## **Herne Bay Baptist Church Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31[st] December 2024** ## **Administrative Details** ## **Registered Charity Number: 1153040** ## **Address And Contact Details:** Herne Bay Baptist Church Friendship Centre 105 High Street Herne Bay Kent CT6 5LA Telephone 01227-367908 E-mail: admin.hbbc@gmail.com ## **Minister:** Rev. Stevan Kirk-Smith ## **Church Secretary:** Kevin Budd Until 31 March 2025 ## **Deacons:** Trevor Aldridge Linda Cornelius Until 31 March 2025 Geoffrey Court From 16 October 2024 Denise Hahner From 16 October 2024 Yvonne Setter ## **Finance Group :** Oliver Jeffrey (Chairman) Trevor Aldridge Pamela Banks Alan Jordan ## **Youth and Children’s Officer:** Linda Cornelius ## **Church Administrator:** Alison Bodey ## **Independent Examiner:** Jonathan Barton CTA ATT (Fellow) 2 # **Herne Bay Baptist Church Report of the Trustees (Continued) for the Year Ended 31[st] December 2024** The Trustees of the Charity, who are made up of the Minister, Church Secretary and Deacons of the Church, present their report for the year ended 31 December 2024. ## **1. Constitution** The Church was formed in 1879 as a Baptist Church following the principles of the Calvinist Baptists and is governed by Deacons (Trustees) and a Church Members’ Meeting. The Church is legally constituted as a registered charity No 1153040 and was set up by a Constitution on 19 September 2012 and registered by the Charity Commission on 23 July 2013. The Constitution provides the Church Rules and a Constitution for the Church Members’ proceedings to include appointment of the Minister, Church affiliations, Church Membership, Leadership and Church Members’ Meetings. The Trustees are governed by the Church Members’ Meeting which is bi-monthly, or additionally when required, in all matters except finance for which they have the final responsibility as required by the Constitution. The principle objective of the Church is the advancement of the Christian Faith according to the principles of the Baptist denomination. The management of the charity is the responsibility of the Trustees who are elected under the terms of the Constitution. ## **2. Method of appointment of Trustees** Under the Constitution the Trustees, apart from the Minister, who is a trustee by virtue of his office, are elected for a three-year term nominated by Church Members and appointed following a secret ballot at a Church Members’ Meeting providing they receive 66% of those casting a vote at that meeting. Trustees also serve as Deacons of the Church. Trustees may be elected for up to two three-year terms but must have a break of one year following the second term before they become eligible for re-election. The Church may elect or re-elect every three years a Secretary and Treasurer, who shall also be trustees. ## **3. Policy for the Induction and Training of the Trustees** Following the appointment of a Trustee the Minister and the Trustees meet together with the new member and work through the Baptist Union Corporation guidelines for new Deacons and Trustees. Under the Church’s congregational approach, Church Members retain ultimate authority under God in matters of Church life. They express this by nominating and appointing Trustees to act as stewards on their behalf and voting on the appointment of Ministers when required. 3 ## **Herne Bay Baptist Church Report of the Trustees (Continued) for the Year Ended 31[st] December 2024** ## **3. Policy for the Induction and Training of the Trustees (Continued)** Trustees act as a governance group which has the responsibility of ensuring the proper management of the church. They exercise their governance function through ensuring the Terms of Reference are written and updated for groups dealing with such things as finance, youth worker support group, etc. The Trustees, along with the Minister, ensure that the mission and outreach of the Church is safeguarded. Trustees also encourage and provide personal support to the Minister as required. The Minister is the spiritual leader. The Minister is empowered to lead and encourage the Church in Mission, teaching the Word of God and ensuring that the principal objective of the Church is maintained. The Trustees are empowered to recommend to the Church Members’ Meeting the appointment of organisational leaders in the Church for their approval. ## **4. Related Party Relationships** The Church is affiliated to the Baptist Union of Great Britain and is a member of the South Eastern Baptist Association and the Evangelical Alliance. Neither affiliation nor membership of these organisations represents any constitutional relationship. The Baptist Union Corporation Limited is custodian trustee of the land and premises used by the church in Herne Bay High Street and Spenser Road, Herne Bay under a “Fairburn Trust.” The Church has the benefit of using these properties and is responsible for maintaining them. It cannot sell and redeploy the proceeds without prior permission from The Baptist Union Corporation Limited. In compliance with the requirements of the Charity Commission, the Trustees maintain a Register of Trustees’ interests and declare their interest in any business. It is a requirement for trustees to be independent of any relationship that would pose a conflict of interest. ## **5. Risk Management** The Trustees manage the process of identifying and reviewing the major risks to which the Church is exposed and establishing systems to manage these risks. To that end detailed terms of reference or policies are in place for finance; health, safety and safeguarding; outreach and youth and children’s work. These documents are reviewed by the Trustees and amendments recommended to the Annual General Meeting for approval. 4 # **Herne Bay Baptist Church Report of the Trustees (Continued) for the Year Ended 31[st] December 2024** ## **6. Objectives and Activities** The Trustees’ role is to safeguard the Mission, Preaching and Teaching of the Gospel and Pastoral Work of the Church as set out in the aims and objectives and are held accountable by the Church Members. The Mission ethos and values should be developed in line with the Church’s vision. The Mission Statement is: _“We aspire to be a body of Christ that recognises and embraces its divinely given talents,to attract, enable and equip people to know and grow in Christ._ _Aspiring to build a thriving and modernized church, to be an inspiring and generous people, investing in the future and determined to energise the emerging generation and with a yearning to create an incredible legacy of hope.”_ The Trustees have regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. ## **7. Activities for Achieving Objectives** The Church holds a weekly service for worship and teaching on Sunday mornings. During these services the children are taught in their age groups apart from approximately one week every two months when an all-age service is held. We also hold a monthly event titled “Messy Church” specially designed to bring messages from the Bible to children and families using crafts, drama and song. In 2024, we began a Christian, Relaxation and Meditation Course, which proved very popular and is being run again in 2025 alongside an Alpha course for those seeking to know more about Christ. We also now hold a weekly Fellowship and Bible Study evening every Thursday. Regular activities are held through the week to reach out and serve our local community, including our Carers and Toddlers’ Group (Footprints), Youth Social Meetings, Reflections Coffee Shop every Friday morning, CAMEO, a fortnightly social gathering with a guest speaker or musician(s) mainly aimed at the elderly, a monthly “Art and Craft for all” on a Saturday morning, a Wednesday lunchtime gathering “All are Welcome” and LAB (Looking Ahead Beyond Bereavement), a monthly gathering to support those struggling with the loss of a loved one. We have recently launched a youth club “Roots” held once a week and aimed at children aged between 9 and 12. We have worked entensively at building up relationships with other local churches, the police and schools. We also hold ad hoc events designed to either bring a Christian message to members of our local community or to develop the faith of those already attending our services. 5 ## **Herne Bay Baptist Church Report of the Trustees (Continued) for the Year Ended 31[st] December 2024** ## **8. Staff and Volunteers** The Church employs a full-time minister and 4 part-time staff. Much of the Church’s work is undertaken by volunteers with, at least, 30 individuals giving significant amounts of time every week. ## **9. Achievement and performance** The Church continued to support and serve its members, regular attendees at our events and also others in the community. Attendances at our worship services has increased in recent months with several people applying to become church members. Our programme of events has grown in terms of the range of gatherings offered to our community and the numbers attending, particularly the events aimed at those who might otherwise feel isolated in our community. ## **10. Financial Review** During the year, the Church received total income of £102,625 (£124,984 – 2023). The largest source being £71,378 (£64,527 – 2023) from general giving including gift aid tax, an increase of 10.6%. The decrease in total income was caused by a reduction in rental income from £22,580 to £12,700 and the legacy of £31.584 received in 2023. In 2024, we spent significant sums on carrying out necessary repairs and enhancing our premises. In particular, improvements required to comply with fire regulations costing £22,420. This contributed to an increase in our total expenditure for 2024 of £144,111 (£112,848 - 2023). The Church had a financial deficit for 2024 of £41,486 (surplus of £12,136 – 2023) and had cash reserves of £127,047 at 31 December 2024 (£168,533 at 31 December 2023). ## **11. Reserves Policy** The Church maintains a reserves policy to retain cash reserves approximately equal to six months’ committed expenditure. At 31 December 2024, the balance held in a separate interest-earning deposit account for unrestricted funds totalled £33,505 (£31,905 at 31 December 2023). The Trustees review the reserves policy on an annual basis. 6 # **Herne Bay Baptist Church Report of the Trustees (Continued) for the Year Ended 31[st] December 2024** ## **12. Future Developments** We are currently updating our procedures in the event of a fire in our premises. We have also began a review of our activities in the context of making best use of our resources, both human and financial, beginning with our youth and childrens’ ministries. We are also currently exploring various options to increase our income, in particular, the renting out of our halls and office space and also the possibility of converting an area in one of our buildings into a residential dwelling available for rental. The trustees are satisfied the church has sufficient financial resources to enable it to continue in operation for the foreseeable future. Trevor Aldridge Yvonne Setter Trustee Trustee _Original signed on behalf of the Trustees of Herne Bay Baptist Church on 16th July 2025._ ## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts** **Section A Independent Examiner’s Report** **Report to the trustees/ members of** Herne Bay Baptist Church **On accounts for the year** 31 December 2024 **Charity no** 1153040 **ended (if any) Set out on pages** I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 December 2022. **Responsibilities and** As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation **basis of report** of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. **Independent** I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have **examiner's statement** come to my attention (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: - accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or - 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 order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. **Signed:** Original signed **Date:** 29 July 2025 ~~Po |~~ **Name:** Jonathan Barton ~~Ps~~ **Relevant professional** CTA, ATT (Fellow) **qualification(s) or body (if any): Address:** Beacon House Hillborough Road Herne Bay Kent CT6 6HN **No (if any) 1153040** ## **Herne Bay Baptist Church** **Receipts and payments accounts For the period Period start date Period end date To** ~~**e**~~ **from** ~~e~~ **01/01/2024** ~~e~~ **31/12/2024** ~~ee~~ ## **CC16a** ## **Section A Receipts and payments** ||**Unrestricted**
**funds**||**Restricted funds**||**Endowment**
**funds**||**Total funds**||**Last year**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||**to the nearest £**||**to the nearest £**||**to the nearest £**||**to the nearest £**||**to the nearest £**| |**A1 Receipts**|||||||||| |Donations|**60,379**||**-**||**-**||**60,379**||**57,625**| |HMRC Gift Aid|**10,999**||**-**||**-**||**10,999**||**6,902**| |Interest Received|**6,079**||**-**||**-**||**6,079**||**1,594**| |Rental Income|**12,700**||**-**||**-**||**12,700**||**22,580**| |Specific Event Income|**7,431**||**-**||**-**||**7,431**||**4,624**| |Grants Received|**4,737**||**-**||**-**||**4,737**||**-**| |Legacy|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**31,584**| |Sale of Furniture & Equipment|**300**||**-**||**-**||**300**||**75**| |**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for AR)_|**102,625**||**-**||**-**||**102,625**||**124,984**| |**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ -**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**_Total receipts_ 102,625**
**-**
**-**
**102,625**
**124,984**
~~——————~~|||||||||| |**A3 Payments**|||||||||| |Administration|**20,343**||**-**||**-**||**20,343**||**17,895**| |Ministry|**38,798**||**-**||**-**||**38,798**||**11,792**| |Mission|**28,001**||**-**||**-**||**28,001**||**27,733**| |Upkeep|**20,521**||**-**||**-**||**20,521**||**18,744**| |PropertyRepairs & Maintenance|**31,491**||**-**||**-**||**31,491**||**31,446**| |Specific Event Expenses|**4,957**||**-**||**-**||**4,957**||**5,238**| ||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| ||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| ||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| |**_Sub total_ **|**144,111**||**-**||**-**||**144,111**||**112,848**| |**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ -**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**_Total payments_**
**144,111**
**-**
**-**
**144,111**
**112,848**
~~——————~~|||||||||| |**_Net of receipts/(payments)_**
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**_Cash funds this year end_**|**(41,486)**
**-**
**-**
**(41,486)**
**12,136**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**- -**
**-**
**(41,486)**
**-**
**-**
**(41,486)**
**12,136**
~~====>~~||||||||| ## **Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period** |**Categories**
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf
of all the trustees
**B1 Cash funds**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B5 Liabilities**
**B3 Investment assets**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**|**Furniture and Equipment**
**Original signed**
Signature
**Original signed**
**Independent Examiner's Fee**
**The Baptist Union Corporation Limited**
**is Custodian Trustee of the land and**
**premises occupied by the Church in**
**High Street, Herne Bay, Kent and The**
**Manse in Spenser Road, Herne Bay,**
**Kent under a "Fairburn Trust". The**
**church is responsible for maintaining**
**these properties and cannot sell them**
**and redeploy the proceeds.**
**Bank Accounts**
**Petty Cash**
**Details**
**_Total cash funds_**
**Gift Aid Reclaim**
**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
**Freehold Property at 97 Cornwall Raod,**
**Herne Bay, Kent CT6 7SZ**
**Details**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**126,922**
**-**
**125**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**127,047**
**-**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**2,671**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
Unrestricted
**-**
**-**
Unrestricted
**-**
Unrestricted
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Unrestricted Fund**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**
**300**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
Print Name
**Trevor Aldridge**
**Yvonne Setter**|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**| |---|---|---|---| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**Current value**
**(optional)**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**Current value**
**(optional)**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**When due**
**(optional)**| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||Date of approval| ||**Original signed**|**Trevor Aldridge**|**16/07/2025**| ||**Original signed**|**Yvonne Setter**|**16/07/2025**| ## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts** **Section A Independent Examiner’s Report** **Report to the trustees/ members of** Herne Bay Baptist Church **On accounts for the year** 31 December 2024 **Charity no** 1153040 **ended (if any) Set out on pages** I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 December 2022. **Responsibilities and** As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation **basis of report** of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. **Independent** I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have **examiner's statement** come to my attention (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: - accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or - 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 order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. **Signed:** Original signed **Date:** 29 July 2025 ~~Po |~~ **Name:** Jonathan Barton ~~Ps~~ **Relevant professional** CTA, ATT (Fellow) **qualification(s) or body (if any): Address:** Beacon House Hillborough Road Herne Bay Kent CT6 6HN **No (if any) 1153040** ## **Herne Bay Baptist Church** **Receipts and payments accounts For the period Period start date Period end date To** ~~**e**~~ **from** ~~e~~ **01/01/2024** ~~e~~ **31/12/2024** ~~ee~~ ## **CC16a** ## **Section A Receipts and payments** ||**Unrestricted**
**funds**||**Restricted funds**||**Endowment**
**funds**||**Total funds**||**Last year**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||**to the nearest £**||**to the nearest £**||**to the nearest £**||**to the nearest £**||**to the nearest £**| |**A1 Receipts**|||||||||| |Donations|**60,379**||**-**||**-**||**60,379**||**57,625**| |HMRC Gift Aid|**10,999**||**-**||**-**||**10,999**||**6,902**| |Interest Received|**6,079**||**-**||**-**||**6,079**||**1,594**| |Rental Income|**12,700**||**-**||**-**||**12,700**||**22,580**| |Specific Event Income|**7,431**||**-**||**-**||**7,431**||**4,624**| |Grants Received|**4,737**||**-**||**-**||**4,737**||**-**| |Legacy|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**31,584**| |Sale of Furniture & Equipment|**300**||**-**||**-**||**300**||**75**| |**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for AR)_|**102,625**||**-**||**-**||**102,625**||**124,984**| |**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ -**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**_Total receipts_ 102,625**
**-**
**-**
**102,625**
**124,984**
~~——————~~|||||||||| |**A3 Payments**|||||||||| |Administration|**20,343**||**-**||**-**||**20,343**||**17,895**| |Ministry|**38,798**||**-**||**-**||**38,798**||**11,792**| |Mission|**28,001**||**-**||**-**||**28,001**||**27,733**| |Upkeep|**20,521**||**-**||**-**||**20,521**||**18,744**| |PropertyRepairs & Maintenance|**31,491**||**-**||**-**||**31,491**||**31,446**| |Specific Event Expenses|**4,957**||**-**||**-**||**4,957**||**5,238**| ||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| ||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| ||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**| |**_Sub total_ **|**144,111**||**-**||**-**||**144,111**||**112,848**| |**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ -**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**_Total payments_**
**144,111**
**-**
**-**
**144,111**
**112,848**
~~——————~~|||||||||| |**_Net of receipts/(payments)_**
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**_Cash funds this year end_**|**(41,486)**
**-**
**-**
**(41,486)**
**12,136**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**- -**
**-**
**(41,486)**
**-**
**-**
**(41,486)**
**12,136**
~~====>~~||||||||| ## **Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period** |**Categories**
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf
of all the trustees
**B1 Cash funds**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B5 Liabilities**
**B3 Investment assets**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**|**Furniture and Equipment**
**Original signed**
Signature
**Original signed**
**Independent Examiner's Fee**
**The Baptist Union Corporation Limited**
**is Custodian Trustee of the land and**
**premises occupied by the Church in**
**High Street, Herne Bay, Kent and The**
**Manse in Spenser Road, Herne Bay,**
**Kent under a "Fairburn Trust". The**
**church is responsible for maintaining**
**these properties and cannot sell them**
**and redeploy the proceeds.**
**Bank Accounts**
**Petty Cash**
**Details**
**_Total cash funds_**
**Gift Aid Reclaim**
**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
**Freehold Property at 97 Cornwall Raod,**
**Herne Bay, Kent CT6 7SZ**
**Details**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**126,922**
**-**
**125**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**127,047**
**-**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**2,671**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
Unrestricted
**-**
**-**
Unrestricted
**-**
Unrestricted
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Unrestricted Fund**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**
**300**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
Print Name
**Trevor Aldridge**
**Yvonne Setter**|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**| |---|---|---|---| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**Current value**
**(optional)**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**Current value**
**(optional)**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**When due**
**(optional)**| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||Date of approval| ||**Original signed**|**Trevor Aldridge**|**16/07/2025**| ||**Original signed**|**Yvonne Setter**|**16/07/2025**|