## **The Methodist Church**
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
Registered Charity Number 1134902
**Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statements**
**for the year ended 31st August 2025**
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31st August 2025**
## **CONTENTS**
||**Pages**|
|---|---|
|Trustees' Annual Report|2 - 9|
|Report of the Independent Auditors|10 - 12|
|Statement of Financial Activities|13|
|Balance Sheet|14|
|Statement of Cash Flows|15|
|Notes to the Accounts|16 - 29|
- 1 -
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Trustees' Annual Report for the year ended 31st August 2025**
## **Merger**
On 1st September 2025 the Wolverhampton & Shrewsbury Methodist District (the "District") merged with the Birmingham Methodist District to form the new West Midlands District. The objectives of the West Midlands District are the same as those of the District except that they will be applied over a wider geographical area.
On that date all the assets and liabilities of the District vested in the West Midlands District and those assets and liabilities that were subject to restrictive trusts were transferred subject to the same continuing trusts in the new district. All the activities of the District that were current at the date of the merger were transferred without a break and are continuing within the new district.
## **Reference and administrative information**
**Registered charity name** Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District **Registered charity number** 1134902
## **Trustees (members of the District Policy Committee)**
The members of the District Policy Committee at the date of this report and those who served during the year ended 31st August 2025 are as follows:
Rev Rachel Parkinson - Chair (until 31/8/2025) Rev Joanne Cox-Darling - Deputy Chair (until 31/8/2025) Rev George Heinz - Synod Secretary Mr Christopher Reed - District Treasurer (until 13/9/2025)
Rev David Alford (until 13/9/2025) Ms Helen Allen (until 13/9/2025) Mrs Franklina Appiah-Nimo (until 13/9/2025) Ms Stella Cofie (until 13/9/2025) Mrs Lesley Cook (until 13/9/2025) Rev Nicholas Collison (until 13/9/2025) Deacon Susan Culver (until 13/9/2025) Mrs Claire Evans Rev John Hartley (until 31/8/2025)
Rev David Lavender (until 13/9/2025) Dr Susan McCready-Shea (until 13/9/2025) Mr Brian Oakley Mrs Elaine Panchal (until 13/9/2025) Mr Max Reynolds Rev Teddy Siwila (until 13/9/2025) Rev Julia Skitt (until 13/9/2025) Mr Keith Walton
**Principal address** District Office Beckminster Methodist Church Birches Barn Road Wolverhampton WV3 7BQ **Telephone** 01902 658383 **Website** wsmethodist.org.uk **Auditors** Crombies Accountants Limited 34 Waterloo Road Wolverhampton WV1 4DG
- 2 -
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Trustees' Annual Report for the year ended 31st August 2025**
**Bankers** The Co-operative Bank PLC Central Finance Board of the PO Box 250 Methodist Church Delf House 9 Bonhill Street Southway London EC2A 4PE Skelmersdale WN8 6WT
## **Objectives and activities**
The purpose of the Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury District is laid out in Standing Order 400A of the Constitutional Practice and Discipline of the Methodist Church, namely that: “the District is constituted to advance the mission of the Church in the region, by providing opportunities for Circuits to work together and support each other, by offering them resources of finance, personnel and expertise which may not be available locally and by enabling them to engage with the wider society of the region as a whole and address its concerns.” The central priorities of the Methodist Church are Worship, Learning and Caring, Service and Evangelism.
The District comprised around 145 local Methodist churches grouped into 11 circuits, served by a team of around 36 active ministers, 31 of whom were presbyters and 5 of whom were deacons, together with a significant number of lay people. By far the greatest number of these give their time on a voluntary basis without pay but there are also a number of lay employees, mostly employed by Circuits and churches. Supernumerary ministers who have retired to the District offer very significant support. The District itself supported eight lay employment posts. This included two safeguarding posts shared with Birmingham District and two posts related to the Borderlands Rural Chaplaincy, a project in which the District partnered with the Shropshire & Marches Methodist Circuit and the Hereford Diocese.
Just under five thousand people held membership of Methodist Churches across the District in this period. Ten congregations asked the District Synod for permission to close during the year.
The statistics continue to support a narrative of an ageing core membership in numerical decline. This context is undoubtedly leading to pressure at every level of the church in finding volunteers, time and energy to fulfil governance requirements and to maintain previous levels of activity. However it is far from the full picture. Churches in the District touch the lives of very many more people than hold membership, offering a network of spiritual, emotional and physical support which is invaluable in the context of the communities they serve. These communities range from the extremely rural to the intensely urban. Across all settings, Methodist churches prioritise inclusion of those on the margins. The District team has worked hard to support, encourage and enable this local outreach.
The Methodist Conference, meeting in July 2024, confirmed the proposal that the Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury District would merge with its neighbour, Birmingham District, from 1st September 2025 to form the new West Midlands District. This means that a major focus for the District this year was working with Birmingham to ensure that the merger went smoothly, and in accordance with charity legislation. The task group overseeing the process met monthly, facilitated by TCC (Transforming Churches and Communities) working under contract. In between these meetings, sub-groups worked on areas such as governance, locations, communication, finance and staffing. TCC monitored the task group’s progress against a timeline, to ensure that key tasks were fulfilled on schedule. Members from across the two Districts were invited to online gatherings held monthly where progress was shared, questions answered and prayer offered. This was supplemented by printed communication.
- 3 -
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Trustees' Annual Report for the year ended 31st August 2025**
## **Objectives and activities (continued)**
Two key appointments were made to the new District. Lisa Murphy took up the newly-created role of District Secretary. Lisa began her work in May, in order to be able to contribute to work needed prior to the merger. A key focus for her was Human Resources, including ensuring that employees transferring from this District to the new entity were appropriately protected by adherence to TUPE regulations. The Rev’d Dr Rachel Deigh was appointed as Chair of the West Midlands District from 1st September 2025, working alongside the existing Chair of the Birmingham District, Rev’d Novette Headley. Rev’d Rachel Parkinson, Chair of the Wolverhampton & Shrewsbury District, completed her term of office in August 2025.
## **Public benefit**
The activities mentioned above were undertaken so as to further the District's purposes for the public benefit and the District Policy Committee has had regard to the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission when exercising its powers or duties to which the guidance is relevant.
## **Achievements and performance**
_A core purpose of the District is to provide opportunities for people, churches and Circuits to work together and to support one another. This year the District attended to this in a number of ways including:_
- offering an online meeting space fortnightly for Circuit Superintendents as key leaders in the District. From May 2025 this included Superintendents in the Birmingham District.
- editing and distributing a weekly online mailing to keep churches and Circuits aware of developments and opportunities on a District / Regional / Connexional basis.
- working jointly with the Birmingham District to offer gatherings for Superintendents, one of which was residential, and a retreat day for lay employees and ministers working in the circuits.
- offering hospitable spaces for Supernumerary ministers and their partners to gather together for mutual encouragement and support.
- holding a series of prayer pilgrimages led by the Chair on Fridays in Lent, covering every circuit in the District. Many people were involved in either offering hospitality or joining the walk.
- arranging a 6-day pilgrimage for twelve pilgrims in Easter Week, based in the South Shropshire hills.
- 4 -
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Trustees' Annual Report for the year ended 31st August 2025**
## **Achievements and performance (continued)**
_A core purpose of the District is to offer to the Circuits resources of finance, personnel and expertise which may not be available locally. This year the District attended to this in a number of ways including:_
- assisting and guiding the Circuits on a weekly basis through the work of, amongst others, the District Safeguarding team, Ministry & Mission Co-ordinator, Property Consultant, Lay Employment Adviser, District admin team, treasurer and Chair.
- paying grants of more than £114,000 from the District Advance Fund to circuits for the purposes of advancing their mission and ministry in a local context. For a number of years the District has tried to encourage churches to reduce the portion of their carbon footprint related to property through the offering of targeted grants. After a slow start, this year saw two significant grants awarded to churches installing solar panels.
- enabling and co-ordinating the participation of children and young people in the Connexional "3Generate" weekend held at the Birmingham NEC and also the “Amplify” weekend, organised jointly with Birmingham District. As an event, "Amplify" continued to grow with 160 children and young people gathering with their leaders at the new venue of Whitemoor Lakes.
- encouraging Circuits in their ministry and mission in myriad ways. This included arranging Synod meetings covering a range of subjects including attitudes to Singleness in the Church; contemporary issues relating to peace and conflict; the use of stories in the context of ministry; and reports from the World Methodist Conference.
_A core purpose of the District is to enable Circuits to engage with the wider society of the region as a whole and address its concerns. This year the District attended to this in a number of ways including:_
- working with the charity “Through the Roof”, the President of the Methodist Conference, Rev’d Helen Cameron, and using expertise from within the Vale of Stour Circuit, the District produced online worship resources designed for use nationally to mark Disability Awareness Week.
- sending a delegation to visit partners in the Free Methodist Church of Rwanda in February 2025. The delegation included the Youth Ambassador linked to the District. It was a time of mutual encouragement and support, particularly when 77% of Rwandan Methodist Churches remain closed as a result of new national legislation.
- investing in strengthening relationships with ecumenical partners in the West Midlands. This included the Chair attending a 3-day pilgrimage with senior ecumenical leaders and being part of a highly diverse residential gathering of Christian leaders from across the region. In her role as Ecumenical Canon, the Chair attended the installation of the new Dean of Lichfield Cathedral.
- purchasing 1500 Bethlehem olive wood Christmas decorations for distribution through the churches. This was designed to prompt prayers for peace in the land of Jesus’ birth, as well as providing practical support for a small business in Bethlehem.
- 5 -
**Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Trustees' Annual Report for the year ended 31st August 2025**
## **Financial review**
The above activities and achievements illustrate the work of the District and the attached accounts show how the financial resources necessary for that work have been raised and expended. The accounts are also the means by which members of the District Policy Committee, as trustees, account for their stewardship of those funds to the circuits, the membership of the churches within the District and the wider community.
The finances of the District are held in different funds to account properly for the different purposes for which money comes into the District. Most of the income comes from other parts of the Methodist Church: assessments are received from the Circuits in the District to fund the work done directly and the payment to the Connexion of a contribution to the Methodist Church Fund, and distributions are received via the Connexional structure of the Methodist Church to fund grant-making activities, as explained more fully in Note 2 to the accounts.
The income of the District for the year ended 31st August 2025 was £1,375,862 and expenditure was £1,006,471. Compared to the previous year, income was up and expenditure was down. The result was an overall surplus of £369,391, but the individual fund accounts show that the District Advance Fund recorded a surplus for the year of £388,685 and there was a deficit for the year of £19,294 across the other funds. The balances held by each fund therefore moved up or down accordingly and ended the year at a total value of £1,137,283. Of the total value, £267,025 represented fixed assets (including the District Chair's manse), leaving free reserves of £870,258 across all eight funds. No fund was in deficit at the year-end. A review of significant matters affecting District finances is as follows:
## **District Expenses Fund (unrestricted)**
The District Expenses Fund ended the year with free reserves very close to the target level of 10% of circuit assessments. In order to shield circuits from the increase in the Methodist Church Fund assessment, the fund used some of its reserves to ensure that circuit assessments overall were no higher than in the previous year. In the event this created a deficit for the year of £5,319 and a closing balance of £331,362, of which free reserves amounted to £57,965.
## **District Training Fund (designated)**
The District Training Fund was largely exhausted, leaving a balance of only £654. There being no merit in carrying such a small balance forward into the new district as a separate fund, the balance was returned to the District Expenses Fund, and the Training Fund was closed.
## **Manse Fund (designated)**
The Manse Fund stands at £35,585, there having been no transactions during the year. The manse is now for sale and a new manse has been purchased by the new district and in those circumstances it was not appropriate for this District to increase or reduce the size of that fund. Therefore the balance was transferred to the new district unchanged.
- 6 -
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Trustees' Annual Report for the year ended 31st August 2025**
## **Financial review (continued)**
## **District Advance Fund (restricted)**
There was a huge increase in the income of the District Advance Fund ("DAF") resulting in a DAF surplus of £388,685 for the year. This was attributable to two factors. Connexional funding received from the Circuit Model Trust Funds and the Connexional Priority Fund increased by £119,911 to £518,468, boosted by sales of property. Secondly, the District God for All project was suspended after the employee implementing it left, and as it has yet to be reformulated and a new project approved by the new district, the DAF grants of £89,863 commited for the next 5 years have been released. Other grant commitments totalling £30,000 were also released due to changes in circumstances since they were awarded. Therefore a total of £119,863 grant commitments were released, increasing the funds available for DAF purposes, such that the closing balance amounted to £741,681 net of future grant commitments.
## **Agricultural Chaplaincy Fund (restricted)**
The three sponsoring bodies of Borderlands Rural Chaplaincy increased their financial support but there was a reduction in external grants, leaving the Agricultural Chaplaincy Fund with a deficit of £10,436 for the year and free reserves of only £26,365, which is below the target level required to ensure the project's resilience.
## **Chair's Benevolent Fund (restricted)**
The Chair's Benevolent Fund was exhausted during the year and topped-up with a small transfer from the District Expenses Fund. As a result, there was no balance left on that fund at the year-end and it was closed.
## **Komera Partnership Fund (restricted)**
The District's relationship with the Free Methodist Church of Rwanda and PHARP (Peacebuilding Healing and Reconciliation Programme of Rwanda) continued, and further donations were received from churches and individuals during the year. Grants of £1,549 were paid to the Free Methodist Church and £523 to PHARP, and at the year-end the fund had a balance of £265 of donations awaiting transfer to our partners in Rwanda.
## **Reserves policies**
The reserves policy for the District Expenses Fund is based on a free reserves target of 10% of total circuit assessments, to reflect the risk that a circuit may not be able to meet their assessment in full. For 2025/26 circuit assessments payable by the circuits in this District are £625,392, giving a reserves target of £62,539. The actual level of free reserves at 31st August 2025 was £57,965 or 9.3% of circuit assessments.
The Manse Fund reserve target used to be £40,000, to cover major repairs to the Chair's manse in excess of the annual budget. Now that the manse is for sale and the new district has already purchased a manse, the target is no longer appropriate. The closing fund balance is £35,585 and it will be for the new district to determine the applicable target level of reserves for the new manse.
The reserves in the District Advance Fund are already stated after taking into account future commitments and as the annual tranche of funding is received in September/October this fund does not need more than a nominal balance of reserves at the year-end.
- 7 -
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Trustees' Annual Report for the year ended 31st August 2025**
## **Reserves policies (continued)**
The scale and scope of the work funded by the Agricultural Chaplaincy Fund is significant and its funding is dependent on grants from various sources, many of which are under financial pressure. In these circumstances, reserves of up to one year's expenditure are considered appropriate to ensure the resilience of the project.
The Komera Partnership Fund is there to make grants to beneficiaries from the funds that have been raised for those purposes and thus does not require any specific target level of reserves.
## **Investment policy**
Surplus monies of the District’s Funds (other than the District Advance Fund) are held in an interest-bearing deposit account with the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church, which is a common deposit fund reporting directly to Conference. The District Advance Fund is held by the Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes as custodian trustees on behalf of the District, and this fund is also invested in an interest-bearing account with the Central Finance Board.
## **Plans for the future**
Whilst the Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury District ceases to exist as a separate entity, the work that has been pursued through the District is carried over into the West Midlands District, with the hope that a renewed structure will assist in the fulfilment of the District's core purposes.
## **Structure, governance and management**
The District, as part of the Methodist Church, is constituted under the terms of the Deed of Union of 1932, which was promulgated under the authority of legislation that is now found in the Methodist Church Act 1976. This Act provides the foundation on which all the remainder of the constitutional structure of the Church is raised.
The governing body of the Methodist Church in Great Britain is the Conference. Under the authority of the Act and the Deed of Union, Conference makes and amends Standing Orders, which are published annually in the Constitutional Practice and Discipline of the Methodist Church. This is the basis for governance of the Church as a connexion of local churches, circuits and districts working together within the one framework.
The District Synod is the principal body responsible for the affairs of the District and is constituted in accordance with the Deed of Union and Standing Orders. It is the church court for the District, serving as a link between the Conference and the Connexional Team on the one hand and the Circuits and Local Churches on the other. It has oversight of all District affairs. The Synod annually appoints the members of the District Policy Committee whose responsibilities include the formulation and promotion of policy and the supervision of the use of resources of personnel, property and finance. Under charity law the members of the District Policy Committee are treated as the Trustees of the Charity and the names of the Trustees who served during the year are shown above.
The District Policy Committee nominates persons to the Synod for appointment as district officers and as members of the District Policy Committee and other district committees. In addition, the Chair of the District, the Secretary of the Synod and any member of the Methodist Council nominated by the Synod are ex-officio members of the District Policy Committee.
- 8 -
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Trustees' Annual Report for the year ended 31st August 2025**
## **Structure, governance and management (continued)**
The District is one of twenty-three Districts of the Methodist Church in Great Britain. The Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury District comprises eleven Circuits, based in the City of Wolverhampton, two West Midlands Metropolitan Boroughs, parts of Staffordshire and Worcestershire, most of Shropshire, about half of Herefordshire and parts of Wales. The structure of the District and its constituent Circuits and Churches, and their inter-relationships with each other, is explained more fully in Note 2 to the accounts.
## **Statement of trustees’ responsibilities**
Charity law requires the District Policy Committee (as Trustees) to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charity and of its financial activities for that period, together with its assets and liabilities at the end of the period, and adequately distinguish any material special trust or other restricted fund of the Charity. In preparing those financial statements the District Policy Committee is required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether the policies adopted are in accordance with the appropriate SORP and the Accounting Regulations and with applicable Accounting Standards, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Charity will continue in operation.
The District Policy Committee also has overall responsibility for ensuring that there is in place an appropriate system of controls, financial and otherwise, to provide reasonable confidence and assurance that:
- the District’s administration is operating effectively and efficiently;
- the assets of the District are properly safeguarded against unauthorised loss or damage;
- proper records are maintained and information produced for management control, fiscal and statutory reasons; and
- the District complies with the relevant laws and guidelines.
This report was approved by the District Policy Committee as Trustees on 6th May 2026 and is signed on their behalf by:
> K. Walton K Walton Trustee B. Oakley Trustee B Oakley
- 9 -
**REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE TRUSTEES OF WOLVERHAMPTON AND SHREWSBURY METHODIST DISTRICT**
## **Opinion**
We have audited the financial statements of Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District for the year ended 31 August 2025 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the Cash Flow Statement and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion the financial statements:
- give a true and fair view of the state of the District’s affairs as at 31 August 2025 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;
- have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
- have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.
## **Basis for opinion**
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditors' responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the District in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC's Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
## **Conclusions relating to going concern**
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the District’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
## **Other information**
The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Annual Report, other than the financial statements and our Report of the Independent Auditors thereon.
- 10 -
## **REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE TRUSTEES OF WOLVERHAMPTON AND SHREWSBURY METHODIST DISTRICT**
Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard.
## **Matters on which we are required to report by exception**
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charity and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified any material misstatements in the trustees’ report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:
- the information given in the trustees’ report is inconsistent in any material respect
- with the financial statements;or
- sufficient accounting records have not been kept; or
- the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records; or
- we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit;
## **Responsibilities of trustees**
As explained more fully in the Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities, the trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charity's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
## **Our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements**
We have been appointed auditor under s144 of the Charities Act 2011 and report to you in accordance with regulations made under s154 of that Act.
- 11 -
## **REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE TRUSTEES OF WOLVERHAMPTON AND SHREWSBURY METHODIST DISTRICT**
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue a Report of the Independent Auditors that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to:
-agreeing financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting documentation; -reading the minutes of meetings of those charged with governance;
-enquiring of management as to actual and potential litigation and claims
We assessed the susceptibility of the charity’s financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur.
- To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we:
- performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships
- tested journal entries to identify unusual transactions
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council's website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our Report of the Independent Auditors.
## **Use of our report**
This report is made solely to the charity's trustees, as a body, in accordance with the Charities Act 2011. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors' report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
## I Cattell
Ian Cattell FCA (Senior Statutory Auditor) for and on behalf of Crombies Accountants Limited Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor 34 Waterloo Road Wolverhampton West Midlands WV1 4DG
6th May 2026
- 12 -
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31st August 2025**
|**_Note_**
**Income from:**
Donations and grants
Grants from connexional funds
**_3_**
Other grants and donations
**_4_**
_Total donations and grants_
Charitable activities
Assessments on circuits
**_5_**
Levies on circuit model
trust funds
Distribution from Connexional
Priority Fund
Other charitable activities
**_6_**
_Total charitable activities_
Other trading activities
Investments
**_7_**
Other income - grants repaid/released
**_8_**
_Total income_
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
**_12_**
Charitable activities
Contribution to Methodist Church Fund
Other charitable activities
undertaken directly
**_13_**
Grant funding of charitable
activities
**_14_**
Support costs
**_15_**
Other expenditure
**_16_**
_Total charitable activities_
_Total expenditure_
**Net income/(expenditure)**
Transfers between funds
**_17_**
**Net movement in funds**
Total funds brought forward
**Total funds carried forward**|**District**
**Expenses**
**Fund**
**(unrestricted)**
**£**
-
-
-
619,200
-
-
1,200
620,400
-
5,003
-
**625,403**
-
583,645
126,081
900
41,927
5,111
757,664
**757,664**
**(132,261)**
126,942
**(5,319)**
336,681
**331,362**|**Desig-**
**nated**
**Funds**
**(unrestricted)**
**£**
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
**-**
-
-
1,576
-
-
-
1,576
**1,576**
**(1,576)**
(654)
**(2,230)**
37,815
**35,585**|**District**
**Advance**
**Fund**
**(restricted)**
**£**
10,559
-
10,559
-
401,391
117,077
-
518,468
-
41,192
119,863
**690,082**
2,374
-
46,486
106,049
-
(752)
151,783
**154,157**
**535,925**
(147,240)
**388,685**
352,996
**741,681**|**Other**
**Restrict-**
**ed Funds**
**(restricted)**
**£**
-
59,511
59,511
-
-
-
-
-
-
866
-
**60,377**
-
-
91,002
2,072
-
-
93,074
**93,074**
**(32,697)**
20,952
**(11,745)**
40,400
**28,655**|**Total**
**Funds**
**2024/25**
**£**
10,559
59,511
70,070
619,200
401,391
117,077
1,200
1,138,868
-
47,061
119,863
**1,375,862**
2,374
583,645
265,145
109,021
41,927
4,359
1,004,097
**1,006,471**
**369,391**
-
**369,391**
767,892
**1,137,283**|**Total**
**Funds**
**2023/24**
**£**
48,928
79,822|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||128,750|
|||||||619,604
222,042
176,515
1,100|
|||||||1,019,261|
|||||||330
48,926
4,501|
|||||||**1,201,768**|
|||||||1,622
562,924
292,966
133,497
41,380
2,266|
|||||||1,033,033|
||||||||
|||||||**1,034,655**|
|||||||**167,113**
-|
|||||||**167,113**
600,779|
|||||||**767,892**|
- 13 -
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Balance Sheet as at 31st August 2025**
|||**District**|**Desig-**|**District**|**Other**|**Total**|**Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**Expenses**|**nated**|**Advance**|**Restrict-**|**Funds at**|**Funds at**|
|||**Fund**|**Funds**|**Fund**|**ed Funds**|**31 Aug 25**|**31 Aug 24**|
|||**(unrestricted)**|**(unrestricted)**|**(restricted)**|**(restricted)**|||
||**_Note_**|**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|**Fixed assets**||||||||
|Tangible assets|**_18_**|265,000|-|-|2,025|267,025|267,700|
|**Current assets**||||||||
|Loan to Birmingham District|**_19_**|-|-|350,000|-|350,000|-|
|Debtors|**_20_**|-|-|-|100|100|25,099|
|Cash on deposit:||||||||
|Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes||-|-|593,522|-|593,522|730,437|
|Central Finance Board||64,140|35,585|-|25,337|125,062|135,372|
|Cash at bank||6,546|-|-|1,205|7,751|9,399|
|Prepaid currency cards||-|-|-|-|-|3,602|
|_Total_|_current assets_|70,686|35,585|943,522|26,642|1,076,435|903,909|
|**Liabilities**||||||||
|Creditors due within 1 year:||||||||
|Creditors|**_21_**|4,324|-|-|12|4,336|26,276|
|Grants payable|**_22_**|-|-|81,841|-|81,841|137,958|
|||4,324|-|81,841|12|86,177|164,234|
|_Net_|_current assets_|66,362|35,585|861,681|26,630|990,258|739,675|
|_Total assets less current liabilities_||331,362|35,585|861,681|28,655|1,257,283|1,007,375|
|Creditors due after 1 year:||||||||
|Grants payable|**_22_**|-|-|120,000|-|120,000|239,483|
|**_Total net assets_**||**331,362**|**35,585**|**741,681**|**28,655**|**1,137,283**|**767,892**|
|**Represented by**|**_23_**|||||||
|Unrestricted Funds:||||||||
|District Expenses Fund||331,362|-|-|-|331,362|336,681|
|Designated Funds:||||||||
|District Training Fund||-|-|-|-|-|2,230|
|Manse Fund||-|35,585|-|-|35,585|35,585|
|Restricted Funds:||||||||
|District Advance Fund||-|-|741,681|-|741,681|352,996|
|Agricultural Chaplaincy Fund||-|-|-|28,390|28,390|38,826|
|Chair's Benevolent Fund||-|-|-|-|-|568|
|Komera Partnership Rwanda||-|-|-|265|265|1,006|
||**_Total funds_**|**331,362**|**35,585**|**741,681**|**28,655**|**1,137,283**|**767,892**|
The notes on pages 15 to 29 form part of these accounts
The accounts were approved by the District Policy Committee as Trustees on 6th May 2026 and are signed on their behalf by:
## K Walton
K. Walton
Trustee
- 14 -
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Statement of Cash Flows for the year ended 31st August 2025**
|**Total**
**Funds**
**2024/25**
**£**
**Cash flows from operating activities**
Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities
**_See below_**
(199,536)
**Cash flows from investing activities**
Interest receivable
47,061
(152,475)
878,810
**726,335**
**Represented by**
Cash on deposit:
Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes
593,522
Central Finance Board
125,062
Cash at bank
7,751
Prepaid currency cards
-
**726,335**
**Reconciliation of net income/(expenditure) to net cash flow from operating activities**
**_Page 13_**
369,391
Add back depreciation charge
675
Deduct interest receivable (investing activity)
(47,061)
Loan advanced to Birmingham District
**_Note 19_**
(350,000)
Decrease/(increase) in debtors
**_Note 20_**
24,999
Increase/(decrease) in creditors
**_Notes 21, 22_**
(197,540)
**(199,536)**
Net income/(expenditure) for the year as per
Statement of Financial Activities
**Net cash provided by/(used in) operating**
**activities**
**Increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents in the year**
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year
**Cash and cash equivalents at end of year**|**Total**
**Funds**
**2023/24**
**£**
107,310
48,926|
|---|---|
||156,236
722,574|
||**878,810**|
||730,437
135,372
9,399
3,602|
||**878,810**|
||167,113
900
(48,926)
-
(22,070)
10,293|
||**107,310**|
- 15 -
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31st August 2025**
## **1 Basis of accounting and accounting policies**
## **(a) Basis of preparation**
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the following:
- i) The Charities SORP (FRS 102) - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015),
- ii) FRS 102 - The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (as above),
- iii) The Charities Act 2011.
The Charities SORP (FRS 102) has been used, despite the relevant 2008 accounting regulations still requiring use of the Charities SORP 2005, on the grounds that it is necessary to use the newer SORP in order to comply with the legal obligation to give a true and fair view.
The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention except for the use of an historical insured value as the deemed cost of the District manse. The accruals basis has been used to show a true and fair view of the District's financial position and activities.
## **(b) Public benefit entity**
The Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District (the "District") meets the definition of a public benefit entity in FRS 102 as its primary objectives require it to act so as to provide public, community or social benefit rather than to provide economic benefit to its members or participants.
## **(c) Going concern**
The Methodist Conference approved the merger of the District with Birmingham District, which took effect on 1st September 2025. On that date all the income streams and expenditure commitments, the assets, liabilities, activities and responsibilities of the District were transferred into and assumed by the West Midlands District. The trustees consider there are no material uncertainties that would cast significant doubt on the ability of the District's activities to continue as a going concern as part of the new combined district for the foreseeable future, being a period of more than 12 months from the date these accounts are approved. The trustees are therefore satisfied that it is appropriate to prepare the accounts on a going concern basis and they reached their view having taken into account the financial position of the District shown in these accounts and budgets for the next two years of the combined entity.
## **(d) Funds**
The District operates a District Expenses Fund, which is the general unrestricted fund that can be used for any District purposes and holds cash, other current assets and fixed assets. In addition there are designated funds holding cash and current assets designated for particular purposes but which may be used for other District purposes at the discretion of the trustees. There are also several restricted funds holding cash and current and fixed assets which can only be used for the specified purpose because of the terms on which their funding was received whether by grant, donation or fundraising.
## **(e) Income recognition**
Income is recognised when the District becomes entitled to the economic benefit of the income, it is probable (i.e. more likely than not) that it will be received, and its monetary value can be measured reliably. No attempt is made to measure the considerable value of services or time donated by volunteers.
The District acts as agent in the following matters:
- i) collections taken at Synod for various charities, which are paid over to the respective charities shortly afterwards; and
- ii) payments received from the Methodist Church Fund to reimburse the District for the expenses of District representatives attending the Methodist Conference.
The receipts and payments for the above matters are not income or expenditure of the District and are therefore not reflected in the Statement of Financial Activities.
- 16 -
**Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31st August 2025**
## **1 Basis of accounting and accounting policies (continued)**
## **(f) Expenditure recognition**
Expenditure is recognised when there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the District to pay out resources, it is probable (i.e. more likely than not) that settlement will be required, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
## **(g) Grants payable**
The District makes a significant number of grants to third parties in furtherance of its objects, sometimes as one-off payments and sometimes as a series of periodic payments that may cover several years. As soon as a grant is awarded to a third party they have a valid expectation that the District will discharge its obligation to make the payments whenever they are to become due. This creates a constructive obligation in respect of the total value of the award. Even though multi-year grant awards are subject to annual monitoring, no specific conditions are imposed that would make the awards conditional and payment of the full amount is therefore probable. Accordingly all awards are immediately recognised as expenditure and a liability for future payments is recorded.
## **(h) Value added tax**
Since the District is not registered for value added tax ("VAT"), all input VAT is charged with the expense to which it relates.
## **(i) Pensions**
All employees of the District are either auto-enrolled in or invited to join the TPT Retirement Solutions Flexible Retirement Plan, a defined contribution pension scheme. The District's contribution is set at 6% of salary and the District has no liability beyond making its contributions and paying over the deductions for the employees' contributions. There were no contributions outstanding at the year-end.
## **(j) Tangible fixed assets**
Tangible fixed assets are capitalised if they can be used for more than one year, and individually cost more than £1,000. They are valued at historical cost, except for the District Chair's manse, which is stated at deemed cost, being its insured value in 2011, and it is assessed each year for any indication of impairment.
## **(k) Depreciation**
Depreciation is provided to write-off the cost of a fixed asset, less its residual value, over its useful economic life. In the case of the manse, its residual value is estimated and provided it is not less than cost no depreciation is required. Equipment is depreciated at 25% pa on the reducing balance.
## **(l) Debtors and creditors**
Debtors are stated at the amount the District expects to receive or the amount it has paid in advance for goods or services. Creditors are stated at the amount the District expects to pay or the amount it has received as an advance payment for goods or services.
- 17 -
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31st August 2025**
## **2 Controlling body, connected organisations and glossary of terms**
The ultimate controlling body of the District is the Conference of the Methodist Church in Great Britain.
The "Conference" is a representative body drawn from across the Connexion, and is the policy-making and governing body of the Church. It makes and amends Standing Orders, which are published annually in the Constitutional Practice and Discipline of the Methodist Church, as the basis for governance of the Church throughout the Connexion.
The "Connexion" is the larger connected community of the Methodist Chuch in Great Britain, comprising the Conference, the central team of Connexional Officers and support systems directed by the Methodist Council, and the regional organisation of Districts, Circuits and Churches.
"Districts" are regional bodies comprising a number of Circuits.
"Circuits" are local groupings of churches.
"Churches" are the local places to which Methodists belong.
Each of the entities in these layers of the church community is a separate charity with its own trustees and many of the District's trustees are also trustees of some of these. However, the District has no significant influence over any of these entities nor, with the exception of the Conference, do they have significant influence over the District. The District is bound by the Standing Orders laid down by Conference as law and policy but within that framework it is able to determine for itself how to fulfill its role. All the entities within the Connexion are therefore connected organsations in relation to the District but, because of the lack of significant influence, they are not considered related parties for accounting purposes.
The District receives grants from Connexional funds to support certain aspects of its work. It also receives the proceeds of an annual levy set by Conference charged on money held in trust funds by its Circuits. Conference has also set a levy to be charged on most property sales within the Connexion for the Connexional Priority Fund. Part of the proceeds of this fund is distributed annually to the Districts.
Conference has established the Methodist Church Fund as a major source of finance for the activities of the Church and it determines an assessment to be paid into the fund each year, which is allocated between the Districts. The Districts in turn make an assessment on their Circuits to collect the Methodist Church Fund assessment together with a contribution to District expenses.
Many Circuits and Churches make grants and donations and provide personnel to support District activities. The District in turn makes grants to Circuits and Churches for personnel and property projects.
The "Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes" is the legal owner and custodian trustee of all property held on Methodist model trusts.
The "Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church" manages a common deposit fund and a series of pooled investment funds for Methodist entities.
Insurance cover is provided to the District by Methodist Insurance PLC.
- 18 -
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31st August 2025**
|**3 Grants from connexional funds**
**2024/25**
**2023/24**
**4 Other grants and donations**
**2024/25**
Donations from churches
Donations from individuals
Donation from Cannock Chase Circuit
Grant from Shropshire & Marches Circuit
Grant from Hereford Diocese
Other donations and grants
Gift aid
**2023/24**
Grant from Birmingham District for CCO pilot
Donations from churches
Donations from individuals
Grant from Shropshire & Marches Circuit
Grant from Hereford Diocese
NFU Mutual Agency Giving Fund
Royal Countryside Fund
Other donations and grants
Gift aid
Exploratory funding for evangelism and
growth
Church at the Margins grant for CCO pilot
Mission alongside the poor grant
Grant instalment for God for All project
Mission alongside the poor grant|**£**
**£**
3,000
-
-
-
-
21,189
13,740
-
-
-
37,929
**District**
**Expenses**
**Fund**
**(unrestricted)**
**District**
**Expenses**
**Fund**
**(unrestricted)**
-
-
-
-
-
10,594
10,594
-
-
-
-
-|**£**
**£**
-
210
303
5,000
-
-
-
-
58,180
1,022
20,440
-
**Agric.**
**Chaplain-**
**cy Fund**
**(restricted)**
**Desig-**
**nated**
**Funds**
**(unrestricted)**
-
-
25,345
4,044
7,026
6,509
7,873
68,489
-
24,800
20,000
3,057
1,040|**£**
**£**
-
103
91
-
-
1,331
**(restricted)**
-
410
10,999
**Komera**
**Partner-**
**ship Fund**
**(restricted)**
**District**
**Advance**
**Fund**
10,559
10,559
500
180
150
10,999
-
-
-
684
-
-
-
-
50
531|**£**
**£**
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
**(restricted)**
-
-
-
-
-
-
**(restricted)**
**Other**
**Restrict-**
**ed Funds**
-
-
-
-
-
-
**Chair's**
**Benevol-**
**ent Fund**
55
-
-
-
55
-|**£**
10,559
**Total**
**Funds**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||10,559|
||||||3,000
13,740
10,999
21,189|
||||||48,928|
||||||**£**
394
20,440
25,345
7,526
150
4,224
1,432
**Total**
**Funds**|
||||||59,511|
||||||7,873
313
20,000
24,800
10,594
5,000
3,162
1,571
6,509|
||||||79,822|
- 19 -
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31st August 2025**
## **5 Assessments on circuits**
The Methodist Conference levies an annual assessment on the Circuits through the several Districts to finance the Methodist Church Fund ("MCF"). The assessment is payable by the Districts who then collect Circuit assessments to cover the MCF assessment plus a contribution to District expenses and training.
The allocation of the MCF assessment between Districts is based on staffing numbers at Circuit and District level. The allocation of the Circuit assessment between the Circuits is provisionally agreed between the District Treasurer and the Circuit Treasurers, subject to the approval of the District Policy Committee, and is based on a number of factors, including staffing levels and membership statistics.
The Circuit Treasurers believe this produces a fairer way of allocating the costs between Circuits. Accordingly the District cannot be said to act merely as agent for the collection of the MCF assessment and the full Circuit assessments are therefore shown as income of the District and the MCF assessment paid to the Connexion is shown as expenditure.
|**2024/25**
For Methodist Church Fund
For District expenses
**2023/24**
For Methodist Church Fund
For District expenses|**£**
**District**
**Expenses**
**Fund**
**(unrestricted)**
562,924
35,555
56,680
619,604
619,200
583,645|**£**
-
-
-
**Desig-**
**nated**
**Funds**
-
-
-
**(unrestricted)**|**£**
-
-
-
**District**
**Advance**
**Fund**
-
-
-
**(restricted)**|**£**
-
-
-
**(restricted)**
**Other**
**Restrict-**
**ed Funds**
-
-
-|**£**
**Total**
**Funds**
583,645
35,555|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||619,200|
||||||56,680
562,924|
||||||619,604|
The amount required from circuits to cover District expenses was lower in 2024/25 because it was decided to fund safeguarding expenses with a transfer from the District Advance Fund rather than it being a charge on the District Expenses Fund.
## **6 Other charitable activities**
Charges for District Pilgrimage
|**£**
**(unrestricted)**
1,200
**2024/25**
**District**
**Expenses**
**Fund**|**£**
**(unrestricted)**
1,100
**2023/24**
**District**
**Expenses**
**Fund**|
|---|---|
- 20 -
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31st August 2025**
|**7 Investment income**
**Interest receivable**
**2024/25**
Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes:
District Advance Fund account
Central Finance Board
**2023/24**
Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes:
District Advance Fund account
Central Finance Board
**8 Grants repaid or released**
**2024/25**
District God for All project (see below)
**2023/24**
Black Country Circuit Children and Family
Worker - hours reduced
Dudley & Netherton Circuit Gospel Car at
Black Country Museum - funding no longer
required
Repayment by the Connexion of the grant paid
in a prior year by the District to the
Connexional Pension Reserve Fund
Lay Swanwick surplus training grant refunded
by Lichfield Diocese|**£**
**£**
3,000
-
3,000
5,003
-
**District**
**Expenses**
**Fund**
8,854
8,854
**District**
**Expenses**
**Fund**
**(unrestricted)**
-
**(unrestricted)**
5,003
-
|**£**
**£**
-
1,501
1,501
-
**Desig-**
**nated**
**Funds**
**(unrestricted)**
-
-
-
**Desig-**
**nated**
**Funds**
**(unrestricted)**
-
-
-|**£**
**£**
-
-
-
119,863
89,863
25,000
-
**District**
**Advance**
**Fund**
**(restricted)**
38,668
41,192
-
**District**
**Advance**
**Fund**
**(restricted)**
5,000
38,668
41,192|**£**
**£**
-
-
-
-
-
-
866
**(restricted)**
**Other**
**Restrict-**
**ed Funds**
1,404
-
1,404
**Other**
**Restrict-**
**ed Funds**
**(restricted)**
-
866
-|**£**
**Total**
**Funds**
5,869
41,192|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||47,061|
||||||10,258
38,668|
||||||48,926|
||||||**£**
89,863
25,000
5,000
**Total**
**Funds**|
||||||119,863|
||||||3,000
1,501|
||||||4,501|
The District God for All project was originally conceived in 2022 as New Places for New People with Additional Needs, to run for 3 years with funding coming equally from the District Advance Fund ("DAF") and the Connexion, and a DAF grant of £59,930 was awarded in 2021/22. Subsequently the project was expanded to run for 5 years at the suggestion of the Connexion, and a further DAF grant of £49,074 was awarded in 2022/23. It eventually commenced in October 2023 when a full-time employee was appointed. However, the employee resigned in June 2024 and the project was suspended while it was reassessed and reformulated to employ 2 part-time workers. No decision on the future of the project was made during 2024/25 and a fresh proposal is to be put to the Resourcing Mission Committee of the West Midlands District.
A first and only instalment of £19,141 out of the DAF grant for this project was paid in 2023/24, leaving a balance of £89,863 awarded but unpaid as at 31st August 2025. As the project remained suspended and the original model had been abandoned while a modified project was designed, the trustees took the view that there was no longer any commitment to pay the balance of the grant previously awarded and that any further support for it would require a fresh award on a different basis, to be decided by the new District. It was therefore appropriate to release the commitment of £89,863, making that sum available for use by the DAF.
- 21 -
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31st August 2025**
## **9 Payments to trustees**
The members of the District Policy Committee are the trustees of the District and none of them received any remuneration for their role as trustee.
The Chair of the District, Rev Rachel Parkinson, is a trustee and is regarded as the sole key management person of the District. Under the authority of the Methodist Conference, the Chair was paid by the Connexion and was required to occupy the manse owned and maintained by the District. Total annual costs were as follows:
|Stipend and chair's allowance
Employer's national insurance contributions
Employer's contributions to defined benefit pension scheme
District manse maintenance and running costs|**£**
**£**
6,204
5,065
3,754
53,745
**2024/25**
**2023/24**
38,775
36,300
5,682
5,879
55,726
7,812|
|---|---|
During the year 2 trustees (2023/24 1 trustee) received reimbursement of expenses incurred in carrying out their duties:
|Cost of travel for District purposes
Postage, hospitality, and sundries
**ditor's remuneration**
Auditor's remuneration|**£**
**£**
4,200
**2024/25**
**2024/25**
419
1,719
1,300|**£**
592
**2023/24**
1,877|
|---|---|---|
|||2,469|
|||**£**
4,200
**2023/24**|
## **10 Auditor's remuneration**
The auditor did not carry out any other work for the District during the year.
|**11 Staff costs**
Average number of full-time employees during the year
Average number of part-time employees during the year
Average full-time equivalent number of staff during the year
Salaries
Employer's national insurance contributions
Employer's contributions to defined contribution pension scheme
Apprenticeship levy
Charged to:
District Expenses Fund (unrestricted)
Agricultural Chaplaincy Fund (restricted)|**No.**
**£**
792
101,613
184,306
8,251
**2024/25**
4.0
184,306
**2024/25**
2.0
158,626
82,693
16,637
4.0|**No.**
**£**
1,009
9,215
**2023/24**
5.4
**2023/24**
3.6
18,624
201,558
4.0|
|---|---|---|
|||230,406|
|||154,642
75,764|
|||230,406|
All staff are paid at a rate above the living wage and no employees received emoluments of more than £60,000. Members of staff served as Agricultural Chaplain, Ministry and Mission Co-ordinator, Property Consultant and in other support and administrative posts.
- 22 -
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31st August 2025**
**12 Expenditure on raising funds**
Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes investment management fees
|**£**
**2024/25**
2,374
**District**
**Advance**
**Fund**
**(restricted)**|**£**
**2023/24**
1,622
**District**
**Advance**
**Fund**
**(restricted)**|
|---|---|
The Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes hold the District Advance Fund as custodian trustees and invest it in a deposit fund at the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church. The management fee is 0.325%pa (2023/24 0.285%pa) of the fund value at the beginning of the year.
## **13 Other charitable activities undertaken directly**
|**£**
**2024/25**
Ministry & Mission Co-ordinator
God for All project
Congregational & Community Organiser
Property Consultant
Shared safeguarding services
Agricultural chaplaincy costs
Supervision and other District services
Training
Youth activities - 3Generate and Amplify
Representation at World Methodist Conference
District delegation to Rwanda
District pilgrimage
Merger project management fees
Merger communications project
**2023/24**
Ministry & Mission Co-ordinator
God for All project - Additional Needs Enabler
Congregational & Community Organiser
Property Consultant
Shared safeguarding services
Agricultural chaplaincy costs
Supervision and other District services
Training
Youth activities - 3Generate and Amplify
Representation at World Methodist Conference
District delegation to Rwanda
District pilgrimage
1,451
29,970
185,109
1,100
46,628
50,746
28,085
**(unrestricted)**
21,876
55,334
1,456
5,253
-
174
1,200
126,081
-
-
-
-
37,567
**District**
**Expenses**
**Fund**
-
-
-
-
-
-
24,319
6,031|**£**
7,451
-
7,451
-
-
-
-
-
-
**(unrestricted)**
**Desig-**
**nated**
**Funds**
-
-
-
-
-
-
1,576
-
1,576
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|**£**
-
-
17,810
-
-
3,367
-
-
**(restricted)**
-
-
-
7,675
4,503
-
46,486
-
-
-
-
**District**
**Advance**
**Fund**
1,768
25,998
-
5,000
9,322
3,299
(752)
-
4,116|**£**
-
-
82,596
-
-
540
-
-
**(restricted)**
-
-
-
-
-
-
82,056
-
-
-
**Other**
**Restrict-**
**ed Funds**
-
-
89,922
-
-
91,002
-
-
-
1,080|**£**
55,334
1,456
4,677
1,200
-
1,576
24,319
37,567
89,922
**Total**
**Funds**
25,998
9,322
3,299
(752)
11,227|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||265,145|
|||||46,628
29,970
8,902
1,100
50,746
28,085
7,675
9,160
82,056
1,768
5,000
21,876|
|||||292,966|
- 23 -
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31st August 2025**
## **14 Grant funding of charitable activities**
|**2024/25**
Grants paid in year:
Local ecumenical organisations
Grants to circuits and churches
Grants to partners in Rwanda
Grants awarded but unpaid at end of year
Grants awarded but unpaid at start of year
**2023/24**
Grants paid in year:
Local ecumenical organisations
Grants to circuits and churches
Grants to partners in Rwanda
Grants awarded but unpaid at end of year
Grants awarded but unpaid at start of year|**£**
-
4,940
-
-
4,940
**District**
**Expenses**
**Fund**
900
900
-
-
-
**(unrestricted)**
900
-
-
4,940|**£**
-
-
-
-
-
-
**Desig-**
**nated**
**Funds**
-
-
-
-
-
**(unrestricted)**
-
-
-|**£**
(290,296)
274,810
38,791
141,057
-
125,571
**District**
**Advance**
**Fund**
**(restricted)**
149,018
114,589
-
34,429
(244,810)
106,049
201,841
102,266|**£**
-
-
-
2,986
2,986
**Other**
**Restrict-**
**ed Funds**
**(restricted)**
2,072
-
2,072
-
801
-
2,185
2,072
-|**£**
**Total**
**Funds**
115,489
2,072
34,429|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||151,990
(244,810)
201,841|
||||||109,021|
||||||38,791
2,185
108,007|
||||||274,810
148,983
(290,296)|
||||||133,497|
All these grants were made to projects run by other parts of the Methodist Church or to other organisations, and none was made to an individual.
The grants awarded during the year from the District Advance Fund are for personnel, ecumenical, outreach or property projects related to ministry and mission, predominantly within circuits or local churches.
|Personnel, ecumenical and outreach projects
Property, including major solar panel projects|**£**
43,119
62,930
106,049
**2024/25**|5,788
119,783
**£**
**2023/24**|
|---|---|---|
|||125,571|
There were 28 grants awarded to churches, circuits and other organisations during the year from the District Advance Fund, of which the following grants were the largest and accounted for 79% of the total amount awarded:
Wolverhampton Circuit - to support the employment of an office manager for 5 years from September £50,000 2025 (payable in annual instalments) Wolverhampton Circuit - installation of solar panels on roof of Trinity Methodist Church, Codsall £18,744 Cannock Chase Circuit - installation of solar panels on the roof of Chadsmoor Methodist Church £15,000
There are no support costs included in the cost of grant funding as they would not be material. The District Advance Fund is overseen by the Resourcing Mission Committee, the work of which is largely carried out by its officers, predominantly the District Grants Officer, on a voluntary basis.
- 24 -
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31st August 2025**
## **15 Support costs**
|Chair's travel and miscellaneous expenses
Administration staff costs
District office expenses
District manse expenses
Synod expenses
Meeting, travel and other administrative expenses
Governance costs
**16 Other expenditure**
**£**
**2024/25**
Marketing expenses for sale of manse
Chair's leaving service
District merger costs
**2023/24**
District merger costs
**17 Transfers between funds**
**£**
**2024/25 transfers to/(from) funds**
Ministry & Mission Co-ordinator costs
District Property Consultant costs
Agricultural chaplaincy costs
Shared safeguarding costs
Transfer to close District Training Fund
Transfer to top up Chair's Benevolent Fund
**2023/24 transfers to/(from) funds**
Ministry & Mission Co-ordinator costs
Congregational & Community Organiser costs
District Property Consultant costs
Agricultural chaplaincy costs
God for All project
Manse maintenance budget underspend
266
12,500
**(unrestricted)**
654
5,111
266
58,800
3,211
19,141
62,000
**District**
**Expenses**
**Fund**
(4,000)
-
(512)
24,800
-
126,942
111,241
37,500
**District**
**Expenses**
**Fund**
27,300
**(unrestricted)**
700
1,200|**£**
**£**
-
-
**(unrestricted)**
-
(654)
-
-
-
-
-
-
**Desig-**
**nated**
**Funds**
4,000
-
-
-
(654)
4,000
-
-
**(unrestricted)**
-
**Desig-**
**nated**
**Funds**|**£**
**£**
**£**
2,000
(12,500)
**(restricted)**
-
(752)
2,000
-
(752)
(19,141)
(62,000)
41,927
25,157
4,200
5,682
333
4,187
(20,000)
-
-
(58,800)
(147,240)
(20,440)
(135,241)
685
(24,800)
(27,300)
**(restricted)**
-
**District**
**Advance**
**Fund**
**District**
**Advance**
**Fund**
**2024/25**
1,683
(37,500)|**£**
**£**
**£**
-
20,000
-
-
20,440
-
-
-
-
-
-
**Other**
**Restrict-**
**ed Funds**
41,380
22,553
5,879
4,200
295
-
20,000
534
512
-
20,952
**(restricted)**
-
**(restricted)**
-
**Other**
**Restrict-**
**ed Funds**
4,748
-
**2023/24**
3,171
-|**£**
1,200
2,459
**Total**
**Funds**
700|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||4,359|
|||||2,266|
|||||2,266|
|||||**£**
-
-
-
-
-
-
**Total**
**Funds**|
|||||-|
|||||-
-
-
-
-
-|
|||||-|
- 25 -
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31st August 2025**
## **18 Tangible fixed assets**
|**Tangible fixed assets**||||
|---|---|---|---|
|**Cost**
At 1 September 2024
Additions
At 31 August 2025
**Depreciation**
At 1 September 2024
Charge for the year
At 31 August 2025
**Net book value**
At 1 September 2024
At 31 August 2025|**£**
265,000
**Freehold**
**property**
-
265,000
265,000
265,000
-
-
-|**£**
**Equipment**
-
4,800
2,700
4,800
2,025
2,100
675
2,775|**£**
-
269,800
**Total**|
||||269,800|
||||2,100
675|
||||2,775|
||||267,700|
||||267,025|
Freehold property represents the Chair's manse, which is stated at deemed cost, being its insured value in 2011. The manse was professionally valued at £370,000 by Jackson Lile & Close on 27th January 2020. The manse was placed on the market for sale in June 2025 with an asking price of £500,000 and accordingly no depreciation has been provided.
## **19 Loan to Birmingham District**
On 7th February 2025 the District made an interest-free loan of £350,000 to Birmingham District to assist in the purchase of a manse for the Chair of the new West Midlands District in readiness for the merger of this District with Birmingham District on 1st September 2025.
The new manse was required to be purchased before the merger and before the sale of either of the two existing manses, and the budget for the purchase was set at £700,000. The District Advance Funds of the two districts held surplus funds and the Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes gave their consent (as custodian trustees) to the temporary use of those funds to finance the purchase of a new manse. It was agreed that each district would contribute £350,000.
The merger was effected by using the legal charity entity of Birmingham District for the new district, with a change of name. It was therefore agreed that the new manse should be purchased by Birmingham District and to provide the funds required to purchase the manse, the District made a temporary interest-free loan of £350,000 from the District Advance Fund to Birmingham District, repayable on 1st September 2025, thereby ensuring that the total assets of the District were not depleted while it continued as a separate charity.
## **20 Debtors**
|Prepayments - deposits paid for retreat accommodation
Accrued income - gift aid refund receivable
Grant receivable from Shropshire & Marches Circuit
Other debtors|**£**
**£**
-
20,000
**31/8/24**
76
100
1,500
-
-
25,099
100
3,523
**31/8/25**|
|---|---|
- 26 -
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31st August 2025**
## **21 Creditors due within one year**
|**21 **|**Creditors due within one year**|||
|---|---|---|---|
|||**31/8/25**|**31/8/24**|
|||**£**|**£**|
||Accrued expenses|||
||Reimbursement of employees' and volunteers' expenses|48|1,060|
||Accrued expenses due to third party suppliers|4,200|18,869|
|||4,248|19,929|
||Other creditors|88|6,347|
|||4,336|26,276|
|**22 **|**Liabilities for grants payable in future years**|||
|||**31/8/25**|**31/8/24**|
|---|---|---|---|
|||**£**|**£**|
|District Advance Fund grant commitments, payable in future years:||||
|Grants payable within one year:||81,841|137,958|
|Grants payable after more than one year:||||
|Payable in -|2025/26|-|100,619|
||2026/27|55,000|74,551|
||2027/28|35,000|54,313|
||2028/29|15,000|10,000|
||2029/30|15,000|-|
|||120,000|239,483|
|Total grant commitments||201,841|377,441|
Total grant commitments
- 27 -
## **Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31st August 2025**
## **23 Summary of fund movements**
|**2024/25 Unrestricted fund movements**
District Expenses Fund
District Training Fund
Manse Fund
**2024/25 Restricted fund movements**
District Advance Fund
Agricultural Chaplaincy Fund
Chair's Benevolent Fund
Komera Partnership Fund
**2024/25 Total fund movements**
**2023/24 Unrestricted fund movements**
District Expenses Fund
District Training Fund
Manse Fund
**2023/24 Restricted fund movements**
District Advance Fund
Agricultural Chaplaincy Fund
Children Support Fund
Chair's Benevolent Fund
Komera Partnership Fund
**2023/24 Total fund movements**|**Fund**
**balances**
**brought**
**forward**
**Income**
**Expenditure**
**Transfers**
**between**
**funds**
**Fund**
**balances**
**carried**
**forward**
**_(Note 17)_**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
336,681
625,403
757,664
126,942
331,362
2,230
-
1,576
(654)
-
35,585
-
-
-
35,585|
|---|---|
||374,496
625,403
759,240
126,288
366,947|
||352,996
690,082
154,157
(147,240)
741,681
38,826
59,046
89,922
20,440
28,390
568
-
1,080
512
-
1,006
1,331
2,072
-
265|
||393,396
750,459
247,231
(126,288)
770,336|
||**767,892**
**1,375,862**
**1,006,471**
**-**
**1,137,283**|
||338,978
681,081
794,619
111,241
336,681
8,180
1,501
7,451
-
2,230
31,585
-
-
4,000
35,585|
||378,743
682,582
802,070
115,241
374,496|
||187,016
448,224
147,003
(135,241)
352,996
30,989
69,893
82,056
20,000
38,826
801
-
801
-
-
1,053
55
540
-
568
2,177
1,014
2,185
1,006|
||222,036
519,186
232,585
(115,241)
393,396|
||**600,779**
**1,201,768**
**1,034,655**
**-**
**767,892**|
- 28 -
**Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury Methodist District**
## **Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31st August 2025**
## **24 Unrestricted funds**
## **(a) District Expenses Fund**
This is the general fund used for running the District and has no restrictions. It is financed principally by circuit assessments and the fund balance includes the book value of the District manse (£265,000).
## **(b) Designated funds**
These funds are designated for particular purposes by the District Policy Committee but they are not held on terms that prevent their use for other District purposes if the Committee so resolve.
The District Training Fund is used to fund ministerial and lay training. This fund is financed by transfers from the District Advance Fund ("DAF") as and when required. Although the DAF is a restricted fund its purposes include the support of personnel working in the District and transfers to the Training Fund will be made by grants awarded in the usual way in accordance with the DAF policy as long as the Training Fund continues to meet that purpose of the DAF.
The Manse Fund is used as a reserve to cover occasional heavy expenditure on maintenance of the District manse. Manse maintenance is charged to the District Expenses Fund but any underspend compared to budget is transferred to the Manse Fund and any overspend is covered by drawing on the Manse Fund. In 2025, the manse was for sale and a new manse has been purchased for the Chair of the West Midlands District, and in those circumstances it was not thought necessary or appropriate to make further transfers to or from the Manse Fund.
## **25 Restricted funds**
## **(a) District Advance Fund**
This fund is set up under Methodist Church Standing Orders and is funded by a levy on the end-of-year balances of the Circuit Model Trust Funds of the Circuits in the District and by a distribution from the Connexional Priority Fund, as part of the process of moving money around the Connexion to enable it to best be used for the mission of the Church. The fund is administered by the Resourcing Mission Committee who award grants in accordance with the fund policy to support personnel or property projects related to mission and ministry and to support outreach, evangelism and ecumenical work.
## **(b) Other restricted funds**
The Agricultural Chaplaincy Fund finances the work of Borderlands Rural Chaplaincy, a joint Methodist and Anglican initiative among rural communities in the Welsh borders. Its income comes mainly from grants and donations from a range of Methodist and Anglican sources and it employs a full-time chaplain and a part-time area co-ordinator, who are supported by a team of volunteers.
The Children Support Fund was a legacy fund remaining from when the District operated an annual holiday for children and, with the agreement of the orginal donors, it has been used to make grants to churches who are working with children in deprived circumstances. Although the fund was exhausted during the previous year, grants for children's work continue to be offered from the District Advance Fund.
The Chair's Benevolent Fund provides small grants from donations to allow the Chair to meet cases of personal need in a confidential way.
The Komera Partnership Fund supports the District's partnership with the Free Methodist Church of Rwanda and the Peacebuilding Healing and Reconcilation Programme of Rwanda with funds from donations and fundraising activities.
- 29 -