**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 1 ## 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. 2 ## 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. 3 ## 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 4 ## 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; 5 ## 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 6 ## 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: 1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or 3. 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 7 ## **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**| 8 ## **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 **| 9 ## **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 10 ## **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 11 ## **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| 12 ## 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. 13 ## 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| 14 ## 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|| 15 ## 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 16 ## 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| 17