The Methodist Church
Beckenham Methodist Church Bromley Road BR3 5JE
Registered Charity No. 1138006
Trustees Annual Report and Accounts for year ending 31[st] August 2025
Purpose
We are a body of people, drawn together by the love of God to worship, pray and try to follow the teaching of Jesus. To fulfil our purpose, we will:
Glorify God in worship Develop our understanding of the love of God and the way of Jesus Deepen our commitment to the Christian life
Enable and encourage our community to develop and use all their God-given talents Offer Christian love and friendship to all
Respond to the needs of God’s world, especially the people of Beckenham
The Methodist Church exists to exercise the whole ministry of Christ. The Local Church in Beckenham, with its membership and larger church community, exercises this ministry where it is and shares in the wider ministry of the Church in the world. In this one ministry worship, fellowship, pastoral care, mission and service are essential elements, enabled by training and prudent administration.
Organisation and governance
Beckenham Methodist Church (BMC) has been part of the Widmore Circuit (No 35/42) since its creation on 01 September 2024 when the Bromley & the Orpington and Chislehurst Circuits merged.
From September 2024 Rev Duncan MacBean took over from Karen George and has had pastoral charge of BMC (as well as being Circuit Superintendent) together with Deacon Laura MacBean who has continued to provide oversight of the management of Joy’s Kitchen. Church services are led by the Circuit staff, visiting guest speakers and local preachers.
The various tasks in carrying out our ministry are undertaken by the local Church, through its Church Council and committees, in union with the ministry of the Circuit of which it is constituent. In accordance with its governing document, the Constitution Practice and Discipline (CPD) of the Methodist Church, the Trustees are all the members of the Church Council who are over the age of 18 years, some by virtue of posts they hold and some as elected representatives of the whole congregation.
BMC employs two lay staff. One is a Church Administrator. An office is provided at Bromley Road but some work is undertaken off site. The person helps the ministers with church administration matters and the stewards with BMC administrative tasks, one of which is to manage the premises. The other member of staff is a Café Manager on a fixed term, term time only contract for running Joy’s Kitchen. The Café Manager started on 01 September 2024.
Worship and Prayer
Services were held at 10.30 a.m. on a Sunday. Holy Communion is usually celebrated on the first Sunday of the month. The regular congregation is a mixture of age groups, nationalities and backgrounds and everyone who comes through the doors is afforded a friendly welcome. Service
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books, hymn books and pew Bibles are provided, as well as printed sheets when appropriate. Audiovisual projection is now normally used at and all appropriate copyright licences are held.
Membership stands at 99. Minimum attendance at Bromley Road is 40 with many housebound or infirm and others not attending regularly because of work or family commitments.
Circuit Meeting
Several Members of the Church Council also hold posts at Circuit level and the Church Council elects one representatives from amongst its number, alongside one Steward and the Church Treasurer. The Circuit Meeting is a separate charity and its members are its trustees. The Local Church pays an assessment to the Circuit each year to cover the stipends and housing of ministerial staff and contributions to the Methodist Church nationally. BMC’s assessment for this year was £43,485, which was about 5% increase on last year.
The Church Premises
The Trustees were responsible for the maintenance of the premises at Bromley Road (BR3 5JE) which are used by some 35-40 community groups on a regular basis as well as for annual meetings of local residents groups and management committees. Activities for young children and the elderly are all available as well as the Church’s own sponsored Brownies, Guides, Rangers, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Badminton Club and Social gatherings. Various evening activities are occasionally held. According to Methodist Practice (CPD) no alcohol is allowed to be brought onto or consumed on the premises. A weekly AA meeting has been held on the premises for many years, also now AL-ANON and NA (Narcotics Anonymous) groups. We have been running a Community Café called TCs since July 2000 when a similar project run by Churches Together in Beckenham (CTiB) was forced to close. This has been very successfully staffed by volunteers from among the church membership as well as non members. An extensive building project caused the café to relocate to one of the upstairs meeting rooms in November 2018. It then closed for covid but reopened in 2022, renamed Joy’s kitchen, initially on 3 days a week basis later extending to 4 days a week as more volunteers were obtained. The aim is to reach full 5 days a week opening if sufficient volunteers come forward. In previous years a surplus was made and allocated to various mission projects at home and abroad. This policy was put on hold during the year to build funds to a prudent level to be put towards a paid café manager. The manager will initially be funded three ways; from the café, the church and the circuit for a trial period of 3 years. Joy’s Kitchen accounts are included in the BMC accounts and the café management committee reports to the Church Council.
The Property and Finance Committee reports to the Church Council and is responsible for day-to-day management of cleaning and maintenance of both churches. Cleaning is carried out by professionals. Maintenance of the premises is an ongoing expense and is carried out by paid contractors and members helping.
Pastoral Care
The members of the Methodist Church are each allocated to a Pastoral Carers who works closely with the minister to ensure all pastoral needs are met. The Pastoral Carers and Church Stewards are members of the Pastoral Committee which reports to the Church Council. Those who are unable to attend services are visited and where requested, the minister is able to celebrate Holy Communion with them in their own home.
Mission
The Methodist Church supports Mission in Britain as well as Mission in the Wider World. These funds are well supported by the members of BMC as well as other charities. The work of Joy’s Kitchen has been mentioned. Others regularly supported are Christian Aid and Action for Children, the Methodist
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Children’s charity, one of whose founders was also a member of Beckenham Methodist Church at its original foundation in 1887. Various other charities are supported annually, both locally and worldwide, e.g. Workaid and a food bank.
Ecumenical relationships
BMC is an active member of CTiB and participates in all its activities. On Ascension Day each year until recently a service has been shared with St. Paul’s C of E Church in Brackley Road, alternating the venue and preachers. Close relationships are held with our nearest neighbours at St. George’s Parish Church.
Financial review, including reserves policy, designation of material funds and likely timing of expenditure
Overall, the financial position deteriorated during the year due to the ongoing roof works. We ended the year debt free but reserves decreased by just over £74,000. The works are not finished and next year will probably be another difficult year financially speaking.
In more detail church income was broadly unchanged. However, this doesn’t reflect the true position. Offertories were up and the accounts show that lettings income declined. They didn’t, some bookings money was not received by the end of the year. Our accounts are not done on a more complex accruals basis but on actuals so the expectation is that lettings income for next year will show a substantial rise. Joy’s Kitchen revenue increased by nearly half and this was due to a number of factors; primarily longer opening hours and more user group members using it. There is walk in trade but most patrons are from user groups.
Church income was up compared with the previous year and like last year includes figures from the café. The long-term trend of switching from cash giving to electronic giving continued. We pay cash and cheques in via the post office or at other branches as the HSBC in Beckenham closed in early 2023. An account for Joy’s Kitchen is held at NatWest.
A tax refund payment was received during the year. No grants were received. The café made a contribution to church costs reflecting the utilities cost of running the café.
Expenses during the year included normal maintenance costs, which we reduced to the bare minimum as well as the huge roof costs. The roof works have increased in cost due to an increase in scope as more work was found to be required once the builders started. This was a risk flagged by the builders which unfortunately materialised. There was an expectation that some of the works (roof window repairs) would be funded by our redevelopment builders under the warranty. Following legal advice it was decided not to claim under the warranty or sue the builders for poor workmanship due to the contracting entity now having no funds, so even if we had won our case there would have been no funds to pay for the works. The roof window works have been instructed and the costs will show in next year’s accounts.
We had planned to proceed with solar panels on the roof when the roof works were finished but as they are not finished, we haven’t installed the panels yet. Again, we hope to do this next financial year. However, we have undertaken preparatory works such as changing our electricity metering set up to a single 3-phase meter. The project should reduce our electricity bills and boost our Eco church credentials. We have applied to the circuit for a contribution to this green initiative.
During the year our reserves decreased by around 30% or just over £74,000 to £156,895. This decrease reverses last year’s increase. The expectation is that it will decline again next year due to the roof works.
Funds held as custodian trustee on behalf of others:
Such funds are not material. They may include, during the financial year:
collections made for nominated charitable organisations, detailed in the Notes to the Receipts & Payments Account, but not yet distributed to them. Examples are Action for Children, Mind and
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on behalf of Joy’s Kitchen. Movements of such funds, which are held temporarily on the main bank current account, are separately recorded in the Vestry Journal, receipts and payments ledgers, and documented in other papers on file; and balances of the Benevolence Fund, to be applied at the minister’s discretion.
It is policy to disburse such collections in the same financial year in which they were received into the church accounts, except for the Benevolence Fund which may accumulate across year-ends.
Thanks
The Trustees would like to thank all those who work in a volunteer capacity to enable the smooth running of the Church in all its facets. As can be seen, BMC is an organisation devoted to providing public benefit with the assistance of its members. The Trustees, in exercising their powers and duties, complied with their obligation to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the Charity Commission.
| This Report was approved at BMC’s Church Council meeting on 19thMarch 2026, on which date the Trustees were the following: |
The Trustees during the year ending 31 August 2025 were the following: |
|
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rev. Duncan MacBean | Rev. Duncan MacBean |
| 2 | Deacon Laura MacBean | Deacon Laura MacBean |
| 3 | Kojo Anoykye | Kojo Anokye |
| 4 | Irene Antwi | Irene Antwi |
| 5 | David Bishop | David Bishop |
| 6 | Hilary Cheverton | Hilary Cheverton |
| 7 | Andrew Cloke | Andrew Cloke |
| 8 | Micheline Faulkner | Tina Eshun |
| 9 | Christine Handel | Theo Farmer |
| 10 | Janet Hrebien | Micheline Faulkner |
| 11 | David Jackson | Christine Handel |
| 12 | Mary Jackson | David Jackson |
| 13 | David Keall | Mary Jackson |
| 14 | Rev. David Morris | David Keall |
| 15 | Graham McLeod | Rev. David Morris |
| 16 | Jenny Nichols | Graham McLeod |
| 17 | Lum Ntumazah | Jenny Nichols |
| 18 | Stephen Olufunwa | Lum Ntumazah |
| 19 | Sheila Priestman | Stephen Olufunwa |
| 20 | Judith Reep | Sheila Priestman |
| 21 | Barry Stewart | Judith Reep |
| 22 | Sandra Storch | Barry Stewart |
| 23 | Margaret Toronka | Sandra Storch |
| 24 | Gordon Wilson | Paulette Tomlinson |
| 25 | Simon Young | Margaret Toronka |
| 26 | Gordon Wilson | |
| 27 | Simon Young | |
| 28 |
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CHURCH RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS
THE METHODIST CHURCH STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS
Beckenham
Church
FOR THE YEAR ENDED
31 Au ust 2025 g
Widmore Circuit Circuit no 35/42 1138006 N/A
Registered Charity - Charity Registration number
If not a registered charity Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs Gift Aid number
(The HMRC number is equivalent to a registered charity number in terms of evidence of charitable status and may be used to give to donors or grant funders wishing to see evidence of the organisation's charitable status. Methodist charities in England and Wales that are not registered charities are excepted from registration under Statutory Instrument 2014 No.242)
Minister:
Rev. Duncan MacBean Church Stewards: Theo Farmer, Paulette Tomlinson Sandra Storch, Judith Reep Margaret Toronka, Barry Stewart Treasurer: Simon Young
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ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
Church
Beckenham
| SECTION A | Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds |
£ 75,320 6,799 64,035 25,201 Totals this year |
£ 75,320 6,799 64,035 25,201 Totals this year |
Totals last year |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||||
| a1 | RECEIPTS | Note | |||||||
| a2 | Offerings and Tax recovered | 75,320 | 75,320 | 69,358 | |||||
| a3 | Bank and CFB interest and Investment income |
6,799 | 6,799 | 7,236 | |||||
| a4 | Lettings | 64,035 | 64,035 | 81,197 | |||||
| a5 | Other receipts | 23,704 | 1,497 | 25,201 | 19,425 | ||||
| a6 | TOTAL RECEIPTS | 169,858 | 1,497 | 171,355 | (a7) | 177,216 | |||
| SECTION B | 43,486 171,081 24,714 11,343 |
||||||||
| b1 | PAYMENTS | ||||||||
| b2 | Circuit Assessment or Share | 43,486 | 43,486 | 41,656 | |||||
| b3 | Donations | 2,995 | |||||||
| b4 | Repairs and Maintenance | 171,081 | 171,081 | 35,247 | |||||
| b5 | Utilities (Insurances, water charges,heating& lighting) |
24,714 | 24,714 | 19,628 | |||||
| b6 | |||||||||
| b7 | Other payments | 10,645 | 698 | 11,343 | 29,039 | ||||
| b8 | TOTAL PAYMENTS | 249,926 | 698 | 250,624 | (b9) | 128,565 | |||
| (79,269) | |||||||||
| SECTION C | |||||||||
| c1 | NET RECEIPTS/PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR (a6-b8) |
(80,068) | 799 | (79,269) | 48,651 | ||||
| c2 | Total funds brought forward from last year |
210,649 | 210,649 | (c6) | 162,835 | ||||
| 131,380 | |||||||||
| c3 | (c1+c2) Sub total |
130,581 | 799 | 131,380 | 211,486 | ||||
| c4 | Transfers and adjustments | 471 | (c7) | (837) | |||||
| c5 | TOTAL FUNDS AT END OF YEAR (c3+c4) |
130,581 | 799 | 131,851 | (c8) | 210,649 | (c6) |
| SECTION D | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| d | FOR INFORMATION ONLY: MONEY RECEIVED AND PASSED ON TO EXTERNAL (these amounts are not to be included in total receipts/payments figures above) |
£ ORGANISATIONS |
£ |
||
| d1 | Balance brought forward from lastyear | 98 | 935 | ||
| d2 | Offerings/Gifts - received for external organisations | 3,531 | 1,900 | ||
| d3 | Offerings/Gifts - passed to external organisations | 3,060 | 2,737 | ||
| d4 | BALANCE STILL TO BE PAID(d1+d2-d3) | 569 | 98 |
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Beckenham
Church
SUMMARY OF CHURCH ACCOUNTS AND INTERNAL ORGANISATIONS REPORTING TO THE CHURCH COUNCIL
SECTION E Please follow the Guidance Notes to complete this page
Summary of the Church accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 and Internal Organisations reporting to the Church Council/Church Meeting. Note that the funds of an Internal Organisation would normally be Restricted funds unless it could be clearly shown that they could be used for any Methodist purpose. This section must be completed to arrive at the gross income and expenditure totals of the Church. If gross income exceeds the Accruals threshold, then the Accruals method of accounting AND A DIFFERENT FORM must be used to report the accounts (see Methodist website). Please refer to the guidance notes regarding transfers between the District and connected District Organisations.
| SECTION E | Please follow the Guidance Notes to complete this page | Please follow the Guidance Notes to complete this page | Please follow the Guidance Notes to complete this page | Please follow the Guidance Notes to complete this page | Please follow the Guidance Notes to complete this page | Please follow the Guidance Notes to complete this page | Please follow the Guidance Notes to complete this page | Please follow the Guidance Notes to complete this page | Please follow the Guidance Notes to complete this page | Please follow the Guidance Notes to complete this page | Please follow the Guidance Notes to complete this page | Please follow the Guidance Notes to complete this page | Please follow the Guidance Notes to complete this page | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary of the Church accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 and Internal Organisations reporting to the Church Council/Church Meeting. Note that the funds of an Internal Organisation would normally be Restricted funds unless it could be clearly shown that they could be used for any Methodist purpose. This section must be completed to arrive at the gross income and expenditure totals of the Church. If gross income exceeds the Accruals threshold, then the Accruals method of accounting AND A DIFFERENT FORM must be used to report the accounts (see Methodist website). Please refer to the guidance notes regarding transfers between the District and connected District Organisations. |
||||||||||||||
| INTERNAL ORGANISATIONS |
Receipts | Payments | Net Receipts/ Payments |
Opening balances | Closing balances | |||||||||
| e1 | Joy's Kitchen | 16,938 | 12,560 | 4,378 | 20,666 | 25,044 | ||||||||
| e2 | ||||||||||||||
| e3 | ||||||||||||||
| e4 | ||||||||||||||
| e5 | ||||||||||||||
| e6 | ||||||||||||||
| e7 | ||||||||||||||
| e8 | ~~Sub total of Internal~~ Organisations funds |
16,938 | 12,560 | 20,666 | (e11) | 25,044 | (e12) | |||||||
| e9 | Church accounts (totals brought forward from page 2 - totals column) |
**171,355 ** | (a7) | **250,624 ** | (b9) | (79,269) | **471 ** | (c7) | **210,649 ** | (c6) | 131,851 | (c8) | ||
| e10 | ~~TOTAL CASH FUNDS HELD~~ BY CHURCH |
188,293 | 263,184 | (74,891) | 471 | **231,315 ** | (x) | 156,895 | (y) | |||||
| TOTAL RECEIPTS | TOTAL PAYMENTS |
SECTION F
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
| STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHURCH - CASH FUNDS HELD at 31 August 2025 Central Finance Board Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes Other funds Total funds held by Internal Organisations (the closing balance total from above) (e12) Bank Deposit Account SUB TOTAL - Church accounts TOTAL CASH FUNDS HELD BY CHURCH Cash in hand Bank Current Account |
OPENING BALANCES |
CLOSING BALANCES |
|||||
| f1 | Cash in hand | ||||||
| f2 | Bank Current Account | 25,982 | 31,057 | ||||
| f3 | Bank Deposit Account | ||||||
| f4 | Central Finance Board | 184,106 | 100,208 | ||||
| f5 | Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes | 561 | (c6) (e11) (x) |
586 | |||
| f6 | Other funds | ||||||
| f7 | SUB TOTAL - Church accounts | 210,649 | (c6) | 131,851 | (c8) | ||
| f8 | Total funds held by Internal Organisations (the closing balance total from above) (e12) |
20,666 | (e11) | 25,044 | (e12) | ||
| f9 | TOTAL CASH FUNDS HELD BY CHURCH | 231,315 | (x) | 156,895 | (y) | ||
| SECTION G OTHER ASSETS and LIABILITIES Other Assets Other Liabilities Investments(include Endowments)at TMCP Land & Buildings(see notes re Insurance value) Loan(s)- show amount outstandingatyear end |
At 1 September 2024 9,646,313 210,000 |
At 31 August 2025 10,025,425 215,000 |
|||||
| g1 | Investments(include Endowments)at TMCP | ||||||
| g2 | Land & Buildings(see notes re Insurance value) | 9,646,313 | 10,025,425 | ||||
| g3 | Other Assets | 210,000 | 215,000 | ||||
| g4 | Loan(s)- show amount outstandingatyear end | ||||||
| g5 | Other Liabilities |
f4 Include only Funds held at the Central Finance Board
f5 Include only Funds held at Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes
g1 Include any other investments (not the cash element of TMCP trusts accounts this is included in line f5
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DECLARATIONS Troasurer l Confirm that I have prepared the accounts from the records of the Church aryj that they include all funds under Ihg control of the Church Council Signature of Treasurer Date 16/51 Name Simon J Young Address 80 Vlllage Way, Beckenham , Kent BR3 3NR Prosentatlon to th¢ 'Church Councll for approval. I conflrm that the Accounts have been presented to the Chureh Council on /312oZ6 and were apprgved. Signalura of th8 Chair ol th8 meeting Namo of the Chair of th6 meeting Rev Duncan MacBean Date Independent Examlner'$ Report to the Trustees of the Be¢kenham Methodlst Church This Report is on the Church Accounts for Ihe year ended 31 August 2025 Respective responslbllltles of Trustses and Examlner The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the acunts. The charitys Iruslees CnSIder that an audit is not reqvlred for this year under section 144 oltho Charities Act 2011 (the Chaiities Act) and that an independent examÈnalSon is needed. It is my responsibilty lo= xamine the accounts under Sectlon 145 of the Chartiies Act to follow the procedUS laid down in the general Directions given by the chalY CDmmission (under Secl on 14515llbl of the Chantie3 Act). and to state wh?ther parilcular matters have come to my attention. 4of5 2015 churrh R aTvJ P8 PUBLIC
Basis of Independent Examiner’s Report
My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. 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 explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair' view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent Examiner’s Statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention (other than that disclosed below*):
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(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act;
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities 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.
* Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply appropriate
(3) I have obtained independent verification of all investments with the Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes ("TMCP") or held in other Trusts, Bank balances and Funds at the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church ("CFB"), which are individually in excess of £10,000 (ten thousand pounds) at the balance sheet date.
* Please circle as appropriate
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