## **Trustees' Annual Report for the period 01/09/2024 – 31/08/25 Taunton Deane and South Sedgemoor Methodist Circuit** ## **Objectves and actvites** The purposes of the Methodist Church are the advancement of: - a) The Christian faith in accordance with the doctrinal standards and discipline of The Methodist Church; - b) Any charitable purpose for the time being of any Connexional, District, Circuit. local or other organisation of The Methodist Church; - c) Any charitable purpose for the time being of any society or institution subsidiary or ancillary to The Methodist Church; - d) Any purpose for the time being of any charity being a charity subsidiary or ancillary to The Methodist Church. **The mission statement of TDSS Circuit is** ‘To be Pilgrim People – on a journey: honouring God, sharing our faith, respecting and helping all.’ Our circuit priorities: worked out through the Circuit Meeting and the Circuit Leadership Team are: - God-centred worship and prayer - Action to help where there is need - Developing confidence to share our faith with others - Encouraging fresh ways of being church - Care, respect, inclusion and love for all - Belief that we have a future The Circuit acts as an umbrella body for the 7 Methodist Churches, which fall within the Circuit’s area. The Circuit produces a quarterly preaching plan to ensure regular acts of worship take place at each of those 7 churches. These are open to all people without charge. ## **Achievements and Performance.** The trustees have taken note of the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit and in particular their guidance on charities for the advancement of religion, when planning their activities. The actions taken by the circuit meet the requirement for there to be an identifiable public benefit or benefits and that such benefit is to the public or a section of the public. During the 2024/25 financial year the Circuit has used its funds raised from the churches in the following ways: - Our ministers together with local preachers provide regular Sunday worship in our churches. Such services are freely available to their local communities and every effort is made to make the experience of worship welcoming and meaningful to visitors. - The Circuit encourages its churches to regularly review their position in their communities, and envision new ways of engaging and connecting with new people. Churches each provide a report to the Circuit meeting of their work and mission throughout the year, and these are taken into account as we assess the health of the Circuit. - The Circuit has provided courses for those requiring Safeguarding training, and has ensured that DBS checks have been completed for those whose posts require them. The Circuit has adopted and regularly reviews its Safeguarding Policy - covering both children and vulnerable adults - and has ensured that each church regularly reviews its own Policy. - The Circuit continues to support local churches in their work with young people. - The Circuit has carried out its oversight of the churches through 4 Circuit Meetings. - There is a regular review process carried out by the Leadership Team to ensure that the Charity is fulfilling its objectives. - Risks to the Circuit are considered by the Circuit Leadership Team (*see below) who oversee the day to day running of the charity and report to the full meeting of Trustees. Professional advice is taken as required. - A Church and Community worker is employed by one of the churches, to manage the lettings of the building, to engage with the local community, and to support the minister in the day to day life of the church. - An Administrator is employed by the Circuit to assist the churches in their publicity, to respond to requests from the District, and to support the Staff team and CLT. - The Circuit continues to prioritise the commitments of Our Calling and A Methodist Way of Life as it encourages its members to grow in discipleship and share God’s love in their contexts. - The Circuit supports its churches in Circuit accreditations, including recognition as a Real Living Wage Employer, and working towards becoming an EcoCircuit. - The Circuit continues to work, as one of the Founder member institutions of Citizens Somerset, to support the campaigns and actions of the local chapter, and to build its core team. Members of the Circuit are engaged in the three action groups. - Several members of the Circuit have engaged with the Faith Rooted Community Organising Training offered through the Connexion, and are finding ways to link FRCO and Citizens in a helpful and accessible way. ## **Financial review** During the year the Circuit received total receipts of £150,338 (year end 2024 £444,193) and dispersed £169,421(year end 2024 £254,450) The trustees of the Circuit have oversight of the finances held, and the assessments required from the churches. Each church continues to meet their assessment. The Circuit currently holds 4 freehold properties, 2 being used to house the Ministers of the Circuit and 2 being rented out to supplement the income produced by assessment. The Circuit has the following principal sources of funds: - Assessments on Churches within the Circuit - Interest on investments - Rents paid for the additional properties owned and rented out. These sums are used primarily to cover the various expenses of the Circuit budget, including the ministers’ stipends. ## **Reserves Policy** - The Reserves Policy for the Taunton Deane and South Sedgemoor Circuit is to hold liquid assets equivalent to 6 months' average expenditure. This should be sufficient to meet any unforeseen item of major expenditure on manses and to be able to continue in the short term funding planned activities in the event of the closure of a large church or an inability to raise the full Circuit Assessment from churches. - It is necessary to hold sufficient working capital to enable the quarterly payment of stipends and business expenses for 2 paid ministers, to fund any lay workers, and to cover our contribution to the District and the Connexion. - Details of funds materially in deficit. There are none. ## **Structure governance and management** |**Descripton of the charity's trusts**|**Descripton of the charity's trusts**|| |---|---|---| |_Type of governing document_||Deed of Union (1932) and Methodist Church Act (1976)| |_How the charity is consttuted_||Act of Parliament| |_Trustee selecton methods_||Appointed by local churches and existng trustees.| |||Ministers are automatcally trustees| |_Additonal governance issues_||None| |_Inducton/Training_||A range of guidance is produced by Methodist Connexion.| |||Leafet 'The Role of a Trustee in The Methodist Church' is| |||given to each trustee.| |_Structure_||Part of the Plymouth and Exeter Methodist District.| |||Accountable to the Methodist Conference.| |_Related Partes_||None| |**Reference and administraton details**||| |_Charity Name_|Taunton Deane and South Sedgemoor Methodist Circuit.|| |_Registered Charity Number_|1133126.|| |_Charity's Principal Address_|36 Craig Lea, Taunton, TA2 7SY (Superintendent’s home address)|| ## _Names of the Charity Trustees who manage the charity_ . The Charity Trustees are the members of the Taunton Deane and South Sedgemoor Circuit Meeting. This comprised during the year of this report. |*Rev Deborah Kirk|Jill Darby| |---|---| |*Rev Annie Deche|Anne Jordan| |*Carol Stowe|Christopher Mitchell| |*Ian Rossiter|Lynda Kazer| |*Elaine Dew|Margaret Walters| |*Rev Peter Thomas|Barbara Poole| |Diana Atkinson|Kevin Boseley| |Hazel Jordan|Stephen Wright| |Graham Dickinson|Merlyn Brown| |Gillian Flick|Joanne Pinguenet| |---|---| |Chris Downing|Marlene Burnell| |Francis Lewis|*Joanne Rossiter| |Michelle Noble|Denise Eggington| |RoyCrouch|John Haines| |*Jane Allin|Elaine Banks| |Sue Parker|David Clitheroe| |Valerie Pearson|*Joanne Rossiter| |Rev Robin Hut|| ||| * indicates a member of the Circuit Leadership Team, who as a group manage the Circuit between full Circuit Meetings. _Custodian trustees_ Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes Manchester ## **Declaration** The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees report above. Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees Full name(s) Deborah Mary Kirk Natalie Knight Position Superintendent Minister Circuit Secretary Date 24/06/2026 24/06/2026 Appended to this report is the Statement of Financial Activity for the year concerned CIRCUIT RECEIPTS ￿lD PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS THE METHODIST CHURCH STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS Taunton Deane and South Sedgemoor 1YJ7 FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 August 2025 xrth Wesl Penirffjukq D￿trIct Circuit no 15137 Regiltered Charity- Charity Registration nwnber 1133126 not a reJ¥te¥ed chwty Hi¥ Maiesws Revenue and Customs Gfft Aid number HMRC is eqLival&rt to 8 f•Sttred tharity nurr**r in temM of ewden¢e of dwriiabk siatus d may ix L￿d to gNe to donors u grnnl fundus wshing to see ev￿jen￿ ofthe crganisation's charrtab slalus. me￿￿•St charibes Wales that are wt registered charib.es are excepted frc¥n stration urth StaW Instrnmert 2014 No2421 Ministern.. Rev Circuit Stv4J¥d&.' lan Rossrter C*c4 StcthE ELwne Dew 1 (*8 Taunton Dew Sowh env)or £COUlffS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 thivst 2025 Cir¢utt last SECTK)N A FWMI REC8PTS Nrte 11?101 112,101 107.040 a3 309 B￿k CFB irterest Invesbwi iiicoN 1 140 10,919 Grants 26,318 26.318 24,554 444.193 a7 TOTAL RECEIPTS 140359 9,690 90 150.338 la81 SECTK)N B b1 PAYMENTS - S￿r￿s. NIC, avd 96 071 Ma￿e Cc¢ts 11268 11.268 10.670 A&nin￿trat￿￿ etc 37 &598 'strict Asses￿￿ 31,336 39.358 27.944 Grants & dLThtiLY trat¥f b7 99,620 12,588 12.626 15.777 TOTAL PAYMENTS 160.641 8,706 75 169.421 Ib91 254.450 SECTK)N C NET RECEIPTSIPAYMElffS FOR THE YEAR c1 a7kn9 20,082 15 19.083 189,74a t f0Th4wd fr(*m 210439 269. srtj to ¢1+t2 211 422 11,609 250.425 Tonsfets arQ 11,609 11.6091 TOTAL FUNDS AT END OF YEAR Ic3+¢41 39.002 X1A22 250.425 ¢81 269.508 SECTK)N D FOR INFORMAMON ONLY.. MOPIEY RECEIVED AND PASSED ON TO EXTERPIAL ORGANISAMONS these anb)unts should not be induthd in toi& recti slpaymerts atthel B￿an￿ b t f(¥wariJ fTWI last sIGffts . re￿¥￿ kn ertemal d3 ng8JGrts. pa￿￿ to externd £￿)ny￿at￿r BALAJ4CE STILL TO BE PAID Id1 + d2- d31 2￿5 Of￿ cifcutXCOLnTS TarmÉ yè¥éDrthi 31 Au9L4I20ry5 Ir-.èNai O￿ls3￿0n4 r4ooflln9 Cltciffi MQ•llry. Nri* In￿mI wQuk1 iormaiyDèRXW.ttItsIOk Unl￿ It t￿￿DÈ ClÉ￿Y$￿￿n ￿Ul￿ De uSéQ oraTry klè¥￿￿EWrPthÈ Tn* te coThtyeteJty JtTr IW055 ￿¢*1P￿ P3)YVeTh$1￿.•% of tre¢iryfL Ir¢wy eNEeeJ5 meAWISJlSthtefjh¢AO É2SO,OM. merrtOTxfwnyngANOA &IFFegepn FOqIA rn￿t oe wo'.0 revDnTrarromiitt ?￿e rEfrf•)m? aance notes re9¥aIn9".￿￿5reTr and￿nnecte0 circ￿1 tygJDisallons 1ts*Lrmiein* 19J.SSB I￿.121 19.lJg3 250.425 iyj. 1G9.4 119.11831 250.425 TOTbLPECEWT¥ TOTAL PA*AEpirs ¥ECTKW F STATBIEKf(Y A5¥Efs CLOM BALIJICES 8ALAH¢ES hlnF* 44 Q39 221,7 21141248 IUB TOTIL 269.51W I(4 250.425 TOT￿￿NFL1￿ TrELDUf C4wr 250.425 Jiw3 Name of Q"rcurt ...Taunton Deane and S¢xrth Sethjerrnor... No...15rJ7. Declarations and Scrutiny I CLX)fimi Ihat these Re¢*'pt a￿1 Payment based accounts for the year to 31 August 2025 have been prepared tr￿n recortls ofthe Circurt ano Ihal they inthjoe all uTrJer c￿1 of Circurt meettrvJ. Signature of treasurer Date Oct 2025 Name ￿ athjress of treasurer Peter T￿a9 8 IJWEJI Green, TAUNTON. Somer5eL Post Ccxle TA1 2TA PTesenlation lo the Crcuit rneeting I ccnfirm 1hat the annual reF•Nt and aCc￿jnts fcf the year ended 31 August 2025 will presented to the Circuit meetry hekj c Signalure of the Ch￿r ofthe meeting Name ofthe ChJ'r of the meetsThJ Rev Del)orah Kirti Date Independènt Examiner's Report 10 th• Trustèes of th• Taunton Deane and South Sedgemoor Circurt ChaTily Number 1133126 Responsibilrties and basis of report I report to the t￿Stee$ my examinab'on ofthe accounts ofthg Taunton Deane and ScAJth Sedgern Circuit lorthe year ended 31 August 2024 set ujl on pages 110 5 As tt)e Circurt's trustees. you are responsib￿ for Ihe preparatK)n of ￿ a¢¢￿ts in accordance ¥rith the requirerwts Of￿ Chart'es Ad 2011 I'lhe Act'i. I report in respect of my exarninJlion of the Circurt's accounts carri•J ￿t untsèr s&ctr"(m 145 olthe Act and. In carrying out my exarninat￿. I ha¥e folIcN￿d all the applicable Direthons given by the Charty CcrtnmissKffl un¢Jer sectw)n 145(5Mbl of the Act. ' delete or cirde as appwwate 4ty5 Name of Circurt ...Taunton Deane and South Sedgemoor...... ..15137.... Independeni Examinei's Staternent I have completed my examination. I confimi that r)0 material matters have come to my attentiorb in connecb.on with the examinabon lother than that disclosed below'l which give me cause lo believe that in. any material respect-. the accountsng records were not kept in accordance wrth section 130 of the Act.. OT the accounts do not accord with the accounting records. I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connectson with the examination to which attents'on should drawn in this rewrt in order lo enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. I havelhave not" obtained independent verification of all investments with the Tru51ees for Methodist Church Purp)ses or held in other trusts. bank balances and funds al the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church which are indivKlually in excess of £10,000 (ten thousand pounds) at the balance sheet date_ Signature of independer)t examiner Name of independent examiner David HawkirrfJs Relevant professional qualificats￿ of independent examiner C Math Name of fiffli (where appropriatel nla Address 5 Hither Acre. ILMINSTER Post Code TA19 9DA Dale 16th October 2025 delete or circle as appropnate 5of5