Sutton Coldfield Methodist Church - ANNUAL REPORT TO CHARITY COMMISSION 2024 25
1. Name: Sutton Coldfield Methodist Church
Registration Number: 1128900
Principal Office: South Parade, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B72 1QY
2. Trustees:
Pat Allen, Les Burkwood, Rev. Sarah Butcher (Chair), Anne Cole (Secretary), Bob Dauncey, Keith Dennis, Philip Griffith, Enid Howles, Amanda Hume, Angela Lavender, Peter Le Brocq, Donna Miller, David Mills, Yvette Morgan, Cynthia Reakes, Grahame Tench, Liz Topliss and Gill Wallwork.
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 2024 was 80.
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:-
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Thriving uniformed groups for Scouts, Cubs, Brownies and Beavers
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Twice monthly Wednesday Club open to all
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Weekly Friends on Friday club for people with memory problems and their families
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Weekly coffee mornings for anyone to drop in
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, Friends on Friday Memory Club, Alzheimer’s Singing for the Brain, Talking Newspapers and Sian Bain breathing exercises. There is a weekly coffee morning for anyone who’d like to drop in for company.
The community groups include art groups, Yoga groups, Drama Club, Sutton Coldfield Choral Society, a Sewing group, Lace-making, Folk dancing, Mama Bears toddlers group, Portrait painting, Aikido, Tai Chi, Badminton, Ballet for children and for over 55s, Indoor Bowls, Antenatal yoga, Birchfield String Orchestra, seated exercises, Einstein 11+ tuition, Literacy Club for children, Sutton Coldfield Photography Club, Sutton Arts Theatre, Speech and Drama and Ballet exams, National Trust lectures, Royal Sutton Coldfield Philatelic Society, Tumbletots, u3a classes in German, Spanish, Dancing and Mixed Games and Pickleball and PKA Karate/ Kick Boxing.
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, 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 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.
We gave £165 to Action for Children, £100 to Bible Society, £180 to World Mission, £508.93 to Mission in Britain, £342.50 to All We Can (previously Methodist Relief & Development Fund), £1,846.25 to Christian Aid and £272.62 to Methodist Homes. In all, the special collections raised £4,229.67 for outside causes and a further £3,350 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:-
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To continue to offer worship which is varied in style blending the traditional and the modern
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To continue to offer groups for Prayer and Spiritual Growth
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To encourage the development and growth of the various groups which make up our Church Family
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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.
Annual return
When completing SOFA for Charities Commission the interest from ex War Stock should be shown as net and not included with the restricted receipts/ payments. Likewise any charges on Benevolent fund should be shown as other payments.
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