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← Manchester And Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society Of Friends)

2024-03-31-accounts

Charity no. 1172087

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends) Report and Audited Financial Statements 31 March 2024

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Reference and administrative details

For theyear ended 31 March 2024 For theyear ended 31 March 2024
Charity number 1172087
Registered office and Friends Meeting House
operational address 6 Mount Street
Manchester
M2 5NS
Website www.manchesterquakers.org.uk
Trustees Trustees who served during the year and up to the date of
this report were as follows:
Margaret Calvert
Christine Camacho (Resigned 3 October 2024)
Valerie Clark
Kate Conway (Appointed 1 January 2024)
Jeffrey Dean
Ged Edwards (Resigned 31 December 2023)
Kath Haworth (Resigned 31 December 2023)
Sharon Powell (Appointed 1 January 2024)
Kath Redmond
Beck Solway Clerk
Richard Taylor (Appointed 1 January 2024)
Hilary Tucker (Resigned 31 December 2023)
Ruth Turnock
Andrew Wood
Key management Sara Coyle, Events Manager (from 1 March 2024)
personnel Sarah Donaldson Executive Officer (until 19 June 2023)
Clare McCann, Facilities Manager
Alice Ng, Finance Manager (from 19 August 2024)
Liz O�Neill, Executive Officer (from 21 August 2023)
Nominee for land Friends Trusts Ltd
Friends House
173 Euston Road
London, NW1 2BJ
Nominee for investments Rathbone Greenbank Investments
and stockbrokers 10 Queen Square
Bristol, BS1 4NT
Bankers Co-operative Bank plc
1 Balloon Street
Manchester, M60 4EP

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Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Reference and administrative details

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Solicitors Shoosmiths The XYZ Building 2 Hardman Boulevard Manchester, M3 3AZ Auditors Godfrey Wilson Limited Chartered accountants and statutory auditors 5th Floor Mariner House 62 Prince Street Bristol BS1 4QD

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Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2024

The trustees present their report and the audited financial statements for the financial year ended 31 March 2024.

Reference and administrative information set out on page 1 and 2 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the Constitution and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities (effective from January 2019).

The Area Meeting consists of five Local Meetings:

The Area Meeting burial ground is at our Sale Meeting House.

Each Local Meeting maintains a bank account for its own weekly transactions. These are included within the consolidated financial statements.

The Area Meeting is legally responsible for the Friends Summer School, which has a separate bank account (also included within the consolidated financial statements).

Readers may find it helpful to note that the term meeting is used widely amongst Quakers to refer to both the structures and groups in which we organize ourselves (such as a Local or Area Meeting) and the occasions on which we come together to worship, organize and make decisions.

Charitable objectives

The object of the charity, as stated in its constitution, is the furtherance of the general religious and charitable purposes of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain in the area of Manchester and Warrington Area Meeting and beyond.

To that end, the charity�s income and property are used solely to further this object by:

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Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2024

In working to fulfil these purposes we seek the guidance of God, both as individuals and collectively as a community. Quakers are committed to a way of worship, and a way of life, that allows God to guide and transform us. We have found that the Spirit, if rightly followed, will lead us into truth, unity and love. We use principles and processes of discernment commonly referred to as the Quaker Business Method in order to decide matters that affect our Local and Area Meetings.

How we organise ourselves

The Religious Society of Friends in Britain has no clergy so all Friends (as we usually refer to our members and attenders) must share the tasks involved in running a religious body. We are actively engaged with Friends across Britain Yearly Meeting to consider ways of simplifying our meetings and practices, but this endeavour aims to manage, rather than remove the burden of service. There will always be both the need and the opportunity for members of our community to offer their time and talents in the service of our charitable aims. Our Area Meeting employs staff who support Friends in a variety of ways, but key roles must be filled by members and attenders, rather than paid staff.

Area Meeting met �in session� on 6 occasions during this reporting period: in April, June, July, October, December and February, moving around our different Meeting Houses and also using online methods to make it easier for members and attenders to participate.

All our trustees are members of the Area Meeting. They are responsible for the administration of the property and activities of Manchester and Warrington Area Meeting, in accordance with our constitution. Trustees� meetings are also Meetings for Worship for Business. Trustees give their time freely and receive no remuneration or other financial benefits. The trustees delegate day to day management of the charity to the Executive Officer, who leads the staff team and is line managed by the clerk to trustees.

Public Benefit Statement

This report summarises what the charity has achieved and the outcomes of its work in the reporting period. All our activities are undertaken to further the charity�s charitable purposes, for the public benefit. The report outlines the success of each key activity and the benefits the charity and its activities have brought to the public.

When reviewing the charity�s aims and objectives and in planning its future the trustees have considered the guidance contained in the Charity Commission�s general guidance on public benefit. In particular, the trustees have considered how further planned activities will contribute to the achievement of the charity�s object.

Activities, achievements and performance

Meetings for Worship

Quaker Meetings for Worship, focused on silent waiting, are central to our spiritual life and charitable work. As Quakers, we believe that faith and action are inextricably intertwined. By worshipping together, we gain strength and inspiration and are challenged to take the action needed to change our world for the better. The holding of regular, public Meetings for Worship is essential for the fulfilment of our charitable objectives and our contribution to the public benefit. Meeting for Worship, which is open to anyone who wishes to attend, was held weekly in Eccles, South Manchester, Sale and Warrington, and twice weekly in Central Manchester, throughout the year.

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Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Children and Young People : All of our Local Meeting communities work to welcome children, young people and their parents throughout the year. Organised Children�s Meetings were held weekly at Central Manchester Meeting, monthly at Sale and South Manchester Meetings and occasionally at Eccles Meeting. All Age Worship is organised from time to time to allow everyone to participate in new and engaging ways of experiencing the light.

The residential Friends Summer School was held from 13 to 19 August 2023 at Fields Studies Council, Preston Montford in Shrewsbury. This annual event provides an opportunity for young people from across the North-West of England to spend time together in a welcoming and inclusive environment, to engage in fun activities and to get to know each other better.

Quaker Testimonies

Quakers do not have creeds or fixed sets of beliefs. Our experience tells us that the deep principles of equality, peace, truth, simplicity and sustainability should guide us both in our own individual lives and in our corporate life together. We call these deep principles �testimonies�. In our Area Meeting Friends are particularly active in the areas of peace, social justice, racial justice and the environment.

Peace: We have an Area Meeting Peace Promotion Group and our charity is a member of the Northern Friends Peace Board. We have organized together to witness our commitment to peace through public vigils, events marking Conscientious Objectors Day and a range of other activities supporting Friends to effectively raise their concerns about arms fairs, military recruitment of under 18s and much more. Many members of our community also join with others to attend a weekly silent vigil in Manchester City Centre for the people of Palestine and Israel.

Central Manchester Meeting House, which is a prominent city centre building, once again sold white poppies in the build up to Remembrance Sunday. This service is always valued by non-Quakers who wish to demonstrate their personal commitment to peacemaking but world events this year led to a significant surge in interest, and we sold out of white poppies before 11 November 2023.

Social Justice: Our Area Meeting Social Justice Group organised a Summer Garden Gathering where Friends considered issues of wealth and inequality and raised funds through a skills share auction. The project raised over £1,000 in funds that were split between the Quaker Work Fund and a donation to the Quaker Congo Partnership. The group also worked on plans for presenting our values to all parties in the General Election which was long expected and eventually took place after the end of the financial year.

Racial Justice: Our Racial Justice Group this year organised several events and reading groups. As a result, Friends visited and discussed the implications of exhibitions in Manchester and Liverpool focused on aspects of slavery and colonialism while also supporting each other in exploring the themes raised by key texts in the field.

Environment: This year, our Environment Group completed a �mapping� exercise collating information on how members of our community are turning their concern for the environment into action. The issues considered included making conscious choices about travel, diet, energy use, campaigning and more. Focusing on the themes raised by the exercise, the group went on to organise face-to-face and online meetings to consider food and agriculture, waste and recycling, with more to come.

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Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Support for Other Groups

Recognising the limits that our numbers, talents and resources place on what we can do ourselves to fulfil our charitable objectives, Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting supports other charities and groups in a variety of ways.

Voluntary collections: Our Local Meetings all collect donations for a variety of charities and other groups aligned with our charitable aims and objectives throughout the year. Each Meeting decides on its own list of groups, which this year these have included Prisoners of Conscience, Greenleaf Aid for Kinshasa, Red Cross Ukraine, Friends House Moscow, the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, Toilet Twinning and local food banks.

Grant making through the Quaker Work Fund: Every year we allocate money to the Quaker Work Fund so that it can be made available to groups undertaking charitable work in line with our testimonies. A group of three Friends is appointed to review applications and to make recommendations to Area Meeting which makes the final decision. Any work funded must be compatible with Quaker concerns and it will usually have a Quaker connection of some kind. The highest priority is given to applications that relate to work in an area that is an explicit concern of the Area Meeting, or one of its constituent Local Meetings. In general, we prefer to support small projects with a local connection.

This year seven grants were made to six organisations, totalling £8,250.

Grant making through the Refugee & Asylum Seekers Fund: We maintain a specific fund to assist refugees and asylum seekers, including failed asylum seekers. Income for the fund is donated by Quakers for this purpose and our Social Justice Group decides how the fund should be spent, usually through grants to individual refugees and local support organisations. No grants from this fund were made during the financial year so the balance is carried forward into the year ending March 2025.

Supporting, training and valuing our people

Volunteers: As noted under How we organise ourselves (page 4), service by our members and attenders is an essential part of our approach so everyone in our community is, to some extent, a volunteer. Those who hold defined roles such as clerks, treasurers, elders, pastoral care team and more are identified through discernment and serve fixed terms of office. This approach ensures that all teams are regularly refreshed and that every Friend can balance service with rest and prayerful support of others.

The activities undertaken by our volunteers include spiritual guidance (Elders), financial management (Treasurers), care for members of our community (Pastoral Care Team), and a wide range of roles contributing to regional, national and international Quaker work. Friends also serve as volunteer Chaplains to Higher Education institutions, and as Quaker representatives to ecumenical and multi-faith groups including Greater Manchester Churches Together and the Manchester Council of Christians and Jews.

We encourage all volunteers holding specific roles to undertake training provided by Woodbrooke (a Quaker learning and research organisation), Britain Yearly Meeting and other relevant bodies including the Association of Church Accountants & Treasurers and Thirtyone:eight. We set aside money to pay for such training, including any travel or other expenses to ensure that all volunteers are able to participate.

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Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Financial support: Our Pastoral Care Team has a budget to allow them to give grants to individuals in need and for educational purposes. They can also draw on some restricted and designated funds available to help support Friends in need. Bursaries are also available to Friends in financial need, to help with the cost of attending Quaker events such as Summer School.

Sharing our Meeting Houses

Our Meeting Houses exist primarily for the purpose of Quaker worship but, like many other Area Meetings, we also hire our spaces out to the wider community. This activity generates vital income for the upkeep of our buildings and the delivery of our charitable work, while also allowing us to reach those who may be interested in our spiritual path, and to be reached by those with something to share with us.

All five of our Meeting Houses are available for bookings on a one-off, short- or long-term basis. Hirers are vetted to ensure their activities do not undermine our Quaker testimonies or our ethical standards. During the year covered by this report we welcomed 12-step support groups, choirs, counsellors, local authorities, local businesses, NHS bodies, campaign groups, ante-natal classes, other faith groups and much more.

Room bookings are managed by our wholly owned trading subsidiary, Quaker Trading (Manchester & Warrington) Limited, as described in note 15.

Financial review

Principal funding sources Donations income

During the financial year, Friends contributed donations and legacies of £92,759 (2022/23: £113,774), of which around £40,000 was unrestricted (2022/23: £55,000). Trustees are working to increase Friends understanding of the need to support the work of the charity through regular and one-off donations.

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Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Restricted donations were closer to last year with £53,368 received (2022/23: £55,610), of which over £30,000 was sent to support the work of Britain Yearly Meeting.

The Financial Risks associated with donations income from Friends include reduced disposable income and a wide range of competing causes, especially as our Quaker community engages directly with other causes which have their own need for funds. Trustees are seeking to raise the profile of the need to financially support our own work, through improved communication with our members and attenders.

Trading income from room bookings and car park lettings

The trading subsidiary had a profitable year, with an end-of-year profit of £134,067 (2022/23: £156,383). Turnover was £798,119 (2022/23: £744,985), while expenses were £644,002 (2022/23: £576,381).

The Financial Risks to our room bookings and car park income include competition from a range of other providers and increasing costs including energy costs and staff pay, which has risen to both keep pace with inflation and to restore staffing levels closer to those in place before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Income from tenanted properties

In addition to our five Meeting Houses, the charity owns a cottage attached to each of Sale and Eccles Meeting Houses, a flat at South Manchester and two properties (a cottage and commercial unit) very close to Warrington Meeting House. There is also office space in the basement at Central Manchester that is let out to tenants. All the residential properties are let at fair market rates through an independent letting agent, while the staff team handle lettings of commercial properties directly. Income from these properties was £86,557 (2022/23: £78,785).

The primary Financial Risks for this income stream are properties falling vacant, rent arrears and the cost of maintaining the properties.

Income from financial investments and interest

Of our £1,191,913 investments, £606,913 relates to listed investments managed for us by Rathbone Greenbank, a specialist ethical investment stockbroker. Income from our listed investments increased to £10,717 from £9,777 the previous year (when their market value stood at £602,745). This income was reinvested in our listed portfolio, in keeping with our long-term approach to financial investments.

Property portfolio

The charity�s property portfolio includes five Quaker Meeting Houses (Central Manchester, Eccles, Sale, South Manchester and Warrington) which are all classified as functional properties, and the tenanted properties included in note 14 which are held for the purpose of financial investment.

The value of our properties is declared within the accounts at market value, though each is insured at a higher level to recognise potential rebuilding costs. The investment properties were last revalued in 2022, and trustees remain confident that the value of the properties will not have materially changed since that time.

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Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2024

This year, recognizing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our ability to remedy issues identified through our quinquennial cycle of building inspections, we commissioned a Condition Survey of all five meeting houses. This has assisted trustees in prioritizing works across our portfolio of buildings. In addition, a quinquennial inspection of South Manchester Meeting House took place in summer 2023, identifying some issues for attention while finding that the building is generally in good condition. Work to rebuild the North Boundary Wall at Warrington Meeting House was completed after the end of the financial year, in the summer of 2024.

Financial policies

Funds held

The total value of the Area Meeting�s unrestricted funds is £7,808,234 but most of this money is not actually available for use by the charity. The general fund is valued at £4,638,448 and is largely made up of the value of the Meeting Houses that we need for worship and as a base for trading activity. The revaluation reserve of £2,323,019 is wholly attributable to property values and therefore not available to use.

Designated funds

We hold the following designated funds as set out in note 22 to the financial statements:

Friends Summer School

Friends Summer School has its own bank account and, in many ways, operates similarly to Local Meeting funds. However, as all of its income is spent on the annual Summer School residential for young people, it is treated as a Restricted Fund. Money is collected from Summer School participant fees as well as donations from our own and other Area Meetings and from individual Friends. Summer School pays its own expenses and aims to cover its costs each year. The account is consolidated with our Area Meeting�s finances in the financial statements.

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Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Reserves policy

In February 2021 the trustees adopted a new reserves policy. The new policy took a three-year approach and aimed to recognise the following needs:

The target reserve for this year was therefore set at £765,000.

The reserves in our two main designated funds stand at £807,588 (2022/23: £807,588) which exceeds the reserves target by £42,588.

Investment policies

Trustees continued to follow the investment policy agreed in February 2022, with the following outcomes arising from the application of the policy.

We take an ethical approach to investment, with a particular focus on the Quaker testimonies of equality, peace, and sustainability, as well as our concern to avoid profiting from the sale of weapons, alcohol or tobacco. We have followed the policy of Quakers in Britain and divested from fossil fuel investments. As well as asking our investment managers to avoid those investments we find ethically dubious, we have also asked them to invest positively in ethical companies and products where possible.

Our Treasurer met with our Investment Managers in December 2023 to review our investment mandate and found that the existing �high side of medium� risk (Benchmark 4 in a scale from 1(low) to 6 (high) risk) was still appropriate to our needs.

Grant-making policy

Our Refugee & Asylum Seekers Fund is a restricted fund dedicated to supporting work with refugees and asylum seekers, as described in more detail in note 22.

Each year, trustees agree an amount of our own general funds to support other groups through the Quaker Work Fund, as noted in more detail on page 6. In addition, the Pastoral Care Team have access to a budget which can be used to provide small grants to support individual Friends to help with particular needs and the Peace Promotion Group makes occasional small grants, this year limited to a £50 contribution to Medical Aid for Palestinians. We also make payments from general funds to cover our subscription to Northern Friends Peace Board and our Area Meeting�s contribution to the running costs of the annual Summer School residential for young people.

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Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Fundraising practices

The charity does not use any external fundraisers. We do not ask for funds from the general public, though some of those who use our buildings or come across our work offer donations, which we are pleased to accept.

We see it as part of our Quaker discipline to make financial contributions to the running of our Local and Area Meetings, as well as supporting our national body, Britain Yearly Meeting (also known as Quakers in Britain). We make an annual appeal to Friends, taking care to recognise that everyone�s financial circumstances are different.

We are confident that our fundraising efforts do not involve unreasonable intrusions on anyone�s privacy and that they are not unreasonably persistent. We have received no complaints about our fundraising practices in the past year.

Plans for the future

As in previous years it is important to note that our main priority is to continue to hold Meetings for Worship that are open to all. It is from our experience in worship together that we support each other to live out the Quaker testimonies and it is through worship that other plans should flow.

Looking ahead to the new financial year (2024/25) and beyond we particularly recognise the need to invest in our buildings, making up for the slowing down of maintenance and refurbishment work that inevitably flowed from the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic. The condition survey noted on page 9 will help guide and prioritise this work, while Friends actively consider what a sustainable Area Meeting might look like into the future. Whatever changes such considerations may bring in the future, we will continue to work together as a community and in fellowship with others to nurture and support peace, environmental protection, social and racial justice. In these and all matters, we will continue to be led by discernment through worship, as we seek together to be guided in the ways of truth, unity and love.

Structure, governance and management

The Area Meeting is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), registered as a charity on 16 March 2017 in England and Wales.

Membership

Our Area Meeting membership is checked and reported at the end of each calendar year. On 31 December 2023 there were 188 members and 131 attenders not in membership, together with an additional 38 children associated with adult members and attenders. Changes in membership are recorded throughout the year by minute of the Area Meeting.

Trustees

The trustees are members of the charity, but they have no beneficial interest in the charity. We value turnover of trustees as a way of ensuring that we hear fresh ideas and prevent stagnation. Trustees serve terms of up to three years and are limited to two consecutive terms of service, with a minimum break of a further three years before reappointment can be considered. New trustees are appointed most years, through a process of careful discernment followed by confirmation by Area Meeting in session.

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Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2024

The Area Meeting Treasurer (who is also a trustee) is nominated by the standing nominations committee and usually appointed by the Area Meeting for one year at a time. The total term of service for the Treasurer usually exceeds one year; the maximum length of service is six years. Trustees complete declarations of interest forms, which are kept on file. Any connection between a trustee or senior manager of the charity and any other relevant organisation must be disclosed to the full board of trustees in the same way as any other contractual relationship with a related party. At the start of each meeting trustees are again invited to declare an interest in relation to any item of business on the agenda.

We have a Trustee Handbook to guide new and existing trustees in relevant policies and procedures. Training is offered and this year a total of just under £300 was spent on training and related costs for trustees. Most trustees serve on a subgroup to support greater depth of consideration between full trustee meetings.

As with other Quaker bodies, trustees do not vote on decisions and instead seek the will of God through discernment. This usually leads to decision making on which all trustees are agreed, but there is also the opportunity to record through formal meeting minutes, when the group is not in unity.

The trustees who served during the year, together with any changes up to the date of approving this report, are shown on page 1 of this report.

Payments to trustees

None of our trustees receive payments or other benefits in kind from their work with the charity but they are entitled to claim expenses to ensure that nobody is prevented from serving in this role due to the cost of doing so. No expenses were paid to trustees in respect of their office. Two trustees were reimbursed for travel expenses related to attending a Trustees and Treasurer�s conference (£110).

Related parties and relationships with other organisations

The charity owns Quaker Trading (Manchester & Warrington) Limited which has a board of directors. The Area Meeting Treasurer (who is also a trustee) is a director of the company ex officio and so is both a trustee and a director. Another five or six members and/or attenders of the Area Meeting serve as directors while remaining independent of Area Meeting trustees. The company is responsible for undertaking all the trading activity and for day-to-day upkeep of the premises used for its hospitality business. The company pays rent to the charity for the use of Central Manchester Meeting House, where the majority of income-generating activity takes place.

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting is a constituent meeting of Britain Yearly Meeting and support for this wider body of Quakers in Britain is a key aspect of our charitable object. We therefore co-operate with Quakers and Quaker groups across the country. We follow guidance provided by the Quaker Stewardship Committee to assist trustees of Quaker Meetings. As an Area Meeting, we follow the discipline of Britain Yearly Meeting as expressed in Quaker Faith & Practice.

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Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Employment

The charity and its trading subsidiary Quaker Trading (Manchester & Warrington) Ltd, jointly employ a staff team to operate the business and support many aspects of our charitable work. The most senior staff member, our Executive Officer, is line-managed by the Clerk of Trustees and holds delegated authority to manage the staff team and make operational decisions. The Executive Officer reports to both trustees and Quaker Trading directors and usually attends their meetings, though time without staff is protected on all trustee meeting agendas. A scheme of financial delegation, making it clear when staff may make spending decisions and when these must be referred to trustees, is included in the Trustee Handbook. Most staff are based at our Central Manchester Meeting House, but we also employ four part-time caretakers, based at Eccles, Sale, South Manchester and Warrington Meeting Houses respectively.

We are an accredited Living Wage employer, committed to paying a fair and decent wage to all our employees. Historically, staff salaries were set with reference to the NHS Agenda for Change pay scale and this continued to be used as a framework for setting staff remuneration during the year. As the financial year came to an end, increases outside of the pay scale were agreed for those staff members who would otherwise fall below the Living Wage Foundation�s recommended outside of London �Real Living Wage� of £12 an hour.

Total remuneration of the senior management team was £74,347. No members of staff received remuneration in excess of £60,000.

Safeguarding

Trustees take overall responsibility for safeguarding throughout our Area Meeting, with a lead trustee for safeguarding identified each year and a standing agenda item for trustee meetings. We have a detailed safeguarding policy and toolkit, adapted from a model developed by Britain Yearly Meeting and this is reviewed regularly. The policy encompasses work with children, young people and adults at risk. It makes explicit our commitment to providing a safe environment and culture, while recognising that our policy and processes help manage risks but that these will never be entirely eliminated.

Safeguarding Coordinators, who are members of our Area Meeting but are not trustees, work with the lead trustee for safeguarding to support the practical work of putting policy into practice and this team is available to role holders across our local meetings and Summer School to support them with safer recruitment and responding to any safeguarding incidents that arise. We are members of Thirtyone:eight, a charity providing specialist safeguarding advice and support, including access to training and an emergency helpline. Further training this year was accessed through Manchester City Council and internal sessions to �cascade� learning amongst Friends.

We have an Area Meeting Receiving Group whose role is to liaise with professionals acting on behalf of offenders or ex-offenders who wish to attend a Quaker Meeting. Friends appointed to this group receive specialist training and support to ensure that we prioritise the protection of children, young people and adults at risk while also supporting an approach to rehabilitation that recognises there is �that of God in everyone.�

Risk management and compliance

The risk register was revamped during the year to improve clarity and understanding of the weighting between the potential impact of certain hazards and the likelihood of their occurrence, before and after identified mitigation. The risk register is regularly reviewed by trustees.

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Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Data protection

We recognize the importance of managing data well and complying with all relevant regulations. We are registered with the Information Commissioner and are confident that our processes are fit for purpose, while recognizing that good practice requires ongoing effort and can never be deemed to have been completed.

Health and safety

We have external consultants who advise us in relation to health and safety and undertake inspections of our meeting houses to help us ensure we meet current requirements. Health and safety are aspects of our work that can never be ticked off as completed, but again we are confident that we address these requirements in an appropriate way.

Going concern

Trustees have recorded their view that Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting is a Going Concern. This means that trustees are of the view that the charity is likely to be operating at least twelve months from the date on which this report is signed. Our accounts and financial statements have been prepared on a Going Concern basis.

Serious incidents

We have not reported any Serious Incidents to the Charity Commission in this period and are not aware of any unreported Serious Incidents.

Statement of responsibilities of the trustees

The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The trustees are required to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and the group and the incoming resources and application of resources, including the net income or expenditure, of the charity and the group for the year. In preparing those financial statements the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and the group and which enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the constitution. The trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and the group and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

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Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2024

In so far as the trustees are aware:

there is no relevant audit information of which the charity's auditors are unaware; and the trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditors are aware of that information.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charity's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Members of the charity have no liability to contribute to the assets of the charity in the event of winding up. The trustees are members of the charity but this entitles them only to voting rights. The trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity.

Auditors

Godfrey Wilson Limited were re-appointed as auditors to the charity during the year and have expressed their willingness to continue in that capacity.

Approved by the trustees on 28 November 2024 and signed on their behalf by

Beck Solway - Clerk of Trustees

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Independent auditors' report

To the members of

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends) (the 'parent charity') and its subsidiaries (the 'group') for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise the consolidated statement of financial activities, consolidated and parent charity balance sheets, consolidated statement of cash flows and the related notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion, the financial statements:

have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor�s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the group and parent charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC�s Ethical Standard, and the provisions available for small entities, in the circumstances set out in note 9 to the financial statements, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees�use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the group and charity's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the group and parent charity financial statements and our auditor�s report thereon. Our opinion on the group and parent charity financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

16

Independent auditors' report

To the members of

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charity and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the trustees�report. We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities Act 2011 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

Responsibilities of the trustees

As explained more fully in the trustees�responsibilities statement set out in the trustees�report, the trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as they determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charity�s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed as auditor under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with the Act and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor�s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

17

Independent auditors' report

To the members of

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The procedures we carried out and the extent to which they are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, are detailed below:

(1) We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework that the charity operates in, and assessed the risk of non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Throughout the audit, we remained alert to possible indications of non-compliance.

(2) We reviewed the charity�s policies and procedures in relation to:

(3) We inspected the minutes of trustee meetings.

(4) We enquired about any non-routine communication with regulators and reviewed any reports made to them.

(5) We reviewed the financial statement disclosures and assessed their compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

(6) We performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected transactions or balances that may indicate a risk of material fraud or error.

(7) We assessed the risk of fraud through management override of controls and carried out procedures to address this risk. Our procedures included:

Testing the appropriateness of journal entries;

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. Irregularities that arise due to fraud can be even harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council�s website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor�s report.

18

Independent auditors' report

To the members of

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charity s members, as a body, in accordance with section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and the regulations made under section 154 of that Act. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Date: 29 November 2024

GODFREY WILSON LIMITED

Chartered accountants and statutory auditors 5th Floor Mariner House 62 Prince Street Bristol BS1 4QD

19

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Consolidated statement of financial activities

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Restricted
Note
£
Income from:
Donations and legacies
3
53,368
Charitable activities
4
19,305
Other trading activities
5
-
Investments
6
-
Other income
-
Total income
72,673
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
-
Charitable activities
70,817
Total expenditure
8
70,817
1,856
Net gains / (losses) on investments
14
-
Net income / (expenditure)
1,856
Transfers between funds
2,843
Net movement in funds
9
4,699
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward
8,264
Total funds carried forward
12,963
Net income / (expenditure) before
losses on investments		 Unrestricted
£
39,391
1,655
711,593
103,493
7,128
863,260
612,090
147,490
759,580
103,680
25,657
129,337
(2,843)
126,494
7,681,740
7,808,234		 2024
Total
£
92,759
20,960
711,593
103,493
7,128
935,933
612,090
218,307
830,397
105,536
25,657
131,193
-
131,193
7,690,004
7,821,197		 2023
Total
£
113,774
21,760
666,242
91,624
-
893,400
546,908
214,553
761,461
131,939
(53,686)
78,253
-
78,253
7,611,751
7,690,004

All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. Movements in funds are disclosed in note 22 to the accounts.

20

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Consolidated balance sheets

As at 31 March 2024

----- Start of picture text -----
The group The group The charity The charity
2024 2023 2024 2023
Note £ £ £ £
Fixed assets
Tangible assets 13 5,860,875 5,901,210 5,860,875 5,901,210
Investments 14 1,191,913 1,187,745 1,494,413 1,507,745
7,052,788 7,088,955 7,355,288 7,408,955
Current assets
Debtors 17 149,067 132,838 44,256 34,218
Investments 18 180,211 149,330 180,211 149,330
Cash at bank and in hand 554,331 426,772 150,738 152,964
883,609 708,940 375,205 336,512
Liabilities
Creditors: amounts falling due within 1 year 19 (115,200) (107,891) (24,748) (36,848)
Net current assets 768,409 601,049 350,457 299,664
Net assets 21 7,821,197 7,690,004 7,705,745 7,708,619
Funds 22
Restricted funds 12,963 8,264 12,963 8,264
Unrestricted funds:
Designated funds 846,767 851,935 846,767 851,935
Revaluation reserve 2,323,019 2,336,894 2,323,019 2,336,894
General funds 4,638,448 4,492,911 4,522,996 4,511,526
Total charity funds 7,821,197 7,690,004 7,705,745 7,708,619
----- End of picture text -----

Approved by the trustees on 28 November 2024 and signed on their behalf by

Beck Solway - Clerk of Trustees

Richard Taylor - Treasurer

21

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Consolidated statement of cash flows

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Cash used in operating activities:
Net movement in funds
Adjustments for:
Depreciation charges
(Gains) / losses on investments
Dividends, interest and rents from investments
Increase in debtors
Increase in creditors
Net cash provided by / (used in) operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities:
Dividends, interest and rents from investments
Proceeds from the sale of investments
Purchase of investments
Net cash provided by investing activities
Increase in cash and cash equivalents in the year
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year
Cash and cash equivalents comprises:
Cash at bank and in hand
Cash held in current asset investments
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year		 2024
£
131,193
40,335
(25,657)
(103,493)
(16,229)
7,309
33,458
103,493
138,166
(116,677)
124,982
158,440
576,102
734,542
554,331
180,211
734,542		 2023
£
78,253
44,874
53,686
(91,624)
(31,387)
12,102
65,904
91,624
91,292
(102,225)
80,691
146,595
429,507
576,102
426,772
149,330
576,102

The group has not provided an analysis of changes in net debt as it does not have any long term financing arrangements.

22

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

1. Accounting policies

a) General information and basis of preparation

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends) is a charitable incorporated organisation registered in England and Wales. The registered office address is:

Friends Meeting House 6 Mount Street Manchester M2 5NS

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities in preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends) meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note.

b) Group accounts

These financial statements consolidate the results of the charity and its wholly-owned (controlled) subsidiary on a line by line basis. Transactions and balances between the charity and its subsidiary have been eliminated from the consolidated financial statements. Balances between the two entities are disclosed in the notes of the charity's balance sheet. A separate Statement of Financial Activities for the charity is not presented as the charity has taken advantage of the provisions of section 24 of the SORP.

c) Going concern basis of accounting

The accounts have been prepared on the assumption that the charity is able to continue as a going concern, which the trustees consider appropriate having regard to the current level of unrestricted reserves. There are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

d) Income

Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the item of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Income from the government and other grants, whether 'capital' grants or 'revenue' grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.

23

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

1. Accounting policies (continued)

d) Income (continued)

Income received in advance of provision of services is deferred until criteria for income recognition are met.

e) Investment income

Interest on funds held on deposit, dividends and other investment income are included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity. This is normally upon notification of the amounts paid or payable by the bank or investment managers.

f) Funds accounting

Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of the charity. Designated funds are unrestricted funds of the charity which the trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose. Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particularly areas of the charity's work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity.

g) Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT

Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred.

h) Allocation of support costs

Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Governance costs are the costs associated with the governance arrangements of the charity, including the costs of complying with constitutional and statutory requirements and any costs associated with the strategic management of the charity�s activities. These costs have been allocated in full to charitable activities in the current and prior year on the basis that most fundraising activity is carried out by the trading subsidiary and allocated directly.

i) Grants payable

Grants payable are charged in the year in which the offer is conveyed to the recipient except in those cases where the offer is conditional, such grants being recognised as expenditure when the conditions attached have been fulfilled. Grants offered subject to conditions at the year end are noted as commitment but are not accrued as expenditure.

24

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

1. Accounting policies (continued)

j) Tangible fixed assets

Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write down the cost of each asset to its estimated residual value over its expected useful life. The depreciation rates in use are as follows:

Land and buildings 100 years Furniture and equipment 4 years

Items of equipment are capitalised where the purchase price exceeds £1,000.

k) Investment property

Investment property is property (land or a building, or both) held to earn rentals or for capital appreciation or both.

Investment property is initially measured at cost, including transaction costs. Investment property is subsequently measured at fair value at the reporting date. This method of valuation applies to all the charity�s investment properties.

Gains or losses arising from changes in the fair value of investment property are included in net profit or loss on the face of the Statement of Financial Activities for the period in which they arise.

l) Listed investments

Listed investments traded on a recognised stock exchange are stated at fair value at the reporting date, which is deemed to be their market value. Any gain or loss, whether realised or unrealised, is taken to the Statement of Financial Activities.

m) Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.

n) Current asset investments

Current asset investments consists of cash equivalents held on deposit for investment purposes with a maturity date of less than one year and more than three months from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.

o) Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.

p) Creditors

Creditors and provisions are recognised where there is a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.

25

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

1. Accounting policies (continued)

q) Financial instruments

r) Accounting estimates and key judgements

In the application of the charity's accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and underlying assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods.

The key sources of estimation uncertainty that have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements are described below.

Depreciation

As described in note 1j to the financial statements, depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write down the cost of each asset to its estimated residual value over its expected useful life.

Investment properties

The valuation of investment property is deemed to be the market value of the land, as determined by a RICS registered surveyor.

26

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

2. Prior period comparatives: statement of financial activities

Income from:
Donations and legacies
Charitable activities
Other trading activities
Investments
Total income
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
Charitable activities
Total expenditure
Net losses on investments
Net income / (expenditure)
Transfers between funds
Net movement in funds
3.
Income from donations and legacies
Collections and other donations
Donations to Local Meetings and Summer School
Total income from donations and legacies
Prior period comparative:
Collections and other donations
Donations to Local Meetings and Summer School
Total income from donations and legacies
Net income / (expenditure)
before losses on investments		 Restricted
£
£
58,339
55,435
14,583
7,177
-
666,242
-
91,624
72,922
820,478
-
546,908
78,786
135,767
78,786
682,675
(5,864)
137,803
-
(53,686)
(5,864)
84,117
520
(520)
(5,344)
83,597
Restricted
£
£
40,517
38,575
12,851
816
53,368
39,391
Restricted
£
£
55,610
41,989
2,729
13,446
58,339
55,435
Unrestricted
Unrestricted
Unrestricted		 2023
Total
£
113,774
21,760
666,242
91,624
893,400
546,908
214,553
761,461
131,939
(53,686)
78,253
-
78,253
2024
Total
£
79,092
13,667
92,759
2023
Total
£
97,599
16,175
113,774

27

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

4. Income from charitable activities

Restricted
£
£
Listed Places of Worship grants
-
1,655
Residential income
19,305
-
Total income from charitable activities
19,305
1,655
Prior period comparative:
Restricted
£
£
Listed Places of Worship grants
-
4,036
Residential income
14,583
3,141
Total income from charitable activities
14,583
7,177
5.
Income from other trading activities
2024
Total
£
Lettings and other subsidiary trading income
711,593
All income from trading activities was unrestricted in the current and prior years.
Unrestricted
Unrestricted		 2024
Total
£
1,655
19,305
20,960
2023
Total
£
4,036
17,724
21,760
2023
Total
£
666,242

6. Income from investments

Dividends and interest
Income from investment properties
Total income from investments		 2024
Total
£
16,936
86,557
103,493		 2023
Total
£
12,839
78,785
91,624

All income from investments was unrestricted in the current and prior years.

7. Government grants

The group received government grants, defined as funding from the Listed Places of Worship (LPW) Grant Scheme (DCMS) to fund charitable activities. The total value of such grants in the period ending 31 March 2024 was £1,655 (2023: £4,036). There are no unfulfilled conditions or contingencies attaching to these grants in 2023/24.

28

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

8. Total expenditure

Investment management costs
Subsidiary trading costs
Grants payable (note 11)
Other direct costs
Property costs
Depreciation
Office and admin costs
Staff travel, training and recruitment
Governance costs
Sub-total
Total expenditure
Prior period comparative
Investment management costs
Subsidiary trading costs
Grants payable (note 11)
Other direct costs
Property costs
Depreciation
Office and admin costs
Staff travel, training and recruitment
Governance costs
Sub-total
Total expenditure
Allocation of support and
governance costs
Allocation of support and
governance costs
Salary costs (including subsidiary)
(note 10)
Local Meetings and Summer School
expenditure
Salary costs (including subsidiary)
(note 10)
Local Meetings and Summer School
expenditure		 Raising
funds
£
259,731
5,589
346,770
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
612,090
-
612,090
Raising
funds
£
252,085
5,528
285,368
-
-
-
-
3,927
-
-
-
546,908
-
546,908		 Charitable
activities
£
-
-
-
51,113
31,710
10
-
-
-
-
-
82,833
135,474
218,307
Charitable
activities
£
-
-
-
44,004
39,590
15
-
-
-
-
-
83,609
130,944
214,553		 Support and
governance
costs
£
49,965
-
-
-
-
-
27,153
40,335
1,521
7,285
9,215
135,474
(135,474)
-
Support and
governance
costs
£
57,841
-
-
-
-
-
18,615
40,947
1,229
2,868
9,444
130,944
(130,944)
-		 2024 Total
£
309,696
5,589
346,770
51,113
31,710
10
27,153
40,335
1,521
7,285
9,215
830,397
-
830,397
2023 Total
£
309,926
5,528
285,368
44,004
39,590
15
18,615
44,874
1,229
2,868
9,444
761,461
-
761,461

29

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

9. Net movement in funds

This is stated after charging:

----- Start of picture text -----
|||| |---|---|---| |2024|2023| |£|£| |Depreciation|40,335|44,874| |Operating lease payments|657|657| |Trustees' remuneration|Nil|Nil| |Trustees' reimbursed expenses|110|28| |Auditors' remuneration (excluding VAT):| |Statutory audit and accounts preparation|13,620|12,360| |Other services|420|360|

----- End of picture text -----

In the current year, 2 trustees were reimbursed expenses totalling £110 for ID certification and travel to a conference. In the prior year, two trustees were reimbursed for expenses related to fees for ID certification, which totalled £28.

In common with other charities of our size and nature we use our auditors to assist with the preparation of the financial statements and to prepare and submit returns to the tax authorities.

10. Staff costs and numbers

Staff costs were as follows:

----- Start of picture text -----
|||| |---|---|---| |2024|2023| |£|£| |Salaries and wages|276,816|274,886| |Social security costs|14,665|16,344| |Pension costs|18,215|18,696| |309,696|309,926|

----- End of picture text -----

No employee earned more than £60,000 during the current or prior year.

The key management personnel of the charity comprise the Trustees, Executive Officer, and Senior Management Team. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel were £74,347 (2023: £95,661).

----- Start of picture text -----
|||||| |---|---|---|---|---| |2024|2024|2023|2023| |No.|FTE|No.|FTE| |Average number of employees|17|10|15|11|

----- End of picture text -----

30

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

11. Grants making activities

Total grants committed to during the year were as follows:

Britain Yearly Meeting
Grants via Quaker Work Fund
Northern Friends Peace Board
Refugee and asylum seekers
Small Grants and Donations
Summer School
Total grants payable to institutions		 2024
£
30,211
8,250
-
-
11,193
1,459
51,113		 2023
£
35,160
2,534
1,800
1,595
2,915
-
44,004

Included in Small Grants and Donations was 1 grant made to an individual. All other grants were made to institutions, and no support costs were allocated to grant-making activities.

Grants and donations are made to support Quaker work or to other organisations whose work advances Quaker concerns.

The charity does not actively invite applications, but responds as it is able in ways which support the concerns of Friends.

12. Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax as all its income is charitable and is applied for charitable purposes. The charity's trading subsidiary, Quaker Trading (Manchester and Warrington) Limited donates available profits to the parent charity under the gift aid scheme.

13. Tangible fixed assets Group

Group
Cost
At 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024
Depreciation
At 1 April 2023
Charge for the year
At 31 March 2024
Net book value
At 31 March 2024
At 31 March 2023		 £
£
6,260,000
221,433
360,625
219,598
38,500
1,835
399,125
221,433
5,860,875
-
5,899,375
1,835
Land and
buildings
Furniture and
equipment		 Total
£
6,481,433
580,223
40,335
620,558
5,860,875
5,901,210

31

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024
13.
Tangible fixed assets (continued)
Charity
Cost
At 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024
Depreciation
At 1 April 2023
Charge for the year
At 31 March 2024
Net book value
At 31 March 2024
At 31 March 2023		 £
£
6,260,000
165,750
360,625
163,915
38,500
1,835
399,125
165,750
5,860,875
-
5,899,375
1,835
Land and
buildings
Furniture and
equipment		 Total
£
6,425,750
524,540
40,335
564,875
5,860,875
5,901,210

Included in land and buildings is land valued at £2,410,000, which is not subject to depreciation.

Following the introduction of FRS102 and adoption of the Charity SORP based on it, freehold land and buildings were restated at their deemed cost at 1 January 2014 based on a professional valuation.

32

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

14. Investments

Market value at 1 April 2023
Additions
Disposals proceeds
Gains / losses
Market value at 31 March 2024		 £
602,745
116,677
(138,166)
25,657
606,913
Listed
investments		 £
585,000
-
-
-
585,000
Investment
properties		 Group Total
2024
£
£
1,187,745
302,500
116,677
-
(138,166)
-
25,657
-
1,191,913
302,500
Loans to group
undertakings		 Charity Total
2024
£
1,490,245
116,677
(138,166)
25,657
1,494,413		 Group Total
2023
£
1,230,498
102,225
(91,292)
(53,686)
1,187,745		 Charity Total
2023
£
1,515,498
137,225
(91,292)
(53,686)
1,507,745

Investment properties include income generating portions of 5 meeting houses owned by the charity. All properties were last valued in 2022 by Fifield Glyn Chartered Surveyors, with the valuation of four of the five investment properties being based on market value. The valuation for the fifth property, being a portion of the basement at 6 Mount Street, was based on the investment method, thereby basing the value on existing income streams at the property. The trustees are of the opinion that there has been no further change in the fair value of the properties.

See note 25 for a description of the inter-company loan terms.

33

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

15. Subsidiary undertaking

The Charitable Incorporated Organisation is the owner and sole member of Quaker Trading (Manchester & Warrington) Limited, a company limited by guarantee and registered in England. The company registration number is 03094920 and the registered office is Friends' Meeting House, 6 Mount Street, Manchester, M2 5NS. The subsidiary is used for non-primary purpose trading activities.

Available profits are gift aided to the charitable incorporated organisation. A summary of the results of the results of the subsidiary are shown below:

2024
£
Turnover
798,119
Gross profit
798,119
Administrative expenses
(644,002)
Other operating income
33
Operating profit
154,150
Interest payable
(20,083)
Profit for financial year
134,067
The aggregate of the assets, liabilities and funds was:
2024
£
Assets
533,404
Liabilities
(417,952)
Funds
115,452
Parent charity
The parent charity's gross income and the results for the year are disclosed as follows:
2024
£
Gross income
212,864
Results for the year
2,874		 2023
£
744,985
744,985
(576,381)
44
168,648
(12,265)
156,383
2023
£
372,429
(391,044)
(18,615)
2023
£
215,638
(78,129)

16. Parent charity

34

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

17. Debtors

Accrued income
Trade debtors
Prepayments		 2024
2023
£
£
27,564
28,559
113,187
86,273
8,316
18,006
149,067
132,838
The group		 2024
2023
£
£
44,003
25,335
253
176
-
8,707
44,256
34,218
The charity

18. Current asset investments

Cash held in deposit accounts
Cash held in investment portfolio
Creditors: amounts due within 1 year
Trade creditors
Accruals
VAT liability
Deferred income (note 20)
Other creditors
Deferred income
At 1 April 2023
Deferred during the year
Released during the year
At 31 March 2024		 2024
2023
£
£
137,300
134,254
42,911
15,076
180,211
149,330
2024
2023
£
£
18,393
16,130
42,589
51,253
12,923
10,228
39,513
28,192
1,782
2,088
115,200
107,891
2024
2023
£
£
28,192
22,346
39,513
28,192
(28,192)
(22,346)
39,513
28,192
The group
The group
The group		 2024
2023
£
£
137,300
134,254
42,911
15,076
180,211
149,330
2024
2023
£
£
2,314
9,016
22,434
27,832
-
-
-
-
-
-
24,748
36,848
2024
2023
£
£
-
310
-
-
-
(310)
-
-
The charity
The charity
The charity

19. Creditors: amounts due within 1 year

20. Deferred income

Deferred income relates mainly to advance bookings and rental fees in advance.

35

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

21.
Analysis of net assets between funds
£
Tangible fixed assets
-
Investments
-
Net current assets
12,963
Net assets at 31 March 2024
12,963
Prior year comparative
£
Tangible fixed assets
-
Investments
-
Net current assets
8,264
Net assets at 31 March 2023
8,264
Restricted
funds
Restricted
funds		 £
-
846,767
-
846,767
£
-
851,935
-
851,935
Designated
funds
Designated
funds		 £
2,112,192
210,827
-
2,323,019
£
2,126,067
210,827
-
2,336,894
Revaluation
reserve
Revaluation
reserve		 £
3,748,683
134,319
755,446
4,638,448
£
3,775,143
124,983
592,785
4,492,911
General
funds
General
funds		 £
5,860,875
1,191,913
768,409
7,821,197
Total
funds
£
5,901,210
1,187,745
601,049
7,690,004
Total
funds

36

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

22. Movements in funds

At 1 April
2023
£
Restricted funds
144
Contributions: BYM
-
Winifred Locke legacy
185
Ditton Trust
5,622
318
Summer School fund
-
1,995
Total restricted funds
8,264
Designated funds:
616,588
Cost contingency
191,000
Legacies funds
24,167
Quaker work fund
9,330
Local Meeting accounts
10,850
Total designated funds
851,935
General funds
4,492,911
Revaluation reserve
2,336,894
Total unrestricted funds 7,681,740
Total funds
7,690,004
Sinking funds for
maintenance
Contributions: small
groups
Refugees and asylum
seekers
Restricted Local Meeting
accounts
Unrestricted funds		 Income
£
9,450
30,211
-
-
856
19,305
12,851
72,673
-
-
-
890
4,704
5,594
857,666
-
863,260
935,933		 £
(6,829)
(30,336)
(185)
(307)
-
(22,023)
(11,137)
(70,817)
-
-
-
(8,250)
(4,512)
(12,762)
(732,943)
(13,875)
(759,580)
(830,397)
Expenditure		 £
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
25,657
-
25,657
25,657
Gains		 £
£
-
2,765
125
-
-
-
-
5,315
-
1,174
2,718
-
-
3,709
2,843
12,963
-
616,588
-
191,000
-
24,167
2,000
3,970
-
11,042
2,000
846,767
(4,843)
4,638,448
-
2,323,019
(2,843)
7,808,234
-
7,821,197
Transfers
between
funds
At 31 March
2024

37

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

**22. ** Movements in funds (continued) Movements in funds (continued)
Purposes of restricted funds
Contributions: small For contributions to other Quaker connected charities.
groups
Contributions: BYM For contributions to the Britain Yearly Meeting.
Winifred Locke legacy For
assistance
to
attend
conferences
aimed		 at spiritual development,
particularly for young people, including a residential Yearly Meeting.
Ditton Trust For the Warrington Meeting, for the relief of the necessitous poor, the
assistance of Friends in need and the education of children of Friends.
Refugees and asylum To support work with refugees and asylum seekers.
seekers
Bursary fund To provide bursaries for education.
Summer School fund Monies for the running costs of Friends' Summer School.
Restricted Local Meeting Monies for the concerns and activities of Local Meetings.
accounts
Purposes of designated funds
Sinking funds for Reserves set aside for payment of substantial or unplanned maintenance
maintenance expenses.
Cost contingency Reserves set aside to cover short-term excess of expenditure over income
and to cover all potential redundancy costs.
Legacies funds Monies donated in the form of legacies.
Quaker work fund For the giving of grants to worthy causes.
Local Meeting accounts Monies held for local use.

Purposes of transfers between funds

The transfers from general funds to restricted funds represents small overspends on the funds in the year supported by the charity's general reserve.

38

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

22. Movements in funds (continued)

Prior year comparative
At 1 April
2022
£
Restricted funds
-
Contributions: BYM
-
Winifred Locke legacy
473
Ditton Trust
5,622
995
Bursary fund
172
Summer School fund
6,346
-
Total restricted funds
13,608
Designated funds:
616,588
Cost contingency
191,000
Legacies funds
25,369
Quaker work fund
11,864
Local Meeting accounts
11,670
Total designated funds
856,491
General funds
4,274,793
Revaluation reserve
2,466,859
Total unrestricted funds 7,598,143
Total funds
7,611,751
Sinking fund for
maintenance
Unrestricted funds
Refugees and asylum
seekers
Contributions: small
groups
Restricted Local Meeting
accounts		 Income
£
5,536
35,299
-
-
918
-
14,583
16,586
72,922
-
-
1,000
-
2,729
3,729
816,749
-
820,478
893,400		 £
(5,392)
(35,299)
(288)
-
(1,595)
(172)
(21,449)
(14,591)
(78,786)
-
-
(2,202)
(2,534)
(3,549)
(8,285)
(660,515)
(13,875)
(682,675)
(761,461)
Expenditure		 £
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
(53,686)
-
(53,686)
(53,686)
Losses		 £
-
-
-
-
-
-
520
-
520
-
-
-
-
-
-
115,570
(116,090)
(520)
-
Transfers
between
funds		 £
144
-
185
5,622
318
-
-
1,995
8,264
616,588
191,000
24,167
9,330
10,850
851,935
4,492,911
2,336,894
7,681,740
7,690,004
At 31 March
2023

39

Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

23. Financial instruments at fair value

Financial assets measured at fair value 2024
2023
£
£
606,913
602,745
The group		 2024
2023
£
£
606,913
602,745
The charity

Financial assets measured at fair value comprise listed investments.

24. Operating lease commitments

The group and charity had operating leases at the year end with total future minimum lease payments as follows:

Amount falling due:
Within 1 year
Within 1 - 5 years		 2024
2023
£
£
657
657
712
1,369
1,369
2,026
The group		 2024
2023
£
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
The charity

25. Related party transactions

Since 1 May 2017 Quaker Trading (Manchester & Warrington) Limited and Manchester and Warrington Area Quaker Meeting have been working with one another under a Hospitality and Facility Agreement. Quaker Trading is responsible for undertaking all the trading activity (primarily room hire and the provision of catering and audio-visual equipment) and for managing the buildings and grounds on behalf of the charity.

The charity previously formally agreed a loan facility of up to £300,000 available to Quaker Trading (Manchester & Warrington) Limited. During the prior year, the trustees agreed to extend this facility further and, at the year end, the subsidiary had drawn down £302,500 of this facility (2023: £320,000).

The intercompany loan is repayable upon 24 months' notice and the annual rate of interest payable on the loan is 2% above the base rate then prevailing of the Bank of England. Total interest paid by the subsidiary to the charity in the year was £20,083 (2023: £12,265).

In addition, during the year, the charity received £55,000 (2023: £55,000) rental income from the trading subsidiary, and paid cost contributions to the trading subsidiary of £17,500 (2023: £20,000).

40