MACCLESFIELD AND BOLLINGTON UNITED REFORMED CHURCH CHARITY
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2020
This report includes information required by the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the Statement of Recommended Practice for Accounting by Charities 2005 as applicable to charities entitled to prepare accounts on the receipts and payments basis.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION:
Macclesfield United Reformed Church Charity is a local church of the United Reformed Church in Great Britain and is a member church of North West Synod of the Church. It was registered on 4[th] February 2010 as Charity Number 1134087.
Macclesfield & Bollington United Reformed Church meet at 20 Park Green, Macclesfield, SK11 7NA and at Shrigley Court, Church Street, Bollington, SK10 5PY. The church halls belonging to the church are behind the church in Townley Street, SK11 6HZ
The members of the Elders’ Meeting for the time being are recognised as the charity trustees.
Those who served from 1[st] January 2020 and during the period of this report are:
Barbara Davis Vic Breeze Chris Embrey Liz Embrey Alison Gee Ron Gould Rev’d Fleur Houston Alison Lea Anne Watson Jo Wilkie Brian Woodhall
The church building is vested in North West Synod Trust as trustees and held for the benefit of Macclesfield and Bollington URC in accordance with the trusts applicable to URC properties.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT:
The activities of Macclesfield and Bollington United Reformed Church are overseen by the Elders’ Meeting in accordance with the provisions of The Structure of the United Reformed Church determined by the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church, and supplemented by the rules of Macclesfield and Bollington church. The governing document of the registered charity is a statement adopted by the Church Meeting on 15[th] November 2009. The Elders’ Meeting is responsible for the spiritual oversight of the church, its financial administration and the care and maintenance of the church premises. The Church Meeting (of all members wishing to attend) gives general guidance on the life and work of the church.
According to our constitution, there shall be a maximum of twelve elders, who, with the Church Treasurer, constitute the Elders’ Meeting. Elders are elected initially for three
years. They may stand for re-election for a period of one year up to a maximum of five years. After five years’ service, an elder shall not be eligible for appointment again for a period of twelve months.
The elders are the trustees of the registered charity during their period of service. The Elders’ Meeting held online Zoom meetings 15 times during 2020. Committees established for Property and Church and Society provided assistance in the administration of the church and its mission. In usual times, we would hold a Church Meeting in our building every 2 months and we held our Church Annual General Meeting in March 2020. However, due to the pandemic and in line with advice of the NW Synod, the decision was taken that Church Meeting delegate authority to the Elders to make decisions on its behalf over this period.
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES:
As a local congregation of the United Reformed Church, Macclesfield and Bollington United Reformed Church seeks to advance the Christian religion through its activities and the facilities offered to the community by its building, and described more specifically in its mission statement. ‘We aim to be a welcoming church, open to all, working with and for our local community in active service, and to share the love of Christ through word and deed.’
The Elders’ Meeting is aware of the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit in ‘The Advancement of Religion for the Public Benefit’ and has regard to it in the administration of the church and its mission. Through a system of pastoral groups, each with a designated leader, the elders exercise a duty of care for the welfare of members and associates. The Elders’ Meeting believes that, the church provides benefit to the public by:
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Providing resources and facilities for public worship, spiritual and pastoral care, moral and intellectual development, both for the congregation and for anyone else who wishes to benefit from what the church offers.
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Promoting Christian values and service by members of the congregation to the community, for the benefit of individuals and society as a whole.
REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS:
In more normal times the church provides:
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weekly worship on Sunday mornings, with provision for Children and Young People’s worship groups
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a weekly Bible Study class.
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weekly worship on Sunday evenings at Shrigley Court, Bollington
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a monthly tea gathering and worship for elderly and housebound members and friends of the church.
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A Women’s Friendship Group meeting
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Church-sponsored Scouts groups
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a weekly coffee morning, which is open to the community
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a weekly Disco held in the church for people with a disability
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a ‘Fun & Friendship Week’ in August, designed for people who would be at home during the summer holidays
Due to the pandemic and the national lockdown, worship and church groups were suspended. However, we began worship online on the 5[th] July 20.
The Women’s Friendship Group met outdoors in the summer months and in the Autumn, moved to an online meeting along with the Bible Study Group.
In usual times, the church and its buildings are available to the community at very reasonable rates to accommodate adult education classes, art classes, Tai-Chi, dogtraining classes, self-help groups and occasional events. All classes and events stopped during the two lockdowns in 2020. Those hirers who were permitted to hold their classes returned to the halls from August 2020.
The church is also part of WHAM (Winter HOPE Assistance in Macclesfield) providing winter accommodation for homeless people in the community and is the base for ‘Macclesfield Street Angels’, a group of volunteers from local churches working closely with the local Police. However, due to the pandemic, these organisations did not use our premises after the start of the first lockdown.
As a church, we continued with charitable activities, donating to national and international causes and provided Christmas presents for a local young people’s hostel and also Christmas Shoeboxes for the charity, Samaritan’s Purse.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The reserves at the end of the year were above the optimum working level, due to the very generous legacies received.
Offerings and fund raising were again down on last year by circa £5,000.
Unfortunately, due to Covid 19, the income from the Townley Street buildings was down by approximately £20,000 on the previous year as the buildings were closed for 9 months of the year.
The costs of running the church were down, as were the maintenance costs. Again, this was due to the pandemic saving circa £15,000 on the previous year’s costs.
The unaudited accounts show a small deficit; however, the legacies have kept the bank balances healthy.
This report was approved by the Elders on 7[th] October 2021 and is signed on its behalf by Alison Lea (Church Secretary)
Signed:
Date: 12.10.21
Note n$t1cted Desrbated rtestrk 2020 Funds £ Funds £ Funds£ Total £ 2019 Total £ RECEIPTS Offerings 30.768 147.744 IL780 30,768 36,488 147.744 11,7 561 7,962 5,198 I6.XI 6,785 Fund raiwn8 and donation5 Monies raised foroutsmje causes Gift Aid tax repayThents HMRC ORS paymer Manse Fund Property-chufchfvll wers Bank and InVemeM income Total r•c• 12,687 4.679 777 561 7,962 S.198 16K 16.320 26,332 226.237 561 226.798 104.383 PAYMENTS Mlnlstry & Mis5h?n Fw Chtsrch runnin8COSts Programme 4rtfvtty Costs Support of outside C4Lbses maintenan of church bulldin85 Oesignated Manse monies Churth buildin8 imptovments 44.952 35.424 44.952 35.424 44.152 40.106 394 5,994 12,317 1,029 3,459 1.869 3859 18,360 85.704 121.323 12791 141.094 116,9401 279 12,882 29.822 153,976 12,882 RECEIPTS IPAYMENTSI CASH FUNDS l January CASH FUNDS cllwd 31 Decem[ 141.373 12.fA)3 153.976 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILrrES OevelopmenVFund Raign8 A¢tount Bank currerit account Deposft accoJnts 52.976 lol.c) 153.976 52,976 ioi.¢xK) 153.976 11.882 12,882 Gift Aid recoverable Other monks due to church 5.282 5.957 Buikliw under #atutory tntsts Church contents Church bulhll Furnishiryand equlpment
*by•Wt 10 561 4.679 7aJ •)) 12.0 4.114 4.6 l.nj l.WJ7 iJ.440 i).440 13.14• 36.424
576 1,449 fJS$ 0837 2,1Cd 12.31 A A•klhou%e
Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Macclesfield and Bollington United Reformed Church
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Macclesfield and Bollington United Reformed Church for the year ended 31[st ] December 2020.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act').
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(S)(b) of the Act.
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 giving me cause to believe that in any material respect;
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act;
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the accounts do not accord with those records.
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.
Signed:
Name: Richard Fieldhouse
Address: 17 Ryles Park Road Macclesfield SK11 8AH
Date: 11 March 2021