## **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**£27,046**including 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** |Page**4**of**7**||| |---|---|---| |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 1*tJ •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