## **RAMSEY CLOSE, NORWICH, NR4 7BQ**
Pastor: Stuart Bailey 01603 465309 TODCFPastor@gmail.com
## _Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Review_
_1 April 2024_
_to 31 March 2025_
## _Trustees Annual Report for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025_
## Registered Charity Number
1170592
## Charitable Objectives
The Object of the CIO, is for the public benefit, the advancement of the Christian faith in accordance with the Statement of Faith in such ways as the Charity Trustees may from time to time decide.
## Charity’s Principal Address
The Open Door Christian Fellowship Ramsey Close Norwich NR4 7BQ
www.eaton.church
Names of the Trustees who managed the Charity during this reporting period
Mr Stuart John Bailey Trustee, Chair, Pastor
Mr Simon Nobbs Trustee
Mr Alan John Donnelly Trustee
Trustee Selection
Trustees are selected and appointed by the current body of Trustees.
## Description of the Charity’s Trusts
Type of Governing Document: How the Charity is constituted: Trustee Selection Method:
Constitution, 2 December 2016 Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) Appointed by existing Trustees
## Governance Structure
## The Constitution states that:
“The spiritual government and leadership of the Church Fellowship for the purposes of which the CIO has been established shall remain with the Spiritual Leadership and to the extent to which the Charity Trustees are not synonymous with the Spiritual Leadership their powers shall be confined to the proper management and administration of the CIO in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution and in furtherance of the Objects and in so doing they shall have full and proper regard to the Spiritual Leadership provided always that they shall not act outside their powers as conferred by this Constitution and by general law.”
Spiritual leadership in the Fellowship resides with the Pastor and Elder(s). Stuart Bailey, as well as being a Trustee is also the Pastor.
Simon Jeczalik is currently the Church’s only Elder; as such, he shares Spiritual Oversight responsibility with the Pastor
As the Pastor of the Church, Stuart Bailey is prided with a small remuneration and permission to reside in the Manse. He therefore absents himself from decisions concerning either the Manse Property or his remuneration.
The Trustees met three times in this reporting period to discuss the management and administration of the Charity, including (but not limited to) major decisions on spending, safeguarding and the proper maintenance of properties held by the Charity.
Minutes of all the Trustees meetings are available.
## Bankers
The Co-operative Bank PLC PO Box 250 Delf House Southway Skelmersdale WN8 6WT
## Legal advice and assistance with Charity formation provided by:
Stewardship, and Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP 1 Lamb’s Passage 134 Edmund Street London Birmingham EC1Y 8AB B3 2ES
## Safeguarding advice and training provided by:
Christian Safeguarding Services 6 Marshalsea Road London SE1 1HL.
Summary of activities and achievements in this reporting period
## Overview
- In this reporting period, our activities have fallen into three main areas:
- Ministering to the Spiritual needs of the existing congregation through regular Worship Services and Bible Study Groups.
- Reaching out to the local community with the Christian Gospel through Children’s Activities and Special Events.
- Providing practical help and care to families associated with, and known to, the Church.
## Regular Activities
We meet every Sunday in the Church Building for Worship. The Service is open to all and advertised through local media, our own on-line presence and posters.
Each week, we have two Bible Study Groups which meet in people’s homes or the Church Building. One of these groups meets on a Friday Morning to cater for people who prefer not to venture out in the evenings.
During the School Summer Break, we ran the “Christianity Explored” course for our members. This course, provided by “Christianity Explored Ministries” was a Bible-based course designed to help Christians live out their faith and proved very popular with the congregation.
## Community Outreach Work
Throughout this year we have run a small group for children aged 5 to 11 years. The children who attend love coming and have learned substantial Biblical truths enabling them to maintain faithful lives in the very challenging environments of the modern educational system. We have integrated the children’s work with our Sunday Meetings and the children regularly share what they have been learning with the wider congregation. They particularly enjoy leading the congregation in action songs.
During the School Summer Holiday we ran a Holiday Club attended by a large number of children from the local estate, helping us build relationships in the community. Like all our children’s work, we were able to provide this free of charge.
At Christmas we combined the Carol Service with a Nativity Play performed by the children.
We also held an Easter Holiday Club. Lower-key that the Summer version, it enabled us to share the Biblical Message of Easter with a number of children. The Holiday Club concluded with an all-age activities day to which the children’s families and members of the Coffee Morning were invited.
The Coffee Morning began in April 2023 with the aim of helping us connect with local adults. Attendance has varied from six to fifteen people, many coming from the adjacent sheltered housing complex.
Occasional special events at the Coffee Morning have included Christmas Carols, Games Mornings and the Easter Activity Day. This group continues to grow as it becomes more widely known across the estate.
Several members of the Coffee Morning group have started attending the Sunday meetings.
## Social Assistance
We continue to provide practical help for a small number of local families
In one case, Church members have provided emergency, temporary care for two at-risk siblings. Although Social Services are no longer involved, we continue to work with the parent to offer guidance, support and assistance where necessary. This work has resulted in us becoming well-known on the local estate and helped boost our growing reputation.
## Other Agencies
We have been pleased to continue supporting Norwich Foodbank. We act as a collection point for food and deliver to their warehouse on a Monthly basis.
We have had visits from the leadership team of Aid-Africa and have been pleased to provide a financial contribution to their work and to support them in prayer. Their amazing practical work in Malawi is an encouragement to us all.
The Church Building is also a collection point for Barnabas Aid. As the only Collection Point in East Anglia, people have travelled some distance to drop off food, clothing and medical items which are then passed on to the Barnabas Aid warehouse in Swindon. From there it is delivered across the globe to partner Churches who use it for humanitarian purposes.
## Pastor and Trustee Remuneration
The Charity makes no remuneration on the basis of Trusteeship (indeed, at present it has not made any recompense of expenses).
However, one of the Trustees (Stuart Bailey) serves as Pastor for the Church. The remaining Trustees decided to make remuneration to Stuart in consideration of his work. In total, he received £3,000 this period.
The Trustees have also made it possible for Stuart and his family to reside in the Manse free of charge and to pay the Council Tax and Building’s Insurance. Repairs and improvements to the Manse are discussed on a case-by-case basis by the Trustees.
Stuart remains responsible for all other utility bills at the Manse.
## Fulfilment of Charity Objectives
## The Constitution states that:
“The Object of the CIO, is for the public benefit, the advancement of the Christian faith in accordance with the Statement of Faith in such ways as the Charity Trustees may from time to time decide.”
The Trustees are satisfied that we have fulfilled our Charitable Objectives; we have served the public benefit and have continued to advance the Christian Faith.
The Trustees are further satisfied that the two properties owned by the Charity are being used for the benefit of the Charity and its objectives.
## _Financial Review_
## Overview
The outgoings for this Reporting Period came to £16,310 including all bills and maintenance of a large Building. We are also discovering that the Manse requires some expenditure:
The Grage door, which has been in danger of falling off for several years, finally broke this year. It cost £1,200 to replace – the Pastor donated £600 towards the cost.
The Manse Roof is also needed repair to the Soffits, Facia and Guttering. The work was approved to go-ahead by the Trustees and a significant gift of £4,000 was received towards the costs. Although the expenditure was approved in this reporting period, it did not happen until 2025/26 and will show on next year’s outgoings.
Income has been predominantly from the generous giving of our small membership, but has been added to through the use of The Building. We have been able to offer rented space for Bananalink to store their office materials ( _Bananlink is a Charity for which Simon Nobbs is a Trustee_ ) raising £480 for the Church.
Total income this year was £17,623, including a total of £4,600 towards Manse repairs.
The Trustees continually seek to gain best value for money in all our outgoings as well as considering various possibilities to increase income.
## Reserves Policy
The Financial Reserve was last reviewed by the Trustees in February 2024 and remained at £3,000, allowing for 3 months’ outgoings.
Statement of Account for the Period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025
## Income and Expenditure
## **General Fund**
|Income||
|---|---|
|Contributions (from members)|15,895|
|Gifts (from non-members)|100|
|Gift Aid|1,148|
|BuildingHire and Storage|480|
|**Total**|**£17,623**|
|Expenditure||
|---|---|
|**Ministry Costs and Resources**||
|Pastor’s Remuneration|3,000|
|Catering|76|
|Children’s Work|137|
|Local Outreach|8|
|Publicity|10|
|Worship|43|
|Teaching Resources (including new pew Bibles)|386|
|**Sub-Total**|**£3,660**|
|||
|**Practical**||
|Building Maintenance, Repair and Cleaning|3,760|
|Building Utilities: Gas, Electric, Water, Alarm, Fire, Brown Bin|2,464|
|Church Insurance|1,559|
|**Sub-Total**|**£7,783**|
|||
|**Manse**||
|Manse Council Tax|1,777|
|Manse Buildings Insurance|301|
|Manse Maintenance|1,541|
|**Sub-Total**|**£,3,619**|
|||
|**Admin**||
|Web-Site|249|
|Stationery / Admin (office Costs)|29|
|Safeguarding|74|
|CCLI License|243|
|**Sub-Total**|**£595**|
|||
|**Missionary Giving**|**£630**|
|||
|**Sundries**|**£23**|
|||
|**Grand Total**|**£16,310**|
Surplus/Deficit General Fund
+ **£1,313**
## Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2025
Notes 2025 2024 **Fixed Assets** £1,387,600 £1,357,600 **Add Current Assets** Debtors and prepayments £0 £0 Current Account Balance £9,912 £8,599 Cash in hand £0 £0 ______ ______ £9,912 £8,599 **Less Current Liabilities** £0 £0 **Creditors and Accruals** £0 £0 **Net Current Assets** £8,599 £9,222 **Net Assets** ___ ___ £1,397,512 £1,366,199
## Fixed Assets
The Open Door Christian Fellowship owns two properties:
- The property known as “The Building” on Ramsey Close, Norwich, NR4 7BQ. Estimated value (for insurance), £1,100,000
- The Property known as “The Manse”, 90 Buckingham Road, Norwich, NR4 7DG. Estimated Value £280,000 (based on recent local sales as at 31[st] December 2024)
- The Open Door Christian Fellowship also owns the contents of “The Building” including:
- digital piano (valued at £600)
- 2 pianos (combined value approximately £7,000)
## Affirmation Affirmation
The Trustees affirm that they have approved the Trustees Report and Financial Statement The Trustees affirm that they have approved the Trustees Report and Financial Statement above:
above:
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Alan Donnelly Trustee Date
Simon Nobbs Trustee Date
Simon Nobbs f e / Trustee Date
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Stuart Bailey Chair of Trustees Date (Pastor)