Good afternoon to all the Trustees of St James Church Porchester.
I have pleasure in attaching the final accounts for the year end 31 December 2024 as completed using your QuickBooks book-keeping data, which itself has been independently reviewed by myself. I have not found any matters of material significance that should be reported to the Charity Commission and have duly signed the Independent Examiners report as such. The figures have only slightly changed in terms of analysis as in the earlier draft there was a £2,000 grant from the Diocese which had been originally analysed into the same heading as the Gift Aid income, and only until further paperwork was received did this come to light. The grant received has been reanalysed from unrestricted donations received to restricted grants received.
I shall post a paper copy to Claire at the office but wanted to attach a copy here for ease of distributing to all Trustees.
I wish to personally thank Claire and Steve for the time they dedicated to answering any queries or questions I raised during my independent review. I apologise for a delay in finalising the figures, however, between us we have at times struggled to obtain the information that I needed to complete my review, such as paperwork from CCLA and in relation to Gift Aid, as this was not centrally stored and items were missing and copies had to be requested. I will touch on this point further below.
There are several points I wish to offer as suggestions for consideration by the Trustees of the Church to ensure the accounting records are kept to a good standard and that monies handled on behalf of the Church are documented and cross checked throughout the year. The Church is a registered Charity and as such as funds are publicly/congregational generated income. My points for your consideration are as follows:
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During my review I was advised that the Church does not currently have the facility of a banking debit card to use when such circumstances may arise where it would be helpful. I appreciate that you have a bank account that requires dual signature and therefore I recommend that you speak to the bank to see what facilities are available to aid in this circumstance. It came to my attention that there was an occasion whereby a purchase invoice was required to be paid and that the vendor only accepted debit card payments, to overcome this obstacle Claire used her own debit card and then refunded herself for the purchase. Whilst this is an understandable approach at the time given the circumstances, perhaps there is another method that could be put in place to avoid this being necessary in future as it is not best practice for the Office Manager to have to undertake a transaction this way, segregation of duties should come in to play here for clarity at all times.
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You may find it helpful to record on the QuickBooks software the headings of “Cleaning”, “Gardening”, Heal & Light”, “Insurance”, “Repairs” and “Water” split out into the three areas of the Church being the Church building itself, the Hall/Office and lastly the Vicarage – this way you will be able to better track and see with ease the running costs associated with each area of Church. I think this would be helpful for your future meetings and planning and you could then compare to your budget for each area with ease. I can liaise with Claire if this would be helpful and help set up the changes to the structure of the current reports.
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I must remind the Trustees that an essential part of reporting the accounts for a registered charity in line with legislation is to ensure that all areas of income and expenses that are specifically classed as “restricted” must be recorded as such and the running balance of any restricted fund must always be known. A restricted item is something whereby the income and its associated costs are specifically defined, such
as a donation, fundraiser or grant for a specific project or use. If any income has a stipulation attached to it, after a restricted project ends if there is a surplus the minutes of your trustees meeting must define how any surplus is to be spent and ensure that the accounts reflect this. One example in the last couple of years is the purchase of the defibrillator. The overall income collected for this project was more than the costs incurred, and it is essential that the remaining running balance is known and spent according to your plans in the minutes of your meetings. Also, there was a grant received in the year towards the new “welcome area” of £2,000. As at 31.12.24 this grant had not been spent, but it is restricted income stream, so it must be defined as such in the accounts and must be spent only on the area that the grant specifies. When undertaking your finance meetings please ensure that any restricted account running balances are known and defined separately to the cashflow of the general bank account.
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I have liaised this year with Steve regarding how the Gift Aid claims are undertaken. Currently it is my understanding that these are compiled and submitted by Steve from data held on the office system, transferred manually to a Gift Aid spreadsheet, and then submitted to Southwell for the actual application of funding. I believe at present this is where any internal church/trustee involvement ceases, with the income when received simply analysed on QuickBooks as part of the book-keeping. I strongly recommend that there are a couple more controls put into place in this regard and may I suggest the following for consideration:
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A second person learns how to prepare the Gift Aid information so that Steve as the current Treasurer has someone who is his “back up”, should Steve not be available at any point in the future. My current understanding is that if Steve were not available then no one else is able to make such claim on behalf of the Church and this would negatively affect cashflow throughout the year. This is a role that can then be a shared responsibility and therefore there will always be backup.
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The second person would check the information compiled by the first person to reduce the chance of any errors on moving the data from one system to the spreadsheet before submission to the diocese.
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A nominated person to be responsible for checking the remittance list received by the Church on receipt of a Gift Aid claim back to your original spreadsheet submitted to check that all claims which were made have been funded. Any adjustments or differences between the amount applied for and subsequently received should be enquired about at Southwell so you are clear on what has been claimed and why something was eliminated each quarter.
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Each Gift Aid submission claim per quarter should be stapled to the remittance sheet received from Southwell, any differences noted on the face of the paperwork, and all paperwork filed with Claire in the office for full record keeping and clarity. The Gift Aid claims form part of the annual accounting and book-keeping information and you should as best practice have all this in one place, not kept by one individual.
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On a similar note, please ensure each quarter the CCLA statements are collated, and all paperwork is forward and kept by Claire at the office, to again ensure all accounting information is held centrally. If the name/address on the CCLA paperwork as registered with the diocese needs updating then please do this immediately to ensure compliance with data regulations and that Church paperwork is not being send to someone who is not entitled to receive it. Ideally, the paperwork should go to the office manager at the Lindsay Morgan Hall address, as the office manager is then able to ensure all transactions are recorded on to the QuickBooks software each quarter.
I hope you find the above recommendations helpful for consideration.
If you have any queries on the final accounts please do come back to me.
I attach my final invoice for the work undertaken which involves preparing the year end accounts, and independently examining the book-keeping records, financial transactions and processes undertaken.
Kind regards Emma Stubbs FMAAT ATT, Director
www.ash-accounting.co.uk Telephone number 0115 9930245
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CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 1128977
ST JAMES CHURCH, PORCHESTER Unaudited Financial Statements Year ended 31 December 2024
ASH ACCOUNTING LTD
Licensed Accountants 44a Gedling Road Carlton Nottingham NG4 3FH
ST JAMES CHURCH, PORCHESTER
Year 2024 Trustees' Annual Report ended 31 December
The Trustees present their report and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2024.
Reference and administrative details Registered charity name ST JAMES CHURCH, PORCHESTER
Charity registration number 1128977 Principal office St James Church Marshall Hill Drive Mapperley Nottingham NG3 6FY The Trustees Mike Forsyth - Vicar Danielle Brown Chris Childs Lucy Drury Steve Harrison — Church Warden/Treasurer Sally Smith Muriel Weisz - Diocesan Synod Rep Ann Harrison RacheE Forsyth Susan Day — Church Warden Claire Chambers David Day Navid Ouiji — Gedling Deanery Synod Rep Pauline Reed Lois Quinn — Parish Safeguarding Officer (Coopted) Independent examiner Emma Stubbs C/O Ash Accounting Ltd 44a Gedling Road Carlton Nottingham NG4 3FH
Structure, governance and management
The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is a corporate body established by the Church of England. The PCC operates under the Parochial Church Council (Powers) measure 1956. The PCC is exempted by order from registering with the Charities Commission. The appointment of PCC members is governed by and set out in the Church Representation
ST JAMES CHURCH, PORCHESTER
Trustees' Annual Report (continued)
Year ended 31 December 2024
Objectives and activities
The primary objective of the PCC is the promotion of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the doctrines and practices of the Church of England. The PCC (Powers) Measure 1956 states the PCC "is to co-operate with the minister in promoting in the parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical" In addition St James Porchester PCC has its own vision statement which is "To be a spirit filled church where Jesus is front and centre as we love our community and support one another to grow more like Jesus, celebrate God's goodness, and share the great news of Jesus.'
The activities are set out in the Church's Annual Report which is available from the church.
Achievements and performance
The PCC monitors its performance and achievements by means of a Growing Disciples Plan. This plan began in 2021 with the appointment of Rev'd Mike Forsyth and will run till 2026 when a new Growing Disciples Plan will be written for the next five years of ministry. By 2026 we hope to grow by 80 new disciples, 25 children and 40 young adults attending regular Sunday worship, and 128 members of church attending homegroups. Through 2025 we have made steady progress towards our Growing Disciples Plan.
Some of the success from 2024 have been:
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13 baptisms
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Over 100 guests attending the Easter Fun Afternoon
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12 individuals completing the Alpha Course
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Volunteers "Thank You" Party attended by 38 volunteers from across the Church
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Visits from/to all schools within the parish at Harvest, Christmas, and/or Easter
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Community pancake party, attended by 40+ children
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Gardening days held throughout the year involving a team of 12 individuals
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ASA is noticeably higher at both Sunday morning services
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At APCM Susan Day appointed as first "new" warden in 6 years
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At APCM four new members of PCC appointed
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Largest turnout for APCM in recent years
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Rev'd. Mike began Arrow leadership program
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Rev'd. Mike began as a RAF Reserves Chaplain
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Creation of a "children creative prayer space" in Church
ST JAMES CHURCH, PORCHESTER
Trustees' Annual Report (continued) Year ended 31 December 2024
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Hosted the Deanery confirmation service (three members of St James confirmed)
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Instaliation and launch event for the community defibrillator
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10 Young People attended "It's your move event"
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St James hosted Mapperley Churches Together prayer and worship
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Church Family "end of summer BBQ"
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St James supported the Valley Road Summer Fair, with church "pop up" café
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Award of E3,500 toward Mapperley Churches Together Christmas Festival
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20+ members of Church joined in Summer Big Church Read
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Mothers Union held Afternoon Tea mid-August as part of "Summer of Hope"
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Celebrated annual St James Feast Day with combined service and church lunch Lois Quinn has completed one year at St James!
Financial review
Through 2024 there has been an increase in overall income. Regular giving increased in both number of individuals and amount given. We received a substantial grant from Gedling Borough Council towards heating, lighting, and cleaning of the church centre, and benefited from the decision to hold an Advent Gift Appeal. The Christmas Fayre, as an annual fundraiser, contributed a similar amount to previous years which enables the wider community to support the work of the church.
Ministry costs were on budget, though several of our general costs exceeded the planned budget. Legal and professional costs were higher on account of greater use of a paid organist at the Sunday 9am service, and midweek Thursday service. The category of "other ministry costs" also exceeded the planned budget. Through 2024 we increased the amount given to our nominated mission partners as a reflection of the increase in income through giving.
We did not meet the full parish share allocation for 2024 (E56k, which is a reduction from full parish share), however with better planning and confidence in regular income we could have made full parish share. In the future we hope to grow our confidence in making these monthly payments by direct debit and achieving our full allocation in 2025.
Plans for future periods
Our priorities remain the same for the coming year. The successes of 2024 have shown that through prayer and focus on our priorities the Church will grow, and people are willing to
ST JAMES CHURCH, PORCHESTER
Trustees' Annual Report (continued) Year ended 31 December 2024
give towards the mission of the Church when asked to do so. So as much as we will be trying hard not to introduce anything new through 2025, we hope to bring everything that we do within our vision and values so that we are moving forward.
The PCC have approved plans to improve the access to Church, creating a welcome space and area for hospitality within the Church. This project has received a grant through a bid to the diocese Growing Disciples Fund.
The Trustees' Annual Report was approved on.. .. n..........„............and signed on behalf of the board of trustees by:
Rev'd M Forsyth
Rev'd M Forsyth Mr S Harrison Trustee Trustee
ST JAMES CHURCH, PORCHESTER
Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of St James Church, Porchester Year ended 31 December 2024
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of St James Church* Porchester ('the charity') for the year ended 31 December 2024.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act').
I report in respect of my examination of the charity's financial statements carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charities Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiners statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my
attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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Accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act, or
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The financial statements do not accord with those 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.
16/05/2025 Emma Stubbs FMAIT ATT Ash Accounting Ltd 44a Gedling Road Carlton
ST JAMES CHURCH, PORCHESTER Trustees' Annual Report (continued) Year ended 31 December 2024
Nottingham NG4 3FH
PORCHESTER
ST JAMES CHURCH
| RECEIPTS Donations etc Donations Donations - Community defibriliator Legacies Charitable activities Transitional income Community events - MC T Other activities Wedding and funeral fees Bereavement Hall hire Magazine sales Grants received Chant income from Diocese Grant income from GBC Investment income Income from investments Bank Interest TOTAL PAYMENTS Charitable & Ministry costs Weddings & funeral fees Wcyship Organist expenses Youth & Families Professional development Fellowship & pastual Transitional expenses Segments Diocese Parish contributions Corporate givmg Community events - MCT Staffing costs Wages & salaries - Office & grounds staff Wages & salaries - Youth enabler Pension costs - Youth enabler Employers liability insurance Premises costs Water rates Light & heat Property Repairs & maintenance Garden maintenance of Vicarage Cleaning Community Defibrillator General Insurance General costs Purchases Accountancy Legal & professional Telephone inc rentals Ministry office costs Ministry office costs capital 2 x laptops General office costs Photocopier hire & copy costs Bank charges TOTAL |
ear to 31 December 2024 NET DEFICIT FOR THE YEAR Unrestricted 85,150 5,623 3.665 2t935 71439 43 1061369 11056 2.990 3,497 2,421 50,000 4,694 3,863 13.203 18,707 34 7 1,799 1129 6 1.907 9,424 78 7 64 3 612 2.303 1 ,074 1 ,032 2,252 458 Restricted 2024 2023 791839 700 700 5,623 4.847 3,665 2,484 216 3,946 30 30 7.439 7.340 43 40 2.000 2,000 5,000 5,000 855 1 ,6B3 303 7,946 114,315 1 12,337 1.140 1.140 614 1,056 2,990 1 ,950 1 ,477 3,497 2,421 2,339 589 50,000 52,400 4.694 3,880 3,863 13,203 17,986 18,707 347 51 1 ,695 i 296 754 5,000 6,907 4418 9,424 30*551 787 643 270 1.620 1 ,620 4,561 4,258 135,751 7,760 29,382 410 |
|---|---|
| 215 11565 612 1 ,496 2, 306 900 1,07 4 2,252 3,524 3,229 45B 465 143,511 140,301 29,196 27 , 964 $T JAMES CHURCH tatoment of Assets Liabilities- ear ended 31 December 2 2 Unrestricted Restricted CASH FUNDS Bank & cash balances Bank savings accounts 3.161 Bank current account 6,174 381 Cash accounvunbanked donations Iti49 OTHER MONETARY ASSETS 10,484 381 Debtors - overpaid PAYE account INVESTMENTS WITH CCLA {2.00 Deposit accounks 4.264 878 Shares 33,594 37 LIABIUTEES Trade cceditors Other creditors 2024 2023 3,161 8,070 6,555 23.309 1,149 10,865 12.00 5,142 33,594 31.428 4,934 41473 38,736 46,412 49$13 77,840 878 |
||
|---|---|---|
| 29,196 27 , 964 |
| 49,613 | 77,840 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANALYS9S OF FUND | MOVEMENTS FOR THE YEAR | movements unrestricted restricted in value | balance | |||
| Interest & general | 31112/2024 balance 31M 2/24 | |||||
| 01/01/2024 investment | dividends Income | withdrawls | ||||
| Share Deposit accounts | 4,881 | 261 | 4,264 | 878 | ||
| Share investments | 1,094 | -10,000 | 969 | 33,594 | ||
| Receipts & payments basis |
These accounts were approved by the trustees on
and are signed on their behalf by;
Rev'd M Forsyth
Mr S Harrison
ST JAMES CHURCH PORCHESTER
Receipts and Payments Account for year to 31 December 2024
Opening bank & cash balances 01.01.24
| PORCHESTER | PORCHESTER | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank current account | 23,309 | ||
| Bank savings account | 8,070 | ||
| Cash held | 49 | 311428 | |
| Opening investment values 01.01.24 | |||
| Deposit accounts | 4,934 | ||
| Shares | 41,478 | 46,412 | 77,840 |
| deficit in year - expenses over income | 29,196 | ||
| investment revaluation movement | 969 | ||
| 49,613 | |||
| Closing bank & cash balances 31.12.24 | |||
| Bank current account | 3,161 | ||
| Bank savings account | 6,555 | ||
| Cash held | 1,149 | 10,865 | |
| Closing investment values 31:12.24 | |||
| Deposit accounts | 5,142 | ||
| Shares | 33,594 | 38,736 | |
| Debtors - PAYE | 12 | 49,613 |