2024-12-31-accounts - Immanuel With Highworth United Reformed Church

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IMMANUEL WITH HIGHWORTH UNITED REFORMED CHURCH SWINDON CHARITY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2024

This report includes information required by the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the Statement of Recommended Practice for Accounting by Charities 2005 as applicable to charities entitled to prepare accounts on the receipts and payments basis.

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Immanuel United Reformed Church Swindon Charity was throughout the year ending 31[st] December 2024 a local church of the United Reformed Church in Great Britain and of the South West Synod of the Church. It was registered on 28[th] July 2009 as Charity Number 1130794. This Charity was renamed as Immanuel with Highworth United Reformed Church Swindon Charity on 1[st] January 2024, following agreement that from that date this charity will be a single church worshipping in two locations. The amalgamation, including the transfer of all Highworth assets, was confirmed with the necessary legal documentation, and was approved by the South West Synod and by the Charity Commission. (Highworth United Reformed Church was previously an excepted charity.) Worship and other activities continued in both locations throughout the year as planned, under the aegis of the elders and church meeting of the united church.

Immanuel Church is situated in Upham Road, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN3 1DH, its website is at immanuelurc.org, and its email address is immchurchsec@gmail.com. The Church is normally open for worship on Sundays at 10.30 am, and for other activities at various times during the week.

Highworth United Reformed Church is situated at 26 High Street, Highworth, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN6 7AG, and has a website at www.highworthurc.org.uk The Church is normally open for worship on two Sundays a month at 10.45 am, and for occasional midweek activities.

The members of the Elders’ Meeting for the time being are recognised as the charity trustees. Those serving from 1[st] January 2024 until the date this report was approved are: Anne Kathryn Farrow, Elizabeth Louise Gibney, Michael Dennis Gordon, Maria Kawonga, Donald Edwin Macarthur, Helen Elizabeth Marson and June Dorothy Margaret Harvey-Smyth. Michael John Denton and Patricia Mary Hayes served from 1[st ] January 2024 until 21[st] April 2024. Ceri Bevan, Elizabeth Ann Gleed and Sarah Ann Hopkins served from 21[st] April 2024 until the date that this report was approved. The minister throughout the year was Rev Robert Hugh Jordan.

The Church buildings and the manse at 152 Drove Road, Swindon, SN1 3AG are vested in The South Western Synod Trust as trustees and held for the benefit of Immanuel URC Swindon in accordance with the trusts applicable to URC properties.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

The activities of Immanuel United Reformed Church Swindon are overseen by the Elders’ Meeting of the Church in accordance with the provisions of The Structure of the United Reformed Church determined by the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church, and supplemented by the rules of Immanuel Church Swindon. The governing document of the registered charity is a statement adopted by the Church Meeting on 9[th ] March 2014.

The Elders’ Meeting is responsible for the financial administration of the Church, and the care and maintenance of Church premises and the manse. The Church Meeting (of all members wishing to attend) gives general guidance on the life and work of the Church.

The members of the Elders’ Meeting are the minister in pastoral charge (if any) and up to sixteen members of Immanuel Church Swindon nominated and elected by the members of Immanuel Church Swindon in Church Meeting. Elders serve for three years, retire by rotation and are eligible for re-election. There is a limit of two (or three in certain circumstances in the case of the Church Secretary) on the number of consecutive periods of service. The members of the Elders’ Meeting are the trustees of the registered charity during their period of service as Elders.

The Elders’ Meeting met ten times during the year. The Eldership is assisted in the administration of the Church and its property by committees established for World Concerns, Finance, Buildings and Grounds, and Worship and Outreach. There were five Church Meetings during 2024.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

As a local congregation of the United Reformed Church, Immanuel with Highworth United Reformed Church Swindon seeks to advance the Christian religion through its activities and the facilities offered to the community by its building, and described more specifically in its mission statement as “Sharing the Love of Jesus, Serving the Community”.

The Elders’ Meeting is aware of the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit in "The Advancement of Religion for the Public Benefit" and has regard to it in the administration of the Church.

The Elders’ Meeting believes that the Church provides benefit to the public by:

• providing resources and facilities for public worship, pastoral care and spiritual, moral and intellectual development, both for the congregation and for anyone else who wishes to benefit from what the Church offers;

• promoting Christian values and service by members of the congregation to the community, for the benefit of individuals and society as a whole.

REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Attendance at morning worship slightly increased during 2024 in both Immanuel and Highworth, although in common with other churches this remains lower than prepandemic levels. Our worship continues to benefit from choir singing each week. Many members of the congregation now take advantage of the provision of tea and coffee on some Sundays to continue sharing fellowship after worship, as well as a popular monthly Tuesday “tea and chat” time.

We have continued our close connection with the other churches in the Swindon Old Town Partnership of Churches, and at the time of this report the three principal offices of the Partnership – Chair, Secretary and Treasurer - are all held by members of the Immanuel fellowship. The continuance and expansion of Partnership activities form a major part of the Eldership's proactive thinking.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

General summary: Congregational offerings and other voluntary giving remained broadly the same as in 2023. At the same time income from room bookings showed a further increase. There was again no major maintenance expenditure and no associated grants.

In common with most organisations Immanuel with Highworth suffered a very sizeable rise in fuel costs in 2024, but there are no other significant changes in Receipts and Payments from the previous year to report. The overall general fund outcome for 2023 was a small surplus of £5,886.

No significant changes are anticipated for 2025, and the financial prospects for the year are reasonably good.

Unrestricted funds: Ideally, the Elders' Meeting would wish to have in hand an amount equal to at least six months' regular expenditure as "free" reserves, to meet future shortfalls in income or unexpected expense.

The General Fund is used for the normal running costs of the church, excluding exceptional items such as significant building maintenance projects which are funded from the Memorial Fund which is also an unrestricted fund.

The General Fund balance at 31st December 2024 represents thirteen months of the budgeted 2025 expenditure, and additional funds are available in the Memorial Fund, subject to Church Meeting approval, to meet any major unexpected costs.

The increase in these reserves from eight to thirteen months in the year is largely attributable to a policy of retaining about £120,000 to manage the substantial repair expenditure needed from time to time to maintain the Highworth building to the appropriate standard for this Grade 2 listed building. This money emanates from a permanent endowment fund.

Designated Funds: There are a total of four restricted or endowment funds jointly totalling £3,648 at the year end available for various defined purposes.

This report was approved by the Elders' Meeting on 8th May 2025 and is signed on its behalf by the minister Rev Robert Jordan.

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Receipts and payments 3•3 74.011 74$ 7ffj 7.1 21 310 X1fj 43J41 78.167 3.742

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Receipts and payments 3•3 74.011 74$ 7ffj 7.1 21 310 X1fj 43J41 78.167 3.742