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Leigh and Hindley Methodist Circuit

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD 1st SEPTEMBER 2019 to 31st AUGUST 2020

SECTION A REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATION DETAILS

Registered Charity Number:

1142805

Charity’s Principal Address: Kingsleigh Methodist Church, King Street, Leigh WN7 4LR

The Trustees who manage the charity:

Trustee name	Office (if any)	Name of body entitled to appoint trustee	Member of Leadership Team
Jean Aldred	Chair Lay Employment; Circuit steward	Circuit Trustees Exofficio	Yes
Gillian Baglee	Circuit Steward Circuit Meeting Secretary	Circuit Trustees	Yes
Marian Bilsbury		Astley/Tyldesley Church
KatharineBland	Minister	CulchethChurch	Yes
Elspeth Brighton	Circuit Steward andTreasurer	Ex officio	Yes
Delia Caswell		Glazebury Church
David Clayworth	WorldMission	CircuitTrustees
Janet Crozier		Glazebury Church
Joyce Daniels	Secretary to Local Preachers' Meeting; Synod representative	Ex officio
Revd Bruce Deakin	Supernumerary	Ex officio
Alan Eaves		Astley/Tyldesley Church
Linda Fish	Circuit Steward	Ex officio	Yes
Revd John Fisher	Supernumerary	Ex officio
Nick Fletcher		Kingsleigh Church
Margaret Freeborn		Bag Lane Church
Keith Garbett		Atherton Central Church
Irene Goodhew		AthertonCentralChurch
Joanne Grundy		Glazebury Church
Florence Hatton		Ex officio
Maureen Hilton	Synod representative	Ex officio
Janette Hutchinson		Culcheth Church
Janet Jennions		St John’s Church
Rev Brian Jones	Supernumerary	Ex officio
Rev Mary Jones	Supernumerary	Ex officio	Yes
Philip Kennedy		Hindley Green Church
Jean Leech		Bedford Church
Janice MacKenzie		St John’s
RoddyMarr	Circuit Steward	Exofficio	Yes

ThomasMartin	Circuit Steward	Exofficio	Yes
Jean Maryan		Astley/Tyldesley Church
Kevin Meredith		Bedford Church
Susan Mooney	Circuit Steward	KingsleighChurch
Vera Nelson	Methodist Women in Britain	Circuit Trustees
LyndaNuttall		AthertonCentralChurch
David Ogilvy		CulchethChurch
AnneParry		Wigan Road
Rev Len Pereira	Minister	Exofficio	Yes
MavisPower		BagLane Church
ValeriePownall		Bedford Church
VickyRobinson		Hindley GreenChurch
Dorothy Simm		Wigan Road Church
ElizabethSmith		Hindley GreenChurch
Revd Vivienne Smith	Superintendent Minister	Ex officio	Yes
SusanStewart		Wigan Road Church
Edith Todd		BagLane Church
Revd Sue Whitehead	Supernumerary	Ex officio
Andrew Wilcox		BamfurlongChurch
Stan Worgan		Bamfurlong Church

Name and addresses of advisers consulted by the Trustees:

Platt and Fishwicks, Solicitors. The Old Bank, 47 King Street, Wigan WN1 1DB

Borron Shaw, Estate Agents. 161 Park Road, Wigan WN6 7AG

SECTION B STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Description of the charity’s trusts:

The governing document is the Deed of Union (1932) and Methodist Church Act (1976) and the charity is constituted by Act of Parliament.

Trustees are appointed by local churches or circuit organisations and the existing trustees. Ministers and circuit stewards are automatically trustees.

Induction and Training for Trustees

A range of guidance produced by Methodist Connexion is issued to new trustees including the leaflet ‘The Role of a Trustee in the Methodist Church’ and they are offered the support of the Circuit Meeting Secretary. From time to time training sessions are provided on a range of aspects of the role of Trustees.

Structure

The Circuit is part of the Bolton and Rochdale Methodist District and appoints representatives to its meeting (The District Synod) and is accountable to the Methodist Conference.

The Meeting of the Trustees (Circuit Meeting) is supported by a Circuit Leadership Team (CLT) comprising the Ministers and the Circuit Stewards. The CLT advises the circuit meeting and ensures that its decisions are enacted.

Risks: A standing risk to the circuit is the ability of churches to pay the financial assessment so that the circuit can meet its costs. The controls in place include discussion of the circuit's budget with the treasurers of all churches and very limited delegation of spending from the Circuit Meeting.

A real risk of the overloading of the ministers, particularly the Superintendent, had been identified and Trustees appointed a part-time lay Pastoral and Preaching Assistant to support the ministerial team and have appointed a lay chaplain to support the work in the circuit schools. A re-distribution of pastoral charge was agreed in June 2017 to even up the responsibilities from September 2017, and this continues to be effective.

Across the circuit some churches are struggling to recruit new office holders, with some individuals feeling unable to retire despite long service. This poses a risk to good governance and limits the energy available to pursue new initiatives and look outwards to serve the communities within which the churches sit.

Circuit and Church organisations are seen by the community as safe places and many young children and vulnerable adults use them. The risk of inappropriate behaviour is controlled by application of the statutory procedures for the Safeguarding of Children and Vulnerable Adults. Additionally, in the year, the Circuit updated its safeguarding policy using the model that had been recommended by the Methodist Church. Churches are responsible for ensuring that the requirements are met in all their activities. The Circuit appoints a Safeguarding Officer supported by a Safeguarding Co-ordinator and ensures that each church appoints its own safeguarding officer. The Circuit Safeguarding Officer supports them and calls meetings to share good practice. Training sessions are made available for all those in churches and circuit organisations involved in work with children and vulnerable adults. The Circuit monitors that all those who are required to do so have attended, and is currently in final stages of completing an initial round of refresher training for those whose original training was some years ago. Refresher sessions of advanced training for those in leadership roles has now been introduced and many of those required to attend have now been trained.

SECTION C OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document:

The purposes of the Methodist Church are and shall be deemed to have been, since the Date of Union, the advancement of:

(a) The Christian faith in accordance with the doctrinal standards and discipline of The Methodist Church;
(b) Any charitable purpose for the time being of any Connexional, District, Circuit, local or other organisation of The Methodist Church;
(c) Any charitable purpose for the time being of any society or institution subsidiary or ancillary to The Methodist Church;
(d) Any purpose for the time being of any charity being a charity subsidiary or ancillary to The Methodist Church.

SECTION D

ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Part 1 Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relations to these objects.

The trustees confirm that they have had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.

The Circuit produces a quarterly preaching plan to ensure regular acts of worship take place at each of the Methodist Churches in its geographical area. These are open to all people without charge. The churches welcome all families for baptisms, marriages and funerals and make their facilities available for community use.

The Circuit continues to support a Food Bank operating in the centre of Leigh under the auspices of the Trussell Trust and working with other agencies such as the Citizens Advice Bureau.

As a new venture the circuit held a congregational “Big Sing” and has produced and sold a CD of the event, with proceeds donated to a homeless charity in Leigh.

Volunteers and the ministers of the Circuit, especially from Bedford and Hindley Green churches, support the work of Bedford Hall and Westleigh Methodist Primary Schools whose children and families include many of no or different faiths. An example is the “It’s Your Move” programme designed to support children in their transition from Primary School to High School. The schools feel privileged to be able to offer this support to all children. The Foundation Governors continue to play a pivotal part in the life of the schools.

Individual churches within the Circuit operate a variety of community services for young and old which are open to all regardless of faith. These include luncheon and coffee clubs for older people and varied youth activities.

The circuit’s own youth group “Explore” now operates under the aegis of one of the circuit’s churches. The trustees have used some of the moneys generated from the sale of redundant churches to employ a lay chaplain to work in the two schools.

Mission priorities were recently revised to recognise progress made in working towards earlier priorities:

“As Leigh and Hindley Methodist Circuit we are determined:

To Love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind. Our first priority is to worship Him, and grow in faith;
To be a prayerful people;
To explore all God-given opportunities to share the good news of Jesus with others;
To be prepared to consider new ideas in order to extend our mission;
To love and care for all God’s people but especially the vulnerable and all who are struggling;
To encourage, support and give a voice to under 25’s, building upon, and investing in, the children’s and youth work already happening within the circuit;
To continue to work and pull together as a circuit and as sections.”

Considerable progress is being made in delivering these priorities, with a programme of grants to support churches in their mission and the appointment of lay staff to take the work forward. The circuit is now in the process of taking stock and exploring Fresh Expressions of mission and worship. The circuit is also reflecting on the appropriate mix of lay and ministerial staff to deliver its mission in future.

SECTION D ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS Part 2 Summary of other activities.

The Ministerial Team

Reverend Vivienne Smith was invited to continue in the role of Superintendent Minister for a further five years from 2018 to 2023 and Rev Andrew Bradley will now leave the circuit in 2020.

Lay Employees

In 2018/19 there were three lay employees: a part-time circuit administrator, Andrea Metcalfe, a parttime lay pastoral assistant, Eileen Groves, and a part-time schools chaplain, Catherine Preece.

Local Preachers and Worship Leaders

Several people continued their training as worship leaders during the year and now make a growing contribution to services within the circuit. Neil Whitehead is now a local preacher on trial.

Governance

In the year the Circuit met three times at different churches and there were meetings of church stewards. The latter is a new initiative to meet twice a year to share good practice and news of activities and has been warmly welcomed.

Churches and Circuit continue to carry out their legal duties in respect of pensions for lay employees, with the circuit treasurer supporting churches to do so. GDPR requirements are also adhered to.

Circuit Property

Regular maintenance and minor improvements have been undertaken at the manses at Marsh Brook Close, Hindley, Burton Close, Culcheth and Stour Rd, Astley to ensure that that they continue to meet the required standards.

Circuit Grants to Churches

The resources which the circuit set aside in 2015, to allow each church to further its mission priorities, have now been expended. A new scheme of grants to churches involving a greater contribution form the church’s own resources and from match funding has now been introduced.

Acorn Academy

The Circuit continues to work closely with the two Methodist Primary Schools. Both schools are oversubscribed, and numbers are increasing at Westleigh, with building alterations to accommodate the growing roll. The schools are extremely proud of their Methodist inheritance and the positive impact it makes upon all aspects of school life. Both held Education Sunday services which were well attended and inspirational in the celebration of education within a Methodist school. Both schools have a higher percentage than the national average of children supported by the additional Pupil Premium to address the needs of those from particularly disadvantaged backgrounds. They deploy these resources to provide a wide range of practical and learning support for these pupils, ranging from breakfast clubs to employment of additional teaching assistants and subsidising educational trips. The work of the pastoral managers is of great value in supporting pupils from struggling families and ensuring effective safeguarding of pupils. Both schools have been judged as Outstanding in their most recent inspections as part of the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools. A serious fire in March 2018 affected the main building at Westleigh Methodist Primary School. Thanks to the strenuous efforts of school staff, and many others, the school was able to re-open for the summer term using a mix of temporary and permanent accommodation. Permanent repair work was completed during the summer holidays ready for the autumn term 2018.

SECTION E FINANCIAL REVIEW

There are healthy General Fund balances of £110,330 which are amply sufficient to meet 6 months’ routine expenditure. Capital receipts from sales of surplus properties in recent years had led to much greater reserves in the Circuit Model Trust Fund (CMTF) than the circuit has held in the past, leading

the circuit to review the Reserves Policy and develop mechanisms to ensure resources are used to support mission, discipleship, and evangelism. Trustees have identified a range of specific projects and appointments as key steps in delivering the agreed mission priorities and implementation is now well under way. Once resources are allocated to these initiatives moneys are drawn down from the CMTF and placed in dedicated accounts at the Central Finance Board. The revised Reserves Policy is appended together with the accounts and the independent examiner’s report, in which no concerns are raised.

LEGAL OBLIGATION

The trustees confirm that there are no serious incidents or other matters which they should have brought to the attention of the Commission.

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above at their meeting on 25 February 2020.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:

Rev Vivienne G. Smith Chair (Superintendent Minister)

Dr Elspeth Brighton Senior Circuit Steward and Treasurer

Date:

AC	COUNTSFORTHE YEAR ENDED	31	AUGUST	2O2O			Leigh	& Hindley		Circuit
				Un-	Circuit
				restricted	ModelTrustRestricted			Totalsthis		Totalslast
	SECTION A			Funds	Fund		Funds	year		year
a1	RECEIPTS		Note	f	f		f	f		f
a2	AssessmenUShare			183,475.78				183,475.78		184,486.30
a3	Capital receipts
a4	Bank and CFB interestand
	lnvestment income			1,035.09	1,071.22			2,106.31		2,462.60
a5	Grants			5,000.00				5,000.00		62.80
a6 a7	Other receipts TOTAL RECEIPTS			4,311.41 193,822.28	1,071.22I			4,311.41 194,893.50	(a8)	4,454.65 191,466.35
	SECTIONB
b1	PAYMENTS
b2	Stipends, salaries, NlC, Pensionand
	travel costs			148,902.25				148,902.25		143,504.33
b3	Manse Costs			13,533.03				13,533.03		13,934.13
b4	Administrationetc			11,555.53				11,555.53		8,064.78
b5	DistrictAssessment			38,756.00	4,142.43			42,898.43		42,201.12
b6	Grants&donations			5,000.00	10,000.00			15,000.00		2,000.00
b7
b8 b9	Other payments TOTAL PAYMENTS			12,034.97 229,781.78	265.70 14,408.13	I		12,300.67 244,189.91	(bs)	9,403.81 219,108.17
	SECT]ONC
	NET RECEIPTS/PAYMENTS FOR
c1	THE YEAR		(a7-b9)	-35,959.50	-13,336.91			-49,296.4',1		-27,641.82
c2	Total funds brouqhtfonruardfromlastvear			200,961.64	132,848.67		4,691.66	338,501.97	(c6)	366,143.79
c3	Subtotal		(ct+s211	16s,002.14	119,511.76		4,691.66	289,205.56		338,501.97
c4	Transfers and adiustments								(c7)
c5	TOTAL FUNDSATENDOFYEAR		1ca+c+11	16s,002.141	1i9,s11.761		4,691.66	289,205.56		338,501.97 (c6)
	SECTIOND
	FOR INFORMATIONONLY:MONEY		RECEIVED AND PASSED ONTO				EXTERNAL	ORGANISATIONS
d	amountsshould notbeincludedintotal				above)
d1	htforward fromlast Balance		r					225.00
d2	- received for external
d3	to external organisations							225.00
d4	BALANCE STILL TOBEPAID	1+d2-d3

	INTERNAL				NetReceipts/			Opening
	ORGANISATIONS				Pavments	Adiustments		balances		Closinqbalances
e1
e2
e3
e4
e5
e6
e'7
	Sub totaloflntemal
e8	Organisations funds								(e11)		(e'l2l
	Circuit accounts (totals
	broughtforward from
e9 el0	page2-totalscolumn) IOIALCASHFUNDS HELDBY CIRCUIT	1		,189.91 H	-49,296.41 49,296.41		(c7)	338,501.97 338,501.97	(c6) {x)	289,205.56 289,20s.56	(c8) (v)
	Continue on a separate sheet if necessary and bring the totals forward TOTALRECEIPTS			TOTAL PAYMENTS
	SECTIONF
	STATEMENT OF ASSETSANDLIABILITIES
								OPENING		CLOSING
	CIRCUIT FUNDS HELDat	3,1	2020					BALANCES		BALANCES
f1	Cash in hand									289.97
f2	Bank CurrentAccount							25,168.55		34.318.90
f4	CentralFinance Board							175,793.09		130,393.27
f5	TrusteesforMethodist Church Purposes							137,540.33		124,203.42
f6	Other funds
f]	SUBTOTAL							338,501.97	(c6)	289,205.s6	(c8)
	Total fundsheldby lnternal Organisations (the		closing
f8	balance totals above)(el2)								(e11)		(e12\|
f9	TOTAL CASHFUNDSHELDBY CIRCUIT							338,s01.97	(x)	289,205.56	(v)
	SECTION G							At		At
								2019		2020
g1	lnvestments(includeEndowments)
s2	Land and Buildings (at lnsurance value)							871.3'18		898.337
	Other Assets
a4	Loan(s) - show amount outstanding	atyearend
	OtherLiabilities

2020-08-31-accounts