Company registration number: 06951383 Charity registration number: 1132125
Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
known as
Workplace Matters
(A company limited by guarantee)
Annual Report and Financial Statements
for the 15 month period ended 31 March 2022
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Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
Contents
| Reference and Administrative Details | 3 |
|---|---|
| Trustees' Report | 4 - 14 |
| Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities | 15 |
| Independent Examiner's Report | 16 |
| Statement of Financial Activities | 17 |
| Balance Sheet | 18 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 19 - 26 |
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Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
Reference and Administrative Details
Chief Executive Officer
Mr Des Scott
Trustees
Delbert Sandiford, Chair (resigned 2 December 2022) Anthony M Charles, Vice Chair (Chair from 5 December 2022 Leonard M Holmes Michael J Hart, Treasurer Sonia Blackett Peter Rouch (resigned June 2022)
Other Officers
Mr Alistair Burt, Patron Rt Rev A Smith, Bishop of St. Albans, Patron Baroness Dorothy Thornhill, Patron
Principal Office
St. Albans Diocesan Office 41 Holywell Hill St. Albans Hertfordshire AL1 1HE
Company Registration Number
The charity is incorporated in England. 06951383
Charity Registration Number
1132125
Bankers
Barclays Bank plc London Corporate Banking
Independent Examiner
John R Reeds FCA
48 St Peters Road
Buxton
SK17 7DX
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Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
Trustees' Report
The trustees, who are directors for the purposes of company law, present the annual report together with the financial statements of the charitable company for the period ended 31 March 2022. The trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) “Accounting and Reporting by Charities” (FRS 102) in preparing the annual report and financial statements of the charity.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in notes to the accounts and comply with the charity’s governing document, the Charities Act 2011 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland published in October 2019.
Objectives and activities
Objects and aims
Purpose / Vision
- Enabling people to encounter God’s love through inspiring and resourcing Chaplaincy and championing that work in the wider world.
Values
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Empowering Chaplaincy: We believe in Chaplaincy and our DNA is to inspire and resource more Chaplains to journey alongside people where they are.
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Demonstrating God’s love:
We will serve anyone regardless of their age, gender, race, sexuality, faith, ability or status.
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Collaborative:
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We love working with others who share our values, and we believe it adds value to what we do.
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Listening to God / Listening to others: We are prayerful, we look to Jesus for our inspiration and seek to follow his lead. We also passionately believe in listening to those we serve and seek to speak prophetically in different contexts .
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Hopeful:
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We believe in a God who transforms lives and situations.
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Risk Taking and Bold:
We encourage our teams to work on the margins of society taking risks for the Kingdom of God.
We do this through :
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Being present and listening;
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Serving, supporting and valuing people;
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Affirming and enhancing workplace and waterways communities;
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Providing expertise in practical, pastoral, ethical, social and spiritual care.
Objectives, strategies and activities
Our core activity at Workplace Matters (WM) is chaplaincy.
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Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
Trustees' Report
Where chaplaincy is empowered and equipped to work effectively, it improves people’s wellbeing and life chances, whether in the workplace or in the lives of those we work with through the airport and on the canals and waterways.
We aim to:
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Provide Chaplains in these areas and ensure that they are trained and equipped to do the role effectively.
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Equip workplace Chaplains to be a voice and a presence of the church in the workplace to reveal the design and dignity of work.
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Equip waterways Chaplains to be a voice and a presence of the church on the canals and waterways working with the poor and vulnerable.
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Make a difference in the lives of those we work with.
Chaplains seek to:
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Work to high standards and ethical principles providing a confidential listening ear offering emotional, moral and spiritual support.
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Where Chaplains function in the workplace, they are independent, providing care for welfare and spirituality, sharing the joys and sorrows of the workforce.
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On the canals and waterways, we aim to work with those who are often vulnerable and in need; walking alongside them, advocating for them, helping them find the support and help they need while at all times encouraging them to see their worth and value.
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Share the love of God through word and action. Chaplains do not proselytise, but they are proactive in their presence - being a voice - to speaking out against poverty and injustice, teaching the design and dignity of life and work and, when invited, sharing the Christian faith. At times of significant crisis, the Chaplain’s support for those we work with both corporately and as individuals is priceless.
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Equip themselves with the knowledge of other professional services such as health and welfare, and signpost to these services when appropriate.
Where they provide a high-quality chaplaincy service for people at work (all faiths and none); key workplace organisations are:
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Transport: London Luton Airport
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Leisure: Canals and Waterways
Good team working is critical to the success of WM. We seek to create a cohesive team of staff and Chaplains built on mutual trust for all our stakeholders (supporting churches, Chaplains, organisations we work with, and other chaplaincy organisations). By sharing a common purpose, this will contribute to growing mutual trust and thereby benefit all who need our support and services in good and bad times in their lives.
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Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
Trustees' Report
A year of growth and challenge
This year, we have grown the number of new volunteer Chaplains and lost some who, because of the pandemic, decided this was the time to step back. All who stepped back expressed sadness at having to step down but had to be realistic about their health issues. Overall, we have grown slightly in number in the Waterways Chaplaincy but are down in number in the Airport Chaplaincy. We have noticed that for those we have been serving, the complexity of their needs has grown, especially on the canals and waterways.
The challenge has been operating effectively through the pandemic, where lockdown was in place for much of the first half the year and restrictions in another large part of it. The airport was virtually closed through the lockdown periods and much of the support for staff moved to online and telephone. Liz Hughes the Senior Airport Chaplain carried on working through most of last year offering pastoral support from a distance and going to the airport when needed to assist with passengers. The Waterways Chaplains, who were designated as essential workers, did continue to operate where they could as they were outdoors, and we put measures in place to make sure they were COVID safe and managed the risk.
A lot of the Airport Chaplains’ support this year has been proactive in the wellbeing and pastoral care of staff during this real period of uncertainty. For us, it was about taking the church to them rather than expecting people to come to us. Unfortunately, the development of the chaplaincy hours to cover evenings and weekends has not been able to move forward due to the pandemic. This will be picked up again as the restrictions permit.
Waterways Chaplaincy now have nine hubs up from the six before the pandemic as new Chaplains are recruited from different areas. Borne out of an identified need, the Waterways Chaplaincy supports all waterway users including the residents of boats, walkers, volunteers and workers of all faiths and none. They seek to play their part in bringing about short and long-term personal transformation – emotionally, mentally and spiritually. They now have over 100 Chaplains covering many of the main arteries of the UK: including the Grand Union Canal, the Kennett and Avon Canal, River Wey, Basingstoke Canal and the River Lee and Stort. Although numbers of contacts have dropped due to the pandemic, the complexity and need for ongoing support of situations has increased. Poverty and mental health have been among the main issues reported with other things ranging from boating matters to relationships, employment and homelessness. This year in particular faith and spirituality often come up as part of those conversations as people often were struggling with what seemed to them hopeless situations.
We have been involved in funerals for boaters and their families as part of that support, which has been important for the boating community and gives our work profile among that group. The underpinning principle of this unique chaplaincy is to provide independent and confidential support, which is encouraging and ensures that people feel listened to.
Among our volunteers across both chaplaincies are a mix of retired teachers, GPs, clergy, professionals and others who are still working but find volunteering a great way to ‘give back’.
Conclusion
We are most grateful to our volunteers for the service they are delivering to the public in our chaplaincy and wholeheartedly thank trustees and staff for their energetic response to the challenges, and for their steadfast work, not only to keep the charity afloat, but to see it grow.
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Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
Trustees' Report
Achievements and performance
Details of the difference the charity has made and the benefit to the public of the activities it has undertaken are given below.
How do we measure our success?
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Increasing the number of people that we are able to assist through our work.
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Being able to measure the tangible difference we make in the lives of those we meet.
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Through secular and Christian media coverage highlighting the work we do.
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Feedback from those we work with and organisations we work in partnership with.
1. Increasing the number of people that we are able to assist through our work
Waterways Chaplaincy
This period, the volunteer Chaplains’ numbers have not grown significantly. This was, in part, because all the events where recruitment would normally take place were cancelled due to the pandemic. Nevertheless, recruitment through word of mouth kept the numbers up to cover those who retired or went on to do other things.
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Over the 15-month period our Waterways Chaplains made over 6,000 contacts with boaters including those working in and around the canals and waterways with just over 4,000 leading to follow on conversations and help. This is with only just over half of our volunteer Chaplains reporting their work regularly so if we extrapolated that figure to predict the figures, this would show significantly more. In the early part of 2021 with the restrictions still in place it meant supporting people by phone and email which was much harder when dealing with emotional issues and grief. Thankfully as the winter of 2021 passed meeting people outdoors became possible again and plugged the gap until things went back to normal.
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As with the year before big increases in requests for help were around health and finance with people’s mental health suffering most, often through loneliness and isolation from the impact of the pandemic. There has also been a larger number of deaths and suicides on the canals and waterways, and we have been asked to lead funerals and support both boaters and their families through these times. This intense support can be long-term ongoing and, in some cases, an emotional drain for the chaplains. This is why the one-to-one peer support and chaplaincy hubs are so vital for chaplains to support one another and process some of the things they are seeing and dealing with. In all we do we seek not to do everything for those we work with but empowering them to take back control of their lives which will be beneficial for them in the long-term rather than just the short-term.
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There has also been an increasing number of boaters in financial hardship and short-term we are able to offer practical support through food parcels and coal. In extreme cases when their boat has engine problems resulting in them having no heating, hot water and no money to repair it we have arranged a call out from Rivers and Canal Rescue with whom we have a special membership. This service is paid out of a specific hardship fund we have. We also helped several hundred people to access the welfare benefits they are entitled to. This can often mean the difference between being able to continue to live on their boat rather than eviction for debts.
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Notable also is the faith conversations which, rose significantly through the worst period of the pandemic, have continued to rise. We do not proselytise but are open about the Christian values that underpin our work. Many of these conversations have been instigated by boaters asking the big questions of life and them trying to understand why our chaplains give up of their time to help others
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Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
Trustees' Report
Waterways Chaplaincy
----- Start of picture text -----
Issues dealt with over the Period Jan 2021 to March 2022
----- End of picture text -----
----- Start of picture text -----
crime, 82 ptsd, 53bereavment, 206
employment, 96
finance, 672
relationships, 375
homelessness, 80
addiction, 84
phy health, 757
licence moor, 388
boat, 314
mental health, 448
faith, 994
----- End of picture text -----
It should be noted that these figures are based on around 52% of Chaplains reporting. These figures could easily be 75% higher if all the Chaplains completed reports every month.
London Luton Airport Activity during the period
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During 2020 lots of the staff had been laid off because of the pandemic and so in the early part of 2021 there was an anxiety among staff about the security of their jobs. The chaplains were actively involved supporting them through these tough times. Thankfully as the year progressed the airport traffic picked up making the jobs more secure.
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The Senior Chaplain also provided pastoral support for some of the Senior Team at the airport who understandably were under pressure because of the impact of the pandemic on the airport and its work.
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It was great to see the new landside prayer room being well used by people of all faiths and none. Chaplains often ‘hung around’ there and were available for the staff and visitors who came to use it
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The team continue to work in partnership with Noah Enterprise, the local homelessness charity, in supporting foreign nationals that become stranded in the UK and some British people who turn up at the Airport with nowhere to live!
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The war in Ukraine which started in February 22 resulted in a significant upturn in work for the chaplaincy team as families fleeing the war came to the UK. Our Senior Chaplain was one of the leads in setting up a processing hub for them in the airport, liaising with agencies both locally and nationally. As the refugees arrive in the UK the hub offers help to access the next stage of their journey whether that is to join family in this country or find the route to being put with families or by the relevant authorities. In the first three weeks of the war Luton had received 18 families alone. Luton are probably receiving more families than many other UK airports because of the number of airline routes from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet countries.
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Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives Trustees' Report
2. Being able to measure the tangible difference we make in the lives of those we meet
This is seen in the stories of the lives we have impacted through the chaplaincies. There are too many to detail but below are a few stories that reflect the work we do.
Stories of transformation : Waterways Chaplaincy
Boater A
Boater A is in his 60’s and uses a stick to walk. Last year he lost two close family members. Also, he is having problems where his boat is moored. He was very emotional when the Chaplain met him and spoke about how he sometimes feels like just giving up and jumping into the canal. The Chaplain was concerned that this was not an idle threat and so put some measures in place.
To add to the difficulties, he arrived back from his job to find out they had evicted him, and his boat had been moved off-site. He then spent 2 days sleeping in his car before he found out where they had moved his boat to. The role of the Chaplains was to support the boater in dealing with the people where he had been moored. Thankfully over time they found a satisfactory outcome that meant everyone was happy
As the boater was someone who used to go to church, he asked the Chaplin to pray with him on occasions
Boater B
After such a long lockdown, some boaters are realising that they are struggling to move their boats because of poor health, particularly people whose health has deteriorated over the last year. Through the year we have assisted a number of them to apply for and get moved to more suitable accommodation on land. Also, in the last months one Chaplain has assisted at least six people in applying for an Equality Adjustments (EA) because of disabilities in doing this, this often highlights other needs e.g. the need to claim PIP and/or applying for a blue badge. These forms are very long and complex and we have been able to support those less able to complete them.
Sustainability of the LLA Airport Chaplaincy
In the short-term the war in Ukraine has significantly increased the profile of the chaplaincy and created a new interest in supporting the ministry. The trustees are creating a management group representing the airport and interfaith aspects of the chaplaincy to help build up the work and increase the number of volunteers. The new prayer room landside is being well used and we are gradually reintroducing the services initially through special seasons and progressively adding regular prayers for those who work in the building. All these elements will, we believe, enable the long-term sustainability of the work
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Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
Trustees' Report
Stories of transformation: London Luton Airport Chaplaincy
The Senior Chaplain came across a young Spanish woman in distress. She’d arrived the night before, from Greece, with her Romanian boyfriend. He had been detained by Border Force and after a long night and day of waiting – he was refused entry into the UK.
She then had to decide what to do. They were due to be staying with friends of his in Ilford, a complicated journey for someone who has never been in England and had no real understanding of the English language (plus she had never met any of the people they were supposed to be staying with) He chose to be returned to Greece on the next available flight, where he hoped she would meet him, but she felt this was too expensive and didn’t have the money.
After many phone calls to her boyfriend and her Mum she finally decided to go by train to Paris where she could get help. The Chaplain accompanied her to the bus for the Railway station and helped her understand the journey and what she would need to do and in terms of checking what paperwork and COVID tests she would need for the journey. She was extremely grateful and exuberant in her thanks after what had been a stressful time!
Sustainability of the LLA Airport Chaplaincy
In the short term the war in Ukraine has significantly increased the profile of the chaplaincy and created a new interest in supporting the ministry. The trustees are creating a management group representing the airport and interfaith aspects of the chaplaincy to help build up the work and increase the number of volunteers . The new prayer room landside is being well used and we are gradually reintroducing the services initially through special seasons and progressively adding regular prayers for those who work in the building. All these elements will, we believe enable the long term sustainability of the work
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. Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives Trustees' Report
3. Through secular and Christian media coverage highlighting the work we do
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We are advertised widely through the airport networks.
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The airport chaplain was featured on local television and radio for the chaplaincy role in setting up the Ukrainian refugee hub in the airport
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We continue recommended and highlighted by the authorities we work with. e.g. by Canal and Rivers Trust and more recently by the environment agency for our work on the Norfolk Broads
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We have given over 25 local radio station interviews during the year.
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We had positive articles in several boating magazines.
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We have appeared in articles in local papers.
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We have been recommended and thanks on facebook pages by those we have helped
4. Feedback from those we work with and organisations we work in partnership with
Trustees would like to acknowledge the financial support they have received:
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Funding for the airport chaplaincy provided by London Luton Airport, the Diocese of St Albans, the Bedfordshire, Essex and Hertfordshire Circuit of the Methodist Church, the Baptist Church of Great Britain, the United Reformed Church and the Religious Society of Friends.
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Central funding last year came from the Garfield Westin Foundation
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Funding for the Waterways Chaplaincy grants from the Tudor Trust, Hobson Trust, Maurice and Hilda Liang Trust and The Canals and River Trust.
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We are also indebted to a number of churches and individuals who support the work financially and many of the Chaplains themselves, who not only give of their time but claim little or no expenses.
Richard Parry, CEO of Canal and River Trust says:
“ Waterways Chaplains make a significant difference in the wellbeing of the lives of many of our more vulnerable waterways users. Their local knowledge, together with the practical help and pastoral support they can offer, can often be the catalyst for change that enables those in need to move forward with their lives.
Our Welfare Officer and local teams regularly refer people to the Chaplains for help and often link with them in situations where we can work together in the best interest of the boater to avoid long term issues and difficulties. I believe they have become a vital part of our waterways network, reaching those most others are unable to reach. ”
Clare Armstrong (Senior Manager London Luton Airport)
Liz Hughes, the Senior Airport Chaplain, has been a valuable member of the Airport team during the last 12 months keeping on top of the constantly changing restrictions to our multi-faith facilities and supporting customers and airport staff through this challenging and uncertain time. The kind presence of our Chaplaincy Team plays a vital role supporting those in our airport community most impacted by the global pandemic.
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Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
Trustees' Report
Public benefit
The trustees confirm that they have complied with the requirements of section 4 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. More details of how the charity has provided public benefit can be found in the achievements and performance section of this report.
Use of volunteers
Workplace Matters values highly the contribution made by a large number of volunteer Chaplains and associates (110 volunteers). The value of their contribution is not included as income in the Statement of Financial Activities.
Staff
Our CEO works one day a week. In addition to one full time and four part time Chaplains, we have Finance and HR support through our partnership with Church Army. The Board records its profound gratitude to Church Army for its generous support.
Board changes
Peter Rouch, Church Army CEO joined the board June 2021 and stood aside in June 2022 to avoid a conflict of interest with Waterways Chaplaincy becoming an independent charity within the Church Army family Delbert Sandiford resigned on 2 December 2022 having served 10 years as its chair. The Trustees were grateful for his leadership and service to the charity. Anthony Charles the Vice Chair was appointed chair.
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Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
Trustees' Report
Financial review
Income for the 15 Months was £197,286 (2020: £181,544) and expenditure for the period was £173,876 (2020: £145,991) resulting in net income of £23,410 (2020: £35,553). The balance of unrestricted funds at the end of this financial period amounted to £61,249 (2020 £38,597) and the balance of restricted funds totalled £110,793 (2020: £110,035). The restricted funds received have increased to cover the growth of the work, particularly in the Waterways Chaplaincy. Not all the income was spent in the period. Some of this was to do with timing and also an amount was carried across to support the growth plan in the following year. The continued support of Church Army through the provision of leadership and back office support services have helped sustain the development.
Workplace Matters do not accept funding from organisations or activities that are materially inconsistent with our values and are also mindful of the danger of undermining the credibility, effectiveness and unity of the Church’s witness were they to do so.
During the year, the Trustees opened formal discussions with Church Army with a view to their taking over the oversight and governance of the Waterways Chaplaincy as an independent charity . For some years Church Army has been providing leadership and back-office support, which has included the secondment of our CEO one day a week until his retirement in 2021. In order to facilitate a possible transfer of assets EPI extended its year-end by 3 months.
Policy on reserves
The trustees believe a level of free reserves equal to three months’ expenditure to ensure a smooth cessation of the trust and its work in the event of a serious reduction in income. At current levels of expenditure, this amounts to £43,500. Free reserves on 31 March 2022 total £43,548. Funds continue to be monitored carefully to ensure this is maintained.
Investment policy and objectives
The charity has no long-term investments.
Risk Management
The Board review the risks annually at their spring meeting and monitor them every quarter. They are content that the controls in place are adequate.
The main risks for us around COVID-19 were:
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Chaplains catching the virus, leading to serious illness or death
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We undertook a specific risk assessment and issued guidance in line with government guidelines and additional specific guidance around our work as Chaplains.
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Those in the vulnerable category were encouraged to shield.
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We kept in contact with those we were supporting mainly by phone rather than face to face.
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Where deliveries such as food parcels were delivered, they were left a safe distance away for the recipient to pick up.
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We held team meetings over zoom.
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Transmitting the virus to others
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Chaplains wore PPE including masks and gloves when undertaking visits.
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If they met with anyone, it was in a public space, and they were socially distanced.
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Loss of funding
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Much of our funding is multiyear funding from trusts and not individuals and therefore the impact was minimal. We did incur some additional costs, and these were underwritten by one of the supporting trusts through an additional grant.
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Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
Trustees' Report
Structure, governance and management
Nature of governing document
Workplace Matters is the working name of Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives which is a registered Charity and a company limited by guarantee. The Company is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association (the governing documents). In the event of winding up, Members’ liability is limited to £1 each.
Recruitment and appointment of trustees
As of 31 March 2021, the Board comprised six trustees. They are collectively responsible for the oversight of the management of the affairs of the Charity. They are subject to election or re-election according to procedures set out in the governing document. All members of the Board give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the Charity. The trustees may claim reasonable expenses in connection with their duties as trustees. On appointment, each trustee is given an induction by the Chair and Company Secretary, together with copies of Charity Commission guidance on being a trustee and organisational policies and procedures. Their responsibilities include the oversight of the business of Workplace Matters, regular review of the finances, risk management and monitoring of projects.
The period of appointment is for three years and is renewable for further terms. One-third of members retire by rotation and are appointed or re-appointed each year.
The Board have delegated management of Workplace Matters to the CEO who reports on the performance of the organisation. Management accounts are received quarterly by the trustees.
Organisational structure
The CEO has responsibility for planning and developing the services and strategies for Workplace Matters within the policies and procedures set by the board of Directors. The CEO ensures that the staff team is recruited and supported to provide the skills and expertise needed to run a successful organisation and that Workplace Matters’ goals and values are observed. The CEO is also responsible for Fundraising, PR and External and Internal Communications.
The CEO has direct line management responsibility for the Core Team of Chaplains and until February 2021 the Assistant Management Accountant. The Core Team are responsible for recruiting and team leading the Chaplains, training and developing of the Chaplains and for maintaining the key relationship with their allocated ‘area of chaplaincy’. Since the resignation of the Assistant accountant, Church Army have managed the bookkeeping and accounts. Church Army HR and administration team manage volunteer recruitment processes, databases and website management in conjunction with the Chaplains. The CEO manages the administration of the Workplace Matters Board of Directors and provides first-contact information and advice and acts as Company Secretary.
The CEO, together with the Treasurer, is responsible for the financial management and maintenance of accounts, budgets and reports. The CEO, in conjunction with the Treasurer, prepares and presents quarterly reports to the Board and other reports as required.
The annual report was approved by the trustees of the charity on 20 December 2022 and signed on its behalf by:
......................................... A M Charles Trustee
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Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities
The trustees (who are also the directors of Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with the United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) and applicable law and regulations.
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under company law, the trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
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observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP 2019 (FRS102);
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charitable company's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Approved by the trustees of the charity on the 20 December 2022 and signed on its behalf by:
......................................... A M Charles Trustee
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Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
Independent Examiner's Report to the trustees of Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the company for the 15 Month period ending 31 March 2022 which are set out on pages 17-26.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law), you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’).
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your company’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination, I have followed the 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 matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act: or
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the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
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the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
John R Reeds FCA 48 St Peters Road Buxton Derbyshire SK17 7DX
Date:...20/12/2022.....................
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Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
Statement of Financial Activities for the Period ended 31 March 2022 (Including Income and Expenditure Account and Statement of Total Recognised Gains and Losses)
| Income and Endowments from: Note Charitable activities 3 Investment income 4 Other income 5 Total Income Expenditure on: Charitable activities 6 Total Expenditure Net income/(expenditure) Net transfer between funds Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward 13 Income and Endowments from: Note Charitable activities 3 Investment income 4 Other income 5 Total Income Expenditure on: Charitable activities 6 Total Expenditure Net transfer between funds Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward 13 |
Unrestricted funds £ Restricted TotalFunds funds 2022 £ £ 30053 156224 186276 9 9 11000 11000 |
Unrestricted funds £ Restricted TotalFunds funds 2022 £ £ 30053 156224 186276 9 9 11000 11000 |
|---|---|---|
| 41062 156224 197286 |
||
| (20810) (153066) (173876) |
||
| (20810) (153066) (173876) |
||
| 20252 3158 |
23410 | |
| 2400 (2400) |
||
| 22652 758 38597 110035 |
23410 148632 |
|
| 61249 110793 |
||
| 28,251 153,293 181,544 (22,679) (123,312) (145,991) |
||
| (22,679) (123,312) (145,991) |
||
| 7,492(7,492) 13,064 22,489 35,553 25 533 87,546 113,079 |
||
| 38,597 110,035 148,632 |
All of the charity's activities derive from continuing operations during the above two periods. The funds breakdown for 2020 is shown in note 13.
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Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
(Registration number: 06951383) Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2022
| Note Fixedassets Tangible assets 10 Current assets Debtors 11 Cash at bank and in hand Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year 12 Net current assets Net assets Funds of the charity: Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Total funds 13 |
2022 2020 £ £ 462974 3253 678 198128 175917 |
|
|---|---|---|
| 201381 176595 (29801) (28937) |
||
| 171580 147658 |
||
| 172042 148632 |
||
| 110793 110035 61249 38597 |
||
| 172042 148632 |
For the 15 Month period 31 March 2022 the charity was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
Directors' responsibilities:
-
The members have not required the charity to obtain an audit of its accounts for the period in question in accordance with section 476; and
-
The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small company's regime and in accordance with FRS102 SORP.
The financial statements on pages 15-25 were approved by the trustees and authorised for issue . and signed on their behalf by:
A M Charles
Trustee
18
Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 March 2022
1 Charity status
The charity is a charity limited by guarantee and consequently does not have share capital. Each of the trustees is liable to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 as set out on page 12 of this report towards the assets of the charity in the event of liquidation.
2 Accounting policies
Summary of significant accounting policies and key accounting estimates
The principal accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all the years presented, unless otherwise stated.
Basis of preparation of financial statements
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued in October 2019, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS102), the Companies Act 2006 and UK Generally Accepted Practice.
Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy notes.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity and rounded to the nearest £.
Going concern
The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern nor any significant areas of uncertainty that affect the carrying value of assets held by the charity.
-
Much of our funding for Waterways Chaplaincy is multiyear funding from trusts. Two of these grants carry on until at the end of 2023. Additionally in November 2022 we received a significant three-year grant.
-
The Airport Chaplain funding is guaranteed to the end of 2023
The charity has prepared forecasts of income and expenditure, taking into account the government's roadmap to recovery, which show they have sufficient reserves to be able to continue for a period of 12 months from the date of approval of these financial statements and therefore they believe it is appropriate for the accounts to be prepared on a going concern basis.
19
Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 March 2022
Exemption from preparing a cash flow statement
The charity have applied the disclosure requirements of section 1A of FRS 102 other than where additional disclosure is required to show a true and fair view and have therefore not included a cash flow statement in these financial statements.
Income
All income is recognised once the Charity has entitlement to the income, it is probable that the income will be received and the value can be reliably measured.
Expenditure
All expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to that expenditure, it is probable settlement is required and the amount can be measured reliably. All costs are allocated to the applicable expenditure heading that aggregate similar costs to that category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated on a basis consistent with the use of resources, with central staff costs allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges allocated on the portion of the asset's use. Other support costs are allocated based on the spread of staff costs.
Charitable activities
Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.
Support costs
Support costs include central functions and have been allocated to activity cost categories on a basis consistent with the use of resources, staff costs by the time spent and other costs by their usage.
Governance costs
These include the costs attributable to the charity's compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements, including audit, strategic management and trustees' meetings and reimbursed expenses.
Tangible fixed assets
Individual fixed assets costing £500 or more are initially recorded at cost, less any subsequent accumulated depreciation and subsequent accumulated impairment losses.
Depreciation and amortisation
Depreciation is provided on tangible fixed assets so as to write off the cost or valuation, less any estimated residual value, over their expected useful economic life as follows:
Computer equipment 33% straight line
Debtors
Debtors are recognised at the settlement amount after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.
Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash on hand and call deposits, and other short-term highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to a known amount of cash and are subject to an insignificant risk of change in value.
20
Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 March 2022
Liabilities and provisions
Liabilities are recognised when there is an obligation at the Balance Sheet date as a result of a past event, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefit will be required in settlement, and the amount of the settlement can be estimated reliably. Liabilities are recognised at the amount that the Charity anticipates it will pay to settle the debt or the amount it has received as advanced payments for the goods or services it must provide. Provisions are measured at the best estimate of the amounts required to settle the obligation.
Funds structure
Unrestricted income funds are general funds that are available for use at the trustees' discretion in furtherance of the objectives of the charity.
Restricted income funds are those donated for use in a particular area or for specific purposes, the use of which is restricted to that area or purpose.
Employee benefits
When employees have rendered service to the Charity, short term employee benefits to which the employees are entitled are recognised at the undiscounted amount expected to be paid in exchange for that service.
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions are charged in the statement of financial activities as they become payable in accordance with the rules of the scheme.
Gift in kind
The office at 41 Holywell Lodge, St, Albans, is rent free, the equivalent of £3000. The time spent by Des Scott working as CEO is a gift in kind through the partnership with Church Army the equivalent of £8000.
Judgement and key sources of estimation uncertainty
Estimates and judgements are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances,
Critical accounting estimates and assumptions:
The charity makes estimates and assumptions concerning the future. The resulting accounting estimates and assumptions will, by definition, seldom equal the related actual results,
3 Income from charitable activities
| London Luton Airport grants Waterways Chaplaincy grants Other general grants· 2020 |
41062 156224 186276 164865 11,572 153293 164865 Unrestricted funds Restricted Total Total General funds 2022 2020 £ £ £ £ 59670 59670 59566 96554 96554 93727 30053 30053 11 572 |
Total Total 2022 2020 £ £ 59670 59566 96554 93727 30053 11 572 |
|---|---|---|
21
Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 March 2022
4 Investment income
Unrestricted funds
| Total Total Interest receivable and similar income; Interest receivable on bank deposits 2020 5 Other income Unrestricted funds Gift in kind - CEO salary and rent 2020 6Expenditure on charitable activities Unrestricted funds General £ London Luton Airport Waterways Chaplaincy General 20810 20810 2020 22679 |
Total Total Interest receivable and similar income; Interest receivable on bank deposits 2020 5 Other income Unrestricted funds Gift in kind - CEO salary and rent 2020 6Expenditure on charitable activities Unrestricted funds General £ London Luton Airport Waterways Chaplaincy General 20810 20810 2020 22679 |
Total Total Interest receivable and similar income; Interest receivable on bank deposits 2020 5 Other income Unrestricted funds Gift in kind - CEO salary and rent 2020 6Expenditure on charitable activities Unrestricted funds General £ London Luton Airport Waterways Chaplaincy General 20810 20810 2020 22679 |
General 2022 2020 £ £ £ 9 9 179 179 179 Total Total General 20222020£ £ £ 11000 11000 16500 16500 16500 Restricted Total Total funds £ 2022£ 2020£ 55238 55238 42585 97827 97827 80727 20810 22679 153066 173876 145991 123312 145991 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20810 22679 |
22
Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 March 22
7 Net income/expenditure
Net income/(expenditure) for the year include:
| Depreciation of fixed assets Independent examiner's fees |
2022 2020 £ £ 512 256 500 1,200 |
|---|---|
8 Staff costs, Trustee's remuneration and expenses
Analysis of staff costs:
| Salaries National insurance Pension |
20222020 £ £ 130030 104562 5078 2831 3173 3486 |
|---|---|
| 138284 110879 |
No employee received remuneration amounting to more than £60,000 in either period.
The average number of persons employed by the charitable company during the period was 5 (2020: 5).
During the year the key management personnel received pay of £8000 representing benefit in kind (2020: £10,000). The key management personnel is deemed to be the CEO.
No trustees, nor any persons connected with them, have received any remuneration from the charity during the period. (2020: £Nil)
No trustees have received any reimbursed expenses or any other benefits from the charity during the period. (2020: £Nil)
9 Taxation
The company is considered to pass the tests set out in Sch. 6, para. 1 of the Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes. Accordingly, the company is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered by Pt. 11, Ch. 3 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or s. 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable purposes.
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Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 March 22
10 Tangible fixed assets
| Cost At1January2021 At31March 2022 Depreciation At1January2021 Charge for the year At31March 2022 Net book value At31March 2022 At31December2020 11 Debtors Prepayments Trade Debtors Other debtors 12 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Deferred Income Accruals Deferred income: Deferred income at1January2021 Resources deferred during the period Amount released from previous periods Deferred income at31March 2022 |
Furniture and equipment £ 5749 |
Furniture and equipment £ 5749 |
Furniture and equipment £ 5749 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,749 | |||||||
4775 512 |
|||||||
| 5287 | |||||||
| 462 | |||||||
| 974 |
|||||||
| 2022 £ 16 3050 187 |
|||||||
| 3253 | |||||||
2022£ 28000 1801 29801 |
|||||||
2022£ 22750 28000 (22750) 28000 |
|||||||
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Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 March 22
| 13. Funds Unrestricted funds General Total Restricted funds Total funds |
Balance at Income Expenditure Transfers Balance at 1 Jan 2021 31 Mar 22 £ £ £ £ £ 38597 41062 (20810) 2400 61249 38597 41062 (20810) 2400 61249 110035 156224 (153066) (2400) 110793 148632 197286 (173876)172042 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted funds Donations from charitable activities Interest receivable from investments Benefit In Kind; CEO salary and Office rent |
Balance Balance at at 1 January 2020 Incoming resources Resources expended Transfers 31 Mar 2022 £ £ £ £ £ 37809 30053 (9810) 2400 60452 788 9 799 11,.000 (11000) 38579 41062 (20810) 2400 61249 |
|
| Restricted funds London Luton Airport Waterways Chaplaincy Rural Chaplaincy Total funds |
Balance at 1 January Incoming Resources Transfers Balance at 2020 resources expended 31 Mar 22 £ 43164 £ 59670 £ (55238) £ £ 47578 64489 96554 (97827) 63215 2,400 (2400) 110035 156224 (153066) (2400) 110793 148632 197285 (173876) 172042 |
Restricted and unrestricted funds are for the running and development of the chaplaincy. Transfers were made from Rural Chaplaincy to unrestricted.
25
Ecumenical Partnership Initiatives
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 March 2022
14. Analysis of net assets between funds
| . Analysis of net assets between funds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tangible Fixed Assets Current Assets Current Liabilities Total Net Assets 2020 Tangible Fixed Assets Current Assets Current Liabilities Total Net Assets |
Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Funds Funds at 31 March 2022 462 - 462 90588 110793 201381 (29801) (29801) 61249 110793 172042 974 - 974 66560 110035 176595 (28937) - (28937) 38597 110035 148632 |
|
15. Related party transactions
There are no related party transactions during the period other than the £8,000 gift in kind for Des Scott's time as mentioned in the accounting policies note (2020: £10,000).
26