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KNOWLE WEST BAPTIST CHURCH (KNOWN AS THE CAIRN, THE CAIRN COMMUNITY)

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

Charity Number: 1173158

KNOWLE WEST BAPTIST CHURCH (THE CAIRN) (THE CAIRN COMMUNITY) YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

CONTENTS	PAGES
Objectives and Activities	2-3
Achievements and Performance	3
Wider Partnerships	4
Financial Review	4
Reserves	4
Plans for Future Periods	5
Reference and Administrative Details	6
Structure, Governance and Management	7
Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities	7
Independent Examiner’s Report	8
Receipts and Payments Account	9
Statement of Assets and Liabilities	10

KNOWLE WEST BAPTIST CHURCH (THE CAIRN) (THE CAIRN COMMUNITY) YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

The Trustees are pleased to present their report together with the financial statements of the Charity for the year ended 31 December 2023.

Objectives and activities

As required by our constitution, The Cairn Trustees pursued the church’s main purpose of advancing the Christian faith, with regard to the principles of the Baptist denomination and the beliefs in the Baptist Union’s Declaration of Principle. The Trustees duly considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit under the Charities Act 2011 and, in particular, the guidance for charities on the advancement of religion.

Our aim remains to pursue God's vision for human flourishing in Inns Court and beyond, by living faithfully at The Cairn. We have been encouraged by many positive, incremental changes, as we look to see people and place transformed. Our commitment to our faith, as expressed in this way, remains undiminished by the uncertain times in which we live.

As 2023 began, and with due regard to health and safety guidance, we continued to gather in our, by then, established pattern of life around:

1st Sunday - Zoom at 11am, OR Light Lunch at The Cairn from 12.30 -1.30pm; 2nd Sunday - small cairns (meet in small groups, in person or on zoom); 3rd Sunday - social walk; pray; or prayer walk (on your own, or safely with others); 4th Sunday - find a friend (meet one or two for tea, coffee, and to pray).

By the end of 2023, this had evolved into a fresh rhythm of:

1st Sunday, Gather , 11am, at The Cairn, including worship, communion and lunch; 2nd Sunday, Share , encouraging our community to host or be hosted; 3rd Sunday, Learn , 11 am at The Cairn; 4th Sunday, Send , 11 am at The Cairn.

Guitar led worship and prayer was often incorporated in these times. Guitar Club has been running again on a weekly basis.

Our activities were consistent with this context, and fully reflected those outlined in paragraph 5.2 of our Constitution (now free of Government guidance on the pandemic, and as represented on the Baptists Together website). These include:

regular public worship, prayer, Bible study, preaching and teaching;
baptism, as defined in the Baptist Union’s Declaration of Principle;
the Communion of the Lord’s Supper (now on a monthly basis);

KNOWLE WEST BAPTIST CHURCH (THE CAIRN) (THE CAIRN COMMUNITY) YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

evangelism and mission, especially locally;
the teaching, encouragement, welcome and inclusion of young people;
nurture and growth of Christian disciples;
education and training for Christian and community service;
giving and encouraging pastoral care (where guidance allowed);
supporting and encouraging charitable social action; and
encouraging relationships with and supporting Baptists and other Christians.

Our missional creativity and commitment was again recognised in the awarding of a Home Mission Grant, by the West of England Baptist Association. We provided a full report to the West of England Baptist Association which further demonstrated the public benefit of our activities.

Achievements and Performance

We continue to have a very faithful core community of around 20 local adults and two children. Around 40 local people connect with us regularly through Sunday morning, Guitar Club or our third Friday Man Friday. We are roughly half committed Christians and half those exploring faith. Phil continues to send a weekly text message (or whatsapp) to that group and a few others.

There was a real sense of God's favour on our community throughout the Christmas season. We were pleased to welcome around 60 attendees at our three main Christmas events. Around 30 came along to our Christmas Eve Celebration and lunch, 20 to our Guitar Club Christmas Special and 10 to our Man Friday event.

This represented 45 different people, including 5 children, HIA tenants, befrienders, Cairn Trustees and other guests. There is now a high correlation between the 46 people that I send a weekly text (or whatsapp) message of encouragement to and those who attend our events.

Man Friday, our men's group, has continued to re-build throughout the year. From November 2022 to July 2023, 16 men were involved. Of these, 8 were also involved on Sundays, including 2 non-Christians. 7 of the 16 were Christians, 9 were not yet. 13 happily received my weekly text. Since September 2023, more men came along each month.

The Cairn website was maintained to ensure people were aware of ongoing changes to our activities.

KNOWLE WEST BAPTIST CHURCH (THE CAIRN) (THE CAIRN COMMUNITY) YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

Wider Partnerships

This was another significant year for developing partnerships, Christian and secular, across Bristol and further afield. These included:

Baptist Home Mission - from whom we again received grant support.

West of England Baptist Network.

Baptists Together.

Bristol Baptist College - we continue to welcome students from time to time.

InHope - Trustee involvement.

Hope into Action - discussions were held successfully with this new partner organisation, and a house was bought (as detailed below).

Man Alive – close involvement of Cairn community in this health-funded men’s group.

The Fishing Project (Hartcliffe and Withywood).

Haven Day Centre - A Cairn Trustee is also a Trustee at The Haven, and there are many strong relationships.

Lee Abbey Small Missional Community, Knowle West – valuable, local, Christian partner. Christian Action Bristol - Trustee involvement.

Counterslip Cares Foodbank - Trustee involvement.

Counties - Chair of Trustees still chairs a local Counties Link Group.

Christians Against Poverty (CAP) – joint South Bristol churches project to support those with concerns around debt.

Knowle West Alliance.

The Noise – Bristol social action project. Trustee involvement.

Transforming Lives for Good (TLG) - now supporting four children in a local primary school, through the coaching programme.

Scripture Union - Go Wild! Trustee involvement.

Financial Review

The charity's income for the year ended 31 December 2023 was £29,128. This compared with £24,731 in 2021. Total expenditure for the year was £31,880. Expenditure for 2022 was £18,748.

Reserves

The Trustees are fully aware of the need to consider an appropriate Reserves Policy as the finances and activities of the church develop. The total reserves held as at 31 December 2023 were £281,679 compared to £284,431 in 2022. The Trustees consider this to be an adequate sum. It is intended to invest the majority of this in a modern construction 2/3 bed

KNOWLE WEST BAPTIST CHURCH (THE CAIRN) (THE CAIRN COMMUNITY) YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

house in the garden of the Cairn. The remainder is now invested in a part share of a Hope into Action: Bristol property, here in Knowle West.

Plans for future periods

The church intends to continue its activities within the community and keep under review the viability of plans for building the manse. The church's primary source of income is, again, from the Home Mission Grant from the West of England Baptist Association, which allows for the provision of a minister, so the church is well-placed to continue sharing the gospel of hope at a time when it is most needed.

We continue to partner with Hope into Action, and InHope, in providing a house for three adult males who would otherwise be vulnerably housed, in Knowle West. This was achieved with the help of significant external investment.

We have an investment (£10,000) in the Hope into Action house (an InHope activity) and hold funds on behalf of all the investors. This is used to pay for items that the investors are responsible for. We also received the twice yearly return and distributed to the investors. Shown as HiA:B Fund on year end accounts. These transactions are excluded from the accounts.

We, as Cairn Trustees, are planning to buy some of the garden land at The Cairn, in order to build a modern construction home there, in conjunction with Agile Housing.

KNOWLE WEST BAPTIST CHURCH (THE CAIRN) (THE CAIRN COMMUNITY) YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

Reference and Administrative Details

Charity number: 1173158 Address: The Cairn, Inns Court Green, Bristol. BS4 1TF. Bankers: Unity Trust Bank, Four Brindley Place, Birmingham. B1 2JB.

Trustees

The Trustees serving during the year and since the year end were as follows:

P Lawrence (Chairman) R Nott (Treasurer) - resigned on 17 June 2024 A Street G Sims A Lawrence

Independent Examiner:

Joshua N Kingston, BSc, ACA Burton Sweet Limited The Clock Tower 5 Farleigh Court Old Weston Road Flax Bourton Bristol. BS48 1UR

KNOWLE WEST BAPTIST CHURCH (THE CAIRN) (THE CAIRN COMMUNITY) YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

Structure, Governance and Management

Governing Document

Knowle West Baptist Church was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation on 24 May 2017, and is governed by its Constitution adopted in February 2017. It is more commonly known as The Cairn or The Cairn Community.

Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees

New Trustees are selected according to the experience and expertise they have, combined with their commitment to the Charity’s objects and values.

Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities

The Trustees are responsible for keeping sufficient accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and 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. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by:

P Lawrence, Chair of Trustees, 11 September2024

KNOWLE WEST BAPTIST CHURCH (THE CAIRN) (THE CAIRN COMMUNITY) YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Knowle West Baptist Church

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Knowle West Baptist Church (the Charity) for the year ended 31 December 2023.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the Charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the Charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
the accounts do not accord with those records

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Joshua N Kingston, BSc., ACA Burton Sweet Chartered Accountants The Clock Tower 5 Farleigh Court Old Weston Road Flax Bourton Bristol BS48 1UR

Date: 11 September 2024