## **ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH** 

## **Report and Accounts - 31 March 2022** 

## **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 2022. 

## **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: 

- the financial position of the charity; and 

- safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. 

## **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** 

2021 provided the church with an opportunity to reopen following the COVID and take stock of how to proceed. The Leadership maintained the regular Sunday services backed up by on-line video (and subsequently live-streamed) services for those still cautious about a return to corporate worship. The church maintained the necessary safety protocol for its services until all restrictions were removed. The church did not continue with its midweek service during the year after COVID but began a new initiative called “Love Aldwick” with many regular and special activities being run to enhance the unavoidably neglected community interaction during the pandemic. 

The church kick started this initiative with a Special Summer Cream Tea and Treasure Hunt held in the car park in July and then from September 2021 began some new and rejuvenated activities: Mothers and Toddlers Group, Craft Group, Community Café, Luncheon Club, Messy Church and Peace Together Puzzlers. The church has continued to enjoy consistent membership levels and income (post-COVID) though a number of older members passed away during the year. The Special events have also continued with a Harvest celebration at the end of October and a World Cuisine evening held in March 2022. 

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: 

- Rev Simon Downing (Pastor) 

- Derek Robinson (Elder/Treasurer) 

- Clive Bennett (Church Secretary) 

- Barbara Farrington (Deacon) – re-elected from April 2021 

- Brenda Nanson (Deacon) 

- John Smith (Deacon) – re-elected from April 2021 



## **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 101 members (with a further 51 regular attenders). 10 new members joined the church and seven went to glory during the year but in the goodness of God there is a real sense of fresh enthusiasm as ABC moves into 2022. 

## **FINANCIAL REVIEW** 

Over this financial year, as the government’s restrictions on numbers allowed into church has gradually eased, our financial giving has remained fairly constant. Initially there was no offering taken in church but as the year progressed, we began cash collections again through a locked box at the back of the church. This has generated a comparatively small amount of money as most of our giving is now done through direct debit and by cheque. We also received a substantial legacy form one member who died in 2021. Consequently, the health of the church has been maintained with sufficient funds available to complete the activities of the church. 

During the year we continued our regular support for BMS, Home Mission, Barnabas Fund, MAF, Bible Society and SAT7. We also responded to the crisis the Ukraine and mad a donation of over £2000. In total our missionary giving represented 10.4% of our 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 were three unusual large items of expenditure, We finally completed the essential upgrade to the fire alarm system (£5785); the upgrading of the vestibule at the front of the church (£3500) to accommodate the community café and a new sound desk (£1159). Nevertheless, we ended the year in a sound financial position with an increase in our funds held by the bank of just under £27000. There are, however, major expenses expected in 2022 including extensive roof repairs and work outside the church. 

Approved by the trustees on 22 June 2022 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 2022. 

## **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: 22 June 2022 

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## **ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH** 

## **Receipts and Payments Account for the year ended 31 March 2022** 

|||**2022**|**2021**|
|---|---|---|---|
||**Notes**|**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|
|||**Funds**|**Funds**|
|||**£**|**£**|
|**RECEIPTS**||||
|Gifts received||81,638|74,685|
|Legacies received||25,750|-|
|Other income||875|80|
|||`──────`|`──────`|
|**Total receipts**||£108,263|£74,765|
|||`──────`|`──────`|
|**PAYMENTS**||||
|Pastor’s stipend, NI and expenses||24,768|23,722|
|Pension costs||5,791|5,117|
|Pension deficit payment||3,709|2,432|
|Gas, electricity and water||9,157|5,701|
|Insurance||2,651|2,770|
|Repairs, furniture and equipment||13,362|5,755|
|Manse repairs and renewals||92|3,166|
|Manse council tax||2,795|2,662|
|Cleaning||739|1,080|
|Visiting speakers||270|120|
|Office expenditure and supplies||3,008|2,939|
|Independent examiner’s fee||655|580|
|Subscriptions and licences||1,811|1,957|
|Catering||386|-|
|Outreach and Children’s work||1,137|51|
|Coffee time||752|52|
|Grants/donations paid|2|11,139|7,810|
|Other costs||265|-|
|||`─────`|`─────`|
|**Total payments**||£82,487|£65,914|
|||`─────`|`─────`|
|**Surplus of receipts over payments**||**25,776**|**8,851**|
|Balance brought forward at 1 April 2021||73,370|64,519|
|||`─────`|`─────`|
|**Bank balance at 31 March 2022**||**£99,146**|**£73,370**|
|||`═════`|`═════`|



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## **ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH** 

## **Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31 March 2022** 

## **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: 

||**2022**|**2021**|
|---|---|---|
||**£**|**£**|
|Current account|99,136|72,825|
|Activities and ministries accounts|-|545|
|Petty cash|10|-|
||────|────|
||**£99,146**|**£73,370**|
||════|════|



## **Liabilities** 

Agency collections of £1,573 (2021 – £832). 

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 2022 were: 

|**Designated funds**|**2022**|**2021**|
|---|---|---|
||**£**|**£**|
|Craft Club|-|28|
|Coffee Time|-|280|
|Coffee Pot|-|(66)|
|Café Connect|-|373|
|Lunch Club|-|494|
|Well of Hope|-|762|
||────|────|
|**Total designated funds**|**£Nil**|**£1,871**|
||════|════|



Approved by the trustees on 22 June 2022 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 2022** 

**1. Accounting policies** 

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

## **2. Grants/donations paid** 

||**2022**|**2021**|
|---|---|---|
||**£**|**£**|
|BMS|2,700|2,610|
|Baptist Home Mission|2,400|2,400|
|MAF|600|-|
|Bible Society|600|600|
|Barnabas|2,164|600|
|SAT-7|600|600|
|Mission work donations|525|200|
|St Wilfrid’s Hospice (from coffee pot)|-|600|
|Other projects|1,550|200|
||────|────|
||**£11,139**|**£7,810**|
||════|════|



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