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2021-08-31-accounts

22/23 Sherwood Forest Circuit Charity Registration Number: 1133801

Trustees’ Report and

Financial Statement for the year ended 31 August 2021

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Administrative Information

Circuit Ministers

Rev Richard Tanner (Superintendent) Rev Debbie Keegan Deacon Dave Keegan

Children & Families Coordinator

Mrs Danni Coles

Circuit Stewards

Mr Keith Bonsall Mr Matt Cullen Mrs Wendy Ince

Mr Eric Thompson (Treasurer)

Independent Examiner:

Rev R Jones FCMA CGMA

“HEDDWCH” 9 Blakeney Drive Mansfield NG18 4DN

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Trustee Report

Governance & Management

The Circuit is governed by the Methodist Church Act 1976, the Deed of Union and the Model Trust Deeds of the Methodist Church.

The purposes of the Methodist Church are, and shall be deemed to have been since the date of Union, the advancement of:

The Circuit is a group of local churches. Circuits combine to form 30 Districts in Great Britain. Although there is some autonomy, all Methodist organisations in Great Britain are governed by the statutes determined by the Methodist Conference and which are published in the Constitution, Practice and Discipline of the Methodist Church. Conference is the supreme body within the church: it delegates much of its authority to the Methodist Council. Both Conference and Council consist of lay and ordained members.

In setting objectives and planning activities, the Circuit Meeting, held three or four times a year has given careful consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit and, in particular, to its supplementary public benefit guidance on advancing our objectives as set out above.

During the year, the Circuit Leadership Team (consisting of the Circuit Stewards, Ministers and Circuit Treasurer) met regularly to keep the life of the Circuit under review and to take forward the decisions of the Circuit Meeting.

Activities

Our mission is

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“To equip the people of God for works of mission and service so that they can hear, tell and be the Good News of Jesus Christ”

We aim to achieve this through encouraging Christian discipleship individually and collectively through the following of the Methodist Way of Life in order to follow Our Calling:

Our Annual Mission Plan sets out aims and objectives under these headings for the Circuit and its member churches to aim to and is regularly reported to and evaluated by the Circuit Meeting and the Circuit Leadership Team.

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Organisational Structure

  1. Overall control rest with the Methodist Conference

  2. The Connexional Office implements decisions made by Conference and is also responsible for the stationing of Ministers in the individual Circuits

  3. Connexional decisions are passed to the Chair of the District and the appropriate Officers of the District for regional implementation

  4. The Districts pass down the control to Circuit level for local implementation by the Superintendent minister, ministerial staff, Circuit stewards and others. Authority can be delegated by the Connexion and District to the Circuit Meeting for certain matters.

  5. The Circuit Meeting passes down control to church councils for local implementation by the Minister, the church stewards and other officers. The church councils act as managing trustees.

  6. The Circuit Superintendent chairs meetings of the Circuit Leadership Team (CLT) and the Circuit Meeting, which trustees are expected to attend. Policy decision are taken at the Circuit Meeting which is the supreme body for deciding matters at Circuit Level. Some powers are delegated by the Circuit Meeting to the CLT and other groups.

  7. Churches, Circuits and Districts are able to pass matters upwards for consideration, ultimately to the Conference, for consideration and implementation where appropriate.

  8. The Methodist Connexional year runs annually from 1 September to 31 August.

Charity Registration

The Sherwood Forest Methodist Circuit is registered charity whose registration number is 1133801

The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty under the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit.

Specifically:

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Trustees

The following Trustees (some with dual roles) were listed as current as at April 2021. Records are held of Trustees in post and attending meetings during the course of the 2020-21 Connexional Year.

Members of Circuit Meeting at 5[th] April 2021

Name Ofce Appointed by
Rev RichardTanner Chair
MethodistConference
MrsEnidMarsh Farnsfeld ChurchCouncil
Rev Barry Smith Circuit
Mrs Susan Billings Forest TownChurchCouncil
Mr Keith Bonsall Manse Property
Steward		 Circuit Meeting
MrsLyndaBowser OmptonChurchCouncil
RevChrisBriggs District
Mr AndrewShewen ConnexionalGiving Circuit Meeting
Mrs Pam Clarke Mansfeld Methodist Church
Council
Mrs Anne Clayton Mansfeld Woodhouse Church
Council
Mrs Joyce Cree Minutes Secretary Circuit Meeting
Mr Stephen Cree Mansfeld Woodhouse Church
Council
MrsElizabethCrane BlidworthChurchCouncil
Mr Robert Fennell ShirebrookChurchCouncil
Rev DebraKeegan MethodistConference
Mr Simon Crane Tr’r Blidworth Church
Council
Miss Ann Grifths Tr Chesterfeld Road Sth Church
Council
Deacon Dave
Keegan		 Methodist Conference
MrsMarilyn House Forest TownChurchCouncil
Mr Simon Hurrell Mansfeld Methodist Church
Council
MrsWendyInce CircuitSteward Circuit Meeting
MrGordonSlack Property Circuit Meeting
Rev RobertJones BethelChurchCouncil

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MrsLynneMatthews OllertonChurchCouncil
MrsAnnJones BethelChurchCouncil
Mr Alan Mosley RainworthChurchCouncil
Rev LindaWilliams MethodistConference
Mrs JanePerry Forest TownChurchCouncil
MrsAngelaPrinold OmptonChurchCouncil
Mr Philip Shead Safeguarding Circuit Meeting
MrsMichelle Shead Meden Vale ChurchCouncil
Mr Neil Younger Meden Vale ChurchCouncil
Rev Arthur Spencer Tr Mansfeld Woodhouse Church
Council
Mr BarrieRichmond LPSecretary Circuit Meeting
Mr EricThompson Circuit Treasurer Circuit Meeting
MrsAnneAyodele Meden Vale ChurchCouncil
Mr John Berrington Chesterfeld Rd South Church
Council
RevJohn Williams MethodistConference
Mr DavidWilmot Farnsfeld ChurchCouncil
Mrs Margaret
Westby		 Farnsfeld Church Council
Mr Robert Vickers Bilsthorpe ChurchCouncil
Mr George Daniel Mansfeld Methodist Church
Council
MrsDoreenJackson OllertonChurchCouncil
MrsHazel Fennell ShirebrookChurchCouncil
Mr MatthewCullen CircuitSteward Circuit Meeting

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Safeguarding

The Church of England and the Methodist Church work in partnership with other Christian Churches and other agencies in delivering safeguarding. The Circuit supports the following statement of principles agreed by the denominations:

We share a commitment to:

Each church in the Circuit is required to appoint a safeguarding representative and the Circuit appoints a Safeguarding Officer to coordinate polices, practices and training which promotes safe practice amongst children and vulnerable adults.

Staff Responsibilities & Changes

Rev Richard was the Superintendent Minister and finished his term of office on 31 August 2021 and held pastoral oversight of the following churches:

Rev Debbie Keegan joined the Circuit on 1 September 2016 and held pastoral oversight over the following churches

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*These churches had pastoral oversight delegated to remunerated supernumerary ministers for all of the Connexional Year.

Deacon Dave Keegan joined the Circuit on 1 September 2016 and is responsible for outreach and pioneer projects within the Circuit area and was particularly focused on supporting work within the Meden Vale community.

Mrs Danni Coles, joined the Circuit staff in 1 September 2020 and is employed as a Children and Families Coordinator supporting the outreach and pioneer work within the Circuit area. She was involved in a range of projects focused on children and families, including toddler groups, bespoke outreach and school chaplaincy.

Risk Management

Through its CLT, risks faced by the Circuit have been considered and ongoing mitigation strategies discussed and enacted where possible. Where possible appropriate risks are insured – currently with the Methodist Insurance Company. The security and safety of our churches is largely for local churches to determine and to mitigate, taking advice from Circuit Officers and Insurers as appropriate.

All churches and manses are subject to quinquennial inspections and the reports on each are reviewed at a Circuit Level as well as by local trustees. Action is taken to maintain premises and reduce health and safety risks to all who have a legitimate purpose to be on those premises.

All churches have been surveyed for the presence of asbestos and reports made available to local churches for appropriate action if and when required.

During the course of the year advice regarding actions to be taken with regards to the covid pandemic continued to be issued to ensure that churches operated safely in accordance with Public Health information. Churches were shut during lockdown periods and online alternative arrangements were made when necessary.

We have considered the resilience of churches and the risk that they will not meet their assessments payments to cover central and staffing costs. We put together a financial plan for the Circuit and judge that there are sufficient resources to cover possible shortfalls in the foreseeable future.

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The Circuit operates within a statutory framework of regulation and seeks to ensure that it follows Methodist Standing Orders. It relies on the Connexional Office to provide guidance on changes that could affect the Circuit and its churches.

Trustees’ Expenses

With the exception of ministerial staff, supernumerary staff and staff employed by the Circuit, who can claim for travel and out-of-pocket expenses, members of the Circuit Meeting received neither payment or reimbursement of their expenses in connection with their role as trustees.

Trustees’ Responsibilities

The Trustees are required to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the Circuit’s financial activities during the year and of its financial position at the end of the year.

In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees have:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Circuit and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the law. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Circuit and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention of fraud and other irregularities.

Trustees have a right to advise the independent examiner of their concerns but none has done so. The CLT concludes, therefore, that there are no issues to be advised to the independent examiner.

Financial Review

The Circuit prepares receipts and payment accounts. They are not a consolidation of the accounts of the accounts of the churches in the Circuit. The Circuit budget is prepared by first anticipating the expenditure

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for the forthcoming year and then then determining how that sum will be raised.

The Circuit adopted the following policy principles for the reserves in the 2020-1 Connexional Year:

Capital Assets

The proceeds of sale of the premises of any Methodist Church or manse within the Circuit is generally credited to the Circuit. There is, however, a substantial levy paid to the Connexion (the Methodist Church in GB) so not all proceeds are received by the Circuit. The sale of manses requires proceeds to be spent on new manses or capital improvements to existing manses. No capital assets were bought or sold during the year.

The Circuit received rent for the use of Forest Town Methodist Church by the Redeemed Church of God and from two unused manses within the Circuit boundaries.

Funding of the Circuit’s Costs

This is achieved primarily by making an assessment on each church within the Circuit using a determinative formula agreed by the Circuit Meeting. If any church were to close, that church’s assessment would not be paid to the Circuit during the remainder of that year, unless it had liquid assets to do so. The Circuit’s costs, principally stipends, salaries, housing and insurance costs would continue and there may be a need to draw upon reserves to meet the shortfall in income.

Annual Costs

The Circuit believes that it should ensure that it has income and reserves sufficient to cover its current staffing of three ministers (including one deacon) and a lay employee. The CLT and Circuit Meeting ensure that spending from reserves is kept at a sustainable level.

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Approvals

This report and the Financial Statements of the Circuit were approved by the Circuit Meeting held on 22 February 2022, subject to inspection by the independent examiner. The examiner signed the Financial Statements in November 2021 to confirm that they had completed the inspection satisfactorily.

Signed on behalf of the Trustees:

………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………….. Rev Stuart Ellis Rev R Jones Superintendent Minister Circuit Treasurer

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Name of Circuit: Sherwood Forest Sherwood Forest Circuit No: Circuit No: 22/23
Balance Sheet as at 31.08.2021
Notes
to
Acs		 General Fund
(unrestricted)		 Circuit Model
Trusts
(Unrestricted)		 Designated
funds
(Unrestricted)		 Restricted
Funds		 Endowment
Funds		 Totals
2020-21		 Totals
2019-2020
£ £ £ £ £ £ £
Fixed Assets
CircuitManses &Equipment 835,000 835,000 955,000
Investment properties 0 0
Investments 0 0
Total FixedAssets 835,000 0 0 0 0 835,000 955,000
Current Assets
Debtors 0 0
Loans by Circuit 0 0
Investmentswith TMCP 157,722 6,523 164,245 140,063
Central FinanceBoardDeposits 25,954 25,954 15,279
CashatBankor in Hand 60,825 60,825 81,103
TotalCurrentAssets 86,779 157,722 0 0 6,523 251,024 236,445
Current Liabilities 0 0
Creditors (Dueinunder 1year) 0 0
GrantsPayablewithin 2020-21 0 0
TotalCurrentLiabilities 86,779 157,722 0 0 6,523 251,024 236,445
Total Assetsless Currentliabilities 921,779 157,722 0 0 6,523 1,086,024 1,191,445
Long Term Liabilities
(due after more than oneyear		 0 0
Grants payable after 2020-21 0 0
Loans to Circuit 0 0
0 0
NettAssets 921,779 157,722 0 0 6,523 1,086,024 1,191,445
Funds of Circuit
General funds unrestricted 921,779 921,779 1,037,161
CircuitModeltrustfunds Unrestricted 157,722 157,722 133,804
DesignatedFunds unrestricted 0 0 0
TotalUnrestrictedFunds 921,779 157,722 0 0 0 1,079,501 1,170,965
RestrictedFunds 0 0 14,221
EndowmentFunds 6,523 6,523 6,259
Total Funds 921,779 157,722 0 0 6,523 1,086,024 1,191,445

Name of Circuit: Sherwood Forest Methodist Circuit No22/23

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 (other than that disclosed below*) which give me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

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.

I have ~~/have not*~~ obtained independent verification of all investments with the Trustees 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 R H Jones

Name of independent examiner Revd. Robert Howard Jones

Relevant professional qualification of independent examiner F.C.M.A. ; C.G.M.A.

Name of firm (where appropriate) ………………………………………………………………………

Address 'HEDDWCH' 9, Blakeney drive, Mansfield Nottinghamshire

……………………………………………………………………………….. Post Code NG18 4DN………

Date November 2021…………………………………………