## **CHRISTCHURCH METHODIST CHURCH** ## **Trustees Report and Financial Report** ## **1[st] September 2022 – 31[st] August 2023.** ## **Charity Number 1129001** Aims and Purposes Christchurch Methodist Church Council (CMCC) has the responsibility of working with the Loughborough Circuit Ministry Team; the Reverends Andrew Lomax, Martin Swan, Sandra Marshall and Calvin Chung to promote the whole mission of the Church and manage the pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical work of the Church. Rev. Martin Swan has a part time appointment to work with Christchurch specifically for all pastoral and ecumenical work at the church. CMCC is specifically responsible for the maintenance of the Church buildings known as Christchurch Methodist Church, Field Street, Shepshed, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE12 9AL. ## Objectives and Activities The Church Council is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at our church, and to become part of our church community. The CMCC maintains an overview of worship in the church and ensures that this worship is relevant to all sections of our community. When planning our activities for the year the Minister and the CMCC have considered the Commission’s guidance on public benefit, and in particular, the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. In particular, we try to enable ordinary people to live out their faith as part of our church community through: - Worship and prayer, learning about the Gospel, and developing their knowledge and trust in Jesus - Provision of pastoral care for people living in Shepshed, who are members of our community - Missionary and outreach work. To ensure all of this can happen we need to maintain the fabric of the Church buildings. ## Achievements – Serving our community Based in the heart of the town the CMCC work to ensuring that our buildings are available to all community groups, and we reach out to provide a welcoming space for the community to gather. On a Wednesday a community outreach project called Chat and Chomp is provided to offer a warm space, coffee, and a free meal to the community. During the colder months this group helps people to stay warm and fed. **2** On Friday mornings, Church members provide an open coffee morning at which residents of the town can pop in for a chat, a cup of coffee and a piece of home-made cake. These coffee mornings help to keep people in touch and offer a chance for meeting friends from the town. In addition the following community groups use the premises: - 6th Shepshed Guides - Shepshed Brownies - Christchurch Gilbert and Sullivan Group - Knit and Natter - ACT 1 Youth Theatre Group - Chera Voce - Slimming World - Shepshed Dance classes - Serenade - Senior Choir - Shepshed Craft Group - Christchurch Writers Group - Shepshed Seniors Club Church members can also use the premises for celebrations with family and friends, for Birthdays, Wedding Anniversaries, and personal celebrations. ## Pastoral Care Many our Church members are no longer actively able to attend church due to ill health or advancing years. We maintain a weekly electronic service sheet to keep members in touch with the church community and avoid them feeling isolated and lonely and this has been a help to members who have moved away or moved into supported accommodation. Our members have felt that it was helpful for people to keep in touch with friends within the church. In addition, church members in need of visiting, in either times of distress or loss are visited by the Minister as required. Our minister Rev. Martin Swan also has a pastoral role now in the town and is active in engaging with our community on pastoral matters. Pastoral lay visitors visit those in need and a prayer chain is in place to support those within the Church family to pray for those in need. Even when members are isolated, the prayer chain helps them to remain in touch and care for the pastoral needs of others. The Church also regularly collects food to support the food bank in the town and members volunteer there. **3** ## Worship Worship normally takes place on a Sunday morning at 10.45 am and a Sunday evening at 6 pm takes place once a month. Ministers preach along with Lay Preachers, and Local Arrangement services occur once a month led by the Stewards. Christchurch is a member of Churches Together in Shepshed (CTIS) and works with the other churches and denominations within the town on various ecumenical projects including Learning in Lent, the Easter Walk of Witness and the Remembrance Parade and Service. Together we support the Passion youth drop-in Centre, which engages young people in the town and provides a safe place, keeping young people off the streets. Members from Christchurch regularly attend circuit services where Methodists from around the circuit can gather and worship together, these are hosted by different churches within the circuit. Members who are not able to attend church are able to follow worship online with the Circuit every Sunday. ## A building fit for the Community A quinquennial inspection of the property has taken place and recommendations for repairs and work to be carried out over the next 5 years has been received. The trustees have undertaken some key work identified and are working through the list for other items. In general, the property was found to be in an excellent condition, with no major work required. Large works are now challenging to the church community as more of our members age, it is harder to undertake large jobs without paying for work to be undertaken and this will need to be addressed in the future. ## Financial Review and Reserves For the period covered by this report the income on our unrestricted fund was £47900 and on the restricted fund was £2000. During this period, we paid £35200 to the Loughborough Circuit as our proportion of the circuit share for ministerial costs, and other church expenditure amounted to £12600. This expenditure includes donations to other charities or organisations of £1800. **4** Full details are given in the financial statements that were approved and signed by Church council in February 2024. N.B. All accounts figures rounded to the nearest £100 in this report. These figures show that income has recovered somewhat from the pandemic, but income is not as robust as previously, and with an aging congregation there is an identified risk to our future income. The Church Council is aware of a risk to our income from loss of regular contributors and income from church donors has steadily reduced as church members have passed away. Christchurch has always endeavored to hold a reasonable of level of reserves, ideally at £25,000 although this has not often been possible. However, the legacies and the levels of reserves held at present mean that the trustees have confidence that whilst we may have a negative budget in 23-24 we will have sufficient reserves to cover this. However, the long-term future of the church will rely on either additional income being generated, or expenditure being reduced. The potential for income being generated from additional lettings, is not high given that the Church is let every evening of the week. The only potential lettings would be during the daytime which is far less popular. The Church has a fixed energy contract for Gas for a few years but the during the period of this report the Electric contract has expired and a new contract has been signed which is much more expensive leading to considerably higher electricity bills. **5** ## Administrative Information Christchurch Methodist Church is in Shepshed, Leicestershire and is part of the Loughborough Methodist Circuit. This forms part of the Leicester and Northampton District. Church Council members and trustees for the period of this report were: |hurch Council members and|trustees for the per| |---|---| |Circuit Superintendent Minister|Rev Andrew Lomax| |Circuit Minister|Rev Martin Swan| |Senior Steward|Lynn Hobson| |Steward|Lorraine Cutts| |Steward|Jane Dobson| |Steward|Steve Price| |Steward|Gladys Watret| |Steward|Rosemary Grimley| |Steward|Victoria Merrill| |Church Treasurer|Dawn Scott| |Assistant Treasurer|Lynn Hobson| |Church Secretary|Ian Scott| |Safeguarding representative|Michelle Price| |Elected from AGM|Katie Brooks-Duncan| ||Cynthia Popley| ||Alan Hobson| ||Nicole Jordan| |Circuit Steward|Les Longmire| The administrative address for the church is: Field Street, Shepshed, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE12 9AL The Church Council meets quarterly to discuss and approve church business and the trustees and members are elected yearly at the Church Annual General Meeting held in May or June. Authority may be delegated to subcommittees formed at the wish of the Church Council. Report produced by Dawn Scott on behalf of Christchurch Methodist Church Council **6** CHURCH RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS THE METHODIST CHURCH STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS Christchurch Methodist Church FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 August 2023 Loughborough Clrcurt Clrcuft no. 23110 Reglstered Charity - Charlty Registration number If not a register8d charity Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs Glft Ald number (The HMRC number is equivalent to a registered chartty number in teTms of evidence of charitabl8 stalus and may be used to give to donors or grant funders vashing to see evidence of the organi5ation's charitabl8 Status. Methodist charities in England and Wales that are not registered charities are excepted from registration under Statutory Instrument 2014 No.242) 1129001 Minister- Reverend Martin Swan Church Stewards.. Mr Steve Pri Mrs Gladys Watr8t Mrs Jane Dobson Mrs Rosemary Grimley Mrs Victoria Merrill Mrs Lorraine Cutts Treasurer. Mrs Dawn Scott Christchurch $18ndard form 2022-23 as adj by AT 1of5 ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023 Christchurch Methodist Church Unrestricted Rèstrithd Totals this Funds Funds year Totals last yèar SECTION A a1 RECEIPTS Note a2 Offerin s and Tax recovered Bank and CFB interest and Investment income 30,219 30.219 30.768 1.643 97 a4 Lettin 11,354 4.676 47.892 11.354 6.676 49,892 8,059 30,725 69,651 a5 Other receipts TOTAL RECEIPTS 2.000 2,000 a6 la71 SECTION b1 PAYMENTS b2 Circuit Assessment or Shar8 35.182 35,182 35,642 b3 Donations 1,855 1,855 6,084 Re airs and Maintenance Utilities Ilnsurances, water charges, healing & lighting) 2,276 2,276 2.140 b5 5.594 6.594 b6 b7 other payments TOTAL PAYMENTS 2,941 47,848 2.941 47.848 5,301 53,546 b8 Ib9) SECTION C NET RECEIPTSIPAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR c1 a6-b8 43 2.000 16,105 Total funds brought forward from last year c2 44,528 2,834 47.362 c6 31,257 c3 Sub total c1+c2 44,571 4,834 49,405 Transfers and ad'uslmenls c5 TOTAL FUNDS AT END OF YEAR Ic3+c4) 44.571 49.405 (c81 47,362 {c6} SECTION O FOR INFORMATION ONLY: MONEY RECEIVED AND PASSED ON TO EXTERNAL ORGANISATIONS (these amounts are not to be included in tolal r￿elPts1paYM9nts figures above) d1 Balance brou ht fO￿ard from kqst ar 120 d2 Offerin sIGrfts- receNed for exiemal o nisations 1.581 105 d3 OfferingslGifts - passed to extemal organisation8 1,581 225 d4 BALANCE STILL TO BE PAID {d1+d24d3) 2of5 Chti5khutcb %tththTd 2022-23 Christchurch Melhodisl ChLr¢h SUMMPRY OF CHURCH P£C C41G*llk%AIIOM8 REPCIiTrIG TO THE CHU 14CIL SECnON E PK•4s• Ioi Slynm￿ fo¥ 31 Awt 3)23a¥J tothechurth Ileetwy. NL*e ihat Ihèfunts (* necled [￿51T￿l or0￿￿4￿1[￿S INTERNAL ORGPNISAIIONS Ck6i Sub l(A81 d InittTh nisaliorts ￿dts 52 ¢12 Church a￿OL￿ts Itota brought lornfard Irom - lotab column) C4SH FUNDS HELD BY CHURCH 47 1043 {c7) 47,362 49.405 c81 47 1043 47.414 49,457 a6ep¥ale sheet y4nd t￿ing the to**5 TOTJL RECEIPTS TOTPL PAYMENI3 fwwd SECll(X14 F ET8 LWaLmES C*ENNG BpL1￿CEs CLOSING BALANCES CHURCH- CASH FUtIDS HELD 4131 1fKJ 100 Bank Cuml Acc 1.473 CeDlrd FinaKe B(wd Trusi*g frrf Cthh Olher SUB TOTPL. ChLYch •¢¢ourrts 47.362 49,405 Ic8} funds hEld by I￿￿￿￿50r9￿￿st1XIS baace from le13) 52 TOTAL CPSH FEINDS HELD BY CHURC 47A14 SECllON G Al 31 Awt OTHER ￿ET8 W UWUnES Invsstrn￿ts L￿d & Bu￿dkn $ 1320 IXIO Olhw Assets Oth¥ Lwitks 14 In¢￿d&ordY F￿￿6 hdd at B(wd IS InclUd8￿Y Fu￿5 at Tr￿t￿ M8thtKlst ¢hLvth p￿[X 91 aly¢Xher hvesbnaits {Mlthe ¢a5h CITMCP tr*i5 3￿$ Name of Church.. Christchurch Methc¥Jist Church Charity No.: 112￿01 Declarations and Scrutiny I confirm Ihal these Receipt and Payment based accounts for the year lo 31 August 2023 have been prepared from the records of the Church and that they include all funds under the control of the Church trustees. Signalure of treasurer . Name and address of treasurer .. Pros•ntation to the Church trustees l Confirm Ihat the annual rep)rt and aw)unts for the year ended 31 August 2023 werelwill tr*. Presented lo the mgeting of the Church trustees held on ................. Signature ol the Chair of the meeting Name of the Chair of the meeting Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of the Christchurch Methodist Church Charity Number 1129001 Responsibilities and basls of report I report lo the trustees on my examinatKJn of the accounts of the Christchurch Methodist Church for the year ended 31 August 2023 set oul on pages 2 to 3 As the Church's trustees. you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance wilh the requirem8nts of the Charil Act 2011 ('the Acl')- I report in respect of my exarnination of Ihe Church's accounts cairied out under section 145 of the Act and, in carrying out my examination, I have folbwed all the aP￿icable Directions glven by the Charity Commission under section 145(5Mbl of the ACL delete or circle as appropriate 4of5 Name of Church: Christchurch Methodist Church Charity No.: 1129001 Independent Examinerfs Statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination 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 th8 accounts to be reached. I 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 eX￿sS of £10,000 (ten thousand pounds) at the balance sheet date. Signature of independent 8xaminer Name of independent examiner Andrew Thorpe Relevant professional qualification of independent examiner ACA Nam8 of firm (where appropriate) NIA Address 52 Priory Road, Loughborough, LE113PP Date 26 November 2023 Christchurch standard fonn 2022-23 5of5