## FIVE VALLEYS CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP ANNUAL REPORT **1st April 23- 31st March 24 Registered Charity No. 1124934 www.fivevalleys.org** ## **OUR PURPOSE...** Five Valleys Christian Fellowship is a group of people that exist to: - LOVE AND WORSHIP GOD - MEET THE NEEDS OF CHURCH AND THE WIDER COMMUNITY - SEE PEOPLE BECOME MORE LIKE JESUS - JOURNEY TOGETHER IN FELLOWSHIP AS A FAMILY - REACH OUT TO THOSE THAT DON’T KNOW JESUS YET AND SHARE THE GOOD NEWS HE HAS DONE IN OUR LIVES ## **OUR PROGRESS...** - This year we have continued to grow and develop as a church together and find new ways of connection as well as growing in our journey with God. We want to be a church that strives to serve the Lord in all aspects, both together as a community and individually in our lives. - We have held regular Sunday morning services where we have a time of praise and worship and bible teaching for all ages. These include communion services, worship services and joint services with other local churches. We want these times together to be accessible for all people and ages and have dedicated times for the children in the church. We regularly have ‘Connect Sundays’ which are a time for members of the congregation to meet up on a Sunday morning for a more informal time of fellowship and connection. We encourage people to arrange social events and activities with other members of the church. - We held weekly mid week events which include prayer meetings, bible studies and dinners in people homes. These are a time to explore the richness of our faith in Christ and grow as disciples through study and prayer. - As a church we believe eating together creates fellowship and we place a big importance on carving these times out. We host regular breakfasts and dinners, mixing up hosting these for everyone, and having children focused events. - We host specific men’s and woman’s events throughout the year including retreat days, weekends away, social events and Bible studies. - As a church we place a big focus on our children and youth. We want to create a space where they can connect to Christ at their level. We do not want to separate them from the rest of the church family and so often on a Sunday we put on services which they can interact and engage with within the context of the whole church family. We also put on children specific activities such as breakfasts, bible studies and social events like bowling and mini golf. - As the children in our church are growing up we have created a youth group for the older children where they can look more deeply at the Bible and how this impacts their lives as they grow up. This is called Five Valley Lions. ## **OUR PROGRESS...** - This year we continued with our annual weekend away. The weekend away is an extended time of fellowship, bible study, worship and connection. We place a high value on this time. We want to help people carve out good quality time with one another in the midst of busy every day lives. A lot of planning and organisation goes into this weekend and almost all members of our congregation are able to attend. This weekend is pay-as-you-can for all our members as we never want cost to be a barrier for anyone to come along. - Throughout the year we put on a number of social events for our members, these include walks, afternoon teas, games afternoons and sport events. - We encourage our members to also get involved in their local communities and have had a particular focus with supporting two members of our community to help grow and develop Ruscombe Chapel which is a small village church just outside of Stroud. We have helped these members run coffee mornings, village lunches and Sunday services from this chapel. We want to use our skills and giftings to serve this community. - We have joined with two other local churches to help run an Alpha Course. The Alpha Course is a series of sessions that explain the basics of the Christian faith. - Our pastors continued to support members of the fellowship who needed pastoral support. As well as our pastors providing this support, we also encourage all of members to support each other throughout the year. - Just as important as all this is the unseen relationships that go on between everyone in our fellowship as people love each other and live their lives together as family. ## **OUR FINANCES...** - We started 23/24 in a good financial position and this continued throughout the year, mainly due to some large donations given at the start of the year and a larger gift aid payment which came in this year. The trustees and leadership team pledged to be generous with the financial gifts that we were given. - During the financial year to 31st March 2024 total income was £87,587. £44,275 was from church member donations. Gift aid totalled £40,979 and events income totalled £2,069, with bank interest equalling £264. - Expenditure was £63,083 leaving a positive excess of £24,504. The majority of expenditure falls on staffing and event costs. - At the end of the year cash funds stood at £141,876 which leaves us in a very positive financial position as we move into 24/25. - The Trustees are pleased that during this financial year the accounts were positive and we increased cash reserves moving into 23/24. Heather Conboy continued as bookkeeper 22/23. Matt Gorman stepped down as treasurer and Jo Mansell stepped into this role as Chair of Trustees. ## **OUR STRUCTURE,** ## **GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT...** During this period the church was structured as follows: - **Senior Pastors** – Steve and Katrina Woodcock are Senior Pastors of the church - **Leadership** – Steve Geers, Anne Geers and Rachel Woolcomb served on the leadership team. - **Trustee Board** – the main role of the Trustee board during this period was mainly financial stewardship and charity governance, and not strategic leadership or spiritual oversight. This includes financial administration, and implementation of policies and procedures, including Safeguarding, Data Protection, Health and Safety and Financial policies. - The Trustees during this period were Jo Mansell (Chair from June 2021), Sharon Mansell, Antony Woolcomb and Pippa Birch (stepped down in June 2023) - The Trustees continued to meet during this year, to ensure any potential financial, health and safety or safeguarding issues could be resolved. - Thankfully there were no major negative issues that need to be reported to the Charity Commission. ## **ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION...** Five Valleys Christian Fellowship (Five Valleys) is a registered charity ( **charity number 1124934** ) covering the whole of the Five Valleys area. The administrative address during this period was Five Valleys Christian Fellowship, c/o Sharon Mansell, Garden Cottage, Lower Newmarket Road, Nailsworth, GL6 0RW. As a church we are members of Churches in Community International. Our Senior Pastor, Steve Woodcock is accredited by this nationally recognised body. CIC provide us with love and support. http://www.cicinternational.org During this period RiverView Portfolio, Chartered Management Accountants supported us with our financial strategy, policy and accounts. http://www.riverviewportfolio.co.uk During this period Thirtyone:eight helped support us with our Safeguarding Policy https://www.ccpas.co.uk/ Flve Valleys Chrlstlan Fellowshlp Accounts to 31" March 2024 Registered Charlty Number: 1124934 Five Valleys Christian Fellowship Accounts to 31" March 2024 Contents Page Independent Examiners Report Receipts and Payments Account Notes to Accounts Approval of accounts Riverview Portfolio Ltd l Market Hill, Calne, Wiltshire, SNII OBT Five Valleys Christian Fellowship Accounts to 31° March 2024 Independent Examinerf5 Report to the trustees / members of Flve Valleys Chrlstlan Fellowshlp I report on the accounts for the year ended 315r March 2024 whlch are set out on page 2. Respective responsibilities of tru5tee5 and examlner The charity's trustees are responslble for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charitie5 Act 20111"the Act). The charlty trustees conslder that an audSt Ss not required for this year (under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 of the Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to., examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charties Act, to follow the applicable Directions 8iven by the Charity Commission lunder section 1451Sllbl of the Act, and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basls of Independent examlnerfs report My examination was carrled out in accordance with 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 record5. It also includes consideration of any unusual items 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 to whether the accounts present a 'true and fairf view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. Independent examlnerfs statement In the course of my examination, no matters have come to my attention which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements: accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records I have no concern5 and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which my attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached, Shannon Bennett MAAT Riverview Portfolio Ltd Chartered Management Accountants l Market Hlll Calne Wlltshlre SNII OBT th 24 July 2024 Riverview Portfolio Ltd l Market Hill, Calne, Wiltshire, SNII OBT Five Valleys Christian Fellowship Accounts to 31" March 2024 Receipts and Payments Account Unrestricted Restrirted Funds Funds Total 2024 Total 2023 Incoming Resources Donations- Gift Aid Donations- General Income tax recovered Events Income Bank Interest £44,075 £200 £40,979 £2,069 £264 £87,587 £44,075 £200 £40,979 £2,069 £264 £87,587 £130,769 £0 £5,376 £3,146 £56 £139,347 Payments Farnily Camp & Event Expenses Teaching Resources Staff costs Refreshments Conferences and Venue costs Travel Costs Printing, Postage & Stationery Professional Services Training Costs Subscriptions Insurance Gifts & Entertaining Donations Bank Charges Disposal of Assets £2,851 £556 £40,846 £739 £3,008 £2,951 £349 £1,893 £534 £2,389 £362 £1,968 £4,464 £175 £0 £2,851 £556 £40,846 £739 £3,008 £2,951 £349 £1,893 £534 £2,389 £362 £1,968 £4,464 £175 £0 £63,083 £5,759 £434 £25,563 £1,727 £2,784 £3,608 £1,369 £17,698 £75 £2,312 £298 £5,232 £8,986 £118 £1,060 £77,023 £63,083 Excess of recelpts over payments £24,504 £24,504 £62,324 8ank current and cash accounts I, A ril '23 Plus movement in period Bank current and cash accounts 3151 Mar '24 £118,975 £22.901 £141,876 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES Cash funds HSBC Current Account HSBC Money Manager Event Funds Cash Tin-Ann Geers £126,088 £1 £15,489 £298 £141,876 Fixed assets Five Valleys £20,004 Riverview Portfolio Ltd l Market Hill, Calne, Wiltshire, SNII OBT Flve Valleys Christlan Fellowship $1 Accounts to 31 March 2024 Approval of Accounts These accounts have been presented to the trustees and members of Five Valley Christian Fellowship. The trustees and members have approved the accounts for the period ending 31" March 2024. In approval the accounts have been signed and dated by two authorised trustees or members Name (please print) Signature Date Name (please print) OAKJ Signature Date o¢W /,, It02 Riverview Portfolio Ltd l Market Hill, Calne, Wiltshire, SNII OBT Five Valleys Christlan Fellowship Account5 to 31 March 2024 Notes l. The financial statements of the Five Valleys Christian Fellowship have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 using the payments and receipts basis. Riverview Portfolio Ltd l Market Hill, Calne, Wiltshire, SNII OBT