2021-04-05-accounts - The Church Of God In Swindon

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Swindon CIO Return 2020 - 2021

Activities

The Trustees, the elders of the Church of God in Swindon, with the church members, aim to achieve the objects through a variety of activities requiring personal, social and spiritual skills. Our aim is to reach out, engage with and support those who live in the community. We do this by offering to the community, services that manifest our Christian faith, together with a variety of innovative activities and events. As we share with the local community, we also provide financial support to those in need by working together with local charities.

As we entered this year it was clear that our draft programme would be affected by COVID-19 and the UK government restrictions. However, we planned in hope but realised that we would have to be adaptable and make some hard decisions. Although it was evident that COVID-19 could affect our personal and church lives we drew up plans as we would normally do.

We would welcome the local community to join our countryside church activities at Easter and Christmas , and our Silver Sunday, a community social event aimed at the over 60s, as well as the Craft Fayre and Bonfire night , and Quiz Nights and BBQs through the year. Our youth work – at our Sunday Morning Services ( SMS ), which follows our Church Communion service, and Kids Club on Thursdays – would run as normal, and we would look ahead to our SE district Youth Camps (SEYC) in August. These annual camps on the South Downs, Sussex, run for 2 weeks and are an opportunity for our younger youth club members, and then older teens, to enjoy a week together. Many trustees and church members are DBS checked camp workers. It is one of the best examples of combining our two Objects.

We look forward to continuing last year’s initiatives include Church in the Park (CITP), the Summer Carnival and the Christmas Lights in RoyalWootton Bassett.

Visitors of all ages are welcome to SMS as they are to the Wednesday Prayer & Teaching time. The Thursday evening Youth Club invites young people to join in sports, crafts, games and a Christian discussion. It enables friendships to develop - between young people and between youth workers and young people - in a safe and secure environment. Opportunities are still available for older students at our SE Young Christian meetings ( YCs ).

During March 2020, when much consideration was given to the use of technology during a time of government restrictions, giant steps were made. Following a review of our church-based activities, we looked at whether we could adapt them and if so how. With the benefit of church members who understood the use of online platforms, including Google Meet, YouTube and Zoom, and with the guidance our health & safety team, we were able to draft a programme to gain the most from technology as well as keeping our members, friends and contacts safe. COVID-19 brought organisational challenges in every aspect of our lives. Church leaders endeavoured to strike the right balance as did all other responsible groups. It seemed likely that our Communion service would not be able to take place as normal and this provided one of our most difficult discussions.

Reaching out to local people in need was still an important aspect of out role in the community and we wanted to build on what we already do. We would seek out organisations that may be helpful in this respect.

Despite all, we have continued our plans for growth and have determined to purchase the building and surrounding land that we currently use for many of the activities. This has been enabled by a grant of funds from the Central Gifts Committee of The Churches of God and should be completed in the next few months.

Achievements

Although this year has been one of varying government guidance, we are very thankful that many of our plans could take place. Immediately we were able to produce our SMS services on-line, now titled SVS (Sunday Virtual Service). Prerecorded on YouTube, they were able to be viewed at our regular time on Sunday and selected at any other time. After a slow start the number of views topped 300. Their attendance time is unknown, but this is considerably more than our SMS audience of about 30. Our band and tech team gave time and energy and were a significant reason for this take-up. Church members and the children also played important roles in SVS, providing engaging activities, and the speakers adapted to talking to a screen rather than an audience.

Our Wednesday Prayer & Teaching went on-line. This also gave more people the opportunity to be fully engaged – those caring for children or housebound adults and those unable to travel.

We had already been using individual cups and broke bread safely for each person. As restrictions tightened we could not take part in the Remembrance , our communion service. To compensate we offered a Thanksgiving time, using Zoom, on Sunday evening. Individual prayers were offered, similar to those in the Remembrance and the social time was valued. By July we were able to break bread once more, adopting recommended safety measures. Over time, those choosing to or not able to attend could observe on-line.

We continued our Sunday evening slot as it had proved beneficial for many people. Renamed Honeycomb , we broadened the prayer focus and included a 10 minute talk.

Our monthly Bible Studies remained on-line and we adopted Zoom to enable breakout groups successfully. We will continue this, and our Thursday morning prayer time, on-line.

Lockdown and isolation could have negative effects. Care for everyone was essential and we were all alerted to look out for each other, and to maintain regular contact, especially when we could not meet physically.

Some other indoor events were cancelled, including the Craft Fayre, Quiz Nights, Light Lunches, Carols by Candlelight, as well as the 2[nd] CITP initiative.

We still plan to run the new youth club, with a nucleus of a dozen children, when it is safe to do so.

One of our two SE Youth Camps – CAMP for younger one, restricted by COVID - did not take place. Relocation of equipment to Flaxlands enabled ELEVATE, for older ones, to take place.

We have a few searching visitors at our weekly Remembrance Service, often drawn by information on the church website and the sale of Bibles increased noticeably.

We maintained the local community contacts but progress was difficult. Some of our members provided personal, valuable help for individual people and we will return to this. Helpful conversations with Royal Wootton Bassett’s community link officer. We will establish a greater involvement with Julia’s House, a local Christian Hospice, as well as Operation Christmas Child. Looking inwards the wellbeing of our members and families must remain a concern for us.

The purchase of the Piggery and surrounding land by the church was completed and an established Phase 2 Working Group began pursuing the provision of an additional building.

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts ec epe Exa Report to the trusteesl members of CHRCHaF GOO IN Charity no (if any) On accounts for the year ended Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (Yhe Trusf) for the year ended Responsibilities and basis of report As the charty's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordan with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (Yhe Actl. I report in respect of my examination of the Trusys 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 trhe charitys gross income exceeded £250,000 and l am qualified to examiner's statement undertake the examination by being a qualified member of [insert name of applicable listed body]]. Delete [ ] if not applicable. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that disdosed below ") which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: the accounting records were not kept in accordan with section 130 of the Charities Ac( or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements conceming the fomi and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fairf view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concems 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. . Plse delete the words in the brackets rf they do not apply. Signed: Date: . l(J 2ts] Name: Relevant professional qualification(s) or body 61 A C4(ffig3 IER Oct 2018

(if any): Address: Jo@1 Section B". . Disclosure-;_, Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of conrn (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidan for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER Oct 2018

THE CHURCH OF GOD IN SWINDON Charity Registration No 1156833 Receipts and Payments Accounts for the period 6 April 2020 to 5 April 2021 Section A Receipts and Payments Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total funds funds funds funds Last year A1 Receipts General expenses Lord's servants Youth work Local outreach Property costs District funds Fellowship funds Care fund Faith Welfare Trust Local Charity S.E.England District 5,118 5,118 19,653 1,010 1,401 5,634 902 2,778 7,874 18,172 1,720 530 2,555 2,002 1,358 19,653 1,010 1,401 5,634 902 2,778 1,165 170 15,570 1,165 170 15,570 905 53,401 35,116 Gift received from Central Gifts fund of Churches of God 200.000 200,000 205,118 48,283 253.401 A2 Asset and investment Sales Sale of minibus 6,200 6,200 Total receipts 211,318 48,283 259,601 35,116 A3 Payments General expenses Lord's servants Youth work Local outreach Property costs District funds Fellowship funds Care fund Faith Welfare Trust Local Charity S.E.England District 7,585 7,585 18,500 630 546 8,262 1,192 2,818 7,165 18,400 796 112 3,747 1,712 1,822 18,500 630 546 8,262 1,192 2,818 905 170 1,620 170 1,620 7,585 41,323 34,659

Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total funds funds funds funds Last year A4 Asset and Investment purchases Acquisition of 'Flaxlands' propety 200,000 200,000 Total payments 207.585 33,738 241,323 34,659 Net of receipts (payments) 3,733 14,545 18,278 457 A5 Transfers A6 Cash funds last year end 5,459 19,143 24,602 24,145 Cash funds this year end 9,192 33,688 42,880 24,602 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricted Restricted Endowment funds funds funds B1 Cash funds Cash at bank and in hand 9,192 33,688 B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B4 Assets retained for the charity's own use 'Flaxlands' property 200,000 B5 Liabilities Signed by . Print name Date . Trustee . Trustee lofj¢kt IAN &+lAxJ xq/'°/ ID21 Independent Examiner ZC>.10,2o21

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