_**TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD: 1 JANUARY 2024 TO 31 DECEMBER 2024**_
## _**REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATION DETAILS**_
**Charity name:**
THE UNITED CHURCH OF ST MARK
**Other names charity known as:**
ST MARK’S CHURCH
**Registered charity number:**
1176784
## **Charity’s Principal address:**
Great Tattenhams Epsom Downs Surrey KT18 5RB
## **Names of Trustees**
|1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for**
**whole year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled to**
**appoint trustee (if any)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||COLIN BATTY|CHAIRMAN AND
CHURCHWARDEN|||
||DES WILLIAMSON|MINISTER|||
||MARTIN TRENAMAN|TREASURER|||
||JOHN MILLER|STEWARD|||
||JANET WILLOCK||||
||MARK ROBINSON|CHURCHWARDEN|||
||MEL BRACEY|SAFEGUARDING OFFICER|||
||LIZ TOWNSEND|CHILDREN’S AND FAMILIES’
WORKER|||
||KEITH NELSON||||
||SHEILA BATTY||||
||DAVID WILLOCK||||
17
|ROSALYN BIRCH||||
|---|---|---|---|
|EMMA SEARS||||
|ELIZABETH LORD||||
|SUSAN HIGGINS||||
|DAWN CALLAWAY||||
|SIMON BIRCH|STEWARD|08/07/2024-
31/12/2024||
All trustees served for the year the report covers
## _**STRUCTURE GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT**_
**Type of governing document:**
Constitution 30 April 2017
**How the charity is constituted:** Association
**Trustee selection method:** Elected by membership
## _**OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES**_
**Objects of charity:**
To advance the Christian Faith in the local community, by
- Celebration of public worship
- Teaching of Christian faith
- Mission and evangelism
- Pastoral work, including visiting the sick and bereaved
- Provision of facilities with a Christian ethos for the local community, including, but not restricted to the elderly, the young, and other groups with need
- The support of other charities in the UK and abroad
The Church would not exist without the contribution made by members who volunteer their time. Volunteers provide time in all areas of the church’s activities, including governance.
## **Policy on Safeguarding**
The Church has a Safeguarding Policy that is agreed by the Trustee’s every year. In accordance with the Church of England Safeguarding Policy and the Methodist Church Policy, the church is committed to the safeguarding, care, and nurture of everyone within our community.
All Trustees, and volunteers that work with children and vulnerable adults are required to be trained in safeguarding best practice through the Church of England or Methodist Church.
## _**ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE IN 2024**_
## **Messy Church**
Monthly worship for children and their families during term time including activities, worship and a meal.
## **Messy Munchkins**
A weekly meeting place for children under 5 and their carers, for activity, fun and support, in a Christian environment.
## **Messy Bundles**
A weekly meeting place for parents and carers and babies for support and friendship.
## **Worship**
A varied pattern of worship is provided which requires a great deal of preparation by Rev Des Williamson and the Worship team. Many people are involved in our worship including preachers and worship leaders, musicians, singers and projector and sound operators.
## **Pastoral**
The church pastoral team cares for those in need, they meet together to share concerns to make sure the right support is provided to those who need it. The team visits elderly, housebound, the sick and bereaved and anyone who would value a listening ear.
## **Community Cinema**
Films are shown mostly on Sunday evenings in the winter months, in 2024 11 screenings took place.
## **Tattenhams Market**
In 2024 the Market was held on 6 occasions providing a variety of different stalls from stallholders who rent a table for the market. The church provides refreshments, it is a good way to connect with the community.
## **Charitable donations**
In 2024 over £2,000 was raised for local, national and overseas charities. More details are included in the financial report.
## **St Mark’s Food Club**
The Food Club was launched in 2021 to provide an opportunity for local residents who need to save on their household spending due to low income or financial difficulties.
## **Community Lunches**
A team provide lunch on a Saturday once a month to people in the community who would otherwise be eating alone, or who may find it difficult to provide a lunch for themselves. The church provides an opportunity for people to come together over a meal to socialise, to chat, and to have an
enjoyable time with others from the community. Contributions are made by those that are able to, which results in a donation being made to the church at the end of the year.
## **Community Garden**
The garden was established in 2023 from initial grant funding from Banstead Primary Care Trust. A space has been created within the church grounds for the local community to be involved in gardening, and developing the garden. It has also provided a space for local people to come together for gardening, but also provide a peaceful space for relaxation.
## _**FINANCIAL REVIEW**_
**1.** In 2024 a deficit was recorded of £6,480 on the general fund, and a deficit of £9,393 overall. The deficit of the Children’s and Families’ Worker Fund was £14,275, so this cost has been charged to the general fund.
There was a £2,914 deficit on our restricted funds, as all the other restricted funds (Maintenance Fund, Community Garden, and Christmas Together) recorded a deficit in 2024.
We need around £2,500 every week to cover the ongoing costs of St Mark’s.
**2. Parish Share and Circuit Assessment**
The parish share payable in 2024 was £75,414, an increase of £4,995 (7%) on 2023.
Circuit assessment payable in 2024 was £2,100, an increase of £250 (14%) on 2023.
## **3. Planned giving**
The overall planned giving increased slightly in 2024, by £5,333 (11.5%).
A successful campaign on giving took place in May and this has resulted in more people reviewing their giving, including attracting new people to join a planned giving scheme.
The church does not receive any funding from the government or other statutory body. The church running costs are nearly £2,500 per week, every week, and this needs to be financed by giving, donations and the church’s income generating activities (eg hall hire, Market and Community Cinema).
We need more people to join one of the church’s planned giving schemes. Regular giving is the core of the church’s income, and means we can plan and do things with confidence.
We are grateful to the generosity of all church members who are in one of our planned giving schemes and give regularly for the work of the church.
I would urge you to join other members of the church who give in one of our planned giving schemes, if you do not already do so.
## **Parish Giving Scheme**
The Parish Giving Scheme at St Marks continues to be the most efficient way to give, both for the giver and church administration. There are 27 givers who give this way, including regular giving to the CFW fund. Givers agree for their giving to St Marks to be collected by direct debit which is passed to the church a few days later with gift aid added. Givers also have the opportunity for their giving to increase with inflation once a year, and the majority of PGS givers opt for this which enables the church’s income to grow each year.
Details of the Parish Giving Scheme can be found by following the link from the giving page on the Church website.
## **4. Tax recovered**
The amount the church is able to recover in 2024 was 25p for every £1 of gift aided income.
A total of £12,234 was recovered for the General Fund from planned giving as well as some donations, including card donations made in church and online. This includes £1,715 recovered through the Small Donations Scheme. A further £2,886 was recovered for the CFW Fund from CFW giving and donations.
Total tax recovered in 2024: £15,120.
## **5. Donations**
The church receives donations from groups who use the church building.
Total donations to the General Fund in 2024 was £12,647, including:
|Sing|£750|
|---|---|
|Food Club|£1,500|
|Guides and Rainbows|£200|
|Christmas Together|£250|
|Community Lunches|£130|
|Food Club|£2,070 (for event room hire and expenses)|
|Relax Kidz|£150|
The remaining donations were from individuals including 2 donations of £1,000 or more.
## **6. Charitable Donations**
The following donations were made to charitable organisations, either through fundraising events, collections at services, or from church funds:
Circuit Connexional Funds £175
An amount of £240 is also donated to the Bible Reading Fellowship, the umbrella organisation behind Messy Church, from Messy Church contributions.
A sum of £2,546 was raised for Christian Aid from the Quiz which was held at St Mark’s in May 2024.
## **7. Tattenhams Market**
The Market has been running since October 2012, a monthly market with external stallholders paying a fee of £12 to have a table. The Church provides refreshments.
The market took place on 6 occasions in 2024. The total proceeds was £3,442 (£3,608 in 2023), of this £1,588 was taken from refreshments, and the remainder from stallholder fees.
## **8. St Mark’s Community Cinema**
A total of 11 screenings took place in 2024, a total of £1,282 (£1,459 in 2023) was received from donations and refreshments (less expenses). A further £279 was received on gift aid claimed on Cinema donations through the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme.
## **9.**
## **Messy Church and Messy Munchkins**
Messy Church (monthly) has been running at St Marks since 2009, and Messy Munchkins (weekly) was added in 2017.
The combined net income from these groups was £2,273 (£2,406 in 2023).
## **10. Income from Investments**
The Church receives interest at differing rates for funds invested.
|**Invested with**|**Value of investment**
**£ 31/12/24**|**Interest rate in 2024**|
|---|---|---|
|Cambridge and Counties
Bank|65,244|4.41%|
|Skipton BS|21,000|3.45% - 2.95%|
Total interest income in 2024, £3,964 (£3,894 in 2023).
Interest was also received from CAF Bank balances (2.5%-2.3%)
All institutions that hold church funds are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, which offers protection of up to £85,000 in case of occurrences that prevent the institution honouring requests to withdraw funds.
## **11.**
## **Fees from Weddings and Funerals**
The Church receives fees for Banns and a proportion of fees from Weddings and Funerals. In 2023 fees were received for 2 Banns (2 in 2023), 5 Funerals (8), and 1 wedding.
Additionally, a sum of £217 was received from the Diocese. Following a change to the way fees from Funerals held at a crematorium are distributed to parishes, it was agreed that a sum should be redistributed to parishes based on the number of funerals conducted.
Total fees received for Church in 2024: £573 (£747 in 2023).
## **12. Children’s and Families’ Worker** (CFW)
Liz Townsend was appointed in September 2008.
In 2024 the regular giving with gift aid provided £15,963 (£14,310 in 2023).
An additional successful grant application was made to Community Foundation for Surrey for £7,000. A further £559 from grants received for Messy Munchkins and Messy Bundles was credited to the fund in 2024.
The total cost of Children’s and Families’ Work in 2024 was £37,798.
## Total income to CFW Fund:
|Regular Giving
Gift Aid
Grants
Fund at 31 December 2023
Charged to Fund in 2024
Income received in 2024
Deficit charged to General Fund|13,078
2,886
7,559|
|---|---|
||23,523
0.00
-37,798.08
23,522.65
14,275.43|
||0.00|
There was not a balance brought forward in the CFW fund for 2024 due to the fund being in a deficit position in 2023. A deficit has been recorded for 2024 of £14,275.43 which has been charged to the General Gund.
## **13. Payments received from credit card and debit card**
Donations and payments by card can be made in church using a self service giving device. Card giving can also be made from the giving page on the Church website.
A total of £4,881 was received from card payments in 2024 (£4,873 in 2023), including £85 (£160 in 2023) from the website. The card processing fee for these payments was £55.81 (average fee 1.1%).
## **14. Other Restricted Funds**
## Christmas Together
The event to serve a Christmas Day lunch took place once again at St Marks in 2024. Expenses for the event were covered by grants and other funding. The fund made a contribution to the General Fund of £250 to cover the cost of energy and other expenses.
The fund balance at the end of 2024 was £1,575.11.
## Maintenance Fund
The fund is in place following building work completed in 2011.
The only cost to the fund in 2024 was the Quinquenniel Inspection and Report for £1,320.
|Fund at 31 December 2023
Charged to Fund in 2024
**Fund at 31 December 2024**|29,894.62
-1,320.00|
|---|---|
||**28,574.62**|
## Community Garden
The St Mark’s Community Garden was established in 2023 to provide a garden for the local community to be involved in. It has created a space for local people to come together, get involved in growing vegetables and flowers, and to relax, and enjoy the garden.
Grant funding of £6,222 was received in 2024.
|Fund at 31 December 2023
Grant funding received 2024
Charged to fund in 2024|6,090.99
6,222.25
-7,585.62|
|---|---|
||4,727.62|
Other grants
A sum of £17,664 was received from Reigate & Banstead Borough Council CIL Funding for resurfacing the church car park, including whitelining. The work was completed in August 2024.
## **15. Reserves Policy**
This Reserves Policy deals with the following Funds only:
Unrestricted Fund – General Fund
Restricted Fund – Children’s and Families’ Worker Fund
Restricted Fund - Maintenance Fund
_Church’s Reserves at 31 December 2024:_ £
Unrestricted Funds - General Fund 55,136
|Restricted Fund - CFW Fund
Restricted Fund - Maintenance Fund|0
28,575|
|---|---|
||83,711|
## _Policy_
## **General Fund**
We aim to hold sufficient reserves in our general fund to cover 6 months expenditure, ie £55,000.
The Church needs to be able to cover its monthly commitments (eg Parish Share of £6,284 per month in 2024), and be in a position to fund future year deficits, if necessary, of the general fund.
The Church also needs to be in a position to fund any unexpected building maintenance to ensure that all areas of the building remain safe and secure for all users of the building.
## **Children’s and Families’ Worker Fund**
The fund is used to pay the St Mark’s Children’s and Families’ Worker (through the Circuit Payroll) salary, expenses and other CFW costs. Regular giving from the congregation and gift aid is credited to the fund. Total CFW Fund commitments are approximately £3,000 per month.
## **Maintenance Fund**
The fund is in place following the original building work completed in 2011.
ECC agreed that the fund can be used to cover essential maintenance costs. In 2024 a sum of £1,320 was charged to the fund.
_Total Reserves Requirement:_
|6 months General Fund expenditure
6 months CFW Fund Expenditure
Provision for unscheduled building maintenance|56,000
19,000
10,000|
|---|---|
||85,000|
## **SUMMARY STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2024**
|Unrestricted
Restricted
TOTAL
Funds
Funds
2023
**INCOMING RESOURCES**
£
£
£
59,503
16,188
75,690
Voluntary Income
5,267
-
5,267
Activities for generating funds
3,894
-
3,894
Income from Investments
25,888
-
25,888
Church Activities
-
24,473
24,473
Other Incoming Resources
94,551
40,661
135,212
**TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES**
**RESOURCES EXPENDED**
96,363
48,816
145,179
Church Activities
165
-
165
Charitable grants and donations
96,528
48,816
145,344
**TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED**
-1,977
-8,155
-10,132
**NET INCOMING RESOURCES**
0
0
0
**NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS**
63,592
45,946
109,538
BALANCES B/FWD 1 JANUARY 2024
**61,615**
**37,791 99,406**
**BALANCES C/FWD 31 DECEMBER 2024**|**Unrestricted**
**Restricted TOTAL**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**2024**
**£**
**£**
**£**
69,277
16,915
86,192
4,894
-
4,894
3,964
-
3,964
25,658
-
25,658
-
30,886
30,886|
|---|---|
||**103,793**
**47,801 151,594**|
||110,098
50,715 160,812
175
-
175|
||**110,273**
**50,715 160,987**|
||**-6,480**
**-2,913**
**-9,393**
**0**
**0**
**0**
61,615
37,791
99,406|
||**55,136**
**34,877**
**90,013**|
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2024**
|**TOTAL**
**2023**
**£**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
**£**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
**£**|**Restricted**
**TOTAL**
**Funds**
**2024**
**£**
**£**
**£**|
|---|---|---|---|
|**INCOMING RESOURCES**
**Voluntary Income**
Planned giving:
43,317
Gift Aid donations
13,068
Tax recovered
2,902
Non gift aid donations
1,886 Cash collections
481 Messy Church
2,454 Messy Munchkins
448 Sunday Coffee
11,133Donations
75,690
**Activities for generating Funds**
200 Derby Day Car park
3,608 Tattenhams Market
1,459Community Cinema
5,267
**Income from investments**
3,172 Interest on Cambridge and Counties
559 Interest on Skipton BS
164Interest on CAF Bank Accounts
3,894
**Church Activities**
25,141 Hall lettings
747Fees from weddings and funerals
25,888
**Other incoming resources**
10,000 Grant funding for CFW Fund
Grant from Reigate & Banstead CIL
for Community Garden
Grant from Reigate & Banstead CIL
for Community Garden
Grant from Surrey Wildlife Trust
for Community Garden
Grant from Reigate & Banstead CIL
for car park resurfacing
10,400 Grant from PCT for Community Garden
1,000 Grant from Waitrose for Christmas Together
1,073 Grant from Surrey CC for tables and chairs
2,000 Grant from VARB for chair refurbishment
24,473
**135,212 TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES**|37,247
12,234
1,537
2,841
33
2,241
495
12,647|69,277
4,894
3,964
25,658
0|12,768
2,886
-
-
350
22
-
889
16,915
86,192
-
-
-
0
4,894
-
-
-
0
3,964
-
-
0
25,658
7,000
2,522
3,000
700
17,664
-
-
-
-
30,886
30,886|
||170
3,442
1,282|||
||3,380
346
238|||
||25,085
573|||
||-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|||
|||||
|||**103,793**|**47,801 151,594**|
|**TOTAL**
**2023**
**£**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
**£**|**Restricted**
**TOTAL**
**Funds**
**2024**
**£**
**£**
**£**|
|---|---|---|
|**RESOURCES EXPENDED**
**Church Activities**
Ministry:
70,419
Diocesan Parish Share
1,850
Circuit Assessment
1,116
Vicar's expenses
128
Other Ministry costs
36,584
Children's and Families' Work
516
Messy Church
13
Messy Munchkins
110,626
Charity Giving:
165
Methodist Connexional Funds
165
Property running costs
2,098
Building Maintenance
5,383
Equipment and Materials
12,366
Utilities
2,079
Insurance
2,732
Hall cleaning
24,659
Worship:
366
Resources
165
Piano and organ tuning and
repair
175
Altar requisites
706
Resourcing and Training
41
Posters and leaflets
52
Lunches and refreshments
Baptism cards, books, and resources
Other
93
Sundry expenses
56
Card fees
60
Bank charge
86
DBS Admin charge
130
Other misc expenses
331
Other resources expended
555
Christmas Together
4,309
Community Garden
-
Car park resurfacing
3,900
Replacement Projector
8,764
**145,344 TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED**|75,414
2,100
962
146
14,275
-
-
92,898
175
175
620
1,564
9,012
2,177
2,969
16,341
309
175
79
563
8
53
10
71
56
60
38
70
224
-
-
-
-|-
-
-
-
23,523
350
22
23,895
116,793
-
0
175
1,320
-
-
-
1,320
17,661
-
-
-
0
563
-
-
-
-
0
71
-
-
-
-
0
224
250
7,586
17,664
-
25,500
25,500|
||**110,273**|**50,715**
**160,987**|
|**BALANCE SHEET AT 31 DECEMBER 2024**
**2023**
**£**
**CURRENT ASSETS**
85,318 Cambridge and Counties Bank
10,092 CAF Bank balances
11,000 Skipton Building Society
2,992 Debtors and prepayments
109,402
**CURRENT LIABILITIES**
-9,996Creditors - amounts falling due in one year
99,406**NET CURRENT ASSETS**
**99,406 TOTAL NET ASSETS**
Represented by
**Unrestricted Funds**
61,615 General Fund
**Restricted Funds**
29,895 Maintenance Fund
1,805 Christmas Together Fund
6,091 Community Garden
**99,406**
…………………………………
Martin Trenaman MAAT
Treasurer
…………………………………
Colin Batty
Chairman, Ecumenical Church Council
…………………………………
Rev Des Williamson
Minister
………………………………….
Anthony Hallett
Independent Examiner|**£**
65,244
3,481
21,000
4,729|**£**
90,013|
|---|---|---|
||94,453
-4,440||
||28,575
1,575
4,728||
|||**90,013**
55,136
34,877|
||||
|||**90,013**|
## **FINANCIAL STATEMENT 2024**
|**2023**
**£**
**Income**
32,865 Planned giving - GA
10,242 Tax recovered
1,657 Planned giving - non GA
1,886 Cash collections
10,611 Other donations
-35 Messy Church (net)
2,441 Messy Munchkins (net)
3,894 Interest
25,141 Hall lettings
747 PCC fees from weddings and funerals
3,608 Tattenhams Market
1,459 Cinema
**94,517 Total Income**
**Expenditure**
70,419 Parish Share
1,850 Circuit Assessment
1,270 CFW cost - General Fund
1,116 Vicar expenses
128 Other Ministry
174.74 Altar requisites
366 Worship
165 Organist/musicians and tuning
165 Grants and Giving
93 Education Training, mission
928 Maintenance
2,310 Equip and mats
12,366 Utilities
2,079 Insurance
2,732 Cleaning
331 Sundry
**96,494 Total Expenditure**
**-1,977 Surplus/(Deficit) for Year**|**2024**
**£**
37,247
12,234
1,537
2,841
13,313
33
2,241
3,964
25,085
573
3,442
1,282|
|---|---|
||**103,793**
75,414
2,100
14,275
962
146
79
309
175
175
71
620
1,564
9,012
2,177
2,969
224|
||**110,273**
**-6,480**|
## **Independent Examiner’s Report to the members/trustees of the Ecumenical Church Council (ECC) of The United Church of St Mark, Tattenham Corner.**
I report on the accounts for the year ended 31[st] December 2024.
## **Respective responsibilities of the ECC and the examiner**
The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
- examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
- follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
- state whether particular matters have come to my attention
## **Basis of Independent Examiner’s Statement**
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission.
An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the management committee concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in a full audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.
## **Independent Examiner’s statement**
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
- (1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements
- to keep accounting records in accordance with s.130 of the 2011 Act; or
- to prepare accounts which accord with these accounting records have not been met; or
- (2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
## Signed
Tony Hallett
22 April 2025
## _**DECLARATION**_
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustee’s report above.
## **Signed on behalf of the Trustees:**
|**Signatures**|||
|---|---|---|
|**Full names**|COLIN BATTY|MARTIN TRENAMAN|
|**Position**|CHURCHWARDEN|TREASURER|
|**Date**|15 SEPTEMBER 2025||