## Sutton Coldfeld Methodist Church - ANNUAL REPORT TO CHARITY COMMISSION 2021 22 **1. Name:** Sutton Coldfield Methodist Church **Registration Number:** 1128900 **Principal Office:** South Parade, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B72 1QY ## **2. Trustees:** Pat Allen, Jenny Blease, Joan Burkwood, Les Burkwood, Anne Cole (Secretary), Bob Dauncey, Keith Dennis, Philip Griffith, Enid Howles, Amanda Hume, Peter Le Brocq, Donna Miller, Yvette Morgan, Cynthia Reakes, Colin Rice, Gwen Sadler, Rev. Alan Smithson (Chair), Grahame Tench, Gill Wallwork, Marion Watts and Priscilla Worship. ## **3. Structure, governance and management:** We are governed according to the "Constitutional Practice and Discipline of the Methodist Church". Within the Methodist Church we belong to the Sutton Park Circuit. Our governing body is the Church Council (i.e. the Trustees listed above) which meets three times a year, usually in March, June and November. Trustees are generally appointed ex officio from membership of various church groups, with provision for others from the church membership and the Church Stewards. There are committees to cover Finance and Property and Pastoral matters. The membership as at 1[st] November 2021 was 112. ## **4. Financial Review:** The Church is in a healthy financial situation, able to meet its commitment to the Circuit assessment and to maintain its premises in good condition while maintaining consistent levels of giving to charitable causes. We have general reserves equivalent to 6 months' running costs consistent with the connexional policy. ## **5. Public benefits:** The Church offers weekly opportunities for worship, and there are some house groups whose aim is spiritual development and growth. The church is outward looking and provides a number of facilities for the community at large for many age groups. These include:- - Thriving uniformed groups for Scouts, Cubs, Brownies and Beavers - Twice monthly Wednesday Club open to all - Weekly Friends on Friday club for people with memory problems and their families - Weekly coffee mornings for anyone to drop in - Weekly lunch and bible study Over many years there has been a gradual change in the use of the Centre with increasing use by non-church groups for room hire. The Centre is in use 7 days a week, 50 weeks of the year. There is a tremendous cross-section of people using the Centre and in a typical week there are as many as 1,300 people passing through the doors via a wide variety of external community groups. The groups for vulnerable adults include Gamblers Anonymous, MIND Friendship Club providing recreational activities for people with mental health problems, Support Groups for Parkinson's Disease, Memory Cafe, Drop-in for the Socially Isolated, Friends on Friday Memory Club, Singing for the Brain, Talking Newspapers and Sian Bain breathing exercise. There is a weekly coffee morning for anyone who’d like to drop in for company. The community groups include Cherished “Blossom” for teenage girls, an Art Group, Yoga, Modern Dance, Sutton Coldfield Choral Society, a Sewing group, Needlecraft, Lace-making, Bold writers, Folk dancing, Pilates, Portrait painting, Aikido, Tai Chi, Badminton, Line Dancing, Ballet for children and for over 55s, Indoor Bowls, Sutton Coldfield Poetry Society, Antenatal yoga, Birchfield String Orchestra, Sutton Coldfield Photography Club, Sutton Arts Theatre, Smart 11+ Tuition, Stamp Fairs, Speech and Drama exams, National Trust lectures, Royal Sutton Coldfield Philatelic Society, Tumbletots, U3A classes in German, Philosophy, Dancing and Enjoy Opera and PKA Karate. In addition to this we also have local residents meetings and occasional other outside organisations using our rooms for meetings. E.g. Sutton Ramblers, Sutton Coldfield Stroke Club , Coeliac Society, Birmingham City Council for ballot box distribution. ## **6. Objectives:** Our objectives are in line with those of the Methodist Church which are:- _Worship_ The Church exists to increase awareness of God’s presence and to celebrate God’s love. _Learning & 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. ## **7. Activities and Milestones :** The church employed a part-time Community Worker for Ministry to Older People. This post was funded for a period of 3 years from our Legacy Account and had two broad areas of ministry – to the church members and adherents and to the community centre users and the local elderly community. In August 2022 the three year term was complete. Due to lockdown it was much more challenging for the post-holder to carry out what was intended at the start but a legacy has been left which church members are continuing. The premises have been maintained in excellent condition and are an asset both for the church itself and the local community. In the past year we have replaced the heating system for a much more efficient one and hope to be able to meet the national issue of spiralling energy costs as a result. Despite all the restrictions we were still able to give to outside causes. We gave £474 to World Mission, £63 to Mission in Britain, £640 to All We Can (previously Methodist Relief & Development Fund), £1,046 to Christian Aid, £250 to Retired Presbyters and Deacons and £593 to Methodist Homes. In all, the special collections raised £4,291 for outside causes and a further £3,900 was given from our church funds to other organisations and charities. The photo-voltaic panels which were installed on the roof of the Church Centre in 2013 generate just over 30,000 kWh/year. These continue to make a significant contribution to reducing our carbon footprint and helping to protect the environment as well as reducing our electricity bills. ## **8. Future Plans:** The Church plans:- - To continue to offer worship which is varied in style blending the traditional and the modern - To continue to offer groups for Prayer, Bible Study and Spiritual Growth - To encourage the development and growth of the various groups which make up our Church Family - To support financially, according to our means, charities both Methodist and more widely ## **9. Risk Assessment:** Risk Management is monitored via the regular trustees meetings. The main items of concern are maintenance of membership, safety and adequacy of the building used, balance of funding to maintain current activities, the ongoing commitment of volunteers in running the church and the community centre and ensuring the church operates within existing and potential regulation and legislation. The more recent risk has been mitigating the effect of Covid-19 on the church’s finances. Thanks to the prudent management of reserves the church has been able to survive a drop in its income over the period of restrictions. We have also been helped by some of the government’s Covid grants for which we were eligible. Name ofchurch.................................. No............. Independent Examiner's Stat•mont 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 IwElhave 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 FinanGe 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 A M Sanders Relevant professional qualification of independent examiner NIA Name of firm (where appropriate) Address 149 Tamworth Road Sutton Coldfield. Post Code B756DY Date delete or circle as appropriate