## Grace Church Gateshead Report and Accounts Year ended 31 December 2024 1 Lamb's Passage, London EC1Y 8AB www.stewardship.org.uk ## **GRACE CHURCH GATESHEAD** ## **YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024** ## **LEGAL & ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS** ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE 186 Rawling Road Gateshead Tyne & Wear NE8 4QU GOVERNING DOCUMENT CIO - Foundation registered 1 November 2013 as amended 16 May 2019 CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER 1154440 TRUSTEES D Martin D Hewer J Merton BANKERS Lloyds TSB PO Box 1000 Andover BX1 1LT INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Archie McDowall BA CA Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB **INDEX** Page 1 Legal & Administrative Details Pages 2-3 Trustees' Report Page 4 Independent Examiner's Report Page 5 Receipts and Payments Account Page 6 Statement of Assets & Liabilities Page 7 Notes to the Accounts Page 1 ## **GRACE CHURCH GATESHEAD** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES** ## **YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024** The Trustees have pleasure in submitting the Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024. ## **Objects of the charity** The object of the CIO is, for the public benefit, to advance the Christian faith in Gateshead and in such other parts of the United Kingdom and the world as the charity trustees may from time to time decide. ## **Government** The policy and operating decisions of the charity rest with the Trustees who meet regularly to monitor the activities of the charity. New trustees are appointed by the elders of the church/by the Trustees. Grace Church Gateshead belongs to the following networks of churches: the North East Gospel Partnership locally, and the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches nationally. In May 2019, the charity formally changed its name to Grace Church Gateshead. The CIO constitution remained unchanged. ## **Review of Activities** In 2024 Grace Church Gateshead has continued to promote the Christian faith in Gateshead. The Trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit, and are pleased to give the following summary of activities. The church has continued to hold weekly Christian worship services, open to all the public. These have enabled people in the local community to participate in shared Christian worship. The Bible teaching at these Sunday gatherings continues to demonstrate the importance and relevance of the historic Christian faith to life in the present day. In addition, the relationships and sense of community fostered through church life continue to provide a significant means of support for those connected to the church. Various events open to the local community were organised by the church in 2024, including a free outdoor Christmas carols event in Saltwell Park in December 2024. Grace Church Gateshead has continued to promote the Christian faith for the public benefit by holding weekly public Christian worship services open to all in the community. The church has been a key source of support for many local residents through 2024. In planning the activities the Trustees have applied the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission. Page 2 ## **Financial Review** The charity's principal source of funding comes from donations made by the church congregation. Total income in the year was £86,889 (2023: £80,529 ) and expenditure was £85,008 (2023: £91,072) giving a net surplus this year of £1,881 (2023: net deficit £10,543). The cash balance brought forward at the beginning of January was £37,886, leaving a closing cash balance of £39,767 of which £39,767 was unrestricted. ## **Reserves Policy** We aim to hold 6 months of operating expenses in reserve, for crisis and contingencies, which currently equates to £37,700. At present our unrestricted reserves are £39,767. ## **Trustees responsibilities** Charity law requires us as Trustees to prepare financial statements for each accounting year which record the receipts and payments of the charity for the year. We are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable us to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. We also have a responsibility to safeguard the assets of the charity and to take reasonable steps to prevent fraud or any other irregularities. ## **Approval** This report was approved by the trustees on and signed on their behalf by: ## Dan Martin -----------------------------------Dan Martin (Aug 12, 2025 15:53:30 GMT+1) D Martin Aug 12, 2025 Date: __________ Page 3 ## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT** ## **TO THE TRUSTEES OF** ## **GRACE CHURCH GATESHEAD** I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Grace Church Gateshead ('the charity') for the year ended 31 December 2024 on pages 5 to 7 following. ## **Responsibilities and basis of report** As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 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 2011 Act. ## **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 giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: 1. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; or 2. 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. ## Archie McDowall Archie McDowall (Aug 13, 2025 13:49:41 GMT+1) Archie McDowall BA CA Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB Date: Aug 13, 2025 Page 4 ## **GRACE CHURCH GATESHEAD** ## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT** ## **YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024** |Notes
**_Income receipts_**
Donations
**_Total receipts_**
**Payments**
2
3
**_Total payments_**
Transfers between funds
**Net movement in funds**
Cash funds as at last year end
**Cash funds at this year end**
A
Net
of
receipts
/
(payments)
before
transfers
Grants
paid
in
relation
to
charitable
activities undertaken by others
Payments
in
relation
to
charitable
activities undertaken directly|General
Funds
£
82,639
82,639
72,337
5,807
78,144
4,495
-
4,495
35,272
39,767|Restricted
Funds
£
4,250
4,250
6,864
-
6,864
(2,614)
-
(2,614)
2,614
0
-|2024
£
86,889
86,889
79,201
5,807
85,008
1,881
-
1,881
37,886
39,767|2023
£| |---|---|---|---|---| |||||80,529| |||||80,529| |||||86,918
4,154| |||||91,072| |||||(10,543)
-| |||||(10,543)
48,429| |||||37,886| The notes on pages 7 form part of these accounts. Page 5 ## **GRACE CHURCH GATESHEAD** ## **STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES** ## **YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024** |**A**
**Cash funds**
Cash at bank
**B**
**Liabilities**
**Falling due within one year:**
Mortgage
Unbilled fee for Independent Examination
**Falling due after one year:**
Mortgage|General
funds
£
39,767
**39,767**
4,062
864
**4,926**
19,337
**19,337**|Restricted
funds
£
-
**-**
-
-
**-**
-
**-**|2024
£
39,767
**39,767**
4,062
864
**4,926**
19,337
**19,337**|2023
£| |---|---|---|---|---| |||||37,886| |||||**37,886**| |||||3,955
840| |||||**4,795**| |||||21,610| |||||**21,610**| The mortgage above relates to Grove Chapel, Rawling Road and is repayable over 8 years at £4,062 per year. ## **C Assets retained for charity's own use** |Fund to
which asset
belongs
Land and buildings - Grove Chapel
General
Fixtures, furniture and equipment
General|Current
value
£| |---|---| ||441,073
20,548| ||**461,621**| The trustees have used insurance values as the trustees are unable to reliably estimate current values; insurance values may differ materially from current values. ## **D Guarantees and secured debts** The outstanding balance on the charity's mortgage (see Note B) is secured on the charity's property (see Note C). No guarantees have been made, which result in an outstanding potential liability as at the year-end date. The accounts were approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by ## Dan Martin Dan Martin (Aug 12, 2025 15:53:30 GMT+1) -------------------------------------------D Martin Aug 12, 2025 Date:_________ The notes on pages 7 form part of these accounts. Page 6 ## **GRACE CHURCH GATESHEAD** ## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS** ## **YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024** ## **1 Accounting policies** The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis and comprise a statement that shows the charity's receipts and payments, a statement that summarises the charity's assets and liabilities and related notes. The accountancy profession have determined that only accounts prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards present a 'true and fair' view and, as these receipts and payments accounts have not (and cannot) be prepared in accordance with accounting standards, these accounts do not present (and are not intended to present) a 'true and fair' view of the charity's financial activities and state of affairs. General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. Restricted funds are donations which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors; they include donations received from appeals for specific activities or projects. |Unrestricted Funds
General
funds
£
**2**
**Payments in relation to charitable activities undertaken directly**
Employment costs (Note 4)
51,604
Outreach activities
68
Mortgage repayments
4,062
Repairs & refurbishment
1,180
Utilities
2,409
Fixtures, furniture and equipment
762
Insurance
926
Affiliations
1,452
Professional fees
721
Training costs
4,569
Other costs
3,744
Independent examination
840
72,337
**3**
**Grants paid in relation to charitable activities undertaken by others**
Grants for:
Church Planting
5,807
5,807|Restricted
Funds
£
6,864
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
6,864
-
-|Total
2024
£
58,468
68
4,062
1,180
2,409
762
926
1,452
721
4,569
3,744
840
79,201
5,807
5,807|Total
2023
£| |---|---|---|---| ||||57,987
103
3,955
9,298
3,016
3,534
881
1,746
491
4,721
406
780| ||||86,918| ||||4,154| ||||4,154| ## **4 Employees & trustees** The charity has 2 employees (2023: 2 employees). One of the employees is Dan Martin, a trustee, to whom the employment costs above refer. The payments were made to Dan in respect of his role as Pastor, not trustee, and are permitted by the governing documents. Other than direct reimbursements of expenses made on behalf of the charity, no other amounts were paid or are payable to any trustee or to any person connected to them. ## **5 Movement on funds** |Opening
Balance
Receipts
£
£
**Restricted funds**
Building Fund
-
-
Training Fund
2,614
4,250
**Total Restricted**
2,614
4,250
**Unrestricted Funds**
**_General Funds_**
35,272
82,639
**Total Unrestricted**
35,272
82,639
**Total Funds**
37,886
86,889|Payments
£
-
(6,864)
(6,864)
(78,144)
(78,144)
(85,008)|Transfers
£
-
-
-
-
-|Closing
Balance
£
-
0
-| |---|---|---|---| ||||(0)| ||||39,767| ||||39,767| ||||| ||||39,767| Page 7