OpenCharities

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

← Aldwick Baptist Church

2024-03-31-accounts

ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH

Report and Accounts - 31 March 2024

CONTENTS

Page
General Information 1
Trustees' Annual Report 2-3
Independent Examiner’s Report 4
Receipts and Payments Account 5
Statement of Assets and Liabilities 6
Notes to the Accounts 7

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
ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH

TRUSTEES' REPORT

The church trustees present their report for the year ended 31 March 2024.

1

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 2023/24 the church has continued with its regular worship services and Love Aldwick outreach events which have seen a number of new and established community attendees in attendance during each month at Toddler Time, Craft Group, Community Café, Table Tennis club, Luncheon Club, Messy Church and Peace Together Puzzlers. The Sunday church services also attract a good number of church members as well as regular attenders, some of whom have first, encouragingly, attended the outreach events.

The Bognor Christians Against Poverty (CAP) initiative, which began two years ago, continued during the year with some of the ABC members providing support to CAP Debt clients. In addition, ABC ran two CAP Life Skills courses during the year with encouraging feedback from the attendees. Due to changed local circumstances, cross-church decision will need to be made about the resourcing of these initiatives into the future.

During the year the church has sadly (for ABC not for the individuals concerned) lost six of its older members who have gone to glory as well as some changes in its congregation which have left the church membership slightly lower than previously at 96 but with regular attendees increasing to 70.

Rev Simon Downing continues to offer first line pastoral care, to those immediately facing life crises, backed up by the five pastoral groups to ensure no one is left without support within the church. In addition, there are eight home groups which meet bi-weekly for Bible study and prayer based largely on the Sunday teaching.

2

ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED)

REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES (CONTINUED)

The Leadership Team members each continue to take responsibility for specific ministries in the church and now compose:

The children and youth work continue to be a challenge, within an area of older citizens, but a number of church volunteers are nurturing the existing group members and seeking ways to grow the group effectiveness.

There are a number of new houses being built within the Aldwick and Pagham areas, and ABC have made contact with the developers to provide new owners with an introduction and invitation to the church activities and services available. ABC has also recently introduced a Breakfast preceding each Family Service on the first Sunday of each month to encourage and improve accessibility for new attendees and greater fellowship between members. This has so far been very helpful.

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 has decreased by around 10% from the previous year at £60,617.21 (compared to £65,129.40 last year). This is due to a number of our regular givers going to glory. In addition, we received £11,828.96 in gift aid refunds which was up by 27.5% to the previous claim of £9,273.66. We have not received any legacies or bequests during this financial year. We have received £1,870.00 in rental income which is up from £915 last year.

Consequently, the health of the church has been maintained with sufficient funds available to complete the activities of the church. In March 2024 at the request of the church membership we deposited £50,000 in the Baptists Together deposit account at an agreed interest rate of 1 year Fixed Rate Deposit Account at 5.00%.

During the year we continued our regular support for BMS, Home Mission, Barnabas Fund, MAF, Bible Society and SAT 7. In addition, we now support African Adventures and OneLife. We also made other gifts of approximately £5,000 which includes our monthly contributions to CAP. In total our missionary/charity giving represented 13.4% of our income.

During the year our contribution to the Baptist Union pension deficit continued to be collected at £1 per month. During the year there were there were no major maintenance items carried out but as the buildings get older we have come to expect the unexpected! Consequently we ended the year in a sound financial position with a relatively small increase in our net assets of £101,832.64 (compared to £98,612.33).

Approved by the trustees on 3 July 2024 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 2024.

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: 4 July 2024

4

ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH

Receipts and Payments Account for the year ended 31 March 2024

2024 2023
Notes Unrestricted Unrestricted
Funds Funds
£ £
RECEIPTS
Gifts received 75,690 79,189
Legacies received - 1,500
Other income 2,476 1,888
────── ──────
Total receipts £78,166 £82,577
────── ──────
PAYMENTS
Pastor’s stipend, NI and expenses 26,743 25,580
Pension costs 6,336 6,021
Pension deficit payment 11 1,258
Gas, electricity and water 6,156 8,602
Insurance 3,422 2,901
Repairs, furniture and equipment 2,910 17,498
Manse repairs and renewals 358 450
Manse council tax 3,024 2,881
Cleaning 1,471 1,686
Visiting speakers 169 60
Office expenditure and supplies 2,984 2,715
Independent examiner’s fee 690 660
Subscriptions and licences 2,109 2,050
Catering 28 -
Outreach and Children’s work 302 499
Coffee time 1,391 992
Grants/donations paid 2 12,939 10,625
Other costs 3,902 (1,367)
───── ─────
Total payments £74,945 £83,111
───── ─────
Surplus/(deficit) of receipts over
payments 3,221 (534)
Balance brought forward at 1 April 2023 98,612 99,146
───── ─────
Bank balance at 31 March 2024 £101,833 £98,612
═════ ═════

5

ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH

Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31 March 2024

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:

2024 2023
£ £
Baptist Union deposit 50,000 -
Current account 51,823 97,764
Petty cash 10 848
───── ────
£101,833 £98,612
═════ ════

Liabilities

Agency collections of £1,534 (2023 – £3,272).

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 3 July 2024 and signed on their behalf by

Derek Robinson Treasurer

6

ALDWICK BAPTIST CHURCH

Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024

1. Accounting policies

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

2. Grants/donations paid

2024 2023
£ £
BMS 2,400 2,630
Baptist Home Mission 2,400 2,400
African Adventures 500 -
MAF 500 600
Bible Society 500 600
Barnabas 500 772
SAT-7 500 600
One Life 500 -
Mission work donations 300 761
Other projects 4,839 2,262
──── ────
£12,939 £10,625
════ ════

7