The Shaftesbury Christian Centre, Battersea Report and Accounts Year ended 31 March 2024 Stewardship Active generosiry 1 Lamb's Passage, London EC1Y 8AB y￿W.Steward$hIp.Org.uk THE SHAFTESBURY CHRISTIAN CENTRE. BArrERSEA LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE 2 Austin Road Battersea London SW115JP GOVERNING DOCUMENT Declaration of Trust dated 10 July 2006 CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER 1116087 TRUSTEES RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING THE CHARITY Glen Donegan Sarah Hurt Fiona Ripley Brian Watts BANKERS Barclays Bank plc INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Jaimée Young Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB INDEX Page 1 Pages 2-5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Pages 9-10 Legal and Administrative Details Trustees. Report Independent Examiner's Report Receipts and Payments Account Statement of Assets & Liabilities Notes to the Accounts Page 1 THE SHAFTESBURY CHRISTIAN CENTRE, BArrERSEA REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 Objects of the charity The charity, which is a church, is govemed by a trust deed and is constituted as a trust. The charity's principal objects, as set out in its governing document, are= a) the advancement of the Christian faith in the UK and elsewhere b) the relief of hardship c) the provision of facilities for recreation in the interest of social welfare The Shaftesbury Christian Centre is a local faith-based community. Situated in an area of significant social need, its local mission is to show Christian care in action. Our Mission Centre is located be￿een the Doddington and Battersea Park estates in Battersea, South London, an area of significant social need. Our remit is to come alongside individuals and to offer activities and relationships that help achieve inclusion, empowerment, security, self-worth, and significance. The Shaftesbury Christian Centre works in partnership with other local providers, mainly voluntary and community groups, to develop programs, provide outreach, and to share resources where possible. We seek to serve and respect all people regardless of their faith, race, ethnic origin, gender, marital status, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental capability. At the heart of the Shaftesbury Christian Centre is a church community whose expression of worship is to serve the local community in practical ways. Review of the charity's main activities and achievements To further the above objects and vision, the charity's main activities and achievements were as follows.. Last year (2022-2023) we reported the continuing need to rebuild our church community and volunteer resource following the impact of Covid 19 and lockdown restrictions. The impact had been to reduce our church fellowship by circa 50 %, and this led to a reduction in the number of volunteers available to lead and support our various outreach activities. We were accurate in anticipating this would require a 2- year rebuilding period and are pleased to report positive development through this year. The prospect for 2024-2025 is positive. Our three areas of strategic focus continue to be- 1. Pastoral Care 2. Maintenance of Core Activities 3. Developing of Partnerships Pastoral Care As a church community we are committed to human flourishing and place high value on our relational skill and participative approach to care. This manifests in two ways. First, to those who are seeking help at a time of particular need. This includes those from within our membership and those outside whose need draws them toward us. Second, to support all in our community to enjoy well-being and to live in a generative way. In practice this is provided, as appropriate, via, .Individual, face to face. pastoral meetings. including home visits and hospital visits. .Individual counselling, coaching, and mentoring. .Group education and training. .Church services, including prayer ministry. .Informal developmental conversations. Page 2 2. Maintenance of Core Activities Church minist We are pleased to report that our church meetings continue to provide a place for members to express their faith and to commune with one-another. Activities have included regular Sunday services, prayer meetings, small group meetings, and attendance at conferences. Foodbank A key area of our ministry is Foodbank. We open on Saturday mornings as a local distribution centre, in partnership with Wandsworth Foodbank. We continue to provide emergency food and this year, across the whole borough, Wandsworth Foodbank provided 1,116 emergency food parcels to local people, with 1 in 3 emergency supplies being for children. We are pleased to have contributed to this and our local volunteer base remains strong. Alongside the emergency food par￿ls, our volunteers offer advice on benefits, housing, etc. Where appropriate, guests are referred to our Citizens Advice Project and this year over 550 individuals received expert advice. A number of our volunteers have attended relevant training, e.g. Benefits Advice, Mental Health First Aid. Friends To ether Friends Together is a monthly meal that gathers adults and their children. This continues to be a place of friendship and support for local families. As well as providing a much-needed listening ear, we have also given practical support in the form of children's clothing. furniture. and parenting advice. We are active in building links befvrfeen Foodbank and Friends Together so that those who find themselves in food povety may also benefit from supportive friendships. Developing Partnerships As reported last year, in July 2022 we held a residential for all our members. At this time, we conducted a retrospective of our activikn-es and developed a vision for the future. Two key areas arose.. 1. We acknowledged the need to find a partner church with whom we might collaborate to build our resource base for the future. 2. Aligned to this is the need to develop a leadership succession plan. Our current Pastors intend to retire in 2026. In response to this need we are now working closely with the leadership team from The Bridge. The Bridge is a church with similar aims to our own, working on neighbouring estates in Battersea (Surrey Lane, Somersetl. They understand the unique context of Christian ministry on council estates and have an active programme of outreach. Together we have discovered much synergy. In September 2023, after due consultation. we agreed to commence working as close partners so as to build resource across both missions. For ourselves at the Shaftesbury Christian Centre this has.. Increased our capacity to resource ServI￿S through shared leadership. Added new members to our church, thus increasing our volunteer base for outreach activities. Provided a key collaborator in our plans for sUc￿Ssion in the next year 2025-2026. Largely led by the Bridge. we have together sourced a new member of staff in the full-time role of Ministry Pioneer. The role commenced in September and their remit is to develop outreach on our estates. As well as adding resource to our current work, the partnership has initiated.. . Aweekly after schools club for Primary aged children . A weekly Zumba class for women . A weekly drop-in for young mothers. in association with Cheer Children's activities on a Sunday Page 3 We value highly our partners from other churches and missions that share our aims. And in addition to our relationship with The Bridge, the following groups work alongside us.. Led by Lighthouse Chapel, Music Academy provides music lessons for children and young people. The programme is supported by an impressive array of online video lessons for keyboard, drums, guitar, and bass. In addition, they also lead a weekly youth group and provide 1-1 mentoring support for teenagers. We continue to work with Cheer, a local charity for lone parents and their children. With their office now based at our premises. Cheer provides bi-monthly Cheer Lunches, Coffee Mornings, and Day Trips for lone parents and their children. Of note was the distribution of Christmas Hampers to approx. 40 local families in need. We continue to explore ways in which we can work together for the local good. In partnership with Compassion UK, we support the schooling of 6 children around the world (2 Ghana, 2 Ecuador, 2 Brazil). We have also funded a child survival unit in Ghana which provides health care for pregnant women whose birth is likely to be at high risk. These activities engage volunteers who each write to these children. and provides a valuable opportunity to minister beyond our local context. Summary We are pleased to report that the core of our work is in good shape and the increase in our people resource provides confidence that the work will continue to flourish and grow. This has all been achieved through the loyal support of our members, volunteers, and key partners. We anticipate that this next yearwill bring further growih and increase our local outreach. In planning the activits'es the Trustees have applied the guidan￿ on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission. Financial review During the year income decreased by £5,520, to £79,730, and expenditure increased by £13,390, to £81,230. As a result the cash held by the charity decreased by £1,500, to £88,320, of which £72,350 is unrestricted and can be used for any charitable purpose. Reserves policy The trustees have determined that the charity should aim to hold unrestricted cash of no less than £24,000 {which equates to about 3 months of unrestricted expenditure) so that the charity could continue to operate should income and l or expenditure vary adversely. At the year end, the charity held unrestricted cash of £72,350 and the charity is complying with its reserves policy. Governance Responsibility for setting policy and for making operating decisions rest with the trustees who meet regularly to monitor the activities of the charity- Responsibility for the day to day operation of the charity has been delegated to the church leadership team. New trustees are recruited and appointed by the existing trustees, by a majority vote. Page 4 Responsibilities of trustees Charity law requires us as Trustees to prepare financial statements for each accounting year which record the re￿iptS and payments of the charity for the year. We are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable us to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. We also have a responsibility to safeguard the assets of the charity and to take reasonable steps to prevent fraud or any other irregularities. Approval This report was approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by.. Brian Watts Date.. Jan 15, 2025 Page 5 INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE SHAFTESBURY CHRISTIAN CENTRE, BAThERSEA I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Shaftesbury Christian Centre Battersea ('the charity,) for the year ended 31 March 2024 on pages 7 to 10 following. Responsibilities and basis of report As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Acf)- I report in respect of my examination of the charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145{5)(b) of the 2011 Act. Independent examiner's statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect.. 1. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act., or 2. the accounts do not accord with the accounting records. 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 of the accounts to be reached. Jaimée Young stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB Jan 22, 2025 Date.. Page 6 ## **THE SHAFTESBURY CHRISTIAN CENTRE, BATTERSEA** ## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024** |||Unrestricted Funds|Unrestricted Funds||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |||General
||Designated||Restricted|Total|Total| |||Funds||Funds|Funds|2024|2023| ||Notes|£||£|£|£|£| |**_Income receipts_**|||||||| |Donations||63,685|||6,036|69,721|74,117| |Gift aid receipts
|||4,014||-|902|4,916|3,643| |Income from letting of facilities||4,931||||4,931|5,950| |Interest
159
|
-
-||||||159
-
-|29
-
-| |Other|||||||1,512| |**_Total receipts_**||72 789
6 938
79 727
85 251
a|||||| |**_Payments_**|||||||| |Payments
in
relation
to
charitable
activities undertaken directly
2
65,363
|||||||65,363|59,818| |Grants paid in relation to charitable
activities undertaken by others
3
13,875
1,988
15,863
||||||||8,013| |**_Total payments_**||79 238
1 988
81 226
67 831
a|||||| |Net of receipts / (payments) before
transfers
|||(6,449)|||4,950|(1,499)|17,420| |Transfers between funds|**5**||||||| |**Net movement in funds**||(6,449)|||4,950|(1,499)|17,420| |Cash funds as at last year end||78,799|||11,024|89,823|72,403| |**Cash funds at this year end**|A|72 350
15 974
88 324
89 823
eee|||||| The notes on pages 9-1 O form part of these accounts. Page? THE SHAFTESBURY CHRISTIAN CENTRE. BAThERSEA STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILrriES AS AT THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 UnreslriGte(l Funds General Designated funds funds Restricted funds Total 2024 Total 2023 A Cash funds Cash at bank wrth immediate access Petty cash 72,114 236 72,350 15,974 88,087 236 88,324 89,637 186 89,823 1S,974 B Other monetary assets Grft aid due to tharity 3,012 3,012 891 891 3,903 3,903 4,794 4,794 C LlabllFtles Falling due within ong year= Fee for Independent Examination Accrued expenses 1.098 4.000 1.098 4.000 3.692 4,652 5.098 5,098 D A¥sgts retsined for charity's own use Fund to which asset belongs Current value Contents and equipment General 7.000 7,000 Current values have been eskn"mated by the trustees. The property from whid) the thurch operates is owned by Livabilrty and occupied rent free. The accounts were approved by the trustees and SIgr￿ on their beha by date Jan 15, 2025 Brian Watts The notes on pages ￿10 fomi part of these accounts. Page 8 THE SHAFTESBURY CHRISTIAN CENTRE. BATTERSEA NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 1 A¢￿untIng Wl¢leg a¢¢￿ts have K*$par￿ on a rec*￿$ pa￿l￿nIS (Jwise a statement that the c*antys re¢•pis arK1 payments. a siai&ment that summarises the charivs assets and l1th1t￿S and rdaled ￿les. The ￿ profession have dete[rnIn￿ that accounts prepared In accordan￿ wlh apPI￿able accounting siatyjards present a'irue and fai¢ and. as the* re¢¥pts ¥vJ payments a¢ctyJnis have (and cann￿> be prepared in accordance wlh accounting standards. these accounts we5￿t la￿1 are not InterK￿ to IKes￿rtI a Itue ￿ far Yiew of activitie5 and slate of affairs. Genera are unresirthd fiwwjs are avaL** f(* use * the ofthe tru*ees w) I￿1h8￿￿ of th& general obje¢tNes of the £*arity. Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set asKle by the Injstees ￿ parti(xA¥ pUrTX￿. ReSt[￿ted fund5 are donations ￿lch are lo be used in a￿dance￿ilh yofic restri¢bons imposed ty don¢*s". they indude reeeNed from appeas for spetsfic athvibes or projects. un￿$￿￿ted Funds G￿￿ra t)wnaled funds funds Restricted Funds Total 2024 Total 2023 2 Payments in rdation to charitable activilies undertaken directly Pastoral rA>sIs mIn￿try costs NrAe4 40,080 2,317 8,234 8,670 2.317 8.234 8.670 6,956 6.055 4.424 1.671 Maintenan¢& of buikjiws & e9uppment Te￿phOne arKJ internel costs Accounts preparat￿￿ & examination Adminislralion and supr Olher costs 1,050 2,974 135 2.574 1.707 3 Grants and gift5 paid to other5 Organisalh)ns". Compassion UK The Bridge Church organisat￿nS < £1.(KK) 1￿MdUa 1,988 1,988 11,667 6,988 11.667 2,140 13.875 2,140 15863 725 1988 4 Transa¢tyons wlth rolaied pa￿0$ During the year. Ihe tharity pad fees ￿ paslordl setVKES totafing É40.08012023." £38.0461 io Mrand Mt5 Watts". Mr. Brian Watts is a Ituslee of the tharity and dKJ nol recewe any payment fty seNKes as a Iwslee,. payments are pwmiNed by the tharivs goveming dwmenl. A famfy member of twslee Sarah Hurt was pad £1.070 for ekclrKal swKes. payments ￿e p￿Illed by the governing d(vJment. Page 9 ## **THE SHAFTESBURY CHRISTIAN CENTRE, BATTERSEA** ## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024** |**5**|**Movement of funds**|**Opening**||||**Closing**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |||**balance**|**Receipts**|**Payments**|**Transfers**|**balance**| |||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**| ||**General funds**|**78,799**|**72,789**|**(79,238)**||**72,350**| |||**78,799**|**72,789**|**(79,238)**||**72,350**| ||**Restricted funds**|||||| ||**Compassion UK**|**11,024**|**5,852**|**(1,988)**||**14,888**| ||**Poverty relief**||**1,086**|||**1,086**| |||**11,024**|**6,938**|**(1,988)**||**15,974**| ||**Total funds**|**89,823**|**79,727**|**(81,226)**||**88,324**| **The Compassion UK fund has been set up to sponsor children via the registered charity Compassion UK, which provides holistic support to children living in poverty in 29 countries overseas.** **The Poverty Relief fund has been set up for the purpose of supporting persons in extreme financial need, at the discretion of the Pastor/Trustees.** **Page 10**