## Annual General Meeting Report 

2023 

(16[th] November 2023) 



## **INDEX** 

## 1 Chairman’s Remarks 2 Barking Churches Unite 3 The story since last year 4 The Source 5 Outcomes 

6 Future Thoughts 7 How can you support Barking Churches Unite? 

8 Prayer Requests 9   Finance Report 10 Donation Form & Gift Aid Form 11 Procedure for Questions 



## 1 Chairman’s Remarks 

This section reflects my personal remarks about the year. Again this has been an amazing year for  Barking  Churches  Unite(BCU)  and  a  challenging  year  for  the  UK  and  world.  A  year concerning the aftermath of Covid, the Ukraine and Israel wars, cost of living crisis, and energy, fuel, mortgage and food increases.  However, it has been a year where we have engaged even more closely with the Council and this has been demonstrated through regular contact and financial support for the Source. It has been a year we have seen a big increase in guest numbers and the development of The Source Warehouse. In everything we give thanks to God for His favour and His leading in the work of BCU and The Source. 

At the Barking Learning Centre (BLC) we have continued to be responsible for the Barking’s Food Club supporting around 150 families a week (an increase of 50 families) and Pit Stop which supports, on average 150 guests each day (an increase of nearly 40 -50 guests a day). In November we hope to bring back sit down meals we are calling Pit Stop Diner and a warm space called Pit Stop Lounge in February 2024. The shop unit (now known as The Source Wellbeing Centre) tenancy at Vicarage Field Shopping Centre has also been extended  to 2025, under the same rent-free conditions. This has allowed  us to focus on well-being  groups, including, bereavement, mental health, employment and drugs support.   We now have monthly Communion sessions and Discipleship sessions every week at the BLC. 

BCU has extended its team engaging Support Assistant contractors for Pit Stop, Barking Food Club, The Wellbeing Centre & The Source Warehouse. A third Warehouse Assistant has just been recruited to enable collections and deliveries on a Saturday. An Operations Manager and Finance Officer are being considered, when finances allow for The Source activities. 

It  has  also  been  another  year  with  the  return  of  the  Turning  Mission  across  Barking  & Dagenham, where people gave their lives to the Lord became Christians and received prayers of blessings. United Prayer gatherings have continued alongside street praying, intercessory prayer and leaders’ prayer meetings. 

Barking Churches Unite has also had its logo and branding reviewed and now has a more corporate  logo,  linking  more  clearly  to  The  Source  activities.  Its  website  is  now  being redesigned in line with BCU’s branding review. 

We now have a Co-Chair, Antoinette Williamson, who is mainly the Lead Trustee for the BLC activities. Audrey Sutherland is the now the Lead Trustee for The Wellbeing Centre.  It is my hope to have a second Co-Chair by the end of the year. 

In 2024 there is a possibility (if God so leads) for the development of supported housing, in partnership with LBBD & Green Pastures. This project will help those who are unable to sustain themselves in independent housing and require additional support in enabling them to become fully independent in basic household and budgeting skills and in drug rehabilitation. 

There has also been a move of God towards bringing church leaders and congregations in Dagenham to come together to pray and to develop a cohesive strategy to love the community under the umbrella of Dagenham Christians Together. It has now been a charity for around 18 months and now has established a Dagenham Food Club & Wellbeing Centre at the Dagenham Library called The Church Elm Hub. The Food Club supports around 90 families a week and The Wellbeing Centre provides support to around 80 guests a week and runs a number of diverse wellbeing groups. I have the privilege to be chair of Dagenham Christians Together and 



to bring a holistic strategy between BCU & DCT. I thank God for this move and the future partnership of churches in Barking & Dagenham to work and pray together. 

I reaffirm my comments of the 2020, 2021 & 2022 AGM remarks in that I believe that God is saying that it is through the United Church in society we can love the community back to life for God and bring about restoration and redemption. The pandemic and current crises have caused the church to review its biblical responsibility and call to ‘Go’ and love the community and to resemble the intention of the Lord’s Prayer “On earth as in heaven”.  I believe the dream of God over our life is that we come alive in His presence within an intimate relationship with Him and through the Holy Spirit we are able to bring life back to every environment, bringing restoration and redemption, spilling contagious hope into a broken and hurting world. To live in our true identity in God as people who are Christlike and live in His footprints and live supernatural lives in God. The next move of God I believe is not a revival or movement in the church but a movement of the Christians in our towns and communities; God’s kingdom being established in all the spaces that we travel such as our work space and street and establishing them to be Kingdom spaces. The call is to ‘Go’. The call to churches and BCU is to release unstoppable, impassioned Spirit-filled Christians into our communities and outside spaces and to be Kingdom people. We will need to embrace the love the of the 95% of the people outside our church walls, who  are  in  our town  and  community.   When  Kingdom People  shows up, they carry His presence, hope and love. As Kingdom People we carry the culture of the Kingdom. We carry the authority of God as sons, daughters & High Priests. We carry the favour, honour and anointing of God, because the power of the Holy Spirit & presence of God is within us. I believe that God’s heart is to for us to love our community and to release Christians to be shepherds to our town and community. If we are to reach our community, we must reposition ourselves. God is sending us out into the world. Our calling & mission is to carry the Kingdom beyond the church into the heart of the culture, or community. 

As Christians we are to transform the culture of the world as by introducing God’s kingdom. We carry the wind of the Holy Spirit bringing release and authority where we go. Kingdom People release the Kingdom everywhere, every day. We must see our involvement and engagement in structures and  institutions, work  spaces  as Kingdom  work. We  must  reject  the  idea  that Kingdom work mainly takes place in church buildings. 

Compassion and mission are inseparable. The spirit of mission is a spirit of mercy. Kingdom People go around doing good, releasing compassion and healing, because God is in them moving them. Kingdom People release blessing, love and peace in their town. Kingdom People become Fathers, Mothers and Shepherds to their town. Kingdom People partner with their town. Every environment & space alive in His presence. 

Kingdom culture empowers believers to bring life to every space. We need to dream over our town for God. We need to be Kingdom People. This is our spiritual DNA. We need to Wake Up (Open our eyes and Arise), Prepare (See and Hear God’s Heartbeat & Get Ready) and be Mobilised for Action (Shine the Light of Love and the culture of the Kingdom). We need to pray together over our land (2  Chronicles 7:14). We need  to  change the culture and spiritual landscape of our community. We need to partner together even more closely as the United Body of Christ. 

The future of Barking Churches Unite is to facilitate Christians to pray and work together to be Kingdom People in all spaces of our community and helping them to be Kingdom and Prayer Spaces for God. To be culture changers. We are called to ‘Go’, Be witnesses, and make disciples. To ‘Go’ into the world and our community and fulfil the Great Commission. Let us love our community back to God. My prayer is that we make every space in Barking and the UK be a Kingdom Space, filled with the presence of God and the Holy Spirit through being Kingdom People. 



Mick Mednick – Chair of Barking Churches Unite 

## 2 Barking Churches Unite (BCU) 

Barking Churches Unite is a charitable group of Christians from churches in Barking who are committed to working with churches, Christians and volunteers, praying together for the transformation of our community. BCU was established in 2010 and became a registered charity on 7th June 2017. Our charity number is 1173315. We are a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). 

The Board of trustees includes the following: 

|Chair|Mick Mednick (Kings Church)|
|---|---|
|Co-Chair|Antoinette Williamson (Barking Baptist)|
|Treasurer|Theresa Ibrahim (St Erkenwald Church)|
|Secretary|Liz Mednick (Kings Church)|
|Warehouse|Bill Dear (St Erkenwald Church)|
|Wellbeing Centre|Audrey Sutherland (New Testament Assembly)|
|Grants/Food|Anne Dear (St Erkenwald Church)|
|Outreach|Michael Taylor (St Erkenwald Church)|
|Pastoral|Rev Unesu Chindabata (Christ Church)|
|Finance & Policies|Sandy Tomlinson|



## **Mission Statement** 

Barking Churches Unite is a registered charity working to bring about change in Barking through prayer, the relief of poverty and other initiatives that serve the community and express God’s love. We are a group of Christians attending churches across Barking. Barking Churches Unite facilitates contact with the council and other agencies, connecting like-minded Christians in our local area. 

## **Basis of faith** 

We believe in one God, working as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe in the Lordship of Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection and uphold the Evangelical Alliance Statement of Faith (www.eauk.org) Jesus prayed for unity (John 17:21), Paul commanded we make an effort to maintain it (Ephesians 4:3) and God the Father promises to bless it (Psalm 133) and bring healing to the community through it. (2 Chronicles 7:14). 

## **Organization** 

Barking Churches Unite is facilitated by a diverse group of Christian Trustees drawn from different church denominations, who include church leaders and Christians, seeking God’s face for Barking. The trustees uphold the five-fold ministry and are led by a co-ordinator and chair of trustees. We facilitate communication between churches and among other agencies. Recently, and as a result of our work in the town the council and external bodies have communicated with us as a point of contact to engage with Christians who want to work in the community. We understand  that unity  is not uniformity  and  as  such  we  are  churches that  have  different expressions of our faith, believing that we are here to complement rather than compete with one 



another, and that together as the Body of Christ in Barking we can fulfill God’s purpose for our lives in our town. 

We see a church that will stand together in prayer to see social and spiritual transformation in our community. We see a church that will pray for one another and support one another practically as the need arises and resources allow. We see a church that will rejoice in what one another is doing and where possible promote that. We see a Church that will help facilitate and support the dreams of one another in order to advance God’s Kingdom in Barking.  We see a church that reaches out and meets the needs of the poor and the community, through joint ministries, initiatives and events. 

Any Christian or/of Barking Church(s) that affirms the preceding statements can join us. 

## **Strategy** 

## **1.Prayer** 

The individual churches are grouped into five zones, loosely based on the council wards. We cover Barking in prayer, through different forms of prayer meetings; church leader meetings, regular prayer walks and corporate prayer meetings in each zone, an intercessors group comprised  of people  from  different churches, and  open  to  all  Christians from across the borough. 


We are hoping to increase the numbers of intercessors by forming community prayer networks across the borough (see Solar picture below). 




**Mission and relief of poverty** 

Through an outpouring of God’s love, The Source (Barking Learning Centre, Vicarage Field Shopping Centre & Riverside Industrial Estate) has been set up in Barking to support those in poverty, who are homeless and helpless to bring about hope, help and restoration in the community. 

Through God’s leading we have been involved in setting up and we continue to partner with other initiatives; the Food Bank, The Turning, and Kidz Klub. 

We serve a big God and therefore have a big VISON of transformation to Barking. As we encourage and facilitate Christians to be released within their calling through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will see God move in a mighty way 

## **Finance** 

Finance comes from grants, Barking & Dagenham Council, businesses, personal and churchbased donations and through fund raising. We do not apply for lottery or gambling-related funding. 

## **Governance** 

BCU has a constitutional document and a number of policies that are statutory and of good practice in its operation. These include Child Protection & Safeguarding, Health and Safety, GDPR, Food & Hygiene rating certificate, (Level 4 at BLC), Complaints procedures and Service Level agreements. 



## 3 The story in the last 12 months 

It has been a busy and challenging year for Barking Churches Unite. It has been another year where the charity has developed and grown by God’s grace and favour. Throughout this period the Source has been open for weekdays and has been there to love our town with food, support and comfort. 

The Source continues to operate out of three sites: 

- Vicarage Field Shopping Centre – The Source Wellbeing Centre 

- The Barking Learning Centre (a Council building that hosts all the Council services and local library) – Pit Stop & The Barking Food Club 

- Riverside Industrial Estate, Thames View (a warehouse given to us by the Council) – The Source Warehouse 

All the sites are provided rent free and the project receives 100% business rate relief from the Council. 

Vicarage Field Shopping Centre site is hosting a Wellbeing Centre for community projects and key working activities and the Barking Learning Centre is responsible for food related projects. We have developed an even closer relationship and partnership with the Council and as result The Source started an emergency food parcel service (delivery where necessary), in response to the Council’s concerns over the deficit of people while awaiting benefits. We are responsible for the Barking Community Food Club, which is the largest Food Club in the Borough at the BLC. The Warehouse is now fulfilling a mighty ministry, providing free furniture and white goods being delivered free of charge to those who are in need. We are now contracting 3 contractors to fulfil the work. We are hoping to extend this work to a Saturday. 

We are hoping in 2024 to extend our infrastructure to two Co-Chair Trustees (one already appointed) and an Operations Manager. To move into supported housing and to have a warm space area (Pit Stop Lounge). A youth Café at the Wellbeing Centre on a Saturday is being established at the moment. The branding and new logo will hopefully make a real difference to the marketing of BCU / The Source. 

We have also continued our prayer strategy of prayer gatherings through 3 meetings (Christ Church, Barking Baptist & St Erkenwald) and street praying. Zoom prayer intercession (BIN) meeting with Dagenham representatives have also regularly taken place. 

## 4 The Source 

The Source is located in three places. A shop unit in Vicarage Field Shopping Centre (VFSC) is now a Wellbeing Centre, the Barking Learning Centre (BLC) is the location of Pit Stop & together with the Barking Food Club and the Warehouse is located in Thames Road. It is a ministry which is part of Barking Churches Unite (BCU) that works across the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham to supports hundreds of people out of hopelessness, homelessness, disadvantage and isolation.  The various locations are line-managed by a trustee - Audrey Sutherland (Wellbeing Centre, (VFSC) Bill Dear (Warehouse) and Antoinette Williamson (Pit Stop & Barking Food Club, BLC). All staff are contracted. Kay Thompson is our Lead Contractor for the Wellbeing Centre, and Suzanne Playle (Support Assistant); Lorraine Allen is the Pitstop Lead Contractor, and Shally Mol Jose (Support Assistant); Rebecca Hutchon is Lead Contractor for The Source Barking Food Club and Elyse Ali (Support Assistant); Joshua Twine is the Lead Contractor  for  the  Source  Warehouse  and  Allglory Deo-Gratis  Amah and  Mihai  Girbea 



(Warehouse Assistants). Shally Mol Jose is our finance Assistant contractor. A second Co-Chair is being considered and a Chief Executive Officer is required as soon as we have the funding. 

We refuse to give up on anybody and believe that every person can have a bright future. We provide outreach, support and opportunity to help people out of poverty.  We have a track record of seeing our visitors move away from life controlling unemployment, homelessness, mental illness, disability, marriage breakdowns, addictions, and therefore breaking the povertycycle and reliance on the benefits system. Over the past year many of our visitors moved out of hopelessness  and  into  hopefulness.  We  have  also  seen  many  of  our  guests  move  into accommodation and employment following our support. 

Over this past year we have seen an increase in opportunities to share our faith and pray with guests.  We have seen several guests so grateful of the help they have had come back to offer their services.  Recently one of the staff members had the opportunity of leading one guest into a relationship with Jesus. We now have a Communion service every  month and a weekly discipleship group at the BLC. 

## **Overview of our services at The Source in the past year** 

## **BLC** 

- Pit Stop – a take away lunch and refreshments for those people who are homeless or in need, running weekdays  (up to 150 people a day) 

- Food Club (up to 150 families a week) 

- GP checks (eg hepatis B / flu / covid jabs) 

- Referral centre to services and organisations 

- Giving prayer support 

- Clothes bank to guests 

- Emergency food parcels 

## **Wellbeing Centre (Vicarage Field Shopping Centre)** 

- Community groups including arts and crafts, sewing, computer café, Job club, chair Zumba, cookery classes 

- Well-being support for those overcoming bereavement, mental illness, and loneliness 

- Barking Business Chaplaincy – a ministry to provide support to managers and employees of local shops 

- Referral centre to services and organisations 

- Provide vouchers to the local Food Banks 

- Information centre for events and local services 

- Providing a mail box for those without permanent accommodation (around 100 people) 

- Completing forms for those whose primary language is not English, or who struggle with literacy 

- Providing telephone advocacy 

- Telephone Help Lines – Rediscover (bereavement & grief), Reconnect (65+ and loneliness/isolation) & Reset (Mental ill health, depression & anxiety) 0300 302 3160 

- Providing a listening ear over free refreshments 

- Giving prayer support 

- Office to Barking Churches Unite 

- Key working guests 

- A warm space 



## **Warehouse (Riverside Industrial Park, 27, Thames Road)** 

- Providing free furniture, white goods, cutlery, crockery 

- Collecting furniture, white goods, cutlery, crockery free of charge 

- Providing a listening ear 

- Food collection & delivery 

- Giving prayer support 

Future ministries at the Source 

- Youth Café on a Saturday at the Wellbeing Centre 

- A warm space at the BLC – Pit Stop Lounge 

- Pit Stop Diner at the BLC (sit down provision) in November 2023 

- Supported housing project 

- Shower facilities at the BLC 

Many of the guests visiting The Source have mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder or personality disorders; others have learning disabilities. Many  suffer  physical  health  issues  particularly  mobility  difficulties  or  visual  impairment, deafness, cancer, amputated limbs, brain tumor, heart conditions, epilepsy, HIV, diabetes; and many are unemployed, homeless, refugees and elderly. 

We believe that every visitor deserves the chance to see their dreams realized, and that it is not enough to provide a hot meal as important as that is, but to get people out of poverty, feeling empowered in their circumstances and off the streets for good, we need to offer something that’s relevant and sustainable. 

To this end, we believe the solution is a service that supports those in poverty or in need and to restore broken lives and bring hope to the helpless, employment to the unemployed, homes to the homeless.  We aim to provide a service that will provide activities to help those in desperate need and assistance to develop the activities, skills and resources for guests to realize their aspirations and become active and integrated members of their local community. 

In other words; each of our services lead to guests being offered the opportunity to change their lives, attend courses, receive a free meal, find help to fill in forms, learning English, support into paid employment, - and that is what will change lives and get those in poverty back into employment, accommodation, and self belief and off the streets for good. 

Over the past five years we have been working with those in poverty and need in Barking & Dagenham and in the centre of Barking. We are in an exceptional position to assist those who are in poverty and deprivation and we have a track record of seeing our visitors move away from life controlling addictions/offending and into lives they are able to control and feel proud of. We believe there is no such thing as a hopeless case, and that all deserve the chance to turn their lives around and come off the streets for good. What we have to offer is unique, carries excellent success rates, and is meeting a critical need in Barking. 

In the past 12 months we have developed much closer links and regular contacts with the Council and other agencies, in order to work together for the positive outcomes of the guests. 

5 Outcomes 



BCU provided a healthy and vital linking of local churches to ensure compliance of legal restrictions. BCU has had 3 united prayer meetings at Christ Church, Barking Baptist and St Erkenwald in churches and street praying sessions in this past year. The Barking Intercessors Network (BIN) has met around 6 times on Zoom. There have been regular  leader’s fellowship meetings on Zoom (Barking Leaders Connect). 

The Source keeps a visit register from which we measure our success in how many people we were able to feed, refer on to other support agencies and move on into other sustainable options.  We currently refer people for Food Bank,  council departments, as well as providing free daily lunchtime meals and other activities. Success is just about being there and knowing that we have restored hope to many lives, and enabled them to find a way out of the situation they are in. 

For our **guests** , success in soft outcomes is measured by their personal development, restoring self-esteem and self-belief and basic skills and the hard outcomes are measured through attendance, those gaining employment and accommodation. Our **monitoring** is supported through a wide range of different measures which include; activity registers, face-to-face repeat conversations and meetings. 

Visitors to The Source include those of different nationality and ethnic origin, low incomes, unemployed, homeless, mental health issues, elderly, disabled, single parents, bereaved and those with complex issues. From The Source they receive emotional and practical support and have a location in the marketplace that is sympathetic to those in need and works to resolve their issues. Referrals to agencies are made and people receive support that others are unable to provide. 

The Source is often seen as a place of refuge and sanctuary providing hope to the hopeless, demonstrating God’s love and compassion. Within the community The Source is seen as a first stop and last resort and people in need are referred to The Source by the Police, Social Services, Housing Office, Citizens Advice Bureau, Teen Challenge to name a few. 

The Source is connected to a number of food agencies providing free food. These include Costco, KFC, Greggs, Lidl, Aldi, Asda, Tesco, Neighbourly and Felix (Fareshare). We have excellent relationships with Vicarage Field Shopping Centre and the BLC and as a result of the work we provide, we receive free rent and business rates. 

The table below shows that our visits have increased in 2023. The forecast for 2023 is around 55,000-60,000 visits. The table indicates the number of visitors attending The Source and how God is amazingly using The Source to reach people in Barking. You will note that visits have increased at The Source to receive free services. The Council have also waived the Business Council Tax, in recognition of the free services we offer on behalf of Barking and Dagenham residents. 




The Source hosted at Easter and Christmas an outside prayer station for visitors to the shopping centre to write their prayer requests and receive prayer. Also, we had a carol service in Vicarage Field Shopping Centre. 

## **Impact** 

Over the past year the Source has seen people overcome extreme adversity and circumstances to go onto achieve incredible personal success. We refuse to give up on anybody and believe that every visitor / rough sleeper can have a bright future. We have seen guests become champions of the community. We believe in building people into a community where they feel safe and are resourced to contribute. We believe that we all have a role to play and that together we can end homelessness - The impact of our services is lives changed; more people who are without hope to regain their hope, lives that are broken to be restored, more homeless people off the streets, and into employment, which in turn ends the cycle of poverty and homelessness and has a positive effect on the community! 



6 Future Thoughts 

## **Forthcoming plans affecting BCU** 

- The borough of Barking & Dagenham is facing over £65 million of cuts (before Covid19) in the next four years and looking to offload many of its services to the voluntary sector. The leader of the council has publicly stated that homelessness is  one  of  its  biggest  concerns and  acknowledged  the  significant  contribution already made by BCU in addressing it. 

- Discussions are underway to explore by the council the data for homelessness and rough sleepers 

- To work with the Council and support our community through the energy and food crisis. 

- Vicarage  Field  Shopping  Centre  is  due  to  close  between  2024-25;  to  be demolished and rebuilt similar to the design of Westfield, Stratford. We have a 3 year tenancy. 

- The  BLC  have  offered  BCU  additional  space  in  the  event  of the  closure  of Vicarage Field Shopping Centre. 

- Working with Dagenham Christians Together 

- Pit Stop Diner & Pit Stop Lounge 

- Supported housing 

## **BCU proposed developments and activities** 

- Further the Kingdom of God in Barking 

- Maintain and extend the ministry of the Source wellbeing Centre 

- Develop the warehouse project in the increase in collection and delivery of furniture & white goods to those in poverty 

- Work with other places to help them model the BCU model 

- Supported housing 

- Logo & branding development 

- Engage more closely with the Council 

- Engage and partner with local businesses 

- Work more closely to increase church unity & adoption of churches in BCU 

- Develop discipleship spaces at BLC locations 

- Support Dagenham Christian Together in developing The Church Elm Hub at Dagenham Library 

## 7 How can YOU support Barking Churches Unite? 

## **1 Praying** 

- -Attending the united prayer & street praying events 

- -Using the Prayer Diary daily at home 

- -Praying for the Source and community ministries 

- -Praying for church unity and each church 

- -Joining the BIN (Barking Intercessors Network) 

- -Joining different BCU prayer networks 

- -Encouraging your Church to pray for BCU and support its ministries 



-Church leaders to join Leaders Network -More workers and volunteers -Funding 

## **2 Volunteering** 

-Helping at the Source for a 3-4 hour session a week 

-Picking up food from retail shops / supermarkets 

-Attending the Christmas Tree and Easter Garden witnesses 

-Attending the BCU at events 

-Joining the BCU WhatsApp Information group 

-Offering your talent to create or contribute to a community well-being group 

## **3 Join** 

-Join the Well-Being groups at The Source Wellbeing Centre, Vicarage Field Shopping Centre -Join us in united prayer & street praying 

-Joining the BCU WhatsApp Information group 

## **4 Donating** 

Supporting the Source by 

- £15 provides additional refreshments for a week 

£20 Provides tea, coffee and milk for a week 

- £100 Provides heating costs for a month 

   - £100 Provides a  8 hours part-time worker costs 

-Non-Perishable food 

-Toiletries 

-Individual donations to sustain the work on a regular basis 

-Church collections (ie Harvest festival, Christmas donation) 

-Organising fund raising events 

-Ask your employers to sponsor BCU 

-Clothes 

-Furniture & White Goods 

## 8 Prayer Requests 

- 1 For God to pour out His Holy Spirit on staff, guests and volunteers of those involved at the Source 

- 2 For guidance and wisdom for the trustees in the leading of BCU 

- 3 Volunteers to support the Source & The Source Warehouse 

- 4 Christians to join the well-being groups 

- 5 Safety of the team and guests. 

- 6 For God’s love, compassion and presence to be evident in all that BCU does 

- 7 To use the activities of BCU to bring people to salvation and a deeper walk with God 

- 8 For greater unity amongst the church in praying and working together 

- 9 For greater links between agencies and the Council 

- 10 For more support from the churches and individual Christians in Barking 

- 11 For our broken community of Barking & Dagenham 



12 Funding for the ministry 

## 9 Financial Report 

**BCU Accounts Summary Jan 2018 to Dec 2022** and **Budget for Jan 2023 – Dec 2023** 

|**Expenditure**|**Actu**<br>**al**<br>**Jan -**<br>**Dec**<br>**2018**|**Actu**<br>**al**<br>**Jan -**<br>**Dec**<br>**2019**|**Actua**<br>**l  Jan**<br>**- Dec**<br>**2020**|**Actu**<br>**al**<br>**Jan -**<br>**Dec**<br>**2021**|**Actua**<br>**l Jan -**<br>**Dec**<br>**2022**|**Estim**<br>**ate**<br>**Jan-**<br>**Dec**<br>**2023**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Service Providers|27,08<br>1|31,14<br>3|47,41<br>0|62,47<br>8|78,45<br>5|132,00<br>0|
|KeyWorker|0|1,620|0|0|0|0|
|School Uniforms|0|0|0|0|1,366|2,500|
|Telephone|770|780|1,054|974|706|1,500|
|Heating& Light|1,891|1,860|656|520|939|1,500|
|Catering & Hospitality|2,347|2,409|3,851|3,717|16,20<br>4|30,000|
|Cleaning|1,278|1,021|0|N/A|N/A|N/A|
|Repairs and Maintenance|894|2,504|1,476|1,469|1,473|3,000|
|Insurance|508|500|522|704|915|1,000|
|Legal||100|100|100|125|150|
|ICT & Computer Expenses|206|98|1,336|350|209|2,000|
|Peaced Together|28|0|0|0|0|0|
|H4BD & Turning& DCT Donations|300|446|300|0|470|50|
|Misc –Postage, Travel, Training,<br>Printing& Stationery|298|370|288|144|26|2,000|
|Gift Cards & Rewards||400|2,618|1,521|840|3,000|
|Mental Health|||240|358|572|3,000|
|Clothing& Toiletries|||217|2,378|4,758|6,000|
|Micah Supported Living||||1,190|35|30,000|
|Warehouse||||826|34,54<br>2|42,000|
|**Total Expenditure**<br>**35,6**<br>**01**<br>**43,2**<br>**50**<br>**60,07**<br>**0**<br>**76,7**<br>**30**<br>**141,4**<br>**65**<br>**259,7**<br>**00**|||||||
|**Income**|||||||
|Peaced Together|150|0|0|0|0|0|
|Gift Aid|0|0|0|0|0|5,000|
|Grants|18,60<br>0|22,04<br>9|97,06<br>7|61,07<br>5|124,9<br>50|220,00<br>0|
|Donations – Personal|14,49<br>2|17,12<br>0|14,11<br>1|13,98<br>7|13,58<br>6|15,000|
|Donations – Church|4,813|5,282|6,457|6,966|4,945|5.400|
|Donations –<br>Business/Uniforms/Homeless H||183|||4,450|3,000|
|Other - MSL + Telephone +<br>Warehouse||40|400|7,260|8,867|9,000|
|**Total Income**<br>**38,0**<br>**56**<br>**44,6**<br>**74**<br>**118,0**<br>**36**<br>**89,2**<br>**88**<br>**156,7**<br>**98**<br>**257,4**<br>**00**|||||||



**Expenditure over Income** 

**2,45 1,42 57,96 12,5 15,33 -2,300** 



**2** 

**6 57** 

**4** 

**4** 

Independent Examiner 

BCU appointed Leila Satar as the Independent Examiner (IE) of BCU accounts from 2019.  She is a great supporter of the work of Barking Churches Unite, particularly we are grateful to her for all her work reviewing the accounts resulting in a successful 2022 IE report. 



## **In 2022, Grants were gratefully received from** 

|**Grant Body**|**Award Name**|**Amount**|
|---|---|---|
|Barking & Dagenham<br>Council|Food & General Support|£37,500|
|Barking & Dagenham<br>Council|Special Event|£2,500|
|Barking & Dagenham<br>Council|Additional Restrictions Grant|£10,000|
|Barking & Dagenham<br>Council|Warehouse Furniture|£25,000|
|Barking & Dagenham<br>Council|Cooking Project|£2,500|
|Barking & Dagenham<br>Council|Food at The Source|£9,950|
|Barking & Dagenham<br>Council|Food at The Source|£30,000|
|Beatrice Laing|Grant for Warehouse Van|£5,000|
|Homeless Heroes|Homeless Heroes Aid|£1,750|
|KingsleyHall|CommunityWellbeingProject|£2,500|
|Toye Foundation|School Uniforms Grant|£1,500|
|Wates Family Enterprise<br>Trust|100for500 Award|£500|
||**Total**|**£128,70**<br>**0**|



We are extremely grateful to all the grant making bodies above for their favour towards Barking Churches Unite, its guests, Service Providers, Volunteers, the community of Barking and its environs and recognise God’s hand in keeping us abundantly ready for more work in this area. 



## 10 Donation Form & Gift Aid Form 


## **Barking Churches Unite** 

**The SOURCE. 37A, Vicarage Field Shopping Centre. Barking, Essex, IG118DH Telephone: 020 8594 2404 Email: michael.mednick@barkingchurchesunite.org** 

Charity No: 1173315 

## _**STANDING ORDER MANDATE FORM**_ 

**Please return this form to your Bank and inform BCU / SOURCE of your decision** 

## **Please debit the account of** : 

Name: Bank: Branch: Full address: Account Name: Account Number: Sort code: 

## **Please credit the account of** : 

|**Please credit the account of**:||||
|---|---|---|---|
|Bank:<br>Account Name:<br>Account Number:|CAF<br>Barking Churches Unite||40-52-40|
||00035231|Sort code:||
|||||
|||||
|**The Sum of**<br>**Commencing date**|£<br>Amount in words<br>From|||
|||||
|||||





To **Last Payment** £ Amount in words **Frequency** Weekly Monthly Signature: Date: 

## 11 Procedures for Questions 

If after reading the report, you have any questions, please complete the slip below & email them back to the Source with AGM in the subject box by 5[th] November 

(Michael.mednick@barkingchurchesunite.org)This will give time for a reply. You can provide a general comment if you wish. Questions not submitted before the meeting will be answered after the Annual General Meeting by email. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

## **RESPONSE  SLIP** 

**Name** ____________________________ **Church** ______________________ 

## **Question** 



Barking Churches Unite
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMBER 2022

Barklng CtAK¢hM Unlt•
BalaTr￿ Sho01 u at 31st Doc 2022
2022
2021
Curr•nt Asmts
Cash in Hand and at Bank
102.139
Total A••ots
102,139
Llabllltlo8
Due wfthln on• y•ar
Creditors
183
Totsl Ll•bllltl
183
N•t A•••ts IA•••t• l•M Uabllltl••
100.139
84.807
C•pltsl •nd R•••f¥
Rewves lyought foThArd
SurplusllDeffic¢t}
84.807
1S.332
72.249
12.557
Total Equlty
100.139
84.807
The comparable figures frjr 2021 •r• f¢Y infrymaoon onty and do not fom part of the￿ accojnts
The above accounts werè approved by Barknng chu￿ Unite Board onJiof2023
Theresa Ibrahlm
Tr•asur*r
Michael Me(Inkk
Chaimian
Page I

Barklng Churches Unito
Income and Expenditurn Statsment for the y_ear end•d 31st December 2022
2022
2021
Income
89,288
Less: Ex
ensè•
Service Providers
Light and Heat
Catering & Hospitalty
Micah Supported Living
Telephone
Repaits and Maintenance
78.445
939
62.478
520
3,717
35
974
1,469
350
704
100
209
Insurance
Legal and Professional
Postage, Printing, Stationery, Training, Tr
Gift Cards & Rewards
Donations DCT & Night she￿er
Mental Health & Unifornis
Warehouse
Clothing, Shoes & Toiletrie8
135
26
1.521
470
1.903
34.542
4,758
358
826
2,378
(141.465)
{76,7301
Surplusl{Deficit)
15.332
12,557
Pa8e 2

Independent Examinerf$ Report to Barklng chUrd￿ Unlte
This ￿port on the financial statements of Barking Churches Unite IBCUlfor the year ended 31 December
2022 which are set out on pages l and 2, is in respect of an examination carried out in accordance with the
Church Accounting Regulations 2(K)6 {'the Regulations.) and s.43 of the Charities Act 19931'the Act).
Respertlve responslbllltles of the Board of Ba￿[nI Churches Unlte and the Examlner
As members of Barking Churches Unite. you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements;
you Consider that the audit requirement of the Regulations and 5.43121 of the Act does not apply. It is mv
responsibility to issue this report on those financial statements in accordance with the terms of the
Regulations.
Basls of thls report
My examination was carrled out in accordance wlth the General Directions gNen by the Charity Commlsslon
under s.43lbl of the Act and to be found in the Church guidance 2006 edition. That examination includes a
review of the accounting records kept by BCU and a comparison of the accounts with those records. It also
Includes considering any unusual items or disclosures in the financial statements and seeking explanations
from you as trustees concernin8 such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence
that would be required in an audit, and consequently. I do not express on the view given by the accounts.
Inde
ndent examlnerf5 5tstement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
111 which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any materlal respect the requirements to keep
accountin8 records in accordance with s.41 of the Act. and to Prepa￿ financial statements In accordance
with accounting records and comply with the requirements of the Act and Regulations have not been met.
or
121 to which, in my opinion. attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the
accounts to be reached.
L Satar, FCCA
File
Barking Churches Unite YE 3112 22_IndExm I
Page
Date
2311012023 16:56