2023-12-31-accounts - St Andrew's Frognal United Reformed Church Charity

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ST ANDREW’S FROGNAL UNITED REFORMED CHURCH CHARITY

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2023

This report includes information required by the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the Statement of Recommended Practice for Accounting by Charities 2005 as applicable to charities entitled to prepare accounts on a receipts and payments basis.

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

St Andrew’s Frognal is a local church of the United Reformed Church (URC) in Great Britain, a member of ‘Churches Together in Hampstead’ and a member of the URC’s Thames North Synod. It is situated on the junction of Finchley Road and Frognal Lane in Hampstead, London, postcode NW3 7DY.

It was separately registered as a charity on 21 November 2016, charity no. 1170281. Its trustees are the elders: Victoria Ferguson, Andrew Glennie, John Meadows, Doreen Morgans, Anne Noble, David Noble, Susan Noble, Christy Sawyer; and its treasurer: Trevitt Steggles. The church building, the manse at 42 Armitage Rd, London NW11 8RD and the Garden Flat, Orchard Mead House, 733 Finchley Rd, London NW11 8DJ, together with a 20% share in the manse of Trinity, Camden URC at 34 Willes Road, London NW5 3DS, are vested in URC Thames North Trust as trustees and held for the benefit of St Andrew’s Frognal URC in accordance with the trusts applicable to URC properties.

The church maintains bank accounts with HSBC Bank for general use and holds 4 savings accounts: three with COIF (Charities Official Investment Fund) administered by CCLA (Charity Commission and Local Authority), and the other with the Churches Mutual Credit Union.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

The church’s activities are overseen by the Elders’ Meeting in accordance with the provisions of The Structure of the URC determined by the General Assembly of the URC and supplemented by the rules of St Andrew’s Frognal URC. The Elders’ Meeting, assisted by its Finance and Fabric Committee, is responsible for the financial administration of the church, and the care and maintenance of the church premises together with the manse and flat. Elders’ meetings are normally held monthly. The Church Meeting (of all who wish to attend) gives general guidance on the life and work of the church; only church members have voting rights.

New elders are elected by members of the church at a church meeting. Their term of office is not limited. The offices of Secretary and Treasurer are voted on at the AGM.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

As a local congregation of the URC, St Andrew’s seeks to advance the Christian religion through its activities and the facilities offered to the community by its building. It provides benefit to the public by:

providing resources and facilities for public worship, pastoral care and spiritual, moral and intellectual development, both for the congregation and for anyone else who wishes to benefit from what the church offers;
promoting Christian values and service by members of the congregation to the community, for the benefit of individuals and society as a whole.

Specifically it offers Sunday morning worship, both at the church and on-line through Zoom, various Bible Study sessions, and other occasional services and events including weddings, funerals and christenings. It also provides the main premises for the Wengelawit Eritrean Lutheran Church in London.

REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

While the minister’s post is currently vacant, services were conducted in some form every Sunday, by visiting ministers or by church elders who are trained lay preachers. Since reopening of the church in 2021, following the Covid pandemic when services were held using Zoom, simultaneous broadcasts of the services via Zoom have continued, helping to bring the church to a wider congregation.

The Finance and Fabric Committee have liased regularly after services and by telephone and email to ensure timely and effective church maintenance.

Elders and others have continued to make a wide variety of contributions: in the choir, providing ministry, providing pastoral care, catering, flowers, managing hall lettings, property management etc. Thanks are due to all who make the church a welcoming feature of the community and a safe environment, particularly to those who took the necessary actions at relevant times to grapple with new technology during and following Covid.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

In 2023 a small surplus of just over £1,000 was recorded. This was aided by a recovery of about £25,000 in the value of investments, but impacted by a number of one-off projects including energy-saving measures such as hall roof insulation.

The reserves at year end stood at £506,000 of which £499,000 was in unrestricted funds. The policy on reserves is that unrestricted funds should exceed 12 months of income from hall lettings (currently about £50,000 in a normal year) this being the largest single source of income, but at risk if the hall were to become unusable for any reason (as it was in 2020).

The church pays a contribution to the URC’s Ministry and Mission fund, this operating like a tax with different rates on different sources of income. In 2023 the contribution was £43,500. Because it works 2 years in arrears (eg 2022 contribution based on 2020 income) it can cause significant fluctuations in annual profit or loss. However, an underlying position close to break-even is expected to be achievable over the next few years, probably with small losses. The continuing use of one-off legacy receipts from 2019 to fund various initiatives in line with the church’s mission is under regular consideration by the trustees.

Special charity collections in church have continued. Just over £3,000 was donated in 2023 to a variety of causes.

This report was approved by the Trustees on ……………. and is signed on its behalf by the Church Secretary.

…………………………………………………

ST ANDRE¥Y5 FROGNAL UNITED REFOSIMED ¢HURCM pÉie 1 FINANL4L STATEAIETrifs FOR THE YEAR EtrIOING 31.12.23 RE¢Eipfs AND PAYk4ENTS ACCOUNT ThIB Yéar 20 Total£ la&tYr Z922 TolAI £ Fw£ F5£ RECEIPTS OrdiTrarycoItr¥ FTl8wl otfeTin9 252 8.731 8.731 1.788 11.891 42,$17 53,259 243 2,031 11,691 42.517 53,259 525 3.395 B.259 47.259 55.866 IntE¥t Lottings Property Chaiitys¢ewl Olher Le98c ID5fftntg10¥tr Ivnrealsedl T¢xal rK•lpts 525 25.502 25.$02 -34.525 144.509 103.456 PAYNeNrs Plin61ry & MiSSi¢n Fjnd MinLslErial eipenSeS aD5e expense5 43.559 43.559 28.920 1,3 1,7 1.063 988 Chrch USiC Chrchdr.958.8w.ts Church Insuiance 4.773 4.037 8.937 8.373 995 99S 835 10,047 CÈaning serwi and CopyrvJhl chIrn,ChUrch Chanli8s Subscnpioni8tc Fabnc 223 223 2.768 2.947 30.023 74 207 74 207 688 Bankcharges and rnlscelbrr TTring 236 Total paymen NETRE¢EIPTS IIPAYAIENT$I TRANSFERS bot¥0 funds 8.229 1.479 -7,4¢1 3.156 -2.000 CASH FUNDS bmwd 1 JaDuary CASH FUNDS 31 D¢tfjmb8r 492 469 504.919 501.T62 STAfEwEPIT OFASSET$ AND UABIUTIES M¢ttsry ass¢ HSBC curyert èCCOunt HSBC busiDe55BECOUllt CCLAÉthic&l tund CCLAd8posrtfund Churth8s U&l Credit UlliDn Imp1 COIF IURCI Inw%ni axi rnon0taryasSets 2.187 291.281 251,281 111,969 8,219 228.4e6 101,204 1S,194 2.ooD 29.236 9.9e9 1S,208 31.926 31.926 502.28Z 5D9. GfftAid I0¥&rab Rental de)IDrs lor4hurth ChJr¢hbuil¢in9s. manseand fial FumL%hin1saeqj1pnnl ChJr¢h fftnLS ch¥u$$n¢t¢baWat 51 12 3.3 3.3 871 s¥nÈ¢ on beha

ST ANDREW'S FROGNAL UNITED REFORMED CHitRCH Financial statements for Ihe year trnding Jl.12.23 NOTES Pa9e 2 1 ACCOUNT114G POLICIES The financial statements have b8trn prepared in accordance With Ihe ChanliesAd 2011, using th¢ RPIPtS and Paymen15 basis £vail8ble lo small chanlies. and the UnÈted Refomied Chur¢h guidance 2 FUND ACCOUNTING Unrestri¢t8d Fund5 may be used by the church for any of ils ordinary purposes Fund name & purpose BAièn¢e Rgceipts PaymEnts fv¥d£ in yesr£ in yeèr£ eongrrfaiionalllegacy fund 492.468 135,2 Transfers for year£ BaLnts 141.741 498.948 TotaL8 for Unrestricted funds 492 488 135.262 498,948 Oesignaled Funds Present unre$irided funds sel aside by the caurth for speGilic designaied pUOse8. they ¢8n Iran51erred ck Into general fund$ at the Church's decision Re51ncted funds repregeni Income which may be expended only on those reslncted thje¢tg prDvided In the terms ol a trust or beouest. or donations Orgrats reiVed or Invited for a specifie purposp These funds can only b6 spent on the Specific purpose forwhi¢h th were given Any bslan remaining unspent musl be carried foward as ¥ b8ln¢ on that fund lorfulre expenditurs on that specrfi¢ putPQ5e, of returned. Il canDot absorbed Into general fund$ Fund n8m¢ & puwose. Organ and choir fund Balan Reipts nyeBr£ Paymertls In year£ 4.773 Ttsnslers for year E Beian 10.812 6.039 B Howtraininy fund Charilre5 fund Totals for restricted rtjnds 688 2.768 8.229 950 2.768 2.768 12.450 6.989 Lasiyear 2022 Tot81 £ This Year 2023 Total £ u¥led Ewnated Restsicltrl FUrS t 3 MONIES PAID TO OUTSIDE CALISES 316 1,146 80 1.000 1.000 70 61 8rilish Red Cross Morocco appea British Red Cross Libya appeal Mri Cune hospice Chrisiien Soiidarty Woddwde DEC Pak1$1an Apw81 Cris15 UK URC Crynwilmenl for lrfe Total 76 123 1.000 147 330 2,947 303 2,768 4 MONETARY ASSETS Reslricled funds are not hehy in separate acGoun15. butfor conveniencè are shown under the CMCU account Interest and Investment gains have b¢¢n albated lo the nowcombined congregalionalllegacy funds 5 ASSETS USED FOR CHURCH PURPOSES The Tru¥iees of the church and manse buildiws Sre the URC Thames North Synod Trust who hokl them uwn [rsi for puOse$ ¢onn¢ted with Sl Andrew's Frognal URC For In$u<¥nce putposes the church buildiw¥ 8r Insured for Q2 4m 8nd the contents for£172,000 The rnanse house and garden are Insured lor £700,((M), refieciing rebuild not Sale pre Iwhrch £1.43ml

ST ANDREWS FROGNAL UNITED REFORMED CHURCH Page 3 Flnath¢ial $tat•m•nl8 for thè year trnding 31.12.23 TREASURER'S STATEME14T l ttave pr8par8d the financial statements forthe year ending 31.12.23 T J Steggles Idatel INDEPENOETr4T EXAMINER'S REPORT I report on the financial slalemenls lor Sl Andrews Fwnal UR¢ for the y&8r endin9 31.12.23 as sel out on pages 1 and 2. Respective responsibilities The church Is responsible for the preparation of the finawal statemen18, and consKJers that the audit Qu1ment of section 144121 of the Ch8rrties Aci 2011 does not apply It 15 my reswnsibility lo 5tatÈ, on the basis of procedures specified In the General Difections given by the Charity Comtnissioner5 under sethon 145 01 the Act, whether partular matters have wre to my attention. Basis of Indowt)d8nt EAam¥n8¢8 roport My examination was rrIed out in accordan wth the Gerberal Directions ol Iha Charity Comrnissioners An ex8minalion Includes a review ol the accounting records Kept by the church a comparison of the 8¢counis prèsented with those rècord$ 11 also Includes wnsideration of 8ny unusu31 items or discbSres In the financial statements, and seeking explanation5 concerning any such matters. Thè procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required In an audit. and consequenuy I do not express an audit Opini on the view given by the fin8WI818tstemen15 Independent Examinerfs statement In connection with my examinaiion. no matter has come lo my attentson which I119e% me reasonable cause lo believe that In any material respects the requirements to keep 8¢CDuntsng records ill accordance wrth section 130 01 the 2011 A¢1, and to prepare accounts which accord with those recortys and Comply with the accounliny reouirem$nls of thè Act have not been mel. or 121 require, In my Opinn, all6ntson 10 be drawn In ordèr 10 enable a prwer undersn41n? 01 the accounts lo be reached Signed by the Independent Examiner dale-. Name and address of the Indendent Examiner." li J fr i )fvJ": ReaTrt professional qualrficaliDn or tw)dy"