StLukoS MAIDSTONE LIVE. LOVE. LEAD The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Luke the Evangelist, Maidstone Registered Charity Number 1133938 Financial Statements 31 December 2024 The Parochial Church Coundl of the Eccleslastlcal ParLsh of SL Luke the Evangellsk Maldstone Contents Page Administrative Infomation Trustees, Annual Report 3-11 Independent Examinerfs Report 12 statement of Financial Activities 13 Balance Sheet 14 Statement of Cash Flows 15 Notes to the Accounts 16-24 The Parochial Church Council of the Eccle$iasttcal parf￿h of St. Luke the Evangelis¥ Maidstone Administrative Information Secretsry to the PCC. Anne Mos5 Flnance and Booklngs Manager: Mandy Parris DIs￿n￿ly0 D•a¢on: Revd. Barbard Lewts* (from June 2024) Ordlnand: Phll Trdlner* *Non-VottngAttendees atpcc Trustees Incumbent: Revd. Gareth Dlcklnson Curate: Revd. Hollle Butler co￿Pted. Brad Cook (untll February 2024) Wardens.. Anthony Chadwlck Melanie Williams (until April 2024) Donella McGill (from April 2024) Elected Members: James Alder (from April 2Q24} Chloe-Elise Andrews (from April 2024) William Cod(croft Thomas Cordrey (untll Aprll 2024) Dorcas ￿ng5f0rd Mark iAwrence (from Aprll 2024) Grneme Levett (until April 2024) Olivia Owen Nell Slnclalr Carole Tyler Representats"ve on the Diocesan Synod: Clare Torrens Representstlves on the Deanery Synod: Susan Ghlnn Donella McGill (until April 2024) Anne Cole (from Aprll 2024- already on PCQ Wendy Suffield (until November 2024) Addres9 St Luke's ￿Urch Foley Street Maidstone Kent ME14 SAW Independent Examlner Paul Baker Applled Atccuntancy Llmited 508 Clifford Way Maidstone Kent ME16 8GD Bank CAF Bank Ltd 25 Kings Hill Avenue Klngs Hlll, West Malllng Kent ME19 4JQ The Parochial chU￿h Councll of the Ecdeglastlcal Parlsh of St. Luke the Evangells¢ Maldstone Trustees, Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2024 STRucfuRE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT The PCC is a registered charity and is governed by the PCC Powers Measure 1956 (as amended) and Church Representation Rules. The method of appolntment of PCC members is governed by and set out in the Church Rep￿Sen￿tiOn Rules. PCC membership is sought from the fellowship. New trustees are provided with a guide to the principles of the PCC. The PCC operates through a number of groups and committees coverlng many aspects of church Ilfe, which report to the full trustee board. There are several PCC working parties to take specific areas of work fonNard. These include: Safeguarding, Children and Youth WorK Pastoral Care, Finance, Site, Worship, Mission and Evangelism, Buildlngs and Fund Ralslng. There is a *parate Building Projett Team to deal with the specifics of this major project, and the Building Project Manager regularly reports to the PCC. The increase in team workers has meant that faster progress has been made across many areas of church life. The Standing committ￿ has the power to transact business of the PCC betw&n meetlngs, subject to the direclion of the full PCC. The Mission working party considers which societies, organisations or individual missionaries should be supported by the church and raises the profile of mission In the congregation. All recommendations for the distribution of funds given by the church for that purpose are agreed annually by the PCC, based on giving away 10 % of income. In addition to our exlsting staff the PCC was able to appoint a Futtjre Youth Trainee (mostly funded by the Diocese) on a 11-month programme which Includes trainlng. We also benefit from a curate and an ordinand in training for the ministry. These, together with the clergyi existing stsff and a number of key volunteers form a core team who meet together each week to pray and manage the ongolng work of the church Durlng 2024 the clergy consisted of the Vicar (Rev. Gareth Dickinson), a curate (Rev. Hollie Butler), a Distinctive Deacon (Rev. Barbara Lewis) and an Ordinand (Phil Trainer). The staff consists of a Worship and Creative Pastor, a Children s Pastor, a Youth Pastor (partially funded by the Diocese), and a Future Youth trainee mentloned above. These are supported by Admin and Finan￿ posts as well as a number of volunteers. The Operatlons Manager resigned in September and could not be replaced immediately for budgetsry reasons. St Luke's ha5 established a vision under the banner of 'Llve- Love- Lead, and this is underpinning the direction of the church. In partnership with our architect, plans for the development of the site, 'Transforming Spaces for Transforming Mission, were able to start in July 2024 with the demolition of the Nursery (or Old Hall). Planning permission was obtsined from Maidstone Borough Council and a Faculty from the Diocese of Cantsrbury. Due to ground conditions and building cost inflatlon when the main project was put out to tsnder costs increased signiflcantly and the scale of the project had to be cut back. G A Harper We￿ selected as contractor following a tender process. Following a further generous grant at the end of the year from the Church Commissioners it has been possible to relnstate these cutbacks. Separately from the main building project a scheme to replace the current gas hot air heating system in the church has been pursued by technlcal Investlgatlons and seeking grants. This is in line with the Church of England's Net Zero targets. The Parochlal Church Council of the E¢cl85iasti¢al Parish of St. Luke the Evangelis( Maldgtone The Ukrainian family were able to ￿lOCate from St Luke's House during the summer of 2024, and plannlng permission was obtained to convert the ground and first floors back to church meetlng room and support office spa￿. Coupled wlth moving around attivities (both for church ministry but also for private hlrers) it has been possible to accommodate all current users whilst the building work continues. There has however also been impact on the number of car parking spaces available. The overall objectlve of providing a series of spaces, with support seNices, to carry foNard the mission of the church will be completed In mid 2025. This will enable the work to grow as well offer more opportunitles for addltional income from external hirers. With the support of the Church Council a separate Growing Hope Maidstone tharity has been *t up supported and hosted by St Luke's. This 15 part of a National Network offering free therapy to children with addltlonal needs. Regular clinics are belng held In St Luke's House by the Clinic Manager who also attends the Q)re Team meetings to ensure appropriate co-ordinatlon with other artivities. A major source of concern has been the signiflcant Increase in energy costs as existlng fixed price contracts have ended and new ones entered Into. The building project will when complete, with photovoltaic cells on the roof will provide our own electricity for now well-lnsulated hall, Foyer and Miss Coppen Room. OBJECTS, AIM AND PURPOSES Under the PCC Powers Measure 1956 (as amended), St. Luke's Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent vicar and the churchwardens in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The PCC is also specifically responsible for the Maintenan￿ of the church complex of St Luke's, Maidstone. The trustees have complled with the duty in section 4 of the 2011 Charitles Act to have due regard to guidance published by the Charity CL)mmission, including public benefit guidance. OBJEcfivES AND ACTIVInES When planning our activities for the year, the incumbent vicar, the churchwardens and the PCC have considered the Commission's guidance on publlc benefit and, in particular, the specific guidan￿ on charities for the advancement of religlon. In particular, we try to enable ordinary people to live out thelr faith as part of our parish community through:. Regular worship open to all, and the teaching of Christianity through sermons and small groups. Provision of youth groups and children's groups with a Christian ethos, as well as taking assemblies in schools. Pastoral work, including visiting the slck and the bereaved, and the St. Luke's Barnabas Fund (emergency fvnding for Church Members). The provision of sacred space for personal prayer and contsmplation, as well as ministry teams available to pray with individuals at Sunday services. Evangelism, communicating and seeking to demonstrate the message of God's forgiveness and love for all human beings. Promoting the whole mission of the Church through numerous groups. The Parochlal Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Pansh of St. Luke the Evangells¢ Maldstone Supporting other charities in the UK and overseas. Supporting the community via provision of activlties for parents and preschool children, lunch club for elderly people. Working in partnership with other local churches to support misslon in Maidstone, in particular with St Faith's at its new site at Ringlestone. To facilitats this work, it is important that we maintsin the fabric of the Church of St. Luke's and the church complex. Mlnor malntenance work is organised and carrled out by our 'in house, Property team. Major repair work is commissioned from professional firms according to the recommendations of a new Quinquennial Survey, which took place in 2023. In addltlon to the maln bullding works a number of projects in 2024 have improved areas of the church complex. There has been substantial clearing out of accumulated 'stuff', to make room for the necessary moves around during to the building work. ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE Regular worship open to all, and the teaching of Christianity through sermons and small groups Throughout 2024, St Luke's has offered one Sunday morning service In the church whlch is Ilvestreamed and uploaded to YouTube. A monthly evening service is held on the 1st Sunday of the month, and on the 3rd the Church hosts a Flrefall service for the wider churches in the Maidstone area. These include guest speakers and allow an extended tlme of worshipi teaching, prayer and ministry. Church attendance, and numbers registered on Churchsulte, has contlnued to grow during the year, Onllne vlewing figures have declined but it remains an important access route allowlng people to watch at their convenlence throughout the week. Online is important for those who are housebound and also a means of people wishing to see If we are the sort of church they wish to attend. Morning ServI￿S include very well-attended groups for children and young people. Some of the physical spaces have been unsuitable, being cold and prone to water ingress, which the buildlng project Is addressing. Additional groups have been needed, putting pressure on the available spaces. This year a combined Carol Se￿1￿ in All Saints Church (lead by 6 churches from across Maidstone) was held. A Christingle service for families and midnight communion were held in St Luke's. A harvest festival was held with donations to the Salvation Army Foodbank. As well as our regular services, we enable our community to celebrate and thank God at the milestones of their journey through life: through baptisms, marriages and funerals. Funerals have tsken place at the Maidstone crematorium. A number of baptlsms by full immersion have taken place, aided by the purchase of a new portable baptistry. We hold an annual RerneMbran￿ Sunday service called 'Candle in the Wind,; an opportunity for those who wish to remember the death of a loved one. This is especialty valued by those who have lost someone during the previous year, enabling them to moum their loved one, commend them into God's presence and re￿1ve the comfort of other people's prayers. The PCC Ecognises that God made us all as unique individuals, who desire to worship him in our own way, and we try to provlde space to recognise and encourage this. Worship Teams, led and co-ordinated by the Worship and Creative Pastor, provide music and sung worship led in a varlety of ways by small groups of musicians and singers, who are supported by the Technical Team. The Production Manager oversees a team who manage the sound, live streaming and project words and other data onto the screen at the front of the church. Additional technical enhancements continue to be planned and introduced. The Parochial Church Countil of the Ecclesiastical Parlsh of St. Luke the Evangells¢ Maldstone Lifegroups Lifegroups a￿ small mldweek groups mainly meeting in homes in and around Maidstone. They are safe places to meet, make friends and be encouraged in the Christian faith. They are the initial point for pastoral care and have been expanding in number. A number of other opportunities for pastoral support are developing via networks and social meetings for men and young adults. Some short tem lifegroups have been introduced ft)r specific purposes, for example studying a specific book of the bible. Youth and Children The Chlldren and Family Pastor and the Youth Pastor have continued to successfully develop their work. The latter post draws on Church of England fundingi which will decrease year by year over five years on a sliding scale. This work enabling significant growth In thls area of church life with a steady increase in the numbers of chlldren and young people attendlng each week. Sessions for children and young people are run every week and are lively and engaging and deeper relatlonshlps with famllles are being built and maintsined. Special events such as a Holiday Club around Easter, Pancake party and Light Trall have also been very Well-re￿IVed by the wider community. Connections with local schools have been re-established and good relationships are brlnging new opportunities to work together to the mutual benefit of both communities. Progress has been made with secondary schools though those in the Parish have proved hard to reach. Our young people have Sunday sessions on three weeks a month. On the fourth week, they are encouraged to support other ministries, working wlth children or helping with sound, vision, worship and refreshments. Additionallyi they meet on a Friday evening with a programme that includes splritual and social content. Increaslngly, our yOLJng people attend events which include other groups across the district. The Youth Pastor has been working with a group that support adults and young people with mentsl health Issues. Pastoral Work Pastoral Care consists of visiting people in their homes dnd in hospital, ministering to the dying and comforting the bereaved, which is done by teams of laity and clergy. Two pastoral care courses have been held and a new system set up to ensure information is appropriately shared whilst keeping confidentiality. A particular concern is to avoid members of the congregation slipping through the net. Life groups are a particularly important part of this as the leaders can asslst their members as necessary or seek additional assistance if appropriate. The St. Luke's Barnabas fund is supported by the PCC and provides financial support for those facing emergency difficulties. The fund is administered by a small group who ensure confidentlality is maintained. On Sundays Pastoral Care is also provided by our Ministy Team, who pray with those who are struggling with life's situatlons. especially where issues may have been raised during the preaching or worship. Those who require counselling are advised to go tt) the Crossline Christian Counselling Service, an inter-church scheme which operates in the centre of Maidstone as well as other support agencies as appropriate. The church appoints safeguarding offi￿rS for vulnerable adults and children, working in partnership with the Diocese and other agencies as appropriate. A Safeguarding group has developed a paperle￿ system to support safer recruitment of team members and the reporting of any concerns. A backlog in the safer recruitment pro￿$5, along with DBS checks where required, The Parochlal Church Council of the E¢de$iastical Parish of St. Luke the Evangells¢ Maldstone has been addressed. The provlslon of sacred space for personal prayer and contemplation There is a regular monthly prayer evening for the congregation, now moved to a Wednesday. The Vestry is now a prayer room and there is a regular W￿klY prayer session. There is also a phone number that people can use to text prayer requests. Evangelism We belleve that promoting the Gospel to the communlty is vital. We seek to communlcate this through targeting invitations to special services and events such as Alpha (a course exploring the Christian faith), and other events. An Alpha course was very well attended. A weekly and monthly newsletter has been distributed to everyone on our Churchsulte datsbase. The number of people in the data base has continued to grow. has provided a polnt of contact each week and enabled the promotion of on-line services and, increasingly, been a source of information and encouragement. Members of St. Luke's also volunteer with 'Street Pastors,, a national initiative where Christians go out to offer practical and pastoral help to young people enjoying the nightlife in towns and city centres. St. Luke's also provides volunteers ft)r the Maidstone Churches, Winter Shelter where up to 15 Homeless people were provided with a hot meal, bed overnight and breakfast during the 12 weeks of Winter. Technology/ Website / Soclal media The website and our social media pages are an important part of our ministry at st. Luke's as we continue to build the church of the 21st century. The church has invested in Churchsuite and G- Sulte sofbNare as a means of maintaining office functions and improving communication wlthout the need to always be based in a physlcal off1￿. Use of 'ChurchSuite' is being expanded to bring new functions into use. G-suite software has allowed staff and key volunteers to work from home, share documents and provide a platform to store and acTrss medla files. A new up-to-date church website has been developed as an initial point of contact for new people. Social media is being utilised more consistently and effectively. Promoting the whole mlsslon of the Church Numerous groups operate throughout St. Luke s offering support for those in the local community. There Is a "Cafe n, Tots" group for pre-school age children and their carers which has continued to flourish. There are 162 famllles registered, and the two weekly sessions are usually full to capacity. Some of the* familles have begun to attend other events and serVI￿S occasionally and a greater emphasis has been placed on facilitating this. The 60s+ club continues to thrive and attract new members. There are regular activities such as keep fit and quizzes as well as services which are held six times a year. The club now r￿￿ts in the church. A gardenlng team meets weekly to maintaln the church garden and grounds and does a magnifi￿nt job. The Parothlal Church Councll of the E¢¢leslaslJcal Parlsh of St. Luke the Evangells¢ Maidstone A men's group enjoy breakfasts, suppers, barbecues and bowling nights. A women's group also had some events. Supporting other Charities in the UK and overseas St Luke's has continued its commitment to give 10 % of its gift income away to various charities and organisations both within the UK and abroad. In 2024 the PCC distributed the remaining tithe from 2023. As giving to St Luke's has increased, so in turn, we have been able to increase our giving to other churches and organlsations. Fabrlc and Buildings Towards the end of 2023, it was decided to redeploy St Luke's House as offices and meeting spaces. The large Ukrainian family has been rehoused and a programme of works begun to convert the house back Into a series of useful and attractlve rooms was completed in Autumn 2024. Thls work was paid for from donated funds to the buildlng projert. The change of use required plannlng permission, which was obtained. This has allowed activities for the most part to contlnue desplte the inevitable disruption caused by the building work Whlle plans for the whole site have been being progressed, there have continued to be frequent issues with the existing utility systems in the church and halls, much of whlch was old and needed to be repla￿d. This has been a constant drain on finances and human resources. There wlll be a need to address in the future outstanding issues with the main church building and St Luke's House. A bid has been submitted for a grant as a demonstrator church to Install a new electric heating system in the Church. The existing gas fired hot air system is approaching the end of Its useful life, is very expensive to njn, and needs replacing. After extensive preliminary work in drawlng up a scheme by Architectsi gaining the necessary planning and Faculty consents, and numerous survey and technical investigations, work is now under way on the main building project. A new kitchenette and toilets are being constructed for the Miss Coppen Room, which will enable that to operate as an independent unit. The Main Hall roof has been replaced, as wlll the windows, and photovoltaic cells installed on the roof, to generate as much electricity as possible to be sustainable. The Foyer will be extended both out into the St Luke's House Garden and at the front, with the toilettes moved or reconfigured. Both the main kitchen in the Hall and the kltchenette in the church will be completely modernised. The main car park will be extended and internal path provided to the maln entran￿. FINANCIAL REVIEW Income in 2024 was £669,548 compared with £421,610 in 2023. The increase mainly due to donations and grant funding towards the building project but is also due to in part new families joining St Luke's either for the first time or returning after some years away and contributing to the church finances. There has also been income from the hiring of church halls, rental of St Luke's House flat and grants to contribute to the cost of employing a youth worker and Future Youth participant. The total income for the year was more than the expenditure by £274,604, against a surplus of £83,673 in 2023. The Parochial Church Councll of the Eccleslastlcal Parfsh of St. Luke the Evangellsty Maidstone Income increa*d overall, planned giving increased in 2024 by £13,443 and consequently tax recovered also increased. cash collertions saw a decrease of £888 in the year. Other donations income totalled £385,431 (an increase of £242,680 from 2023). Of this Income, £344,785 (2023: £118,306) was in restritted funds and given and received for specific purposes. Totsl income from other tradlng activities was £34,662 (2023: £45,054) of which the largest parts were income of £14,796 from the rentsl of St Luke's flat (2023: £24,756} and income of £19,230 for the hire of the church halls (2023: £20,079). Total unrestricted expenditure was £307,889 (2023: £282,529). "Costs of generating donatlons" (which is baslcally the cost of runnlng the church site and actlvities) was £97,901 (2023: £107,982). Costs of trading activities was £30,377 (2023: £25,439), an increase which is partly due to an Increase in attions in all areas of church life and sponsoring a Ukralnian family (11 members) who have lived In St Luke's House. Grants to external misslons were £41,370 (2023: £26,337), not all 2024 mlsslon money was given away in 2024, but it was rolled over to be used in 2025. In 2023, there was a change of policy to give away a tithe to external mission based on donations onlyi rather than on all income. PCC Review of Finances Our Budget for 2024 was a challenging but realistic faith budget. Our income increased, as new members joined the church. Income from letting out the hall and meeting rooms has been curtailed due to the bullding work. We were able to pay our full Parfsh Share to the Diocese. The PCC along with the Finan￿ Manager and the finan￿ team (two voluntsers) have continued to keep the finances under regular revlew throughout the year. St Luke's is an old church and as such the buildings are constantly needing repairs and maintenance of heatlng systems and repairs in general have been a regular occurrence. The series of attions we carried out in 2024 included: Completion of St Luke's House refurbishment as offices and meeting rooms Bell Tower- addressing pigeon infeststion (which has reoccurred) Management of car pathing over the site with spaces lost due to the building work Demolition of the old Hall (Nur*ry) as the first stsge in the bullding work Management of the interactions between our normal activities (including those who hire rooms) and the building work on a day to day basis Reallocation of spaces for our actlvities (especially Sunday School and Youth activities on a Sunday) Managing old equipment and spatrs to keep them functional until impacted by the building work Reserv￿ Policy At the end of 2024 the charity had 7 staff, the PCC has set the free unrestricted reserves policy as £32,500. Free reserves at 31 December 2024 were £37,703 (2023: £37,188) representing unrestrlcted/undesignated nét current assets of the charity. The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Luke the Evangells¥ Maldstone RISK MANAGEMENT The board of Trustees continues to assess, Identify and address areas of rlsk and to put controls in place to mlnlmise these. Key controls Include; Formal agendas and minutes for all Board and subcommittee meetings. Comprehensive budgeting, management reporting and accounting. Development of wrltten policies and procedures. Development of strategic plans. STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES, RESPONSIBILITIES The charity trustees are responslble for preparing a trustees, annual report and financial statements In accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accountlng Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). The law appllcable to charltles In England and Wales requlres the charity trustees to prepare financial statements for each year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, of the charity for that period. In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are required to: select sultsble accounting pollcles and then apply them consistently; obSe￿e the methods and principles in the appllcable Charities SORP; make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent. state whether applicable accounting standards have been followe(i, subject to any materlal departures that must be disclosed and explained in the financial statements. prepare the financial statements on the going concem basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charlty will continue in business. The trustees are responsible for keeplng proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial posltion of the charlty and to enable them to ensure that the flnancial statements comply with the Charities Att 2011, the applicable Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations, and the provisions of the governing document. They are also responslble for safeguarding the assets of the charlty and taking reasonable steps for the preventlon and detection of fraud and other irregularities. io The PanKhlal Church Coun¢ll of the EC¢leslas￿Cal Parish of St. Luke the Evangelist, Maldstone FUTIJRE DEVELOPMENTS In 2025 the buildlng works are expected to be completed by mid-year. There will then be a shake down period of learning how best to use the new spaTrs and manage them from a heating, lighting, cleaning and access point of view. Employment of an Operations Manager and some form of caretsker would be a great help here, particularly in keeping the overall complex secure, setting up spaces for particular users etc. New opportunities will be openedi particularty for the Miss Coppen Room which will be able to be let as a standalone unit wlth tollet and basic kitchen facilitles. A certain amount of landscape worf( will be required, and thanks are due to the Gardening Team is keeplng the site smart despite the inevitable disruption. One side effect will be that the maln church building will look a little shabby in relatlon to the rest of the estate. There is the wort( from the Quinquennlal (e.g. stoneworf( in the church and the roof of St Luke's House) that needs to be addressed. Upgrades to lighting, sound and vision will address some of the current issues. In 2025 the focus can move to the core purpose of expanding the mlssion work of church and supporting the congregation in their journey wlth God. The mornlng Sunday Servi￿ is stsrting to reach physical capacity on occasions so options to add additional services with need to be explored. That, and the continued work of the various groups and activities, will requlre additional volunteers from the congregatlon to take the work forward. An important aspect of thls is providing the necessary support and training for the varlous roles that need to be filled. Collaborative plans for the local deaneryr in particular a growing relatlonship wlth St Faith's Church, also offer the potential for further mlssion and fundlng. Some members of St Luke's have moved to St Faiths, will a full blessing, to help develop that work with their new building and the newly appolnted Vicar. The last year has seen a signlflcant growth in.church membership with many new people givlng regularly. Technology has continued to be used extensively for administration, communicatlon and the live streaming of services, enabling the church to stay connerted and engaged. Regular vision updates will allow new members of the church to understand the mission opportunities and financial needs of the church. Income from halllroom hire can be increased and the Income from letting the St Luke's House flat helps cover the costs of maintaining that building. This report was approved by the Trustees on 28th April 2025 and signed on their behalf by Revd. Gareth Dickinson Vicar & Truste Susan Ghinn Trustee 11 The Parochlal Chur¢h Countll ol the Eccle81aSti¢al Parlsh of SL Luk¢ the Evangells¢ Maidstotte Independent examiner's report to the trustees of the Parochlal Church Council of the Eccleslastical Parish of St Luke the Evangefis¢ Maldstone. I report to the trustees on my oxaminatloA of the accounts of the Parochial Church Councll of the Eccleslastical Parlsh of St Luke the Evangellst, Maldstone Cthe charlty? for the year ended 31 December 2024, which are set out on pages 13 to 24. ResponslbllI￿es and basls of iwort the trustees of the. charlty you are responslble for the preparatlon of the accounts in accordance wlth the requlrements of the U￿ritieS Act 2011 Cthe 2011 A￿. I report in respert of my examinatk)n of the charlty s accounts carried out under 5ettlon 145 of the 2011 Art and In carrylng out my examination I have followed all the appllcable Dlrections glven by the Charity Commi5slr)n under settion 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Att. Independent examlner's ststement The charlty s gross Income exceeded £250,000 and I am quallfled to undertake the examinatlon by being a qualified member of Assoclation of International Accoiintsnt& I have completed my ￿mInatIOn. I conflrm that no materlal matters have come to my attentlon in connettion with the examlnation givlng me cause to believe that In any materlal respect: l) accounting records We￿ not kept in respect of the Trust as required by sertlon 130 of the Att; or 2) the accounts do not accord with thosé records. or 3) the accounts do not comply wlth the applicable requirements conornlng the fomi and content of accounts set out In the Chafftle5 (Accounts and Report5) Regulatlons 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts glve a Irue and fair vlew, which Is not a matter cons-dered as part of an independent examin?tlon. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters In connection the examinatlon to which attention should be drawn In th15 report In order to enable a proper understsndlng of the accounts to be reached. Paul Baker FATA Applied Accountsnry Llmited 50a Clifford Way Maldstone Kent ME16 8GD Dated; ?+AmiL 2025 12 The Parothlal Church Councll of the Ecdeslastlcal Parlsh of St. Luke the Evangelist, Maidstone Statement of Financial Actlvltles For the year ending 31 December 2024 Restrl¢ted Unrestrlcted Total 2024 Total 2023 Notss Ir￿￿n Donations.. Donations from churdi member5 Othw donatlons Other tradlng actlvltl Investrryent Income other Income 247,704 40,646 34,662 1,751 247,704 385,431 34,662 1,751 232,Z71 142,751 45,054 1,484 50 344,785 Total Income 324 763 421610 Expendlture Costs of raising funds.. Costs of g￿lerating donations Costs off tredlng actlvltles 3,064 8,834 94,837 21,543 97,901 30,377 107,982 25,439 Total costs of ralslng funds 116 380 128 278 133 421 Charltsble actJvitles'. Minisbv Grants 37,581 37,576 187,715 3,794 225,296 41,370 178,179 26,337 Total expendlture on charitable activities 191509 266 666 Total expenditure 307 889 394 944 337 937 Net in￿rne 257,730 16,874 274,604 83,673 Transfer5 between fundg 22,717 (22,717) Net movement in funds 280047 (5,843) 274,604 83,673 Totsl Funds Brought Forward 265,024 124,388 389,412 305,739 Totsl Funds Carried Forward 118 545 664 016 13 The Parochial Church Councll of the Ec¢l¢slastlcal Parlsh of St. Luke the Evangelis¢ Maidstone Balance Sheet As at 31 December 2024 Notes 2024 2023 Fixed Assets Tangible assets 228,801 198,158 Current Assets Debtors Cash at bank and In hand 302,030 212 821 514,851 32,463 181720 214,183 Credltors: amounts falling due wlthin one year Net Current Assets 435 215 Totsi assetg less current liabilities 664,016 389,412 Net Assets 664 016 389 412 The funds of the churth Restricted Funds Unrestricted Funds t)esignated Funds 13 545,471 104,501 265,024 108,195 664 016 389 412 Approved by the Trustees on 28th April 2025 and signed on their behalf by Revd. Gareth Dlckinson Vitsr & Trustee Susan Ghinn Trustee 14 The Payothial Church Councll of the Eccleslastlcal Parish of St. Luke the Evangelisty Maidstone Statement of Cash Flows For the year ending 31 December 2024 NotÈs 2024 2023 Cash genérat￿ by operatlw actlyltles 16 75,108 77,863 Cash flow8 from I￿¢*ting actlvltlos Interest nct)me Purchase of tarobÈ ft4ed a55ets 1,751 1,484 Cash used by Invésting actlvltlés In¢￿Se h cash and £ash equmaknts in the year 31,101 7Q,045 Cash and c£sh eqU￿a￿ntS at the begnniro Of the year 181,no 111,675 Cash and ¢ash equlvalents at tha Énd of the year 181720 15 The Parochial Church Coun¢ll of the E¢deslastlcal Parlsh of St. Luke the Ev¥ngelis¢ Maidstone Notes to the Accounts For the year ended 31 December 2024 l. Aca>untlng Polldes Basis of preparatlon and going concern The finanaal ststements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, and in accordan￿ with the Statement of Rewmmended Practio: Accounting and Reportlng by Charities applicable to charlties preparing thelr aco)unts in accordan￿ wlth the Flnanaal Reporting Stsndard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (Charitles SORP FRS 102) effective l January 2019 and the Flnanclal Reporting Standard applicable In the Unlted ￿ngdorn and Republlc of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charlties Act 2011. The tharlty constitutes a publlc benefit ￿tity as defined by FRS 102. The charlty Is an Angllcan churth based in Maldstone but called to reach out to the world with the good news of Jesus Chris¥ in the power of the Spirity so that others may know the love of their Heavenly Father. This mi&slon Is continuous. Its work Is flnanced by member donations and fund raising attivities, such as letting rooms for community use. FInan￿S are carefully managed to ensure all aspects of this mlsslon are carried out including mission activities both inside the parish and more widely, Free unrestritted reserves were £37,703 at 31 D￿mber 2024. In 2024 new people ContInu￿ to join the church as a result of outreach activities in the community and developlng online presen￿. Expenditure increased as the church invested in stafflng and Improvements to the fabric of the buildings. Income Increased mainly via donations from the growing congregation, but also from grants obtalned towards the building projett. The PCC has assets whith can be drawn on: •St Lukds House is a property hdd by the Diocese of Canterbury of whlch St Lukes is the 501e beneflclary If it were to be sold. It Is worth in excess of £600,DOO. However, for the foreseeable future, the thurth has dedded to upgrade and use this building for offices and meeting rooms as part of its Improvement plans. •A large site with various pleces of land that could be sold to fund other development. 2024 saw many positive thanges. After a slight plateau the numbers attendlng Servi￿ in person (both mornlng and evening) and onllne continued tr) increase. Services continue to be live streama. Thls has proved helpful to people who are unable to attend servitrs In the bulldlng and ha5 allowed people to revisit seNitrs at other tlmes. The website and social rn￿la pre*nTr has contlnued to be impa(thl in promDtlng the life of the thurth. In 2024 we appointed a part time Future Youth tralnee, however the Operations Manager resigned in September. As part of the building work a Project Manager has b*n contracted tr) manage the process for the Trustees. The employees, along wlth a curate and ordinand, have created an effalive core team of staff and voluntsers to (arry the church s work forward. Our monthly glvlng by standing order continued to grow. The site has contlnued to require sign1fi12nt resources to address repairs and rna1ntenan￿. The loss of the Operations Manager, ￿Mbined with the building work, has meant that less could be done In-house. In consultstton with an archltecL plans for iMproveme￿ts to the slte to support the mission of the thurch, provide facilities for thurch groups and for community use were submitted to Naidstone P￿rOUgh Council, and approved. These plans and the antiapated costs to carry them out do not require any parts of the site to be sold, the trust￿ are resolved to carry forward plans that will ensure the tharlvs ability to continue in the fores*able future and that there are no material Un￿rtaintieS surroundlng its ability to do so. 16 The Parothial Churth Councll of the Eccleslastlcal Parish of St. Luke the Evangells¢ Maidstone Notes to the Accounts For the year ended 31 December 2024 l. Accountlng Policies {cont) Income Income, including income tsx recover8J on amounts received by way of Glft Ald is recDgnised in the ststement of Hnanclal Activities once the charity has entitlement to the resour￿5, it is certsin that the reSoUr￿S will be received and the monetary value of the Incoming resources can be measured wlth sufflclent reliability. Resources Expended Liabilities are recognlsed as resour￿ expended as soon as there Is a legal or constructlve obllgatton commStting the tharity to the expenditure. All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been dassified under headings which aggr￿ate all costs related to the category. Totsl resources expended include the allocation of support costs to the varlous expenditure categorles set out in the Ststement of Financial AcEivities. Support costs have been allocated to a¢Jivitie5 on a basis cons5stent with the use of resour￿ as shown in note 12. Costs of g￿eratIng donations conslst of costs associatsj with the day tr) day running of the thurch bullding and s￿vi￿5 as wdl as costs associated with church famlly actlvltles. Cosl5 of tradlng actTvltT&q are costs generally associated wlth adfjvities where there is associated fee income. Costs of tharitable attivities are costs assoaat& with activities to meet the needs of the communlty and are part of church outreath. Governance (osts compri* all costrs Involving the public a(rnuntsblllty of the tharity and its compliance with regulatlon and good practice. These costs indude costs related to the independent examination and other statutory cosls, Value added Tax Value added tsx Is not re￿Verable by the charlty, and a5 such is Included In the relevant costs in the Statement of Financial Adlvities. Tangible fixed assets Assets are reviewed on an individual basls and capitslised when an ongolng benefit will be provided to the charity. Depr￿latIOn has been provided at the following rates in order to write off the assets over their estlmats useful lives. St Luke's House & Improvements Equipment 2% Straight line 209/0 Straight line A full year's charge has been made for depreciation In the year of an asset's purchase and no deprKiation is chargal In Its year of disposal. Impairment losses are recognlsed when there is an Indl<2tlon of Impairment and the asset's recoverable amount is less than Its t2rrylng amount. 17 The Paro¢hlal Church Coundl of the Ecdeslastlcal Parlsh of St. Luke the Evangelisty Maidstone Notes to the Accounts For the year ended 31 December 2024 l. Accountlng Pollcies (cont) Debtors Trade and other debtors are recognised at the setttement amount due after any trade discount offer￿. Prepayments a￿ valued at the anlount prepald net of any trade discounts due. Cash at bank and in hand Cash at bank and cash In hand includes osh and short term hlghly liquld Investments with a short maturity of thr* months or less from the date of acqulsition or opening of the deposlt or slmilar account. Creditors Creditors are r￿ognISed where the tharity has a present obligation r￿Ulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measur￿1 or estimated rellably. Credltors are normally recognised at their setdetnent amount afiEr allowing for any trade discounts due. Financial instruments The tharlty only has finanaal assets and financial liabilitles of a ktnd that qualify as basic financial inStrUm￿ts. Basic financial instruments are initlally recognlsed at transartion value and subs4uently measured aL their settlement value wlth the eX￿ptIon of bank loans which are subsequently measurgj at amortised cost using the eFfective interest method. Pensions Employees of the charfity are entided to join the Church Wr)rkers Pension Fund {s* note 18). The tharity contribution is restricted to the contributions disclosed in note I l. Restritted and Unrestricted funds Restricted funds are to be used for speclfied purposes as laid down by the donor. Expenditure which meets these criteria is identified to that fund. Unrestricted funds are donations and other income received or generated for the objectlves of the Church without further specified purpose and are available as general funds. Operating leases Costs in respect of operatlng leases are charged on a straight line basis over the lease term. Rentsls paid under operatlng leases are charg8J to the statement of financial activities as incurred. 18 The Parochlal Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Luke the Evangells4 Maidgtone Notes to the Accounts For the year ended 31 December 2024 R•*trltted Uth6trl¢tqd Eijdowmallt TOt•l 1074 2. •nd•ndfjwm¢Dts 3023 DathAtl¢￿￿frtrM thurch bnèmbvs Pla￿r￿d Tax recovewj on p1llnn￿ Gmng C15h Coll&lior Churth Events 195,676 47,5¢3 3,671 813 195,876 47,543 3,672 813 182k33 181.233 3.915 4,$60 J,S69 232221 othlr dmatlo DonaUor4 ipos ¢t¢ InLvme L￿a(leS Grants 77,59Z 27,820 7,850 105,412 7,850 3,301 268,868 15,483 12LF.578 3,301 263,892 4,976 13,41J 2,640 16,051 385 431 11&30$ oth•rtr4¢thq •tt1vft￿I SL LuKe's FlatrRent 14,796 536 19,230 14,796 636 19,230 219 329 20,0 thurth Oth¥ Incorne 34 In*stmertlncohMe D￿￿ends&Thd b￿reSt rnterestfrom ￿￿0V￿ents 1,751 1,751 1.484 1,4 otI￿r In¢ome Proceeds from s*offlxtsJ Total Inojme 431610 Rtstiittéd iJnve8tvlcied ndDv•menl Trtal 2024 Vnrestrkted fotol 3. &p¢tydltwè C¢*ls•f 9oneratlng dondtloms Churth malntsnance and runfiing *p¥ Churth Faml Churth group6 Le>Jershlp Costs orthlp C¢ 9JpkwxiCos 197 39h83 8,094 3,189 0,218 5,985 31,60 39,680 8,054 3,189 6,218 8,85Z 31,e68 $670 $457Y 1¢162 4228 402 2,867 24,RS0 97 901 ￿965 st, Luws Housa Rurn]ng ojsts Church Hall Runnlw Costs Reniai Properttes pwrte￿L9 8￿4 7,B57 5,22D L20 ,346 16,691 5,2kO LZO 8,346 7,226 J9 7.556 Charltab10 Actlvlti Mlntstry.. Quota C18r0y expa Chlldran and Youth Church Ouir*ch E¥￿ts DIrett.4￿ Costs Support C05t5 88.638 Z,967 3,937 921 59,384 31,868 e8,638 1957 3,937 921 96,965 31,868 03,072 83.072 1662 4562 1.197 60,DJ6 28,$50 1362 I,J97 43,722 37,581 187 715 1ssIDnary*d Chari￿￿ ￿￿.. Chwch Qver5ÈaS 9,780 750 9,Y80 75J J2.090 Home FtIS5ion otherChLrth Societi¥ Sp*ial Coll&tion5 Suppvrt 25,064 L982 25,D64 1,582 273 3,791 Totsl 19 Th¢ Parothial Church Councll of the Ecclesiastical Pan$h of St. Luke the Evangelis¢ Maidstone Notes to the Accounts For the year ended 31 December 2024 4. riÈt In 2024 2023 Isst*ed alerdvglng: Dewed¥Jon of owntsjlxed assets AmDVrts payable to Inwndent ExJmlnEr'. IrKlwelld￿t Eximln*lrn 15,115 12,9Y5 541 1,290 912 1,200 6QD Operabn9 IEa5q-wipm . Tanglbk Flxed Asset4 Bulldlngywnd Imp￿verntmt9 8ivldingso Equlpmefflt Yotal )sls At IstJanu?ry Addlyo 69,798 35$￿04 42.269 434I02 45,758 4,141 gJ02 (3,645) 5ffiW4 429,245 92 th¢5} At 31stDetsm pr4£1atTon At 15tJiNwy Ch¥gef¢r th2Ye¥ o&tls 4g,921 ?,109 16S,723 0,006 236,644 15,115 47,891 5,S75 179,423 227,314 11975 At 31* Net Bookvalue At 31st D￿ber 44 228 801 At IstJ*uiry 65t, LukÈ'J Hoult and St Luke* Cetwfe Th8ltte¢eels ofst. Luk* House*e VESiEd In thènameofth¢ uoce5eofcanter1￿ty5 of Finarfftumlted. Thebendclal Intuest lsvest￿ In The￿[O￿la1 Churth Councll of SL LUketheEwnydlsty Ma￿Stone. The pmpth w only be sold Ylth thoappmval oftheDloce8e ofCanirfburyYPowd of ￿￿￿umIt& awhlth Utnethethtrltyw0u￿ be enbtkd b) tsfull sak Y. Dobt•rs 2024 Tradedebtors GWcAldTax recOvera￿e Prepa¥M￿ts and Incornq 2,397 6,652 1,567 3,385 3Q2 D30 8. Crethtoi's.. 4mniintsfalMn9 duo wltlth ono Ygar 2024 2Q23 TBdÈcreditors otheF taxe%￿d 50ctsI s•wrlty Pwyon cort¥[b￿On5 Act7uils DefwTrJ frKorne 82,D41 2,174 10.454 2.059 1.298 20 The Parochlal Church Council of the Ecdesiastical Parish of St. Luke the Evangelis¢ Maldstone Notes to the Accounts For the year ended 31 December 2024 9. Unie*trictsd funds 2024 2023 BalanLPt*OUghtrorbYard Excess ofinwme ow Transfer 108,195 19,06L 12&7551 114,833 13A52 P9,99DI BalarKeCarrled foN fun 102J ¥12n￿b￿Ught1oM¥d Exce55 of Imme ovw *PendI￿re TraTrsfws 16,193 IIX67) 38 L8,50fj 12,5771 28+ Sfl*oCarrled lorbY8rd DeslgnAk¢d fun¢b rd*to: 11 £1,738 P013'. E4,Q5S1- th6¥a￿e of thls dBslgnat8d fund attheyeirffid rekn to therEt Lxxkvalueof thetsptsi 8quiw6nt PUY¢J￿ from a rdew¢ from thebJwy&4gn)ted nd aknvE In 202CL 21 E12,13412Q23'. E12,1341- d(￿LTe<* Endfjwtnent