Whitefriars Church Rushden (Charity Number 1130312) Trustees Annual Report 2024
Background
The Parochial Church Council (PCC) of Whitefriars Church, Rushden, has the responsibility of promoting the whole mission of the Church (pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical) in the parish. It became a registered charity in 2009 with the PCC members being registered as its trustees. It has complied with its duty of ‘promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the church’, and in section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 to have due regard to public benefit, guidance published by the Charity Commission.
Review of activities in 2024
This is an outline summary of the activities of Whitefriars church.
Whitefriars church started and finished 2024 without a Vicar. The church has continued to meet regularly, both on Sundays and in small mid-week groups. This has been enabled by a willing group of volunteers, augmented by visiting clergy with Permission To Officiate at monthly Holy Communion services.
A small group continued to hold monthly worship services in two of the town’s residential care homes. These services followed a range of themes, as well as celebrating the major Christian festivals and are well attended by a good proportion of the residents in each home. Additionally, monthly events provided spiritual and pastoral care for a group of retired people living more independently in the town.
The PCC met six times during 2024. Various sub-committees met several times between PCC meetings to look at specific areas of church management. Areas of PCC discussion and action included reviewing various policies and appropriate training for those holding DBS clearances. All the relevant church policies have been reviewed and updated, where required. PCC meetings also included active monitoring of Whitefriars church finances and consideration of issues from the wider church, through reports from Deanery, Diocesan and General Synods, as well as the Rushden Council of Churches.
As our paid youth worker resigned to move away in February, the PCC agreed to a small group of volunteers taking over responsibility for and running the Ignite youth group. With agreement from the PCC several members of Whitefriars engaged with other churches in Rushden to plan and run an Illuminate mission to teenage children in the local community. The LZ7 band was invited to come into 6 local secondary schools to talk to the students who were invited to attend concerts of relevant music and personal testimony from band members. PCC and other church members continue to help run a weekly youth group that resulted from this. Our thanks go to everyone involved in these activities.
In October we were formally told that our church office in Whitefriars School grounds would need to be vacated at the end of March 2025 and demolished - and that we would need to sign licenses so that the school could achieve academy status as part on the Tove Academy. We
took legal advice from Diocesan legal advisors and signed the licences in November after minor amendments were made.
We continue to employ 2 part-time members of staff. Emma Croxon has continued to develop as Children and Families Minister, working both with pre-school children and those in primary school – as well as overseeing age-appropriate children’s ministry within our weekly Sunday services, Sara Owst has continued to provide administrative support for the churchwardens and oversight of H&S procedures, etc.
GDPR
There have been no reported breaches of data, and the church continues to function within the guidelines laid out in the General Data Protection Regulations. The continued use of the ChurchSuite database has been instrumental in enabling safe communications with members of the church within the UK GDPR guidelines.
Safeguarding has always had a high priority within our church. Oue Safeguarding Policy is kept updated in line with the guidelines laid down by the National safeguarding Team and the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisors. All members of the church are encouraged to complete a basic safeguarding training programme. All those that have contact with children and/or vulnerable adults hold current DBS certificates and have completed higher levels of safeguarding training that is appropriate to their role within the church. Whitefriars has a designated Parish Safeguarding Officer and an Assistant Safeguarding Officer (who is also a Diocesan Safeguarding Trainer and Recruiter). No major safeguarding issues have been reported.
PCC membership
At the annual meeting in April 2024, the following were either serving or elected:
Vicar Vacant Wardens Richard Holley Nisha Slater Diocesan Synod members Andrew Presland (General Synod) Deanery Synod Representatives Steve Holman Rosie Benn Richard Holley Elected members Hannah Barker (to 2025) Celia Underwood (to 2025) Ken Owst (to 2025) (Treasurer) Ally Gibson (to 2026) Lynda King (to 2026) Steph Chadwick to 2026) Emma Croxon (to 2027) Melvyn Hunter (to 2027) (PCC Secretary) Jeremy Smith (to 2027)
Unelected members Matt Croxon (Licensed Lay Minister)
Karen Wooley (Licensed Lay Minister)
PCC committees and groups
Standing and Resources Committee: transacts urgent business as required between PCC meetings, including oversight of Whitefriars church finances, drafting the annual budget, monitoring income and expenditure as well as promoting planned giving.
Bridge Management and Minibus Management: carry out routine checks on the state of the Bridge church office, ensuring that safety checks and routine maintenance are carried out; ensure that the minibus is correctly maintained and insured.
Mission Committee: promotes a range of mission and outreach activities, including mission support, both in this country and overseas. Much of this is promoted to the congregation through the church’s weekly notices and within Sunday services.
Each of these sub-committees has a Chair whose responsibilities include ensuring that they meet regularly, that meetings are properly minuted and reports returned to the PCC, management of their budget allocation, ensuring that expenditure is kept within the amounts allocated.
Richard Holley – Churchwarden 2024
whitefriarschurchrushden
Statement of Financial Activities
For the period from 01 January 2024 to 31 December 2024
| Unrestricted | Designated | Restricted | Endowment | Total | Prior year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| funds | funds | funds | funds | funds | total funds | |
| Income and endowments from: | ||||||
| Donations and legacies | 108,671.68 | — | 15,503.31 | — | 124,174.99 | 119,278.54 |
| Income from charitable activities | 2,870.24 | 4,165.77 | 10,413.11 | — | 17,449.12 | 39,777.79 |
| Other income | 1,257.13 | — | 1,560.00 | — | 2,817.13 | 2,565.11 |
| Total income | 112,799.05 | 4,165.77 | 27,476.42 | — | 144,441.24 | 161,621.44 |
| Expenditure on: | ||||||
| Expenditure on charitable activities | 96,728.89 | 58.03 | 24,267.57 | — | 121,054.49 | 129,343.85 |
| Other expenditure | — | 3,205.42 | 40,327.08 | — | 43,532.50 | 5,474.50 |
| Total expenditure | 96,728.89 | 3,263.45 | 64,594.65 | — | 164,586.99 | 134,818.35 |
| Net income / (expenditure) resources before transfer | 16,070.16 | 902.32 | (37,118.23) | — | (20,145.75) | 26,803.09 |
| Transfers | ||||||
| Gross transfers between funds - in | — | — | 7,500.00 | — | 7,500.00 | 5,000.00 |
| Gross transfers between funds - out | (7,500.00) | — | — | — | (7,500.00) | (5,000.00) |
| Other recognised gains / losses | ||||||
| Net movement in funds | 8,570.16 | 902.32 | (29,618.23) | — | (20,145.75) | 26,803.09 |
| Reconciliation of funds | ||||||
| Total funds brought forward | 21,277.51 | 29,078.25 | 31,744.15 | — | 82,099.91 | 55,296.82 |
| Total funds carried forward | 29,847.67 | 29,980.57 | 2,125.92 | — | 61,954.16 | 82,099.91 |
| Represented by | ||||||
| Unrestricted | ||||||
| General fund | 29,847.67 | — | — | — | 29,847.67 | 21,277.51 |
| Designated | ||||||
| Bridge Reserve | — | 2,960.16 | — | — | 2,960.16 | 2,960.16 |
| Mini Bus | — | 4,885.99 | — | — | 4,885.99 | 3,996.39 |
| Mission Fund | — | 20,938.52 | — | — | 20,938.52 | 20,925.80 |
| PA Fund | — | 1,120.54 | — | — | 1,120.54 | 1,120.54 |
| Vicarage Reserve | — | 75.36 | — | — | 75.36 | 75.36 |
| Restricted | ||||||
| Children's & Youth Fund | — | — | 1,778.68 | — | 1,778.68 | 1,419.64 |
| Compassion | — | — | 316.80 | — | 316.80 | 28.75 |
| LZ7 Mission | — | — | — | — | — | 30,202.02 |
| Youth Residentials | — | — | 30.44 | — | 30.44 | 93.74 |
03 January 2025 Page 1
Independent Examiner's Report to the PCC of Whitefriars Church, Rushden, Northamptonshire. This report, on the accounts of Whitefriars Church, Rushden, for the year ended 31 December 2024. which is set out below, is in respect of an examination caffied out under s.145 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act). Respective responsibilities of trustses and examiner The church's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The church's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to= examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act, to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of independent examlners report My examination was carried out in accordan with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the church and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit. and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair. view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. Independent examiners statement In connection with my examination. no matter has come to my attention: which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in. any material respect, the requirements: to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act. and to prepare acuntS which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act have not been met; 2. to which. in my opinion. attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding f the accounts to be reached. John Elldred 6 Nightingale w Higham Feer8 NN10 8PR Date". t