 14,121 | |
| Contributions from Members | 160,825 | 160,825 | 560 | 560 161,385 |
|
| Direct Charitable sales | 65,835 | 65,835 | - | - 65,835 |
|
| Affinity schemes & miscellaneous | |||||
| trading | 4,613 | 4,613 | - | 4,613 | |
| 245,393 | 245,393 | 560 | 560 245,953 |
4 INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
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&) GlobalConnections
Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
5 INVESTMENT INCOME
| 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | ||
| £ | £ | £ | ||
| Interest received on cash | ||||
| balances | 10,361 | - | 10,361 | |
| Comparative figures for 2023 | 2023 | |||
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | ||
| £ | £ | £ | ||
| 3,047 | - | 3,047 |
6 TOTAL EXPENDITURE
| TOTAL EXPENDITURE | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of | ||||
| activities in | ||||
| furtherance | ||||
| Cost of | of the | |||
| generating | charity’s | Governance | 2024 | |
| funds | objects | Costs | Total | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Staff costs | 5,779 | 218,448 | 6,935 | 231,162 |
| Outsourced contractors | 135 | 5,122 | 163 | 5,420 |
| Office property, | ||||
| administration, staff travel | 1,174 | 44,371 | 1,409 | 46,953 |
| Promotions and resources | - | 3,109 | - | 3,109 |
| Conference and events | - | 22,052 | - | 22,052 |
| Examination of accounts | - | - | 989 | 989 |
| Miscellaneous expenses | - | 3,108 | 2,890 | 5,998 |
| 7,088 | 296,210 | 12,385 | 315,684 | |
| Cost of | ||||
| activities in | ||||
| furtherance | ||||
| Cost of | of the | |||
| generating | charity’s | Governance | 2023 | |
| Comparative figures for 2023 | funds | objects | Costs | Total |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Staff costs | 5,050 | 190,892 | 6,060 | 202,002 |
| Outsourced contractors | 144 | 5,447 | 173 | 5,764 |
| Office property, | ||||
| administration, staff travel | 1,001 | 37,847 | 1,201 | 40,050 |
| Promotions and resources | - | 10,940 | - | 10,940 |
| Conference and events | - | 11,806 | - | 11,806 |
| Examination of accounts | - | - | 650 | 650 |
| Miscellaneous expenses | - | 3,469 | 2,081 | 5,550 |
| 6,195 | 260,401 | 10,165 | 276,762 |
Page 25 of 29
&) GlobalConnections
Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
7 NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
| NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |
| This is stated after charging: | £ | £ |
| Lease of property | 9,721 | 9,721 10,233 |
| Lease of office equipment | - | 1,326 |
| Examiner's fee | 800 | 800 650 |
8 TRUSTEE AND EMPLOYEE INFORMATION
a) Employee information
| 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| The average number of staff employed during the year | ||
| was: | 9 | 10 |
| The average number of full-time equivalent | ||
| staff was: |
6 | 6 |
| Staff emoluments | £ | £ |
| Salaries | 198,999 | 175,309 |
| Social security | 11,796 | 8,839 |
| Pension and life assurance costs | 20,367 | 17,854 |
| Training | 1,861 | - |
| 233,023 | 202,002 |
Employee benefits to key management personnel for the year totalled £98,987 (2023: £89,925). There were no employees with emoluments above £60,000 in either the current or previous year.
b) Trustee information
No remuneration was paid to, or waived by, any trustee during the year (£NIL in 2023). Expenses of £1,111 for travel were reimbursed to four trustees during the year (£498 to four trustees in 2023).
9 PENSION SCHEME ARRANGEMENTS Defined contribution scheme
The charity’s staff belong to one of two defined contribution pension schemes. The schemes' assets are held separately from those of the charity in independently administered funds. The pension cost charge represents contributions payable to the funds, which amounted to £20,367 (2023: £17,854)
Page 26 of 29
C Connections
Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
| 10 | TANGIBLE ASSETS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer | Office | Total | Total | ||
| Fixed assets held for use by the charity | equipment | 2024 | 2023 | ||
| Cost | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| At 1stJanuary 2024 | 10,052 | 1,175 | 11,227 | 11,227 | |
| Additions | - | - | - | - | |
| Disposals | - | - | - | - | |
| As at 31st December 2024 | 10,052 | 1,175 | 11,227 | 11,227 | |
| Depreciation | |||||
| At 1stJanuary 2024 | 10,052 | 1,175 | 11,227 | 11,227 | |
| Charge for the year | - | - | - | - | |
| Released on disposal | - | - | - | - | |
| As at 31st December 2024 | 10,052 | 1,175 | 11,227 | 11,227 | |
| Net book value | |||||
| As at 31st December 2024 | - | - | - | - | |
| As at 31st December 2023 | - - - - ~~eT~~ |
11 DEBTORS AND PREPAYMENTS
| DEBTORS AND PREPAYMENTS | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |
| £ | £ | |
| Debtors | 2,273 | 2,273 1,427 |
| Prepayments | 8,128 | 8,128 4,081 |
| 10,401 | 10,401 5,508 |
| 12 | CREDITORS | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | ||
| £ | £ | ||
| Taxation and social security | 2,461 | 2,461 1,821 |
|
| Trade Creditors | - | 1,033 | |
| Accrued expenses | 4,494 | 4,494 1,220 |
|
| Accrued holiday pay | 128 | 128 76 |
|
| Other Creditors | - | 2,793 | |
| 7,083 | 6,943 |
Page 27 of 29
&) ConnectionsGlobal
Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
13 COMMITMENTS
The future minimum lease payments to which the organisation is committed under operating leases in the coming years are as follows:
| 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Lease payments due: | Total | Total |
| Within one year: | £ | £ |
| Land & buildings (inc. service | ||
| charges) | 7,650 | 7,650 7,650 |
| Other operating leases | - | - |
| Within two to five years: | ||
| Land & buildings | - | - |
| Other operating leases | - | - |
Note: reduction in lease payments due within one year on Land & Buildings relates to a change in the nature of the office lease agreement with the landlord. Effective from 1st December 2023, service charges for electricity used are to be charged retrospectively quarterly basis, based on actual usage.
14 RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
There were no individual related party transactions during the year which require disclosure (£NIL in 2023). Aggregate donations in the year without condition from trustees and key management personnel totalled zero.
15 UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
| Balance | Balance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| at | Movement in funds | at | |||
| 1st Jan | 31st Dec | ||||
| 2024 | Income | Income Expenditure |
Transfers | 2024 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| General Fund | 215,337 247,651 | 215,337 247,651 | 215,337 247,651 302,624 |
- | 160,364 |
| Legacy Fund | 147,292 | - | -11,875 | - | 135,417 |
| 362,629 247,651 | 362,629 247,651 | 362,629 247,651 290,749 |
- | 295,781 |
Comparative figures for 2023:
| Balance | Balance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| at | Movement in funds | at | |||
| 1st Jan | 31st Dec | ||||
| 2023 | Income | Income Expenditure |
Transfers | 2023 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| General Fund | 218,714 267,686 | 218,714 267,686 | 218,714 267,686 271,064 |
- | 215,337 |
| Legacy Fund | - | 147,292 | - | - | 147,292 |
| 218,714 414 | 714 414,978 | **271,064 ** | - | 362,629 |
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Cj ConnectionsGlobal
Company No: 3886596 EVANGELICAL MISSION ASSOCIATION Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2024
16 RESTRICTED FUNDS
| RESTRICTED FUNDS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance | Movement in funds | Balance | |||
| at 1st | at 31st | ||||
| January | Income | Expenditure Transfers | Dec | ||
| 2024 | 2024 | ||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Lausanne General | 4,812 | 180 | - | - | 4,992 |
| Network Events | 1,106 | - | 1,106 | - | - |
| Regional Reps | 1,060 | 160 | 80 | - | 1,140 |
| Total Restricted Funds | 6,978 | 340 | 1,186 | - | **6,132 ** |
The Funds are maintained for the following purposes:
Lausanne General: Donations received for the work of Lausanne Committee for World Evangelisation.
Network Events: Mission promotion events organised cooperatively by member agencies. Staff ministry: Relates to monies given to support the ministry of Bryan and Marion Knell. Bryan is a former staff member.
H4M (Hope for Muslims): The fund comes from income of the 2015 UK tour event attendance, book sales and donations for ministry to Syrian refugees. The donations were distributed between seven member agencies of Global Connections who cooperated in presenting the tour events.
Regional Reps : This fund covers travel and other operating expenses of representative staff from various mission agencies working together under the banner of GC.
| Balance | Movement in funds | Movement in funds | Balance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| at 1st | at 31st | ||||
| January | Income | Expenditure Transfers | Dec | ||
| 2023 | 2023 | ||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Lausanne General | 4,677 | 135 | - | - | 4,812 |
| Network Events | 1,326 | - | 220 | - | 1,106 |
| Staff Ministry | 334 | - | 334 | - | - |
| H4M (Hope for Muslims) | 4,489 | - | 4,489 | - | - |
| Regional Reps | 1,155 | 560 | 655 | - | 1,060 |
| Total Restricted Funds | **11,981 ** | 695 | 5,698 | - | 6,978 |
Page 29 of 29