Charity Registration No. 1136354 BRIDPORT UNITED CHURCH ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 Page Charity information and annual report Ito4 Independent Examinerfs Report Receipts and payments accounts Statement of assets
BRIDPORT UNITED CHURCH ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2024 l. Administratlve Information Bridport United Church {Methodist and United Reformed) is part of the Dorset South and West Methodist Circuit {which is part of Southampton Methodist District), and the Wessex Synod of the URC, and is also a member of Churches Together in Bridport & District. Bridport United Church is registered a5 Charlty No. 1136354 Minlster.. Revd Jane Wilson The Managing Trustees are appointed in accordance with the terms of the Constitution and Schedule (Governing Documents) of Bridport United Church and CPD. Managing Trustees in 2024: Rev Jane Wilson (Chair) Jane Clinton John Darwood Susan Herman Ros Hilliard Judy Munden Wendy Plummer Richard Plummer (to 31 January 2024) Lyn Wells Tim Tarling (from 8 March 2024) Treasurer: Richard Plummer (to 31 January 20241; Tim Tarling (from 8 March 2024} Independent Examlner.. Scott Vevers Accountants, Bridport All official correspondence should be sent to the Minister/Secretary/Treasurer at Brldport United Church, East Street, Bridport, DT6 3U 2. Alms and Objectlves. The aim of the church as set out in its mlssion statement is to work to proclaim God's love to all ages through worship, fellowship, outreach, caring, teaching and prayer. We aim to achieve this bv: Developing the worship life of the church by offering a range of worship styles and experiences, including Messy Church, Taizé, Café Church, Soul Space, and Healing services, encompassing informal and more traditional service5. Offering ways of deepening discipleship through fellowship groups, prayer meetings, house and bible study groups, and other courses. Offering pastoral care and support,. the Pastoral Coordinator works with the Minister in reviewing the Pastoral List and pastoral needs. Pastoral care and support for individuals and groups is provided by the Minister and the team of pastoral visitors. Reaching out to and serving our local community through various activities including the twice weekly Coffee mornings, and monthly Lunch Club, Fellowship Club, and Big Breakfast. The Toddler group was restarted in February 2024.
BRIDPORT UNITED CHURCH ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2024 Encouraging a deeper prayer life by providing opportunities for prayer through weekly worship and prayer meetings, the prayer chain, prayer request boxes on tables at the Coffee Mornings and Big Breakfast and specific prayer-focussed events. Working with Churches Together in Bridport & District {CTIBD) to support services and outreach events throughout the year,including Pray Bridport, and supporting other local community care groups such as Pathways to Care, Foodbanks, Helpful Hampers, Melplash Show and hosting the CTIBD Christmas Day Lunch Working towards a fairer, greener world by seeking to work to attain an Eco Church award. 3. Revlew of Activitles, Progress and Achlevements The Minister is Chair of the Managing Trustees/Church Council, which meets at least 4 times a year, and the Church Meeting, which meets at least 3 times a year, to review the various aspects of the life of the church in the context of its ongoing mission to demonstrate the love of God by witnessing to and serving the community. Trustees and officers are appointed by the Church Councll and Annual Church Meeting. The Managing Trustees have continued to review and update procedures to manage the risks to which Managing Trustees and members are exposed, and risk assessments are carried out as needed. The Managing Trustees have undergone Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training. Volunteers are recruited and checked in accordance with the Church Safeguarding Policy, which is reviewed annually by the Managing Trustees. The Church Safeguarding Officer ensures that appropriate Safeguarding training and DBS checks are completed by all relevant church officers and volunteers in accordance with the BUC safeguarding Policy. The GDPR Privacy Notice is reviewed annually. This has been another busy year for Bridport United Church. We continue to offer a variety of worship services and activities, in addition to the main 10.30am Sunday service, and additional services introduced during the year include Café Church, Healing services, an In Loving Memory service, and Holy Week services on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. In March we hosted the 'Gethsemane Garments, exhibition in March which was open to the local communitv. Regular events such as the monthly Messy Church at 3.30pm on 4th Thursdays, led by a team coordinated by the circuit-based Children & Familie5 Lay Worker, Peter Jenner, have continued to be well attended by around 25-30 local children and their families. Soul Space, an informal space to listen, sing, pray, talk and connect with God with tea, coffee & cake, happens monthly at 4pm on 1st Sundays and is well supported by around 20-30 people from the church and local community. The Prayer Group meets in church on Wednesday mornings to pray for prayer requests received in person, by email, via the prayer boxes at coffee mornings, and the prayer chain, for individual, local, national and international events and concerns. The prayer chain responds to requests for prayers received by email and in per50n. Prayer boxes on tables at weekly coffee mornings have collected several prayer requests which are passed on immediately. A Quiet Prayer Afternoon and a Holy Week series of morning prayers was well received and there are plans to arrange more prayer events in future.
BRIDPORT UNITED CHURCH ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2024 Our community outreach activitie5 continue to be well supported with an average of 60-70 people attending the weekly Coffee mornings on Wednesdays (including those attending the Knit & Natter group and Walking for Wellbeing) and Saturdays. On Wednesdays during the colder months this was extended to offer a Warm Welcome Space with a simple lunch. The Saturday Big Breakfast each month has continued to grow in popularity with c.90 breakfasts being cooked for people from the local community and beyond. The monthly Wednesday Lunch Club provides an opportunity for local people to meet for fellowship and a 2 course home cooked lunch with an average attendance of c. 60 people. The Thursday Friendship Club offers an afternoon every month for anyone to come and chat, do some craft5, play board games, do a puzzle, or knit, with sandwiches and cake to follow. A new weekly Toddler Group, Little Lambs, was set up in February 2024 and welcomes around 20 babie5 and toddlers and their carers every Monday morning during School term time, for play, stories, songs and snacks. The annual Christmas Tree Festival hosted by BUC was again a major event in the Bridport Christmas calendar with visitor numbers totalling almost 3000. In response to feedback from members and community groups it was decided to maintain the number of trees at 31 to allow more space for decorating and viewing. The Christmas Day Lunch hosted by BUC and run by a team of volunteers from CTIBD provided lunch for nearly 90 people from the local community who would otherwise be on their own (including some unable to attend in person) alongside songs and fellowship. 4. Flnances and Resources. The net incoming resources for the year amounted to £3,328 {2023: £4111 and the reserves at the year-end were £44,609 (2023: £41,281), The Resources Committee meets regularly to encourage good stewardship of the church's financial and property resources in order to further the church's mission activities and ensure that the premises are a safe and secure space, The accounts include the employment costs of those directly employed by the Church. The church continues to be grateful for donations and offerings. A DONA card machine has been installed to enable contactless donations and a link had been included on the church website. The transition to online banking is ongoing. Regulargiving has reduced slightly compared to last year, due in part to the death of several member5 who were regular givers, but this has been partially offset by the introduction of the DONA machine. Gift Aid is claimed on all donations where appropriate. Income from lettings was slightly lower than the previous year, rates have been reviewed and increased this year. Careful consideration continues to be given to the expenses of the church, most of which relate to essential expenditure in maintaining church life and buildings. The kitchen has been refurbished and there are plans to upgrade the female toilets which are essential to the church's outreach activities,. most of the costs are being met by donations and grants. A quinquennial report was carried out in
BRIDPORT UNITED CHURCH ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2024 November 2024 which confirmed that the premises had been well cared for and no urgent work was required. Ongoing maintenance continues to be scheduled and grants applied for where appropriate. The church has a Reserves Policy to ensure that reserves are held to meet unforeseen expenditure or short-term annual deficits, aiming to hold reserves of 50% of average annual operating expenditure. The on-going challenge of an ageing congregation remains, as does the need to be able to cover annual expenditure with annual income, and replenish reserves when it has been necessary to use them for urgent major work. This is regularly considered and monitored by the Managing Trustees. 5. Statement of Trustees, responslbilitles The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees, Annual Report and the flnancial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). Law applicable to charities In England and Wales requlres the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of Charity and of the incomlng resources and application of resources of the Charity for that year. In preparing these financial Statements the Trustees are required to: select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently,. observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP; make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, 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 Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at anytime the financial position of the Charity and enable them to ensurethat the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011 and the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. They are also responsible for safeguarding the a55ets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. Approved by the Trustees of the Charity on its behalf bv: and signed on Signed: on behalf of the Managing Trustees Q J. M,L&i8
BRIDPORT UNITED CHURCH INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES I report to the Charity Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Charity for the year ended 31 December 2024 which are set out on pages 6 to 7. Responslbilities and basls of report As the Charity's Trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act'l. I report in respect of my examination of the Charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directlons given by the Charity Commisslon under section 145{5llb) of the Act. Independent examinerfs statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material 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 respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. The accounts do not accord with those records; or The accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair Vie which is not a matter considered a5 part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in thi5 report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Mr. M.J. Cridland BA {Hons} FCA Scott Vevers Ltd Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors 65 East Street Bridport Dorset DT6 3LB ! Ig.{Lf...
Bridport Unlted Church Recelpts and payments accounts For the year ended 31 December 2024 Actual To 31.12.24 Artual To 31.12.23 In¢ome Collectlon Standin8 Orders Sub £6.703 £20.760 £27,463 £8,156 £22,645 E30.801 Lettln8S £17,326 £19,820 Dona/Sum up Net £1,582 Other Incomeldonatbons Dorset South and W Misslon Award - Circuit Grants Ikltthen. 518na6e etc.) Car Park Other donatlons J Stevens Fltnd Little lambs, Big Breakfast, Lunches, coffee etc. South Street Propertle5 Donation (Church Councll 08, Insurance Clalm ref Car Park Wall £8,164 £2,307 £1,344 £6.801 £2.481 £10,713 £10,000 £3.097 £40,484 £11,973 £6,487 Sub £39,503 £64,348 Chrlstmas Tree Festlval- BACS Interest Gift Ald Ifor 20221231 and VAT reclalm £360 £300 £11.816 £1,291 E270 £7,855 Total Income £98 350 £124 385 Expendlture A55e55ments Cholr. Oigan expenses, Llcence Donatlons out/Youth for Chrlst etc. Admln, Offlce, Sectretarlal Rent Heat & Llght Cleanin8 Repalrs & Maintenance Prlntlng & Statlonery Insurance Sundries Christmas Tree Festival Equipment, Chalrs, Kltchen, Screens,Dona Total exp•ndltur* £43.232 £1,278 £1,650 £9,897 £850 £5,729 £505 £9,156 £1,464 £6,132 £344 £1,225 £13,560 £38,676 £3,011 £6.586 £10,095 £9,180 £4,236 £34,098 £933 £5,898 £687 £2,095 £8,479 £123.974 £95,OZ2 Net Surplus E3,328 £411 Note Income was up by £IOk on budget. Glft Aid was not as much as predicted bLrt the Dona rnachine gave us £1.6k unbudgeted additional Income. We didn't recelve as much cash collections as expected but dld better than antlcipated with our VAT reclalm We received all the grants we applied for to help pay for the kitchen refurb., new screens and outside notlce boards. Overall expendlture was as expected. We overspent on bulldlng repairs and our 3S5essments were higher than expected. We underspent on heat & light and cleanlng. We show a £3.3k surplus for the year.
Bridport United Church Statement of a55ets As at 31 December 2024 Reserves @ 31.12.23 HSBC Admin HSBC Doner Cash CFB MCA Total reserves brought forward £32,384 £1,571 £185 £5,285 £1,856 £41,281 Surplus for the year to 31 December 2024 £3,328 Reserves @ 31.12.24 HSBC Admin HSBC Doner Cash CFB MCA Total reserves carried forward £21,179 £15,526 £462 £5,555 £1,887 £44,609 Approved on behalf of the trustees Signature Print Name Date of approval 20£