Looking Up | Looking In | Looking Out Trustee’s Report for the year ended 31[st] December 2021 Charity: New Life Church, Gt. Cornard Charity No: 1162045 Charity Address: Community Office, CloverLink [Off Clover Court], Minsmere Way, Gt. Cornard, Sudbury. CO10 0LL Trustees: Richard Soper, Matt Warnock, Graham Jack, Faith Marsden, Nigel Bayley New Life Church is a registered charity and can be regarded as acting on behalf of the congregation meeting together and being known as New Life Church [NLC]. The trustees now have pleasure in presenting their report for the year ended 31[st] December 2021 The report is prepared as part of the church’s policy of following best practice and is therefore in line with the ‘Statement of Recommended Practice – Accounting and Reporting by Charities’ and complies with applicable law. CHARITABLE OBJECTS: New Life Church, Gt. Cornard is a charity for the advancement of the Christian faith in the area of Gt. Cornard, Suffolk and in areas of the world, where we have similar beliefs / having developed relationships with churches in other countries. I.e. Reggio Emilia [Italy] and Ruse [Bulgaria] - Providing opportunities for worship, prayer and teaching - Meeting for fellowship together and outreach - Providing training in ministry skills - Providing support for the lonely, sickness [whether mental or physical] and less able in the community ## ORGANISATION & GOVERNANCE: The Elders [Matt Warnock & Ben Troughton] of the church meet weekly together and then on a monthly basis together with the wider leadership team to consider the strategic direction of the church. The Elders also have responsibility for the pastoral matters in the church. The day-to-day leadership of various works and ministry areas is devolved to ministry leads who have budgetary accountability for their areas of responsibility. The Trustees are responsible for legal and administrative matters – The Elders seek to recruit further Trustees based on either relevant expertise and/or reputation in their chosen field of business/ministry. ## REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES: Along with many other organisations with the pandemic still having an effect on the freedom to gather and affecting weekly practice. ## NLC: CHURCH We have sought to be creative and review what makes us NLC and how we continue to build community when physical meeting has been challenged. One of the big changes of 2021 saw us move into Thomas Gainsborough main school building from the Sixth Form, allowing more space to be together as we looked to build confidence in gathering and still adhere to governmental guidance on COVID. Care packages, encouragements, service resources/gifts and Love Fund gifts continued to be a normal aid to supporting community at this time to help people feel part of something bigger. During the year covered by this report and with the pandemic still affecting weekly attendance, the church has continued to further increase its membership. Seeking to bring relevant and challenging teaching from Crèche all the way up to our adult congregation. Not wanting to just return to our ‘normal’ Sunday practice, we spent time reviewing Sunday mornings: taking what worked from services online, what hadn’t we missed and then put together a hybrid of the team. One of the main challenges from moving online back to physical services was volunteers, so as part of the review was to also streamline what our volunteers were involved with and the amount of people needed to run a Sunday. We also saw this as a key time to speak into discipleship within the church looking at teaching series’ in: Matthew | God speaking into our Story; Abide, Abiding Habits and The Bible Course (Bible Society) In looking at our teaching series, both the Youth and Junior Church returned to their own specific teaching and changed there resource. The Adults continuing a longerterm teaching strategy with specific series’ tying into Life Group studies. Further support comes through weekly life groups, youth activities, discipleship one2ones/group work, youth mentoring network, home visitation and prayer meetings. During this time we also began another Life Group in Acton, specifically looking to support new Christians or those exploring faith. ## NLC COMMUNITY Our Community Pastor continues to oversee our outreach into the community. Supporting and facilitating our community events – With the impact of the pandemic still being felt we again agreed to postpone our community events and sought alternative ways to support the local community through this period. Through our links with the local primary schools, Abi’s Footprints Baby Bank and the local Storehouse Food Bank we have provided financial support (Tesco’s Vouchers) along with assisting with specific shopping lists of needed items. Sadly, another element of our work that was hindered was our involvement in both primary schools, we sadly weren’t able to begin back at Wells Hall Primary with a change in head teacher and change in focus. Pot Kiln Primary began slowly and was on / off depending on COVID risk assessments, supporting Yr6’s and particular children in the community continued alongside through one2one work. My role as a Governor kept me involved in the day to day running of the school, supporting teachers, their families and children in the school. ## COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT A year into CloverLink (Community Office) we have seen slow progress in how we use the building and support the local community. Relationships have started to form and we can see how this could develop further once restrictions and confidence in meeting in smaller (inside) spaces returns for both the church and Abi’s Footprints. Through our developing relationships, we have continued to develop our Monday Night Football for Dad’s and Young Lads with over 40+ contacts being involved. Visitation and one2one support and encouragement with families linked to the Primary schools. Our social Book Club continues to meet termly, and our Love Fund responds to practical and/or financial needs that are highlighted in our community. ## ABI’S FOOTPRINTS BABY BANK Abi’s Footprints Baby Bank began in March 2017 in response to the needs of families struggling in difficult circumstances, to meet the everyday needs of babies and toddlers up to age 3. The age range was extended to 5 years in 2021 as the need increased. The project is run by a team of volunteers that receive and sort a wide range of items at our storage facility and prepare them for delivery. This could mean, for example, a Moses Basket full of essential clothing, bedding and toiletries for a newborn baby. Or, it could be a stroller, cot-bed and toys for a toddler. Most items are pre-loved and all are provided free of charge. We also welcome families to visit CloverLink, our local ‘hub’ in Gt. Cornard, where they can choose and collect the things they need if they prefer. Here we can offer simple hospitality in a more comfortable setting. Similarly, our monthly ‘drop-in’ OASIS for Mums, Bumps, and Babies offers a relaxed and friendly environment where parents and carers can find a listening ear and informal support. Requests for help have increased steadily from 79 in 2018 to an anticipated 200+ in 2021 and are often from families returning for further provision for their growing children. This gives the team valuable opportunities to build relationships and hear about the many challenges families face such as sudden job loss, family break up, poor life opportunities, delayed benefits and steadily increasing pressure on family budgets, not least because of rising food and fuel costs. As the project has grown over the last few years, our heart has always been to look at how we support people holistically be that practically, emotionally or spiritually. As the work has expanded and relationships formed, the gaps in what we are able to offer have become more obvious. We are at an exciting place where, to develop the work further, we need someone with the time and gifting to support the amazing team and grow the pastoral work of Abi’s Footprints. This could include, for example, establishing Small Groups, One2One pastoral visits, parenting courses and marriage courses. ## 2021 FINANCIAL REPORT ## ONGOING PANDEMIC UNCERTAINTY The ongoing pandemic led to great uncertainty as to when we could begin to think about doing church ‘normally’ again. While we were unable to meet in person, as a gesture of goodwill we were paying rent at 50% value to Thomas Gainsborough School. We didn’t know when we would be meeting in person again, and whether we would be able to hold any of our community events. ## OPENING BALANCES Our opening balance across all accounts in 2021 was £27,943. This includes £8,065 held in a savings account to cover us for any liabilities for employment or rent related costs. This leaves £19,878 as working balance split between New Life Church and Abi’s Footprints related activities. ## BUDGET FOR 2021 We tried to take a balanced view to the budget and assume that some operations would resume through the year, and we were also continuing without plans to employ a second worker. Our balance had grown by just over £12,000 in 2020 – almost in whole due to two gifts given, one of £10,000 to New Life Church and one of £2,500 to our Abi’s Footprints initiative. Given that New Life Church is a church that would not ordinarily grow funds, our budget for 2021 assumed income of £68,017 and expenses of £77,859. It was hoped that we would have a second worker in place for the second half of the year. ## INCOME Income for the year was £88,937 against a budget of £68,017, an excess of £20,920. During 2021 we received two further gifts of £10,000 each which accounts for most of the income received more than budget. Aside from the exceptional gifts: £48,462 was received from general donations. £9,042 was received from grants. £9,423 was gift aid recovery. £2,010 came from other sources. Our grant income for the year was received from: £5000 for our Abi’s Footprints initiative from Suffolk Community Foundation Henry Smith Charity £2300 for our Abi’s Footprints initiative from Suffolk Community Foundation’s Covid Fund £909.42 for New Life Church from Suffolk Community Foundations Covid Fund £500 for New Life Church from Babergh District Councils Locality Fund. £333 for our Abi’s Footprints initiative from Waitrose ## EXPENDITURE Expenditure for the year was £67,423 against a budget of £77,859, an underspend of £10,436. We were unsuccessful in our aim to have a second worker in place for the second half of the year, and having budgeted £10,500 for this salary this primarily explains the underspend. Our broad expense categories are shown here, with Wages and employment related costs being our largest expense category. While we continued to pay rent to Thomas Gainsborough School at half the usual rate while we were not occupying the premises for our services, we continued to pay the usual rental rate for our Abi’s Footprints storage facility, and our community hub in Great Cornard. During 2021 we held several collections for other causes, and the £11,038 is the total of funds given to other organisations and individuals. CLOSING BALANCES AND 2022 o￿LoOK Due to the reasons outlined above, our balance grew from £27,943 to £49,457. In the latter half of 2021 we were able to meet in person again, so our running costs will increase again because of this. We were blessed to receive a final two £10,000 in exceptional gifts during 2021 from the same source of the £12.500 gifts received in 2020. We are continuin8 our search for a second wotker which will also increase our costs. Our budget for 2022 has been developed with continued uncertainty agair¢st the backdrop of the pandemic. We have kept our income budget in line with our 2021 budget, being £67,160 for 2022 (against £68,017 for 2021) and our expenditure budget is £84,970. While this is a budget deficit of £17,810 {-£13.900 for NLC and -£3,910 for AF), it assumes that we will have a second worker in place and it will address the surplus of funds built up over the last couple of years. DECLARATION.. Followin8 the Trustees meeting on 27th April 2022 the above Trustees Report was agreed as being a true and fair representation of the work carried out by New Life Church. Signed: Dated: 13 oq 11 Signed- Dated: IP Z2 Si8ned= **----- Start of picture text -----**
Charity Name No (if any)
New Life Church 1162045
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period Period start date Period end date
To
from 01/01/2021 31/12/2021
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds Last year
funds funds funds
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
Donations Received 53,123 13,879 67,002 60,988
Grants - 9,042 9,042 7,992
Other income 1,801 1,669 3,470 5,320
Gift Aid Recovery 9,423 - 9,423 6,785
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total (Gross income for
24,590 - 88,937 81,085
AR) [ 64,347 ]
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total receipts 64,347.00 24,590.00 - 88,937.00 81,085
A3 Payments
Bank and currency charges 285 52 337
Donations given 3,062 7,976 11,038
Local projects and outreach work - - -
Other expenses 1,443 115 1,558
Professional Fees 4,086 20 4,106
Rent and building expenses 3,367 8,261 11,628
Resources 5,103 5,298 10,401
Stationary, printing and office supplies 178 47 225
Telephone, internet and postage 960 96 1,056
Travel expenses 185 - 185
Wages, pension and personal
24,868 2,022
development 26,890
Sub total [ 43,537 ] 23,887 - 67,424 -
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - - -
Total payments 43,537 23,887 - 67,424 -
Net of receipts/(payments) 20,810 703 - 21,513 81,085
A5 Transfers between funds - 1,522 1,522
A6 Cash funds last year end 21,153 6,791 - 27,944 15,768
Cash funds this year end 40,441 9,016 - 49,457 96,853
**----- End of picture text -----**
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestrfcted Restrlcted fvnds Endowment funds aiegorjeg Lieiaiis B1 Cash fund5 40.441 9.016 fumjs funds funds b)n￿reste Detsils Detslls B3 In￿lMenta55￿$ Details B4 Ass&s retaln•d for the chaTity'5 o¥m Iise B5 Liabililies Siw*d bYV￿ ort•XJ Intstees Name D&e of rordl FAI MhRSb L(A ## **Independent examiner's report to the trustees of New Life Church, Great Cornard** I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2021. ## **Responsibilities and basis of report** As the charity’s 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 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 which give me cause to believe that, in any material respect: - accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or - the accounts do not accord with the accounting records; or - the accounts did not comply 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 that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. 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. N K Smith FCA 19 Highbury Way, Great Cornard, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 0HE 27 July 2022