2023-12-31-accounts - West Weald Area Quaker Meeting

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

WEST WEALD AREA QUAKER MEETING

Annual Report and Accounts

For the year ended 31 December 2023

Reg. Charity No 1134523

The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) WEST

WEALD AREA QUAKER MEETING Annual Report and Accounts

CONTENTS Administrative Information pages 3-4 Trustees Report pages 5-14 Independent Examiner ’s Report pages 15-16 Accounts pages 17-24 Notes to the Consolidated Accounts pages 2529

The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) WEST WEALD AREA QUAKER MEETING

Annual Report and Accounts For the year ended 31 December 2023

Administrative Information

Charity’s Principal Office/Address Dorking Quaker Meeting House Butter Hill, South Street Dorking RH4 2LE

Trustees The following were Trustees in 2023 and until the date in 2024 that the report was approved: Rosemary Elias Jonathan Myall Kersti Wagstaff Roger Wilson

The Charity’s key officers in 2023 were: Clerk of Area Meeting Trustees – Kersti Wagstaff Clerk of Area Meeting – Lesley Evans Treasurer – Rosemary Elias

Independent Examiner: David Howard Chartered Accounts 47 Queens Road Weybridge, Surrey KT13 9UH

Bankers:

Triodos Bank, Deanery Road, Bristol BS1 5AS

Holding Trustee (Nominee): Friends Trusts Ltd., 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ

Charity Number: 1134523

The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) WEST WEALD AREA QUAKER MEETING

Annual Report and Accounts For the year ended 31 December 2023 TRUSTEES’

REPORT 2023

GOVERNANCE

West Weald Area Quaker Meeting is composed of seven local meetings in Surrey and West Sussex and manages six active Meeting Houses as managing Trustees which are owned by Friends Trusts Ltd. As holding trustee.

The duties of Area Meeting Trustees are defined by the Terms of Reference given in Appendix 2 of the Area Meeting Handbook (Section 19.1). These responsibilities include (but are not limited to) housing, employment, disability, discrimination and equal opportunities, health and safety, and data protection. They are summarized in the West Weald Governing Document (adopted by the Area Meeting in November 2008 and amended April 2011 by Area Meeting Minute 22/04(ii) and by the Terms of Reference already mentioned. The Trustees are appointed by Area Meeting in session to (inter alia) act as a channel of communication to and from their own local Meetings.

It is important to recognise that the Governing Document and Terms of Reference can be reviewed and revised when appropriate by Area Meeting in session. Thus, in these matters Area Meeting holds the ultimate authority, and this is delegated to Trustees by Area Meeting. Any amendment to the Governing Document agreed by West Weald Area Meeting in session must be recorded by Minute of that Area Meeting (Governing Document 2008 Clause 7(i)). The Charity Commission must then be informed of the amendment. It is also open to Area Meeting to monitor and guide Trustees’ performance in their duties.

Trustees oversee the compliance of West Weald Area Quaker Meeting with the legislation and regulations affecting its activities. They are responsible for keeping accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Charities Act and for preparing accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Act and are also responsible for

buildings and otherassets.

From May 2018 they also became responsible for ensuring that the Charity meets and requirements of the General Data Protection Regulations.

The Quaker tradition affirms at each level the controlling position of our worshipping community in session. The Trustees prepare a budget before the start of each financial year, for approval by Area Meeting. Out-turn against budget is normally checked at each Trustee Meeting, and a report is made to the next Area Meeting. If necessary, the permission of Area Meeting is sought to amend the budget. The Trustees do not feel that Area Meeting needs to revisit the foregoing governance arrangements at this time.

Our Governing Document was amended in November 2020 to permit our meetings to beheld online, partly to protect vulnerable Trustees or members of their families from COVID infection. During 2023 the Trustees met on six occasions for Meetings for Worship for business twice online only (one of these was a one-item meeting) and four times mainly in person but with one or two attendees online. The minutes of Trustee meetings are, in accordance with Quaker tradition, agreed and signed at the meeting to which they relate, and not at a later date. It is thus possible to circulate the minutes of Trustee Meetings to all local meetings immediately, and we also circulate our minutes immediately to all Members and Attenders who have indicated a willingness to receive emailed papers. Additionally, a report is given verbally by the Clerk to Trustees to each Area Meeting in session and questions are taken at that time.

Area Meeting convened six times in session for Meetings for Worship for Business in 2023, primarily in person, but with the possibility of attendance online where the audiovisual capabilities of the hosting meeting house allow. The work, in addition to receiving reports from Trustees, included the appointment of various officers for West Weald and of representatives to Quaker conferences, the receiving of reports, maintaining membership records and approving Annual Accounts.

Local Meetings hold periodic business Meetings, (held in worship, after the practice of Friends) and manage their own accounts and maintenance programmes under the guidance and delegated authority of the Trustees. Their accounts are prepared and examined locally before being consolidated with the Area Meeting accounts. Most Local Meetings now have provision for blended meetings (with some Friends in person in the Meeting House and others joining via an interactive video link) to suit their own members and circumstances.

During 2023, Simon Dyson of Hanslip and Co reported on the Quinquennial Inspection he had carried out on Horsham Meeting House in late 2022 which was not referred to in the report for 2022. No further quinquennial inspections were carried out in 2023.

Trustees have arranged for full insurance cover on our buildings, and Local Meetings have been reminded that they must meet the conditions imposed by our insurers including the periodic Health and Safety audit of our premises.

One issue has been a considerable challenge for us in the preparation of these accounts. Following the death of the Treasurer at Ifield Meeting his executors destroyed all his Quaker records, including the accounts. This has led to huge difficulties in completing accounts for this meeting. We are grateful to Friends at Ifield Meeting and our Treasurer to Trustees who have done sterling work in bringing together a coherent and satisfactory account of their financial affairs for the year 2023.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

In detail, our religious efforts were devoted to: i) strengthening the life and witness of our Quaker meetings and beyond; ii) spreading the message of Quakers; iii) funding the concerns of Quaker meetings; iv) providing for the pastoral care of individual members and attenders, including assistance to those in need and for education; v) maintaining and developing our meeting houses as places for public worship from which to carry our witness into the world; vi) administering and maintaining the organisation of our Area Meeting and contributing to the support of Britain Yearly Meeting.

It is normal for each of our Local Meetings to hold a public Meeting for Worship at least once a week. Since the coronavirus pandemic Local Meetings have returned to meeting in person, in many cases with an additional option of joining the meeting online, and this has continued throughout 2023. Meetings for Worship are advertised on Local Meeting websites, and anyone is welcome to attend them. Our document of general guidance “Advices and Queries” encourages all our members to “work gladly with other religious groups in the pursuit of common goals….” and to “enter imaginatively into the life and witness of other communities o faith creating together the bonds of friendship.”

West Weald Area Meeting has care of the properties listed below:

Blue Idol Meeting, Coolham

Meeting House with flat (occupied by voluntary residential Friends and domestic residence (let). Stable (formerly known as Hovel Barn) and Burial Ground.

£1,924,163

Meeting House Grade II*, Stable Grade II

Capel Meeting Meeting House and domestic residence (let). Burial Ground and orchard. £939,441 Grade II

Dorking Meeting Meeting House and domestic residence (let) £1,781,954

Horsham Meeting Meeting House and attached cottage (let) £1,025.019

Ifield Meeting Meeting House and attached cottage (let) £2,027,738 Meeting House Grade I, attached cottage Grade II, Mounting Block Grade II

Reigate Meeting Meeting House and Burial Ground £924,529

The charity owns and is responsible for the meeting house properties listed in the statement of assets and liabilities. The properties are held by Friends Trusts Limited as custodian trustee on behalf of the charity and are held for the furtherance of the charity’s purposes. The properties are included in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities at their insurance values, which are shown for information only and do not represent market value.

The seventh Local Meeting meets at Claridge House, a property not owned by the Area Meeting and for which Trustees have no financial responsibility. The Claridge House Meeting does not have financial activities or produce annual accounts for consolidation in those of West Weald Area Quaker Meeting.

Local Meetings are encouraged and required to undertake activities to guide and maintain our spiritual growth and to provide pastoral care and comfort to members and attenders. Based on our deeply held belief in the presence of God in every person, Friends try to put the Quaker testimonies of peace, non-violence, sustainability, equality, truth and integrity into action in their own lives, and to alleviate poverty and to promote social justice. Individual Friends continue to be involved in many humanitarian movements and organisations in this country and abroad.

Two Friends are appointed by Area Quaker Meeting as Governors of the William Penn School at Coolham, where a Restorative Practice programme, instigated and initially financially supported by Friends, is in practice. This Voluntary Controlled Primary School is unique in that although controlled by the Local Authority, it has a Quaker foundation and the education delivered at the school follows our Quaker ethos very closely. The school land and buildings are owned by Friends Trusts Limited as Custodian Trustee and are operated and managed by the West Sussex County Council. In common with other Voluntary Controlled Schools, no rent is paid for the land or premises.

Local Meetings support good causes by collecting money for them, and where this occurs these contributions are shown in the “Acting as Agent” category in the consolidated accounts. However, we must point out that this is not the total sum raised, as some meetings choose to appoint a responsible Friend to collect and forward their contributions direct to the good causes or charities concerned and these amounts are accordingly not reflected in the Area Meeting consolidated accounts.

PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT

This report shows how our resources have been applied and how the public benefits from our work. The charity’s Trustees have complied with their duty under the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission. All Trustees give their time voluntarily and do not receive any personal financial benefit from the charity.

Our Meeting Houses are used by a wide range of local community groups at affordable fees in order to support and sustain such groups in their work for the general community. We also charge very beneficial ground rents to the Housing Associations whose properties are built in the grounds of Reigate and Ifield Local Meetings and at Ifield a Friend from Ifield Local Meeting offers support by serving on the Housing Association’s management committee.

We believe that there is that of God in all people, so that those of all faiths and none deserve respect. Quakers work for understanding and for the peace which can flow from that understanding, and Local Meetings are members of Churches Together in their communities. Members of Dorking Meeting also volunteer and donate food to the foodbank run by Churches Together. The spirit of God is at work in the ordinary activities and experience of daily life, so in common with many other religious groups, we try to enable ordinary people to live out their faith, learning and developing their knowledge and trust of the ways of God. Quakerism is rooted in Christianity but acknowledges that our understanding of our own religious tradition may sometimes be enriched the insights of other faiths.

Members of the public may become associated with a Quaker meeting either as attenders or as full members – our meetings are open to the public and the benefits such as using our buildings or receiving financial assistance from the meeting are normally available to all members and regular attenders.

Where appropriate our Meeting Houses are open to the public on specific days, and we host groups of visitors interested in the history of our listed buildings. Our gardens and grounds are open to the public to enjoy their peace and serenity.

Each meeting responds in different ways to local public needs. For example, Dorking Meeting lets its meeting house at affordable rates to local groups that serve the community in various ways. The Wednesday half-hour meeting for worship followed by lunch is wellattended by Dorking residents who appreciate the opportunity for socialising, and the lunch raises funds for local charities. A Member of Dorking Meeting chairs the Dorking Area Foodbank, and Dorking Friends have continued to support the Foodbank with donations of requested foods, financial donations or donations of time. Members of the Meeting actively supported Dorking Climate Emergency in raising awareness of the pollution of the local river, the River Mole, at a public meeting in February 2022. Subsequently two from the Meeting set up the River Mole River Watch Group to research the facts and take action over the problem. During the summer of 2023 preparations were made for a theatrical production on an environmental theme which was called “Passion for the Planet.” It involved a number of community groups, including schools and young carers and volunteers from the Meeting. The presentation was put on at the Meeting House during the October half term, with 13 well received

performances. An estimated 300 members of the public attended these performances. The Meeting provided the Meeting House free of charge and donated £5,000 and Area Meeting donated £10,000 to enable this production to take place.

Horsham Meeting supports the recycling bins scheme managed by Sussex Green Living by having several bins in the front garden where people can bring various items to be sorted and recycled. A number of Horsham Friends also volunteer to assist in the refill service of Sussex Green Living’s Green Hub every month, which has out grown its original site at Horsham Meeting House and now takes place nearby at the United Reform Church. Group hirings at Horsham Meeting House include yoga groups, Alcoholics Anonymous groups, and a hub for adults with learning disabilities to attend socially or for help, where activities offered include relaxing breathing exercises and low-impact dancing.

The Blue Idol Meeting House is in regular demand for retreat days by other churches because of its rural, quiet location, also attracting visitors in significant number from the UK and abroad because of its historical association with William Penn and the founding of Pennsylvania. This activity is slowly returning to pre-pandemic levels, with visits in 2023 from two different Methodist circuits or staff retreat days. There were also group visits from a Littlehampton U3A group and from Shipley History Society. July brought the annual afternoon visit from William Penn School leavers (11-year-olds) with a short talk followed by activities for the children in the building and gardens. In August, members of the Meeting hosted a group of Ukrainian refugee families for the afternoon, and in September an evening from the Billingshurst scout group. The weekly Friday Open Days have continued, with total of 73 visitors during the year. The Blue Idol Local Meeting is affiliated to the national Quiet Gardens movement and holds regular Quiet Garden days that are advertised to the public. The garden is always open to the public during daylight hours for rest and reflection.

Friends from Claridge House Local Meeting support both financially and with time the healing work of Claridge House, holding Quiet Times for guests at the house and running a monthly Happy CafeN for those on retreat and the local community. They also held a Death CafeN for the local community in the last year.

In addition to a regular discussion group, Ifield Meeting holds a weekly table tennis club that brings together some residents from the Camfield Hostel, Quakers, and other local residents. The Meeting continues in affiliation with several Crawley groups: Crawley Interfaith Network, Crawley CND, the Campaign Against Arms Trade, and Welcome Crawley. Their annual Hiroshima Day Vigil on 6 August attracts many local people from various Crawley groups and churches.

Capel Meeting, which is small and has no members living locally, is hoping to be able to restart the regular coffee morning held for the village, and also the joint services once a year where they had visitors from the church on a Sunday morning – activities that fell into abeyance during the Covid pandemic. Capel Meeting hosts a community orchard in its grounds.

Reigate Meeting members take part in a range of community activities. Some attend meetings of the local Churches Together environment group which shares knowledge and encourages local religious groups to work together to take action on the environment. Some Reigate Friends also volunteer to assist local groups such as the local Fair Trade campaign, refugee support and the Samaritans. Reigate Quaker Meeting House is let out to a range of community, charity, health and campaigning groups, such as community education, healing and yoga classes, most of whom cannot afford other premises. Rents are kept low, and in some cases waived altogether, e.g. the premises have been used, free, by an environmental group to present work in the Philippines and locally to preserve wildlife. Hiring income enables the meeting to acquire funds to support charities, including the work of the central Quaker Britain Yearly Meeting charity and the groups that it supports.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

There is significant overlap between the previous section on public benefit and this section. For conciseness we will not repeat here what has already been reported above.

Membership at the end of 2023 showed a decrease of five from the previous year, from 116 at the end of 2022 to 111. There were no new members, two women transferred out (one from Horsham and one from Ifield), and four deaths (one woman from Blue Idol, one man and two women from Dorking). The 111 Members were supported by a group of 115 Attenders who enjoy equivalent status and responsibilities as far as permitted by our Governing Document. The availability of worship online has again attracted Members and Attenders who otherwise would have difficulty in participating in, or do not wish to drive to, Meeting for Worship. The number of adult Attenders and the number of children “associated” with our Meetings all show an increase. We are deeply grateful for the service that both Members and Attenders have devoted and continue to devote to our Meetings.

As noted in our previous three annual reports, we have been operating with a minimal number of Trustees, and during 2023 we remained very conscious of the need for more Members willing to serve. Area Meeting, which appoints trustees, has made all efforts to identify suitable new trustees. We continue to seek ways in which the operation of the trustee body can be made more efficient while maintaining the degree of oversight and support needed by our Local Meetings. The ‘flat’ organisational structures which has

sustained the Quaker faith for over 14

350years are consistent with the view that Trustees should be drawn from all Local Meetings and should, in effect, act as channels of communication with their Meetings, which in the modern world of increasing regulatory complexity is needed to maintain good practice throughout the Area Meeting.

Turning to our most fundamental purpose and duty, we are glad to be able to report that al our Local Meetings continued in 2023 to hold regular Meetings for Worship each Sunday morning either normally or online, and when possible, both. These were open to all.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

During the period, the charity received total funds of £324,996 (2022: £161,151) and made total payments of £307,974 (2022: £483,206), resulting in a net surplus of £17,022 (2022: deficit of £322,055).

Included within total receipts are proceeds from the disposal of investments amounting to £158,144 (2022: £16,285). Total payments include the acquisition of investments of £140,000 (2022: £320,556) together with investment-related costs of £25,933 (2022: £2,392).

Excluding investment purchases and disposal proceeds, the charity's underlying receipts and payments reflect the normal operating activities undertaken during the year.

Our financial position in 2023 remained strong and enabled us to function without undue concerns about financing our activities including funding repairs to our Meeting Houses, other buildings and grounds. The repairs and property costs (other than insurance) funded by Area Meeting centrally were £1,050 for further work on the trackway to the West Chiltington Burial Ground and £1,905 reimbursement to Horsham Local Meeting of the cost of the 2022 Quinquennial survey of Horsham Meeting House.

In 2023, Friends Trusts Ltd., as our nominee, sold two tranches of the investments which they had held on behalf of the Area Meeting. The first tranche produced proceeds of £139,707 in respect of which £140,000 was added to our investments held for us by Fidelity through Investing Ethically. The second tranche produced proceeds of £13,234 which have been deposited in an interest-bearing account with Triodos. We await the proceeds of the final disposals by Friends Trusts of investments with a Market Value at 31 December 2023 of £252,140 whilst security hurdles are cleared to enable the investments to be sold. The proceeds, once, received, with be transferred to Fidelity through Investing Ethically with the proceeds from the sale of the second tranche of investments.

Late approval and filing of accounts

The approval and filing of the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2023 were significantly delayed due to a combination of governance, trustee recruitment, accounting and administrative challenges encountered by the Area Meeting. These included difficulties in maintaining the required number of trustees, changes in key personnel, issues relating to the preparation and reconstruction of records within certain local meetings, and the need to address accounting matters identified during preparation of the accounts. The trustees regret the delay and have taken steps to strengthen governance arrangements and financial administration in order to reduce the risk of recurrence.

I can state that no other serious incident or other matter occurred in 2023 that I should bring to the attention of the Charity

Commission.

On behalf of the Trustees of West Weald Area Quaker Meeting.

Jennifer Pearce Clerk to the Trustees Date: 21 July 2026 Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) WEST

WEALD AREA QUAKER MEETING Annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 December 2023

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of West Weald Area Meeting

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2023 which are set out on pages 17 to 27.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011(‘the Act’). The charity's trustees 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.

I report in respect of my examination of the Trustee’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(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. In connection with my examination, except for the matter referred to below, no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

(1) accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or

(2) the accounts do not accord with those records; or

(3) the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

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.

Matter referred to above:

During the year, adequate accounting records were not maintained in respect of cash receipts arising from the Dorking Local Meeting activities. As a result, I was unable to obtain sufficient assurance over the completeness of these cash receipts for that part of the year. Revised procedures have since been implemented to strengthen controls over the recording and banking of these receipts.

Signed: ………………….......................... Siobhan Glenister, FCA David Howard Chartered Accountants 1 Park Road Hampton Wick Kingston upon Thames Surrey KT1 4AS Dated: ....................

The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) WEST WEALD AREA QUAKER MEETING

Annual Report and Accounts For the year ended 31 December 2023

RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS

Unrestric ted Unrestricte Restricte Permanent Tota Unrestricted Unrestricte Restricte Permanent Tot Funds d Funds d Endowmen l Funds d Funds d Endowmen al General Designated Funds t Funds 202 General Designated Funds t Funds 202 (Central 3 funds) 2 (Central (LM Funds) (LM Funds) Funds) Note 1 Note 1 Note 2 Note 3 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £

Receipts

Donations + contributions Collections

Legacies and grants Interest & Investment Inc Lettings H

4	168	35,313	0	35,481	168	28,151	28,319
	0	2,108	0	2,108	0	2,093	2,093
5	0	0		0	14,167	0	14,167
6	12,677	4,991	0	17,668	5,614	868	6,482
	0	71,797	0	71,797	0	86,208	86,208
	0	37,094	0	37,094	0	4,119	4,119
	0	2,704	0	2,704	0	3,478	3,478
7	153,031	5,113	0	158,144	0	16,285	16,285

n g s G i f t A i d Sale of investments Total receipts 165,876 159,120 0 0 324,996 19,949 141,202 0 0 161,151

The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) WEST WEALD AREA QUAKER MEETING

Annual Report and Accounts For the year ended 31 December 2023

Payments Charitable activities: Premises Contributions and subs Administration Investment costs Investments made Governance

Total payments Net

receipts/payments

8	14,755 7,017 10,000 512 2,892 140,000	6,880	0		21,636	3,052 29,775 5,000 615 0 257,748	1,948	0		5,000
9		80,648	0		87,665		98,898	0		128,673
10		13,600	0		23,600		14,188	0		19,188
11		5,999	0		6,686		5,957	0		6,572
		23,041	0		25,933		2,392	0		2,392
7		0	0		140,000		62,808	0		320,556
12	630 175,807	0 132,168	0 0	0	630 307,974	825 *297,015*	0 *186,191*	0 0	0	825 *483,206*

	-9,930	26,952	0	0	17,022	*-277,066*	*-44,989*	0	0	*-322,055*

WEST WEALD AREA QUAKER MEETING

Annual Report and Accounts For the year ended 31 December 2023


12	12,006	-12,006	0		0	12,442	-12,442	0		0
13	-1,905	0	0		-1,905	-70,000	70,000	0		0
	0	0	0		0	0	0	0		0
14	7,428	3,976	0		11,404	6,704	5,719	0		12,423
14	-9,104	-3,579	0		-12,683	-5,028	-5,715	0		-10,743

	8,425	-11609	0	0	-3184	*-55,882*	*57,562*	0	0	*1,680*

Sub-total

-1,506	15,343	0	0	13,837	*-332,948*	*12,573*	0	0	*-320,375*


519,87	256,36	48,937	121,79	946.96	852,820	243,793	48,937	121,791	1,267,341
~~2~~ ~~6~~ ~~1~~ ~~6~~
518,367	271,709	48,937	121,791	960,804	*519,872*	*256,366*	*48,937*	*121,791*	*946,966*

The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) WEST WEALD AREA QUAKER MEETING Annual Report and Accounts For the year ended 31 December 2023

UNRESTRICTED FUNDS – DESIGNATED

Unrestricted Funds (Note 1)

Receipts

Donations

Collections

Legacies

Interest & Investment Income Lettings Hiring s Gift

aid

Other

Blue Idol Capel Dorking Horsham Ifield Reigate Total *Total* LM LM LM LM LM LM 2023 *2022* £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £	Blue Idol Capel Dorking Horsham Ifield Reigate Total *Total* LM LM LM LM LM LM 2023 *2022* £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £	Blue Idol Capel Dorking Horsham Ifield Reigate Total *Total* LM LM LM LM LM LM 2023 *2022* £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £	Blue Idol Capel Dorking Horsham Ifield Reigate Total *Total* LM LM LM LM LM LM 2023 *2022* £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £	Blue Idol Capel Dorking Horsham Ifield Reigate Total *Total* LM LM LM LM LM LM 2023 *2022* £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £	Blue Idol Capel Dorking Horsham Ifield Reigate Total *Total* LM LM LM LM LM LM 2023 *2022* £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £	Blue Idol Capel Dorking Horsham Ifield Reigate Total *Total* LM LM LM LM LM LM 2023 *2022* £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £	Blue Idol Capel Dorking Horsham Ifield Reigate Total *Total* LM LM LM LM LM LM 2023 *2022* £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £
8,776	2,090	11,926	7,935	2,060	2,526	35,313	28,151
789	1,010		202	107		2,108	2,093
						0	0
621		582	422	157	3,209	4,991	868
29,604	14,061	16,200		11,932		71,797	86,208
78		5,858	17,354	1,740	12,064	37,094	4,119
2,243					461	2,704	3,478
192		306	400	4,165	50	5,113	16,285

42,303	17,161	34,872	26,313	20,161	18,310	159,120	*141,202*

Total receipts

UNRESTRICTED FUNDS – DESIGNATED

Payments Activities: Premises:

Contributions and

subscriptions Administration Property costs Other Governance

Total payments Net receipts/payments

485		6,070	325	0	0	6,880	1,948
19,257	4,755	21,150	8,512	13,061	13,913	80,648	98,898
215	3,000	10,060	595	100	1,630	13,600	14,188
6		1,840	2,532	502	1,119	5999	5,957
12,130		8,806		2,105		23,041	33,952
					0	0	62,808


32,093	7,755	47,926	11,964	15,768	16,662	132168	*217,751*

10,210	9,406	-13,054	14,349	4,393	1,648	26952	*-44,989*

UNRESTRICTED FUNDS – DESIGNATED

Transfers: Area Meeting Quota Other LM Payments Between funds Acting as Agent IN Acting as Agent, OUT

-3,480	-1,000	-2,871	-1,914	-696	2,045	-12006	-12,442
				0		0	70,000
						0	0
1,274		800		1,902		3,976	5,719
-1,277		-400		-1,902		-3,579	-5,715

-3,483	-1,000	-2,471	-1,914	-696	-2,045	-9,519	*57,562*

Sub-total

6,727	8,406	- 15,525	12,435	3,697	-397	19,258	*12,573*


68,733	8,556	48,293	32,985	33,727	64,072	256,36	243,793
~~6~~
75,460	16,962	32,768	45,420	37,424	63,675	271,709	*256,366*

Balances brought forward 1 January Balances c/fwd 31st December

The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) WEST WEALD AREA QUAKER MEETING Annual Report and Accounts For the year ended 31 December 2023

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES at 31 December 2023

Unrestricted Unrestricted Restricted Permanent Total Funds General Funds Funds Endowment 2023 Designated (Reigate Funds (Central (Local LM funds) (Central + funds) Mtgs) Reigate LM) Note 13 Note 13 Note 14 Note 15

£ £ £ £

Cash Funds

Short term deposits Cash at bank and in hand Uncleared payments

81,897			41,732	123,629
433,564	271,709	48,937	80,059	834,269
2906				686
518,367	271,709	48,937	121,791	960804

Other monetary assets

Debtors Loans receivable

0					0
0					0
0	0	0	0		0

Investment assets

Investments: Friends Trusts Investments: Fidelity portfolio

Furniture and Equipment Properties retained for the charity’s own use Creditors Loans payable

75,466			176,674	252,140
274,314			142,386	416,700
349,780	0	0	319,060	668,840

800 800
8,622,844 8,622,844
0	0	0	0	0
0	0	0	0	0
0	0			0

Approved by the Trustees

Jennifer Pearce

21 July 2026

The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) WEST WEALD AREA QUAKER MEETING Annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 December 2023 Notes to

the Consolidated Accounts: note 18 not referenced in the accounts

1. Unrestricted Funds

These are general funds which can be used for the ordinary purposes of the Area Meeting. Designated funds are General Funds held by the Local Meetings and used for their own Local Meeting purposes.

2. Restricted Funds

Restricted funds represent monies received for specific purposes as determined by donors. At 31 December 2023, the balance of restricted funds was £48,937 (2022 £48,937). Any income was transferred to general funds. There was no expenditure relating to restricted funds during the year, and the balance remains available for use in accordance with the original donor restrictions.

3. Endowment Funds

Permanent endowment funds are funds the capital of which must be maintained; only income arising from the investment of the endowment may be used either as restricted or unrestricted depending upon the purpose for which the endowment was established.

Notes on the Central AM Fund

Donations and contributions - £168 contributions by Friends other than by Local Meeting Quotas

5. Legacies and grants – None

Interest and Investment Income - £12,677: £2,806 Building Society Interest, £5,753 Bank Interest + £4,118 dividends.

Dividends from following investments held: Aberdeen Global Sustainable Responsible Inv. Equity A Inc, Janus Henderson Global

Sustainable Equity Fund A Inc, Aegon Ethical Equity Fund Class A Acc., and Jupiter Ecology Fund L Class Inc. which were all held by Friends Trusts Ltd as custodian trustee at 31 December 2023.
Sale of Investments - £153,031 was received from Friends Trusts Ltd on the sale of the first two tranches of investments held by Friends Trusts Ltd on the Area Meeting’s behalf. £140,000 was transferred to Fidelity/Investing Ethically to place in ethical investments in accordance with the Area Meeting’s Investment Policy.
Charitable Activities - £14,755: includes £10,000 donation to support the “Passion for the Planet” project and production at Dorking Friends Meeting House, £2,760 to support Young Friends to attend Friends Summer Events and Junior Yearly Meeting and
£854 for an Area Meeting Day of activities at Claridge House.
Premises - £7,017 includes £5,967 insurance and £1,050 for work on access to the West Chiltington burial ground.
Contributions and subs - £10,000 contribution to Britain Yearly Meeting.
Governance - £630 Independent Examiner’s fee.
AM Quota - £12,006: contributions to Area Meeting from Local Meetings in 2023.
Other LM payments - £1,905 to Horsham LM to reimburse 2023 Quinquennial fee.
Acting as Agent IN and OUT - in 2023, AM received £7,428 rent on the EE mast which was then passed to The Blue Idol LM. Additionally, the final rent payment received in 2022 of £1,676 was passed to The Blue Idol in 2023, which meant that a total of
£9,104 was paid to The Blue Idol. Local Meetings collected £7,428 for other charities of which £3,579 was passed on to the chosen charities.
Short term deposits – Balances at 31 December 2023: General Fund ICOF £500, Ecology BS £78,617 + Yorkshire BS £2,780.15. Permanent Endowment: Ecology BS £6,383 + Yorkshire BS £35,349. Uncleared payments of £2906.

Permanent Endowment Funds – The £80,059 shown for 2023 is the Reigate LM Rebuilding and Improvement Fund.
1. Investments – held by Friends Trusts Ltd as custodian trustee who have been instructed to sell with the proceeds to be reinvested in accordance with the AM’s investment policy with advice from Investing Ethically. See Note 6 (above) for details of these.
2. 18.Investments + LM Funds - Investments include amounts arising from the 2022 sale of Oxted property (£266,519), together with transactions undertaken during 2023, including disposals and reinvestments. Certain funds are held and managed by Local Meetings for designated purposes. These balances are included in the consolidated accounts of the Area Meeting. Trustees retain overall responsibilities for all funds reported in these financial statements.
3. Furniture and Equipment - including seating (chairs+ benches), tables, kitchen items, audio-visual and computer equipment have been fully depreciated in the year of acquisition. The one exception is a wall clock at Dorking Meeting House, with a market value of £800 thought to be donated by a member, a local clockmaker, in about 1846 when the Meeting House was opened.
4. Related party transactions – during 2023 £127 travel expenses were paid to a trustee out of Central funds and £559 was paid to 3 trustees to reimburse them for expenditure they paid on behalf of their Local Meetings.
Reserves Policy – CC19. 3.1: “Reserves are that part of a charity’s unrestricted funds that is freely available to spend on any of the charity’s purposes.” We have considered the unrestricted funds we need to reserve:
Building maintenance costs: We have had heavy expenditure on two of our oldest buildings in recent years at the Blue Idol and Ifield Meeting Houses. We have a programme of Quinquennial inspections and so would not expect to have significant unexpected costs arising in the near future, however, it is recognised that the relatively recent repairs costing in excess of £500,000 incurred at The Blue Idol were not identified at the regular Quinquennial inspection. We consider it would accordingly be prudent to set aside £250,000 for future unexpected building maintenance on our ancient and listed buildings to as not to delay work for fundraising.
Projects: The AM agreed to provide funds of at least £67,000 to the Blue Idol LM to enable them to complete their workshop project and to Horsham LM to complete work necessary to the Meeting House roof: £127,000 is set aside for these projects.

Annual Expenditure: We have also decided to set aside 50% of our normal expenditure across the AM for 2023 so: £83,987.

Closure costs: Where a Meeting House closes the costs incurred can be met by the sale of that particular Meeting House. The cost of closing the Area Meeting itself is expected to involve fees for advice including legal advice. These combined costs are estimated to be approximately

£50,000.

In accordance with the above policy, we consider that an Unrestricted Reserve at 31 December 2023 of £511,000 (£500,000 2022) would be prudent. Our present Unrestricted funds total £518,367, exceeding our Unrestricted Reserve by £7,367. We will review the position further in considering and setting future Budgets.

West Weald Area Meeting has care of the properties listed below:

Blue Idol Meeting, Coolham

Meeting House with flat (occupied by voluntary residential Friends and domestic residence (let). Stable (formerly known as Hovel Barn) and Burial Ground.

£1,924,163

Meeting House Grade II*, Stable Grade II

Capel Meeting

Meeting House and domestic residence (let). Burial Ground and orchard. £939,441

Grade II

Dorking Meeting Meeting House and domestic residence (let) £1,781,954

Horsham Meeting

Meeting House and attached cottage (let)

£1,025.019

Ifield Meeting

Meeting House and attached cottage (let) £2,027,738

Meeting House Grade I, attached cottage Grade II, Mounting Block Grade II

Reigate Meeting

Meeting House and Burial Ground £924,529