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£