MEDWAY VINEYARD CHURCH
(A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION)
ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st January 2023
CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 1135029
MEDWAY VINEYARD CHURCH (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION)
CONTENTS
Page 2 Legal and Administrative Information Pages 3 to 6 Report of the Trustees Page 7 Independent Examiner’s Report Page 8 Receipts and Payments Account Page 9 Statement of Assets and Liabilities Pages 10 to 11 Notes to the Accounts
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MEDWAY VINEYARD CHURCH (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION)
LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
PREVIOUS NAMES
Bromley Vineyard Hope Vineyard Church Croydon Limited Medway Vineyard Church Limited
CHARITY NUMBER 1135029 START OF FINANCIAL YEAR 1[st] February 2022 END OF FINANCIAL YEAR 31st January 2023 TRUSTEES WHO SERVED DURING THE Aoife Obatre YEAR Derek Bluer Andrew Millar (Chair and Secretary) REGISTERED ADDRESS 15 Thames Avenue Rainham Kent ME8 9BN
DATE OF INCORPORATION 16[th] January 2010, converted to a CIO on 2[nd] March 2021 GOVERNING DOCUMENT Constitution adopted on 2[nd] March 2021 BANKERS CAF Bank Ltd 25 Kings Hill West Malling Kent ME19 4JQ INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Sarah Crispin ACA Stewardship Services [UKET] Limited 1 Lambs Passage London EC1Y 8AB
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MEDWAY VINEYARD CHURCH (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION)
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st January 2023
The trustees are pleased to present their annual report and accounts of the charity for the year ending 31st January 2023.
Nature of the company
Medway Vineyard Church Limited was incorporated on the 16[th] January 2010 as a charitable company limited by guarantee as defined by the Companies Act 2006 (company registration number 7127431). Medway Vineyard Church Limited was also registered as a charity on 18th March 2010 (charity number 1135029). On 2[nd] March 2021, the charity converted to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation with the name Medway Vineyard Church. It is therefore now only accountable to the Charity Commission and is required to comply with charity legislations. The company’s financial year is February to January.
Governance and Organisational Structure
Responsibility for setting policy and for making operating decisions rest with the trustees who meet regularly to monitor the activities of the charity. The day to day running of the church is led by Andrew and Sharon Millar who are the Senior Pastors, and Andrew is also a trustee. They along with volunteers implement the objectives and execute the administration of the charity.
Connected Organisations
Medway Vineyard Church is connected to the charity Vineyard Churches UK and Ireland (VCUKI) which was formed with the purpose of joining together churches that hold common values and practices. It gives oversight to the pastors of Vineyard churches and facilitates church planting. It helps, serves and strengthens the churches by leading, training, resourcing, administrating and providing pastoral support to Senior Pastors. Medway Vineyard Church uses the name under license from VCUKI.
Appointment of Trustees
Trustees are appointed from candidates who are generally from within the Vineyard movement and considered on the basis of their skills, experience and sympathy with the aims of Medway Vineyard Church. New trustees will be appointed by the existing trustees, and trustees attend periodic training days in order to keep them up to date.
Trustee Indemnity Insurance
The charity does not have indemnity insurance to protect it from loss arising from neglect or default of its trustees or agents or to indemnify the trustees or officers against the consequences of any neglect or default on their part.
Objects of the Charity
The objectives of the charity as stated in the constitution are:
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A) To advance the Christian faith and the planting of other Vineyard churches; B) To further Christian education;
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C) To relieve sickness and financial hardship and to promote and preserve good health by the provision of funds, goods or services of any kind, including through the provisions of counselling and training in life skills;
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D) To provide or assist in the provision of facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation or other leisure time occupation of individuals who have need of such facilities.
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MEDWAY VINEYARD CHURCH (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION)
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st January 2023 (continued)
Summary of the charity's main activities and achievements
The objects of the charity are captured by the church’s vision to ‘Bring Hope, Healing and Freedom to Medway through the love of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit’. The church did not suffer in the same way as many others during the response to the Covid Pandemic. Giving remained at the same level and no more people left the church than would be normal for this period of time. In fact, the church grew significantly, and continues to do so. The church employs two people, a Pastor (Sharon Millar) and an Administrator.
In fulfilling these objectives, the church holds Christian services, children’s and youth activities, provides charity locally across Medway. The church provides hardship relief both financially and through the giving of time, service and items to the local foodbank (Trussell Trust). During this year the church has continued to support two local primary schools in a deprived area through the provision of food for breakfasts. This is aimed at children who wouldn’t otherwise be provided with a breakfast at home and has served up to 50 children.
The church’s school uniform ministry has continued apace and was awarded further funding this year which is essential support to enable the provision of this vital service. The church has received some very encouraging feedback from both clients and referrers (social workers, schools etc.) which has inspired the team and shows how valuable this ministry area is.
The following two sections seek to look back over the activities of the past year and then forward to what is planned and hoped for in the coming year.
Looking back:
2022 saw continued growth in the church, both numerically (with new families and individuals regularly attending), and in depth of discipleship. We have seen the youth group unite and bond even more through the National Vineyard provision of a youth festival (DTI) and one-off DTI roadtrips. The Vineyard has also launched a new leadership development track which has various stages. The entry stage is Vineyard Leadership Essentials and this was started in the church and will run for 18 sessions over 2 years. We have 18 people attending this course. In addition to this, the Vineyard launched a college programme and we have three people attending the college. This runs for a year and a further two have signed up for this coming year to start in September.
As the church continues to grow, so does the need to provide small groups. We have launched another two small groups this year, and so have the following:
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Five location-based traditional Vineyard Small Groups
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Online Small Group (recently closed as those attending are now within physical groups)
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Strategic Prayer Meeting
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Intercessory Prayer Group
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Blokes’ Breakfast Group
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Women’s Group (Love a Latte)
The church continues to run the Wonderfully Made uniform ministry, which continue apace. We received further funding once again, and have been able to provide a continual supply of uniforms to Medway’s most vulnerable children throughout the year with the peak being late summer/early autumn. Previous reports have detailed the church’s support of a one-stop-shop Hub to be provided across all the churches in Medway. For the current period, Medway Vineyard has withdrawn from this initiative until such a time as it sits under local leadership.
Following on from last year’s initiative, the church used our contacts within social services to run a love Christmas project, buying food vouchers and gifts for some of the most needy families we have connected with through Wonderfully Made. The whole church was involved in the purchase of gifts once more.
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MEDWAY VINEYARD CHURCH (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION)
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st January 2023 (continued)
Finally, the church supported the running of an Alpha Course in Rochester Prison which saw approx. 24 men come to faith in Jesus, some of whom connected really well with members of the church and may attend once released. This felt like the start of an ongoing process working closely with the prison chaplaincy.
Looking Forward:
As the church continues to grow, the issue of a building will become more pressing, not just for holding services, but for the provision of various additional services like youth and worship events, storage and inperson meeting points for Wonderfully Made as well as somewhere to run training courses etc. Small Groups will continue to grow and new ones will be planted. We are also aware that the small group in Maidstone is growing well and that God might be stirring a church plant there.
The church remains committed to serving Jesus in the Medway Towns and will look to His guidance and direction in the coming year.
Financial Review
The charity had a deficit during the year of £3,785 (2021/22: surplus of £2,465). Giving to the charity has increased slightly during the year, with a small reduction in levels of donations from individuals, but also an increased level of grants received to the Wonderfully Made initiative totalling £16,535. Expenditure also increased during the year as the church returned to being able to hold a full year’s activities compared to the restrictions in prior years.
At the end of the year the charity had unrestricted reserves of £36,058 (31[st] January 2022: £42,660), of which £3,600 was in a designated fund for future property requirements and restricted reserves of £2,817 (31[st] January 2022: Nil) relating to Wonderfully Made.
Reserves Policy
The trustees have considered the level of reserves they wish to retain, appropriate to the charity’s needs. This is based on the charity’s size and the level of financial commitments held. The trustees aim to ensure the charity will be able to continue to fulfil its charitable objectives even if there is a temporary shortfall in income or unexpected expenditure. The trustees will endeavour not to set aside funds unnecessarily.
As such, the trustees have set a minimum level of unrestricted reserves of £9,000, which will ensure that at least three months of the charity’s core activities could continue during a period of unforeseen difficulty.
This policy is reviewed regularly, at least annually, by the trustees.
Risk Management
The charity is exposed to various risks - be they operational, financial or reputational. The trustees review the charity's activities regularly to identify significant risks and, where possible, they take appropriate measures to mitigate those risks.
Public Benefit
The charity acknowledges its requirements to demonstrate clearly that it must have charitable purposes or ‘aims’ that are for the public benefit.
In planning the activities of Medway Vineyard Church the trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. The trustees believe that this report provides suitable evidence of the public benefit being provided.
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MEDWAY VINEYARD CHURCH (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION)
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st January 2023 (continued)
Responsibilities of trustees
Charity law requires us as trustees to prepare financial statements for each accounting year which record the receipts and payments of the charity for the year.
We are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable us to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011.
We also have a responsibility to safeguard the assets of the charity and to take reasonable steps to prevent fraud or any other irregularities.
Approval
This report was approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
Andrew Millar
Date: 19[th] September 2023
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MEDWAY VINEYARD CHURCH (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION)
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF MEDWAY VINEYARD CHURCH
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of Medway Vineyard Church (“the charity”) for the year ended 31 January 2023 on pages 8 to 11 following.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the charity’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. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
- accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with the accounting records.
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.
Sarah Crispin ACA
2[nd] October 2023
Stewardship 1 Lambs Passage London EC1Y 8AB
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MEDWAY VINEYARD CHURCH (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION)
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st January 2023
| Note INCOME RECEIPTS Donations Gift aid receipts Other grants Investments TOTAL RECEIPTS PAYMENTS Payments in relation to charitable activities undertaken directly 2 Grants paid in relation to charitable activities undertaken by others Purchase of fixed assets TOTAL PAYMENTS Net of receipts /(payments) before transfers Transfers between funds NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS 3 Cash funds as at last year end (restated) CASH FUNDS AT THIS YEAR END |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds TOTAL 2022/23 TOTAL 2021/22 £ £ £ £ 44,818 20 44,838 42,117 7,344 - 7,344 12,824 - 16,515 16,515 12,411 38 - 38 - |
|---|---|
| 52,200 16,535 68,735 67,352 |
|
| 57,891 13,718 71,609 62,815 360 - 360 360 551 - 551 1,712 |
|
| 58,802 13,718 72,520 64,887 |
|
| (6,602) 2,817 (3,785) 2,465 - - - - |
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| (6,602) 2,817 (3,785) 2,465 42,660 - 42,660 40,195 36,058 2,817 38,875 42,660 |
The notes on pages 10 to 11 form part of these accounts.
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MEDWAY VINEYARD CHURCH (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION)
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AS AT 31st January 2023
| A Cash funds Cash at bank with immediate access B Other monetary assets Gift aid due to the charity C Liabilities Falling due within one year Fees for Independent Examination Accrued expenses D Assets retained for charity’s own use Land and buildings – church office Music and PA equipment Computers and IT Furniture |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds £ £ 36,058 2,817 860 - 750 - 1,295 - |
Total 31 Jan 2023 Total 31 Jan 2022 £ £ 38,875 42,660 860 303 750 720 1,295 1,670 2,045 2,390 Cost Current value £ £ 7,541 4,257 1,871 937 1,212 682 776 130 11,400 6,006 |
|---|---|---|
| 2,045 - Fund to which asset belongs General General General General |
Current values have been estimated by the trustees by depreciating the assets on a reducing balance method.
F Guarantees and secured debts
The charity has not given any guarantees and has not provided its assets as security for any liabilities
The accounts were approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf
By: Andrew Millar Date: 19[th] September 2023
The notes on pages 10 to 11 form part of these accounts.
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MEDWAY VINEYARD CHURCH (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION)
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st January 2023
1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis and comprise a statement that shows the charity's receipts and payments, a statement that summarises the charity's assets and liabilities and related notes. The accountancy profession have determined that only accounts prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards present a 'true and fair' view and, as these receipts and payments accounts have not (and cannot) be prepared in accordance with accounting standards, these accounts do not present (and are not intended to present) a 'true and fair' view of the charity's financial activities and state of affairs.
General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. Restricted funds are donations which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors; they include donations received from appeals for specific activities or projects.
2. PAYMENTS IN RELATION TO CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN
| Advertising and promotion Bank charges 31:8 (CCPAS) Fees and Subscriptions Gifts Small groups and outreach Hardship relief Independent Examination fees Insurance Miscellaneous Pastoral items Refreshments Rent Rochester Prison Project Staff Costs School breakfasts School Uniform Ministry Stationery and postage Telephone Training and conferences Travel Young people’s work |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds TOTAL 2022/23 TOTAL 2021/22 £ £ £ £ 377 71 448 522 295 - 295 97 271 - 271 154 3,646 - 3,646 2,139 3,204 - 3,204 2,112 182 - 182 598 1,774 - 1,774 1,600 720 - 720 720 543 - 543 263 711 - 711 335 1,173 - 1,173 1,164 2,395 - 2,395 953 3,438 480 3,918 1,243 - - - 680 28,251 - 28,251 25,643 1,113 - 1,113 674 - 12,718 12,718 17,640 384 - 384 397 630 - 630 450 3,668 - 3,668 2,460 2,639 449 3,088 1,673 2,477 - 2,477 1,298 57,891 13,718 71,609 62,815 |
|---|---|
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MEDWAY VINEYARD CHURCH (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION)
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st January 2023 (continued)
3. MOVEMENTS IN FUNDS
| General Fund Designated Fund Restricted Fund – School Uniforms Total Funds |
Balance at 31 Jan 2022 Income Expenditure Transfers Balance at 31 Jan 2023 £ £ £ £ £ 39,660 52,200 (58,802) (600) 32,458 3,000 - - 600 3,600 |
|---|---|
| 42,660 52,200 (58,802) - 36,058 - 16,535 (13,718) - 2,817 42,660 68,735 (72,520) - 38,875 |
There was one restricted fund this year. The School Uniforms Project, known as Wonderfully Made, is designed to provide school uniforms to those that might struggle to afford one otherwise. Any shortfall in this fund during the year is made up from general funds. There were no restricted funds held by the charity at the end of the financial year.
The designated fund is amounts set aside by the trustees for possible future building requirements, and are held as cash balances at the balance sheet date.
4. TRUSTEEES’ REMUNERATION AND TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PARTIES
Mrs S Millar is a related party to Mr A Millar, and received remuneration of £20,659 (2021/22: £19,372) in respect of her work in the running of the church, as permitted by the governing document. She is also considered to be Key Management for the Charity.
Mr A Millar and Mrs S Millar received travel expenses between them of £2,944 (2021/22: £1,376) during the year, as permitted by the governing document. All other expenses paid to them were reimbursement of specific costs incurred.
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