(A Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee)
TRUSTEES'/DIRECTORS' ANNUAL REPORT and
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
for the year ending 31[st] MARCH 2021
Registered Charity Number 1140436
Registered Company Number 07411973
175 New Road Ascot Berkshire SL5 8PX
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TRUSTEES'/DIRECTORS' ANNUAL REPORT and
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
CONTENTS
| Page | |
|---|---|
| General Information | 3 |
| Trustees'/Directors' Report | 4 |
| Independent Examiner’s Report | 12 |
| Statements of Financial Activities | 14 |
| Balance Sheet | 15 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 16 |
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TRUSTEES'/DIRECTORS' ANNUAL REPORT and FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
GENERAL INFORMATION
TRUSTEES / DIRECTORS
Mr P. Draper Ms N. Gwati Mrs S. Hale Mr P. Newman Ms E. Ward
BANKERS
Barclays Bank PLC 19, High Street Ascot Berkshire SL5 7JG
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER
Mr Philip Mount 54, Dedworth Road Windsor Berkshire SL4 5AY
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ASCOT LIFE CHURCH
Report of the Trustees/Directors for the year ending 31[st] March 2021
The trustees, who are also the directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ending 31[st] March 2021, which are also prepared to meet the requirements for a Directors' Report and Accounts for Companies Act purposes.
The trustees have prepared the financial statements to comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006, the Memorandum and Articles of Association, and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015).
Our purposes and activities
The purposes of the charity are:
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to advance the Christian faith in accordance with the Statement of Beliefs in the Memorandum and Articles of Association;
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to fulfil such other purposes which are exclusively charitable according to the law of England and Wales and are connected with the work of the charity
for the public benefit in and around Ascot and in such other parts of the United Kingdom or the world as the trustees may from time to time think fit.
Aims
The Church’s main aim is to establish ‘a 21[st] Century New Testament church that responds to and shares the love of God’, built on the values of Worship, Community, Transformation, Service and Mission.
Ascot Life Church (ALC) has the general aim of contributing to the lives of people of all ages from Ascot and the surrounding areas by communicating the Christian faith to them in ways they can relate to and by involving as many people as possible in Christian worship and in the practical outworking of the Christian faith. Everyone is welcome to participate in the life of the church and to benefit from being part of this faith community.
Activities
The church’s Sunday meetings have a contemporary feel reflecting the relevance of faith in Jesus Christ to modern living. They normally involve a time of praise and worship followed by Bible-based teaching.
At the end of March 2020, the Coronavirus lockdown began as the government introduced restrictions to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. In line with government advice, ALC suspended all in-person gatherings and began online live-streamed Sunday services and mid-week talks. Online prayer meetings were also started using video conferencing software. These online activities have since been developed further and have served the church well during the pandemic whilst also making Ascot Life Church accessible to people across the nation and the world.
During the week, small groups called ‘Life Groups’ would usually meet and training courses would also normally be provided with the aim of encouraging participants to develop a deeper relationship with Christ, to experience his life-transforming power and to share their faith with others. However, as in-person meetings were not possible for most of the year due to lockdown restrictions, Life Groups met online by means of video conferencing software
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such as Zoom. This provided a valuable point of connection for people despite not being able to meet in-person for most of the year.
Children’s and youth activities also made use of online video conferencing throughout the pandemic to enable young people to maintain relationships and to be encouraged in their participation in the life of the church.
Other activities would normally have taken place to serve the wider community and to express the love of Christ to them, including a monthly community lunch, a youth club and an annual Family Fun Day. However, the lockdowns and other Coronavirus restrictions imposed by the government prevented any of these activities taking place during the reporting year.
Ascot Life Church is a public benefit entity and the trustees/directors regard serving the surrounding community as an important aspect of the church's activity. In ensuring that this remains a significant feature of the life of the church they have considered the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit, including the guidance 'public benefit: running a charity (PB2)’.
Our volunteers
Most of the activities of the church are dependent on volunteers with the church’s staff team playing a complementary facilitating and organising role. The church would not function without the contribution of volunteers and a significant proportion of the regular participants in the life of the church normally play some kind of voluntary role. However, during the reporting year the Coronavirus restrictions significantly reduced the opportunities for volunteers to contribute to the life of the church. Despite this, an assessment of the numbers of people involved in volunteer roles during 2020-21 identified around 40 people involved in such activities, around 16% of those known to be involved in church life.
Achievements and Performance
The church was unable to meet in-person during 2020-21, aside from some smaller gatherings in homes when government restrictions permitted. However, the teaching programme of the church continued through online live-streaming, which was well received by participants in the life of the church and also reached many others both across the UK and overseas.
The focal point of the Sunday morning live-streamed services were several Bible-based teaching series aimed at helping people of all backgrounds to understand the message of the Bible better and to grow in their faith and in their relationship with God and one-another.
In the spring of 2020, straight after the lockdown started, a Sunday morning teaching series entitled ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled’ looked at the long conversation Jesus had with his disciples at the Last Supper, as recorded in the gospel of John. The aim of this series was to help everyone to live with courage derived from their faith in God during times of uncertainty.
This was followed throughout the summer of 2020 with the final part of a multi-part series based on the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans in the New Testament. Titled ‘All Things New’, this series looked at how the gospel changes everything for Christians enabling us to respond to our circumstances through faith and radical Christian living.
During the autumn term, the church’s teaching programme continued with a series called ‘A Different Kind of Community’ looking at the life of the early church as recorded in the book of Acts. This brought out the New Testament basis for ALC’s vision and values as a church, covering such themes as mission, community, God’s power, generosity, diversity, prayer and worship.
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Leading up to the end of 2020, a short series entitled ‘Hope is NowHere’, based on the book of Ruth in the Old Testament, focused on how God brings hope out of hopelessness when we trust in his loving-kindness, faithfulness and provision.
At the beginning of 2021, a series of messages called ‘Be Still and Know...’ looked at key attributes of God’s character and considered what the Bible says about ‘the fear of the Lord’. This brought out how a rightful fear and respect of God as our loving heavenly father enables us to really know and trust him, particularly through uncertain times such as the pandemic.
Sunday evening talks entitled ‘ALC Connect’ were also streamed over the internet between April and June 2020 to provide the church with a point of connection while people were at home during the unusual circumstances of the Coronavirus lockdown.
A mid-week series entitled ‘Thursday Thoughts’ was also streamed, exploring tough questions people may have been asking about God and Christianity during the challenges of the pandemic.
At the start of the pandemic, online prayer meetings were started each weekday morning and one evening of the week using Zoom video conferencing software. These were very well received and provided the church with a valuable opportunity to both maintain contact and to pray with one-another. In view of the value and accessibility of such online prayer meetings thy are being continued into the future.
The opportunity to provide the usual range of training courses was limited by Coronavirus restrictions throughout the year. However, an ‘Alpha’ course was provided online via Zoom for those interested in investigating what the Christian faith is all about and was much appreciated by the participants.
As a continued investment in the life and growth of the church, two graduates were taken on in the summer of 2020 for one-year internships with significant benefit to the life and work of the church and to the interns themselves. One of the previous year’s interns with particular skills in online media was also employed on a part-time basis to assist the church in creative online communications throughout the pandemic.
The church staff team were all able to work from home from the start of the lockdown, making good use of video conferencing software and other means of online and telephone communication to maintain the activities of the church as far as possible within the constraints of government guidance and restrictions. As the main hall at the church building had not been used for public meetings since the start of the lockdown, this was reconfigured in August 2020 for social-distanced office working and Covid-secure measures were introduced to allow the staff team to resume work in-person at the church building. This brought considerable benefits to their creativity, their mental wellbeing and to the service they have been able to provide through online systems to everyone involved in church life.
The elders and trustees have been assessing the impact of Covid-19 on ALC’s activities continually and have implemented relevant precautions to respond to government guidance aimed at containing the spread of the virus. They are also continuing to assess how the church can best fulfil its charitable objectives throughout the pandemic and beyond.
It was difficult to assess the number of people involved in church life during 2020-21 while the church was unable to hold public meetings in-person. The number of regular attenders of Sunday meetings prior to the Covid-19 lockdown had averaged around 200 adults and teenagers with an additional 50 children aged 12 and under. However, indications are that people’s involvement has been maintained as well as can be expected using the online
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methods utilised. One person demonstrated their commitment to following Christ during the year by being baptised in a pool at home and a video of this was included in one of the Sunday morning online services.
The church remains committed to supporting Christian organisations and ministries both in the UK and overseas and provides grants to Commission Apostolic Trust, TEAR Fund, Wycliffe Bible Translators and Operation Mobilisation. Benevolent donations are also made by the church to support the welfare of individual people experiencing hardship arising from financial need.
Financial Review
During the year ended 31[st] March 2021 the church had a total unrestricted income from donations, Gift Aid and bank interest amounting to £192,490. Income tax recovered on unrestricted Gift Aid donations was £32,236.
Total unrestricted expenditure for the year was £187,493.
Total restricted income was £6,370 including income tax recovered on restricted Gift Aid donations amounting to £935. £10,375 was expended from restricted funds.
Investment powers and policy
The trustees/directors aim to employ available funds towards the charitable aims of the church or towards enhancing the viability of the church's work for the future. In view of this policy and the relatively short time period between the receipt of funds and their expenditure, all funds are held in cash. Funds not immediately required are held on deposit. Due to the prevailing economic circumstances, deposit rates have been low so interest gained on such funds has been correspondingly reduced.
Funds
Funds are allocated to the activities of the church from donations and from Gift Aid tax refunds. 56% of unrestricted income was allocated to staff costs to enable the activities of the church to be implemented effectively, with a further 4% used to cover the running costs of the church buildings. No costs were incurred for rental of premises for Sunday morning meetings as no in-person meetings were held due to the pandemic. 28% of unrestricted income was allocated to grants for the support of organisations and individuals within the UK and overseas that are directly involved in Christian work and whose objectives the elders and trustees consider to be compatible with the charitable aims of the church. The remaining unrestricted funds were allocated to the general operating costs of the church.
Restricted funds in response to appeals to meet specific needs or where donors have specified the purpose for which the funds should be used are allocated accordingly.
Reserves policy and going concern
The level of activity of the church is dependent upon voluntary donations from church members and attenders together with tax reclaimed on donations made under the Gift Aid scheme. To adequately cover the month-by-month operating costs of the church, the trustees/directors consider that the amount of unrestricted funds that should be immediately available at all times as a reserve should equate to at least two months of core monthly operating costs (CMOC), which are defined as essential expenses such as those for salaries, utilities, essential property maintenance, office costs, essential travel and necessary professional services. This reserves level is calculated each year after approval of the annual
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budget and is stress-tested against the maximum liabilities of the church including such items as statutory staff redundancy payments and contractual obligations such as venue hire.
This level of reserves is considered adequate by the trustees/directors as it would be possible, although not desirable, to reduce the level of activity of the church and its corresponding outgoings in various ways should reserves fall to such a level. Should available funds fall below two months CMOC, fund-raising appeals and cost-reduction plans affecting non-core costs would be prepared and if necessary implemented to maintain reserves above the set threshold.
The trustees/directors have continued to monitor the financial situation of the charity as the Covid-19 pandemic has progressed. Although income has reduced slightly since the start of the pandemic, the expenses incurred by the church have also reduced as a result of having to suspend in-person gatherings. The net result has been that the church’s general fund balance has not been adversely affected since the start of the pandemic. In view of the operating surplus of the church's unrestricted funds for 2021-21 and the relatively small change in the balance of income versus expenses since then, the trustees/directors have no immediate concerns regarding the financial viability of the church as a going concern for the foreseeable future.
Restricted funds are allocated for amounts raised in response to appeals to meet specific needs or where donors have designated their contributions for specific purposes. The restricted funds active during 2021-21 normally include funds for special events and community work but these activities did not go ahead due to the pandemic. The majority of the church’s restricted funds were used for the support of Christian mission.
Structure, Governance and Management
Governing document
The charity’s governing document is its Memorandum and Articles of Association, constituting a charitable company limited by guarantee, as defined in the Companies Act 2011.
Appointment of new trustees
As set out in the Articles of Association, the charity may by ordinary resolution appoint a person who is willing to act as a trustee, providing that they also become a director of the charitable company and that they subscribe to the church's Statement of Beliefs.
Trustee induction and training
New trustees are provided with terms of reference defining their role and are briefed by the existing trustees on the nature of their responsibilities. They are also encouraged to review the information on the role of trustees available on the Charity Commission website and are encouraged to attend relevant external training events that will facilitate the undertaking of their role.
Organisation
Throughout the period covered by this report there were five trustees comprising one church elder and four church members who also serve as company directors. The trustees/directors take prime responsibility for ensuring that Ascot Life Church fulfils its charitable objects and legal responsibilities and meet at least three times a year.
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Throughout the period covered by this report, the church had five elders who are also the company members. They meet bi-weekly and have responsibility for the spiritual oversight of the church and oversee the day-to-day running of the church. Under the oversight of the elders, the responsibilities for running various church activities and ministries are further delegated to volunteer activity and group leaders.
The church had three employed members of staff at the start of the period covered by this report (two elders/ministers and a part-time youth worker). A part-time children’s worker was appointed in May 2020 and one of the interns was taken on part-time to look after creative online communications throughout the pandemic. There were therefore five employed members of staff in post at the end of the period covered by this report. In addition to this, two interns supported the staff team whilst receiving a small bursary to help them with their living expenses.
Financial matters are dealt with by a treasury team co-ordinated by a Treasurer who provides reports to the directors/trustees and to the elders. A new Treasurer took on this responsibility at the start of 2021.
Salaries and other staff benefits are agreed by the directors/trustees who conduct an annual review of staff remuneration taking account of price and wage inflation and the responsibilities of each role. They also periodically review available information on remuneration and benefits for comparable roles.
Related parties and co-operation with other organisations
None of the trustees receive remuneration or other benefit from their work with the charity. Any contractual relationship or similar connection between the charity and a trustee of the charity, its management personnel or a related party must be disclosed to the full board of trustees. In the current year no such related party contracts or transactions were reported.
Reference and Administrative Details
The charity is registered under the name 'Ascot Life Church'.
Registered Charity number: 1140436
Registered Company number: 07411973 (England and Wales)
Registered Office: Ascot Life Church, 175 New Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 8PX
Trustees/Directors: Mr P. Draper, Ms N. Gwati, Mrs S. Hale, Mr P. Newman, Ms E. Ward.
Property Trustee: Baptist Union Corporation Limited
Company members and key management personnel: Mr S. Argent, Mr P. Draper, Mr. R Perrins, Mr D. Rogers, Mr P. Rogers.
Trustees'/Directors' responsibilities in relation to financial statements
The charity trustees (who are also the directors of Ascot Life Church for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing a Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the charity trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year that give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of
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the charitable company for that year. In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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observe the methods and principles in the Charities SoRP;
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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state whether applicable UK accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
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Statement as to disclosure to our Independent Examiner
In so far as the trustees are aware at the time of approving our Trustees/Directors’ Annual Report:
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there is no relevant information, being information needed by the independent examiner in connection with preparing his report, of which the charitable company’s independent examiner is unaware, and
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the trustees/directors, having made enquiries of fellow directors and the church’s independent examiner that they ought to have individually taken, have each taken all steps that he/she is obliged to take as a director in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the independent examiner is aware of that information.
Independent Examiner
The independent examiner, Mr Philip Mount, will continue his appointment as per his letter of engagement.
This report has been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: ‘Accounting and Reporting by Charities’ and in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small entities.
By order of the board of trustees/directors
Signature: ...............................................................................
Trustee/Director Name: ..........................................................
Date: ...................................................................
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Independent Examiner’s Report to the Directors / Trustees of Ascot Life Church
Independent Examiner's Report
I report on the accounts of the company for the year ended 31[st] March 2021, which are set out on pages 14 to 23.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The trustees (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. The charity's gross income did not exceed £250,000. Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
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to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
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 seeking 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:
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(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006; and
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records, comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities have not been met; or
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(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed: .............................................................................
Mr Philip Mount TD AFA MIPA 54, Dedworth Road Windsor Berkshire SL4 5AY Dated: ..........................................................................
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Statement of Financial Activities
For the Year Ending 31[st] March 2021 (including summary income and expenditure account)
Summary of Income and Expenditure
| Notes INCOME & EXPENDITURE Income from: Donations and legacies 3a Investments 3b Total Income Expenditure on: Charitable activities 4a&b Total Expenditure Net income/(expenditure) Transfers between funds Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds: Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward |
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total funds Year ending Total funds Year ending Mar-21 Mar-21 Mar-21 Mar-20 £ £ £ £ 192,460 6,370 198,830 214,580 30 - 30 56 |
|---|---|
| 192,490 6,370 198,860 214,636 |
|
| 187,493 10,375 197,868 189,668 |
|
| 187,493 10,375 197,868 189,668 |
|
| 4,997 (4,005) 992 24,968 - - - - |
|
| 4,997 (4,005) 992 24,968 73,062 10,162 83,224 58,256 |
|
| 78,059 6,157 84,216 83,224 |
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Balance Sheet
As at 31[st] March 2021
| Notes Fixed Assets Tangible fixed assets 5 Total fixed assets Current Assets Debtors 6 Cash at bank and in hand Total Current Assets Liabilities Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year 7 Net current assets or liabilities Total assets less current liabilities Total net assets or liabilities 8 The funds of the charity: Restricted income funds Unrestricted funds Total Charity Funds |
Total funds Total funds Mar-21 Mar-20 £ £ - - |
|---|---|
| - - |
|
| 7,660 6,669 78,218 78,446 |
|
| 85,878 85,115 (1,662) (1,891) |
|
| 84,216 83,224 |
|
| 84,216 83,224 |
|
| 84,216 83,224 |
|
| 6,157 10,162 78,059 73,062 |
|
| 84,216 83,224 |
For the period ending 31/03/2021 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
Directors'/Trustees' responsibilities:
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the members have not required the charitable company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act;
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the Directors/Trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts;
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies' regime.
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees/Directors on:
........................................…………………..2021 and were signed on its behalf by:
Director's Name: ……………………........…………. Director's Name: ………………………...............…………
Signed: ......................................................... Signed: ...................................................................
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Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31[st] March 2021
1) Accounting Policies
The following accounting policies have been used in the preparation of the financial statements:
a) Basis of preparation
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.
The accounts are prepared on an accruals basis and include income and expenditure as they are earned or accrued.
b) Preparation of the accounts on a going concern basis
In view of the operating surplus of the charity’s unrestricted funds for 2020-21 and the continued health of the church’s general fund balance despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the trustees/directors have no concerns at present regarding the financial viability of the charity and are satisfied that the reserves held by the charity are more than sufficient to ensure its financial health for the foreseeable future.
c) Income
Donations under Gift Aid and all other donations are recognised as income when they are received. The income tax recovery associated with Gift Aid donations is accrued to the same month in which the donations are received.
d) Interest receivable
Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the Bank.
e) Receipt of donated services and facilities
The church benefits greatly from the involvement and support of its many volunteers and the Trustees’ Annual Report provides information about their contribution. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), the general volunteer time of people involved with the church is not assessed in economic terms and is therefore not recognised in the accounts.
f) Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of the charity.
Designated funds are unrestricted funds of the charity which the trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for specific purposes.
Restricted funds are donations that the donor has specified to be solely used for specific purposes as part of the church’s work or for specific projects being undertaken by the church.
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Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31[st] March 2021
g) Expenditure
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, that it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. All expenditure is on charitable activities including the costs of activities undertaken to further the purposes of the charity and their associated support costs.
h) Grants
The church makes donations to individuals and to other organisations whose charitable objects complement its work. These donations are accounted for when paid over.
In accordance with the purposes of the charity to advance the Christian faith and to fulfil other charitable purposes connected with the work of the charity (see 'Our purposes and activities' in the report of the Trustees/Directors), the church made donations from its unrestricted funds as shown in the table below during the reporting year:-
| ed funds as shown in the table below during the reporting year:- | ||
|---|---|---|
| Donations in support of Christian mission work:- Commission Apostolic Trust Wycliffe Bible Translators Operation Mobilisation T Foster – Youth With A Mission D Betts – Trinity Church, Red Deer, Canada Total |
£ 21,900 £ 4,365 £ 5,355 £ 3,000 £ 12,000 £46,620 |
|
| Donations to worldwide relief and development:- TEAR Fund |
£ 6,770 | |
| TOTAL | £ 53,390 |
i) Operating leases
The charity classifies the lease of printing and photocopying equipment as operating leases. The title to the equipment remains with the lessor and the equipment is replaced every few years whenever technology advancements make such replacement economically advantageous. Rental charges are charged on a straight line basis over the term of the lease.
j) Debtors
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the expected settlement amounts due. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid.
k) Creditors and provisions
Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their expected settlement amount.
l) Financial instruments
The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value.
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Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31[st] March 2021
m) Pensions
Prior to the introduction of pension auto enrolment, employees of the church were encouraged to make contributions to a personal pension scheme, with the church making corresponding employer contributions to the scheme in accordance with the terms of the agreed contracts of employment.
Following the introduction of pension auto enrolment, the church set up an account with the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST), the workplace pension scheme set up by the government especially for auto enrolment. New employees are automatically enrolled into the NEST pension scheme at a basic level but have the flexibility to make contributions at a level that suits their circumstances or to opt out if they wish to do so. The church makes corresponding employer contributions in accordance with the terms agreed in the relevant contracts of employment.
The employer contributions made by the charity to the above schemes in 2020-21 and treated as an expense amounted to £6,692. The aggregated amount paid to key management personnel in 2020-21 amounted to £4,704.
Pension premiums for the charitable company's employees are paid from unrestricted funds and are accounted for in the same month as the employees’ related remuneration.
2) Legal status of the charity
The church is a charitable company limited by guarantee and has no share capital. In the event of the charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £10 per member of the charity.
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Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31[st] March 2021
ASCOT LIFE CHURCH
3. Income
3a. Income from donations and legacies
| Unrestricted funds:- Donations under Gift Aid Gift Aid tax recovered Donations – General Restricted funds:- Dave Betts Support Tazmin Foster Support Community Work Fund Connect Festival Event Fund Benevolent Fund Other Restricted Funds (Mar-21) 3b. Investment income Bank interest Total Income |
Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Total Funds Funds Funds Mar-21 Mar-20 £ £ £ £ 124,916 - 124,916 136,564 32,236 - 32,236 35,791 35,308 - 35,308 26,645 |
|---|---|
| 192,460 - 192,460 199,000 - 875 875 6,250 - 2,903 2,903 4,029 - - - 2,184 - - - 1,801 - 2,438 2,438 550 - 154 154 766 |
|
| 192,460 6,370 198,830 214,580 30 - 30 56 |
|
| 30 - 30 56 |
|
| 192,490 6,370 198,860 214,636 |
All of the church's investment income arises from money held in interest bearing deposit accounts. The rates of interest on these accounts are currently low due to prevailing economic circumstances.
Gift Aid tax recovered on restricted donations amounted to £935.
Further details on the various restricted funds can be seen under note 9.
No income from legacies was received in 2020-21.
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Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31[st] March 2021
4. Expenditure
4a. Expenditure on charitable activities - unrestricted funds
| Staff salaries and wages Employer's NI Employer pension contributions Church house costs Grants Costs of premises Church equipment and resources Administration and IT costs Staff resources and travel Training and Conferences Students, Youth and Children's work Outreach and Community work Guest speakers Professional fees |
Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Total Funds Funds Funds Mar-21 Mar-20 £ £ £ £ 92,349 - 92,349 97,617 2,200 - 2,200 4,539 6,692 - 6,692 5,495 3,193 - 3,193 3,846 53,928 - 53,928 16,629 7,616 - 7,616 26,962 10,193 - 10,193 9,396 2,956 - 2,956 4,830 335 - 335 3,985 5,891 - 5,891 3,768 1,290 - 1,290 3,058 587 - 587 3,033 - - - 300 263 - 263 263 |
|---|---|
| 187,493 - 187,493 183,721 |
'Church house costs' relate to the house beneficially owned by the church as a manse for a minister's living accommodation and include costs such as property insurance, council tax and maintenance.
'Costs of premises' relate to the running costs of the church buildings and also to the rental of premises at Ascot Racecourse usually used for Sunday morning meetings, although no such rental costs were incurred in 2020-21 due to the pandemic.
4b. Expenditure on charitable activities - restricted funds
| Benevolent Fund Dave Betts Support Tazmin Foster Support Other restricted funds with exp <£500 (Mar-21) |
Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Total Funds Funds Funds Mar-21 Mar-20 £ £ £ £ - 600 600 250 - 4,216 4,216 - - 5,349 5,349 1,118 - 210 210 4,579 |
|---|---|
| - 10,375 10,375 5,947 |
Further details on the various restricted funds can be seen under note 9.
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ASCOT LIFE CHURCH
Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31[st] March 2021
5. Fixed Assets
The company has the beneficial use of a church property and manse by virtue of a trust established in 1921. The title deeds to these freehold properties are held by the Baptist Union Corporation.
The church premises are located at 175, New Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 8PX and had a buildings insurance valuation of £1,170,630 declared by Baptist Insurance effective from 1[st] April 2020.
The manse is located at 3, Whitelands Drive, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 8LS and had a buildings insurance valuation of £305,000 declared by Ageas Insurance Limited effective from 1[st] April 2020.
6. Debtors
| rs | |
|---|---|
| Gift Aid tax recoverable due Prepayments Other debtors and payments |
Mar-21 Mar-20 £ £ 4,152 5,735 3,508 934 - - |
| 7,660 6,669 |
7. Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year
| rs: Amounts falling due within one year | |
|---|---|
| Income tax and NI due Other creditors |
Mar-21 Mar-20 £ £ 1,662 1,891 - - |
| 1,662 1,891 |
8. Analysis of Net Assets by Fund
| is of Net Assets by Fund | |
|---|---|
| Fixed assets Current assets Current liabilities Fund Balances |
Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Total Funds Funds Funds Mar-21 Mar-20 £ £ £ £ - - - - 79,721 6,157 85,878 85,115 (1,662) - (1,662) (1,891) |
| 78,059 6,157 84,216 83,224 |
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ASCOT LIFE CHURCH
Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31[st] March 2021
9. Net movement in funds
| et movement in funds | |
|---|---|
| Unrestricted general funds Restricted funds:- Newday Youth Camp Fund Youth Events Benevolent Fund Bible Reading Notes Fund Connect Festival Event Fund Community Work Fund Dave Betts Support Tazmin Foster Support |
Opening Balance Incoming Balance 31/03/20 Resources Expenditure Transfers 31/03/21 £ £ £ £ £ 73,062 192,490 187,493 - 78,059 80 - 60 - 20 275 - - - 275 300 2,438 600 - 2,138 57 154 150 - 61 216 - - - 216 73 - - - 73 6,250 875 4,216 - 2,909 2,911 2,903 5,349 - 465 |
| 83,224 198,860 197,868 - 84,216 |
Net movement in funds - previous year
| Unrestricted general funds Restricted funds:- Newday Youth Camp Fund Youth Events Benevolent Fund Bible Reading Notes Fund Westpoint Event Fund Community Work Fund Dave Betts Support Tazmin Foster Support |
Opening Balance Incoming Balance 31/03/19 Resources Expenditure Transfers 31/03/20 £ £ £ £ £ 57,727 199,056 183,721 - 73,062 50 360 330 - 80 75 200 - - 275 - 550 250 - 300 62 206 211 - 57 - 1,801 1,585 - 216 342 2,184 2,453 - 73 - 6,250 - - 6,250 - 4,029 1,118 - 2,911 |
|---|---|
| 58,256 214,636 189,668 - 83,224 |
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The 'Newday' Youth Camp fund is used for incoming and outgoing funds for an annual Christian youth camping event, although this was cancelled for 2020.
-
The Youth Events fund is used for incoming and outgoing funds for Christian youth events that take place throughout the year.
-
The Benevolent Fund is used for donations designated for the support of those in need. Where such needs arise and the amount available within the restricted fund is insufficient, these needs are covered from the church's general funds.
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ASCOT LIFE CHURCH
Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31[st] March 2021
-
The Bible Reading Notes Fund is used to provide people with explanatory notes about the Bible to promote greater understanding of the Christian faith and of the Bible's relevance to everyday living.
-
The ‘Connect’ Festival Event fund (formerly 'Westpoint’ Event Fund) is used for incoming and outgoing funds for the annual 'Connect' festival at which Ascot Life Church joins with other churches from across the UK for Christian worship, teaching and fellowship. Additional event expenses are usually covered from general funds to cover the full costs of this event but no such expenses were incurred in 2020-21 due to the cancellation of the event.
-
The Community Work fund arises primarily from donations received from the monthly community lunch run by the church, which often exceed the costs of the food provided for the lunch. Any funds thus accumulated are then put towards the costs of other community activities provided by the church, in particular the annual Family Fun Day. However, none of these community activities took place during 2020-21 due to the Coronavirus restrictions imposed by the UK government
-
The Dave Betts Support fund arises from donations from church members designated to support Dave’s ministry as he works to rejuvenate a struggling church in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.
-
The Tazmin Foster Support fund arises from donations from church members designated for Tazmin’s support as she works with ‘Youth With A Mission’ based in Perth, Australia.
10. Trustees, staff and related parties remuneration and benefits
None of the trustees have been paid any remuneration or received any other benefits from employment with the charitable company or a related entity. No trustee expenses have been incurred.
The number of church employees was three at the start of the reporting year; two church ministers and one part-time Youth Worker. At the end of the reporting year, five people were employed by the church; two church ministers, one part-time Youth Worker, one part-time Children’s Worker and onepart-time Creative Communications Designer. No employee received emoluments in excess of £60,000 during the year.
Two graduates continued a one-year internship until the end of July 2020 when two new graduates were taken on for one-year internships from August 2020.
The total remuneration received by the salaried church ministers who deal with the day-to-day management of the church's activities amounted to £57,438. One of the remunerated church ministers also has beneficial use of the house owned by the church as a manse for living accommodation.
There were no related party transactions in the reporting period that require disclosure.
The aggregated total donations received from trustees and related parties (as defined in the Charities SoRP (FRS 102) Appendix 1) during 2020-21 amounted to £26,625.
11. Related Charities
The custodian trustee of the church buildings, including the church manse, is the Baptist Union Corporation Limited (Charity number 249635), which is controlled by the Baptist Union Council.
The church is affiliated to Commission Apostolic Trust (Charity number 1150017) and is also a member of the Baptist Union of Great Britain (Charity number 1125912) and the Southern Counties Baptist Association (Charity number 1091066). The church is also a member of The Evangelical Alliance (Charity number 212325).
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ASCOT LIFE CHURCH
Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31[st] March 2021
12. Financial Commitments
The charitable company leases an office photocopier/printer for which a total of £443 (including VAT) was charged in the financial year 2020-21.
13. Independent Examination
The fee for independent examination of the church's accounts amounted to £250.
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