## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2020** ## **Aims and purposes** The aim of the church (as set out in its Constitution) is to bring glory to God and advance the Christian faith by strengthening the personal faith and witness of its members and by communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ to other people in the locality and beyond. In fulfilling this aim the Church, in prayerful submission to the authority of Scripture, endeavours to: - pursue the worship of God, centred on the preaching and teaching of the Bible; - cultivate a caring fellowship that encourages and builds up its members; - share the good news of Jesus through local outreach and by supporting missionary work further afield; and - demonstrate the love of God by meeting needs in the local community. ## **Objectives and activities** The trustees have considered the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. The church is committed to encouraging and enabling as many people as possible to worship with us and become part of the church family in order to grow in the Christian faith. The church is also committed to providing pastoral care and support for its members and others with whom it has connections. In addition the church seeks to undertake appropriate mission and outreach work in its locality and to support through prayer and finance mission and outreach work in other parts of the world. The church operates from a building in Newhall Street, Princes End, Tipton. In order to facilitate the work of the church through its various activities, to create a welcoming environment and to honour God, the church seeks to maintain the fabric of the building to an appropriate standard. ## **Achievements and performance** _Worship, Bible study and Prayer_ As with all organisations the activities of the church were hugely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic which swept the country in 2020. Usual worship services had to be cancelled from March 2020 as a nationwide lockdown was imposed. From April a recorded service was provided online for home viewing and when restrictions eased small groups met in gardens for ‘Grace in the Garden’ to share the service together. From September 2020 it was possible to meet physically in the church building but numbers were small. From November services were also live-streamed and numbers in the church building slowly increased. From the Summer onwards weekly virtual prayer meetings were initiated via Zoom and were reasonably well attended. These continued throughout the year. In September midweek meetings (Grace Groups) were introduced via Zoom providing an opportunity for Bible study and prayer. We were encouraged to see a good take up for these meetings with numbers being higher than at physical meetings pre-pandemic, additional members being able to take part from their own homes. During 2020 one member died and three members who had not attended church for some time were removed from membership. At the end of 2020 membership stood at 55. The church continued to employ a full-time Staff Elder who worked alongside the other Elders in leading and developing the work of the church. ## _Church building_ Significant work was undertaken whilst the church building was closed to instal a complete new central heating system. ## _Children and Youth work_ Church youth work was also significantly affected by the pandemic. The church Boys’ Brigade company with Girls’ Association (3[rd] West Bromwich) met as usual until 16 March 2020. From March to September contact was maintained with members and their families via newsletters and other contacts. In person meetings resumed at the end of September as regulations allowed but a further lockdown followed in November and virtual meetings were then held for the remainder of the year. The Guide unit (3[rd] Tipton) which works with girls aged 5 -18 years through its Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Senior Guides Sections closed in March and was then closed for the remainder of the year. ## _Stay and Play_ Our stay and play group for pre-school children and their carers also closed in March and was then closed for the remainder of the year. ## _Older people_ The church’s weekly meeting (Friday Club) for elderly and otherwise housebound ladies transported to the church by Community Transport to enjoy a couple of hours of fellowship with others over a light lunch also closed in March and was then closed for the remainder of the year. ## _Community involvement_ As a result of the pandemic the various community events in which the church would usually be involved were all cancelled. ## **Financial Review** Total income for the year amounted to £67,192. Expenditure totalled £67,787 giving a deficit for the year of £605. This was, however, after the new central heating system was paid for in full. Offerings amounted to £47,932 compared to £52,847 in 2019. The Gift Aid tax reclaim was £11,421, an increase of £1,200 over the previous year. A number of expenditure items were below budget for the year enabling the central heating system to be paid for without the need to draw on reserves. ## **Reserves Policy** The Elders seek to maintain reserves in the order of one year’s expenditure to allow for the loss of offertory income for whatever reason, to provide for major repair or maintenance costs and to ensure sufficient funds to maintain and potentially expand pastoral ministry. At 31 December 2019 unrestricted reserves stood at £120,000. ## **Volunteers** The church expresses its thanks to the many volunteers who assist with all aspects of the church’s work and without whom many church activities simply would not take place. ## **Structure, governance and management** The church is a charitable incorporated organisation (registered charity number 1162960) governed by a Constitution registered with the Charity Commission on 3 August 2015. Church members elect Elders who are responsible for the day to day management of the church and as such are charity trustees. Responsibility for certain key decisions such as calling a pastor or approving major work on the church building rests with the whole church membership in general meeting. The Elders who served during the year were:- Mr T Ambrose Mr G Coghlan Mr P Watts (Secretary) Mr B Turner Mr A Cutler (Term of office concluded February 2020) ## **Administrative information** The church is situated at Newhall Street, Princes End, Tipton, West Midlands, DY4 9HL. The correspondence address is 3 Waring Close, Princes End, Tipton, West Midlands, DY4 9NW. ## **P WATTS Secretary** CHARITY (OMMISSION Annual Accounts foi the period Perlod stait dae To perlod end dalè cliarliy Name bl¥lUhl I I chaihy NO [ilafty) Section A statement ot financial activities DescrwptioTrs by czotegory Unr¢5trf ain5 and losses on revalvalioft ol Ilxed èsspt5 lor the chaFlty's own use Galn5 and105se5 011 invesiment asseis SD7 Al&tmo¥emeni In lunds so8 Total funds bfoughl forward Totol lunds (oriiedloiwoKd sio 505 506 $09 Section B Balance sheet rotal thls year Ttsial last year Fixed assets langible asseis F01 F02 (Note 8> fjoi Do? Inveslmenis (Note 9) 803 T•Et71 lixed 055etS 804 1è7,Wl Current assets stock and WDrk In progress Oebiofs (shoit terni) investffteftts Cash at b8hk in hand (Note 10} B06 808 lao wiz Tololcvftent *7ssets bD9 Ci¢dltors: afflounts falllng 4Jue wiihiD one year (Note 11) 810 Nel £urrent 0ssets/(Ilobilities) &11 176 Totol ossots less ttsNentlloblll¢ies 612 Csedlto(s: amounts falllng due alier one year Piovlsiohs lor Ilabllliie5 and chaige5 (Note 11) B13 Ilet assels B15 Funds of the Chofity Uniesiilcted lund% 16 Deslgnated lunds Total unrestFltt*d funds Restrlcted In¢ome funds Endowmeni funds 817 as7, {Note 12) 818 {Note 12) 01 Tgtol funds B20 Sigfted by one or Iwo Irusiee5 on behalf ol all tlie iiuslees Signature Dato ol hppiov?I g141zi IA 39(a) Ar￿ ?n1? (HARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to tha truste881 members of fytIR)CE Conmuhjl ly Cquocq On a¢count8 for the yèar ended r*cEMJ]&n )o)O Charity no Ilf any) 1167960 Set out on pagos I report to the trustees on my examlnatlon of the accounts of the above charity {'the Twst.) for the year ended Re8ponslbllltlo8 and ba818 of roport As the charlty's trust88s. you are responslble for thé preparation of the accounts In accordance with the requirements of the Chari118s Act 2011 I'thg Act.). I report In r8spe¢t of my èxamination of the Trust's accounts carri8d out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all th8 applicable Diréctions giv8n by th8 Charity Commission under section 145{5)(b} of the Act. Independent rrhe charity's gross income exceeded £250.000 and l am qualified to examlnerfs statement undertake the examination by being e qualified m8mb8r of [iA60th Qppl￿a￿. Delete I l rf not applicabl&. I have Completed my examination. I confiryn that no mat8rl81 mattérs have come to my attention in connection wlth the examination (0#￿￿1 d18e10*￿ ') whl¢h gives me cause to believe that in, any materfal respect.. tha accounting records were not kept in accordanc8 wlth section 130 of the Charities Act.. or th8 accounts dld not accord wllh the accounting record$; or th6 accounts dSd not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the fomi and content of accounts sel 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 conslder8d as part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters In connection with the examination lo which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the a¢￿unt$ to be reached. Please de18te the words In the brack&ts rfthey do not apply. signed: Date: ?71031?UL4 Name: {ur￿L- Relevant professlonal quallflcatlon(sl or body IER Oct 2018 (If any): Addross". Tip -sT rlJPLnJJOS Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs lo highlight material matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts.. dlrection6 and guidance for examiners). Glve hore brlef detall8 of any Items that tho examlnor wl8ho8 to dl8¢108e. IER Oct 2018