## **THE METHODIST CHURCH – HIGH WYCOMBE CIRCUIT**
## **CHARITY COMMISSION TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT 2023**
## **Section B – Structure, Governance and Management**
The Circuit is one of 19 Circuits in the Northampton District. The Circuit is ultimately accountable to the Methodist Conference.
Risk management is considered as part of its overall duties by the Circuit Leadership Team which takes appropriate professional advice whenever it feels that this is necessary.
The Circuit has for many years adopted a safeguarding policy in respect of children and has encouraged and indeed ensured that all Churches within the Circuit have also adopted a suitable policy. In 2012 it adopted and has since annually updated a revised policy covering both Children and Vulnerable Adults. Suitable training is arranged to support those holding office.
## **Section C – Objectives and Activities**
The objects are set out in The Methodist Church Act 1976 (Clause 4), a synopsis of which is “advancement of religion and any charitable purpose of the Methodist Church or Church organisation (see Methodist Church Act 1976).”
The Circuit provides advice, support and resources to the 9 Churches that form the Circuit and through them undertakes a range of religious activities for the benefit of the general public/mankind.
Methodist Circuits are not defined as external grant making bodies. Surplus funds, both short term and longer term are invested with the Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes as required by Standing Orders.
The majority of the work of the Circuit, other than that undertaken by ordained ministers and paid lay workers, is undertaken by voluntary lay people.
## **Section D – Achievements and Performance**
The Circuit has continued to support a wide range of activities undertaken by the Churches within the Circuit. Wesley and Marlow chapels have continued to live-stream their Sunday worship and this has allowed members to be part of the services without being present and allowed other congregations to join them in worship. We have also used recorded sermons to help chapels that have not had a preacher for their Sunday worship. This has all been assisted by the grants from Circuit funds given during the pandemic to each chapel to improve audio-visual and streaming equipment where this was needed. One chapel closed at the end of August 2023.
A new Superintendent minister took up post from September 2022. One minister left in August 2023 and a new probationer minister has been stationed from September 2023.
The Circuit continues to look for areas of proven growth and where there is potential for development. The Circuit has continued to support lay workers in two churches and is now funding a part time Circuit Administrator in place of the previous post of the Superintendent’s PA.
The Circuit no longer has a diaconal appointment, with the previous one ending in March 2023. The appointee has developed outreach work both by encouraging and training lay people, and by working alongside ecumenical partners. In addition he was actively involved in supporting the work of local Work Place Chaplains. There is no plan to replace him.
## **Section E – Financial Review**
The Circuit aims to maintain in a general fund at least three months routine expenditure to cover timing delays in receipt of funds.
The other main fund is the Circuit Model Trust Fund (formerly known as the Circuit Advance Fund) which is derived from the sale of redundant properties within the Circuit and its use is governed by the purposes defined in Standing Orders.
The Circuit raises funds through the Circuit assessment which is contributions from all the Churches within the Circuit to meet the agreed budget for the year.
The majority of the Circuit’s expenditure is related to the employment of staff and their associated accommodation etc. expenses plus a contribution to the costs of both the District and the Connexion collected through the District Assessment.
## **Section F – Future Development**
The Circuit continues to seek an effective strategy for its future development and direction. In 20212022 the Circuit engaged in a review of activities under the banner of the Connexional God for All initiative, and by the end of the year all churches had reviewed their plans for the next twelve months. The work identified through these exercises will continue to be developed as a priority and appropriate financial plans developed to enable them to be taken forward over the coming years both by the churches and the Circuit Leadership Team.
-o0o-
CircuitNo = 23/27
## High Wycombe Circuit
## Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) for the year ended 31 August 2023
‘
|Notes to||Circuit|Model||Designated||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|the|General Fund|Trust|||Funds|Restricted|Endowment|Totals|
|accounts|(Unrestricted)|(Unrestricted)||(unrestricted)||Funds|Funds|2022 -2023|
||£|£|||£|£|£|£|
|Income|||||||||
|1
Donations and legacies||||||||0|
|2
Incomefrom monetary investments|3,707||7,955||||90|11,752|
|3
Incomefrom investment properties||||||||0|
|4
Assessments on Churches|187,744|||||||187,744|
|§
Capital Receipts|||-|||||0|
|6
Grants received|96,000|||||||96,000|
|7
Other charitable income|41,167||||4,375|||45,542|
|8 Total income|328,618||7,955||4,375|:|90|341,038|
|Expenditure|||||||||
|9
Grants and donations|45,321|96,000||||||141,321|
|10 Salaries and associated costs|148,415|||||||148,415|
|11 Property maintenance|73,240|||||||73,240|
|12 Connexional assessment& model trust levy||||||||0|
|13 DistrictAssessment& Levy|47,717|16,974||||||64,691|
|14 Depreciation||||||||0|
|15 Office expenses|203|||||||203|
|16 Otheroutgoings|9,862||78||4,375||93|14,407|
|17 Total charitable expenditure|324,758|113,052|||4,375|0|93|442,277|
|18 Gainsiiosses) on monetary investments||||||||0|
|19 Gains/(losses) on investment properties|||||||||
|20 Net income/(expenditure)|3,861|-105,087|||0|0|3|-101,239|
|21 Transfers between funds||||||||0|
|22 Othergains/(losses)|||||||||
|23 Net movement infunds|3,861|-105,097|||0|0|3|~101,239|
|24Totalfundsbrought forward|100,112|370,340|||-||2,832|473,284|
|25 Total funds carried forward|~~_103,973~~|~~265,243~~||~~-~~|~~e829872,045~~||||
|
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|Name of Circuit
HIGH WYCOMBE CIRCUIT
Circuit No 23/27||||||
|Balance Sheetas at 31 August 2023||||||
||||||GN|
|~~[mel~~
fare ~~| ||~~
(Unrestricted)
Trusts
Funds
Funds
Funds
2022 -2023
Accounts
~~£~~
£
£
£
~~£~~
~~£~~|||~~“*~~
2021 -2022
£|||
|Fixed Assets||||||
|Circuit Manses &Equipment ss
|
|
3,639,915
linvestmentproperties
| |
a
ee)
a
A
CR
| __t~t~«*«é‘ Mad xadassets|
——=«_ssesoare|_
ot~—S~=~—SSSCS*~*~‘tiSC*“‘*‘“*éYC|||~~3,695,588}~~
o}
~~0~~||R
R|
|Current Assets
~~Debtors~~
~~tte}~~
~~10,1786)~~
~~lLoansbythecreut———SCid~SCSCSCdTSSSSC~idT SSCS SSSCSCSCidSSid~~
~~Cd~~
~~investmentswithTMCP~~
~~| CT~~
~~esas~~
~~C*dE:(C(SS~~
~~829]~~
~~268,072~~
~~[Central Finance BoardDeposis~~
~~[|~~
~~| __ saves~~
~~Ss] Sid SSC~~
~~SSC*d SSC~~
~~lCashatBankendinnand~~
~~——=«dtSSSCiCS igen] —SSCSC~iCSC“‘“‘“SC*CSCSC“‘“‘C™CYYCONC#C”C‘dSCCSCSC 8~~
~~[______~~Totalcurrentassets|
~~|~~
~~130,02~~3]
2eszaa]
~~of~~
~~of~~
azo]
407,095|||12,543]
0
~~373,172~~
56442)
~~701,960~~||S
T|
|Current liabilities||||||
|~~[Creditors (due inundertyear) =]~~
~~T8550}~~
~~CTtCid~~
~~Cid~~
~~Cd~~
~~85,950]~~
~~70,844]~~
~~Grants payabiewithin 2018-19 =|~~
~~|TCC~~
~~|~~
~~Total currentiiabilities|~~
~~|~~
~~85,950]~~
~~ot~~
~~85950]~~
~~|~~
~~70,881~~
|~~_CNetcurrentassetsiiabilities|~~
~~|~~ =~
103,973]
265,243]
~~ot~~
CCi CSCC,BQ]
(372,045)|||||U|
|[__Totalassets less currentiiabiities|
~~‘|~~ _sreaeee]
26524]
~~|~~
~~oi~~
2,828] _4,011,960||||||
|~~(dcestermortanoneyeay) |~~
~~|~~
~~| S|~~
~~|~~
due aftermorethan one
year
~~[Grants payable after201e-19~~
~~——=«| —SCi~iCSCSC~‘dYSC“‘C;C‘iYC OO~~
~~lloansiotheCraut S|~~
~~Cd~~
~~pO~~
~~[|~~
~~tCi“‘(‘éCNtassets|~~
~~|~~
~~3,743,888]265,243],~~
~~CSC2,829]4,011,960~~|||a}
0
~~0~~
~~4,168,873~~||v
W|
od
2
2
=
|
## Funds of the Circuit
**----- Start of picture text -----**
General Fund (Unrestricted) P| 3,743,888 3,743,888 3,795,700
Circuit Model Trust Fund (Unrestricted) [| 265,243 w
a 9 Po
Designated Funds (Unresticted) | [——~+t]
Total Unrestricted Funds| si 4,009,131 4,166,040
Restrited Funds J 7 en
TotalFunds|
| s7aaeee] osama] ] 0] 0] anion] [ | a7e0,072
Signed ; ‘ A
Circuit Treasurer
**----- End of picture text -----**
P )
2
Name of Circuit
HIGH WYCOMBE CIRCUIT
Circuit No 23/27
## Balance Sheet as at 31 August 2023
|(Unrestricted)
Trusts
Funds
Funds
Funds
2022 -2023
2021 -2022
Notestothe
(Unrestricted) |(Unrestricted)
Accounts
~~£~~
~~£~~
~~£~~
~~£~~
~~£~~
~~£~~
£|
|---|
|Fixed Assets|
|Circuit Manses&Equipment, ss|
|
OR YYYC-/WYYH PYRY—VV@Z7ZHMMUMqMM@A_3 82.0
~~3,369,625~~
Investrents ——SCSC=“s*~“s*sé‘“rSC‘“‘CSC*YLOC“‘($CT CT
TCSCC~“‘LSNNNC#CNNSCSSC~‘C
~~0~~
|
”*~*«S tainedassets]
=i
aeanral
of
of
of
0] aaanots] [saeneasl|
|CurrentAssets|
|~~Debtors~~
~~tos~~
~~10,4176~~
0
~~LoansbytheCiruit~~
~~|~~
~~0~~
~~investments withTCP~~
~~|~~
~~|~~
~~esas]~~
~~T2829]~~
~~268,072~~
429,188
~~CentraiFinance Board Deposits |~~
~~|~~
~~tgs]~~
~~|~~
~~98,7855~~
78,212
~~cash atBankandinhand~~
~~—~—Sid~SSC*dS~~
~~arse]~~
~~SSCiCSCSCSCSC~—~iSC‘“‘“‘~;C~*dSSSSC*dCCS0~~
~~20,619~~
~~|~~
—~S~S*«STotal currentassets] ~~+_tanazal___zeszaal_o|~~
~~of~~
~~2,870]~~
~~407,005]~~
Current liabilities|
|~~Creditors (dueinundertyear)~~
~~| T8950}~~
~~|~~
~~85,950)~~
~~0~~
~~a~~
~~Vr~~
~~[|~~
~~Totalcurrentiiabilities|~~
~~|~~
~~35950]tS~~
~~S950]~~ |
|
Netcurrent assetsiiabilities|
~~|~~
103,973]~~265.243],~~
829]
372,045,|
|[Total assets less current abilities
|
[arassea]
es2aT~~CSCC~~
29]_— 4,017,960)|
|~~jrermoretnoneyea~~
~~|_|~~
~~e~~e~~ee~~
aftermorethanone
year)
_|
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Grants payable after 2018-19 | aT) 0
oanstotneGrout
a C
[| CNetassets| | 3,743,888] 265,243] Of 2,829} 4,071,960 3,947,645
Funds of the Circuit
General Fund (Unrestricted) [| 3,743,888 3,743,888 3,468,456
Circuit Model Trust Fund (Unrestricted) fo 265,243 265,243 426,358
Designated Funds (Unrestricted) fF | | 50,000
Total Unrestricted Funds| 4,009,131 3,944,815
TotaiFunds|
| _sraaees]_resza]——S«]SSCSC~C«tY’C*~‘“‘*‘*éYSC#M OTH 960) [3,007,605
Signed ; ; 0
**----- End of picture text -----**
Circuit Treasurer
## The Methodist Church - High Wycombe Circuit
## Statement of Financial Activities
## for the Year ended 31st August 2023
## ~~
**----- Start of picture text -----**
’
**----- End of picture text -----**
|||Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|Total Funds||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||Funds|Funds|Funds|2022||
||Notes|£|£|£|£||
|INCOMING RESOURCES|||||||
|CircuitAssessments||187,744||187,744|187,744||
|Manse Rental income|7|41,140||41,140|37,140||
|Grants Received|2|96,000||96,000|35,450||
|Bank and Trust interest||3,707||3,707|194||
|Special Collections|||4,375|4,375|4,356||
|Sundry Income||~~27~~||~~27~~|~~696~~||
|Total incoming resources||~~328,618~~|~~4.375~~|~~332,993~~|265,579||
|RESOURCESEXPENDED
Stipends, National Insurance& Pensions
LayWorkers&Supernumerary|6|135,863
6,206||135,863
6,206|144,995
2,350||
|DistrictAssessment||47,717||47,717|44,706||
|Manse repairs and maintenance|9|73,240||73,240|62,360||
|Travel||2,880||2,880|4,345||
|Administration||203||203|1,328|.|
|Quiquennial inspections||3,360||3,360|7A46||
|Telephones and internet||3,465||3,465|3,435||
|Training
Pulpitsupplyandplans||348
i)||348
0|500
60||
|Grants and Donations|8|45,321||45,321|8,835||
|Collection paid over|||4,375|4,375|4,356||
|Removal costs||4,137||4,137|3,950||
|Otherexpenditure||2,017||2,017|691||
|Depreciation||0||0|0||
|||~~ee~~|||||
|Total resourcesexpended||324,758|4,375|329,132|~~289,356~~||
|NETINCOMING RESOURCES||3,861|0.00|3,861|(23.777;||
|INCREASE /(DECREASE) IN VALUE OF|FUNDS||||||
|Manse revaluation
Modei TrustFund|5
3.|(55.673)
(105.897)||(55.673)
(105.897)|335,963
(56.069)||
|Other Trust Funds|4|800||800|§3||
|NETMOVEMENT IN FUNDS
FUNDS BROUGHTFORWARD||~~imed~~
~~(156.909)~~
~~_O~~
~~(156.909)~~
256.170
4,168,872
0
4,168,872
3,912,702|||||
|FUNDSCARRIEDFORWARD||4,011,963|0|4,011,963|4,168,872||
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n ner
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## The Methodist Church - High Wycombe Circuit
## Balance Sheet at 31st August 2023
am |
~
||Notes||2023||2022|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||£||£|
|Tangible FixedAssets|||3,639,915||3,695,588|
|Current Assets:||||||
|Trustees forMethodistChurch Purposes|||268,072||373,175|
|Central Finance Board|||91,755||56,442|
|HSBC|||11,622||32,103|
|CAF Bank Cash|||6,344||29,794|
|CAF BankGold|||20,025||40,071|
|Stipends paid in advance|||10,176||12,543|
|Manse rental fees paid in advance|||0||ie)|
|Sundry debtors|||0||0|
|Manse Refurbishments paid in advance|||0||0|
||||4,047,910||4,239,717|
|Less Current Liabilities:||||||
|Circuitassessments prepaid|||35,950||42,936|
|ManseRentalIncome
Accruedmansemaintenanceexpenses|||**0**||0
27,905|
|Accrued General Expenses|||0||0|
|Accrued Quinquennial costs|||0||0|
|Accrued special collection|||0||0|
|Sundry liabilities|||0||0|
||||35,950||70,841|
||||~~———EE=~~
4,011,960||~~———~~
4,168,875|
|FINANCED BY:||||||
|Unrestricted Funds:||||||
|General Fund|9|403,973||400,112||
|Manse Fund|5|3,639,915||3,695,588||
|Model Trust Fund|3|237,089||342,986||
||||3,980,977||4,138,686|
|Other Funds||||||
|Trust 17252 Chilton Memorial Trust Fund|4|2,829||2,835||
|Trust 12975 (Sale ofLand) Fund|4|6,384||6,203||
|Trust 20825Aima Stevens bequest|4|21,770||21,151||
||||30,983||30,189|
|TOTALFUNDS|||4,011,960
~~————————_—_~~||4,168,875
~~————_—_—_——~~|
## The Methodist Church - High Wycombe Circuit Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31st August 2023
## 1. Accounting policies
## a) Basis of accounting
The Accounts have been prepared under the Historic Cost Convention except where assets have been stated at valuation. This is in accordance with applicable accounting standards and the Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (the FRSSE) (effective 1 January 2015).
## b) Valuation of Manses
The six manses owned by the Circuit have been valued on the basis of the market values of comparable properties situated in their respective areas, taking account of the change in house prices during the year as indicated by The Nationwide House Price Index.
c) Designation of Funds according to Charity Law
The General Fund is an unrestricted fund.
The Chilton Memorial Trust Fund is a Permanent Endowment.
The Model Trust Fund, Trust (Sale of Land) Fund, and the Alma Stevens bequest are unrestricted funds.
## 2. Grants Received
£96,000 was taken from the Model Trust Fund, £30,000 to cover the cost of employing the Deacon, and the balance to cover other Circuit expenditure.
## 3. Model Trust Fund (formerly the Circuit Advance Fund)
Movements on the Model Trust Fund during the year were as follows:
## a
|||2023||2022|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||£||£|
|Balance brought forward||342,986||399,055|
|Interest received (net ofTMCP charges)||7,077||560|
|Net proceeds ofsale of properties||(e)||fe)|
|Less amounts drawn to support mission and outreach:|||||
|Diaconal appointment||e)||-30,000|
|Circuit -Any Other Purpose||-96,000||-5,450|
|Less District Levy||-16,974||-21,179|
|Balance Carried Forward||237,089||342,986|
|4. Other Trust Funds.|||||
|These comprise monies which were originally donated, collected or allocated for a specific, purpose.|||||
|Movementsduringtheyearwereasfollows:||2023||2022|
|a) Chilton Memorial Trust 17252 (permanent endowment)|||||
|Balance brought forward||2,832||2,830|
|Interest credited (net ofTMCP charge)||82||5|
|Interest paid to Circuit||-85||3|
|Balance carried forward||2,829||2,832|
|b) Trust 12975 (sale of land)|||||
|Balance brought forward||6,203||6,191|
|Interest credited (net ofTMCP charge)||181||11|
|Balance carried forward||6,384||6,203|
|Trust 12975 resulted from the sale of land by the former Bourne End Methodist Church.|||Following the||
|closure ofthe Church, the Trust was transferred to the Circuit and|the capital is available to the circuit||||
|as laid down in standing orders.|||||
|c) Trust 20825Aima Stevens bequest|||||
|Balance brought forward/Capitai Transferred||21,151||21,112|
|Interest credited (net ofTMCP charge)||619||39|
|Interest paid to Circuit||0||0|
|||21,770||21,151|
Trust 20825 was a bequest to Naphill Methodist Church. Following the closure of the church in July 2018 the Trust was transferred to the Circuit and is now available to the Circuit as laid down in standing orders.
## The Methodist Church - High Wycombe Circuit Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31st August 2023
**----- Start of picture text -----**
5. Tangible Fixed Assets - Manses 2023 2022
Balance brought forward 3,695,588 3,359,625
Increase/Decrease in valuation -55,673 335,963
Balance carried forward 3,639,915 3,695,588
The value of the manses owned by the circuit has been revalued using the Nationwide House price index for August
as in previous years. The year on year change was -5.3%. One manse was formally re-valued prior to a potential
sale.
**----- End of picture text -----**
6. Lay workers and supernumeraries The Circuit has not directly employed any layworkers during the year. Marlow employed the Circuit Administrator on behalf of the Circuit.
## 7. Manse Rental Income
Two manses were occupied for the whole of the year and one for part of the year.
## ™~
8. Grants and Donations Asupport grant ofthe £4,800replacement was madeof a tochurch supportboiler. of the£37,540 Flackwell wasHeathrefundedLay Worker,to Churchesand toa grantreflect oflower £2,000costs wasfollowing made tothe departure of the deacon part way through the year.As in previous years, a donation of £2,000 was made to support the work of Wycombe Homeless Connection.
## 9. Manse Repairs and the Manse Reserve
This year there was further expenditure on the manse at 98 Wycombe Road to complete the refurbishment .
## Independent Examiner's Unqualified Report to the Trustees of The Methodist Church - High Wycombe Circuit
Respective responsiblities of Trustees and Examiner
## a |
As the charity trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts; you consider that the audit requirements of Section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the Act) do not apply. It is my responsibility to state, on the basis of procedures specified in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under Section 43(7)(b) of the Act, whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of Independent Examiner's Report My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanationsevidence that fromwould you asbe required trusteesin concemingan audit and anyconsequently such matters.| doThenot procedures express an undertakenaudit opinion doon not providethe view givenail theby the accounts.
Independent Examiner's Statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements
- to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 41 of the Act; and
- to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the Act have not been met; or
- (2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Signed 7-25 Date
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**----- End of picture text -----**