## **Report of the Trustees, Year ended 31 August 2023** During the year, NLPA offered placements to five people in total: Three full time pastoral assistants One Pastoral Assistant, a Belgian national, completing his second year on a Church of England ministry experience scheme (first year in Netherlands), but limited to two 180 day stays in the UK, and full time during his UK stays One pastoral assistant in full time employment but following a part time pathway as part of his vocation discernment process. The scheme supported Pastoral Assistants’ discernment in a variety of ways, including: **Liturgical presence** , serving and observing at Mass and other principal and pastoral services throughout the year; preaching; leading afterservice activities, e.g. a Book Group. **Pastoral work** , which could encompass many elements including: Informal conversations with parishioners after services Support of local initiatives, including: A YMCA drop in centre, Support in local community gardens, working alongside marginalised groups, including people with mental health issues, Co ordination of support at weekly Winter Night Shelter sessions, recruiting people to set up church hall spaces for the guests, to cook, serve and clean up afterwards, being a friendly but authoritative presence to ensure the smooth running of the evening – the Pastoral Assistant was “the one in charge” and the back up for any last minute gaps in personnel. Visiting local primary schools to run or help with Assembly and in some cases to support teachers with Religious Education lessons Visiting elderly and housebound parishioners Pastoral Assistants participated in weekly supervision sessions with their incumbents to reflect on their work on areas for development. ## **Formation** The Pastoral Assistants as a group met monthly with a clergy supervisor for seminars, with preliminary reading and some written work. Subjects covered included basics of Christian belief, some patristics, church history, consideration of the context in which the church operates, some reflection on strands of prayer and spirituality. In addition, Pastoral Assistants engaged on a week-long study visit/pilgrimage to Assisi and La Verna, accompanied by one of their incumbents, a fluent Italian speaker, and by a former pastoral assistant, now a professed Franciscan Friar. Two quiet days were also organised during the year, and some Pastoral Assistants accompanied their congregations on pilgrimages to Walsingham. In addition, pastoral assistants met regularly with their Spiritual Directors, and had access to an External Clergy supervisor. ## **Outcomes** One of the full time pastoral assistants, following a successful BAP, went on to St Stephen’s House, where he is completing an MPhil, one returned to secular employment, and one is undertaking a second year on the scheme, and will attend his Part II conference in July 2024. Further information is available in our Reports To Funders, published at regular intervals Judy Powell North London Pastoral Assistants Charity NuD)ber. 1175492 orth London PAsÉoral knistants Financial Statements For the year ended 31" August 2023 Page I North IA•DdoD Pastoral Assistants Independent Examiner's Report- Period to 31 August 2023 IDd¢pend¢nt EJAminer'$ Report to the Trustees of North London Pastorgl Assistgnts Council We rerK)rt to the Charity Tn￿S on our examination of the accounts of the Charity for the ￿riod ended 31° March 2023. Responsibllilies and Basis of Report As Tn￿trs of the Charity you are res￿nSIble for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the CharTrties Act 2011 ('the Act,). We report in restKct of our examination of the CILarity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in caTrying out our examination we have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charitv Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. Independent Examiner's Statement We have completed our examination. We confirni that no material matters have come to our attention in connection with our examination giving us no cause to believe that in any n￿terIal respect: accounting teconjs were not kept in rryect of the Charity a5 required by section 130 of the Act- or the accounts do not accord with those rewrds ' or the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements oncerning the forni and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement the accounts give a 'true and fair view. which is not a mat*r considered We have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the ¢xamination to which attention should be drawn in this rew)rt in order to enable a roper understanding of the accounts to be reached. ers Maple Cottage Arkesden Road Clavering Saffton Walden Essex CBI14QU It- Ci . Page 2 North London Pastoral Assi5tsnts ststement of FinaDeial Activity for the year ended 31" August 2023 2023 2022 Ineome GraDts Received - No. l Trust - Cleaver Ordination Candidates FWMI Fellowship of St. John - Church of England Ministy Experience Scheme - G￿18 Trust 18.IKK) 18,oiXI 7,760 18,000 7.260 18,000 Totsl Ineom¢ 49.760 60,200 Expense5 Expense AllOwan￿S Forniation and Trdining Costs Forniation Visits Other 24221 27.946 4.470 4,761 31.984 Aeeommod8tioD Costs Council Tax Utilkty Costs Insurance Em¢rgency Accommodation Repairs atld Maintenanc¢ Furnitur¢ and White Goods Sundry 5.334 6,008 1.722 5.330 3,716 2J68 4.867 4,668 2.274 967 796 14.572 26.389 ( 1.635) ( 657) l£ss.' Contribution from Lodg R¢bate&s 24.￿7 Othera Recruithent Costs independent Examiner General Admini5tsation 1,706 500 538 1,959 500 450 2.909 Total Expenses (58,825) (54227) Net (DeficitySury1￿ for the Year (9.(￿5) 5,973 Balan¢e brought fonvard 79.093 73.120 Bglance fonvard £70,028 £79,093 Pag¢ 3 North London Paslornl Assistants Balance Sheet as at 31° August 2023 2023 2022 Current A&sets Debtor5 Prepayments Cash at Bank 885 92,9)3 I¢Xl.183 I￿8. Current Liabilities Amounts payable within one year Sundry CreditOTS Ino)me received in advance 4.465 3.090 (22,965) (21,09)) Totsl Nrt Ass¢ts £ 70.028 £79,093 Represented by: Unrestricted Funds £ 70.028 £79,093 These financial statements w¢re approvsj by the Trustees 26 l• Ly atMI signed on their behalf by If Chgiman Pag¢ 4 North London Pastor81 Assistsnts Principal A¢countiDg Policies Year to 31 August 2023 The principal accounting ￿)licieS adopterting by Clwities preparing the accounts in accordance wqth the Financial retM)rting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective l January 2015) (Charities SORP {FRS 102), the Financial Reporting Stsndard applicable in the United Kingdom and R¢public of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011. Assessment of going coneern The Tn￿teS consider that there are no material uncertainties alx)ut the Charity's ability to continue as a going ￿ncern. Critieal areas of judgement or uneertsinty There are no significant areas of judgement or key assumptions that affect items in the accounts other than those included within the accounting y)licies described below. Casb flows The Tn￿l¢eS have taken advantage of the disclosure exemption in resF*Ct of the requirements of Section 7 'Statement of Cash Flows" in preparÈng thes¢ accounts as mitted by FRS 102 and the Clwities SORP (FRS 102) Update Bulletin l. Income Income is recognised in the period in which the Charity is entitled to receipt and the amount Gqn be mwured with reasonable ceThainty. Page 5 North ￿ndon Pastoral Assistants Principal Accounting Policies Year to 31 Augusi 2023 Expenditsre All expenditure is included on an accounts basis and is re￿gniSed wben there is a legal or constructive obligation to pay for expenditure. Charitable expenditure comprise grants which are provided for when approved by the T￿￿, and support costs which are identifiable as wholly or mainly in support of the Clwity's objectives based on the allocation of staff time and otTice resources. Supwrt costs are those costs which enable f[ll￿ generator 2nd charitable aclivities to be undertaken. Ivhere activities incurred relate to more than one cost category, it is apportioned on the basis of time incurred. Taxation As a regisiered Charity. the Council is exempt from tax on assessable income applied within the objects of the Council. Unrestricted fund5 Unrestricted fijnds comprise those funds which the TTh￿teeS are free to w for any purpose in furtherance of the clwitable objects. Debtors Debtors are recogDised initially at fair value. Subsequent to initial Tecognition tbey are measured at amortised cost using the effective interest methrf le55 any impairment losses. Creilitors Creditors are recognised initially at fair value. Subsequent to initial recognition they are measured at axllOrtis¢d cost ￿SIng the etTective interest method. Cash and Cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash on hand and balances with bajjks, and investments in money rnarket instruments which arc readily convertible, being those with original maturities of three months or less. Page I Nortb London Pastoral Assistants Independent Eraminer's Report- Period to 31 August 2023 Inde￿ndent Esaniinerfs Report to the Trnstees of North I￿nd￿n Pastoral Assistants Council We rey)rt to the Charity Tn￿eeS on our examinthon of the accounts of the Charity for the Ftriod ended 31° March 2023. R￿pOnSibilItieS and Basis of Report As Trustees of the Charity you are res￿nSIble for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Cl)arities Act 2011 ('the Act.). We rewrt in respect of our examinthon of the Charity's a¢￿unts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out our examination w¢ have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5Kb) of the Act. IDdependent Examiner's Statement We have completed our exxmination. We confirni that no materid matters have come to our attention ID connection with our examination giving no ca￿se to believe that in any material respect: accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Act. or the accounts do not accord with those te¢ords . or the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the forni and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair vi￿, which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examinthon. We have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn this [c￿rt in order to enable roper understanding of the accounts to ￿ reached. Maple Cottsge Arkesden Road Clavering Saffton Walden Essex CBI14QU