| ## Review of Activities and Achievements The project to redevelop the Langley Road site has again made very slow progress. The 2019 planning permission needed renewing but this was not progressed by the developer who subsequently indicated that the scheme is not viable. This resulted in the Langley Road property being offered for sale, and offers were under consideration at the end of the year. ## Financial review The registered charity's accounts are attached to this report. As previously reported, St. Thomas’ Charity’s income during 2024 was principally from the letting of the manse. Apart from costs in connection with the manse, ongoing expenses are principally for the residual maintenance, insurance and electricity costs of the Langley Road property, and the off-site storage of furniture which may be needed in the new building. URC Thames North Trust holds for the church, investments known as the Church Maintenance Endowment and the Manse Maintenance Endowment Fund. Their use is restricted accordingly. This report was approved by the Trustees on \% june 2025 and is signed on their behalf by the Minister, the Revd. Dr. enna Fowler-Marchant. 5 MarchouSA | ## Structure, Governance and Management With the formation of the LEP, and in accordance with its constitution, the Trustees of The Scroll Church, known as the Leadership Team, exercise the functions of the Elders Meeting of St. Thomas’ URC, and The Scroll Church congregational meeting (of all members wishing to attend) gives general guidance on the life and work of the Church. The Trustees consist of the Minister having pastoral charge with up to twelve members elected by the congregation, six of URC origin and six of Methodist origin, whose period of service is three years. There is no limit on the number of consecutive periods of their service. Their responsibilities span the life and work of the congregation, the financial administration of the Church and the care and maintenance of Church premises and the manse. The members of the Scroll Church Leadership Team who served from 15t January 2024 until the date this report was approved are: Revd Dr Donna Fowler-Marchant Mr Geoff Brown (from 07.07.24) Mr Jim Clark Mrs Elaine Faires (from 18.02.24) Mr Michael Hill Mrs Margaret Ingram Mrs Iren Jasko Mr Vernon Lane Mrs Wendy Nugent Mrs Frances Raymond Mrs Katie Scott Dr Jean Stevenson Mr Charles Vinan The Scroll Church is one of seven Churches forming the South Herts Group of United Reformed Churches, a Local Area Group within the Thames North Synod, and one of 20 Churches in the Methodist West Hertfordshire and Borders Circuit which is part of the Bedfordshire, Essex and Hertfordshire District of the Methodist Church. ## Objectives and Activities The activities of St Thomas’ URC through the LEP are described in The Scroll Church’s own report. There is nothing further to describe here. The Leadership Team 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. 2 **----- Start of picture text -----**
=
**----- End of picture text -----**
## St. Thomas’ United Reformed Church, Watford REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31° DECEMBER 2024 This report includes information required by the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2011 and the Statement of Recommended Practice for Accounting by Charities 2015 as applicable to charities entitled to prepare accounts on the receipts and payments basis. ## Administrative information St. Thomas’ United Reformed Church, Watford, is part of the Scroll Church Local Ecumenical Partnership. This is a single congregation local ecumenical partnership (LEP) between St. Thomas’ URC and North Watford Methodist Church. The constitution of The Scroll Church was adopted on 23 September 2017 and established it as the charitable, unincorporated association governed by that Constitution. The Scroll Church is not required at present to register with the Charity Commission. St. Thomas’ United Reformed Church remains responsible for the management of the church property at 68 Langley Road, Watford and the manse at 185 Cassiobury Drive Watford. The properties are vested in URC Thames North Trust (Company no. 75432) as trustees for the benefit of St. Thomas’ URC in accordance with the statutory trusts applicable to URC properties. St Thomas’ URC is a local church of the United Reformed Church in Great Britain and is a member of the Thames North Synod. It is administered 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 St. Thomas’ URC. The financial activities of the Church were required by law to be registered as a charity. The governing document of the Charity was adopted by the Church Meeting on 28 June 2009. The Charity was registered by the Charity Commission on 10 August 2009 as Charity Number 1131058. Planning permissioon was given during 2015 for the redevelopment of the Langely Road site with a smaller church and some houses. The Langley Road building was closed at the end of 2015 in preparation for this. Since January 2016 the congregation has worshipped with the North Watford Methodist Church in its premises at The Harebreaks, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD24 6NF and the LEP was established in 2017. The intention was to move to Langley Road when the redevelopment of the URC site was completed. Further information about The Scroll Church can be found at ST THOMAS. UIIITED REFORIIED CHURCH WATFORD CHARifi (No 1131058) Page 1 FIIIANCIAL STATEIIEMTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS Accoupir Last Year 2023 TrAal £ Tclal £ RECEIPTS Fund raising and donations Monies raised for outstde Grfl Aid tax repayments Legacies Property. Churc1￿ha1￿parkfr￿ u8er5 Property. Manse Eetung a0,￿0.(￿) 000.00 30,186.31 0.00 44.74 Interest on Depos T*X•l rn¢olpts 30.230.05 PAYMENTS URC Ministry & Mwion Fund Church running costs maintenan￿ of church bulhJing8 Manse costs Naw ￿lIdIng prvb 1,200.00 6XOO S21.20 699.01 1200.00 6UIXI 1.200.00 708.00 4699.09 4N78.20 177100 NEf RECEIPTS I IPAYMENTSI 1&958.71 23 541.68 21071.85 TRAIISFER8 bolw••n fvnd• CASH FUND8 blfvAI 1 J•nu4ry JS,729.01 39 616.60 CASH FUNDS dfwd 31 Oetember 54,655.52 39 615.50 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILMES CAF deposit account Bank CbJThent Aceount Bank Deposit Acwunt 00￿00 24655.52 24.W.62 3,90OA6 3S.729.01 3.886.48 19OOA6 Total monetsry •M•ts 64.65&52 58.63&98 39 615.49 As#8ts w•d lor church purpoM8 Buildings under staw trusts Church contents Investments held forchurth purpo Churrh bulbJin￿ and manse Llabllltlos ST THOhYAV UNrrED REFORMED CHURCH WATFORD CHARrrYiNo 11310581 Page 2 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEhR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 NOTES ACCOUNTING POLICIES The fin*￿￿al StsteM￿ hwe tten prepared in ￿e(danCe￿1th chart1￿8 Act 2o11se(th￿ 145151. using the Receipts and Payments basis avai¢abl& to small chariknes, and the Unrted Refom)ed Churd) guidance. The churth building is not in active use PWKlir8 redevelcwt of Éhe site. All church actNits•s tsk• plgc• 0$ part of thè Scrou Churd) Local EuJm8nical P¥rthwshw and arg rfuded In that churth's acounts. 2 FUND AccoupmNG Unr•strl¢t•d Funds be the cl)th for any ofit8udln8ry PWFQ883. Do$4gn#tgd Fund• unr¥strlthd set a¥hle byttEcharty fc( 5pecifiCde￿9natert pw88', thgy ¢w b&tran61errÉd b** thto general fvnd8 aithe chariVsd8o'$ron. ThE charty has no Designated Funds. Ro¥trlct•d Funds repreS￿t inccffle vthlch niay be •xper¥Jed onty fe8tr(ca8d obl8ca8 pro¥ld8d Ihgtrn of a tnwl or bequest, or dc1wil￿ orgrarts received or invrted fcrfa speclnc pwposa. Th888 fund$ can C￿lY b& spent M tha specln¢ pury)selorwh*h gfverk ATr¢ b￿•[￿¥ Temaining unsperrt must be cathed forward •1 a b8lanr* onthat fijnd lor fiAure exfftjtth unth￿ spec￿¢s￿D66, orrelumBd.. h canmi L*4bsLxbed irto general funds. Fund r*n• & purpJ••'. P8ymonts yw£ thyur£ 63.67 Furnlsrni￿d to n** l¥AldirrfJ 3,910.89 &980.46 Tots1• for r••trIC￿ fundl 63.67 98OA8 3 CHURCH RUNNING COSTS Isa NLts It) 273.00 4021 273.00 41521 Totsl church funnlng c￿tr 5.144.20 5.144.20 737 4 IAANSE COSTS B14AO 1,03429 1700.00 100 81UO 1.034.29 1700.00 160.00 818 100 Tot•1 m*nM ¢o•ts 699.00 899 I MONETARY ASSETS A8BET8 USEO FOR CHURCH PURFIOSES Th• clwrch property at 68 Lawlw Wauud WD194PN 8rnJ th• mBnw at 186 CaBsloLw Drive, Watrcfd WD17 3AL am v•8t•d In URC Th8m88 Ncyth T￿￿t 88 IvJ&ta￿ arv Mt chuTt* 48s•t8. *e h81d fcf the banafft of St Thc4no•' Urthd Refcfrrxtt Church Wauorl In tho 8l•tthtyy IFwt¥ 4pplwxbf•to URC prcpwtl88 underthe VRC Acl•. Asthe dMJTth lyMktirvJ is use rede¥eiowent. InsLW¢* tA)ver 1$ Ilrntted to wbllcy The man58 18 In8w•IIoT£811.187￿d cc•tstsfDr£6.272. 14,Z16 13.204 ST THOMAS. UIIITED REFORMED CHURCH WATFORD CHARtTY (No 11310581 Page 4 FINANCIAL STATEMEIITS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 310ECEAIBER 2024 INDEPEIIDEIIT EXAMINER'S REPORT I report lo the trustees ￿ my examination ofthe accowts of St Thomas, Unlted Reformed Church WatfoNI Charty for the yearended 31 December 2024 set out on pages 1 to 3. Rosponsibiliti68 and basis of report As the chaiity trustees of the Char￿, you are responsibte for the preparation of the accounts in accordance th the requirements ofthe Charities Act 2011 fthe Adl. I report in r$sp￿t of my examtnalion of the Charity's accounts ¢arriod out undar seclion 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have foll¢)wed the applicable Dlrectsons given by the Chartty Commlsslon under section 145151{b) of the Act. Indepond•nt Ex*mlnof¥ •tatsm•nt I have completed my examination. I confim that no material matters have come to my attention in connection vthti the exambnation which give me C8LFse to believe that in any m8terial respect • accounting rgcoryls werg not kept In a￿Orda￿ vjith soGbon 130 of thg AGI or • th8 accounts do not accord wth the accounts'ng records. I hav8 no concems and hav8 come across no other m8tt8r8 In connectlon wllh t1￿ examlnalion lo vthlch attantlon should be drawn tn ordar to arwble 8 propw und8rsl8ndng of tha accounts to be reached. Slgngd by thg Ind•pndgnt Examlnor: 2025 David Edney 200 Balthwns Lan8 Croxley Green Rickmansworth Herts WD3 3LQ