## **Marlborough Road Methodist Church** Registered Charity No 1128694 Trustees Annual Report for year ending August 2020 The Methodist Church Marlborough Road St Albans AL1 3XG Trustees Annual Report, year ending 31 August 2020 page 1 ## Reference Information and Administration ## **The managing trustees** ||**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**| |---|---|---| |1|Rosemary Fletcher|Chair| |2|Revd Andrew Prout|Presbyter (Hatfield Road Methodist Church)| |3|Janis Gilbert|Church Steward| |4|Mercadell Lewis|Church Steward| |5|Theresa Tetteh|Church Steward| |6|Ann Scorer|Church Steward| |7|Ena Fowkes|Church Steward| |8|Carl Meredith|Treasurer| |9|Celia Hudson|Pastoral Co-ordinator| |10|Rona Wightman|Secretary to Church Council| |11|Frances Bates|Representative from General Church Meeting| |12|Di Churcher|Representative from General Church Meeting| |13|Andrew Johnstone|Representative from General Church Meeting| |14|Patti McConnell|Representative from General Church Meeting| |15|Erma Profit|Representative from General Church Meeting| |16|Mike Scorer|Representative from General Church Meeting| |17|Marjorie Wilson|Representative from General Church Meeting| |18|Jean Blight|Representative from General Church Meeting| |19|Judith Head|Safeguarding Officer| |20|Ian Gilbert|Senior Property Steward| |21|James Rowley|Secretary to Finance and Property committee| ## **Dates acted if not for whole year** ## **Trustees for the charity** The Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes (TMCP) are custodian trustees. ## **Appointed advisers** We appoint an Auditor each year to check our accounts. Trustees Annual Report, year ending 31 August 2020 page 2 ## Structure, governance and management ## **The charity’s trusts** Our governing document is the Methodist Church Act 1976 The charity is constituted as a trust. Trustees are selected in accordance with the Constitutional Practice and Discipline (CPD) of the Methodist Church. Representatives are elected by the Annual General Church Meeting. Other trustees are appointed by Church Council by virtue of their role. There is also provision in the CPD for trustees to be co-opted by Church Council. ## **Governance** As a Methodist Church, we are a Church within a Circuit, in our case the St Albans and Welwyn Circuit. The Circuits fall within Districts, our Circuit is in the Bedfordshire, Essex and Herts District. The Methodist Church is a Connexional Church, that is, we see ourselves as part of an interconnected ‘body’ that offers mutual encouragement and support. Connexional systems, requirements and guidance help us minimise risks; our Circuit Meetings and Church Council and committees consider any specific issues for us to deal with. Our safeguarding policy is reviewed annually. Trustees are required to familiarise themselves with CC3 _The essential trustee: what you need to know, what you need to do_ . Our Circuit arranges annual Trustee training sessions. Trustees Annual Report, year ending 31 August 2020 page 3 ## Objectives and activities ## **Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document** The purposes of the Methodist Church are the advancement of: (a) the Christian faith in accordance with the doctrinal standards and the discipline of the Methodist Church; (b) any charitable purpose for the time being of any Connexional, district, circuit, local or other organisation of the Methodist Church; (c) any charitable purpose for the time being of any society or institution subsidiary or ancillary to the Methodist Church; (d) any purpose for the time being of any charity being a charity subsidiary or ancillary to the Methodist Church. ## **Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)** Our main activity is the holding of regular public acts of worship, open to members of the church and non-members alike. Pastoral work includes visiting the sick and bereaved. We run a weekly drop-in toddler group for pre-school children and their carers and a weekly drop-in coffee morning that is mainly attended by older people. Our premises are used by a number of community groups for cultural, educational and physical activity. We participate in Heritage Open Days. We support other charities in the UK financially and with prayer. We have been working jointly with Hatfield Road Methodist Church (Charity No 1173147) to employ two Lay Workers: a three year post for a Children and Families Worker and a five year post for an Anna Chaplain. The Children and Families Worker was appointed in June 2020. The Employer is Hatfield Road Methodist Church. Our trustees have regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. Local churches, circuits and districts are not defined as external grant-making bodies. Nearly all of our activity is carried out by volunteers, lay and ordained, with support of stipendiary presbyters and administrative staff provided by the circuit. Trustees Annual Report, year ending 31 August 2020 page 4 ## Achievements and Performance 2019-20 Marlborough Road Methodist Church is an open and diverse congregation of Christians set near the centre of St. Albans. Our Calling is to: Worship The Church exists to increase awareness of God's presence and to celebrate God's love Learning and Caring The Church exists to help people to grow and learn as Christians, through mutual support and care Service The Church exists to be a good neighbour to people in need and to challenge injustice Evangelism The Church exists to make more followers of Jesus Christ Most of our activities fall under more than one heading! This year began as a continuation from our existing patterns of worship and activity, which are outlined in the first part of this section. From March 2020 to August 2020 we adapted to lockdown, as reported in the second part of this section. ## _**September 2019 – February 2020**_ We continued our general pattern of regular and seasonal activities. Our regular **worship** is on Sunday mornings at 10.30am. The format is ‘traditional’, with hymns, prayers and a sermon. However, the congregation is not bound to this format and we have been refreshed by Creative Worship and special services throughout the year. Holy Communion is celebrated monthly. We are grateful to the Stewards who organise our services. Our **Junior Church** spends some of the worship time with the rest of the congregation and some in their own sessions. We are grateful to the Junior Church staff who help our primary age young people to grow and learn in faith. Several of our young people are **Junior Mission for All** (JMA) collectors, we celebrate our collectors, their subscribers and the JMA secretary in the autumn on World Church Sunday. The secondary age young people enjoy the monthly **youth group** , which is run jointly with Hatfield Road Methodist Church. Our Tuesday morning **toddler group** continues to be highly regarded by local pre-schoolers and their carers. **Chatterbox** is an informal coffee morning held in the vestibule on Thursdays. We are seeing a gradual increase in numbers ‘dropping in’ for chat and company. We have several **fellowship groups** . Bible Study groups meet on Thursday mornings at the church and alternate Tuesday evenings in a members’ home; the Prayer and Praise group meets monthly at church. Our fellowship groups - the Tuesday Fellowship, St Stephen’s Fellowship, the International Bible Reading Association Fellowship, the Marlborough Men and the Flexible Friends – continued to meet in members’ homes. The Marlborough Theatre Club organised trips to performances and the Marlborough Readers met monthly to discuss selected works. In September we observe Creationtide, leading up to **Harvest Festival** . We are conscious of our own environment and also the effects of climate change on the whole planet. Our Harvest Festival service again featured the **Brownies** and the work of the Methodist Charity, **All We Can** . Trustees Annual Report, year ending 31 August 2020 page 5 September also includes **Heritage Open Days** . We were open on Saturday 14 September, with special displays, home baking and live organ music. We choose that date so that we also welcome participants in the annual Historic Churches Trust Bike ‘n’ Hike, including our minister and her husband who again cycled around a number of Hertfordshire churches. The Churches Together in St Albans Prayer Walk takes place on the Sunday afternoon following, starting at SS Alban & Stephen and wending its way through town, calling in at churches – including ours, for a short pause and prayer – on the way to the Abbey October is Black History Month and includes One World Week and United Nations Day; as a church we celebrate World Church and our Junior Mission for All. We are an **All We Can Partner Church** , and also part of an All We Can Partner Circuit. To mark this one of our members ‘Cycled the Circuit’ one day in October 2019, stopping off at all the circuit churches. The featured country this year is Ethiopia and projects supported by All We Can that are helping farmers deal with problems arising from climate change. _Pictured: Rona the cyclist, Matthew from All We Can and Rosemary the Circuit Superintendent._ November is a time of remembrance. This year we had a very special All Saints & All Souls afternoon recital given by Crispian Steele-Perkins (trumpet) and Hilary Davan Wetton (organ). _Pictured: Crispian, Rosemary, Hilary_ In December the contemplative, thoughtful Advent devotions are at odds with the commercial excitement leading up to the celebration of Christ’s birth. We take part in the Amnesty International ‘Write for Rights’ campaign, writing greetings cards to prisoners and campaigners. This year we also joined in an initiative to send greetings cards to inmates at HMP The Mount, a nearby prison. January is a month of renewal and rededication, when Methodists hold their Covenant services. We are delighted that the congregation and choir of St Peter’s (Church of England) join us for our Covenant Service. We signed up to the **Hertfordshire Year of Culture 2020** , and we enjoyed a visit from the mascot, YOCI, to Chatterbox coffee morning at the end of January 2020. HYOC had monthly themes and ideas for creativity, and this continued to inspire Chatterbox people during lockdown. Our involvement in HYOC also led to interest in the Methodist Modern Art collection, which we now feature regularly in our monthly ‘ _Marlborough Round’_ newsletter. Trustees Annual Report, year ending 31 August 2020 page 6 The usual accompaniment to our singing and reflection has been organ music, but this year we have been mostly without a regular organist. We enjoyed the playing of Tanya Brittain during December to February, and we were delighted that Hilary Davan Wetton played the organ for our carol service. We have appreciated visiting organists and members of the congregation playing the piano and other instruments during worship. Our property team have been making good use of the CD player. This has been the third year of **Thinking Lunches** . These are held on the first Thursday of each month from September to June. The audience bring their own sandwiches, drinks are provided. The speaker talks for about thirty minutes and discussion follows. The speakers have been excellent. The lunches have covered a range of topics, some directly relating to faith and others concerning peace, justice and environmental issues. |September 2019 The Revd Ruth Eldridge|September 2019 The Revd Ruth Eldridge| |---|---| ||**_The Church and the whaikaha (the Maori word for disabled)_**| |October 2019|Bevan Powell, MBE, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Advisor to the| ||Methodist Church| ||**_Why Black History?_**| |November 2019|Stephen Poxon| ||**_Is God a football fan?_**| |December 2019|Steve Lindsay, MBE ACIB, Prince’s Trust| ||**_Did you realise that the Prince’s Trust is active in Herts & Beds?_**| |January 2020 - no meeting|January 2020 - no meeting| |February 2020|Holly Pitt, Missing People| ||**_For “such as these”: how can we best support Hertfordshire’s Missing and_**| ||**_Exploited Children?_**| |March 2020|The Revd Antony MacRow-Wood| ||**_Can credit unions play a significant part in promoting financial_**| ||**_inclusion?_**| The **Winter Beds Project** was initiated by the ecumenical City Centre Churches Group in which we play an active part. Three of our members volunteered for the rota to help look after overnight guests this winter. The project continues our long tradition of working with those who are homeless. Several of our members continue to volunteer with Centre 33 to provide meals and support to homeless and socially or materially disadvantaged people at this city-centre drop-in facility. We regularly support the **Fund for Human Need** . We hold quarterly collections for our church benevolence fund, with the understanding that when our benevolence fund has an adequate reserve the extra over collected will be donated to the Fund for Human Need. This is generously understood by our members! We also support the **FEED foodbank** operated by the Vineyard Church in St Albans. We collect foodstuffs and household essentials on the first Sunday of each month and at Harvest. We care for the environment, and have continued **working towards EcoChurch** accreditation. We continued collecting items for specialist recycling, which we pass to local Terracycle collectors, thereby benefitting the environment and local organisations. We collect writing implements, toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes, crisp packets and biscuit wrappers. The items are taken from church to the collectors by bicycle. Our recycling collections proved popular with premises users and visitors as well as church members, and this became an opportunity for outreach, as we began to produce a simple quarterly ‘eco-newsletter’ leaflet. Our recycling guru liaised with her opposite numbers in circuit and local churches, both giving and receiving useful information and ideas. Trustees Annual Report, year ending 31 August 2020 page 7 ## _**March 2020 – August 2020**_ Throughout March numbers attending Sunday morning worship fell as church members became increasingly concerned about the spread of Covid-19 and started to voluntarily ‘social distance’. By mid-March it was decided to cease Chatterbox coffee mornings.. On Mothering Sunday, 22 March 2020, the usual service was not held but the church was open for prayer. “It felt so poignant to lock the church up on that day” said the stewards. On 26 March **lockdown** measures came into force. All services and events were suspended. There was a lot of telephoning as we organised support networks, especially for our older members and for the families, and got email addresses for as many of our members as had them. Being part of a circuit stood us in good stead. The circuit staff took it in turns to prepare a home worship service which was emailed out, along with the church’s weekly notice sheet. Paper copies were posted to those without email. We were also grateful for support from St Peter’s Church, who shared their emailable children’s activity sheets with us. Our pastoral network made sure that people although isolated physically were not out of touch. Our safeguarding officer co-ordinated volunteers and those in need of help in collecting shopping or prescriptions. Our property steward checked the empty building periodically. Fellowship group members rang each other regularly. As an organisation we are not very digitally proficient or well-equipped, so we did not attempt to put our services online. Our members joined live streamed services from local churches eg St Peter’s and from the wider Methodist connexion eg Wesley’s Chapel or connected with pre-recorded services for home worship prepared by two churches in the circuit.. We began to learn about Zoom, and after Easter we began ‘after church coffee Zoom’, a chance to meet up online at the time we would normally have been chatting in the church hall after the service. As restrictions started to ease we began to meet outdoors in small groups. Our Covid-19 Management group was formed and reviewed government and Methodist guidance and carried out risk assessments of our building and worship practice to prepare for resumption of worship in the church building. Following the death of George Floyd as a result of police violence, a **Black Lives Matter** rally was held in St Albans on 12 June 2020 and a number of church members attended or were involved in managing the rally. It was held in Verulamium Park, with over 2000 people present, and was a peaceful, Covid-safe and very determined protest to call out racism in the UK. The **Lay Workers Project** , a joint initiative with Hatfield Road Methodist Church, continued to progress in spite of the pandemic. The Children & Families post was advertised in April 2020, interviews were held remotely and an appointment was made. Emma Haggis began work in August 2020, initially meeting church and local contacts either outside or online. Trustees Annual Report, year ending 31 August 2020 page 8 ## Financial review The Church’s policy on Reserves is to maintain a reserve in the general fund to cover a month’s running costs and to hold a sensible reserve in the repair, organ and cottage funds to cover emergency repair works. No funds are materially in deficit. Our principal sources of funds are voluntary donations, lettings and fund-raising. Our expenditure goes entirely in support of our key objectives and activities. Our investment policy has been maintained through the moral and ethical policies of the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church Please refer to our Accounts for more details. ## Declaration The trustees declare that they have approved the foregoing report. Signed on behalf of the trustees: Rona Mary Wightman Church Council Secretary Date: 30 March 2022 Trustees Annual Report, year ending 31 August 2020 page 9 CHURCH ACCRUALS ACCOUNTS THE METHODIST CHURCH STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS Marlborough Road Methodist Church FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 Aug 2020 st Albans & We clrtuit Cir(ult No. 34113 Re 15tered Charl Charlty R 1Stratlon number 1128694 If not a registered charity Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs Gift Aid number (The HMRC number is equivalent to a registered tharity number in téms of evidence of charitable status and may be used to give to donors or grant funders wbshing to see evidence of the organisation's charitable statu5. Methodist charities in England and Wales that are not re8i5tered charitbes are excepted from registration under Statutory Instrument 2014 No.2421 Minister: Reverend Rosema Fletcher Treasurer: Carl Meredith Name of thurch MarlborLMEh Methothst Chwch CrwrrNo 34113 staternent of Financial Activities (SOFA) fow the yeaw ended 31 August 2020 201￿20 73249 18, 73,249 S.36E 665 3 Grftab iy 23,059 207 21x69 5.217 5.217 8Tota imai 137,168 S.2JO &iio Expenthtwe 52S 4,025 10.911 9,749 10,911 9.749 12 •fc 13 tW•CK4tic 2,034 3.262 4.420 420 17Ttr￿ th￿rtabl* 1559 ll￿107 140 51 22 Cthwpr&llbJs9NI 810 23.551 2&501 72.518 101,049 24 ToTrl Iwbd5 tftyJRht ltyw¥d 25 Toi•l funds C4￿led fowward 65,W3 69,943 6.245 7.055 24051 Name of Churth l•*arlborwh Roal MethoL4st Chwch c￿E No 34113 Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) for the yeaf ended 31 August 2019 a￿01￿￿ I1h¥*%￿ad} li#ir*strkW) Furtdk Fuhdk 11&19 76, 11573 12.573 13,ISB 176 33,280 3 Gfftaid 189 10.716 1fj736 IJS,915 10,749 147,5 Expenthtwe 3,49) 11,124 11,127 4,902 ,1 11,127 L991 12 Qt 1977 1977 10,750 11&7 I?1￿ d￿11￿￿14 L¥p•ndknr• 10.750 19 &hwllo55ulon 1th792 .L991 23 infvnds 24 Totri fim s,oro,c 425,W) 5,425,C ecIat￿n char20 R*sPQT No........... Declarations and Scrutiny I confimi that these accruals-based accounts for the year to 31 Augusl 2020 have been prepared from th8 records of the Church and that they include all funds under the control of the Church trustees. Signature of treasurer Name and address of treasurer . £f Post Code... Pros?ntation to the Church trustoes I confirm that the annual report and accounts for the y&ar ended 31 August 2020 werelwil bo" presented lo the m8etin9 of the Church Iruslees held on .qVIIKY 701 Slgnalure of the Chair of the meeting Name of the Chair of the meeting Dal6 .AfR)L. 1011 Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of the I￿.￿￿...¥￿. I￿01$T ..Church Charlty Number..l!t%6l1 Rospon$Sbillties and basls of report I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the iop)..rfjrfl!tjS>i3T . Church for the year ended 31 Augu812020 s61 out on pages to ?.. As the Church's trustees. you are responsibl8 for the preparation of the accounts in accord8nce with the requirements of the Charilles Act 2011 {'Ihe Acl'l. I report in respect of my 8xamination of the Church's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and, in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under se¢tion 14515llbl of the Act. delet8 or circle as appropriate Name of Church . P4) r)XSt No ............. Independent Examiner's Stat•m8nt Income exce8 eing a quafrrrTrern ie l if not applicable. ero . Delet81 I have completed my examinalion. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination lolher than that disclosed b81ow'l whlch give me cause lo believe that in. any material respect- the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act., or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records., or the accounts do not comply with the applicable re9uir8ments concerning the form and content of accounts set out in th& Charities IAccounls and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'lrue and fair, view, which Is not a matter considerèd as part of an independent èxamination the trustees, annual report is not consislent with the accounts I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which allention should be drawn ￿n this raport in order lo enable a proper understanding of the accounts lo bo reached. I have/he¥￿￿Loblain8d independent verification of all investrnenls with the TNStees for Methodist Church Purposes or held in other trusts, bank balances and funds at the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church which are indivi ually in excess of £10,000 (ten thousand pounds} at th8 balance sheet dale. Signature of independent examiner Name of independent examiner Relevant professional quallficalion of independent examiner Address Post Code Date CHURCH ACCRUALS ACCOUNTS THE METHODIST CHURCH STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS Marlborough Road Methodist Church FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 Aug 2020 st Albans & We clrtuit Cir(ult No. 34113 Re 15tered Charl Charlty R 1Stratlon number 1128694 If not a registered charity Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs Gift Aid number (The HMRC number is equivalent to a registered tharity number in téms of evidence of charitable status and may be used to give to donors or grant funders wbshing to see evidence of the organisation's charitable statu5. Methodist charities in England and Wales that are not re8i5tered charitbes are excepted from registration under Statutory Instrument 2014 No.2421 Minister: Reverend Rosema Fletcher Treasurer: Carl Meredith Name of thurch MarlborLMEh Methothst Chwch CrwrrNo 34113 staternent of Financial Activities (SOFA) fow the yeaw ended 31 August 2020 201￿20 73249 18, 73,249 S.36E 665 3 Grftab iy 23,059 207 21x69 5.217 5.217 8Tota imai 137,168 S.2JO &iio Expenthtwe 52S 4,025 10.911 9,749 10,911 9.749 12 •fc 13 tW•CK4tic 2,034 3.262 4.420 420 17Ttr￿ th￿rtabl* 1559 ll￿107 140 51 22 Cthwpr&llbJs9NI 810 23.551 2&501 72.518 101,049 24 ToTrl Iwbd5 tftyJRht ltyw¥d 25 Toi•l funds C4￿led fowward 65,W3 69,943 6.245 7.055 24051 Name of Churth l•*arlborwh Roal MethoL4st Chwch c￿E No 34113 Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) for the yeaf ended 31 August 2019 a￿01￿￿ I1h¥*%￿ad} li#ir*strkW) Furtdk Fuhdk 11&19 76, 11573 12.573 13,ISB 176 33,280 3 Gfftaid 189 10.716 1fj736 IJS,915 10,749 147,5 Expenthtwe 3,49) 11,124 11,127 4,902 ,1 11,127 L991 12 Qt 1977 1977 10,750 11&7 I?1￿ d￿11￿￿14 L¥p•ndknr• 10.750 19 &hwllo55ulon 1th792 .L991 23 infvnds 24 Totri fim s,oro,c 425,W) 5,425,C ecIat￿n char20 R*sPQT No........... Declarations and Scrutiny I confimi that these accruals-based accounts for the year to 31 Augusl 2020 have been prepared from th8 records of the Church and that they include all funds under the control of the Church trustees. Signature of treasurer Name and address of treasurer . £f Post Code... Pros?ntation to the Church trustoes I confirm that the annual report and accounts for the y&ar ended 31 August 2020 werelwil bo" presented lo the m8etin9 of the Church Iruslees held on .qVIIKY 701 Slgnalure of the Chair of the meeting Name of the Chair of the meeting Dal6 .AfR)L. 1011 Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of the I￿.￿￿...¥￿. I￿01$T ..Church Charlty Number..l!t%6l1 Rospon$Sbillties and basls of report I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the iop)..rfjrfl!tjS>i3T . Church for the year ended 31 Augu812020 s61 out on pages to ?.. As the Church's trustees. you are responsibl8 for the preparation of the accounts in accord8nce with the requirements of the Charilles Act 2011 {'Ihe Acl'l. I report in respect of my 8xamination of the Church's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and, in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under se¢tion 14515llbl of the Act. delet8 or circle as appropriate Name of Church . P4) r)XSt No ............. Independent Examiner's Stat•m8nt Income exce8 eing a quafrrrTrern ie l if not applicable. ero . Delet81 I have completed my examinalion. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination lolher than that disclosed b81ow'l whlch give me cause lo believe that in. any material respect- the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act., or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records., or the accounts do not comply with the applicable re9uir8ments concerning the form and content of accounts set out in th& Charities IAccounls and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'lrue and fair, view, which Is not a matter considerèd as part of an independent èxamination the trustees, annual report is not consislent with the accounts I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which allention should be drawn ￿n this raport in order lo enable a proper understanding of the accounts lo bo reached. I have/he¥￿￿Loblain8d independent verification of all investrnenls with the TNStees for Methodist Church Purposes or held in other trusts, bank balances and funds at the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church which are indivi ually in excess of £10,000 (ten thousand pounds} at th8 balance sheet dale. Signature of independent examiner Name of independent examiner Relevant professional quallficalion of independent examiner Address Post Code Date