Oxford Churches, Debt Centre Trustees, Annual Report and Accounts Year Ending March 2025
Contents Trustees & Supporting Churches Chairperson's Report Manager's Report Independent Examiner's Report Statement of Financial Activities 10 Balance Sheet 12 Notes to the Accounts 13 Charity Information 14
The Trustees who have served during the year have been: James Bloice-smith (Chairperson) Claire Bishop Matt Partridge John Price Jenni Williams The Trustees meet on a quarterly basis. The churches which in various ways support our work in Oxford are: Barton Community Church Cornerstone Church Emmanuel Church Headington Baptist Church Magdalen Road Church Oxford Friends Action on Poverty Rivers of Life Church st Andrew's Church. Dean Court st Barnabas, Church st Clement's Church st Mallhew's Church Wheatley Community Church Woodstock Road Baptist Church
The past year has been another successful year, as described in the Manager's Report, below. As ever, we wish lo thank our staff team, who have continued to provide high quality work, along with our able volunteers. helping to alleviate poverty in Oxford. l am happy to report that the charity is 'on task,. is financially sound. and has effective governance structures in place. The three objects of our charity are: the relief of poverly, education related to the manogement of personal finances, and the advancement of the Christian faith. The trustees believe that the charity has effectively focussed on these objectives during the reporting period. In order to do this, we work in formal partnership with Chrislians Against Poverty ICAPI, who: train our staff and certain volunteers, provide the expert advice which underpins our work with those in debt, and produce high qualify resources to help wilh our education object {CAP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority). Of equal importance are our partnerships with local churches enabling us to offer more holistic support to our CAP Debt Service clients. However, the service we provide is freely available to people of all faiths or none, and clients are free to choose how much they use the wider community support which we make available. The same philosophy underpins the other services which we deliver. During the year our former treasurer, John Price. stepped down from this role, though he continues a5 a truslee. The charity has benefitted from his skill, wisdom and many years of diligent service. We are grateful to Peter Guy, who has taken up the treasurer's duties. Our thanks also to Yvonne Kinyanjui for being our Independent Examiner.
Final, our thanks to our supporlers. supporting churches, and charitable donors (listed belowl who have provided the financial resources to underlake the work of *he past year. Doris Field Trust Garfield Weston Foundation HDH Wills Charitable Trust Lord Faringdon Charitable Trusl Pharsalia Charitable Trust Lady Tangye Trust The Jamjar Trust Slanton Ballard Trust Robert & Margarel Moss Trusl The Miiifield Trust Oxfordshire Community Foundation Pye Charilable Selllement st Aldate's Parochial Charities Signed: .James Bloice-smith. Chairperson Dale: gé/,,/ 2o£r . 2025.
l O years oldl This year OCDC celebrated the l O-year anniversary of the CAP debt centre. The central focus for this was an evenl in Septembei lo which anyone who had been connecled to the centre in the last decade was invited. It was lovely to see a mix of clients, supporters, staff and volunteers from our partner and supporting churches. Sleve Jones from Oxford Community Church was the main speaker. Some clients also took part in Ihe service and we welcomed a representalive from CAP too. Debt help This core area of work has been more consistent this year. In September one debt coach, Kath Jackson, left the leam. We are grateful for her commitmenl and contribution over 5 yeors. "Before CAP I was aboijt to be evic.ted and everything was topsy tiirvy. Now I'm standing on my own feel, in a Lomforfable hon)e learning liow lo budget. Debt Freel" 1lp.bl lielp clienl Kalh's departure decreased our capacity bul client numbers have been steady meaning we have not been overstretched. Ovei the last i o years we have served 473 people in total wilh 82 clienls finding freedom from debt. This current year we hove supported 32 new clients. Excitingly, 5 clients have gone debt free over this same period. We currently have 18 open clienl aLcounts. Non-cooperation and appointment cancellations are common and many drop out in the process. Also. clients are regularly presenting with multiple and complex issues of which financial debt is just one. Amongst the chaos in their lives, il is gratifying to know of some successes. In one case, we managed to help write-off £7,500 of parking fines and to support the same client to move from sleeping in his car to a council flat. Another client who struggles with lite has now had a fresh slarl by going debl free after working wilh us for over 2 1/2 years. Another is excited to be ending his probation soon and will finish paying off a court fine. He has sel up a sovings account and is very keen nol to go back into debt. "Befoi'e CAP I was alwoys sliessed abaut money Now I thonk God I don't npcd to worry, Debt help client
Cllent evenls 'Maiiy tlia17ks]or w17at lias been ai? (Imazi17.q, w(Iiideiful L'uiirse wliiL'l7 if I was ulluwé'(I I w()uld love to do ag(iiii as I tliii?,g l iiee(11770re ongoing1?elp. Life Ski I Is participaiit As we look to enhonce clienl's welfare by enjoying grealer social inleraction. our strategy is to encourage clients to take part in events organised by our partner churches. A few have done this - most notably through an OCDC team attending Emmanuel Church's Big Quiz event and coming oul the winnersl Due to low interest we decided not to go ahead with our coach trip to the New Forest which we had organised for the previous 2 years. Instead we put on two informal picnics in Bury Knowle Park in the summer months which were well attended and appreciated. Clients enjoyed being outside, meeting other5 and playing one or two games. Our annual pancake party, including a quiz. femains the most popular event we pul on. We include a little epilogue about Ihe meaning of Lent and Easter. Partner Churches We are grateful for the ongoing interest and suppor't of our partner churches. They are still key to the success of this ministry in terms of support, prayer and providing resources including volunteers, finances and opening Iheir doors to clients to welcome Ihem into their communities. It is always a joy when clients want lo explore faith further and when we see our players being answered. We have had a number this year who have been seeking God and moved forward in their faith journey. We are grateful to our church reps who continue to champion the work in their churches and acl as ambassadors by regularly highlighling the CAP work, ensuring the work slays on the church agenda. Group servlces We are very pleased that a5 a centie we are now offering all four of CAP'S services in the city for the first time. Lifp Skills One Life Skills course was run over the course of the year by Emmanuel Church in conjunction with St Ebbe's Centre. Our Life Ski51s manager had stepped down which left us relying on this person being provided from Sl Ebbe's. The course was a
success with 6 people attending. Two more Emmanuel members have now been trained as a Life Skills manager and coach. Job Club We are delighted that after many years of planning and waiting we have managed to start a CAP Job Club in Oxford. This 15 hosted by St Andrew's Church. Dean Court which up to now has not been connected with our partnership. After a manager and two coaches had been trained, this first course attracted around 6 members, 4 of whom altended all the sessions. Inteiestingly all of these participants did not have English as their first language. Mone Coachin With the new materials now iii our hands and with 8 people from OCDC connected churches having been re-trained as cooches, we are looking to relaunch Ihe Money Coaching course in Oxford in June in Wheatley. The CAP Community Café continues to provide a safe space for clients wilh a handful ot regulars otlending. Thp venue has now been moved to St Ebbe'5 Church building in the centre of Ihe cily to see if this will draw more people through better Iransport networks. The proqramme for each week has been widened with some planned activities and a meal is provided once a month. Development At the time of writing. we are advertising 2 staff posts. One is for a part time debt coach to increase oui capacity for debt help still further and the other is for o mobiliser which is a communications role particularly to strenglhen our relationships wilh our referrer5 and then excitingly to reach out to local schools, speking to see how we can support them and to offer them our services. Looking forward, we are in the throes of partnering wilh a church plant on Cutteslowe pstate to offer the resources for them lo run a Life Skills course. This will be connected to their food larder and Ihe provision of various resources within the local community centre. Promotion This coming year will offer us a number of opportunities to promote and raise the profile of the CAP ministry in Oxford. As a staff team we have already connecled more closely with the Job Cenlre ond have a number of ir)vitation5 lo speak at local churches and institutions some of which have come through the CAP Speak&r leom.
As well as the speaking opportunities. traditional methods of publicising are being used, including Ihrough our annual CAP Sundays when partner churches have a focus on the work in one of their services. In addition, the distribulion of postcards through doors on housing eslales around the city happens from lime to lime. Volunteers Once again we are grateful for each of our 50 active volunteers without whom we couldn't do Ihis work. Many have given tirelessly to the work over the last year mosl clearly as befrienders through accompanying debl help clients. We have put on two training sessions for volunleers this year- one run by the charily -s ..01 Archway which supports people who are lonely. and an induction session for those new to volunleering wilh us. We have another session planned for June on Ihe subjecl of menlal health. The Christmas hamper packing evenl ing$ together volunteers lo buy, pack and delver hampers to all our debt clients. 27 hampers were prepared Ihis year and as always were very gratefully received. As we enler Into the new flnanclal year, we are exciled by the opportunities to evelop and grow. We are confidenl that we are in a good place and, with God's help, we are ready lo serve all our clients and group participants over the coming year with energy, enthusiasm and compassion. Signed: ..Andrew Johnson, Cenlre Manager Date: . 2025.
Independent examlner's report on Ihe accounts I report lo the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Ihe Charity for the year ended 3151 March 2025. Responslbllllles and ba$1$ of report As the charity's Iruslees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Acl 2011 I"Ihe Act"). The trustees consider Ihol an audit is not required for Ihis year under section 144{21 of the Acl and that an independent examination is required. I report in respecl of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act. In carrying ouf my examination, il is my responsibility to examine the accounts under section 145 of the Act; follow procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under section 14515)Ibl of the Acl.. and stale whether particular matters come to my attenlion. My examination was carried out in accordance wilh the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 14515)Ibl of the Act. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounls presented with those records. It olso includes considering ony unusual items or disclosure in Ihe accounts and seeking explonolions from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do nol provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit. and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accovnt5 present a "true and fair" view. and the report is limited lo those matters set out in the statement below. Examlnei's italemenl I conflrm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe Ihat in, any moterial respect,. Ihe accounting recuds were not kept in accordance wth seclion 130 of the Chorilies Act; the accounts did not accord with Ihe accounting records; or the accounts did not compty with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities {Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement Ihal the accounts give a 'true and foir, view which is nol a matler considered as parl of an independenl examination. I have no concerns and have come across no other malters in connection with the examinolion to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper under51anding of the occounls lo be reached. Signed: Yvonne Kinyanjui . 2025.
For the year ended 31d March 2025 2024 Sources of Funds Gifts from churches other gifts and grants Gift Aid tax recoverable 15.585 78,352 4,728 17,608 64,627 3,769 Total Incoming Resources 98,665 86,004 Expenditure Salaries CAP head office Office renl Travel expenses Client give-aways Miscellaneous 56,241 9.130 5,258 438 60,243 7,995 5.047 558 4,440 3.222 6,696 Total Outgoing Resources 78,863 81.505 Surplus/lDeficit) for the year 19,802 4,499
As at 31 sl March 2025 2024 Assets Bank accounts Gift Aid tax recoverable 96,717 2,640 77,426 1.785 Total assets 99.357 79,211 Creditors HMRC other creditors 210 866 Total creditors 210 866 Total Net Assets 99,147 78,345 Financing General Fund brought forward Restricted Job Clubs Fund Surplus/{Deficit) this year 77.345 2,000 19,802 72,846 I,CK)O 4,499 Total Financing 99,147 78,345 Signed: Peter Guy, Treasurer Date: . 2025.
Reserves Pollcy The trustees have agreed that it would be prudent to hold at all times cash reserves sufficient to last for six months. As at 31 sl March 2025 our cash reserves amounted to approximately twelve months of the following year's expenditure. other Pollcles The chority has various policies including those covering: Safeguarding Children Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Equal Opporlunities Data Protection Health & Safety These are available for inspection and can be provided to anyone who would like to see them. Fund5 Most of the charity's money flows through its General Fund,. there is also a restricted Cap Job Clubs Fund which results from donations to be used to set up such a club in the near future. Sources of Funds All income is recognised when it is received, with the exception of Gift Aid tax recoverable which is recognised at the time the gift to which it relates is received. Flxed Assets The charity only capitalizes individual fixed assets costing over £ 1,000. Minor items are written off in the accounts when they are purchased. Trustees, Remuneratlon All the trustees received no payment or other remuneration for their services during the year12024 . £0) 13
Charlty Informallon The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered on 18th February 2014 with the Charity Commission. number l 155834 Oxford Churches Debt Centre IOCDC) working title". CAP Oxford Central st Clement's Centre Cross Street Oxford OX4 IDA Tel: 07918 599255 Bank CAF Bank Ltd. 25 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill West Malling ME19 4JQ Sort code 4(Y52-40 Account no. 00025483