## **BLOXHAM BAPTIST CHURCH CIO. TRUSTEES' REPORT 2023.**
The trustees present the annual report together with the financial statements of the charity 1174024 for the year ended 31 December 2023.
## **Trustees**
The trustees who served throughout the year and up to date of authorisation of this report were as follows:
Rev Mike Tydeman
Barbara MacIver (Treasurer)
Anne Linsey (Secretary)
Janet Brigden (completed 2[nd] term April 2023)
Margaret Taylor
Robert Kerry
Jonathon Round
## **Objectives and activities**
## **Objects and aims**
The principal purpose of Bloxham Baptist Church CIO (the "Church") is the advancement of the Christian faith according to the principles of the Baptist denomination. The Church may also advance education and carry out other charitable purposes in the United Kingdom and in other parts of the world.
## **Significant activities**
In fulfilling its purpose, the Church will engage in a range of activities either on its own or with others that will vary from time to time with activities being initiated, expanded, or closed, as appropriate.
The Church's activities include, but are not restricted to:
- 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, which shall normally be observed at least once a month;
- evangelism and mission, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally;
- working in partnership with the other local Churches;
- the teaching, encouraging, 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;
- supporting and encouraging charitable social action in the United Kingdom and abroad;
## **Public benefit**
In planning the activities of the Church, the trustees have considered the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of religion.
## **Grant making**
The Church seeks to fulfil its objective of spreading the Christian message throughout the United Kingdom and worldwide by making grants to specific independent missionary and charitable organisations whose aims coincide with those of the Church, including the Home Mission Fund of the Baptist Union of Great Britain and BMS World Mission.
## **Volunteers**
A significant proportion of the Church's activities are run by and with the assistance of volunteers who freely give of their time and skills to support the Church in the furtherance of its aims.
## **Achievements and performance**
## **Charitable activities**
During the year the Church has delivered Sunday and Holy Day church services open to all, as well as regular meetings, either corporately or in small groups, for Bible study, prayer and worship. A few small group meetings continued to be held on Zoom for wider accessibility.
Family services once a month in an informal ‘café style’ setting and children’s / youth groups provided as part of every other service.
Continuation of Saturday morning and Wednesday evening prayer gatherings.
The 12.30pm and 6pm Zoom prayer gatherings continued throughout the year but ceased at the end of 2023.
Communion services increased to twice a month on the 1[st] and 3[rd] Sunday.
The church has continued to develop links with St Mary’s, hosting a number of joint services including a 5th Sunday praise and worship service with a focus on community.
Homegroups and various small support groups ran throughout the year both on Zoom and physical meetings, providing practical and emotional support, prayer, teaching and enhancement of the Christian faith.
The church ran an ‘Alpha Course’ opening to anyone with questions about faith and a ‘Bereavement Journey course’, initially as a trial by invitation but due to run on 2024 open to the community.
A Youth group meet every Sunday evening facilitated by volunteers. Engaging in a variety of social, and worship based activities, also attending regular Youth events in Oxford and the Limitless Festival in the summer.
The Church continues to be active in the local community, providing activities for all age groups which are open to all members of the local community on a non-profit making basis that are in addition to the more formal church and related services.
These have included Tiddlywinks Toddler group, Bitesize lunch club for mum’s to be & mum’s and babies, Wednesday Tea for single parent families.
Holiday clubs for primary aged children were provided during the main school holidays – a 3 day event in the summer specifically for exploring the Christian faith more deeply, and Easter & Christmas Craft mornings open to all the community.
Girls’ Brigade meetings have continued and they welcomed new members during the year. Boy’s Brigade is run by St Mary’s CofE and supported by Bloxham BC volunteers.
A Renew Wellbeing space is open once a week and continues to be a space of welcome and inclusion. Run as an ecumenical provision with some volunteers from St Mary’s CofE and in partnership with mental health teams to improve mental and emotional wellbeing.
The Pastor continues in a chaplaincy role at the local Secondary school (where we hold our Sunday services) and in partnership with Good News for Everyone distributes New Testaments to students. The Pastor and the CYF pastor lead occasional assemblies at the primary school.
A number of church volunteers also mentor children at the secondary school as part of Transforming Lives for Good. New coaches also began placements at the local primary school.
Volunteers from the church have also been involved in facilitating a Parenting course at the Warriner School
The Church partnered with Ambassadors Football to deliver a 3 day community outreach event at the local secondary school in the summer holidays. Providing football coaching with a Christian message to over 60 primary aged children of any background or faith. The Church also provided community tea and cake for the attendees’ families and friends as part of the awards presentation.
The Church is mindful of other communities locally, nationally and throughout world who have less fortunate circumstances and consequently continues to support financially and prayerfully targeted areas and projects in a number of locations, including:
- Specific gift day monetary collections for Local Homeless provision, Open Doors, Tearfund, the Embo Community Church in South Africa.
- Child Sponsorship through Compassion UK.
- Charitable donation to Transforming Lives for Good (Charity number 1074114)
- Charitable donation to Renew Wellbeing (Charity number 1173963)
The church also operates a restricted Fellowship Fund which offers confidential financial support to individuals both within the church fellowship and the wider community.
## **Fundraising activities**
The Church's activities are principally financed by the voluntary giving of its members and congregation, supplemented with tax rebates through the Gift Aid scheme, and at cost charges for some of its community activities. The Chapel building is also occasionally hired out for events, such as birthday parties, for local people.
## **Financial review**
The financial position of the charity is set out in the Statement of Financial Activities – Payments and Receipts report and the related notes, prepared in accordance with statutory requirements of the Charities Act 2011 and SORP (FRS 102).
## **Principal funding sources**
The principal funding sources of the Church are the voluntary donations and giving by members of the Church's congregation together with allied income tax rebates under the Gift Aid Scheme.
The letting of two properties owned by the church also provides a regular rental income. The financial return of this investment is regularly reviewed to ensure fair value for the Charity. Our property assets are managed to ensure financial viability but also to be available to meet the purposes and needs of the church.
## **Policy on reserves**
The Church aims to hold reserves that would cover three months essential revenue expenditure - i.e. legal commitments under contracts of employment and a reserve to meet essential immediate expenditure to the Church's premises necessary to allow the Church to continue to function. At the year end the Church had reserves that were considered sufficient to meet its reserves policy.
## **Going concern**
The trustees have considered the impact of and end of year deficit on the church’s financial position, together with financial projections for the church and have also reviewed the availability of banking facilities and interest rates. The trustees are satisfied that the church has sufficient resources to continue in operation for the foreseeable future, being at least 12 months from the date of signing the financial statements. Accordingly, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the church’s financial statements.
## **Future plans**
## **Activities planned to achieve aims**
The Church plans to continue with its current activities and has plans for developing the current programme, activities and evangelistic outreach.
In particular the trustees are continuing to explore ways to encourage further growth in disciplemaking and prayer, both corporate and personal.
The church is looking to invest in small group leaders as part of its vision of being church in the communities where people live.
The Church is looking to offer more free of charge CAP (Christians Against Poverty) Money courses open to all, that teach budget skills and money management.
The church is planning to re-run the Bereavement Journey course with an open invitation to the community at cost. (not for profit.)
The church is training a group of people in “Open the Book”, a Bible Society project to equip and resource dramatic storytelling in schools as well as community and church events.
## **Structure, governance and management**
## **Governing document**
Bloxham Baptist Church CIO (the "Church") is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and constitutes a corporate body with limited liability. It is registered with the Charity Commission under Number 1174024. The Church was incorporated on 28 July 2017 and is controlled by its governing document, a constitution and is governed by its trustees in accordance with its constitution.
## **Recruitment and appointment of trustees**
The day to day running of the Church is under the control of a singular 'Leadership Team' comprising the Pastor, CYF Pastor, Church Secretary, Church Treasurer and a number of other elected Trustees. The Pastor role is appointed by the Church at a special church meeting and is employed under a letter of appointment. The CYF Pastor is employed under contract and is not a Trustee. The other trustees are appointed in accordance with the Church's constitution.
## **Organisational structure**
The Church appoints a Pastor, and other paid staff as circumstances require. The Pastor leads the church community in both spiritual and practical ways and chairs Leadership Team meetings and Church meetings.
The Church employs a Children and Families Pastor who shares spiritual and practical oversight with a specific remit for families both within the fellowship and the wider community.
The Church Membership elect the Leadership Team (including Church Secretary and Treasurer) from among themselves to oversee the spiritual and operational aspects of the Church. The Leadership Team meets regularly and administers the Charity by majority decision on behalf of the membership.
## **Wider network**
The Church is a member of The Baptist Union of Great Britain and the Southern Counties Baptist Association. The holding trustee of the church is the Baptist Union Corporation Limited which is charity number 249635 and which is controlled by the Baptist Union Council. The Baptist Union Corporation Limited also acts as the holding trustee in respect of the church premises themselves.
The annual report was approved by the trustees of the charity on 20 May 2024 and signed on its behalf by
.........................................
A Linsey
Secretary and Trustee
## **STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES' RESPONSIBILITIES**
The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with the United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) and applicable law and regulations.
The law applicable to charities requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
• select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
• observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
• make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
• state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
• prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper 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 applicable Charities (Accounts and Reports)
Regulations, and the provisions of the constitution. The trustees 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 of the charity on 20 May 2024 and signed on its behalf by:
.........................................
B MacIver
Treasurer and Trustee
## **Bloxham Baptist Church Income and Expenditure Account For the year ended 31 December 2023**
|**Income**
Giving
Gift Aid received
Mission Income - Tiddlywinks/Wednesday Tea/Football Club
Rental Income
Warm Spaces Fund grant received
Chapel repairs Fund
Bank Interest received
Fellowship Fund
**Total Income Received**
**Expenditures**
Mission costs
Church Catering
Operational costs
Property maintenance
Staff costs
Minister in Training
Tithe
BMS World Mission
BU Home Mission
Insurance
Office/General Admin expenses
Legal fees
St Mary's Building Our Future gift
Confidential fund, gifts and donations
Audrey Wild's fund payments
Fellowship Fund payments
**Total expenditure**
**(Deficit) of Income over Expenditure**|**2023**
**£**
73,562
17,043
3,621
30,482
-
1,000
1,916
391
128,015
3,493
2,818
7,598
6,714
92,037
7,346
6,043
1,200
2,776
1,366
-
5,000
370
802
137,563
9,548
-|**2022**
**£**
76,195
17,600
2,368
24,215
500
-
243
2,390|
|---|---|---|
|||123,511
4,985
-
11,412
10,709
96,507
7,297
5,859
5,859
2,418
2,115
2,009
-
354
1,000
610|
|||151,134|
|||27,623
-|
## **Bloxham Baptist Church Balance Sheet As at 31 December 2023**
|**Note**
**FIXED ASSETS**
TANGIBLE ASSETS
Chapel, Hawke Lane, Bloxham
Apple Tree Cottage, Kings Road, Bloxham
Cloudberry Cottage, Unicorn Street, Bloxham
**2**
**CURRENT ASSETS**
Debtors
**3**
Bank and Cash
**4**
**CURRENT LIABILITES**
Creditors and Accruals
**5**
**NET CURRENT ASSETS**
**TOTAL ASSETS**
**CHARITY FUNDS**
RESTRICTED
Fellowship Fund
**6**
Audrey Wild Fund
**7**
UNRESTRICTED
**TOTAL CHARITY FUNDS**
**9**|**£**
**£**
200,000
425,000
375,000
1,000,000
2,314
68,283
70,597
2,577
68,020
1,068,020
5,604
4,401
1,058,015
1,068,020
**2023**|**£**
**£**
200,000
425,000
375,000
1,000,000
1,755
78,623.00
80,378.00
2,810.00
77,568
1,077,568
6,015
4,401
1,067,152
1,077,568
**2022**|**£**
**£**
200,000
425,000
375,000
1,000,000
1,755
78,623.00
80,378.00
2,810.00
77,568
1,077,568
6,015
4,401
1,067,152
1,077,568
**2022**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||1,000,000
77,568|
||70,597
2,577|80,378.00
2,810.00||
|||||
||||1,077,568|
||||6,015
4,401
1,067,152|
||||1,077,568|
**BLOXHAM BAPTIST CHURCH NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023**
## **1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES**
## **Basis of Preparation**
The accounts are prepared in accordance with the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (Charities SORP 2021), FRS102 and with the Charities Act 2011
Bloxham Baptist Church is a registered charity, no. 1174024 and meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognized at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy notes.
## **Investment Income**
Investment Income is included in the accounts in the year in which it is receivable.
## **Expenditure Recognition**
All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis. Expenditure is recognized where there is a legal or constructive obligation to make payments to third parties, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
## **2. FIXED ASSETS**
As at 31 December 2022 Stanbra Powell have given valuations for the cottages, Apple Tree and Cloudberry. These valuations have been re-used for 31 December 2023.
Stanbra Powell were unable to give a valuation for the chapel, so it has been included at the leadership team's valuation of £200,000 (without planning permission).
_Note that the church is the beneficial owner (subject to the relevant trusts) of the church building, the legal title to which is held by the church's custodian trustee which is the Baptist Union Corporation Ltd._
|**3. DEBTORS**
Gift Aid received after date
Rent received after date|**2023**
**2022**
989
1,755
1,325
-|
|---|---|
||2,314
1,755|
|**4. BANK AND CASH BALANCES**
Baptist Union Corporation Account
CAF 12 Month Fixed Rate Account
CAF Bank 60 day Notice Account
HSBC General Account
HSBC Deposit Account
**5. CREDITORS AND ACCRUALS**
Gift Day - not yet paid out to charities
Stanbra Powell - valuation of properties
PAYE December
Integra Insurance
SSE Gas
SSE Electricity
**6. Fellowship Fund**
Income
Expenditure
Surplus of Income over Expenditure
Balance B/fwd
Balance C/fwd
**7. Audrey Wild Fund**
Expenditure
Balance B/fwd
Balance C/fwd|**2023**
**2022**
55,070
3,835
-
50,000
-
11,681
3,488
1,929
9,725
11,178|
|---|---|
||68,283
78,623|
||**2023**
**2022**
1,084
1,273
-
300
980
875
238
-
223
310
52
52|
||2,577
2,810|
||**2023**
**2022**
391
2,390
802
610|
||411
-
1,780
6,015
4,235|
||5,604
6,015|
||**2023**
**2022**
-
1,000
4,401
5,401|
||4,401
4,401|
## **8. Gift Days**
|**8. Gift Days**||
|---|---|
|Gifts made inclusive of gift aid subsequently claimed.
Nehemiah Ministries
Chelm, Poland Baptist Church (exchange rate bank charges deducted)
Jews for Jesus
Open Doors
Embo Community Church
Tear Fund
Green Pastures
Beacon Centre
Polly Preedy
Morrisons vouchers were bought for Polly Preedy in January 2024
**9. Charity Funds**
Brought Forward
Deficit for the year
Property Revaluation|**2023**
**2022**
1,755
-
-
4,997
-
325
1,590
1,485
-
230
140
710
-
423
-
500
1,500
400|
||4,985
3,748|
||**2023**
**2022**
1,077,568
1,055,191
9,548
-
27,623
-
-
50,000|
||1,068,020
1,077,568|
XHAM BAPJTI CHURCH
FIP4AP4CIAL STATEMEPITS FOR THE YEAR ENOING 31 OEttM8ER 2021
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Vrepared by O I Cxo
D•t•d' 24th April 2024