## **ANNUAL REPORT** ## **2025** ## **TABLE OF CONTENTS** The trustees present their report and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year to 31[st] March 2025. |VISION AND VALUES
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2| |---| |OBJECTS AND PUBLIC BENEFIT
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2| |WHAT WE ACHIEVED
_____________________________________3| |LEGAL & ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
_____________________________7| |FINANCIAL REPORT
__________________________________________________8| ## **Great Open Door** 1 ## www.greatopendoor.org.uk Charity No. 1169471 ## **VISION AND VALUES** Offering schools exceptional resources that capture children’s imaginations. ## **Our Vision: who we are** Our vision is to ‘raise the next generation to know their God.’ This is fulfilled by teaching the Christian faith and Christian moral values to primary school children in Harlow Essex and the surrounding area in engaging and relevant ways so that they can make an informed choice about belief in God and following His Son, Jesus Christ. We also seek to support students in their spiritual, social and moral development. ## **Our Values: who we aim to be** Great Open Door aims to offer schools exceptional resources, which capture children’s imaginations, by combining the following Values Passion and Conviction: which communicates Creativity and Originality: which is memorable Continuous Improvement: which increases our skills and develops the team’s faith Prayerfulness: which continually acknowledges that this is the Lord’s work Diligence: which demonstrates professionalism and the desire to serve Partnering: which recognises the importance of fostering good working relationships with schools, churches, and the local community. ## **Objects of the Charity** To advance the Christian faith among young people and families, in schools and groups, and in conjunction with the churches in Harlow Essex and the surrounding area. ## **Public Benefit Statement** The Trustees have considered the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit and believe that their activities meet the public benefit guidance by teaching Christian values and the Christian faith to school children in every local 2 school we are invited into and by encouraging greater partnerships between schools and churches. We assist schools by reinforcing their values, aligning programmes with the national curriculum and by helping them to meet their requirements for collective acts of worship. We provide this service regularly and without charge in schools and in the community. There are no restrictions on children and young people having access to this service. ## **WHAT WE ACHIEVED** The trustees were thankful to see a productive year and a growth in team membership. The Trustees are confident that the ministry can move forward serving our local schools with an enlarged assembly team enabling us to offer assemblies and additional RE lessons. The “God looks at the heart” programme ran from May to January 2025. The assembly looked at self-esteem and explains, with the aid of Betsy the Beetle, that who we are on the inside is more important than what we look like or what we post on social media. We told the story of Sammuel anointing David with eight pupils as actors, which was very well received. February saw rehearsals start for our next programme -“Listening to Good Advice”. The script had a major re-write, to include discerning opinion from fact on social media. The assembly finished with Wise and Foolish Man Bible story set to music, drawing on pupils as actors and BSL for the whole school to participate with. The Great Open Door Christmas workshop programme was delivered by one large team into Abbotsweld Primary. Eighty-eight year 5 & 6 pupils considered Christmas traditions and identified what is festive fluff, that can get in the way of celebrating the birth of Jesus, and what really relates, and is important, in the nativity story. Trinity lessons were delivered to year 3 pupils in Fawbert & Bernards and St James Primary Schools. Delivery was timed with Pentecost and celebrated the first church as well as looking at one God in three parts and the power of the Holy Spirit. In the year under review the Great Open Door made 21 school visits delivering two assembly programmes, 1 Christmas workshop and 2 trinity lessons. The Trustees believe there has never been a more important time to share God’s message of hope and love with the next generation during this time of “quiet revival”. ## **Volunteers** The ministry continues to be blessed with a wonderful team of committed and enthusiastic volunteers who have worked very hard delivering assemblies. At 31 March 2025 the volunteers were: Agnes Amofa, Cherie Crouch, Pam Harknett, Tina Liu, Andy Walker, Fiona Willmore and Paul Welfare ‘The Sound Man’ who, together with Jo Hargrave, the paid part time Schools Work Team Leader, comprise the assembly team going into schools. In addition to the assembly team, voluntary administrative support is provided by Shelly who also supports the team with church visits. The Trustees are thankful for these amazing volunteers, without which the ministry could not function. 3 The Trustees are thankful to Andy Walker for his continued storing & transporting of current assembly props each week. The Trustees are delighted that the team has gained one new member, Cherie Crouch, in January bringing with her acting and PA experience to the team. The latter was most gratefully received in light of Pauls imminent incapacity with knee surgery. In an effort to raise awareness within the churches of opportunities to volunteer with Great Open Door and serve within our schools we visited four churches. ## **Prayer** The Trustees celebrated 21 years of the ministry with a “soak in” prayer event held at Harefield Church. We have continued with weekly ‘Pause for Prayer’ emails to supporters as part of our long-term strategy to build on the prayer foundation. The Trustees are thankful to everyone who has supported the ministry in prayer. ## **Mission Partner** Great Open Door is a Local Mission Partner of Scripture Union. This provides the ministry opportunities for networking and offers training and resources in various aspects of youth and children’s work. Jo Hargrave continues to benefit from their support and advice. 4 ## **LEGAL & ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION** Registered charity name Great Open Door Registered charity number: 1169471 The Trustees who served the charity during the period and since the year end were as follows: R Kingsmill (Appointed 4th October 2022) S Mitchell (Appointed 29 July 2023) D Smith (Appointed 29 July 2023) P Welfare (Appointed 24[th] June 2024) Registered Office: 6 The Chantry Harlow Essex CM20 2LX Bankers: Lloyds Bank Plc 25 Gresham Street London EC2V 7HN Approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by ## S. Mitchell 18[th] December 2025 Sarah Mitchell Trustee 5 ## **FINANCIAL REPORT** The Trustees present their Income and Expenditure Account for the year under review and the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at 31 March 2025. The Trustees do not consider it necessary to have an independent examiner’s report as the income of the charity is below the £25,000 threshold to require this and the financial activities are very straightforward. Income for the period under review was £10,114 and expenditure on charitable activities was £7,417 leaving cash funds of £4,898 at the year end. We are grateful to the churches, individuals and trusts who have supported the ministry and who continue to fund our work. Total assets amounted to £4,902 including the estimated value of the portable sound system (£2,500) and puppets and props (£200) many of which were gifted to the charity. The Trustees are grateful for all the goods and services donated to the charity. During the period under review Great Open Door acted as the custodian of the cash funds of Puppets Galore, a Christian schools work charity with similar objects and values to Great Open Door. At 31 March 2024 Puppets Galore’s cash funds amounted to £1,128. There were no outstanding liabilities at 31 March 2025. 7 ## **FINANCIAL REPORT** ## **INCOME AND EXPENDITURE** 12 months ended 31 March 2025 |Income from Charitable Actvites
Donatons
Churches
Individuals
Gif Aid
Total Income
Expenditure on Charitable Actvites
Subcontractor Services
Assemblies & Lessons
Sound System
Insurance
Prayer
Miscellaneous
Training
Donatons
Total Expenditure
Excess of Expenditure over Income
Cash Funds at 31 March 2025/31 March 2024
Excess of Expenditure over Income
Cash Funds at 31 March 2025/31 March 2024|202
5
Year
£
400
851
0
820
10,
114
6,4
78
2
20
389
2
61
10
44
7,4
17
2,697
2,2
02
-
2697
£4,898|2024
Year
£
1,00
0
3,91
9
1,
300| |---|---|---| |||6,21
9| |||6,8
35
1
76
942
261
56
62
1,000| |||9,3
32| |||3,1
13| |||5,3
15
3,113| |||£2,
202| 8 ## **FINANCIAL REPORT** ## **STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES** **----- Start of picture text -----**
As at 31 March 2025
£
Assets
Cash Funds
Unrestricted Funds £4,898
Donated Items at Valuation
Sound and PA Equipment 2,500
Puppets and Props 200
2,700
Total Assets 7,598
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