Charity re8lStration number: 1133792 Clrcult number:29124 Ripon & Lower Dales Methodist Circuit WITH GOD, IN THE CITY, TOWNS, VILLAGES, AND RURAL AREAS Annual Report For the Year Ended 31" August 2023 Circuit Office Allhallowgate Methodist Church Victoria Grove, Ripon, HG4 ILG Rlpon and Lower Dales Methodlst Clrcult
Contents Reference and Administrative Details Trusteès, Report Financial Review Pa8e 11
Rlpon and Lower Dales Methodlst arcult Reference and Admlnlstrative Detalls Trustees Rev Gareth Baron Mr Stephen Wild Mr5 Diane Ashby Miss Amanda Milner Mrs. Andrea Scott Mrs Catherine Clowes Mrs. Pauline Broadwith Mr David Arundell Mr Richard Emms Mr Brian Davies Mrs. Elizabeth Elvy Mrs. Phillippa Cowie Mrs. Hazel Stelling Mrs Clare Dalton Mrs. Angela Archbold Mrs. Pauline Staton Mrs. Karen Emms Mr Mark Greensit Mr Timothy Abel Mrs Joan Fothergill page 12
Secretary Charlotte Mauder Flnance Officer Diane Ashby Prlndpal Office Circuit Office, Allhallowgate Methodist Church, Victoria Grove, Ripon, HG4 ILG Charfty Registratlon Number 1133792 Bankers CAF Bank Ltd, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, ME19 4JQ HSBC plc, 34 Westgate, Ripon, HG4 2BL Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church, 9 Bonhlll Street, London, EC2A 4PE Investment Bankers Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes Investment Managers and Custodian Trustees Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes, Central Buildings, Oldham Street, Ml IJQ Independent Examlner S Cutting. Bridge Methodist Circuit. 28 The Green, Acomb, York, Y026 5LR Page 13
Trustees Report The Charity's annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 Au8USt 2023 have been prepared In accordan with the Charities Act 2011 and the Charities: Statement of Recommended Practlce Ripon and Lower Dales Methodist Circuit is made up of 15 churches split into two sertlons centred around Ripon and BoroLlghbridge, Masham and Bedale. Full Name of Charlty: Ripon and Lower Dales Methodist Circuit Registration Charlty Number: 1133792 Date of Registration: 27 January 2010 Strurture, Governance and Management Nature ofgoverninq document The governing document for the circuit is the Deed of Union (1932) and Methodist Church Act (1976) Detailed governance arrangements are outlined within the Constitutional Practice and Discipline of the Methodist Church by order of the annual conference (CPD). Day to day management of the circuit is undertaken by the Circuit Leadership Team along with the Local Preachers Meeting. Appolntment and trnlnlng of trustees The members of the Ripon and Lower Dales Methodist Circuit meeting are the Charity Trustees, membership being made up of Circuit Office holders, Ministers and representatives appointed by the local churches. A range of guidance produced by Methodist Connexion to support the effective running of the circuit, specifically the leaflet 'Role of a Trustee in The Methodist.Church' is given to all new Circuit meeting members as induction to their role as trustees. Related Partt"es The Circuit is part of the Yorkshire North and East Methodist District and is also accountable to Connexion through the Methodist Conference of Great Britain. The following Methodist Churches are linked to the circuit Allhallowgate, Risk Management Any major risks have been identified and recorded by the Circuit Leadership Team with professional advice taken as required. There is a regular annual review process undertaken. Income and Expenditure is belng monitored in total and is compared with the approved annual budget on a half yearly basis to detect trends as part of the risk management process to avoid unforeseen calls on reserves. Page 14
Saftquardlng Every person has a value and dlgnity whlch comes directly from the Cation of male and female In God's own image and likeness. Christfans see this potentlal as fulfilled by God's re-creation of us in Christ. Among other things thls Implles a duty to value all people as bearin8 the Image of God and therefore to protect them from harm. Methodist Connexional prdrtlce outlines commltment to the following princlples: the care and nurture of, and respertful pastoral mlnistry with, all chlldren, young people and adults the safeguarding and protectlon of all chlldren, young people and adults when they are vulnerable. the establish of safe, caring communities which provide a lovlng environment where there Is informed vigilance as to the dangers of abuse. We will carefully selert and trdln all those with any responsibility Wlthin the Church, in line with Safer Recrultment prlnclples, Including the use of crlminal records disclosures and registration with the relevant vetting and barring schemes. We will respond without delay to every complaint made which suggests that an adult, child or young person may have been harmed, cooperating with he police and local authority in any investigation. We will seek to work with anyone who has suffered abuse, developing with them an appropriate ministry of Informed pastoral care. We will seek to challenge any abuse of power, especially by anyone in a position of trust. We will seek to offer pastoral care and support, Including supervision and referral to the proper authorities, to any member of our church community known to have offended against a child, young person or vulnerdble adult. In all these principles we will follow legislation, guidance and recognised good practice The Ripon and Lower Dales Circult commits itself to the provision of support, advice and training for lay and ordained people that will ensure people are clear and confident about their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults who may be vulnerable.
Objertlves and Acdvftles In settin8 our objectfves and plannin8 our actfvltles, the Clrcult Meetln& under the leadershlp of the Superintendent and the Clrcult Leadershlp Team, meet regularly throughout the year and have endeavoured to ensu that In adwanclng our objectfves they conform to the Charltles Act 2011 and are In line wlth Charlty Commisslonerf general guldance. Our mlsslon is to resource Church and communlty, enablin8 them to carry out the vlslon to be an effective and vlsible Christian presence In our area. We aim to achieve thi5 by encourdgin8, throughout the Circuit and its Churches, the worshlp, social and outreach actlvities that currently exist and by seeking new way5 to extend to others the fellowship of the Church. Charity Objeth"ve The charity objective is to act as a Resource Provider within the area around Ripon and Lower Dales Methodist Orcuit for the Methodist Church. The purposes of the Methodist Church are and shall be deemed to have been since the Date of Unlon the advancement of: a) The Christian faith in accordance with the doctrinal standards and discipline of The Methodist Church b) Any charitable p.urpose for the time being of any Connexional, Distrirt, Circutt, 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 organisation and resourcing or regular public acts of worship open to members of the church and non- members alike. The teaching of Christianity through sermons, courses and small groups. The resourcing of pastoral work including visiting the sick and bereaved. Taking religious assemblies in local schools. Promotion of Christianity through the staging of events and services. Provision of chaplaincy services to the local community including National Trust and Police and other institutions. Publlc Benefit We confirm the trustees have had regard to the Charlty Commlsslon's guldance on publlc benefit. Page 16
Achl•vements and rforMance Revlew of yr In the plan for 22/23 the central focus was to rEduce the Impact of the cost-of-Ilvln8 crlsls to the most vulnerable. Specific examples Include. Snape Methodist Churth opened a warm space when the cost-of-llvlng crlsis saw many people livin8 in fuel poverty. The success of which led to the space belng used as a pemianent hub, in partnership with the local communlty. Boroughbridge Methodist continued its work wlth Boroughbridge Community Charlty and Boroughbridge Lions. The collabordtion continues to run 'The Community Larder, whose alm is to reduce food waste by encourdging local food retailers, households, and allotment holders to donate their surplus food, which is then redistributed to the local community. In Masham, the Methodist Church run a similar initiative in partnership with the CO-OP to distribute food to those in need. In terms of staffing, we are no longer seeking to recruit a second local pastor and are delighted to have Rev Sarah Caddell wlth us as a Probationer Presbyter. She will have pastoral responslbility for both Harrogate Road and Bishop Monkton. Our Circuit Finance Officer resigned at the end of the connexional year and left the circuit with a sudden gap in provision. Thankfully, we were able to utilise the expertise of the Operations Manager of the Bridge Circuit Sue Cutting who is a real asset to us as a Circuit. We are also delighted to recruit Samantha Price as our new Admin Support Officer who, along with Sue, will support to the circuit. We are happy to report that this change has already lifted morale. Unfortunately, two circuit stewards resigned but we have welcomed a new steward Richard Clark who will join Amanda Milner on the team. The plan is that another will join the team in the next 6 months. The Circuit Leadership Team have been drawing on the support of the district as they explore and realise visions and future to fulfil the missional objectives. Plans for 202312024 As a Circuit, we seek to continue our prayers and support for the work of Missional Ministries. The last gathering for the Leprosy Mission was well received by circuit members and reminded us of the many people in the world who are still very affected by Leprosy. We wish to continue educating ourselves about and discover how we can offer our support. Specifically, for the Local Preachers and Worship Leaders, we have challenged them as individuals to take control of their own personal growth and will support this by continuing to provide opportunities for further development within their role. Allhallowgate have asked for permission to remove the pews in the sanctuary to allow for a more flexible, more modern, and comfortable worship space. As a circuit we look to support churches as they adapt and look to the future. During the Covid-19 pandemic and the years that have followed less people, but more recently as a circuit we have seen people slowly returning to our buildings and are keen to encourage new initiatives that reach those on the outskirts, providing support where we are able to. Page 17
Flmndal Re All aLYounts are WDduced on an aCcrtl basls. Holtsr, no one outstandlni transactfon met the thresholds of the requlrement for accrual& TherEfore. no accruals were ralsed. Income Trends We have seen an increase In Income thls year due to two maln factors: Sale of Methodist Property as agreed by the Circuit meetfng Increase in interest as markets have had a better year. Expenditure Trends We have seen an increase in expenditure this year; this is again mainly attributable to the sale of property as above, as under the Connexional Methodist code of practice, any sale of Property incurs a levy which is taken by Connexion via District to fund Missional work across the whole Methodist community. We also incur a levy on our end-of-year balance in trust (which is where our property sales income is credited) again to fund the overall Methodist missional funding. We have also had an increase in Manse costs, this due to agreed expenditure on a working manse to make it fit for purpose. Fund Balances Balances at 31108123 Current account £7248 CFB account £91271 Model Trust Fund £580740 Endowments/ Restricted £54171 Cash £59 Total Reserves at end of financial year £733489 Reserves Policy The Reserves Policy for the Circuit is to hold a minimum sum equivalent to 6 months, average expenditure. This should be sufficient to meet any unforeseen item of major expenditure on manses and/or to be able to continue, in the short term, funding planned activities in the event of any inability to raise the full Circult Assessment from churches. Page 18
Annual Expenditure £515212 At the end of the last flnanclal year (31108123) Forecast Expenditure for year ending 3V08123 £30921514. SIX months of this rounded to nearest £5,000 Is £155000 The reserves are above our target at the moment. However mission opportunities continue to move forward with plans to develop our Churches, including projects to develop our buildings to enhance our churches and provide scope for more mission work, includlng the development of Bishop Monkton and Boroughbridge Churches, and until all costs have been met, funds may be loaned by the Circuit in addition to possible grants to be given by the Circuit. We also have ongoing property issues where additional expenditure may be required for sale/ anticipate making substantial financial assistance available to all of our churches as we emerge out of the pandemic and enter into a spiralling cost of living crisi, in particular energy costs. We estimated between £50,000 and £lOO,000. Based on the above the surplus funds held over the agreed reserv'e are not considered to be a tolerable level for the continued smooth running of the circuit. ZO, ts>L<- Page 19
CIRCUIT RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS THE METHODIST CHURCH STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS Rlpon and Low•r Dales Clrcult FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 August 2023 Yorkshire N & E Dlstrfct Circult no 29124 Reglstered Charty - Charlty Reglstratlon number 1133792 If not a registered chaiity Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs Gfft Ald number (rhe HMRC number is equivalent to a registered charity number in tems of evidence of charitable ststus and may be used to give to donors or grant funders wishing to see evidence of the organisation's charitable status. Methodist charities in England and Wales that are not registered charities are excepted from registration under Statutory Instrument 2014 No.242) Ministers: Reverend Gareth Baron.(Supenntendent Minister).-- Reverend Ian Pruden(Minister).-.-.....-. Reverend Sarah Caddell Circuit Stewards: Amanda Milner Robin Jenninos Treasurer: Circuit Stewards FS RLD 2023 NOT FOR CIRCULATION lof5
Rl •nd Low•f Dal•• 20AC¢OUNT8 FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AV91 202J Un. rnstrktsd W Tnrnl RMtrkt•d Tol*h Ihl• Fw y••f SECTK)N A RECEIPTS 193 964 353 883 157 J45 A55essm•nVSharn 193W T3 596 Is Bank and CFB Interesl and Investmenl Income 353,883 •4 22 540 6695 15,845 Grants 18,625 252,350 Other recelpts TOTAL RECEIPTS 18.133 218,792 68,133 638,520 87 419,728 SECTION b1 b2 PAYMENTS Stlpends. salaries. NIC, Pension aTX travel costs 172.860 172 860 50711 193,045 17,571 9,002 47,280 5,393 b3 Manse Costs Administration etc District Assessment Grants & don8tions b4 5.047 5,047 42 756 b5 42.756 b6 b7 1,010 1,010 b8 Other payments TOTAL PAYMEKrs 188,828 461.212 50,000 238,828 44,530 316,821 b9 50,000 511,212 (b9) SECTION C NET RECEIPTSIPAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR c1 a79 242 420 369,728 127,308 64,471 Total funds brou ht fOard frorn last ear 149,906 402.105 54,171 606,182 c6 670,653 c3 Sub total c1+c2 92,514 54,171 733 490 606,182 Transfers and ad'ustmenls TOTAL FUNDS AT END OF YEAR (c3+c4) c7 c5 (92,514) 771,833 54,171 733,490 (c8) 606,182 (c6) SECTION D FOR INFORMATION ONLY: MONEY RECEIVED AND PASSED ON TO EXTERNAL ORGANISATIONS these amounts should not be Included In total recel tsl ayments above) Balance brou ht forward from last ar s/Gifts - received for extemal o nisations OfferingslGifts - passed to extemal organisations BALANCE STILL TO BE PAID d1+d2.d3 d1 d2 Offerin d4 FS RLD 2023 NOT FOR CIRCULATION 2ofS
•nd Low•r D91•9 cirf ,L A DFFERENT FCIOA Kxxthg1••• rnkn• > OROAM3ATI ck 1•121 Ckcult accounts (total• brougm frnrd frorn 9• 2- totth columft) HELD BY CIRCIIT 606,182 733,490 511312 b9 127,308 elo 127,308 606 182 733 490 638,520 511212 TOTAL PAYMENTS (i a TOT*L RECEPTS SECTK)N F OPENING BALANCES CLOSWG BALANCES CIRcurr. CASH FUNDS HELD at 31 Au 2023 59 59 Cash kn h¥h 24,214 Bk CurrW Ac(nI 29,450 Ba rt Accajrt 108 216 ctra Finance Bo¥d 402,105 580.740 Trusloes f(y Mellxoist ChLrth P Ots ILmds 606.182 (c6) 733,489 (c8) SUB TOTAL funds W by Irrtwnal Orgwls8lKmS (ts ck6ffVJ bdw)ce tcAals (e12) •11 •12 TOTAL CASH FUNDS HELD BY CIRCUIT 606,182 733.489 (y) SECTION G 31 12023 OTHER ASSETS and UABILrriES 54 170.97 InSIm Irt1je En(JoMrnnts 54 170.97 1133 069 1366 295 Cir LWMJ Bul(fi re InsurvO . stThV aTKxml (xrtslaNI" oithy Lthlrt f4 IncILo thy FufxJ6 trj Bo¥d 15 Incl10 crty CFB Furnls Tnfiloos ICY Kwhcdsl CIKxth Purw g1 InCj Y (ts vestI cath drnl d TMCP trust tIy51s f5) FS ALD 202J NOT FUI aRCULATIIYI Jds
'Na of Clrcuil ...Rlp(x) L(yIr Dales CirLwIt... No...29124,.,, Declarations and Scrutiny I confirm thal these Receipt and Payment based accounls for the year to 31 August 2022 have been prepared from the records of the Circuit and that they include all fvnds under the control of tho Clrcult meetlng. Signature of treasurer - Circuit Trustees Date 04.01.2024 Name and address of treasurer ...Circuit Office. AllIl)Wgata Methodist Church.. .Victoria Grove, Ripon........................................ Post Code...HG4 1LG.. Presentation to the Circult meeting I confirm that the annual report and accounts for the year ende(131 August 2022 werelwill be. presented to the Circuit meeting held on 24th January 2024 Signature of the Chair of the meeting Name of the Chair of the meeting . 20 ..&...zcL¢ . Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of the .Ripon and Lower Dales Circuit Charity Number.............. Circuit Stewards Responsibilities and basis of report I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Ripon and Lower Dales Circuit for the year ended 31 August 2022 set out on pages 1... to . .3. As the Circuit's trustees, 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 Circuit's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 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. delete or circle as appropriate FS RLD 2023 NOT FOR CIRCUIATION 4of5
Name of Clrcull ...RI[ arKI Lthr Dal83 C111,............ . No ..,29124.. Independent Examlner's Statement I have completed my examlnabon. l (xjnfimi that no materi81 matters have come to my Bltenllon In connection with the examination (other than that disck)sed belo) which glve me Cause to bellove that in, any material respectr. the accounting records were not kept in accordance With sectlon 130 of the Act; or the accounts do not accord wlth the accountlng records. I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the ex8minatlon to whlch attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable 8 proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. I havelhave not. obtained independent verification of all investments with the Twstees for Methodist Church Purposes or held in other trusts, bank balances and funds at the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church which are individually in excess of £10,000 (ten thousand pounds) at the balance sheet date. Signature of independent examiner Name of independent examiner Relevant professional qualification of independent examiner Name of firm (where appropriate) Address Post Code 3.15.S.Lq. Date delete or circle as appropriate FS RLD 2023 NOT FOR CIRCULATION 5of5