2024-12-31-accounts

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Veterinary Christian Fellowship Annual report for 1st January 2024 to 31st December 2024

Introduction

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.

2 committee members, Jenni McIntyre and Mike Christian, stepped down during the year and 3 were added, Dan Mok, Freya Wood and Holly McNeill.

Aims

VCF aims:

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.
To encourage and support Christian vet and vet nursing students during their studies.
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.

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 970 people currently registered as members on our database.

73 people were added during 2024; consisting of 20 Vets, 45 Students, 6 Vet Nurses, and 2 receptionist / practice managers.

20 people were removed during 2024 for the following reasons:

3 died; 1 requested removal due to leaving the vet course; 1 requested removal due to personal reasons; 7 unsubscribed online; and the rest were removed as we have no longer any contact details or contact with them.

VCF Weekends 2024

VCF Southern Weekend 23[rd] – 25[th] February at St Cassian’s Centre, Hungerford, with David Williams as the speaker and 71 people attended.
VCF Northern Weekend 15[th] – 17[th] March at Skiddaw Centre, Keswick with David Swan as the speaker and attended by 63 people.
Virtual VCF meeting 18[th] May 2024 with Ann McMahon as the speaker and delegates attended from Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and Europe as well as the UK and Ireland.
North of Scotland Weekend 4[th] – 6[th] October near Aviemore with Guy Gordon as the speaker and 30 people attended.

Students and young graduates

The ‘EMS Database’ was updated during the year and continued to be sent to those students requesting 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.

The number of vet schools has increased and is too much for one person on the committee to take care of. Therefore, after prayerful consideration, Hannah McClintick passed on the role of Student Liaison to Dan Mok, Holly McNeill and Freya Wood, who will each look after specific vet schools.

The Paul Manning Memorial EMS Fund supported 7 students undertaking EMS placements. Two students undertook UK clinical placements; two undertook clinical placements overseas; one student was supported for both a UK and an overseas clinical placement; and one student was

awarded a grant for a UK based pre-clinical placement. The grants awarded in 2024 totalled £1900. VCF remains very grateful to Hilary Manning for continuing to support the Fund.

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.

Missionary Support

VCF continues to be in contact with various missionaries serving throughout the world in many different communities and situations. Mary Kim, the Missionary Liaison Rep, maintains regular communication with them so VCF can support them through prayer and financially where possible. VCF encourages individual members or local groups to connect with the missionaries to get to know them so we can enhance our support of them further.

Involvement with wider Veterinary Organisations

VCF was able to attend eight Veterinary Exhibitions through the year: 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 3000 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

John Knight continued to manage the VCF Website to keep people up to date.

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 discuss, pray for and plan the work of VCF. In November, the committee met together for a weekend in Cumbria, 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.

AGM 2024

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 on Zoom.

The Roles of President, Treasurer and Secretary were voted on, and each was agreed on unanimously. Kerry Williams succeeded Ann O’Flynn as President, and the roles of Treasurer (Jenni Hay) and Secretary (Ali Budgell) remained unchanged.

Finance

The total unrestricted income received by VCF in 2024 was £78,373. This was primarily received through member donations and gift aid reclaimed. We were very grateful to receive a £20,000 donation from one member to support the attendance of VCF at the Veterinary Exhibitions in 2025.

Total unrestricted expenditure for 2024 was £75,101, which was only slightly increased on 2023 expenditure. VCF continued to support our active Missionary Partners and students, as well as using the finances to promote the Fellowship and our charitable aims and objectives.

The income from the four ‘VCF Weekends’ covered their costs, so there was no significant net gain or loss from running them.

There is one main restricted fund which supports one of our Missionary Partners. This had an income and expenditure of £8310 for 2024 as all the money received during the year was passed on to the Missionary Partner.

The trustees and committee remain very grateful for the generous giving of VCF members which enables the Fellowship to achieve all that has been described previously. Careful monitoring of the finances is continually necessary in order to ensure this situation remains in future years as the Fellowship continues to grow.

VETERINARY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

Charity Commision No 1099450 Jan-Dec 2024

A1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
A2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

SECTION A UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
Yr End
2024
2023
Receipts
Donations
19724
19647
Tax recovered
4036
4232
Secretarial Support (1)
18000
18000
Bank Interest
126
Students (1)
75
75
CVM Congress Grant
11050
Congress
20000
EMS Fund (1)
600
St Cassians weekend 2024
6213
666
Skiddaw weekend 2024
5633
366
Virtual day donations 2024
395
Cairngorms weekend 2024
2669
Quinta Weekend 2023/2025
902
14448
Total Unrestricted Income
78373
68484
Payments
Salary
22035
18301
NEST (pension)
1852
1393
Red shoes
236
230
Broker Network Insurance
550
532
KinnairdHill (independent examiner)
399
363
Office expenses
3275
2859
CONGRESS
a)
London Vet Show
3458
2937
b)
BVNA
1170
1076
c)
BVA
2930
3541
d)
BCVA
180
184
e)
BSAVA
1075
1520
f)
BSAVA Alba
1468
1544
g)
VET CPD
443
484
h)
BEVA
1790
1510
i)
General Congress expense
3066
1360
Student CU Groups
1122
481
Missionary
8663
8480
Website
3990
Sundries
276
346
EMS Grant
1900
3726
Craft project
64
164
Committee weekend
2653
2608
St Cassians weekend 2024
7546
623
Skiddaw weekend 2024
5106
450
Cairngorms weekend 2024
2224
Quinta weekend 2023/2025
920
15365

19
B1
B2

Honorarium (2)
700
697
75101
74764
Total Income
A1
78373
68484
Total Payments
A2
75101
74764
Net of receipts(payments)
A1-A2
3272
-6280
Cash funds year end 2023
A3
40432
46712
Cash funds Dec 2024
A1-A2+A3
43704
40432
SECTION B RESTRICTED FUNDS
MISSIONARY FUND (1)
Receipts
a)
Donations
8310
8295
8310
8295
Payments
a)
Jan & Flo Morrow
8310
8295
8310
8295
Total Receipts
B1
8310
8295
Total Payments
B2
8310
8295
Net of receipts (Payments)
B1-B2
0
0
0
Cash funds Dec 2024
B1-B2+B3
0
0
0

SECTION D- STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT YEAR END

D1a		Cash funds
		Bank of Scotland current account	13578
D1b		Other Monetary Assets	30126
		Charity repayment claim	644
D3b		Assets held for the Charities own use
		Assets as of Dec 2023	250
		Depreciation - 25% of purchase	-250
		Assets as of Dec 2024	0
	Note	(1) includes tax recovered
		(2) Honorarium
		Brenda Millard - for bookeeping and preparation of accounts £700

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Se¢tlon A Independent Exarniner's Report Report to the trustee51 members of VETERINARY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP On a¢¢ounts for the year ended YIE 31 DECEMBER 2024 Charity no {if any) 1099450 Set out on pages IT02 I report lo the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ('the Trust'l for the year ended 31 December 2024. Responsibllltles and As the charity trustees of the Trust. you are responsible for the preparation basls of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Acy.). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in caTrying out rny 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 to my attention (other than that disclosed below'l 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 Acl or the accounts do not accord w*th the accounting records Independent examiner's statement I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination lo which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. The Tnjst ual Report was not.available at this lime. Signed: Dats: 2910112025 Name: NITA ELIZABETH HUTCHCRAFT Relevant professional qualrfication(sl or body {rf any): FCCA Address: BRUNEL HOUSE, I ARCHERS COURT, HUNTINGDON, CAM8S. PE29 6XG IER October 2018

Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concem (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and guidance for examiners). Glve here brlef detalls of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER October 2018