. ## **DANE & TRENT METHODIST CIRCUIT** ## **FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** ## **For the Year ending 31[st] August 2021** 1 ## **Introduction** The Trustees of the Dane & Trent Circuit present their annual report together with financial statements for the year ended 31[st] August 2021. ## **Mission Statement** As a Circuit we are committed to building up thriving and effective Christian communities which aim to love God, serve Christ and love people - in whatever different ways that demands and takes. ## **Aims and organisation** The purposes of the Methodist Church are and shall be deemed to have been since the Date of Union and are defined in the 1976 Methodist Church Act 1976 (Section 4). They are the advancement of – - (a) The Christian faith in accordance with the doctrinal standards and the discipline of the Methodist Church; - (b) Any charitable purpose for the time being of any Connexional, District, Circuit, local or other organisation of the Methodist Church; - (c) Any charitable purpose for the time being of any society or institution being a society or institution subsidiary or ancillary to the Methodist Church; - (d) Any purpose for the time being of any charity being a charity subsidiary or ancillary to the Methodist Church. It will achieve these aims through – - The organising and resourcing of regular public acts of worship open to members of the Church and non-members - The teaching of Christianity through sermons, courses and small groups - The resourcing of pastoral work including visiting the sick and bereaved - Taking religious assemblies in local schools - The promotion of Christianity through the staging of events and services - The provision of chaplaincy services where appropriate - The employment of lay and ordained staff to enable the Circuit and churches to achieve the aims stated above 2 ## _Public Benefit_ We confirm the trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit. ## **Structure, Governance and Management** The governing document for the circuit is the Deed of Union (1932) and Methodist Church Act (1976) Detailed governance arrangements are outlined within the Constitutional Practice and Discipline of the Methodist Church by order of the annual conference (CPD). Day to day management of the circuit is undertaken by the Circuit Leadership team. ## **Trustee Training** A range of guidance produced by Methodist Connexion to support the effective running of the circuit, specifically the leaflet The Role of a Trustee in The Methodist Church is available to all new Circuit meeting members as induction to their role as trustees. 3 ## **Related Parties** The Circuit is part of the Chester & Stoke-on-Trent District and is also accountable to the Methodist Conference. The following Methodist Churches are linked to the circuit: Biddulph Bosley Bradshaw Brook Brookhouse Green Cloud Davenport Goostrey Hill Top (Biddulph Moor) Holmes Chapel Key Green Lower Withington Middlewich Mow Cop New Road (Biddulph Moor) Rood Lane (Congleton) Trinity (Congleton) Wellspring (Congleton) The members of the Dane & Trent Methodist Circuit meeting are the Charity Trustees, membership being made up of circuit office holders, ministers and representatives appointed by the local churches. 4 Fully membership is shown as Appendix A to this report. |**_Circuit Ministers and officers_**|| |---|---| |Active Circuit Ministers:|Rev Yvonne Pearson (Superintendent Minister)| ||Rev Anne Coates| ||Rev Nic Langton-Miller| ||Rev Margaret Eaton (Part Time)| ||Rev William Arthur Wakelin (Part Time)| |Circuit Lay Workers:|Julia Tomes| ||Kathleen Salt| |Administrators:|Rebecca Taylor| |Circuit Stewards:|Lisa Kennerley (Senior Steward)| ||Brian Donlon| ||Rose Goodwin| ||Mark Owens| ||Amanda Peters| |Circuit Treasurer|John Duley| John Duley Circuit Treasurer acted as the principal officer overseeing the day to day financial management and accounting for the circuit during the year. ## _**Independent examiner**_ Michael John Collier, 59 Ravenscroft, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire ## _**Bankers**_ |**_Bankers_**|| |---|---| |Investment Bankers|
Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church| ||Trustees for Methodist Church purposes| |Bankers|National Westminster Bank pic| 5 ## **Risk Management** The major risks have been identified and recorded by the Circuit leadership Team with professional advice taken as required. There is a regular review process undertaken and recorded. Income and Expenditure is being monitored in total and is compared with the approved annual budget on a half yearly basis to detect trends as part of the risk management process to avoid unforeseen calls on reserves. ## **Safeguarding** Every person has a value and dignity which comes directly from the creation of male and female in God's own image and likeness. Christians see this potential as fulfilled by God's re-creation of us in Christ. Among other things this implies a duty to value all people as bearing the image of God and therefore to protect them from harm. Methodist Connexional practice outlines commitment to the following principles: - The care and nurture of, and respectful pastoral ministry with, all children, young people and adults. - The safeguarding and protection of all children, young people and adults when they are vulnerable. - The establishing of safe, caring communities which provide a loving environment where there is informed vigilance as to the dangers of abuse. - We will carefully select and train all those with any responsibility within the Church, in line with Safer Recruitment principles, including the use of criminal records disclosures and registration with the relevant vetting and barring schemes. - We will respond without delay to every complaint made which suggests that an adult, child or young person may have been harmed, cooperating with the police and local authority in any investigation. - We will seek to work with anyone who has suffered abuse, developing with them an appropriate ministry of informed pastoral care. - We will seek to challenge any abuse of power, especially by anyone in a position of trust. - We will seek to offer pastoral care and support, including supervision and referral to the proper authorities, to any member of our church community known to have offended against a child, young person or vulnerable adult. 6 - In all these principles we will follow legislation, guidance and recognised good practice The Dane & Trent Circuit commits itself to ensuring the implementation of Connexional Safeguarding Policy; government legislation, guidance and safe practice in the circuit and in the churches. The Dane & Trent Circuit commits itself to the provision of support, advice and training for lay and ordained people that will ensure people are clear and confident about their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults who may be vulnerable. ## **Data Protection (GDPR)** The circuit has undertaken extensive reviews of all documentation held by the circuit and its churches. This has identified all data which would be available to the wider public so that formal agreement could be obtained in respect of the publication of personal information. There are ongoing reviews to ensure that data is accurately maintained. Details of the required retention periods has been provided along with the means to destroy data which is no longer required. 7 ## **Brief financial review of the year** The financial outcome of the year in terms of the main expenditure area of salaries, manse utilities, were in line with the budget. The national lockdown and the closure of churches had a significant impact on other budget areas with the majority out turning below the anticipated levels. Other expenses did increase to support the move to on line services and meetings ## _**Income trends**_ Circuit income is primarily drawn from the assessment paid by the circuit churches. Furlough payments and income from the rent of the Ennerdale Manse were also collected during the year. ## _**Expenditure trends**_ Stipend expenditure has increased each financial year in line with conference approved ' increases. Likewise Lay Worker salaries were increased in line with the Living Wage. Circa £51k is the Circuit contribution to the District and Connexion, of which a significant part is used to fund the work of the wider Methodist Church. ## _**Fund balances**_ As at 31 August 2021 the net current assets of the Circuit were £159k, giving approximately 12 months cover for expenditure. ## _**Plans for 2021/22**_ In view of the uncertainty that the current pandemic brings it was agreed that the circuit would absorb projected increase, specifically salaries and maintain assessments at current rates. Following the appointment to the vacant Ministerial post the level of supernumerary ministry has been reduced. Sums of monies have been ring fenced to aid churches with short term financial issue and to support further lay worker employment. ## **Basis of preparation and legal framework** The Charity's annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 August 2021 have been prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 and the Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice 2015 as applicable to the Financial Reporting Standard(FRS) 102 8 ## **Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) for the year ended 31[st] August 2021 Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) for the year ended 31 August 2021** |**Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) for the year ended 31 August 2021**|**Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) for the year ended 31 August 2021**|**Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) for the year ended 31 August 2021**|**Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) for the year ended 31 August 2021**|**Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) for the year ended 31 August 2021**|**Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) for the year ended 31 August 2021**|**Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) for the year ended 31 August 2021**|| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||**Notes to**
**the**
**accounts**|
**General Fund**
**(Unrestricted)**|**Circuit Model**
**Trust**
**(Unrestricted)**|**Designated**
**Funds**
**(unrestricted)**|**Restricted**
**Funds**|**Endowment**
**Funds**|
**Total**
**2020-21**| |||£|£|£|£|£|£| |**Income**|||||||| |1 Donations andlegacies||105
474
8,420
251,064
15,784
149,501
1,734
1,873
20|||||0| |2 Incomefrom monetaryinvestments|||||||**579**| |3Incomefrom investment properties|||||||**8,420**| |4 Assessments onChurches|||||||**251,064**| |5 Capital Receipts|||||||**165,285**| |6 Grantsreceived|||||||**1,734**| |7Othercharitableincome|||||||**1,893**| |8**Total income**||**278,980**|**149,975**|**20**|**-**|**-**|**428,975**| |**Expenditure**|||||||| |9 Grants and donations||167,458
21,886
42,718
55,154
1,992
15,185
540|||||**0**| |10 Salaries and associated costs|||||||**167,458**| |11 Propertymaintenance|||||||**21,886**| |12Connexionalassessment &modeltrustlevy|||||||**42,718**| |13DistrictAssessment &Levy|||||||**55,154**| |14 Depreciation|||||||**0**| |15 Office expenses|||||||**1,992**| |16 Otheroutgoings|||||||**15,725**| |17**Total charitable expenditure**||**261,675**|**42,718**|**540**|**0**|**0**|**304,933**| |18 Gains/(losses) on monetaryinvestments|||||||0| |19 Gains/(losses) on investment properties|||||||| |20**Net income/(expenditure)**||**17,305**|**107,257**|**-520**|**0**|**0**|**124,042**| |21 Transfers between funds||780
-
780|||||0| |22Othergains/(losses)|||||||| |23 **Net movement in funds**||**16,525**|**107,257**|**260**|**0**|**0**|**124,042**| |24 Total funds brought forward||142,657
104,182
567|||||247,406| |**25 Total funds carried forward**||**159,182**|**211,439**|**827**|**-**|**-**|**371,448**| 9 ## **BALANCE SHEET 31[ST] AUGUST 2021** ||**Notes to the**|**General Fund**
**(Unrestricted)**|**Circuit Model**
**Trusts**
**(Unrestricted)**|**Designated**
**Funds**
**(Unrestricted)**|**Restricted**
**Funds**|**Endowment**
**Funds**|**Totals**
**2020/21**||**Totals**
**2019/20**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||**Accounts**|£|£|£|£|£|£||£| ||||||||||| |**Fixed Assets**|||||||||| |Circuit Manses & Equipment||1,221,611|||||1,221,611||1,391,611| |Investmentproperties|||||||0||| |Investments|||||||0||| |**_Total fixed assets_**||**1,221,611**|**0**|**0**|**0**|**0**|**1,221,611**||**1,391,611**| ||||||||||| |**Current Assets**|||||||||| |Debtors||24,738|||||24,738||22,627| |Loans bythe Circuit|||||||0||0| |Investments with TMCP|||211,439||||211,439||104,182| |Central Finance Board Deposits||53,783|||||53,783||79,642| |Cash at Bank and in hand||111,149||827|||111,976||64,807| |**_Total current assets_**||**189,670**|**211,439**|**827**|**0**|**0**|**401,936**||**271,258**| |**Current liabilities**|||||||||| |Creditors (due in under 1 year)||5,749|||||5,749||657| |Grantspayable within 2018-19|||||||0||0| |**_Total current liabilities_**||**5,749**|**0**|**0**|**0**|**0**|**5,749**||**657**| |**_Net current assets/liabilities_**||**183,921**|**211,439**|**827**|**0**|**0**|**396,187**||**270,601**| ||||||||||| |**_Total assets less current liabilities_**||**1,405,532**|**211,439**|**827**|**0**|**0**|**1,617,798**||**1,662,212**| ||||||||||| ||||||||||| |**Long term liabilities**
**(due after more than one year)**|||||||||| |Grantspayable after 2018-19||0|||||**0**||0| |Loans to the Circuit||0|||||**0**||0| ||||||||**0**||0| |**_Net assets_**||**1,405,532**|**211,439**|**827**|**0**|**0**|**1,617,798**||**1,662,212**| ||||||||||| ||||||||||| |**Funds of the Circuit**|||||||||| |General Fund(Unrestricted)||1,405,532|||||1,405,532||1,557,463| |Circuit Model Trust Fund (Unrestricted)|||211,439||||211,439||104,182| |Designated Funds(Unrestricted)||||827|||827||567| |**_Total Unrestricted Funds_**|||||||**1,617,798**||**1,662,212**| |Restricted Funds|||||**0**||0||| |Endowment Funds||||||**0**|0||| |**_Total Funds_**||**1,405,532**|**211,439**|**827**|**0**|**0**|1,617,798||**1,662,212**| ||||||||||| ||||||||||| ||||||||||| ||||||||||| 10 ## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS** 1. The salaries paid to ministers was £102234; National Insurance £8310, Pension Contributions £24488. Lay Worker salary costs were £25434.71. We were charged an Apprentice Levy of £676.85. 2. The water bills paid for our four manses totalled £1440; Local Authority rates were £6543 Other manse expenditure this year totalled £21886, this includes the start of work to renovate the Ennerdale Drive Manse. The Ennerdale manse has been let on a short term contract and income from this totalled £8420 3. Other outgoings included £3136 for telephone calls/provision; £125 for supernumerary preaching fees, travel expenses of £1821. Following the sale of Harriseahead and the return of allowable expenses there was a positive balance of £11654 from closed churches. 4. Fixed Assets – Where the actual cost of manses is known these have been used. In other cases the deemed costs established at 1[st] September 2015 have been used Actual purchase cost of one manse in 2019, £317,500 Deemed Cost based on 1[st] September 2015, three manses £904,111 a total of £1,221,611 Harriseahead – The sale was completed during the year and following payments of the various levies £106992 was received by the circuit from the sale 5. The Debtors figure of £24738 represents church assessments paid in advance prior to the new financial year along with two accounts paid in advance. 6. The £827 in the designated funds is Circuit Weekend monies that are now in the Circuit accounts ## **Reserves Policy** The Reserves Policy for the Circuit is to hold a minimum sum of £64,000 equivalent to 3 months' average expenditure. This should be sufficient to meet any unforeseen item of major expenditure or of any inability to raise the full Circuit Assessment from churches. A further £50000 is to be held in reserve for support to churches with short term cash flow issues £106000 is set aside for the employment of new Lay Workers (these to be approved by the Circuit Meeting) A benevolent fund is held with a current balance of £2,232 Following a donation a sum of money is set aside for outreach activities especially with young people with an available balance of £654 11 Declarations TREASURER I conlifm Ih8t I have prepareo the a¢￿￿￿15 from thè records ol the cl￿11 8n¢ thotlhey Irtjuoe Ell funds vnder the Conirol ol Ihe C1rcurt Meeti &gnature of TfeJ¥urei J fylav 2<)3v Naffle Duiey AQdre59 27 Ravenscroft Close Middlwich Cheshire CW10 9PX Ind&p•ndent Examingr's Report to thè Tfuttoes of 08n8 & Tignl Circuit This report 1$ on thg Circurt Funds for Ine yeareTrOett 31 August 2Dlbwhich ate set outwitnin Ihesè page5, and Is In rv¥peth ol an èxamination c3riied out und*r $Écbon 43 01 the Charities Aci 1993 Rt5pethve re$wnsIbi￿I￿$ oiwe cl￿￿11 Methng sn¢ ltte Examiner As Trustee5. you are respDn5iblB loi mainLqining proppr accounting record8 Pnd Ihe piepar8lion of the ppropri8ie accounts It 18 my re5ponsibilty 1¢ 18$U8 this report those accoun15 In a￿OrdanCe with the Chamies IAc¢¢un19 gnd Report5lRegulaiw)n$ 1995 Basis ol Examiners report y examinabon vms carr*0 outin occordan¢ewrth Ihe GenerBI Oire¢tsons 9iven by the Charity comm1$$1L￿er$ ThisexaFninalion includes a review of the accounting record3 kept by Ine Cifcuii Trpasurer 8nd g comparison of tne awounls with Ihp$È record5 The procedures und8rt8ken do not provide eviderte that would bg rgquThd In an audit andcon5equpniiy I do nol expiess an audii opiniDn on Ihg y￿W giv£ll by the aruunls Independtrt Examine1$ $t8témèTrt In connectson with my examination. fto mgttèr has come 10 my 8ttenkno which gives me Feasonable GYLJS¢ 10 belieYetn211n any fflaterial rt$PeCilhg rgquirem8nts lo kepp 8CCOuThbn9 records In accordan￿ with 8e¢lion 41 ollh£ Ad, and to prepare acCO￿￿ts￿￿1¢h accord With the accounting ¢cordsand to eornplyvmth tae aceounbng requiremen15 01 ￿eA¢1 hove not oeen fflél ar towhich. In my anention $houia De dravm In ordtrr to en8b19 a Proper undetsianding ol Ihebwntsto be rBach¥d S￿nature & Address RelBvani profes510nai qualiftcalion or Oy 12 ## **Appendix A** ## **Dane & Trent Methodist Circuit Meeting Register of Trustees as at September 2021** |**Appendix A**|**Appendix A**|**Appendix A**|**Appendix A**| |---|---|---|---| |**Dane & Trent Methodist Circuit Meeting Register of**
**Trustees as at September 2021**|||| |Name|Appointed to Circuit Meeting as:|vote|| |Revd Yvonne Pearson|Superintendent Minister|1|| |Revd Anne Coates|Minister|1|| |Revd Nicola Langton-
Miller|Minister|1|| |Revd tim Simms|Minister|1|| |Revd Margaret Eaton|SupernumeraryMinister with Pastoral Care|1|| |Revd Dr Keith Davies|SupernumeraryMinister|1|| |Revd Andrew Lindley|SupernumeraryMinister|1|| |HilaryBalsdon|LWPT Secretary|1|| |Amanda Peters|Circuit Steward Year 2|1|| |Brian Donlon|Circuit Steward Year 1|1|| |Mark Owens|Circuit Steward Year 2|1|| |Kath Salt|Circuit Steward Year 1|1|| |Rose Goodwin|Circuit Steward Year 5|1|| |Lisa Kennerley|Snr Circuit Steward Year 4|See
L/With|| |John Duley|Circuit Treasurer|See
M/wich|| |Margaret
Shaughnessy|Circuit Property Secretary|See
H/Chp|| |Christiana Caswell|SafeguardingOfficer|1|| |Additional Persons|||| |Linda Ashbrook|CLT member|1|| |||1|| |||1|| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| 13 |Name|Appointed to the Circuit Meeting
as:|Vote| |---|---|---| |**Biddulph (118 members)**||| |Sue Millard|Steward|1| |Amanda Peters|Treasurer|1| |David Tildesley|Representative elected by Church
Council|1| |Ruth Pickles|Representative elected by Church
Council|1| |**Bosley (35 members)**||| |Isobel Worthington|Steward|1| |Alison Sherman|Treasurer|1| |Alec Needham|Representative elected by Church
Council|1| |**Bradshaw Brook (17 Members)**||| |David Lea|Steward|1| |Allan Moore|Treasurer|1| |Sara Williams|Representative elected by Church
Council|1| |**Brookhouse Green ( 36 Members)**||| |John Warren|Church Steward|1| |Trish Bodell|Treasurer|1| |MaryMoss|Representative elected by Church
Council|1| |**Cloud (17 Members)**||| |AudreyHaydon|Representative elected by Church
Council|1| |Linda Ashbrook|Church Treasurer|1| |Helen Bailey|Representative elected by Church
Council|1| 14 |||||| |---|---|---|---|---| |**Davenport (23 Members)**||||| |Vacant|Church Steward|||| |John Dale|Treasurer||1|| |BarryDale|Representative elected by Church
Council||1|| |||||| |Name|Appointed to the Circuit Meeting
as:||Vote|| |**Goostrey (37 Members)**||||| |Brian Walker|Church Steward||1|| |John Funnell|Treasurer||1|| |Martin Leake|Representative elected by Church
Council||1|| |**Hill Top (40 Members)**||||| |Marilyn Beckett|Church Steward||1|| |DorothyWickstead|Treasurer||1|| |Eileen Philips|Representative elected by Church
Council||1|| |**Holmes Chapel (148 Members)**||||| |Jill Booth|Church Steward||1|| |John Percival|Treasurer||1|| |Christine Donlon|Representative elected by Church
Council||1|| |Helen Watson|Representative elected by Church
Council||1|| |**Key Green (19 Members)**||||| |Frank Dean|Church Steward||1|| |Julie Imber|Treasurer||1|| |Vacant|Representative elected by Church
Council|||| 15 |||||| |---|---|---|---|---| |**Lower Withington (63 Members)**||||| |Barbara Kennerley|Church Steward|1||| |Lisa Kennerley|Treasurer|1||| |Julie Halman|Representative elected by Church
Council|1||| |||||| |Name|Appointed to the Circuit Meeting
as:||Vote|| |**Middlewich (62 Members)**||||| |Jane Duley|Church Steward||1|| |John Duley|Treasurer||1|| |Sue Davies|Representative elected by Church
Council||1|| |**Mow Cop (20 Members)**||||| |Christine Hancock|Treasurer||1|| |Russ Bromley|Church Steward||1|| |Myra Cowan|Representative elected by Church
Council||1|| |**New Road (16 Members)**||||| |Ann Moreton|Church Steward||1|| |Keith Farr|Treasurer||1|| |Sandra Tomlinson|Representative elected by Church
Council||1|| |**Rood Lane (16 Members)**||||| |Elizabeth Tweats|Church Steward||1|| |HarveyGilbert|Treasurer||1|| |Vacant|Representative elected by Church
Council||1|| |**Trinity (176 Members)**||||| |JennyTingle|Church Steward||1|| |CicelyJohnson|Treasurer||1|| |MaryJones|Representative elected by Church
Council||1|| |John Anderson|Representative elected by Church
Council||1|| |||||| 16 |**Wellspring (99 Members)**|**Wellspring (99 Members)**||| |---|---|---|---| |Liz Clarke|Church Steward|1|| |Geoff Butler|Treasurer|1|| |Peter Bradley|Representative elected by Church
Council|1|| ||||| ||||| 17