Highgate United Reformed Church Report and Accounts
year ended 31st December 2022
## **HIGHGATE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH**
## **LEGAL & ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022**
ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE Highgate United Reformed Church Pond Square Highgate London N6 6BA GOVERNING DOCUMENT Trusts distilled from the United Reformed Church Acts (1972 & 1981) and Scheme of Union (1972) 01/01/1973 CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER 1131691
TRUSTEES RESPONSIBLE FOR Beth Chaudhary MANAGING THE CHARITY Zacky Choo (Appointed March 2022) Rowena Courtney (Resigned March 2023) Robert Gorrie Dietrich Hauptmeier (Resigned April 2022) Thomas Jenkins (Appointed March 2022) CUSTODIAN TRUSTEES URC Thames North Synod Trust KEY MANAGEMENT Rev Jonathan Abernethy-Berkley INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Archie McDowall BA CA Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB
## **INDEX**
Page 1 Legal & Administrative Details Page 2-4 Trustees' Report Page 5 Independent Examiner's Report Page 6 Receipts and Payments Account Page 7 Statement of Assets & Liabilities Page 8-9 Notes
1
## **HIGHGATE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH**
## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022**
The Trustees have pleasure in submitting the Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022.
## **Objects of the charity**
Thecharity, which is a church, is governed by Trusts distilled from the United Reformed Church Acts (1972 & 1981) and Scheme of Union (1972) 01/01/1973. It is constituted as a charitable incorporated organisation. Thepurposeofthechurch, as defined in it's charitableobjectives is: Theadvancement of theChristian faith for the benefit of the public in accordance with the Scheme of Union of the United Reformed Church.
In planning the activities the Trustees and Elders have regard to theguidance on public benefit issued by the Charities Commision. During the past year the Church has continued its pursuit of this purpose by making availableto thepublic opportunities for Public Worship every Sunday of theyear, and additionally on special occasions as required by theChristian Calendar. TheChurch , through its minister and its facilities, is available for baptisms, weddings and funerals to anyone whom the Minister and Elders considers makes a genuine request for such services. Highgate United Reformed Church is active in encouraging its members and congregation to represent, individually, the intentions of the Church in the particular contributions they make not only to the immediate community, but also through paid or voluntary activity to the wider community.
In addition to public worship, also available to view on-line, the Church and its congregation support regular Bible Study meetings in members homes or in the Church building, and a Christian Meditation Group meets on-line. in the Church. The Church and its congregation are also active in practical support to the local community through financial contributions and volunteering hosting a weekly Community Lunch, providing space for a Toddler Group, and through support of the Pathway organisation which takes the Christian message into local schools. The C4WS Homeless Shelter, is hosted on nights over the winter, and staffed by volunteers.The Church also made a financial contribution to C4WS.
## **Summary of the charity's main activities and achievements**
The Church was able to mark the last six months of David Currie's tenure as our first directly employed Minister with the reception of two new Elders in March and a celebratory Ceilidh May. David a Lent Group bible study and facilitated the successful hosting of two performances of the play Darwins Tree which got good audiences, prompted active discussion, and raised funds for Churches Together in Highgate. Following more than twelve months of work the Search Group were thrilled to receive the application of Jonathan AbernethyBerkley and after interviews, references and two visits to lead services, Church Meeting unanimously approved the Search Group recommendation to issue him a call. That was accepted and Jonathan has been leading the Church and its activities since September 2022. The Church, although small in membership, survived the impact of Covid partly as a result of the Ministry of David Currie. We have now successfully attracted a new Minister. Both of these are significant achievements for our Church.
## **Financial review**
2
Receipts for the year were £162k.This was £9k down on 2021. In July the Nursery tenant of the church hall went into voluntary insolvency. The resulting £30k drop in rent was substantially offset by a return to more normal levels of activity from the other users of the church building.
Payments for 2022 were £163k, up £35k on 2021 and back to 2020 level. Principal items or variations in expenditure included £19k spent on refurbishing the church boilers and replacing the controls. Building operating costs returned to more normal levels as activity increased from the Covid impacted previous year. The change in Minister resulted in some additional costs for removals, and events to mark goodbyes and welcomes but these were partially offset by salary savings from the brief period without a Minister and the departureoftheJunior Church leader in thesummer. As a result of thesurplus in 2021 thedecision was made to restore givings from church funds back to historic levels.
Overall therewas a small deficit of less than £1k for 2021 against what had been an assumed deficit budget of more than £30k. The principal favourable variances on budget were a result of pausing maintenance in the chapel until the boiler project was complete, making a decision to not relet the nursery space immediately saving substantial professional fees from agents and lawyers, and lower than expected costs ofthe changeof Minister.
Thecharity has a budgeted loss of£28k in 2023. This broadly assumes no significant changes from theactivity, receipts and costs of 2022 with the exception that there is no rental income assumed to replace the 2022 Nursery rent. The trustees will continue to monitor the financial position and will manage controllable expenditure commitments and decisions on the use of space in the building in that context.
## **Reserves policy**
The Reserves Policy is to hold 50% of annual expenditure as a reserve. Currently this Reserve is set at £66k. Total payments in 2022 were £162k. £27k relate to the direct employment of a full time Minister which cost is supported by the designated Future Ministry Fund. The 2022 balance of expenditurewas £135k and as such the Trustees view the current level of General Reserves as appropriate.
## **Governance & Organisational Structure**
The Trustees meet as Elders, with the Minister, most months. Elders are appointed following a discernment process that ends with confirmation, or not, by Church Meeting. Elders also become Trustees. Under the leadership of the Minister Elders haveresponsibility for the management of theChurch delegated to them by Church Meeting which is thesovereign body. Church meetings areusually convened quarterly although when issues arise requiring more immediate consideration and decision additional meetings are called. TheElders delegate particular matters concerned with the upkeep and refurbishment of Church properties to the Management Committee. This Committee meets most months and when appropriate or helpful joint meetings with Elders are held.
## **Responsibilities of trustees**
Charity law requires us as Trustees to preparefinancial statements for each accounting year which record the receipts and payments of the charity for the year.
3
We are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable us to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011.
We also have a responsibility to safeguard the assets of the charity and to take reasonable steps to prevent fraud or any other irregularities.
## **Approval**
This report was approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
## ROBERT GORRIE
………………………………………………………..
ROBERT GORRIE
02/10/2023 Date:_______________________
4
## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT**
## **TO THE TRUSTEES OF**
## **HIGHGATE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH**
I report to thetrustees on my examination oftheaccounts ofHighgate United Reformed Church ('the charity') for the year ended 31 December 2022 on pages 6 to 9 following.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’).
I report in respect ofmy examination ofthecharity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the2011 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 2011 Act.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have cometo my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
1. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; or
2. the accounts do not accord with the accounting records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
ARCHIE MCDOWALL
Archie McDowall BA CA Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage EC1Y 8AB
03/10/2023
5
## **HIGHGATE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH**
## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022**
|||Unrestricted Funds|Unrestricted Funds|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||General|Designated|||Restricted||||
|||Funds||Funds||Funds||2022|2021|
||Notes|£||£||£||£|£|
|**_Income receipts_**||||||||||
|Donations & Legacies||17,316||-||844||18,160|21,075|
|Gift aid receipts||4,454||-||-||4,454|5,121|
|Church Lettings||74,341||-||-||74,341|82,731|
|Elthorne Road||60,000||-||-||60,000|60,000|
|Fund Raising Events||984||-||2,548||3,533|-|
|Grants||-||-||-||-|-|
|Other||1,831||-||-||1,831|2,566|
|**_Total receipts_**||158,927||-||3,392||162,319|171,493|
|**_Payments_**||||||||||
|Payments in relation to charitable activities
undertaken directly|2|92,867||27,324||1,519||121,710|90,714|
|Contribution to URC Ministry & Mission
Fund||30,000||||||30,000|30,000|
|Grants paid in relation to charitable activities||||||||||
|undertaken by others|3|8,700||-||2,400||11,100|7,255|
|**_Total payments_**||131,567||27,324||3,919||162,810|127,969|
|Net of receipts / (payments) before transfers||||||||||
|||27,360|(27,324)|||(527)||(491)|43,524|
|Transfers between funds|5|(27,324)||27,324||-||-|-|
|**Net movement in funds**||36|-|0
|-|527
|-|491
|43,524|
|Cash funds as at last year end||81,079|174,116|||1,723||256,918|213,394|
|**Cash funds at this year end**||81,115|174,116|||1,196||256,427|256,918|
The notes on pages 8 - 9 form part of these accounts.
6
## **HIGHGATE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH**
## **STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022**
|Notes
**A**
**Cash funds**
Cash at bank with immediate access
**B**
**Other monetary assets**
Gift aid due to charity
Other debtors
**C**
**Liabilities**
Trade Creditors
Debtors & Prepayments
Fee for Independent Examination|General
Designated
funds
funds
£
£
81,115
174,116
**81,115**
**174,116**
2,800
-
1,815
-
**4,615**
**-**
1,894
-
15,420
-
1,200
-
**18,514**
**-**
Unrestricted Funds|Restricted
funds
£
1,195
**1,195**
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
**-**|2022
£
256,426
**256,426**
2,800
1,815
**4,615**
1,894
15,420
1,200
**18,514**|2021
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||256,918|
|||||**256,918**|
|||||2,800
2,300|
|||||**5,100**|
|||||770
15,773
1,200|
|||||**17,743**|
## **D Assets retained for charity's own use**
**Freehold Property:** theTrustees ofthechurch, manse buildings, and theElthorne Road property, arethe URC Thames North Synod Trust who hold them upon trust for purposes connected with HighgateURC. Expenditureincurred on thechurch and manse is written offin theyear it is incurred.
For insurance purposes the church buildings are insured by the church for £9,557,449 and the manse for £1,000,000. The church contents are insured by the church for £185,420. Elthorne Road is insured for £2,632,074 with the premium paid by the tenant.
The accounts were approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf
## **Approval**
## ROBERT GORRIE
## 02/10/2023
-------------
ROBERT GORRIE
The notes on pages 8 - 9 form part of these accounts.
7
## **HIGHGATE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022**
## **1 Accounting policies**
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis and comprisea statement that shows the charity's receipts and payments, a statement that summarises the charity's assets and liabilities and related notes. The accountancy profession have determined that only accounts prepared in accordance with applicableaccounting standards present a 'true and fair' view and, as these receipts and payments accounts have not (and cannot) be prepared in accordance with accounting standards, these accounts do not present (and are not intended to present) a 'true and fair' view of the charity's financial activities and state of affairs.
General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Designated funds compriseunrestricted funds that havebeen set asideby thetrustees for particular purposes. Restricted funds are donations which areto beused in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors; they include donations received from appeals for specific activities or projects.
|**2**
**Payments in relation to charitable activities undertaken directly**
Ministerial Costs (see note 2(a))
Administration Services
Cost of Church Activities (see note 2(b))
Legal & Professional Fees
Independent examination
Other costs
Ministerial Employment
Pulpit Supply
Ministerial Expenses
Manse Costs
Manse Maintenance
**2**
**(b)**
**Cost of Church Activities comprise:**
Church
Insurance
Utilities
Maintenance
Cleaning & Refuse
Organists & Music
Equipment Purchased
Other Running Costs
Junior Church Leader
Junior Church Costs
Training
Communications
Office Equipment & Supplies
Printing, Postage, Advertising, Computer
Telephones
**3**
**Grants paid in relation to charitable activities undertaken by others**
Pathway
Barnabas
HNCC
C4WS
Other|Unrestricted Fun
General
funds
£
13,395
10,760
64,809
2,060
1,050
793
92,867
-
400
6,506
2,298
4,191
13,395
7,098
6,750
22,344
10,719
5,482
53
3,771
56,218
2,494
656
84
3,234
166
3,998
1,193
5,357
6,000
1,500
-
1,000
200
8,700|ds
Designated
funds
£
27,324
-
-
-
-
-
27,324
27,324
-
-
-
-
27,324
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|Restricted
Funds
£
-
-
1,289
-
-
230
1,519
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1,289
1,289
-
-
-
-
-
1,130
1,270
2,400|Total
2022
£
40,719
10,760
66,098
2,060
1,050
1,023
121,710
27,324
400
6,506
2,298
4,191
40,719
7,098
6,750
22,344
10,719
5,482
53
5,060
57,507
2,494
656
84
3,234
166
3,998
1,193
5,357
6,000
1,500
-
2,130
1,470
11,100|Total
2021
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||36,183
9,228
40,625
2,998
1,020
660|
||||||90,714|
||||||31,610
200
332
3,257
784|
||||||36,183|
||||||5,260
7,219
4,193
6,919
4,819
517
1,682|
||||||30,609|
||||||4,338
520
204|
||||||5,062|
||||||29
3,973
952|
||||||4,954|
||||||4,000
-
2,000
750
505|
||||||7,255|
8
**NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS**
**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022**
## **HIGHGATE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH**
## **4 Transactions with related parties**
The Charity employs J Abernethy-Berkley as the Full time Minister for theChurch. Heis not a Trusteeof theCharity. Thecosts ofhis employment, and in respect ofthe provision of accommodation (which is customary for ministers) so that they can better perform their duties, is shown in note 2 (a) above.
The total of donations funded by Trustees and related parties was £7,680 (2021 £7,755)
## **5 Movement of funds**
|**vement of funds**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|General funds
Designated funds
Future Ministry
Reserves
Total Unrestricted General Funds
Restricted funds
C4WS
Other Charity Collections
Churches Together in Highgate
Total funds|Balance at
31 Dec 2021
£
81,079
108,116
66,000
174,116
255,195
1,130
592
-
1,722
256,917|Receipts
£
158,927
-
-
-
158,927
844
878
1,670
3,392
162,319|Payments
£
(131,567)
(27,324)
-
(27,324)
(158,891)
(1,276)
(1,413)
(1,230)
(3,919)
(162,810)|Transfers
£
(27,324)
27,324
-
27,324
-
-
-
-
-
-|Balance at
31 Dec 2022
£
81,115
108,116
66,000|
||||||174,116|
|||||||
||||||255,231|
||||||697
57
440|
||||||1,195|
||||||256,426|
The two Designated Funds are firstly the Future Ministry Fund which is comprised of monies set aside to fund the payment of full time ministerial leadership, and secondly themonies set asideto meet theobjectives oftheReservePolicy described in theTrusteeReport. The£27,324 transfer from General Funds was made to reflect costs of Ministry paid in 2022.
The Restricted funds represent monies collected or received for particular causes or charities.
9