The Parochial Church Council of St. Sepulchre-withoutNewgate Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2DQ
Registered charity number 1159833
## **ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020**
## **ADMINISTRATIVE**
Members of the PCC (except Deanery Synod members who are elected for 3 years) are elected annually by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) in accordance with the Church Representation Rules.
During the period covered by this report and up to the date of the current year’s APCM (6 September 2020), the following have served as members of the PCC:
## _Rector and Chair:_
- The Revd. David Ingall (Until October 2020)
## _Clergy_
- The Revd. Sophie Bannister (Until September 2020)
- • The Revd Greg Bannister (Until September 2020)
## _Church Wardens:_
- Elizabeth Gallagher (Elected in September 2020)
- Ruth Baxter (Re-elected in September 2020)
- Amanda Jackson (Until September 2020, then elected as a Lay Member of the PCC)
- • Paul Nicholas (Until September 2020 – PN remained as Treasurer)
## _Deanery Synod Representative:_
- David Marsh (Until September 2020)
- • Michael Joy (Until October 2020)
## _Elected Lay members of the PCC:_
- Lewis Jackson – Lay Vice Chair
- Mukuka Mulenga (Until September 2020)
- Rachel Sleeman
- Stefan Lenormand
During this period, all Lay PCC members were on the Church Electoral Roll. Two members of the PCC have been resident in the parish including Rev’d David Ingall.
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT**
The method of appointment is as set out in the Church Representative Rules. All regular church attenders are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and consider standing for election to the PCC. Churchwardens and other PCC members are elected at the Annual Parishioners’ and Annual Parochial Church Meetings.
The governing document for the PCC is the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956 as amended, which sets out the principal function of the PCC as being “promoting in the parish the whole mission of the Church.”
## Banking
Bank accounts for the PCC are held with Lloyds Banking Group PLC, Holborn Circus.
A Deposit account is held with Stewardship, 1 Lambs Passage, London EC1Y 8AB
## Independent Examiner
Anwer Patel BA(Hons), FCA, Preston and Jacksons Partnership LLP, 364 – 368 Cranbrook Road, Ilford, Essex IG2 6HY
## **SAFEGUARDING**
The PCC has complied with the duty to have due regard to safeguarding guidance issued by the House of Bishops, including both policy and practice guidance, as is required under section 5 of the SafeguaRding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016
## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES**
In considering its objectives and activities, the trustees have had regards to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
The PCC of Holy Sepulchre London has a Mission Action Plan (MAP), adopted in 2019 setting out the vision and targets for our mission and ministry as a church. The MAP is attached to this report in Appendix A.
The main activities carried out by the PCC in relation to the objects set out in the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956 as amended are set out in more detail in the following section, the Review of the Year.
The PCC met 8 times during 2020 11[th] February, 16[th] March, 8[th] June, 13[th] July, 3[rd] August, 6[th] September, 14[th] September, 9[th] November and 30[th] November (including the APCM)
## **RISK REVIEW**
The major risks to which the Charity is exposed, as identified by the trustees, have been reviewed and systems or procedures have been established to manage these risks. This includes a Safeguarding Policy which was reviewed during 2020.
The PCC aspires to maintain a safe environment for all its activities and premises. Accordingly, a Health and Safety Policy is in place and was reviewed in 2020.
The PCC endeavors to maintain high standards of care and consideration when dealing with church members and the public.
All Staff have undertaken GDPR training. A Data Protection policy, Data Retention Policy, Privacy Policies and Data Consent Forms are in place.
## **REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2020**
Unsurprisingly, 2020 was a year dominated by the effects of the pandemic on our church community and on the City of London as a whole.
We were very thankful to be able to host a successful City Alpha course in church in January-March which included groups from Goldman Sachs and Deloitte. David and Liz Ingall also supported an inhouse Alpha course at CBRE and all groups joined together for an Alpha Day at CCSPITS in February.
During the first lockdown from March to June the church was initially closed to all activities, but we were able to open the building for private prayer during the day towards the end of that period. We also converted the area on the south side of the church into a Prayer Garden to enable members of the church and passers-by to find a place for quiet reflection. Unfortunately, a long-planned collaborative performance of Handel’s Messiah, scheduled for Holy Week and including our choir, was one of the first of many events to be cancelled.
Regular church activities such as Connect groups pivoted very quickly to meeting on-line via Zoom. During this period the Sunday and Tuesday worship format used a talk filmed in advance by the speaker along with recorded worship and followed by a Zoom call for church fellowship. This format was unsuitable for Tuesday Evensong services and so they were regretfully put on hold.
The church reopened from Sunday 5th July for services of worship only – we were able to initiate a hybrid model with a live speaker, live worship and a limited and socially distanced/masked congregation in the church and a livestream to others watching online. At this point we were able to have a time of fellowship after the service, albeit outside the church and in a socially distanced manner.
The church APCM, which had been postponed since April, took place on Sunday 6th September and a monthly Evensong service was able to resume in September, starting with a Choral Eucharist service of Thanksgiving for the Friends of the Musician’s Church on September 29th, which was well attended.
In September the church building also served as the filming location for the City of London Annual Prayer Breakfast – the recording went live on 14th October and received almost 600 views within the first 24 hours via YouTube and Vimeo, with more online views since.
The second national lockdown in November 2020 meant that only those directly involved in the service were able to be present in the church with the rest of the congregation watching online. This was felt to be an effective option, once some challenges with technology and equipment had been overcome. Sadly, this meant that the annual Remembrance Sunday service, an excellent opportunity to express our mission as the Royal Fusilier’s Memorial Chapel and which we were hoping to host as a hybrid service, had to be cancelled.
We were delighted to be able to host our annual Carol Service in the church on Tuesday 15th December with a full choir, using the hybrid on-line/live format and with a large socially distanced congregation in the church. We were also able to provide a location for the recording of a carol service for Barings Bank.
A third national lockdown was announced at the end of December; it was not a requirement for places of worship to close, but we did so at request of the Bishop of London. We have been using an all Zoom church format since then with the edited recording being posted on YouTube and our church website following the service.
We have felt the challenge of this period very keenly – it has been very difficult to provide fellowship for our community when we are unable to meet in-person but we ran online Alpha starting in both April and September and we were one of the first churches in the country to run the Bereavement Journey as an online course – something we consider to be a particularly useful witness in present circumstances. Other on-line fellowship events have included participation in the Tearfund Quiz Night via Zoom and a virtual Stir-up Sunday, both in November.
The other key church-shaping events of 2020 were the departures of David and Liz Ingall and Greg and Sophie Bannister in October and September respectively. We wish them all well in their new
posts and life-stages and pray that they will continue to flourish.
The churchwardens and PCC were supported by Archdeacon Adam Atkinson in interregnum and the appointment of Nick Mottershead as Assistant Curate, to be licenced later as Priest in Charge, was reaching its closing stages as the year ended.
## **FINANCIAL REVIEW**
The PCC’s finances remain in a healthy position, although challenges remain in the medium to long term. The headline figure shows a deficit of £31k (2019: £20k surplus), this is includes £12k returned to Stewardship in respect of the (restricted) Film Project Income. As always, we are grateful for God’s faithfulness and the generous giving of the congregation.
Incoming resources for the year came to £243k (2019: £338k). Ignoring the one off transfer in respect of Snow Hill Court in 2019, the various income streams were broadly unchanged, with modest reductions in congregational giving at £120k (2019: £132k) and in the rent from the licensed occupation of the Parvis Flat due to a partial void period at £32k (2019: £38k). Other material sources of income include the Parish Rate at £35k (unchanged) and income from the NET mast at £36k (unchanged). £7k was also received as part of the Job Retention Scheme.
Total outgoings were lower at £274k (2019: £318k). As a result of having slightly fewer staff and running fewer services due to the impact of Covid, the total Salaries & Honoraria cost was lower at £86k (2019: £109k), and this also led to reduced running expenses at £26k (2019: £37k) and utility bills £18k (2019: £25k). As noted above, £12k was paid from the restricted funds in relation to the Film Project.
Overall, this meant a deficit for the year of £31k (2019: surplus £20k) with the PCC holding unrestricted funds at the end of the year of £73k (2019: £96k) and restricted reserves of £10k (2019: £18k).
The PCC has a reserves policy which is consistent with the Church of England’s guidelines. The guidelines advise that reserves should be held to cover the following: a fabric/maintenance fund, costs of salary to cover any notice period for staff and a Mission Opportunities Fund, so that mission opportunities are not stifled by the lack of funds. Accordingly, reserves are held to cover the required salaries for staff and to cover any urgent works to the building. The budgets are set to incorporate these amounts and this is reviewed periodically
**The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Sepulchre without Newgate**
## **Statement of Financial Activities For the year ended 31 December 2020**
|**Note**
**Income from:**
3
Donations and legacies
Charitable activities
Other trading activities
Interest income
Other material items
Government Grants
**Total Income**
**Expenditure on:**
4
Charitable activities
Other material items
**Total Expenditure**
**Net (expenditure)/income**
Transfers between funds
**Net movement in funds**
**Total funds brought forward**
**Total funds carried forward**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**2020** **(£)**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**2020 (£)**
150,041
9,236
588
-
33,109
-
-
-
42,722
-
7,339
-|**Total**
**2020 (£)**|**Total**
**2019 (£)**
184,946
1,766
38,784
152
112,495
-|
|---|---|---|---|
|||||
|||159,272||
|||
588||
|||
33,109||
|||-||
|||42,722||
|||
7,339||
||**233,799**
**9,236**|**243,035**|**338,143**|
||243,686
17,070
13,726
-||318,192
-|
|||||
|||260,756||
|||13,726||
||**257,412**
**17,070**|**274,482**|**318,192**|
|||||
||**(23,613)**
**(7,835)**|**(31,447)**|**19,951**|
||-
-
**(23,613)**
**(7,835)**
**96,274**
**17,537**|-|
-
**19,951**
**93,860**|
|||**(31,447)**||
|||**113,811**||
||**72,661**
**9,702**|**82,363**|**113,811**|
## **The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Sepulchre without Newgate**
## **Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2020**
|**Note**
**Fixed Assets**
**Total Fixed Assets**
**Current Assets**
Debtors
9
Cash at bank & in hand
11
**Creditors (falling due**
**within one year)**
10
**Net Current Assets**
**Net Assets**
Represented by:
Restricted Funds
Unrestricted Funds
**Total Funds**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**2020** **(£)**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**2020 (£)**
-
-|**Total**
**2020 (£)**|**Total**
**2019 (£)**
-|
|---|---|---|---|
|||-||
||-
-|-|-|
||-
80,733
9,702||135
122,855|
|||||
|||
-||
|||90,435||
||80,733
9,702|90,435|122,990|
||8,072
-||9,179|
|||8,072||
||**72,661**
**9,702**|**82,363**|**113,811**|
||**72,661**
**9,702**|**82,363**|**113,811**|
||-
9,702
72,661
-||17,536
96,275|
|||9,702||
|||72,661||
||**72,661**
**9,702**|**82,364**|**113,811**|
The accounts were approved by the PCC on 12 April 2021 and signed on its behalf by:
**The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Sepulchre without Newgate**
## **NOTE 2 NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
## **NOTE 2.1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES**
The principal accounting policies adopted, judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:
These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued on 1[st] January 2019; and with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.
## **Going concern**
There are no material uncertainties related to events or conditions that cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, hence the accounts have been drawn up on this basis.
## **Change disclosures**
The accounts present a true and fair view and no changes have been made to the accounting policies adopted in Note 2. No changes to accounting estimates have occurred in the reporting period. No material prior year errors have been identified in the reporting period.
## **NOTE 2.2. INCOME**
## **Recognition of income**
These are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when:
the charity becomes entitled to the resources;
it is more likely than not that the trustees will receive the resources; the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability.
## **Offsetting**
There has been no offsetting of assets and liabilities, or income and expenses, unless required or permitted by the FRS 102 SORP or FRS 102.
## **The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Sepulchre without Newgate**
## **Grants and donations**
Grants and donations are only included in the SoFA when the general income recognition criteria are met (5.10 to 5.12 FRS102 SORP).
## **Government grants**
The charity has received government grants in the reporting period.
## **Tax reclaims on donations and gifts**
Gift Aid receivable is included in income when there is a valid declaration from the donor. Any Gift Aid amount recovered on a donation is considered to be part of that gift and is treated as an addition to the same fund as the initial donation unless the donor or the terms of the appeal have specified otherwise.
## **Volunteer help**
The value of any voluntary help received is not included in the accounts but is described in the trustees’ annual report.
## **Income from interest, royalties and dividends**
This is included in the accounts when receipt is probable and the amount receivable can be measured reliably.
## **NOTE 2.3 EXPENDITURE AND LIABILITIES**
## **Liability recognition**
Liabilities are recognised where it is more likely than not that there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out resources and the amount of the obligation can be measured with reasonable certainty.
## **Governance and support costs**
The charity has incurred expenditure on support costs. Support costs have been allocated between governance costs and other support. Governance costs comprise all costs involving public accountability of the charity and its compliance with regulation and good practice.
## **Grants payable without performance conditions**
No conditions are attached to the grants that are made by the charity, hence a liability for the full funding obligation is recognised.
**The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Sepulchre without Newgate**
## **Redundancy cost**
The charity made no redundancy payments during the reporting period.
## **Deferred income**
No material item of deferred income has been included in the accounts.
## **Creditors**
The charity has creditors which are measured at settlement amounts less any trade discounts.
## **Basic financial instruments**
The charity accounts for basic financial instruments on initial recognition as per paragraph 10.7 FRS102 SORP. Subsequent measurement is as per paragraphs 11.17 to 11.19, FRS102 SORP.
## **Taxation**
The charity is registered with the Charity Commission and hence qualifies for relief from Corporation Tax under Chapter 11 of the Corporation Taxes Act 2010.
## **NOTE 2.4 ASSETS**
## **Tangible Fixed Assets**
Consecrated land and benefice property such as the church building and vicarage is excluded from the accounts in accordance with s10 of the Charities Act 2011. Moveable church furnishings held by the vicar and churchwardens on special trust for the PCC and which require a faculty for disposal are inalienable property, listed in the church’s inventory, which can be inspected (at any reasonable time). These items are not capitalised.
Other fixtures, fittings and office equipment owned by the charity typically cost less than £1,000 and are not capitalised i.e. assumed to be fully depreciated once purchased.
## **Investments**
Investments held for resale or pending their sale and cash and cash equivalents with a maturity date of less than 1 year are treated as current asset investments.
## **Debtors**
Debtors (including trade debtors and loans receivable) are measured on initial recognition at settlement amount after any trade discounts or amount advanced by the charity. Subsequently, they are measured at the cash or other consideration expected to be received.
## **Current asset investments**
## **The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Sepulchre without Newgate**
The charity has investments which it holds for resale or pending their sale and cash and cash equivalents with a maturity date less than one year. These include cash on deposit and cash equivalents with a maturity of loss than one year held for investment purposes rather than to meet short-term cash commitments as they fall due. They are valued at fair value except where they qualify as basic financial instruments.
## **Fund Accounting**
The funds held by the charity are either:
Unrestricted funds - these are funds which can be used in accordance with the charitable objects at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted funds - these are funds that can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes **.**
## POLICIES ADOPTED ADDITIONAL TO OR DIFFERENT FROM THOSE ABOVE
The financial statements have been prepared to give a ‘true and fair’ view and have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the extent required to provide a ‘true and fair view’. This departure is a result of the Charity preparing their financial statements in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued in January 2019 rather than the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice effective from 1 April 2005 which has since been withdrawn.
## **The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of**
## **St. Sepulchre without Newgate**
## **NOTE 3 INCOME**
|**Donations and Legacies**
Donations & Gifts
General grants (government / other
charities)
**Other trading activities**
Church rental
Parvis Flat rental
**Separate material items of income**
NET Rental Income
Parochial Fees
Snow Hill Court Income
Interest income
**Total Income**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**2020** **(£)**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**2020 (£)**
145,880
9,236
11,500
-|**Total**
**2020 (£)**|**Total**
**2019 (£)**
179,135
5,811|
|---|---|---|---|
|||||
|||155,116||
|||11,500||
||157,380
9,236|166,616|184,946|
||1,540
-
31,569
-||1,044
37,740|
|||1,540||
|||31,569||
||33,109
-|33,109|38,784|
||36,488
-
588
-
6,234
-
-
-||35,988
1,766
76,507
152|
|||36,488||
|||588||
|||6,234||
|||-||
||43,310
-|43,310|114,403|
||**233,799**
**9,236**|**243,035**|**338,143**|
All income in the prior year was unrestricted except for: Film Project Donations £12,000; FMC Income £1,650 and donations to the Hardship Fund £145.
## **The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of**
## **St. Sepulchre without Newgate**
## **NOTE 4 EXPENDITURE**
|**Expenditure on charitable activities**
Grant Making
Diocesan Common Fund
Salaries
Honoraria
Staff Expenses
Mission & Evangelism
Running Expenses
Utilities
**Separate material items of expense**
Repairs & improvements to buildings
Professional fees
**Total Expenditure**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**2020** **(£)**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**2020 (£)**
9,820
1,534
93,230
-
72,943
-
9,478
3,536
8,766
-
4,675
12,000
26,480
-
18,294
-|**Total**
**2020 (£)**|**Total**
**2019 (£)**
9,600
96,734
84,537
24,153
15,387
19,063
37,366
24,920|
|---|---|---|---|
|||||
|||11,354||
|||93,230||
|||72,943||
|||13,015||
|||8,766||
|||16,675||
|||26,480||
|||18,294||
||243,686
17,070|260,756|311,760|
||6,370
-
7,357
-||2,665
3,768|
|||6,370||
|||7,357||
||13,726
-|13,726|6,433|
||**257,412**
**17,070**|**274,482**|**318,193**|
## **NOTE 5 EXPENDITURE (GOVERNANCE)**
## **NOTE 5.1 FEES FOR EXAMINATION OF THE ACCOUNTS**
|Independent examiner’s fees
Other fees paid to the independent examiner|**This year (£)**|**Last year (£)**
2,200
-|
|---|---|---|
||2,400||
||-||
**The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Sepulchre without Newgate**
## **NOTE 6 PAID EMPLOYEES**
## **NOTE 6.1 STAFF COSTS**
|Salaries & wages
Social security costs
Pension costs
**Total costs**|**This year (£)**|**Last year (£)**
77,906
3,000
3,631|
|---|---|---|
||65,839||
||3,918||
||3,185||
||72,943|84,537|
No staff have contracts with or are paid by a related party. No employees received employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) for the reporting period of more than £60,000.
No sums were paid to trustees for their services to the charity.
## **NOTE 6.2 AVERAGE HEAD COUNT IN THE YEAR**
On average there were 6 employees engaged in supporting charitable activities. This compares to an average of 7 in the prior year.
## **NOTE 6.3 OTHER PAYMENTS**
There were no ex-gratia or redundancy payments.
## **NOTE 7 DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PENSION SCHEME**
A total of £3,185 has been recognised in the SOFA as an expense, all of which relates to unrestricted funds.
**The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Sepulchre without Newgate**
## **NOTE 8 GRANTMAKING**
## **NOTE 8.1 ANALYSIS OF GRANTS PAID**
|Christ International Church
Life Centre Salford
Dellow Centre
Hackney Foodbank
Alpha – Burundi
**Total**|**Grants to institutions**
**(£)**
**Grants to individuals**
**/ support costs (£)**
3,000
-
2,400
-
2,400
-
1,000
-
1,020
-|**Total (£)**|
|---|---|---|
|||3,000|
|||2,400|
|||2,400|
|||1,000|
|||1,020|
||**9,820**
**-**|**9,820**|
## **NOTE 8.2 GRANTS MADE TO INSTITUTIONS**
||**Grants to institutions (£)**|**Total (£)**|
|---|---|---|
|Christ International Church|Supporting mission in Bangladesh and Georgia.|3,000|
|Life Centre Salford|Life Centre is a charity linked to a local Anglican church|2,400|
||in Salford, which is one of the poorest boroughs in the||
||UK. It provides after school homework clubs, holiday||
||meals for kids who would normally get a hot meal at||
||school and runs activity clubs.||
|Dellow Centre|We give a regular amount to support the programs of|2,400|
||providence row, which runs various activities and||
||course to help homeless people gain new skills (eg||
||cooking, gardening) or simply gain confidence by doing||
||classes in music or art.||
||We wanted to support a local homelessness charity.||
|Total grants||7,800|
|Other unanalysed grants||2,020|
|**Total**||**9,820**|
**The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Sepulchre without Newgate**
## **NOTE 9 DEBTORS AND PREPAYMENTS**
NOTE 9.1 ANALYSIS OF DEBTORS
|Trade Debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
**Total**|**This year (£)**|**Last year (£)**
135
-|
|---|---|---|
||-||
||-||
||**-**|**135**|
## **NOTE 10 CREDITORS AND ACCRUALS**
|Parvis Flat rent prepayment
Mission and Evangelism accrued payments
Building and Utilities accrued payments
Other Creditors
**Total**|**This year (£)**|**Last year (£)**
-
3,995
1,434
3,750|
|---|---|---|
||3,103||
||795||
||424||
||3,750||
||**8.072**|**9,179**|
All amounts fall due within one year.
## **NOTE 11 CASH AT BANK AND IN HAND**
|Short term cash investments / deposits
Cash at bank and on hand
**Total**|**This year (£)**|**Last year (£)**
-
122,855|
|---|---|---|
||-||
||90,435||
||**90,435**|**122,855**|
## **The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Sepulchre without Newgate**
## **NOTE 12 TRANSACTIONS WITH TRUSTEES AND RELATED PARTIES**
None of the trustees have been paid any remuneration or received any other benefits from an employment with their charity or a related entity, and no Trustee expenses have been occurred.
Ms. E Gallagher who is a Church Warden and Trustee is one of the paying tenants of the Parvis flat. This is an arms’ length transaction.
Donations from Trustees and related parties came to around £66,500 over 2020 (2019 £90k)
Prestons & Jacksons Partnership LLP Chartered Accountants 364-368 Cranbrook Road Ilford Essex IG2 6HY
25 April 2021
Dear Sirs
## **The Parochial Church of St Sepulchre Year Ended 31 December 2020**
We confirm that the following representations are made on the basis of enquiries of management and staff with relevant knowledge and experience and, where appropriate, of inspection of supporting documentation, sufficient to satisfy ourselves that we can properly make each of the following representations to you, in connection with your examination of the charity’s financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020.
- 1 We acknowledge, as trustees, our collective responsibility under the Charities Act 2011 for presenting financial statements, which give a true and fair view and confirm that we have approved the financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020. We also acknowledge our responsibility for making accurate representations to you. All the accounting records have been made available to you for the purpose of your assignment and all the transactions undertaken by the charity have been properly reflected and recorded in the accounting records. All other records and related information, including minutes of all trustee and management meetings, have been made available to you.
- 2 We confirm that the charity is eligible for an independent examination of its financial statements and that there are no circumstances which we should draw to your attention which would invalidate this eligibility. We acknowledge that the work performed by you is substantially less in scope than an audit performed in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK).
- 3 We confirm that the accounting policies and estimation techniques adopted for the preparation of the financial statements are the most appropriate to the circumstances in which the charity operates.
- 4 All grants, donations and other incoming resources, the receipt of which is subject to specific terms or conditions, have been notified to you. There have been no breaches of terms or conditions during the period in the application of such incoming resources.
- 5 Other than those disclosed in the financial statements we are not aware of any material liabilities, provisions, contingent liabilities, contingent assets or contracted for capital commitments that need to be provided for or disclosed in the financial statements.
- 6 The charity has satisfactory title to all assets and there are no liens or encumbrances on the charity’s assets except as disclosed in the notes to the financial statements.
- 7 Other than those disclosed in the financial statements, the charity has not entered into any transactions or has balances outstanding involving trustees, officers or other related parties, which require disclosure under the law or the financial reporting framework adopted, including the Charities SORP. If relevant, appropriate disclosure has been made of the control of the charity.
- 8 We acknowledge our responsibility for the design and implementation of internal controls to prevent and detect errors or fraud, and have disclosed to you the results of our assessment of the risk that the financial statements may be materially misstated as a result of fraud. We are unaware of any irregularities, including fraud and suspected fraud, involving management, employees or others who have significant roles in internal control, or those employed by the charity where the fraud could have a material effect on the financial statements. No allegations of such irregularities or breaches have come to our notice.
- 9 We are unaware of any breaches or possible breaches of statute, regulations, contracts, agreements or the charity’s constitution which might result in the charity suffering significant penalties or other loss. No allegations of such irregularities or breaches have come to our notice. We confirm that the charity has had no non-routine communication with Charity Commission during or since the period of which you are unaware.
- 10 We have reviewed the affairs of the charity and confirm that no income is subject to income or capital gains tax. We have also reviewed the VAT treatment in relation to contractual services provided by the charity and confirm that VAT has been correctly accounted for
- 11 The financial statements have been prepared on the going concern basis as we believe that adequate cash resources will be available to cover the charity’s requirements for working capital and capital expenditure for at least the next twelve months. We are not aware of any other factors which could put into jeopardy the charity’s going concern status during or beyond this period. Despite the impact of Covid-19 the charity has sufficient funds to continue as a going concern.
- 12 There have been no events since the balance sheet date which necessitate revision of the figures included in the financial statements or inclusion of a note thereto. Should further material events occur, which may necessitate revision of the figures included in the financial statements or inclusion of a note thereto, we will advise you accordingly.
- 13 We confirm that the charity has adequate procedures in place to identify intangible income and all intangible income has been appropriately valued and included in the financial statements.
- 14 We confirm two people are present when cash is counted.
Yours faithfully
Paul Nicholas (Treasurer)
……………………………….
Signed on behalf of the board of trustees The Parochial Church of St. Supulchre