Downham Market Methodist Church - Trustees Annual Report – 2021/2022 Registered Charity No – 1129143
Principal Address
Downham Market Methodist Church
c/o Wesley House Chapel Road Boughton King’s Lynn PE33 9AG
Trustees : all members of the Church Council, the Governing Body of the Church, are trustees and are listed below (correct up to end August 2022)
Dent Mrs Lesley Hibling Mrs Maureen Dent Mrs Joyce Macey Mrs Joan (resigned 05/22) Durkin Mrs Alison Mehew Mrs Patricia Foster Mr Terence Miles Mr John Forth Mrs Sheila (retired 09/21) Miles Mrs Hazel Friswell Mrs Sarah O’Shea-Barnes, Ms Stephanie Friswell Mr David (resigned 05/22) Perkins Mr Ralph Harrison Mrs Margaret Rix Mr Alan Hasty Mr Christopher (resigned 02/22) Roust Mr John Heisler Mr Heinz Webb Mr Raymond
Minister
Revd Paul Critchley
Charity Constitution : Previously excepted charities; - excepted charities were not required to register but are regulated by the Charity Commission. This is because they have been excepted from the requirement to register either by legislation or an order made by us. Churches and chapels of some Christian denominations; The Charities Act 2006 required excepted charities with an annual income of over £100.000 to register with us.
Charity trustee selection method : Charity trustees for Downham Market Methodist Church are appointed as per the rules of the Methodist Church. They are a mixture of stationed minister, Deacons, volunteer elected stewards and volunteer representatives elected from individual organisations within the Church.
Summary of the objectives of the charity : THE PURPOSES OF THE METHODIST CHURCH ARE AND SHALL BE DEEMED TO HAVE BEEN SINCE THE DATE OF UNION THE ADVANCEMENT OF –
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(A) THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DOCTRINAL STANDARDS AND THE DISCIPLINE OF THE METHODIST CHURCH.
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(B) ANY CHARITABLE PURPOSE FOR THE TIME BEING OF ANY CONNEXIONAL, DISTRICT, CIRCUIT LOCAL OR OTHER ORGANISATION OF THE METHODIST CHURCH.
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(C) ANY CHARITABLE PURPOSE FOR THE TIME BEING OF ANY SOCIETY OR INSTITUTION SUBSIDIARY OR ANCILLARY TO THE METHODIST CHURCH.
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(D) ANY PURPOSE FOR THE TIME BEING OF ANY CHARITY BEING A CHARITY SUBSIDARY OR ANCILLARY TO THE METHODIST CHURCH.
Summary of the main activities for the public benefit;
What
RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES – The main act of worship at Downham Market Methodist Church was the 10am service with attendance around 40-50 people per week. Some regular attendees of the church have not returned since the COVID pandemic but other new members have joined, including several people who have moved to the area.
A midweek Holy Communion service continued to be offered once a month.
Evening worship continued online using Zoom during the winter months and remained popular with both members of Downham Market church and other Methodists from the West Norfolk Circuit. Circuit services and Bible study groups were offered on Zoom for special Christian festivals.
The church has a link with the deaf community who attend worship approx. once a month, with a signing interpreter attending to enable the deaf visitors to participate in worship. Between 6-8 adults attend regularly.
Monthly benevolent collections are donated to other charities, such as Mercy Ships, Christian Aid and Break, an East Anglian charity supporting disadvantaged families, which are agreed annually by the trustees. There is the opportunity to donate in cash weekly, or to donate online.
Who
THE GENERAL PUBLIC - any member of the community may attend any service and can seek help and/or support from members of the charity.
How
Due to the regular use of the building and its facilities by the community, the Trustees decided to employ an Administrator to manage the work associated with regular bookings and hirings. Community use of the premises has returned to pre-pandemic levels with some new groups using the facilities regularly. Community Choirs, Dance and Exercise Groups, and the Dementia Café make regular use of the premises. These Community lettings provide both valuable facilities for the public and essential revenue for the Church. The rooms are also used by the church’s own groups such as Messy Church (an initiative aimed at offering families the opportunity to learn about the Bible through crafts, stories and food), the Choir and the Ladies Friendship Circle, which has seen its membership grow.
Members of the church have been generous in giving via BACS to support both the church’s financial needs and charity support.
The Social Centre, based in the church buildings, supports the elderly in the community. It has provided a welcome to members of the public Monday to Friday between 10am and 1.30pm, with hot lunch served to the many who appreciate the food, friendship and companionship on offer. The Social Centre continued to provide a ‘meals on wheels’ service, delivering lunches, using volunteer drivers. This was an initiative started in the pandemic but which continues to be needed. This has provided a vital service to many isolated, elderly members of the community.
The Revd Paul Critchley has oversight of not only Downham Market Methodist Church but other smaller Methodist chapels in the surrounding villages of West Norfolk. He has supported the work of the Social Centre as well as visiting and supporting the work of local care homes and schools. The trustees continue to consider the needs of the church in supporting its work with children and young people, looking at the possibility of employing a part time lay family worker.
The church continues to support a number of house groups, where people meet for Bible study and fellowship. This gives members of the church the opportunity to speak of their faith and share in discussion.
RISK
The trustees review the risks that the charity is exposed to on an ongoing basis and take steps to mitigate those risks as appropriate. Careful monitoring of the finances has been undertaken during the pandemic.
Reserves Policy-
Our Reserves Policy relates to our general (unrestricted) funds, which are freely available to be used for any or all of the purposes of the Church.
Our Reserve Policy is to hold 50% of annual expenditure in hand; these reserve funds allow for fluctuations in receipts against set payments and act as contingency funds.
The Church holds funds to continue the ongoing upgrades to its premises to maintain and improve the fabric of our buildings and to enhance the ability of our members, users of our services and visitors to make maximum use of the facilities.
Signatures Revd P Critchley - Minister
Mrs S Friswell - Treasurer Dated: 11 June 2023
CHURCH RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS THE METHODIST CHURCH STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS Church FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 August 2022 Ld£sT tsIo£Fcu< . Circult Clrcult no Roglstsrod Charity. Chwity Registrallon numb•r If not a Tegistered chty Her Mstys Revenu8 and Customs Glft Akl numb•r (The HMRC number is Ualent to a registered charity number in ternis of evidence of C[table status and may be used to give to th)Thxs grant furNkn wishing to see evKlence of the organisaticffi's charitable status. Methodist chartknes in EThJlarKI and Wales thal are not wistered charities are excepted fr(¥n registrathm Stautsy Inslnjrnent 2014 No.242) Minister. Church Stewds". !IPcLlQe&fvJ_rfAQLI 6 _.---------___.----___.----- ftrLrt lux trL_P.-tL__ P fr_L!< IhJ_Q.------------------- 1ofS
DOWNHAM MARKET ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2022 Church UnrostrTr¢t•d R85tiict•d Totals th1$ Funds Funds Totsis last SECTION A a1 RECEIPTS a2 s and Tax re¢o¥efed Bank and CFB interest and Investsngnl income 48.685 47,652 a3 628 628 Lettin 16.047 36.891 102,251 16,047 36.891 102.251 1,071 54,712 103,875 a5 Other fec8ipts TOTAL RECEIPTS la71 SECTION b1 PAYME14TS Circuit AssessrnenÈ or Sha b2 38.365 40.030 b3 DonatJns R airs and Maintenance Utilibes Ilnsurances. water cha es, healing & lightiry) 4.275 4,275 31,098 b5 9.67S 9.67$ 8.248 b7 Other payments TOTAL PAYMENTS 52.522 106,377 $2,522 106,377 39,214 120,250 b8 Ibg) SECTION C NET RECEIPTSIPAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR c1 •6 4.126 4.126 16,375 Total fvnds brought forward from last year 140.293 140,293 156,668 Sub total ¢1+c2 136,167 136.167 140.293 Transfer5 and wJ"ustsments c7 TOTAL FUMOS AT END OF YEAR 1¢3+¢41 136.167 136.167 140.293 (¢61 SECTION D FOR INFORMATION ONLY: MONEY RECEIVED AND PASSED ON TO ExfERNAL ORGANISATIONS Ill0 amounts are rtotto b• Included in totsl nts figurns abov•l d1 Balae brou ht forward from last d2 Offerin sJGffts. received for extemal o nisabor 3,147 2.831 d3 OfferingGffts - passed to extemal organis8bS 3,147 2,831 d4 BALANCE STILL TO BE PAID Id1+d2-d3} Church R1p2D15.XL* 2015
DOWNHAM MARKET CM RCH SECTV)N tsXffi¢ded tslffict INTERNAL clop 1.721 125 1.184 CIUR 162 124 LAThÉS FPJENWIP Z653 26.367 29.018 MEssYcwie 1•3 Subwal of Intwnkl •12 ch ?.tOts ¢OIUTh} 1012J1 IrA.377 14.1261 136 167 8Y¢HUReM I.2)7 154.179 TOTALIIECEIPTS TOT SECnON F OPEM CLOSING CHUR¢H. CASM FUIXSS HELOtJ1 ea5h 8.774 6,7 43641 47.641 80.624 n.3 SUB TOT-Ch[th a¢¢ouM TLtsI IntwrAIOtWSMs(trdcrfky 140.293 136,187 30.828 59 IOTL FL'NDS FELDBY C>WRCH I.995 sÉcnoMo At 31 Awgt 2022 OIHERA5$ETSouUTrEs L& 2 491289 2 767 569 182789 f4 FknaM*BDwd 15cbxdRI a5
Nameofchurch....................................... .. Declarations and Scrutiny I t))nfimi that these ReIpl aThJ Payment based a(xJ)urts for the sear to 31 AwJust 2022 have been prepared from the relts of the Church aThJ that they inde al funds under the Intr of the Church trustees. Signature of treaSUr ... Name and address of treasurer 6 fvLA H . Post C(NJe..R.fj.3.3 1}rtG Pres•ntation to the Church trustees I confimi that the annual reKxxt arKI accourts for to the rneeling of the Church trustees hekl on .... .. ended 31 August 2022 wereAvll be. presente¢J Signature of the Chair of the meetiThJ: ..... Name ofthe Chair of th& meeting.. . Date..... Independent Examinerfs Report to the Trustees of the x)hwrtAM mAkk£r. ..Church I/X14U. Charlty Number.............. Responslbllltles and basls of rewt Mkthf. I reporttothetrUslees myexamlnati(moftheacrnts0fthe........................................ Church for the year ended 31 August 2022 set wt on pages ... . As the Church's trustees. Y£ are responsible for the Fyeparats'on of the xcwnts in a(wrd8[e ith the requirements (rf the Charities Act 2011 (Ihe Ad')- I reFKXt in resFd of my examinati Chwth's acrJ)unts canied cKrt under section 145 of the Act and, in carying txrt my exarninatK)n, I haNE f(410wl all the aFWicatle Directions given by the Charity CommiOn under stiC 145(SXb) ofthe kL . ddete or cirde as apprOate
Nae0fChurch................ No.....-....... Independent Examlns Statement I have eunpleted my examinati. I that no malerial matters hav8 come to my allenlion in connection with the examinats.on (other than that drscktsed belovf) gNe me cause to believe that in. any matwial respect the accounting re(ths were not kept in accrxdance section 130 of the Art or the accounts do rb)t accLYd knith Ihe accwnting records. I havo Th) concems hav8 come arn)55 no matters in conne(kn) wilh the examination to ythh attention shwld be in this feFXt n order to enable a woper urttlerstsnding of the accx)unts to be ached. i ¥wlhave not" obtained indeThl Verif10n crf all investrnents with the Trustees for Methodist Church pu or hdd in otr trusts. bank balances and at the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Churth whith are indivhjually in excess of £10.000 {len thousarxy FM)undsl at the balance sheet date. Signature of iThJetwknt examrw Namecrfindep8nd8ntexaminer ................................................................................. RelevantwofeSsionalqudificati(0f1fmje[EtexaMIl ............................................. Name offirm (wt8 aFyowiate} ......... ..... ...... . .. ' delele or cirde as wrcyiats September 2022