FARNHAM UNITED REFORMED CHURCH CHARITY (Number 1138055)
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020
This report includes information required by the Charities Act 2011 and the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the Statement of Recommended Practice for Accounting by Charities 2005 as applicable to charities entitled to prepare accounts on the receipts and payments basis.
ADM'NISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Farnham United Reformed Church is a local church of the United Reformed Church in Great Britain, and is a member church of the Wessex Synod of the United Reformed Church. Farnham United Reformed Church is situated at South Street, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 7QU. Since 1 September 2018 it has operated wholly in conjunction with Farnham Methodist Church as a Local Ecumenical Partnership, known as The Spire Church, Farnham.
The Charity Trustees who served from 1 January 2020 - 31 December 2020 are: The Revd Philip Simpkins The Revd. Michael Hopkins Mr Roy Beard Mr Alan Crook Mr Roy Davenport Mrs Sue Dawson Mrs Jane Foxwell Mrs Sue Lang Mrs Helen McConnell Mrs. Alison Noakes Miss Ann Pook Mrs Heather Richards Mr Ian Sargeant Mr Nick Savill The Revd Howard Sharp Miss Frances Skerratt Mrs Janet Stone
The Church building at the junction of South Street and Victoria Road, and the Manse at 23 Hillary Road, are vested in the United Reformed Church (Wessex) Trust Ltd. as trustees and held for the benefit of Farnham United Reformed Church in accordance with the trusts applicable to United Reformed Church properties.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Since 1 September 2018, Farnham United Reformed Church formed a Local Ecumenical Partnership, called The Spire Church Farnham, with Farnham Methodist Church (a charity currently excepted fromregistration). All worship and day-to-day activities have been handled by the two churches working together in The Spire Church since that date. Farnham United Reformed Church and Farnham Methodist Church both continue to exist as legal entities, but they share a completely common membership roll, and all their governance responsibilities have been formally delegated to The Spire Church. The trustees of The Spire Church are also trustees of the general funds of Farnham United Reformed Church. During 2020 a process of consolidation and simplification of funds and accounts began.
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
The Spire Church, through which Farnham United Reformed Church operates, expresses its objectives thus: The Spire Church exists to help people experience the love of God through Jesus.
The trustees are aware of the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit in "The Advancement of Religion for the Public Benefit" and had regard to it in the administration of the Church. The trustees believed that, the Church provided benefit to the public by providing resources and facilities for public worship, pastoral care and spiritual, moral and intellectual development, both for the congregation and for anyone else who wishes to benefit from what the Church offers; promoting Christian values and service by members of the congregation to the community, for the benefit of individuals and society as a whole.
REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
During the period of these accounts public worship was offered, the Gospel was preached, and the sacraments administered.
Study Groups took place.
Pastoral care was offered by the Ministers and others.
Members of the Church served the Community in a wide variety of roles, both within and beyond the Church.
The Spire Coffee bar and groups for toddlers, children, young people and adults, are open to everyone. Rooms were made available for community use when not required for church use, requesting contributions towards the running of the Church to cover costs. Likewise charges in the coffee bar are kept as low as possible to encourage community use and fellowship as well as covering operating costs and making donations to other charities.
We have sought to improve our welcome to people, to enhance the premises, and to engage with the cultural life of the community to promote spiritual values.
We continued to work with all other local churches, specifically other churches in Farnham, and local Methodist and United Reformed Churches.
Plans for the refurbishment and development of the building, known as the Pilgrim Project, have developed considerably.
The coronavirus pandemic had a major effect upon the work of the charity during much of the year.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
During the period, the Accounts show that the church had a deficit in its funds of £17,936, compared to a surplus of £1,878 the previous year. Because of the consolidation of funding into the Spire Church, and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, while these accounts are wholly accurate, they only show a part of the operation a combined entity.
This report was approved by the Trustees at their meeting on 28 September 2021 and authorised the Minister and Church Secretary to sign off the accounts and report.
Michael Hopkins Minister
Alison Noakes Church Secretary
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLANOAND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to Ihe trusteesl members of Farnham United Reformed Church On accounts lor the year ended 31 December 2020 Charlty no (ff any) 1138055 Set oth on geS 3&4 Iitrrember 10 Incluéè lh8 paot nuinbets d a¢di'A-. I report trj the trustees on my examinatK)n of the accounts of the aLa charity {Ihe Trusll for the yeaT ended 3111212020 As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation Responslbllltle8 and of Ihe aGGounts in aGGordance with the requiremerts of the Chaiilie8 Act basls ol report 2011 I'lhe Act"). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under seclion 145 01 Ihe 2011 Act and in carrying out rny examination. I have followed the applicable Directions given by th8 Charity Commission under section 145{5llb) of Ihe Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my atten*on lother than that disclosed below") in connection with the exarninalion which gives me cause to believe that in. any material respect: accounting Tecords w8re rt kept in aO¥danCe with section 130 of the Acl or the aGwunls do not aOrd wilh the accounting records Independent examlner's stalement I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention shoijld be drawn in order to enable a prDper Linderstanding of the accounts to be readied. ' Please de te the wrds the brackets rf they do not apply. Slgned: Date: Name: Michael Williamson Relevani protesslonal quallli¢atlon(s) or body (It Hny): Address: 8 Glyswood, Famham, GUI0 4TN IER October 2018
Seclion B Disclosure Only ojmplete rf the examiner needs to highlight mallers of concern (see CC32. Independenl examination of charity accounts: direolions and guidance lor examiners). Glve here brfef detalls of any items that the examiner wishes to dfsclose. IER Oclober 2018
HARITY COMMISSION FOR FMGEAND WA£ES Farnham Unlied Befomiod Church 11380J5 Receipls and ments accounts CC16a FOT the pertod from 01-JaTr20 91.tlec.20 Section A Receipls and payments Unres1ricted lurwJ$ lothe neorelll Re5trictEd Endowment lunds Tot lund8 181 tothe1£ tDlhB nreAt£ thtrnaarB&tK iothFrnATw#E A1 Recel Is (I%ry ID Geller runts Sak5 01 Refre5hrnts& Sv Grahtg Iii)m r8 Chuldl F¥mham ¢aTrt IFLYn Elslpad iThG Interest Usa tsl Pfemi Sundry O(xwkns. (¥ants8 Tax Reftitd 56224 ,275 81 473 61,27 21176 Sub tot81{Gross incomé forAR} A2 AJs&l and Investment sales. (see iable). Sub total 2ZA48 A3Pa ents ol nistry Intt. Costs 14ef(estrfnent& SutKlryGSinC. Salarfès Qtt0 W'rg chUh F&mh CWitsNe DorHuons OlthkAdnNn IK Sal tenan*ol¢hurth Pw 5re1Lqwus Pr¢kd Costs Frtdr 2Sg40 193 9.?53 16 4001 ¥OS7 2M95 4812 1.7a9 Sub total 110 4 Awt and inv88knont purclx (see tiblg) t16367 Not ol racelpts/(paymenl$J - A5 Tianslers betw•an fuThJs A6 Cash funds last year end Cash furlds thls year t_041 52 38,B18 1D176 1217 90.011 t43, CCXX H1 acctrtS ISSI 1710512021
Seclion B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestrictgd funds ton9Brw£ Restrie Endowment fuNIs K+rrt•regt£ Cgl¢gorke l)etslls B1 Ca¥h funds B&nk & DEt FrS 121744 Total cash funds yAn(s)) QK Unrestrlcted Restri¢led funds fwwjs r86t lunds Detalls B2 Other monetsry asset$ Fund tsiwhl¢h b¢1 (rI¢m Detsi Co#{rWonari B3 Investrnènt assèts Fund to whlch bel eLUF•ntVq Deiails B4 Assèts retalned for the charity's own Fund to wh lale5 Detsl nal lonal B5 Uablllttes Signed by ortsv tnJsteg5 on bBhalfof tP* trustees Signature Prlnt Namè De ol roval Ivi</2[ li | fl21 CCXX R2 aunts ISSI 1710SQ021