Poulton Methodist Church Annual Charity Commission Report Year ending 31" August 2023 The Poulton le Fylde Methodist Church Council had the responsibility of wfjrking with its ministers the Reverend Will Hunter and Rev Sarah Lamb in promoting the whole mission, spiritual, pastoral. social and ecumenical of the Church. Our aims in Poulton-le-Fylde Methodist Church are that, as a church we will learn of and proclaim the love of God through our worship and fellowship, nurturing his dlsciples and making new followers: and through our work. witness and giving serve God in His mission for those in our communitv and wider world. Worshlp and prayer The year commencing 1st Sep 2022 represented the first full year in which it could be said there was little impact on Church activity from the Covid pandemic though it was clear a number of our congregation have Th)t returned to worship. We continued to stream all Sunday 10.30am services on our Facebook page throughout the year. They were positively received by members and non-members alike. Proposals to develop the streaming of services using fixed cameras rather than an iPad, wth the live and recorded services to be available on You Tube were agreed(accessingfunds availablefrom legacies) Full implementation of the new facilities is anticipated in the Sep/Oct 23. A monthly midweek service continues to be held, and new regular monthly services rotate around all churches in the North Fylde Circuit enabling a sharing together with our Methodist friends and a strengthening of relationships between the churches. Our Messychurch (Called MessyValues} for familieswithyoung children meets on the fourth Saturday of the month followed by a family All Age Worship service the next day which involves a puppet show. The church has an active prayer group which confidentially shares prayer requests with one another by email and meets twce a month. The Flower Ministry continues and is much appreciated by recipients who are unwell. have lost a loved one or are experiencing hard times. Spiritual and recreational fellowshlp groups Illumin8 our young people's group (Schwl Year 6 and ab￿e) vislted "3Generate- at the NEC again in Oct. this year. (the national children's and youth assembly of the Methodist Church) and continues to meet regularly on Sunday teatimes. The Bible Study group meets every 2 weeks wlth excluding Lent when joint weekly meetings are held wlth friend5 from other Poulton churches through "Poulton ChurchesTogether" The CAMEO and FOCUS groups have started meeting again, as has the Indoor Bowling group. Twice monthlyi on Saturdays, walking groups take to the hills and fells. Pastoral Care In the Church Each church member has a pastoral visitor to provide a listening ear and support in tlmes of need. This activity continues to be a highly appreciated valuable aspett of our Church life. Our church In Our Community Our Church buildings are busier than ever. Three choirs now practice in our Sanctuary each week and community groups of all ages and backgrounds use our buildlngs e.g, The Blackout Youth Theatre Group, Alzheimer's support 8roup "Sln8ln8 for the Braln" Parklnsons UK Exerclse Group, Pilates, Photographic Soclety, Badminton Group, Alcohol Support Group etc.. We support and host weekly Rainbows, Beavers, Cubs and Scouts meetin8S. Our Coffee Shop, "Coffee Plus" has slowly recovered from the severe effects of closure due to Covid, with both an Increase In the numbers of customers and a return to steady profitability, The warmth of the welcome has encouraged new people to become volunteers and others to join our Church. In May the Methodlst Church Charity Shop In Chapel Street successfully reopened after refurblshment, provldln8 a retall outlet for local charltles and voluntary or8anlsatlons to rent the premlses on a weekly basls to ralse much needed funds. The Wlder Church Poulton Churches To8ether actlvities continued especially throu8h joint Bible Study and meeting through Lent. We are part of "The North Fylde Circuit of the Methodist Church" alon8 With another flve churches, and have started holding more joint servlces wlth them as detalled above. We all share 3 ministers and a Chlldren's and Families Lay Worker. En8a8ementwlthandsupport of mlsslon Inthewlderworld and localand natlonalcharltles Numerous charities, locally {Vincent House, Comfort CAFÉ, Blackpool Children's Clothing Fund) nationally IAction for Children) and internationally (The Leprosy Mission, All We Can, Open Doors, Barnabas Aid and Christian Aid) have been generously supported financially. In addltlon we have an endurlng relationship with Maua Methodist Hospital, Kenya and our support for the hospltal continues. Safeguarding and GDPR Full compliancewith safeguardingtraining and certificationwas undertaken a nominated lead person overseeing this. Similarly,adherenceto GDPR regulationswas maintained to keep all data secure, viith particular reference to new dats providers and data holders. Looking forward We continue to actively seek ways to evolve. and be relevant in our community whilst staying loyal to our fundamental calling. Throughout the year the Communications Group met to reviewall our communications. The remit included revievring and improving our internal and external communications e.g. newsletters, posters, Facebook page and website, encouraging greater use of social m edia e.g. Poulton Chat, and finding ways to reach to more people via our new You Tube channel. A new logo y￿5 adopted. (alThe) the image bein8 taken from the wall hanging at the front of our church Sanrtuary. Our biggest two challenges are maintsining our children'5 activities and the increasing the involvement of families in our church life and brin8inB more people to faith as each year, a V￿rShipping congregation, inevitsbly unless we do so our numbers V¥ryll slowly decline. Much remains to be done. Financial Review Symbolically, the financial review again is lasL The FinarKial Statements show a reduction in total assets £61,060 (from £253.369 to £192,309). This was largely a result of planned and approved expenditure on Roof Repairs and the upgrade to our sanctuary kreens and investment in a new Streaming SolutÈon amounting to £72.335 which was funded in the main by legacies. With the Church expecting to receive a further legacy in excess of this reduction in assets (confirmed in December 2024 with no restrictions to its use) our financial position consequently remains resilient. The Church's Finance and Property Cornmittee is fully aware of the ongoing financial challenges and continues to actively manage the implementstion of its rolling five year budget. The Church complies with The Methodist Church capital reserves pollcy. It is our policy to invest funds with the Trustees for Methodist Purp05e5 (TMCP) and the Methodist Central Finance Board {CFB). Signed on their behalf of the Church Council by Ron Rhodes (Senior Church Steward) and Keith Bleazard {Church Treasurer). Ll.£ 12o.*.KF Ron Rhodes Date Keith Bleazar Date Trustees. Annual Report on finance and Governance Basls of preparation and legal framework The Charitys Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 August 2023 have been prepared under the Charities Act 2011, usin8 Receipts and Payments method. Full Name of Charity / Church: Poulton Methodist Church Registration Charity Number: 1134343 Date of registration- 16th February 2010 Main communication address: The Methodist Church, Queensway, Poulton-le-fylde, Lancashire, FY6 7ST The members of the Poulton Methodist Church Council are the CharityTrustees, membershlp bein8 made up of the Minister, Church office holder5, Committee representstives and representstives appointed by the Church at the Annual General Meeting. Full membership is shown as Appendix A to this reporL Independent examiner: Leanne Nield ACA Arc Accountsncy Solutions Limited, 51 Laverton Road, Lytham SL Annes, Lancashire, FY8 IEN Publlc Benefft The Trustees confirm that they have cornplied with the duty under the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit. Structure. Governance and Management The governing document for the church is the Deed of Union (1932) and Methodist Church Act119761. Detailed governance arrangements are outlined within the Constitutional Practice and Discipline of the Methodist Church by order of the annual Conference (CPDI. Day to day management of the church is undertaken by the Minister, Church Stewards and Church Officers. The Trustees are appointed at the Church AGM. endixA Poufton Methodlst Churth Church Council Membershl as at 3tst Au ust 2023 Mlnlsters Rev Will Hunter Rev Sarah Lamb Church Stewards Ron Rhodes (Senior Steward} Helene Stephens Irene Burtonwocxl Ralph Whittingham Anthony Cripps Janice Vlhittle Secretary to the Councll Dawd Sutcliffe Church Treasurer Keith Bleazard General Church Repre5entative5 (elected by the Annual General Church Meetin8) Alan Bane5 May Gandhi David Latham Bob Shaddick Carol Sykes Barbara Banes Sylvia Houldsworth Rose Morley Sue Shaddick Janet Walsh Jonathan Fail Brenda Kirkham Betty Pilkington Sarah Stone Wes Walsh Appointed Representatives (appointed by the Church Council) Eileen Gee Gill Rhodes Graham Kay Alan Sykes Jenifer Pearson knw¢WAt¢oMnli gJrthtyo*¢•rtthéJltl A*ivt2•Z3 2D23 ' 2•2Z F¥Thdi Rer*ly¥ 55.4 J.1 1619 i)4 i) (hhrr•c4¥ 14 t9J21 10) iu) IWS5 iy.m IiiJ4) 121,77) 3.7)7 ID7 ij. {￿J51 TVTAI. 71 pj ityj 7b IX9J4 .SIIB-T(rfAlpGI.NRKAI.ViI I74￿3 lSJ.947 .S96 ifj TQTAI.ViTD 391 *) T•1* T•1 91$37 $9 De•EY•IE*¢knd 10 7J72 7J71 9J17 Aaaets L7J4 4] 57J 17 1.751 54.1 7rn 7YIJ •*)7 7.172 I7J Z99J7 iix Ihese financial stotements are apprO￿d on beh*f of all the Church Council by. 5i8nature ._........._._. Name ... Church Council PoytioTr. ¥70 15212 L45l u(¢ 215 Fwpj 2L 133 iu Tr (I {rI￿) (io) {61D ioJt4 {1￿3} (1￿9 7.172 ii 14.(*31 T( IA91 7 Re ort of the Inde endent Examiner To the Trustee5 of Poulton Methodist Chureh l ryort to the cjjarity knjstees oll my examinatson ofthe accounts of Poulton Mtyjm)d￿t Chw¢h forth¢ ye•r thded 31°Aug￿t 2023 which are sct out OIL pagcs 6- 9. Ruponsibilit*s of report As the Charity's trus*&s you are Jusponsible for th¢ pr¢p8ration of the accounts in accordatlee wlth the Nuirrnts of the Charities ACE 2011 I'theAct'). l TCPOrt in Tespttt of rny exfjminatiott ofthe Charity's accounts (xrried out under 5cclion 145 of the snd in carrying out my t￿l￿)￿l10n I have follow￿ all the applicable Directions giv&J by th¢ Charity ComtNs$ion w)d¢r sectM>U 14515Xbl uf th¢ ACL Indepw)d¢nt ¢xAmlnèr'8 ststerAent I have cornplded ￿Y cxy￿7natIOll. I wnfirm that no Mat¢r1￿ matters have come to my Alletition in conncilion with the tt