## Beechwood Chapel
Report and Accounts Year ended 31 December 2021
1 Lamb's Passage, London EC1Y 8AB www.stewardship.org.uk
## **BEECHWOOD CHAPEL**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021**
## **LEGAL & ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS**
ADDRESS FOR 1 Everleigh Close CORRESPONDENCE Beechwood Prenton CH43 9XJ GOVERNING DOCUMENT CIO dated November 2013 CHARITY REGISTRATION 1154591 NUMBER TRUSTEES Stephen Bedford Jonathan Norwood Amy Peters Robert Smart Alex Logan - appointed August 2021 Daniel Thomas - appointed August 2021 BANKERS Barclays Bank PLC INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Archie McDowall BA CA Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB **INDEX** Page 1 Legal & Administrative Details Pages 2-4 Trustees' Report Page 5 Independent Examiner's Report Page 6 Receipts and Payments Account Page 7 Statement of Assets & Liabilities Pages 8-9 Notes to the Accounts
Page 1
## **BEECHWOOD CHAPEL**
## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021**
The Trustees have pleasure in submitting the Report and Accounts for the year.
## **Aims and Purposes**
Beechwood Chapel exists to bring people to faith in Jesus and show His love by serving each other and the wider community of Beechwood by meeting spiritual, pastoral and social needs. The chapel is also responsible for the maintenance of the building ‘Beechwood Chapel’ which is located on Fifth Avenue, Beechwood, CH43 9LB.
## **Objectives and Aims**
Beechwood Chapel is committed to enabling and encouraging as many people from Beechwood and from further afield to worship together at the Chapel and become part of the Chapel’s active community. When planning our activities for the year, we have considered the Commission’s guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the supplementary guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. In particular, we try to enable ordinary people to live out their faith as part of our community through:
- Worship and prayer; learning about the Gospel; and developing their knowledge and trust in Jesus.
• Provision of pastoral care for people living in the parish.
• Missionary and outreach work.
To facilitate this work it is important that we maintain the fabric of the Chapel building.
## **Government**
The policy and operating decisions of the charity rest with the Trustees who meet regularly to monitor the activities of the Trust. New trustees are appointed by the Trustees.
## **Achievements and Performance**
Throughout the year the Chapel has provided a range of opportunities for members and the community to worship and fellowship together, whether that be at the building where possible, or using Zoom to meet online together where COVID restrictions have not made meeting in person possible.
## Ministries
Life at Beechwood Chapel in the year 2021 involved becoming used to ‘the new normal.’ Social distancing, using hand gel, and wearing face masks became typical at church on Sundays and throughout the week. Different views about Covid-19 within the congregation threatened to divide, and yet God gracefully reminded us of the reason Jesus came into the world; he came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. We were reminded to serve and love the person in front of us, which helped maintain church unity during a season of restriction.
Despite government restrictions Beechwood Chapel has safely been able to remain open for our Sunday morning gatherings in accordance with the law. Due to our size and building this has been possible when other churches have been less able to accommodate the changes. For this we are extremely thankful as God’s people have continued to gather together around his word, the Bible. The Youtube livestream of the Sunday gathering is something that has continued and is still being used today to bless those unable to come to church due to sickness.
We have continued to benefit from excellent bible teaching. The highlights have included exploring the life of Christ in the gospel of Mark, being challenged about the applications for today in Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Numbers, and being encouraged to find hope in times of darkness during our Christmas series in Ruth. Wednesday Lifegroups took place on Zoom rather than in person which provided a tool for people to continue to meet virtually to read the Bible together and pray. In September, Lifegroups began to meet in person once more and it has been good to meet face to face again. This has included a Lifegroup made accessible for people living with a learning disability or for whom reading is difficult. It is encouraging to see the group’s spiritual growth in the way people love one another, pray, and worship the Lord through singing and signing.
Page 2
## **BEECHWOOD CHAPEL**
## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021**
Beechwood Tots began to run on Monday afternoons from Easter. Being able to open the building again for midweek groups is something we tried to increase gradually, and it was great to have toddlers with their parent(s)/guardian(s) enjoying the church building and relationships building once more. Ministries that ran prior to the pandemic such as Fit for Life, Chapel Tea, and Kids Club did not start again in 2021. This was due to various reasons, including people’s circumstances changing, and managing continued Covid-19 risks. It has been helpful to prayerfully reconsider the resources the church has and where we want to be committing our time and energy. This does not mean ministries have been put on the shelf to gather dust, but it does mean we are re-evaluating their effectiveness alongside the capacity to run them well
As the church continues to seek ways to share the good news of Jesus, we have tried to find ways to continue our evangelism this year. Church members continue to build relationships where God has put them. The church delivered The Life magazine to every house on the Beechwood estate before Christmas. The magazine is produced twice per year by 10ofthose and contained a varied range of topical articles and activities with a message about Jesus. Members of the church family got involved in delivering these items and some conversations were had at people’s doors. Our prayer is that even now people will remember receiving something through their door from Beechwood Chapel which may encourage them to come to an event or Sunday service in the future.
Our Ministry Trainees (who started in May 2021) and Community Worker have been a presence on the Beechwood estate and have started a monthly outreach outside the local shops. They have been able to talk to strangers on the street about what they believe and whether they are aware Beechwood Chapel exists. This has been a challenge during a period when people are reluctant to stop and talk due to Covid19, but the conversations that have taken place have been good and we continue to pray for more opportunities. Through serving at the Little Centre, litter picking, and completing surveys for the community organisation, our Ministry Trainees and Community Worker have been able to get involved in visible ways on the estate. An excellent Family Fun Christmas Morning event took place, and it was encouraging to see children in the church invite their friends along.
## Leadership
During 2021, Steve Bedford, whilst remaining as an elder and trustee still was suffering from long term health conditions and therefore took a step back from his responsibilities. Two men were voted in as elders and trustees of the chapel – Alex Logan and Daniel Thomas.
## Pastoral Care
The eldership have spent regular one-to-one time with a number of the Church membership or those known to the membership who are interested in Christianity.
## World Mission
The church has regularly donated to mission activities in India and Fiji through our partners Benji and Gill and to Romania through donations to ‘Gifts for Romania’. We have been able to speak to Benji and Gill on Zoom, as they joined one of our weekly meetings for encouragement and prayer. Additionally we have supported the mission organisation Echoes of Service and donated to support the general work of Wirral Youth for Christ. We have continued to support a missionary in Northern Africa – in fact we have slightly increased the amount we give to him. Due the global pandemic, their ministries have had to adapt and we have kept up to date with this. We receive written updates from these individuals and organisations which inform us of the work they are undertaking with the monetary gifts given. We are satisfied that each individual/organisation has a safeguarding policy in place and undertakes annual training for its workers.
Page 3
## **BEECHWOOD CHAPEL**
## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021**
## **Financial Review**
Total receipts to the Chapel were £52,351 (2020: £43,650). Total payments were £51,394 (2020 £45,981).
In broad terms we followed the budget which we set out and was agreed by the membership at the beginning of the year.
## **Reserves Policy**
It is the policy of the Chapel to maintain a balance on unrestricted funds which allows for essential liabilities (such as salaries/building maintenance etc) to be met for between one and three months. This is equivalent to £4,000-£12,000. At the end of 2021 we held just under £22,000 in unrestricted funds. It is part of the upcoming year budget that we plan to use some of these reserves to pay for one ministry trainee to complete his second year of training (from May 2022) and explore employing another part time member of staff which has been part of our long term vision.
## **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 12 October 2022 and signed on their behalf by:
## **Jon Norwood**
Jon Norwood
Page 4
## **Independent Examiner's Report**
## **To the Trustees of**
## **Beechwood Chapel**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Beechwood Chapel for the year ended 31 December 2021 on pages 6 to 9 following.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 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 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 respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
2. the accounts do not accord with those 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.
## **Archie McDowall**
Archie McDowall BA CA
17 October 2022
For and on behalf of: Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage London EC1Y 8AB
5
## **BEECHWOOD CHAPEL**
## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021**
||Notes|Unrestricted|Restricted|2021|2020|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||General|Funds|£|£|
|**Receipts**||||||
|_Voluntary receipts_||||||
|Offerings and gifts||35,859|1,066|36,925|35,197|
|Grant for Ministry Trainees||-|7,500|7,500|-|
|Gift Aid recoverable||7,926|-|7,926|8,453|
|||43,785|8,566|52,351|43,650|
|_Other receipts_||||||
|Other||-|-|-|-|
|Total Receipts||43,785|8,566|52,351|43,650|
|**Payments**||||||
|_Payments in furtherance of the church's objectives_||||||
|Direct costs|2|37,259|7,554|44,813|40,056|
|Grants paid|3|6,015|566|6,581|5,925|
|Total Payments||43,274|8,120|51,394|45,981|
|Net Receipts/(Payments)||511|446|957|(2,330)|
|before transfers||||||
|Transfers between funds||-|-|-|-|
|**Net Movement in Funds**||511|446|957|(2,330)|
|Balances at 1 January 2021||21,468|240|21,708|26,182|
|**Balances at 31 December 2021**||21,980|686|22,666|23,852|
The notes on pages 8-9 form part of these accounts.
Page 6
## **BEECHWOOD CHAPEL**
## **STATEMENT OF ASSETS & LIABILITIES**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021**
|General
Restricted
funds
funds
2021
£
£
£
**A Cash funds**
Cash at bank with immediate access
22,666
-
22,666
22,666
-
22,666
**B Other monetary assets**
Gift aid due to charity
8,948
-
8,948
8,948
-
8,948
**C**
**Liabilities**
Fee for Independent Examination
810
-
810
Accrued expenses (Pension Contributions)
181
-
181
991
-
991
**D**
**Assets retained for charity's own use**
Fund to
which asset
belongs
Land and buildings
General Fund
Equipment
General Fund|General
Restricted
funds
funds
2021
£
£
£|2020
£|
|---|---|---|
||22,666
-
22,666|21,708|
||22,666
-
22,666|21,708|
||8,948
-
8,948|7,926|
||8,948
-
8,948|7,926|
|||810
181|
||991
-
991|991|
||Fund to
which asset
belongs
General Fund
General Fund|Current
value
£
595,508
34,729|
|||630,237|
The trustees have used insurance values as an approximation for current values.
The charity has not given any guarantees and has not provided its assets as security for any liabilities.
There are no outstanding debts at the date of the statement of assets and liabilities, which are owed and which are secured by an express charge on any of the assets of the CIO.
The accounts were approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf on 12 October 2022 by
## **Jon Norwood**
Jon Norwood
The notes on pages 8-9 form part of these accounts.
Page 7
## **BEECHWOOD CHAPEL**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021**
## **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.
|**2. Direct costs**|General|Restricted|Total|Total|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Funds|Funds|2021|2020|
||£|£|£|£|
|Employment costs|30,193|7,254|37,447|29,316|
|Staff expenses|-|-|-|107|
|Training costs|243|-|243|-|
|Light, heat & water|1,485|-|1,485|1,438|
|Insurance|575|-|575|545|
|Support services|1,363|-|1,363|1,092|
|Outreach activities|746|-|746|1,960|
|Hardship gifts|-|300|300|260|
|Maintenance of buildings & equipment|1,312|-|1,312|3,076|
|Work among the young|100|-|100|111|
|Minor equipment|321|-|321|1,291|
|Professional fees|140|-|140|80|
|Accounts Prep & Exam|780||780|780|
||37,259|7,554|44,813|40,056|
|**3. Grants Paid**|||||
|Institutions|6,015|566|6,581|5,925|
||6,015|566|6,581|5,925|
|The grants to institutions amounting to more than £1,000 in the||year were:|||
|Gifts for Romania|1,320||||
|Echoes of Service|2,160||||
|Reach Across|1,830||||
Page 8
## **BEECHWOOD CHAPEL**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021**
## **4. Transactions with related parties**
Jonathan Norwood served as a church leader and was paid £26,220 including pension contributions (2020: £25,454) for serving in that capacity, not for serving as a trustee; this payments are permitted by the charity's governing document.
|**5. Movement of Restricted Funds**
Hardship Fund
Ministry Trainees Fund
Operation Mobilisation Afghanistan Appeal|Balance
Balance
at 1.1.21
Receipts
Payments
at 31.12.21
£
£
£
£
240
500
(300)
440
-
7,500
7,254
14,754
-
566
(566)
-|
|---|---|
||240
8,566
6,388
15,194|
Page 9