CHRIST CHURCH CHICHESTER
ANNUAL REPORT AND STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER 1139545
Naylor Accountancy Services (Chichester) Limited 2 Dukes Court Bognor Road Chichester West Sussex PO19 8FX
Charity Number 1139545
Christ Church Chichester
Trustees Report for the year ending 31°* August 2025
Index
| Page number | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Objectives and activities | 2 |
| 2 | Aims | 2 |
| 3 | Achievements and performance | 2-4 |
| 4 | Plansforfuture years | 4 |
| 5 | Financial review | 4-5 |
| 6 | Trustee responsibilities | 5 |
| 7 | Structure, governance and management | 6-7 |
| 8 | Reference and administrative details | 7-8 |
| 9 | Approval and Signatory | 9 |
| Independent Examiner’s Report | 10 | |
| StatementofReceipts and Payments | 11 | |
| Statement ofAssetsand Liabilities | 12 | |
| NotestotheAccounts | 13-14 | |
| ReservesPolicy | 15 |
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CCC TAR 31 8 2025
Charity number 1139545
Christ Church Chichester
Trustees Report for the year ending 31° August 2025
1 Objectives and activities
The church is led by the Minister, Officers and Elders and Trustees. The Trustees meet four times a year, and our Minister Revd. Helen Higgin-Botham was the Chair until her retirement on 31 October 2025. Our new Minister Revd. Andrew Reed has taken over from her as Chair.
The Trustees are charged by the Church’s Constitution with taking decisions that affect the life of the Church, but in doing so they have regard to the wisdom and wishes of all members of the Church community; this is taken from feedback from Elders’ meetings, through formal reports from working groups and from discussions and decisions at our quarterly Church meetings.
Our mission is to be a powerful spiritual influence in the community and a visible expression of God’s inclusive love. We aim to achieve this by developing our worship, social and outreach activities that currently exist, in addition to seeking new ways to extend to others the fellowship of the Church family.
2 Aims
To Worship God as revealed in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
To build the unity of our fellowship.
To seek to grow spiritually and numerically.
To serve the needs of the local community.
To work for[justice][and][reconciliation][in][the][world.]
3 Achievements and performance
The Church seeks to achieve its aims through initiatives including:
The weekly offering of Sunday worship at various times and with various formats, with the celebration of the sacrament of Holy Communion. These have been led by our Minister Revd Helen Higgin-Botham until her retirement on 31 October 2025 and we are grateful to her for her spiritual leadership, teaching and encouragement. Worship is enhanced by our gifted musicians and our choir. A service of Holy Communion is celebrated on the first and occasionally the second Sunday in each month. Church services are recorded and made
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available on our Church website; we continue to improve and upgrade our audio-visual facilities. There are some meetings using Zoom, and quarterly Church Magazines distributed to members by our Pastoral visitors. Our Minister also served at Pagham URC Church for 25% of her time until her retirement and we have joined with them for significant services and celebrations. Christ Church has joined with the members of other churches in the West Sussex (Coast and Downs) Circuit to welcome visiting ministers, and to celebrate other Christian festivals. We also have support from the Southern Synod of the URC, where members of our congregation together with our Minister attend meetings and can access training opportunities.
We reach out to children and young people firstly by the provision of groups for learning and participation in worship, and secondly through activities organised by our Youth Worker with a view to expanding the use of performing arts to broaden Church outreach. Our Youth worker is funded by the West Sussex (Coast and Downs) Circuit.
Our prayer ministry comprising a prayer network for pastoral needs, and invitations to prayer both in the Church notice sheet and through a ‘Prayer Tree’ located in the Church lounge. A weekly prayer meeting on Zoom continues to be held.
An effective network of pastoral care consisting of many pastoral visitors grouped under the leadership of a Pastoral Co-ordinator.
Our Church opens to the public some weekday mornings for coffee and chat, and any surplus income from the sale of refreshments is given to Church funds.
We continue the support of local, national and international charities by regular collections, including participation in the United Reformed Church’s Commitment for Life programme, raising £1,085 during the October 24 campaign. Harvest donations were sent to both Chichester District Foodbank and Heart (for the Homeless) each receiving the sum of £60. The McCabe Educational Trust received a Christmas donation from us, giving £152 specifically to the Jeel al Amal Boys home in the Holy Land. Together with other Chichester Churches we support Christian Aid through both Advent and Lent soup lunches raising in excess of £1,500 between the Churches. A Christmas gift of £255 was also sent to HomeStart Chichester.
In addition, Christ Church has provided financial support giving £1,227 to the following two charities: Heart (for the Homeless), and Home-Start Chichester; alongside Chichester District Foodbank which received £1,229 from us. Stonepillow which is another local charity providing shelter and food for homeless and vulnerable people received a total of £1,004.
The policy of the Trustees is to ensure that all recipients are thoroughly vetted, and that any donation given by Christ Church is appropriately allocated.
Our Church provides opportunities for Christian fellowship, prayer, Bible study and education through several House Groups which meet regularly, and also through participation in ecumenical meetings in the city.
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The Church makes its premises available to the wider community, and community groups meet on the premises on a frequent basis.
Considerable time and effort has gone into revising our Constitution, which was adopted on 17 November 2024.
We are now an Eco Church with a dedicated team and currently hold a Bronze Award; we are working towards a Silver Award.
This year has seen a continuation of maintenance of the building, including monies spent on revitalising our Worship area floor.
In line with requirements, we have a Safeguarding policy and designated Safeguarding officer.
4 Plans for future years
To continue to enhance and develop the spiritual life of the Church.
To encourage initiatives for mission in the community.
To continue to support local charities.
To ensure that all those required to do so have attended appropriate safeguarding and equality and diversity training.
5 Financial Review
During the year ending 31 August 2025, Income received totalled £94,183 (2024 £95,518) and Expenditure totalled £104,698 (2024 £99,856). These amounts include the income raised for specific charities and the subsequent donations to them of the full amount raised. The cash held by the Charity at the end of the period was £116,283 (2024 £126,798). Please see the accompanying Accounts for details.
The Trustees have every reason to believe that the Church is a going concern.
The Trustees do not foresee any factors that will significantly affect the financial performance or position in the next year or two. The church holds no freehold property. The church’s principal sources of funds are from the free-will gifts of the members of the congregation and from fundraising events.
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5.1 Investment policy and performance
To comply with Methodist Standing Orders, monies for long-term investment will be lodged with the Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes (TMCP). These sums will be invested in unitised investments or held on deposit. The deposit mirrors the deposit rates available elsewhere. The Trustees’ investment policy is aligned with that of the Methodist Central Finance Board (CFB) and TMCP because these organisations take into consideration the social, environmental and ethical considerations, both negatively and positively, that make investments suitable for the Methodist Church. Short term deposits are lodged directly with the Central Finance Board (CFB).
5.2 Reserves level and policy
Please see the accompanying Reserves Policy and current balances on reserves shown in Note 6 to the accounts. Reserves level and policy are agreed by the Trustees; the current Reserves Policy which is attached was reviewed and agreed by the Trustees at their meeting on 10 February 2026.
6 Trustees’ responsibilities
For each financial year ending on 31* August, the Trustees are required to prepare financial statements that give a true and fair view of the Church’s financial activities during the year and of its financial position at the end of the year. In preparing these financial statements the Trustees must:
- 0 Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently. o Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent. © Follow applicable accounting standards. © Prepare accounts using The Methodist Church Standard Form of Accounts.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time, the financial position of the church and enable them to ensure that financial statements comply with the law. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Church and hence taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. The responsibilities of the Trustees and other committees are set out in Standing Orders 603-604 of the Constitutional Practice and Discipline of the Methodist Church.
6.1 Risk
The Church is largely risk averse.
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7 Structure, governance and management
7.1 Structure
Christ Church Chichester is a Local Ecumenical Partnership between the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church. As such it forms part of the West Sussex (Coast and Downs) Circuit and the URC Southern Synod. It is represented at all appropriate Circuit and Synod Meetings. For most administrative, financial legal and property purposes, Christ Church Chichester is subject to the control, regulation and supervision of the Methodist Church. The Methodist Conference meets once each year as the supreme denominational body for all Methodist Churches.
Overall regulatory authority rests with the Methodist Conference.
The Methodist Connexional Office implements decisions made by the Conference.
The District passes down to circuit level for implementation by the Superintendent Minister, ministerial staff and circuit stewards, authority is delegated to the Circuit Meeting for certain matters.
The Circuit Meeting passes regulatory control down to Church Councils, Trustees for local regulatory control is then exercised by the Church Councils or Trustees as Managing Trustees of their Charity.
7.2 Purpose of the Church
The purposes of the Methodist Church and United Reformed Church (the Churches) are and shall be deemed to have been the advancement of the following:
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© The Christian faith in accordance with the doctrinal standards and the discipline of
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the Churches.
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Any charitable purposes for the time being of any Connexional, Synod, District, Circuit, local or other organisation of the Churches.
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Any charitable purpose for the time being of any society or institution, subsidiary or ancillary to the Churches.
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Any purpose for the time being of any charity being a subsidiary or ancillary of the Churches.
The primary purpose of Christ Church Chichester is to advance the Christian faith by providing opportunities for worship, Christian nurture and fellowship within the wider Chichester Community.
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7.3 Governance
The Church operates within a statutory framework of regulation and seeks to ensure that it follows Methodist Standing Orders. It relies on the Connexional Office at Methodist Church House, 25 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SF to provide guidance on changes that could aifect the Church. Trustees are appointed under the terms of the Constitution of Christ Church (Methodist and United Reformed) Chichester. Trustees meet four times per year and deal with routine and exceptional matters. Trustees oversee the work of other groups within the life of the Church.
8 Reference and administrative details
8.1 Name of the Church
Christ Church (Methodist and United Reformed) Chichester
8.2 Governing Document
Christ Church (Methodist and United Reformed) Chichester Constitution adopted on 25 November 2010, revised and subsequently adopted on 17 November 2024.
8.3 Charity Registration Number
1139545
8.4 Address
Old Market Avenue Chichester West Sussex PO19 1SW
8.5 Number of Members
99 as at 31 August 2025 (107 at 31 August 2024)
8.6 Minister
The Revd. Helen Higgin-Botham (retired 31 October 2025)
The Revd. Andrew Reed (appointed 1 November 2025)
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8.7 Names of Trustees
Chair: Revd. Helen Higgin-Botham (retired 31 October 2025) Secretary: EdRevd.Martin Andrew Reed (appointed 1 November 2025) Treasurer: Penny Ellison
Doreen Field (appointed 17 November 2024) Colin Higgin-Botham (resigned 23 November 2025) Deborah Mabbitt Lindsay Marchant Margaret Martin (resigned 23 November 2025) Chris Monkton David Morrow (resigned 17 November 2024) Stephen Palmer Mary Quiney (resigned 17 November 2024) Tina Twaites
8.8 Bankers
CAF Bank Ltd 25 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill West Malling Kent ME19 4Q)
8.9 Independent Examiner
Jonathan Rowden FCA Naylor Accountancy Services (Chichester) Limited 2 Dukes Court Bognor Road Chichester PO19 8FX
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9 Trustees Responsibilities, Approval and Signatory
The Charities Act requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the trust and of the surplus of the trust for that period. In preparing those financial statements the trustees are required to:
Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently. Make Judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent. Prepare financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the trust will continue in existence.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records, which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the trust. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the trust and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Approved by the Trustees at a Trustee Meeting on......... 0... ZOVb.............
Signed on behalf of the Trustees Reeser (aed Revd. Andrew Reed
Date: en
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CCC TAR 31 8 2025
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT ON THE ACCOUNTS
Report to the trustees of Christ Church Chichester (Charity Number 1139545) on accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 set out on pages 11 to 14.
Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner
The charity’s Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.
| report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, | have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent Examiner’s Statement
- | have completed my examination. | confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: ® accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or e the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
| have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed:a oe
Date: 2.2-02.-26 Lis
Mr JB Rowden FCA
Naylor Accountancy Services (Chichester) Limited 2 Dukes Court Bognor Road Chichester West Sussex PO19 8FX
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NTa a a a a LE ED
CHRIST CHURCH CHICHESTER
STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
| Notes | "i Designated HSeStiCred Funds Funds |
2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| . (Unrestricted) |
||||
| £ £ |
£ | £ | ||
| RECEIPTS | ||||
| Voluntary Receipts | 2a | 79,976 3,092 |
83,068 | 83,460 |
| InvestmentIncome | 2b | 11,115 0 |
12,115 | 12,058 |
| TOTAL RECEIPTS | rn 91,091 3,092 94,183 95,518 re |
|||
| PAYMENTS | ||||
| CostsofCharitableActivities | 3a | 96,145 7,473 |
103,618 | 98,896 |
| GovernanceCosts | 3b | 1,080 0 |
1,080 | 960 |
| TOTALPAYMENTS | eee 97,225 7,473 104,698 99,856 re ee, |
|||
| NETINCOME/(OUTGOING) | RESOURCES | (6,134) (4,381) |
(10,515) | (4,338) |
| Balances BroughtForward | 32,416 94,382 |
126,798 | 131,136 | |
| TransferBetween Funds | 6 | 0 0 |
0 | 0 |
| BALANCESCARRIEDFORWARD | a eeeeeeSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSeeee 26,282 90,001 116,283 126,798 SSS |
The notes on pages 13 and 14 form part of these accounts
All operations are continuing operations
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CHRIST CHURCH CHICHESTER
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AS AT 31 AUGUST 2025
| Unrestricted Funds |
Restricted Funds |
Restricted Funds |
2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| ASSETS | |||||
| Cash Funds | |||||
| CAFCurrentAccount | 9,217 | 0 | 9,217 | 4,685 | |
| RoyalBankofScotland -Current | 7,258 | 0 | 7,258 | 1,262 | |
| CeniralFinanceBoard -Deposit | 99,808 | 0 | 99,808 | 120,851 | |
| eee | |||||
| 116,283 SSS |
it) | 116,283 | 126,798 | ||
| LIABILITIES | |||||
| IndependentExaminer'sFee | 1,116 | 0 | 1,116 | 1,080 | |
| eS | |||||
| 1,116 —— |
0 | 1,116 | 1,080 |
TRUSTEES RESPONSIBILITIES IN RELATION TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Charity law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which comply with the regulations set out in the Charities Act 2011. The Trustees have elected to take advantage of the provisions that apply to small charities and have prepared a Receipts and Payments Account and Statement of Assets and Liabilities which are set out on pages 10 and 11.
Approvedby the Trustees on AQ... Fe RWauy £02 le Signed Treat! i Print on their behalfbyHussey ie Trustee / ( Ve ody vev Name wWANDY Te CUISoN _
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CHRIST CHURCH CHICHESTER
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
i BASIS OF ACCOUNTING
The accounts have been prepared under the “Receipts and Payments" basis as prescribed by the Charity Commissioners and they meet the appropriate legal requirements.
2 RECEIPTS
| Notes | Unrestricted Designated 2025 2024 Funds Funds |
|
|---|---|---|
| a) VoluntaryReceipts | £ £ £ £ |
|
| Ministryandmissionincome Offeringsanddonations Giftaidincome Legacies Incomeforspecialpurposes Otherincome |
1,072 0 1,072 0 48,842 0 48,842 50,819 10,247 0 10,247 15,547 0 0 0 0 0 3,092 3,092 3,168 19,815 0 19,815 13,926 |
|
| oe 79,976 3,092 83,068 83,460 Ee edSee |
||
| b) InvestmentIncome | ||
| Rents BankInterest |
6,000 0 6,000 5,850 5,115 0 5,115 6,208 |
|
| ee 11,115 0 11,115 12,058 meme ee ae |
||
| 3 PAYMENTS | ||
| a} CostsofCharitableActivities | ||
| MinistryandMission costs WorshipStudyandPastoral ChurchRunningcosts Administration costs Donationsofincomeraisedforspecialpurposes |
59,967 0 59,967 64,012 173/ 0 1,737 1,385 31,625 3,001 34,626 24,303 2,816 1,380 4,196 6,028 0 3,092 3,092 3,168 |
|
| ee | ||
| 96,145 7,473 103,618 98,896 memes e |
||
| b) GovernanceCosts | ||
| IndependentExaminationfee | 1,080 0 1,080 960 |
|
| ee | ||
| 1,080 0 1,080 960 neem ae |
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CHRIST CHURCH CHICHESTER
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
4 RESTRICTED FUNDS
There were no restricted funds in this financial year.
5 PAYMENTS TO TRUSTEES
No payments were made to trustees or any persons connected with them during this financial period other than reimbursement for small connecteditems paid for with on them behalf of the Charity. No other material transaction took place between the organisation and a trustee or any person
6 FUNDS MOVEMENTS
| Balances Balances Brought bai Carried Receipts Payments Between Forward Funds Forward 01/09/2024 31/08/2025 |
|
|---|---|
| Designated Funds | £ £ £ £ £ |
| BuildingReserve ShortTermGifts/Legacy(EricBrookes) ShortTermGifts/Legacy(JanetBland) Income/donationsforspecialpurposes HardshipFund |
90,906 0 (3,001) 0 87,905 2,976 0 (1,380) 0 1,596 0 0 0 0 0 0 3,092 (3,092) 0 0 500 0 0 0 500 ees 94,382 3,092 (7,473) 0 90,001 |
| GeneralFund | 32,416 91,091 (97,225) 0 26,282 |
| - Total UnrestrictedFunds |
126,798 94,183 (104,698) 0 116,283 ee |
7 PUBLIC BENEFIT
The Charity acknowledges its requirement to demonstrate clearly that it must have charitable purposes or ‘aims' that are for the public benefit. Details of how the Charity has achieved this are provided in the Trustees Report. The Trustees confirm that they have undertake.paid due regard to the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit before deciding what activities the Charity should
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Christ Church Chichester
Charity Number 1139545
Financial Reserves Policy 2025-26
Reserves Held for Unspecified Purposes in the General Fund.
The General Fund is an Unrestricted Fund. It consists of the fluctuating credit balances of the Church’s accounts at the Royal Bank of Scotland, the Charities Aid Foundation Bank and the Methodist Central Finance Board that are not categorised below as ‘Designated Funds held for Specific Purposes’. Although these funds have been designated for specific purposes as agreed by the Trustees, it should be noted that these are also unrestricted funds and can be called upon, if required, to fund any shortfall in the General Fund.
The Fund fluctuates because it receives Church income and meets Church expenditure daily. It is also the container for our principal Reserve, represented by the minimum value that we aim to maintain in the Fund.
We aim to hold in reserve sufficient money in our General Fund to cover six month’s necessary expenditure — currently approximately £45,000. There are four main reasons for this:
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© The Church needs six months average expenditure in reserve as working capital to cover normal running costs which are unevenly distributed through the financial year.
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© Asone of the larger Churches in the Methodist Church West Sussex (Coast and Downs) Circuit, Christ Church may be adversely impacted by changes in the Circuit budget to a greater extent than smaller Churches,
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Normally about 20% of the annual operating costs of the Church are funded by income from lettings and premises usage. This funding source is exposed to risks that are outside the control of the Church and therefore reasonable financial cover must be provided that allows time for the Church to recover from any interruption in lettings income.
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Asix-month working capital reserve equates to current best accounting practice and Church recommended reserve levels for an organisation the size of Christ Church.
The General Fund Reserve declared in the 2024-2025 accounts of Christ Church as at 31 August 2025 was £26,282. The shortfall of approximately £18,718 can be met from unrestricted designated funds if needed as noted above.
Designated Funds Held for Specific Purposes
The Building Fund is a reserve to provide future support for major premises repairs and refurbishment. Specifically, the reserve is needed to fund or partially fund potential repairs that may be required to the flat roof of the Church buildings. The reserve may also be called upon for major repairs and expenditure which exceeds £5,000 that cannot be met from current year working capital and/or maintenance and repairs resources.
The Short Term Gifts and Grants Fund is a reserve fund which holds funds left to the church in memory of individuals and which the Trustees have designated to be spent on a specific purpose.
The Hardship Fund is a reserve fund specifically to support individuals at the Minister's discretion.
Approved at the Trustee Meeting 10 February 2026
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