2021-08-31-accounts

Annual Report and Financial Statements

For the year ended 31[st ] August 2021

Report of the Trustees

Charity Name

OSCAR UK Information Service for World Mission

Registered Charity Number 1093265

Address City Works Alfred Street Gloucester GL1 4DF

Trustees

Mr Philip Metcalf (Chairman) (Resigned 08/12/20) Mrs Susan O’Dell Mr. Michael J. Frith Mrs. Tracey Ryland

Director Mr. Michael J. Frith

Structure

OSCAR is governed according to a trust deed and managed by a board of trustees. Trustees are appointed by a resolution of the trustees passed by a majority of the trustees.

Objectives and Activities

As stated in the trust deed: `The objects of OSCAR are to advance the Christian faith in accordance with the Statement of Beliefs appearing in the Schedule hereto in such parts of the United Kingdom and the world as the Trustees may from time to time think fit by the management of an information website on the world-wide internet to:

1. provide a comprehensive resource for United Kingdom missionaries and overseas Christian workers

2. research new ways of providing more effective transport and propagation of the Trust's services

3. provide a network for mission organisations, associations and services in order to pool resources and

4. to develop teaching, training and consultation services for missionaries, mission organisations and their supporters to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of Christian mission work throughout the world

and to fulfil such other purposes which are exclusively charitable according to the law of England and Wales and are connected with the charitable work of the Trust.’

We review our aims, objectives and activities each year. This report is part of that process that helps us remain focused on our stated purposes. We have referred to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when conducting this process. In particular, we consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objects of the charity and provide public benefit.

We have had four people providing regular, paid-for services to OSCAR throughout the year – one acting as Director, the other three in roles including Administration and Website Development. Each of these have been self-employed and contracted to provide these services. In addition to these, four volunteers helped with database checking, content creation and at exhibitions.

The trust continues to maintain and develop the OSCAR website as its main activity in achieving the trust’s objectives. In addition, in support of the website and to further these objectives, a significant amount of email, online, telephone and face-to-face support (particularly at exhibitions, conferences and training events) is conducted. Access to our website and other information services is provided free and without restriction to all who wish to access them.

OSCAR’s Unique Selling Point

There are few organisations in the UK which offer independent advice and help to anyone with questions about Christian mission. Most are either linked to an individual mission organisation or have other agendas or restrictive criteria when giving out advice. OSCAR remains the only completely independent service offering free advice and help across the board. Our users/beneficiaries may be Christian mission workers in active ministry, those enquiring about opportunities, or those who support mission in one way or another. We help them free of charge, regardless of their associations or particular Christian beliefs.

Review of the Year, Achievements and Performance

With the COVID-19 crisis affecting every aspect of our work all through the year, this year has been like no other. Cancelled exhibitions and limited face-to-face activities have meant that some normal activities, and associated budgets, have been affected. However, being mainly an online service has meant that most things adapted and continued with the new status quo.

Website

Website visits continued to fluctuate between 23,000 and 32,000 per month. Page views also fluctuated between 123,000 and 163,000 per month. Every month was a different scenario due to lockdowns and working or travel restrictions.

Our incremental development plan continued through the year, with several new developments being rolled out at different times, including a new server based email system and the launch of individual user accounts on the website.

We continue to monitor the optimisation of many of OSCAR’s key web pages to improve ranking with Internet search engines. This means that as well as the homepage, many other specific web pages on the OSCAR website appear high up in search returns when an individual uses a relevant search term to that page or section.

Social Media

OSCARactive, our separate online mission-focused community website, continues to have over 730 registered members (and many other visitors who browse the community).

We also maintain a strong presence in various social networks, particularly Facebook (1428 likes/1570 follows), Twitter (2066 followers) and Linkedin (200 members) in order to provide OSCAR’s advice and services beyond our regular user base.

Mission Participation

Our open content management system, where mission organisations, support organisations and churches can have their own account and update their own information, opportunities, events and resources, has seen a further increase in participation. The number of organisations managing their own account grew from 630 to 730 during the year. We advertised 2464 opportunities during the year averaging over 200 each month despite the slowdown.

‘You’ll be pleased to know that I spent last year scrutinising whether or not Oscar is giving us the return on investment in terms of people mobilised to the field, and we’ve got 4 people in-process right now who initially found us on Oscar. So, thank you very much!'

Amanda, Pioneers

Our directories include 661 agencies, 588 service providers, 999 mission-minded churches, 1167 resources and 48 events.

All UK based mission agencies, support organisations and mission-minded churches on our database (around 2000 in total) were sent an annual email during the year informing them of their entry on our site and highlighting how OSCAR can benefit them in their mission interest and involvement.

OSCAR Email Newsletters

During the year we moved all of our regular email lists to a new server driven email system. Subscription to our main monthly OSCAR Update email remains roughly the same at just under 2000. Our three other mailing lists all increased significantly with the new system, including our email news to organisations who utilise our services (716), to churches who have requested it (513), and to individuals looking for opportunities (1246). These are tailored with advice, information and news relevant to them.

Conference Exhibitions

This year, due to the ongoing pandemic, we participated in just two major conference exhibitions: Bangor Worldwide (Northern Ireland) and David’s Tent (West Sussex), both in August 2021.

Training & Consultancy services

All of our training courses/sessions were online during the year. We conducted 21 in total. Two consultancy sessions were also provided by OSCAR’s director.

'OSCAR's passion for missionaries at home and abroad is evident from the moment you interact with them. They have been actively involved in supporting Mercy Ships crew pre-serving onboard by providing comprehensive and excellent training on transition, culture adjustments and how to manage stress while serving abroad. If you need someone professional, with passion for those in your care, then engage with OSCAR because you will not be let down. A huge thank you from Mercy Ships and we look forward to continuing working with you in the future.'

Hannah Mulvihill, Crew Support Coordinator, Mercy Ships UK

Reserves Policy

In normal times, we aim to maintain, as an ongoing reserve, a cash balance of between three and six months expenditure. Further reserves may be carried over from year to year where a significant grant or donation has been made and the planned spending of the donation is spread over more than one year.

This year’s final balance of £45,370 (2020 - £34,177) equates to 114% of the total annual expenditure figure, mostly due to the fact that income continued but activity was limited during a year effected hugely by the pandemic. Our overall income for the year was 28% greater than our expenditure. The charity ended the year in a healthy position financially.

Signed by Date 10/01/2022

Michael Frith, Trustee (on behalf of all trustees)

Receipts and Payments Account for the year ended 31[st ] August 2021

Receipts and Payments Accounts				2020/21	2019/20
		Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Total
	Note	£	£	£	£
Receipts
Donations	1)	965	80	1,045	4,288
Sponsorship		4,178		4,178	5,501
Fees	2)	23,772		23,772	22,154
Grants	3)	9,680		9,680	16,330
Training services		4,489		4,489	4,790
Exhibitions		3,190		3,190	1,617
Office		4,436		4,436	4,436
Other income	4)	78		78	25
Total Receipts		50,788	80	50,868	59,141
Payments
Fundraising and Publicity		0		0	1,548
Charitable payments:
Office		6,759		6,759	6,701
General admin		321		321	321
Website direct costs		498		498	605
Website development		1,854		1,854	7,479
Worker development		60		60	0
Travel	5)	0		0	167
Equipment purchase		1,861		1,861	0
Workers		22,059		22,059	28,465
Insurances	6)	576		576	693
Training services		703		703	998
Exhibitions		1,961		1,961	4,069
Job sponsorship		1252		1,252	879
Grants given	7)		1551	1,551	270
Other payments	8)	220		220	255
Total Payments		38,124	1,551	39,675	52,450
Net Receipts (Payments)		12,664	-1,471	11,193	6,691
Cash funds last year end		32,499	1,678	34,177	27,486
Cash funds this year end	9)	45,163	207	45,370	34,177

The above Receipts and Payments Account was approved by the trustees on 10/01/2022 and is signed on their behalf by trustee Michael Frith

Assets & Liabilities

Cash Funds_(see note 11) 31/08/21 £ 45,370 Debtors Amounts owing to the charity(see note 12) 31/08/21 £ 3,204 Creditors Amounts owed by the charity(see note 13) 31/08/21 £ 1,037 Assets retained for the charity’s own use(see note 14)_ Dell XPS13 9300 laptop (NEW) Purchased 27/10/20 Apple iPad Air 2019 (>2 year old) Purchased 29/04/19 General equipment (>3 year old) Purchased 17/18 Dell Inspiron 5000 i7 laptop (>3 year old) Purchased 24/10/17 Apple iPad Air 1 (>3 year old) Purchased 03/09/17 TOTAL VALUE		31/08/20 £ 34,177 31/08/20 £ 2,470 31/08/20 £ 750 £1861 (100%) £292 (50%) £34 (25%) £213 (25%) £72 (25%)
		£2,215

Notes to the Accounts

Receipts

• 1) Donations include cash donations from individuals and organisations, including Gift Aid where appropriate, as well as income from affiliate schemes. Restricted amounts £80 (2019/20 - £1037.88) all restricted to grant payments for TCK related activities.

• 2) Fees include the income from OSCAR’s ‘extra services’: the annual package (profile page & vacancies) and the posting of individual vacancies on the website.

• 3) Includes grants from six charitable trusts.

• 4) Includes bank interest.

Payments

• 5) Amounts paid to the trustees for travel to trustee meetings amounted to £0 (2019/2020 - £0). No remuneration was paid to trustees in the year (2019/2020 - £0) except as detailed in Note 10.

• 6) Insurances include charity liability, trustee indemnity insurance, contents and cyber insurance, which all come under one policy.

• 7) Grants given relate exclusively this year to payments made from the TCK/Xenos restricted donation

• 8) Other payments refers to the fee for the independent examination (£220).

• 9) The Restricted total is all from the TCK/Xenos fund.

10) Related Party Disclosures

Mr Michael J Frith, trustee, received fees for his services as the charity director totalling £20,428 (2019/2020 - £24,355) in the year ended 31 August 2021 together with £0 (2019/2020 - £773) for claimed travel, meals and accommodation expenses or where items were paid for with cash and subsequently reimbursed from the charity. The charity received specific permission from the Charity Commission on 26/11/16 to appoint a member of staff as a trustee, providing authority for these payments for services.

Miss Joanna S Frith, daughter of trustee Mr Michael J Frith, received fees for her services as admin and events assistant totalling £721 (2019/2020 - £2,190) in the year ended 31 August 2021.

The charity’s insurance provides trustee indemnity cover.

Cash Funds

11) Cash Funds constitutes the following:

HSBC communityacc.	£4397.75
HSBC deposit acc.	£40071.64
PayPal acc.	£900.97
TOTAL	£45370.36

Debtors

• 12) Includes outstanding invoices, due gift aid refund, office rent advance payment and paid exhibitor fees deferred to 2022.

Creditors

13) Includes office rent portion, worker fees and expenses due, and Independent Examination fee.

Assets & Liabilities

• 14) Items are grouped together under the year of purchase. Single items over £100 in value are listed separately. The cost of tangible fixed assets is written-off by equal annual instalments over their expected useful lives (4 years).

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF OSCAR UK

I report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 31 August 2021

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:

• examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;

• to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and

• to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of independent examiner’s report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a “true and fair view” and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent examiner’s statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

• 1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements

• to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and

• to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act.

• 2) have not been met; or to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Mrs Mary Adlard Pippins Accountancy Services The Pippins Gambles Lane Woodmancote Cheltenham GL52 9PU

Date: 10/01/2022