2021-09-30-accounts

HASTINGS UNITARIAN CHURCH CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION (CIO)

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

For the period 1 October 2020 – to 30 September 2021

Reference and Administrative Detail

Charity name: Hastings Unitarian Church Charitable Incorporated Organisation

Registered charity number: 1166588

Charity’s address: Hastings Unitarian Church South Terrace Hastings East Sussex TN34 1SA

Names of Charity’s Trustees:

1. Peter Sanders (Chairman)

2. Daniel Costley

3. Alan Larcombe

4. Joanna Lemon

5. Ida Ward

6. Frances Williamson

7. Norman Williamson

8. Safar Wisby

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The Trustees were appointed at the Annual General Meeting.

Names and addresses of advisers

1. The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, Essex Hall, 1 – 6 Essex Street, London WC2R 3HY

2. London District & South Eastern Provincial Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, Essex Hall, 1 – 6 Essex Street, London WC2R 3HY.

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of the Charity’s Trusts

Governing document: Constitution (Revised addition adopted 3 June 2018).

The Charity is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)

Trustees are appointed at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) for a term of office of three years. By staggering the dates of office three trustees will resign each year but are eligible for re-election.

Following the formation of the CIO in April 2016 the first financial year was extended from April 2016 to

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September 2017 to fit with the Church’s normal financial year of

1 October to 30 September. The first AGM was then held in the following June (2018) however since then all further AGMs have taken place in March with the exception of the AGM in 2021 which was held in May of that year due to Covid restrictions.

Objectives and Activities

The object of the CIO is the promotion of religion in accordance with the principles of the General Assembly of the Unitarian and Free Christian Churches.

Summary of the main activities for the public benefit

The Unitarian Church offers a place to meet and worship in an atmosphere of freedom. Our Unitarian movement has a long and proud history dating back to the mid-sixteenth century, however there are no dogmas or creeds to adhere to and freedom of thought and spiritual inquiry is encouraged with complete tolerance and respect for other faiths or none .

Membership is free and open to all who wish to join. Services are held every Sunday morning and subsidiary meetings may be held during the week for meditation, prayer and discussion. Other community groups and societies also hire the church eg, circle dancing and Narcotics Anonymous, for their meetings.

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Except for the Lay Pastor, who is currently training for the Ministry, all trustees and officers of the Church are volunteers and receive no remuneration except for legitimate expenses. SUMMARY OF MAIN EVENTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS OVER THE YEAR

Given the challenges arising from the Covid 19 pandemic and its variants the church has weathered the storm very well. The church, of necessity, had to lock-down following Government guidance and strictures and, when allowed to open its doors again observed social distancing and other safeguarding measures. The church is fortunate in having an immunologist as a member (and past chairman) who was able to offer advice regarding Government guidelines.

The introduction of new technology and on-line software packages meant that even when we were in lock-down we could share our services to church members via zoom.

The purchase of additional equipment, ie, professional camera, large flat screen TV, sound system, etc. enabled our services to be broadcast more widely. This technology also means that service leaders were able to take services remotely. Ways to improve the service by, eg, additional training for volunteers or getting outside help is being considered.

A generous bequest from a former member of the congregation enabled the church to purchase and

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install the kit after careful deliberation by the Trustees and Congregational Committee.

Following the resignation of the Church’s lay pastor, Stephen Crowther, in September 2020, we were fortunate in securing the services of Jennifer Sanders as our new Lay Pastor. She has made a significant contribution to the Church and we are pleased that she is now training for the ministry.

Regrettably, Norman Williamson, who has been chair of the Church since it became a CIO, felt that it was time to step down as Chairman but continues as a Trustee. The Church owes a debt of gratitude to him especially in leading the Church to its status as a CIO. His contribution to the church has been immense.

Peter Sanders has replaced him as Chairman. The church wishes him luck.

Church attendance remains steady and we have been pleased that some existing and new members have joined us through zoom.

Due to the sad loss of Tom McLelland-Young last year the church has been without a regular organist and has relied on prepared CDs and streamed music. The church has now engaged a professional organist, Stephen Page, once a month. We are grateful to him.

Thanks to a generous bequest the Church’s is in a good financial position. Following a motion from the

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General Assembly of Unitarian & Free Christian Churches regarding fossil fuels together with a requirement to periodically review church investments a decision has been taken to transfer some funds to an ethically based fund manager which is expected to give the church a higher yield. The Church is very grateful to Michael Stewart who advises the church on investments and also acts as the Church’s bookkeeper. He gives his expertise and time without charge.

The Church is very fortunate in having among its congregation people who are willing to take on roles and duties without remuneration requiring much time and who work together in furtherance of the aims of the Church.

The Church would like to record its thanks to Pat Hitchman and Simon Edson for their good offices in maintaining the church.

The following documents, which form part of this report, are attached as annexes:

Lay Pastor’s Report Annex 1 Congregational Chairman’s Report Annex 2

Lettings Report Annex 3 Receipts and Payment Account Independent examiner’s report on Filed as the accounts PDF docs. Trustees’ Declaration

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ANNEX I LAY PASTOR'S REPORT

It seems almost incomprehensible that two years have passed since Covid touched our shores and the way that we worship changed forever. A year ago my report was written with only 5 months of leadership at Hastings and during a further lockdown. Since that time we have returned to live services with the addition of hybrid Zoom services for those not able to return or prefer to worship from home. This has proved invaluable as we traversed the unstable landscape of Omicron where more of the congregation chose to attend via the tech link

We didn't waste our time in Lockdown in the early part of last year - far from it. We provided weekly online services to all those who could connect from care homes to overseas visitors as well as telephone connection or written services for those not connected to the internet.

Although not perhaps our first choice of how to be together it brought a sense of community and many remarked on the intimacy that zoom offered giving way to a deeper level of sharing.

Four of the congregation attended the leading change in the congregation course online. This provided an invaluable starting point to review, discuss and plan changes in the church

We felt that Hastings needed a metaphorical facelift in terms of its welcome and thanks to the LDPA who have gifted a new website which although slow to construct is well on its way and we hope to have this up and running in the next few months. We hope that this will improve our visibility in Hastings and give virtual visitors a taste of what we do, who we are and what we can offer.

Seeking Exploring Sharing A welcoming spiritual community

The above is Hastings Unitarian Church’s new, welcoming statement something that took time in our meeting together to agree but simply reflects what we do as a community.

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We have a mix of live services, led by our Lay pastor and now student minister, congregational members - some of whom have taken the leap for the first time and visiting leaders from the district and beyond. Approx every 6 weeks we have been able to offer an online projected service linking us up to service leaders further afield which has brought a rich and eclectic mix to the congregation.

Services have evolved into a more relaxed approach with a semi circular set up. We noted that zoom had provided us with the opportunity to look at each other during worship and this now continues live and creates a greater intimacy.

Other changes to the church have included a decorative facelift in the kitchen and lavatories. The upstairs is undergoing new flooring and dismantling of a disused room to make way for a new light open space for informal meetings and pastoral care.

Much of this work has been made possible by a legacy from a former long standing member of the church. We are very grateful to Mary Burbage for her generous donation and a new stained glass oval window depicting her is in progress .We look forward to displaying this in due course..

The committee took the decision to upgrade and install equipment to assist in the changing way we deliver our services. This took place recently and we are slowly finding our way with new technology. It’s important to put out a consistent and high quality service via zoom and to that end we have

simplified our services whilst some congregational members get used to the technology

Along with the loss of Tom McClelland Young, our beloved organist, we also said good bye to Phil, who although hadn’t been in touch during the pandemic had been a regular to the church with his late wife. A memorial will take place for him later this year

We were contacted last year by a local family asking for support for their brother in Thailand who had been a life long Unitarian and was terminally Ill . Through zoom he joined the congregation for several months last year.

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His memorial service was held at the church a few months ago linking those in the church with family members in this country and in Thailand . Technology for all its shortcomings has played such an important part of the church this past year.

Some groups have returned to using the church again and we are exploring ways in which the space can be used in connection with local food banks under the umbrella of the Trussell Trust.

There is always so much to do and so little time and as for many with small congregations we have found it difficult to fill certain roles and are looking at other ways we can find administrative support. However all of the congregation are involved in someway in the upkeep of the church giving generously of their time and skills, love, prayers and connection and we are grateful to all of them for keeping this precious sacred space alive and welcoming in the heart of Hastings .

It has been a busy year and one in which we are back together worshiping together supporting each other and of course having that all important cup of tea and a biscuit together !

With recent atrocities in Ukraine we are grateful for all that we have.

Jennifer Sanders - Lay Pastor, Hastings Unitarian Church

March 2022

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ANNEX 2 CONGREGATIONAL COMMITTEE’S CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

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Hopefully, this new year will see an end to the uncertainty of the past two years, and we can now return to the “new normal” what ever that is. We have managed to soldier on despite the difficulties more or less intact. Our congregation has held up fairly well, ably guided by our lay preacher Jennifer, to whom we are grateful.

The fabric of the church is fairly sound, but we still have not had some of the essential work done and are struggling to find a company that wish to undertake the work. An elderly building such as ours will always need maintaining and we have to make provision in our budget to keep the building up to standard.

The new tech has proved tiresome, but as far as the equipment is concerned, we are almost there; using the equipment to best advantage is on-going and we could seek additional advice in that direction.

We hope to involve all of the congregation in how the Unitarian Church can play a more important part in the well being of the Hastings community and open our doors, not just for a short time on Sundays, but offer our facilities for those organizations that could benefit from its use.

My thanks to all officers, helpers, leaders, and our congregation for their moral and financial contribution.

Alan Larcombe

March 2022

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ANNEX 3 LETTINGS’ SECRETARY REPORT

In my report to the AGM in May 2021 I described the year as completely unprecedented, and pointed out the lack of activity in the church as a result of the pandemic lockdown, something we all endured as a nation and not just as a community.

Since then it’s very gratifying to see how we are moving forward despite initial hesitations and concerns regarding Covid, though I know that for many of us those concerns still linger on in the back of our minds, especially when reports of high numbers of infection stubbornly persist.

It would appear that this virus is just another challenge we will have to learn to live with, and it is rewarding to see how we have come together, embraced new technology and adapted. Conscious that our church is first and foremost a place of worship, we started with hybrid Sunday services, both in person and on Zoom, and complemented that worship with our Heart and Soul meetings.

Members of the congregation were also very pleased that our friends in the wider community were able to join us when we began Circle Dancing again.

Our Unitarian church is still a member of the Interfaith Forum for Hastings and Rother; before Covid they held at least four meetings a year in our church, however they still prefer to make use of technology and keep their monthly Tuesday evening meetings on Zoom; it’s hoped that some day soon they will also feel able to return and join together in person.

It has been very encouraging to see how many of our loyal clients are determined to adapt to the ‘new normal’ and continue with the social activities that they have previously enjoyed.

The Saturday group from Narcotics Anonymous were the first to return in June of 2021.

The Krishna’s returned in August and they meet twice a month on Thursday evenings.

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The Townswomen's Guild Returned in September and they meet monthly on Friday afternoons.

The NFOP ( post office pensioners) returned in January 2022; they meet monthly on Thursday afternoons, and this year they will hold a total of eleven meetings with us.

The Class Choir also returned in January meeting every Wednesday evening.

The most important thing is that our clients are all very happy to be back with us.

Frances Williamson

March 2022

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DECLARATION*

The Trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:

Signatures: Peter Sanders Norman Williamson

Full name: PETER SANDERS NORMAN WILLIAMSON

Position held: CHAIRMAN, TRUSTEE

Date: 24 JULY 2022 24 JULY 2022

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• Original document held with Hastings CIO. 16

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CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLA￿1 ￿ WALE5 Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Roport to tha trusts members of Hastings Unitarlan Church On accounts for tho year ended Saptember 2021 Charlty no {If any) 1166588 Sot out on pag8s 2 Pages Iremembw io irlAle Ihe page nunit)ws ol ¥Jddlli(Thl shL3otsI I report to th8 tru8tees on my oxamination of the accounts of the above d)arity (Ihe T￿￿r} for the year ended r I Xih¥P: .' YIW,. As the charivs trustees. you are resp)nsibl8 forlhe preparation of the accounts in accordan( wlth the requiremerrts of the Charities Act 2011 Acr). Rèsponslbllltl•s and basls of roport I r8POrt In respect of my exam1r￿kn.on of th8 Tru8Ys accy)unts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying OLrt my examlnatlon, I have followed all the applkable Direclons given by Ihe Charlty Commission urKI8r section 145(SXb) of tho A Indèpendent trhe charftls gro$8 Inwma exceeded £250.LMX) aryj l am qu8llfled to •xamlnerfs Statement undertake the examlnatlon by ￿ng a qualrfled member of [Ins8rt name of appIl￿ble Isted body]]. Delete [ l rfnot appliGable. I hava cMipl8bJ my &xamirtation. I fX)nfinn that no material matters have cA)me to my attention in (x)nneciion wlth the gxamlnation {0th8r than that disdosed below") which giv88 me caus8 to believe that in. any materlal pecL' the a￿OUn￿.n9 re￿rdS ￿re not k8Pt in a¢cord8nc8 with section 130 of the Charities ACL. or the accounts did not a¢cyJrd wllh th8 ac￿UntIng records; or thè a(wunts dwj not comply the appllcable rg]uirernents concaming trte fo￿ and content of accounts set out In thè Charftles (Accounts arKI Reports) Regulations 2008 olher Ihan any requirement that the acu)unts giv8 a Irue and faiff vlaw whlch is not a matter )rk8idered as part of an Independent examinallon. I have no ￿ncernS and have come across no other matters In ￿nneCtIOn with the examination to which attention should be drawn In this report in order to enable a proper understsnding of the aco)unts to be reached. . Please delete the in the lTrckets rfthey do not appty. Dat•: Signod: Name: Alison Suggitt Relevant wofessional qualification{s) or body A4T IER Oct 2018

rrf any): Addr 33 Cambridge Gard8ns Hastings Section B Disclosure Only complete rf the examiner needs to hlghlight material matters of concem (s88 CG32, Independent examination of (*arity a({￿nts. direth'ons and gUIdan￿ for examiners). Glve hern briof d•tails of any Items that th• •xamin•r wish08 to dlsclo60. Mcmath AcC￿nIanCY SeNk¥8 33 C8mkndg8 Road Ha8tings East Sussex TN34 1EN 01424 4580TI IER Oct 2018

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAM) AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examin•rfs Report Raport to tho trusto members of Hastings Unitarlan Church On accounts for the year endod September 2021 Charfty no (rf any) 1166588 Sot out on pagos 2 Pages Irememts kn ifidulè. the p8oe nunit)**r$ of 8ddllirxid shoelsl I r8POrt to the trust88s on my examination of the accounts of the above rity (Ihe Trusf) for the year ended -. - , . RÉsponslbllltles and basis of report AS tha charrvs trustees. you ere responsible forthg preparation of the accounts in accordan1￿ wrth the requirements of Ihe Charities Act 2011 (1he Acr). I r8POrt In rospact of my axamlnation of th8 Tru8f8 accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my 8xamlnatlon, I have followed all Ihe applk4ble Dlrecttons given by the Charity Commisslon und8r s8Ction 145(5Xb) of the A Indopendent tThe charftys gross Ino)m8 exceeded £250,OtX) and l am qualtf18d to oxamlngfs statsm•nt undettske Ihe examlnatlon by belng a qualtfied memb8r of On$8rt name of appIl￿ble listed bTrJy]]. D818t8 [ ] rfnot appliGable. I hav8 uJmpl8t8d my examination. I tt￿t no material matters have come to my attention in conrwtion wlth the examlnation (other than that disclos&J beluw") which give8 me (xuse to b8li6ve that in. any mat8rtal respect: the accounting recor(Is ￿re not kept in accord8nc8 wth section 130 of the CharRFes ArA" or th8 accounts not ac(th wlth the a￿oUntIng records; or the a￿oUnts did not wlth the appllcable requlrements nc8ming the form and o)ntenl of accounts set out in the Charfties (AC￿)unts and ReFrf)rtsl Rwjulations 2008 olher than any requirement tr￿t the a¢￿Unts givo a Irug and fairf view which is not a matter ¢onsid8red 88 part of an independent exarnlnation. I have no concerns and have com8 across no other matters in connection with the examination to whth attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a Fyoper understandlng of the accounts to be raached. . Pl&7se delete Ihe wcyds in the br8ckets if they do not apply. Signed: Alison Suggitt Relevant professional qualification(s) or body A4T IER Oct 2018

(if any): Address: 33 Cambridge Gardens Hastings Section B Disclosure Only complete tr the examiner needs to hlghlight material matters of conc£m (see CC32. Independent wmlnatH)n of tharity accounts: diredions and guidance for examiners). Glve h8r6 brfof details of any Items that t examiner wish•s to dlsd060. Mcmath Accountancy Sey 33 Cambndg6 Road Hastings East Suss8x TN34 1EN 01424 458077 IER Oct 2018