2024-12-31-accounts - Mettingham Orthodox Trust

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METTINGHAM ORTHODOX TRUST

2024 Trustees’ Annual Report

Reporting Period: 01.01.2024 - 31.12.2024

Charity name: Mettingham Orthodox Trust

Charity registration number: 1145765

Summary of Charity: The Mettingham Orthodox Trust was legally established in October 2011 in order to care for the Parish and Collegiate Church of the Ikon of the Mother of God, “Joy of All Who Sorrow” in the grounds of the White House, Low Road, Mettingham in Suffolk. The Church seeks to minister to the needs of Orthodox Christians and the general public throughout the Waveney Valley and the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk.

Charitable Objects: In the Mettingham Orthodox Trust Deed the following objects are stated:

to advance the Orthodox Christian faith for the benefit of the public in accordance with the Nicene Creed .
• to advance the Orthodox Christian faith throughout East Anglia for the benefit of the public through the holding of prayer meetings and public worship, lectures, public celebration of religious festivals, producing and/or distributing literature on the Orthodox Christian faith to enlighten others about the Orthodox Christian faith and teaching the general public about the faith.

Achievements and Performance:

The financial year of 2024 has seen progress and improvements on a number of different fronts. In this section we will break down some of the main achievements of the Mettingham Orthodox Trust paying due regard to its stated Charitable Objects:

• Orthodox Christian Worship and Sacramental Life:

At the very heart of the Trust is its care for the Parish of the Ikon of the Mother of God: “Joy of All Who Sorrow” in the grounds of the White House in Low Road Mettingham. Over 2024, the Trustees have been delighted to see positive signs of growth of the parish community. In particular, it has been heartening to see an increase in the numbers of young people and young families which have been starting to attend the parish on a regular basis. On a typical Sunday Divine Liturgy, we are now attracting an average of 26 people on Sundays. Demographically, the parish is fairly evenly split between Orthodox Christians from Moldova, Romania, Russia and Ukraine as well as British-born converts to the Orthodox Faith.

In May of 2024, we were able to perform our first adult baptism in the new font which the Trust purchased that enables us to perform baptisms in the church building by full immersion. Later in the year, we baptised a mother and daughter as well as reconciling another woman into the Church through Chrismation. In addition to these baptisms and chrismation, we also received a husband and wife into the catechumenate who then continued their studies in our catechesis course. Finally, 2024 also saw the church celebrate a total of four weddings from September through to November.

• Missionary and Public Outreach of the Orthodox Faith:

One of the most important objects of the Mettingham Orthodox Trust is the promotion of the Orthodox Faith to people in the Waveney Valley as well as further afield. Across 2024, the Trust has been seeking to improve public understanding of the Orthodox Faith through a number of different activities. Early in 2024, the Trust funded the creation of a new A4 and A3 poster and business cards to use in advertising the Parish’s presence in the local area and to help people connect with our priest and founding trustee, Fr Mark. Following the visit of Jordanville Seminarian, Aiden Harrington, we also established a new Instagram account for the Parish as well as

renewing and renaming our existing Facebook, Youtube and Telegram channels. These accounts are an important way of outreach, particularly to young people, and several of the new Inquirers that have come to the church have mentioned seeing the church on their social media feeds.

In June 2024, trustees were also involved in our annual Pilgrimage to Iken in Suffolk around the feast of St Botolph. This event was well attended by local Orthodox Christians from surrounding parishes in Norwich, Walsingham and Ipswich as well as a number of general members of the public. Interesting conversations were had about the Orthodox Faith as well as the life and legacy of St Botolph.

2024 also saw the Trust undertake a number of new initiatives to promote the Orthodox Faith for the benefit of the public. For example, in September, for the first time, the Trust took part in the annual Heritage Open Day which coincided with the Church’s Conservation Ride and Stride event. In total Fr Mark welcomed 20 or so people to the church and provided personal tours and answered many questions on the Orthodox Faith. Finally, the church also held its first event for children in December around the Feast of St Nicholas which saw children coming from both from our own parish as well as the ROCOR parish in Norwich.

• Improvements to Church and Property:

2024 saw the Trust investing in a number of improvements to the Church and grounds to enable better and safer access to the property for the attendance of Orthodox worship and public events. This began in January 2024 with the installation of external lighting in the lower car park area. The lighting now makes it much easier and safer for parishioners to find their way to and from the car park area particularly for attendance at evening services.

Following widespread feedback from parishioners and visitors about the initial difficulty of locating our rural church, a further improvement to the access to the property which the Trust funded was a new public sign that was erected inside the railing adjacent to Low Road. This now makes it much easier for members of the public to find our church and also to continue passed the house in order to get to the church.

In the summer, a major improvements to the Church was the complete repainting of the whole of the external facia including the repair and replacement of several rotten window sills. This work was completed through the efforts of Sergiu and Nadejda, their family as well as several other members of the local Moldovan community. The second major improvement was the installation of our ikonostasis and new ikons which the Trust contributed towards following an anonymous donation.

Finally, throughout 2024, and as a result of many donations, the Trust was able to purchase a number of items to further enhance and beautify our liturgical worship, this included: a censer stand; new chalice and diskos; new acolyte candle holders and a jug and ewer.

• Improvements in Governance and Safety:

In 2024 a number of improvements to the Governance of the Trust and Parish were made which will ensure the safety of parishioners, visitors and members of the public to the Church and any Trust events. Trustee Nicholas Mathewson was appointed the Parish’s Health and Safety Officer and will lead and report on this area to trustees. Following a comprehensive Health and Safety inspection undertaken by Fr Mark and Nicholas, a number of improvements to the safety of the Church building were made which included, provision of a new doormat and flooring in the porch, installation of new fire extinguishers and fire blankets. The parish has also appointed James Bones as the Parish Safeguarding Officer and the Trust has adopted a formal Safeguarding Policy. A poster has been placed in the porch with James’ contact details for any parishioner or member of the public who wishes to raise safeguarding concerns. Fr Mark will look to work with James over the next year to enhance our safeguarding procedures and move towards DBS checks where appropriate.

Financial Review:

During 2024, the Mettingham Orthodox Trust experienced both significant investment in the church’s beautification and infrastructure and a corresponding drawdown in reserves. Despite these major expenditures, the overall financial position remains stable, and the Trust retains sufficient unrestricted funds to support ongoing operations into 2025.

Income:

Total income for the year was £38,893 , comprising £4,323 of unrestricted income and £34,570 of restricted funds. The majority of restricted income related to donations for the Ikonostasis and Church Beautification Fund (£26,404) and other designated projects. Unrestricted income primarily came from parish collections (£3,904) and other small donations (£419).

Expenditure:

Total expenditure for the year amounted to £53,325 , with £17,009 from unrestricted funds and £36,316 from restricted funds. The principal expenditure items were:

Ikonostasis and Church Beautification Works: £41,119
Repairs and Maintenance: £7,170
Insurance: £528
Outward Donations to Other Bodies: £2,551
Utilities, Website, and Bank Charges: £2,330 combined

As a result, the Trust recorded an overall deficit of £14,432 , reducing total funds from £36,504 in 2023 to £22,072 at year end.

Reserves and Funds:

At 31 December 2024, the Trust held £17,024 in unrestricted funds and £5,048 in restricted funds representing approximately 3 months running costs , totalling £22,072 . Of this, £2,313 represents tangible assets acquired during the year. Although reserves have reduced following one-off capital improvements, the Trustees consider the remaining unrestricted balance appropriate for the size and scope of the Trust’s ongoing activities.

Gift Aid:

The Trust continues to promote Gift Aid to maximise the value of eligible donations. Improvements to donor records and submission processes are planned for 2025 to ensure Gift Aid claims are made consistently and efficiently.

Accounting and Financial Management Improvements:

During 2024, the Trust completed the transfer of all accounting records to a bespoke software , providing Trustees with clear, real-time visibility of income and expenditure. This new system has strengthened financial oversight, streamlined reporting, and supports regular management review of the Trust’s financial performance. The implementation of online banking and a new money-handling policy have further enhanced transparency, control, and accountability in the Trust’s financial operations.

Reserves Policy:

The Trustees’ policy is to maintain unrestricted reserves equivalent to at least three months of normal operating expenditure to ensure continuity of activities and provide a safeguard against unforeseen events. The 2024 closing balance remains within an acceptable range following major capital works.

Treasury Management:

With Tatiana Blana serving as Acting Treasurer following Daniel Price’s relocation, the Trust’s financial systems and processes have been modernised. The introduction of online accounting software and digital banking has allowed more timely reporting, improved tracking of expenditure, and strengthened internal governance.

Structure, Governance and Management:

The Mettingham Orthodox Trust is unincorporated Trust, governed through a Trust Deed and registered with the Charity Commission. However, with a view to the Trust receiving into its possession the whole estate of the White House, Low Road, Mettingham, NR35 1TP, the Trust is in the process of transitioning to a CIO structure in the near future.

Reference and Administrative details:

Charity Name: Mettingham Orthodox Trust

Registered Charity Number: 1145765 Charity Principal Address: White House, Low Road, Mettingham, NR35 1TP

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1. Revd. Andrew Bond (Chair – Appointed on 7[th] October, 2011)

2. Revd. Mark Tattum-Smith (Secretary - Appointed on 7[th] October, 2011)

3. Nicholas Mathewson (Trustee – Appointed on 1[st] January 2023)

4. Daniel Price (Trustee – Appointed on 23[rd] April 2023)

5. Tatiana Blana (Trustee Appointed on 15[th] December, 2024)

6. Sergiu Sacaliuc (Trustee Appointed on 15[th] December, 2024)

Declarations:

The Trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:

Revd. Mark Tattum-Smith Date: 19/10/2025

METTINGHAM ORTHODOX TRUST Balance Sheet As at 31 December 2024

Charity No: 1145765

Fixed Assets Tangible Assets Total Tangible Assets Current Assets Cash in hand Current bank account Deposit bank account Total Assets Current Liabilities Total Liabilities Net Assets Funds Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Total funds	Fixed Assets Tangible Assets Total Tangible Assets Current Assets Cash in hand Current bank account Deposit bank account Total Assets Current Liabilities Total Liabilities Net Assets Funds Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Total funds	31 December 2024 31 December 2023 £ £ 2,313 0 2,313 0 120 520 2,677 14,373 17,689 21,611 20,486 36,504 727 0 0 0 22,072 36,504 5,048 6,794 17,024 29,711 22,072 36,504
METTINGHAM ORTHODOX TRUST Income & Expenditure Statement For theyear 1 January 2024 - 31 December 2024
Income Direct donations Collections in church Ikonostasis and Church beautification fund Other income Expenditure Bank charges Ikonostasis and Church beautification Insurance Outward donations to other bodies Website Repairs and maintenance Utilities Surplus/Deficit	Unrestricted funds £ Restricted funds £ Total funds £ - 8,166 8,166 3,904 - 3,904 - 26,404 26,404 419 - 419
	4,323 34,570 38,893 86 - 86 4,803 36,316 41,119 528 528 2.551 - 2,551 372 372 7,170 - 7,170 1500 1,500

	17,009 36,316 53,325
	-12,686 -1,746 -14,432

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Me�ngham Orthodox Trust

For the Year Ended 31st December 2025

Sec�on A: Independent Examiner's Report

Charity Details Charity Name: Me�ngham Orthodox Trust Charity Registra�on Number: 1145765 Accounts Covered: Accounts for the year ended 31st December 2025, which comprise the Income and Expenditure Statement and the Balance Sheet .

Respec�ve Responsibili�es of Trustees and Examiner

The charity's trustees are responsible for the prepara�on of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under sec�on 144 of the Chari�es Act 2011 (the "Act") and that an independent examina�on is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

Examine the accounts under sec�on 145 of the Act.
To follow the procedures laid down in the general Direc�ons given by the Charity Commission (under sec�on 145(5)(b) of the Act).
To state whether par�cular ma�ers have come to my a�en�on.

Basis of Independent Examiner's Statement

My examina�on was carried out in accordance with the general Direc�ons given by the Charity Commission. An examina�on includes a review of the accoun�ng records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes considera�on of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explana�ons from the trustees concerning any such ma�ers. 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 ma�ers set out in the statement below.

Independent Examiner's Statement

connec�on with the examina�on (other than that disclosed below*) which gives me cause to believe that in any material respect:

The accoun�ng records were not kept in accordance with sec�on 130 of the Act; or
The accounts did not accord with the accoun�ng records; or
The accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Chari�es (Accounts and Reports) Regula�ons 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair' view, which is not a ma�er considered as part of an independent examina�on.

29th October 2025 John Tindall

reached:

1. Lack of Disclosures in Accounts: The accounts presented comprise only the Income and Expenditure Statement and the Balance Sheet and do not include any notes to the financial

compliance with the requirements concerning the form and content of the accounts.