Naval & Military Bible Society
Annual Report and Accounts
For the year ended 31 December 2020
Registered Charity No. 1102593
Registered Company No. 5021052
Twstses, Annual Report for year ended 31 December 2020
Page 1

Naval & Military Bible Society
Trustees, Annual Report for year ended 31 December 2020
Constitution
The Naval Military & Air Force Bible Society was founded in 1779 and established on
20 January 2004 as a company limited by guarantee (No. 5021052) and a registered
charity (No. 1102593) governed by its memorandum and articles of association. At
the meeting of trustees on 30 June 2017, it was agreed to revert the name of the
Society to Naval & Military Bible Society, reflecting the service to Merchant seafarers
and all military and service personnel across the globe.
Directors and trustees
The directors of the charitable company ( the Society") are its trustees for the
purpose of charity law and throughout this report are collectively referred to as the
trustees-
The Reverend S P Springett RNR {Chair from 1 April 2017)
Colonel J Lewis
The Revd J Pitkin (Squadron Leader RAF retired)
Lieutenant Colonel {Retd} D G Vin￿nt MBE
Doctor P A Lucas
Mr S Rivers
The Reverend K Bassett (Lieutenant RNR)
Paddy Gallagher (Resigned 2410312021)
Society director and company secretary:
Mr A G Dakin OBE (Wing Commander retired)
Advocacy Offlcer:
Mrs Carey Rivers
Registered offlce:
Unit 24, Shrivenham Hundred Business Park, Watchfield. ￿ltshIre SN6 8TZ
Independent Examiner:
Clifford Fry & Co, St Mary's House, Netherhampton, Salisbury, SP2 8PU
Bankers:
Barclays Bank PLC, PORTSMOUTH 2, Leicester. Lei￿Stershire, LE87 2BB
Trustees, Annual Report for year ended 31 December 2020
Pag8 2

Naval & Military Bible Society
Aim and purposes
The Society's aim and objectives, as set out in the company's Memorandum of
Association, are:
To advance the Christian religion by distributing, either free of charge or by sale,
copies of the Bible, New Testaments and Psalms and Christian resources to the
United Kingdom amed forces personnel and their associates, to the forces of the
Cotnmonwealth and other nations, merchant seafarers, United Kingdom police,
fire and rescue Se￿iceS and others.
Public Benefit
The Society's beneficiaries include United Kingdom amied forces personnel and
their associates, the forces of the Commonwealth and other nations, merchant
seafarers, United Kingdom police, fire and rescue services and others in whatever
geographical area they may be seNing. Our literature is tailored to meet the needs of
our beneficiaries and we are a gifting Society that gratefully receives donations.
The Society's literature addresses the needs of armed forces, personnel and their
families faced with bereavement and Ihe effects of combat stress and separation,
and merchant seafarers and their families in the current climate of job insecurity,
piracy, hostage taking and isolation. It is mainly ordered and distributed through
military chaplains and merchant seafarers, missions. It aids the building of resilience
and good character, education in moral and ethical values and giving spiritual
strength and guidance for those of the Christian faith.
The Charity Commission's guidan￿ and principles on public benefit are also
reflected in both the planned objectives and the year's activities.
Planned activities for 2021
The Society's core business remains the distribution of Bibles and New Testaments
with bespoke cover designs for service personnel and seafarers and cadets. The
effects of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout 2020 will conllnue to affect the
management and mission of the Society, but NMBS will progress the transform of its
processes and work patterns. The main additional activittes are as follows=
Transfer our business address lo be co-located to the Armed Forces Christian
Union (based at Shrivenham Hundred Business Park)
Transition our accounting and payroll services from the Royal Naval
Benevolent Trust to 'in-house'
Publications commissioned in 2020:
Seafarer's LukelAct Diglot EnglishlT8galog
£922
Softback New Testament and Psalms NIV15 varianlsl
£43,206
Hardback Bibles14 variants)
£5.232
Forgiveness Matters
£850
Inner Struggles Military 2nd Edition (Army)
£7,000
Gift ol God (English and Russian, plus a KJV variant for Mobile, All £1.454
Commando Prayer Book
£1,741
Cadet Prayer Book
£2,142
Moral Compass Edition
£1,519
Seafarer's Russian New Testament
£2,600
Inner Struggles- Royal Navy Sdilion
£6,696
H8rdback Bibles (3 variants)
£5.662
Seafarers New Teslamgnt Diglol English/Tagalog
£12750
Softb8ck New Teslam8nt and Psalms NIV (8 variants)
£40,000
Entdes italics where ordered in 2020, but with a majority of expenditure OG¢uring in 2021
Trustees, Annual Report for year ended 31 December 2020
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Naval & Military Bible Society
Governance
A Board of Trustees, comprising officers representing the UK'S armed forces. military
cadet forces and merchant seafarer missions, governs the Society, with advi￿ from
serving chaplains to Her Majesty's Forces. The Board meets every four months.
An Executive Director, appointed by the trustees, manages day-to-day activities,
assisted by an Advocacy Officer. No employees receive benefits, excluding pension
costs, of more than £60.000.
Risk Management
In line with recommended practice, the Board regularly reviews the financial and
operational risks to which it may be exposed. The trustees are satisfied that systems
are in place to mitigate risk and take action to alleviate such risks where necessary.
Finances
The £179,000 income in 2020 represents a 19Yo increase from £151,000 in 2019.
The stock value at year end was £100,000.
Reserves Policy
The Society'5 policy is to keep reserves to a minimum. Nonetheless, it recognizes
the need to have an operating balance sufficient to cover minimum operating costs
for a 6-month period if it became ne￿SSary to close the Society. Efforts have been
made in recent years to redu￿ opersating costs, such that the minimum operating
balance is now £20,000. However, to enable orders to be placed in a timely fashion it
is the aim to maintain a month end balance of £50,000, which was achieved in
December 2020. The trustees will keep this figure under review, considering the
balan￿ be￿een the increase in activity and the welcome transition to a more
financially efficient operating model.
Trustees responsibilities in relation to financial statements
a) For the period ended 31 st December 2020, the company was entitled to
exemption under section 249A (2).
b) Trustees have not required Ihe company to obtain an audit in accordance with
section 249B (2).
c) The trustees acknowledge their responsibility for:
i) ensuring the company keeps accounting records which comply with
section 221 and
ii) preparing accounts which give a true and fair view of the stale of affairs of the
company as at the end of the financial year, and of its profit or loss at the end of the
financial year in accordance with the requirements of section 226, and which
otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act relating to accounts,
so far as applicable to the company.
(d) The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of
the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
Trustees. Annual Report for year ended 31 De¢embor 2020
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Naval & Military Bible Society 

In doing so, the trustees have: 

- Selected suitable accounting policies and then applied them consistently; 

- Made judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; 

- Prepared financial statements on the going concern basis, it being appropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business; 

- Exercised their responsibility for maintaining proper accounting records that disclose, with reasonable accuracy at any time, the financial position of the charity and enables them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. 

- The trustees have also safeguarded the assets of the charity and taken reasonable steps for the prevention of fraud and other irregularities. 

The trustees gave their time voluntarily and received no benefit from the charity. 

By order of the trustees, 


Simon Springett Chaplain RNR Chair of Trustees 20 February 2021 

Page 5 

Trustees' Annual Report for year ended 31 December 2020 



Naval & Military Bible Society
Trustees, Annual Report for year ended 31 December 2020
Naval & Military Bible Society Statement of Financial Activities
Year Ending 31st Decembgr 2020
Year ended 31 December
2020
Incoming Resources
Yoar ended 31 December 2019
Donations
Donors- Regular
Donors - Non-Regul8r
Gift Aid Tax Refund
Donations
MOD
Non-MOD
Totsl Donations
Trusls & Legacies
Other Gifts
Interest Receivable
Total Incoming Resources
12,026
11,812
16,913
54,041
23,837
(3301
70,955
1,072
65.1(
87,977
12,480
13,030
153,083
176,590
25,490
97.517
52,638
897
2,428
£179 019
£151
Resources Expgnded
Charltable Expendlturo
Distribution Costs
Purchase of Literature
Storage & Dislribullon
Salaries & Pension
Travel
Insurance
Administratlon Expenses
Rent and Service Charge5
IT Costs
Office Expenses
Stationery
Telephone
Postage
Refresh & Entertain
Website
Subscription Fees
Other Expenses {Incl.
Travell
Depreciation
Management & Admlnl8tration
Costs
73,048
819
16,270
17,216
73.867
53,113
8,971
650
33,487
66.165
12,019
693
4,321
2,325
3,831
2,612
422
960
(8621
53
2,850
537
3,742
1,200
200
22,248
12,422
32,007
Legal fees
Accountancy
Audit Fees
435
180
615
180
180
Total Expendlture
£149 638
£144 551
Nel Expendltur¢ for the Year
Total Funds Brought Forwaid
Total Funds Carrled Fonvard
29,381
20,087
6,501
13,586
£2
Trustees, Annual Report for year ended 31 December 2020
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Naval & Military Bible Society
Trustees, Annual Report for year ended 31 December 2020 (continued)
Naval Military & Air Force Bible Society Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2020
31 Decembér 2020
31 Decemb*r 2019
Flx¢d asB¢ts
urnrture and equipm8nt.' cost
470
470
depreciation
447
23
353
117
Curfent assèts
Debtors and pr8paym8nts
135
500
Bank accounts
Petly cash
24
24
50,072
20,883
8s'. Current kabllitl&s
Creditors and accnJ8d chaFg8S
627
913
£20,087
Gon8T81 Fund
£49 468
£20 087
The directors are satisfied that the company is entitled to exemption from the
requirement to obtain an audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 and
that members have not required the company to obtain an audit in accordance with
section 476 of the Act.
The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements
of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of
accounts.
The accounts have been prepared with the provisions in Part 15 of the Companies
Act 2006 applicable to companies subject to the small companies, regime.
Simon Springett
Chaplain RNR (Chair of Trustees)
20 February 2020
Trustees. Annual Report for year ended 31 D￿mber 2020
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Naval & Military Bible Society
Trustees, Annual Report for year ended 31 December 2020 (continued)
Accounting policies
Basis of preparation
The accounts are prepared under the historical cost convention in accordance with
the Statement of Recommended Practice (FRS 102) - Accounting and Reporting by
the Charities Act 2011 and other appropriate accounting standards.
Incoming resources
Donations and legacies
All income from donations and legacies is accounted for on an accruals basis. This
policy is applied to legacy income where the amounts and timing of receipts can be
accurately ascertained. Tax credits on Gift Aid donations and on income from
legacies have also been recorded on an accruals basis.
Charitable activlties
In accordan￿ with the primary objective of the Society, printing and distribution
costs are written off to revenue when incurred. These costs represent the direct cost
of the Society's charitable activities.
Effects of Covid-19 restrictlons
The COVID-19 pandemic had the effect of making it difficult for the Advocacy Officer
to complete a majority of her duties, due to other trusts and organisations reducing
their operational tempo, accordingly the AO was placed initially on 1000/D furlough
and then reduced to 50 % when the lockdowns were lifted. Prior to the pandemic the
Society had already moved to a homebased operation as part of the overhead
efficiency programme, so day-to-day operations were not affected. Intiallly, demand
for our resour￿8 reduced significantly, however after a few weeks the number of
orders increased beyond traditional levels. This has had the effect of placing
additional presuure on limited resources. The Society was fortunate that income was
not significantly affected by the pandemic with a slight reduction in individual
giving ,and some organisations that donate out of business profits ,balan￿d by
increased giving from a number of Trusts. However, the increase in income was not
enough to cover the increase in demand and some printing activity was shifted so
expenditure would fall in 2021.
Admlnistration exponses
These are the costs incurred in the management, finance and general administration
of the Society's activities. It is not meaningful to apportion these costs by activity,
which is a general requirement of SORP (FRS 102), as the Trust has only one
principal activity.
Trustees, Annual Report for year ended 31 December 2020
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Naval & Military Bible Society
Stocks and work in progress
Substantial stocks were on hand as at 31 December 2020, the cost of which, as
ascertained by the directors, was £100,000. However, in line with the policy stated
above, this amount has not been included in the accounts.
Governance costs
These are the costs incurred other than in day-to-day administration of the Society
such as legal fees and the fees of the independent examination. The Society
effectively only has one activity, so all costs are related to this.
Trustees were offered claim forms for expenses and made claims where appropriate.
Trustees receive no remuneration for time. Aggregate Trustee donations were
£4,160.
Trustees are generally recruited through personal introductions, but enquiries (to the
Chair of Trustees) from supporters who wish to explore whether they could serve in
this way are always welcome. A skills audit was conducted in-year, to ensure
balance and cover of necessary skills.
Aggregate employee benefits are disclosed in the statement of financial activities.
Restrictsd Funds
No restricted funds were received during the year.
Going Concern
Whilst finances are tight, there are no material Un￿rtaIntieS about the charity's ability
to continue.
Tangible fixed assets
Individual fixed assets costing £250 or more are capitalised.
All furniture and equipment is held as operating assets.
Depreciation is provided for at the following annual rates on a straight-line basis..
Furniture and equipment between 100/0 and 20%
Computers
330/0
Creditors and accrued charges
2020 201g
Trade creditors
Other Creditors and accrued charges
447
913
Commitments
2020 2019
Capital commitments
Trustees, Annual Report for year ended 31 December 2020
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Naval & Military Bible Society
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020
I report on the accounts of the company for the year ended 31st December 2020, which are
set out on pages 610 10.
Respective responsibilitles of trustees and examiner
The trustees (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company lawl
are responsible for the preparation of accounts, The trustees consider that an audit is nat
required for this year under section 144{2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that
an independent examination is needed. l am qualified to undertake the examinalion being a
member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
Having satisfied myself Ihat the charity is not subject to audit under Part 16 of the
Companies Act 2006 and is eligible for independent examination, il 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 Acl and
to state whether particular rnatters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examinerfs 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.11 also includes a
consideration of any unusual ilems 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 tr) whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view, and the report is limtt8d to
those matters set out in lh8 Statement below.
Independent examlner'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
a. to keep accoLFnting records in accordance with section 386 of the Companies
AGI 2006 and.,
b. lo prepare acGounls which accord with the accounting records, comply with
the accounting requirement of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 and
with the accounting requirements of the Charities AGt
have not been met., or
(2} to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enab18 a proper
understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Erica Parker FCCA
St Mary's House
Netherhampton
Salisbury
SP2 8PU
23 September 2021
Trustees, Annual Report for yeai ended 31 DeGember 2020
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