## **GRACE CHURCH CARDIFF**
**______________________________**
**REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] MARCH 2023**
**_____________________________________**
**C Management Services 69 Velindre Road Whitchurch Cardiff CF14 2TF**
## **GRACE CHURCH CARDIFF**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2023 CHARITY INFORMATION**
|**Trustees:**|Wendy Babawi||
|---|---|---|
||Joel Caughey||
||Owen Cottom||
||Chloe Davies||
||Dafydd Morse||
|**Pastor:**|Owen Cottom||
|**Treasurer:**|Dafydd Morse||
|**Charitable position:**|Registered Charity number 1177940||
|**Governing Document:**|CIO Foundation Model dated 12thApril|2018|
|**Address for correspondence:**|Grace Church Cardiff||
||64 Paget Street||
||Cardiff||
||CF11 7JY||
|**Independent Examiner:**|Paul Burnell ACMI||
||C Management Services||
||69 Velindre Road||
||CARDIFF||
||CF14 2TF||
|**Bankers:**|CAF Bank||
||25 Kings Hill Avenue||
||Kings Hill||
||West Malling||
||ME19 4JQ||
||**CONTENTS**||
|||Page|
|Charity Information||2|
|Trustees Report||3-6|
|Independent Examiners Report||7|
|Statement of Financial Activities||8|
|Statement of Assets and Liabilities||9|
|Notes to the Accounts||10|
2
APR 2022-MAR 2023
## **Aim and purposes**
Grace Church Cardiff exists to play a part in the advancement of the Christian Faith in such parts of the United Kingdom or the world as the trustees may from time to time think fit, including through providing services for prayer and worship and pastoral care and outreach into the community.
## **Objectives and Activities**
Grace Church Cardiff is committed to enabling as many ordinary people as possible to worship as part of our church community, and to access the care and friendship of the church. We seek to be a community-facing church, consistently supporting community initiatives and starting new ones that allow us to serve as many people as possible along the lines of our aim and purpose.
Our year has been filled with activities that have sought to benefit the worshipping community, as well as the cross-section of society that we have come into contact with. When planning activities we have done so with the Commission’s guidance on public benefit in mind. The activities listed below encompass the ways in which we have sought to cultivate public benefit in our church and wider community through;
Worship, prayer and developing people’s knowledge and faith in Jesus Provision of pastoral care for people in our church and wider community Local community outreach initiatives Mission and Evangelism
## **Achievements and Performance**
_Worship, prayer and developing people’s knowledge and faith in Jesus_
Grace Church runs weekly Sunday services that are both spiritually enriching and relationally fulfilling. We make space for people to come as they are - encouraging people to engage as little or as much as they are comfortable with when it comes to the times of worship. All of our services seek to be as intelligible and accessible to those who are not familiar with the Christian faith as possible. These activities have taken place either in person or online, or a combination of the two, depending on the needs of the local community.
Our congregation numbers have grown slightly this year, with approximately 80 adults and 25 children attending regularly, although we often have visitors from the local community attend our weekly events in addition. Specifically trained and safely recruited volunteers provide excellent children’s work provision and teaching children about faith in Jesus during our Sunday services, providing respite for parents.
On occasion we have run special services, such as our Christmas and Easter events which saw the participation of many members of the wider community.
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Midweek groups run alongside Sunday mornings as extra opportunities to study the bible and pray together in an informal, welcoming environment. We have also run occasional worship nights that provide another opportunity for people to deepen their faith experience. These activities have taken place either in person, or online, or a combination of the two, depending on the needs of the local community.
## _Pastoral Care_
Our pastor and other trained and recognised members of the congregation regularly meet with attendees who have a wide range of spiritual, relational and emotional needs. Our Fellowship Fund has been used to provide aid in instances of financial crisis amongst members of our congregation or those in the wider community with whom we have had a regular contact and has enabled us to welcome people into the congregation. Additionally, we have regularly run social events for church members and members of the community with the purpose of preventing loneliness and extending a hand of friendship.
We have continued one of our most successful pastoral initiatives called Make Lunch this financial year. This is a community outreach and pastoral activity in partnership with the charity Transforming lives for Good (TLG). Several times each week throughout the school holidays, we ran a lunch club for families on free school meals in the area, providing a nutritious meal, fun activities and friendship during the school holidays to target holiday hunger and reach out into the community. Several members of the church have undergone training offered by TLG to better equip them to deliver this. We have also delivered food parcels to these families during other holiday seasons, and many of these families now join us for our other activities.
## _Local Community Outreach initiatives_
We have sought to support members of the congregation who have initiated and participated in a number of community initiatives such as litter picks. During the Christmas period several low-key community events were organised, including carol services and jazz carols in a local pub. Our Easter celebrations included a community Easter egg giveaway, a family-friendly Easter Sunday service and a Good Friday service which was put on in partnership with several other local churches.
In the summer of 2022, we took part in “To Grangetown with Love”, where a team of volunteers from the church offered practical help to the local community in the form of litter picking and carrying out gardening activities and painting fences for residents of the local community.
Our youth group has grown in size leading to the decision to run the club weekly rather than fortnightly and is attended both by members of the church and members of the local community. This is an opportunity for the young people to build friendships with one another, have positive role models in the team of volunteers who run the group and to discuss and explore issues facing young people today. All of the youth team are DBS checked.
Our community toddlers’ group continues to thrive and be well attended by both members of the church and members of the community. This group provides an opportunity for parents to connect with others in similar situations to themselves. Many
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of the visitors to the toddlers group have started to attend other church activities as a result of the toddlers group.
In March 2022 we launched a weekly afterschool kids club for children in school years 1-4. This has been well attended by both members of the church and members of the community. The group provides both respite for parents and carers of these children as well as aiming to be fun and educational for the children who attend.
## _Mission and Evangelism_
We were thrilled to be able to run an Alpha course in person in early 2023. The course seeks to help people to grow in their understanding of the Christian faith in a nonthreatening environment where they can ask questions. Each week for seven weeks, we provided drinks and light refreshments alongside the course to create a welcoming and friendly environment.
We dedicated a proportion of our annual budget to financially supporting mission work beyond our church or oversees (see financial report for breakdown). Members of our congregation generously gave to other mission initiatives through the course of the year.
## **Premises of activities**
Across the year we have used a number of community venues for our in-person activities. Our Sunday gatherings have taken place in the community Leisure Centre and we have also hired the local pub, a local nursery school, a building belonging to a local church and a local pavilion centre for other community events. This enables us to meaningfully engage with our local community, as well as financially supporting other community groups. Whilst the majority of our activities take place in person, we continue to offer a virtual option for the majorities of these for those who for various reasons are unable to leave their homes. All of these activities are appropriately risk assessed.
## **Leadership**
Our pastor, Owen Cottom, provides the primary coordinating leadership to the church, as well as carrying the responsibility for the spiritual teaching in the church. He is supported by a network of churches that we belong to (www.advancemovement.com) and is ably assisted by many voluntary leaders who coordinate many aspects of church life. We continue to have a formal leadership team who support Owen with pastorally caring for members of the church on a voluntary basis. Owen is responsible to the trustees, most of whom attend Grace Church Cardiff as members and volunteer in several other ways too.
Our Administrative Assistant continues to add immense value to the administrative and operational running of the church, working 20 hours per week.
In April 2022 we employed a part time Outreach Worker (16 hours per week) whose focus this year has been on initiating sustainable family ministries, including the midweek community toddlers. Kids and youth groups.
5
## **Reserves Policy**
Grace Church operates a reserve fund, as detailed in our policy, which sets aside a minimum of 2 months income for use as reserves. Use of the reserve fund must occur in three steps:
1. Identification of need by the pastor and elders, including a financial plan for replenishment
2. Authorisation by the treasurer and chair of trustees
3. Reporting and monitoring by the treasurer.
This report is signed on behalf of the Trustees on 18th January 2024 by Dafydd Morse as Treasurer
Signed:
6
## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT**
## **TO THE TRUSTEES OF**
## **GRACE CHURCH CARDIFF**
I report on the accounts of the Trust for the period ended 31[st] March 2023, which are set out on pages 9 to 12.
## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner**
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
- examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
- to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
- to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## **Basis of independent examiner's report**
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 you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
## **Independent examiner's statement**
In connection with my examination, no material matters have come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect:
- accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act or
- the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I 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.
## Paul Burnell
Paul Burnell ACMI
For and on behalf of:
C Management Services (trading name of C Mgmnt Services Ltd) 69 Velindre Road
Cardiff CF14 2TF
Date: 18[th] January 2024
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## **GRACE CHURCH CARDIFF**
## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] MARCH 2023**
||Note|Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|Total|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||Funds|Funds|Funds|Funds|
|||£|£|2023|2022|
|||||£|£|
|**RECEIPTS**||||||
|_Receipts from generated funds_|2|114,113|4,155|118,268|84,557|
|_Receipts from charitable activities_|3|-|-|-|-|
|_Other receipts_|4|-|-|-|-|
|Interest received||-|-|-|-|
|Total Receipts||114,113|4,155|118,268|84,557|
|**PAYMENTS**||||||
|Charitable activities|5|90,901|975|91,876|63,252|
|Governance costs||||||
|Total payments||90,901|975|91,876|63,206|
|**Net Receipts/(Payments)**||23,212|3,180|26,392|21,305|
|Transfers between funds||(10,000)|10,000|-||
|Fund balances at 1st April 2022||69,000|5,000|74,000|52,695|
|Fund balances at 31st March 2023||82,212|18,180|100,392|74,000|
The notes on pages 11-12 form part of these accounts.
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## **GRACE CHURCH CARDIFF**
## **STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2023**
|**1.**|**Fixed Assets**||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||Insurance||Insurance|
|||Value|2023|Value 2022|
|||£|
|£|
||The value of assets owned are:||||
||Equipment|6,500||5,000|
|||6,500||5,000|
|**2.**|**Bank & Cash Balances**||||
||||2023|2022|
||||£|£|
||Cash at bank and in hand|100,392||74,000|
|||100,392||74,000|
|**3.**|**Other Assets and Liabilities**||||
||||2023|2022|
||||£|£|
||_Assets_||||
||Gift aid tax recovery not yet received||-|-|
||_Liabilities_||||
||Unbilled fee for Independent Examination||175|
175|
The accounts were approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf on 18[th] January 2024 by Dafydd Morse as Treasurer
Signed:
The notes on page 10 form part of these accounts.
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## **GRACE CHURCH CARDIFF**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2023**
## **1. Accounting Policies**
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis with a statement of assets and liabilities
|**2. Voluntary receipts**
Donations
Tax recovered
_3. Receipts from charitable activities_
Conferences and events
**4. Other Receipts**
Grant received
Other sundry receipts
**5. Charitable activities**
**a. Direct Charitable Costs**
Salaries & staff expenses
Other ministry/evangelism expenses
**b. Support and Administration**
Premises rental and expenses
Administration and general expenses
Insurance & professional fees
Weekend Away
**c. Grants**
J Harris
Advance
Union Theology School
Other organisations
Support for individual|Unrestricted
Funds
£
Restricted
Funds
£
Total
2023
£
Total
2022
£
94,515
4,155
98,670
84,557
19,598
-
19,598
-|
|---|---|
||114,113
4,155
118,268
84,557|
||-
-
-
-
Unrestricted
Funds
£
Restricted
Funds
£
Total
2023
£
Total
2022
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|
||-
-
-
-|
||Unrestricted
Funds
£
Restricted
Funds
£
Total
2023
£
Total
2022
£
52,583
-
52.583
33,905
9,327
975
9,819
8,778|
||61,910
975
62,885
42,683|
||11,697
-
11,697
8,139
519
-
519
571
1,387
-
1,387
1,083
4,313
-
4,313
350|
||17,916
-
17,916
10,143|
||1,800
100
-
-
-
-
1,800
100
-
1,800
-
4,070
6,775
2,400
-
-
6,775
2,400
500
4,056|
||11,075
-
11,075
10,426|
## **6. Staff and Trustees**
The charity has one full-time and two part-time employed members of staff. Its activities are generally carried out by volunteers. No staff received salaries at a rate of more than £60,000 per annum.
The Pastor, Owen Cottom, who is also a Trustee, was employed and received payments & pension contributions totalling £30,900 in his capacity as Pastor of the church. Nathan Davies, who is connected to a Trustee, was employed for the entirety of this financial year and received payments totalling £8,000 in his capacity as an employee.
No remuneration or trustee expenses were paid to any other trustee during the year, nor to any person connected to them.
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