Trustees’ annual report for the period
| Trustees’ annual report for the period | Trustees’ annual report for the period | Trustees’ annual report for the period | Trustees’ annual report for the period | Trustees’ annual report for the period | Trustees’ annual report for the period | Trustees’ annual report for the period | Trustees’ annual report for the period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | Period start date | To | Period end date | ||||
| 1 | January | 2025 | 31 | December | 2025 |
Charity name The Group-based Open Learning Discipleship Project
Registered charity number (if any)[1166567 ]
Objectives and activities
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
SORP reference Para 1.17 Para 1.17 and 1.19 |
|
|---|---|---|
| The objects of the CIO are: (1) the advancement of the Christian religion both in the United Kingdom and in other parts of the world by: (a) the provision of interactive self-study courses and programmes to be undertaken at home but supplemented and supported by a tutor and interactive group discussions designed to increase understanding of the Bible, Christian doctrine and related subjects and thereby better equip students for discipleship, ministry (whether ordained or lay) and mission in various Christian denominations; (b) such other exclusively charitable means as the trustees may from time to time determine. (2) the advancement of education by assisting in the training of men and women in their understanding of the Christian religion to equip them better for discipleship, ministry (whether ordained or lay) and mission in various Christian denominations. |
||
| In order to help Christians grow and apply their faith at home, in the church and society, the GOLD project: a) provides interactive learning resources to enable systematic study of the Bible and other theological subjects; b) appoints and trains tutors to organise and run local study groups; c) runs regional study days for the benefit of students, tutors and other Christians; d) publicises its activities and runs promotional events in local churches. |
January 1[st] to December 31[st] 2025
GOLD Project Trustees’ annual report for the period:
Page 2 of 7
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | The GOLD Project is established for the benefit of the public in the areas of education and the advancement of the Christian religion. In setting up the charity, the trustees consulted with the Charity Commission in both of these areas. The Charity seeks to follow best educational practice and is open to work with various Christian denominations. |
|---|---|---|
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| Policy on grant making Policy on social investment including programme related investment Contribution made by volunteers Other |
SORP reference Para 1.38 Para 1.38 Para 1.38 |
|
|---|---|---|
| The charity maintains a policy on grant making to ensure transparency and openness in assigning bursaries from the restricted fund (the Monica Fund) set up for this purpose (December 2015). This policy was reviewed by the Trustees in September 2025. |
||
| The Trustees continue to invest a significant amount of the GOLD Project assets (c£27,000) in an Ethical Investment Fund. The publishing and delivery of our courses seek to take account of their environmental impact and our printing partner invests 10% of their profits in supporting work amongst the homeless in Oxford. Our courses deliberately seek to consider issues faced by learners with dyslexia and dyspraxia as well as other learners who have traditionallybeen excluded from Christian and theological studies. |
||
| Each learning group is led by voluntary group leaders who are normally selected by the local church and trained by GOLD Project. The Director of the GOLD Project continues to give up to 2 days per week as a volunteer. |
||
| **Achievements and performan ** | ce | |
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
SORP reference Para 1.20 |
|
| The GOLD Project’s main activity in 2025 has continued to be the support of learning in our Study Groups by providing materials and supporting the voluntary tutors who run the groups. In 2025 we have continued to see a mixture of face-to-face and online groups which allow people from various locations to join a study group. In addition to our regular groups, we have continued to work with prison chaplains to support the study of students in two prisons. We have continued to support our GOLD Leaders through ongoing training and meetings. In 2025, we have focussed on consolidating our work within a reduced budget. Our marketing has focussed on strengthening our connections with the networks in which we are already involved. Much of our focus has also been in seeking ways to secure a viable future for the GOLD Project in negotiation with SEAN International with a view to combining our resources in 2026. In 2025 we have seen 15 active course groups making use of our course materials in 12 different locations including 3 groups studying in Zoom groups and active students in 2 prisons. |
GOLD Project Trustees’ annual report for the period:
January 1[st] to December 31[st] 2025
Page 3 of 7
We have continued to served by a part-time administrator and a part-time voluntary Director. Our groups are run entirely by volunteer group leaders.
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| Achievements against objectives set Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set Investment performance against objectives Other |
SORP reference Para 1.41 Para 1.41 Para 1.41 |
|
|---|---|---|
| The Trustees continue the strategic direction of the Charity in terms of achieving the objectives of the Charity. Increasing costs and the challenges of running a small charity owing to the burden of compliance, the Trustees are actively engaged in negotiating a possible merger with SEAN International who are already one of our key partners. This will enable us to focus on our core mission while sharing key administrative and governance aspects of the organisation. In 2024, the Trustees cashed in some of its assets and was also the beneficiary of a significant Access to Grant to enable the work of our part-time administrator. In 2025, the Trustees reduced costs significantly by making one staff member redundant and by not paying the Director for any of his services. At the end of 2025, the Director was in the process of becoming a Mission Partner of Interserve where he will receive a salary supported by various individuals and churches and through other activities that he is involved with. |
||
| Financial review | ||
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
SORP reference Para 1.21 Para 1.22 |
|
| During the accounting period, the GOLD Project had total receipts of£27,046including the realisation of some of our investment funds and an Access to Work grant to support the administrator. Without these additional funds, our receipts would have been £8,534 (down from £15,031). This reduction in our receipts is mainly because the commitment by one donor to give £5,000 each year for the 3 previous years towards salaries had come to an end. Receipts from course fees and study days were approximately £3,903 (up from £3,530 in 2024). In accordance with the Trustees plan to reduce our costs, the total payments for 2025 were£21,995 (down from £31,786 in 2024). Largely due to the grant from the Government’s Access to Work programme, we were nevertheless able to invest in improving the working support for our administrator by investing £6,922 in equipment and training. The real reduction in operating costs compared to 2024 was therefore £16,712. |
||
| The Trustees of GOLD Project have an agreed a policy to hold six months’ operating costs as reserves. With the addition of the salary for a part-time Marketing Officer, the budget for 2026 anticipates a total annual operating expenditure of £14,040 which means that the reserve for the coming year should be set at £7,020. |
GOLD Project Trustees’ annual report for the period:
January 1[st] to December 31[st] 2025
Page 4 of 7
| Page4of7 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Amount of reserves held Reasons for holding zero reserves Details of fund materially in deficit Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.22 Para 1.22 Para 1.24 Para 1.23 |
Unrestricted Cash funds at 31/12/2025 were: £5,716.95. Restricted Cash funds (bursary fund) at 31/12/2025 were: £ 1,929.05. COIF Ethical Investment fund at 31/12/2025 was valued at: £27,122.51. (restricted £4,198.32 and unrestricted £22,924.19). Liabilities of £10,000 from an interest free loan mean that the overall assets of GOLD Project as of 31/12/2025 stood at £24,769. |
| N/A | ||
| N/A | ||
| As Trustees, we are seeking ways to ensure that our charitable objects can continue in the future. As it stands, the Charity is in discussion with SEAN International about merging our operations and assets to enable a secure future for the objectives of the charity. If these efforts are not successful, the Trustees will need to consider whether the charity is viable. |
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising) Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted A description of the principal risks facing the charity Other |
SORP reference Para 1.47 Para 1.46 Para 1.46 |
|
|---|---|---|
| The Charity has two main sources of funds for its operations. First, the fees charged to students for studying courses and attendance at Study Days. Second, we have a small group of donors who give regularly to the work of the charity. In addition, in 2025 we received an Access to Work grant from the government to invest in equipment and trainingfor our administrator. |
||
| GOLD Project received a significant donation at its inception. A significant part of this has been invested in COIF Ethical Investment fund in keeping with the values of the Charity. The Charity will seek to use its assets in furthering the aims and objectives of the GOLD Project. |
||
| The principal risks facing the charity are the financial and administrative burden of running a small charity with very few staff. The ability to recruit, train and retain suitable leaders to ensure the consistent quality of the learning experience needs time, energy and finance. The renewal and revision of courses and learning materials also requires significant investment. Ongoing challenges face the charity in persuading churches and individuals to invest time and money in significant study of the Bible and other Christian disciplines at a time when people face the pressure of time and finances. The GOLD Project seeks to develop significant links with national and local churches to mitigate against these risks. We struggle to try to balance the need for compliance with increasing regulations while focusing on our charitable objectives. |
||
GOLD Project Trustees’ annual report for the period:
January 1[st] to December 31[st] 2025
Page 5 of 7
Structure, governance and management
Description of charity’s trusts:
SORP reference Type of governing document: for example, trust deed, Para 1.25 Constitution (Charitable Incorporated Organisation 2016) memorandum and articles of association etc How is the charity constituted? for example limited Para 1.25 Charitable Incorporated Organisation company, unincorporated association, CIO Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions Para 1.25 Trustees e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| SORP reference Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees Para 1.51 The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works Para 1.51 Relationship with any related parties Para 1.51 Other |
|
|---|---|
| Potential Trustees are invited to attend meetings of the Trustees as observers. Once they become Trustees they are given access to the Charity’s governing documents, policies and meeting minutes and are encouraged to read information from the Charity Commission such as “The essential trustee”. |
|
| GOLD Project seeks to work with various churches but has no formal connection with any particular denomination. The charity seeks to strengthen and establish links UK churches by through its membership of both the Evangelical Alliance (https://www.eauk.org/)and the Churches together in England (https://cte.org.uk). |
|
| GOLD Project has a formal agreement with SEAN UK to offer their courses at different levels for use by local churches. We are members of NCVO and will be seeking to create links with other related organisations in the coming year. The charity networks with other Theological institutions through the European Council for Theological Education(https://ecte.eu/ ). |
|
Reference and administrative details
Charity name The Group-based Open Learning Discipleship Project Other name the charity uses GOLD Project
GOLD Project Trustees’ annual report for the period:
January 1[st] to December 31[st] 2025
Registered charity number Charity’s principal address
Page 6 of 7
1166567 10 Moorend Gardens, Lawrence Weston, Bristol BS11 0JL
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
| Trustee name | Office (if any) |
Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (if any) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rev Dr John Nolland | Chair | Trustees | |
| Mrs Samantha DorothyHands | Trustees | ||
| Dr David Mark Ball | Director/ Secretary |
Trustees | |
| Ben Stansfield | Trustees | ||
| Rev Christopher Jolyon Trickey | Trustees | ||
| Rev Richard Moy | Trustees |
Corporate trustees – names of the directors at the date the report was approved
| Director name | |
|---|---|
| N/A | |
| Name of trustees holdingtitle topropertybelongingto the charity | |
| Trustee name | Dates acted if not for wholeyear |
| N/A |
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
Description of the assets held in this capacity
Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects
Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
N/A
N/A
N/A
Additional information (optional)
Names and addresses of advisers (optional information)
Type of adviser Name Address
GOLD Project Trustees’ annual report for the period:
January 1[st] to December 31[st] 2025
Page 7 of 7
GOLD Project Trustees’ annual report for the period:
January 1[st] to December 31[st] 2025
YOT •7 1•7AT iJ• Jil75 ijw 1tJ •7 •k7• y &nlJl AV 1•7J7
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of THE GROUP-BASED OPEN LEARNING DISCIPLESHIP PROJECT On accounts for the year ended 31 DECEMBER 2025 Charity no lif any) 1166567 Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination ofthe accounts ofthe above charity I'lhe TrusY} for the year ended 3111212025. Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you a responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ("the Act"). I report in respect of my examination of the Trusl's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 14515)(bl of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come to my attention (other than that disclosed below "l in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect.. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the a¢¢ounts do not accord with the accounling records Independent examiner's statement I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts lo be reached. Ple 8 delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Signed: Date: . Name: Patrick F O'conor Bsc FCA Relevant professional | ICAEW qualificationls) or body lif any): Address: 51 Downs Park West Bristol BS6 7QL IER October 2018
Section B Disclosure Only complete If the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern {see CC32. Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and guidan for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. None IER October 2018