COWES BAPTIST CHURCH Regl8lered Addres8 Victorla Road Cowes Isle of Wight. P0317JJ Reglstered Charlty No 1143075 Truste88 Mrs Judith Compton Mrs Elalne Cherry Mrs Carol Jennlngs Mr John Karo Karo Mrs Jacqui Spaldlng Mr Graham Cherry Minister Treasurer Secretary Deacon Deacon Deacon Property Tru8te08 The Baptist Unlon Corporatlon Llmlted Baptist House 129 Broadway Didcot Oxfordshlre OX118RT Banker8 Barclays Bank St. James Square, Newport, l.W. P030 1 UP CCL4 Investment Management Ltd. Independent Examlnar AHCross&Co
Annual Report for 2025 The trustees present tsir Annual Report and financial statements for the year ended Dernber 312025. Charltable Obioct The Charity Is govemed by an Approved Governing Document which states that the principal purpose of the Church is Ihe advancemem of the Chrlstian lailh according to the princlples of the Baptist denomination. The Church may also athiance education and carry out other charitable purposes in th8 United Kingdom andlor other parts of the world. The Church occupies premlses which are held by the Baptlst Union Corporation Ltd as holding trustees, on Trusts which are entirely compatible with Ihe above object. Organlsatlonal Structure and Decl8lon maklng proces8es Baptlsm by immersion upon personal profession of faith is the normal mode of entry Into the membership ol Ihe church. Persons seeklng rr£mbership who hav8 not b8en baptised in the manner descrlbed may ai ihe dSscretlon of the Church Members, Meeting be accepted for full membership based on thelr own publlc professlon of faith. The Members, Meeting nomially lakes place at least quarterly and has responsibilty for Ihe overall pollcy of the church. In accordance with the Conslltutlon, the members appolnt deacons, who together whh the Mlnister, Church Secretary (if there is one) and Treasurer (who are also appointed by the Members), are the Charty Trustees, and are responsible for the day to day running of the church's worf( and wltness, and the financlal and legal aspects of the charity. Charity Trustees serve so long as they have the support of the Church Members, Meetlng and (except for those in ministerial offices) are actively appolnted and reappointed al least once every thre8 years. Tralnlng for Tnjstees is provided by both the Southem Counties Baptist Associaiion and the Baptist Unlon of Great Brftaln, who regularly arrange training days on financlal management, safeguardlng, legal matters and other aspects of interest io the Trustees. Detalled Guidance notes are also availab18 from the Baptlst Unlon webstte. All members are encouraged lo take an approprfate part In the spiritual and practical tasks involved in the furtherance of the charitable objecttve. Relevant matters may be submltted to the Church meeting by the Trustees for gUidare, or may be raised by members In Church meeting for further consideration by the Trustees. Though the Consiitution pemits decisions to be made at Church meetings by appropriate majoritles, the Church seeks to work by consensus vtherever possible. Afflllatlon8 The church is kn membership with The Baptist Union of Great Brttain . The SoLrthem Counlies Baptist As%)ciation The Evangelical Alliance . Churches Together In Cowes
COIAES BAvllsTCHURCH Annual Report for 2025 contlnued Objectives and Actlvities In order to achieve the principal objective which is set out above. the Church provides a variety of activities both lo its membership and to the community generally. The church's focus is set out as follows.. "Cowes Baptist Church exists to honour Jesus, bringing people together, sharing facilities and resources, growing, worshipping, praying, serning, seeking to be the best we can, seeking the best for those we See, The Church usually holds public services of Christian worship on Sunday mornings supported by a varied music group. When necessary there are aclivities for babies, toddlers and children and a thriving parent and toddler group which meets on Tuesday mornings. There are also various small groups which meet on a regular basis. Delails of all church activilies are available through the church website at www.cowesba lislchurch.or .uk The church works alongside other churches in Cowes and is also active in supporting joint initiatives such as IOW Street Pastors and School Pastors and Ihe Isle of Wight Foodbank which serve vulnerable people in Ihe wider community. The Church has a Safeguarding policy which is fully compliant with the Baptist Union policies and best practice guidelines to ensure that all people working with children and vulnerable adults are inteNiewed and appropriately vetted through Ihe Disclosure and Baring SeNice. The church has read the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit, and is satisfied that the activities outlined above clearly demonstrate that the charity is providing a benefit to the public. Achlevements and Performance During the last year, our core activities have been maintained, with regular Sunday morning services, zoom prayer meetings and the establishment of several small groups. The Renew Café continues to operate and is concerned with people's wellbeing. In addilion a group supporting Ihose in need in our community are now using the premises on a regular basis, along with fitness. music and dance classes for children and adults. During the year membership stayed al 36..However there are also numerous other members of the congregation who are active in the work of the church but have not yel become church members.
Annual Report for 2025 contlnued Reserv•s Pollcy General Fund: Regular income supports the day to day activities of the church, however it has been detemiined by Ihe trustees that a policy of maintaining a general cash reseNe fund of £10,000 should be adopted. Thls resenie wlll be available to cover short tenn reductions in income or unexpected expendlture. Bulldlng Fund: Funds are held for any major works on the church buildings and the manse. No resejve figure has been set as any work needed will be carried out as necessary. Church I Communlty Worker: No reserves are requlred for thls accouni. Currently this account is noi being used. Flnanclal R•vl•w General Fund. Income for 2025 (excluding funds received for outslde causes) was £66,180 a decrease of on 2024. Thls was not unexpected as we lost two of our generous donors, and income from hire of premises was also down. Expenditure increased by 9% on the previous year. Thls was mainly due to replacing the screen in the sanctuary with a large TV screen, increased costs for our website and other tech costs (previously generously paid for us by one of our members), and general increase in prices. Taking the above into consideration, we ended Ihe year with a surplus on the general fund of £5169.38. The balance brought forward from the previous year was £69,827.18 so the balance carried fonvard at the end of 2025 was £74,996.56. Bulldlng Fund. During 2025 our original manse continued to be rented out. The renl received covered the rent payable to the Mlnlster and made a contribLrtion towards the building fund. There was a balance of £345 as of 31 December 2024. During 2025 s(xne repalrs were needed on Ihe manse, and ai church the outside door into the old ve*ry was bk)cked up prior to redecorating the office. This woth is still ongoing. Donations from members and friends of the church plus other income have covered the costs of worf( carried out, and the balance as at 31 December 2025 stands at £6042.68 Funds for Ihe Churchlcommunlty Workar were restricted funds for the employment of a Churchlcommunity Worker. The post is now vacant, and there was no income or experKliture during 2025 The balance at the end of 2025 was £15,942.40 There were no unforeseen expenses in 2025. SEgned on behalf of the Trustees On (date)...
NDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT T THE TRUSTEE COWES BAP 1ST CHURCH report on the accounts of Cow8s Baptlst Church for the year erKled 31 December 2025, which are set out on the following 6 pages. Ive Res rustees and Examin As the Charitys Trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts; you consider that the audit requirement of sectlon 144 of the Charities Act 2011 f'the Acv? does not apply. I report In respect of my examination of the Church accounts carried out under Section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Dlrectlon8 given by the Charity Commlssion under section 145(5)(b) of the ACL Basls SR8 My examination was carried out in accordance wlth the General Directions given by the Charity Cornmi88ioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the Tru8tee8 and a comparison of the account8 presented with those records. It al80 includes consideratlon of any unusual items or di3dosure8 in the accounts, and seeklng explanations from you as Trustees concerning any such matters. The procedure8 undertaken do not provlde all the evldence that would be required In an audlt, and consequently I do not expre88 an audlt opinion on the vlew given by the account8. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attentlon In connection with the examinatlon which gives me cause to belleve that in, any mater181 re8P8Ct: 1) the aGcountlng records were not kept In accordance with section 130 of th• Charltles Act: or 2) the account8 did not accord with the accounting record8: or 3) the account8 dld not comply with the applicable requlrements concerning th• fomi and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a Irue and falr, vlew which16 not a matter consldered as part of an indeperKlent examlnatlon. I have no concerns and have come acr088 no other matters in connection with the examination to whlch attention should be drawn In this report in order to enable a proper understandi of the accounts to be reached. I S Henderson Chartered Accountant A H Cross & Co Limited 10 Pyle Street Newport Isle of Wght P030 1JW M4rt4 2oU
COWES BAIryIST CItURCH FINANCIAL STATENiENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 GeTwal Building Tothjkn Church Fu FuThJ Community Worker Total Tot 2024 Receipts Donations Investhient Income Other Sources of Income 64.976.29 6.465.(KJ 3.249.16 4.15250 I9.6.(1} I.{1.10 71.441.29 3.249.16 24.933.fA) 70J44 3.322 26,414 72J77.95 26.155.(K) i.(yJi.10 o.(X) 99.624.05 I ,080 Payments Church Aclivities Given to causes 49337.49 1.106.98 50.944.47 47,282 12.826.28 4JM.80 12.826.28 4,544.80 20.456.64 6.113 3.836 41,822 Management & Administration Rentlmaintenance 20.456.64 67208J7 20.456.64 1.106.98 0.Tr) 88.772.19 99.053 Surplus for the 5,169.38 5698J6 -15.88 O.IXI 10.851.86 1.027 Balance blf 111125 Balance clf 31112t25 69.827.18 344.32 1.499.17 15942.40 87.613.07 74.996.56 6.042.68 1.48329 15.942.40 98.464.93 86J87 87,614
COWES BApfIsT CHURCH FINANCIAL STATEMENf FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 GENERAL FUND RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT Nole 2025 2024 Recelpts Offerings Donations and other income Income tax recovered on gifts Bank Interest Contributions for use of premises Sub Total 40,920.69 8,731.68 9,125.65 3,249.16 4 152.50 66,179.68 44,104 8,969 8,916 3,322 5.688 70,999 Raised for other causes 6,198.27 72,377.95 524 71,523 Payments Ministry Upkeep of church premises Given to other c&uses Administration Outreach 38,536.48 11,253.58 12.826.28 4,544.80 47.43 67.208.57 37,235 8,522 6,113 3,836 343 56,049 sllrplu Deficll for the year Transfer to Bulldlng Fund Balance brought forward V1125 5.169.38 15A74 -9AIJ) 69 27.18 Bglance e*rrled forward 31n2Q5
COWLS BAprisr CHURCH: NOTKS TO THE ACCOUNTS l. Basis of accounts: These accounts have been prepared on a knipts and payments. basis and accord with S.42(3) charities act 1993 ( Amended by section 28 of the Charities Act 21X)6) 2025 2024 2.Donations and other income Donations 501.43 75Crf).CN) 2£K).(X) 176 7.411 343 HIWCF 2024r2025 Funeral Donations SCBA Heating Grant Church Meal Christmas Tree (2 years) Other 530.25 377 650 12 8,969 8,731.68 3. Ralsed for other causes Baptist Missionary Society Op Agri (BMS Harvest ) 7.92 670.35 377 Toilet Twinning Salvation Arniy Toy Appeal Christian Aid Christmas Hampers Youth Club ( in memory of A Leigh) 20 250.00 5.270. 116 6.198.27 524 4. Mlnlstry MiDiSters Stipend Pension Travel Visitin8 Speakers Manse Upkeep - Council Tax Insurance Water 29.493.71 3,739.C() 265.88 300.( 3,018.82 534.22 1,184.85 38,536.48 28,6(X) 3,631 31XJ 2.842 593 809 37.235
COWES BAYfIsT CHURCH: NOTES TO THE ACCOUKfS 2025 2024 S. Upkeep of Church Premtses Lighting & Heating Cleaning Insurance Water Repair & Maintenance Equipment 2,787.92 374.69 2284.24 883.91 J.642.28 3,280.54 11,253.58 3.584 830 2,223 539 1,346 8,522 6. Glven To Other Causes Home Mission Baptisi Missionary Society Op Agri ( BMS 2023) Harvesi Christian Aid Latin Link ( R Gardner) Andrew & Dira Soreano (2 years) Youth For Christ Spurgeons Studcnts Appeal OMF Salvation Arnly Toy Appeal 1.950.00 1,950.00 660.35 5,270.00 640.00 1,245.93 180.00 200.00 480.00 250.00 1.776 1,926 377 640 614 180 12.826.28 6,113 7. Admlnlstratlon Printing & Stationery, Books etc. Telephone Subscriptions & Conference Fees PayToII Fees Independent Examiner Zoom Feeslwebsitelsoftware ccu Mobile Phone Catering Church Meal Other 780.38 144. 834.60 217.15 150.00 983.07 395.86 106.20 205.68 530.25 197.61 4,544.80 732 156 210 150 278 385 243 199 377 120 3,836 8. Outreach Christmas BwkletslGifts Hatnpers Christmas Tree IL4ghts 47.43 82 116 145 47.43 343
BUILDING FUND RECEIFtS AND PAYMENTS ACCOiiNT 2025 2024 Reteipts Donationsifax Refunds Manse Rent ( Baring Rd) Other 6.465.00 19.650.00 40.00 26,155.00 7.830 19.2 78 27.108 Payments Survey Rent ( Crossfield Ave) Rental ExpenseslRepairs Church Windows Damp proofing Church Kitchen FIoor IPlumbinglBoiler Kitchen unitslappliances Electrics Block up Vestry DooTway Other 2,184.00 12.(KK).00 4.227.20 12,OC(I 2,526 6.565 4,680 1.430 5,332 8,520 421 970.44 1075.00 347 20,456.64 5,698.36 344.32 41.821 -14.713 5558 9,5(K) 345 Balance brought forward 111125 Transfer from General Fund Balance carried forward 31112125 6,042.68 CHURCHI COMMUNITY WORKER RECEIvfs AND PAyms ACCOI]NT Balance b'fwd Iiir2025 15,942.40 15.942 Balance clfwd 31112Q025 15 15,942 TODDLERS RECEIEryS AND PAYMENfS ACCOUNr 2025 2024 Receipts Fees 1,091.10 1.091.10 1.449 Payments Running Expenses 1,106.98 -15.88 1.499.17 1,483.29 266 1,233 1.499 Balance brought forward Iiir25 Balance caffied forward 31112125
COWES BAFryLST CHURCH ATEMENf OF ASSETS AND LIABILITW AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2025 ASSETS 2025 2024 Barclays Current account Barclays Deposit Account COIF Deposit Account Petty cash Toddlers petty cash 7.607.42 14.874.48 75,854.75 7.93 120.35 98,464.93 6.465 18.172 62,808 28 140 87,613 Representing balances on the following aeeounts General Fund Building Fund Church I Community Worker Toddlers 74.996.56 6,042.68 15,942.40 1.483.29 98,464.93 69.827 345 15,942 1.499 87,613 Non.Monetary A&sets The church 15 the beneficial owner ( subject to the Televant trusts) of the following asse the legal title to which is held by the church's custodian tTUSt¢e [th¢ Baptist Union COOTation ]. Church Premises [Insured value] Church Manse [Jnsured value] The church also owns fixtures, furniture and equipment with an insured value of 2.274.372 496,343 136.918 2,907.633 Th¢ accounts and statement of assets and liabilities set out on pages I to 6 relating to the year ending 31 December 2025 are approved by the tNstees. Judith Compton [Minist¢rl Elaine Cherry ITreasurer]