2021-08-31-accounts - The Fens Circuit

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Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 1[st] September 2020 To 31[st] August 2021

Charity name: The Fens Methodist Circuit

Charity registration number: 1133790

Objectives and Activities

	SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17	The purpose of the Methodist Church is and shall be deemed to have been since the Date of the Union the advancement of: a) The Christian faith in accordance with the doctrinal standards of discipline in 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. These objectives are interpreted at Circuit levels through the ‘Circuit Mission Statement and Policy’ document (available on request).
Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts.	Para 1.17 and 1.19	The Circuit produces a quarterly plan to ensure that regular acts of worship take place in each of the ten Circuit Churches. These are open to all without charge. All the Circuit churches serve their local community through their availability for baptisms, marriages and funerals. The properties are variously used by community organisations. Some properties were specifically built to serve both as a worship and as a community centre. The trustees encourage all Circuit churches to use their buildings, where suitable, for the benefit of the community. Where appropriate, grants are made available to promote this community engagement. Examples of such are: Parent and Toddler Group,community

		lunches, a daily coffee bar, women’s fellowship, youth groups, uniformed organisations, professional advice services. These are open to all, irrespective of Church allegiance. We seek to address the spiritual needs of those in residential care.
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit	Para 1.18	We confirm the trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.

Achievements and Performance

	SORP reference
Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole.	Para 1.20	The Circuit continues the process of each church undertaking a mission and vision review. September 2020 continued with a settled team consisting of a Hospitality Lay Pastor to support the Superintendent and Stipendiary Minister, in addition to a part-time Administrator and Coffee Bar Manager for Trinity Coffee Bar. The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns continued to impact how the Circuit operated. The Coffee Bar Manager was furloughed under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in March 2020, returned to work in September 2020, and was subsequently furloughed again from December 2020 until May 2021. All other Circuit Staff were able to work from home throughout the lockdowns and cessation of public worship, allowing the work of the Circuit to continue and to provide pastoral support to Circuit members. The Hospitality Lay Pastor interacted across the churches, with congregations and local communities, to encourage working towards the principles of the Social Gospel and the Methodist Church doctrine that: All need to be saved All can be saved All can know they are saved All can be saved to the uttermost. The churches have updated and will continue to monitor their Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults procedure training and DBS checks. One redundant building still remains on the market. Worship has ceased at one more building (St Andrews Outwell) Decisions are still to be made about the future use of the building.

Financial Review

Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period	Para 1.21	The Circuit accounts are available for inspection. The Circuit Advance Fund is used to subsidise the Connexional assessment, to provide grants towards the cost of major repairs and to cover any shortfall in the assessments from local churches. The sale of Roseleigh bungalow in Upwell resulted in a payment of £134,000 to the Circuit Model Trust Fund, after a £56,000 levy. Tydd St Giles Chapel is now redundant; a survey has been conducted, and the surveyor has suggested a sale by auction. On the 1stSeptember 2020, the Fens Circuit held total cash funds of £402,569 and on the 31stAugust 2021, had a closing balance of £446,567.
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	It is necessary to hold sufficient working capital to facilitate the payment of Connexional and District assessments, business expenses and the services of a part-time Circuit Administrator and Lay Employees.
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	£209,943
Reasons for holding zero reserves	Para 1.22	N/A
Details of fund materially in deficit	Para 1.24	N/A
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuingas agoingconcern	Para 1.23	N/A

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document (trust deed,royal charter)	Para 1.25	Deed of Union (1932) and Methodist Church Act (1976)
How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association,CIO)	Para 1.25	Act of Parliament
Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees	Para 1.25	Appointed by local churches and existing trustees. Ministers are automatically trustees.

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works	Para 1.51	The Fens Methodist Circuit is part of the East Anglia Methodist District. It has 10 churches that were served by the Superintendent Minister and 1 Stipendiary Minister.

Other		Statistical returns for 1stNovember 2021 showed a membership of 171. The Methodist/URC Local Ecumenical Partnership Church in March had an additional 7 URC members.

Reference and Administrative details

Charityname	The Fens Methodist Circuit
Other name the charityuses
Registered charitynumber	1133790
Charity’s principal address	The Fens Circuit Office, Trinity Methodist Church, 17 Church Terrace, Wisbech, PE13 1BL

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (if any)
	Adam Stevenson	Superintendent Minister
	Deborah Caulk	Stipendiary Minister
	Nicola Warden	Lay Pastor
	Susan Askew	Circuit Steward
	Roger Dack	Circuit Steward
	Susan Dack	Circuit Steward
	Timothy Dewdney	Circuit Steward
	Mary Jane Hurst	Circuit Steward
	Linda Vincent	Circuit Steward
	Eileen Sattin	Circuit Steward
	Sylvia Ringham
	Rosemary Marchant
	Evelyn Hamps
	Elaine Thornton
	Christine Horn
	Mavis Ashcroft
	David Thompson
	Joyce Dobson
	Anne Emmerson
	Roy Askew
	Eric Cross
	Christopher Coates
	Joy Coates
	Veronica Nelson
	Nannette Rose
	Elaine Knight
	Trevor Vincent
	Robin Vincent
	Diana Burling
	Janice Powers
	David Fairbrother
	Patricia Tuthill
	Gwendoline Dewdney
	Mary Gibbs
	Joy Smalley
	Joan Thompson
	Wendy Chandler

Corporate trustees – names of the directors at the date the report was approved

Director name

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity

Trustee name	Dates acted if not for whole year

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others

Description of the assets held in this capacity

Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects

Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc)

Date

CIRCUIT RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS THE METHODIST CHURCH STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS FENS Clrcull FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2021 EAST ANGLIA Dlstrlct Circull no 14122 Reglstered Charity- Chartty RegL8tratlon number 1133790 If not a registered chadty Her Majestys Revenu6 and Custom& Glft Ald number (rhe HMRC number Is equlvalenl lo a registered thaty number in lems of evidence of charitable slalus and may be used to giv8 to donors or grant funders wshin9 lo see ev¢dence of the organisation's charitablè slalus. Methodist ch8rftie8 in England and Wales that are r1 registered charities a excepted from reglslratson und•r StatLrtory Instrument 2014 No.2421 ni8ters.' Revd Adam J Stevenson Su ntendent Revd Deborah Caulk c11t SleYMftls.' Sue Askew Sue Dack R_oger Dack Linda winnI Jane Hursl Tim Dththlne rim DerE Treasurer. Rachael AU¢ins 2OL5CircL¥tRandPs J*f5

ACCOUNTS FOR THEYEAR ENDED 31AUGu1fj SEalOtI A Un. restrl¢thd Restricted Funds TOTALS 202021 TOTAL 201920 Trust Fund RECEIPTS Assessmentlsha Capital recetP15 83nk andCFB inteTestaNI Invpskneni income Grants OthEf rectipts TOTAI RECEIPTS 113.624 113.624 I317 è3 3,134 a5 61098 326A42 388,740 SO3.744 193.206 32?17 87 SEcnoN B Un.rnstrftthd Funds TOTAiS 2020 21 TOTALS bl b2 PAYMEiirs Stirknds. sa18rios, NIC. Pension andtravel 051$ Mansecosts Adrnini5tratlon etc Dlstrld As%e$5ment Granis &donatign5 Trust Fund unds 124.770 3.767 5,329 25,631 124.7YO 5,767 6)J54 25.631 125,033 b3 726 6.Z50 23.954 1.780 b5 b6 b7 b8 Othef payments TofAL PAYMEpirs 76.391 235.688 223.133 299,524 459.746 178526 350 51 Ib91 SEcf1014 C NET RECEIPTSIPAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR cl 87-b9 Tot31 fund5 bro lornird from last 19.746 382,777 46 4101,569 425J83 Subtotsl ¢l+t21 569 Transfrrs and a¢'ustments Ic71 Z] TOTAL FUNDS AT END OSYEAR 446.567 SEcn014 D FOR INYORMAfioN IJIJLY.. MONEY AECENÉDAND PA55fDONTO EXleAIIAi ORGANISATthS lth•M •mpuntsshould not belrKWed In total rttIpts/wtsatth> TOTA 202021 TorA 201>20 dl 8alance tXOU8ht foThthrd last Offoiln8s/Gifts . received foremremal or ani51tlon5 Offerln8s/GIfts- p05sed to ttternal nlsètiot)s d2 588 BAL4NCE5TILL TO BE PAID Idl+ d2- djl

TIEFW15 SECnDNE tsulda 0tethatthÈluAS1tsf Inter111 Optrlr re¥ IlllERViILQHGAIIIUnOf15 arcwltYouLh&Èd 370 370 e5 es •? btotiloflntot OIwI4¥DDslunds UN<uirar(DunlsltDti ihtforw•frllrnp 370 503.741 TOTALC4SAFufsNIO YOR¢V 504744 44?46 939 TOTALiEtyPTS IQTALPAYWJT5 SEcnoiF -10 aosifvG aRcuif.WllJNtsSHELD•t3A CninlFlnMce Bowd 1&740 J61.742 sbTOrI4L ZS69 67 310 4¥.937 TQTALCASMFUNtsSHEIDIYLINCUIT •XJJ9 SfllONG ¢)IHEAA5SEfs•ho LIABILIIIES oi 4.193 697.mj 34rtDts5 ln5uwc•l 697.tha

Name of Circuit FENS CIRCUIT No 14122 Declarations and Scrutiny I confirm that these Receipt and Payment based accounts for the year to 31 August 2021 have been prepared from the records of the Circurt and that they indude all funds under the control of the Circuit meeting. Signatureof treasurer.............................................. Name and address ol treasurer Rachael Atklns. 20 Gosmoor Lane, Elm, Wlsbèch Cambs Post Code PE14 OAI Presentatlon to the Clrcutt meetjng I confim that the annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 AU$l 2021 werelwtll be presented to the Circuit meeting hdd on 20 September 2021 Signature of the Chair of the Meeting Name of the Chair of the meeting Revd Al Stevènson Date 2019121 ZQISClrcultR P.x15 4015

Name of Circuit FENS CIRCUIT No 14122 Independent Examiner's Ststement I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come lo my attention in connectlon wtth the examination (other than that disdosed belove) which give me cause to believ8 that in, any rnaterial respect: the accounting records were not kept in accordan wilh section 130 of the Act,. or the accounts do nol accord with the accounting records. I have no COnm$ and have come across no other matters in connection wth the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a woper understanding of the accounts to be reached. I hav8lhave not. obtained independent verification of all inveslments wth thè Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes or held in other trusts. bank balances and funds at the Central Finance Board of the Methodlst Church which are individualty in excess of £10,000 (ten thousand pounds) at th8 balan sheet date. Signature of independent examlner Nam8 of independent examiner Relevant professional qualification of independent examiner Name af firm (where appropriate) Address Post Code fe Inn Date 2015 [clIand P.5 5d5