WR8C Treasurer Walsworth Rd Hitehin Herts SG4 9SP ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2024 Page1 of9
ANNUAL REPORT - WALSWORTH ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH This is a summary of some of the activÉties which took place during the year, with a particular focus on events vthich demonstrate our public benefft as a registered charity: Walsworth Road Baptist Church IWRBCI is a friendly and welcoming church which celebrated its 150° anniversary in 2019. The church invites the whole community to worship God with us. There are regular Sunday services each week and a number of events, activities and groups to appeal to people of all ages. WRBC employs a part-time youth worker and runs a youth club for young people in years 6 to 11 on Sunday evenings. WRBC is the home of the 3" Hitchin Scout and * Hitchin Guiding groups, playing a part in the lives of over 150 young people across six 'sections.' WRBC aims to provide pastoral care for the wider community around the church and employs a church worker to help our full-time pastor with this task. We organised regular prayers for peace in Ukraine and in the Holy Land. We continued to support Ukrainians living and arriving in the area. A Saturday morning coffee drop in was expanded to SUPPOrt local homeless and lonely folk. We run 3 8roup on Monday afternoons specifically focussed on the mentsl well- being needs in our communlty. In 2023 this became part of our response to the Warm Spaces inltiative responding to the cost-of- Ilvln8 crisis. The church maintains its Victorian and Edwardian buildings and offers them to a wlde range of local 8roups includin8 an exercise class, a toddler group, a recorder groupi a camera club, a local choir and a local residents, group. We were pleased to welcome back concerts from the North Herts Gulld of Singers, The Orpheus Choir and the Stotfold Chrlstian Choir. We ran a series of well attended events for the local community includin8 a Pancake Party In Lent, a Li8ht Party a5 an alternative to Halloween and Gin8erbread decoration at Chrlstmas. We continue to have close Ilnks with two Iixal charities, the Hitchin Churches Schools Worker Trust IPHASEI and Churches Together in Hitchin. WRBC continued to run its annual Shoe Box Project in collaboration with local schools, delivering a substantial number of shoe boxes for the charity Link to Hope to distribute abroad at Christmas time. The church collects funds for other charities who give aid to peop5e both in the UK and abroad. See note 4c for full details Accounts 2024v1.2.xlsx Printed 23104r2025 Page2of9
la Receipts & Payments January- December 2024 Designated Rmtrictgd UnrestrictBd TOTAL 2024 Year Incom• Building Use Missiffi Ad Hoc Incune orfering Other Inctsno Traidcraft I&E 10.935.23 10.935 £ 7,124 3.673 70.062 20,230 750 2.583.62 74.316.11 2.584 £ 74.318 £ 21,928 £ 21.928.16 Total In¢ome o.ijo £ o.IJO £ 109.763.12 109.763 £ 101.839 Expn Adminstration 3.773.82 3,740.88 12.739.64 4,653.38 3,T74 £ 3,741 £ 12,740 £ 4.653 £ 69.390 £ 3,412 £ 2,567 £ 9,760 £ Church Group8 & AVI"•8 Church Upkeep Manso 3,951 18.824 18.182 61.205 5,262 2,852 8.400 Ministry & Payroll Ministy Expenses Mission Ad Hoc Expenditur8 mI.0n Regular Supp)rt f.00 63,390.19 3,412.48 2.566 83 9.760.C¥J 12.039.58 0.00 £ 1000.00 £ 116,076.80 0.00 4 6.000.00 6,313.68 12.040 £ 122.077 £ -12,314 -£ Totsl EXP&¢1 Not Op+rn9 In¢¢yrn• 131,972 30,133 N•t Incom8 0.00 4 6.000.00 8.313.68 -12.314 -£ 30.133 Ch•ng8 in value of Stc<4( N•t Profftoc1t -12,314 -£ 30,133 T181• l)•lvMn Fund• Rmtrlctod Unr••trl¢tsd Youth Worker R08erves Jusl'c• Fund Total Fund$ Last Y•r End Total Funds This Yr End Totsl Change In Fund• 103.853 91,539 12.314 AUnts 2024v1.2.xlsx Printed 23104r2025 Page3of9
1b. Notes to the Receipts and Payments Ststement Building Use describes income from a wide range of people and organisations who use thè premises. primarily the Church Hall. This was of course heavily reduced over the pandemic. Mission Ad Hoc Income indudes gifts received by the Church wtth the intention that those gifts a forwarded to other charities. The main charites supported by WRBC urKler this heading are BMS and Link to Hope., plus, each year. we hold a Christmas Tree Appeal for tharity. The Offering includes monies received through Monthly giving (mainly Stsnding Orders). Weekly giving (through an envelopes giving scheme), and any other gifts received via the website or in cash Other Income indudes monies received from the Hitchin Youth Trust (on an annual basis as part of an access agreement), Gift Aid redaimed on donations and legacies or onfroff donations. Administration costs indude a wide range of expenses including licenS. subscriptions and conference costs, as W11 as straightfonward administration costs suth as paper. ink, posters, etc. Church Groups and Activities includes expenses for Youth Work as well as catering & kitchen costs. Church Upkeep includes services costs needed to maintain the church buildings such as PAT testing, boiler servicing. etc., equipment costs to replace old or damaged items. cleaning costs and insurance costs. WRBC owns a Manse which is used to house our Minister and his family. Manse costs indude council tax, water rates. heating, lighting. etc. Some of these costs are paid directly by the church. others a paid by the Minister and an agreed proportion daimed back through the Minstees Expenses system. 10 Ministry and payroll costs are the costs to the church of employing a Minister including stipend. employerfs National Insurance, employerfs pension contribution, etc. and the costs of employing a part time youth worker, a part time church Yrker with a special emphasis on pastoral care and outreach, and a deaner, who was the only member of stsff on fudough when the building was dosed. 11 Ministry Expenses are split into Iwo areas - expenses daimed by employees in connection with thelr duties (such as books. mileage, pastoral, etc) and exiemal expenses associated vth running seplices (fees for visiting preachers, organists, etc). 12 Mission Ad Hoc Expenditure is directly linked to item 2. and is the distribution of gifts received by the Church for other charitl8S. 13 Mission Regular Support includes monies paid on a regular basis to organisations Vth which WRBC is linked such as the Baptist Missionary Society (BMS), the Central Baptist Association (CBA), PHASE Schools Worker. and via the Baptist Friends of Israel. to our iwinned church in Tu'raan, Israel. 14 Utilities comprises the costs of gas. electriaty. water, elc consumed by the church. 15 Restricted Income is a temi defined by the Charity Commission to describe money which has been given for a specific purpose and so cannot be used for a diffenI purpose. So the WRBC accounts hav8 to Split out our Receipts and Payments into Unrestricted and Restricted monies. Accounts 2024v1.2.SX Printed 23104f2025 Page4of9
1c. Analysis of Fund Movements for the Y Date Mem Amoun Restricted - Youth Worker Opening balance Receipts during the year Payments during the year Closing balance 6.000.LKI 6.OCrf).¢JO DIgnated - Reserves Opening balance Recèipts during the year Payments during the year Closing balance 35.(M)O.00 35.000.00 Restrlcted - Justlco Fund Opening balance Receipts during the year Payments during tho yaar Closing balance 7.185.00 7,185 Accounts 2024v1.2.xlsx Printsd 2310412025 Page5of9
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Statement of Assets & Liabilities at 31 st. December. 2024 A8of Dec 31. 2024 Previous Year Cash at bank and in hand Baptist UniM Depo.1 Barclay$ CAF Bank Cash Mnt 48.885.08 37,035.25 5,348.44 2.355.15 HSBC 30,701.68 81.941.91 55.864.90 Total Cash at bank •nd In hand 98.248.59 Curr•nt As8•ts Equipment Investments- Otr 9.477.00 5.804.00 Sttxk Undep'tl fijnds Tot1 Currgnt A880ts Net ¢urr•nt •M•ts 12000 9.597.00 91,538.91 $.604.00 103.852.59 Credltor•: amounts lalllng du• TlthSn on• ywr Current Uabiliti88 Payroll Liabilths VAT Ltability Prepayments Totsl Current Liat41th5 Totsl Cr•dltor8: amounts f•lllng du• wSthln on• y•ar N•t ¢urr•nt aM•ts {Ilabllll1) Totsl aB••ts lo8• eurr•nt Ihbllltl•• Total n•t aM•ts {Ilabllltle•l Capi¢•l and R8Mr Fund• D•8lgn•t•d BMS Birth(1ay Christmas Tree 0.00 91.$38.91 91.538.91 103,852.159 103.8J2.159 91.538.91 103.852.J9 0.00 0.00 Flow•r Fur 0.00 Goner81 Rw•rve 35.0. 35.000.00 Ad Hoc Gfft8 Fund 0.00 Po¥tor¥l Gifts Twinning Total Fund• DoBlgnat•d Funds RMtrict•d 35.000. 35.OOD.00 Ju•ti 7.185.) 7,185.00 Youth Work•r 6,TrJO.ChJ Totsl Funds Rmtrktsd 7.185.OD ss,e67.59 ,313.68 01,538.91 13.185.00 85.080.76 -29,413.17 103,852.59 Unr•strlct•d fund• broughtfomrd Ngt movfjfflgnt In unmtrlctsd funds Total fApllal and R•8•r¥ Balances at 8tartof y•ar Totsl Receipts Tot81 Payments B818ncing item 84lanc•s at End of yr 103,853 109.763 -122,077 91.539 Accounts 2024v1.2.xlsx Printed 23104r2025 Page6of9
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Notes to the Financial Statements 4a Basis of Accounts These accounts have been prepared on a 'receipts and payments, basis as desuibed in the Charity Commission document CC16 and accord 7Mth S.42(3) Charitses Act 1993. The fomiat of these accounts is further based on the recommendations produced by the Association of Church A¢untants and Treasurers {ACAT) and the Bapts'st Union. 4b Incomlng Resources - Charitable actlvltle8 Income from donations and other voluntary income are recogni5ed on a recerved basis. The charity has not given any finaneial consideration for voluntary help red during the year, and is not able to quantify such assistsnce. 4c Grant maklng policy Grants, gifts and donations Yre made to various charriies in the furtherance of the church's objectives. Monies received for spectfic causes are held in a restricted fund. pending MIttanCe of monies to the appropriate beneficiary. The charity provides funds each year to support BMS World Mission, the C8ntral Baptist Association Home Mission Fund, Churches Together in Hitchin, our IVnned church in Turaan (vlq Baptist Twinning in Isra81. a UK charity) and the Hitchin Schools Worker project. 4d Penslon costs The Church is an employer partiapating in a p8nsion scheme known as the Baptist Ministers, Pension Fund ('the Ministers. Fund,). The Minister(s) are eligible to join the Fund, which is a multi-employer defined benefit scheme, which is funded and not contracted out of the state scheme. The main benefit provided by the Ministers, Fund is a pension of one eightieth of final Minimum Pensionable Income together with additional pension in respect of premiums paid on Pensionable Income in excess of the Minimum Pensionable Income. The profft and loss charge for the period represents the employer (x)ntributs'on payable. 40 Investments Investments are quoted under the Statement of Assets and Liabilities at the market value on the date these investments Yre donated to the church. All are in LSE quoted fund8. It is intended to revalu8 these investments every 5 years, the next revaluation being in 2025. Income from investments Is accounted for vthen receivable. 4f Fund accountlng Funds held by the charity are dassified as :. Unrestrlcted general funds - these are fvnds which can be used in accordance with the charttable objects at the discretion of the trustees: Oesignated funds- these are funds set aside by the trustees out of unrestricted general funds for specific purposes. In order to simply these statements this category will be discontinued from 2022 Restncted funds - these a funds that can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Expenditu which meets these crtteria is Charged to the funds. 4g statsment of Tru8tee8' Responsibilltles Charity law requires the Trustees (Deacons) to prepare finan(aal statements that give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity at the end of the financial year. In doing so the trustees are qUired to.. i) Select suitable accounling policies and apply them nSIsteny. ii) Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; iii) State whether applicable accounting stsndards and statements of ¢0MMended practio have been followed, subject to any material departures disdosed and explained in the financial statements; and iv) Prepare the financial statement5 on the ongoing o)ncem basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity wll continue in operation. Accounts 2024v1.2.xlsx Printed 23104r2025 Page7of9
The Deacons are responsible as trustees for maintsining proper accounting records which disdose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enables them to ensure that financial statements comply with charity law. The Deacons are also responsible for safe guarding the assets of the Church and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. 4h Property Assets Retalned for the Charity's In Use The church is the beneficial owner {subject to the relevant trusts) of the followng assets, the legal tide to which is held by the church's custodian trustee [the Baptist Union Corporation Ltd]: Walsworth Road Baptist Church, Walsworth Road. Hitchin. SG4 9SP The Manse, 13 NinespTings Way. Hitthin. SG4 9NQ 41 Reserves Pollcy The Reserves Policy was last reviewed in 2018 where it was agreed that a figure of £35,000 would be seen as a minimum amount and this is treated as a designated fund within the balance sheet. 41 Rolatsd Charities The custodian Trustee of the church is the Baptist Union Corporation Limited which is charity number 249635, and which is controlled by the Baptist Union Council. The church is also a member of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Central Baptist Ass¢xiation and Churches Together in Hitchin. 4k Banklng There were two bank accounts in use during this accounting perlod. The 8ardays accAxJnt is used as the main daY-daY banking account & almost all bills are paid from this account. The HSBC account is used as the account for paying in via standing orders. The church also has an Inte$1 bearing deposit wtth the Baptist Unlon. The accounts package used during this accounting period was the 'QuickBooks Online, product supplied by Intuit Inc. All the banking transactlons are held exclusively in Quld(Books and are reconciled on a monthly basls with the Bank Statements. Thus the yearfs dosing balances are maintained in QuickBooks and accord with the Bank Statements. 41 Fund8 The church accounts have a number of Funds which are maintained in QuickBooks vthich allows reporting by Restricted Funds and Unrestricted Funds as required by the Charities Commission. (WRBC does not Currently have any Endowment Funds). 4m Roportlng The format of these accounts is based on the use of the stsndard business reports vthlch are available within the QuickBooks sofhvare, such as the Comparative P&L Report (which is the basis of the Receipts & Payments Summary); and the Balance Sheet Report (vthich is the basis of the Assets & Liabilits'es Report). 4n 8lgnature and Declaratlon The Accounts and Statement of Assets and Liabilitses relating to the year ending 31 Dmber are as approved by the Deacons of Walsworth Road Baptist Church. I declare, in my capacity of charity trustee. that the trustees have approved the report above: and have authorised me to sign it on their behalf. Signed: Rev Andrew Henton Pusey 13 Ninesprings Way Hitchin SG4 9NQ Dated.. Accounts 2024v1.2.xlsx Printed 23104r2025 Page8of9
Independent Examinerfs Report To thg Tru of Walsworth R Church I report on the financial statements of Walsworth Road Bapt'st Church for the year ended 31 De¢ember 2024 to be co This report is made solely to the charity members, as a tx)dy, in accordan wtlh Charity law. My independent examination work has been undertaken so that I might state to the chartty members those matters which l am required to state to them in my independent examination report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibilty to anyone other than the church charity and the charity members as a body, for my independent examination work. or the opinions I have fomied. Respectlvo re8ponsibllftle8 of tru8t008 and examln•r As the charity's trustees you a responsible for the preparation of the financial ststements; you consider that the audit requirement of section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the Act) does not apply. It is my responsibility to state, on the basis of procedures spectfied in the General Directions given by the Charty Commissioners under section 43(7)(b) of the Act, vthether particular matters have come to my attention. Basi8 of Indopendont examlnerfs report My examination was carried out in accordance the General Diredions gNen by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the chanty and a comparison of the a¢counts presented wth those records. It also indudes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees conceming any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that Vul be required in an audit. and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts. Independent examlnerfs 8tstement In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention.. (1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements to keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the Act; and to prepa accounts which accord v41th the accounting records and to comply wilh the accounting requirements of the Act have not been met; or (2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper und8rstanding of the accounts to be rea Signed.. Date..