## **North Harrow Methodist Church** ## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT** ## **1 September 2020 – 31 August 2021** ## **Governance** 1. As a Methodist Church in England, North Harrow Methodist Church comes under the auspices of the Methodist Church whose governing body is the Methodist Conference. The authority by which the Conference acts is laid out in the Methodist Church Act 1976. 2. North Harrow Methodist Church is a registered charity number 1140257. 3. North Harrow Methodist Church is part of the Harrow and Hillingdon Circuit in the London District. 4. The Managing Trustees of North Harrow Methodist Church (NHMC) are the members of the Church Council. The composition is: The Superintendent Minister of the Circuit and the ministers and ministerial probationers appointed to the Circuit. ## **Church Stewards** : From May 2020 Jan Burgess (4[th] year) Richard Reid (3[rd] year) Marian Smith (4[th] year & Senior Steward from Sept 2018) Church Council Secretary: Peter Harrison (7[th] year) Treasurer: Richard Reid appointed Treasurer (appointed Mar 2020) Pastoral Committee Secretary: Sara Lewis Mar 2017 ## **Members elected by the Annual Meeting (to serve from Sept 2020) -** Jenny Briggs (co-opted) Peter Briggs (5[th] year) Karen Harrison (co-opted) Yvonne Walker (co-opted) Pauline Ingosi (co-opted) Graham Pearn (co-opted) Irene Taylor (3[rd] year) Nigel McNeil (1[st] year) Page **1** of **4** ## **Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities** 5. The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the Trustees to prepare, for each financial year, financial statements which give a true and fair record of the charity’s financial activities during the year and of its financial position at the end of the year. In preparing financial statements giving a true and fair view, the Trustees should follow best practice and: - select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; - make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; - state whether applicable accounting standards and the Statement of Recommended Practice 2005, Accounting and Reporting by Charities have been followed; and - prepare the financial statements on the ‘going concern’ basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that activities will continue. 6. The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose, with reasonable accuracy, the financial position of the North Harrow Methodist Church Fund and which will enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Standing Orders of the Methodist Church and the Charities Act 1993. They are also responsible for taking reasonable steps to safeguard the assets of the charity and to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities. 7. The Trustees consider these practices have been followed and their responsibilities properly discharged. ## **Annual Report** 8. The financial year for the purposes of accounting to the Methodist Church commences on 1 September. 9. During the financial year 2020-21, the Church Council met nine times. Two General Church Meetings open to all church members were held during the year to approve the Annual Report and accounts, a special meeting was held to approve appointments for the new church year and to elect Church Stewards for 2020-21. The Finance and Property Committee met separately at regular intervals, as did the Pastoral Committee. The Church Council has oversight of those matters which concern Neighbourhood & Mission and the church family, there being no separate committees for that purpose. 10. The Church Council also has overall responsibility for implementing the Safeguarding policies of the Methodist Church. In 2006, it appointed a Safeguarding Officer, who liaises with the Page **2** of **4** Circuit Safeguarding Officer. The Church’s Safeguarding Policy is displayed at appropriate points around the premises. 11. The Church Council is responsible for producing a report to the General Church Meeting. 12. The following gives an indication of the work overseen or initiated by the Church Council during 2020-21 however Covid-19 has curtailed many of our activities but where possible these have continued using Zoom: (1) every Sunday there is a service at 10.30 am which includes Holy Communion once a month. Owing to the restrictions arising from Covid-19 most services were held using Zoom. Usually on the third Sunday of each month there is a Communion service in Oasis at 9.00 am, followed at 10.30 am by a more informal service called ‘Third Sunday’, which has proved popular with existing and new worshippers. However, again because of Covid-19 these did not always take place. There is a Sunday evening monthly discussion group. Young Church caters for children and young people but this, because of Covid-19, did not meet during the year. 13. A team of volunteers staffs the church office most weekday mornings throughout the year to maintain relationships with community groups that use the premises and to ensure that essential administration is kept up-to-date. We have continued to explore possibilities for midweek activities and services that might attract a wider range of people than just our own congregation. 14. It is the duty of North Harrow Methodist Church to comply with the new European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which seeks to protect individuals from the consequences of improperly obtained or processed data and to ensure that individuals are not put at risk or threatened by the misuse of data. NHMC utilises the Methodist Church in Great Britain privacy notice which can be viewed at (https://www.tmcp.org.uk/about/dataprotection/managing-trustees-privacy-notice) or in the church office. Full details of lawful bases, data collected, consent requirements, retention periods, etc. can be found on the NHMC Data Protection Statement which is reviewed annually and presented to the fellowship at the general Church Meeting. The Church Council is committed to implementing not only the legal requirements of the Equality Act 2010 but all feasible action to improve access to the activities of the church. The Church Council believes this is in line with the mission of the church as well as the legal requirements of the State. 15. The membership of the church at the end of August 2021 stood at 74 and we continue to be encouraged by the number of regular adherents attending services. Page **3** of **4** ## **Investment Policy** 17. The investment of surplus funds is operated via the Central Finance Board (CFB) of the Methodist Church; CFB aims to provide a high-quality investment service seeking above-average returns for long-term investors, while ensuring that the securities held by all its funds are in line with the ethical policy of the Methodist Church. ## **Financial Statements** 18. Key issues are: 1. Income dropped from £65,818 to £55,431 mainly due to the reduction of licence fees, Offerings and tax recovered. 2. Expenditure dropped from £110,483 to £63,077 as a result of reduced energy costs as the premises was used very little and a sharp decline in repairs and maintenance as a result of stringent budget cuts. After repairs and maintenance the next single biggest item of expenditure was the contribution to the Circuit Assessment which increased by 2% from £40.869 to £41,864. £40,869. 3. The outcome is that for the 12 months to 31 August 2021 the available funds fell from £60,145 to £54,000. 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