2025-08-31-accounts - The Methodist Church: South-East District

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Registered Charity number 1130274

Trustees’ Report and Financial Statements

For the year ended 31[st] August 2025

The , rN Method one Registered Charity Number 1130274

District Trustees Rev David Hinchliffe (Chair) (resigned 31 August 2025) Rev Conrad Hicks (Chair) (appointed 1 September 2025) Rev Samantha Funnell (Deputy Chair) Rev Daniel Balsdon (Deputy Chair) Mrs Pauline Newton (District Treasurer) Rev Nicholas Oborski (Synod Secretary) Rev. William Fletcher Mrs Jennifer Gandy Ms Jenny Jackson Deacon Joy Everingham (appointed 14 June 2025) Rev Bonni-Belle Pickard Miss Bridget Quint Rev Andrew Reed (resigned 31 August 2025) Mrs Charlotte Scrivens (appointed 14 September 2024) Mrs. Linda Weedon

Principal Office District Office, Unit 4b Basepoint Business Centre Metcalf Way, Crawley, West Sussex RH11 7XX Independent Examiner Azets Audit Services 2[nd] Floor, Regis House, 45 King William Street, London, EC4R 9AN Bankers Lloyds Bank plc, PO Box 1000, BX1 1LT Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church 9 Bonhill Street, London EC2A 4PE Investment Managers Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes and Custodian Trustees Central Buildings, Oldham Street, Manchester M1 1JQ

Tne , r Meter Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31[st] August 2025

The Trustees submit their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31[st] August 2025. These are presented annually to the District Synod. The Trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP 2015) Accounting and Reporting by Charities issued on 16[th] July 2014 and Update Bulletin 1 issued 2[nd] February 2016, in preparing the annual report and financial statements of the Charity.

Objectives and Activities

The District is constituted to advance the mission of the Church in the South-East District by providing opportunities for circuits to work together and support each other, by offering them resources and finance, personnel and expertise which may not be available locally. The District also serves the local churches and circuits in the support, deployment and oversight of the various ministries of the Church in programmes of training.

Objectives

The District came into being as a new Methodist District on the 1[st] September 2006. The main objectives set out were:

To support and encourage the circuits in mission and worship as members of a world-wide church and global community;
To develop pastoral care of lay and ordained staff living and working in the circuits and of the lay officers of the District;
To work together to share ministry, leadership and responsibility and encourage these ways of working in the circuits.

Activities and Achievements

The Trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the Charity’s aims and objectives and in planning future activities.

The purposes of the Methodist Church are as follows: ‘The Methodist Church believes that the Church is called to serve the purpose of the reign of God through its worship, learning and caring, service and evangelism.’ Within this purpose the South-East Methodist District will concentrate on what it can uniquely and best do to promote excellence and creativity in worship, mission, ministry, oversight and governance in local churches, circuits and their communities.

Since its adoption April 2022, the South-East District has worked to fulfil its Mission Plan: “In playing its part in seeking to fulfil Our Calling as Methodist people, and inspired by the Methodist Way of Life, the purpose of the South-East District is to Inspire , Enable and Encourage.”

Inspire

The South-East Methodist District seeks to inspire us to be faithful disciples, bearing witness to God’s love for the sake of the transformation of the world.

Enable

The South-East District seeks to enable our calling to be a people faithful to God in mission through offering good governance.

Encourage

The South-East District wants to encourage circuits, churches and individual disciples to live out their calling as followers of Jesus Christ.

Tne , r Meter Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31[st] August 2025

Activities and Achievements (continued)

The practical outworking of the Mission Plan has included:

The continuing work of our Officer for Refugees, Migrants and Displaced Persons to support a network of knowledge and volunteers through Church, NGOs and statutory authorities across the South-East, as we continue to see significant numbers of cross-Channel migrants and BNO arrivals from Hong Kong coming into our area.
The District has completed its safeguarding compliance audit across the circuits.
The District has worked to support our District Safeguarding Officer who has brought professionalism and energy in offering transformative practices, training and advice to churches and circuits. We are delighted to see them move into a more senior role, whilst still offering us their time and expertise. Throughout the year we have been working with the Connexional Team on arrangements for them to establish a Connexional Safeguarding Team, and they are now the employing body for the District Safeguarding Officer (now called Regional Officer for Safeguarding). We are pleased they have appointed a replacement Regional Officer for Safeguarding to be aligned to South East District from 1[st] September 2025.
The District Treasurer and Grants Committee have supported oversight of the monies available to the District and through the District Advance Fund enabled the funding of innovative property and mission projects across the District. We are pleased to have appointed a part-time District Finance Officer to further underpin the important management of District resources.
The District’s commitment to ecumenism is evidenced in our County Ecumenical Officers,

chaplaincy resourcing and Local Ecumenical Partnership churches – all offering community outreach and care in their spheres of influence.

The District’s important work with children and young people is enabled by the local churches in their communities but also through our two newly appointed Youth Ambassadors, chaplaincies and school visitors along with direct District encouragement and funding for attendance at 3GEN – the annual Methodist youth gathering.
The District has continued to develop its New Places for New People (NPNP) project in Gibraltar, and seeks to support other innovations for mission through this scheme with the resourcing of our new District NPNP team.
The District has continued to review its digital resources and policy.
Pastoral care remains at the heart of being a caring, Christian community. The District remains indebted to its ministers, and to the many lay workers/pastors and pastoral visitors who offer pastoral care across the churches and circuits.
Community service. Churches have been active in supporting vulnerable members and neighbours, as well as supporting much needed foodbanks. Many churches across the District continue to offer ‘Warm Spaces’, offering welcome and hospitality to their communities. The District supports this work with grants.
Training. This has been offered online and in person, with the Methodist Learning Network offering many imaginative online training opportunities, alongside those offered in local areas.

* Mutual support. The District’s superintendents have continued to meet weekly with the Chair and Assistant Chairs via Zoom in order to share best practice and offer mutual support and encouragement to each other. The Superintendents have also met twice residentially during this year. The District ‘Early Years in Ministry’ group continues to meet regularly at Aylesford Priory for mutual support and encouragement. The District oversees and facilitates Reflective Supervision for those engaged in active pastoral ministry.

District Officers and Support Teams. The District continues to be grateful for the work of the District Safeguarding Officer, District Property Officer, District Administrator & Chair’s PA, and countless other volunteers that hold roles within our District structure - their support of the life of the District, its circuits and local churches is a great gift and resource to our life and ministry.

Tne , r Meter Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31[st] August 2025

Activities and Achievements (continued)

The District works hard to fill vacant volunteer posts. This remains a constant challenge but we have been pleased to see people coming forward when areas of need have been made known.

To conclude – this year has been a challenging one for many reasons, not least: staffing changes, illhealth and three ministerial sabbaticals in the Leadership Team. The District is hugely grateful to everyone who has helped us navigate this time.

Fundraising

The District does not actively fundraise from the general public.

Financial Review

Investment Policy

The surplus funds of the District’s General Funds are held in a deposit account of the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church, which is a separate body reporting directly to Conference. The surplus funds of the District Advance Fund are held in an account with The Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes.

Reserves Policy

The Trustees’ objective is to maintain net current assets in Unrestricted Reserves equivalent to approximately four months’ Resources expended. The Trustees maintain the Restricted Reserves at a sufficient level to enable each Fund to carry out its objectives.

District Expenses Account

The Net Resources showed an excess of income over expenditure of £31,377 (2024 £17,229) after setting aside a sum of £3,000 towards future repairs to the District Manse. Chair’s Benevolent Fund

This is a small fund which relies on donations from Churches, Circuits and individuals, which allows the District Chair to make payments to those the Chair feels are deserving of a Grant. Donations totalling £1,024 were received during the year and £590 was paid out in grants. The Fund only spends monies which it has available to it and at 31[st] August 2025 the balance carried forward was £1,360 (2024 £926). These funds are accounted for as restricted funds within the District Expenses bank account at Lloyds Bank.

District Advance Fund

After receiving Circuit levies of £154,950, £375,392 from the Connexional Priority Fund, grants and donations of £138,791 and Interest and Investment income of £56,827 the Trustees were able to make Grants totalling £218,400 and also transfers totalling £127,277 to the Expenses Account as follows: £16,413 relating to Training, £17,698 to District Safeguarding expenses, £61 to Refugee & Inter-faith expenditure, £15,016 to our District Property Officer, £1,368 to our new Finance Officer, £716 for District IT upgrade, £15,500 to Circuits to help with provision of ‘Warm Welcome’, £3,183 to Circuits for youthwork, £57,322 for work in Gibraltar. The funding from the London Mission Fund (LMF) continues to be channelled through our District Advance Fund and £107,290 has been received and passed on to Circuits.

Many of the Grants agreed relate to future years and under the accounting requirements, £759,332 has been set aside for this purpose. £527,683 (2024 £52,219b) is carried forward into the new Connexional Year.

Plans for Future Periods

We continue to review our Budget and hold several committee meetings on-line in order to reduce travel costs. As mentioned under District Advance Fund, the new arrangements continue for the

Tne , r Meter Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31[st] August 2025

Financial Review (continued)

way the London Mission Fund makes grant payments and we anticipate a grant allocation of £71,145 in the year 25/26. The District Advance Fund will continue to receive Circuit Levies and a Grant from the Connexional Priority Fund when the District is eligible. This will enable the Grants Committee to offer Grants in year 2025/2026 depending on the quantity of the requests received. The Benevolent Fund will continue to consider requests to spend the resources available.

Structure, Governance and Trustees’ Responsibilities

Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities

Charity Law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charity and of its financial activities for that period, together with its assets and liabilities at the end of the period, and adequately distinguish any material special trust or other restricted fund of the Charity. In preparing those financial statements the Trustees are required to:

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
state whether the policies adopted are in accordance with the appropriate SORP on Accounting by Charities and the Accounting Regulations and with applicable Accounting Standards, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.

Legal and administrative information

The governing body of the District is the Methodist Church and the governing body of the Methodist Church is the Conference. The Methodist Church Act 1976 gives the authority under which the Methodist Church acts. The Constitutional Practice and Discipline of the Methodist Church governs the activities of the District. The District is a Registered Charity and was registered with the Charity Commission on 10[th] June 2009.

Trustees

The Trustees who have served during the year and those appointed since are set out on page 1. Trustees are appointed by the Autumn Synod.

The Trustees are responsible for the detailed examination of the financial statements and for recommending their adoption to Synod.

With District amalgamations, the SE District is one of twenty three Districts of the Methodist Church in the United Kingdom, with effect from 1[st] September 2025. The South-East District brings together fifteen Circuits, their Chapels and Manses based in the south eastern segment of England including the whole of Kent, most of Surrey and Sussex, small areas of Berkshire and Hampshire and includes the Circuits in Malta & Gibraltar. They are contactable via the principal office of the District.

Internal Financial Controls

The Trustees have overall responsibility for ensuring that there is in place an appropriate system of controls, financial and otherwise, to provide reasonable confidence and assurance that:

the District’s administration is operating effectively and efficiently;

Tne , r Meter Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31[st] August 2025

Structure, Governance and Trustees’ Responsibilities (continued)

the assets of the District are properly safeguarded against unauthorised loss or damage;
proper records are maintained and information produced for management control, fiscal and statutory reasons; and
the District complies with the relevant laws and guidelines.

Risk Management

The Trustees have examined the major strategic business and operational risks which the charity faces, and confirm that systems have been established to enable regular reports to be produced so that the necessary steps can be taken to monitor these risks.

District Independent Examiner

Azets Audit Services was appointed Independent Examiner of District Funds by the District Council.

This report was approved by the Trustees on 10[th] December, 2025.

Signed by:

Rev Conrad Hicks District Chair & Trustee

Mrs. Pauline J Newton District Treasurer & Trustee

Tne , r Meter Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of The Methodist Church South-East District

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of The Methodist Church South-East District

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 August 2025, which are set out on pages 8 – 17.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 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 Act.

Independent examiner's statement

Since the charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the ICAEW, which is one of the listed bodies.

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:

accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
the accounts do not accord with those records; or
the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts 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 accounts to be reached.

Signed by:

John Howard FCA

Azets Audit Services 2[nd] Floor Regis House 45 King William Street London EC4R 9AN

Date: 15[th] December 2025

Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) for the year ended 31[st] August 2025

Notes Unrestricted Funds	Notes Unrestricted Funds	Notes Unrestricted Funds	Notes Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds	Restricted Funds Total Funds	Total Funds	Total Funds
		Expenses	Advance	Benevolent	Benevolent 2025	2024
		Account	Fund	Fund Fund
Incoming Resources	£	£	£ £	£	£	£
Assessments		195,457	-	- 195,457 192,956	- 195,457 192,956	- 195,457 192,956
NPNP grant		24,108	-	- 24,108	24,108	10,000
Interest & Investment Income	4,236	4,236	56,827	- 61,063	61,063	56,058
Circuit Levies		-	154,950	- 154.950 216,143	- 154.950 216,143	- 154.950 216,143
Donations		-	138,791 1,024	138,791 1,024 139,815	139,815	139,815 107,113
CPF Distribution received		_-	375,392	- 375,392	375,392	189,310
Total incoming resources		223,801	725,960	1,024 950,785	1,024 950,785	771,580
Resources expended on managing
and administering the Charity
District Administration 5	5	103,119	-	- 103,119	103,119	89,937
Contributions to Circuits for
Assistant Chairs		32,600 -	32,600 -	- 32,600	32,600	47,652
District Safeguarding expenses 6	District Safeguarding expenses 6	26,547	17,698	- 44,245	44,245	38,047
RMO/Property/Finance 7 -	7 -	7 -	16,383	- 16,383	16,383	23,992
Refugee & Inter-faith exp.		-	61	-	61	217
Synod Meeting expenses 8 615	Synod Meeting expenses 8 615	Synod Meeting expenses 8 615	-	-	615	1,176
Manse Expenditure 9 7,518	Manse Expenditure 9 7,518	Manse Expenditure 9 7,518	-	- 7,518	7,518	6,555
Provision for Manse repairs 10	Provision for Manse repairs 10	Provision for Manse repairs 10 3,000	-	- 3,000	3,000	3,000
District Committee Expenses		8,085 -	8,085 -	- 8,085	8,085	8,670
Training Grants & Expenses 11	Training Grants & Expenses 11	Training Grants & Expenses 11 -	16,413 -	16,413 - 16,413	16,413	18,976
Methodist Conference	180	180	-	-	180	281
Ecumenical payments 12 1,592	Ecumenical payments 12 1,592	Ecumenical payments 12 1,592	-	- 1,592	1,592	15,733
Other expenditure 13	13	9,168	716	716- 9,884	9,884	9,126
		192,424	51,271	- 243,695	243,695	243,695 263,362
Grants and payments made in furtherance
of the Charity’s Objects
Grants & donations		-	294,405 590	294,405 590 294,995	294,995	294,995 305,530
Increase (Reduction) in Provision for	Increase (Reduction) in Provision for
future years payments	-	-	(98,121) -	(98,121) - (98,121) 227,803	(98,121) 227,803	(98,121) 227,803
Miscellaneous		-	2,941	2,941-	2,941 2,048	2,941 2,048
Total Resources Expended	Total Resources Expended	192,424	250,496	250,496 590 443,510 798,743	443,510 798,743	443,510 798,743
Net Incoming (Outgoing) Resources
before Transfers	31,377	31,377	475,464 434	475,464 434 507,275	507,275	(27,163)
Transfer between Funds		-	-	-	-	-
Unresolved gains & losses on investments		Unresolved gains & losses on investments -	-	-	__-_	_ ______-
Net Incoming (Outgoing) Resources		31,377 475,464 434	31,377 475,464 434	31,377 475,464 434 507,275 (27,163)	507,275 (27,163)	507,275 (27,163)
after Transfers
Funds brought forward		603,904	52,219 926	52,219 926 657,049	657,049	684,212
Total Funds carried forward		635,281	527,683 1,360	527,683 1,360 1,164,324 657,049	1,164,324 657,049	1,164,324 657,049

Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) for the year ended 31[st] August 2024 (prior year)

Notes Unrestricted	Notes Unrestricted	Notes Unrestricted	Restricted Funds	Restricted Funds	Total Funds
		Funds
		Expenses	Advance	Benevolent	Benevolent 2024
		Account	Fund	Fund
Incoming Resources	£	£	£ £	£	£
Assessments		192,956	192,956 -	- 192,956	- 192,956
NPNP grant		10,000	-	-	10,000
Interest & Investment Income	3,808	3,808	52,250	-	56,058
Circuit Levies		-	216,143	- 216,143	- 216,143
Donations		-	106,818 295 107,113	106,818 295 107,113	106,818 295 107,113
CPF Distribution received		_-	189,310	-	189,310
Total incoming resources		206,764	564,521	295 771,580	295 771,580
Resources expended on managing
and administering the Charity
District Administration 5	5	5 89,937	89,937 -	-	89,937
Contributions to Circuits for
Assistant Chairs		47,652 -	47,652 -	-	47,652
District Safeguarding expenses 6	District Safeguarding expenses 6	24,625	13,422	-	38,047
Resourcing Mission/Property 7 -	Resourcing Mission/Property 7 -	Resourcing Mission/Property 7 -	23,992	-	23,992
Refugee & Inter-faith exp.		-	- 217	-	217
Synod Meeting expenses 8 1,176	Synod Meeting expenses 8 1,176	Synod Meeting expenses 8 1,176	Synod Meeting expenses 8 1,176 -	-	1,176
Manse Expenditure 9 6,555	Manse Expenditure 9 6,555	Manse Expenditure 9 6,555	Manse Expenditure 9 6,555 -	-	6,555
Provision for Manse repairs 10	Provision for Manse repairs 10	Provision for Manse repairs 10 3,000	3,000 -	-	3,000
District Committee Expenses		8,670 -	8,670 -	-	8,670
Training Grants & Expenses 11	Training Grants & Expenses 11	Training Grants & Expenses 11 -	18,976 -	18,976 -	18,976
Methodist Conference	281	281	-	-	281
Ecumenical payments 12 733	Ecumenical payments 12 733	Ecumenical payments 12 733	Ecumenical payments 12 733 15,000	-	15,733
Other expenditure 13	13	6,906	6,906 2,220	2,220-	9,126
		189,535	73,827	-	263,362
Grants and payments made in furtherance
of the Charity’s Objects
Grants & donations		-	304,730 800	304,730 800	305,530
Increase (Reduction) in Provision for	Increase (Reduction) in Provision for
future years payments	-	-	227,803	227,803 -	227,803
Miscellaneous		-	2,048	2,048-	2,048
Total Resources Expended	Total Resources Expended	189,535	608,408	800	798,743
Net Incoming (Outgoing) Resources
before Transfers	17,229	17,229	(43,887) (505) (27,163)	(43,887) (505) (27,163)	(43,887) (505) (27,163)
Transfer between Funds		-	- -	-	-
Unresolved gains & losses on investments		Unresolved gains & losses on investments -	-	-	-
Net Incoming (Outgoing) Resources		17,229 (43,887) (505)	17,229 (43,887) (505)	17,229 (43,887) (505)	(27,163)
after Transfers
Funds brought forward		586,675	96,106 1,431	96,106 1,431	684,212
Total Funds carried forward		603,904	52,219	926	657,049

Balance Sheet as at 31[st] August 2025

	Unrestricted	Unrestricted	Unrestricted Restricted	Restricted
		GeneralAdvance Benevolent		Advance Benevolent	Totals
	Notes Fund	Notes Fund Fund	Fund	Fund	2025	2024
Tangible Fixed Assets					£	£
District Manse 2 501,663	2 501,663	2 501,663 -	-	- 501,663	501,663	501,663
Current Assets
Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes	Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes	- 1,317,215		- 1,317,215 904,872	1,317,215 904,872	1,317,215 904,872
Debtors and Prepayments 3 - 4,800	3 - 4,800	3 - 4,800	3 - 4,800	- 4,800 7,283	4,800 7,283	4,800 7,283
Cash at Bank and Central Finance Board		145,112	-1,360 146,472 116,154	1,360 146,472 116,154	1,360 146,472 116,154	1,360 146,472 116,154
Total current Assets		145,112 1,322,015 1,360 1,468,487 1,028,309		145,112 1,322,015 1,360 1,468,487 1,028,309	145,112 1,322,015 1,360 1,468,487 1,028,309	145,112 1,322,015 1,360 1,468,487 1,028,309
Creditors and Accruals
District Advance Fund – provision for amounts
Falling due in future years 4 - (759,332) - (759,332) (857,453)	Falling due in future years 4 - (759,332) - (759,332) (857,453)	Falling due in future years 4 - (759,332) - (759,332) (857,453)	Falling due in future years 4 - (759,332) - (759,332) (857,453)	Falling due in future years 4 - (759,332) - (759,332) (857,453)	Falling due in future years 4 - (759,332) - (759,332) (857,453)	Falling due in future years 4 - (759,332) - (759,332) (857,453)
Creditors		(180) (35,000)	(35,000)	- (35,180) -	- (35,180) -	- (35,180) -
Provision for Manse repairs 10	Provision for Manse repairs 10	Provision for Manse repairs 10(11,314)	-	-(11,314) (15,470)	(11,314) (15,470)	(11,314) (15,470)
Total current assets less current liabilities	Total current assets less current liabilities 133,618	133,618 527,683 1,360 662,661 155,386	527,683 1,360 662,661 155,386	527,683 1,360 662,661 155,386	527,683 1,360 662,661 155,386	527,683 1,360 662,661 155,386
Total Net Assets		635,281 527,683 1,360 1,164,324 657,049	527,683 1,360 1,164,324 657,049	527,683 1,360 1,164,324 657,049	527,683 1,360 1,164,324 657,049	527,683 1,360 1,164,324 657,049
Funds of the District
General Fund (Unrestricted)	635,281	635,281 -	-	- 635,281 603,904	- 635,281 603,904	- 635,281 603,904
District Advance Fund (Unrestricted)		- 527,683	527,683	527,683 - 527,683 52,219	- 527,683 52,219	- 527,683 52,219
Benevolent Fund (Restricted)		-	-1,360 1,360 926	1,360 1,360 926	1,360 1,360 926	1,360 1,360 926
Total Funds 20	20	635,281 527,683 1,360 1,164,324 657,049	527,683 1,360 1,164,324 657,049	527,683 1,360 1,164,324 657,049	527,683 1,360 1,164,324 657,049	527,683 1,360 1,164,324 657,049

The notes on pages 13 to 17 form part of these accounts.

Approved by the Trustees on 10[th] December, 2025 and signed on their behalf by:

Mrs. Pauline J Newton Rev. Conrad Hicks District Treasurer and Trustee District Chair and Trustee

Balance Sheet as at 31[st] August 2024 (prior year)

	Unrestricted	Unrestricted	Unrestricted	Restricted	Restricted
				Advance Benevolent		Totals
	Notes			Fund Fund	Fund	2024
Tangible Fixed Assets						£
District Manse 2 501,663	2 501,663	2 501,663		- -	- -	501,663
Current Assets
Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes	Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes	- 904,872	- 904,872	- 904,872	-	904,872
Debtors and Prepayments 3 2,483 4,800	3 2,483 4,800	3 2,483 4,800	3 2,483 4,800	3 2,483 4,800	-	7,283
Cash at Bank and Central Finance Board		115,228	115,228	-926	926	116,154
Total current Assets		117,711 909,672 926		117,711 909,672 926	117,711 909,672 926	1,028,309
Creditors and Accruals
District Advance Fund – provision for amounts
Falling due in future years 4 - (857,453) - (857,453)	Falling due in future years 4 - (857,453) - (857,453)	Falling due in future years 4 - (857,453) - (857,453)	Falling due in future years 4 - (857,453) - (857,453)	Falling due in future years 4 - (857,453) - (857,453)	Falling due in future years 4 - (857,453) - (857,453)	Falling due in future years 4 - (857,453) - (857,453)
Provision for Manse repairs 10	Provision for Manse repairs 10	Provision for Manse repairs 10(15,470)		-	-	(15,470)
Total current assets less current liabilities	Total current assets less current liabilities	Total current assets less current liabilities 102,241		52,219 926 155,386	52,219 926 155,386	52,219 926 155,386
Total Net Assets		603,904		52,219 926	52,219 926	657,049
Funds of the District
General Fund (Unrestricted)	603,904	603,904		-	-	603,904
District Advance Fund (Restricted)		-	-	52,219	-	52,219
Benevolent Fund (Restricted)			-	-926	926	926
Total Funds 20	20	603,904		52,219 926 657,049	52,219 926 657,049	52,219 926 657,049

The notes on pages 13 to 17 form part of these accounts.

Approved by the Trustees on 11th December, 2024 and signed on their behalf by:

David Hinchliffe District Chair and Trustee

Mrs. Pauline J Newton District Treasurer and Trustee

Cashflow Statement as at 31[st] August 2024

Statement of Cashflows
	2025	2024
Note	£	£
Net cash generated from/(used by) operating activities 22	381,598	156,100
Cashflows from investing activities:
Interest from investments	61,063	56,058
Net movement in cash and cash equivalents	442,661	212,158
Cash & cash equivalents at beginning of year	1,021,026	808,868
Cash & cash equivalents at end of year	1,463,687	1,021,026
Cash at bank and in hand	146,472	116,154
Short term deposits	1,317,215	904,872
	1,463,687	1,021,026

Tne , Meter

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31[st] August 2025

1. Basis of Preparation

The financial statements have been prepared under the Charities Act 2011 in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued on 16[th] July 2014 and Update Bulletin 1 issued on 2[nd] February 2016.

Going Concern

Based on the monetary assets and human resources available at 31[st] August 2025 the Trustees believe that the District is a going concern.

Funds

The funds held constitute General Funds held for any purpose of the District and are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity and Restricted Funds which are held for a narrower purpose.

Fixed Assets and Depreciation

Depreciation has not been provided on freehold land and buildings because the trustees consider the residual value of the manse is not less than cost and the depreciation would be immaterial.

Incoming Resources

These are included in the SOFA when the District becomes entitled to the resources; the Trustees are virtually certain that they will receive the resources; and the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability.

Liability Recognition

Liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the District to make the payment. With regard to the District Advance Fund, a note of the Contingent Liability is set out in Note 4 to these Accounts.

Provisions

An annual provision is made for major expenditure on manse repairs, with such expenditure being deducted from the accumulated provision when it is incurred.

Debtors

Debtors are stated at the amounts owed to the District or prepaid.

Gains/(losses) on investments

The investments are in monetary assets and are held by the Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes (TMCP) as custodian trustees. The valuations, at market value are those provided by TMCP. Realised and unrealised capital gains and losses on investments are dealt with in the SOFA in the year in which they arise, based on the brought forward valuations or cost of subsequent additions.

Estimates and judgements

The financial information presented is relevant, reliable, comparable and complete. Where estimates are used these are based on experience, research and judgement. The accounts are expressed in £Sterling, rounded to the nearest pound.

Tne , Meter

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31[st] August 2025

		2025	2024
2.	Fixed Assets	£	£
	Freehold land and building
	Deemed Cost
	District manse – as at 31stAugust 2025 501,663	August 2025 501,663	501,663
	Land £167,221 Building £334,442
3.	Debtors and Prepayments
	Conference expenses paid from District funds awaiting -		2,483
	repayment from Connexion
	Rent paid in advance for Superintendents flat in	4,800	4,800
	Gibraltar
4.	Creditors and Accruals
	District Advance Fund
	Provision for Grants committed or payable in
	future years, balance as at 31stAugust 857,453	August 857,453	629,650
	Increase (reduction) in provision
	for future payments (98,121)	for future payments (98,121) 227,803	227,803
	Payable Payable
	2025-26 2026 onwards
	£473,932 £285,400
Total Provision as at 31	Total Provision as at 31stAugust	August759,332	857,453
5.	District Administration	District Administration	District Administration
	Chair’s travel and miscellaneous expenses 4,973	Chair’s travel and miscellaneous expenses 4,973	2,984
	New Chair’s relocation	1,389
	Secretarial and Administration 48,062	Secretarial and Administration 48,062 44,514	44,514
	- Salary - £40,932
	- Social security - £4,714
	- Pension - £2,416
	District Office rent	34,433 32,965	32,965
	District Office expenses, insce. printing, stationery, post,
	Phone, misc.	14,262	9,474
		103,119	89,937
6.	District Safeguarding Expenses
	Safeguarding Officer transferred to Connexion payroll May 2025	Safeguarding Officer transferred to Connexion payroll May 2025
	Officer	39,563 28,756	28,756
	- Salary - £33,707
	- Social security - £3,883
	- Pension - £1,973
	Additional costs incurred	4,682	9,291
		44,245 38,047	44,245 38,047
	Reimbursed from District Advance Fund	Reimbursed from District Advance Fund(17,698)	(13,422)
	Cost to District Expenses	26,547	24,625

The | iN Methodist Church)” ipy

Notes to the Financial Statements

	Notes to the Financial Statements Methodist	Notes to the Financial Statements Methodist Church)”	Church)”	Church)”
	for the year ended 31st August 2025	August 2025
		2025	2024
7.	Resourcing Mission/Property/Finance Officers £ £	Resourcing Mission/Property/Finance Officers £ £	Resourcing Mission/Property/Finance Officers £ £
	Resourcing Mission Officer role ceased 31.08.24
	2 District Officers (part-time) 16,144	2 District Officers (part-time) 16,144	2 District Officers (part-time) 16,144 22,955	22,955
	- PO Salary - £13,152
	- PO Social Security - £836
	- PO Pension – £789 £14,777
	- FO Salary - £1,182
	- FO Social Security - £114
	- FO Pension - £71 £1,367
Expenses including travel, phone calls etc	Expenses including travel, phone calls etc	239	1,037	1,037
16,383	16,383	16,383	23,992	23,992
Reimbursed from District Advance Fund	Reimbursed from District Advance Fund	Reimbursed from District Advance Fund(16,383)	(23,992)
		-	-
8.	Synod Expenses
	Miscellaneous costs 185	185	652	652
	Miscellaneous travel	430	524	524
		615	1,176	1,176
9.	District Manse Expenses
	Council tax 3,526	3,526 3,366	3,366	3,366
	Water rates 710	710 219	219	219
	Insurance 1,415	1,415 1,684	1,684	1,684
	Telephone 810	810 924	924	924
	Miscellaneous expenses, boiler, security, etc	Miscellaneous expenses, boiler, security, etc1,057	362	362
		7,518	6,555	6,555
10.	Provision for Manse Repairs
	Balance as at 31stAugust 2024	15,470 12,470	15,470 12,470	15,470 12,470
	Amount transferred in the year	3,000	3,000	3,000
	18,470	18,470	15,470	15,470
	Expenditure during the year	Expenditure during the year (7,156)	-
	Balance as at 31stAugust 2025	August 202511,314	15,470	15,470
11.	Training expenditure
	Total paid out for Training Grants 4,622	4,622 1,907	1,907	1,907
	Residential Conferences, Training courses etc	Residential Conferences, Training courses etc11,791	17,069	17,069
	16,413	16,413 18,976	18,976	18,976
	Reimbursed from District Advance Fund	(16,413)	(18,976)
	Cost to District Expenses	-	-
12.	Ecumenical payments
	Churches Together in Surrey 587	587 733	733
	Kent Workplace Mission	- 15,000	15,000
	Kent Leaders residential	209 -	-	-
	Kent & Sussex Ec.Off. residentials	796		-
		1,592	15,733

Tne , Meter

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31[st] August 2025

		2025	2024
13.	Other expenditure £ £	£ £	£ £
	Youth Conference – 3Generate -	-	291
	Copyright	442	421
	Employment advice	2,107	2,215
	Independent Exam. fee	3,000	2,700
	Apprenticeship Levy	442	418
	Administration and bank charges	105	86
	District ‘New Places for New People’ Project 1,572	District ‘New Places for New People’ Project 1,572	775
	District ‘Messiah’ performance	1,500	-
		9,168	6,906
14.	Reimbursements
	No employee earned £60,000 per annum or more.
	The average number of employees, analysed by function, was:	The average number of employees, analysed by function, was:
	2025	2025	2024
	F/T Administration of the charity 1	1	1
	F/T District Safeguarding Officer (to May 2025) 1	1	1
	Part-time District Property/Finance Officers 2	2	1

The Chair of S E District chairs meetings of the District Council and provides key management of the charity. The stipend, employer’s NIC and employer’s pension contributions of the Chair of District are paid by the Methodist Connexion. Members of the District Council are the Trustees of the Charity and work with the Chair of District to manage the Charity.

15. Payments to Trustees

Expenses of £7,189 were reimbursed to seven Trustees for their travelling and out of pocket expenses.

16. Ultimate controlling party

The ultimate controlling party of the District is considered to be the Annual Conference of the Methodist Church.

17. Related parties

The related parties of the District are fifteen Circuits, their Chapels and Manses, which are all based in the south-eastern segment of England including the whole of Kent and most of Surrey and Sussex and includes small areas of Berkshire and Hampshire and the Circuits in Malta and Gibraltar. They are contactable via the principal office of the District. Funds are transferred from Circuits to the District on a quarterly basis.

During the year, no transactions took place with related parties (as defined by Financial Reporting Standard No. 33).

18. Capital commitments

2025

At 31[st] August 2025 the District had the following Capital Commitments: Nil

The | rN Methodist Church LID Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31[st] August 2025

19. Expenses related to Malta & Gibraltar

Each year, expenses incurred relating to members of the churches in Malta & Gibraltar travelling to District meetings are paid for by Methodist Church Fund so are not included in our SOFA. The amount for year 2025 is £5,603 (2024 £4,859).

20. Funds

Funds
	Unrestricted	Restricted	TOTAL
Brought forward	656,123	926	657,049
Income	949,761	1,024	950,785
Expenditure (442,920)	(442,920)	(442,920) (590) (443,510)	(443,510)
Other gains/losses	-	-	-
Carried forward 1,162,964	1,162,964	1,360 1,164,324	1,164,324

District Advance Fund

Many of the Grants agreed relate to future years and under the accounting requirements funds have been set aside for this purpose. This Fund is now treated as Unrestricted funds.

Only the Benevolent Fund is now treated as Restricted Funds

21. Funds (prior year)

Funds (prior year)
	Unrestricted	Restricted
	(restated)	(restated)	TOTAL
Brought forward	682,781	1,431	684,212
Income	771,285 295	771,285 295	771,580
Expenditure (797,943) (800) (798,743)	(797,943) (800) (798,743)	(797,943) (800) (798,743)	(797,943) (800) (798,743)
Other gains/losses	-	-	-
Carried forward	656,123	926	926 657,049

22. Reconciliation of net cash provided by/(used by) operating activities

	2025	2024
	£	£
Net expenditure for the reporting period	507,275	(27,163)
Interest received	(61,063)	(56,058)
(Increase)/decrease in debtors	2483	8,518
Increase/(decrease) in creditors	(67,097)	230,803
	381,598	156,100