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2022-09-30-accounts

Brixington Community Church (Baptist) Trustees’ Report and Accounts 1[st] October 2021 to 30[th] September 2022

Brixington Community Church (Baptist) Trustees Report 1[st] October 2021 – 30[th] September 2022

Our Vision: ‘To be a Christ centred people demonstrating the love of God in the community’

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
Trustees’ Report for the Year 1stOctober 2021 to 30thSeptember 2022 3
Reference and Administrative details of the Charity, its Trustees and Advisers 3
Charity Status 3
Managing Trustees 3
Principal Advisers 3
Structure, Governance and Management 3
Governing Document 3
Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees 3
Induction and Training of Trustees 3
Organisational Structure 3
Baptist Union of Great Britain and South West Baptist Association 4
Relationships between the Charity and Related Parties 4
Risk Management 4
Objectives and Activities 4
Objects of the Charity 4
Charity’s Aims 4
Declaration of Principal 5
Charity’s Main Objectives for the Year 5
Charity’s Vision and Purposes 6
Mission Statements 6
Achievements and Performance
 7
Pastor’s Annual Report
 7
Administration Annual Report
 8
Servanthood Annual Report 8
Youth and Children’s Worker Annual Report 9
Family Support Worker Annual Report 10
Growth Groups Annual Report 11
Safeguarding and Pastoral Care Annual Report 11
Health and Safety Annual Report 12
Exeter Chiefs Rugby Club Chaplaincy Annual Report 12
Hospitality Annual Report 13
Worship Annual Report
 13
Communication Annual Report 13
Community Engagement Annual Report
 14
Premises Annual Report
 14
Stewardship - Treasurer’s Annual Report 15
Trustees Responsibilities in Relation to the Financial Statements 16
Signature and Declaration 16
Independent Examiners Report 17
Financial Accounts for the period 1stOctober to 30thSeptember 2022 18
Appendix 1 – Definition of Restricted and Designated Funds 21

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Brixington Community Church (Baptist) Trustees Report 1[st] October 2021 – 30[th] September 2022

Annual Report for the Year to 30[th] September 2022

The Trustees are pleased to present their report for the year 1[st] October 2021 to 30[th] September 2022. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements of the Charities Act 2011.

Reference and Administrative Details of the Charity, its Trustees and Advisers:

Charity Status

Brixington Community Church (Baptist) is a registered charity under the Charities Act 2011, Registered Charity Number 1139968.

Managing Trustees

The church is administered by the Managing Trustees of the Charity comprising: -

Minister and Chair of Trustees Reverend S Atkinson Administrator Miss P Hill Treasurer Mr G Hughes Elders Reverend R Elston (Until July 22) Mr N Fryer-Saxby (From 24 November 2021) Trustees/Deacons Mrs M Carvalho Mrs J Clark Mrs D Goodwin (From 24 November 2021) Miss A Galashan (Until 24 November 2021) Mrs C Littlejohn

Principal Advisers

Bankers CAF Bank Ltd, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4JQ. Independent Examiner Bush & Co Chartered Accountants, 2 Barnfield Crescent, Exeter, EX1 1QT.

Structure, Governance and Management

Governing Document

The church’s governing document is a declaration of model trust dated 17[th] June 1974 which sets out the objects of the charity. The current land site has been occupied since 1972 when the first building was erected.

Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees

The Administrator, Treasurer, Elders and Charity Trustees (Deacons) are the Managing Trustees of the charity and are chosen from among existing church members who show the reality of their faith by the consistency of their Christian character and by their loyalty to the cause of Christ. Annual elections are held at the church Annual General Meeting by ballot. Nominees must secure a vote of at least 60% of those present and eligible to vote.

Induction and Training of Trustees

New Trustees appointed during the reporting period, receive one-to-one briefings with the Chair of Trustees on operational policy, the Charity Trust deed and Constitution. They are also briefed on the responsibilities of a Trustee based on the Charity Commission guidance booklet CC3 - ‘The Essential Trustee’ and in line with our Induction Policy.

Organisational Structure

The church is governed and regulated by its own members where all aspects of the work of the church are subject to the approval of the church meeting which is normally held bi-monthly. The Minister of the church is a paid managing Trustee and with the Administrator, Treasurer, Elders and Charity Trustees (Deacons) gives leadership to

Brixington Community Church (Baptist) Trustees Report 1[st] October 2021 – 30[th] September 2022

the church. The Administrator, Treasurer, Elders and Trustees (Deacons) assist the Minister in his role and are also responsible for preparing the business for the church meetings.

The Baptist Union of Great Britain and the South West Baptist Association

The church is part of the wider Baptist family and is therefore a member church of the South West Baptist Association (SWBA) and of the national body, The Baptist Union of Great Britain (BUGB). Both organisations are registered charities. The church pays an annual subscription to BUGB based upon its membership numbers and donates to the BUGB (Home Mission Fund) for the Baptist Family in the UK.

Relationships between the Charity and Related Parties

Christians Together in Exmouth (CTE) - the church is an active member of the ecumenical partnership of churches in the Exmouth area.

The church also supports Initiative in Christian Education (ICE) and Open Door, Exmouth . These connected organisations of the church exist as part of the work and mission of the church which are open to the community.

The church also allocates some of the Minister’s time to fulfil the role of Chaplain to Exeter Chiefs Rugby Club .

Exmouth Foodbank - the church contributes regularly to the foodbank (formerly known as Exmouth Community Larder) and several church members are involved in this project.

Evangelical Alliance - The church is a member of The Evangelical Alliance which is an umbrella grouping for Evangelical Christians in the UK. Formed in 1846, the Alliance aims to bring Christians together and help them listen to, and be heard by, the government, media and society.

Risk Management

The Trustees examine on a rolling basis all major strategic business and operational risks that the charity faces. Controls and action plans are developed to address any additional risks that are identified during this process.

A robust Risk Assessment has been undertaken in the light of COVID-19, to identify and implement the risks that the church faces and continues to be monitored on a regular basis.

Objectives and Activities

Objects of the Charity

The Charity is established for the purposes of the advancement of religion through the spiritual work of the church. These purposes include the provision and upkeep of a place of worship, carrying out religious services, the payment, housing and pensioning of a Minister of Religion and other persons employed for the purposes of a place of worship.

Charity’s Aims

Under the Baptist Union Declaration of Principle (See page 5), Brixington Community Church seeks to be an active Christian community/fellowship bringing Christian witness and care to the area known as Brixington within the town of Exmouth. The church also acknowledges its Christian responsibilities beyond the local community and seeks to engage in both national and international situations.

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Brixington Community Church (Baptist) Trustees Report 1[st] October 2021 – 30[th] September 2022

Charity’s Main Objectives for the Year

The church continues to offer public worship on Sunday mornings together with a selection of Mid-week activities. We continue to stream our Sunday morning worship services through our YouTube page.

Conversations continued with those who are interested in discussing their faith and the possibility of baptism and church Membership.

The church continues to be involved in Mission activities locally, nationally and internationally.

  1. Locally – Exmouth Food Bank, Initiative in Christian Education (ICE), the Open Door project, Seniors’ lunches, Coffee mornings, Messy Church, Brixington Family Support, Parent Pop In, Exeter Chiefs, Street Pastors and Who Let the Dads Out, a new initiative this year, plus other outreach events.

  2. Nationally - As part of Home Mission within the Baptist Union, New Wine and Sports Chaplaincy.

  3. Internationally - Supports two individuals on short to medium term overseas mission in Mozambique and Romania, as well as supporting the Baptist Missionary Society.

The church continues to develop and grow through Fellowship, Worship, Discipleship, Servanthood and Evangelism.

The church premises are situated in an ideal location within Brixington which makes the premises attractive for a wide range of community groups, organisations and other charities. Where possible and appropriate, the church aims to recognise the needs of the community and organise activities and support groups to meet these needs.

Work has continued throughout the year on the plans to develop the church buildings into a hub serving the growing needs of both church and community. This year £16,279 has been raised towards this goal.

At the end of another year in the life of Brixington Community Church, we give thanks and praise God for all that has been accomplished, and for the fellowship we have shared as we continue our journey together.

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Brixington Community Church (Baptist) Trustees Report 1[st] October 2021 – 30[th] September 2022

The Charity’s Vision and Purposes

Vision

The Charity’s vision is ‘To be a Christ centred people demonstrating the love of God in the community’.

Purposes

Fellowship:

We believe we are called by God to be part of His family (the body of Christ) in Exmouth expressing our faith through love for others.

(John 13:35, Romans 12:10 & Hebrews 10:25)

Worship:

We seek to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, thus surrendering (offering) our lives as an act of worship.

(Psalm 95:6-7 & Romans 12:1)

Discipleship:

We seek to make disciples of all ages, encouraging people to grow and mature in faith by the study and application of the living Word of God through the power and the joy of prayer, which is at the heart of all we do and by the equipping (empowering) of the Holy Spirit who leads and guides us. (Acts 2:42, Hebrews 5:13-14 & 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Servanthood:

We believe that each person has been given gifts and talents to use to fulfil the plans and purposes of God in this and future generations by being fruitful and serving others.

(John 13:14-15, Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 2:10 & 1 Peter 4:10)

Mission/Outreach:

We aim to actively seek the lost and be a door of hope in the community by demonstrating and declaring the good news of Jesus Christ because we are convinced that He is able to save all who believe in Him. (Matthew 28:19-20, Luke 19:10 & Acts 20:24)

Mission Statements

Fellowship

Church Family: We aim to encourage all people to live Christ centred lives. To:

Youth and Children’s Work : Young people are important to the life of the church. We aim to:

Worship:

Services: Worship is important to the life of the church and includes the study and application of the Word of God. We aim to:

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Brixington Community Church (Baptist) Trustees Report 1[st] October 2021 – 30[th] September 2022

Prayer: Prayer is important in everything we do. Therefore, we seek to:

Discipleship:

Church growth: We believe that God desires this church to grow numerically and spiritually. We:

Growth Groups: Growth Groups are necessary for the spiritual growth of the church. We seek to:

Servanthood:

Serving the community: Our aim is to demonstrate the love of God in the community by:

Buildings: Our aim is for the building to be an asset valued by both church and community by:

Mission/Outreach: We believe everyone has a role to play in mission and outreach. Therefore we:

Achievements and Performance

Pastor's Annual Report

This last year has felt like we have been emerging out of the COVID pandemic a bit like the transformation that happens with a caterpillar to a butterfly. It has been encouraging to see people returning to meet in person whilst still seeing people participating through our online services.

During the year we have had a number of new people starting to worship with us and all of them started watching us online before even stepping into the building. By viewing us online before attending enables people to have a preview of what our services are like and so get a sense of the life of the church. Having an online presence still remains to be an important part of our ministry. We initially found that our Facebook page was a good platform to stream our services on, but now, due to their algorithms, our stream is getting blocked because of their perceived breaches of copyright, even though we have a copyright licence that permits us to stream. We have therefore, now moved all our streaming to our YouTube account.

This year we were able to run an Alpha course virtually and this was well attended. The result of the course saw two people get baptised for which we give thanks for.

We remain committed to supporting people in our community. During the year we have received a number of grants that have enabled us to provide financial support to those who have been struggling. We have continued to receive food donations via the Foodshare scheme, and we have been able to distribute these donations to people who we are currently working with or who are struggling. These donations have been topped up with nonperishable items donated by friends and members of Brixington Community Church. It is very encouraging to hear the stories of those we have helped and the difference we have made. Thank you to Kay for leading this important ministry and to the team that help to make this happen.

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Brixington Community Church (Baptist) Trustees Report 1[st] October 2021 – 30[th] September 2022

Our work with families and children continues to be strong and Bradley plays a key role in planning and facilitating this work. It has been great to see him develop and grow into the role he now does. Thank you to the team who work in this area of the life of the church.

I took a sabbatical for 3 months during the year with the focus of looking how God is building His church. I spent a month in America visiting a number of states and key churches. My time away affirmed the direction we were seeking to travel in as a fellowship. I would like to thank our Elders and Deacons who stepped up during my absence to ensure that the church continued to run smoothly as they sought to lead the church on a parallel sabbatical.

One of the key focuses we set for the year was to, ‘raise the spiritual bar’ especially coming out of COVID restrictions and to look at ways in which we can help people grow in the faith. We are also drawing together a development plan which helps us be intentional about growing disciples.

Thank you all for making this year such a positive one in many ways. I am excited about what lies ahead for us as a church, as we continue to press into our vision ‘To be a Christ centred people demonstrating the love of God in the community’.

Reverend Simon Atkinson Pastor

Administration Annual Report

With the relaxation of all the COVID restrictions, the church has continued to ‘open up’ to all the usual church activities and these have been a boon to the church fellowship. Two long-term premises hire have either moved on or closed, but an additional long-term hire has been taken on and the party bookings are swelling which is great news.

I can report that the church membership is at 88 members. We have said goodbye this year to Audrey Lofthouse, Alan Clark, Roland Fensome and Pete Corney. We miss them and remember them all with affection. There have been a number of people moving away from the area which also reflects in the lower numbers. In April we received four new people into membership, and there are a number of people exploring membership which is good to hear.

There were two Baptisms this year which were wonderful celebrations of God moving in people’s lives.

The Elders and Trustees continue to meet each month to carry out necessary church business and put in place or update all the required procedures as needed.

In May our Office Assistant, Julia Dale, was made redundant due to budget constraints. However, some of her administration tasks have been taken on by two volunteers in the figures of Christine Littlejohn and Michael Greaves, for which I thank them.

I would like to thank you for all your support of the church over this last year – ‘well done’ folks.

Tricia Hill Administrator

Servanthood Annual Report

There are two parts to this key activity in BCC, the giving of financial support and the offering of practical ministry:

Financial support: We continue to tithe our general income at 10%. This enables us to bless others, in addition to other designated giving. This year we also supported two missionary workers: Andrew in Romania and Elena in Mozambique; our food distribution ministry and the Bible Society.

Practical ministry: We provide a wide range of activities to support the needs of the community and offer support, friendship and advice. It is encouraging to see many members of the congregation involved in this valuable ministry. Our current Draft Development Plan asks that all our community work has an outward looking focus. We also ensure all our activities are engaging with the community and effective in promoting thegospel. Our aim is to develop a bridge to those linked to BCC via these activities.

Norman Fryer-Saxby Elder

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Brixington Community Church (Baptist) Trustees Report 1[st] October 2021 – 30[th] September 2022

Youth and Children’s Worker Annual Report

Messy Church: Since leading Messy Church online via Zoom during the pandemic and seeing an average of 11 children a month, a meeting with my team of volunteers was held towards the end of 2021. We discussed what precautions could be put in place to help stop the spread of Covid-19 within Messy Church. The main points taken from this meeting were the need to use face coverings and to space each activity at least 2 meters apart. At this meeting it was also felt that it was the right time for Messy Church to restart within the church building. This began better than we could ever have imagined, with 38 children coming into the church along with their parents on the 2[nd ] Messy Church Team October 2021. There has been a lot of positive feedback and good gratitude shown by both the children and parents/carers who have attended these sessions. There has been a steady increase of children since returning to the church building and there Messy Church are now around 27 children attending each session. We still have some plans on how we can change and keep things fresh with those who continue to attend.

New Events: Towards the end of 2021, I sat down with Simon to discuss whether starting up a group for dad’s,

grandad’s, male carers etc was something the community was looking for and the right thing to do. Simon then mentioned about a group called ‘Who Let the Dads Out?’. I investigated this idea further by asking parents who already attended children’s events, if this was something they would bring their children to. I also looked into what would be needed to put the ‘Who Let the Dad’s Out?’ sessions on in church. It was decided to put on a couple of trial sessions, and these took place on 16[th] October and 20[th]

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Who Let The Dad’s Out?
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November 2021. At

the first trial session, we had just 4 helpers along with 9 dads/male carers and 17 Children who attended. By the second trial session, this had grown to 5 helpers, 13 dads/male carers and 20 Children. We took these numbers as evidence that this is what the community wanted and needed. We continued this group throughout 2022 and saw an average of between 7-8 dads/male carers with an average of between 12-13 Children each month.

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Who Let The Dad’s Out?
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Schools’ work: We continued to have a good input with two of the local primary schools, Brixington Primary Academy and Bassetts Farm Primary School. We started off by pre-recording the assemblies and editing them with a video editing software and finished by uploading them to YouTube. On reviewing how the school assemblies were going with the school, the school were delighted with the quality we were giving them. However, I felt it wasn’t quite as engaging as much as it could be. So, I decided to move the assemblies to Zoom. This meant we could put on a live assembly and see the children’s response to what was being said. This worked really well while we were still unable to physically go into the schools. Towards the end of April 2022, we were able to go back in to Brixington Primary Academy in person, to put on the school assemblies. It was great to see the new children who had come into the lower years of the school. On Thursday 9[th] July it was good to be back in person at Bassetts Farm Primary School. Whilst Simon was away on sabbatical, Debby supported me by helping at the school assemblies which took place at Bassetts Farm.

‘One Off’ youth events: We also had a terrific year with putting on a number of ‘one-off’ big youth and children’s events. The first of these events was a Bright Lights Party which took place on Friday 29[th] October2021. We had excellent attendance with a total of 93 people in the church (28 Parents/guardians, 57 Children and 8 Helpers). The second of these events was a Christmas Party on Friday 17[th] December 2021. At this event we saw an increase of people with a total of 107 people in the church (32 Parents/guardians, 64 Children and 11 people on team). The third of our big events was the biggest children’s event of the year - a Holiday Club, which took place during the February school half-term. This was spread over 3 days (Tuesday 22[nd] , Wednesday 23[rd] and Thursday 24[th] ) and was

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Brixington Community Church (Baptist) Trustees Report 1[st] October 2021 – 30[th] September 2022

based on a pirate theme. On the first day of our holiday club, we had an

amazing result with 70 Children, 47 Parents (who stayed to watch) and a team of 13 people, this totalled a massive 130 people in the church. As expected Day 2 was a little quieter, as people had said that they were busy on The Pirate Crew! the Wednesday. However, it was still a

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The Pirate Ship
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really good day, with 46 children, 34 parents/guardians and a team made up of 16 The Pirate Ship people, resulting in a total of 96 for the day. Day 3 was a more popular day when

compared to Wednesday, with 57 children, 39 Adults and a team made up of 14 people totalling 110 people in all. The Holiday club was an enormous success with such a great turn out of people totalling over 336 people walking through the church door over the 3 days, along with lots of positive feedback from everyone. After the holiday club, I started planning the next big event which was the ‘Easter Fun Day’. This was a Free event for the whole family and took place on Saturday 16[th] April 2022. There was a lot going on Easter Fun Day Set Up during this event such as a BBQ, facepainting, bouncy castle, crafts, an Easter themed treasure hunt to win a chocolate egg, games and heaps more. The event lasted for 2 hours and was a remarkable success with 47 children attending along with 34 parents/guardians plus a team of 12 which meant we had a total of 93 people in attendance.

We also have lots of plans and ideas as a team for up-and-coming youth and children’s events to help grow all the work the Church is already doing.

Bradley Goodwin

Youth and Children’s Leader

Family Support Worker Annual Report

What an unusual year. We have a lot to thank the Lord for. He is so gracious that He has had us set up ‘Brix Family Support’ and we are ready to expand to support His people in our Community during the Pandemic and now through this recession.

The practical support I manage for the Church Includes:

Floating Support by Brix Family Support : This is special work with parents in their homes, helping address their life skills that takes between 4 months to 2 years. Support for mainly 2 hours a week is given using an individual support plan. We are given names of people that need some help via schools, other agencies, friends and contacts. Thank you to Jan Napper for accompanying me on the initial Interview visits. There is a lot of need on our doorstep, and the support that our Church is giving is life changing.

Brief Intervention Work: This includes giving advice, completing form applications, getting grants and quick budgeting support. People have needed support in person or some over the telephone/video link. I give them a listening ear, encouragement, and support as required. For example: We have given out emergency food, furniture project referrals and food larder referral vouchers. Some clients have needed Debt advice, a one-off Grant, financial advice and a budget to work with.

Food bag deliveries: This takes place on a Thursday and are for all the community, people alone, couples or families

that are financially struggling. From 1[st] October 2021 to 30[th] September 2022 the team have given out 1196 bags to feed 4338 people! The only reason there isn’t even more deliveries is that we haven’t had enough food from the supermarkets Fair share scheme.

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Brixington Community Church (Baptist) Trustees Report 1[st] October 2021 – 30[th] September 2022

‘Parent Pop In’: This is our free Toddler group with a community café. This started in December 2016 and runs on a Thursday afternoon from 1pm to 3.15pm in term time. Our team is Bradley, Debby, Ammie, Michelle, Maria and me. Simon also comes and talks to the adults. We are still in the Sanctuary, requiring the bigger space. We have had regular attendances of 24 to 40 people.

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The Team
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I am amazed that the links between the community and all the

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Parent Pop In
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Church events and activities are gelling so well. The awareness of our Church and our interaction with love in the Community is spreading.

Please keep praying for families to come into contact with our Church activities.

Praise the Lord for His work and provision.

Kay Atkinson Family Support Worker

Growth Groups Annual Report

Our Growth Groups play an important role within the life of the church here at Brixington Community Church. They are a place where we encourage discipleship and where pastoral care happens within the life of the fellowship.

The groups have continued to meet with over 70% of our members being part of a group that meets regularly. We have one group that has remained meeting online via Zoom and this has proved beneficial for those who have not been able to gather in person.

I would like to thank our Growth Group leaders for the time they invest in preparing, leading and caring for their groups each week.

Reverend Simon Atkinson Trustee responsible

Safeguarding and Pastoral Care Annual Report

Safeguarding : Brixington Community Church (BCC) aims to provide a safe and creative place for children, young people and adults in a vulnerable situation to be valued and nurtured.

The church has a robust safeguarding policy structure in place and a reporting procedure for issues of concern. Our policy demonstrates that every member of the fellowship has a part to play in creating and valuing a safe community. Within the annually updated policy there are also guidelines for 'best practice' for all who work alongside the vulnerable, along with an efficient and prompt system to respond to any safeguarding issues surrounding children, young people or adults in a vulnerable situation.

The policy statement is read out annually to the fellowship at the AGM, who are reminded of our collective responsibility for the well-being of all and the reporting procedure in the event of any concern. As a result, 2 reports of concern involving children away from church premises have been generated this year. Also, a contract has been prepared to receive back into church attendance, an ex-offender following prison discharge.

Our safeguarding team of Lead Trustee, Safeguarding Administrator, Youth Worker and Family Support Worker meet every 6-8 weeks with an agenda of overview and support. Our relationship with the Churches' Child Protection Advisory Service (CCPAS) workers, the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) team and the SW Baptist Association Safeguarding Lead , ensures that BCC's Lead Trustee can process any urgent reported concerns within 24 hours to the appropriate authorities or support services. The ex-offender contract has been prepared following their guidelines.

All who work alongside the vulnerable groups, along with the Trustees and Elders are Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checked and have received 'Safe to Grow' and 'Safe to Belong' training. I can report that all such workers are up to date in their accreditation. In addition, our existing policy for 'Working Alone', is also implemented into our working practice. A risk assessment is prepared and carried out before any activities, both on and off-site, before they can take place. These risk assessments also include activities such as senior lunches, all youth work and family / visitor home visits.

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Brixington Community Church (Baptist) Trustees Report 1[st] October 2021 – 30[th] September 2022

The Lead Trustee reports to the church Trustees at their monthly meetings.

Pastoral Care: The primary purpose of Pastoral Care at BCC is to care, support and nurture people so that the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is a resource for every situation.

Although the primary responsibility for Pastoral Care lies with the Pastor, he is assisted by the Elders and Trustees. They review the pastoral needs of the congregation at their regular meetings.

Pastoral Care is also exercised through the prayerful and practical support through smaller Growth Groups. The Prayer Chain, which exists for members of the fellowship facing immediate crises, ensures a prompt prayer support covering when needed.

The church office and growth group leaders have remained a point of contact for anyone experiencing difficulties with shopping, medication collections, hospital appointments, or needing a re-assuring chat or visit during this year. The Minister and Trustees plan any pastoral care visits and are accompanied where possible, in line with current Pastoral Care training.

Plans are in place to monitor any vulnerable adults who may experience physical or financial hardship during the imminent Winter season and to offer assistance alongside the weekly food bag deliveries already in place for families.

It has been heartening to see how caring and supportive all fellowship members have been for one another during this year.

Jill Clark Trustee Responsible

Health and Safety Annual Report

There is a Health and Safety policy in place which the church follows and this has been reviewed and updated as necessary this year.

The building continues to be monitored for any defects, and if any are found they are dealt with as a matter of urgency in the most appropriate way. PAT testing is also carried out on a rolling basis during the year, and I am pleased to report that all electrical items in use have passed a PAT check, although some extension leads were failed and thrown away.

Emergency Fire Exit signs are checked once a month to see that they are working correctly. The smoke detectors and fire extinguishers are all checked on a weekly basis. All checks are recorded in the revised Fire Safety Log Book.

Tricia Hill Trustee Responsible

Exeter Chiefs Rugby Club Chaplaincy Annual Report

This is my twelfth season as Chaplain to Exeter Chiefs, and it continues to be a great privilege to serve the club in this capacity. During the year I had the opportunity to lead two pitch side services in front of a full stadium and also live on BT Sport. These services were the annual remembrance service and a time of remembrance for our late Queen Elizabeth.

There is a new opportunity opening up, as the ladies team’s Director of Rugby is keen to have a chaplain assigned to them. I am in the process of trying to find a female minister to take on this role.

This ministry is valued by the club, the players and support staff alike and it provides a great opportunity to bring the presence of God into their workplace. The role of the chaplain is to provide pastoral and spiritual care by having a listening ear; to encourage and offer support when it is needed; to those of faith and those with no faith alike.

Whilst I was away on sabbatical John Bussell covered for me at the Chiefs and continues to work alongside me in this important ministry through chaplaincy.

Reverend Simon Atkinson

Chaplain to Exeter Chiefs

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Brixington Community Church (Baptist) Trustees Report 1[st] October 2021 – 30[th] September 2022

Hospitality Annual Report

2022 has been a good year. All our Events have been increasing in attendance and we give thanks to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Coffee Mornings: We now hold two Coffee Mornings each week, one on Wednesday mornings and one on Friday mornings. Both are becoming popular but, as always, there is a need for more volunteers to help with this important outreach. I cannot stress enough how these two weekly events are such a vital point in our church growth, both physical and spiritual. The Bible tells us how important it is to ‘fellowship with one another’. Our church’s mission is to demonstrate God’s love in the Community and these two Coffee Mornings give everyone an opportunity to invite relatives, friends, and neighbours, especially those who do not come on a Sunday, so we can show our love and hospitality to them.

Seniors’ Lunches: The attendance numbers are slowly improving. This is another way for us to demonstrate God’s love in the community. We provide good quality meals at very affordable prices, and there is always a good atmosphere! A special ‘Thank You’ to Jean Honey and the team who so faithfully deliver this ministry each month.

Parent Pop in: This event continues to be very popular. We provide good food, snacks, teas, coffees, soft drinks, and a safe place for the children to play and develop their social skills. This place is always bubbling with laughter and good conversations. Mums love to meet other mums and the children enjoy socialising, playing, and doing some crafts too. Again, we need more volunteers.

Messy Church: This has been another popular event. It sees an average of 20+ children and accompanying adults. There are lots of crafts and creative play. It is an event very much enjoyed by all who attend and by the volunteers too.

A sincere thank you to our Pastor, Rev’d Simon Atkinson, Kay Atkinson our Family Support Worker, Bradley Goodwin our Youth Worker, Tricia Hill our Administrator, our Trustees and all the volunteers who always work tirelessly and selflessly before, during and after these events to provide such a high standard.

May the Lord bless you all abundantly!

Maria Carvalho Trustee Responsible

Worship Annual Report

Worship - W ith O ut R eservation S erve H im I n P raise. This statement is one that describes what we seek to do, it is important to the life of BCC. Not just on a Sunday but seven days a week and in every part of our individual lives and together as community of God’s people. Our Draft Development plan for 2022/23 details some of what we are seeking to achieve, including:

We are praying that in future, our style of worship will:

Norman Fryer-Saxby Elder

Communication Annual Report

I am currently working on a 'Discovering Who We Are' document, which is intended to give people information about Brixington Community Church and provide them with an idea of who we are and what we do.

Did you know we have a website? It is as follows: www.brixingtoncommunitychurch.org.uk

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Brixington Community Church (Baptist) Trustees Report 1[st] October 2021 – 30[th] September 2022

I am also presently updating all the information on the website to make it more ‘user friendly’, so if you see anything you think could be improved then please let me know. I have also been working on a completely new website and again if you would like to see anything there, please let me know.

Please contact me if you have any group photographs that I could use on the website. As you know – ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’!

I also prepare the weekly Power Point presentation for the Sunday morning overhead to inform the church about the activities for the forthcoming week.

Christine Littlejohn

Trustee Responsible

Community Engagement Annual Report

During the past year, as Events Deacon, I was lead for the fundraising event during the Queen’s Jubilee. This took the form of a BBQ and was a great outreach to the community. Monies raised at this event was £1516, and this was put into a special ‘Jubilee Fund’ which, it was decided, would help towards the other community projects which the church is involved in, such as the weekly Food Distribution to name just one.

A community BBQ was held later in the year as a further outreach and to welcome Simon back from his sabbatical. My role is also to help promote other events going on in the church, such as coffee mornings, the youth clubs and seniors’ lunches.

My role as Events Deacon has now been renamed to that of Community Engagement Deacon, as the vision of the church has always been to reach out to those in the local Brixington Community. This new title reflects my brief from the Leadership to engage with the residents of Brixington Community in more inventive and imaginative ways so that they may feel that this church is their church. Further to this, I now have access to the Facebook pages for the Youth clubs and Parent Pop In to help keep these pages more up to date.

I am presently working on plans to organise a big Birthday Party for next year to celebrate the church’s 50[th] Anniversary – so watch the Notices for further information on this milestone event!

Debby Goodwin Community Engagement Deacon

Premises Annual Report

Leaks and problems with two of the church flat roofs have meant that one has had to be replaced, and I am in the process of obtaining quotes for the other defective roof. This has been an expensive but very necessary expenditure during the year.

I am pleased to report that the rest of the Church building, though showing signs of its age in places, is in a reasonable state of repair. Checks of the building are carried out on a regular basis and any defects noted and repairs subsequently undertaken by in-house or external trade people.

Below is a summary of the main repairs that have been undertaken this year:

My thanks, as ever, go to Chris Wright for his valued assistance and advice. My thanks also go to Stuart Sutton for his decorating skills.

Tricia Hill

Trustee Responsible

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Brixington Community Church (Baptist) Trustees Report 1[st] October 2021 – 30[th] September 2022

Stewardship - Treasurer’s Annual Report

As part of the Church’s vision and values, the role of the Stewardship team is to provide good stewardship of the church’s financial resources by:

Each year at the AGM the Treasurer presents a draft budget on behalf of the Trustees for the new church financial year. Once approved by members, this is then monitored monthly throughout the year and circulated to the Trustees with an analysis by the Treasurer of income and expenditure issues, projections and trends.

The Trustees are once more especially thankful to members for their generous giving during the second year of the pandemic in 2021/22, which has again seen timely provision by God for the church's ministries within the fellowship and to the wider local community.

Income : Sources of income included regular giving, donations, legacies, Gift Aid, property letting, premises hire, and council locality grants and other small grants funding. In another difficult year, church members continued to give generously and consistently, including legacies, and along with income from other sources it was especially encouraging that the overall income target of £126,000 was met.

The year target of £71,000 for weekly offerings was 6% lower at £66,534, primarily reflecting changes in people's personal circumstances/finances. These gifts provided 53% of total income (excluding BDF the Building and Development Fund). Income was maximised by Gift Aid refunds from HMRC of £15,670 (12% of total income).

Alongside its regular Coffee mornings and Seniors’ Lunch activities for local people and church members, as a Community Church, Brixington also hires its premises to link with local community groups, hosting activities including craft sessions, a dance group and Slimming World, as well as being a regular polling station. The opening up of church buildings from 2021 saw a restoration of activities and improved income to contribute towards meeting annual running costs for utilities, cleaning, maintenance etc totalling £8,045, but this was reduced in-year by our major hirer relocating elsewhere. Together these regular sources contribute to over 6% of the church’s income.

The Building and Development Fund (BDF), set up to support the proposed new Community Hub and church centre build costing £3m, is a major and ambitious commitment for the church. A total of £16,279 was raised from members' giving and donations including Gift Aid to exceed the year target of £15k. The total BDF current fund balance is £307k.

Savings investments - primarily BDF funds - brought a welcome return of £2,609 in interest from a mix of one-year and two-year bonds, even in the present economic climate.

Expenditure : The expenditure budget represents the various areas of ministry and church activity covering Fellowship (Community, Children and Families outreach), Worship, Discipleship (including training and development of staff and volunteers) and the committed/fixed costs under Ministry support (i.e. staffing, payroll and pensions), Administration, Finance and Property-related spending.

The overall expenditure budget of £126,000 was exceeded by nearly £15,000 at £140,545. On a positive note, this reflected grants, legacies and donations, spending for Family Support, Food Distribution and multi-media provision and the church's tithe giving to other ministries (see below). However, the main strain on expenditure was propertyrelated with major roofing refurbishment and replacement heaters for the church premises, and remedial repairs at our rented property at Marcom Close. Staffing- related expenditure, including making one post redundant, comprised over 51% of total spend.

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Brixington Community Church (Baptist) Trustees Report 1[st] October 2021 – 30[th] September 2022

The Expenditure budget also includes the church’s corporate giving to the work of other Christian organisations both locally and nationally. This includes Open Door/ICE, Baptist Missionary Society (BMS), Home Mission Fund (HMF) and to other causes such as members working in Romania and Africa, and the Bible Society. This year's total of £11,382 equated to just below 10% of total income.

Reserves Policy : It is important to note that, as part of its total reserves and in line with the annual assessment of financial risks under the church's Stewardship (Finance) Policy, the Trustees have stipulated that unrestricted "emergency" reserves of £52,000 are maintained within the church's working reserves. This is made up of £25,000 to ensure salaries and related costs can be met in the event of extenuating or extraordinary circumstances, for example any impending church closure and staff reductions, and £27,000 to cover regular operating costs for a 3- month period if the church cannot maintain an adequate level of net income for any unforeseen reason.

My thanks as always to Katie Hughes, Judith Watson and Sally Vince for their highly valued support and continuing commitment every week, all year long toward ensuring that stewardship of the church’s finances does what it should. Most of all, a big Thank You to all members and friends as you have felt led to celebrate God's generosity by being generous yourselves.

Geraint Hughes Treasurer

Trustees Responsibilities in Relation to the Financial Statements

The law applicable to Charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the Charity's financial activities during the year and of its financial position at the end of the year. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records which disclose, with reasonable accuracy, at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Signature and Declaration

I declare in my capacity as Chair of Charity Trustees that:

Signed:

Reverend Simon Atkinson Pastor

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Brixington Community Church (Baptist) Trustees Report 1[st] October 2021 – 30[th] September 2022

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF BRIXINGTON COMMUNITY CHURCH (BAPTIST)

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 30 September 2022.

Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner

The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144() of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

Basis of Independent Examiner’s Report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the 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 the seeking of explanations from you as 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:

  1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements:

  2. to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and

  3. to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act. have not been met; or

  4. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

S S Cann ACA FCCA CTA

Bush & Co Limited 2 Barnfield Crescent Exeter EX1 1QT

Date:

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Brixington Community Church (Baptist) Trustees Report 1[st] October 2021 – 30[th] September 2022

Financial Accounts for Period 1st October 2021 to 30th September 2022
2021-2022 ACCOUNTS
Period from 1st October 2021 to 30th September 2022
RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS
Notes Unrestricted
funds		 Designated
funds		 Restricted
funds		 Total funds
2022		 Total funds
2021
£ £ £ £ £
Receipts
Offerings 66,534.12 66,534.12 70,330.83
Donations & other income 2 21,082.07 24,692.54 45,774.61 62,076.68
Income TAX recovered on gifts 13,438.25 2,232.00 15,670.25 16,085.75
Bank Interest 2,496.16 112.98 2,609.14 3,732.70
Contributions for use of premises 8,045.00 8,045.00 5,102.50
Sub Total 111,595.60 - 27,037.52 138,633.12 157,328.46
BU Pension contribution not taken by end of year (3.90) (3.90) 3.90

Total Receipts		 111,591.70 - 27,037.52 138,629.22 157,332.36
Payments
Ministry costs 3 86,080.90 84.70 86,165.60 74,412.88
External mission 4 10,882.24 10,882.24 10,574.52
Internal mission 5 2,270.15 5,386.21 7,656.36 2,743.31
Upkeep of church premises 6 26,614.29 26,614.29 17,448.60
Administration & ministry support 7 8,567.12 8,567.12 6,965.74
Professional fees (Independent Examination of Accounts) 660.00 660.00 1,353.00
Sub Total 135,074.70 - 5,470.91 140,545.61 113,498.05
-
Total Payments 135,074.70 - 5,470.91 140,545.61 113,498.05
Unrestricted Designated Restricted Total funds
2022		 Total funds
2021
£ £ £ £ £
Net of receipts/(payments) (23,483.00) - 21,566.61 (1,916.39) 43,834.31
Cash funds b/f 30.09.21 75,140.09 53,795.74 302,189.34 431,125.17 387,290.86
Transfer between funds 9,861.39 (1,795.74) (8,065.65) - -
Cash funds c/f at 30.09.22 61,518.48 52,000.00 315,690.30 429,208.78 431,125.17
Cash funds represented by: -
Church general account and stipulated reserves 59,728.93 52,000.00 111,728.93 75,140.09
Building fund 307,081.25 307,081.25 346,094.17
Youth fund 1,789.55 241.58 2,031.13 1,403.90
Grants 6,096.53 6,096.53 8,487.01
Family Support 754.79 754.79
Queens Jubilee Fund 1,516.15 1,516.15
Totals 61,518.48 52,000.00 315,690.30 429,208.78 431,125.17
Notes
2. Donations and other income
Grants & Legacies 6,720.00 6,720.00 22,500.05
Communities & Families 1,464.71 1,464.71 1,160.50
Youth work 1,960.62 241.58 2,202.20 642.10
Buildings 14,678.10 14,678.10 25,629.93
Letting of Marcom Close 14,500.00 14,500.00 12,144.00
Queens Jubilee Fund 1,516.15 1,516.15
Others 1,324.62 72.00 1,396.62
Seniors 1,811.50 1,811.50
Coffee Morning 1,485.33 1,485.33
Totals 21,082.07 24,692.54 45,774.61 62,076.58

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Brixington Community Church (Baptist) Trustees Report 1[st] October 2021 – 30[th] September 2022

Financial Accounts for Period 1st October 2022 to 30th September 2023 - continued

----- Start of picture text -----
Total Funds Total funds
Unrestricted Designated Restricted
2022 2021
£ £ £ £ £
3. Ministry costs
Staff salaries including pension/payroll expenses 69,286.19 69,286.19 59,223.54
Employers National Insurance (415.10)
Travel Expenses 1,385.26 84.70 1,469.96 363.86
Manse Running Costs 2,845.98 2,845.98 3,186.76
Other items (inc. guest speakers) 563.47 563.47 53.82
New Manse Lease 12,000.00 12,000.00 12,000.00
Totals 86,080.90 84.70 86,165.60 74,412.88
4. Mission (External)
Baptist Missionary Society 2,931.76 2931.76
Home Mission 4,749.92 4,749.92
-
Open Door Exmouth 1,812.84 1,812.84
CAP
Others & Bible Society 980.00
Tithing 1387.72 1387.72 9,594.52
Totals 10,882.24 - 10,882.24 10,574.52
Total funds Total funds
Unrestricted Designated Restricted
2022 2021
£ £ £ £ £
5. Mission (Internal)
Discretionary Expenses 25.00
Youth Work 64.88 752.86 817.74 342.46
Seniors/Coffee Morning 1,417.98 1,417.98
Community & Families 787.29 4,633.35 5,420.64 2,375.85
Other (Pastoral care/Growth groups)
Totals 2,270.15 - 5,386.21 7,656.36 2,743.31
6. Upkeep of church premises
Consumables
Cleaning 137.31 137.31 80.30
Insurance 1,841.92 1,841.92 1,680.57
Light & heat 4,584.47 4,584.47 2,621.03
Equipment purchase and maintenance 937.15 937.15
Water rates 509.53 509.53 535.50
Multi-Media and online equipment 1,972.02 1,972.02 10,424.06
Health & Safety 80.74 80.74
Church Maintenance 13,229.90 13,229.90 1,454.13
Marcom Close Let Maintenance 3,321.25 3,321.25 653.01
Totals 26,614.29 - 26,614.29 17,448.60
----- End of picture text -----

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Brixington Community Church (Baptist) Trustees Report 1[st] October 2021 – 30[th] September 2022

Financial Accounts for Period 1st October 2022 to 30th September 2023 - continued

Unrestricted Designated Restricted Total funds
2022		 Total funds
2021
£ £ £ £ £
7. Administration & ministry support
Advertising/Publicity 144.00 144.00 144.00
Catering Expenses 1,167.53 1,167.53 490.45
Photocopier costs 827.30 827.30 682.97
Stationery 317.02 317.02 132.76
Subscriptions 994.56 994.56 1,311.08
Telephone/Broadband 632.32 632.32 982.36
Sundries 3,096.76 3,096.76 2,598.22
Training & Development 1,127.79 1,127.79 205.00
Others : Bank charges/travel/postage/music 259.84 259.84 418.90
Totals 8,567.12 - 8,567.12 6,965.74
Statement of assets and liabilities at 30th September 2022
Unrestricted Designated Restricted Total funds
2022		 Total funds
2021
£ £ £ £ £
Cash funds
CAF Bank-current a/c 4,987.35 4,987.35 7,988.51
CAF Bank-Gold a/c 56,425.06 52,000.00 8,609.05 117,034.11 89,283.21
CAF Bank-Gold BDF 26,915.63 26,915.63 56,002.65
United Trust Bank Charity 1yr notice a/c 88,932.10 88,932.10 57,241.05
BUC General Account 87,907.55 87,907.55 87,383.26
UTB 2 yr Charity Bond 57,871.67 57,871.67 88,178.48
BU 1 Yr4 fixed account 45,454.30 45,454.30 45,004.25
Petty cash 106.07 106.07 43.76
Sub Total 61,518.48 52,000.00 315,690.30 429,208.78 431,125.17
Assets retained for charity's own use
Church premises, Churchill Road, Exmouth 1,125,622.00 1,125,622.00 1,105,000.00
Former Manse 1 Marcom Close, Exmouth 249,304.00 249,304.00 226,640.00
Church Fixtures & fittings 116,444.00 116,444.00 105,000.00
Sub Total 1,491,370.00 1,491,370.00 1,436,640.00
Assets for 21/22 received beyondyear-end
HMRC Gift Aid 3,313.50 615.50 3,929.00 4,110.75
Sub Total 3,313.50 615.50 3,929.00 4,110.75
Total Assets 1,556,201.98 52,000.00 316,305.80 1,924,507.78 1,871,875.92
Liabilities
Independent Examiner fees (Bush & Co) 690.00 690.00 660.00
BU Pension fund: (Employer liability) estimated 6,100.00 6,100.00 20,200.00
Liabilities for 21/22 due beyondyear-end
BU Pension fund: increase for BG not taken 3.90
Outstanding Sprague & Ouseley invoice for work undertaken - 4,000.00

Total Liabilities		 6,790.00 - 6,790.00 24,863.90
Total Assets less Liabilities 1,549,411.98 52,000.00 316,305.80 1,917,717.78 1,847,012.02
Signature Print Name Reverend S A Atkinson
Signed by one or two trustees on (Chairman)
behalf of all the trustees
Signature Print Name Miss P G Hill (Administrator)

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Brixington Community Church (Baptist) Trustees Report 1[st] October 2021 – 30[th] September 2022

Appendix 1

Definition of Restricted and Designated Funds

Restricted funds

These are funds that can only be used for particular, restricted purposes within the Church’s objectives and ministries.

Designated funds

These are funds designated by the Trustees for specified purposes or projects.

Building Development Fund

These funds are for the preparation and eventual building of a new Brixington Church and Community Hub.

Outreach and Community Mission Funds

Money donated for the sole purpose of mission and community outreach projects in Exmouth and specifically in the Brixington Community.

Youth and Children’s Funds

This is where grant monies, donations and subscriptions from weekly activities are placed to purchase items and equipment to support the young people’s work and related activities.

Baptist Missionary Society (BMS) and Home Mission Funds (HMF)

Monies are held in these funds pending donations to the BMS and HMF solely for their respective use.

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