Esher Green Baptist Church Report and Accounts For the year ended 31 March 2024 Charity number: 1133504 Esher Green Baptist Church Reference and Administrative Details Registered address Esher Green Baptist Church 6 Park Road Esher Surrey KT10 8NP Tel: 01372 469800 Email: office@esherchurch.org Website: www.esherchurch.org Charity Registration Number 1133504 Trustees Pastor Ryan Ahern Senior Minister Jeanette Holt Elder Margaret Evans Elder Karen Lita Elder William Varah Elder Bankers Barclays Bank Leicester LE87 2BB Independent Examiner A J Bennewith FCA, FCPA, FFA, FFTA, FIPA, DChA, FRSA Upper Ground Floor 18 Farnham Road Guildford Surrey GU14X4 Esher Green Baptist Church Trustees, Annual Re ort for the ear ended 31 March 2024 The Trustees present their annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024. Structure Governance and Mana ement The Charity is constituted as an unincorporated association and is affiliated to the Baptist Union of Great Britain and to the London Baptist Association. The Esher Green Baptist Trust Ltd. (EGBTL) is a charitable company controlled by Esher Green Baptist Church for the purpose of holding properties acquired by the Church. The Charity is governed by a constitution based on the Approved Governing Document for Baptist Churches, dated 3 December 2009. The Elders act as the Trustees of the Church. The Church members, meeting appoints Elders to be responsible for the governance of the Church and where there are ministers of the Church, they will also be members of the eldership because of their role and responsibilities. Elders shall (with the exception of a newly appointed minister) be chosen from among Church members and elected in accordance with the Constitution. New trustees are trained in the legal and other responsibilities of trusteeship of the Church. The Elders are responsible for the day to day running of the church's work and witness, and the financial and legal aspects of the charity. They are supported by a team of Ministry Leaders responsible for various areas of ministry within the life of the Church, who report to the Eldership. All members are encouraged to take an appropriate part in the spiritual and practical tasks involved in the furtherance of the charitable objective. The Elders review the various policies of the Church in order to effectively deal with risk management such as Expenses Policy, Investment Policy, Reserves Policy, Risk Assessment Policy, Conflict of Interests Policy, Health & Safety Policy and Safeguarding Policy. Ob"ectives and Activities The principal purpose of the charity is the advancement of the Christian faith according to the principles of the Baptist denomination to include the advancement of education, community service and such other general charitable purposes in the United Kingdom and the world as the Church shall determine. To achieve the principal objective, which is set out above, the Church provides a variety of activities both to its membership and to the community generally. The aim is to show the love of Jesus Christ in both word and deed and to bring people into a closer relationship with Him as living Lord. Our vision statement is 'Each one reach one- eaGh one keep one,. Church Activities Central to the work and witness of the Church is the provision of regular public services of Christian worship. These services take place each Sunday at 1 Oam with a communion service On￿ a month. The church seeks to be a friendly and welcoming community, and anybody is free to attend any of our services. We also live stream our 10arn Sunday Servi￿ for regular attendees who may not be able to get to church in person for a variety of reasons. In addition. we upload an edited version of our Sunday service at 4pm on our YouTube channel which is available to all. Our Small Groups (including our youth and children's groups) continue to meet using a hybrid approach of both online and face to face in member's homes or in the church building. We also continue to operate a flexible hybrid approach of both online and face to face with regard to other meetings (e.g. prayer meetings, church meetings). This hybrid approach has enabled many more people to be able to connect and attend meetings than would be able to otherwise and has proved particularly valuable for those with mobility issues. young children, or those with caring responsibilities. In addition to a variety of prayer and praise services we also offered the following: Pastoral care We support various people that engage with us in one way or another through visiting those ill in hospital, providing financial assistance, offering practical support, spiritual guidance and advice where referral may be required. We have also visited local care homes to support and encourage residents and staff. Small groups andprayer We operate a number of small groups throughout the comrnunity that meet on a regular basis, normally every fortnight. These are typically informal gatherings held in private homes where Church members and non-members alike regularly come together for Bible study, fellowship and prayer, as well as to support one another. We currently have 9 such groups meeting throughout the Elmbridge area (both face to face and online). Prayer is an essential part of our church focus, being the powerhouse of church life. We hold general monthly prayer meetings on Zoom and various other specific prayer gatherings e.g. for Christians Against Poverty (CAP) and Nepal Mission. We also offer one to one prayer after each Sunday service to anyone who wants it. Children and youth activities We run a crèche, kids church and youth group each Sunday and in addition we have fortnightly meetings for youth: a 'Lazers' Youth Group (11-14 years) and a 'Renu' Youth Group for older teenagers {15 years +). Our part-time employed Youth Worker Marcia Varah, spearheads the work for those aged 11 plus. As well as running the youth groups, Marcia provides one to one support for those needing more targeted help and guidance. Our Kids Church continues to offer a range of excellent interactive and exciting activities coordinated by our Kids Church leader Karen Lita and her team. We take safeguarding very seriously and carry out DBS checks for staff and volunteers involved with children and vulnerable adults. In August 2023, our church youth embarked on an incredible mission trip to Brazil in conjunction with 'Youth With A Mission, (YWAM). Prior to the trip various fundraising activities were arranged by the youth to raise funds for the trip. A team from EGBC then set off on this transformative journey, engaging in a variety of impacfful activities. These included working with street children, conducting football ministry in impoverished neighbourhoods, performing puppet shows in schools, sharing public testimonies, and distributing essential items to those in severe poverty. The experience was life-changing, and upon their return, the youth shared their stories and experiences with the congregation during a Sunday moming service. Community activities We continue to provide community-based activities throughout the year, these are free to access and are open to all. Some examples include: Bereavement Café - held in partnership with prIn￿sS Alice Hospice, continues to flourish and has received overwhelmingly positive feedback and endorsements. Meeting from 11 am to 12'.30pm on the fourth Tuesday of each month, this gathering offers a supportive environment for individuals in our community who are experiencing loss. The café provides a safe space for attendees to discuss their grief and find mutual support and encouragement. This initiative has been highly successful, with many participants sharing how beneficial and uplifting they find the experience. Debt Centre Christians A ainst Povert Our Debt Centre (covering the Elmbridge area) was established in January 2018 in partnership with Christians Against Poverty (CAP). This is an extensive free service whereby we employ a Centre Manager who is supported by a team of voluntary befrienders from within the Church. The team offer holistic support and assistan￿ (in consultation with CAP Head Office) to enable people to escape the cycle of debt. We have managed to come alongside and support a wide variety of people. not only with regard to debt. but in a variety of other practical ways. We have seen many clients become debt free and have also seen some clients attend Sunday seNices and other church events and activities. We were delighted to be able to give out amazing Christmas Hampers to all our clients which were extremely well received. Art Club - This runs every Friday and provides a relaxed environment where individuals of all abilities can explore various techniques and approaGhes. often producing fantastic results, To broaden its appeal, the club also includes special craft-based activities On￿ a month. This inclusive atmosphere encourages creativity and attracts a diverse group of participants. Café Club - This free monthly club provides the opportunity to enjoy a break, relax, have a chat, and meet old friends or make new ones. Cake and drinks are provided as are different activities each month such as crafts, painting, poetry, talks and outings. Film Clubs - We show a variety of films using our supersized cinema screen and professional sound system. The film club provides a relaxed and accessible environment for people to socialise, snack and enjoy great films. Our monthly Kids Film Club (2nd Saturday of each month) continues to be a great success. consistently fully booked months in advance. The club offers popcorn, drinks, and light refreshments. all provided free of charge. This outreach activity attracts Ghildren and their parents from the local community, providing an enjoyable and cost-free alternative to going to the cinema for families who may not otherwise afford it. We also run a Youth Film Club in the local community hosted at Lower Green Community Centre. This is specifically to reach out to young people in the community who need a free and safe space to connect with each other and make new friends. This outreach has led to young people joining our regular youth group which meets in the Church. Public benefit The Trustees have complied wilh their dLrty to have due regard to guidance published by the Charity Commission in respect of public benefit. They are satisfied that the activities outlined above clearly demonstrate that the Charity is providing a benefit to the public. Achievements and Performance We continue to see good Sunday attendance with new people joining from a variety of backgrounds and age groups which is very encouraging. Our congregation includes approximately 130 adults and children, though not all are present every Sunday. We also continue to stream our Sunday Services through our YouTube channel recognising a significant number still connect online, with 179 subscribers now and in excess of that number regularly tuning in at various tirnes throughout the week. Our current adult membership stands at 65. In addition to our regular activities reaching out to our community. our achievements for the year included.. Al ha Course- Our Alpha fish and chip supper was a great success with a number of people going on to sign up and complete the course. Due to the cohesiveness of the group, we followed up with a further discipleship course. Those attending regularly attend church now and a new small group has been formed due to the desire of the group to remain together, which is a real source of celebration. Coronation Celebrations - as well as a dedicated Sunday service to celebrate the event we also held a livestream event of the Coronation itself including free cream teas. This was very well attended and provided a great opportunity for a community celebration. Esher Ma Fair - At the Esher May Fair. our youth ran a stall to raise funds for their Youth Mission to Brazil. This proved a great success with queues of people lining up for free face painting, nail painting and various craft activities and items. Communit litter ick - In Juty we covered lots of ground collecting an array of items (including such finds as.. a fridge door, a hub cap, a trampoline and even an Armani t-shirt!). In all we collected in excess of 30 black bags of rubbish, making a positive environmental impact. Pet Service - During the summer, we hosted our first pet service, recognising the vital role pets play in combating loneliness and promoting well-being. The event was a resounding success, drawing a diverse array of pets and their owners, particularly from the local community. We were pleased to observe that all pets were well-behaved throughout the service. Notably, a racing pigeon released at the service safely returned home before everyone had finished their tea. other Mission and Charit Su ort - We were delighted to offer a weekly meeting space to the local charity. The Besom in Esher, with whom many of our church members volunteer and support. Additionally, we provided funds for the charity to purchase a new van, enabling them to continue their invaluable work. They were thrilled by this support, as their previous van was unfit for purpose, placing them in a challenging situation. We ran a special film night celebrating 100 years of Hollywood with all proceeds going to the charity Rentstart who support homeless people in Elmbridge. Additionally, in November, we continued to act as a collection centre for 'Operation Christmas Child, an initiative by the charity Samaritan's Purse. Through the generosity of our church members and the wider community, we collected over 200 shoeboxes filled with small toys, clothing, stationery, and more. These were delivered overseas to some of the world's most disadvantaged children. It was such an encouragement to be able to do this work and engage with so many people and organisations who gave so generously. In addition to our regular monthly giving, we were thrilled to raise additional funds for ECAN, our local refugee charity, through a dedicated cake bake sale. We also hosted a Christmas gathering for Park Road neighbours which was a great success and our Christmas choir went down a storm at the local Wheatsheaf pub. Financial Review The Church continues to raise the funds whith it needs to carry on its activities from within its own membership and congregation. The financial position of the Charity at 31 March 2024 and comparatives for the prior period, as more fully detailed in the accounts, can be summarised as follows.'_ 2024 2023 Net expenditure (24,423) (10,034) Unrestricted Revenue Funds available for the general purposes of the Charily 115,898 134,973 Designated Revenue Funds 1,871,843 1,872,229 Total Unrestricted Funds 1,987,741 2,007,202 Restricted Revenue Funds 150 5,112 Total Funds 1.987,891 2,012,314 The Charity's income increased, compared to the year before, to £182,486 (2023: £179,419), while expenditure also increased to £206.909 (2023: £189.453). The overall reserve was decreased by -£24,423 (2023: _£10,034). The Church's fInan￿S remain in a satisfactory position. We operate a Mission Fund and 10 % of the total general income of the Church is set aside each month as a Designated Reserve. The Mission Fund is intended to provide financial assistancel support to UK and overseas causes. The fund is administered by the Eldership with advice from the Mission Team. A full list of the charities that we have supported during this period is contained in the notes to the financial statements. The Church is heavily dependent on its membership working as volunteers in all aspects of the church's activities. many of which run with little or no impact on the church's expenditure, but nevertheless, contribute substantially to the achievement of the church's objectives. The Trustees highly value the significant conlribution made to the activities of the charity by unpaid volunteers. Reserves Polic The Trustees have established a Reserves Policy to enable the church to function effectively and meet its obligations in the event of a decline in our income or a major cost. Unrestricted or General reserves The target range, to maintain securely day-to-day running of the normal Church expenses, is between 3 to 6 months of budgeted expenditure. This will normally be sufficient to ensure that budgeted expenditure can be spent on time given that large expense items should be planned for at least three months in advan￿. This reserve takes into account the fact that the Gift Aid tax recovery (which usually amounts to about 14 % of total income) is received quarterly. The Finance Team is authorised to restrict budgeted expenditure in the event of the forecast income not being maintained. If the target resenie is not met, the Finance Team will advise the Trustees of the need for appropriate steps to reach it. Any action to increase the reserve should, however, be in reasonable balan￿ with our charitable activities. As at 31 March 2024 the reserves amounted to £76,723 which represents 5 months of budgeted expenditure for next year. Considering changes to individual giving over the past year and going forward, the Trustees will be budgeting to reduce general fund expenditure for the next year to keep reserves within the range. The Trustees are satisfied that reserves will be maintained within the range. Desi nated Reserves Designated Reserves may be made out of Unrestricted Reserves or income from time to time by the Finance Team, subject to confirmation by the Trustees. In the same way, Designated Reserves can be returned to Undesignated Reserves when not required for the designated purpose. Such reserves are made to provide for specific expenditure anticipated in the future which can be covered from current resources, or for exceptional items beyond normal annual expenditure. The Designated Resenie created in respect of the property in Park Road represents funds lent to EGBTL in respect of the Park Road development. Staff Pro Reserve This is a Designated Reserve rnade up from Unrestricted incomelreserves to provide capital to lend to the EGBTL for the purchase of residential property for ministry staff employed by the Church. Proceeds of the sale of such property during any vacancy of a staff post will be retained in the Reserve for the purchase of future new property. Additions to the Reserve, to provide for the purchase of further property or for capital work on existing property, may also be made. Restricted Reserves Restricted income (income given to the Church to use for charitable causes specified by the donor) is used for those purposes as soon as possible. To the extent that the income cannot be immediately used, it is retained in a specified Restricted Reserve account until spent. If any recovery of tax under Gift Aid is related to a gift, the tax ￿COvered is added to the appropriate Restricted Reserve. In the case of each of the above reserves, any interest arising on these reserves is credited to the appropriate reserve. This report was approved by the board of Trustees on 11 August 2024. Karen Lita Trustee Esher Green Baptist Church Report of the Independent Examiner to the Trustees of the charity on the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Esher Green Baptist Church (the Church) for the year ended 31 March 2024 set out on pages 9 to 18. Responsibilities and basis of the report As the charity trustees of the Church you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act.). You consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Act and that an independent examination is needed. I report in respect of my examination of the Church's accounts carried out under section 145 of th8 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. Independent Examiner's Statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination givin9 me cause to believe that in any material respect.. 1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act. or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records. or 3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 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. 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. A J Bennewith FCA, FCPA, FFA, FFTA, FIPA, DChA, FRSA Upper Ground Floor 18 Farnham Road Guildford Surrey GU14XA This report was signed on 01 Esher Green Baptist Church ststement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2024 Note Unrestricted Funds 2024 Restricted Funds 2024 Total Funds Total Funds 2024 2023 Income from.. Donations and legacies Investment income Charitable activities Other trading activities 166.840 3.827 11.699 178,539 3,827 177,808 1,571 2b 2¢ 2d 120 120 40 Total income 170.787 11,699 182,486 179,419 Expondlture on: Charitable activities Direct charitable expenditure Support costs Grants payable 120,372 40,411 29,465 16,661 137,033 40,411 29.465 110,349 51,778 27,326 3b 3¢ Total expenditure 190.248 16,661 206,909 189,453 Net gains on investments Net incomel(expenditure) for the year Transfers between funds 119,461) <4,962) (24,423) {10,034) Net movement In funds 119,461) (4,962) (24,423) (10,034) Raconcillatlon of funds: Total funds brought forward 2,007,202 5,112 2,012,314 2,022,348 Total funds carried fonvard 1,987.741 150 1,987,891 2,012,314 Esher Green Baptist Church Balance sheet as at 31 March 2024 Notes 2024 2023 Fixed assets Tangible assets Investments in Associated Company Total fixed assets 10 39,175 460,425 499,600 45,576 460,425 506,001 Current assets Debtors Cash at bank and in hand 12 1,396,058 97,705 1,493.763 1,401,517 110,845 1,512,362 Total current assets Current liabilities Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 13 (5.472) (6,049) Net current assets Total current assets less current liabilities 1,488,291 1,506,313 Total net assets 1,987,891 2,012,314 Represented by Charlty funds Restricted funds 14115 150 5,112 Designated funds 14115 1,871,843 1,872,229 Unrestricted funds 14115 115,898 134,973 Total charity funds 1,987,891 2,012,314 The notes on pages 11-18 form an integral part of these accounts. These accounts were approved by the Trustees on 11 August 2024 and signed on their behalf by: {1,424) 150 1,424 Total Restricted Fund8 11.699 16.661 150 Total Fund8 2,012,314 182,486 {2Q6,909) 1,987,891 Previous Yoar Balance 1 Aprfl 2022 other Galns & Losses Balance 31 March 2023 Income Expenditure Transfers Unrestrlcted Funds General 156,718 168,539 (156,3591 (33.925) 134,973 Designated Funds Esher Green 8aptist Trust Ltd Housing Park Road Oevelopment Mission 460.425 181.000 1.205.273 503 18,429 1,865,630 460.425 181.000 1,205.273 959 24.572 1,872,229 (27.326) 27,782 6,143 33,925 Building Redecoralion Totsl Designated Funds Restricted funds Youth Brazil Mission Trip Defibrillator Other (27,326) 5,112 2,109 3,659 10.880 5,112 (2.109) (3,6591 15.768) Total Restrlcted Funds 5,112 Total Funds 2.022,348 179,419 (189.453} 2,012,314 Pur oses of funds Deslgnated Funds Esher Green Baptist Tru51 Ltd Housing Fund Park Road Development Mission Support Ftjnd Represents the carrying value of the funds in EGBTL. Repregenls funds lent to EGBTL in ￿SPe￿ of the man$e. Represents funds lent lo EGBTL in respect of iha church building d8valopmenl. A share of the unspecified general giving received by the church is sel aside each month and grants are made accordingly. Carries a balance sel aside from the genernl fund to meet the anlicipaled Tepair and redecoration costs of the churth premises. Building Redecoralion Fund Restricted Funds Youth Brazil Mission Trip CAP Oebt Cenlte Other To fund a youth mission trip to Brazil in August 2023. To assist clients of the CAP Debt Centre. Income gbven to the church lo use for charitable Causes specified by the donor. 18