## **St Thomas Methodist Church** ## **Annual Report 2025** Administration Information The Church is situated in Cowick Street Exeter and is a registered Charity The Managing Trustees during the year were as follows. Rev Donna Leigh Peter Bennett Mary Bews David Bradford Sue Collins Peter Goodwin David House Janet Lee David Kirk Ann Matthews Rachel Scott Paul Hunkin Esther Reed Josie James Sue Shute Andrew Bolton Trevor Prouse Crawford Munro Daliah Ley Charity and Minister of the Church at the following address: Rev Donna Leigh 7 Hayne Close Exeter EX4 8QU ## **St Thomas Methodist Church** ## **Annual Report 2024** ## **Aim** The vision of our Church is to : - Offer worship to all which is relevant and engaging - To create a community of belonging, offering pastoral care to all members particularly those in need. - To serve God through our community both the community local to the Church and the world-wide community Services are held on a Sunday Morning at 10,30 a.m. catering for all ages and occasional services may be held on Sunday evenings dependant on the Christian of calendar. The Church is an active member of Churches, Together in Central Exeter St Thomas Methodist Church is building links with St Thomas Parish Church and the Riverside Church by sharing mission opportunities within the community. The Church premises are extensively used by the Church in course of its arranged activities and also by a large number of community groups. Further details of the activities of the church can be found on the website www.stthomasmethodist.co.uk ## **TRUSTEE TRAINING** A range of guidance produced by the Methodist Connexion to support the effective running of the Church and the role of the Trustees is given to the Church Trustees at various meeting and training sessions ## **RELATED PARTIES** The Church is part of the Exeter Coast and Country Circuit, which is part of the Plymouth and Exeter Methodist District and is also accountable to the Methodist Conference. Internal Organisations linked to the Church are 5[th] Exeter Boys’ Brigade Carers and Toddlers ## **St Thomas Methodist Church** ## **Annual Report 2025** ## **EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES OF LAST YEAR** The Church has been able to engage in its normal activities during the last year - 1) Messy Church - 2) Boys’ Brigade, Guides, Rainbows and Brownies are all sponsored groups and the Church runs Carers and Toddlers group. The Church maintains contact weekly with these groups by various means - 3) A Leadership team meets monthly to discuss various items - 4) The Church is able to offer a social programme for members to develop their common life together now Government restrictions have been lifted. - 5) The Church has responded to the needs of the community by offering practical help and by responding to appeals to humanitarian needs across the world. It is a member of St Thomas Community Association and has actively supported it. - 6) Church Council has continued with its programme to enhance the premises. The gardens continue to bloom and attract a lot of visitors. - 7) Cameras have been installed in the Church, so that events can be recorded for people to view. - 8) This year was the 90[th] Anniversary of the opening of the church and various activities and services were held to mark the occasion. ## **FINANCIAL INFORMATION** The General Fund for the year ended 31[st] August 2026 showed a deficit of £5133. The accounts were presented to the trustees in November 2025, and examined and approved by an external examiner, Mr Michael Phillips in May 2026. The Church bankers are HSBC Bank and monies are held on deposit with the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church. As a financial control all payments have to be authorised by 2 people ## **CHURCH RESERVE POLICY** The Church has a policy of holding six months expenditure in reserve on the General Fund and organises fund raising project and events to provide adequate income ## **BENEVOLENT FUND** The Church maintains a benevolent fund which is a restricted fund to enable loans and gifts to be made at the discretion of the Minister. The Balance in the Benevolent fund at 31[st] August 2025 was £350 ## ST THOMAS METHODIST CHURCH ACCOUNTS **19.10.25 12 MTHS TO 310825 12 MTHS TO 310824 12 MTHS TO 310823 12 MTHS T** |Income from collectons
Gif day
Gifs & donatons
Cofee (net)
HMRC refund
Interest received
Other income
Circuit share
Duplicator & statonery
Electricity
Gas
Water
Telephone & internet
Insurance
Repairs
Notces
Bins
Cleaning/ caretaker
Other expenditure
Room hire income
**(Defcit)/Surplus**
Camera/ Flat roof repair
less grant received
Preschool
Carried forward|28,141
29,136
28,765
29,557
0
1,831
1,467
6,440
0
29,972
30,603
35,205
29,557
29,972
30,603
35,205
576
436
185
7,638
7,783
6,000
**38,186**
**38,822**
**41,390**
1,011
1,256
848
1,500
2,250
**39,197**
**41,578**
**44,488**
(33,296)
(33,296)
(37,100)
**5,901**
**8,282**
**7,388**
1,484
2,655
3,129
1,828
2,953
2,055
2,699
2,620
5,142
6,502
3,577
3,121
1,299
900
954
1,458
348
322
4,733
4,612
4,484
3,929
14,747
2,969
2,995
3,225
0
241
418
293
252
286
195
257
4,421
1,891
317
257
1,683
**(37,062)**
901
**(23,334)**
642
**(19,410)**
928|28,141
29,136
28,765
29,557
0
1,831
1,467
6,440
0
29,972
30,603
35,205
29,557
29,972
30,603
35,205
576
436
185
7,638
7,783
6,000
**38,186**
**38,822**
**41,390**
1,011
1,256
848
1,500
2,250
**39,197**
**41,578**
**44,488**
(33,296)
(33,296)
(37,100)
**5,901**
**8,282**
**7,388**
1,484
2,655
3,129
1,828
2,953
2,055
2,699
2,620
5,142
6,502
3,577
3,121
1,299
900
954
1,458
348
322
4,733
4,612
4,484
3,929
14,747
2,969
2,995
3,225
0
241
418
293
252
286
195
257
4,421
1,891
317
257
1,683
**(37,062)**
901
**(23,334)**
642
**(19,410)**
928|29,557
0
0| |---|---|---|---| ||||29,557| |||**(31,161)**
**(15,052)**
**(12,022)**
26,028
18,706
26,469
**(5,133)**
**3,654**
**14,447**
3,707
14,759
0
-1,741
-14,759
3,601
0
3,601
1,966
(5,133)
53
12,481|| ||||| ## **TO 310822 12 MTHS TO 310821 12 MTHS TO 310820 12 MTHS TO 310819 12 MTHS TO 310818** |35,564
32,655
42,344
45,392
35
50
3,356
10,645
1,005
930
1,212
7,620
36,604
33,635
46,912
63,657
29,557
36,604
33,635
46,912
63,657
(5)
10
451
708
782
6,836
7,004
8,539
9,194
14,017
**36,388**
**43,618**
**42,625**
**56,814**
**78,456**
30
4
72
42
31
3,425
250
1,236
**39,843**
**43,872**
**43,933**
**56,856**
**78,487**
(48,000)
(45,000)
(34,250)
(53,000)
(57,250)
**(8,157)**
**(1,128)**
**9,683**
**3,856**
**21,237**
3,079
2,676
4,015
3,649
2,471
2,372
2,515
2,523
1,501
1,462
4,924
4,369
579
1,096
1,465
1,306
3,663
3,660
3,566
3,428
891
6,755
8,682
2,545
282
259
254
299
176
265
275
244
581
683
279
5,441
**(17,916)**
772
**(13,995)**
1,863
**(21,091)**
1,646
**(27,621)**
1,372
**(25,176)**|35,564
32,655
42,344
45,392
35
50
3,356
10,645
1,005
930
1,212
7,620
36,604
33,635
46,912
63,657
29,557
36,604
33,635
46,912
63,657
(5)
10
451
708
782
6,836
7,004
8,539
9,194
14,017
**36,388**
**43,618**
**42,625**
**56,814**
**78,456**
30
4
72
42
31
3,425
250
1,236
**39,843**
**43,872**
**43,933**
**56,856**
**78,487**
(48,000)
(45,000)
(34,250)
(53,000)
(57,250)
**(8,157)**
**(1,128)**
**9,683**
**3,856**
**21,237**
3,079
2,676
4,015
3,649
2,471
2,372
2,515
2,523
1,501
1,462
4,924
4,369
579
1,096
1,465
1,306
3,663
3,660
3,566
3,428
891
6,755
8,682
2,545
282
259
254
299
176
265
275
244
581
683
279
5,441
**(17,916)**
772
**(13,995)**
1,863
**(21,091)**
1,646
**(27,621)**
1,372
**(25,176)**|35,564
32,655
42,344
45,392
35
50
3,356
10,645
1,005
930
1,212
7,620
36,604
33,635
46,912
63,657
29,557
36,604
33,635
46,912
63,657
(5)
10
451
708
782
6,836
7,004
8,539
9,194
14,017
**36,388**
**43,618**
**42,625**
**56,814**
**78,456**
30
4
72
42
31
3,425
250
1,236
**39,843**
**43,872**
**43,933**
**56,856**
**78,487**
(48,000)
(45,000)
(34,250)
(53,000)
(57,250)
**(8,157)**
**(1,128)**
**9,683**
**3,856**
**21,237**
3,079
2,676
4,015
3,649
2,471
2,372
2,515
2,523
1,501
1,462
4,924
4,369
579
1,096
1,465
1,306
3,663
3,660
3,566
3,428
891
6,755
8,682
2,545
282
259
254
299
176
265
275
244
581
683
279
5,441
**(17,916)**
772
**(13,995)**
1,863
**(21,091)**
1,646
**(27,621)**
1,372
**(25,176)**|35,564
32,655
42,344
45,392
35
50
3,356
10,645
1,005
930
1,212
7,620
36,604
33,635
46,912
63,657
29,557
36,604
33,635
46,912
63,657
(5)
10
451
708
782
6,836
7,004
8,539
9,194
14,017
**36,388**
**43,618**
**42,625**
**56,814**
**78,456**
30
4
72
42
31
3,425
250
1,236
**39,843**
**43,872**
**43,933**
**56,856**
**78,487**
(48,000)
(45,000)
(34,250)
(53,000)
(57,250)
**(8,157)**
**(1,128)**
**9,683**
**3,856**
**21,237**
3,079
2,676
4,015
3,649
2,471
2,372
2,515
2,523
1,501
1,462
4,924
4,369
579
1,096
1,465
1,306
3,663
3,660
3,566
3,428
891
6,755
8,682
2,545
282
259
254
299
176
265
275
244
581
683
279
5,441
**(17,916)**
772
**(13,995)**
1,863
**(21,091)**
1,646
**(27,621)**
1,372
**(25,176)**| |---|---|---|---| |**(26,073)**
25,664
**(409)**
0
(409)|**(15,123)**
16,571
**1,448**
0
1,448|**(11,408)**
**(23,765)**
**(3,939)**
16,413
27,086
21,453
**5,005**
**3,321**
**17,514**
72
326
(11,318)
0
72
(10,992)
5,005
3,393
6,522|**(3,939)**
21,453| ||||6,522| ||310825|310825|310824|310824|310823|310823|310822|310822| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Brought forward||(5,133)||53||12,481||(409)| |General fund|b/f|55,543||55,490||43,009||43,418| |Benevolen|350||350||350||450|| |Allocated||350||350||350|(100)|350| |Music fund|188||376||589||589|| |Allocated|-188|0|-188|188|-213|376||589| |||||||||| |||50,760||56,081||56,216||43,948| |Building fund||6,486||||||| |||57,246||56,081||56,216||43,948| |ASSETS||||||||| |CFB|18,427||15,713||22,752||505|| |HSBC|39,790||44,768||31,445||50,193|| ||58,217||60,481||54,197||50,698|| |RECEIVABL|8,164||22,077||12,500||6,500|| |||66,381||82,558||66,697||57,198| |PAYABLE||-9,135||-26,477||(10,481)||(13,250)| |||57,246||56,081||56,216||43,948| |||**0.00**||**0.00**||**0.00**||**0.00**| 48 Crockwells Close Exminster Exeter EX6 8DL 7[th] June 2026 The Treasurer St Thomas Methodist Church Exeter I can confirm that I have examined the accounts for the period 1.9.2024 to 31.8.2025 of St Thomas Methodist Church, Exeter which unfortunately shows a deficit of £5133 for the year and despite a few initial queries I am pleased to sign the accounts off as being correct Michael J Phillips