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2024-12-31-accounts

Annual Report & 2024 Financial Statement 1

Table of Contents

Table of Contents ............................................................................................... 2 Annual Report 2024 .......................................................................................... 4 Charitable Objective ............................................................................................... 4 A Message from our Church Secretary, Mark Harris................................... 5 A Message from our Moderator, Martyn Cook ............................................ 6 Organisational Structure ................................................................................. 8 Charity Trustees ........................................................................................................ 9 Our Leadership Team ........................................................................................... 10 Church Life ......................................................................................................... 11 Pastoral Care ............................................................................................................ 11 Children and Young People ............................................................................... 12 Community Fun Day ............................................................................................. 14 Schools work ........................................................................................................... 14 Communications and Technical ....................................................................... 15 Worship and Discipleship ................................................................................... 16 Administration .................................................................................................. 18 Church Facilities ...................................................................................................... 18 Health, Safety & Environmental Health ......................................................... 19 Safeguarding Report ............................................................................................ 19 Community ........................................................................................................ 20 Stepping Stones ..................................................................................................... 20 Lunch Club................................................................................................................ 22 Friends and Fun ...................................................................................................... 23 Table Tennis ............................................................................................................. 23 Mission Support ..................................................................................................... 23 Lettings ...................................................................................................................... 27 Finance Report ................................................................................................. 28 General ...................................................................................................................... 28 Specific Projects...................................................................................................... 28

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Budgets ...................................................................................................................... 29 Reserves ..................................................................................................................... 29 Capital Expenditure ............................................................................................... 30 Risks ............................................................................................................................ 30 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 30 Balance Sheet .......................................................................................................... 31 Independent Examiners Report ........................................................................ 32 Statement of Financial Activities ...................................................................... 33 Notes to the Accounts ......................................................................................... 35

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Annual Report 2024

The Charity Trustees1 present their Annual Report and Financial Statement for 2024. The Charity, called Gorse Hill Baptist Church2, has been registered in the Central Register of Charities since 29th December 2008.

The Charity registration number is 1127294.

Charitable Objective

The Charity is governed by a Constitution, which states that the purpose of the Church is the advancement of Christian faith according to the principles of the Baptist denomination. The Charity may also advance education and carry out other charitable purposes in the United Kingdom and/or other parts of the world.

Public benefit

The Trustees have paid due regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit in deciding what activities the charity should undertake. The Trustees consider that they have acted for the public benefit.

The Church occupies premises which are held by The West of England Baptist Trust Company (West) Ltd, on Trusts which are entirely compatible with the above objective.

1 ‘ Trustee’ mainly refers to the Minister/Treasurer/Secretary and Deacons, i.e. those who are involved in the day-today operation of the Church. Where this is the case, the term used in this report will be ‘Deacons’ or ‘Diaconate’.

2 Referred to in this Report as ‘the Church’

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A Message from our Church Secretary, Mark Harris

Back in 2022 we had a church motto text from Joshua 1:9. ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go’ . Personally, it’s a verse that is pinned to a board on my desk and as a church I believe it has been seen to be true in 2024.

2024 has seen change in the trustees of the church with both our

Secretary and Treasurer at the start of the year needing to step down at the AGM having served for many years. Both had provided a legacy to build from, which Becky (Treasurer) and I (Secretary) have been immensely grateful for.

It has also been a year that has seen us as church continue to seek for the right person to act as our minister. This leading role remaining vacant has provided both challenge and opportunity. There is challenge in seeking to maintain the many activities and services provided through the church, such as preaching, leading services, children’s work, youth work and sharing more widely in the local area. What has been encouraging is to see how the church continues to respond to these challenges and face into the opportunities with a desire to share all that we have been blessed with as a church.

Our vision continues to be “Knowing God, to make Him known”, learning more of God and seeking to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others. We support this through our 10.30am Sunday services, with age-appropriate classes for children and young people. On the first and third Sundays of each month we have a prayer-focused evening and a Bible teachingfocused evening. We have been blessed by a wide range of visiting speakers, who have brought us God’s message in a variety of styles. Our congregation on Sunday mornings continues to increase in diversity, representing a wide range of ages, cultural identities and Christian experience. We have also been able to make the most of the more flexible seating we now have, on occasion breaking into smaller groups.

We have continued to meet for prayer on the first Saturday of each month and, through our ministerial vacancy, we have also been meeting on the third Saturday of each month to focus on praying for the right person to fulfil that role with us.

The Church runs several house groups across the town which meet regularly. As well as studying the Bible, discussing our faith and getting to know each other better, these groups provide pastoral care and other support to those that attend.

A natural outcome flowing from our vision, worship and teaching is outreach into our community. Trusting that ‘…the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’ Joshua 1:9 supports us in our aim of helping make God known. Later in the report you will find more information about the many ways we do this in and outside the building, across a wide range of ages, from food bags to fun days, so please take the time to read on.

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A Message from our Moderator, Martyn Cook

As I said in my report last year, many churches stand still during a pastoral vacancy, awaiting the appointment of a new minister. This means that, in reality, the church goes backward as the world moves on. I am very pleased to be able to again report that since Revd Steve Robinson retired in June 2022, this has not been the situation at Gorse : Hill Baptist Church. The church has continued to move forward in t developing its many activities for the benefit of both the church and the local community. The church is a warm and welcoming church, which means that visitors who do cross the threshold are encouraged to return. Visitors attending Sunday morning worship services continue to be warmly welcomed and, as a result, are drawn to become regular members of the congregation. It is encouraging to report an increase in membership.

The many and varied activities of the church continue to develop and expand, both those that are “outward facing” serving and providing benefits for the local community, eg. Bags of Hope Community Fridge, Cookery Classes, Drop in Cafe, English Lessons, Lunch Club, local schools - both in school and visits to the church. These are all part of our mission. In addition, there are the inward facing activities, e.g. children’s and young peoples’ activities, Band of Brothers, Friends and Fun and many others.

All these activities provide the opportunity to share the Gospel and talk about Jesus. That is the challenge we all face: to use the opportunities we have to talk to those who do not know or understand who Jesus is and what Jesus means to us who do know Him. We are working to become better disciples.

I have visited the Community Café on several occasions and spoken to people who say how grateful they are for somewhere to come to be ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all supported, helped, encouraged or to simply be able to sit and talk. For your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters’ Col 3:23 some it is the only time they get out of their home to meet and talk to other people. This offers the opportunity for volunteers and helpers to develop new friendships which means people are more open to hearing the Gospel when being told that Jesus loves them.

A lot happens here at GHBC every week and month, and it requires time from members and friends to enable them to happen. A large number of people help in ways both big and small. Every little helps - not only in enabling them to happen but in building friendship, relationships, encouragement and building God’s family here in Gorse Hill.

Church Building

A great deal of work was carried out over 2024. Details are in the Facilities section of report. We are blessed in having a Facilities Manager who has expertise in maintaining the buildings. After

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an extended time under scaffolding, everyone was delighted when the repair work on the church roof was completed on budget and the scaffolding finally removed.

Diaconate

Working with the new Diaconate during the last year has been encouraging, as each of them has taken on new and different responsibilities for a particular part of church life. They have worked together, encouraged and supported each other, which has enabled and encouraged the church to move forward.

Pastoral Vacancy

It has been encouraging to work with the Search Team in receiving and considering the profiles of ministers who have applied to be the next minister of GHBC. It has been a learning process, with its encouragements and disappointments.

Looking Forward in 2025: Being a disciple of Jesus means more than worshipping together on a Sunday and listening to sermons that challenge us. Therefore during 2025 I want to challenge and encourage the Church to:

I thank God for his continued faithfulness to His Church, and for the faithfulness of this Church fellowship to Him, and that it will continue in building God’s Kingdom here in Gorse Hill.

Yours sincerely

Martyn Cook

Martyn Cook, Moderator

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Organisational Structure

In accordance with the Constitution, the members appoint Charity Trustees, which include the Minister, Church Secretary and Treasurer, collectively known as the Diaconate. They are responsible for the day-to-day management and oversight of the Church’s operations, together with the financial and legal aspects of the Charity. All Charity Trustees are aware of the specific guidance issued by the Baptist Union and the Charity Commission and have confirmed that they will act in accordance with such information and directives.

The Trustees have appointed Martyn Cook as moderator during our time of ministerial vacancy, to help guide us through the process of searching and selecting a new minister. The members and broader fellowship have been involved in producing our Church Profile and minister specification. A search team has been created to work through receiving and processing applications, then bringing suitable applicants to the membership.

With the exception of the Minister, all Deacons are elected for an initial period of up to three years, after which they are eligible for re-election for two further terms of three years. They are then required to step down for at least one year, before being eligible for reappointment.

Members of the Church are accepted in accordance with the constitution, through a personal profession of faith in Christ and are people:

The Church has a policy of open membership where, at the discretion of the Members’ Meeting, a person may be accepted into full membership following public profession of their faith. The list is constantly being reviewed to reflect members who have left but not resigned. At Christmas 2024, the number of members stood at 121.

The Church continues to review its organisational structures, processes and activities to deliver its objectives. We meet together on a regular basis, as elected leaders and as a gathering of committed members, to seek guidance and direction from God through prayer.

Matters for consideration by the Members’ Meeting may be tabled by the Deacons or by members. Though the Constitution permits decisions to be made at Members’ Meetings by appropriate majorities, the Church seeks to work by consensus wherever possible.

All members are encouraged to take an appropriate part in the spiritual and practical tasks involved in the furthering of the Charitable Objectives. This is explained to all prospective members in a personal interview.

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Charity Trustees

Minister

Pastoral vacancy since 10 July 2022.

Secretary

Shirley Westall (resigned March 2024 – Full term completed) Mark Harris (appointed March 2024)

Treasurer

Ian Burbidge (Resigned March 2024 – Full Term completed) Rebecca Tromans (appointed May 2024)

Deacons

Elizabeth Mildenhall (re-appointed March 2022) Gary Prictor (re-appointed March 2022) Julie Harris (re-appointed March 2023) Vicki Payn (re-appointed March 2023) Rebecca Tromans ( re-appointed March 2023) Matthew Wright (appointed May 2021) Jonathan Murphy (appointed March 2024) Peter Morris (appointed March 2024) Abigail Corry (appointed March 2024)

Finance Team

Rebecca Tromans - Treasurer and Accounts Paul Collins - Payroll Julie Harris - Gift Aid, Income and Banking Peter Morris - Assets and Inventory Beverley Bolt - Internal Audit (appointed March 2022) Brian Mildenhall - Utilities Manager

Property Trustees

The West of England Baptist Trust Company (West) Ltd Little Stoke Baptist Church Kingsway Bristol BS34 6JW

Banker

Lloyds TSB Bank PLC Swindon Branch 5 High Street Swindon SN1 3EN

Independent Examiner

James Gare

Monahans Chartered Accountants Hermes House, Fire Fly Avenue, Swindon, SN2 2GA

Solicitor

Wood Awdry and Ford 3 St Mary Street Chippenham SN15 3JL

Registered Address: Gorse Hill Baptist Church, Cricklade Road, Gorse Hill, Swindon SN2 1AA

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Our Leadership Team

In 2024 the members elected a new Secretary but initially needed to second an existing Deacon to oversee finance in the absence of a Treasurer. This was rectified in May of 2024 when we seconded and appointed an existing Deacon as Treasurer. This gave us a Diaconate team that consisted of 8 Deacons, a secretary and a treasurer for the remainder of the year.

The Deacons met monthly, except during August, to receive reports, act within agreed and delegated guidelines and make recommendations to the membership. The team had away days in May and November, though due to financial limitations, these were held at the Church. These

sessions enabled the new team to align the areas outlined in the image on the left with activities across church life and agree diaconate responsibility for each area.

These areas of Church Life have become a focal point at Members Meetings in 2024 where we have been able to update the members on an area at each meeting. This has supported the sharing of key information, opportunities to be involved more and areas for prayer focus.

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Church Life

Pastoral Care

The Care Team mission statement comes from Jesus’ words in John 15:12 “My command is this, love one another as I have loved you.”

Pastoral care at GHBC exists to encourage, promote and develop within the church Christ’s principles regarding love for one another. The team meet regularly to discuss care needs within the fellowship and for those coming into the building during the week. The aim is to:

Sometimes Pastoral Care is a hospital visit or a chat over a cup of tea. Sometimes it is a group of people working together to sort a difficult problem

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Children and Young People

Children and adults work together to present the story of Jesus’ birth

Regular Sunday Morning Groups: Creche, Kidzone and Inferno:

On Sunday mornings our children and young people join the main service at the start, then leave to go to age-appropriate groups for around 45-60 minutes. We run a creche for our youngest members, from birth to 3-4 years old.

In Kidzone we are getting around 20 children each week. In the last year, numbers in the 4-7 age group have increased, so we often get 10. Many are children that have come through from crèche. We have similar numbers in the juniors group. We are encouraged to see an increase in regularity of attendance.

Our current teaching scheme builds week on week, with children being encouraged to explore

ideas. In the main it is chronological, with each lesson linking back to God and His love for us. It continues to remind the children of God’s big plan for us, and that everything in the Bible leads us towards Jesus’ sacrifice for us.

We have amazing teachers who are totally committed to our church children, and I would like to take this time to thank them for another year of commitment to sharing God with our Kidzone children.

Inferno Youth Bible Study

Our Inferno youth Bible study group is a place of prayer, learning, and encouragement. Each session, we pray for one another, offering caring support and strengthening our faith as a community.

We have studied the books of Galatians and John, exploring what the Bible teaches about faith, grace, and following Christ. Through discussion and reflection, we seek to deepen our understanding of God’s Word.

Inferno also challenges us to live lives that glorify God and serve others. We are encouraged to put our faith into action, making a difference in our homes, schools, and communities.

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Our Regular Friday Groups

These groups continued to grow in popularity, with several children and young people transitioning up to the next age group at the start of this academic year.

CFC (Children's Friday Club): is for primary-aged children and runs early on a Friday evening. New leaders have been recruited, along with some young leaders of secondary-school age. The children enjoy a variety of crafts, games, a Bible story and prayer each week. A large portion of this club is made up of children from the local community.

Ignite is our Friday night youth group, providing a safe space for young people to hang out, chat with friends and build strong connections. Open to all in school years 7-13, it’s a welcoming environment where everyone can relax and have fun.

We enjoy a variety of activities, including games and themed nights like ‘Ready, Steady, Cook,’ which bring creativity and excitement. Regular meet-ups with other youth groups in the area help foster a wider sense of community.

Our tuck shop is run by the young people themselves, empowering them with responsibility and leadership skills. Ignite continues to be a fun and supportive space for all.

Pram Club: is a weekly, term-time toddler group, which is open to anybody with preschool aged children, at a cost of £1 per family per session. 2024 has seen both new and returning families attend, with approximately 20 children each week. They take part in activities such as

free play, craft, song time and bike time. It’s been a privilege to build relationships with these families and be able to share Gods love with them.

----- Start of picture text -----
Slaving over a hot stove together
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Seasonal Events: these run at key points in the Christian calendar and focus on inviting families from the local community to share with us and learn something of our faith. As well as our summer Fun Day (described below) we ran ReCreate sessions at Christmas and Easter - an event that has been running for many years. All ages are invited to attend for

a variety of themed crafts, followed by a story in the main church room, and a light lunch together. On average we see around 30-40 children with their parents or carers at this event. Our Light Party proved popular and was valued as a safe, positive alternative to Halloween. In December, alongside our Sunday Advent services, we held a Christingle service on one Sunday afternoon. This was well attended by a good mix of church regulars and newcomers.

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Community Fun Day

Our 14th Community Fun Day was a fantastic event, bringing together over 1,500 people for a day of enjoyment, connection, and celebration. With everything completely free, families and individuals were able to fully participate without any financial burden, ensuring an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere for all.

All ages working together

One of the highlights of the day was the incredible sense of community spirit. From games and activities to food and entertainment, people of all ages came together, creating a

joyful and uplifting experience. It was also a great opportunity to share the good work that our church does throughout the week, supporting those in need and fostering a caring community.

The event was enriched by the involvement of other charities, who showcased their efforts and provided valuable resources and information to attendees. Their presence reinforced the importance of collaboration in making a lasting impact.

We were also honoured to have the local fire service attend,

engaging with families and providing safety awareness. Their participation added an educational element to the day and was greatly appreciated.

Having fun in the sun together

Overall, the Fun Day was a resounding success, strengthening community ties and highlighting the power of generosity and shared purpose. A huge thank you to everyone who made it possible!

Schools work

We continued to enjoy a positive relationship with our local schools and support them in providing RE. We join up with Florence Street Mission Hall to provide 10 assemblies per term in 8 local primary schools and it is always encouraging to receive an enthusiastic reception by both staff and pupils. Each assembly contains a Bible story, a song, a period of meditation and an explanation/application of the story. Many of the assemblies this year were around the theme of ‘Miracles’. The scripts are written by the team and are acted out, as this is found to keep the children engaged. In many schools the assembly is repeated and adjusted to suit Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 and all are carried out in accordance with guidelines set by SACRE (Standing

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Advisory Committee for Religious Education in Swindon) and link into the National Curriculum for RE. Approximately 2,500 pupils are present at these assembly sessions each term.

It's good to take a break from exploring the Bible Christmas story to design and bake your own mince pie

We were able to welcome Year 5 and 6 pupils into our building to take part in the Investigating Easter and Christmas Unwrapped presentations. At Easter we had 300+ children and adults from 5 schools, who engaged fully with investigating for themselves the Bible story of Easter and finding out about the Christian symbols of the Cross, Baptism and Communion; at Christmas this increased to 6

schools and approximately 360 people. Among the positive feedback from staff were the following comments : ‘I’m sure they understood the Bible story better, as they were asking a lot of questions to deepen their understanding.’ ‘Lots of practical and

interactive; multisensory, great!’ ‘The children have really enjoyed their session and learned about Christmas in a fun, engaging way.’

In the summer, we provided 180 Scripture Union ‘It’s Your Move’ booklets to the Year 6s of 3 local primary schools. These were presented on our behalf by Janet from Florence Street Mission Hall, as part of events to prepare the children for their move to secondary school.

Communications and Technical

As with previous years, this year we have continued with our hybrid services, due to demand. We still have a significant number of people who watch our services online either exclusively or when they are unable to attend in the church building. For those who may miss the live Facebook feed, video and audio recordings are available on the church website and on YouTube, with sermons uploaded as podcasts on Apple Music and Amazon Music.

A number of projects have been conducted this year, which include installing the new sound desk and video cameras; additional TV screens showing relevant information have been set up in the Bright Room, Cricklade Hall and facing into the street. Various updates have been made to the website, including refreshed content, the ability to see room bookings and a revised menu structure. This all helps to make our website more useful to the public, as well as members of the church.

The GHBC Weekly Newsletter and GHBC prayer emails have continued to be crucial in keeping everyone up to date, providing us with channels for important information.

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As well as hybrid church services, we have continued to conduct hybrid members’ meetings, allowing people to attend virtually if they have trouble physically attending. This has been a great success, allowing audience participation and interaction from within the church or at home.

Worship and Discipleship

Band of Brothers

Band of Brothers continues to run regular and well-attended events for the men in the church, including curry nights and skittles evenings. Just recently they have introduced a pub ministry, which takes place after the Sunday evening services, the hope of which is to encourage more men to attend these services and then meet up informally afterwards to build up their friendship and faith. In addition to the regular meet-ups there are several men who attend a national men's event called The Gathering, which happens annually near Swindon.

Flourish

During 2024, Flourish ran two events for the women in the church, a walk and a Christmas crafts evening. There are already a variety of events planned for the whole of 2025.

Church Weekend Away

In July this year, about 45 people from the church went away and spent the weekend together having fun and getting to know each other better. It was a fantastic time full of chatting, playing games, eating

A chance to stay up late into the night getting to know each other

food, enjoying lots of laughter and worshipping together. Another Church weekend away has been booked for 2025.

Home Groups

The aim of home groups is to provide a less formal environment for people to meet, study the Bible, get to know each other and support each other in growing our faith. Our groups continue to run regularly and be well attended. Nearing the end of the year there has been more of an appetite from people to join a group, so we continue to pray that, in 2025, more people would be willing to lead and host some new groups and more people would attend.

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Sunday Morning and Evening Services

These continue to be the main times when our congregation comes together to worship God and learn more about Him. Our Sunday services this year have been supported hugely by visiting speakers, but we have also really valued and appreciated those within the church who have continued to support us with their preaching and teaching. While the morning services are the busiest time, with a wide variety of ages attending, the twice-monthly evening services are quieter, more reflective and more

focussed on deeper teaching and prayer. Communion has been re-introduced into the evening service once a month, after a long absence.

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Administration

Church Facilities

To comply with Health & Safety regulations, annual inspection/servicing of key facilities items were carried out to: boilers, thermostatic mixing valves, fire alarm system, emergency lighting and kitchen appliances, electrical equipment and fire extinguishers; rodent inspections were regularly carried out, to help maintain a high standard of hygiene; the kitchen grease trap was cleaned; a separate ‘deep clean’ of the kitchen was completed, including a service of our kitchen extraction system.

Decorating Works : External front and back timber doors were repainted; decoration works to Cricklade Hall and the Sanctuary were touched up, including internal handrails; the one remaining pew received a makeover to smarten it up.

Major Roof Works Completed: Having carried out roof survey works and developed detailed design solutions for the Parapet covering details in 2023, 2024 was the year to employ a roofing contractor to carry out these works. This was done successfully, despite at times, very bad weather. In addition to parapet repairs, we completed:

The value of these works is £50k. We acknowledge with gratitude generous funds received from a legacy donation from the estate of John Webb, plus a grant of £3k from the Benefact Trust.

Other New Works Completed:

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Repair Works :

Health, Safety & Environmental Health

The Compliance Team continued to grow in numbers in 2024, with much valued existing team members supported by new additions, who brought a new zeal and energy to an oftenunexciting part of church life!

2024 saw us continue to work across all areas of Health, Safety & Environmental Health, but saw a particular focus on re-examining our procedures to comply with the COSHH Regulations 2002.

The team continues into the new year with an intention to evaluate and update all of the Church’s Health Safety & Environmental Health policies to ensure sufficiency and effectiveness in serving the church into the future.

Safeguarding Report

A safeguarding situation was raised to the Safeguarding Team, it was referred to the relevant authorities who carried out an independent investigation and determined no further action should be taken. DBS are continuing to be approved and updated as required.

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Community

Stepping Stones

2024 has been a very busy year in which the Stepping Stones project has continued to see an increase in demand for all our services. Matthew Chapter 25 verses 35-40 explains exactly what the team aims to achieve each day.

“For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger, dimrs and you invited me in, I needed clothes, and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

We aim to demonstrate God’s love in action to all the people that we meet each week and are in

a very privileged position to be able to see daily God at work in people’s lives and the impact this has.

Our Boxes of Hope project continues to see an increase in demand. We work very closely with many agencies around Swindon and take referrals from many professionals for families that are struggling around the town. In 2024 we delivered 2334 food parcels, feeding 3244 adults and 3408 children. Since we started, we have delivered a total of 12,516 food parcels, feeding 17,921 adults and 21,964 children.

All our food parcels are delivered by an amazing group of volunteers from church who aim to get alongside the families and build relationships with them. All food parcels contain Christian literature and information about events that we are running at church.

Our text for the Boxes of Hope project is Psalm 33 verse 22: ‘Let your unfailing love surround us Lord, as our hope is in you alone.’

The Community Fridge is open three days a week from 11am-2.00pm. Volunteers pick up food waste from many of the supermarkets around the town, which would have previously gone to landfill. The food is redistributed among our many customers. On average we have between

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130-150 customers every day that the fridge is open, with our busiest day seeing 214 customers. Ethnicity data collected from these customers shows people who originated in 85 countries. In 2024 we had 21,993 visitors to the Community Fridge and prevented 59.5 tonnes of food from going to landfill. Since opening the fridge in June 2021we have had 60,898 visitors and have prevented 171.2 tonnes of food going to landfill - a massive achievement. The fridge is a fantastic way of getting people into the church building on a regular basis. We are getting to know our regular customers eS well and are now at a point where we have some good : « so og id GES. 2 | relationships with them, giving us many opportunities to get ONG a alongside them and share our faith. Some of our customers have attended church activities such as Lunch Club, Pram Club, Friends and Fun, Table Tennis, with some of them have attending Sunday services. This year we have prayed with some of our customers and all of our volunteers, and we have given one of our volunteers a Bible.

Our Drop-in Café continues to be used as a Warm and Welcome Space for Swindon Borough Council. We are open twice a week from 11am-2pm. We offer a cup of tea/coffee or Hilliers Funeral Service sends supplies for soup and a roll for 50p and customers are welcome to stay as the Fridge long as they like. Many of our customers have made friends while visiting us and arrange to meet each other regularly at the café. Many agencies regularly attend the Community Fridge to offer advice and support. Citizens Advice Bureau, Healthwatch, Thames Water, Swindon Carers, Staff from Great Western Hospital, Gamblers Anonymous, the local PCSO and the Live Well Team all offer their advice signpost them to other services for support. We offer a free book swap and pre-loved clothes table.

Hilliers Funeral Service sends supplies for the Fridge

We have additional volunteers who regularly attend the café and sit with our customers, getting alongside them, befriending them and chatting with them. We offer opportunities for prayer on a regular basis and have a prayer table.

Over the last year we have run many regular adult learning classes.

Students learning English

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We have been encouraged by feedback we have received from outside agencies who have observed what we are doing, for example ‘Our observations suggest the Community Fridge is an essential asset - an integral part of the Community and a life-line to many. This initiative offers essential companionship to those suffering isolation and loneliness something far greater than just a Community Fridge where people who are struggling to afford food can visit’ .[3]

We have been extremely fortunate during the last year that we have been awarded enough grant money to be able to continue the services that we offer. We never cease to be amazed at how the Stepping Stones project has grown and evolved and continue to be excited at the way God is working in and through us every day. We pray that we may be open to God’s leading and continue to work for Him in our local community.

Lunch Club

Lunch Club diners enjoyed their Christmas Lunch

Lunch Club meets regularly during term-time on a Tuesday lunchtime and is open to anyone who wishes to join us. We provide a freshly cooked, 2-course meal for £5, offering good value with

generous portions . During the year we have been able to stay within our budget and have donated the excess to the church, thanks in part to donations from the Stepping Stones team and the rent-free facilities!

Our customers welcome the chance to meet old and new friends and value this opportunity to socialise while eating a nutritious meal. Many customers live alone and can be lonely without groups such as this. Others rarely cook, so this is often the only hot, freshly cooked meal they eat all week. As most of our customers are regulars, we are able to build good relationships with them and invite them to Church events.

Lunch Club provides the Church with opportunities to engage with people who may not otherwise come into our building or meet with Christians. We always aim to share the love of Jesus though our words and actions. Every week we have a brief Christian ‘point to ponder’ and we say grace before we eat.

Currently we have about 20-25 customers a week.

3 I Stewart, National Highways

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Friends and Fun

Friends and Fun meets once a month on a Monday afternoon, offering a variety of activities such as craft, quizzes and colouring, plus refreshments and a chance to socialise. It is open to anyone who wishes to attend. It is funded by the 50p fee and donations of stamps and food.

Every month a newsletter is sent out with a Christian message, which keeps a connection with those who, through age and infirmity, are no longer able to attend this event. This letter is a source of comfort and friendship, and many respond to say what an encouragement the letter is to them.

Table Tennis

The Table Tennis Group meet for 2 hours every Monday morning to play table tennis and meet others. Numbering on average 6-10 people, they support each other and welcome to newcomers. The weekly fee is £1, with all the money being donated to Mary’s Meals, to help feed children around the world.

Lunch Club, Friends and Fun and Table Tennis continue to regularly provide a social outlet for dozens of people to forge and build relationships within the Church, coming alongside each other for fun, fellowship and encouragement. The tapestry of Church relationships would certainly be less rich of it were not for the faithful service of these two ministries and their teams.

Mission Support

The Church’s Mission & Outreach teams look forward to each year of serving God and fulfilling the Church’s vision statement: “Knowing God, to make Him Known.”

The Church Mission Committee continued to administer a significant proportion of Church funds as tithing to other charitable Christian organisations in places as far apart as central Swindon and rural Nepal, reflecting the Church, our beliefs and our faith. In addition to separating out an agreed proportion of

our regular income, appeals throughout the year raised further funds from the whole fellowship for Operation Agri and three Tear Fund Emergency Appeals; our Christmas appeal for a nutrition programme in Burundi, managed through Tear Fund, projects chosen and supported by our children and young people to support the education of children in Costa Rica – see details below. These allow contributors, from the very young to the elderly, to see the very real impact

23

of their donations on the lives of some of the neediest in the world. Details of the amounts given are in the Finance section.

We gave to the following Christian causes: Home Mission Fund (Webnet), Baptist World Mission, Swindon Youth for Christ, Leprosy Mission, Tear Fund, Centre Mokili, Educación Plus, Angel’s Orphanage, and Night Shelter (aka The Haven).

Many individuals from the church support a wide range of causes directly, and such support is not recorded in our accounts.

Elsewhere in this report you will read of many other examples of our outreach. Collectively, this represents our calling to share the gifts we have been given by God with those both near and far.

Webnet/Home Mission provides a wide range of support to Baptist Churches across the UK. This includes support to retired ministers and technical advice to churches, such as legal advice, HR and property services. New churches can receive support and many community projects take place because of the financial support ae Sg ys aa ~S Coaet given by Webnet.

The Baptist World Mission (BMS) tackles the injustice and suffering of the deeply disadvantaged in desperate places around the world. They work to see the flourishing of people with the fewest opportunities, who are the furthest behind and most excluded.

Paul and Sarah with the new graduates

We have a close link to Baptist missionaries Paul & Sarah Brown, praying for them and welcoming them to our church when they are in the UK. Paul & Sarah work directly with those in Thailand whose lives have been difficult and challenging, giving hope for a better future.

Swindon Youth for Christ is now a resource centre offering support to youth workers across Swindon. They work in partnership with local churches and communities, bringing hope to thousands of young people in Swindon each year. We have supported this charity for many decades.

The Leprosy Mission is a global organisation leading the fight against leprosy. Following Jesus Christ, they seek to bring about transformation, breaking the chains of leprosy and empowering people to attain healing, dignity and life in all its fullness. Leprosy Mission is focused on goals of zero leprosy transmission, zero leprosy disability and zero le prosy discrimination. Their work

24

includes diagnosing and treatment, reconstruction, plus caring for disabled people, fighting stigma and advocating for change, and pioneering research. From time to time, representatives from TLM visit us to preach and update us on their work.

Tear Fund is a charity that partners with churches in more than 50 of the world’s poorest countries. They tackle poverty through sustainable development, responding to disasters and the challenges posed by global warming, and challenging injustice. They believe an end to extreme poverty is possible.

Centre Mokili is a medical centre in Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It has its roots in the Baptist faith and our connection with them spans many years. The people of the DRC have suffered years of extreme poverty and violence, which sadly continues to this day. Centre Mokili provides much needed health care, including a maternity unit. Our support is used to buy essential medicines, normally every other month, through a scheme first established by international governments to ensure safe medicines are supplied. Over recent years more than 4,000 patients have received essential medication provided by our donations.

Educación Plus works in the shanty towns in San José, Costa Rica. Our connection with them goes back many years. Their focus supports young people gain access to education and an alternative to street life, drug addiction and drifting into one of the many gangs that persist. The cost of education is often too much for poor families - uniforms, books, pens, pencils all have to be

Children wearing the uniforms bought

paid for. Educación Plus helps with these costs. They run “summer camps” and regular youth meetings, where young people can develop healthy attitudes and resilience. This year our children chose to support Educación Plus with their weekly offerings to buy uniforms so two children could go to school.

Members of our fellowship went out to support Angel’s Orphanage and the promotion of Freedom Kit Bags

Angel’s Orphanage is a special family in Nepal. Initially 22 children were brought together and, for the past 16 years, have been supported by a small local UK charity. The children are a mix of true orphans, given up children and those rescued from the streets. They are now thriving young people on the verge of independent adult life full of opportunity and hope. Some of our congregation went out in the spring to work with and support an outreach to women in the area, promoting ‘Freedom Kit Bags’, enabling them to gain freedom from the difficulties experienced by them during menstruation.

25

Swindon Night Shelter (also known as The Haven) offers a safe, warm and secure place to spend the night for adults who have nowhere else to sleep. They run a day centre where people can get a good breakfast, buy food at heavily reduced prices and take part in various activities. Everyone is accepted and treated with dignity. In a world of homelessness, addiction, fear, rejection and marginalisation, The Haven comes alongside the needy to show that somebody does care. They aim to minister to the spiritual needs as well as the emotional and physical needs of the homeless and vulnerable by being a visible testimony of Jesus Christ. They work closely with churches and individual Christians in Swindon and the surrounding area.

This year our Christmas Appeal supported a Tear Fund programme in Burundi to bring much improved understanding of nutrition and its vital role in the early years of life. From “miracle porridge” to knowledge and effective monitoring, to kitchen gardens and self-help groups, local communities and churches are coming together to address the huge problem of malnutrition.

26

Lettings

Lettings have remained much the same as in 2023, with three Brazilian churches regularly hiring our main church.

Our bookings have increased during daytime

hours, as we have been running a number of sessions through the Adult Learning Hub. The

exact courses can change but they use our building for 2-3 groups on a regular basis.

We continue to have a regular slimmers’ group, a number of one-off hires for parties and other churches hiring for get togethers.

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature:

Date: 18[th] March 2025

27

Finance Report

In accordance with the Charity Constitution, an annual budget has been completed for both Income and Expenditure. This was approved by members in the January 2024 meeting, along with a plan for the following four years, to enable effective financial planning. The 2025 budget was approved in November 2024 meeting.

General

The Church raises the funds that it needs to continue with its activities from donations provided by the membership and congregation. The annual income has improved from last year by £12,059.77 which is in part a reflection of more people attending on a regular basis, and existing members reviewing their own regular gifts. It has also been assisted by lettings income of £21,865, together with the continued rental of the manse, totalling £13,485.20. The Church was in receipt of 3 bequests during the year, totalling £15,625.55. This has been highlighted to the members throughout the year, as well as being part of the AGM and budget setting process.

The Church has continued to be without a minister or youth worker throughout the entirety of the year.

The Church has seen continued expenditure for the upkeep of the building totalling £87,618.14 and to local ministry of £9,989.36.

The Church has continued to donate 10% of its income by donating a total of £16,980.00 to national and international organisations and charities which have Christian aims and objectives compatible with the Church’s own charitable purpose. The committee continues to work closely with a number of organisations which are listed in the accounts and regularly communicates their activity to the fellowship through a variety of different methods.

The church is heavily dependent on its membership working as volunteers in all aspects of its activities, many of which run with little to no impact on the Church’s expenditure, but contribute significantly to the achievement of its objectives. There were no significant “gifts in kind”, although some members covered minor costs personally.

Specific Projects

The Boxes of Hope project has received funding of £18,635.92, including grant funding of £18,000 from Swindon Borough Council to provide food parcels. As noted above, this is in addition to numerous gifts of food and other supplies from the congregation and local supermarkets. There were approximately 300 hours of volunteer time every week buying, packing and delivering the bags to the local community. In addition, the delivery and collection

28

drivers’ donate around 350 miles per week. The project spent £24,189.29 in year on provision of food and suppliers to the residents of Swindon.

The Stepping Stones Project has received funding of £120,398.81, of which grant funding accounted for £118,056.10 in year. In addition, the project for the first part of the year continued to work in partnership with Swindon Night Shelter and Gorse Hill Salvation Army to support vulnerable residents in the South Swindon parish area. This is funded by a grant received by the parish, and Stepping Stones received £47,306.01 to cover their part of the project, although this ceased in the summer of 2024. The project employed 4 part time staff (1.4 FTE) during the year to deliver various aspects of this work. Grants received in support of these projects cannot be used to support the running costs of the church; these are still met from the general funds of the Church, although some grants do allow an element of recharge in relation to electricity and photocopying costs.

Over the course of 2024, both the Boxes of Hope and Stepping Stones project have received additional grant funding to enable the projects to continue and assist Swindon with the cost-ofliving crisis and help with reducing food waste within the town through the Community Fridge.

Budgets

The Deacons have undertaken a review of Church activities and, with the assistance of former treasurers, have set a 5-year budget that will keep the church in a healthy financial position. There has been no minister or youth worker in place during 2024, which has meant that budgets have managed to have an increase in spending; however, this is under review in monthly Deacons’ meetings. Expenditure still requires the approval of the Treasurer before being incurred and of the Church membership at regular Church meetings.

Reserves

The Church maintains levels of reserves to meet its immediate needs, in particular stipends/salaries for the employees and the running costs of the premises. Sums are accumulated to facilitate specific projects and future strategic development, as agreed by members. The Church Reserves Policy is that it will maintain funds equivalent to 6 months of regular expenditure, and action needs to be taken should the reserves drop below this level. This policy is also applied to the Stepping Stones/Boxes of Hope projects. The policy is reviewed annually by the Diaconate.

The Deacons have noted the General Fund balance of £250,665.23 and have assessed this against the level of potential commitments from 2025 to 2029. It will continue to be reviewed at Deacons’ meetings.

29

Capital Expenditure

The healthier position of the Church’s reserves has assisted with increasing dedicated capital requirements. These include works to update the manse, church buildings and updating the AV and IT equipment. Over the course of 2024, a total of £67,204.14 was spent on this work and an additional amount of £29,980.00 has been set aside for 2025 expenditure.

Risks

The Deacons have assessed the major risks facing the Church and are satisfied that there are policies and insurance in place to mitigate these risks. The policies include internal financial controls with advance approval thresholds set at Treasurer and Diaconate levels; items costing in excess of £750 will require members’ approval, outside of usual utilities or regular expenditures.

Conclusion

The financial results for the year, together with a summary of the accounting policies adopted are set out in the accompanying Financial Statements.

30

Balance Sheet T•ngibl• F*xed Ass• 12 1.850,OLX).00 1,8so,c#)Dc#J Retavables B￿k￿j f•sh 9,S87 40 478.501.01 488.088.41 12.635.15 353.80151 366.496.66 14 Current iiabiliiies Payatyes unts falling due wrthin ¢t)e 15 I19.1￿2.41} 120,430.201 Net Cvirent Assets amDunts falllng due after one veal 467,658.21 346,$0425 Pay0t￿e5 16 1317.658.21 2.196.S0425 Chaiitèble Funds Vnre#riaed Restricted Designèted 17 2,1Tr).665.23 155.809.22 61,183.76 2,012,S35.75 90.214.62 93.753.88 ie 19 2.317,65821 .196.504 The acc(MnPanyi￿ note5 form an integral part of these 8c£wnts o. These actounts opproved bythe Twstees on and $1gned on Ihwr behall by /&l(u/zozs MTS RebeLu Tromans Treasurer Mr Maik HJiris SKretory 31

Independent Examiners Report INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF GOASE HILL BAPTIST CHURCH ACCOUlffS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 lo the ryexarnnicffl of tre ￿UrtS oftre thlrch IC￿ the 4whth CO[TWr￿ ts sta{￿nI ol Actmlès Bala￿ aTrJ R•$ponslbllltl•s and ba$1$ of rnport As Ihe churth's trusls yc4J are crf tre &£owts with trp r8]￿emen1S ol trE CFwTties P£t 201111FE Pd'l. I repyt n Tpsrt ot ry exarnnat￿ olthe church s ￿rI)Unts Carr￿ ¢yJf uThr ctrJn 145 01 ￿ Acl arhj 14951 examh)a1ion I fme JI aptAtth D1reCtky￿ g￿en ty cfwty Comm65h)n utKr 101t￿Act IndepeTrdent examinerfs statement sir￿ Its church's Ir￿[re eXwI￿ t￿.(m)l examlrer nmtsl ofa t(K kd S￿th￿ 145 01 the Act. I confirm that l am quarfpd lo uTrJertale a p¥cw of ttte to LE T￿trEd. jan￿ Gare- FCA, Mona FI￿ Fy SwTrJon SN2 Date ￿ March 32

Statement of Financial Activities

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

Note
Income and endowments from:
Donations and legacies
2
Investments
3
Other trading activities
4
Total
Expenditure on
Charitable activities
5
Total
7
Net Income/ (expenditure)
Transfers between funds
Net incoming resources before revaluations
and investment asset disposals
Gains/ (losses) on revaluation of fixed assets
9
Net movement in Funds
Total Funds brought forward
Total Funds carried forward		 Restated
s
Unrestricted
Designated
Designated
Designated
Restricted
Restricted
Restricted
Restricted
Unrestricted
Dec-24
Dec-23
General Fund
Missionary
Capital
Departments
Fellowship
Other charities
Projects
Departments
Asset Fund
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
174,671.90
-
3,750.00
11,150.11
2,401.47
10,399.57
139,034.73
551.79
-
341,959.57
285,224.73
5,630.76
-
-
-
-
-
-
5,630.76
3,727.77
22,103.35
-
-
-
-
-
-
22,103.35
17,179.05
-
-
202,406.01
-
3,750.00
11,150.11
2,401.47
10,399.57
139,034.73
551.79
-
369,693.68
306,131.55
69,481.55
16,980.00
67,204.14
8,721.07
699.36
10,362.07
74,368.98
722.55
-
248,539.72
194,787.61
69,481.55
16,980.00
67,204.14
8,721.07
699.36
10,362.07
74,368.98
722.55
-
248,539.72
194,787.61
132,924.46
(16,980.00)
(63,454.14)
2,429.04
1,702.11
37.50
64,665.75
(170.76)
-
121,153.96
111,343.94
(44,607.87)
16,673.25
30,627.44
(2,692.82)
-
-
-
-
-
88,316.59
(306.75)
(32,826.70)
(263.78)
1,702.11
37.50
64,665.75
(170.76)
-
121,153.96
111,343.94
-
-
-
88,316.59
(306.75)
(32,826.70)
(263.78)
1,702.11
37.50
64,665.75
(170.76)
-
121,153.96
111,343.94
162,535.75
372.85
93,381.03
-
6,832.44
(37.50)
82,246.64
1,173.04
1,850,000.00
2,196,504.25
2,085,160.31
-
250,665.23
66.10
60,554.33
563.33
8,534.55
-
146,912.39
1,002.28
1,850,000.00
2,317,658.21
2,196,504.25

33

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

Boxes of Hope

Stepping Stones

Income
Grants
Gifts
Tax Refunds
Expenditure
Groceries
Bags
Equipment
Boxes of hope - Literature
Boxes of hope - Stationery
Surplus / (Deficit) for year
Funds B/fwd
Transfer between funds
Funds C/fwd		 31/12/2024
18,500.00
135.92
0.00
18,635.92
21,333.08
225.00
2,297.40
83.16
250.65
24,189.29
(5,553.37)
18,426.31
12,872.94		 31/12/2023
30,400.00
220.00
(200.00)
30,420.00
23,594.49
615.87
8.94
254.85
24,474.15
5,945.85
49,460.46
(36,980.00)
18,426.31

Income
Grants
Hall income for classes
Gifts
Share of interest
Expenditure
Office Costs
Communiy Fridge
Equipment
Satff Costs
Money Management
Mileage
Staff DBS costs
Teaching Materials
Surplus / (Deficit) for year
Funds B/fwd
Transfer between funds
Funds C/fwd		 31/12/2024
31/12/2023
118,056.10
38,656.51
2,836.20
0.00
1,600.00
2,342.71
0.00
120,398.81
43,092.71
108.00
198.93
1,250.97
8,770.57
147.99
57.92
47,306.01
33,964.48
24.00
90.80
932.45
76.00
334.27
130.95
50,179.69
43,213.65
70,219.12
(120.94)
63,820.33
26,961.27
36,980.00
134,039.45
63,820.33

34

Notes to the Accounts

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES

a Basis of preparation

The accounts (financial statements) have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard 102 (FRS 102), and the Charities Act 2011 and applicable regulations.

The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value except for assets included at revalued amounts.

The financial statements have been prepared to give a 'true and fair' view and have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the extent required to provide a 'true and fair view'. This departure has involved following the 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) issued on 16 July 2014 rather than the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice effective from 1 April 2005 which has since been withdrawn.

The trust constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity and rounded to the nearest pound. There are no significant areas of judgements or key sources of estimation uncertainty.

b Going Concern

The Trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the Charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

c Legal status of the charity

The charity is an unincorporated trust constituted by a trust deed.

The address of the registered office and the nature of the charity’s operations and principal activities are given in the Trustees’ report.’

35

d Income recognition

All income is recognised once the charity has entitlement to the income, there is sufficient certainty or receipt and so it is probable that the income will be received, and the amount of

income receivable can be measured reliably.

Donations are accounted for gross when received. Tax refunded under Gift Aid is accounted for on an accruals basis

The charges for the use of church premises are included in the accounts in the year in which they are receivable Investment Income is included in the accounts in the year in which it is receivable

All of the management is carried out without charge, by volunteers. This intangible cost is not included in the Statement of Financial Activities since there is no measurable cost to the volunteers for their service

e Expenditure recognition

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 settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis. All expenses, including support costs and governance costs, are allocated or apportioned to the applicable expenditure headings in the statement of financial activities.

The Church does not make formal appeals for funds, and expenditure on fundraising and publicity costs is therefore not material The Church makes grants to other organisations whose charitable objects complement its work. They are accounted for in the year in which they are paid

f Receivables

Receivables are stated at cost less impairment losses for bad and doubtful debts.

g Bank and cash

Bank and cash comprise cash at bank and on hand, and demand deposits with other short-term highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less.

h Payables

Payables are stated at cost.

36

i Fixed Assets

The church and manse premises are included in the balance sheet at market value determined by the Trustees opinion based on insurance value and other available information.

Furniture and equipment in the church premises are capitalised if over £1,000 and depreciated as detailed in note j.

j Depreciation

Depreciation of other fixed assets is calculated to write off the cost on a straight-line basis over their expected useful life, at the following rates:

Furniture and fittings 10% Full year depreciation charged in year of acquisition; no depreciation charged in year of disposal Computers and equipment 33.3%

k Investment Assets

The Church has no quoted investments

l Fund Accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the Members and Trustees. Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes. The establishment of a restricted fund must be agreed by members.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in notes 17 and 18 in notes to the accounts.

37

2 Donations and legacies

Offerings
Tax refunds
Church departments
Income for Other charities
Grants
Legacies
Other
Totals		 Unrestricted
Designated
Designated
Designated
Restricted
Restricted
Restricted
Restricted
Unrestricted
31/12/2024
31/12/2023
General Fund
Missionary
Capital
Departments
Fellowship
Other charities
Projects
Departments
Asset Fund
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
123,434.30
2,018.97
372.71
125,825.98
113,024.78
22,041.85
382.50
1,485.00
0.00
23,909.35
16,001.50
-
551.79
551.79
9,370.45
8,541.86
8,541.86
7,232.05
118,056.10
118,056.10
43,000.00
15,625.55
15,625.55
50,274.35
13,570.20
3,750.00
11,150.11
20,978.63
49,448.94
46,321.60
174,671.90
0.00
3,750.00
11,150.11
2,401.47
10,399.57
139,034.73
551.79
0.00
341,959.57
285,224.73

Government grants of £18,000 were received from Swindon Borough Council for the Boxes of Hope project. There were no unfulfilled conditions or other contingencies attached to these grants. The charity has not directly benefited from any other forms of government assistance

3 Investments

3
Investments
Bank interest
Totals
4
Other Trading Activities
Use of premises
Other
Totals
5
Charitable activities costs
Ministers
Other Ministry
Mission
Establishment
Church departments
Equipment and Property repairs
Other
Governance Costs (note 6)
Totals		 Unrestricted
Designated
Designated
Designated
Restricted
Restricted
Restricted
Restricted
Unrestricted
31/12/2024
31/12/2023
General Fund
Missionary
Capital
Departments
Fellowship
Other charities
Projects
Departments
Asset Fund
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
5,630.76
5,630.76
3,727.77
5,630.76
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
5,630.76
3,727.77
Unrestricted
Designated
Designated
Designated
Restricted
Restricted
Restricted
Restricted
Unrestricted
31/12/2024
31/12/2023
General Fund
Missionary
Capital
Departments
Fellowship
Other charities
Projects
Departments
Asset Fund
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
21,865.00
21,865.00
17,177.45
238.35
238.35
1.60
22,103.35
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
22,103.35
17,179.05
Unrestricted
Designated
Designated
Designated
Restricted
Restricted
Restricted
Restricted
Unrestricted
31/12/2024
31/12/2023
General Fund
Missionary
Capital
Departments
Fellowship
Other charities
Projects
Departments
Asset Fund
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
479.91
479.91
17,573.79
6,913.33
699.36
74,368.98
0.00
81,981.67
74,106.37
3,638.90
16,980.00
10,362.07
0.00
30,980.97
31,188.39
56,848.67
56,848.67
58,625.37
-
722.55
722.55
5,970.72
-
67,204.14
0.00
67,204.14
5,918.97
8,721.07
0.00
8,721.07
0.00
1,600.74
1,600.74
1,404.00
69,481.55

16,980.00
67,204.14
8,721.07
699.36
10,362.07
74,368.98
722.55
0.00
248,539.72
194,787.61

38

6 Governance Costs

Independent examination
Totals
7
Total resources expended
Minister
Other Ministry
Mission
Establishment
Church departments
Furniture/furnishings
Other
Governance Costs
Totals		 Unrestricted
Designated
Designated
Designated
Restricted
Restricted
Restricted
Restricted
Unrestricted
31/12/2024
31/12/2023
General Fund
Missionary
Capital
Departments
Fellowship
Other charities
Departments
Departments
Asset Fund
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
1,600.74
1,600.74
1,404.00
1,600.74
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
1,600.74
1,404.00
Charitable
activities
Grants paid
(Mission)
Restricted
projects
Unrestricted
Asset Fund
31/12/2024
31/12/2023
£
£
£
£
£
£
479.91
479.91
17,573.79
7,612.69
74,368.98
0.00
81,981.67
74,106.37
30,980.97
30,980.97
31,188.39
56,848.67
56,848.67
58,625.37
722.55
722.55
5,970.72
67,204.14
67,204.14
5,918.97
8,721.07
8,721.07
0.00
1,600.74
1,600.74
1,404.00
143,189.77
30,980.97
0.00
248,539.72
194,787.61

8 Grants paid (Mission)

Outreach/youth work
Subscriptions
BMS World Mission
Education Plus
Friends of Angel's Orphanage
Friends of Centre Mokili
Harbour Project
Leprosy Mission
Mary's Meals
Operation Agri
SASRA
Spurgeons
Swindon Night Shelter
Swindon Youth For Christ
Tear Fund
Toilet Twining
WEBA Home Mission
Totals		 Unrestricted
Designated
Restricted
Restricted
Restricted
Unrestricted
31/12/2024
31/12/2023
General Fund
Missionary
Fellowship
Other charities
Departments
Asset Fund
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
2,853.55
2,853.55
2,579.15
-
785.35
785.35
782.10
3,610.00
500.00
4,110.00
4,244.20
1,360.00
352.71
1,712.71
2,468.97
720.00
720.00
502.96
1,350.00
1,350.00
2,243.97
0.00
581.00
1,350.00
402.95
1,752.95
5,940.45
0.00
333.50
1,715.00
1,715.00
1,689.25
0.00
26.82
0.00
895.97
720.00
720.00
592.63
2,160.00
2,160.00
1,531.97
2,100.00
7,271.41
9,371.41
3,613.47
120.00
120.00
0.00
3,610.00
3,610.00
3,161.98
3,638.90
16,980.00
0.00
10,362.07
0.00
0.00
30,980.97
31,188.39

39

9 Gains and losses on revaluations of fixed assets for the charity's own use

Church Manse Furniture and Computers & Total
premises fittings equipment
£ £ £ £ £
Revaluation (insured value) 0.00 0.00 0.00
Impairment 0.00 0.00 0.00
Totals 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
**10 ** Staff costs and Trustees expenses and Trustees remuneration
31/12/2024 31/12/2023
General Fund Staff £ £
Salaries 0.00 13,119.32
Social Security costs (NI ER's) 10.00 12.00
Pension costs (Pens ER's) 0.00 1,248.00
Minister in Training Leaseback 0.00 1,000.00
Other costs 469.91 2,194.47
Totals 479.91 17,573.79
31/12/2024 31/12/2023
Restricted Projects Staff - Stepping Stones £ £
Salaries 45,356.63 32,144.64
Social Security costs (NI ER's) 0.00 0.00
Pension costs (Pens ER's) 2,465.75 1,819.84
Totals 47,306.01 33,964.48

Average number of employees during the year was 4, 2023 was 4, all of these are the staff for the Stepping Stones Project. Employer pension contributions are included for all Members of staff except one member who has opted out.

No employee received emoluments in excess of £60,000 during the year 2024 nor for 2023

Mrs J Harris is a trustee and was employed by the charity to deliver the Stepping Stones Project receiving gross salary £12,112.43 (2023: £8,753) and employers pension contributions of £604.49 (2023: £422).

There was no other trustee remuneration for the year.

The church pays pension contributions for its Employees to the Baptist Ministers Pension Trust Limited, which is a final salary defined benefit scheme, which is not contracted out of the State second pension. The scheme is a multi-employer scheme and it is not possible to identify the assets and liabilities of the scheme which are attributable to the church. Therefore, as there is insufficient information, the scheme is accounted for as a defined contribution scheme.

40

11 Comparative Statement of financial Activities

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

Income and endowments from:
Donations and legacies
Investments
Other trading activities
Total
Expenditure on
Charitable activities
Total
Net Income/ (expenditure)
Transfers between funds
Net incoming resources before
revaluations and investment asset
disposals
Gains/ (losses) on revaluation of
fixed assets
Net movement in Funds
Total Funds brought forward
Total Funds carried forward		 Total
General Fund
Asset Fund
Missionary
Capital
Fellowship
Other charities
Projects
Departments
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
188,444.22
0.00
0.00
6,650.00
1,694.00
9,039.55
70,676.51
8,720.45
285,224.73
3,727.77
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
3,727.77
14,342.85
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
2,836.20
0.00
17,179.05
206,514.84
0.00
0.00
6,650.00
1,694.00
9,039.55
73,512.71
8,720.45
306,131.55
87,618.14
0.00
18,626.59
5,918.97
414.84
9,039.55
67,687.80
5,481.72
194,787.61
Designated
Restricted
Unrestricted
87,618.14
0.00
18,626.59
5,918.97
414.84
9,039.55
67,687.80
5,481.72
194,787.61
118,896.70
0.00
(18,626.59)
731.03
1,279.16
0.00
5,824.91
3,238.73
111,343.94
(69,243.93)
0.00
17,599.91
54,650.00
0.00
(3,005.98)
0.00
49,652.77
0.00
(1,026.68)
55,381.03
1,279.16
0.00
5,824.91
232.75
111,343.94
0.00
49,652.77
0.00
(1,026.68)
55,381.03
1,279.16
0.00
5,824.91
232.75
111,343.94
112,882.98
1,850,000.00
1,399.53
38,000.00
5,553.28
(37.50)
76,421.73
940.29
2,085,160.31
162,535.75
1,850,000.00
372.85
93,381.03
6,832.44
(37.50)
82,246.64
1,173.04
2,196,504.25

41

12 Tangible Fixed Assets

Cost
01 January 2024
Additions
Disposals
Impairment
Revaluation
31 December 2024
Depreciation
01 January 2024
Charge for the year
On Disposals
31 December 2024
Net Book Value
31 December 2023
31 December 2024		 Church
premises
Manse
Furniture and
fittings
Computers &
equipment
Total
£
£
£
£
£
1,500,000 350,000
-
16,632 1,866,632
- -
- -
-
-
-
-
-
-
1,500,000 350,000
-
16,632
1,866,632
- 16,632 - 16,632
-
-
-
- -
-
16,632
-
16,632
-
1,500,000 350,000
-
- 1,850,000
1,500,000 350,000
-
- 1,850,000

All of the fixed assets are used for direct charitable purposes

The church premises and the manse and revalued to the estimated market value at 31 December 2020 as determined by the trustees. The trustees do not believe that the carrying amount will not differ materially from the fair value of the asset at the end of the reporting period.

13 Receivables

Accrued income
Prepayments and other receivables
Totals		 31/12/2024
31/12/2023
£
£
6,628.19
9,762.01
2,959.21
2,873.14
9,587.40
12,635.15

42

14 Bank and cash balances

Lloyds TSB Bank plc
Baptist Union Corporation Ltd
Departments
Totals		 31/12/2024
31/12/2023
£
£
381,900.08
308,881.41
96,248.65
44,457.06
352.28
523.04
478,501.01
353,861.51

15 Payables : amounts falling due within one year

Other creditors
Accruals
Totals		 31/12/2024
31/12/2023
£
£
0.00
0.00
20,430.20
19,992.41
20,430.20
19,992.41

16 Payables : amounts falling due after more than one year

Other creditors
Totals		 31/12/2024
31/12/2023
£
£
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00

43

17 Unrestricted Funds

General Fund
Asset Fund
Totals		 01/01/2024
Incoming
Resources
Resources
expended
Gains and
losses
Transfers
31/12/2024
£
£
£
£
£
£
162,535.75
202,406.01
(69,481.55)
(44,607.87)
250,665.23
1,850,000.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
1,850,000.00
2,012,535.75
202,406.01
(69,481.55)
0.00
(44,607.87)
2,100,665.23

The balance of this fund includes elements which are represented by fixed and current assets

General Fund
Asset Fund
Totals		 01/01/2023
Incoming
Resources
Resources
expended
Gains and
losses
Transfers
31/12/2023
£
£
£
£
£
£
112,882.98
206,514.84
(87,618.14)
(69,243.93)
162,535.75
1,850,000.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
1,850,000.00
1,962,882.98
206,514.84
(87,618.14)
0.00
(69,243.93)
2,012,535.75

44

18 Restricted Funds

01/01/2024 Incoming
Resources		 Resources
expended		 Gains and
losses		 Gains and
losses		 Transfers 31/12/2024
£ £ £ £ £ £
Fellowship Fund 6,832.44 2,401.47 (699.36) 8,534.55
Other charities (37.50) 10,026.86 (9,989.36) 0.00
Boxes of Hope 18,426.31 18,635.92 (24,189.29) 12,872.94
Stepping Stones 63,820.33 120,398.81 (50,179.69) 134,039.45
Childrens collection 372.71 (372.71) 0.00
Pram Club 1,173.04 551.79 (722.55) 0.00 1,002.28
Totals 90,214.62 152,387.56 (86,152.96) 0.00 0.00 156,449.22
Fellowship Fund
Other charities
Boxes of Hope
Stepping Stones
Pram Club
Totals		 01/01/2023
Incoming
Resources
Resources
expended
Gains and
losses
Transfers
31/12/2023
£
£
£
£
£
£
5,553.28
1,694.00
(414.84)
6,832.44
(37.50)
9,039.55
(9,039.55)
0.00
(37.50)
49,460.46
30,420.00
(24,474.15)
(36,980.00)
18,426.31
26,961.27
43,092.71
(43,213.65)
36,980.00
63,820.33
940.29
8,720.45
(5,481.72)
(3,005.98)
1,173.04
82,877.80
92,966.71
(82,623.91)
0.00
(3,005.98)
90,214.62

Fellowship Fund Other charities Boxes of Hope Stepping Stones Church departments

this fund is available at the discretion of the Minister and Care Co-ordinators to provide financial assistance to those in specific need this represents gifts which the donor has restricted to other parties in furtherance of the charity's objectives this represents funds raised as a result of the pandemic to provide food parcels to the residents of Swindon this represents funds raised to help Swindonians deal with the cost of living crisis and to help improve their life chances this represents funds related to clubs and groups run by the Church; Pram Club

45

19 Designated Funds

Missionary Fund
Luncheon Club
Funday
Church Holiday
Capital Fund
Totals
Missionary Fund
Luncheon Club
Funday
Capital Fund
Totals		 01/01/2024
Incoming
Resources
Resources
expended
Gains and
losses
Transfers
31/12/2024
£
£
£
£
£
£
372.85
0.00
(16,980.00)
0.00
16,673.25
66.10
-
4,441.74
(1,913.92)
(2,527.82)
0.00
3,003.37
(3,267.15)
827.11
563.33
3,705.00
(3,540.00)
(165.00)
0.00
93,381.03
3,750.00
(67,204.14)
30,627.44
60,554.33
93,753.88
14,900.11
(92,905.21)
0.00
44,607.87
61,183.76
01/01/2023
Incoming
Resources
Resources
expended
Gains and
losses
Transfers
31/12/2023
£
£
£
£
£
£
1,399.53
0.00
(18,626.59)
17,599.91
372.85
38,000.00
6,650.00
(5,918.97)
54,650.00
93,381.03
39,399.53
6,650.00
24,545.56
-
-
72,249.91
93,753.88

Missionary Fund Capital fund Church departments

Funds are transferred from the General Fund in order to facilitate annually agreed support in the furtherance of the church's charitable objectives Funds are transferred from the General Fund in order to deliver one off capital projects as formalised during the annual budget setting process This represents funds related to clubs and groups run by the Church; Luncheon Club, Funday and Church Holiday

46

20 Analysis of net assets

31-Dec-24
General Fund
Missionary Fund
Capital Fund
Fun Day
Fellowship Fund
Other charities
Church departments
Restricted Projects
Totals
31-Dec-23
General Fund
Missionary Fund
Capital Fund
Fellowship Fund
Other charities
Church departments
Restricted Projects
Totals		 Fixed Assets
Current Assets
Total
£
£
£
1,850,000.00 250,665.23 2,100,665.23
-
66.10
66.10
60,554.33
60,554.33
563.33
563.33
-
8,534.55
8,534.55
-
-
-
-
362.28
362.28
146,912.39
146,912.39
1,850,000.00
467,658.21
2,317,658.21
Fixed Assets
Current Assets
Total
£
£
£
1,850,000.00
162,535.75
2,012,535.75
-
372.85
372.85
93,381.03
93,381.03
-
6,832.44
6,832.44
-
(37.50)
(37.50)
-
1,173.04
1,173.04
82,246.64
82,246.64
1,850,000.00
346,504.25
2,196,504.25

21 Related parties

The custodian Trustee of the church is The West of England Baptist Trust Company (West) Limited. The church is a member of the Baptist Union of Great Britain and the West of England Baptist Association.

The church made a donation to the Baptist Union Home Mission Scheme as set out in note 8 The church made a donation to the Baptist Missionary Society World Mission (charity no 233782) as set out in note 8 The church paid a subscription to the Baptist Union of Great Britain amounting to £649.75 which is included in note 8

Total donations of £16,090 were received from trustees. These donations were all given without conditions. Trustees also donate via church plate collections. These amounts are not recorded separately

The spouse of trustee G Prictor was employed by the charity to deliver the Stepping Stones Project receiving gross salary £17,421.47 (2023: £13,740) and employers pension contributions of £869.92 (2023: £688) The spouse of trustee I Burbidge was employed by the charity to deliver the Stepping Stones Project receiving gross salary £3,867.74 (2023: £7,326) and employers pension contributions of £309.43 (2022: £707). I Burbidge stood down in March 2024.

47

Gorse Hill Baptist Church Cricklade Road Gorse Hill Swindon SN2 1AA

01793 534193 ghbc.org.uk Registered Charity Number: 1127294

48