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## Grantham & Vale of Belvoir Circuit (22/15)
Registered Charity no 1134260
## **Managing Trustees Report Sept 2020 – August 2021**
## **Governance**
The Grantham and Vale of Belvoir Methodist Circuit operates under the governance of the Methodist Conference. Conference is regulated by the Deed of Union 1932 and the Methodist Church Act 1976
## **Registration with the Charity Commission**
The Grantham and Vale of Belvoir Methodist Circuit has been registered with the Charity Commission since 11th February 2010 with the number 1134260
## **Circuit Mission Statement**
Our Calling is to respond to the gospel of God’s love in Christ and to live out its discipleship in worship and mission.
We will seek to do this by
- Offering the very best in WORSHIP
- Introducing JESUS as FRIEND and SAVIOUR
- Working with OTHER CHURCHES
- Respecting those with a DIFFERENT OUTLOOK
- Sharing RESOURCES and NEEDS
- Thinking GLOBALLY
## **Nature and purpose**
Standing Order 500 of the Constitutional Discipline and Practice of the Methodist Church states that the circuit is the primary unit through which churches express their inter-connection in the Body of Christ for the purposes of mission, mutual encouragement and help
## **Responsibilities**
- provision of ministerial oversight and pastoral care to its 11 congregations through a team of 2 presbyteral ministers, 1 authorised minister, 4 supernumerary ministers, 3 supernumerary deacons and 3 lay workers
- supply of lay preachers to lead worship
- allocation of financial and other resources
- provision of advice though lay officers
- organisation of training opportunities and other special events
- maintenance of 3 circuit manses
## **Organisation**
The circuit is an umbrella organisation serving 11 congregations with 329 members and with an additional number on the community roll. One congregation is a Local Ecumenical Partnership between the Methodist and United Reformed Churches
The Circuit meeting is responsible for the affairs of the Circuit and the development of policy. It exercises spiritual leadership and administrative efficiency and acts as a focal point for the working fellowship of the churches, overseeing their pastoral, training and evangelistic work. Currently 3 meetings are held each year when officers are appointed, accounts adopted, reports on circuit work received and the business of the circuit taken forward.
Between Circuit meetings the Circuit Leadership Team is responsible for the affairs of the circuit. It meets as required and consists of
**Rev. Martin Smithson and Rev. Helen Shallow** , (presbyteral ministers), **Rev. Dr Peter Stevenson** (authorised minister) **Pamela Harrison** (treasurer) **Brian Mellors** (senior circuit steward), **Susan Sulston, Marion Hingey-Hickson and Pat Hiley** (circuit stewards) **Hilary Taylor** (circuit administrator)
## **Trustees**
The members of the Circuit meeting act as Trustees of the Circuit property. There are currently 63 trustees, being the presbyteral ministers, the supernumerary ministers and deacons, the Circuit stewards, the Circuit treasurer and other Circuit office holders, lay workers and the treasurers and stewards of each church together with representatives of its constituent congregations. The circuit administrator acts as meeting secretary Trustees are-
Rev. Martin Smithson Rev. Nel Shallow Rev. Dr Peter Stevenson Brian Mellors Marion Hingley Hickson Susan Sulston Pat Hiley Pamela Harrison Deacon Lois Bell Rev. Graham Coleman Rev. Peter Sulston Rev Raymond Hinch Deacon Ruth Hinch Hilary Taylor Sarah Cody Eleri Bristow Peter Broekhuizen Lynn Mellors John Eagles Hazel Wallis Audrey Cawthorn Max Teare Ted Johnson Helen Taylor Jean Breckenridge Denhys Lambley Alison Blowers Chris Morgan Mark Harrison
Helen Scorror Wendy Winfield Roger Winfield Michael Simpson John Crookes David Woodcock Anne Woodcock Jane Bancroft Paul Bancroft David Atkins Mavis Beeson Cynthia Prater John Prater Richard Scoffield Sue Barnes Janet Thacker Dorothy Jacklin Carol Boyle Kath Daw Hilary Strasburger Amy Kirton Christine Whittle Val Henstock Pat Whyte John Hunter Frank Hedley Bronwyn Hedley Margaret Winfield Geoff Cawthorn Elaine Robinson Gill Taylor David Taylor Louise Rinkert Rowena Ward Barrow
## **Contact address**
Rev. Martin Smithson 32 Mallow Way Bingham Nottingham NG13 8TZ
## **Policies**
The circuit has policies in place with regards to safeguarding, disability, data protection and reserves
## **Related Parties**
The Circuit forms part of the Nottingham and Derby District of the Methodist Church and is also accountable to the Methodist Conference
The Circuit comprises the following local churches Bingham Bottesford ChristChurch Local Ecumenical Partnership Grantham Colsterworth Cropwell Bishop Cropwell Butler East Bridgford Great Gonerby Harrowby Lane Grantham Skillington Orston (until granted permission to cease worship April 2021)
## **Outturn**
Over the year the Circuit received £171,662.50 income and incurred £171,821.20 expenditure, thereby running at a deficit of £158.70
Total assets stand at £554,847.75
## **Income**
The cCrcuit derives its income chiefly through assessment payments from circuit churches, contributions from some churches towards the employment of lay workers and the sale of property
## **Reserves Policy**
The Circuit Reserves Policy is appended to this report
## **Independent Examiner**
Mrs Amy Kirton
## **Bank details**
## **The Yorkshire Bank 10 High Street Grantham**
**Lincs NG31 6PU**
## **Review of activities Sept 2020 – Aug 2021**
Covid 19 has continued to impact on activities throughout the Circuit, although there has been some return to worshipping in person. We also continue to use zoom and live-streaming technology and to provide printed material for those not on-line. Weekly worship material is also posted on the Circuit website.
The Circuit Meeting of Trustees and the Circuit Leadership Team meetings have continued via zoom The pastoral care arrangements in our churches have continued to work well and the Circuit has distributed updated District and Connexional guidance on COVID restrictions
Our Circuit treasurer has maintained contact with church treasurers as to any financial difficulties through lack of income during the pandemic
## **Staff**
A one-year extension to the appointment of Rev. Martin Smithson as our Superintendent from September 2021 has been agreed. Martin took his 3 month sabbatical after Easter, having postponed it by a year due to the pandemic
A successful stationing process in the Autumn resulted in the appointment of Rev Neil Maynard as presbyter in the east of the Circuit from September 2021.Neil will have oversight of Harrowby Lane, Bottesford, Great Gonerby, Colsterworth and Skillington churches.
In July we said farewell to Rev Nel Shallow, thanking her for her 5 years in the Circuit
The Circuit continues to employ three lay workers, one administrator and two outreach and pastoral workers. The lay pastoral worker (East) working chiefly in Bottesford and Orston has had a successful first year, whilst working in difficult circumstances due to church closures. She has initiated a weekly newsletter to maintain contact, organised displays outside the chapel in Orston at Christmas and Easter and supported the ecumenical Nativity Windows project in Bottesford
The Families and Youth worker contract (Bingham and East Bridgford) was extended for a further 3 years from 1[st] January 2021 and the hours increased to cover additional outreach work in Flintham. The post is a collaborative venture and is jointly funded by the Circuit, Bingham and East Bridgford Methodist churches and St Marys , Bingham and the Fosse Group Anglican churches. Contact with families and school groups has been maintained and increased through “Messy Church in a Bag”, Bible Explorer packs and on-line resources.
Although District approval for another lay worker has been secured it was considered prudent to further postpone recruitment due to current uncertainty around the Circuit’s financial position and the need to re-assess our needs and priorities, partly as a result of the pandemic
Our former local Preacher and Circuit Steward Steve Sutton has completed his second year training for the presbyteral ministry. Another former local preacher Sarah Lamb has now been ordained and taken up a post in Lancashire
## **Churches**
Members of Orston chapel applied for permission to cease worship which was granted by the March Circuit meeting and endorsed by the April District Synod. Trusteeship of the church was transferred to the Circuit Meeting. Earlier plans to repair and refurbish the building could not be taken forward due to the Covid pandemic. There is a strong desire to maintain a Methodist fellowship within the village and to continue the well attended coffee mornings at other venues. The Circuit lay worker has supported members through this process
A final service was held at Scarrington in September and the chapel building has been sold for £111,000
## **Trusteeship**
In response to the Methodist Conference Report on oversight and trusteeship the Circuit Leadership has begun to explore possible new models for Circuit structure in anticipation of the minimum number of church trustees being increased at Conference 2021
## **Data Protection**
GDPR documentation provided by the Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes has been completed for the circuit and signed off at the March meeting
## **Safeguarding**
There has been a freeze on face-to-face training but a successful on-line Foundation Creating Safer Space course was held in May liaising with 2 other Circuits. Information on on-line Advanced courses provided by the District had been circulated with a list of those who needed this.
We now have 2 additional circuit members who hadve qualified as safeguarding trainers
## **Conference Special Resolution**
The resolution to allow other Christian churches to use Methodist premises provided they did not offend our doctrinal standards was approved
## **Hilary Taylor Circuit Administrator**
## **GRANTHAM AND VALE OF BELVOIR METHODIST CIRCUIT Accounts for the year ended 31[st] August 2021 Income and Expenditure Account**
|**INCOME**|2020-21||2019-20|
|---|---|---|---|
|Assessments|152269.00||146141.00|
|TMCP Trust dividends|272.73||324.20|
|Interest|26.23||118.10|
|Sundries (inc. Prayer Manuals)|16.65||153.60|
|Bingham loan interest|485.60||537.40|
|Corby Glen rent net income|8384.82||11153.31|
|Bottesford Manse rent|7305.16||-|
|Foodbank reimbursement|2372.31||-|
||£ 171132.50
||£ 158427.61|
|Donations collected for leaving gift|530.00||435.00|
|Total Income
|£ 171662.50
|£|158862.61
|
|**Expenditure**||||
|Ministers Stipends (inc Lay worker)|86931.21||107020.14|
|Administrator|3015.33||2639.61|
|District Assessment|33704.00||42000.00|
|Supernumerary expenses|95.70||1932.65|
|Youth Worker|8781.38||8597.40|
|Manse Expenses|18608.34||17088.46|
|Manse Refurbishment|12882.64||-|
|Admin, P & stat, photocopier hire|2245.71||3223.76|
|Donation to Christian Ministries Fund|-||1000.00|
|Youth Fund expenses|1664.20||1033.25|
|Foodbank expenses|-||2028.37|
|Scarrington expenses pd by Bingham|2872.69
||-|
|Other expenses – Orston planning|490.00||1804.85|
||£ 171291.20
|£ 188368.49||
|Leaving Gifts|530.00||435.00|
|….|£ 171821.20
|£ 188803.49||
|Excess Expenditure over Income|**£ (158.70)**||**(29940.88)**|
||========||=========|
|Grant to C/church & H Lane
|-||20000.00|
|…………
|**£ (158.70)**|**£ (49940.88)**||
## **GRANTHAM AND VALE OF BELVOIR METHODIST CIRCUIT Accounts for the year ended 31[st] August 2021 Balance Sheet**
|||**Balance Shee**|
|---|---|---|
|Opening Balances as at 1.9.20|||
|Current Account||9226.46|
|CFB Deposit Account||29935.35|
|Model Trust Fund
||16827.01|
|Other Trusts||42852.94|
|Reserve Fund
||262334.80|
|Total
||361176.56|
|Loan to Bingham
||62500.00|
|Loan to Scarrington
||1000.00|
|Total Funds
||424676.56|
|Less Excess Expenditure|||
|over Income
||(158.70)|
|Plus increase in reserves||130329.89|
|(net Scarr. sale £86555.42)|||
|Total
|**£**|**554847.75**|
=========
## Represented by:-
|Balances at 31.8.21
Current Account
CFB Deposit Account
Model Trust Fund
Other Trusts
Reserve Fund
Totals
Loan to Bingham
**£**
|18149.25
45853.86
88097.32
45850.80
304396.52
502347.75
52500.00
**554847.75**
=========|
|---|---|
## **Grantham and Vale of Belvoir Circuit Year ended 31[st] August 2021 Reserves Policy**
## **Circuit Reserves Policy**
These accounts disclose all the funds held by the Circuit Meeting as Charity Trustees. Our Reserves Policy relates to our General (unrestricted) funds, which are freely available to be used for any or all the purposes of the Circuit.
## **Aims**
Our aim is:
- to secure and sustain the Circuit’s viability and future.
- to give reassurance that the Circuit, which is a charity, intends to use all the money ,,,,,,,coming into its care for the purpose of the charity.
## **Mission policy**
The Circuit’s Mission Statement is that our calling is to respond to the gospel of God’s love in Christ and to live out its discipleship in worship and mission. Our mission policy to this end provides:
• the ministerial oversight and pastoral care of the ten local congregations in the
Circuit.
-
the support of the ministry team of two presbyteral ministers, 45% of a URC minister who is AP, five supernumerary presbyters, three supernumerary deacons and three lay workers.
-
the maintenance of three circuit manses - one has been let out from October
2020.
## **Financial Plans**
The Circuit Assessment is reviewed annually and covers the costs associated with the Circuit’s mission. Under Standing Orders, the Circuit must meet its financial obligations in relation to the support of its ministers and the maintenance of its manses. The total cost last financial year was £194,555 (2020 was £188,368). Model Trust Fund contributions of £15,000 have been drawn down to refurbish the Princess Drive Manse. Manse maintenance costs have been charged direct to the General Fund. Major items have been drawn down from the Model Trust Fund, with Circuit Meeting approval. We make annual provision for our Manse maintenance programme to maintain each Manse..
## **Grantham and Vale of Belvoir Circuit Year ended 31[st] August 2021**
## **Reserves Policy**
## **Unrestricted Funds: General Fund:**
Our reserves Policy is to hold at least six months expenditure in hand for regular expenditure, i.e. usually about £100,000. As well as the General fund, the Circuit maintains designated funds which are also of an unrestricted nature. These designated funds are for the following purposes:
## **Manse Fund**
To meet regular, cyclical maintenance and repairs for three manses, calculated at about 7.5% of insured value. This year, the Manses combined valuation was £809725. Therefore we need to maintain a reserve for Manses of £60729.
## **Youth Work**
To fund circuit youth work and assist with costs such as the Youth Worker at the Western end of the Circuit, the Sutton-on-Sea trip and Stathern weekend, when they restart.
## **Restricted Funds: The Circuit Model Trust Fund**
This fund derives from the sales of chapels and manses and its use is restricted by Conference. This restriction is a Methodist connexional regulation, but the fund may be used for a variety of purposes with appropriate approval.
## **Investments**
The Circuit holds CFB Mixed Managed Fund Investments in order to manage medium and long term cash flows. The investment realised a gain in the year and also produces a small income. The Circuit also holds Endowments which are restricted by Trust Deeds.
## **Charity Commission**
The Circuit is registered with the Charity Commission, reference 1134260. The Annual Report and the annual Financial Statements for the Circuit under this registration have been filed during the year, as required.
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