## **Trustees' Annual Report for the period** Period start date Period end date 1st Jan 2021 31st Dec 2021 **From** **To** ## Section A Reference and administration details **Charity name**[NORTH SWINDON BAPTIST CHURCH] **Other names charity is known by** NSBC **Registered charity number (if any)** 1170918 **Charity's principal address**[15 Smart Close ] Swindon **Postcode** SN25 2NS ## **Names of the charity Trustees who manage the charity** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Dates acted if not for whole Name of person (or body) entitled
Trustee name Office (if any)
year to appoint Trustee (if any)
1 Fraser Kay Minister
2 Phil Davison Elder
3 Steve Hook Deacon & Chair
4 Ben Pike Resigned 15/03/2021
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Names of the Trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian Trustees)
Name Dates acted if not for whole year
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**TAR** 1 01 March 2021 ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** **Type of adviser Name Address** ## **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** ## **Section B Structure, governance and management** ## **Description of the charity’s trusts** NSBC is governed by a Constitution that was ratified by Members on 1[st] Type of governing document Dec 2016 (eg. trust deed, constitution) The charity is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) How the charity is constituted (eg. trust, association, company) As outlined in the Constitution, Trustees are appointed from those in Trustee selection methods designated leadership roles in the Church. (eg. appointed by, elected by) ## **Additional governance issues (Optional information)** - **Governance** - You **may choose** to include Trustee Meetings continued throughout the year and took place over - additional information, where Zoom. The Trustees met formally on four occasions during 2021 to review - relevant, about: the operation of the CIO, review the financial position and consider risks -  policies and procedures and strategic priorities. All meetings were documented. adopted for the induction and All Trustees have read and understand the responsibilities of Trustees as - training of Trustees; detailed in the charity commission guidance. -  the charity’s organisational https://www.gov.uk/guidance/charity-Trustee-whats-involved (CC3a) structure and any wider network with which the charity There were no new appointed Trustees during 2021. works; -  relationship with any related The Trustees are satisfied that all financial transactions were appropriately approved by designated Trustees. There was regular and transparent - parties; financial reporting and the Trustees are also satisfied that appropriate -  Trustees’ consideration of controls and reporting is in place. major risks and the system and procedures to manage Trustees who are also employees of the CIO were excluded from all them. discussion relating to remuneration and where it was considered that there may be a conflict of interest in any discussions of the Trustees. An Annual General Meeting of members will take place on 19[th] March 2022 at which this report will be shared. **Response to COVID** During the first quarter of 2021 NSBC was conducting its weekly church services online, in accordance with national guidance on Covid Restrictions. During the remainder of the year church services were held in our normal location (in a local primary school). However, the decision was made to continue live streaming the service for the remainder of 2021 **TAR** 2 01 March 2021 and we have continued to do so since. By the end of 2021 attendance in person was around 80 regularly, with a live-stream audience of around 30. In addition to this, we saw later weekly viewings on YouTube bringing this number up to around 100 views online weekly. This has broadened the reach of NSBC and we estimate that around 150-200 people continue to connect with the ministry we provide. We have seen around 30% growth of new attendees meeting in person. Most of these people have continued to meet with us, some of whom are applying to become members of the charity in the coming weeks. Small groups resumed in person when restrictions were lifted. These meetings have seen growth, with no less than 20 new adults joining small groups over the year. Most other events were suspended at the beginning of the year. When restrictions were lifted Panorama (11-18s youth group) resumed but Zoom (5-11yr olds club) did not, due to the lack of volunteers to run this group. Members and employees of the church continued to support the Swindon Night Shelter charity as a means of providing practical support to the Swindon community. ## **Key changes** Live Streaming the Service has now become a regular feature, enabling those who are unable to attend in person to watch the service live. This will be reviewed in 2022. No formal additions to membership or the trustee body. Over the next few months, we expect to see a number of additions to the membership of the charity and new trustees appointed during 2022. We presently have 60 members of the charity. ## **Operation** The Trust employed 2 people. One in full-time pastoral ministry and one part time as an administrator. An intern was employed for 20 hrs per week, for 2 months at the end of the year on a temporary contract. As noted above, the regular schedule of church programmes were adapted to respond to Covid restrictions. Additional practical support has been provided by individuals and employees to the community and to the church members as needed. ## **Risks** ## _COVID_ Managing the risks around Covid has continued to be a key priority for the Trustees. A low-risk approach has been taken by minimising group meetings and ensuring strict compliance to government guidelines. When to face to face meetings resumed (on a limited basis) this was carefully planned and full risk assessments undertaken. New policies and procedures were implemented to ensure adherence to guidelines and provide support to staff and members involved in face-to-face activities. When restrictions were lifted, face protection and sanitisation continued to be offered to those who attended our Sunday services. ## _**FINANCES**_ The Trustees were encouraged by the level of commitment of the church members, during a time when safety and security were in doubt you might **TAR** 3 01 March 2021 expect that voluntary gifts to the Church might be affected. We did not see this and saw consistent level of giving throughout the year. The Trustees are satisfied that the reserves provide adequate provision for the immediate future. Cornerstone will require significant financial support over the next 3 – 5 years as it continues to become an established church. The Trustees of North Swindon Baptist Church will work closely with Cornerstone Trustees and members to make this support available. ## _**SAFEGUARDING**_ There were no safeguarding concerns in 2021. The safeguarding policy was updated to include more advice and guidance regarding supporting online ministry. The updated version will be made available to members at the AGM in March. ## _**GDPR**_ GDPR policies are in place and are considered adequate for the scale and nature of the Trust. The Trustees continue to monitor all risks at the quarterly Trustee meeting. ## **Relationships** North Swindon Baptist Church continued to benefit from association with the Fellowship of Independent Churches (FIEC) from whom legal advice and guidance is received. Our full-time worker benefits from regular meetings with the leaders of FIEC churches. North Swindon Baptist Church continued to provide support to other charities through donations and gifts that supported the objectives of the Trust and provided wider public benefit. ## **Section C Objectives and activities** The purposes of the Church are: 1. the advancement of the Christian faith in accordance with the Basis of Faith, primarily, but not exclusively, within Swindon and the surrounding neighbourhood; and **Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document** 2. such other charitable purposes as shall, in the opinion of the charity Trustees, put into practice the Christian faith in accordance with the Basis of Faith, provided that the advancement of such purposes must be undertaken in a manner that is consistent with the Doctrinal Distinctives and Ethical Statements as may be adopted and amended by the Church from time to time in accordance with the provisions of the Church Handbook. **TAR** 01 March 2021 4 The Constitution of the CIO, approved by the Charity Commission, outlines the objects of North Swindon Baptist Church (as noted above) and in pursuing these goals the Trustees have regard to the commission’s public benefit guidance when exercising any powers or duties to which the guidance is relevant. During the year a wide range of activities were undertaken including: - Regular public worship services on Sunday mornings and evenings. These were online during the first quarter of 2021 and in-person (and live-streamed) for much of the remainder of the year. **Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that Trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)** - Youth clubs for 5 –18 year olds that are open to the local community free of charge or for a minimal contribution. Although restricted by COVID some of these have continued. - Where restrictions allowed we supported local schools with regard to Religious Education and for special events. - Mid-week bible study and prayer groups providing support and community. - Pastoral care and support. - Some Financial support for special cases of hardship. - Practical and pastoral support for refugees. - Active support of other charities that align with the CIO objects, including local groups that are addressing the needs of the homeless and vulnerable. These activities are aligned with our primary objective of the advancement of the Christian faith and are meeting spiritual and emotional needs, providing practical support, and enhancing community and family life. From Nov to Dec 2021 the Trust employed an intern to support pastoral work and provide practical experience for the individual. The Trust was also pleased to see members financially supporting other young people in exploring ministry opportunities or pursuing studies that may lead to full-time Christian ministry. ## **Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)** You **may choose** to include further statements, where relevant, about: The activities of North Swindon Baptist Church are made possible through the support of volunteers and commitment of church members which the Trustees wish to acknowledge and express our thanks for. - policy on grantmaking; - policy programme related investment; - contribution made by volunteers. **TAR** 01 March 2021 5 Section D Achievements and performance Through the activities of North Swindon Baptist Church during the last **Summary of the main** year the Trust has impacted hundreds of people in our local community: **achievements of the charity during the year**  Each Sunday and estimated 150-200 have connected with NSBC through in-person meetings that have also been live-streamed.  In November a community-event (Christmas Pudding Making) was run and over 20 guests from the community attended. In Dec 2021 a carol-service was also held, however we decided to ticket this event to reduce numbers, due to a spike in Covid-cases at the time.  A large amount of preparation and planning was put into a return to in-person services and live-streaming in our current facility (Abbeymeads School) and this was successfully implemented.  Young people meet regularly through our youth activities online and in person. This has seen return to similar numbers experienced before Covid-19.  Members of the church have practically and financially supported a wide range of local needs including significant volunteering commitment to the Swindon Night Shelter which is impacting more and more people in the wider Swindon community.  We continue to review our safeguarding arrangements and keep a healthy emphasis on the importance of this.  Regular Trustees meetings continued and there was good reporting financial control and transparency. ## **Section E Financial review** |**Brief statement of the**
**charity’s policy on reserves**|Total income for year was £80,677 Whilst this was lower than prior year
(£93,759) this was largely due to the setting up of Cornerstone as a
separate charity and some giving of members shifting to this new entity.
Total deficit for NSBC in 2021 was £6,657 which was a better position
that budget. Covid brought some property rental savings, but we did
spend more for equipment for live streaming, part time worker support for
our Pastor and additional training expenditure.
NSBC provided a total of £24,000 in 2021 to support and establish the
Cornerstone church.
The total assets for the Trust in Jan 2021 was £22,989 and this was
reduced to £16,332 by Dec 2021. This was better than expectations and
the Trustees are encouraged by this improvement against budget.
Based on a reduced costs and revenue further to Cornerstone being
established as a separate church, the Trustees have agreed that a
baseline reserve of £7,000 should be maintained to ensure all obligations
can be met in the unlikely event that insufficient funds are available to
continue the current ministries.
The key costs for NSBC are staff and the Trustees consider that the new
reserve minimum goal plus the regular monthly gifts will be sufficient to
meet our obligations as an employer.
Cornerstone support required likely to be c. £12,000 a year. The goal is
to reduce this support by £6k per year over the next 3 years as the
Cornerstone congregation is established.| |---|---| **TAR** 6 01 March 2021 The Trustees will review the income. expenditure and reserves on a quarterly basis to ensure that the CIO can continue to meet its financial obligations. **Details of any funds materially** There is currently no debt or long-term financial obligations except staff **in deficit** costs. ## **Further financial review details (Optional information)** You **may choose** to include additional information, where relevant about: - the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising); - how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity; - investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted. The primarily sources of funding are charitable gifts from members of the church. Giving is normally through regular donations on a monthly basis and in addition there are larger gifts that are made to support specific goals and objectives agreed with members. - North Swindon Baptist Church does not actively engage in public fund raising and does not normally charge for community events and programmes. Where it does it is a minimal amount to cover incremental costs being incurred, such as room hire or food. All expenditure is closely aligned to the charitable objects of the Trust and is reviewed on a quarterly basis. NSBC does not make long term financial investments and all funds are held in accounts that are accessible within 30 days. It is not the objective of the Trustees to accumulate a large reserve. ## **Section F Other optional information** We are prioritising appointing additional trustees during 2022. This will help ensure there is a broad range of expertise, greater resilience, and ongoing opportunities for involvement of others in leading the North Swindon Baptist Church. ## **Section G Declaration** **The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s Trustees** **Signature(s)** Phil Davison **Full name(s)** Fraser Kay **Position (eg Secretary,** Pastor, Trustee Trustee **Chair, etc) Date** 18/03/2022 **TAR** 01 March 2021 7 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trustee31 members of North Swindon Baptist Church On accounts for the year ended 31 December 2021 Charity no (if any) 1170918 Set out on pages I report to the Irustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity I'the Trust ) for the year ended 3111212021. Responsibilities and As the charity trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the basis of report accounts in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 1.the Acl"). 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 D1￿ctIonS given by the Charity Commission under section 145(51{b} of the Act. Independent I have completed my examination. I confim that no material matters have examiner's statement come to my attention in connection with the examination which givès me cause to believe that in, any material respect,. the accounting records were not kepl in accordance with section 130 of the Act,. or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records., or the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements conceming the fomi 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 lo enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Ple se d818te the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Signed: Dats: a) Name: Mrs Jennifer D Frost Relevant professional qualification{s} or body {if any): ACA Addross: JD Frost Accounlants 7 Links View, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 2NF IER October 2018