Trustees Annual Report 1 September 2023 – 31 August 2024
SECTION B
GOVERNANCE ISSUES (OPTIONAL INFORMATION)
The Private Limited Company limited by guarantee, Company Number 10016724, Wildwood Church Stafford , has Charity Incorporation status registered as a charity Number 1169325.
Trustees meetings were held seven times throughout the year in-person and on Zoom. The Company AGM was held in January 2024.
SECTION C
SUMMARY OF THE OBJECTS OF THE CHARITY..........
To advance Christian religion in accordance with the doctrinal basis of faith of the Evangelical Alliance
SUMMARY OF THE MAIN ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT IN RELATION TO THESE OBJECTS (INCLUDES WITHIN THIS SECTION THE STATUTORY DECLARATION THAT TRUSTEES HAVE HAD REGARD TO THE GUIDANCE ISSUED BY THE CHARITY COMMISSION ON PUBLIC BENEFIT)
The year 2023– 2024
Church services are in person each week and are open to all. Visitors and guests attend church services and other events, many of which are not subject to any charge. In addition the charity live-streams Sunday services on YouTube to continue to be available to people who are unable to attend in person. We meet at Beaconside conference centre but have used Barnfields School Hall for some midweek meetings and during the summer we have used Wildwood Community Centre. The children meet each week and are joining the main service at the beginning and then move into their own groups.
The charity maintains The Gateway centre on Wildwood estate, Stafford, as community rooms and church offices. The facility is small but is well used through the week by groups of older and younger people as well as, in 2023/4 groups learning English.
Open, school and church-based youth work for all ages continued with the two gap year students and the youth leader maintaining good connections with the young people.
1
At Christmas the Church hosted a Family Christmas Show, Red Riding Hood by Saltmine Theatre Company, that was very well attended. At Easter there was a family Easter Trail with food and refreshments for the wider community. We engaged with more new people through a Family Barn Dance and International BBQ. Men’s breakfasts have been taking place most months and there have been Church lunches following services. Over 100 people from the Church and wider network attended Church Weekends away at Whitemoor Lakes centre in September and May.
The church has been running an Alpha course, Life skills course (CAP) and First Steps toddler group. Home groups for adults and young adults have been meeting and numbers attending have increased during the year.
There has been a popular and committed group at ‘drop in’ Friday Coffee Morning attended mainly by older people, (up to 20 people each week), and a ‘Knit and Natter’ group meeting on a Thursday averaging 8 people each week.
Direct aid overseas continued to be provided to Liberia and indirectly overseas aid was provided through the Christ Central Churches, an organisation of which we are members. A contribution towards the church plant in Chemnitz, eastern Germany, was made in 2023/4.
A Christmas collection was shared between the Food Bank at Rising Brook and our church contacts in Liberia.
SECTION C ADDITIONAL DETAILS OF OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES (OPTIONAL INFORMATION)
Most of our community-based activities are planned, organised and delivered by volunteers. Some were regular weekly activities such as Knit and Natter and a Friday Coffee Morning. The volunteers generally work in small teams and for relevant activities are DBS checked, they have undertaken First Aid and/or safeguarding training for children/vulnerable adults and risk assessments are also completed. They are supported by the Church leadership.
In addition to our own church services and activities we also work in partnership with the ChristCentral Churches network, other local churches e.g. Anglicans, Catholics, Methodists and Baptists as part of the group of Stafford churches known as Love Stafford, and with Youth Net, the local organisation supporting church-based youth work.
SECTION D
SUMMARY OF THE MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE CHARITY DURING THE YEAR
The Gateway building which we lease on Wildwood estate as a church office and base for our work continues to be a great asset in delivering our vision, to showcase, to all people, His glory, beauty and justice as we encounter Jesus, the God who is love. The building has been used as a base for staff over this year, but also for team meetings, Home groups who preferred a bit more space and for Youth Groups, Knit
2
and Natter, English classes, the Friday Coffee morning and First Steps toddler group.
We continued to employ 4 staff during 2023-24, approximately 3 Whole Time Equivalents (WTE) and regular review of their contribution to and leadership of our work.
We continue to work in partnership with Global Volunteer Services (GVS) in Germany and Time for God. The two gap year students recruited for 2023- 24 contributed greatly to youth work. Their main activity has been working with the schools, one to one and group work. The student also contributed to a range of general activities within the charity. The students receive training/briefing and debriefing from GVS and Time for God before and after coming to the UK and meet up with their cohort in the UK during the year. As well as contributing significantly to youth work, we have also observed great development in the students themselves including their skills, confidence, and appreciation of another culture.
SECTION E FINANCIAL REVIEW
BRIEF STATEMENT ON CHARITY’S POLICY ON RESERVES
We have maintained reserves at a reasonable level which will cover the cost of statutory redundancy payments for three months for our staff if the charity’s activity were to cease.
FURTHER FINANCIAL REVIEW DETAILS
Events organised by the church and the running of the church are funded by the Church members. This level of giving has generally been maintained at flat cash throughout this year, which has not kept pace with inflation.
The trustees identified in 2023 that the level of near-cash holdings was high (in excess of £120k on a turnover of £180k). This is separate from the reserves maintained against redundancy and other required costs referenced above. Since then, trustees have agreed to support a number of activities in furtherance of the charity’s objectives, including evangelistic and teaching weekends away for church members and guests, support for the Chemnitz church plant and hosting two gap year students. As a result, near-cash reserves were lower at the end of the 2023/4 financial year. The charity has reduced its expenditure in 2024/5 and appealed to church members to increase their charitable giving: income and expenditure are currently closer to the balanced budget established for 2024/5.
3
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees/ Wildwood Church members of
| On accounts for the year | 31 August 2024 | Charity no | 1169325 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ended | (if any) | |||
| Set out on pages | 1-2 | |||
| (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets) | (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets) |
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/08/2024 .
Responsibilities and As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the basis of report accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have examiner's statement come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
-
the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
-
the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
-
the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
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: | T. Herriott | Date: | 31/01/2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name: | Tim Herriott; | ||
| Relevant professional | ACA BA | ||
| qualification(s) or body | |||
| (if any): | |||
| Address: | Tim Herriott Enterprises | ||
| 15 Briarsleigh, Wildwood | |||
| STAFFORD ST17 4QP |
Oct 2018
1
IER
IER Oct 2018
| Charity Name | No (if any) | No (if any) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildwood Church Stafford | 1169325 | |||||||||
| Receipts and payments accounts | CC16a | |||||||||
| For the period from |
For the period | 01/09/2023 Period start date |
To | 31/08/2024 Period end date |
||||||
| Section A Receipts and payments | ||||||||||
| Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Endowment funds |
Total funds | Last year | ||||||
| to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | |||||
| A1 Receipts | ||||||||||
| Offerings & Gifts, Gift Aid (Covenants) | 122,813 | 27,961 | - | 150,774 | 140,455 | |||||
| Tax Refund | 19,012 | 4,078 | - | 23,090 | 25,937 | |||||
| Grants/Funds | - | - | - | - | 381 | |||||
| Church Activities togenerate funds | 8,070 | - | - | 8,070 | 4,497 | |||||
| Bank Interest | 737 | - | - | 737 | 349 | |||||
| Other Income | 500 | - | - | 500 | - | |||||
| Sub total(Gross income for | (Gross income for | |||||||||
| AR) | AR)151,132 | 32,039 | - | 183,171 | 171,619 | |||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). - - - - Sub total - - Total receipts 151,132 32,039 ~~= ~~ |
- - - - - - - - - 183,171 171,619 ~~——=~~ |
|||||||||
| A3 Payments | ||||||||||
| See Attached Schedule A | 179,682 | - | - | 179,682 | 156,231 | |||||
| Charitable Activities | - | 49,824 | - | 49,824 | 39,712 | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| **Sub total ** | 179,682 | 49,824 | - | 229,506 | 195,943 | |||||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) - - - - Materials /IT/PA 4,721 - - 4,721 4,182 Sub total 4,721 - - 4,721 4,182 Total payments 184,403 49,824 - 234,227 200,125 Net of receipts/(payments) - 33,271 - 17,785 - - 51,056 - 28,506 A5 Transfers between funds - 16,219 16,219 - - - A6 Cash funds last year end 149,778 4,057 - 153,835 182,341 Cash funds this year end 100,288 2,491 - 102,779 153,835 ~~——=~~ ~~= ———=~~ ~~SSS=~~ |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
31/01/2025
1
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B1 Cash funds |
Details Details Details Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Accounts Receivable Prepayments Details National Savings Bank Accounts Cash Accounts Accounts Payable Signature |
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 864 - 99,424 2,491 - - 100,288 2,491 OK OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 1,422 262 - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) 402 - - - - - Print Name |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) |
|||
| Date of approval |
|||
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
31/01/2025
2
Wildwood Church - 1169325
Schedule A
Payments Directly for Charitable Purposes
| Payments | 2023/24 | 2022/23 |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| Hire & Cost of Centre | 17,468 | 23,459 |
| Gifts UK and Overseas | 29,535 | 17,177 |
| Catering | 1,236 | - |
| Postage & Stationery | 446 | 625 |
| Insurance+Professional Fees | 7,204 | 5,730 |
| Activities | 22,259 | 11,494 |
| Youth/Church Workers | 101,534 | 97,746 |
| TOTAL | 179,682 | 156,231 |