OpenCharities

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

2023-03-31-accounts

ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH

Report and Accounts - 31 March 2023

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 H Lodge
Mrs B Nanson
Mr D Robinson
Mr J Smith
Mrs J Smith
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

1

ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH

TRUSTEES' REPORT

The church trustees present their report for the year ended 31 March 2023.

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

During 2022/23 the church has continued with its regular worship services and Love Aldwick outreach events which have seen a number of new community attendees in attendance during the week as well as seeing a steady return of members and regular attendees on Sundays. As well as Toddler Time, Craft Group, Community Café, Luncheon Club, Messy Church and Peace Together Puzzlers, a new Table Tennis club commenced attracting new clientele.

In addition, the church began supporting (with five other churches) a new initiative of a Bognor Christians Against Poverty (CAP) Debt scheme as well as itself beginning a Bognor CAP Life Skills Course.

During the year the church has sadly (for ABC not for the individuals concerned) lost some of its older members who have gone to glory but also seen a number of new members and held a baptismal celebration.

There were five pastoral care groups started during the year (with four sub-groups in each to make sure that no one is missed out within the fellowship and in addition the eight home groups continue to meet bi-weekly for Bible study and prayer (one more group added during the year).

There is a strong focus on The Word of God as well as the Spirit of God and this has been further strengthened by additional deacons being elected to the group of Trustees.

The Leadership Team members each continue to take responsibility for specific ministries in the church and during the course of the year two additional trustees/deacons were added to the team.

2

ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED)

REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES (CONTINUED)

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:

There have been a number of changes within the Membership during the year with the number in membership now at 100 (with a further 42 regular attenders). Six new members joined the church and three went to glory during the year but there is still a sense of excitement as ABC moves into 2024.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Over this financial year, we have continued to receive cash collections through a locked box at the back of the church which has generated a comparatively small amount of money as most of our giving is now done through direct debit and by cheque. Our offertory giving remained fairly constant at £65,129.40 (compared to £66,121.61 last year). In addition, we also received a legacy from one member of £1,500, £1,700 in donations following funerals and £915 from hiring the hall to outside users. 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. We also made other gifts of approximately £3,000 which includes our contributions to CAP. In total our missionary/charity giving represented 13.2% of our income.

During the year the Baptist Union recalculated the pension deficit and reduced our monthly contribution to £1 per month.

During the year there were several large items of expenditure as we indicated might be the case in last year’s accounts. The repairs to the roof were £7,140 which was less than we had anticipated, electrical testing and subsequent remedial work totalled £4,822, repairs to the heating system (£,1230), upgrading the back gate structure and laying a concrete base for a new shed (£1,930), car park relining (£1,140), new signage (£1,430) and a new baptistry heater (£768). There are no major maintenance items planned for 2023-24 but as the buildings get older we have come to expect the unexpected! Nevertheless, we ended the year in a sound financial position with a relatively small decrease in our net assets of £95,339.94 (compared to £98,722.37).

Approved by the trustees on 22 June 2023 and signed on their behalf by

Clive Bennett Church Secretary

3

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 2023.

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 2023

4

ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH

Receipts and Payments Account for the year ended 31 March 2023

2023 2022
Notes Unrestricted Unrestricted
Funds Funds
£ £
RECEIPTS
Gifts received 79,189 81,638
Legacies received 1,500 25,750
Other income 1,888 875
────── ──────
Total receipts £82,577 £108,263
────── ──────
PAYMENTS
Pastor’s stipend, NI and expenses 25,580 24,768
Pension costs 6,021 5,791
Pension deficit payment 1,258 3,709
Gas, electricity and water 8,602 9,157
Insurance 2,901 2,651
Repairs, furniture and equipment 17,498 13,362
Manse repairs and renewals 450 92
Manse council tax 2,881 2,795
Cleaning 1,686 739
Visiting speakers 60 270
Office expenditure and supplies 2,715 3,008
Independent examiner’s fee 660 655
Subscriptions and licences 2,050 1,811
Catering - 386
Outreach and Children’s work 499 1,137
Coffee time 992 752
Grants/donations paid 2 10,625 11,139
Other costs (1,367) 265
───── ─────
Total payments £83,111 £82,487
───── ─────
Surplus/(deficit) of receipts over
payments (534) 25,776
Balance brought forward at 1 April 2022 99,146 73,370
───── ─────
Bank balance at 31 March 2023 £98,612 £99,146
═════ ═════

5

ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH

Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31 March 2023

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:

2023 2022
£ £
Current account 97,764 99,136
Activities and ministries accounts - -
Petty cash 848 10
──── ────
£98,612 £99,146
════ ════

Liabilities

Agency collections of £3,272 (2022 – £1,573).

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.

Approved by the trustees on 22 June 2023 and signed on their behalf by

Derek Robinson Treasurer

6

ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH

Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023

1. Accounting policies

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

2. Grants/donations paid

2023 2022
£ £
BMS 2,630 2,700
Baptist Home Mission 2,400 2,400
MAF 600 600
Bible Society 600 600
Barnabas 772 2,164
SAT-7 600 600
Mission work donations 761 525
Other projects 2,262 1,550
──── ────
£10,625 £11,139
════ ════

7