**Registered Charity Number - 1134242**
**Penzance Baptist Church**
**Trustees Annual Report, Auditor Examination and Accounts For the year ended 31st December 2023**
## **Penzance Baptist Church**
## **Report of the Trustees for the year 01/01/2023 - 31/12/2023**
## **Reference and Administration Details**
**Charity Name**
Penzance Baptist Church
**Charity Registration Number**
1134242
**Charity’s Principal Address**
Clarence Street Penzance TR18 2NY Cornwall
## **Board of Trustees**
_(Name) (Office)_ James Belmour Deacon Ralph Hammond Deacon John Rubens Elder Jonathan Stobbs Minister
## **Independent Examiner**
Rev. Michael Coles (BSc) 14 Pengarth Road Falmouth TR11 2TY Cornwall
## **Bank**
Lloyds Penzance P.O. Box 8 Market House Penzance Cornwall TR18 2TN
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## **Structure, Governance and Management**
The governing document of the Penzance Baptist Church as a charity is the Constitution for Grace Baptist Church Charities approved on 1 January 2007, and then adopted as the charity was registered on 10 February 2010. Penzance Baptist Church as a charity is constituted as an association, and the way in which the trustees are selected and appointed is through the means of the church members’ meeting.
## **Objectives and Activities**
The principal object of the church is the advancement of the Christian faith according to Baptist principals in accordance with the church’s Basis of Faith. The church also carries out other charitable purposes in the United Kingdom and/or other parts of the world.
In relation to these objects, our main activities are Sunday services (morning and evening), midweek Bible studies and prayer meetings, evangelistic activities in the community, children’s club, Parent and Toddler group, promotion of mission and matters of social concern, and various informal get-togethers to consider the Christian faith.
## **Achievements and Performance**
Owing to the spiritual nature of the church’s objectives it is difficult to quantify achievements.
We employ a Pastor who conducts the majority of both Sunday Services, as well as mid-week meetings. The weekly program of the church is busy with regular meetings and activities. The Pastor also takes services around the country at different churches and conferences throughout the year. He has also ministered overseas in Europe. There is a leadership team which consists of Elders and Deacons. The Elders meet regularly to oversee the ongoing life of the church and apart from the Pastor, the other Elder takes a proportion of the Sunday Services and mid-week meetings. At various times other meetings in the life of the church are taken by church members. We also have links with associated churches around the country and invite speakers from those churches to take services on specific occasions.
Generally, the church has continued to see new people attending the services at various times from the local area. Throughout the summer months the church drew many visitors from around the country and the world.
For seasons such as Easter and Christmas we delivered invitations to the local community to come to the various services and activities. Following the delivery of Christmas cards and invitations to the surrounding streets we saw many visitors at all of the various activities. These included a ‘Carols, Coffee, and Cake’ afternoon in the lead up to Christmas. This saw a large number of people join us to sing carols and have some refreshments together. We also had our usual Christmas Carol service which was very well attended and also made available via YouTube. It has been excellent to see people coming to the church for the very first time and some beginning to come regularly to services.
The church also had a number of special services in the year including a Thanksgiving service
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marking the 221st anniversary of the church, and its presence in the community for that time.
We have also been very encouraged to see the way many have been accessing the online provision of the church for those unable to meet in person, specifically the live streams of the regular Sunday services. The broadcasts saw a wide engagement from people not just locally, but from across the country and the world.
We have continued to hold other regular meetings throughout the week including a variety of clubs and activities for toddlers and children. The Parent and Toddler group ‘Toddliwinks’, is recognised in the community as an excellent group. The group has a constant attendance of existing and new parents/guardians, and works a waiting list when interest surpasses the necessary ratios. There are also two youth clubs, KiC Junior and KiC+, which run weekly covering all school age groups up to Yr11 in secondary. Both of the youth groups have known significant growth in the past year. From these groups we also hosted a Family Open Afternoon which saw many families from the various groups come together for one big event which was very successful.
PBC also has good relationships with a number of local schools. There have been a number of school visits to the church itself looking at the history and practice of the Baptist Church. Our Pastor has taken assemblies and lessons in local primary and secondary schools.
We have continued to run a number of provisions in the week which give the local community opportunity to engage with the church. These included ‘Coffee and Cake’ afternoons as well as ‘Lunch and Listen’ which is a monthly meal for over 55s. We also ran a special community event to mark the occasion of King Charles III’s coronation. The church is seen as a place where people can meet each other and gives access to warm spaces in these difficult times. Such events also give people the opportunity to learn more about the message of Christianity.
We have continued to make resources available to any interested in the life of the church and Christianity. There is free literature available at every meeting and whenever the church is open, as well as free Bibles for those interested.
## **Financial Review**
## **Reserves**
The Church has adopted a policy of seeking to hold reserves equivalent to three months regular expenditure, presently a reserve of £13,006. The current total reserve at 31st December 2023 is £11,764.
## **Risk Management**
The trustees have identified the major risks to which the charity is exposed. These have been reviewed and the trustees are satisfied that adequate systems of control have been established to mitigate these risks.
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## **Annual Return Figures**
Income for 2023 - _**£74,204**_ Expenditure for 2023 - _**£66,680**_
## **Other Optional Information**
## **Public Benefit**
The trustees have considered the guidance produced by the Charity Commission on the provision of public benefit and they confirm that public benefit has been provided by:
- Promoting the whole mission of the church through the activities for individuals, parents and toddlers, and the elderly.
- Providing regular public worship that is open to all
- Conducting pastoral work including visiting the sick and the bereaved
- Teaching Christianity through sermons, courses, and small groups
- Providing a youth club with a Christian Ethos
- Distributing evangelistic materials
- Taking part in community events
## **Declaration**
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
Signature (s)
Rev. Jonathan Stobbs
Mr. John Rubens
Position: Chair
Trustee
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## **Independent Examiner's Report to the members/trustees of Penzance Baptist Church**
I report on the accounts for the year ended 31st December 2023
Respective responsibilities of the Trustees and Independent Examiner
The trustees of the charity are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. They consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
- examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
- follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
- state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## **Basis of Independent Examiner's Statement**
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the management committee concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in a full audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.
## **Independent Examiner's Statement**
In connection with my examination, no matters have come to my attention:
1. which give me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements to keep accounting records in accordance with s.130 of the 2011 Act; or to prepare accounts which accord with these accounting records have not been met; or
2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Michael C Coles B Sc 14 Pengarth Road Falmouth TR11 2TY (Fully trained HMIT)
12 July 2024
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## **PENZANCE BAPTIST CHURCH RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023**
|Notes||Unrestricted|Restricted|2023|2022|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||Funds|Funds|£|£|
|**Receipts**||||||
|_Voluntary receipts_||||||
|Grants and gifts received|2(a)|59,738|4,003|63,741|53,536|
|_Other receipts_||||||
||2(b)|10,464|-|10,464|10,406|
|Total receipts||70,201|4,003|74,204|63,943|
|Payments||||||
|_Payments in furtherance of_|_the church’s objectives_|||||
|Direct charitable costs|3|3,089|-
|3,089|4,081|
|Mission Support|3|4,884|-|4,884|6,563|
|Support costs|3|58,417|-|58,417|54,165|
|||66,390|-|66,390|64,809|
|_Governance costs_||290|-|290|310|
|Total payments||66,680|-|66,680|65,118|
|Net Receipts/(Payments)||3,521|4,003|7,524|(1,175)|
|Transfer between funds||(32,344)|32,344|-|-|
|**Net movement in funds**||**(28,823)**|**36,347**|**7,524**|**(1,175)**|
|Balances 1 January 2023||40,589|(32,344)|8,245|9,419|
|Adjustment (decrease) in Creditors||-|-
|-|-|
|**Balances 31 December 2023**||**11,766**|**4,003**|**15,769**|**8,245**|
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## **PENZANCE BAPTIST CHURCH**
## **STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES**
## **AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2023**
## 1. Fixed Assets
|_The value of the assets owned are:_
Plant/machinery/equipment
|£
20,000|
|---|---|
||20,000|
The Freehold property known as Penzance Baptist Church premises at Clarence Street, together with associated fixtures and fittings are the subject of a separate independent trust held for the exclusive use of the Church. The Church assumes responsibility for all maintenance and running costs.
The Freehold property known as 13 Castle Road, Penzance is the subject of a separate independent trust held for the exclusive use of the Church.
## 2. Bank and Cash Balances
|2. Bank and Cash Balances|||
|---|---|---|
||2023|2022|
|_Held at Bank_|£|£|
|Lloyds Bank
|11,345|4,704|
||11,345|4,704|
|3. Other Assets and Liabilities|||
||2023||
||£||
|_Debts due to the church_|||
|Income tax recoverable|4,422||
|Other debtors and prepayments|-------||
||4,422||
|Liabilities due by the church|Nil||
The accounts were approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
The notes on pages 9 -10 form part of these accounts.
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## **PENZANCE BAPTIST CHURCH NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023**
## **1. Accounting Polices**
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis with a statement of assets and liabilities.
## 2. **Incoming Resources**
|2.**Incoming Resources**||
|---|---|
|
_(a) Voluntary receipts_
Grants and gifts received
Tax recovered
Bank Interest
_(b) Other incoming resources_
Sales of books and CD’s
Rent from 13 Castle Road
Utility Refund
3.**Charitable Activity Costs**
_Direct charitable costs_
Sunday School & Young People
Local evangelism
Audio Ministry & website
_Less: Creditors_
_Mission Support_
UK Mission
Overseas Mission|Unrestricted Restricted
Total
Total
Funds
Funds
2023 2022
£
£
£
£
51,801
4,000 55,801 45,651
7,937
-
7,937 7,885
-
3 3
-
59,738 4,003 63,741
53,536
-
9,033 - 9,033
9,272
1,431-1,431
1,134
70,201
4,003 74,204
63,943
Unrestricted Restricted
Total
Total
Funds
Funds 2023
2022
£
£
£ £
384
-
384
434
2,250 -
2,250 2,784
455
-
455
863
3,089 -
3,089
4,081
- - - -|
||3,089 -
3,089
4,081
1,275 -
1,275
900
3,609-3,609
5,663
4,884
-
4,884 6,563|
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|
_Support Costs_
Ministry costs
Property & Repairs
Equipment purchases
Other administration
|Unrestricted Restricted
Total
Total
Funds Funds
2023
2022
£ £ £ £
47,371
-
47,371
43,280
10,610
-
10,610
10,580
31
-
31
-
405
-
405
299|
|---|---|
||58,417
-
58,417
54,165|
## **4. Employees**
The church had one employee (2023: 1 employee) whose remuneration and expenses were not in excess of £60,000. No remuneration or trustee expenses were paid to any other trustee during the year nor to any person connected to them.
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