2023-12-31-accounts - Urban Expression

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Charity Number: 1090734

Urban Expression Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2023

Page Contents 2 - 4 Trustees’ annual report 5 Independent examiner’s report 6 Receipts & payments account 7 Statement of assets & liabilities 8 - 9 Notes to the accounts

Urban Expression Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 31 December 2023

Full name Urban Expression

Charity Number 1090734

Principal address 21 Forest Hill Road London SE22 0SG

Trustees

Rev Bev Thomas Philip Warburton Andrew Turner (resigned July 2023) Elspeth Barron (resigned July 2023) Dirk Uitterdijk Andy Dorton Rachel Meyrick (appointed July 2023)

Bankers

The Co-operative Bank

Independent examiner

Daryl Denson ACMA Employee of VAST The Dudson Centre Hope Street Hanley Stoke on Trent ST1 5DD

Urban Expression Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 31 December 2023

Objectives and activities

The objectives of the charity are:

To advance the Christian faith in London and in such parts of the United Kingdom as the trustees may from time-to-time think fit by recruiting, equipping, deploying, and supporting teams which will pioneer innovative and relevant expressions of the Christian Church.
To fulfil such other purposes which are exclusively charitable in the law of England and Wales and are connected with the charitable work of the Trust.

Structure, Governance and Management

Urban Expression is a registered charity, governed by declaration of trust executed on the 8 October 2001 as amended 11 June 2008 and by deeds of variation dated 21 April 2010 and 12 July 2010.

Funds transferred into the organisation

During the period CURBS (Children in Urban Situations) and Urban Life were absorbed into the organisation

Public Benefit

Urban Expression has continued to recruit, equip, deploy and network mission partners in economically deprived and other marginalised neighbourhoods in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A small team of coordinators is primarily responsible for supporting these mission partners.

Coastal Expression, which operates under the auspices of Urban Expression, has continued to develop and has hosted online and in-person events for pioneers in coastal communities.

We have continued to run the Crucible course, especially in partnership with The Methodist Church. We have also continued to run the Black Light course in partnership with the Ascension Trust. With our partners, Urban Life, we have facilitated Communities of Practice to enable participants in these courses to embed what they have learned in their ongoing practice.

We have provided coaching for pioneers working under the auspices of the Church at the Margins initiative of The Methodist Church.

In 2023 we absorbed CURBS (Children in Urban Situations) and Urban Life under the umbrella organisation of Urban Expression, although both of these projects maintain their own unique areas of focus within the overall objectives of Urban Expression. We are working on creating a more holistic mission agency, which offers support, training and opportunities for ongoing learning both for those new to the organisation and those who have been connected to UE for some time.

Our trustees have continued to meet four times a year in order to oversee the activities of the Trust. The trustees confirm that they have complied with the requirements of section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.

Urban Expression Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 31 December 2023

Summary of achievements and performance

We have had some new mission partners join Urban Expression, so we now have more mission partners in more locations than ever before. Or mission partners are involved in a wide range of incarnational mission activities, including church planting.

We gathered for our annual Community Weekend in June, attended by nearly 80 people. There were also regional gatherings in the north and south of England, as well as in Scotland enabled mission partners in these areas to connect with each other. In common with many other organisations postpandemic, we are increasingly connecting online, but we value in-person gatherings.

The Black Light course has proved very popular and has continued to attract good numbers from many contexts. Feedback has been very encouraging.

With the addition of CURBs and Urban Life, we feel excited about the possibilities for more joined up mission and reflection on best practice. We believe that we will be able to offer mission partners, and grassroots leaders more opportunities for learning from others who are pioneering in marginalised and deprived communities.

Financial review: The organisation’s policy on reserves

The charity reserves policy guidelines are to set aside funds to cover statutory redundancy payments with an additional amount to cover six months operating costs.

The total unrestricted free reserves held at the year-end were £91,600 (2022: £46,764).

Signed on behalf of the trustees:

Signed ______ Date _ 8th July 2024 Name ______ Phil Warburton Position ___________ Chair of Trustees, Urban Expression

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Urban Expression (“The Trust”) for the year ended 31 December 2023

Responsibilities and basis of report

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 31 December 2023.

As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent Examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

Accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
The accounts do not accord with the records; or
The accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirements that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

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.

Signed ____ Date _______ Daryl Denson ACMA VAST

Urban Expression Receipts & payments account for the year ended 31 December 2023

Receipts Donations Black light Income Crucible Income Grants Received Events Gift Aid Sales Services Level Agreements Other Total receipts Payments Staff Costs Crucible Fees Accommodation BL Speaker Fees Travel and Subsistence Administration Room Hire Meetings Training Events Publicity Insurance Payroll Fees Community Weekend Self Employed Costs Legal and Professional Fees Purchases Other Costs Independent Examiner's fee Total payments Net receipts/(payments) Transfers between funds Cash funds brought forward Cash funds carried forward	2023 2023 2023 £ £ £ Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Funds 51,211 4,261 55,472 - 3,642 3,642 - 699 699 41,610 58,116 99,726 - 2,887 2,887 5,048 - 5,048 22 301 323 - 1,360 1,360 1,128 - 1,128 99,019 71,266 170,285 45,099 19,281 64,380 - 972 972 1,184 663 1,847 - 1,225 1,225 3,741 1,663 5,404 1,951 140 2,091 448 33 481 68 880 948 11 240 251 650 - 650 509 - 509 83 11,010 11,093 - 5,929 5,929 450 - 450 200 - 200 946 557 1,503 418 - 418 55,758 42,593 98,351 43,261 28,673 71,934 1,575 (1,575) - 46,764 18,707 65,471 91,600 45,805 137,405	2022 £ Total 4,714 - - 71,221 15,917 - - - 64
		91,916
		73,999 - - - 2,933 3,304 - 5,159 261 558 168 - - - - 2,496 414
		89,292
		2,624 - 62,847
		65,471

Urban Expression Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31 December 2023

Cash assets Current account Savings account Paypal Liabilities Independent Examiner's Fee	2023 £ 122,578 14,037 790 137,405 438 438	2022 £ 60,177 1,537 3,757
		65,471
		418
		418

These financial statements are accepted on behalf of the organisation by:

Signed ______ Date _ 8th July 2024 Name ______ Phil Warburton Position ___________ Chair of Trustees, Urban Expression

Urban Expression Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2023

1. Receipts & payments accounts

Receipts and payments accounts are statements that summarise the movement of cash into and out of the organisation during the financial year. In this context “cash” includes cash equivalents, for example, bank accounts where cash can be readily withdrawn to pay for debts as they become due.

2. Creditors

Accountancy	2023 2022 £ £ 438 418 438 418

3. Trustees’ remuneration

No trustees received remuneration during the period. The number of trustees who were reimbursed expenses was £0 (2022: £0).

4. Movement of Funds

Restricted funds BMS EMBA YBA Other A.S.Charitable Trust Coastal Expression Rural Ministries Mennonite Grant Community Weekend AM Network BL Project Black Light BU Mission Fund Coaching for Methodists Crucible Curbs HEBA Urban Life New Housing Hub Unrestricted funds General Funds Total funds	Opening Receipts (Payments) Transfer Closing balance balance £ £ £ £ £ 698 - - (698) - 215 - - (215) - 400 - - (400) - 1,996 - - - 1,996 1,015 - - - 1,015 9,166 14,504 (8,062) (873) 14,735 55 2,333 - - 2,388 544 - - - 544 - 7,887 (11,519) 3,632 - - 3,250 (3,250) - - - 4,000 - (364) 3,636 - 3,642 (1,870) - 1,772 - 8,384 - (253) 8,131 - 1,360 (880) - 480 - 694 (1,201) 507 - - 6,781 (3,843) (360) 2,578 - 7,570 (7,399) - 171 - 10,862 (5,057) (400) 5,405 4,618 - (5,617) 999 -
	18,707 71,267 (48,698) 1,575 42,851
	Opening Receipts (Payments) Transfer Closing balance balance £ £ £ £ £ 46,764 98,667 (49,302) (1,575) 94,554
	46,764 98,667 (49,302) (1,575) 94,554

	65,471 169,934 (98,000) - 137,405

Urban Expression Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2023

5. Purposes of Restricted Funds

BMS World Mission give Crucible bursaries to assist those who could not otherwise attend the training conference due to costs of fees and accommodation.

EMBA, HEBA and YBA have all contributed towards the stipend of a Coordinator for their region.

BIC donated funds to be used for the support of a staff member’s networking and development role.

A.S Charitable Trust provided funding for coordinator roles.

Coastal Expression – project funding.

Rural Ministries provided funding for support of the Crucible Course.

Mennonite Grant provided funding for a coordinator role.

New Housing Hub This is a new charity with similar aims to Urban Expression, which is in the process of completing the paperwork etc to be properly established with the charity commission. Since their funders require the money to be held by a registered charity, we have agreed to host them temporarily.