a m o v em e nt o f f ai t h, ho p e a nd love
1st September 2022
Objectives and Activities
The purpose of soulcity church is for the public benefit the advancement of the Christian faith in the Stockport, Greater Manchester area, the United Kingdom and the World as the trustees may from time to time decide.
The trustees and spiritual leadership of soulcity church work hard to make the church a place where as many people as possible may come to grow in the Christian Faith. To do this we work to reach people far from God, restore Heaven on Earth and reproduce this movement in others.
Achievements and Performance
Post- Pandemic Support
The pandemic has caused widespread damage and harm to people across the country. We have tried to support people from every background this year as the town has sought to bounce back from the impact of the pandemic. Not only has there been people who have been sick and needed care, but we have seen a rise in loneliness, isolation, mental health, financial struggles and spiritual concerns.
We have tried to be a steady and consistent support throughout this year, prioritising community and in person connection where it is safe, while maintaining online services for those who need to remain at distance. We used Zoom for small groups, provided daily Bible Studies and reached people through social media. We have changed the structure of our small groups to provide deeper relationships over a longer period of time and better support people in a volatile and unpredictable period.
BLESS Fund
Alongside the spiritual and emotional support, we have seen the BLESS fund take of this year. This is a small grant that anyone within the church can apply for to help meet someones need in the wider community. It has been a fantastic way to equip local Christians to put their faith into action and show love in tangible, practical ways.
New Church
In January 2022, we launched our first new church. Joe and Jess Brady trained at Soulcity and pioneered Restoration Church in Droyelsden. They are an independent church which will be able to grow, mature and multiply in their own right. They have a team of trustees and are planning to become a charity in 2023.
Festival Manchester, Evangelism and Mission
This year, 250 churches partnered to put on the largest Christian outreach in our lifetimes. 65,000 people came and heart the Good News of the Christian faith. Those who responded were connected into local churches and are being discipled. Soulcity played a key part in pulling together churches across Stockport, equipping them to participate and helping to widen the impact of the festival.
soulcity church
web: mysoulcity.org email: info@mysoulcity.org Registered Charity: 1177699
Financial Review
This year has been full of challenges for the church. Giving went up marginally from £58.4k in 19/20 to £61.8k.
£66.5k was spent to provide the Christian ministry from soulcity church. The three main areas of expenditure were basic salary for the pastor, Ben Jeffery (£15.7k); venue hire at Welkin Mill (£21k); and ongoing building work (£10k ). The expectation is that as we the congregation grows that the finances of the church will also expand. However, the rising cost of living and economic constraints will affect this.
Reserves policy
Our reserves policy was set at £8,000 for 2021/2022.
Structure, governance and management
The trustees met monthly throughout the year. Flexibility for adhoc meetings and decisions has been important and appreciated from all of the trustees. The trustees have worked hard to ensure that soulcity is a safe and healthy community for all who may decide to attend.
Trustees
The trustees who served from April 2021 to April 2022 are:
Mr Phillip Rust Mrs Lucy Engels Mr Benjamin Jeffery Mr Christopher Clark
Approved by the trustees on 1st September 2022 and signed on their behalf by Ben Jeffery
soulcity church
web: mysoulcity.org email: info@mysoulcity.org Registered Charity: 1177699
Financial Statement for the year ended 5 April 2020
| 5 April 2020 to 4 April 2021 | 5 April 2020 to 4 April 2021 |
|---|---|
| Income | |
| Building Expenses | 179 |
| External Hire | 650 |
| FirstFruits | 2,250 |
| General Giving | 43,479 |
| Gift Aid Reclaim | 12,146 |
| Grants | 1,013 |
| Offering | 2,000 |
| Subscriptions and software | 100 |
| Gross Proft | 61,818 |
| Less Operating Expenses | |
| Generosity and charitable giving | 3,867 |
| Meetings | 5 |
| Memberships | 779 |
| Offce equipment | 513 |
| Operating Costs | 4,763 |
| Outreach + Events | 200 |
| 71 | |
| Rent | 20,970 |
| Building Expenses | 9,637 |
| Resources | 731 |
| Salaries | 15,722 |
| SoulKids | 966 |
| Subscriptions and software | 3,982 |
| Training | 70 |
| Travel | 164 |
| Utilities | 3,051 |
| worship equipment and pa | 964 |
| Total Operating Expenses | 66,456 |
| Net Proft | -4,638 |
Accounts:
Opening Balance 1st April 21: £19,345 Closing Balance 31st March 22: £14,939 Total £-4,406
Approved by the trustees on 1st September 2022 and signed on their behalf by Ben Jeffery
soulcity church
web: mysoulcity.org email: info@mysoulcity.org Registered Charity: 1177699
Independent Examiner’s Report to the trustees/ members of soulcity Church
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 04/04/2022.
As the charity trustees of the Trust, 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 Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
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the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Daniel Savage
Flat 9, Brooklyn Court, Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 3NB
02/08/22
soulcity church web: mysoulcity.org email: info@mysoulcity.org Registered Charity: 1177699