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The
United
Reformed
Church
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ST NEOTS UNITED REFORMED CHURCH
REGISTERED CHARITY 1130767
TRUSTEES REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025
CONTENTS
Page
Trustees’ Report 1-3 Treasurer's statement 4 Independent Examiner's report 4 Receipts and Payments Account § Statement of assets and liabilities 6 Notes to the accounts 7-10
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The
United
Reformed
Church
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ST NEOTS UNITED REFORMED CHURCH
Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 December 2025
Reference and administration details
Address
High Street, St Neots, Cambridgeshire, PE19 1BN
Charity Registered No. 1130767
Minister Reverend A Davis
Elders (Trustees) who have served between 1 January 2025 to the date of this report:
Mrs J Gibbs (Church Secretary) Mrs V Corrigan resigned 13 October 2025 Mrs J Jones resigned 13 October 2025 Mrs R Charter Mrs N Leckie Mrs J Henderson Mr P S Botha Mr K Leckie appointed 13 October 2025
Structure, governance and management
The church is a member church of the United Reformed Church in Great Britain which was established by the 1972 United Reformed Church Acts. The church has its own constitution which is approved by the Church Meeting. The Trustees consider the Church Meeting to be the decision-making body of the local church.
The church was registered as a charity by the Charity Commission on 27 July 2009.
The church has entered into the Mid Cambridgeshire Mission Partnership.with the single United Reformed Churches in St Ives and Fenstanton, and the Local Ecumenical Projects in Bar Hill, Cambourne, Loves Farm and Northstowe. The costs of the single church element of the Partnership will be shared in the first instance between the three single United Reformed Churches. Elders are nominated to serve as Trustees, subject to their being elected by receiving at least 75% of the votes cast at a Church Meeting. An Elder must have been a church member for 2 years before they are eligible for nomination.
Reverend S J Fender served the church as Interim Moderator until the appointment of Revd A Davis as Minister to the Mid Cambridgeshire Mission Partnership, with effect from 1 December 2025.
The church is situated in the Eastern Synod of the United Reformed Church. The Synod meets twice each year, and the church is represented by a Trustee or appointed Church Member. The church is involved in a number of local ecumenical activities.
The Trustees acknowledge their responsibility to consider the major risks to which the church may be exposed and take the necessary measures to identify those risks and reduce them to an acceptable level.
Page 1
Objectives and activities
The principal objective of the church is the advancement of the Christian faith for the benefit of the public in accordance with the Scheme of Union of the United Reformed Church.
The Trustees consider that the most appropriate way to meet this objective is to provide acts of worship and promote Christian teaching which is in accordance with the traditions of the United Reformed Church. The Trustees also recognise the importance of working closely with other churches in St Neots to develop ecumenical relationships with other Christian groups.
The full accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025 are set out on pages 5 to 10 of this report. The report of the Independent Examiner is set out on page 4.
A Minister in post is paid a salary by the United Reformed Church. In the absence of a Minister the Trustees arrange for worship to be led by church members and visiting preachers. A preaching fee of £40 plus travelling expenses is offered to everyone who leads worship. Mrs J Gibbs led worship on 16 (2024:11) separate occasions and was paid a total of £640 (2024: £440) during the year. None of the other Trustees received payment for their services to the church and the Trustees also acknowledge the contribution from many people who are part of the life of the church.
Achievements and performance
Acts of public worship normally take place each Sunday morning. Holy Communion is normally celebrated on the third Sunday in each month. Other acts of worship and teaching take place throughout the year. The church is actively involved in Churches Together in St Neots including the Fair Trade and Christian Centre, and St Neots Christian Aid Group, and is a weekly participant in the work of St Neots Foodbank by acting as a distribution centre.
The Trustees are pleased to report that church life in 2025 has been more active than the previous post-Covid years. As well as being open for public worship each Sunday the church uses YouTube to broadcast those services to members and friends who are unable to worship in person. The services are streamed live, and they are also available using “catch up” through the church’s website. and can also be viewed later, via YouTube.
Elders’ Meetings and Church Meetings are held using a mixture of physical attendance and Zoom technology. Printed copies of the Sunday services have been supplied to Members and Friends without IT technology.
Church Membership stands at 38 (2024:42) and the average number attending Sunday worship is 37 (2024:36), with an average of 14 (2024:27) viewing the service on YouTube.
Financial results for the year
The income of the church exceeded its costs by £4,093. The normal activities of the church showed a deficit of £1,078 but the fundraising schemes generated an income of £5,171. Full details are given in the Receipts and Payments account on page 5 and in the supporting notes on pages 7 to 10.
The Trustees have been advised that one of the pinnacles on the tower is in a poor state of repair and it needs to be rebuilt. The Trustees have received quotes for this work and are actively looking for grants and donations towards the cost. The work will be put in hand as soon as soon as the Trustees have the assurance that there are sufficient funds to pay for the work as well as to enable the church to continue its normal level of activity.
Page 2
The policy on reserves
Responsible financial stewardship calls for the Trustees to provide funds to enable the church to meet its liabilities as they fall due and to set aside a reasonable amount to cover costs that cannot be predicted. The Trustees consider that the equivalent of six months’ normal expenditure is an appropriate amount. The level of reserves of the Unrestricted Fund at 31 December 2025 is acceptable but the Trustees continue to look for ways of increasing income and restricting expenditure to at least maintain this level of reserves. In the event of the church having reserves that were greatly in excess of its needs, the Trustees would recommend that the church should make donations to support the activities of organisations whose activities were in sympathy with the objectives of the church.
Declaration
The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ Report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s Trustees
Mrs Jenny Gibbs Church Secretary 30 March 2026
Page 3
ST NEOTS UNITED REFORMED CHURCH
ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025
TREASURER'S STATEMENT
| have prepared the accounts on pages 5 to 10 for the year ended 31 December 2025 from the accounting records of the church.
WR Springbett
Date: 30 March 2026
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF ST NEOTS UNITED REFORMED CHURCH
| report to the Trustees of St Neots United Reformed Church (the Trust) on my examination of the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025, which are set out on pages 5 to 10.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity Trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ("the Act").
| report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under Section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, | have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's statement
| have completed my examination. | confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: * accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or ® the accounts do not accord with the accounting records.
| have no concerns and have come across no matters in connection with the examination to which attention needs to be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
G Round BFP FCA
St Neots Cambridgeshire
Date: 30 March 2026
Page 4
ST NEOTS UNITED REFORMED CHURCH
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Note|General|Designated|Restricted|Total|Total|
|Fund|Funds|Funds|for 2025|for 2024|
|£|£|=|£|£|
|RECEIPTS|
|Offertory|20,619|-|-|20,619|20,993|
|Income|tax|refunds|under|Gift Aid|5,636|-|-|5,636|6,057|
|Fund|raising|and|donations|3|-|9,537|820|10,357|11,804|
|Room|hire|15,886|-|-|15,886|6,516|
|Rent from|shop|unit|10,830|-|-|10,830|17,359|
|Bank|interest|and|investment|income|775|-|-|t19|1,144|
|VAT|reclaimed|on|Listed|Places|of Worship|1,706|-|-|1,706|-|
|Wedding|and|funeral|fees|399|-|-|399|-|
|Monies|raised|for|outside|causes|4|-|~|-|-|180|
|Total|receipts|55,851|9,537|820|66,208|64,053|
|PAYMENTS|
|Ministry &|Mission|Fund|25,644|-|-|25,644|25,992|
|Mission|Partnership|expenses|5|1,101|-|-|1,101|-|
|Interim|Moderator|and|Worship|
|Leader's|expenses|6|650|-|-|650|391|
|Church|running|costs|7|18,741|-|-|18,741|14,285|
|Church|cleaning|3,802|-|-|3,802|6,670|
|Outreach|8|3,015|-|-|3,015|2,985|
|Support|for outside|causes|9|-|-|-|-|180|
|Maintenance|of church|building|10|3,976|-|-|3,976|13:233|
|Special|projects|11|-|4,234|820|5,054|2,179|
|Costs|of fund|raising|-|132|-|132|37|
|Total|payments|56,929|4,366|820|62;715|65,952|
|NET|RECEIPTS/(PAYMENTS)|(1,078)|51:01|-|4,093|(1,899)|
|TRANSFERS|1,078|(1,078)|-|”|-|
|CASH|FUNDS|AT|1|JANUARY|2025|24,796|19,788|-|44,584|46,483|
|CASH|FUNDS|AT|31|DECEMBER|2025|24,796|23,881|-|48,677|44,584|
|The|notes|on|pages 7|to|10|form|part of these|accounts|
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Page 5
ST NEOTS UNITED REFORMED CHURCH
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31 DECEMBER 2025
| Note | General | Designated | Restricted | Total | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fund | Funds | Funds | for2025 | for2024 | ||
| z | £ | £ | £ | ss | ||
| Assets used forChurch purposes | ||||||
| (value for insurance purposes) | ||||||
| Held under statutory trust | ||||||
| Church building | 13 | 8,382,291 | - | - | 8,382,291 | 7,907,821 |
| Shop unit | 13 | 953,207 | - | - | 953,207 | 899,251 |
| 9,335,498 | - | - | 9,335,498 | 8,807,072 | ||
| Organ | 231,772 | - | - | 231,772 | 218,652 | |
| Furnishings and equipment | 13 | 118,976 | - | - | 118,976 | 112,240 |
| 9,686,246 | - | - | 9,686,246 | 9,137,964 | ||
| Cash funds held | ||||||
| COIF account | - | 18,237 | - | 18,237 | 17,490 | |
| Barclays account | 28,289 | 2,151 | - | 30,440 | 27,094 | |
| 28,289 | 20,388 | - | 48,677 | 44,584 | ||
| Other assets | ||||||
| (Money owed to the church) | ||||||
| GiftAid and GASDS receivable | 3,722 | - | 200 | 3,922 | 3,951 | |
| Room Hire | 2,849 | - | - | 2,849 | 1,295 | |
| VAT repayable | - | 879 | - | 579 | 1,706 | |
| Amounts receivable re Mission Partnership | 1,055 | - | - | 1,055 | - | |
| Accrued rent from shop unit | 277 | - | - | 277 | - | |
| Water rates, prepaid | 217 | - | 217 | - | ||
| 8,120 | 579 | 200 | 8,899 | 6,952 | ||
| Liabilities | ||||||
| (Moneyowed by the church) | ||||||
| Repayable within 12months | ||||||
| Church running costs Gas, electricity andwater |
164 805 |
- - |
- - |
164 805 |
200 709 |
|
| Church cleaning | 269 | - | - | 269 | 346 | |
| Minister's expenses Outreach Amounts payable re Mission Partnership Church Leader'sexpenses |
166 40 1,310 50 |
- - - - |
- - - |
166 40 1,310 50 |
- 80 - 47 |
|
| Legal fees Rent received in advance |
997 - |
- - |
- - |
997 - |
- 3,329 |
|
| Fundraising | - | - | - | - | 132 | |
| 3,801 | - | - | 3,801 | 4,843 |
Approved by the Trustees on 30 March 2026 and signed on their behalf by Mrs Jenny Gibbs
The notes on pages 7 to 10 form part of these accounts
Page 6
ST NEOTS UNITED REFORMED CHURCH
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025
1 Accounting policies
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with Section 133 of the Charities Act 2011 using the Receipts and Payments basis available to small charities, and the United Reformed Church guidance.
2 Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds may be used by the church for any of its ordinary purposes
Designated funds represent unrestricted funds that the church has set aside for specific designated purposes: they can be transferred back into general funds by the decision of the Church Meeting.
| Fund name and purpose | Balance | Receipts | §Payments | Transfers | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| b/f | inthe year | inthe year | inthe year | c/f | |
| £ | 5 | £ | £ | £ | |
| Shop Rents COIF reserve - to provide funds | 7,314 | - | - | - | 7,314 |
| should the shop unit become vacant | |||||
| Fundraising for projects (see notes 3 and 11) | 12,474 | 9,537 | 4,366 | (1,078) | 16,567 |
| TotalforDesignatedfunds | 19,788 | 9,537 | 4,366 | (1,078) | 23,881 |
Restricted funds represent income which may be expended only on those restricted objects provided in the terms of a trust or bequest, or donations or grants received or invited for a specific purpose. These funds can only be spent on the specific purpose for which they were given. Any balance remaining unspent must be carried forward as a balance on that fund for future expenditure on that specific purpose, or returned; it cannot be absorbed into general funds. Restricted donations for the tower received in the year were £820 and the whole amount was spent on repairs to the tower. The Trustees consider that the only restricted funds are those liable for return if unable to be spent. The liability is extinguished when those funds are spent as required.
George Wilcox Settlement
The George Wilcox Settlement was established in Australia on 3 March 1916 to give financial assistance towards providing a Manse for the Minister, using the investment income received in the year which was fnil (2024 £101). This is included in the figure for Bank interest and investment income on page 5. The Trustees of the church have no influence over the management of the Trust or of the distribution of the investment income. Consequently, the Trustees do not consider The Wilcox Trust to be an endowment fund belonging to the church,
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ST NEOTS UNITED REFORMED CHURCH
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025
| Unrestricted | Designated | Restricted | Restricted | Total | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Funds | Funds | for2025 | for2024 | |||
| £ | £ | £ | Ee | £ | |||
| 3 | Fundraising and donations | ||||||
| Repairs totheTower | |||||||
| The Collaboration Choir | - | - | - | - | 600 | ||
| Christmas Tree Festival | - | - | - | - | 1,295 | ||
| Gift Day | - | 2,365 | - | 2,365 | 3,155 | ||
| Saturday and Sunday coffee | - | 3,153 | - | 3168 | 2,897 | ||
| Craft Group | - | 400 | - | 400 | 505 | ||
| Spring Fayre | - | 983 | - | 983 | 778 | ||
| November Fayre | 1,168 | - | 1,168 | - | |||
| Otherdonations and fundraising events | - | 1,468 | 820 | 2,288 | 2,574 | ||
| lS 9,537 |
___820 | 820 | iemetaied Dosen 10,357 |
sienna es 11,804 |
|||
| Monies raised for outside causes (Restricted | |||||||
| 4 | Fund) | ||||||
| "Youth for Christ"Appeal | - | - | - | 180 | 180 | ||
| - | - | - | 180 | 180 | |||
| 5 | Mission Partnership expenses | ||||||
| Establishment expenses | 1,101 | - | - | 1,101 | - | ||
| 6 | Interim Moderator’s /Worship Leader's | ||||||
| expenses | |||||||
| Interim Moderator | 169 | - | - | 169 | 93 | ||
| Worship Leader | 481 | ~ | - | 481 | 298 | ||
| ——e50 | OS | BOT | |||||
| 7 | Church running costs | ||||||
| Insurance | 6,362 | - | - | 6,362 | 6,004 | ||
| Heat, light and water | 7,266 | - | - | 7,266 | 5,782 | ||
| Bookings Secretary | 2,114 | - | - | 2,114 | 1,347 | ||
| Legal and professional fees | 1,647 | - | - | 1,647 | - | ||
| Communications ( licences and broadband) | 1,352 | - | - | 1,352 | 4,007 | ||
| Postage, stationeryand telephone | ~ | - | - | - | 32 | ||
| Advertising | - | - | - | - | 118 |
Page 8
ST NEOTS UNITED REFORMED CHURCH
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025
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|||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Unrestricted|Designated|Total|Total|
|Funds|Funds|for 2025|for|2024|
|£|£|£|£|
|8|Outreach|
|Pulpit|Supply|(see|Note|16)|1,610|-|1,610|1,518|
|Donations|-|Foodbank,|CTSN,|Crossteach,|Actios|790|-|790|885|
|Newsletter|605|-|605|582|
|Worship|materials|10|-|10|-|
|3,015|-|3,015|2,985|
|9|Support for|outside|causes|(restricted|fund)|
|"Youth|for|Christ"|Appeal|-|-|-|180|
|ee|ae|es,||
|10|Maintenance|of church|building|
|Electrical|repairs|910|-|910|3,389|
|Maintenance|contracts|1,750|-|1,750|1,243|
|Plumbing|repairs|380|-|380|1,280|
|Other|repairs|and|maintenance|936|-|936|835|
|New|capital|items|and|replacements|-|-|-|1,242|
|Roofing|repairs|-|-|-|5,244|
|3,976|-|3,976|13,233|
|11|Special|projects|
|Designated|Restricted|Total|Total|
|Fund|Fund|for 2025|for 2024|
|£|Ee|£|=|
|Repairs|to|the Tower|4,234|820|5,054|2,179|
|4,234|820|5,054|2,179|
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11 Special projects
12 Monetary assets
The church monies are not held in separate bank accounts, but for the sake of clarity in these accounts the total of each account is allocated appropriately over the various funds.
Page 9
ST NEOTS UNITED REFORMED CHURCH NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025
13 Assets used for church purposes
The church building and the shop unit are vested in URC Eastern Synod Trust as trustees and are not church assets. They are held for the benefit of St Neots United Reformed Church in accordance with the statutory trusts applicable to URC properties under the URC Acts. The valuations for the year ended 31 December 2025 are the insured values as at 25 March 2026. The trustees consider that these values are more relevant to these accounts than the insured values at 25 March 2025. The comparative figures show the insured values at 25 March 2025.
14 Assets held for church purposes
URC Eastern Synod has advised the church that it was holding £100 (2024: £nil) on behalf of the church at 31 December 2025. The use of any such money would be decided by the Church Meeting.
15 Rent deposit account
The lease of the shop at 20 Moores Walk was renewed in 2021 for 25 years but is currently subject to renegotiation. The tenant has paid a rent deposit currently standing at £3,632.61 (2024 £3,610.00). The money is held in a separate bank account. The tenant is entitled to the interest. The Trustees consider that the rent deposit account should not be included within these accounts as they do not expect the title to the amount in the rent deposit account to pass to the church.
16 Payments to Trustees
In the absence of a Minister the Trustees have arranged for worship to be led by church members and visiting preachers. A preaching fee of £40 plus travelling expenses is offered to everyone who leads worship. Mrs J Gibbs led worship on 16 (2024:11) separate occasions and was paid a total of £640 (2024: £440) during the year. None of the Trustees receceived any payment for acting as Trustees.
17 Segregation of duties
The Trustees are satisfied that there is an adequate system of internal control, including segregation of duties and scrutiny over the income and expenditure of the church.
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