Veterinary Christian Fellowship Annual report for 1st January to 31st December 2023
Introduction
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The Veterinary Christian Fellowship (VCF) has been operating since the 1960’s and was an affiliated member of UCCF (Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship) for many years.
VCF has been a registered charity since May 2003 (Charity no: 1099450).
VCF has 6 trustees and there is a larger active committee of 14, which currently incorporates 1 of the trustees.
Aims
VCF aims:
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To unite Christians within the veterinary and veterinary nursing professions through their common loyalty to the Lord Jesus Christ; and to assist them in the integration of their faith into their professional lives.
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To encourage and support Christian vet and vet nursing students during their studies.
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To support the work of vets and vet nurses called to work and witness abroad.
Funding
Funding is received primarily through individual donations and a suggested annual donation for members. Some income is received from event fees. Gift Aid is claimed on eligible giving.
Newsletter
A newsletter is produced bi-monthly which is emailed to just over 860 people and just over 200 paper copies are sent out.
Membership
There are just over 900 people currently registered as members on our database.
41 people were added during 2023. These new members consisted of 26 vet students, 1 receptionist, 3 vet nurses, one person in industry, 1 school boy, and 9 vets.
19 people were removed during 2023, for the following reasons: 3 died; 5 requested removal; 8 unsubscribed; and for 3, we could find no contact details anywhere.
VCF Weekend 2023
The Hybrid VCF Weekend took place over the weekend of 17[th] -19[th] March at the Quinta Christian Conference Centre.
Just over 140 people attended in person with another 40 attending online through the weekend. Of those in person, 57 were family members of whom 36 were children. Attending in person were 2 vet nurses, 17 students, with the remaining number made up mainly of vets in general practice, teaching, industry or retired.
David Tisdall was the guest speaker for the weekend. He gave a series of talks entitled “The Glory of God” looking at Psalm 8. There were three main teaching sessions, interspersed with worship times, seminars, and times of fellowship and networking.
Pete Duncalfe had produced a new VCF Video song based on the hymn “O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder”.
The live ceilidh band this year had grown to 10 members and was very well received.
Students and young graduates
The ‘EMS Database’ was updated during the year and continued to be sent to student members who requested it. This provides contacts of VCF members working in veterinary practices who are willing to have VCF students come and gain work experience with them. As work experience is required for completion of the veterinary degree this provides an excellent resource for students to gain skills and practical training in a supportive environment.
Hannah McClintick, Vikki Wyse and Kerry Williams continued to support the students and those who have recently graduated.
The Paul Manning Memorial EMS Fund has continued to support students with the cost of EMS placements both at home and abroad. In 2023 eleven EMS grants were awarded, 7 for UK placements and 4 for overseas placements. The total of the grants came to £3276. Students send a report following their placement and many of these have been published in the VCF Newsletter.
VCF also supported the student groups within the vet schools, providing funding to assist their meetings or for outreach events. The total given in 2023 was about £480.
Local groups, including VCF Scotland and VCF Ireland
VCF has a number of small groups which meet around the UK where members can make friends locally and support each other. Each group meets in a way and with a frequency that suits those within the group.
Veterinary Nurses
Stacey Vickery continued to head up the work with veterinary nurses in 2023. There is a thriving WhatsApp group which provides peer support and advice to nurses, many of whom may be the only Christian in their practice. VCF’s presence at BVNA was also very helpful in increasing awareness of VCF within the nursing side of the profession.
Missionary Support
VCF continues to be in contact with various missionaries serving throughout the world in many different communities and situations. During 2023 VCF financially supported 6 active missionary individuals or couples. Mary Kim, the Missionary Liaison Rep, maintains regular communication with them so VCF can support them through prayer and with specific financial gifts where possible. VCF encourages individual members or local groups to connect with the missionaries to get to know them so support can be further enhanced.
Involvement with wider Veterinary Organisations
VCF was able to attend a number of Veterinary Exhibitions through the year, namely BSAVA, BVA Live, BEVA, BSAVA Alba, BVNA, BCVA, Vet CPD and the LVS. Many VCF members visited the various stands, and it was an opportunity to hand out well over 2500 booklets with bible verses, to delegates at the various shows.
A formal presence at these events publicises the existence of VCF to the wider veterinary community and enables networking of members who are attending. This remains a main way in which new members come to know of VCF and request to join.
Website
For several years John Knight had been working on developing and populating a new website, latterly with the help of a professional
organisation. This was launched during the summer of 2023 and is much easier to edit and maintain than our previous site, as well as looking more modern. It also links with a secure database making it easier for members to update their own details and book for events.
Committee
Committee meetings continued to be held monthly via Zoom during the year, which allowed for fellowship and support for one another as well as the opportunity to pray for and plan the work of VCF.
In November, the committee met together for a weekend in Shropshire, and via Zoom for those unable to be there in person, to pray together and to seek God’s will for the way forwards for the fellowship. Some of the trustees also joined in via zoom which was a great blessing. Rebekah Carling joined the committee in June.
AGM 2023
The AGM took place on Saturday 18[th] February during the VCF Weekend and was chaired by John Brown. 73 members attended the meeting in person and others joined via Zoom.
The Roles of President, Treasurer and Secretary were voted on and each was agreed unanimously. Kerry Williams succeeded Ann O’Flynn as President, and the roles of Treasurer (Jenni Hay) and Secretary (Ali Budgell) remained unchanged. Reports were given by each of the ‘office bearers’ with the opportunity for questions. During the weekend there were also opportunities to find out more about the work with the students, missionaries, nurses and other specific areas of the work of VCF.
Finance
In 2023 VCF had a total income of £68,484, the vast majority from member donations and Gift Aid reclaimed. We were very grateful to receive a significant grant from CVM through their funding from Nutramax in January 2023 to facilitate VCF’s presence at the Exhibitions in 2023 and into 2024.
We had a total expenditure of £74,864. This is higher than the income for the year, because VCF has been using some of the funds over and above the reserves to invest in growing and strengthening the Fellowship. This has been achieved primarily through the new website; the increased
number of Veterinary Exhibitions attended; and through increased giving to our active Missionary Partners and students.
The trustees and committee remain very grateful for the generous giving of VCF members which means we continue to be in a good financial situation. VCF is continuing to actively seek ways of investing our finances to further enhance our charitable aims and objectives.
VETERINARY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
Charity Commision No 1099450 Jan-Dec 2023
SECTION A UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
| SECTION A UNRESTRICTED FUNDS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | ||
| **A1 ** | Receipts | ||
| 1 | Donations | 19647 | 22494 |
| 2 | Tax recovered | 4232 | 3585 |
| 3 | Secretarial Support (1) | 18000 | 18000 |
| 4 | Quinta Weekend 2022 (1) | 14460 | |
| 5 | Quinta Weekend 2023 (1) | 14448 | 464 |
| 6 | Missionary (1) | 1248 | |
| 7 | Students (1) | 75 | 55 |
| 8 | Edinburgh Students | 716 | |
| 9 | CVM Congress Grant | 11050 | 10669 |
| 10 | EMS Fund (1) | 6250 | |
| 11 | St Cassians weekend 2024 | 666 | |
| 12 | Skiddaw Weekend 2024 | 366 | |
| Total Unrestricted Receipts | 68484 | 77941 | |
| **A2 ** | Payments | ||
| 1 | Salary | 18301 | 16666 |
| 2 | NEST (pension) | 1393 | 1198 |
| 3 | Red shoes | 230 | 229 |
| 4 | Broker Network Insurance | 532 | 461 |
| 5 | KinnairdHill (independent examiner) | 363 | 330 |
| 6 | Office expenses | 2859 | 2835 |
| 7 | CONGRESS | ||
| a) London Vet Show |
2937 | 2762 | |
| b) BVNA |
1076 | 1056 | |
| c) BVA |
3541 | 3213 | |
| d) BCVA |
184 | 404 | |
| e) BSAVA |
1520 | 765 | |
| f) BSAVA Alba |
1544 | ||
| g) Vet Festival |
1894 | ||
| h) VET CPD |
484 | 417 | |
| i) BEVA |
1510 | ||
| j) General Congress expenses |
1360 | 50 | |
| 8 | Student CU Groups | 481 | 523 |
| 9 | Edinburgh Students | 50 | |
| 10 | Quinta Weekend 2022 | 14470 | |
| 11 | Quinta Weekend 2023 | 14965 | 1050 |
| 12 | Missionary | 8480 | 5863 |
| 13 | Website | 3990 | |
| 14 | Grants to Members | 200 | |
| 15 | Committee expenses | 346 | |
| 16 | EMS Grant | 3726 | 600 |
| 17 | Craft project | 164 | |
| 18 | Committee Weekend 2021 | 283 | |
| 19 | Committee weekend 2022 | 1170 | |
| 20 | Committee weekend 2023 | 2608 |
| 21 | St Cassians Weekend 2024 | 623 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Skiddaw Weekend 2024 | 450 | ||
| 23 | Quinta weekend 2025 deposit | 400 | ||
| 24 | Honorarium (2) | 697 | 622 | |
| Total Unrestricted | Payments | 74764 | 57111 | |
| Total Receipts | A1 | 68484 | 77941 | |
| Total Payments | A2 | 74764 | 57111 | |
| Net of receipts (payments) | A1-A2 | -6280 | 20803 | |
| Cash funds year end 2022 | A3 | 46712 | 25882 | |
| Cash funds Dec 2023 | A1-A2+A3 | 40432 | 46712 |
SECTION B RESTRICTED FUNDS
MISSIONARY FUND (1)
| MISSIONARY FUND (1) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **B1 ** | Receipts | |||
| a) Donations |
8295 | 8160 | ||
| Total Restricted | Receipts | 8295 | 8160 | |
| B2 | Payments | |||
| a) Jan & Flo Morrow |
8295 | 8160 | ||
| Total Restricted | Payments | 8295 | 8160 | |
| Total Receipts | B1 | 8295 | 8160 | |
| Total Payments | B2 | 8295 | 8160 | |
| Net of receipts (payments) | B1-B2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Cash funds Dec 2023 | B1-B2+B3 | 0 | 0 |
SECTION D- STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT YEAR END
| D1a | Cash funds | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank of Scotland current account | 40432 | ||
| D1b | Other Monetary Assets | ||
| Charity repayment claim | 588 | ||
| D3b | Assets held for the Charities own use | ||
| Assets as of Dec 2022 | 500 | ||
| Depreciation - 25% of purchase | -250 | ||
| Assets as of Dec 2023 | 250 | ||
| Note | (1) includes tax recovered | ||
| (2) Honorarium |
Brenda Millard - for bookeeping and preparation of accounts £650 Brenda Millard - Birthday gift £47
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of VETERINARY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP On accounts for the yèar ended YE 31 DECEMBER 2023 Charity no (if any) 1099450 Set out on pages 1T02 I report lo the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity {"the Trust°} for the year ended 31 December 2023. Responsibilities and As the charily trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('Ihe 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}Ib) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come lo my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect= accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records Independent examiner's statement I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding oflhe accounts to be reached. Signed: Date: 1510312024 Name: NITA ELIZABETH HUTCHCRAFT Relevant professlonal qualification(s) or body (if any): FCCA Address: BRUNEL HOUSE, 1 ARCHERS COURT, HUNTINGDON CAMBS. PE29 6XG IER Octobar 2018
Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern {see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examinerwishes lo disclose. NIA IER October 2018