## **Wantage and Abingdon Methodist Circuit 23/02** ## **Trustees' Report for the Year Ended 31st August 2025** ## **Governance** The Governing Body of the Wantage and Abingdon Methodist Circuit and the Methodist Church is the Methodist Conference. The authority under which the Methodist Conference acts is given by The Methodist Church Act 1976. ## **Registration with the Charity Commission** The Wantage and Abingdon Methodist Circuit has been registered with the Charity Commission since 26 November 2009 with the number 1132995. ## **Nature and Purpose** Standing Order 500 of The Constitution Practice and Discipline of the Methodist Church states that the Circuit is the primary unit in which local churches express their interconnexion in the Body of Christ, for the purpose of mission, mutual encouragement and help. It is in the Circuit that presbyters, deacons and probationers are stationed and local preachers are trained and admitted and exercise their calling. The purposes of the Circuit include the effective deployment of the resources of ministry, which include people, property and finance, as they relate to the Methodist churches in the Circuit, to churches of other denominations and to participate in the life of the communities served by the Circuit. This includes local schools and colleges and in ecumenical work in the area including, where appropriate, the support of ecumenical Housing Associations. ## **Responsibilities** The Circuit Meeting is the principal meeting responsible for the affairs of the Circuit and the development of Circuit policy. It shall exercise that combination of spiritual leadership and administrative efficiency which will enable the Circuit to fulfil its purpose as set out in Standing Order 500 and shall act as the focal point of the working fellowship of the churches in the Circuit, overseeing their pastoral, training and evangelistic work. A further responsibility is to encourage leadership within the Circuit. ## **Trustees** The members of the Circuit Meeting are the Managing Trustees for Circuit property. There is no minimum number of members and, in addition to the Circuit staff, the majority of the remaining members are appointed by the churches in the Circuit. The Circuit Stewards are appointed annually by the Circuit Meeting. The Circuit Leadership Team comprises the Circuit staff, Circuit Stewards, the lead Community Chaplain, the Circuit Treasurer and the Circuit Property Secretary. ## **Circuit Mission Statement** The churches constituting the Circuit support one another in responding to God's love in Christ by the proclamation of the Gospel through discipleship, worship and social action. ## **Circuit Policy** Underpinning all that we do is God-centred worship and prayer. We seek to share God's love seen in Jesus Christ and invite others to respond to that same love. In support of this we actively seek opportunities to develop Christian discipleship and confidence in expressing our faith (e.g. by courses, quiet days, outreach initiatives and the use of technology). The Circuit Policy has been defined as follows: 1) The Circuit is the primary unit in Methodism We will encourage Circuit identity and a sense of shared mission Circuit staff will be deployed in order to further the mission of the whole Circuit; we will encourage churches to see the Circuit Assessment as missionary giving and not as an unwelcome imposition. 2) Our two LEPs give us particular opportunities to work ecumenically. We are committed to these and we will look for further ecumenical opportunities, either formal or specific pieces of work. 3) As a Circuit we will give priority to resourcing the four centres (the four towns). 4) We will give priority to those places where major new housing developments are taking place. 5) Our village churches will be supported for as long as members in those churches wish to continue their work in those villages and new initiatives will be supported. If help is needed with specific tasks from members of other churches in the Circuit, this will be facilitated if possible. We will not commit large sums of money or large numbers of people to retain buildings in places where the life of a church is no longer sustainable. We will not resist requests to close if Church Councils seek permission. ## **Reserves Policy** The Circuit Meeting has agreed a reserves limit of £103,000 in total for five accounting funds, namely, the circuit general fund, manse maintenance fund, circuit development and training fund, removals and equipment fund and the chaplains. In total at 31st August 2025 these funds have a balance of £10,248. These are at a low level reflecting the completion of significant work on manses and the funding of the third presbyter. The reserves limit on the Circuit Model Trust Fund, the Lee Donovan, Richard Cox and Brenda Izzard bequests combined is £700,000 The total balances at the year-end were £17,078 (£10,195 in the Circuit Model Trust Fund, £6,884 in the other three) A further accounting fund, the Circuit Ministry & Mission fund, currently with a zero balance and a reserve of £70,000, is for circuit mission initiatives. ## **Financial review** The balance of General unrestricted net current assets available to the circuit at the end of August 2025 were £12,325. There is a further £12,908 held in the Circuit Model Trust Fund. Expenditure exceeded income in the financial year 2024-25 by £170,064 reflecting a) the continuing policy to fund our third Presbyter, Deacon and Chaplain from reserves (£91754) through to the end of the 2024-25 financial year and b) significant work to modify a manse to make it suitable for a minister with significant mobility issues. We are grateful to have received support from the Connexional Benevolent Fund and the District Advance Fund totalling £116,400. The net cost to the circuit was £63,700. In August 2025 we have two manses on the market for sale. ## **Review of Activities** The regular on-going work of the Circuit and the wider community continues to be greatly appreciated. The Circuit is giving prayerful consideration as to how we support the ministry in the circuit with only two presbyters in station. We continue to make good use of technology to regularly Zoom services and hold both business and fellowship meetings. ## **Childrey Methodist Chapel** Childrey closed for worship following the Chapel Anniversary service on Sunday October 13th, 2024. It was hoped that while worship in the Chapel would cease, a presence would still be maintained and that there would be a future for the site of Childrey within the life of the village. After consultations during the year, as at August 2025, no practical options have been found. ## **Community Chaplaincy** An extensive review of Chaplaincy has taken place this year, involving Rev’d Bruce Thompson (Line Manager); Anne Matthews (CLT support), Libby Hawkness-Smith (Lead Chaplain) and the groups that the lead Chaplain currently works with. In order to better manage and support the Chaplaincy role, the lead Chaplain will be working with fewer groups, a Covenant agreement between Libby and each group signed and Anne, acting as the representative of the Circuit, will liaise between Libby and the groups. The Circuit will appoint a new Line Manager for the next Connexional year, as Rev’d Bruce’s workload with regard to the churches/Circuit will be greatly increased. ## **Circuit Future and sustainability** Continuing work has been undertaken with the Circuit reflecting the changes, challenges and opportunities that will come into effect from 1st September 2025 when the staff team will consist of two Presbyters only. The appointment of a Circuit Administrator has been agreed and actioned to commence work in September 2025. ## **Staffing** During this year, the Circuit welcomed the Revd Georgina Bondzi-Simpson MBE (and Leslie) into the life of the Circuit. Georgina will have Pastoral charge of All Saints and Trinity churches in Abingdon and will take up the role of Circuit Superintendent in September 2025. On 27th April 2024, Revd David Masters (Baptist Minister) was welcomed as the new Minister at Peachcroft Christian Centre We said farewell to Revd Keith Underhill (and Liz) who retired from active ministry. We also said farewell to Deacon Selina Nisbett, who takes up a post in the Salisbury Circuit. ## **Local Preachers.** Our thanks to our Local Preachers and Worship leaders, who so faithfully serve the churches in our Circuit week by week as they lead worship and preach God’s word. As has become our custom, the Advent and Lent Devotional Booklets were very well received across the Circuit and beyond. ## **Safeguarding** The Circuit Safeguarding Policy was unanimously agreed. ## **GDPR** The GDPR report on behalf of the circuit and the GDPR report on behalf of the Community Chaplains were unanimously agreed. ## **EDI** Equality, diversity, inclusion is an important element of the life and work of the Methodist Church and face to face training took place on occasion across the Circuit. It is also a reminder to the Churches and Circuit to ask the question “Who is missing and who is not here?” ## **Circuit Leadership Team** The members of the Circuit Leadership Team as of 31st August 2025 are set out below: Revd Keith Underhill (Superintendent) Revd Bruce Thompson Deacon Selina Nisbett Revd Georgina Bondzi-Simpson Anne Matthews (Circuit Steward) Mary Hancock (Circuit Property Secretary) Neil Oastler (Circuit Steward) Carolyn Roche Senior Circuit Steward (to step down as of 01/09/2024) Gordon Skidmore (Treasurer) Libby Hawkness-Smith – lead community Chaplain ## **Additional Information** For the purposes of Section 41 of the Statement of Recommended Practice, we give the following information: The Superintendent Minister’s address: 14 Haywards Close, Wantage, Oxon. OX12 7AT Principal address of the Methodist Church: 25 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SF Bankers: HSBC Bank plc, 24 Market Square, Witney OX28 6BG Investment Advisors & deposit account: Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church, 9 Bonhill Street, London, EC2R 4PE Independent Examiner: Sheila Parry, SPX Oxford Ltd, Peace House, 19 Paradise Street Oxford OX1 1LD ## **Trustees** The following served as Trustees of the Wantage and Abingdon Methodist Circuit from 1st September 2024 - 31st August 2025: J Anderson, A. Barber, C. Bartlett, R. Bett, K. Blake, M. Blake, S.Butler, G.J. Caudle, J. Caudle, M. Chalkley, P.L. Cook, A. Dixon, A. Fear, H. Gant, M. Hancock, C. Hawkes, P. Hemmings, C. Hill, G. Ifill, S.Ifill, B.E. Kershaw, T. Kiffin, N. Lidstone, A. Lowe, A. Matthews, G. Maunder, M.P. Maunder, N.Oastler, L. Midleton S. Nisbett, N. Oastler, A. Phillips, D. Pooley, C. Roche, S. Scrivener, B. Sexton, J.G. Skidmore, K. Smith, I. Sturt, B. Thompson, K. Underhill, H. Wells, H. Weston, P.R. Williams, E. Wood, S.Russell Circuit Accruals Accounts 2024-2025 THE METHODIST CHURCH REPORT AND ACCOUNTS (ACCRUALS BASIS) for the year ended 31 August 2025 Wants e & Abin don Circuit Reglstered Charlty- Reglstratlon number 1132995 District No I Circuit No 2312 Minislers Rev Kerth Underhill Rev Georgina Bondzi-simpson Rev Bruce Thompson Rev Selina Nisbett Circuit Stewards MTS Carolyn Roche Mr Neil Oastler Dr Anne Matthews Mr John Gordon Skidmore Circuit Treasurer Mr John Gordon Skidmore Wantsge & Ablngdon Circu¢t ¥cutt No 23102 Statement of Flnanclal Actlvltios ISOFAI for the year gnded 31 August 2025 Ckrylt Modql the a￿0rd1 Fu FutyJF Rg•tr1¢tsrt EwJLvhinert Tolal Fundg 20W25 In¢ome 1 Donati￿$8￿ W)e8 2 Irtomeftvm rnonWinvestmwts 3 InoJm8 from lnvesbmiipro￿Q 4 Assessm￿ts￿ Churche8 S Cawtal Recdpts fj Grants rer£W 7 ￿lIe[charl￿￿e 8 Tol•l income 2,e35 226 4.633 213, 211QO6 120,￿0 110￿0￿ 215,841 1,771 12f.f26 33Wg Expgndlturg 9 GRn15 and don8bt*8 10Salanes and$S¥tyia￿ LX>Sts 11 Pryrty Ma￿le￿ 12 Connexv)nala55e55men¢& modeltrust 13 Di8MA88essThent& L 14 Demrabon IS OfThce *xpens65 160therovtgoing 17Total Charfts￿ÈexPend￿urO 18 Gainslllosse81 on monetaryinvosknepts 19 GBinslllD&sesl on investmeni prop*ts& 20 N&1 It)comelloxpondlturo1 21 Transfe15 beh¥een funds 22 OthergaJnBIO058esl 23 Not rnovem4nt In ftJnd8 24Total fund5 broughtforwar 25 Totalfvnd$¢4rrkdfonYard 7,500 50 183.088 37.352 62.148 13,920 183,0 40.609 213 1.$37 120.900 16 82,377 15,557 27081.23 IZ806.79 J37.395 27,081 13,093 49.9S9 .121.756 .76 .170￿4 -121,756 48.182 61.09 12,908 -170,064 1.316,103 1.148,040 t.128,32fy 4,807 Wanlage & Abingdon Circult No 2312 Statement of Financial A¢tiviti08 ISOFA) for the yoar ended 31 August 2024 Nots8 to Clrcult Mod¢l Do¥lgnatsd tho General Fund Triitst Fund8 attcounts Iunrestrlctedl IUnrostrlcteOI lunrMtrl¢tedl R•8trlctad Enth)wmort Total Fundg Fvndg 2023-24 Income 1 cionati¢Yts afKI ￿93cleS 2 Income from monetary inv8sln*nls 3 Income Investrnent W0￿rtieS 4 A&6e&srnents on Churd 5 Capital Recwpts 8 Grants recoived 7 Ottr*r charftabl8 Incom8 8 Total In¢omo 7,086 8,14 2Jl 197264 197,264 476 4.476 476 217.222 204,3 8.145 251 Expendlturo 9 Grants and donations 10 Salane$ and as$0￿&￿a costs 11 Proparty malnt8nance 12 connex10￿al assessment & madBI Injst I 13 Disth¢tAFse$sment & Levy 14 Depteoalion 15 Offlce expense5 16 Othef ouigoings 17 Yotsl charltabh •xpondltu 18 G8ln81Oos8esl on mon8tary hvestmenls 19 Gainslllossesl on invethiÈTrt wpertEs 20 Net Inc￿￿81(￿pen￿ThJ[Ol 21 Tra￿fer$ betr*en fvn¢s 22 Other g8inslllossesl 23 Net mgvgm9nt In fun¥• 24Tot&l funds bfought forward 25Totsi fundscarrfedlotwar 10,286 10,266 177.$8S 11Ct.636 S8,071 19.no 177585 102145 57564 13614 4391 61e6 26381 7851 385.141 28,301 8,277 410.898 195 21A17 195 13 4•J.791 99250 .12,978 -w280 -193,481 -81.641 1331622 1.250,081 -112,228 173318 61.090 -193,481 0 1,509,584 1.316.103 4.883 W8ntsoè & Atsnodtsn CNU ¢I￿￿11N0 2JNJ2 Balance Sheet as at 31 August 2026 Tot4 Dknr•*rfct•d) F￿nIS IUnroBIrfGtq&l Fund# Fu 2424126 manS￿￿E￿I 1.116.OOD 2,709 1.11fj.f 2.714 DÈt*¢rs Loansbytr* ¢iWI 18 740S 13 Z,OTT 30,879 29.201 10.195 17.075 30,879 29207 OÈrK Ca5hat nana 52C63 2616 14105 curremiiib1l￿ CrethtQr¥lL￿￿uthl ye￿> GTrnls P blE wmhiDonpyear ro141currvnfii?bJliV85 $7243 57243 57.24J 11J25 7243 197.384 1.124325 1.146 ionBtirm Ilablht￿5 dts•aftarrnorq thanon Gr4nts blg UfterL￿o Loen5t01￿cIrCUll 1,128,328 12,9D8 4807 1.146,D40 IA16,11JJ P￿￿￿0f￿? Qr¢u Fmd 1118325 1.128.325 129C6 6T.0 Furf# 1.14t.2S3 4.W7 1.311,22 4,88J 4807 TOt41Ft￿￿$ 1,128A26 11¥ 1,146WO 1.a16.10J SVJ C1￿U￿TreaSUrer B¥si$ These aCt￿ntS havE been Preparedonthe baslsof historical c05texceptthat In¥estmÉrtts &re5hown atthelr market valueatthè*doftheyear, (￿the3Ccru315 basi5t05howatrueandfair ￿ewollhe Circuitsfinantial p95￿0￿ and acti4itie5. Income R•cognltioTr Iw>rnelslnclud4d ifttheStsternentofFinan¢lalA¢tiwttie5 ISOFAI whenthe cIrcu￿￿)￿¢￿t3 entitledtotheresource5, andthètruStÈE59re rea50nablycvt6in they wlll receI¥ether￿￿rcQs,. and thenKm&tsry￿l￿l¢￿￿ bemea5ured 5ufficlent rdlablllty. Resources Expended Ihi5 is recognlsedwheha liability15 incurred or a corEtruttiYe¢bllz3ti￿arlse5, that results InthepaymèntbdnÉ unav(xdable. ￿abl1vE&e5 are reco8nlsedasso¢n a5 an(4rtftL¥w￿vL0nom￿ beY*fit15 considered morellkdyth4n not under the legal c( Constr￿tIVeOb109dtk)n ttymmitbwthe cirCu￿tt0 payout resources. Grants Grants tTrade bythecircuitfrom own furKlgaEerLw8r4sed lftftAI atthèUrne¢)f4BreemEntorwhenthe QrcultaLcEyts thgtthere isa legalor operationalobligationto makethepèyment. When thegrantis rttuyrehtover t￿letha￿O￿eyearthebaIa￿epaVèb1• in fthure year5 15treateda5 a provigloDforfvrurecommhtments Inthe BalanceSheetagairtsttheappropriattlund.theprrthi5i0n bEin¥releqsed IDI￿UreyeJr5 as instslments arepaidlnaccordar￿ewthlheo[I8inal1Va1reed terrns. VAT Since thecircuit 151￿*VATre61s1ered,a11 input VATi5 char8ed wlththèwEll565toYhknKh it refer& Tangible fixed assets for use bythe Circuit Ih4*Èarècapttali5ed iftheycan beusÈdforThorethaaoneyear, and 1ndiwduallyc05tatleast£L(X)O. Thefreehdd property S￿wTh intheaccountsat 20I6d4*rn￿d Value5,ofwhichtheland comp(thntts deemedto be£37lWO. Nodepretjation Is prowdedonthe buildin8btr4u5ethetrusteescoThsidEr thecurrentresidualfair vèlueofthernèn5e buildin85 ILhltheassuMptl(￿that it had reached theend of Its useful economlc Ilfebytsyear-enttltobe Mtless ihanÉts¢urrent Value. Anydeprechitionwotsld not berrwterial. The propfftyhas been rewewed ltt Impairrnent, Investment Proptrtles kTrve5thentrKOptt￿e$-rOVr(Yth1sCvrrSts 11 Pryrty Ma￿le￿ 12 Connexv)nala55e55men¢& modeltrust 13 Di8MA88essThent& L 14 Demrabon IS OfThce *xpens65 160therovtgoing 17Total Charfts￿ÈexPend￿urO 18 Gainslllosse81 on monetaryinvosknepts 19 GBinslllD&sesl on investmeni prop*ts& 20 N&1 It)comelloxpondlturo1 21 Transfe15 beh¥een funds 22 OthergaJnBIO058esl 23 Not rnovem4nt In ftJnd8 24Total fund5 broughtforwar 25 Totalfvnd$¢4rrkdfonYard 7,500 50 183.088 37.352 62.148 13,920 183,0 40.609 213 1.$37 120.900 16 82,377 15,557 27081.23 IZ806.79 J37.395 27,081 13,093 49.9S9 .121.756 .76 .170￿4 -121,756 48.182 61.09 12,908 -170,064 1.316,103 1.148,040 t.128,32fy 4,807 Wanlage & Abingdon Circult No 2312 Statement of Financial A¢tiviti08 ISOFA) for the yoar ended 31 August 2024 Nots8 to Clrcult Mod¢l Do¥lgnatsd tho General Fund Triitst Fund8 attcounts Iunrestrlctedl IUnrostrlcteOI lunrMtrl¢tedl R•8trlctad Enth)wmort Total Fundg Fvndg 2023-24 Income 1 cionati¢Yts afKI ￿93cleS 2 Income from monetary inv8sln*nls 3 Income Investrnent W0￿rtieS 4 A&6e&srnents on Churd 5 Capital Recwpts 8 Grants recoived 7 Ottr*r charftabl8 Incom8 8 Total In¢omo 7,086 8,14 2Jl 197264 197,264 476 4.476 476 217.222 204,3 8.145 251 Expendlturo 9 Grants and donations 10 Salane$ and as$0￿&￿a costs 11 Proparty malnt8nance 12 connex10￿al assessment & madBI Injst I 13 Disth¢tAFse$sment & Levy 14 Depteoalion 15 Offlce expense5 16 Othef ouigoings 17 Yotsl charltabh •xpondltu 18 G8ln81Oos8esl on mon8tary hvestmenls 19 Gainslllossesl on invethiÈTrt wpertEs 20 Net Inc￿￿81(￿pen￿ThJ[Ol 21 Tra￿fer$ betr*en fvn¢s 22 Other g8inslllossesl 23 Net mgvgm9nt In fun¥• 24Tot&l funds bfought forward 25Totsi fundscarrfedlotwar 10,286 10,266 177.$8S 11Ct.636 S8,071 19.no 177585 102145 57564 13614 4391 61e6 26381 7851 385.141 28,301 8,277 410.898 195 21A17 195 13 4•J.791 99250 .12,978 -w280 -193,481 -81.641 1331622 1.250,081 -112,228 173318 61.090 -193,481 0 1,509,584 1.316.103 4.883 W8ntsoè & Atsnodtsn CNU ¢I￿￿11N0 2JNJ2 Balance Sheet as at 31 August 2026 Tot4 Dknr•*rfct•d) F￿nIS IUnroBIrfGtq&l Fund# Fu 2424126 manS￿￿E￿I 1.116.OOD 2,709 1.11fj.f 2.714 DÈt*¢rs Loansbytr* ¢iWI 18 740S 13 Z,OTT 30,879 29.201 10.195 17.075 30,879 29207 OÈrK Ca5hat nana 52C63 2616 14105 curremiiib1l￿ CrethtQr¥lL￿￿uthl ye￿> GTrnls P blE wmhiDonpyear ro141currvnfii?bJliV85 $7243 57243 57.24J 11J25 7243 197.384 1.124325 1.146 ionBtirm Ilablht￿5 dts•aftarrnorq thanon Gr4nts blg UfterL￿o Loen5t01￿cIrCUll 1,128,328 12,9D8 4807 1.146,D40 IA16,11JJ P￿￿￿0f￿? Qr¢u Fmd 1118325 1.128.325 129C6 6T.0 Furf# 1.14t.2S3 4.W7 1.311,22 4,88J 4807 TOt41Ft￿￿$ 1,128A26 11¥ 1,146WO 1.a16.10J SVJ C1￿U￿TreaSUrer B¥si$ These aCt￿ntS havE been Preparedonthe baslsof historical c05texceptthat In¥estmÉrtts &re5hown atthelr market valueatthè*doftheyear, (￿the3Ccru315 basi5t05howatrueandfair ￿ewollhe Circuitsfinantial p95￿0￿ and acti4itie5. Income R•cognltioTr Iw>rnelslnclud4d ifttheStsternentofFinan¢lalA¢tiwttie5 ISOFAI whenthe cIrcu￿￿)￿¢￿t3 entitledtotheresource5, andthètruStÈE59re rea50nablycvt6in they wlll receI¥ether￿￿rcQs,. and thenKm&tsry￿l￿l¢￿￿ bemea5ured 5ufficlent rdlablllty. Resources Expended Ihi5 is recognlsedwheha liability15 incurred or a corEtruttiYe¢bllz3ti￿arlse5, that results InthepaymèntbdnÉ unav(xdable. ￿abl1vE&e5 are reco8nlsedasso¢n a5 an(4rtftL¥w￿vL0nom￿ beY*fit15 considered morellkdyth4n not under the legal c( Constr￿tIVeOb109dtk)n ttymmitbwthe cirCu￿tt0 payout resources. Grants Grants tTrade bythecircuitfrom own furKlgaEerLw8r4sed lftftAI atthèUrne¢)f4BreemEntorwhenthe QrcultaLcEyts thgtthere isa legalor operationalobligationto makethepèyment. When thegrantis rttuyrehtover t￿letha￿O￿eyearthebaIa￿epaVèb1• in fthure year5 15treateda5 a provigloDforfvrurecommhtments Inthe BalanceSheetagairtsttheappropriattlund.theprrthi5i0n bEin¥releqsed IDI￿UreyeJr5 as instslments arepaidlnaccordar￿ewthlheo[I8inal1Va1reed terrns. VAT Since thecircuit 151￿*VATre61s1ered,a11 input VATi5 char8ed wlththèwEll565toYhknKh it refer& Tangible fixed assets for use bythe Circuit Ih4*Èarècapttali5ed iftheycan beusÈdforThorethaaoneyear, and 1ndiwduallyc05tatleast£L(X)O. Thefreehdd property S￿wTh intheaccountsat 20I6d4*rn￿d Value5,ofwhichtheland comp(thntts deemedto be£37lWO. Nodepretjation Is prowdedonthe buildin8btr4u5ethetrusteescoThsidEr thecurrentresidualfair vèlueofthernèn5e buildin85 ILhltheassuMptl(￿that it had reached theend of Its useful economlc Ilfebytsyear-enttltobe Mtless ihanÉts¢urrent Value. Anydeprechitionwotsld not berrwterial. The propfftyhas been rewewed ltt Impairrnent, Investment Proptrtles kTrve5thentrKOptt￿e$-rOVr(Yth1sCvrr