## Independent Examiner’s Report the PCC of Holy Trinity Much Wenlock and Bourton
I report on the accounts of the church for the year ended 31[st] December 2023 which are set out on pages 2 to 7.
## Respectve Responsibilites of PCC and Examiner
The church’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The church’s trustees consider that an audit is not requested for this year under section I44(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to: -
- Examine the accounts (under section I45 of the 2011 Act)
- To follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by The Charity Commissioners under I45 (5)(b) of the 2011 Act and
- To state whether particular matters have come to my attention
- Basis of Independent Examiners report
My examination was conducted 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:
1. Which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements
- To keep accounting records in accordance with section I30 of the 2011 Act; and
- To prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirement of the 2011 Act have not been met; or
2. To which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
23[rd] May 2024 Jill Robinson, BSC, BFP, ACA Field House, Bourton, Much Wenlock TF13 6QE
## **The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Much Wenlock with Bourton**
## **Registered Charity No. 1142708**
## **Statement of Financial Affairs**
## **For year ending 31[st] December2023**
||||**2023**|**2022**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Unrestricted &**||||
||**Designated**|**Restricted**|**Total**|**Total**|
||**Fund**|**Fund**|**Funds**|**Funds**|
||£|£|£|£|
|Income From:|||||
|Donations & legacies|95,262|7,371|102,633|105,078|
|Charitable Activities|4,610||4,610
|8,224|
|Other related activities 22,684|||22,684
|18,507|
|Investment|2,107|400|2,507|751|
|Other income|60||60|93|
||___________ _______||________|________|
|Total income|124,723|7,771|132,494|132,653|
|Expenditure on:|||||
|Raising funds|493||493|713|
|Charitable activities|4,171||4,171|3,166|
|Other expenditure|114,494|6,910|121,404|129,216|
||___________|________|___________|_________|
|Total expenditure|119,158|6,910|126,068|133,095|
|Net income/expenditure 5,565||861|6,426|(442)|
|Choir & Bellringers accounts removed||||(7,181) *|
|Totals brought forward. 45,607||78,766|124,373|131,996|
||___________ __________||___________|__________|
|Totals carried forward. 51,172||79,627|130,799|124,373*****|
- **The 2022 accounts included accounts owned by the Bellringers and Choir. These have been removed from the balance sheet to provide an accurate comparison with 2023. See Note A.**
**The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Much Wenlock with Bourton**
## **Registered Charity No. 1142708**
## **BALANCE SHEET AT 31 DECEMBER 2023**
|**CURRENT ASSETS**
Bank Current accounts
Bank Deposit account
Bank CCLA account
Cash in Hand
Debtors & Prepayments
Less Current Liabilities
**Represented by: -**
General
**Designated**
Mission
2,119
Fabric
6,460
**Restricted**
Bourton
16,971
Sharpen
3,600
Fabric
51,685
Bells
7,371
|**2023**
£
2,311
102,457
25,075
40
2,500
132,383
(1,584)
**130,799**
42,593
2,119
7,668
8,579
19,617
3,600
55,549
79,627
**130,799**|**2022**
£
4,599 *
98,708
31,079
40
4,585
139,011
(14,638)
**124,373**
35,820
9,787 *
78,766
**124,373**|
|---|---|---|
|||
|
* The 2022 accounts included accounts owned by the Bellringers and Choir. These have been removed from the balance sheet to provide an accurate comparison with 2023. See Note A
## **The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Much Wenlock with Bourton**
## **Registered Charity No. 1142708**
**Statement of Financial Affairs for year ending 31[st] December 2023**
|**General**
**Unrestricted**
**Income**
**£**
Giving
48,458
Gift Day
2,155
Charitable collections 4,610
Funerals/Weddings
4,774
Tax refunds
15,234
Donations
17,861
Grants
4,280
Fees
8,408
Fund Raising (Bells)
Legacy etc
2,500
Herald
14,276
Sundry
60
Bank Interest
2,107
**Total**
**124,723**
**Expenditure**
Distribute Charities
4,171
Charitable giving
Parish Promise
66,296
Staff
8,694
Team expenses
1,406
Mission expenses
200
Utilities
8,860
Insurance
5,072
Cleaning
726
Repairs
Churchyard Maint.
5,624
Sanctuary exp.
256
Bellringers exp.
32
Choir exp.
207
Admin exp.
497
Herald exp.
14,462
Fund raising
493
Sundry
954
**Total expenditure 117,950**
**Movement**
**6,773**|**2023**
**Designated**
**Restricted**
**Total**
**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**£**
**£**
**£**
48,458
2,155
4,610
4,774
15,234
17,861
4,280
8,408
7,371
7,371
2,500
14,276
60
400
2,507
**7,771**
**132,494**
4,171
66,296
8,694
1,406
200
8,860
5,072
726
1,208
4,036
5,244
2,874
8,498
256
32
207
497
14,462
493
_______
954
**1,208**
**6,910**
**126,068**
**(1,208)**
**861**
**6,426**|**2022**
**Total**
**Funds**
**£**
53,978
2,101
2,419
3,073
15,530
17,479
8,478
8,224
3,893
1,500
15,133
93
752
**132,653**
3,166
252
65,272
6,717
2,750
452
7,296
4,497
248
9,783
13,496
499
32
1,205
950
13,756
712
2,012
**133,095**
**(442)**|
|---|---|---|
## **Notes to the Financial Statement or year ended 31[st] December 2023**
It was decided that since the two churches were combined some time ago into a single PCC, the accounting needed to be consolidated. The Bourton bank accounts are now closed, with the money held in the combined Much Wenlock and Bourton bank account. The separate Bourton accounts are marked as such. Bourton is not a separate charity, so Gift Aid must be reclaimed through Much Wenlock.
The previous ten bank accounts have been consolidated into five.
The simplification of the accounting will continue into 2024, with plans to dramatically reduce the excessive complexity of previous accounting.
Notes to the 2023 accounts:
- A. Until now, the balance sheet included two bank accounts for the choir and bellringers. These are owned and operated by those two groups and the PCC has no control over them and has no say in how the money is raised or spent. It was agreed that they should not be on our balance sheet. We consulted the Diocesan finance director, who confirmed that they needed to be removed from our balance sheet.
- B. The Bellringers have been successful in raising funds for the future repairs to the bells. Most of the almost £25,000 raised is promised to the Bellringers including various grants, once the total has been reached. A much smaller sum is held by the PCC and is marked as being for the bells. A deposit was paid in March 2024 of £6,681 by the PCC from the money held by the PCC in order to facilitate commencement of the work.
- C. An initial 50% payment has been made for the decoration of the tower at Bourton. This amounted to £3,150. The balance will not be due until the work has been completed.
- D. The PCC had loaned £2,500 to Much Wenlock Ecclesiastical Society. This was outstanding at year end but repaid in March 2024.
- E. The increase in staff costs relates to a change of church cleaner, with the new incumbent working longer hours.
- 1) The PCC is a public benefit entity within the meaning of FRS102. The financial statements have been prepared under the Charities Act 2011 and in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006, governing the accounts of PCCs and with the Regulations “true and fair view” provisions.
- 2) Unrestricted Funds
These represent the remaining income funds of the PCC that are available for spending on the general purposes of the PCC, including amounts designated by the PCC for its own use or spending on a future project.
## 3) Restricted Funds
These are income funds that must be spent on restricted purposes.
Sharpen restricted fund is a legacy that must be spent on the upkeep of a grave in the Town Cemetery.
The Much Wenlock Fabric fund is a legacy from one parishioner to be spent on the upkeep of the building.
The Bourton restricted fund was a legacy for the upkeep of the churchyard.
## 4) Designated and Restricted Funds
|As at
Income
01/01.23
£
£
Designated
Bell Ringers
Choir
Fabric
7,668
Mission
2,119
Total
9,787
Restricted
Sharpen
3,600
Bellringers
7,371
Fabric Much Wenlock 55,549
144
Churchyard Bourton 7,531
256
Fabric Bourton
12,086
______
Total
78,766
7,771|Expenditure
£
1,208
_______
1,208
4,008
2,902
6,910|As at
NOTES
31/12/23
£
Nil
A
Nil
A
6,460
2,119
8,579
3,600
7,371
51,685
7,787
9,184
79,627|
|---|---|---|
## 5) Staff Costs
|Wages and salaries
Average no. of employees|2023
£8,694
2|2022
£6,717
2|
|---|---|---|
During the year, the PCC employed a Director of Music and a cleaner (both parttime) but no payments were large enough to attract social security costs and no pension contributions were made.
## 6) Related Parties
There were no employee benefits to key management personnel in the current or previous years.
No payments or expenses were paid to any PCC member, persons closely connected to them or related persons.
## 7) Analysis of Transfer between Funds
There were no transfers between funds.
## 8) Current Assets and Prepayments
|Debtors (unrestricted funds)
Tax recoverable
Prepayments
Fees
Other debtors
Liabilities falling due in one year.
Accruals utilities
Other creditors
Receipts in Advance|2023
£
2,500
2,500
1,584
1,584|2022
£
2,489
984
242
870
4,585
3,262
3,896
7,480
14,638|
|---|---|---|