REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 05571316 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1111765
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND
UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
FOR
SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
LDP Luckmans 1110 Elliott Court Coventry Business Park Herald Avenue Coventry West Midlands CV5 6UB
SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS for the year ended 31 March 2023
| Page | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Report of the Trustees | 1 | to | 10 |
| Independent Examiner's Report | 11 | ||
| Statement of Financial Activities | 12 | ||
| Balance Sheet | 13 | to | 14 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 15 | to | 22 |
| Detailed Statement of Financial Activities | 23 | to | 24 |
SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES for the year ended 31 March 2023
The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2023. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019).
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Objectives and aims
The Charitable Objects of Solihull Christian Fellowship ("SCF") are:
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the advancement of the Christian faith (in accordance with the statement of faith set out in Article 34 of the Articles) and the worship of God in the United Kingdom and around the world by any lawful means whatsoever;
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the relief of persons who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress or who are aged or sick;
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to promote the development of children and young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potentials as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities;
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to promote public education in matters concerning marriage, parenting, family life and relationships with a view to strengthening and enriching family life; and
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the promotion of such other charitable purpose as the Board shall from time to time determine. Our aim is to be a church family and to achieve our Charitable Objects through our relationships with one another, the local community and further afield.
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SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES for the year ended 31 March 2023
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Significant activities
The purpose of our charitable company is the advancement of the Christian faith and the support of those in need especially young people, families and the elderly. The vision of the Fellowship is to see transformation in the life of the local and wider community and to communicate the message that everyone can 'belong, believe and become' in Christ.
As we entered this reporting period the country was recently coming out of the pandemic. We had been in lockdown restrictions only a few months prior. We recognised that the church body would need time to re-adjust and reform. We had seen several church members move on over the previous 18 months, and we had also seen several people join us over the same time frame. The shape of our membership had changed, and it was important we re-established ourselves as a community, to restart previous traditions, and to commence new ones. Our church wide weekend away in July would be a key milestone in this.
As part of our reforming journey there was a clear focus and desire to allow more of God's Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. This would impact our corporate gatherings, our evangelism, and our planning. This would lead us to maximise our opportunities to reach out to people outside the church and meet their spiritual, emotional, and physical needs.
- The advancement of the Christian faith (in accordance with the statement of faith set out in Article 34 of the Articles) and the worship of God in the United Kingdom and around the world by any lawful means whatsoever.
Spiritual Growth
A significant focus for Solihull Christian Fellowship (SCF) is its weekly worship service. This is where we encourage the whole church family to come together for celebration, worship, and discipleship. At the beginning of the year, we started The Book of Acts as we navigated through the early birth of The Church. Through this teaching we saw how the church met in small groups, and corporately in the temple courts.
SCF has had a strong network of small groups for many years. They have been a rich place for relationships to form, and where close discipleship, and care happens. As part of the teaching in Acts this led us to relaunch the small group network renaming them 'Life-Groups', increasing the number of groups that came under that banner. It is now a key aim to encourage all SCF church members to be part of a Life-Group, and to actively participate in them. We see our small group network growing in its prominence within the church, with more church ministry happening within these groups. As we moved into the summer, we travelled through Psalms looking at how they impact and shaped our lives, before we looked again at Acts finishing in chapter 12 before the Christmas calendar started.
Throughout the year there were other activities, meetings, and events run to help individuals grow in their faith with God. Love, Acceptance and Healing is a mid-week meeting that includes worship, testimonies, and teaching.Receiving on average between 20-30 attendees each week, this has proved a rich resource for those who find attending on a Sunday's a challenge. We hosted a Freedom Day to help people identify strongholds in their life and become free from them. To achieve this, we engaged Caleb Ministries to facilitate the day, and 24 people were in attendance. In part, this met our aim to see people's emotional needs met as they understood their biblical identity and be released from how past experiences had shaped them. Spiritual Gifts workshops took place to help people sharpen their gifts, this would equip church members to help others with their spiritual needs. A small group leaders training course saw 8 people attend with two new life-group leaders being appointed following the course.
Prayer continues to play an important role in the life of the church, we run a weekly ladies prayer meeting, we also started monthly church-wide prayer times, which focuses on praying for our church. During these times we hear God speak which will often go on to inform our planning. We can see between 25-40 people in attendance.
For our young adults a weekly dedicated bible study was started. This enabled them to spend focused time in the bible, engaging with the material, asking questions, and growing in their understanding of God's Word. Taking time to do this strengthens faith in those who are moving from childhood and become young adults.
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SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES for the year ended 31 March 2023
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
We celebrated 6 baptisms that took place during the reporting period from young adults to those older. We continued to see people come and visit us on a regular basis, some come for a short time before moving on, others commit to stay. During the reporting period we saw 10 individuals choose Solihull Christian Fellowship as their Spiritual home church and formally join.
Outreach and Witness
Part of growing one's faith is to actively engage in witnessing and evangelism. We recognised how forming strong relationships plays a key part in encouraging others to think about and engage with faith. As part of our move from Home Groups to Life-Groups we recognised that these small groups of friends can help facilitate one's faith journey. Life-Groups were encouraged to consider their small group as a place where non-Christian family, friends and colleagues may engage with the church first, as they meet other Christians informally and explore faith. This new initiative will grow in its significance in the church as we move into the coming year.
We run a number of weekly, monthly, and seasonal groups and activities from The Bridge designed to form relationships with others as a way to advance the Christian Faith, some of which are; Babies@TheBridge, Story Time, 'Pass It On', and The Tuesday Club. Throughout the year we saw numbers grow in all these groups, as people came from inside and outside of the church to engage with us. When appropriate each group will seek opportunities to share their faith. All groups highlight other events going on in the church to encourage attendees to get to know us and build relationships.
On a seasonal basis we ran several 'outreach cafes' called Tea on The Terrace where people from the community were welcomed into a café environment. They had an opportunity to hear testimonies from people as well as the gospel preached. Many people came through our doors during these events and heard the stories of people's changed lives as well as the message of the gospel.
We ran the Alpha course 3 times during the reporting period and see it as a powerful and important tool to help people engage with the Christian Faith. At each course we had a between 3-8 people in attendance. Those who came were from varying backgrounds, some had previously engaged with faith, while others had very little faith background. Feedback from those who attended has been encouraging, one family stated that their father, was a 'changed man' after completing Alpha. Many had a tangible experience of God as they started their faith journey. Those who completed Alpha and made a commitment to Christ were encouraged to make Solihull Christian Fellowship their spiritual home, or to consider finding a Christian community to support their discipleship and growth. Out of this we saw 1 couple attend SCF's Sunday gathering regularly. While several others continue to engage with SCF in other ways.
During the reporting period we commenced a follow up course called 'First Steps' to help create good discipline and habits, and to help them integrate into the church. One course was run successfully, and two individuals with strong connections to SCF attended this. A review of First Steps, alongside Alpha highlighted a need for those running First Steps to connect with Alpha attendees at an earlier stage in the course to help the process of handover from one area to the other.
As we move forward into the next year Alpha will continue to play an important role in leading people to Christ. This needs to be partnered with the engagement of every church member participating in the advancement of the Christian faith (evangelism and witnessing) both individually and corporately.
2. The relief of persons who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress or who are aged or sick;
During the reporting period we have all seen how the cost of living has significantly increased. Everyone has been affected in some way. Solihull Christian Fellowship responded in several ways. We partnered with a new organisation called Warm Welcome that sought to open warm spaces to anyone, without prejudice or judgement, so they could come in and find warmth and welcome totally free. In response SCF extended several of its groups and activities, opening them up for anyone in the community to come in out of the cold and receive a warm welcome and refreshments. In addition, we commenced a new warm welcome café, and advertised these extensively around the community and on social media. For those services where we asked for a small charge, we chose to waive the cost during the winter period to ensure no one needed to stop coming because of finance. On averaged this saved someone who attended regularly over £100 during the autumn and winter period.
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SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES for the year ended 31 March 2023
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Across all our warm welcome spaces we saw new people come in and engage with us on multiple levels. Some areas saw greater numbers than others. However, everyone we met with, we connected with, shared who we were, and sought out other ways we could help them.
Along-side our warm welcome spaces we partnered with a local church to share a CAP (Christians Against Poverty) advisor. They attended The Bridge weekly to make themselves available for anyone struggling with finance. As a result of this several people were engaged with and supported informally, with one family starting the formal debt support process with CAP.
Our weekly Community lunch offering (a free two course hot meal) saw an increase in numbers from around 60, to 80+ each week, requiring additional tables to support the numbers. Across the reporting period we estimate that we prepared around 3100 meals over 48 weeks.
People come to the Community lunch for a range of needs from, a hot meal, a takeaway food parcel, or simply conversation and company. Alongside the lunch organisations such as SIAS (Solihull Integrated Addiction Services), Solihull Homeless Team, and Citizens Advice (CAB) attend regularly and make themselves available to those in need. We have found that people who may not choose to formally engage with SIAS or The Homeless team, do so at our lunch on an informal basis. At times this has broken down barriers, and formal relationships have begun with these organisations. While we are not always aware of the outcome from these informal connections, we do know that because of the Community Lunch at least two people who were without a home, were housed. CAB attends the lunch monthly and can engage with 20 plus individuals each time they come.
We recognised that the pandemic had been a difficult time for those in secondary school. The usual patterns of exam preparation, mock exams, and the exams themselves had all been disrupted and changed. Press coverage on this in previous years had been significant, which suggests that young people would suffer for years to come. We recognised that this was causing a significant level of anxiety in our young people. From both those who had gone through exams, and from those who were about too. To support our young people, we looked to address this anxiety by creating space for them to be open about how they were feeling, and to look at the bible to see what its response was to worry, anxiety and concern for our own wellbeing. Not only did this support the 20 or so young people in our care, but this resulted in our young people hosting a whole Sunday meeting on the subject based on Philippians 4:8 entitled 'Think on These Things'.
Solihull Christian Fellowship understands how difficult it can be for those suffering from loss. To support people, we run a regular bereavement support group where individual's come for 6 weeks and are helped to talk about their loss while being supported and cared for. Across the reporting period we ran 3 groups and saw between 2-6 people attend each time. Often during the course relationships are formed and people would engage in other groups the church runs.
Each year we set aside a budget to give away to organisations who align with our ethos as a church and our charitable objects. We also set aside money to meet the needs of church members. These needs can range from, support in repairing essential household times, unexpected bills, and any wider-family needs. Across the reporting period we gave away £16,869 to charities, organisations, and individuals in need.
We have a strong life-group network who are the front line in responding to pastoral needs of church members, and those close to the church. Often this includes home and hospital visits, cooking meals and helping with household jobs, all of which is done informally and part of the church's character and culture.
3. To promote the development of children and young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potentials as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities;
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SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES for the year ended 31 March 2023
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Solihull Christian Fellowship runs an extensive programme of groups and clubs for children and young people from birth up to 18. Babies@thebridge is a class for Mothers/carers and their babies to come and engage in movement sessions and runs at capacity most weeks, as such we have begun to run two sessions to accommodate. This group helps Mums engage with their babies and supports the bonding process. Unlike other similar offerings, Babies@thebridge has an extended time so Mums can socialise with one another and with the staff team. Through these relationships we have seen some engage in other activities in the church. Story Fun is a similar group for pre- school children that help Mom/Dad/Carer engage with their children through age-appropriate literature. There is also opportunity to learn through play-based activities. Both these groups provide opportunities for babies and young children to bond with their adult, whether it is parent, grandparent, or carer. We see this as an important part of supporting family life.
As we move through the age range we offer groups on a Sunday for reception, infants, primary and senior school ages. Each group provides an age-appropriate environment where they receive love and care through their local church. As the children grow older, their times together are more focused on the Christian message and how to live as Christ Followers in our society. During the reporting period our young adults spent several weeks looking at faith in the modern world, and how through our faith we treat other people. We believe that this plays and important role in shaping the young people in our care to engage with the society we live in.
Part of helping our young adults to recognise they are part of a larger church we engaged with other church youth groups. During the year 4 multi-church evenings were held where young people (12-18yrs) could engage with others from different churches and learn in a wider environment. A summer camp was held for this age group with three different churches. We find that these multi-church connections not only grow our young people in their Spiritual journey, but also help equip them emotionally and physically as they engage in wider topics of life, get involved in camping, and have lots of fun.
Once children reach primary school (Year 3) they begin to attend mid-week groups: United (6yrs - 11yrs) and Surround (11yrs - 18yrs). These groups have multiple aims, from providing a safe and free space for any child or young people to come and engage with other people their own age for fun, socialising, as well as structured activities designed to help them engage with one another, and to engage with society. At times this can take the form of understanding and learning about oneself and how to respond to the world around us.
Part of that learning includes engaging in specific groups or activities. Across the year we ran a children and youth choir called Making Melody who performed twice in our Sunday morning gathering. Regular choir practice helps those involved to commit to an activity and learn, practice, and perform to an audience. The song choices are specific to our context as a church and serve as a teaching tool for the children. Performing songs helps with their confidence and feeling of self-worth.
For our young people (11yrs - 18yrs) we encourage them to engage in the life of the church to give them a sense of responsibility, and engagement with people of different generations. Many of our young people support our weekly worship service whether that is; welcoming people as they arrive, serving refreshments, being involved in sound tech, worship, or any of the children's groups. This is done alongside adults to allow for learning and cross-generational friendships. We have found this to be a valuable tool in helping young people to see they belong to a wider church family.
During the reporting period our young people led a whole Sunday meeting and were involved in developing the content, performing live music, and speaking in front of over 100 people. This was received very well by everyone.
4 To promote public education in matters concerning marriage, parenting, family life and relationships with .a view to strengthening and enriching family life;
As a result of COVID several things changed in the church, we saw a high number of people join SCF over a 2-year period, we also saw people leave. A small number continued to engage on-line only, with some only very recently beginning to attend again in person. Because of this we felt it was important to focus on rebuilding relationships as a whole church.
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SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES for the year ended 31 March 2023
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
We relaunched our monthly church picnic, which is an informal opportunity for the church to gather and build relationships with one another. We saw the numbers grow from the mid 30's to over 60 in some months.
We held our second church weekend away with approximately 80% of the church in attendance. This was an important and significant time, not only for building relationships, but also as a place to grow spiritually deeper in our faith as a whole church.
As a church family, it is important to us to find times where the whole church can come together and get involved. To support this, we recommenced our All-Aged Meetings post pandemic. This is where the whole church, young and old remain together to worship, learn, and grow. This is often an interactive time where lots of people get involved. We also asked our young people if they would 'host' a whole Sunday meeting, from welcoming people as they came in, to serving drinks, PA, and cameras. The whole worship band was made up of young people, others gave notices, got involved in sketches, and helped share in the sermon. Our young people were able to learn new skills and grow in confidence through this.
Our focus on individual family life took on the form of parent/carer children's relationships. As previously mentioned, Babies@TheBridge and Story Time are intentionally set up to provide structured time where parent/carer can connect with their baby or young child. As the pandemic ended and we began to open up the building to external organisations we reached out to the NHS to ensure they were aware of our openness to restarting a Breast-Feeding Café on our premises. This did recommence during the reporting period and is slowly gaining traction in the community. We see this as offering Mum's vital support during the first year of their baby's birth.
Public benefit
The trustees have had due regard to guidance published by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
Volunteers
The charitable company continues to use volunteers in virtually all its activities and wishes to thank them all for their hard work and contributions in the last year.
Safeguarding Update
Over the last 12 months we completed 21 DBS. There were another 5 that were not completed due to potential volunteers either not completing the online form or not providing the requested identification. We are encouraging all volunteers to sign up for the Update Service, which will make the process of renewal a lot quicker and also reduce the cost to completing DBS.
We have a higher number of Concerns raised than previously. We believe these are down to individuals being more aware of the reporting process and the encouragement to 'See Something, Say Something' which permeates our training material. Some of these concerns were duplicated from different individuals reporting the same concerns. This we see as a positive and an indication that the training is working. All Concerns raised have been safely closed. Nonetheless, there are two which we felt were worth monitoring, to ensure the issue does not rearise, or if it does, action can be taken immediately.
The last audit completed was satisfactory, and the audit process continues to be refined after each cycle.
We have had a trial run of a Software from an organization, My Concern; which is a database to log and keep track of all things Safeguarding. It has been decided that in the longer term, a more effective way forward is that we design our own database/software tailored to the needs of SCF.
Training is planned for the next few months and it is hoped that we can continue to raise awareness of Safeguarding amongst the wider church as well.
We continue to change and address issues relating to our processes to see continued improvement. We are looking to recruit additional Safeguarding Team members during the next year to develop and extend our activities.
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SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES for the year ended 31 March 2023
ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE
Internal and external factors
There are no additional factors other than recorded elsewhere in the Trustees report.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Financial position
This last financial year saw an overall positive financial result for Solihull Christian Fellowship. The accounts show an income of £250,000 and expenditure of £227,000 giving positive cash flow of £23,000. We have a number of outstanding invoices which are still in the process of being settled directly impacting these figures but at a minimum we have completed the financial year with an additional £13,000 in the bank.
Whilst we have maintained a positive financial position, the Directors do have considerations as to where and how we generate and sustain our income required to continue to drive SCF forward.
Regular Giving is our largest contributor towards income and over the last few years we have seen a decrease in average regular giving received. We have previously been in a position whereby we would look to receive £14,000 per month through regular giving and over the last financial year this has decreased to £13,400 per month on average.
We have seen an increase in income as a result of ad-hoc giving whereby church members have donated significant contributions as one-off gifts and also the success of the building team focused on generating room hire income over the last financial year. We set a target of £6,000 income for Room Hire this year and we have in fact received £25,000. Whilst this is an excellent revenue stream for SCF to also provide further support to our community, the Directors are also aware that each external room hire restricts room capacity for the members of the church to utilise the space. As a result we look to maintain a level of control on room hire which will always limit the amount of income available.
As a result it's clear that Regular Giving remains a significant area of revenue which enables SCF to provide the services it delivers with financial stability. Whilst SCF is in a positive cash position at the end of this financial year, we continue to monitor and reflect on both the sources of our regular income and the stewardship of where we spend the money that is available to us.
We have budgeted for the next financial year with a plan to utilise some of the additional cash that has been acquired this year, we will continue to work with the building team to ensure we maximise our income in relation to room hire and we continue to thank the church members for their continued serving and financial commitment to the church. We plan to continue to carefully use our resources well and use this to support the activities of SCF.
Principal funding sources
The principal ongoing funding is provided by way of donations from members of the church.
Reserves policy
Total charity income for the year was £250,809 and the total expenditure was £227,605 resulting in a movement of funds of £23,204. We ended the year with cash in the bank of £114,069. Free reserves, which are after funds held in tangible fixed assets and other designated funds are £95,738.
Our reserves policy is to have the equivalent of at least six weeks average expenditure in unrestricted free reserves. For the year ended 31 March 2023 this would have been £26,262. Plus the Directors have designated a "Sinking Fund" of £23,600 to meet increasing demands on repair and replacement commitments arising from the building.
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SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES for the year ended 31 March 2023
LOOKING FORWARD
As we look forward, a significant focus for Solihull Christian Fellowship is advancement of the Christian faith through both spiritual and numerical growth. We believe that having faith is vital for everyone and has huge benefits for society. In 2019 Forbes reported that engaging in religious faith has benefits for health, including greater longevity, coping skills, health related quality of life, less anxiety, depression, and suicide, and we believe that faith in Jesus offers all of this and more. Through our own prayerful reflections, we will grow our evangelical activities from predominantly focused at The Bridge (our building), to out in 'the marketplace'. Recent research by Hope Together2 in partnership with Alpha and the Evangelical Alliance, found that non-Christians engaged well with Christians they know, while they engaged less favourably with The Church as an institution. One of their conclusions was that the richest ground for advancing the Christian Faith was outside the walls of a church building, and out into communities and homes. We echo these conclusions, and as we move forward, we will seek to equip and release church members to advance the Christian Faith out in their spheres of influence, at home, at work, and in their social engagements. We envisage a time where people begin their first steps of faith before entering an established church building. To further support this we will continue to encourage our Life-Groups to see themselves as a place where those seeking or having questions about faith may first
come and experience 'The Church.'
As a Pentecostal, Evangelical church body, our corporate times together will continue to allow space for God to impact us and shape us as a congregation. Our building, situated in the heart of a busy park will continue to be used to meet the needs of the local community. It provides a vital space for children and young people to come and build relationships and have fun with their peers, and to ask questions and learn outside of a school environment.
We also recognise the central role The Bridge played in being a place for people to come to; keep warm, be fed, and have other needs met, especially during the winter in a cost-of-living crisis. As we travel through the year ahead, we will continue to assess how we can be a support to those in need through services we offer and the building we have.
As we close the reporting period and look back, we can see there was a significant need to have taken time to rebuild relationships as a whole church body. While the pandemic may have ended, its effects were felt well into the reporting period. Who could have foreseen how the cost of living would have impacted our daily lives, and the needs that arose. Responding to it in the way we did was important, and we will consider our activity in this space again as we approach winter 2023.
Through the year we have been strengthened as a corporate body, seen people; commit to faith, others join the church, and seen people baptised, many have been 'blessed' and encouraged. We end this year excited for what lies ahead of us.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Governing document
The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.
Recruitment and appointment of new trustees
New trustees are recruited from amongst the church membership and are selected so they may contribute to the mix of skills and balance of the Board of Trustees as a whole. The trustees are appointed in accordance with the charitable company's Articles of Association.
Organisational structure
| Organisational structure | ||
|---|---|---|
| Employed Staff 2022-23 | ||
| Ben Lees | Lead Pastor | |
| Andrea Lowndes | Associate Pastor | |
| Sally Hart | Children's Worker (appointed August 2022) | |
| James Cook | Youth Pastor | |
| Mable Melt | Administration Clerk/Finance Clerk | |
| Karen Beresford | Housekeeping | |
| Heather Cole | Site Support |
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SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES for the year ended 31 March 2023
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Induction and training of new trustees
All newly appointed trustees are given a comprehensive induction to the general operation and financial management of the charitable company. All trustees are also given the opportunity to undertake further training with regard to relevant activities carried out by the charitable company.
Wider network
The charitable company is a member of the Evangelical Alliance and Shirley Churches Together, and has involvement with a number of Christian organisations around the world, including: Open Doors, TEAR (The Evangelical Alliance Relief) Fund), Caleb Ministries, Mission24 and International Connections
Risk management
The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error.
Areas the charitable company and trustees continue to give particular attention to in terms of risk management include:
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our safeguarding policy
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our health and safety policy
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our compliance with new GDPR legislation
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Registered Company number
05571316 (England and Wales)
Registered Charity number
1111765
Registered office
The Bridge 234 Stratford Road Shirley Solihull West Midlands B90 3AG
Trustees
R C Wood Vice Chair A G Cave Chair B Lees D Shore S H Cordon
Independent Examiner
LDP Luckmans 1110 Elliott Court Coventry Business Park Herald Avenue Coventry West Midlands CV5 6UB
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SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES for the year ended 31 March 2023
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Solicitors Anthony Collins LLP 134 Edmund Street Birmingham B3 2ES
Approved by order of the board of trustees on 17 July 2023 and signed on its behalf by:
A G Cave - Trustee
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Solihull Christian Fellowship ('the Company')
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 March 2023.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.
Independent examiner's statement
Since your charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a listed body. I can confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by Section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of Section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
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the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)).
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.
M D Spafford
LDP Luckmans 1110 Elliott Court Coventry Business Park Herald Avenue Coventry West Midlands CV5 6UB
Date: .............................................
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SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCORPORATING AN INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT) for the year ended 31 March 2023
| Notes INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies 3 Charitable activities General Investment income 4 Total EXPENDITURE ON Charitable activities General Church Youth groups Children and families Total NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD |
Unrestricted funds £ 217,550 26,708 252 244,510 25,636 142,819 34,575 14,091 217,121 27,389 1,641,902 1,669,291 |
Restricted funds £ 6,299 - - 6,299 - 7,989 2,495 - 10,484 (4,185) 173,213 169,028 |
2023 Total funds £ 223,849 26,708 252 250,809 25,636 150,808 37,070 14,091 227,605 23,204 1,815,115 1,838,319 |
2022 Total funds £ 227,001 5,225 - |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 232,226 | ||||
| 23,310 119,134 33,519 20,188 |
||||
| 196,151 | ||||
| 36,075 1,779,040 |
||||
| 1,815,115 |
The notes form part of these financial statements
Page 12
SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
BALANCE SHEET 31 March 2023
| Notes FIXED ASSETS Tangible assets 10 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 11 Cash at bank and in hand CREDITORS Amounts falling due within one year 12 NET CURRENT ASSETS TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES CREDITORS Amounts falling due after more than one year 13 NET ASSETS FUNDS 16 Unrestricted funds Restricted funds TOTAL FUNDS |
Unrestricted funds £ 1,630,976 10,970 112,530 123,500 (16,181) 107,319 1,738,295 (69,004) 1,669,291 |
Restricted funds £ 167,489 - 1,539 1,539 - 1,539 169,028 - 169,028 |
2023 Total funds £ 1,798,465 10,970 114,069 125,039 (16,181) 108,858 1,907,323 (69,004) 1,838,319 1,669,291 169,028 1,838,319 |
2022 Total funds £ 1,800,634 13,088 101,513 114,601 (20,398) 94,203 1,894,837 (79,722) 1,815,115 1,641,902 173,213 1,815,115 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2023.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for
-
(a) ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and
-
(b) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company.
The notes form part of these financial statements
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SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
BALANCE SHEET - continued 31 March 2023
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime.
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 17 July 2023 and were signed on its behalf by:
B Lees - Trustee
A G Cave - Trustee
The notes form part of these financial statements
Page 14
SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS for the year ended 31 March 2023
1. CHARITY INFORMATION
The charitable company is Limited by Guarantee, and is registered in England and Wales.
The registered office is: The Bridge 234 Stratford Road Shirley Solihull B90 3AG
2. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of preparing the financial statements
The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.
Income
All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Until payment is received based on the entitlement, the asset is recognised as a debtor in the financial statements.
Expenditure
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
Once a liability has been recognised as an expense, it will be recognised as a creditor until payment is made.
Charitable activities
The charitable company operates four main activities. These are Church, Youth, Children, and general activities. Church activities relate to Sunday worship and related teachings and home groups. Youth activities relate to activities run specifically for young people between 11 and 18. Children's and families activities is for children up to 11 and for their families attending organised groups. General activities covers the remainder of the charitable company's work.
Allocation and apportionment of costs
Support costs comprise service costs incurred centrally or for more than one activity in support of the activities. These are allocated in proportion to the estimated time and resources required by each charitable activity. The apportionments are reviewed annually.
Tangible fixed assets
Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.
Fixtures and fittings
- 33% on cost and 20% on reducing balance
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SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued for the year ended 31 March 2023
2. ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued
Tangible fixed assets
In respect of the freehold property, the trustees have determined that the annual depreciation charge under this policy is immaterial based on the current estimated residual value of the property at the balance sheet date.
Tangible fixed assets are initially recognised at their original cost plus the cost of bringing the asset into use.
Taxation
The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.
Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees. Designated funds are recognised where the trustees have identified a specific purpose for funds, and these are shown separately within unrestricted funds.
Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.
Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits
The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.
Hire purchase and leasing commitments
Rentals payable under operating lease commitments are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities as incurred.
3. DONATIONS AND LEGACIES
| Donations Gift aided donations 4. INVESTMENT INCOME Deposit account interest |
2023 £ 105,181 118,668 223,849 2023 £ 252 |
2022 £ 90,315 136,686 |
|---|---|---|
| 227,001 | ||
| 2022 £ - |
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SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued for the year ended 31 March 2023
5. SUPPORT COSTS
| SUPPORT COSTS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Premises | |||
| and | Governance | ||
| administration | costs | Totals | |
| £ | £ | £ | |
| General | 3,315 | - | 3,315 |
| Church | 40,238 | 2,234 | 42,472 |
| Youth groups | 13,330 | 744 | 14,074 |
| Children and families | 13,330 | 744 | 14,074 |
| 70,213 | 3,722 | 73,935 | |
| Activity | Basis of allocation | ||
| Premises and administration | Allocated on the proportion of the activities | use of support | functions. |
| Governance costs | Allocated on the proportion of the activities | use of support | functions. |
6. NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)
Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):
7.
| Depreciation - owned assets TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS Trustees' salaries Trustees' social security Trustees' pensions paid |
2023 £ 2,347 2023 £ 41,163 - 3,920 45,083 |
2022 £ 2,896 2022 £ 39,209 191 3,920 |
2022 £ 2,896 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43,320 |
Trustees remuneration is paid to B Lees. Mr Lees is the Lead Pastor of the Church and therefore acts as a director/trustee, with authority within the Memorandum and Articles of the charitable company.
Trustees' expenses
There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 March 2023 nor for the year ended 31 March 2022.
8. STAFF COSTS
The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:
| Ministry leaders Administration |
2023 3 4 7 |
2022 4 6 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 |
No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000.
No employee has been paid more than £60,000.
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SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued for the year ended 31 March 2023
9. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
| INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies Charitable activities General Total EXPENDITURE ON Charitable activities General Church Youth groups Children and families Total NET INCOME Transfers between funds Net movement in funds RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 10. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS COST At 1 April 2022 Additions At 31 March 2023 DEPRECIATION At 1 April 2022 Charge for year At 31 March 2023 NET BOOK VALUE At 31 March 2023 At 31 March 2022 |
Unrestricted funds £ 215,045 5,225 220,270 20,960 112,254 33,505 20,188 186,907 33,363 2,862 36,225 1,605,676 1,641,901 Freehold property £ 1,789,009 50 1,789,059 - - - 1,789,059 1,789,009 |
Unrestricted funds £ 215,045 5,225 220,270 20,960 112,254 33,505 20,188 186,907 33,363 2,862 36,225 1,605,676 1,641,901 Freehold property £ 1,789,009 50 1,789,059 - - - 1,789,059 1,789,009 |
Restricted funds £ 11,956 - 11,956 2,350 6,880 14 - 9,244 2,712 (2,862) (150) 173,364 173,214 Fixtures and fittings £ 106,809 128 106,937 95,184 2,347 97,531 9,406 11,625 |
Total funds £ 227,001 5,225 |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 232,226 | ||||||
| 23,310 119,134 33,519 20,188 |
||||||
| 196,151 | ||||||
| 36,075 - |
||||||
| 36,075 1,779,040 |
||||||
| 1,815,115 | ||||||
| Totals £ 1,895,818 178 1,895,996 95,184 2,347 97,531 1,798,465 1,800,634 |
||||||
The freehold property with a carrying amount of £1,789,059 (2022: £1,789,009) is secured against the bank loan facility.
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continued...
SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued for the year ended 31 March 2023
11. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
| Trade debtors Other debtors Prepayments 12. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR Bank loans and overdrafts (see note 14) Social security and other taxes Other creditors Accrued expenses 13. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE AFTER MORE THAN ONE YEAR Bank loans (see note 14) 14. LOANS An analysis of the maturity of loans is given below: Amounts falling due within one year on demand: Bank loans Amounts falling due between two and five years: Bank loans - 2-5 years Amounts falling due in more than five years: Repayable by instalments: Bank loans more 5 years |
2023 £ 5,500 4,464 1,006 10,970 2023 £ 11,890 2,206 - 2,085 16,181 2023 £ 69,004 2023 £ 11,890 54,041 14,963 |
2022 £ 4,354 7,782 952 |
|---|---|---|
| 13,088 | ||
| 2022 £ 14,110 4,195 23 2,070 |
||
| 20,398 | ||
| 2022 £ 79,722 |
||
| 2022 £ 14,110 |
||
| 59,261 | ||
| 20,461 |
The bank loan is repayable in equal monthly instalments over the remaining term of the loan which is due to be repaid by July 2028. The current interest rate being applied to the loan is 2.25%.
Interest paid during the year was £3,315 (2022: £1,957).
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SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued for the year ended 31 March 2023
15. SECURED DEBTS
The following secured debts are included within creditors:
Bank loans
| 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|
| £ | £ |
| 80,894 | 93,832 |
The bank loan facility is charged against the charitable company's freehold premises at 234 Stratford Road. The loan represents 4.52% (2022: 5.25%) of the net book value of the property.
16. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
| Unrestricted funds General fund Fixed Assets Fund The Building Fund The Sinking Fund Restricted funds X-Stream Big Lottery Fund Awards for All - SCF Murcutt Travel fund Community Lunches Fund Ukraine TOTAL FUNDS |
At 1.4.22 £ 77,196 9,790 1,531,316 23,600 1,641,902 2,483 166,000 166 542 3,808 214 173,213 1,815,115 |
Net movement in funds £ 29,390 (2,001) - - 27,389 (2,483) - (12) (542) (934) (214) (4,185) 23,204 |
Transfers between funds £ (10,848) - 10,848 - - - - - - - - - - |
At 31.3.23 £ 95,738 7,789 1,542,164 23,600 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,669,291 - 166,000 154 - 2,874 - |
||||
| 169,028 | ||||
| 1,838,319 |
Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
| Unrestricted funds General fund Fixed Assets Fund Restricted funds X-Stream Awards for All - SCF Murcutt Travel fund Community Lunches Fund Ukraine TOTAL FUNDS |
Incoming resources £ 244,509 1 244,510 - - - 6,299 - 6,299 250,809 |
Resources Movement expended in funds £ £ (215,119) 29,390 (2,002) (2,001) (217,121) 27,389 (2,483) (2,483) (12) (12) (542) (542) (7,233) (934) (214) (214) (10,484) (4,185) (227,605) 23,204 |
|---|---|---|
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SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued for the year ended 31 March 2023
16. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued
Comparatives for movement in funds
| Unrestricted funds General fund Fixed Assets Fund The Building Fund The Sinking Fund Restricted funds Property Development Fund X-Stream Big Lottery Fund Awards for All - SCF Murcutt Travel fund Community Lunches Fund Open Doors Ukraine TOTAL FUNDS |
At 1.4.21 £ 52,758 12,255 1,517,063 23,600 1,605,676 - 2,483 166,000 180 750 3,951 - - 173,364 1,779,040 |
Net movement in funds £ 35,829 (2,465) - - 33,364 3,000 - - (14) (208) (143) (138) 214 2,711 36,075 |
Transfers between funds £ (11,391) - 14,253 - 2,862 (3,000) - - - - - 138 - (2,862) - |
At 31.3.22 £ 77,196 9,790 1,531,316 23,600 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,641,902 - 2,483 166,000 166 542 3,808 - 214 |
||||
| 173,213 | ||||
| 1,815,115 |
Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
| Unrestricted funds General fund Fixed Assets Fund Restricted funds Property Development Fund Awards for All - SCF Murcutt Travel fund Community Lunches Fund Open Doors Ukraine TOTAL FUNDS |
Incoming resources £ 220,270 - 220,270 3,000 - 290 6,240 912 1,514 11,956 232,226 |
Resources Movement expended in funds £ £ (184,441) 35,829 (2,465) (2,465) (186,906) 33,364 - 3,000 (14) (14) (498) (208) (6,383) (143) (1,050) (138) (1,300) 214 (9,245) 2,711 (196,151) 36,075 |
|---|---|---|
The general funds represent the free funds of the charity which are not designated for specific purposes.
The Building Fund represents the property at 234 Stratford Road, less the remaining mortgage liabilities. The trustees have set up this fund to protect the value of the building being diminished.
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SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued for the year ended 31 March 2023
16. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued
The Fixed Assets Fund has been set up by the trustees to protect the value of the fixtures and fittings and other fixed assets, excluding the freehold property. It represents the net book value of the fixed assets of the charitable company.
The Sinking Fund is set aside by the trustees to meet repair and replacement commitments relating to the building.There is an expectation that the expenditure will need to be incurred within the next 24 months.
The Big Lottery Fund grant is also towards the redevelopment of 234 Stratford Road. The capital grant towards the cost of 234 Stratford Road is subject to a legal charge and therefore the restriction remains on this element of the income.
The X-Stream fund is the remaining balance from grant-funded youth activities. The trustees consider the purpose for which the funds were provided and will release the funds towards specific expenditure for the Youth activity.
Awards for All is a capital grant towards the fitting out of the children's facilities at 234 Stratford Road. The grant income will be offset by the depreciation of the equipment purchased with the grant.
The Community Lunches Fund is a National Lottery funded project to provide lunches to vulnerable individuals within the community.
Transfers between funds
As part of how the trustees deal with the designation of funds towards the Building Fund, funds are transferred from General Funds to enable the mortgage repayments to be made, or are transferred to the Fixed Asset Fund to reflect capital improvements. During the year, transfers totalling £10,848 were made from General Funds to the Building Fund.
17. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES
There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 March 2023.
Page 22
SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
DETAILED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES for the year ended 31 March 2023
| INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS Donations and legacies Donations Gift aided donations Investment income Deposit account interest Charitable activities Room hire Total incoming resources EXPENDITURE Charitable activities Trustees' salaries Trustees' social security Trustees' pensions paid Wages Social security Pensions Advertising Gifts Ministry Training and conferences Events and trips Fixtures and fittings Support costs Premises and administration Wages Social security Pensions Rates and water Insurance Light and heat Telephone Postage and stationery Sundries Travelling Subscriptions Equipment repair & maintenance IT consumables Carried forward |
2023 £ 105,181 118,668 223,849 252 26,708 250,809 41,163 - 3,920 48,866 4,114 3,418 287 22,321 14,182 562 14,204 633 153,670 28,419 324 - 1,818 1,868 6,129 1,020 4,481 2,720 252 2,418 15,290 327 65,066 |
2022 £ 90,315 136,686 227,001 - 5,225 232,226 39,209 191 3,920 59,900 4,502 3,269 147 21,353 11,900 870 1,249 788 147,298 16,773 94 (66) 1,546 1,773 7,023 754 3,368 1,685 498 2,183 4,265 1,230 41,126 |
|---|---|---|
This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements
Page 23
SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
DETAILED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES for the year ended 31 March 2023
| DETAILED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES for the year ended 31 March 2023 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Premises and administration Brought forward Bank charges Fixtures and fittings Mortgage Governance costs Accountancy fees Total resources expended Net income |
2023 £ 65,066 117 1,715 3,315 70,213 3,722 227,605 23,204 |
2022 £ 41,126 108 2,108 1,957 |
| 45,299 3,554 |
||
| 196,151 | ||
| 36,075 |
This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements
Page 24