HWMC Report for Annual Church Meetng on June 29[th] 2025
– To cover Connexional Year September 2024 August 2025
WORSHIP:
During this past year we have enjoyed some interesting and thought-provoking services and we thank all who come to lead our worship. Our numbers have remained constant, now usually around 30 and we have been delighted to welcome new worshippers, particularly some of our friends from Gidea Park MC and we are pleased that they all feel at home with us. We celebrated Harvest Festival and Rev Robert led our Church Anniversary celebrations. We used the ‘Hush the Noise’ liturgies from the Methodist Church during Advent and Christmas, in our beautifully decorated church. The Christmas music was joyful and we were treated to solos and duets from classical performers who are friends of the Maginleys. The annual Christmas Concert given by the new Dimension Choir attracted more supporters and we were pleased to host the annual circuit New Year Social on January 4[th] , following which Rev Robert Maginley led our Covenant Service, when we were delighted to welcome friends from Trinity MC. We hosted a Guides ‘sleepover’ in honour of Thinking Day on February 22[nd] , which was followed by a Parade Service next morning, led by Rev Eleanor Jackson. From the beginning of Lent through till Pentecost we followed the theme of a Methodist Way of Life. In the month of June we were delighted to welcome the families of two little girls, one from Gidea Park MC and the other from Trinity MC and to witness their baptisms. When Robert is able to lead our worship, we enjoy the short talks given by his wife, Shirley.
From concern that we find it difficult to meet for a prayer time an online Prayer Group was started, with prayer suggestions from Monday to Friday. Included are the Methodist Prayer handbook Bible readings and daily hymn from Singing the Faith. Currently there are 21 participants, though not all from HWMC. All communications are sent via ‘blind-copy’, so that no one knows who else is involved and members have the option to unsubscribe at any time. Each day offers a prayer suggestion for people or events locally or within our country, while world events are also included. Suggestions for people and situations to pray for are welcomed and included.
We continue to be thankful to our two Stewards, Evie Song and Pamela Coles, together with our Sunday helpers, Ann Barnes, Barbara Pyle, Beatrice Dwamena, Marilyn Robinson and Yvonne Weston, without whom it would not be easy for us to function.
PASTORAL: Our current membership stands at 32. We gained a member by transfer at the end of the last Connexional Year but, sadly, lost one of our longtime members, Iris Wood, earlier this year. Some of our stalwarts down the years are now in care homes and others are unable to leave their homes to come to worship, but Robert and Evie visit faithfully, as often as is possible, taking Communion to them. Renee Francis keeps in regular contact by phone and mail. At the start of each week everyone unable to attend the Sunday worship who has Internet access, is emailed a copy of the service sheet, which they can use to follow the worship and also keep abreast of what is happening at HWMC.
PROPERTY and PREMISES: Our vast premises continue to be overseen by Alan Pyle, who calls in tradesmen when needed. This past year this has included the usual annual checking and servicing of the boilers and fire extinguishers. At the close of the previous Connexional Year our church boilers
were replaced. During the year, the top corridor, plus those between our upper and lower premises, were repainted, as were all our toilets, which have lightened and brightened our premises. A tall fence within the pre-school garden, which adjoins our neighbours in Gubbins Lane, has been installed, to safeguard the security of the children who play there. In addition, some of the lower branches of the conifer trees which greatly overhung our premises, were removed. We thank Alan for all he does, together with Yvonne and Stuart Weston, who, with some help from Kean Song, continue to keep our gardens in beautiful condition. Our grounds have looked particularly spectacular this spring. It has been a delight to enjoy the magnificent blossom on our church trees this spring.
‘ ’ TOTS & CO : This group continue to be very busy, with more than 20 children each week, together with their accompanying adults. Despite this the atmosphere is calm and relaxed, with the young ones enjoying riding on the bikes, scooters and other toys, plus the cherished slide. The four-week rotation of activities in the Schoolroom continues, as do the story and songs to close the morning. Before the December close, the church welcomed the Tots group for the annual Christingle service. We thank the team of Yvonne, Stuart, Sonia, Jane, Anne, Kay, Linda and Steve, with occasional welcome help from Rosemary and Leslie Banks, for their devotion to keeping this church group afloat.
WESLEY GUILD: This group continues to meet on Monday evenings, but as there are now quite a number of our friends from around the Circuit who come along, the name has been changed to Wesley Guild @Harold Wood. As usual members have enjoyed a variety of talks, games, quizzes and activities, with several guest speakers to lead on occasions. Our thanks go to Leslie Banks and John Adams, for their devotion to keeping this group going.
TUESDAY LUNCH CLUB: The weekly two-course dinners produced by Ann and Sonia’s teams continue to be enjoyed by the guests. The teams have had some challenges, with various members having to take time out for different reasons, but the meals have continued and we would like to offer our heartfelt thanks everyone who helps, including the guests who willingly help with the clearing to lighten the load for the two teams. Following last year’s D-Day Landings 80[th] Anniversary Cream Tea, another was held during May to commemorate the VE Day 80[th] Anniversary celebrations, both of which were greatly appreciated and enjoyed. During the long summer break the volunteers come in to give the kitchen a thorough clean, in readiness for the following year and we were delighted when their diligence earned our kitchen a Grade 5, following borough inspection.
GUILDONIAN PLAYERS: Our in-house drama group continues to produce 3 plays per year, which vary in type but which are enjoyed by their patrons. The slickly-performed comedies by modern playwright Ken Ludwig continued to amuse and delight as were their performances of ’84 Charing Cross Road’ by Helene Hanff and ‘Goodnight, Mister Tom’, by Michelle Magorian, which included young people from the Store Room Youth Theatre, was sold out. Our church continues to be grateful for the help and support round our premises which members of the Guildonians are happy to give.
Pamela Coles
RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS - SEPTEMBER 2024 TO AUGUST 2025
| Receipts | Payments | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | General Accounts | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | General Accounts | 2024-25 | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||
| Gift Day | 970.00 | 23,150.00 | Circuit Contributions | 23,800.00 | |||
| 1,602.34 | Tax Refund/Gift Aided | 1,700.35 | 80.00 | Circuit Donation | 2,500.00 | ||
| 1,210.10 3,785.61 4,380.00 |
9,375.71 | Sunday Offerings: - Envelopes - Cash - Standingorders |
1,287.70 4,763.35 4,250.00 |
10,301.05 | 67.48 394.87 148.35 |
Office Expenses Sundries Preacher’s Expenses TMCP Admin Fees |
59.99 416.09 30.00 |
| PRF Refund | 5,753.59 | ||||||
| 1,261.37 | Interest from CFB | 1,153.41 | 288.72 | Christian Copyright Licence | 297.86 | ||
| 2,861.37 | Interest from TMCP | 2,712.28 | Gifts for Housebound | ||||
| 365.00 | Weddings & Funerals | 77.00 | Gift Donations | 13.50 | |||
| 180.00 | Donations | 800.00 | 200.00 | Audit Fees | 200.00 | ||
| Bank’s error on 04/2/25 | 0.20 | 1,800.00 | Solicitors Fees | 624.00 | |||
| 6,253.29 | Bequests – JF | Surveyor Fees | - | ||||
| TMCP Admin Charges(Sep-Aug) | 198.31 | TMCP Admin Charges(Sep-Aug) | 198.31 | ||||
| Transfer out of TSB | 30,000.00 | 26,206.42 | Transfer to CFB | 30,000.00 | |||
| 21,899.08 | Total: | 53,589.19 | Total: | 58,139.75 | |||
| 72,894.74 | B/forward | 68,587.40 | |||||
| 94,793.82 | Total | 122,176.59 | 68,587.40 | Balance in Account | 64,036.84 | ||
| Property Accounts | Property Accounts | ||||||
| 1,460.00 | 27,275.00 | External Organisations & HTN | - | 26,927.00 | 3,644.16 | Repairs & Maintenance | 4,377.69 |
| 2,675.00 | ParkingDonations | 2,895.00 | 9,132.73 | New Equipment | 3,575.91 | ||
| 2,320.00 | Hire of Halls | 2,160.00 | 4,997.61 | Gas & Electricity | 7,993.54 | ||
| 20,820.00 | Preschool | 21,852.00 | 1,644.14 | Everflow | 1,579.48 | ||
| HTN(for 2024 and 2025) | 20.00 | 814.08 | Telephone – XLN(Daisy) | 389.12 | |||
| 542.24 | Refuse Waste – PF Ahern | 570.19 |
| 2023-24 | Property Accounts | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | Property Accounts | 2024-25 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||
| 12,833.29 | Donation from Church Groups: | 2,113.00 | Wages – Cleaner on PAYE | 1,994.40 | |||
| 125.00 | - WesleyGuild |
150.00 | 3,430.16 | Church Insurance | 3,693.24 | ||
| 6,000.00 | - Guildonian Players |
6,000.00 | 517.18 | HMRC - Tax | 651.60 | ||
| 1,500.00 | - Table Tennis Club |
- | Telephone - BT | 362.66 | |||
| 1,600.00 | - Tots & Co. |
1,450.00 | 240.00 | Organ/Piano Maintenance | 16.51 | ||
| 3,608.29 | - TuesdayLunches |
3,430.54 | |||||
| 1,483.90 | Fundraising& Donations | 795.00 | |||||
| UtilityRebate | - | ||||||
| 41,592.19 | Total: | 38,752.54 | 27,075.30 | Total: | 25,204.34 | ||
| 47,012.65 | B/forward | 61,529.54 | |||||
| 88,604.84 | Total | 100,282.08 | 61,529.54 | Balance in Account | 75,077.74 | ||
| Benevolence Fund | Benevolence Fund | ||||||
| 5.00 | Communion Offerings | 0.00 | 0.00 | CommunityOfferings | 0.00 | ||
| 232.20 | B/Forward | Total: | 237.20 | 237.20 | Balance in Account | 237.20 | |
| Appeals Account | Appeals Account | ||||||
| 156.50 | Action for Children | 163.00 | 156.50 | Action for Children | 163.00 | ||
| 175.00 | Easter Offerings | 96.00 | 175.00 | Easter Offerings | 96.00 | ||
| 146.50 | Christian Aid | 230.00 | 146.50 | Christian Aid | 230.00 | ||
| LeprosyMission | 145.00 | LeprosyMission | 145.00 |
| 2023-24 | Appeals Account | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | Appeals Account | 2024-25 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||
| 100.00 | Water Aid | 100.00 | 100.00 | Water Aid | 100.00 | ||
| 578.00 | Total: | 734.00 | 578.00 | Total: | 734.00 | ||
| 0.00 | Balance in Account | 0.00 | |||||
| SUMMARY OF BALANCES IN HAND |
SUMMARY OF BALANCES IN HAND |
||||||
| 68,587.40 | General Accounts | 64,036.84 | 17,891.45 | Central Finance Board Account | 32,698.80 | ||
| 61,529.54 | PropertyAccount | 75,077.74 | 51,442.74 | TSB Current Account | 42,920.75 | ||
| 237.20 | Benevolence Account | 237.20 | 61,019.95 | TMCP Account | 63,732.23 | ||
| 0.00 | Appeals Account | 0.00 | |||||
| 130,354.14 | Grand Total: | 139,351.78 | 130,354.14 | Grand Total: | 139,351.78 | ||
CHURCH RECEIFfs AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS THE METHODIST CHURCH STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS chUh FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 August 2025 ROMFORD Ck¢utt Clr¢ult n 36132 R•gl•t•r•d Charlty. Charlty R•91•10n numb•r If not 8 wlstered chartty HI• MaJ•W• R•v•nu• and Cu8tom8 Glft Ald numb•r 10 HMRC number18 •qulval8nt to a rngiBtered L**iiy numbor kn tom)s of O¥Klence of tharltab status and may be used to to donor8 or grant funders wshlng to see evldence of the organb6atlon's charftable Status. Methodist tharfties In England and Wa18s that arn nol registered charftles are excepted from r8glstrall(xJ under Statuw Instrument 2014 No.242) 1127228 Mlnlstor. The Reverend Dr El&8nor Jackson Church Stewar(ts: Evol>m S9 Treaser. Eln Sory 1rf5
HAROLD WOOD METHODIST ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR DED 31 AUGUST 2025 Church SECTIOM A Fund• 81 RECEIPTS a2 Offedn Bank CF8 Inlerest and Inveslment ITm8 03 18 4,122 37.958 1.595 85 1,595 62,341
J,751 63h96 TOTAL RECEIFryS (47) SECTION B b1 PAYMENTS A88888mert ty Shwe b2 b3 Donakns 614 77 Re oTh1 Malnnanc• Uttlths Ilnsur8rLce8. watsr cha . healln b5 b7 otPw pa78n TOTAL PAYMEKrs 4,174 4174 53,344 2.148 53,282 Ib91 SÉCTION C NET RECEivf3ipAYMEMTS OR THE YEAR c1 10.214 Total fuTrJ• ty19h1 fryTrrd frtyn lasl or sub totsl c14c2 Tr8n81•rg •nd ad UJIMts TOTAL FUNDS AT END OF YEAR (c3+e4) 138,763 139,352 {cB) 130.3 (c61 SECTIOM D FOR INFORIAATION ONLY: MONEY RECEIVED AND PASSED ON ro EKfERPW ORGANNTrONS Ih••• •mounts 4w• notto b• Indud•d In totsl r•c•l d1 BanCe l)ro ht forrd from kqst d2 578 d3 734 578 BALANCE STILL TO BE PAIO Id1+d243 2of5
HAROLD WOOD mHoDIST 3EeTTh E IMTERN 10 Td•4¢o In W•• 381 t7 17 130 •YCHURCN 137347 147,294 TOY* CLI)¥0 B• 17 130 •1t TOTALCAIH FUNOBHÉLDBYCIKVI (xl 176 12 Jrfs
Namè ol Church . . H4rotd Wood Melhodlst Church Declarations and Scrutiny I confirm that these Receipt and Payment based accounts for the year lo 31 August 2025 have been prepared from the records of (he Church and that Ihey indude all lunds under tha control of the Church Iruslé8S. Signature ol Irea$urer Name and address of treasurer . Evelyn Song 6 Alhelslan Close. Harold Wood. Romfofd RM3 OQJ Presentatlon to the Chur¢h trustees I confirm Ihal Ihe annual report and accounts for Ihe year ended 31 August 2025 werelvl" psented lo the meeting of the Church Injsleès held on J.?....S.. Signature ol the Chair of the meeling Name of Ihe Chair of the meeting Revd DT Eleanor Jackson Independent Examlner's Report to the Trustees of the HAROLD WOOD METHODIST CHURCH Charlty Numbof . 1127228 Responslbllltles and basls of roport I report lo Ihe Iruslees on my examinalion of the a¢counis of the Harold Wood Melhodisl... . Church for tha year ended 31 Augusl 2025 set out on pages ..Iio As the Church's trustees. you are responsible lor Ihe preparation of the accoLtnts in accordance wlth the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 1.the Acl')- l report in respp¢l of my examination of ihe Church's accounts carried out under seclion 145 of the Act and. in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Direclions given by the Charity Commission under section 145151{b) of the Acl. 4015
Name of Church . HAROLD WOOD METHODIST CHURCH Independent Examiner's Statement I have ¢ornpleled my 8xamination. I confirm that no malerial matters have com8 to my attention in connection with the examination lolher than that disclosed below") which give me cause to believe that in, any material respect: the accounting records were not kept in accordan with section 130 of the Act; or the accounts do not accord with the accounts'ng records. I have no concerns and have come a¢ross no other malters in Gonneclion with the exarninalion to which alt8nlion should be drawn in this report in order lo enable a proper underslanding of the accounts to be reached. I havelhave not. obtained independent verification of all investments with the TnJstèes for Melhodisl Church Purposes or held in other trusts, bank balances and funds at Ihe Central Finance Board of th8 Methodist Church which are individually in excess of £10.000 {ten thousand pounds) al the balance sheet date. Signature of independent examiner Name of independent examiner .hfv.o. R<(L L L.w..&.LL.A rt?J..... Relevant professional qualification of independent examinei Name of fim (there appropriat81 Lestoit Courts Limii•d T..!:.('.oti[ts.&.L(%. 'tt i.:.l(.r?;I feryitied ArKDuntants Address . Irfrlll.*mi(-. iorJEfr' (:I.i{I IJAI j Post Code Date delete or circle as appropriate 5of5