Trustees Annual Report Stokesley Methodist Circuit Reg No 1147112 Stokesley Circuit Policy & Financial Review Year ended 31[st] August 2025
Aims of the Circuit:
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To provide a vibrant Christian Witness across the Stokesley area
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To ensure and sustain the Circuits Viability and future
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Support the Churches which make up the Circuit
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Ensure that there is good financial management and safeguarding procedures in place for the benefit of its members and the general public.
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Reach out to the Community which we serve and make a difference to peoples lives.
Financial Review:
Policy:
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To ensure ministerial oversight and pastoral care of the five churches in the Circuit.
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To maintain a ministerial team and professional admin staff.
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The maintenance of Circuit manses and Chapel House. One of the Manses is rented out.
Financial Management
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Under Methodist Church Standing Orders the Circuit must meet its financial obligations in relation to the support of its ministers, the maintenance of its manses and support to the District.
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Each church shares the cost of running the Circuit and is the basis of each Church’s Assessment.
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We maintain Circuit properties to a high standard. A major refurbishment of one of our manses again pushed up property costs. Over the last three years expenditure has been £107k
Key Financial indicators
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Total Income was £174k (85% of our operating income comes from Church assessments)
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Total Expenditure was £200k (69% of our operating expenditure is on stipends & salaries)
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Net Deficit was £25506.
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At an Operating Level, excluding Manses running costs and refurbishment, there was a surplus of £8k.
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Maintaining the Circuit’s properties over the last four years has cost £127k which has had a major impact on funds.
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Total Funds were £156k.
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Endowments (restricted Funds) added £15k and Other Assets and Liabilities £9k.
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Overall it was difficult year for the Circuit and its Churches. The underlying trends are also of concern with Income static resulting in a further deficit.
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As a result of the refurbishment of properties we recorded deficits in the last two years which has resulted in a £67k reduction in Net Assets. A further deficit is expected in 2025/26.
Reserves Policy
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This document and accounts includes all funds held by the Circuit Meeting as charity Trustees.
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These relate to to our general (unrestricted) funds which are freely available to be used for any or all the purpose of the Circuit.
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Our reserves policy is to hold six months expenditure. We continue to use CFB where it it will attract additional interest.
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The Circuit has sufficient funds to finance its future plans.
Future Plans
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Each Church and the Circuit continues to review its Mission & Vision to ensure that it has clear understanding as to how it intends to move forward.
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Churches are not seeing significant growth in members and this puts pressure on existing people and finances.
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We recognize that whilst the future holds challenges it also offers opportunity for growth. Our Mission & Vision objective is to be sustainable and to widen our appeal to both members and the wider community.
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The appointment of a professional Safeguarding officer last year has ensured we are fully compliant and safeguarding policies are central to all our activities.
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Further investment in management is planned in 2025/26 to support Churches and the Circuit to ensure all activates and buildings are compliant
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The circuit is committed to working towards Net Zero.
Designated Funds
The Charity Commission has agreed that it is appropriate for the Trustees to set a policy for the management of the Circuit Funds
John Howard Whitehead
Circuit Treasurer March 2025
Superintendent Minister’s Report
The period to August 2025 has been a challenging one for the Stokesley Circuit, in which we have recognized the need to think and act in new ways.
With one Minister taking extended medical leave, we have faced challenges in staffing which we have addressed in 2025/6 by the appointment of a Supernumerary Minister on a part time basis.
We are also looking at the possibility of a Methodist Deacon joining the Circuit for 2026/7, to encourage and develop our Community Outreach across the Circuit.
Our aims as a Circuit are above all rooted in our desire to share the Christian Faith with the communities we serve. We recognise that to do so, we need to ensure that we take seriously our responsibilities in terms of Safeguarding of Young People and Vulnerable Adults; the Health and Safety of our premises and activities; ensuring compliance with Financial Reporting, and other areas where we hold statutory responsibilities and an obligation to follow the policies and procedures of the Methodist Church.
Rev Rob Weir March 2026
CIRCUIT RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS
THE METHODIST CHURCH
STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS
Stokesley Methodist Circuit
Circuit
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 August 2025
Darlington
District Circuit no 13.5
Registered Charity - Charity Registration number
1147112
If not a registered charity Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs Gift Aid number
(The HMRC number is equivalent to a registered charity number in terms of evidence of charitable status and may be used to give to donors or grant funders wishing to see evidence of the organisation's charitable status. Methodist charities in England and Wales that are not registered charities are excepted from registration under Statutory Instrument 2014 No.242 )
Ministers:
Rev. Andrew Robinson - Joint Superintendent
Rev. Robert Weir - Joint Superintendent
Circuit Stewards:
Steve Smith - Circuit Steward
Treasurer:
John Howard Whitehead
Circuit accounts Charity Comm 2025.xlsx
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20ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 August 2025
Stokesley Methodist Circuit
Circuit
| SECTION A | £ £ £ Restricted Funds Un - restricted Funds Circuit Model Trust Fund |
£ £ £ Restricted Funds Un - restricted Funds Circuit Model Trust Fund |
£ £ £ Restricted Funds Un - restricted Funds Circuit Model Trust Fund |
£ 128,672 7,035 4,800 33,586 Totals this year |
£ 128,672 7,035 4,800 33,586 Totals this year |
£ Totals last year |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a1 | RECEIPTS | Note | |||||||
| a2 | Assessment/Share | 128,672 | 128,672 | 128,672 | |||||
| a3 | Capital receipts | ||||||||
| a4 | Bank and CFB interest and Investment income |
7,035 | 7,035 | 8,359 | |||||
| a5 | Grants | 4,800 | 4,800 | ||||||
| a6 | Other receipts | 33,586 | 33,586 | 38,122 | |||||
| a7 | TOTAL RECEIPTS | 174,093 | **174,093 ** | (a8) | 175,153 | ||||
| SECTION B | 118,715 19,472 5,668 27,076 28,668 |
||||||||
| b1 | PAYMENTS | ||||||||
| b2 | Stipends, salaries, NIC, Pension and travel costs |
118,715 | 118,715 | 101,121 | |||||
| b3 | Manse Costs | 19,472 | 19,472 | 19,588 | |||||
| b4 | Administration etc | 5,668 | 5,668 | 8,044 | |||||
| b5 | DistrictAssessment | 27,076 | 27,076 | 27,076 | |||||
| b6 | Grants & donations | ||||||||
| b7 | |||||||||
| b8 | Otherpayments | 28,668 | 28,668 | 60,561 | |||||
| b9 | TOTAL PAYMENTS | 199,599 | **199,599 ** | (b9) | 216,390 | ||||
| (25,506) | |||||||||
| SECTION C | |||||||||
| c1 | NET RECEIPTS/PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR |
(a7-b9) |
(25,506) | (25,506) | (41,237) | ||||
| c2 | Total funds brought forward from last year | 181,626 | 181,626 | (c6) | 222,863 | ||||
| 156,120 | |||||||||
| c3 | Sub total (c1+c2) |
156,120 | 156,120 | 181,626 | |||||
| c4 | Transfers and adjustments | (c7) | |||||||
| c5 | TOTAL FUNDS AT END OF YEAR (c3+c4) |
156,120 | **156,120 ** | (c8) | 181,626 | ||||
| SECTION D | |||||||||
| d | FOR INFORMATION ONLY: MONEY RECEIVED AND PASSED ON TO EXTERNAL ORGANISATIONS Offerings/Gifts -passed to external organisations BALANCE STILL TO BE PAID (d1 + d2 - d3) Offerings/Gifts- receivedforexternalorganisations Balance brought forward from last year (these amounts should not be included in total receipts/payments above) |
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| d1 | Balance brought forward from last year | ||||||||
| d2 | Offerings/Gifts- receivedforexternalorganisations | ||||||||
| d3 | Offerings/Gifts -passed to external organisations | ||||||||
| d4 | BALANCE STILL TO BE PAID (d1 + d2 - d3) |
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Stokesley Methodist Circuit
Circuit
SUMMARY OF CIRCUIT ACCOUNTS AND INTERNAL ORGANISATION REPORTING TO THE CIRCUIT MEETING
SECTION E Please follow the Guidance Notes to complete this page
Summary of the Circuit accounts for the year ended 31 August 2023 and Internal Organisations reporting to the Circuit Meeting. Note that the funds of an Internal Organisation would normally be Restricted funds unless it could be clearly shown that they could be used for any Methodist purpose. This section must be completed to arrive at the gross receipts and payments totals of the Circuit. If gross income exceeds the Accruals threshold of £250,000, then the Accruals method of accounting AND A DIFFERENT FORM must be used to report the accounts (see Methodist website). Please refer to the guidance notes regarding transfers between the Circuit and connected Circuit Organisations.
| SECTION E | SECTION E | SECTION E | SECTION E | SECTION E | SECTION E | SECTION E | SECTION E | SECTION E | SECTION E | SECTION E | SECTION E | SECTION E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary of the Circuit accounts for the year ended 31 August 2023 and Internal Organisations reporting to the Circuit Meeting. Note that the funds of an Internal Organisation would normally be Restricted funds unless it could be clearly shown that they could be used for any Methodist purpose. This section must be completed to arrive at the gross receipts and payments totals of the Circuit. If gross income exceeds the Accruals threshold of £250,000, then the Accruals method of accounting AND A DIFFERENT FORM must be used to report the accounts (see Methodist website). Please refer to the guidance notes regarding transfers between the Circuit and connected Circuit Organisations. |
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| INTERNAL ORGANISATIONS |
Receipts | Payments | Adjustments | Opening balances | Closing balances | |||||||
| Sub total of Internal Organisations funds |
(e11) | (e12) | ||||||||||
| Circuit accounts (totals brought forward from page 2 - totals column) |
**174,093 ** | (a8) | **199,599 ** | (b9) | (c7) | 181,626 | (c6) | 156,120 | (c8) | |||
| TOTAL CASH FUNDS HELD BY CIRCUIT |
174,093 | 199,599 | **181,626 ** | (x) | **156,120 ** | (y) | ||||||
| TOTAL RECEIPTS | TOTAL PAYMENTS | |||||||||||
| SECTION F | ||||||||||||
| SECTION F | ||||||||||||
| STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND L | IABILITIES t 31 August 2023 |
OPENING BALANCES |
CLOSING BALANCES |
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| CIRCUIT -CASH FUNDS HELDa | ||||||||||||
| Cash in hand | ||||||||||||
| Bank Current Account | 18,265 | 13,320 | ||||||||||
| Bank Deposit Account | ||||||||||||
| Central Finance Board | 159,366 | 138,826 | ||||||||||
| Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes | 3,995 | 3,974 | ||||||||||
| Other funds | ||||||||||||
| SUB TOTAL | **181,626 ** | (c6) | 156,120 | (c8) | ||||||||
| Total funds held by Internal Organisations (the closing balance totals above) (e12) |
(e11) | (e12) | ||||||||||
| TOTAL CASH FUNDS HELD BY CIRCUIT | 181,626 | (x) | 156,120 | (y) | ||||||||
| SECTION G | At | At | ||||||||||
| OTHER ASSETS and LIABILITIES | 1 September 2024 15184 1,110,000 10,963 1,035 |
31 August 2025 15261 1,110,000 9,728 1,030 |
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| Investments(include Endowments) | 15184 | 15261 | ||||||||||
| Land and Buildings(see notes re Insurance value) | 1,110,000 | 1,110,000 | ||||||||||
| Other Assets | 10,963 | 9,728 | ||||||||||
| Loan(s)- show amount outstandingatyear end | ||||||||||||
| Other Liabilities | 1,035 | 1,030 |
f4 Include only Funds held at the Central Finance Board
f5 Include only CFB Funds held at Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes
g1 Include any other investments (not the cash element of TMCP trust accounts this is inserted in line f5)
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Name of Circuit …… Stokesley Methodist Circuit 1147112
Declarations and Scrutiny
I confirm that these Receipt and Payment based accounts for the year to 31 August 2025 have been prepared from the records of the Circuit and that they include all funds under the control of the Circuit meeting.
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Signature of treasurer …………J H Whitehead Date 18th March 2026
Name and address of treasurer …………
John Howard Whitehead
……………33 Skottowe Crescent, Great Ayton, North Yorkshire TS9 6DS
Presentation to the Circuit meeting
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I confirm that the annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 were/will be* presented to the Circuit meeting held on 18 th March 2026 Signature of the Chair of the meeting … R Weir
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Name of the Chair of the meeting ………
Robert Weir 18th March 2026
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of the
Stokesley Methodist Circuit
Charity Number … 1147112
Responsibilities and basis of report
Stokesley Methodist Circuit
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the
Circuit for the year ended 31 August 2025 set out on pages 1 to 5 As the Circuit’s trustees, you are
responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the
Act’).
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I report in respect of my examination of the Circuit’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and, in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
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Name of Circuit ……
Stokesley Methodist Circuit
1147112
Independent Examiner’s Statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that disclosed below*) which give me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with the accounting records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
I have/have not* obtained independent verification of all investments with the Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes or held in other trusts, bank balances and funds at the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church which are individually in excess of £10,000 (ten thousand pounds) at the balance sheet date.
Signature of independent examiner … P A Tranter Name of independent examiner Paul Alistair Tranter Relevant professional qualification of independent examiner FCA (ICAEW) Name of firm (where appropriate) Paul Tranter & Co Address 31 High Street, Stokesley, North Yorkshire ……………………………………………………………………………….. Post Code TS9 5AD Date 4Th March 2026
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Name of Circuit ……
Stokesley Methodist Circuit
1147112
Independent Examiner’s Statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that disclosed below*) which give me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with the accounting records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
I have/have not* obtained independent verification of all investments with the Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes or held in other trusts, bank balances and funds at the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church which are individually in excess of £10,000 (ten thousand pounds) at the balance sheet date.
Signature of independent examiner … P A Tranter Name of independent examiner Paul Alistair Tranter Relevant professional qualification of independent examiner FCA (ICAEW) Name of firm (where appropriate) Paul Tranter & Co Address 31 High Street, Stokesley, North Yorkshire ……………………………………………………………………………….. Post Code TS9 5AD Date 4Th March 2026
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