West Birmingham Christadelphian Ecclesia
Trustees’ Report and Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 Registered Charity number 1163450
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West Birmingham Christadelphian Ecclesia Trustees’ Report and Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025
Index
| Index | |
|---|---|
| Page | |
| Trustees’ Report | 3-6 |
| A Reference and Administrative Details |
3 |
| B Structure, Governance and Management |
3 |
| C Objectives and Activities |
4 |
| D Achievements and Performance |
4 |
| E Financial Review |
5 |
| F Risk Management |
6 |
| G Declaration |
6 |
| Independent Examiner’s Report | 7 |
| Receipts and Payments Accounts | 8 |
| Statement of Assets and Liabilities | 8 |
| Notes to the Receipts Payments Accounts | 9 |
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West Birmingham Christadelphian Ecclesia Trustees’ Report and Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
The trustees of West Birmingham Christadelphian Ecclesia (“the Charity”) present their report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025.
SECTION A - REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
| Registered charity number: | 1163450 |
|---|---|
| Charity’s principal address: | Christadelphian Hall |
| 43 Ridgacre Road | |
| Quinton | |
| Birmingham | |
| B32 2TL | |
| Charity trustees: | Anthony A Watkins (Secretary) -retired 18 June 2025 |
| Stephen J Ashton -appointed Secretary 18 June 2025 | |
| Matthew A Reed (Assistant Secretary) | |
| David C Gouldingay (Treasurer) -retired 18 June 2025 | |
| James McLean -appointed Trustee and Treasurer 18 June 2025 | |
| David I Phillips | |
| David Reed | |
| Jared Bilton | |
| Timothy M Follis -appointed Trustee 18 June 2025 | |
| Independent Examiner: | Karen Hanlan, ACA, ACIE |
| Karen Hanlan Independent Examiner Ltd | |
| Swift House, 1 Saracen Close | |
| Ettington | |
| CV37 7SZ | |
| Bankers: | Barclays Bank PLC |
| Birmingham Edgbaston Branch | |
| Leicester | |
| LE87 2BB | |
| SECTION B - STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT | |
| Type of governing document: | Constitution, formally updated by the Charity on |
| 28 April 2024 | |
| How charity is constituted: | Unincorporated association |
| Trustee selection method: | Annual appointment by secret ballot of the |
| Charity’s members following member | |
| nominations |
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West Birmingham Christadelphian Ecclesia Trustees’ Report and Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025
SECTION C - OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
The Charity’s objects are to advance Bible-based Christian faith to the glory of God and honour of Jesus Christ for the benefit of the Christadelphian community and members of the public, particularly in and around West Birmingham.
The Charity’s main activities, undertaken for the public benefit in pursuit of these objects, are:
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Holding meetings for worship, prayer and Bible teaching.
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Preaching through personal engagement and by invitations to meetings.
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Provision of Sunday School, a youth club (where required) and other occasional activities.
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Periodic collections for charitable needs, including disaster relief.
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Serving, to the extent feasible, attendees’ pastoral and welfare needs.
The foregoing activities promote a fuller understanding of the human condition, relative to the eternal things of God, and serve to provide members of the public with direction, balance and purpose in today’s complex world.
In the exercise of their powers and duties in connection with the Charity’s objects, the trustees have reviewed and had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit as last updated in September 2014.
SECTION D - ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
During 2024-25 the Charity continued to hold its weekly meetings for worship, prayer and Bible teaching on Sunday mornings and afternoons and Wednesday evenings. Additional online weekly Bible classes in English and Farsi continued to be held for Iranian members and visitors. Members of the public were invited to join our meetings by personal invitations and external notice boards. In-house Bible teaching courses were arranged to convey the Bible message and prepare new Iranian and other attendees for baptism. A Bible Line phone-in service sponsored by the Charity continued to operate. A Fellowship Weekend was held between 5-7 July 2024. A publicly advertised Spring Fayre, with fundraising for other charities, took place on 11 May 2024. A Harvest Thanksgiving service was also held on 29 September 2024 and a Carol Service on 22 December 2024.
Our “Good News Café”, which welcomes visitors twice monthly for tea, coffee, cakes and the opportunity to talk, continued to meet, and cash donations were taken for other charities. A Macmillan Coffee morning was additionally held on 5 October 2024 to publicise the work of this charity and assist its fundraising.
During term time a weekly Sunday School provided children with Bible lessons and an annual prize-giving.
Support for our Farsi-speaking members continued with a translated synopsis of the exhortation and some Bible reading and prayers were led in Farsi. Pastoral support has also remained in place for Iranian members, including during the period of transition from asylum seeker to refugee status. The challenges of relocating those gaining refugee status from Home Office to council or private accommodation, and then taking on responsibility for their own financial affairs, are always significant.
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West Birmingham Christadelphian Ecclesia Trustees’ Report and Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025
The Charity continued to receive regular donations by cash, cheque or direct deposit for its own use and for payment to other charities which support Bible preaching both in the UK and overseas, Christadelphian care homes for the elderly and also other organisations offering teaching, pastoral and welfare support to the elderly, the young and others in need. Charity income increased by £820 compared with the 2023-24 financial year. Expenditure increased by £703 compared with 2023-24.
The Charity continued to benefit from a dedicated welfare committee that worked to monitor the pastoral and other needs of those associated with the Charity and ensure that any possible practical help was provided.
The activities and initiatives of the Charity continued to meet its interrelated objects and make a beneficial difference both for members of the Charity, other charities and members of the public who were able to join in.
SECTION E - FINANCIAL REVIEW
The annual income of the Charity for the year ended 31 March 2025 was £40,869 (2024 - £40,049). Income mainly derived from weekly and monthly donations by Charity members, as enhanced by Gift Aid recoveries.
Over the year the total operating Funds of the Charity reduced by £296 (2024 - £413) from £17,477 to £17,181. Within this change, before transfers between funds, the Unrestricted Funds of the Charity reduced by £895 (2024 – increased by £1,361) whilst Restricted Funds increased by £599 (2024 – reduced by £1,774). There were no transfers between funds in the 2024-25 financial year (2023-24 – Nil).
Within Restricted Funds, £9,661 (2024 - £10,214) was collected for External Charities with £9,654 (2024 - £10,138) being paid over in the financial year.
The Charity’s freehold hall, where meetings usually take place, was valued by the Trustees at £200,000 (2024 - £200,000) on an open market value basis for existing use.
Reserves policy
The Charity’s ongoing policy is to hold free reserves of up to 12 (2024 - 12) months of general expenditure to allow for timing differences in both income and expenditure. At 31 March 2025 free reserves of £3,761 (2024 - £4,655) were held, which was within the policy.
Three regular collections were scheduled for most Sundays, the first being for the Unrestricted General Fund, which was applied to the annual running costs of the Charity’s hall and other periodic charitable costs, some of which called for healthy reserves to be held. The other two weekly collections, which were for Restricted Funds, had been decided upon annually in advance by the Trustees. A fourth monthly collection was also scheduled for the Asylum Seekers’ & Refugees’ Fund.
Collections for External Restricted Funds (other than those from the Good News Café) were paid to the relevant charity as soon as practicable, so minimal balances were retained at each month end. Donations collected at the Good News Café are normally paid over annually in December.
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West Birmingham Christadelphian Ecclesia Trustees’ Report and Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025
In the case of Internal Restricted Funds, funds were applied as circumstances called for so larger reserve balances were typically held. Where annual collections and reserve balances have outstripped likely recurring Fund needs, in the following year or years the number of annual collections for that Fund are reduced by the Trustees and those collections reallocated to other Funds where they can be applied more quickly. Once excessive reserves level have been reduced, collections for the relevant Fund(s) are resumed to match estimated ongoing expenditure.
No Fund balances were in deficit at the start or end of the year.
SECTION F – RISK MANAGEMENT
The Arranging Committee continued to retain overall responsibility for risk management, with sub-committees assessing specific risks for some onsite and offsite activities. Recurring risks are recorded in a register and formally reviewed twice a year, in June and December, by the Arranging Committee. Additional actions are taken to manage and mitigate any new risk as it may arise. Safeguarding for Child Protection and Adults at Risk are each dealt with under separate written policies reviewed formally at least once each year, normally in Summer or Autumn, or where new guidance or a relevant event arises.
SECTION G - DECLARATION
The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ Report above.
Signed on behalf of Charity’s Trustees
Stephen J Ashton Secretary
Date: 28th September 2025
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West Birmingham Christadelphian Ecclesia Trustees’ Report and Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of West Birmingham Christadelphian Ecclesia
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of West Birmingham Christadelphian Ecclesia (“the Charity”) for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the trustees of the Charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with 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 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 giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records.
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.
Signed
Karen Hanlan ACA Swift House, 1 Saracen Close Ettington CV37 7SZ
Date: 28th September 2025
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WEST BIRMINGHAM CHRISTADELPHIAN ECCLESIA YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS
| Unrestricted Restricted Funds Funds £ £ RECEIPTS Weekly collections 1,925.28 3,329.97 Monthly and one-off donations 5,644.11 16,293.01 Youth day and youth club subscriptions 0.00 77.95 Gift Aid recovered on donations 1,681.54 4,434.62 Donations from other Charities and Trusts 0.00 5,624.99 Donations towards activities and events 0.00 1,061.31 Magazine subscriptions received 486.00 0.00 Bank and other interest 309.90 0.00 Total receipts 10,046.83 30,821.85 PAYMENTS Donations to beneficiaries 720.00 23,384.46 Repairs and maintenance 0.00 2,952.60 Gas, water and electricity 3,920.99 0.00 Preaching and fellowship costs 0.00 2,902.52 Sunday school and youth activities 0.00 983.41 Fellowship weekend and outings 0.00 0.00 Catering 344.74 0.00 Flowers, wine, consumables, internet and sundries 2,251.02 0.00 Insurance 1,698.21 0.00 Magazine subscriptions paid 486.00 0.00 Equipment 653.58 0.00 Independent examination of charity's accounts 475.00 0.00 Printing, postage, stationery and telephone 204.04 0.00 Speakers' expenses 188.00 0.00 Total payments 10,941.58 30,222.99 Deficit / surplus of receipts over payments -894.75 598.86 Transfers between funds 0.00 0.00 Bank current and deposit accounts at 1 April 4,655.30 12,821.55 Bank current and deposit accounts at 31 March 3,760.55 13,420.41 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES Cash balances Current account 3,228.72 332.63 Deposit account 489.61 13,087.78 Petty cash 42.22 0.00 3,760.55 13,420.41 Other non-monetary assets Income tax recovery due from HMRC 1,606.34 4,003.30 5,366.89 17,423.71 Freehold property: Christadelphian Hall, Ridgacre Road, Quinton, Birmingham B32 2TL, at Trustees' valuation Net Assets |
Unrestricted Restricted Funds Funds £ £ 1,925.28 3,329.97 5,644.11 16,293.01 0.00 77.95 1,681.54 4,434.62 0.00 5,624.99 0.00 1,061.31 486.00 0.00 309.90 0.00 |
2025 2024 Total Total £ £ 5,255.25 4,857.55 21,937.12 23,097.89 77.95 0.00 6,116.16 6,229.99 5,624.99 4,284.18 1,061.31 1,181.00 486.00 120.00 309.90 278.57 |
|---|---|---|
| 10,046.83 30,821.85 |
40,868.68 40,049.18 |
|
| 720.00 23,384.46 0.00 2,952.60 3,920.99 0.00 0.00 2,902.52 0.00 983.41 0.00 0.00 344.74 0.00 2,251.02 0.00 1,698.21 0.00 486.00 0.00 653.58 0.00 475.00 0.00 204.04 0.00 188.00 0.00 |
24,104.46 24,190.14 2,952.60 956.95 3,920.99 2,583.44 2,902.52 3,625.07 983.41 1,160.41 0.00 91.00 344.74 432.50 2,251.02 2,037.64 1,698.21 1,437.04 486.00 120.00 653.58 2,917.37 475.00 450.00 204.04 220.56 188.00 240.00 |
|
| 10,941.58 30,222.99 |
41,164.57 40,462.12 |
|
| -894.75 598.86 0.00 0.00 4,655.30 12,821.55 |
-295.89 -412.94 0.00 0.00 17,476.85 17,889.79 |
|
| 3,760.55 13,420.41 |
17,180.96 17,476.85 |
|
| 3,228.72 332.63 489.61 13,087.78 42.22 0.00 |
3,561.35 4,143.08 13,577.39 13,311.16 42.22 22.61 |
|
| 3,760.55 13,420.41 1,606.34 4,003.30 |
17,180.96 17,476.85 5,609.64 6,116.16 |
|
| 22,790.60 23,593.01 200,000.00 200,000.00 |
||
| 222,790.60 223,593.01 |
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WEST BIRMINGHAM CHRISTADELPHIAN ECCLESIA
NOTES TO THE RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Note 1:
The financial statements have been prepared under the Charities Act 2011 and in accordance with the Charity's Constitution, formally updated by the Charity on 28 April 2024.
| Note 2: Fund Balances Unrestricted Funds(including magazine subscriptions) Restricted Funds Christadelphian Care Homes Ecclesial and Other Welfare Asylum Seekers' and Refugees' Fund Maintenance of Ecclesial Premises and Equipment Maintenance of Organ Overseas Project Aid Preaching and Fellowship Special Appeals from Other Ecclesias Sunday School and Youth Activities Special Collections for External Charities Total Restricted Funds Total Funds |
Balance Receipts Payments Transfers Balance 01-Apr-24 in year in year in year 31-Mar-25 £ £ £ £ £ 4,655.30 10,046.83 10,941.58 0.00 3,760.55 |
|---|---|
| 0.00 2,696.09 2,696.09 0.00 0.00 2,439.63 5,207.52 4,356.73 0.00 3,290.42 2,302.12 6,641.16 5,067.50 0.00 3,875.78 1,426.00 2,122.39 2,952.60 0.00 595.79 2,027.50 0.00 0.00 0.00 2,027.50 60.65 1,993.60 1,610.00 0.00 444.25 1,904.81 1,379.30 2,902.52 0.00 381.59 755.20 887.25 0.00 0.00 1,642.45 1,684.42 233.58 983.41 0.00 934.59 221.22 9,660.96 9,654.14 0.00 228.04 |
|
| 12,821.55 30,821.85 30,222.99 0.00 13,420.41 |
|
| 17,476.85 40,868.68 41,164.57 0.00 17,180.96 |
Funds
Unrestricted Funds represent the funds of the Charity that are not subject to any restrictions regarding their use and are available for application for the general purposes of the Charity. Restricted Funds include collections taken for specific appeals and funds are periodically remitted to the relevant organisations accordingly. Other Restricted Funds include funds raised for the maintenance of the property, the organ, welfare and to subsidise Sunday Schools and Youth Clubs.
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