**MERTON STREET PASTORS A Charitable Incorporated Organisation Charity No. 1166272**
**REPORT AND STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES**
**31 DECEMBER 2023**
## **MERTON STREET PASTORS**
## **FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 31 DECEMBER 2023**
## **Trustees**
Mr K Vickers Ms A Mukhtar Mr K Mitchell Mr G Hack Mr N Douglas (appointed 3rd October 2023)
**Independent Examiner** Ryefield Ltd Chartered Certified Accountants Progress House 404 Brighton Road South Croydon CR2 6AN
**Registered Charity Number** 1166272
## **INDEX TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
## **Page**
|**1**|Index and company data.|
|---|---|
|**2/5**|Trustees' report.|
|**6**|Independent examiner's report.|
|**7**|Statement of financial activities for the period to 31 DECEMBER 2023|
|**8**|Balance sheet as at 31 December 2023|
|**9/10**|Notes to financial statements.|
|**11**|Detailed income & expenditure account.|
||(not part of statutory set)|
||Page 1|
## **MERTON STREET PASTORS**
## **TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023**
## **Trustees**
The trustees are responsible for the strategic, spiritual and financial oversight of the charity. They delegate much of the operational running to the part-time Coordinator and the team leaders.
## **Report of the Trustees for the year ending 31 December 2023.**
The trustees are pleased to present their annual report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ending 31 December 2023.
The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006, the Memorandum and Articles of Association, and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015).
## **STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE**
The work in Merton began in 2008 under a Charity Trust deed dated 8[th] March 2008 and was registered with the Charities Commission. on 14[th] May 2008. The legal structure of Merton Street Pastors was changed in the period March 2016 to March 2017 to align with a more flexible corporate structure recommended by Ascension Trust for all Street Pastor local teams. From 1[st] April 2017 Merton Street Pastors moved forward solely as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered with the Charity commission.
Merton Street Pastors operates under a licence agreement with Ascension Trust (AT) dated 16 December 2015 in which AT make certain commitments in terms of training, licencing, branding and uniform provision; and in return requires conformity with certain behaviours, policies and practices from the approximately 280 local Street Pastor Groups and 12000+ individual Street Pastors currently operating across the UK.
## **OBJECTIVES OF THE CHARITY**
The objectives of Merton Street Pastors are, in the geographic area of the London Borough of Merton and beyond as the trustees may from time to time determine in accordance with Charity Law in England and Wales, as follows:
- (1) To advance the Christian Faith in accordance with the Street Pastor Licence Agreement with the “Ascension Trust” through:
- (i) the provision of public pastoral care services to help people on the streets and other public places, giving guidance, support and signposting which assist in preserving public order, avoid anti-social behaviour, relieve sickness and preserve health and by
- (ii) enlightening others about Christianity through raising awareness and understanding of ecclesiastical relevance to community and public life, mobilizing the Church ecumenically to unity of worship and to advance the Christian Faith by carrying out the mission and outreach work of the Gospel for the benefit of the public.
- (2) To develop the capacity and skills of socially disadvantaged groups in our community in such a way that they are better able to identify, and help meet, their needs and to participate more fully in society; in particular but not exclusively through raising awareness, promoting, sustaining and increasing individual and collective knowledge, skills and expertise, through the practical development of individual capabilities, competences, skills and understanding through formal training, informal talks and capacity building in voluntary services, according to Christian principles and the Street Pastor Urban Trinity principle of church, police and local government working together for the benefit of the community.
Page 2
## **MERTON STREET PASTORS**
## **TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT continued**
## **REVIEW OF THE PAST YEAR**
Merton Street Pastors continued in the past year to serve the Mitcham, Morden and Wimbledon areas. In these three areas Merton Street Pastors has a partnership focus, building strong links with the local Metropolitan Police, Merton Council departments and local shop and pub/club manager groups, and to help tackle issues of anti-social behaviour on the streets, as well as being an influence, and presence for peace, calm, reassurance, help and hope in the local community.
That partnership and engagement with other organisations was recognised during this past year by:
- Continued support from Love Wimbledon Business Improvement District.
- Attandance and Networking at the Merton 316 Church Leaders Group.
- Partnership working with Safer Merton in setting up the Wimbledon Safe Zone.
- Attendance at Pub Watch Meetings.
- Receiving a certificate from the Mayor of Merton for service to the community during Covid-19.
September 2023 saw the appointment of Ralph Manser as our new part-time coordinator taking over from Neil who has moved to Cambridge. Ralph is also a member of our Street Pastor Team and joins us on the leadership, eager to serve in a new capacity. Neil joined the Trustees on the 3rd October after agreeing to hold the fort for us (Jan – Sept) up until Ralph was appointed. He will continue to serve and support Ralph in his role remotely.
We have 3 new Street Pastors trained this year, and overall we have seen an average of 25 of our team members active during the year. A priority is to revisit our non-active members and recruit more Team Members to increase our coverage across Mitcham, Morden and Wimbledon to facilitate more sustainable patrols. We are now regularly hosting afternoon patrols in the Mitcham Fare green area as a way of wider engagement and impact. In June, working with Safer Merton we established a Safe Zone outside Wimbledon Station. This is hosted by us once a month and has proved to be an effective way of engaging people late at night. We have had incredible feedback and testimony from people who have benefitted from Street Pastors in staying safe, listening, caring, and helping in many ways.
Merton Street Pastors finances have continued to be stable throughout 2023. There are good levels of support from individuals, local churches and Merton Council which have provided a solid year on year foundation to our finances. This year expenditure exceeded income by around £3k but we were able to cover this by our unrestricted reserves that stand at around £15,000. We are happy to report that Merton Street Pastors appear to be on a solid footing, but we must continue to sustain this by attracting even more regular church and individual givers going forward. The ongoing funding of our part-time Coordinator and sustaining of all the work undertaken on the streets of Merton by our team of volunteers is enabled by our existing generous donors, regular prayer support, and of course the volunteer Street Pastors themselves, to whom the Trustees would like to express their sincere and overwhelming thanks.
Page 3
## **MERTON STREET PASTORS**
## **TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT continued**
## **REVIEW OF THE PAST YEAR Cont..**
We remain encouraged at this great work of the church walking the streets of Merton, listening, caring, and helping, and remain committed to being an agent of good news and transformation in the community for the long term.
All the above activity and the funding of our part-time Coordinator is enabled by our generous donors, to whom the Trustees would like to express their thanks.
## **A LOOK AHEAD TO THE COMING YEAR**
## **Our aims for the coming year include:**
1. Establish, support and grow our new coordinator into the role.
2. Consolidate our position and prepare our structures for growth .
3. Recruit at least one more Trustee.
4. Recruit a new Treasurer.
5. To actively promote Street Pastors as an extension and outreach team of every local church and encourage, prayer, financial and new Street Pastor volunteer support.
6. Maintain and strengthen our relationships with all our stakeholders.
7. Create more opportunities for daytime patrolling.
8. Strengthen and encourage our teams through pastoral support and ongoing training and exhortation and fellowship.
## **HOW OUR ACTIVITIES DELIVER PUBLIC BENEFIT**
Our main activities and who we try to help are outlined above. All our charitable activities focus on giving assistance to people in need in the community in many ways including:
- Caring, listening, and helping on the streets
- Referring vulnerable and needy people to other agencies as and when required
- Being a presence for light, and good in public places
- Practically getting involved in people’s lives, pastorally, practically and spiritually
- Working in partnership with other agencies towards community cohesion
- Motivating the Christian community through social action in the community
When planning our activities for the period, the trustees have considered the Commission’s guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. In particular, we try to enable ordinary people to live out their faith as part of our community.
Page 4
## **MERTON STREET PASTORS**
## **TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT continued**
## **TRUSTEES RESPONSIBILITIES**
Under the Charities Act 2011, the trustees are required to prepare a statement of accounts for each accounting year which gives a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charity. They are required to:
1. Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently
2. Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
3. State whether the applicable accounting standards have been followed 4. Prepare the financial statement on an ongoing basis
They are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time They also have the responsibility to safeguard the assets of the charity and to take reasonable steps to detect fraud
This report was approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf on
……………………. Mr. Kevin Vickers
……………………. Mr Keith Mitchell
Trustees
Page 5
MERTON STREET PASTORS
FOR THE PERIOD EIYDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
Independent examiner's report to the truslees
I repi)rt 011 lh¢ acLounts ol-the Trust for the period ended 31 D¢iember 20?3 which are 4et out on pa¥¢s
6and7.
RcspeLIiN'e r¢sponsibiliiies oftrustees and examiner
The iharilv's trustees are responsible for ihe preparation of the ac¢ounts. The charity's trustees Lonsider
that an alidil 1% not rcquired for ihis N'ear under seciion 144(?) ofih¢ Charities Aci ?01 I Ithc 201 I Acii
and thar an indcpendent examanalion is needed.
li is mv responsibility 10-.
examin¢ ihr aLcouiits under seciion 145 of ihe ?01 l Acr..
to lolloii ilie proLedur¢s laid doii n in ihe gienerdl t)ircctions given bs the Charity, Coinmission und¢r
s¢Llii)n 145{Sllbi ol- Ihe •OI l Ait.. and
[() sldl¢ hether paniLular mailers hai e Lome io m! arteniion.
Ba515 of indepenilenl examiner's reporl
MN. Ixaiiiiiiaiion lias carried oul ii) aLlI)Idan¢e i11h ihc Ly¢nerdl Directions gii'en b!. Ihe C'harili.
Cominission. An examination includ¢s a r¢i'i¢ii of ihc aicoui)iinLJ reLords kept bi. tli¢ cliaritv aiid a
comparison of ihe accounts presenl¢d iih those records. It also includes consideration of an>, unusual
iieins or disLlosureq in the a¢¢oun¢s. and sceking explai)aiions from l'ou as irusi¢es conccniing an), siich
Inart¢rs. The pro¢¢dur¢s unif¢rtakcn do not Pro ide all ihe evidence ihai 'QUId be requircd in an audit
and ions¢qu¢iitli' opiiiion is given as to i%hether ihe accounis preseni a'inje and fair % i¢w' and the
report is liwnited to tl)ose matters set out in the statement below.
Indvpendenl ex¥miner's stJlement
In c(Iiinection ith examinalion. no matter has Lome lo m). attenlion..
I I l .hICh giics mc rca50nable cause to belici'e ihai in an). maierial respeci the
requirement%'.
lu k¢¢p JiLI)uniing re¢()rd5 in acLordanLe iih seciion 130 of ihe 70 I l Acl: aiid
to pr¢par¢ aLLuunis Mhi¢h aLcord IN iih ihe acLounting records and comply ltI7 the aLcouniing
requirements of thc 201 I A¢1
have noi been iiiet: or
121 to ivhich. in m). opinion, ot¢¢niion should be dra'n in order to enable a PrOr und¢rstanding of ihe
accounts to bc rcachcd.
#m<: Leslie John Tasker FCCA
Relei £l1)I profL55101)al qualifiLaiioii or bodi.: Associaiton of Chartered C¢rtifi¢d Accoui)ianis
Address.. R) elields L(d. Prog¥re55 Elouse. 404 Briohion Road. Souih C'roNdon. Surrcs L R• 6AN
Dale..
P¢ige 6
## **MERTON STREET PASTORS**
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES**
## **FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023**
|**Notes**
**INCOMING RESOURCES**
Donations and legacies
**Total incoming resources**
**RESOURCES EXPENDED**
**Charitable expenditure**
Activity costs to further charity's objectives
Support costs
**Total resources expended**
**Special write back**
**Net movement in funds**
**6**
At 1 January 2023
Fund transfers
**Balance at 31 December 2023**|**General**
**Other**
**Fund**
**Funds**
**£**
**£**
20,473
**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**
**Fund**
**Total Funds**
**2023**
Total Funds
2022
**£**
**£**
£
-
20,473
44,076
-|
|---|---|---|
||20,473
-|-
20,473
44,076|
||6,569
16,922|-
-
6,569
7,571
-
16,922
17,912|
||23,491
-|-
23,491
25,483|
||**-**
(3,018)
36,703|**-**
**-**
**-**
-
(3,018)
18,593
-
36,703
18,110
-|
||33,685
-|-
33,685
36,703|
The Notes to the Accounts form part of these Financial Statements
Page 7
## **MERTON STREET PASTORS**
## **BALANCE SHEET - 31 December 2023**
|**Notes**
**Current Assets**
Cash at bank and investments
**4**
Stock, Debtors and prepayments
**5**
**Net Current Assets**
**NET ASSETS**
**Capital and Reserves**
Share Capital
**6**
General fund
**7**
**CHARITY'S FUNDS**|**£**
33,685
-|**2023**
**£**
33,685|2022
**£**
21,703
15,000|
|---|---|---|---|
||33,685||36,703
36,703|
|||33,685|36,703|
|||-
33,685|-
36,703|
|||33,685|36,703|
Signed: ……………………………. ……………………………………… **K Vickers K Mitchell**
Page 8
## **MERTON STREET PASTORS**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - 31 DECEMBER 2023**
## **1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES**
## **(a) Basis of preparation of financial statements**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006. The Selsdon Centre Trust meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.
Reconciliation with previous Generally Accepted Accounting Practice In preparing the accounts, the trustees have considered whether in applying the accounting policies required by FRS 102 and the Charities SORP FRS 102 the restatement of comparative items was not required.
## **(b) Income**
Income is credited to the Statement of Financial Activities generally on the date it is received.
## **(c) Donations in kind**
Donations in kind are valued at nil cost to the Trust. A record of such assets is kept by the Trustees. When such assets are sold the proceeds are brought in as donation income in the Statement of Financial Activities.
## **(d) Expenditure**
Expenditure is charged to the Statement of Financial Activities inclusive of Value Added Tax.
## **(e) Realised gains and losses**
All gains and losses are taken to Statement of Financial Activities as they arise. Realised gains and losses on investments are calculated as the difference between sales proceeds and opening market value (purchase date if later).Unrealised gains and losses are calculated as the difference between the market value at the year end opening market value (or purchase date if later). Realised and unrealised gains are not separated in the Statement of Financial Activities.
## **2 EMPLOYEES REMUNERATION**
1 part time staff were employed by the Charity. The total of employees remuneration (including employers national insurance contributions) for the year amounted to £14,188)
## **3 TRUSTEE's REMUNERATION**
No remuneration or benefits were received by the trustees during the year. Any expenses paid were re-imbursement for costs incurred.
Page 9
## **MERTON STREET PASTORS**
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES**
## **FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023**
|**4.**
**CASH AT BANK AND IN HAND**
Treasurers Accounts
Treasurers Accounts
**5.**
**STOCK, DEBTORS AND PREPAYMENTS**
Debtor - Merton Council|**2023**
**2022**
**£**
£
33,610
21,650
75
53|
|---|---|
||33,685
21,703|
||-
15,000|
||-
15,000|
## **6. SHARE CAPITAL**
The company has no share capital issued.
**7. FUNDS**
|At 1 January 2023
Restricted items in year
Surplus for the year
31st December 2023|**Capital**
**General**
**Reserve**
**Fund**
**£**
**£**
-
36,703
-
-
-
(3,018)
-
33,685
**Unrestricted**|**Other Funds**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
-
36,703
-
-
-
(3,018)
**Restricted**|
|---|---|---|
|||-
33,685|
## **8. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS**
No trustee or other person related to the charity had any personal interest in any contract or transaction entered into by the charity during the year.
## **9. TAXATION**
As a charity, THE MERTON STREET PASTOR is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within section 505 of the Taxes Act 1988 or s256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects. No tax charges have arisen in the Charity.
Page 10
|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Incoming Resources-Income**
**£**
**£**
**Donations**
Donations
20,473
Grants
Other Income
20,473
-
**Total income**
20,473
-
**Resources expended- Expenditure**
**Charitable expenditure**
Activity costs to further charity's activities
Uniforms
General Operational Costs
1,187
Licence fees
5,382
6,569
-
**Support costs**
Staff salaries and national insurance
14,188
Pension costs
552
Rent
-
Repairs and Maintenance
-
DBS Checks
145
Insurance
369
Telephone
312
Training
-
Accountancy costs
173
Social Media costs
Office admin
1,116
Other expenses
67
16,922
-
Total expenditure
23,491
-
-
Surplus/(Deficit) for the period
(3,018)
-
**2023**
**MERTON STREET PASTORS**
**DETAILED INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT**
**FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Incoming Resources-Income**
**£**
**£**
**Donations**
Donations
20,473
Grants
Other Income
20,473
-
**Total income**
20,473
-
**Resources expended- Expenditure**
**Charitable expenditure**
Activity costs to further charity's activities
Uniforms
General Operational Costs
1,187
Licence fees
5,382
6,569
-
**Support costs**
Staff salaries and national insurance
14,188
Pension costs
552
Rent
-
Repairs and Maintenance
-
DBS Checks
145
Insurance
369
Telephone
312
Training
-
Accountancy costs
173
Social Media costs
Office admin
1,116
Other expenses
67
16,922
-
Total expenditure
23,491
-
-
Surplus/(Deficit) for the period
(3,018)
-
**2023**
**MERTON STREET PASTORS**
**DETAILED INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT**
**FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023**|**Total**
Total
**2023**
2022
**£**
£
20,473
43,976
-
-
-
100
-
-|
|---|---|---|
||20,473
-|20,473
44,076|
|||-
-|
||20,473
-|20,473
44,076|
||1,187
5,382|-
-
-
-
1,187
1,918
5,382
5,652
-
-|
||6,569
-|6,569
7,571|
||14,188
552
-
-
145
369
312
-
173
1,116
67|14,188
14,002
552
506
-
-
-
-
145
322
369
-
312
327
-
-
173
1,037
-
864
1,116
105
67
749|
||16,922
-|16,922
17,912|
||23,491
-
-|23,491
25,483
-
-|
||(3,018)
-|(3,018)
18,593|
Page 11