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2021-03-31-accounts

ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH

Report and Accounts - 31 March 2021

CONTENTS

Page
General Information 1
Trustees' Annual Report 2-4
Independent Examiner’s Report 5
Receipts and Payments Account 6
Statement of Assets and Liabilities 7
Notes to the Accounts 8-10

ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH

General Information

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1174871
CUSTODIAN TRUSTEE: The Baptist Union Corporation Ltd
PO Box 44
129 Broadway
Didcot
Oxfordshire
OX11 8RT
TRUSTEES: Mr C Bennett
Mrs B Farringdon
Rev S Downing
Mrs B Nanson
Mr D Robinson
Mr J Smith (appointed 25 April 2019)
ADDRESS: 43 Gossamer Lane
Aldwick
Bognor Regis
West Sussex
PO21 3DD
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER: Jason Foxwell FCCA FCIE
39 Enfield Road
Poole
BH15 3LJ
BANKERS: Santander Bank plc
Bridal Road
Bootle
Merseyside
G1R 0AA

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ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH

TRUSTEES' REPORT

The church trustees present their report for the year ended 31 March 2021.

STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES

The trustees (elders and deacons) are required to prepare accounts for each financial year. As the income is below £250,000, the trustees have prepared receipts and payments accounts as permitted by the Regulations.

The trustees are responsible for:

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE

The Church is governed by its own church constitution (last revised and approved at the church members’ meeting in July 2017) in order to become a CIO in September 2017 (Charity Number 1174871).

OBJECTS

The Church exists to proclaim the Christian faith and to serve the local community through its work and witness. Its purpose is to turn people into fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. The church’s mandate is to LOVE GOD, LOVE EACH OTHER and LOVE LOST PEOPLE.

REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES

As mentioned at the end of last year’s review, the church has just completed a difficult year during the COVID 19 Pandemic and the consequential legal requirements for lock downs and restricted operations. This has meant that the church has been closed for most of the year and was only able to open between lock downs with suitable precautions taken to maintain H&S through social distancing and the use of PPE etc. It has none-theless been an encouraging year where the number in the congregation has been maintained and the income largely unaffected.

The closure of the church gave opportunity to redecorate the areas of the church that were in need of attention and the installation of Video equipment was introduced to facilitate broadcasting of services. The church maintained on-line services on Wednesdays and Sundays throughout the pandemic (even when the church was able to physically meet in restricted numbers on Sundays). Pastoral phone calls to all members were introduced and opportunities were taken to support the local community needs through donations to Food banks etc. on a number of occasions.

Rev Simon Downing continued to pastor the church as part of the leadership Team with the following changes being made during the year as follows:

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ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED)

REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES (CONTINUED)

There have been a number of changes within the Membership during the year with the number in membership now at 106 members (with a further 56 regular attenders). 1 new member joined the church and four went to glory during the year but in the goodness of God a number of new individuals began to attend the church.

2021 starts with the prospect of moving out of lockdown during May and June with a challenge to review just how the church should respond to a post-COVID situation but avoiding simply returning to what was done before. We continue to depend on The Lord for His provision to see us through this transitional period as we seek to establish how best to respond to our Church mandate which remains the same.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Despite being closed or partially closed for the whole of this financial year due to the restrictions placed upon us because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the financial health of the church has been maintained with sufficient funds available to complete the activities of the church.

As noted in last year’s accounts, we appealed at the start of this financial year for regular worshippers to continue their giving either through online banking or by sending cheques to the church. I am pleased to report that the membership responded positively to this appeal with the level of giving being slightly up from the previous year demonstrating how well the membership responded to the church’s needs and voiding the concerns expressed in last year’s accounts about a possible loss in income.

During the year we have continued to contribute monthly to the Baptist Union’s pension deficit through their family solution. The overall deficit has been reduced and it is now anticipated it will be cleared by 2026 which is 2 years earlier than originally expected.

During the year there has been no unexpected major expenses which meant we ended the year in a sound financial position with an increase in our funds held by the bank of just under £9000.

As we begin a new financial year, we are still uncertain as to when the Covid19 restrictions will be fully lifted and so drawing up an accurate budget for 2021/22 is difficult but we remain cautiously optimistic.

Approved by the trustees on 25 June 2021 and signed on their behalf by

Clive Bennett Church Secretary

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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Aldwick Baptist Church (“the charity”) for the year ending 31 March 2021.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the 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:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or

  2. 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.

Jason Foxwell FCCA FCIE independent-examiner.net 39 Enfield Road, Poole, BH15 3LJ

Date: 25 June 2021

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ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH

Receipts and Payments Account for the year ended 31 March 2021

2021 2020
Notes Unrestricted Unrestricted
Funds Funds
£ £
RECEIPTS
Gifts received 74,685 64,819
Rental income - 2,928
Activities and ministries income 5,133
Other income 80 886
Church weekend - 690
────── ──────
Total receipts £74,765 £74,456
────── ──────
PAYMENTS
Pastor’s stipend, NI and expenses 23,722 24,085
Pension costs 5,117 6,191
Pension deficit payment 2,432 3,573
Gas, electricity and water 5,701 5,600
Insurance 2,770 2,720
Repairs, furniture and equipment 5,755 24,817
Manse repairs and renewals 3,166 1,347
Manse council tax 2,662 2,560
Cleaning 1,080 2,855
Visiting speakers 120 180
Office expenditure and supplies 2,939 2,954
Independent examiner’s fee 580 735
Subscriptions and licences 1,957 1,904
Outreach and Children’s work 51 1,283
Coffee time 52 1,030
Activities and ministries expenditure 5,570
Grants/donations paid 2 7,810 10,420
Other costs 3,730
───── ─────
Total payments £65,914 £101,554
───── ─────
Surplus of receipts over payments 8,851 (27,098)
Balance brought forward at 1 April 2020 64,519 91,617
───── ─────
Bank balance at 31 March 2021 £73,370 £64,519
═════ ═════

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ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH

Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31 March 2021

Assets

The church building and the church manse are owned by the Baptist Union Corporation Limited who are the custodian trustee and are effectively assets held in an endowment fund as the sale proceeds can only be used for the purchase of other church buildings and have an insured value of £2,170,731. The church holds various assets such as PA equipment and furniture. An estimated value of this is £5,000.

The charity has the following bank and cash balances:

2021 2020
£ £
Current account 72,825 63,749
Activities and ministries accounts 545 760
Petty cash - 10
──── ────
£73,370 £64,519
════ ════

Liabilities

Agency collections of £832 (2020 – £617).

The Baptist Union Employer Hub has provided an estimate of the charity’s share of the overall pension deficit at £120,000. Full details of the pension liability are available on request.

Funds

The charity has a number of designated funds which are included in the receipts and payments accounts and asset balances. The respective balances at 31 March 2021 were:

Designated funds 2021 2020
£ £
Craft Club 28 28
Coffee Time 280 280
Coffee Pot (66) 559
Café Connect 373 373
Lunch Club 494 494
Well of Hope 762 -
──── ────
Total designated funds £1,871 £1,734
════ ════

Approved by the trustees on 25 June 2021 and signed on their behalf by

Derek Robinson Treasurer

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ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH

Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2021

1. Accounting policies

The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis.

2. Grants/donations paid

2021 2020
£ £
BMS 2,610 2,400
Baptist Home Mission 2,400 2,400
MAF - 1,200
Bible Society 600 1,260
Barnabas 600 1,329
SAT-7 600 1,200
Mission work donations 200 631
St Wilfrid’s Hospice (from coffee pot) 600 -
Other projects 200 -
──── ────
£7,810 £10,420
════ ════

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