Trustees' Report & Annual Accounts for the year 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025
CONTENTS
The Purpose of this Document
This document describes the activities and financial affairs of the church for the year.
It is intended to include all the information that the Charity Commission recommends be reported annually.
| Contents | 2 |
|---|---|
| Reference and Administrative Information | 3 |
| Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 30 September 2025 | 4 |
| Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Slough Baptist Church | 10 |
| Statement of Financial Activities | 11 |
| Balance Sheet | 12 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 13 |
Slough Baptist Church Trustees' Report & Annual Accounts 2025
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REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Aims
The principal aim of Slough Baptist Church is the advancement of the Christian faith according to the principles of the Baptist denomination. The Church may also advance education and other charitable purposes in the United Kingdom and / or other parts of the world. It is affiliated to the Baptist Union of Great Britain and is also a member of the Evangelical Alliance.
Charity Status
The charity was registered at the Charity Commission on 26 January 2010 with the charity registration number 1133760. Address & contact details:
34 Windsor Road http://www.sloughbaptistchurch.org.uk Slough 01753 523058 Berkshire, SL1 2EJ mail to: office@sloughbaptistchurch.org.uk
Trustees
Ms A Callum (until February 2026) Mrs O Ogunsanya (from Jan - Aug 2025) Mr J Edwins (until December 2024) Mr M Ngwenya (until December 2025) Mrs E Fraser (until March 2025) Mr J Shepherd Rev D Howell Mr A Tarrant MBE Mrs J Jones Mr J Tettelaar Ms L Longman (until December 2024) Mr M Warren Mrs G Morgan-Dewar (from July 2025) Mr J Wesley (until April 2025) Mrs F Ogundijo (from January 2026) Rev K Wilson
Custodian Trustee
Baptist Union Corporation Ltd Baptist House, PO Box 44 129 Broadway, Didcot Oxfordshire, OX11 8RT
Bankers
Lloyds Bank High St, Slough Berkshire, SL1 1DH
Independent Examiner
Sarah Crispin A.C.A. Stewardship 1 Lamb’s Passage London, EC1Y 8AB
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REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
The trustees are pleased to present their report together with the financial statements of the Church for the year ended 30th September 2025.
Structure, Governance and Management
The governing document is an Individual Deed of Trust dated 1896, supported by a Constitution adopted on 22 April 2009 and revised 10 April 2022.
The Church is a registered charity. The Church Members' Meeting is the governing body of the church, which appoints ministers, elders, deacons and church officers. The ministers, elders, deacons and officers form the Church Council and act as managing Trustees. The church's buildings are held by the Baptist Union Corporation as custodian trustees.
Objectives and Activities
Objectives
The mission we have for ourselves is unchanged:
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" We aim to give glory to God
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by offering a Welcome for the whole world, being a Witness to the whole world, enabling Worship from the whole world .”
Sometimes, a grand statement like this is easy to say but how do we actually do it? At Slough Baptist Church, we aim to offer a welcome to the whole world. We know we cannot welcome all eight billion people! But, just as Jesus positively welcomed anyone, whatever their race or background, we too want to be known as a welcoming people.
We also aim to be a witness to the whole world. We see our responsibility to be both a local and international witness. In Slough, we have a unique privilege of having the world on our doorstep. A survey of attendees indicates that at Sunday morning worship people from over 40 different nations can be present.
We also desire to give glory to God by offering worship from the whole world. This means recognising and using the rich diversity of races, ages and experiences of the fellowship in deepening our worship of God.
Activities
The church programme includes Sunday Services, Sunday Club (for those under 15), home groups, prayer meetings, Friday Families (parent & toddler group), Guides, Brownies, Rainbows, youth activities, groups to explain the Christian faith, evangelism, social events, fund-raising events, educational and holiday activities for school children, and more.
Public Benefit
In planning the activities of the charity, we have considered the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission, including the specific guidance to charities for the advancement of religion.
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Priorities for the Future
At the 2024 AGM, a new vision for the next five years was adopted by the membership:
Our Vision is to be a church that shares the love and power of Jesus to transform Slough and beyond.
To achieve this, we have adopted policies and practices that are aligned with our core values, being:
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Bible based
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Faithful
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Worshipping
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Encouraging
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Caring
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Collaborating
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Outward looking
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Welcoming
In 2025/26 the trustees will have a particular focus on the following areas:
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i) Discipleship – We are seeking to find ways that will enable us all to be involved, of whatever age, from whatever culture, and from whatever background. The teaching will challenge us to be disciples of Jesus with our heads and our hearts and our hands – so we not only read the Bible, but we change our attitudes, and we put our faith into practice.
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ii) Staffing – Following the departure of our Pastoral Care Pastor in February 2025, the church is seeking to appoint a full time Pastoral Care Lead during in first quarter of 2026.
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iii) Ministerial Training – The church is looking to support one of our Members that has responded to a call to pastoral ministry. The level and type of support will be considered during the first three quarters of 2026.
Achievements and Performance
Welcome
We have a dedicated team of volunteers that stand at the front door of the church to welcome regular, occasional and visiting worshippers to the Sunday morning service.
The number of members has remained steady over the last ten years and currently stands at 118. Slough is a relatively transient town: each year we welcome a new cohort of members, whilst at the same time, a similar number of members move on to pastures new.
Our Members’ Meetings are now generally held in hybrid format, with members present in the church building, but also able to join the meeting and contribute via Zoom. This allows greater involvement of senior members and those with younger children. Our attendance at Members’ Meetings is now consistently above 50%.
Our Sunday morning services are livestreamed on YouTube, allowing greater access to participate for members of our fellowship that have restricted mobility, sickness or who are extremely clinically vulnerable. A live translation app is used to allow worshippers to follow the service in their first language.
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Witness
As a Church we endeavour to spread the Good News of Jesus in a wide variety of ways.
We employ one full time minister, a Lead Pastor , to oversee a range of existing activities and to support members in setting new mission activities.
In 2025, our second full time minister, a Pastoral Care Pastor , resigned in March 2025. The church continues to recognise the need for a staff member to provide pastoral support to the church community and we now have a non-ministerial position of Pastoral Care Coordinator.
Our witness within the community of Slough includes a ‘live nativity’ in the church building prior to Christmas, a summer holiday club for 5- to 11-year-old children, and an interactive Easter event that is open to people of all faiths and none.
Our Friday Families group for parents and toddlers meets each Friday morning during term time. This provides a meeting point for an ever-changing group of people drawn from the community around us, as some toddlers go off to nursery school and other babies are born and join in. Church Open on Wednesdays during term time offers a welcoming space, refreshments, board games and friendly conversation for anybody in the town to drop in.
The church hosts a local schools worker, who is employed by Christian Connections in Schools , and who meets with young people in the schools of Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead.
Together with many other churches our financial support to the Baptist Home Mission helps smaller churches, plants new churches and supports educational, commercial and hospital chaplaincies.
We have two church members involved in medium-term mission work in Uganda and France, and also a third member went on an extended mission trip to Nepal during 2025. The church is supporting this mission work and expects to continue to do so in the coming years. We have continued our links with Varna Baptist Church in Bulgaria and Smile Charity Uganda.
We also continue to sponsor a child through Compassion , and to provide financial support to BMS World Mission and Christian Connections in Schools .
Worship
Services
Our Sunday morning service continued to grow during the reporting period, with an average attendance of 192 across the whole of 2025. The downstairs section of the church is mostly full on most Sundays, and the upstairs section is becoming increasingly busy.
On Sunday evenings, we hold Discover sessions, which are attended by about 20 people each week. This is an interactive worship event, where participants can ask questions and share their understanding of the Bible with one another. This session is particularly popular with young adults in their 20s and 30s. The session leadership also comes from this age group.
Prayer
Prayer is the foundation to all we do and we have many opportunities to pray. We encourage prayer in our worship services and in Home Groups but we also have additional occasions for prayer, including prayer days, weekly online prayer meetings on Tuesday lunchtimes and Church Prayers each month on Saturday mornings. We assemble with other churches in Slough on the last Tuesday of each month to pray for the town.
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Home Groups
Home Groups are important, providing close fellowship, prayer and wide-ranging Bible study. We have six groups meeting regularly at present either in-person or using the church zoom account. Their main goals are to support members in fellowship, to pray together and to develop as disciples together.
Families, Youth & Children
Regular weekly activities at the church include five age-appropriate Sunday morning groups, the youth home group, Y@S (14 to 18-year-olds), Guides, Rangers, Brownies and Rainbows. We maintain close links with the Boys’ Brigade that meets at St. Andrew’s Methodist Church, providing leaders for some of the groups. The Boys’ Brigade and Girl Guides join the congregation for Parade Services four times each year.
We have continued to host a variety of annual events, such as Easter Explored, a summer Holiday Club, a late autumn Light Party, and the ‘Christmas Unwrapped’ and ‘Easter Cracked’ primary school presentations by Christian Connections in Schools, We continue our regular work with mission to children, young people and families through a variety of activities including the Y@S weekend away, Satellites Summer Camp, weekly Sunday Club groups, events with local Christian young people, our nativity service and other all-age services
Financial Review
Total income in the year ended 30 September 2025 was higher than 2024 by £36,000. The main reason for this increase in income was a number of one-off gifts and a £10,000 bequest.
Total expenditure was lower in 2025 than the previous year by £39,000, this is due to one off repairs in the previous year for dry rot. In addition, our Pastoral Care Pastor resigned in March 2025, with associated staff cost savings.
Investment Policy
Generally, no investments are held, other than a £25,000 Baptist Union Loan Fund deposit. Any unrestricted donations received are used within a calendar year of being received, for church expenses or for church projects or given to others as described in the grants policy. However, any large donations over £10,000 are notified to the Church Members' Meeting, which may authorise sums to be invested with the Baptist Union Loan Corporation until a suitable project is identified.
Reserves Policy
Reserves are needed to manage any cash flow delays where income arrives later than expenditure. Cash in the bank at any one time is normally sufficient to cover such delays. However, if necessary, the treasurer is authorised to accumulate a sum equivalent to between one and four months of expenditure as reserves.
Running costs for the church are met from the unrestricted General Fund and the Church Fund, which is a restricted fund for church running costs. The trustees have determined that the charity should aim to hold total net current assets in those combined funds of no less than £20,000 (which equates to about one month of budgeted running costs) so that the charity could continue to operate should income and / or expenditure vary adversely.
At the year end, the reserves in those funds, excluding bequests of £84,000, were estimated at £124,000, which is the equivalent to slightly over 5 months’ budgeted running
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costs. These reserves are earmarked for expenditure in the next financial year to finance various projects.
Grants Policy
As Slough Baptist Church we will give money away in accordance with these principles:
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We give a fixed proportion of our general fund income by tithe to projects outside the fellowship. The amount is agreed at the Annual General Meeting. For 2025, the proportion was 10%. For 2024, the proportion was 10%.
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In addition to this, we encourage people in our fellowship to give to various charitable organisations both directly and through our Mission Fund.
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Grants may be to individuals or organisations.
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Grants must be in line with the purpose statement of the church. This is, “ As Slough Baptist Church we aim to give glory to God by offering a Welcome to the whole world, by Witnessing to the whole world and by bringing Worship from the whole world. ” All grants are to aid in the propagation of the Christian faith, either directly (e.g. grants to missionary societies), or indirectly (e.g. grants given in the name of the church for the improvement of the spiritual, physical, emotional or educational welfare of those in need).
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Grants may be made to individuals linked to the fellowship from the Persons in Need (PIN) fund. These grants are administered confidentially by a panel appointed by the Church Members’ Meeting. All PIN grants will be below £1,000 for any one person in any one year.
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The Annual General Meeting for Members authorises an annual budget for grants, and the Church Council appoints committees to decide how the budget for grants is to be allocated. A report of expenditure is given at each quarterly Church Members’ Meeting and in the Annual Report and Accounts.
Risk Management
The church council has appointed people to manage the following specific areas of risk:
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Security and fire safety
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Health and safety
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Finance and legislation
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Safeguarding
Policies and procedures are reviewed regularly and are published on the church website.
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Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities
The Charities Act 2011 requires the trustees to prepare a statement of accounts for each financial year, which comply with the regulations made under that act.
The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees’ annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice. Charity law in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charity as at the balance sheet date and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including 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,
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent,
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state whether the applicable 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 charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records, which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011 and the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Approval
Jun 22, 2026 This report was approved by the trustees on ……………………… The trustees authorised Jonathan Tettelaar (Treasurer) to sign on their behalf.
Jonathan Tettelaar Jonathan Tettelaar (Jun 22, 2026 11:38:41 GMT+1)
Treasurer
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF SLOUGH BAPTIST CHURCH
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Slough Baptist Church (the Trust) for the year ended 30 September 2025 on pages 11 to 21 following, which have been prepared on the basis of the accounting policies set out on pages 13 to 14.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 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
Since the Charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material 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 Trust as required by section 130 of the 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 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.
Sarah Crispin
Sarah Crispin (Jun 29, 2026 08:23:58 GMT+1)
Jun 29, 2026
Sarah Crispin ACA Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage London EC1Y 8AB
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SLOUGH BAPTIST CHURCH - YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
SUMMARY INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT
| -- Unrestricted Funds -- | -- Unrestricted Funds -- | -- Restricted | Funds -- | Total funds | Total funds | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notes | General | Designated | Endowment | Income | 2025 | 2024 | |
| £ | £ | ||||||
| INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM: | |||||||
| Donations and legacies | 2 | 220,105 | 10,000 | 45,400 | 275,505 | 239,712 | |
| Investments | 1,832 | 1,832 | 2,894 | ||||
| Charitable activities | 3 | 437 | 437 | 373 | |||
| Other income and endowments | 4 | 10,478 | 110 | 10,588 | 9,907 | ||
| Total income and endowments | 232,415 | 10,000 | - | 45,947 | 288,362 | 252,885 | |
| EXPENDITURE ON | |||||||
| Charitable activities | 5 | 171,300 | 27,042 | 30,914 | 44,428 | 273,684 | 321,489 |
| Other | 6 | 12,963 | 12,963 | 3,770 | |||
| Total expenditure | 171,300 | 27,042 | 30,914 | 57,391 | 286,647 | 325,259 | |
| Net income/(expenditure) | 61,115 | (17,042) | (30,914) | (11,444) | 1,715 | (72,374) | |
| Transfers between funds | (20,621) | 24,959 | (4,338) | - | - | ||
| Net movement in funds | 40,494 | 7,917 | (30,914) | (15,782) | 1,715 | (72,374) | |
| Reconciliation of funds | |||||||
| Total funds brought forward | 102,015 | 2,083 | 706,000 | 115,249 | 925,347 | 997,721 | |
| Total funds carried forward | 142,509 | 10,000 | 675,086 | 99,467 | 927,062 | 925,347 |
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing operations. Movements on reserves and all recognised gains and losses are shown above. The notes on pages 13 to 21 form part of these accounts.
An analysis of the SOFA including comparative amounts for each type of fund is included in Note 17.
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SLOUGH BAPTIST CHURCH - YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
BALANCE SHEET
AS AT 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
| Note FIXED ASSETS Tangible assets 10 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors and prepayments 11 Investments 12 Bank and cash balances CURRENT LIABILITIES Amounts falling due within one year 13 NET CURRENT ASSETS TOTAL NET ASSETS FUND BALANCES Restricted funds 14 Endowment funds Income funds Unrestricted funds 15 Designated funds General funds TOTAL FUND BALANCES |
11,842 25,191 201,018 |
2025 £ 695,463 231,599 |
19,804 24,864 157,997 |
2024 £ 727,597 197,750 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 238,051 6,452 |
202,665 4,915 |
|||
| 675,086 99,467 |
||||
| 927,062 | 925,347 | |||
| 774,553 152,509 |
||||
| 706,000 | ||||
| 115,249 | 821,249 104,098 |
|||
| 10,000 142,509 |
2,083 102,015 |
|||
| 927,062 | 925,347 |
The notes on pages 13 to 21 form part of these accounts.
An analysis of the net assets by type of fund is included in Note 16.
Approval
Jun 22, 2026
The report and accounts were approved by the trustees on ________ . The trustees authorised Jonathan Tettelaar (Treasurer) to sign on their behalf.
Jonathan Tettelaar
Jonathan Tettelaar (Jun 22, 2026 11:38:41 GMT+1)
Treasurer
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SLOUGH BAPTIST CHURCH - YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. Accounting policies
These financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, under the historical cost convention. Based on the adequacy of the charity's reserves as at the balance sheet date, along with their knowledge of the charity's ability to meet bills, payments and other liabilities as they fall due, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has sufficient resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. In making this assessment the trustees have considered the impact of Covid-19 and have concluded that its impact on net income will not be material.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the "Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" ("the Charities SORP"), with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland ("FRS 102") and with the Charities Act 2011. THe charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity as set out in FRS 102.
The Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 (the '2008 Regulations') require charities to prepare their accounts in accordance with 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice effective from 1 April 2005', but this accounting standard has since been withdrawn and has been replaced by the Charities SORP mentioned in the preceding paragraph. The charity has prepared these financial statements in accordance with the new Charities SORP; this departure from the 2008 Regulations is believed necessary for these financial statements to give a 'true and fair view'.
The charity has taken advantage of the exemption conferred by the SORP (FRS 102) from the requirement to produce a cash flow statement on the grounds of its size.
The following are the accounting policies which have been applied in dealing with material items:
(a) Donated and grant income
Voluntary income received by way of donations and gifts is included in full in the Statement of Financial Activities when received, including gifts in kind that are capable of valuation.
Donations under Gift Aid, together with the tax recoverable thereon, are accounted for when received. Provision is made for unclaimed tax at the year-end. For legacies, entitlement is the earlier of the church being notified of an impending distribution or the legacy being received.
The church has relied significantly on volunteers in carrying out its activities during the year. However, in accordance with the SORP, the value of these services has not been recognised as income as they cannot be reliably measured.
(b) Expenditure
Items of expenditure are charged in the accounts in the period in which they are incurred. These are allocated to the following headings and include attributable VAT which cannot be recovered:
-Charitable activities comprises all expenditure that directly related to the objects of the church.
-Costs of generating funds are those costs incurred in fundraising activities.
-Grants payable are taken into account at the earlier of the date when they are paid or the date when they become constructive obligations
-Governance costs include those incurred in the governance of its assets and are primarily associated with constitutional and statutory requirements.
Transfers between funds are made by the trustees as appropriate.
(c) Fund structure
Expenditure which meets certain criteria is identified to the relevant fund.
General unrestricted funds represent donations and other income received or generated for the objects of the Church without further specified purpose and are available as general funds.
The following funds are classed as General :
The General Fund - for church running costs and allocation to designated funds
Designated unrestricted funds are those which have been allocated by the Trustees for identifiable future expenditure.
The following funds are classed as Designated :
The Tithe Fund - for planned giving, budgeted annually as a proportion of income The Persons In Need (PIN) Fund - for small benevolent gifts to individuals The Church Designated Fund - for church expenditure for purposes identified by the trustees Restricted funds are to be used for specified purposes as laid down by the donor. The following funds are classed as Restricted :
The Building Fund - for building projects
The Mission Funds - various funds for handling donations for mission purposes The Church Fund - for Slough Baptist Church running costs The Y@S Fund - for church youth activities The Persons In Need (PIN) Fund - for small benevolent gifts to individuals
Fridays
The Community Cafe Fund - for activities of the church related to the Open Church events The Ladies' Recharge Fund - for activities of the church related to Ladies' Recharge events Endowment funds are to be held as capital.
The Property Endowment Fund holds all the properties owned by the church.
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SLOUGH BAPTIST CHURCH - YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. Accounting policies (continued)
(d) Tangible fixed assets and depreciation
Tangible assets are included in the balance sheet at cost or at market value at the date of the gift.
Depreciation on fixed assets is provided at rates considered appropriate to reduce book values to estimated residual values over the useful lives of the assets concerned:
Buildings - Straight line over 50 years
Building improvements - Straight line over 20 to 50 years
Computer equipment - Straight line over 3 years Other equipment - Straight line over 5 to 20 years Assets in the course of construction are not depreciated until they are completed. Depreciation commences in the quarter following acquisition or capitalisation. Small items of equipment (valued at £1,000 or less) are written off on purchase.
Freehold land is not depreciated .
(e) Financial instruments
The Charity's financial assets and financial liabilities all qualify as basic financial instruments, as defined in FRS 102. Except for loans, creditors and debtors are measured at their expected settlement value (normally the amount of cash that the charity expects to pay or receive).
(f) Pensions
The Church is an employer participating in a pension scheme known as the Baptist Pension Scheme (“the Scheme”), which is administered by the Pension Trustee (Baptist Pension Trust Limited). The Scheme is a separate legal entity and the assets of the Scheme are held separately from those of the Employer and the other participating employers.
The Scheme, previously known as the Baptist Ministers’ Pension Fund, started in 1925, but was closed to future accrual of defined benefits on 31 December 2011. Prior to this date the main benefit provided through the defined Benefit (DB) Plan was a pension of one eightieth of final minimum pensionable income for each year of pensionable service together with additional pension in respect of premiums paid on Pensionable Income in excess of Minimum Pensionable Income.
From January 2012, pension provision is being made through the Defined Contribution (DC) Plan within the Scheme. In general, members pay 8% of their Pensionable Income and employers pay 6% of members’ Pensionable Income into individual pension accounts, which are operated and managed on behalf of the Pension Trustee by Broadstone Corporate Benefits Ltd. In addition, the employer pays a further 4% of Pensionable Income to cover Death in Service Benefits, administration costs, and an associated insurance policy which provides income protection for Scheme members if they are unable to work due to long-term incapacity. This income protection policy has been insured by the Baptist Union of Great Britain with Aviva Limited. Furthermore, members of the Basic Section pay reduced contributions of 5% of Pensionable Income, and their employers also pay a total of 5%.
In October 2024, the insurance company Just Group completed a buy out of the liabilities of the closed defined benefit scheme. From that date any remaining liability of the participating scheme members to defined benefit scheme ceased and the £1 per month deficit contributions payable by the participating employers which were agreed in the recovery plan approved in August 2022 also ceased from that date. Administration of the closed defined benefit scheme transferred from the pension trustees to Just Group from that date.
The Minister and some members of the church staff are eligible to join the Scheme.
Section 28.11A of FRS 102 requires agreed deficit recovery payments to be recognised as a liability. The present value of the agreed deficit contributions were immaterial at the beginning of the financial year and were fully extinguished once buy out was completed by Just Group in October 2024.
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SLOUGH BAPTIST CHURCH - YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
2. Donations and Legacies
| Gift Aided direct donations Bequests Other donations |
Total Total 2025 2024 £ £ 209,851 197,097 10,000 - 55,654 42,615 |
|---|---|
| 275,505 239,712 |
3. Incoming resources from charitable activities
| Friday Families group | Total Total 2025 2024 £ £ 437 373 |
|---|---|
| 437 373 |
4. Other incoming resources
| Gifts for use of premises Sundry receipts |
Total Total 2025 2024 £ £ 10,060 9,600 528 307 |
|---|---|
| 10,588 9,907 |
Gifts for use of premises included £9,600 (FY24 £9,600) received from the tenant of No 34 Windsor Road, a property owned by the Charity. The Trustees note that this is a related party transaction as the tenant, Jon Edwins, is a Trustee. The other Trustees have discussed the matter and agree that any conflicts can be adequately managed and that it is in the best interests of Slough Baptist Church that Jon and his family remain tenants of No.34. In the interests of transparency, the Trustees have self-reported the potential conflict to the Charity Commission and have received agreement on this approach.
5. Expenditure on charitable activities
| Costs incurred directly on specific activities Ministry staff salaries and expenses Telephone and utilities Facilities and IT costs Depreciation of tangible fixed assets Miscellaneous expenses Grants payable (note 7) Costs incurred on support and administration Governance costs (note 8) Support staff costs and training Printing, postage and stationery Insurance Bank charges Other support and administration costs Total expenditure on charitable activities |
Total Total 2025 2024 £ £ 75,625 99,786 21,881 14,524 18,905 56,692 34,754 35,740 10,150 9,000 33,970 28,811 |
|---|---|
| 195,285 244,553 |
|
| 2,080 2,000 67,298 64,468 1,425 1,880 5,812 5,657 200 878 1,584 2,053 |
|
| 78,399 76,936 |
|
| 273,684 321,489 |
6 Other Expenditure
Advisory fees relating to potential renovations of the church building
| Total | Total |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 |
| £ | £ |
| 12,963 | 3,770 |
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Slough Baptist Church Trustees' Report & Annual Accounts 2025
SLOUGH BAPTIST CHURCH - YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
7. Grants payable
| payable | |
|---|---|
| Christian Connections in Schools Smile Uganda Bulgarian Support Fund WEC People In Need Fund gifts Baptist Missionary Society Home Mission Fund Compassion Cippenham Baptist Church Slough Foodbank Tearfund |
Total Total 2025 2024 £ £ 11,861 11,655 8,404 5,354 4,241 4,164 4,248 3,123 1,750 1,454 1,235 1,235 1,222 1,210 384 352 500 - 125 - - 264 |
| 33,970 28,811 |
No grants to individuals were given to any trustees.
8. Governance Costs
| ance Costs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total | Total | |
| 2025 | 2024 | |
| £ | £ | |
| Independent examination fees | 2,080 | 2,000 |
Fees payable to Stewardship, other than for the independent examination, for payroll bureau services, totalled £752 (2024: £810, including consultation fees).
Slough Baptist Church Trustees' Report & Annual Accounts 2025
Page 16
SLOUGH BAPTIST CHURCH - YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
9. Employee and Related Party Information
| yee and Related Party Information | |
|---|---|
| 2025 Wages and salaries Social security costs Pension costs Reimbursed expenses Training costs Total staff costs Prior Year (2024) Wages and salaries Social security costs Pension costs Reimbursed expenses Training costs Total staff costs |
Ministry Support Total Staff Staff 2025 £ £ £ 51,688 54,405 106,093 3,994 2,556 6,550 15,346 10,337 25,683 |
| 71,028 67,298 138,326 2,271 2,271 2,326 2,326 |
|
| 75,625 67,298 142,923 |
|
| Ministry Support Total Staff Staff 2024 £ £ £ 69,153 49,048 118,201 4,059 2,484 6,543 19,910 12,792 32,702 |
|
| 93,122 64,324 157,446 6,459 69 6,528 205 75 280 |
|
| 99,786 64,468 164,254 |
The average number of staff during the year was as follows:
| Full time Part time |
2025 2024 1.4 3 2 1 |
|---|---|
| 3.4 4 |
There were no employees with emoluments above £60,000. Most of the charity's activities are carried out by volunteers.
Ministry staff, Keith Wilson and Elsie Fraser, in their roles as Ministry staff and not as trustees, received combined salaries of £51,688, pension contributions of £15,345 and expense reimbursements of £2,271 during the year to 30 September 2025, as permitted by the governing document.
The aggregate amount of donations from individuals who were trustees at any time during the financial year or from their related parties, was £65,368 (2024: £61,302).
Slough Baptist Church Trustees' Report & Annual Accounts 2025
Page 17
SLOUGH BAPTIST CHURCH - YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
| le Fixed Assets Valuation, 1 October 2024 Additions during the year Disposals during the year Valuation, 30 September 2025 Accum. depreciation, 1 Oct. 2024 Charge for the year Depreciation on disposals Accum. depreciation, 30 Sep. 2025 Net book value, 30 September 2025 |
Freehold Computer Other Total Properties Equipment Equipment £ £ £ £ 1,538,774 21,359 145,684 1,705,817 1,361 1,259 2,620 - |
|---|---|
| 1,538,774 22,720 146,943 1,708,437 |
|
| 832,774 20,484 124,962 978,220 30,914 758 3,082 34,754 - |
|
| 863,688 21,242 128,044 1,012,974 |
|
| 675,086 1,478 18,899 695,463 |
|
| Net book value, 1 October 2024 | 706,000 875 20,722 727,597 |
10. Tangible Fixed Assets
The insurance reinstatement values of church properties in 1997 were:
| Church building Manse 34 Windsor Road Additions since 1996: |
1,087,000 120,000 75,000 1,282,000 256,774 1,538,774 |
1,087,000 120,000 75,000 1,282,000 256,774 1,538,774 |
|---|---|---|
| 1,538,774 |
All properties are held in an Endowment Fund, to reflect the fact that the sales proceeds are to be spent on capital expenditure only.
11. Debtors and prepayments
| Income tax recoverable (gift aid) Prepayments Other receivables ments Baptist Union Loan Fund ors: amounts falling due within one year Independent examination fees accrued Mission and tithe payments due to be passed on Rent received in advance Expense claim to be reimbursed Accrued council tax catch-up due Other creditors and accruals |
Total Total 2025 2024 £ £ 10,910 18,906 289 429 643 469 |
|---|---|
| 11,842 19,804 |
|
| Total Total 2025 2024 £ £ 25,191 24,864 Total Total 2025 2024 £ £ 2,070 2,000 1,398 1,906 400 400 1,852 117 680 299 52 193 |
|
| 6,452 4,915 |
12. Investments
13. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Slough Baptist Church Trustees' Report & Annual Accounts 2025
Page 18
SLOUGH BAPTIST CHURCH - YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
14. Restricted Funds
| 2025 Endowment Fund Building Fund Mission Funds Church Fund Cause for the Month Fund Friday Families (was Coffee Pot) YaS Fund PIN Fund Other restricted Prior Year (2024) Endowment Fund Building Fund Mission Funds Church Fund Cause for the Month Fund Friday Families (was Coffee Pot) YaS Fund Other restricted |
Opening Incoming Outgoing Transfers Closing Balances Resources Resources Balances £ £ £ £ £ 706,000 (30,914) 675,086 9,543 2,381 (11,924) - 21,945 5,684 (5,053) (1,718) 20,858 81,714 35,563 (38,079) (2,620) 76,578 552 - - 552 296 437 (120) 613 514 514 - 1,750 (1,750) - 685 132 (465) 352 |
|---|---|
| 821,249 45,947 (88,305) (4,338) 774,553 |
|
| Opening Incoming Outgoing Transfers Closing Balances Resources Resources Balances £ £ £ £ £ 736,914 (30,914) 706,000 13,314 (3,770) 9,544 20,932 3,191 (2,178) 21,945 116,836 35,741 (70,863) 81,714 552 - - 552 318 373 (395) 296 553 (39) 514 802 510 (1,643) 1,016 685 |
|
| 890,221 39,816 (109,803) 1,016 821,249 |
The Endowment Fund holds all the properties owned by the church. The Mission Funds are used for collecting donations for missionary causes, either specified in advance or allocated as determined later by the church members.
The 2025 transfer from Mission funds was to finance a payment to missions through the Tithe Fund. The 2025 transfer from the Church Fund related to church equipment transferred to the General Fund. The fund transfer in 2024 was from the General Fund to the PIN Fund.
15. Unrestricted Funds
| 2025 General fund Designated Funds: Church Designated Fund Tithe Fund Prior Year (2024) General fund Designated Funds: Tithe Fund |
Opening Incoming Outgoing Transfers Closing Balances Resources Resources Balances £ £ £ £ £ 102,015 232,415 (171,300) (20,621) 142,509 10,000 10,000 2,083 (27,042) 24,959 - |
|---|---|
| 104,098 242,415 (198,342) 4,338 152,509 |
|
| Opening Incoming Outgoing Transfers Closing Balances Resources Resources Balances £ £ £ £ £ 101,545 213,070 (190,277) (22,323) 102,015 5,955 (25,179) 21,307 2,083 |
|
| 107,500 213,070 (215,456) (1,016) 104,098 |
The Tithe Fund receives no donations. A set proportion of the budgeted income of the General Fund is spent on tithe gifts, with the occasional tithe gift coming out of the Mission Fund. For the year ended 30 September 2025, the amount transferred from the General to the Tithe Fund was set at 10% of income (2024: 10%).
Slough Baptist Church Trustees' Report & Annual Accounts 2025
Page 19
SLOUGH BAPTIST CHURCH - YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
16. Analysis of Net Assets between Funds
| 2025 General Funds (unrestricted) Church Designated Fund Tithe Fund (designated) Total Unrestricted Restricted Funds: Endowment Fund Church Fund Mission Funds Cause for the Month Fund Building Fund Friday Families Fund YaS Fund Other restricted Total Restricted Total Funds Prior Year (2024) General Funds (unrestricted) Tithe Fund (designated) Total Unrestricted Restricted Funds: Endowment Fund Church Fund Mission Funds Cause for the Month Fund Building Funds Friday Families Fund YaS Fund Other restricted Total Restricted Total Funds |
Tangible Bank Other net fixed balances current Total assets assets £ £ £ £ 20,377 94,208 27,924 142,509 10,000 10,000 - |
|---|---|
| 20,377 104,208 27,924 152,509 |
|
| 675,086 675,086 76,361 217 76,578 18,412 2,445 20,857 557 (5) 552 - - 612 612 514 514 354 354 |
|
| 675,086 96,810 2,657 774,553 |
|
| 695,463 201,018 30,581 927,062 |
|
| Tangible Bank Other net fixed balances current Total assets assets £ £ £ £ 21,597 46,599 33,819 102,015 2,083 . 2,083 |
|
| 21,597 48,682 33,819 104,098 |
|
| 706,000 706,000 77,778 3,935 81,713 19,851 2,094 21,945 557 (5) 552 9,543 9,543 296 296 514 514 777 (91) 686 |
|
| 706,000 109,316 5,933 821,249 |
|
| 727,597 157,998 39,752 925,347 |
Slough Baptist Church Trustees' Report & Annual Accounts 2025
Page 20
SLOUGH BAPTIST CHURCH - YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
17. Detailed Statement of Financial Activities by Fund Type with Comparatives
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
| Total Total £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 2025 2024 2025 2024 2025 2024 2025 2024 2025 2024 Incoming Resources Incoming resources from generated funds: Voluntary income 220,105 200,269 10,000 45,400 39,443 275,505 239,712 Investment income 1,832 2,894 1,832 2,894 Incoming resources from charitable activities 437 373 437 373 Other incoming resources 10,478 9,907 110 - 10,588 9,907 Total Incoming Resources 232,415 213,070 10,000 - - - 45,947 39,816 288,362 252,885 Resources expended Cost of generating funds Charitable activities 171,300 190,277 27,042 25,179 30,914 30,914 44,428 75,119 273,684 321,489 Other expenditure 12,963 3,770 12,963 3,770 Total resources expended 171,300 190,277 27,042 25,179 30,914 30,914 57,391 78,889 286,647 325,259 Net Incoming/(outgoing) resources before transfers between funds 61,115 22,793 (17,042) (25,179) (30,914) (30,914) (11,444) (39,074) 1,715 (72,374) Transfers Gross transfers between funds (20,621) (22,323) 24,959 21,307 - - (4,338) 1,016 - - Net Movement of Funds 40,494 470 7,917 (3,872) (30,914) (30,914) (15,782) (38,058) 1,715 (72,374) Reconciliation of Funds Total funds brought forward 102,015 101,545 2,083 5,955 706,000 736,914 115,249 153,307 925,347 997,721 Total funds carried forward 142,509 102,015 10,000 2,083 675,086 706,000 99,467 115,249 927,062 925,347 -- Unrestricted Funds -- -- Restricted Funds -- General Designated Endowment Income |
-- Unrestricted Funds -- | -- Unrestricted Funds -- | -- Restricted Funds -- | -- Restricted Funds -- | Total | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Designated | Endowment | Income | |||
| 232,415 213,070 10,000 - - - 45,947 39,816 288,362 252,885 171,300 190,277 27,042 25,179 30,914 30,914 44,428 75,119 273,684 321,489 12,963 3,770 12,963 3,770 |
||||||
| 171,300 190,277 27,042 25,179 30,914 30,914 57,391 78,889 286,647 325,259 61,115 22,793 (17,042) (25,179) (30,914) (30,914) (11,444) (39,074) 1,715 (72,374) (20,621) (22,323) 24,959 21,307 - - (4,338) 1,016 - - |
||||||
| 40,494 470 7,917 (3,872) (30,914) (30,914) (15,782) (38,058) 1,715 (72,374) 102,015 101,545 2,083 5,955 706,000 736,914 115,249 153,307 925,347 997,721 |
||||||
| 142,509 102,015 10,000 2,083 675,086 706,000 99,467 115,249 927,062 925,347 |
Slough Baptist Church Trustees' Report & Accounts 2025
Page 21