Trustees’ Annual Report 2023-24
Beckminster Methodist Church
Birches Barn Road, Penn Fields, Wolverhampton WV3 7BQ Charity number 1128871
Structure and management
Beckminster Methodist Church is part of the Wolverhampton Circuit of the Methodist Church in the UK. It is established through a trust deed under the Methodist Church Act 1976 and follows the disciplines of the UK Methodist Church. The church’s governing body is the Church Council, the members of which are the trustees of the charity. Members of the Church Council must be members of the Methodist Church in the UK. Members comprise individuals who have been appointed by the Church Council to hold designated voluntary positions within Beckminster, individuals appointed by the Annual Church Meeting of members of Beckminster and three individuals appointed by the Wolverhampton Circuit. The property used by the church is held by the Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes as custodian trustees.
The trustees during the period from 1 September 2023 up to the date of completion of this report were:
Rev Paul Nzacahayo (Chair) Dr Janet Anderson Mr Peter Prescott Rev Glennys Bamford (to (to .3.23) Mrs Tricia Prescott Mrs Sue Lorimer Mrs Christine Pedley Mr Roy Evans Mr Tim Lorimer Mr Phil Shuttleworth Mrs Pam Wilkes (to Mr John Ashwood Mrs Donna Watson Mrs Janette Clough (to Mrs Wendy Ashwood Mrs Carol Topham Miss Stephanie Wilkes Mrs Wendy Bate Mr George Tonks Mr Edward Bridgewood Rev J Cox-Darling Mr Brian Timmis Mr Gabriel Gidi Rev M Heim
Activities, objectives, achievements and performance
The principal objective of the church is the advancement of the Christian faith in accordance with the doctrinal standards and the discipline of the Methodist Church.
Beckminster provides a public benefit through providing public acts of Christian worship, which are open to anyone who wishes to attend and through making its facilities available to members of the community. Activities throughout the week provide Christian fellowship for the members and supporters of the church. The church also provides meeting space for a wide range of secular groups within the local community. During normal times the premises are in use throughout most of the week.
The members of the church maintain Christian witness in Wolverhampton and work with other charities, religious groups and other organisations across the local community. During 2023-24 we have supported various Methodist mission and relief charities, Christian Aid, Action for Children, The Children’s Society, Good Shepherd Services and the Ukrainian community in Wolverhampton.
The church premises were used for a variety of activities during 2023-24. We have also continued to provide Christian fellowship on-line.
Financial review
The running costs and maintenance of the church are funded by contributions from members and other supporters, together with charges made to external groups for use of the premises.
During the year, the receipts of the church were £132,837, which was a significant increase on the previous year. One legacy of £17,250 was received during the year, along with a
donation of £5,000 in memory of a former church member. £3,731 (including gift aid and GASDS) was received in response to an appeal to raise funds towards the cost of replacing some of the church’s lighting with lower energy units. Reserves at the financial year end (31 August 2024) stood at £109,067 unrestricted and £13,375 restricted; the unrestricted reserves were in line with the church’s policy of retaining these reserves at least equal to 6 months of revenue expenditure.
The church does not have any outstanding loans or other debts. Members of Beckminster raise money for a range of other charities and some of the funds collected are held within the church accounts until paid out to the relevant charities. The church also holds funds for Churches Together in Graisley and Penn Fields, an informal group of local churches of different denominations. A total of £2,471 was received into the church’s accounts for other organisations during the year and £499 was held at 31 August 2024.
Financial forecasts for the church have been prepared for the period to 31 August 2025 and these demonstrate that the church will remain able to meet its liabilities as they fall due. Consequently, the Trustees consider it is appropriate to use the going concern basis to prepare the church’s accounts.
We have started our planning to celebrate 100 years of Christian fellowship on our current site in 2026. Beckminster is discussing joining with our fellow Methodist congregations at Cranmer, Springdale and Wombourne to form a single registered church operating across all four sites.
May 2025
CHURCH RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS
THE METHODIST CHURCH
STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS
Beckminster
Church
FOR THE YEAR ENDED Saturday, August 31, 2024
| Circuit | Circuit no. | 28/01 |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Charity - Charity Registration number | ||
| 1128871 |
If not a registered charity His Majesty's Revenue and Customs Gift Aid number
(The HMRC number is equivalent to a registered charity number in terms of evidence of charitable status and may be used to give to donors or grant funders wishing to see evidence of the organisation's charitable status. Methodist charities in England and Wales that are not registered charities are excepted from registration under Statutory Instrument 2014 No.242)
Minister:
Rev P Nzacahayo
Church Stewards: Mr J Ashwood Mr P Shuttleworth Mrs C Topham Treasurer:
Mr G Tonks
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Beckminster
Church
ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024
| SECTION A | Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds |
£ 98,911 4,156 18,050 11,720 Totals this year |
£ 98,911 4,156 18,050 11,720 Totals this year |
Totals last year |
Totals last year |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |||||||
| a1 | RECEIPTS | Note | ||||||||
| a2 | Offerings and Tax recovered | 95,180 | 3,731 | 98,911 | 78,260 | |||||
| a3 | Bank and CFB interest and Investment income |
3,701 | 455 | 4,156 | 2,327 | |||||
| a4 | Lettings | 18,050 | 18,050 | 22,357 | ||||||
| a5 | Other receipts | 10,094 | 1,626 | 11,720 | 4,725 | |||||
| a6 | TOTAL RECEIPTS | 127,025 | 5,812 | **132,837 ** | (a7) | 107,669 | ||||
| SECTION B | 59,100 2,345 12,481 10,553 0 29,133 |
|||||||||
| b1 | PAYMENTS | |||||||||
| b2 | Circuit Assessment or Share | 59,100 | 59,100 | 57,376 | ||||||
| b3 | Donations | 2,345 | 2,345 | 2,256 | ||||||
| b4 | Repairs and Maintenance | 8,750 | 3,731 | 12,481 | 6,910 | |||||
| b5 | Utilities (Insurances, water charges, heating& lighting) |
10,553 | 10,553 | 11,165 | ||||||
| b6 | 0 | |||||||||
| b7 | Otherpayments | 28,173 | 960 | 29,133 | 28,621 | |||||
| b8 | TOTAL PAYMENTS | 108,921 | 4,691 | **113,612 ** | (b9) | 106,328 | ||||
| 19,225 | ||||||||||
| SECTION C | ||||||||||
| c1 | (a6-b8) NET RECEIPTS/PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR |
18,104 | 1,121 | 19,225 | ||||||
| c2 | Total funds brought forward from last year |
90,963 | 12,254 | **103,217 ** | (c6) | 101,876 | ||||
| 122,442 | ||||||||||
| c3 | Sub total (c1+c2) |
109,067 | 13,375 | 122,442 | ||||||
| c4 | Transfers and adjustments | **0 ** | (c7) | |||||||
| c5 | TOTAL FUNDS AT END OF YEAR (c3+c4) |
109,067 | 13,375 | **122,442 ** | (c8) | 103,217 | (c6) |
| SECTION D | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| d | (these amounts are not to be included in total receipts/payments figures above) FOR INFORMATION ONLY: MONEY RECEIVED AND PASSED ON TO EXTERNAL |
£ 636 2,471 2,608 499 ORGANISATIONS |
£ |
|
| d1 | Balance brought forward from lastyear | 636 | 558 | |
| d2 | Offerings/Gifts - received for external organisations | 2,471 | 2,623 | |
| d3 | Offerings/Gifts -passed to external organisations | 2,608 | 2,545 | |
| d4 | BALANCE STILL TO BE PAID (d1+d2-d3) | 499 | 636 |
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Beckminster
Church
SUMMARY OF CHURCH ACCOUNTS AND INTERNAL ORGANISATIONS REPORTING TO THE CHURCH COUNCIL
| SECTION E | Please follow the Guidance Notes to complete this page | |
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the Church accounts for the year ended 31 August 2024 and Internal Organisations reporting to the Church Council/Church Meeting. Note that the funds | ||
| of an Internal Organisation would normally be Restricted funds unless it could be clearly shown that they could be used for any Methodist purpose. This section must | ||
| be completed to arrive at the gross income and expenditure totals of the Church. If gross income exceeds the Accruals threshold, then the Accruals method of | ||
| accounting AND A DIFFERENT FORM must be used to report the accounts (see Methodist website). Please refer to the guidance notes regarding transfers between | ||
| the District and connected District Organisations. |
| SECTION E |
Please follow the Guidance Notes to complete this page | ||||||||||||
| Summary of the Church accounts for the year ended 31 August 2024 and Internal Organisations reporting to the Church Council/Church Meeting. Note that the funds of an Internal Organisation would normally be Restricted funds unless it could be clearly shown that they could be used for any Methodist purpose. This section must be completed to arrive at the gross income and expenditure totals of the Church. If gross income exceeds the Accruals threshold, then the Accruals method of accounting AND A DIFFERENT FORM must be used to report the accounts (see Methodist website). Please refer to the guidance notes regarding transfers between the District and connected District Organisations. |
|||||||||||||
| INTERNAL ORGANISATIONS |
Receipts | Payments | Net Receipts/ Payments |
Adjustments | Opening balances |
Closingbalances | |||||||
| e1 | World Mission | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| e2 | Mission in Britain | 159 | 159 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| e3 | JMA | 130 | 130 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| e4 | Take a Break | 1,106 | 819 | 287 | (1,089) | 802 | 0 | ||||||
| e5 | Toddlers Group | 0 | (537) | 537 | 0 | ||||||||
| e6 | Benevolent Fund | 123 | 210 | (87) | 214 | 127 | |||||||
| e7 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| e8 | Sub total of Internal Organisations funds |
1,518 | 1,318 | 200 | 1,553 | (e11) | 127 | (e12) | |||||
| e9 | Church accounts (totals brought forward from page 2 - totals column) |
**132,837 ** | (a7) | **113,612 ** | (b9) | 19,225 | (c7) | **103,217 ** | (c6) | 122,442 | (c8) | ||
| e10 | TOTAL CASH FUNDS HELD BY CHURCH |
134,355 | 114,930 | 19,425 | (1,626) | 104,770 | (x) | 122,569 | (y) | ||||
| Continue on a separate sheet if necessary and bring the totals forward |
TOTAL RECEIPTS | TOTAL PAYMENTS |
SECTION F
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
| STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHURCH - CASH FUNDS HELD at 31 August 2024 Cash in hand Bank Current Account Bank Deposit Account Central Finance Board Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes Other funds SUB TOTAL - Church accounts TOTAL CASH FUNDS HELD BY CHURCH Total funds held by Internal Organisations (the closing balance total from above) (e12) |
417 1,015 34,697 18,284 48,804 103,217 (c6) 1,553 (e11) 104,770 (x) OPENING BALANCES |
CLOSING BALANCES |
||
| f1 | Cash in hand | 249 | ||
| f2 | Bank Current Account | 226 | ||
| f3 | Bank Deposit Account | 54,197 | ||
| f4 | Central Finance Board | 18,284 | ||
| f5 | Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes | 49,486 | ||
| f6 | Other funds | |||
| f7 | SUB TOTAL - Church accounts | 122,442 | (c8) | |
| f8 | Total funds held by Internal Organisations (the closing balance total from above) (e12) |
127 | (e12) | |
| f9 | TOTAL CASH FUNDS HELD BY CHURCH | 122,569 | (y) | |
| SECTION G OTHER ASSETS and LIABILITIES Investments(include Endowments) Land & Buildings(see notes re Insurance value) Other Assets Loan(s)- show amount outstandingatyear end Other Liabilities |
At 1 September 2023 264 4,058,363 821,100 |
At 31 August 2024 264 4,159,791 841,619 |
||
| g1 | Investments(include Endowments) | 264 | 264 | |
| g2 | Land & Buildings(see notes re Insurance value) | 4,058,363 | 4,159,791 | |
| g3 | Other Assets | 821,100 | 841,619 | |
| g4 | Loan(s)- show amount outstandingatyear end | |||
| g5 | Other Liabilities |
f4 Include only Funds held at the Central Finance Board
f5 Include only Funds held at Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes
g1 Include any other investments (not the cash element of TMCP trusts accounts this is included in line f5
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Name of Church ……Beckminster…………………………………… No………..
Declarations and Scrutiny
I confirm that these Receipt and Payment based accounts for the year to 31 August 2024 have been prepared from the records of the Church and that they include all funds under the control of the Church trustees.
Signature of treasurer ……………………………………………………… Date……………………..
Name and address of treasurer ………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………. Post Code………………
Presentation to the Church trustees
I confirm that the annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 August 2024 were/will be* presented to the meeting of the Church trustees held on ……………..
Signature of the Chair of the meeting ……………………………………………………………………
Name of the Chair of the meeting …………………………………………… Date ……………………
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of the
Beckminster Church
Charity Number 1128871
Responsibilities and basis of report
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the …Beckminster……. Church for the year ended 31 August 2024 set out on pages … to …. As the Church’s trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination 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 section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
- delete or circle as appropriate
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Name of Church ……Beckminster…………………………………… No………..
Independent Examiner’s Statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that disclosed below*) which give me cause to 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.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
I have/have not* obtained independent verification of all investments with the Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes or held in other trusts, bank balances and funds at the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church which are individually in excess of £10,000 (ten thousand pounds) at the balance sheet date.
Signature of independent examiner ………………………………………………………………….
Name of independent examiner ……………………………………………………………………….
Relevant professional qualification of independent examiner ………………………………………
Name of firm (where appropriate) ………………………………………………………………………
Address ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………….. Post Code ………………
Date …………………………………………
- delete or circle as appropriate
Form Reviewed Aug-24
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Name of Church ……Beckminster…………………………………… No………..
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of the
Beckminster Church
Charity Number 1128871
Responsibilities and basis of report
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the …Beckminster……. Church for the year ended 31 August 2024 set out on pages … to …. As the Church’s trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination 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 section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
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Name of Church ……Beckminster…………………………………… No………..
Independent Examiner’s Statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that disclosed below*) which give me cause to 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.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
I have/have not* obtained independent verification of all investments with the Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes or held in other trusts, bank balances and funds at the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church which are individually in excess of £10,000 (ten thousand pounds) at the balance sheet date.
Signature of independent examiner ……………J M Holt……………………………….
Name of independent examiner ………………J M Holt…………………………….
Relevant professional qualification of independent examiner ………………………………………
Name of firm (where appropriate) ………………………………………………………………………
Address ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………….. Post Code ………………
Date ………19 December 2024……
- delete or circle as appropriate
Form Reviewed Aug-24
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