Trustee report covering Catch The Fire Manchester’s activities between February 1st 2024 and January 31st 2025.
Catch The Fire Manchester - Aim and Purposes
Catch The Fire Manchester (CTFM) exists to advance the Christian faith in Greater Manchester for the benefit of the public in accordance with our statement of faith by creating a place of worship and a worshiping community that walks out the pastoral and evangelistic mission of the Church.
Objectives and Activities
CTFM conducts a number of public meetings from Sunday morning celebrations, worship events, designated prayer ministry events as well as mid-week small group bible study/devotional/fellowship times. All of these events focus on allowing the community to grow in their understanding of the Christian faith and the gospel of Jesus and to develop and walk out their own faith. This is done through sung worship, sharing scripture, pastoral and prayer ministry as well as peer-support networks. We aim to enable ordinary people to live out their faith as part of a wider Christian community in Greater Manchester.
Achievements and Performance
Worship and Prayer
Our varied calendar of events allows anyone and everyone, regardless of their previous experience of the Christian faith or lack thereof, the ability to access a meaningful connection with their own faith journey. We meet in person for our weekly worship gatherings on a Sunday. As part of these meetings we really prioritise connection and relationship, making space for people to meet and talk with each other in a safe environment, creating a welcoming environment for our community. Alongside these in person meetings, we hosted weekly meetings where people gathered together to pray for each other and for the wider community.
Church Buildings
Since its inception CTFM has had the privilege of hiring venue space at Gorse Hill Methodist Church (GHMC). As a result of our long term relationship with the venue owners and our shared mission to serve the community in Gorse Hill, Stretford and Greater Manchester, we have been able to agree to a long term arrangement with GHMC to lease out office space at the church building, allowing us to have a footprint in the community full time and creating a safe place for those in need to reach out for support. We also now have a full calendar of events through the week and while we still share this space with a number of other charities and community groups, including a community cafe and a community food distribution charity, we are the primary venue users.
Pastoral Care
Pastoral care at CTFM is managed by the Lead Pastors supported by a number of volunteers. These volunteers run a peer-support network that aims to ensure any and all members of the wider community can access the support they need both to develop their faith journey but also on a much more practical humanitarian level. Our web platform continues to be a useful tool where the wider community can reach out for support. This year we have transitioned away from using Church Centre as our primary method of internal communication and have built a WhatsApp community where there is space where all of the different groups in our community can come together to pray and support each other. This has really improved engagement across the board and more people have been able to join those groups.
Our lead pastors, Kieron & Laura Densham, have been leading CTFM since its inception. This year they took a three month long paid sabbatical, between June 2023 & September 2023. We believe that sabbaticals are necessary to allow those who serve a period of personal and spiritual rest and reflection.
Mission and Evangelism
Helping those in need is something we value at CTFM as a clear demonstration of our own gratitude towards God and trust in Him to continue to provide for us. This year, we placed a lot of focus on supporting local families in need by both supporting the Community Cafe and the Community Food Distribution from our buildings. We also set up a food pantry called the StoreHouse where long life food items are available to the whole community whenever the building is in use. We have also continued to run the Re-Store, where good quality warm coats were made available for free to our community during the colder months.
Ignite Learning Community, our Home Ed Community also went from strength to strength growing to serve around 20 families and 40 or so children.
Our stay and play toddler group, Little Sparks, has also thrived. We have been able to create a space where the community really feels at home and the children are thriving. As well as relationships with new parents, we have been able to develop connections with child minders in the area and as a result we are serving a much larger part of our community than we have previously been able to. Through little sparks we serve around 30 families in addition to the families that attend our Ignite Learning Community.
This year we also ran a number of seasonal events for the community including a light party, a Christmas family craft session and Nativity and Carol Services.
Wider Connections
Kieron and Laura Densham, The Lead Pastors at CTFM are connected with local, national and international networks which support them as they lead CTFM. These include locally, The Greater Manchester Prayer Gathering, a local Pastors and Leaders Prayer Group and more widely, Catch The Fire Partners and the work they are doing in the UK and Europe to see the gospel of Jesus made accessible to all.
Financial Review
Total receipts in unrestricted funds between February 1st 2023 and January 31st 2024 was £40,655. Our outgoings during the same period were £47,122. This income figure is inclusive of all offerings, donations, and money moved from our savings account into our main account. During this year our spending on venue costs was similar to previous years. We increased spending on Hospitality and Travel as we invested in the growth of our wider team by taking them to the national gathering of the movement that we are part of.
We are still spending more than we are bringing in each year and therefore eating into our reserves. This is not Ideal and efforts are being made to increase our income through investing in methods that make it easier for the church family to give. Although we lowered our outgoings by reviewing spends on software and finding cheaper or free solutions to some of our needs our income also reduced. During this period we were able to use funds previously put aside as savings to make up for the shortfall.
Volunteers
We would like to thank all the volunteers who work so hard to make our church the lively and vibrant community it is. We have a wonderful community at CTFM who pour their hearts into the development of this charity and the mission it stands for. We love and appreciate them all wholeheartedly. The work that they do has seen many lives touched both by practical support as well as facilitating a deepening relationship with God. The team of volunteers and the magnitude of the work they carry out is significant. From sermons prepped and delivered, sung worship sets, and incredible hospitality, to ministry to children delivered to really high level, home education classes, play groups run, administration and peer support groups. This church would not function without the generosity of people who give their talent and time to see our aims and objectives met.
Administrative information
Catch The Fire Manchester is situated in Gorse Hill. This is a community in Stretford, just west of Manchester city center in the borough of Trafford. It began in November 2016 with a small group of interested parties meeting and praying together, believing that this small group of people, filled with the Holy Spirit, could have a really positive impact on this community. This small group grew and we became a registered charity in March 2017. We officially launched CTFM in March 2018 and have been operating since.
Structure, governance and management
CTFM is governed by 5 trustees. The Chair is Kieron Densham who, alongside his wife, is also the Lead Pastor of the church. This group of trustees, informed by the Lead Pastors and the leadership team at CTFM, is responsible for final approval and decision making on all matters of general concern and importance for this community. All parties are listed below and are gifted leaders in their own right both within a faith and secular context. We continue to be so thankful for their support and input as we move forward.
Kieron has served on the board of trustees since the charity's inception in March 2017. Tom and Deborah have served since December 10th 2020. Graham and Agnes joined the board in May 2024.
Mr Thomas Allsop, Mrs Deborah McLean, Mr Kieron Densham - Chair of Trustees and Lead Pastor, Mrs Agnes Bruna and Mr Graham Densham - Finance Officer.
Approved by Catch The Fire Manchester Board of Trustees on 28.11.2025 and signed on their behalf by Kieron Densham (Chair of Trustees and Lead Pastor)
| Catch the Fire - Manchester | 1171974 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CC16a Receipts andpayments accounts |
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| 01/02/2024 For the period from |
To 31/01/2025 |
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| Section A Receipts and payments | ||||
| Unrestricted funds Restricted funds |
Total funds Last year Endowment funds |
|||
| to the nearest £ to the nearest £ |
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ |
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| A1 Receipts | ||||
| Donations 34,378 - - 34,378 37,873 Gift Aid tax recovered 6,267 - - 6,267 27,237 Interest received 10 - - 10 77 Other income - - - - 100 40,655 - - 40,655 65,287 Sub total(Gross income for AR) ~~————~~ |
||||
| Not Applicable - - Sub total - - A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). ~~SS SS ~~ |
- - - - - ~~ES SS~~ |
|||
| Total receipts 40 A3 Payments |
40,655 - ~~ |
~~ ~~ |
~~ | |
| Advertising | - - |
- - - |
||
| Bank charges | 35 - |
- 35 512 |
||
| Grants to other charities | 2,438 - |
- 2,438 9,158 |
||
| Grants to individuals | 2,241 - |
- 2,241 3,080 |
||
| Hardware, books and supplies | 903 - |
- 903 1,508 |
||
| Hospitality | 1,086 - |
- 1,086 5,492 |
||
| Insurance | 1,301 - |
- 1,301 373 |
||
| Office expenses | 2,884 - |
- 2,884 4,731 |
||
| Rent/hire of rooms | 10,065 - |
- 10,065 10,351 |
||
| Staff costs | 25,075 - |
- 25,075 25,994 |
||
| Travel and accommodation | 1,094 - |
- 1,094 1,077 |
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| **Sub total ** | 47,122 - |
- 47,122 62,276 |
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| Not Applicable - - - - - Sub total - - - - - Total payments 47,122 - - 47,122 62,276 Net of receipts/(payments) - 6,467 - - - 6,467 3,011 A5 Transfers between funds - - - - - A6 Cash funds last year end 7,873 - - 7,873 4,862 Cash funds this year end 1,406 - - 1,406 7,873 A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) ~~SS SS ES SE~~ ~~a~~ ~~ |
~~ ~~ |
~~ ~~ |
~~ ~~ |
~~ ~~=~~ ~~SS SS~~ |
| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period ~~ee~~ |
||||
| Unrestricted Restricted Endowment |
||||
| Categories | Details | funds funds funds |
||
| to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ |
||||
| B1 Cash funds | Current Account Balance 904 - - Savings Account Balance 502 - - 1,406 - - Total cash funds ~~eg~~ |
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| (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
(agree balances with receipts and payments | OK OK OK |
||
| Unrestricted Restricted Endowment |
||||
| funds funds funds |
||||
| B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use |
Details to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ Not Applicable - - - Details Cost (optional) Not Applicable - - Details Cost (optional) Macbook General 335 300 Fund to which asset belongs Current value (optional) Fund to which asset belongs Current value (optional) ~~a~~ ~~ |
~~ ~~ |
~~ ~~ |
~~ ~~a~~ ~~ |
| Fund to which Amount due When due |
||||
| B5 Liabilities Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
Details Not Applicable - Signature Print Name liability relates (optional) (optional) Date of approval ~~a~~ ~~ |
~~ |
||
| ~~a~~ | Graham Densham 11/25/2025 |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
11/28/2025
1
CATCH THE FIRE - MANCHESTER
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES
YEAR ENDED 31 JANUARY 2025
I report on the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 January 2025.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act;
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to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act; and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner’s statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
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which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act
have not been met; or
- to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
……………………………………. Dated 26[th] November 2025 L M Howson MAAT Independent Examiner
Finansure Limited, 2 Sheppard Street, Brymbo, Wrexham, LL11 5FF