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2025-12-31-accounts

The Joint Council of the Bridge Benefice, Coventry Annual Report & Accounts

For the Year Ended 31 December 2025

Registered Charity Number 1129017

Legal and Administrative Information

The Bridge Coventry comprises the churches St John’s Westwood and St Stephen’s Canley. We are part of the Church of England, in the Diocese of Coventry. The Joint Council of the Bridge Benefice is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, charity number 1129017. Under the Church Representation Rules, the Joint Council is a body corporate.

The Trustees are the members of the Joint Council, and those who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:

David Hammond (Resigned 31 July 2025) Erin Gilmour Caroline Hammond (Resigned 31 July 2025) Steve Elton Matt Jermyn Tom Hickinbottom Jeff Smailes Michelle Robinson Jan Sayer (Resigned 31 May 2025) Graham Thomas (Resigned 31 May 2025) Michael Lane Abigail Baxter Lydia Sampson Carolyn Howarth

The Independent Examiner of the financial statements was:

McGlone Wardzynski Limited The Halo Centre Progress way Binley Industrial Estate Coventry CV3 2NT

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Contents

Legal and Administrative Information ................................................................... 1 Contents ........................................................................................................................... 2 Lay Chair’s Introduction ............................................................................................. 3 Associate Minister’s Letter ........................................................................................ 3 Churchwardens’ Reports ........................................................................................... 4 Safeguarding .................................................................................................................. 5 Staffing ............................................................................................................................. 6 St Stephen’s Church Report ..................................................................................... 7 St John’s Church Report ............................................................................................ 8 Mission Hub .................................................................................................................... 9 Children’s Ministry ....................................................................................................... 9 Youth Ministry ............................................................................................................... 11 Students Ministry ........................................................................................................ 12 Dandelions ..................................................................................................................... 13 St Stephen’s Tots Lunch ........................................................................................... 13 Growing Faith ............................................................................................................... 14 The Garden of Hope ................................................................................................... 14 Art Group ........................................................................................................................ 15 Soup Lunch ................................................................................................................... 16 Memory Café ................................................................................................................. 16 Refresh ............................................................................................................................ 16 Breathe ........................................................................................................................... 17 Bridge Football Club .................................................................................................. 18 Alpha ............................................................................................................................... 18 Dwell ................................................................................................................................ 19 Connect Groups ........................................................................................................... 19 Fabric Reports ............................................................................................................. 20 Electoral Rolls Report ................................................................................................ 21 Joint Council Report .................................................................................................. 21 Financial Report .......................................................................................................... 23 Independent Examiner’s Report to the Joint Council of The Bridge Benefice, Coventry .............................................. 25

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Lay Chair’s Introduction

The past year has been a season of significant transition and change for The Bridge. Following the departure of the Rev’d David Hammond, we entered a period of interregnum that required us to lean more on the church leaders and staff team that we are blessed with.

Despite the challenges of vacancy and significant staff changes, the life of our church has remained vibrant. We have welcomed new faces into various roles, each bringing fresh energy to our shared mission. I am thrilled to confirm the appointment of Rev’d Gareth Irvine as our new Vicar; we look forward with great anticipation to him and his family joining us in June 2026.

This steady progress is a testament to the dedication of our leadership. My heartfelt thanks go to the Joint Council for their wisdom throughout 2025. I am particularly grateful to Erin Gilmour, Steve Elton, and Mohammad Eghtedarian for their steadfast leadership during the vacancy, and to Jeff Smailes and Carolyn Howarth for their tireless work as Treasurer and Churchwardens. Their commitment has provided the stability we have needed during this time. I am also grateful to all the staff, past and present, who have helped during the transition to ensure the Bridge and its people have been cared for and that worship and mission has continued.

As we prepare for our next season, we do so with gratitude and expectancy for His Kingdom coming.

Tom Hickinbottom

Lay Chair of The Joint Council of The Bridge Benefice, Coventry

Associate Minister’s Letter

“Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.” (Song of Songs 2:10b–13 NIV)

God spoke these words to me while I was on retreat last summer, and as I reflect on the past year, I am reminded again of this invitation.

Looking back on 2025, it really does feel like a year of change—marked by both endings and new beginnings, including the appointment of Bishop Sophie Jelley who has brought with her fresh vision and life to our diocese, and the departure of our vicar David Hammond to a new life as Warden of Lee Abbey—but more than that I believe that this past year we’ve begun to see new growth in our own context.

We have seen growth across both our churches, with more people, young and old(er), engaging and growing in faith. I also believe that we have not only seen growth in numbers but also in depth, participation, and an increasing sense of shared purpose.

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There is a real sense of the church community stepping up, with more people finding their place, serving, and getting involved in the life of the church.

What has been especially striking is the deepening in our life together: a greater fervency in prayer, a renewed hunger for God’s presence, and a strengthening of our sense of community. We have also taken meaningful steps in becoming a more accessible and welcoming church, opening our doors wider and seeking to ensure that everyone can find a place among us.

As a staff team, we’ve also experienced change—welcoming new faces and saying goodbye to others who have moved onto new adventures. This has not been easy. However, throughout all of this, there has been a real sense that God is at work, gently shaping us and leading us forward, even when the way ahead has not always been completely clear.

I feel like we are actively living out this passage—hearing God’s invitation and walking with him into a new season.

I would like to extend my thanks to each and every person who has served this past year, from working parties, hospitality, mid-week groups, kids, youth and student work and all the things that go unseen. Thank you!

We look forward to what God will do amongst us during this coming year in both the joys and the struggles as we continue to follow him.

Rev Erin Gilmour Associate Minister

Churchwardens’ Reports

St Stephen’s Canley

It has been a significant year of stewardship and growth at St Stephen’s. As we have invested in our building and our mission, we are guided by Isaiah 54:2: "Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back." It is clear that God’s hand is on our church family, bringing together a variety of gifts to make St Stephen’s a special, welcoming place.

A key highlight has been our renewed links with the local community, specifically through the work of Amy Cole at Leigh CofE Academy. Her dedicated support for children with SEND and their families has been invaluable, and it is a joy to see these relationships deepening.

This community focus is mirrored in our substantial building improvements. Following successful fundraising and grants, we completed vital works—including new windows, flooring, and the creation of a dedicated SEND-accessible space. These updates have not only made St Stephen’s more comfortable but have directly increased our capacity for

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outreach, specifically supporting our work with Foodbank and our heart for inclusive family ministry.

I am deeply grateful to Rev’d Erin Gilmour and everyone who has used their talents to support these projects. We look ahead with excitement for what God has in store. God is good.

Tom Hickinbottom

St Stephen’s Churchwarden

St John’s Westwood

2025 was a time of change as we said goodbye to the Hammond family, started the preparation work for the appointment of the new incumbent of The Bridge and the replacement of virtually the whole staff team. We are grateful for how quickly and relatively seamlessly the new team members Jonthan Martin (Operations Manager), Marit Njofang and Andrew Martin (Operations Administrators), Claire Fitzroy (Cleaner) and Karenza Mahtani (Students Discipleship Enabler) have settled in and added their talents to the work of The Bridge as a whole and St John's in particular.

We as churchwardens are very grateful for the work of Steve and Susie Elton in their leadership of St John's, especially during the interregnum. It is a real blessing to see the church grow across the whole range of its activities.

We also want to thank all the volunteers who support the life of St John's and we are encouraged at how God continues to bless as we seek to reach out to all age-groups and backgrounds across the parish.

Jeff Smailes and Carolyn Howarth St John’s Churchwardens

Safeguarding

Safeguarding continues to be a high priority for The Bridge, keeping all parishioners, church members and anyone within our care safe. In light of the current contextual climate within the Church we are endeavouring to be beyond reproach in our transparency and conduct with safeguarding, including safer recruitment.

The team consists of myself (Susie Elton) and Lydia Sampson at St John’s, Emily Newbury at St Stephen’s, and Erin Gilmour as Associate Minister has taken over from David Hammond during the interregnum.

Safeguarding continues to be a key agenda item at the Joint Council and the leadership team have ensured that we are compliant with the Church of England’s Promoting a Safer Church Policy. We are working to ensure the dashboard is updated, with support from the operations team.

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Our iKnow software allows us to sensitively track trends and monitor people as needed, with appropriate confidentiality. It also alerts me when safeguarding agreements are due to be updated. When the operations team has capacity, we will explore migrating our safer recruitment database into iKnow as well, which could aid with tracking renewals.

We have recently started regular safeguarding check-ins with the church leaders and Children’s Discipleship Enabler, so any issues can be discussed appropriately and any referrals made timely.

We have made 2 referrals to Children's Social Care so far this year. We have liaised with PSO’s from 2 other churches regarding potential issues for them to be aware of with people moving congregations.

We are almost where we need to be with people being safely recruited, and are now in a much stronger position than previous years.

Next term I am planning to offer more training around issues that may face our community, such as Mental Health. We are also preparing training for anyone who would like a wider understanding of safeguarding and to help volunteers feel more confident in their roles.

Susie Elton

Staffing

2025 was a year of significant turnover for the Bridge staff team. In addition to David and Caroline Hammond moving on the Lee Abbey, Sarah Packwood stepped down as Operations Minister, Jenni Dunne stepped down as Operations Administrator, Mark Ahmad stepped down as Students Discipleship Enabler, Rachel Walton stepped down as Cleaner, Trevor Chappell stepped back from his voluntary role as Bridge Youth Leader and ordinand Ben Packwood moved to a new placement. As such, there were five new appointments over 2025.

At year end, The Bridge Coventry had nine employed staff plus an Associate Minister (paid through the Diocese), with total hours equivalent to about five full-time posts:

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The team has continued to collaborate with St James Fletchamstead and their Associate Minister, Mohammad Eghtedarian. We are also very grateful for the other clergy, Licensed Lay Ministers and ordinands across the three parishes of Westwood, Canley and Fletchamstead, who faithfully support the ministry of our churches.

Many of the Bridge staff are on fixed-term contracts, to allow flexibility for restructuring the staff team if necessary once our new Vicar, Gareth Irvine, is in post.

Our SEND, Youth and Students roles depend largely on grants. The Youth role is finishing at the end of April 2026, but Amy will continue as SEND Outreach Worker (12 hours/week).

Jonathan Martin Operations Manager

St Stephen’s Church Report

In our last report, I (Erin) finished by saying that my hope for 2025 was that it would be a year of significant growth in missional confidence—where we would welcome more families into our community and see God’s Kingdom come in Canley.

Now, as I come to write this new report, I can look back and say that this has most definitely been the case. Perhaps not as we expected, and nothing dramatic—but there have been small and definite signs that God is at work and bringing growth among us. We have welcomed new families into the church, continued to build both new and existing ministries, and kept reaching out to our community.

The Foodbank at St Stephen’s continues to support those most in need, providing a warm and welcoming space for those who need it most.

We have also continued to pursue accessibility through the renovation of the church building—making it a warmer, more welcoming space. Work is still ongoing to create a quiet area for those who need time out, but already this has changed the feel of the building, making it more usable, accessible, and peaceful for all.

So much has happened over the year. We held our second Easter Trail at Leigh Church of England Academy, with that relationship continuing to grow through the Growing Faith Learning Hub, leading collective worship, and being part of the governing body. We took part in the Canley Parade and Big Lunch, blessing our wider community (and I even managed to get a free ice cream—thanks to the dog collar!).

We once again celebrated the summer at New Wine, with new families joining us and, from all accounts, a great time had by all. Our Christmas events were also a real highlight, with a fantastic Nativity Trail despite the awful weather, and a packed-out Carol’oke, joined by the Leigh School choir.

Each of these moments stands on its own, but when we look at them all together, we can clearly see a growing engagement with our community and an increasing sense of excitement about what God is doing among us.

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Recently, I was reading from 1 Corinthians 1 (one of my favourite passages): “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”

We may be a small community, but I believe that God works powerfully through what may seem small or insignificant. My prayer for the coming year is that we continue to build and grow into all that God has for us.

Rev Erin Gilmour Associate Minister

St John’s Church Report

It’s been another good year for us at St John’s in 2025. There is a growing sense that our call to gather, equip and send is becoming more clearly established among us. We have particularly felt the work of the Holy Spirit drawing people in, and equipping and enabling them into a full and rich life of following Jesus.

We have seen real growth this year, both in individual discipleship and numerically as a congregation. It has been a joy to welcome many new people of all ages, seeing them quickly become part of church life. Even the need to use the chancel for seating—while not everyone’s favourite—has been a visible sign of this growth and vitality.

We have continued to press deeper into discipleship practices, with Sunday series and our focus in Connect Groups. Prayer is becoming not just something we do, but a priority and a marker of who we are, as we seek to partner with God in seeing His Kingdom come.

Throughout the year, our two Learning Communities focused on mission and leadership development. There has been a clear, shared desire to keep the gospel at the heart of all we do, while intentionally investing in people and raising up leaders. This focus on gathering and equipping is vital groundwork for what we believe will be an increased emphasis on sending in the near future—whether through resourcing other churches, sharing ideas, supporting teams or planting new worshipping communities.

Our missional events have once again been a highlight. Fireworks sold out with over 350 attending. Our first 65+ Afternoon Tea was a beautiful time. The Easter Adventure welcomed 120 people, with many families journeying through the Easter story in the Garden of Hope. Our first Summer Festival brought fun and connection to around 200 people. Our Christmas events offered a wide range of meaningful spaces for people to engage with Jesus. We estimate we have engaged with over 1,500 people through the missional events in 2025—just stunning!

The willingness of people to serve has been a huge encouragement, with teams growing and many stepping into leadership. A strong leadership culture is continuing to grow. September 2025 also marked a year since my appointment—and this year, my official licensing—as Lay Leader. Amazing that it has only been a year; we feel so at home here that it feels like we’ve been here for much, much longer! It remains one of the greatest

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honours of my life to serve in this way. I have loved the journey so far and am full of expectation for what lies ahead. God is on the move— bring on 2026!

Steve Elton

Lay Leader of St John’s Westwood

Mission Hub

Throughout the year, the Mission Hub has continued a slow but steady growth, with an increasing sense of connection, collaboration and shared purpose. Relationships with local schools, churches, and the wider community have created opportunities for engagement, helping to nurture faith in everyday settings and strengthen our shared mission.

A key element of this has been the development of Growing Faith, recognising the importance of faith being shaped across church, school, and home. The establishment of a Growing Faith Learning Hub is an important step forward, laying foundations for long-term impact. We hope this will enable not only deeper discipleship but also the emergence of new, contextually rooted communities of faith within our wider community.

As we look ahead, we sense that we are moving into a season of preparation—discerning, praying, and planning for new growth, whether through new services or new communities of faith. We see this season as exciting and faith-filled, as we seek to respond to where God is already at work. At the heart of this journey is the growing understanding that mission is not simply something we do, but something we are called to live. Together, we remain committed to cultivating faith, building relationships, and stepping forward with hope into all that lies ahead.

Rev Erin Gilmour Associate Minister

Children’s Ministry

As I (Anna) look back on 2025, there’s so much to be thankful to God for. It was a year of re-structuring, re-envisioning and re-cruiting!

Restructuring:

In 2025, we further developed our yearly rhythms for the team (meetings, annual retreat & socials) and children (trips, events, socials, Friday/Sunday groups). We rethought the team roles and established a Bridge Kids Leadership Team. We introduced a new curriculum – children are enjoying the activities and planning is simpler for team leaders.

Recruiting:

Following the St John’s volunteering push in the autumn, we had 4 new volunteers join the Tots & Kids teams (now 10 volunteers in each). In addition, we have 15 people who pray for the children’s ministry—thank you for being our prayer warriors! At St Stephen’s, we have 4 team members serving at the monthly Kids Group, as well as 2 adults and 1 teenage helper at our fortnightly Key Stage 2 Connect Group.

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HUGE thanks to all those who serve on the Tots & Kids teams across the churches. You are heroes! Thank you for being so loyal, enthusiastic, loving and passionate about sharing Jesus with our amazing children.

Re-envisioning:

In 2025, God gave us a clear vision for Bridge Tots & Kids and vision verses from Psalm 71:15-18 (TPT): “From my childhood you’ve been my teacher and I’m still telling everyone of your miracle-wonders. God, now that I’m old and grey, don’t walk away. Give me grace to demonstrate to the next generation all your mighty miracles and your excitement to show them your magnificent power!”

Belonging

Growing

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Adventuring

Conclusion:

Thanks to all those who have supported the discipleship of our children—volunteers, parents, carers—and a massive thank you to our God, who says “let the children come to me” (Matt 19:14). I pray that, as we enable our children to belong, grow and adventure, they would eagerly come to Jesus and rely on him.

Anna Martin

Children’s Discipleship Enabler

Youth Ministry

It has been a busy year for the young people at The Bridge. 2025 was a year of stabilization—finding routine, rhythm and calm in the chaos! Our young people continue to explore faith under the faithful guidance of our wonderful youth team to whom we are exceedingly grateful for their hard work, passion and patience.

Both churches have a core group of young people engaging with the respective ministries on Sunday mornings.

At St John’s, Susie and Nick Romney, Mairi Humphreys, Emily Bugg, Tom De Voil and Will Seldon head up the Sunday youth work twice a month and serve alongside our young people on third Sundays for “Service Service” where the youth join various teams around the church.

At St Stephen’s, Amy Cole and Matt Jermyn lead a monthly youth breakfast.

Every Thursday evening in term time, the youth from both churches gather for “Bridge Youth” to socialise, eat pizza, play games and have spiritual input. Bridge Youth was originally started by Trevor Chappel, who stepped down in July 2025. Amy picked up this role in September 2025 and leads the ministry with a dedicated team of volunteers. In 2025 we engaged with 36 young people with a regular attendance of 15-20.

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On Fridays, Amy helps to run a weekly lunchtime club at Westwood School in partnership with the RE department and other local churches.

As well as our weekly youth work, we have enjoyed enabling our young people to engage with trips and events run by outside organisations (Thrive, HOPE, etc.) such as Basecamp, Youth City Praise and Prayer, Coventry Youth Conference, Closer, Youth Growing Leaders, Falcon Camp, New Wine etc.

In 2025 we received some funding from the Diocese to create local outreach worship events in Canley amongst other projects. See our DMF report here.

Our young people regularly volunteer at church events and we have had comments from attendees on how kind, friendly, respectful and encouraging they are.

Our young people are such a joy and blessing to walk alongside. It's not the easiest ministry, but very much worth it. Please stand with us in prayer for them as they grow in maturity and continue their journeys with Jesus.

Amy Cole and the Youth Team Youth Discipleship Enabler & Team

Students Ministry

It has been another year of growth and strengthening for our student group. In October, we participated in the University of Warwick Church Search and Church Fayre and had the pleasure of meeting many new students, many of whom visited St John’s. Since then, we have been joined by a large number of first year students which has energised the wider student group, whilst blessing us with their individual gifts and experiences. Our second and third years have largely continued with us and blessed us with their maturity and welcome to those who are new.

One significant part of our ministry has been student lunches hosted by church Connect Groups each week. These have helped establish community for the students and helped them to integrate better into the wider church family, whilst providing a low-intensity place to invite their not-yet-Christian friends. As part of this, we hosted a welcome BBQ in October and a Christmas lunch in December, both of which were attended by students not usually connected with church. Another highlight was the student Nativity performance which was written, directed and performed by the students for the whole church at the start of Advent.

During our Thursday gatherings we have focused on using the framework of Practicing the Way—Be with Jesus, Become Like Jesus and Do What Jesus Did—to frame our discussions around discipleship, spiritual transformation and practices, and what it means to follow Jesus as a student. I have been really encouraged by watching them come up with plans to invest in their walk with Jesus and take meaningful steps to integrate following Jesus into their everyday lives. As part of this, we have a weekly practice such as prayer, generosity or Scripture reading that many of the students engage with and reflect on each week during our Thursday sessions. Alongside this, we have also launched a monthly student prayer meeting. Increasing numbers of students have entered

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mentoring/discipleship relationships, something I hope to see expanded next year. Lastly, it has been really encouraging to see many of our first years begin to serve on teams within the church as they continue to integrate and adopt this church family as their own.

Karenza Mahtani

Students Discipleship Enabler

Dandelions

Dandelions toddler group runs from 1.30pm-3pm every Wednesday afternoon in term time. It is for babies and toddlers and their carers. Since September the numbers have dropped but we have a regular group of parents and grandparents who attend with their children. Each session, we have a variety of toys, books and puzzles available to play with, as well as physical activities, messy play and crafts.

We have a committed team that runs Dandelions but over the last year there have been a number of serious health problems which has resulted in team members being unable to attend. We have benefitted very much from having extra help on a short term basis to cover absences.

Some of our families also attend Soup Lunch on a Thursday and have been to other Bridge events during the year. It is also a great joy to see past members of Dandelions at these events.

Please continue to pray for Dandelions; for the relationships being built with parents and carers, for links within the community and for the different needs within the group. Please pray too for the team: for health, energy and creativity as they serve.

Rebecca Torpey Dandelions Volunteer Leader

St Stephen’s Tots Lunch

Over the last 6 months our dream of starting a toddler group for local parents and pre-school children has become a reality. We started very simply in November 2025, serving soup, bread and fruit at around 12 noon, with few toys out to play with.

Our heart and vision for this group is to reach parents in need of extra support and those who might be isolated for a variety of reasons, including children with SEND. We have invited folks we have met via Foodbank, Leigh Church of England Academy and general community outreach to join us. Over the weeks we have seen God's faithfulness in adding to our number.

As well as sharing God’s love and friendship to families in a relaxed, invitational way, we want the group to be a place of safety, nurture, encouragement and to model positive parenting skills. With this in mind, we have gently introduced a theme, with a craft and Bible story and a simple song time. In 2026, we are linking with Adoption Central England (ACE), dovetailing our sessions with their monthly adopter support group.

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It has been a joy to be part of this and we pray for the ongoing outreach in Canley. Thanks to all our team for their faithful support and energy.

Amy Cole, Debbie Rumsby and Anna Martin

SEND Outreach Worker, Licensed Lay Minister, and Children’s Discipleship Enabler

Growing Faith

St Stephen's Growing Faith Learning Hub started in January 2025. Our main focus has been to help families and children with SEND engage with faith-based activities by link work between Home, Church and School. We report directly to the Growing Faith Foundation and the National Society for Education (Church of England).

At Leigh Church of England Academy, I (Amy Cole) run a weekly lunchtime accessible choir and a weekly parent café. We aim to build relationships with parents, teachers and children to introduce Jesus, strengthen links with the church and signpost families to relevant services and events (including Breathe, Tots Lunch, Hobby Hub, Dandelions).

Highlights of the year included: the Easter Trail; parade workshops and the Canley Parade; and Choir performances in assemblies, Care Homes, Coventry Cathedral, Christmas Fayres and Caroloke.

For more information, see our termly reports here:

● Report 1 (April 2025) ● Report 2 (August 2025) ● Video report (December 2025)

We look forward to seeing what God will do in 2026 with our little community!

Amy Cole SEND Outreach Worker

The Garden of Hope

2025 started with the news that Caroline

Hammond, who had the original vision, was moving on to pastures new! She handed the reins to Ben Packwood as part of his formative training towards curacy. Ben held the fort but later in the year moved on himself as part of his ongoing development towards ordination.

New developments in the garden included:

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There were multiple successful events hosted in the Garden— the Easter Adventure, Summer Fete, Fireworks, Carols round the campfire.

We have been very encouraged to hear from the group who pray for and visit the local houses how much they appreciate the Garden of Hope, although not always realising it was part of St John’s. They love the space and peace of the garden which has always been our aim and vision.

Lucy Pontin & Rev Kathryn Hammond Volunteer Garden of Hope Leaders

Art Group

The Art & Craft group is a multi-disciplinary activity group involved in such things as drawing, painting, weaving and crocheting that meets every week for two hours on a Wednesday morning.

We average around 15 people and fears of outgrowing the space available (the Trinity Room) did not materialise during 2025 as the numbers remained pretty constant. People attend because they enjoy the group, appreciate the hospitality and receive encouragement in their crafting.

Cliff Ruddell

Volunteer Art Group Leader

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Soup Lunch

Soup Lunch – it does what it says on the tin! You have lunch, and it’s soup (and bread, butter, cheese, biscuits and coffee), and it happens in the Trinity Room twice a month, on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays. About 25 guests come regularly—mostly older people, and some young mums with their kids—and we have 7 on the team. It’s a gentle way of inviting friends into a church setting and knowing they will be welcomed and served with warm and comforting soup. Actually, let’s remove that earlier reference to a tin—there are no tins at Soup Lunch! All soups are homemade and delicious. This is an under-the-radar church ministry which is very much valued by our guests.

Carolyn Howarth, Moira Heath and Graham Small St John’s Churchwarden and Soup Lunch Volunteer Leaders

Memory Café

Memory Café runs on 2nd and 4th Mondays throughout the year (except August), from 11am-12.15pm. It caters for people with memory problems and their carers and for older people who live alone.

Each session has a theme. We usually have a discussion round the tables relating to the theme, to encourage memories of the past. Other activities include: a craft or creative project, quizzes, a short talk or story. We finish with singing and a prayer. We have a prayer box which gives us the opportunity to pray for people. This has been a joy to do.

Memory Café has been growing this year with people bringing friends and neighbours who they felt would benefit from the sessions. Some of our guests attend Soup Lunch at St John’s and have also attended other events during the year. We have also, sadly, attended several funerals of guests.

Please pray for Memory Café; for our guests, that they will enjoy the sessions, make friends and feel part of the wider community of St John’s. Please pray too for the team; that we will be sensitive to people’s needs, good listeners and creative with our ideas for sessions.

Rebecca Torpey Memory Café Volunteer Leader

Refresh

Refresh is for the women of our churches to make time for friendship, time for God and time for ourselves. Please do join us if you’ve not been before; we serve tasty refreshments!

We continue to meet monthly, with 20-30+ women joining us of the 70 we contact each month. For some, this is church, and others come from churches elsewhere. We’ve had some brilliant speakers, but also had meetings where we’ve had more time to really get to know each other and hear stories of what Jesus is doing in our lives.

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In 2025, we ran our first Christmas outreach event, with a Christmas Refresh Night Out, where we welcomed some new and some familiar faces to the local pub.

Our Refresh Night Out has been attracting different women each time we meet. It’s great to be able to host a space that’s available particularly for those at work in the day, and see the different people benefitting from it. We also welcomed a mum from Dandelions. Our thanks go to the Penny Farthing for making us so welcome.

We continue to support Foodbank and have had speakers from other Christian agencies in our city, leading to individuals supporting them too.

Going forward, we would love to welcome new members to the team that leads Refresh.

Anne Thomas and Anya Dean Volunteer Refresh Leaders

Breathe

Our vision for Breathe is to create a welcoming, safe space for those caring for people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities to find rest, fellowship and support. We run sessions on the first Wednesday evening of each month drop in/out 7:30-9:30pm.

The sessions include soft lighting, soft worship music, blankets, tasty snacks, puzzles, painting/colouring and other mindfulness and restful activities. Our team was inspired by the space and teaching in the Breathe venue at New Wine and decided that we needed a space like this in Coventry. Our team consists of Amy, Debbie, Jenni, Emily N and Katie W. Breathe Canley started in November 2024. We have reached around 20 local families so far and have a consistent attendance of about 8-10 people per session.

Breathe is an invitational ministry, suitable for those of faith and none. We are linked to the Growing Faith Learning Hub and have seen some families from school engage. Providing a gentle space to talk, people are able to share honestly, ask for prayer and enabled to support each other.

In November 2025 the Breathe team supported our attendees with the “Every Pair Tells A Story” national movement, facilitating a demonstration outside Coventry City Council. We even made the local news! (See ITV coverage here and Coventry Observer article here.)

We look forward to walking alongside more families in the coming year.

Amy Cole and the Breathe Team SEND Outreach Worker & Breathe Team

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Bridge Football Club

Our football community group at The Bridge started with a tiny mustard-seed-sized vision. Shortly after joining St John’s Westwood, I (Luke) felt God gently nudge me toward starting a football outreach group. We began in 2024 with no agenda other than meeting for an hour a week, but God had much bigger plans, involving a competitive team, a Connect Group, and now an Alpha Course!

Over the last 18 months, around 60 participants have engaged with us. We formed Bridge FC to compete in the Coventry & District Church League, providing a safe environment prioritising encouragement and belonging. We pray together before and after matches, as faith in Jesus is the cornerstone of what we represent.

From this sense of inclusion, a curiosity in the Christian faith has blossomed. This led to our “Connect Group”—we meet fortnightly to read the Bible and ask questions. Taking a further step of faith, we have organised an Alpha Course for those keen to explore a relationship with Jesus. Off the pitch, it is clear that God has bigger and better things planned for our group and we're raising our expectations for what He has in store as we continue to place our trust in Him.

Luke Sampson Volunteer Bridge FC Leader

Alpha

May to August 2025, we ran Alpha for four people. This was an amazing time of seeing God work in all our guests, moving them all closer and deeper in relationship. We even added on several extra meetings in my home for six weeks, to allow that growth to develop. In those sessions we looked at scripture passages which echoed Alpha teaching and did in-depth bible study. It was such a blessing and a pleasure to see Him changing lives from week to week.

The Alpha app was very useful to our guests. It helped them catch up on anything they missed, and explore further into new ideas and knowledge.

The current Alpha has just reached Session 4 (at time of writing). They meet fortnightly to fit in with football practice. God is at work, and we anticipate hearing great things about what He’s doing to transform lives.

Having led Alpha for the last three years, it’s time for me (Jan) to step down. I look forward eagerly to seeing what more God will work in us, as we journey deeper together.

Jan Sayer Volunteer Alpha Leader 2023-2025

18

Dwell

The heart of our monthly prayer and worship gathering, Dwell, is to celebrate the presence of God through authentic worship with heightened expectations, fostering a culture of transformation and freedom—accessible to all. Dwell's vision remains a place where we encounter God through worship. It is a place to come and give God our time and our hearts. Worship is stripped back and often, alongside sung worship, others will worship through art and journaling. It’s a time to be actively in pursuit of seeking God.

Dwell has always been about listening to the Spirit and going where we are told to go; this means each gathering can look different but always built upon the last. Since the last APCM we have seen an increase in attendance and have had people walk in to see what was happening, taken in the sound. They left feeling a sense of peace and clarity.

Now in 2026, Dwell has been paused whilst the new evening service is getting established at St John’s and we are encouraging people to attend that whilst we pray into the next season. Dwell was never meant to be stationary, but always moving, so watch this space!

Lydia Sampson

Volunteer Dwell Leader & Assistant Benefice Safeguarding Officer

Connect Groups

St Stephen’s

Presently, we have one Connect Group which meets fortnightly. We may be small in number, but we have enjoyed our times together of fellowship, prayer and support, and delving into God's Word. We did a really good 6-week study on the Holy Spirit, which certainly brought challenge and joy! (In 2026, we then started the Diocese Lent booklet.)

I (Debbie) sense a growing hunger to go deeper with God and in relationship with each other, to pray together and live out the gospel message, growing in trust and boldness. My prayer is that we will grow in number and that another group will begin over the coming year, realising the value and support they offer as we live as Jesus wants us to.

Debbie Rumsby

Licensed Lay Minister at St Stephen’s

St John’s

In 2025, Connect Groups were at the frontline of our church community, providing vital spaces of belonging, care, and participation in mission. These groups remain central to who we are and how we live out our faith in a relational and intentional way.

We were especially excited to relaunch our Connect Groups in the summer of 2025. The relaunch included the introduction of three new groups—Football, Golf, and Young Adults—which have already begun to create opportunities for connection and outreach.

19

Establishing a clear yearly window for joining a Connect Group has also been a significant step forward, offering everyone a consistent and accessible opportunity to get connected.

Throughout the autumn term, many of our groups engaged with the Practicing the Way course. This aligned closely with our Sunday teaching series, as well as the discipleship journeys of our youth, kids and students, creating a unified rhythm across the church.

Looking ahead, we are excited to build on this momentum and are planning to launch additional Connect Groups in the summer of 2026, continuing to grow and strengthen our community. Thank you so much to everyone who leads our Connect Groups—you do amazing and vital work!

Steve Elton Lay Leader of St John’s Westwood

Fabric Reports

St Stephen’s

2025 was a significant year for St Stephen’s in terms of buildings. After successful fundraising and grant awards, we were able to make some substantial improvements to the fabric of the building. This included:

In combination, these works have made St Stephen’s a more comfortable space for everyone, better equipped for growing our activities.

Our buildings are generally in good condition, but there are some repairs and replacements that would be beneficial in the near future. The main entrance and side doors are in need of replacement, having deteriorated over recent years; they are still secure but are becoming harder to operate and offer little insulation. The kitchen’s electrical circuit is limited in its capacity and would warrant an upgrade when possible. The driveway also requires some repairs.

Tom Hickinbottom St Stephen’s Churchwarden

St John’s

There were two working parties in 2025; these helped to keep on top of the maintenance of the grounds. The list of jobs at these events is always more than can be achieved in half a day. It was fantastic to see support from new people as well as the 'regulars'.

20

A big thank you to the people who have maintained and improved the flower beds around the church buildings. Also to the team that arranges the flowers in the church, greatly adding to our worship. Thank you.

Work has continued into how best to manage recovering the roof of the main church buildings as well as installing new, net-zero, heating systems. A quote and Faculty have been completed to replace the windows in the church extension—the work is scheduled for Q2 2026.

A Quinquennial Inspection took place in March 2025 and apart from the need to recover the roof in the church, there are a number of actions needing to be addressed.

Jeff Smailes, Phil Dunkerley & Dave Cass

St John’s Churchwarden and Fabric Team Volunteers

Electoral Rolls Report

In 2025, all parishes were required to prepare new electoral rolls (as happens every six years). There has been a small number of people joining and leaving the rolls since then, and the membership is now:

Joint Council Report

Charitable Objectives and Activities

The Primary objective of the Joint Council is to co-operate with the minister in promoting in the parishes the whole mission of the church—pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical.

The Joint Council (JC) exercises all the functions of the Parochial Church Councils (PCCs) of the parishes of Canley and Westwood, which went into abeyance when the Joint Council was created.

Public Benefit

The Joint Council has had due regard to guidance published by the Charity Commission on public benefit and consider that the charity complies with the requirements.

Governing Document and Charity Registration

The Joint Council's governing documents are the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956, as amended, and the Church Representation Rules (which are contained in Schedule 3 to the Synodical Government Measure 1969, as amended), a scheme made in November 2020 under section M38 of the Church Representation Rules modified how the Rules apply in the Bridge Benefice and created the Joint Council.

21

The charity registered with the Charity Commission on 6th April 2009. The Charity Commission sanctioned that the existing charity registration of St John's could be re-named 'The Bridge Benefice Coventry', whilst keeping the existing charity number. The Joint Council of the Bridge Benefice, Coventry has now been in operation for 5 years. The accounts of the two Parishes of St John's Westwood and St Stephen's Canley were transferred to the Joint Council on 1st January 2021, and this report gives the combined accounts for 2025.

Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees

The membership of the Joint Council is set by the Church Representation Rules, as modified by the 2020 scheme. The scheme for the Joint Council specifies the following membership:

i. The Incumbent of the Benefice Clerks in Holy Orders beneficed or licensed to the benefice.

ii. Four people on the electoral roll of Canley parish and four people on the electoral roll of Westwood parish who are members of St John’s congregation. (There is also a space for one person on the electoral roll of Westwood parish who is a member of Burton Green congregation, but that congregation has closed and the seat is vacant.) These include at least one churchwarden from each parish and are nominated and elected in the same way as elected representatives of the laity are to a Parochial Church Council. If there is a vacancy in the office of churchwarden the annual parochial church meeting of the relevant Parish may nominate or elect a lay person to be a member of the Joint Council until such time as the vacancy in the office of churchwarden is filled.

iv. Any lay person holding the Bishop’s authority to lead worship in any Parish within the Benefice as Licensed Lay Worker.

v. If the Joint Council has appointed a lay person to lead a congregation, the Joint Council may co-opt that person as a member on the nomination of the Chair, or if there is no Chair the Vice Chair.

vi. The Joint Council may also co-opt up to two additional members (who may be clergy or lay) if it considers that their particular skills or experience will be of benefit to the Joint Council.

Organisational Structure

Decisions made in formal Joint Council meetings are communicated to staff (and volunteer leaders), who perform direct and administrative roles and are overseen by the Joint Council. The Joint Council met five times in 2025, in addition to the APCM in May 2025 (which was held in parallel with St James Fletchamstead during a joint service at St James). The Joint Council meetings prioritise prayer alongside business.

The Joint Council has delegated some decision-making responsibilities to a Standing Committee, whose decisions are noted on the Joint Council agendas and minutes, and reviewed or ratified by the Joint Council as appropriate. Day-to-day running of the Bridge has been delegated to the Bridge Leadership Team (the Vicar and the church leaders, supported by the Operations Manager). Day-to-day running of the churches has been

22

delegated to the church leaders (currently Steve Elton for St John’s and Rev Erin Gilmour for St Stephen’s), supported by a Development Team of volunteer leaders for each church.

For more information about the staff team, see the staffing report above.

Finally, we want to say a massive thank you to everyone who gives their time to The Bridge. Many of the Bridge Coventry’s ministry areas, activities and events depend on volunteer leaders and helpers. Whether you are helping with the kids and youth, keeping the grounds and Garden of Hope looking beautiful, or serving soup and coffee at our midweek groups, we simply couldn't do it without you. The Joint Council is incredibly grateful for your hard work throughout 2025. Seeing so many people step up to serve this year has been a real highlight and a huge encouragement to the whole church family. Thank you for everything you do to make The Bridge such a vibrant and welcoming place.

Tom Hickinbottom

Lay Chair of The Joint Council of The Bridge Benefice, Coventry

Financial Report

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the Charity's governing document, the Charities Act 2011 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)".

The performance for unrestricted funds only is as follows: -

In comparison to 2024, the 2025 income was as follows: -

In comparison to 2024, the 2025 expenditure was as follows: -

Overall, this resulted in a deficit of £26,790 in 2025 on unrestricted funds. Once the net movement from restricted funds is considered, the overall deficit is £15,034. The unrestricted general fund was £22,634 at the end of the financial year.

23

Thus, the finances of The Bridge Benefice are in a stable position at the end of 2025 with unrestricted and designated funds representing 8.1% of the turnover in 2025 which is below the target range of 10% to 15%. There is a further £27,714 in designated building funds in addition to the unrestricted money.

To continue to grow the work of the church, as we hope to do, there is a need to encourage some further increases in regular income.

The buildings at both St Stephen's and St John's require investment:

God's generosity and blessings are again recognised by the Joint Council as He continues to grow His work, and we continue to seek His will to further develop and grow His kingdom through His churches St John's Westwood, St Stephen's Canley.

Financial review

The charity has a reserves policy to maintain reserves of 10-15% of annual turnover in unrestricted funds (including any designated funds). The unrestricted funds totalled £50,348 at 31st December 2025, about 15% of annual turnover. The total amount of reserves, including restricted funds, amounted to £91,865.

The results for the year are shown in the Statement of Financial Activities and the Trustees consider the results to be in line with expectations. The year-end position is shown in the balance sheet. The Trustees have assessed the major risks to which they are exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.

Jeff Smailes

This report was approved by the Joint Council on 21/04/2026 and signed on its behalf by:

----- Start of picture text -----
SIGN
......................................................
T K Hickinbottom
----- End of picture text -----

24

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Joint Council of The Bridge Benefice, Coventry

I report to the Trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Joint Council Of The Bridge Benefice, Coventry (the ) for the year ended 31st December 2025.

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.

I report in respect of my examination of the Charity’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act 2011.

Independent examiner's statement

Since the Charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000, the independent examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Association of Accounting Technicians, which is one of the listed bodies.

Your attention is drawn to the fact that the charity has prepared the financial statements in accordance with the relevant version of the Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their financial statements in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) in preference to the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice issued on 1 April 2005 which is referred to in the extant regulations but has now been withdrawn. I understand that this has been done in order for the financial statements to provide a true and fair view in accordance with UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the as required by section 130 of the Charities Act 2011;

  2. the financial statements do not accord with those records; or

  3. the financial statements do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of financial statements set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the financial statements give a true and fair view, which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

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 financial statements to be reached.

James Rose FMAAT

The Halo Centre, Progress Way, Coventry, CV3 2NT

Date: 24/04/2026

25

JOINT COUNCIL OF THE BRIDGE BENEFICE, COVENTRY

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025

Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
2025
2025
Notes
£
£
Income and endowments from:
Donations and legacies
3
235,293
13,522
Charitable activities
4
15,428
913
Investments
5
-
-
Other income
6
-
51,052
Total income
250,721
65,487
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
7
277,511
63,040
Total expenditure
277,511
63,040
Net income/(expenditure)
(26,790)
2,447
Transfers between
funds
11,756
(11,756)
Net movement in
funds
(15,034)
(9,309)
Reconciliation of funds:
Fund balances at 1 January
2025
65,382
50,825
Fund balances at 31
December 2025
50,348
41,516		 Total
Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
2025
2024
2024
£
£
£
248,815
235,462
28,562
16,341
20,001
1,427
-
389
-
51,052
31,053
14,621
316,208
286,905
44,610
340,551
285,948
29,528
340,551
285,948
29,528
(24,343)
957
15,082
-
14,007
(14,007)
(24,343)
14,964
1,075
116,207
50,418
49,750
91,864
65,382
50,825		 Total
2024
£
264,024
21,428
389
45,674
331,515
315,476
315,476
16,039
-
16,039
100,168
116,207

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

26

JOINT COUNCIL OF THE BRIDGE BENEFICE, COVENTRY

BALANCE SHEET

AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2025

Notes
Current assets
Debtors
12
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors: amounts falling due within
one year
13
Net current assets
The funds of the
Designated funds
14
Restricted income funds
15
Unrestricted funds
16
The financial statements were approved by the Joint Council		 2025
£
21,480
75,808
97,288
(5,424)
on ...................		 £
91,864
27,714
41,516
22,634
91,864
......		 2024
£
24,313
108,764
133,077
(16,870)		 £
116,207
29,792
50,825
35,590
116,207

27

JOINT COUNCIL OF THE BRIDGE BENEFICE, COVENTRY

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025

1 Accounting policies

Charity information

Joint Council of The Bridge Benefice, Coventry is a charity registered in England. Under the Church Representation Rules, the Joint Council is a body corporate.

1.1 Accounting convention

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charity's [governing document], the Charities Act 2011, FRS 102 "The financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" ("FRS 102") and the Charities SORP "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102)" (effective 1 January 2019). The Charity is a public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.

The Charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.

The financial statements have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the extent required to provide a true and fair view. This departure has involved following the Statement of Recommended Practice for charities applying FRS 102 rather than the version of the Statement of Recommended Practice which is referred to in the Regulations but which has since been withdrawn.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the Charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principle accounting policies adopted are set out below.

1.2 Going concern

At the time of approving the financial statement, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the Trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

1.3 Charitable funds

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.

Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Endowment funds are subject to specific conditions by donors that the capital must be maintained by the Charity.

1.4 Income

Income is recognised when the charity is legally entitled to it after any performance conditions have been met, the amounts can be measured reliably, and it is probable that income will be received.

Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.

Legacies are recognised on receipt or otherwise if the charity has been notified of an impending distribution, the amount is known, and receipt is expected. If the amount is not known, the legacy is treated as a contingent asset.

28

JOINT COUNCIL OF THE BRIDGE BENEFICE, COVENTRY

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025

1 Accounting policies

(Continued)

1.5 Expenditure

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related the the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

1.6 Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.

1.7 Financial instruments

The Charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.

Financial instruments are recognised in the Charity's balance sheet when the Charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

Basic financial assets

Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.

Basic financial liabilities

Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.

Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.

Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

Derecognition of financial liabilities

Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.

1.8 Employee benefits

The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.

Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the Charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.

29

JOINT COUNCIL OF THE BRIDGE BENEFICE, COVENTRY

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025

1 Accounting policies

(Continued)

1.9 Retirement benefits

Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.

2 Critical accounting estimates and judgements

In the application of the Charity’s accounting policies, the Trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.

3 Income from donations and legacies

Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
funds funds funds funds
2025 2025 2025 2024 2024 2024
£ £ £ £ £ £
Donations and gifts 235,293 13,522 248,815 235,462 28,562 264,024

4 Charitable activities

Other Heading
Trading #ac989
Activities
2025 2024
£ £
Parochial Fee Income 1,917 3,790
Car Park Rental Income 9,203 9,361
Room Hire Income 3,784 8,273
Other Income 524 4
Analysis by fund
Unrestricted funds 15,428 20,001
Restricted funds 913 1,427
16,341 21,428

30

JOINT COUNCIL OF THE BRIDGE BENEFICE, COVENTRY

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025

5 Income from investments

Unrestricted Unrestricted
funds funds
2025 2024
£ £
Interest receivable - 389

6 Other income

Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
2025
2025
£
£
Building repair fund
-
Mission Hub Grant
-
710
St Stephen's Growing in
Faith Learning Hub Fund
-
20,220
Digital & Student
Pioneering fund 2025-27
-
9,560
St Stephens Building
Fund
-
20,312
Canley Parade
-
250
-
51,052		 Total
Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
2025
2024
2024
£
£
£
-
31,053
-
710
-
4,227
20,220
-
-
9,560
-
-
20,312
-
10,194
250
-
200
51,052
31,053
14,621		 Total
2024
£
31,053
4,227
-
-
10,194
200
45,674

31

JOINT COUNCIL OF THE BRIDGE BENEFICE, COVENTRY

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025

7 Charitable activities

Charitable Heading
Activities #ac982
2025 2024
£ £
Staff costs 106,653 85,850
Staffing Costs - Clergy Expenses 5,200 5,739
Staffing Costs - Training 530 2,388
Staffing Costs - Other 279 129
Groups & Meetings 18,496 11,662
Building, Equipment & Administration 65,347 73,868
Diocesan Payments 80,000 80,000
Supported Organisations 18,603 23,270
Charitable Activities 42,449 29,528
337,557 312,434
Share of support and governance costs (see note 8)
Governance 2,994 3,042
340,551 315,476
Analysis by fund
Unrestricted funds 277,511 285,948
Restricted funds 63,040 29,528
340,551 315,476
Support costs allocated to activities
2025 2024
£ £
Governance costs 2,994 3,042
Analysed between:
Charitable activities 2,994 3,042
2025 2024
Governance costs comprise: £ £
Audit fees 2,694 2,742
Software Subscriptions 300 300
2,994 3,042

8 Support costs allocated to activities

32

JOINT COUNCIL OF THE BRIDGE BENEFICE, COVENTRY

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025

9

Trustee remuneration in total £4,720 split:

David Hammond £2,100 Caroline Hammond £700 Erin Gilmour £1,200 Steve Elton £720 _________ Total £4,720

No other member of the joint council received any remuneration either directly or indirectly

10 Employees

The average monthly number of employees during the year was:

Total
Employment costs
Wages and salaries		 2025
Number
7
2025
£
106,653		 2024
Number
7
2024
£
85,850

There were no employees whose annual remuneration was more than £60,000.

11 Taxation

The Charity is exempt from taxation income and gains falling within section 505 of the Taxes Act 1988 or section 252 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects.

12 Debtors

Debtors
Amounts falling due within one year:
Trade debtors
Other debtors
Prepayments and accrued income		 2025
£
3,557
15,840
2,083
21,480		 2024
£
2,219
19,456
2,638
24,313

33

JOINT COUNCIL OF THE BRIDGE BENEFICE, COVENTRY

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025

13 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Trade creditors
Accruals and deferred income		 2025
£
215
5,209
5,424		 2024
£
2,840
14,030
16,870

14 Designated funds

The income funds of the charity include the following designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes:

At 1 January Incoming Resources Transfers At 31
2025 resources expended December
2025
£ £ £ £ £
Building Repair Provision Fund 4,792 - (2,078) - 2,714
Church Roof Fund 25,000 - - - 25,000
29,792 - (2,078) - 27,714
Previous year: At 1 January Incoming Resources Transfers At 31
2024 resources expended December
2024
£ £ £ £ £
Permanent endowments
Building Repair Provision Fund 13,935 31,053 (33,369) (6,827) 4,792
Church Roof Fund - - - 25,000 25,000
13,935 31,053 (33,369) 18,173 29,792

34

JOINT COUNCIL OF THE BRIDGE BENEFICE, COVENTRY

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025

15 Restricted funds

The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.

At 1 January Incoming Resources Transfers At 31
2025 resources expended December
2025
£ £ £ £ £
Church Growth in deprived
areas 2,417 - (532) 1,885
Church Live Development Fund 1,149 - - (1,149) -
Co-ordinated Care Fund 4,587 1,447 (897) - 5,137
Coventry South Deanery Funds 773 - (773) -
Funeral Deposits 228 - - - 228
Honest to God 2,436 - (2,436) -
Investment Fund 6,000 - - - 6,000
Mission Hub Grant 2024 2,818 10 (1,848) - 980
Mission Hub Grant 2025 700 700
Mission to Children 119 - - (119) -
Garden of Hope 6,401 1,405 (4,850) - 2,956
St Stephens Building Fund 10,194 20,312 (20,590) - 9,916
St Stephen's Growing Faith
Hub 2025/26 20,220 (14,871) (5,349) -
Tom Walters Funeral 1,000 - - - 1,000
Trinity Room Carpet Fund 725 - - 1,149 1,874
Youth & Student Work 8,477 - - (3,999) 4,478
Canley Childrens Work - 250 (236) (14) -
Digital & Student 2025 - 2027 9,560 (10,967) 5,639 4,232
Collectioj for Specific purposes - 190 (190) - -
Ahmed Support Fund - 7,305 (2,805) (4,500) -
Kidz Club Funds 3,501 - - (2,881) 620
Parochial Fees - 913 (913) - -
Hope Springs Mission Fund 3,175 (1,664) 1,511
50,825 65,487 (63,040) (11,756) 41,516

35

JOINT COUNCIL OF THE BRIDGE BENEFICE, COVENTRY

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025

15
Restricted funds
Previous year:
At 1
Church Growth in deprived
areas
Church Live Development Fund
Co-ordinated Care Fund
Coventry South Deanery Funds
Funeral Deposits
Honest to God
Investment Fund
Mission Hub Grant
Mission to Children
Garden of Hope
St Stephens Building Fund
Tom Walters Funeral
Trinity Room Carpet Fund
Youth & Student Work
Canley Childrens Work
Kx Midlands Development Fund
Collectioj for Specific purposes
Ahmed Support Fund
Kidz Club Funds
Parochial Fees		 (Continued)
January
2024
Incoming
resources
Resources
expended
Transfers
At 31
December
2024
£
£
£
£
£
2,417
-
-
-
2,417
1,149
-
-
-
1,149
246
5,000
(659)
-
4,587
855
-
(82)
-
773
228
-
-
-
228
2,436
-
-
-
2,436
6,000
-
-
-
6,000
320
4,227
(1,527)
(202)
2,818
119
-
-
-
119
10,700
8,064
(12,980)
617
6,401
10,194
10,194
-
(10,194)
10,194
1,000
-
-
-
1,000
720
5
-
-
725
12,535
-
-
(4,058)
8,477
-
200
(200)
-
-
831
-
(415)
(415)
-
-
362
(359)
(3)
-
-
11,308
(11,308)
-
-
-
3,825
(572)
248
3,501
-
1,425
(1,426)
-
-
49,750
44,610
(29,528)
(14,007)
50,825		 (Continued)
January
2024
Incoming
resources
Resources
expended
Transfers
At 31
December
2024
£
£
£
£
£
2,417
-
-
-
2,417
1,149
-
-
-
1,149
246
5,000
(659)
-
4,587
855
-
(82)
-
773
228
-
-
-
228
2,436
-
-
-
2,436
6,000
-
-
-
6,000
320
4,227
(1,527)
(202)
2,818
119
-
-
-
119
10,700
8,064
(12,980)
617
6,401
10,194
10,194
-
(10,194)
10,194
1,000
-
-
-
1,000
720
5
-
-
725
12,535
-
-
(4,058)
8,477
-
200
(200)
-
-
831
-
(415)
(415)
-
-
362
(359)
(3)
-
-
11,308
(11,308)
-
-
-
3,825
(572)
248
3,501
-
1,425
(1,426)
-
-
49,750
44,610
(29,528)
(14,007)
50,825
50,825

16 Unrestricted funds

The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.

At 1
General funds
Previous year:
At 1
General funds		 January
2025
Incoming
resources
Resources
expended
Transfers
At 31
December
2025
£
£
£
£
£
65,382
250,721
(277,511)
11,756
50,348
January
2024
Incoming
resources
Resources
expended
Transfers
At 31
December
2024
£
£
£
£
£
50,418
286,905
(285,948)
14,007
65,382

36

JOINT COUNCIL OF THE BRIDGE BENEFICE, COVENTRY

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025

17 Analysis of net assets between funds

Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
2025
2025
£
£
At 31 December 2025:
Current assets/(liabilities)
50,348
41,517
50,348
41,517
Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
2024
2024
£
£
At 31 December 2024:
Current assets/(liabilities)
65,382
50,825
65,382
50,825		 Total
2025
£
91,865
91,865
Total
2024
£
116,207
116,207

18 Related party transactions

There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2024 - none).

37