## Aigburth Community Church
Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023
1 Lamb's Passage, London EC1Y 8AB www.stewardship.org.uk
## **AIGBURTH COMMUNITY CHURCH**
## **LEGAL & ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023**
ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE C/O 29 Brabant Road Aigburth Liverpool L17 0AA GOVERNING DOCUMENT Deed of Trust dated 30 March 2009 CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER 1129291 TRUSTEES RESPONSIBLE FOR Jeremy Clark (Elder) MANAGING THE CHARITY Jonathan Critchley (Elder) Paul Hewitt (Treasurer) Richard Moss (Elder) Stephen Palframan (Pastor) (resigned June 2023) Edward Peck (Elder) INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Ajay Rajani FCIE Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB
## **INDEX**
||**INDEX**|
|---|---|
|Page 1|Legal & Administrative Details|
|Pages 2-3|Trustees' Report|
|Page 4|Independent Examiner's Report|
|Page 5|Receipts and Payments Account|
|Page 6|Statement of Assets & Liabilities|
|Page 7|Notes to the Accounts|
Page 1
## **AIGBURTH COMMUNITY CHURCH**
## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023**
The Trustees have pleasure in submitting the Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 July 2023.
## **Objects of the charity**
The charity, which is a church, is governed by a trust deed and is constituted as a trust. A summary of the charity's principal objects, as set out in its governing document, are:
a) to advance the Christian faith in the UK or the world;
b) to undertake purposes which are exclusively charitable and are connected with the charitable work of the church
c) to relieve sickness and financial hardship and preserve good health.
## **Summary of the charity's main activities and achievements**
To further the above objects and vision, the charity has continued to:
- Hold public Christian meetings each Sunday for adults and young people.
- Provide meeting space for local community groups to use for the good of the community, and run community events (carol services, etc…) for the community.
- Support full time Christian workers overseas for the purposes of advancement of the Christian faith, sending finances and, practical support.
- Ongoing training of staff for their further work for the charity and for the advancement of the Christian faith.
- Support other individuals, churches, and charities for the advancement of the faith and the relief of hardship through donations. These donations have been sent locally in the city, across our region of the UK, and to other areas of Europe and internationally.
- Support the sick amongst the congregation with practical and financial support.
In planning the activities the Trustees have applied the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission.
## **Financial review**
During the year income decreased by £3,000 to £187,000, and expenditure decreased by £70,000 to £154,000. In the previous year the charity made an unscheduled mortgage repayment for £40,000 and spent £10,000 on purchasing furniture. Staff costs and grant making were also higher in the previous year. The cash surplus for the year was £33,000 (2022: a cash deficit of £33,000) and the cash held by the charity increased by this amount to £95,000, of which £88,000 is unrestricted and can be used for any charitable purpose.
## **Reserves policy**
The trustees have determined that the charity should aim to hold unrestricted cash of no less than £49,000 (which equates to about 4 months' of unrestricted expenditure) so that the charity could continue to operate should income and / or expenditure vary unexpectedly. At the year end, the charity held unrestricted cash of £88,000. This is more than the minimum required by the policy and in the new financial year some of the excess was used to make an unscheduled mortgage repayment of £40,000.
Page 2
## **Governance**
Responsibility for setting policy and for making operating decisions rest with the trustees who meet regularly to monitor the activities of the charity. New trustees are recruited and appointed by the church's spiritual leadership, by a majority vote.
## **Risk statement**
The charity is exposed to various risks - be they operational, financial or reputational. Along with most other churches, the main area of risk is believed to the charity's dependence on voluntary giving from church members. The trustees review the charity's activities regularly to identify significant risks and, where possible, they take appropriate measures to mitigate those risks.
## **Responsibilities of trustees**
Charity law requires us as Trustees to prepare financial statements for each accounting year which record the receipts and payments of the charity for the year.
We are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable us to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011.
We also have a responsibility to safeguard the assets of the charity and to take reasonable steps to prevent fraud or any other irregularities.
## **Approval**
This report was approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
## Paul Hewitt
Paul Hewitt (May 6, 2024 13:37 GMT+1)
___________________________ Paul Hewitt Date:_______________________ May 6, 2024
Page 3
## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT**
## **TO THE TRUSTEES OF**
## **AIGBURTH COMMUNITY CHURCH**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Aigburth Community Church ('the charity') for the year ended 31 July 2023 on pages 5 to 7 following.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
1. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; or
2. 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 order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
## Ajay Rajani
## Ajay Rajani (May 7, 2024 07:33 GMT+1)
Ajay Rajani FCIE Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB
> Date: May 7, 2024
Page 4
## **AIGBURTH COMMUNITY CHURCH**
## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023**
|Notes
**_Income receipts_**
Donations and gifts
Income from letting facilities
Income from church activities
Bank interest
**_Total receipts_**
**_Payments_**
2
3
**_Total payments_**
Transfers between funds
5
**Net movement in funds**
Cash funds as at last year end
**Cash funds at this year end**
A
Net of receipts / (payments) before
Grants
paid
in
relation
to
charitable
activities undertaken by others
Payments
in
relation
to
charitable
activities undertaken directly
Purchase of furniture
Mortgage payments|Unrestricted
Funds
£
154,343
21,400
4,542
388
180,674
130,934
7,713
138,647
-
10,714
149,361
31,313
(147)
31,166
56,829
87,994|Restricted
Funds
£
6,307
-
-
-
6,307
446
4,060
4,506
-
-
4,506
1,800
147
1,948
5,178
7,126|2023
£
160,649
21,400
4,542
388
186,980
131,380
11,773
143,153
-
10,714
153,867
33,113
-
33,113
62,007
95,120|2022
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||173,186
14,374
2,555
22|
|||||190,137|
|||||144,864
18,960|
|||||163,824
9,801
49,890|
|||||223,513|
|||||(33,377)
-|
|||||(33,377)
95,384|
|||||62,007|
The notes on page 7 form part of these accounts.
Page 5
## **AIGBURTH COMMUNITY CHURCH**
## **STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023**
|Notes
**A Cash funds**
CAF Cash
CAF Gold
HSBC
Payment processing accounts
**B Other monetary assets**
Other debtors
**C Liabilities**
**Falling due within one year**
Mortgage
Fee for Independent Examination
Pension contributions
**Falling due after one year:**
Mortgage
**Total**|Unrestricted
funds
£
47,976
30,257
8,064
1,697
**87,994**
-
-
45,150
1,500
501
**47,151**
52,476
**99,627**|Restricted
funds
£
7,126
-
-
-
**7,126**
-
-
-
-
-
**-**
**-**
**-**|2023
£
55,101
30,257
8,064
1,697
**95,120**
-
-
45,150
1,500
501
**47,151**
52,476
**99,627**|2022
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||29,802
29,959
2,246
-|
|||||**62,007**|
|||||-|
|||||-|
|||||5,447
-
651|
|||||**6,098**
97,625|
|||||**103,723**|
Since the year end, in addition to the usual monthly repayments, the charity has made a further unscheduled repayment of £40,000. The above mortgage is repayable in monthly instalments and is repayable in full by May 2036
## **D Assets retained for charity's own use**
|**ets retained for charity's own use**|||
|---|---|---|
|Church building purchased in May 2021
Furniture (hall chairs) purchased in June 2021|Fund to
which asset
belongs
Unrestricted
Unrestricted|Cost
£|
|||307,251
13,068|
|||320,319|
The accounts were approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
## Paul Hewitt
Paul Hewitt (May 6, 2024 13:37 GMT+1) ___________________________________ Paul Hewitt
May 6, 2024 Date:_______________________
The notes on page 7 form part of these accounts.
Page 6
## **AIGBURTH COMMUNITY CHURCH**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023**
## **1 Accounting policies**
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis and comprise a statement that shows the charity's receipts and payments, a statement that summarises the charity's assets and liabilities and related notes. The accountancy profession have determined that only accounts prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards present a 'true and fair' view and, as these receipts and payments accounts have not (and cannot) be prepared in accordance with accounting standards, these accounts do not present (and are not intended to present) a 'true and fair' view of the charity's financial activities and state of affairs.
Unrestricted funds are funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Restricted funds are donations which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors; they include donations received from appeals for specific activities or projects.
|**2**
**Payments in relation to charitable activities undertaken directly**
Salaries and related costs
Sunday services and other events and activities
Mission trips
Other ministry expenses including training and conferences
Premises expenses including utilities, maintenance costs and insurance
Administration and support costs
**3**
**Grants paid in relation to charitable activities undertaken by others**
Radstock - to support outreach work in the Balkans
The Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches
Trinity Church Everton
UFM Worldwide - to support outreach work in Greece
Holy Foundation
Various small grants
Church planting in Belarus|Unrestricted
funds
£
106,958
7,625
-
6,679
8,597
1,075
130,934
680
2,328
2,160
1,470
1,000
75
-
7,713|Restricted
Funds
£
-
386
-
60
-
-
446
4,060
-
-
-
-
-
-
4,060|Total
2023
£
106,958
8,012
-
6,739
8,597
1,075
131,380
4,740
2,328
2,160
1,470
1,000
75
-
11,773|Total
2022
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||115,135
5,651
3,107
5,944
14,670
357|
|||||144,864|
|||||9,744
2,179
2,200
1,360
1,017
216
2,244|
|||||18,960|
## **4 Transactions with related parties**
During the year S Palframan served as church leader and was paid employment benefits totalling £32,408 for serving in that capacity, not for serving as a trustee; these payments are permitted by the charity's governing document.
In addition the charity paid rent totalling £11,000 to S Palframan for a property that he owns and occupies so they he could better perform his duties.
## **5 Movement in restricted funds**
|**vement in restricted funds**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Ministry Training fund
Mission Support fund|Opening
balance
£
5,178
-
5,178|Receipts
£
2,394
3,913
6,307|Payments
£
(446)
(4,060)
(4,506)|Transfers
£
-
147
147|Closing
balance
£
7,126
-|
||||||7,126|
Page 7