Gravesend Methodist Church & Community Centre
Trustees Report for 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2025 (agreed 4 November 2025) Charity Number 1132238
Organisation – Our present minister is the Rev Alexandra Terrett who also cares for 3 other local Methodist churches. Our only other employee, now part time, is Vicki Clarke - our Community Centre Manager - who runs our Community Centre and homeless programme. Our governance consists of a Church Council (trustees) below which sits a Leadership Team to take day to day decisions and a number of committees and working groups.
Changes for 2024/2025 – We have now put our “Daytime Hub”, (working with homeless and vulnerable people), on a more stable and sustainable financial footing. As a result, we have changed its structure and re-employed the Community Centre Manager on a parttime basis. We have been encouraging our members to take a more active role in running the church so that the more elderly may step down from positions of responsibility.
Worship – We are encouraging our Sunday congregation to take a more active role in services and the number and diversity of people attending worship is slowly growing. In the summer we had a number of joint services with our group churches and had one Sunday at the seaside.
Personal growth – We need to put a greater emphasis in this area of church life and have been looking at what courses and fellowship groups are needed.
Children’s work – Our “Explorers” children’s/youth group meets on Sunday mornings and following steady growth in numbers attending we are now at a plateau. A group of our youth attended the Methodist ‘3Generate’, Youth event in October at the NEC in Birmingham.
Pastoral – We are always looking for experienced and appropriate people to join our Pastoral Visitors who give pastoral support to our church community. This vital work includes visiting the sick, keeping contact with housebound members and dealing with other pastoral matters. Our Pastoral Committee meets when necessary to assess our community’s needs.
Helping the needy – an important part of our calling is “helping the needy in our town and community”. We continue to work with partner organisations in our area with an emphasis on helping local homeless people. Our project “The Daytime Hub” provides cooked breakfasts, showers, new clothes, laundering peoples clothing, dealing with health issues and helping signpost them to outside help. This important work is continually being recognised by the local community and is now seen as a “warm spaces” project. Under the Warm Spaces “banner” we also offer coffee and appropriate activities for elderly and vulnerable people within the local community in our foyer twice a week.
Home and Overseas Support - We continue to support a number of other charities including Action for Children, Christian Aid, Samaritans Purse Shoe box appeal amongst others. We try to react positively to one off world events, and local situations as they arise.
Property –This year we have refurbished both our community centre kitchen to keep it at local authority 5star standards, but have also completely renovated out community centre main toilets. We are committed to taking forward a number of maintenance issues identified by inspections and produce future maintenance programmes. Where possible we use members DIY skills to keep costs down.
Use of premises – We now share use of the premises with “The Grand”; a healthy living charity with a range of community-based programmes. Our policies for Risk Assessment, Fire Risk Assessment, Safeguarding and Positive Working Together etc. are regularly reviewed and our two kitchens have been awarded the highest hygiene rating by the Council. Key staff have Food Hygiene certificates and attend catering hygiene courses wherever possible.
Working with other churches and charities- We continue to play an active role in “Churches Together in Gravesham” and help other churches and Christian groups. We could not do our important community work without our wonderful volunteers, who come from a variety of backgrounds. Our partner organisations include Gravesham Borough Council, Gravesham Foodbank, Gravesham Sanctuary, Gravesend Street Pastors, Kent County Council, the N.H.S. Porchlight, Serveco, and The Gr@nd, amongst others.
The future – We are endeavouring to diversify our governance and include a more representative range of our members in key positions and as trustees.
“ Your local Town Centre Church bringing God’s love to the heart of the community”.
Finance – please see separate report.
Gravesend Methodist Church, Milton Road, Gravesend. Kent. DA12 2RE Gravesend Methodist Community Centre, 4-9 Wilfred Street, Gravesend. DA12 2HA Charity no. 1132238 Tel. 01 474 328249 www.gravesendmethodistchurch.org.uk Facebook – Gravesend Methodist Church email- gravesendmethodistchurch@gmail.com
| GRAVESEND METHODIST CHURCH ACCOUNTS | GRAVESEND METHODIST CHURCH ACCOUNTS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2024- Aug 2025 | ||||
| INCOME | ||||
| Cottage Rent | 8937.35 | |||
| Hall/Church Rent | 2415.00 | |||
| Rental from The Grand | 24000.00 | |||
| Gift Aid | 13076.55 | |||
| Gift Day | 5562.94 | |||
| Collections/Donations - Lloyds | 13965.30 | |||
| Collections/Donations - CFB | 34638.00 | |||
| Autumn Market | 1558.83 | |||
| Interest | 5423.54 | |||
| Coffee Mornings at Church | 819.86 | |||
| From Hub towards kitchen | 8000.00 | |||
| Grant from circuit for toilets | 15000.00 | |||
| Warm Spaces Grant | 1000.00 | |||
| Grant and Donations 3Generate | 1125.00 | |||
| Grants for CC Manager | 5000.00 | |||
| Other Income | 5975.78 | |||
| Donations towards summer coach trip | 280.00 | |||
| Donation | 13000.00 | |||
| TOTAL INCOME | 159778.15 | |||
| EXPENSE | ||||
| Circuit Assessment | 59920.00 | |||
| Cleaner | 14047.60 | |||
| Gas | 6106.02 | |||
| Electricity | 4547.19 | |||
| Telephone | 559.63 | |||
| Insurance | 5733.74 | |||
| Water | 1446.97 | |||
| Maintenance/Repairs | 20093.31 | |||
| Kitchen refurbishment | 20103.29 | |||
| Toilet refurbishment(halfpaid) | 13221.67 | |||
| CommunityCentre Manager Salary | 12597.18 | |||
| Donations | 1234.21 | |||
| TMCP Admin Charge | 3.92 | |||
| Other Expenses | 4005.73 | |||
| Summer coach trip | 600.00 | |||
| 3Generate | 2157.55 | |||
| TOTAL EXPENSE | 166378.01 | |||
| BALANCE | -6599.86 | |||
| Cash | 0 | |||
| At Bank - Lloyds | 12897.66 | |||
| CFB - General | 60152.24 | |||
| CFB -Planned Maintenance | 59217.34 | Restricted | ||
| CFB - 21st Fundraising | 3370.21 | Restricted | ||
| CFB - Builders Fund | 950.45 | Restricted | ||
| CFB - Youth Fund | 751.29 | Restricted | ||
| CFB - Benevolent Fund | 36.6 | Restricted | ||
| TMCP | 1260.68 | Restricted | ||
TOTAL AT BANK - 31st August 2025 138636.47
.
CHURCH RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS
THE METHODIST CHURCH STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS
GRAVESEND METHODIST Church
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 August 2025
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NORTH KENT Circuit 36/21
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Registered Charity - Charity Registration number
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1132238
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If not a registered charity His Majesty's Revenue and Customs Gift Aid number
(The HMRC number is equivalent to a registered charity number in terms of evidence of charitable status and may be used to give to donors or grant funders wishing to see evidence of the organisation's charitable status. Methodist charities in England and Wales that are not registered charities are excepted from registration under Statutory Instrument 2014 No.242)
Minister:
REV ALEXANDRA TERRETT
Church Stewards:
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SHEILA ALLISON EMMANUEL ESHUN
MARY ONISIMO VELMA WILLIAMS
STEPHEN BRERETON
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Treasurer:
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KATHRYN HARDY
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|ACCOUNTS|FOR THE YEAR ENDED|31 AUGUST 2025|GRAVESEND|Church|
|METHODIST|
|Unrestricted|Restricted|Totals|this|Totals|last|
|SECTION|A|Funds|Funds|year|year|
|Oe|
|a1||RECEIPTS|re|||
|Offerings and Tax recovered|fe|67,776||67,776|67,767|
|Bank|and|CFB|interest|and|
|a3||Investment|income|2,576|2,848|5,937|
|jad|||uetings|sae]|||_a53|41,013|
|a6ab|otherreceipts |TOTAL RECEIPTS||||s128,503[L217]|29,000]31,848]|160,354]51,617|(a7) |||155,74841,031|
|SECTION|B|
|PAYMENTS|
|Circuit Assessment|or Share|P|59,920|||||59,920|56,000|
|p3|||oonations|ttaof tz|
|Repairs and Maintenance|||35,626|33,116|68,742|29,764|
|Utilities|(Insurances,|water|
|b5||charges,|heating|&|lighting)|17,393|1,000|18,393|15,248|
|bg |TOTALOther payments PAYMENTS||Poss|427,830]13,761|—39,120][5,004|166,950]18,765|(b9)]||1|3|20|,|3942|7|
|SECTION|C|
|NET|RECEIPTS/PAYMENTS|
|c1||FOR THE YEAR|a6-b8)|673|(7,272)|6,599)|23,351|
|Total|funds|brought|forward|from|
|c2|last year|72,377|72,859|c6)|121,885|
|Sub|total|(c1+¢2)|73,050|65,587|138,637|145,236|
|c4|[Transfers|and adjustments|aee||ee)|||
|TOTAL FUNDS AT END OF YEAR|(c3+c4)|73,050]|65,587|||138,637|145,236|
|SECTION|D|
|FOR|INFORMATION|ONLY:|MONEY|RECEIVED AND|PASSED|ON|TO|EXTERNAL|ORGANISATIONS|
|(these|amounts|are|not|to|be|included|in|total|receipts/payments|figures|£|£|
|Balance brought forward from|last year|||an|
|Offerings/Gifts|-|received|for|external|organisations|
|Offerings/Gifts|-|passed|to|external|organisations|.|
|BALANCE STILL TO BE PAID|(d1+d2-d3)|a|S||
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GRAVESEND METHODIST Church
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SUMMARY OF CHURCH ACCOUNTS AND INTERNAL ORGANISATIONS REPORTING TO THE CHURCH COUNCIL
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SECTION E Please follow the Guidance Notes to complete this page
Summary of the Church accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 and Internal Organisations reporting to the Church Council/Church Meeting. Note that the funds of
an Internal Organisation would normally be Restricted funds unless it could be clearly shown that they could be used for any Methodist purpose. This section must be
completed to arrive at the gross income and expenditure totals of the Church. If gross income exceeds the Accruals threshold, then the Accruals method of accounting
AND A DIFFERENT FORM must be used to report the accounts (see Methodist website). Please refer to the guidance notes regarding transfers between the District
and connected District Organisations.
INTERNAL Net Receipts/ Opening
ORGANISATIONS Receipts Payments Payments Adjustments balances Closing balances
a
PE
af 7,413 9,696 2,283 | 12,662 10,379
sp a eeee ee
opI ee ee
efEESub total of Internal
e8 |Organisations funds 8,353 10,662 2,309 12,716} (e11 10,407
Church accounts (totals
brought forward from page
¢9 |2- totals column) (a7) 166,950] (b9) (6,599) (c7) (c6) 138,637] (c8)
OTA ASH FUNDS H D
Continue on a separate sheet TOTAL
totalsif necessaryforward and bring the TOTAL RECEIPTS PAYMENTS
SSSSS
SECTION F
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
OPENING CLOSING
CHURCH - CASH FUNDS HELD at 31 August 2025 BALANCES BALANCES
Bank Current Account 9,519 12,898
ia [central Finance Board 134,510 124,478
Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes Lo1,207 Ls1,261
SUB TOTAL - Church accounts 145,236 138,637
Total funds held by Internal Organisations (the closing
f8 |balance total from above) (e12) 12,716] (e11) 10,407| (e12)
TOTAL CASH FUNDS HELD BY CHURCH 157,952 149,044
= a
SECTION G At At
OTHER ASSETS and LIABILITIES 1 September 2024 31 August 2025
a Investments (include Endowments a | |
Land & Buildings (see notes re Insurance value 5,591,250 5,870,812
bones Assets 171,152 179,710
Loan(s) - show amount outstanding at year end | P|
[ome Liabilities Ll |
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{4 Include only Funds held at the Central Finance Board 5 Include only Funds held at Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes g1 Include any other investments (not the cash element of TMCP trusts accounts this is included in line f5
7
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Name of Church Geavocend Mathedist No....... 0.
Declarations and Scrutiny
| confirm that these Receipt and Payment based accounts for the year to 31 August 2025 have been prepared from the records of the Church and that they include all funds under the control of the Church trustees. i i ; i SignatureName and ofaddresstreasurerof treasurerol e rMerino 5K ecDate... AWE... Nov: ds. le, FAREIE LDS, .GRAVESEMD,.. KENT... Post Code. 28.12. GAG . Presentation to the Church trustees | confirm that the annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 were/witeee* presented to the meeting of the Church trustees held on det ony 2D Signature of the Chairof the meetingAvP Name of the Chair of the meeting Ry. Ad. Tenet. Date Hy2s
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of the
GRAVESEND METHODIST CHURCH
Charity Number. 1132238
Responsibilities and basis of report
| report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Gravesend Methodist Church for the year ended 31 August 2025 set out on pages 2 to 3 As the Church’s trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
| report in respect of my examination of the Church’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and, in carrying out my examination, | have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
|
Name of Church
GRAVESEND METHODIST CHURCH
Independent Examiner’s Statement
| have completed my examination. | confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that disclosed below*) which give me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
- e the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act: or e the accounts do not accord with the accounting records.
| 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.
| have obtained independent verification of all investments with the Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes or held in other trusts, bank balances and funds at the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church which are individually in excess of £10,000 (ten thousand pounds) at the balance sheet date.
Signature of independent examiner Fp septs senses
Name of independent examiner Keith Scudder
Address 42 Frobisher Way, Gravesend, Kent DA12 4RA
Date 4th November 2025