Hall Green United Community Church annual report 2025
To Worship God, To Know Jesus, To Serve Others
Rev Mark Meatcher, Chair of Trustees
Hall Green United Community Church (HGUCC) has the responsibility to promote the work of the church in worship, in pastoral care, in service to the local community and, with our three parent denominations, in ecumenical work.
HGUCC is also responsible for the maintenance of the church buildings in Reddings Lane, Hall Green, the property of the Methodist Church.
Objectives and activities.
HGUCC is committed to making worship attractive to as many people as possible both in the church buildings and online via Zoom. Our services and worship aim to put faith into practice through prayer and Scripture, music and sacrament. It is always our intention to help enable ordinary people to live out their faith as part of our community.
Achievements and performance.
Over the year we have offered a range of services with Holy Communion taking place on the first Sunday in each month. During this financial year we have been blessed by the ministry of Rev. Ping Ting Chen, a Methodist minister appointed by the Circuit. Rev Chen looked after the church well while the church considered the process of ‘calling’ a minister from the URC tradition. Rev Mark Meatcher answered the call and began to serve the church as its minister, alongside being minister of Solihull URC and Digbeth-in-the-Field URC, as part of the East Birmingham and Solihull Pastorate, on 1[st] November 2024. On those occasions when Rev Meatcher is leading worship elsewhere or away for other reasons we continue to be well served by a succession of preachers, both lay and ordained, leading our worship from all three of our parent denominations and other Christian denominations as well as guest speakers from other charitable organisations.
Numerically, our membership numbers have dropped slightly over the year, to 109, due to the death of six members over the period, but we have been
delighted to have received four new members over the same period including two United Reformed Church ministers (one of whom has recently retired).
Our Sunday services continue to attract a congregation numbering between 60 and 75 physically in church with another 7 to 12 joining online. We continue to try and improve our Zoom services with new volunteers being trained on the equipment.
Our online Prayer Group on a Wednesday morning also makes use of our Zoom account, and we also find it helpful to use for some of our meetings occasionally.
During the year we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the church building. Featured events continued through to March 2025 and the church has been encouraged through welcoming back preachers who have had a prior connection with the church to lead worship or share in the events with us. This has been a great success.
The church has continued to be represented at both URC and Moravian synods and at meetings of the Birmingham Methodist Circuit, which became part of the West Midlands District, immediately after our year end, on 1[st] September 2025.
We pride ourselves on being a Community Church and, during the year, our services to the community have continued. Friendly Corner Cafe, our weekly community café, has continued to welcome 40 - 60 people who regularly attend for food and fellowship. Though some of the customers are church members and attendees, many are not, and we thank God for this outreach.
Baby & Co., the church run Stay and Play group for parents and toddlers has also continued to serve the local community with many of the families being from the local Asian community. In December we welcomed Year 1 children from Yorkmead school into the church where they heard part of the Christian Christmas Story.
The church buildings continue to host a range of activities, including another Stay and Play group, run by a local Children’s Centre, two martial arts group, a musical theatre group, an exercise class, Tuition sessions, individual support for neuro-divergent children and others. We also have one or two bookings
most weekends for private functions including birthdays and other family celebrations. These, as well as supporting our local communities, help to bring income into the church and indirectly to the denominations. A pre and post school group use our premises during term time.
The use of our buildings is, of course, dependent on the condition of those buildings. Maintenance continues to be a major item in our accounts.
None of this would be possible without the small army of volunteers who continue to work untiringly for HGUCC. During the year our property officer, Mrs Jenny Darby, who has served in this role for many years, stepped down and our cleaning supervisor, Mrs Barbara Dennis, also stood down from her role. Both of these women have left a significant hole in our structures but we are gradually working out different ways to re-organise the work that needs to be done.
This has, in part, been helped by the recruitment of an Administrator, Mrs Samantha Beckett, on a part-time basis, who has proved to be a valuable addition to the Hall Green UCC team. She began working for the church in May 2025 and is already taking pressure off some of the volunteers who have worked so hard for the church over the years and bringing some of her many skills to support our work.
Structure, governance and management.
Hall Green United Community Church is managed by Board of Trustees elected by the members. At the end of the year, we had 15 full trustees with Rev Mark Meatcher becoming Chair of Trustees shortly after his appointment as minister of the church in late 2024. The trustees are responsible for making decisions on all matter of general concern and importance to the church including deciding on how the funds of HGUCC are to be spent.
The Annual Congregational Meeting is held in November where reports are considered and matters of concern voted upon. This meeting usually happens following a Sunday service.
As with many churches, an ageing congregation and the lack of young people are concerning. However, we have a thriving, enthusiastic membership who continue to look forward to the future with optimism and, during the year we
have begun to explore with our minister how we might grow both numerically and spiritually as a Christian community moving forward. We have celebrated 100 years as such a community and are keen to plan for the next stage of our journey.
CHURCH RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS THE METHODIST CHURCH STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS HALL GREEN UNITED COMMUNITY CHURCH ChuKh FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 August 2025 BIRMINGHAM Circuit Circuit no 611 R•gi•térad Charlty - Charlty R•gl3tratlon number If not a registered charily Hor MaJo1tys Revenue and Customs Glft Ald number (The HMRC nurnb8r 18 equivalent to a registered charity numb8r in tem)s of evldence of charilable Status and may be used lo give ID donors or grant funders wishing to see evidence of the organisation's charitable status. Melhodist charit*s in England arKI Wales that are not registered char'rti88 are excepted from registration unéer Stalutory Instrument 2014 No.242) 1162079 Mlni8ter'. Rev Ping Ting Chen (to 31.10.24) then Rev Mark Meatcher (from 1.11.24) Tru8tee8: Keith Dennls Biian Dickens Val Dickens Perydis Franklin Barbara Kesseler Blair Kesseler Norma Maynard Rev Mark Meatcher Becky Parkes Julia Parkes Alan Perkins Linda Ramdharry Pam Smith Hyacinth Sutton Neil Walker Treasurer.. Brian Dickens Church R and P 2015.$ 1 of5
ACCOU14TS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2026 Hall Green Unitsd Communlty Church Totsl8 th ChurGh Unrnstrlthd olgIRt Fund• Funds Totalg last year SECTION A a1 RECEiprs Offerings and Tax recovered Bank and CFB inlor8st and Investment income 72,944 72,944 86.749 a3 4.140 4,140 49,496 15,022 141,602 3.077 45.712 26.254 159,792 Lettin 49.496 a5 Other receipts TOTAL RECEIPTS 13,528 140,108 1,494 a6 la7} SECTION 8 b1 PAYMENTS b2 Circuit Agsessmenl or Share 62,996 62,996 4,449 13,437 49,088 4,273 b3 tlonalions 4,449 Repairs and Mainlenanco Utilitiès Iln8ur8nces, water char9e$, he&ting 8 lighting) 13.437 18,682 b5 13.877 13077 13,718 b6 b7 Other payments TOTAL PAYMENTS 28.052 122,811 2,724 1724 30,776 125,535 22,760 108.521 b8 Ib9) SECTION C NET RECEIPTSIPAYMENTS POR THE YEAR c1 17.297 (1,2301 16,067 61,271 Total fund8 brought fopward from 1881 y•ar G2 74.181 13,982 88,163 (c6 36,863 c3 Sub totsl (c1+c2 91,478 12,752 104230 88,134 c4 Tr8nsfors ènd a(I'u$tm8nts 14,9991 4,940 1061 {c71 29 ¢5 TOTAL FUND3 AT END OF YEAR Ic3+c4) 86,479 17,692 104,174 Ic81 88,163 Ic6 SECTION D FOR INFORMATI¢JI4 014LY: M4Ey RECENED AND PASSED ON TO ExfERNAL ORGANISATIONS Ith88è •mount8 are not to bo Included in t¢)tal roceiptslp•ymtrnts •bo¥•l d1 8alance brou ht forward fr(yn la8t ar 59 d2 OfforiroslGrfts- rèe8iv•d for extèm81 organisknns 3,070 3.151 d3 Offering8lGrft8 - P885ed to external organi8atior 3,126 3,122 d4 BALANCE STILL TO BE PAID Id1+d2-d3> 59 Church Ratyj P2UI) xls 2ofS
HALL GREEN UPITED C(XMUNrrY CHURCH BUMMARY OF CHURCH Ilfr TOTHE¢HLH YECTIQN E Summ8ry oftrE Churth rtA for Yearer1 31 ALVU5t2025 and Ir1er Otg8nI5a l)1h• huw urth Mè8tsng Nots thaimefunds or Irrtemol OrgEnlyati( V4(w&2 nCrfnkgY ¥ RÈsancka ftsms url8ss L¥ju LE u8ed fty any Nl8tr15l wrpD4• Ths mutsibe pnpW&J 108rfve allbe gross Inwne a1 rtwxsttAÈxc$iheACcts tryeBld, ALvuBIs M8th ofw(xxAknting AP4DA ThFFERENT FORM.rwtbe uxd to r¢FxYttr Pl&aR•rdertDthe tranthsbeten the r'8trict ano eonnÈeted EStr¢tOrganisaibn$. IMTERNAL OROANL8ATIONS Op•nin9 tlan RKF bIr4$ Baby & Co {1201 448 Frkndty Corn•r 7.611 219 632 851 ¢7 b tDtsI of Intèmlll TtiOnS lund ¢8 7.974 7.881 1,173 Ch¥h IOUNtr ItatlK• brought loroArd Irom pAg• 141.102 125A 66 88,163 104,174 TOTAL ¢A$H FUNDS HELD BY CHURC 149.176 lJ3hl8 89,243 106,347 ¢oniinu&on • ts•P8rnth thèot TOTAL VIECEIPT8 TOTAL PAYIIEIITS lothisforvmrd 8EcnoN F ¢JPEP4Na CLOSINQ ALANCE8 URGH-CASH FUNDS IIELD It 31 A uIt2021 C••h In Bank Cury•niAccourt 1.930 2,129 BAnk De 3,218 C•nir•l FInar BO•rf Try¥l••• for Wth2dl•t ChLYch Pupm SUE TOT. ChLKch e0n 104,174 Total fund• Mld by Int•rnAI QryAni1olpXA Ill•Co DonC• kx•I frcm at#Jwel le121 1,080 1,173 TOTAL CA8H FUP40S MELO ey CHURCH 09,243 1QS,347 8ECTION G Al OTHER ASSETS und LL4BILmE$ 31 August J)24 JI Auguyi 202¥ Invgstrngnts inGIud•EfjdL¥*ffnkn] Lind & BuikYiw• no rnin6ur8nce va•) 4,303.633 4,445,616 OlherA85els 170,104 175.716 Qther M Include only Funds atthe céTrtr IS Indu¢wky WdatTntsteeslDr PUTFQ 91 Indudp 8FryI)Ler in¥ern Inottr Ca trvstsx(tsmL5tr•5 N KbyJbJiknef5 Is(ThRP 3d5
Name of Church: Hall Green United Community Church CC No: 1162079 Declarations and Scrutiny I confirm that these Receipt and Payment based accounts for the year to 31 August 2025 have been prepared from the records of the Church and that Ihey include all funds under the control of the Church trustees. Signature of treasurer Date Name and address of treasurer: Brlan Dickens 3 Sandy Croft Bimiingham Post Code: 813 OEP Presentatlon to the Church trustse8 I confim that the annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 warelwlll be. presented to the meeting of the Church trustees held on Slgnature of the Chair of the meetlng Name of the Chair of the meeting Date . Independont Examlner's Report to the Trustees of tho Hall Green United Communlty Church Charity Number. 1162079 Responsibilities and basls of report I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Hall Green United Community Church for the year ended 31 August 2025 set out on pages 1 to 3. As the Church's trustees, you 8re Sponsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of Ihe Charities Act 2011 ('the Ad,). I report in respect of my examination of the Church's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and, in carying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. 2015 church R and P.Jls 4015
Name rf Ghurth:
Ham Green United C(Thmunity Ctrxwch
CC No: 1162079
Indopendent Examln•rfs Slat•m•
I have cornpleted my 8xqm1natK. I ctylfimi that no material matters have Come to my attention In
connection 4Mth the examination (other than that disdosed belry) vthich give me cause to believe
that in, any material respect:
th8 ac
CHURCH RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS THE METHODIST CHURCH STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS HALL GREEN UNITED COMMUNITY CHURCH ChuKh FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 August 2025 BIRMINGHAM Circuit Circuit no 611 R•gi•térad Charlty - Charlty R•gl3tratlon number If not a registered charily Hor MaJo1tys Revenue and Customs Glft Ald number (The HMRC nurnb8r 18 equivalent to a registered charity numb8r in tem)s of evldence of charilable Status and may be used lo give ID donors or grant funders wishing to see evidence of the organisation's charitable status. Melhodist charit*s in England arKI Wales that are not registered char'rti88 are excepted from registration unéer Stalutory Instrument 2014 No.242) 1162079 Mlni8ter'. Rev Ping Ting Chen (to 31.10.24) then Rev Mark Meatcher (from 1.11.24) Tru8tee8: Keith Dennls Biian Dickens Val Dickens Perydis Franklin Barbara Kesseler Blair Kesseler Norma Maynard Rev Mark Meatcher Becky Parkes Julia Parkes Alan Perkins Linda Ramdharry Pam Smith Hyacinth Sutton Neil Walker Treasurer.. Brian Dickens Church R and P 2015.$ 1 of5
ACCOU14TS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2026 Hall Green Unitsd Communlty Church Totsl8 th ChurGh Unrnstrlthd olgIRt Fund• Funds Totalg last year SECTION A a1 RECEiprs Offerings and Tax recovered Bank and CFB inlor8st and Investment income 72,944 72,944 86.749 a3 4.140 4,140 49,496 15,022 141,602 3.077 45.712 26.254 159,792 Lettin 49.496 a5 Other receipts TOTAL RECEIPTS 13,528 140,108 1,494 a6 la7} SECTION 8 b1 PAYMENTS b2 Circuit Agsessmenl or Share 62,996 62,996 4,449 13,437 49,088 4,273 b3 tlonalions 4,449 Repairs and Mainlenanco Utilitiès Iln8ur8nces, water char9e$, he&ting 8 lighting) 13.437 18,682 b5 13.877 13077 13,718 b6 b7 Other payments TOTAL PAYMENTS 28.052 122,811 2,724 1724 30,776 125,535 22,760 108.521 b8 Ib9) SECTION C NET RECEIPTSIPAYMENTS POR THE YEAR c1 17.297 (1,2301 16,067 61,271 Total fund8 brought fopward from 1881 y•ar G2 74.181 13,982 88,163 (c6 36,863 c3 Sub totsl (c1+c2 91,478 12,752 104230 88,134 c4 Tr8nsfors ènd a(I'u$tm8nts 14,9991 4,940 1061 {c71 29 ¢5 TOTAL FUND3 AT END OF YEAR Ic3+c4) 86,479 17,692 104,174 Ic81 88,163 Ic6 SECTION D FOR INFORMATI¢JI4 014LY: M4Ey RECENED AND PASSED ON TO ExfERNAL ORGANISATIONS Ith88è •mount8 are not to bo Included in t¢)tal roceiptslp•ymtrnts •bo¥•l d1 8alance brou ht forward fr(yn la8t ar 59 d2 OfforiroslGrfts- rèe8iv•d for extèm81 organisknns 3,070 3.151 d3 Offering8lGrft8 - P885ed to external organi8atior 3,126 3,122 d4 BALANCE STILL TO BE PAID Id1+d2-d3> 59 Church Ratyj P2UI) xls 2ofS
HALL GREEN UPITED C(XMUNrrY CHURCH BUMMARY OF CHURCH Ilfr TOTHE¢HLH YECTIQN E Summ8ry oftrE Churth rtA for Yearer1 31 ALVU5t2025 and Ir1er Otg8nI5a l)1h• huw urth Mè8tsng Nots thaimefunds or Irrtemol OrgEnlyati( V4(w&2 nCrfnkgY ¥ RÈsancka ftsms url8ss L¥ju LE u8ed fty any Nl8tr15l wrpD4• Ths mutsibe pnpW&J 108rfve allbe gross Inwne a1 rtwxsttAÈxc$iheACcts tryeBld, ALvuBIs M8th ofw(xxAknting AP4DA ThFFERENT FORM.rwtbe uxd to r¢FxYttr Pl&aR•rdertDthe tranthsbeten the r'8trict ano eonnÈeted EStr¢tOrganisaibn$. IMTERNAL OROANL8ATIONS Op•nin9 tlan RKF bIr4$ Baby & Co {1201 448 Frkndty Corn•r 7.611 219 632 851 ¢7 b tDtsI of Intèmlll TtiOnS lund ¢8 7.974 7.881 1,173 Ch¥h IOUNtr ItatlK• brought loroArd Irom pAg• 141.102 125A 66 88,163 104,174 TOTAL ¢A$H FUNDS HELD BY CHURC 149.176 lJ3hl8 89,243 106,347 ¢oniinu&on • ts•P8rnth thèot TOTAL VIECEIPT8 TOTAL PAYIIEIITS lothisforvmrd 8EcnoN F ¢JPEP4Na CLOSINQ ALANCE8 URGH-CASH FUNDS IIELD It 31 A uIt2021 C••h In Bank Cury•niAccourt 1.930 2,129 BAnk De 3,218 C•nir•l FInar BO•rf Try¥l••• for Wth2dl•t ChLYch Pupm SUE TOT. ChLKch e0n 104,174 Total fund• Mld by Int•rnAI QryAni1olpXA Ill•Co DonC• kx•I frcm at#Jwel le121 1,080 1,173 TOTAL CA8H FUP40S MELO ey CHURCH 09,243 1QS,347 8ECTION G Al OTHER ASSETS und LL4BILmE$ 31 August J)24 JI Auguyi 202¥ Invgstrngnts inGIud•EfjdL¥*ffnkn] Lind & BuikYiw• no rnin6ur8nce va•) 4,303.633 4,445,616 OlherA85els 170,104 175.716 Qther M Include only Funds atthe céTrtr IS Indu¢wky WdatTntsteeslDr PUTFQ 91 Indudp 8FryI)Ler in¥ern Inottr Ca trvstsx(tsmL5tr•5 N KbyJbJiknef5 Is(ThRP 3d5
Name of Church: Hall Green United Community Church CC No: 1162079 Declarations and Scrutiny I confirm that these Receipt and Payment based accounts for the year to 31 August 2025 have been prepared from the records of the Church and that Ihey include all funds under the control of the Church trustees. Signature of treasurer Date Name and address of treasurer: Brlan Dickens 3 Sandy Croft Bimiingham Post Code: 813 OEP Presentatlon to the Church trustse8 I confim that the annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 warelwlll be. presented to the meeting of the Church trustees held on Slgnature of the Chair of the meetlng Name of the Chair of the meeting Date . Independont Examlner's Report to the Trustees of tho Hall Green United Communlty Church Charity Number. 1162079 Responsibilities and basls of report I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Hall Green United Community Church for the year ended 31 August 2025 set out on pages 1 to 3. As the Church's trustees, you 8re Sponsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of Ihe Charities Act 2011 ('the Ad,). I report in respect of my examination of the Church's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and, in carying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. 2015 church R and P.Jls 4015
Name rf Ghurth:
Ham Green United C(Thmunity Ctrxwch
CC No: 1162079
Indopendent Examln•rfs Slat•m•
I have cornpleted my 8xqm1natK. I ctylfimi that no material matters have Come to my attention In
connection 4Mth the examination (other than that disdosed belry) vthich give me cause to believe
that in, any material respect:
th8 ac