CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trustses Wndmill Missional Communty On accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024 Charity no (if any) Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charrty (Ihe Trusf} for the year ended 3111212024. Responsibilities and basls of report As the Ghanty's trustees. you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act.). l port in resped of my examination of the Twst's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the ap1¢able Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. Independent I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have •xamlner's statement come to my attention in connedion with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in. any material respect.. the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Ad; or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records,. or the accounts did not comply wrth the applicable requirements conceming the fom and content of accounts set out in the Charities {Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fairf view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report, in or r to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Slgned: Date: 28th Odober 2025 Name: Jamel nthony Pulk8n Relevant professional qualrfication(s) or body {If any): Associate Chartered Accountant of the InstitLrte of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales Address.. 57 Somerset Drive Glenfield Leicester LE3 8QW IER Oct 2018
Yeady Balance Totals 21r24 Balance clf 1.020.53 Income Gift Aid Grants Fundraising Cash Donations BAC$ Donations PGS Donations 513.97 546.97 641.63 154.1X) 2955.80 Total Income 4,812.37 5.832.90 Expenditure A Little Bil Wilder Ltd Payments to Diocese Ff*d and Resources Irl&tance Fundraislng Charitsble Giving CTIB CCLI Pastoral Gifts Rent for Old School £2.180.IJ) £o.cx) £721 49 £212.80 £2S4J.QO £30.00 £174.59 £97.CN) £367.49 £59 50 £60.00 £0.00 Travel Expenses Total Expenditure £4.172.87 Balancé 1,660.03 'rJtr,Iq
Trustees Annual Report 2024
Windmill Missional Community continued as an outdoor forest church throughout 2024; growing in numbers and depth of faith.
Our gatherings in 2024 mainly focussed on Old Testament stories:
-
In January, we explored the story of Noah’s ark, building rafts to float on the stream and making rainbow bags of light to remind us of God’s promise of love.
-
In February, we held our first intercultural session celebrating the Chinese New Year as 3 of our members are from Hong Kong. It was the year of the wood dragon so we made a dragon together from wood discs and another using our handprints. We also cooked pancakes on the fire ahead of Shrove Tuesday and decorated biscuits for Valentines day. We ended by singing the song ‘He’s got the whole world in his hands’.
-
In March we looked at the story of David and Goliath, making shepherd’s slings from leather to shoot soft balls around the forest. We also made soup on the fire as it was a cold and damp day.
-
In April, our session was based on the book of Esther. We learned about the importance of praying before we act and how sometimes making the right decision requires a lot of courage, but we can trust God to go before us. We made forest sceptres and crowns and cooked bacon on the fire to enjoy in rolls.
-
Our focus in May was the coming of the Holy Spirit which we explored through fire and wind – we enhanced our fire lighting skills and made nature mobiles before ending the session with foil based windmills to spin in the wind!
-
There were lions everywhere in the forest in June as we explored the story of Daniel and the Lions’ den through making dens and creating lion masks and puppets.
-
In July, it was our annual weekend camp and this year, we held our first baptisms in the forest and celebrated an 80[th] birthday!
-
September was our harvest session based on the biblical book of Ruth who went out in the fields to glean barley. We partnered with a local farm to show the children different crops that are grown in fields around us (including barley!) We used apples from a nearby orchard to make apple juice and apple crumble, and the preschoolers enjoyed the harvest and tractor sensory play.
-
In October we welcomed the Bishop of Loughborough to the forest for our Light Party which included four more baptisms and four adults confirming their faith, along with the much loved donut game, a flame lantern competition and sharing the peace with sparklers.
-
November’s session was all about Jonah, the grumpy prophet who ended up in a fish. We played in water with magnetic fish and whales, warmed ourselves by making soup on the fire and made Christmas decorations for a village Christmas tree event we had been asked to take part in.
-
We finished the year with an indoor Christmas session as the weather was too bad for us to meet in the forest. We made Christmas wreaths from natural materials, cooked calzones, played games and made and lit Christingles.
Outside of our monthly gatherings, in April 2024 we held our first Easter egg outreach event, hosting approximately 200 people through a trail of 10 stations around our village. Each station explained the Christian traditions and message behind a sign and symbol of Easter. During the trail the families enjoyed stroking chicks, toasting marshmallows, painting and then washing
their feet, and sampling Easter treats such as simnel cake and hot cross buns. Each child who participated went home with an Easter egg. This event was a huge success in sharing the Easter story with a wide audience of children and families.
Windmill also took a leading role in the annual village Light switch on and carol singing event in early December.
Windmill Trustees
October 2025