Halesworth Community Church
Registered Charity No. 1125417
Report and Accounts
For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
Halesworth Community Church Report and Accounts Year ended 31[st] March 2023
Contents
| Page 2 | Legal and Administrative Details |
|---|---|
| Pages 3-6 | Trustees’ Report |
| Page 7 | Independent Examiner’s Report |
| Page 8 | Receipts and Payments Accounts |
| Page 9 | Statement of Assets and Liabilities |
| Page 10 | Notes to the Accounts |
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Halesworth Community Church Report and Accounts Year ended 31[st] March 2023
Legal and Administrative Details
| Charity name | Halesworth Community Church |
|---|---|
| Address for | 6 Princes Green |
| correspondence | Halesworth, Suffolk |
| IP19 8DP | |
| Registered Charity | 1125417. The charity was registered with the Charity Commission on 7th |
| Number | August 2008 |
| Governing Document | Trust Deed dated 1stMay 2008 |
| Objects | (a) To advance the Christian faith in accordance with the Statement of |
| Beliefs appearing in the Trust Deed in Halesworth Suffolk and in such other | |
| parts of the United Kingdom or the world as the Trustees may from time | |
| to time think fit and to fulfil such other purposes which are exclusively | |
| charitable according to the law of England and Wales and are connected | |
| with the charitable work of the Trust. | |
| (b) To relieve sickness and financial hardship and to promote and preserve | |
| good health by the provision of funds, goods or services of any kind, | |
| including through the provision of counselling and support in Halesworth | |
| and in other parts of the United Kingdom or the world as the Trustees from | |
| time to time may think fit. | |
| (c) To advance education in accordance with Christian principles by such | |
| means as the Trustees may consider appropriate in Halesworth and in | |
| such other parts of the United Kingdom or the world as the Trustees may | |
| from time to time think fit. | |
| Trustees | The Trustees who served during the year were: |
| John Sparkes (Pastor) (served until 22ndJuly 2022 when he | |
| passed away) | |
| Stephen Hall | |
| David Sillett (Chair) | |
| Tim Sparkes (Pastor) |
|
| Julie Gorton (Secretary) |
|
| Jennifer Basey-Fisher | |
| Bankers | Barclays Bank PLC |
| Leicester | |
| LE87 2BB | |
| Independent | John Helm ACA |
| Examiner | 17 Heathville Road |
| London, N19 3AL |
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Halesworth Community Church Report and Accounts Year ended 31[st] March 2023
Trustees Report
The Trustees have pleasure in submitting the Report and Accounts for the year to 31[st] March 2023.
Government
The policy and operating decisions of the charity rest with the Trustees who meet regularly to monitor the activities of the Church. New Trustees are appointed by the existing Trustees of the church.
Conflict of interest policy
This was reviewed during the year and the Trustees decided that the present procedure was adequate. When the payment for pastoral services is reviewed annually it is discussed and decided only by Trustees who are not remunerated by the Trust and who are not related to anyone who is remunerated by the Trust. Those Trustees who are remunerated or who are related declare an interest and leave the meeting while the remuneration is discussed.
Activities, Achievements and Public Benefit
In planning the activities of the church, the Trustees have applied the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission in September 2013.
1. Church Meetings
The Trust has continued to run a Community Church, and everyone is welcome to attend our Sunday morning meetings. At the year end we had 20 members and average attendance for the year was approximately 20 – 25. We regularly welcomed visitors and friends of the church, especially during holiday times. Junior church is available when visitors and friends of the church attend with children. A Zoom link continues to be provided for friends and members of the church who are not able to attend in person. This continues to work well and is appreciated.
Special services were held at Christmas, Easter and Harvest.
In addition to our Sunday morning meetings, we hold weekly prayer meetings and members of the church have continued to meet and pray together regularly in small informal groups.
2. Pastoral Care and Wider Support
The leadership meet regularly to discuss the running of the church and pastoral issues. As a church we continue to seek to serve those who approach the church for help and several people have continued to look to the church for support. There have been several new contacts which have been made during the year via the church website. These include Christians from the UK and abroad as well as people with no faith. Apart from running our website, we do not advertise in any other way so those who come for help do so because of recommendations by those who have been helped.
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Halesworth Community Church Report and Accounts Year ended 31[st] March 2023
Trustees’ Report
Support is offered via phone calls, emails, Zoom conversations and visits to the area. Much of the support is offered on a regular ongoing basis and this results in real and permanent changes in people’s lives. We have been pleased to be able to welcome visitors to the church during the year.
An Understanding Yourself Step One course was run in Cratfield from 10[th] – 12[th] June 2022. There were 13 attendees, and the course was greatly appreciated by all who attended. Ongoing help has continued to be offered to those who have attended courses in previous years.
3. Website
Online church resources continued to be available via the website throughout the year, including recordings of the Sunday talks, podcasts and written teaching materials. The ‘Understanding Yourself’ sections of the website continued to be well-used.
Although the number of website visitors dropped following the end of the pandemic, the website visitor figures were consistent throughout the year.
4. General Data Protection and Safeguarding Regulations
The annual review of our Data Protection policies was carried out in June 2023, and the policies were updated. The information held by the Information Commissioner’s Office is current.
The church’s safeguarding policy and procedures have been updated in line with the current guidance from Thirtyone:Eight. Appropriate training has been carried out and the Trustees are all aware of current safeguarding practices.
5. Development
It has been a year of transition for the church following the passing of the Pastor, John Sparkes, on 22[nd] July 2022. The Assistant Pastor, Tim Sparkes, who had already taken on increased responsibility for the church, has taken over as the Pastor. He has continued to be paid for one day a week for consultancy and pastoral services to the church and this will be reviewed in the coming year.
The church has continued to welcome visitors and those seeking help and the church has grown in it’s depth of relationship with one another and with the Lord.
6. Financial Review
6.1 Financial Activity
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The church reports a net surplus of £19,742.
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Payments - the cost of running the church for the year was £29,930, a decrease of £13,229 on the previous year. This is due to the cessation of payment to John and Merle Sparkes from September 2022. A gift of £1,500 was given to Merle Sparkes in November 2022 in recognition of her long years of service and her ongoing support for the work of the church.
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Halesworth Community Church Report and Accounts Year ended 31[st] March 2023
Trustees’ Report
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Tim Sparkes has continued to be paid for consultancy and pastoral services to the church for one day a week at a cost of £10,279 for the year. The Trustees have agreed that Tim should investigate the possibility of working an additional day in the church from either Easter or September 2023. This is under discussion.
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In order to continue to publicise awareness of the Church in the local community, advertising cards were placed in the library and newsagent’s windows advertising the church meetings and website. In addition, the church is advertised on the Findachurch website.
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The Trustees have expressed a desire to support local charities in the area who seek to alleviate poverty and need in the town. It was decided that a twice-yearly donation of £200 be given to the Waveney Foodbank and a monthly donation of £70 to the Dementia Carers Fund. The first gift to each organisation was made in March 2023.
-
The church held three special collections during the year. Gifts of £204 were made to Open Doors in May, £110 to the Missionary Aviation Fellowship in August and £337 to Tearfund in October.
6.2 Financial Position
The balance held at 31[st] March 2023 was £48,411 in the current account and £12,652 in the Business Premium account, totalling £61,063.
The reserve amount of £12,500 had been moved to the Business Premium Account in November in order to gain interest on the money.
6.3 Reserves Policy
The Trustees consider that, given the nature of the church’s work, free reserves should be equivalent to approximately 3 months’ routine general fund expenditure, plus a reserve to cover anticipated annual deficits. The Trustees are of the opinion that this provides sufficient flexibility to cover temporary shortfalls in incoming resources and will allow the church to cope and respond to unforeseen emergencies. At 31 March 2023 the church had net free reserves of £61,063 as follows:
| Cash balances Free reserves requirement: 3 month’s budgeted routine expenditure |
2023 | 2022 £ 41,302 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | |||
| 61,063 | |||
| 11,457 | |||
| 12,500 | |||
The free reserves requirement has remained at £12,500 and this amount was moved to the Business Premium Account in order to gain interest. However, at the present level of giving we do not foresee a deficit in the next two years.
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Halesworth Community Church Report and Accounts Year ended 31[st] March 2023
Trustees’ Report
6.4 Outlook
With large amounts provided by a very few donors the Trust remains vulnerable to unforeseen fluctuations in line with the fortunes of its donors. However, at the present time the income of the Trust is sufficient to cover the anticipated expenses for the next financial year and allow potential future development. The level of giving during the year 2022-2023 has covered the expenditure on pastoral services and there is the capacity to increase payment to Tim Sparkes for two days per week.
7. Trustees’ Responsibilities
Charity law requires us as Trustees to prepare accounts for each accounting year which record the receipts and payments of the charity for the year. The trustees 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. The Trustees also have a responsibility to safeguard the assets of the charity and to take reasonable steps to prevent fraud or any other irregularities.
8. Approval
This report was approved by the Trustees on 30[th] October 2023 and signed on their behalf by:
David Sillett, Chair of Trustees
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Halesworth Community Church Report and Accounts Year Ended 31[st] March 2023
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees
I report on the account of Halesworth Community Church for the year ended 31 March 2023, set out on pages 8 to 10.
This report is made solely to the Trustees in accordance with section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act). My independent examination has been undertaken so that I might state to the Trustees those matters I am required to state to them in an independent examiner’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by the law, I do not accept responsibility to anyone other than the Trustees for my independent examination, for this report, or the opinions I have formed.
RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TRUSTEES AND EXAMINER
The Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this period (under section 144(2) of the Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
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Examine the accounts (under section 145 of the Act);
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To follow the procedures laid down in the General Direction given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Act); and
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To state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
BASIS OF INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S STATEMENT
My examination was carried out in accordance with General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the Trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S STATEMENT
In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
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:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the church as required by section 130 of the 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 applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 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.
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.
John Helm ACA 1 November 2023
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Halesworth Community Church Report and Accounts Year Ended 31[st] March 2023
Receipts and Payments Account
| Notes Receipts Donations under Gift Aid Tax refunds under Gift Aid Other Donations Other Receipts Interest received Total Receipts Payments 2 Church activities Gifts Paid Governance Total Payments Net Receipts Cash balances brought forward Cash balances carried forward |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total 2023 Total 2022 £ £ £ £ 32,854 0 32,854 39,628 8,962 0 8,962 8,331 7,558 281 7,839 6,039 |
|---|---|
| 49,374 281 49,655 53,998 17 0 17 0 |
|
| 49,391 281 49,672 53,998 |
|
| 27,329 0 27,329 41,848 1,870 281 2,151 861 450 0 450 450 |
|
| 29,649 281 29,930 43,159 |
|
| 19,742 0 19,742 10,839 41,302 0 41,302 30,463 |
|
| 61,044 0 61,044 41,302 |
The notes on page 10 form part of these accounts.
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Halesworth Community Church Report and Accounts Year Ended 31[st] March 2023
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
| Assets Fixed Assets Equipment (insurance value) Debtors Gift aid receivable Bank Balances Liabilities Total Net Assets |
2023 £ 1,400 8,221 61,063 450 70,234 |
2022 £ 1,400 8,957 41,302 - |
|---|---|---|
| 51,669 |
The accounts were approved by the Trustees on 30[th] October 2023 and signed on their behalf by:
David Sillett Chair of Trustees
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Halesworth Community Church Report and Accounts Year Ended 31[st] March 2023
Notes to the Accounts
1 Accounting Policies
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis with a statement of assets and liabilities.
2 Payments
| Notes Church activities Pastoral Services 3 Insurance Copyright Licence Data Protection Thirtyone:eight (previously Churches Child Protection Advisory Services) Advertising and Publicity Website Miscellaneous Gifts Made Governance Accounts Examination |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds 2023 2022 £ £ £ £ 25,629 0 25,629 40,400 414 0 414 414 329 0 329 280 35 0 35 35 130 0 130 129 22 0 22 419 0 0 0 122 770 0 770 49 27,329 0 27,329 41,848 1,870 281 2,151 861 450 0 450 450 29,649 281 29,930 43, 159 |
|---|---|
3 Pastoral Services and Trustees
The Trust has no employees. The amount for Pastoral Services referred to above is the grant paid to John and Merle Sparkes for leading the church and to support them in their wider Christian work. In addition, a payment for consultancy, assistance and other activities as required to support the pastoral ministry of the church for one day per week was made to Tim Sparkes.
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