2024-03-31-accounts

Trustees' Annual Report for the period

Trustees' Annual Report for theperiod	Trustees' Annual Report for theperiod	Trustees' Annual Report for theperiod	Trustees' Annual Report for theperiod	Trustees' Annual Report for theperiod	Trustees' Annual Report for theperiod	Trustees' Annual Report for theperiod	Trustees' Annual Report for theperiod	Trustees' Annual Report for theperiod
**From **	Period start date			To	Period end date
	1st	April	2023		**31st **	March	2024

Section A Reference and administration details

Charity name Saffron Walden Community Church Other names charity is known by formerly Gold Street Chapel Registered charity number (if any) 1176353 Charity's principal address Saffron Walden Community Church Castle Street Saffron Walden Postcode CB10 1BD

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for **whole year **	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany)
	BarryJames Land	Chair & Secretary
	Peter Jonathan Graves
	Paul AnthonyJohn Martin
	Siobhan Rouse

Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)

Name Dates acted if not for whole year

Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Type of governing document Constitution (eg. trust deed, constitution)

How the charity is constituted Charitable Incorporated Organisation (eg. trust, association, company)

Trustee selection methods

(eg. appointed by, elected by)

New trustees are appointed by existing trustees

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

• policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;

• the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;

• relationship with any related parties;

• trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.

The trustees delegate the day-to-day running of the church to the pastor and the leadership team, who are primarily responsible for the spiritual wellbeing of the church, and the operation of the various church policies and practices.

The trustees and leadership team are assisted by a Support Team who are appointed by the members of the church. The Support Team are responsible for maintaining the fabric of the building, finance and admin.

• One in particular is the Finance Co-ordinator responsible for keeping accurate accounts of all transactions and for preparing the accounts for the end of year Independent Examination and for presentation at the church AGM and quarterly business meetings, which are open to the public. There is regular oversight of accounting records and processes by the trustees.

The church employs three staff members: the pastor, the ministry leader and a church administrator. All three staff members were offered entry into a pension scheme but all three have opted out.

The trustees ensure that the charity is being run satisfactorily by those delegated to do so, including compliance with the Child Protection Policy, Risk Management Policy and Data Protection Policy, all of which are reviewed annually, and that the charity is operating for the public benefit.

Section C Objectives and activities

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document

For the public benefit, to advance the Christian faith in Saffron Walden, Essex and such other parts of the UK and the world as the charity trustees may from time to time decide.

We act for the public benefit in enabling all people to live out their Christian faith as part of our church and town communities through: • regular worship services • teaching related to evangelical Christianity for children and adults • regular coffee morning, Toddlers Group, and well-being groups, and • working with other churches and with Saffron Walden Churches Together

Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)

In particular, we promote and support -	In particular, we promote and support -
local mission activities:
o	Alpha courses, or similar
o	Various styles of Sunday services
o	Children’s and youth activities
o	Social events
o	Teaching church members to promote Christianity where the live
	and work
o	Celebration of Christian festivals
o	Support for Stort Valley Schools Trust
And international mission activities:
o	Latin Link
o	Wycliffe Bible Translators
o	TEAR Fund
We strive to advance citizenship and community development through:
•	Pastoral care, primarily to those who attend church but also
	extended to those outside the church
•	Support for Stort Valley Schools Trust
•	Part of Saffron Walden Street Pastors
When	planning activities for the year, the pastor, leadership team and
trustees have regard to the Commission’s guidance on charities for the
advancement of religion.
All the	above activities are open to all sections of the general public.

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:

• policy on grantmaking;

• policy programme related investment;

• contribution made by volunteers.

As resources and opportunity permit we attempt to help those in need through:

• TEAR Fund (a third world development and aid agency),

• Emergency aid for others in great need.

The pastor, the ministry leader and the church administrator have been the only paid employees of the church so much of our activities are provided by volunteers.

Section D Achievements and performance

Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year

Worship

• Sunday Morning services and occasional Evening Prayer and Praise services. The Sunday Morning services continued to be made available on line.

• From September 2023, a second weekly Sunday Morning Service was held in the Jubilee Gardens Hub in the centre of town providing a more informal service but still under the main church umbrella.

• All are welcome to join us in our services in the buildings and online.

Mid-week meetings

• Midweek small groups have continued.

• Pastoral Care

• Pastoral care continues through the small groups and directly by the Pastoral Care Team with issues passed on to the Leadership Team when appropriate. The wider community benefits from our pastoral care as appropriate through WWW (see below).

• Pop-In Coffee Morning • This particularly helps those of the wider community who may be lonely or in need of a chat. Payment is by voluntary gift only.

• Walden Wellbeing Walk-In • This initiative has continued providing counselling for those in the community with emotional and mental health issues, staffed by qualified mental health practitioners and volunteers. This is open to the general public.

• Mother and Toddler Group • Continues throughout the year..

• Market Square Outreach • Last year’s new initiative continued on Saturday mornings offering to listen and support any with issues who wished to share, particularly offering prayer support.

• Ecumenical Relationships • The church continues to be an active member of Churches Together in Saffron Walden. We are also members of the Evangelical Alliance. We have also continued to support three overseas missionary societies and to one UK missionary society.

Section D Achievements and erformance p

• Summary of the main . Street Pastors

• achievements of the charity • The church continues a deep involvement with Street Pastors that

• during the year (cont.) was launched in 2013. They continued to patrol the streets every Friday evening between 8pm and 1.30am when licensed premises were open. They are there to help the evening community to have an enjoyable, and as far as possible, a safe experience of the town.

• • This initiative continues to have the support of the local police and the various licenced premises of the town.

• Alpha Courses

• The church successfully ran a number of Alpha Courses during the year teaching the basics of Christianity to a range of interested people.

• Church Building

  • The church building has continued to be used for the benefit of the community providing accommodation as a Polling Station.

Section E Financial review

The income of the church, largely through voluntary donation, increased Brief statement of the substantially from last year, while the expenditure increased only charity’s policy on reserves modestly. The charity finished the year with a cash balance of £259,065. The church intends to seek the employment of another staff member during the coming year and the balance may be required not only for employment costs but also some element of housing funding. In recent years the church was holding a restricted reserve of £9,882 donated for the Vacation Bible School. This activity is no longer continuing and it was decided to disburse this sum to other similar activities with similar aims. The church has a policy of maintaining a balance of £50,000 (or less if agreed by a church meeting) for the running of the charity. It was also resolved during the year to pursue investment of church funds in accordance with an Investment Policy, adopted during the year so as to offset the loss of value in savings accounts through inflation. Details of any funds materially in deficit Further financial review details

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:

• the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising);

Our income comes from:

• gifts and donations from those attending the church or using its facilities

• investment income

• gifts from individuals.

• how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;

• investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted.

Section F Other optional information

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) B J Land P J Graves Peter Jonathan Graves Full name(s) Barry James Land Position Chair & Secretary Trustee Date 20/10/2024

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl member5 of Saffron Walden Community Church On accounts for the year ended Charlty no lif any) 31 March 2024 1176353 Set out on pages TAR and CC16a 1-2 Respectlvo The charity's Iruslees are responsible for the preparation of Ihe accounts in responsibilities of accordance wilh the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 1"the Act"). Irustges and examlner The charity's trustees considw that an audit is not requifed for this year under section 144 of the Act and that an independent examination is neede(l. It is my responsibility to: examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act, lo follow the applicable Directions gtven by the Charity Commission (under seclion 14515)Ib) Df the Act. and to slate whelher particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of independent My examination carried out in accordan￿ wilh genwal Direclions given examiner's statement by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a compar5son of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts. and seeking explanations trom the Iruslee5 conceming any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all Ihe evidence Ihal would be required in an audit. and consequently no opinion is given as lo whether the accounts present a 'true and fair, view and the rewrt is limited lo those matters set out in the statement below. Independent In connecknon wlh rny examination, no mateTlal matters have come to my examlner's statement att8nlion which gives me cause lo believe that in. any material respect.. accounling records were not kepl in acconlance wlth sectlon 130 of the Charities Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records. I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection wtth the examination lo which attention should be drawn in order lo enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Slgned: Date: 21 October 2024 Name: Peter W. m Hill Relevant professional qualification{sl or body Chartered Acrnunlant (FCA- Membership no 7139500} Address: Hill House. 27 Meadowford Newport, Saffron Walden Essex CB113QL IER May 2018

Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs lo highlight matters of concern (s¢6 CC32. Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief detalls of any Items that the examinar wishes to dSsGlose. IER May 2018