Discipleship Tech
Report and Accounts Year ended 31 August 2023
1 Lamb's Passage, London EC1Y 8AB www.stewardship.org.uk
DISCIPLESHIP TECH
LEGAL & ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023
ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE First Floor, Thames Exchange 10 Queen Street Place London EC4R 1BE GOVERNING DOCUMENT CIO Foundation registered 18 June 2018 CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER 1178838 TRUSTEES RESPONSIBLE FOR A.R. Reynolds (formerly Chair, resigned 31 August 2023) MANAGING THE CHARITY G.S. Owens (Chair) E.S. Blower J.C. Sutton M. D. Ashelby (appointed 25 January 2024) KEY MANAGEMENT A. Geers (CEO) INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Stephen Mathews FCA Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB
INDEX
Page 1 Legal & Administrative Details Pages 2-4 Trustees' Report Page 5 Independent Examiner's Report Page 6 Receipts and Payments Account Page 7 Statement of Assets & Liabilities Page 8 Notes to the Accounts
Page 1
DISCIPLESHIP TECH
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023
The Trustees have pleasure in submitting the Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 August 2023.
Objects of the charity
The charity is governed by a constitution and is constituted as a charitable incorporated organisation. The charity's principal object, as set out in its governing document, is to advance the Christian faith, including without limitation by using technology, software applications and other platforms.
Summary of the charity's main activities and achievements
To further the above objects and vision, the charity's main activities and achievements were as follows:
Continued development and improvement of the PrayerMate app on iOS and Android and the PrayerMate Platform website, including:
• Further refining and deploying our major redesign of the user interface, to make the app more intuitive for new users and to streamline our development process across multiple platforms. It is now the default user interface for all English-language users.
• Modernising and refactoring the app to continue working with Google and Apple’s latest mobile operating systems.
The PrayerMate app reached an all-time total of 561,000 app downloads and served over 30,000 active users per month.
A total of around 17 million items were prayed for during the period, an average of 1.48 million items per month.
Distributed seven devotional feeds for Advent 2022 - including writing our own PrayerMate Advent devotional, “Waiting for Jesus”, which had over 800 subscribers, plus “Gifts of Grace” by Jared C. Wilson, and “Bless the Peacemakers” by the UK Charity Tearfund.
Launched a significantly redesigned and enhanced version of our Redeeming Time app, to help people to develop habits of Bible reading. One user contacted us to say “Thank you for making Redeeming Time - It has become a part of my everyday life, and has helped me to get back into the Word of God again.”
Exhibited at the “Word Alive” conference in Prestatyn, North Wales, meeting face-to-face with existing and potential users and to raise awareness of our ministry
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Summary of the charity's main activities and achievements (continued)
Making significant progress on the development of our new mobile game Bible Overview experience titled The Serpent & The Seed. After starting to work with the artist Greg Clifton, we have been able to build demo versions of the first two “acts” of the game, which we were able to trial with members of the public at the Word Alive conference and the Christian Game Developers Conference in California, as well as with a number of 11-14 year olds on a summer camp run by the UK Charity CPAS, with very positive feedback. We are also very grateful to have been able to raise £32,000 from around 200 donors, towards the continued development of the project.
In planning the activities the Trustees have applied the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission.
By the grace of God, the above activities and achievements have served to advance the charity’s principle object and purpose of advancing the Christian faith, summed up in our vision of ‘Using technology to help people get to know Jesus better’. Once again this year we have been greatly encouraged by so many users sharing testimonies of how our PrayerMate and Redeeming Time apps have encouraged them in their faith, and we trust that in due time our Bible Game project, The Serpent & The Seed, will engage tens of thousands of people who are not familiar with Christianity. We are very appreciative of our donors and those who have made grants to Discipleship Tech, to enable this ministry to take place, including Deo Gloria Trust, Slavanka Trust and Goodnews Evangelical Mission.
Financial review
During the year income increased by £43,418, to £137,734, largely as a result of the crowdfunding achieved towards the Bible Overview game and other grants towards this project. As we increased activity geared towards its launch, expenditure also increased by £33,699 to £131,478.
As a result the cash held by the charity increased by £6,255, to £49,918, of which is £48,292 unrestricted and can be used for any charitable purpose.
Total employment costs were £89,558, which includes our CEO and people employed or contracted to do software development and user support, social media and marketing. However, this excludes the game designers and developers involved in the Bible Overview game project.
Reserves policy
The trustees have determined that the charity should aim to hold unrestricted cash of no less than £21,000 (which equates to about three months' of unrestricted expenditure) so that the charity could continue to operate should income and / or expenditure vary adversely. The trustees recognise the commitments to subscribers that extend for up to 12 months, while noting that the costs of maintaining delivery of the service to meet these commitments are very small. At the year end, the charity held net cash in the general fund of £48,292.
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Governance
Responsibility for setting policy and for determining the parameters within which the charity should operate rest with the trustees who meet regularly to monitor the activities of the charity. Responsibility for the day to day operation of the charity has been delegated to a senior management team led by the CEO, Andrew Geers. New trustees are recruited and appointed by the existing trustees, by a majority vote.
Risk statement
The charity is exposed to various risks - be they operational, financial or reputational. The trustees review the charity's activities regularly to identify significant risks and, where possible, they take appropriate measures to mitigate those risks.
Responsibilities of trustees
Charity law requires us as Trustees to prepare financial statements for each accounting year which record the receipts and payments of the charity for the year.
We are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable us to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011.
We also have a responsibility to safeguard the assets of the charity and to take reasonable steps to prevent fraud or any other irregularities.
Approval
This report was approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
G Owens
_________ G. OWENS
Date: 13 May 2024
Page 4
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT
TO THE TRUSTEES OF
DISCIPLESHIP TECH
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Discipleship Tech ('the charity') for the year ended 31 August 2023 on pages 6 to 8 following.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; or
-
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.
Stephen Mathews
Stephen Mathews FCA Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB
Date: 21 May 2024
Page 5
DISCIPLESHIP TECH
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023
| Notes Income receipts Donations, legacies and grants Gift aid receipts Income from charitable activities Investment income Total receipts Payments 2 Total payments Transfers between funds 4 Net movement in funds Cash funds as at last year end Cash funds at this year end A Net of receipts / (payments) before Payments in relation to charitable activities undertaken directly |
General Designated Funds Funds £ £ 47,768 - 1,090 - 41,205 - 69 - 90,131 - 78,108 7,500 78,108 7,500 12,023 (7,500) - - 12,023 (7,500) 36,269 7,500 48,292 - Unrestricted Funds |
Restricted Funds £ 45,928 1,674 - - 47,602 45,870 45,870 1,732 - 1,732 (106) 1,626 |
2023 £ 93,697 2,764 41,205 69 137,734 131,478 131,478 6,255 - 6,255 43,663 49,918 |
2022 £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52,836 - 41,476 4 |
||||
| 94,316 | ||||
| 97,780 | ||||
| 97,780 | ||||
| (3,463) - |
||||
| (3,463) 47,126 |
||||
| 43,663 |
The notes on page 8 form part of these accounts.
Page 6
DISCIPLESHIP TECH
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023
| Notes A Cash funds Cash at bank with immediate access B Other monetary assets Gift aid due to charity In-app purchases amounts receivable Other debtors C Liabilities Accounts payable Fee for Independent Examination Pension creditors |
General Designated funds funds £ £ 48,292 - 48,292 - 73 - 1,672 - 531 - 2,276 - 3,137 - 1,260 - 360 - 4,757 - Unrestricted Funds |
Restricted funds £ 1,626 1,626 10 - - 10 - - - - |
2023 £ 49,918 49,918 83 - 531 614 3,137 1,260 360 4,757 |
2022 £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43,663 | ||||
| 43,663 | ||||
| 136 1,747 58 |
||||
| 1,941 | ||||
| 488 1,170 - |
||||
| 1,658 |
Deferred income: The charity has received subscription income of £27,552 during the year (2022: £28,095). Subscriptions generally last for 12 months and the unexpired portion of these subscriptions amounts to approximately £14,277 at year-end (2022: £10,751).
D Guarantees and secured debts
The charity has not given any guarantees and has not provided its assets as security for any liabilities.
The accounts were approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
G Owens
_____ G. Owens
Date: 13 May 2024
The notes on page 8 form part of these accounts.
Page 7
DISCIPLESHIP TECH
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023
1 Accounting policies
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis and comprise a statement that shows the charity's receipts and payments, a statement that summarises the charity's assets and liabilities and related notes. The accountancy profession have determined that only accounts prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards present a 'true and fair' view and, as these receipts and payments accounts have not (and cannot) be prepared in accordance with accounting standards, these accounts do not present (and are not intended to present) a 'true and fair' view of the charity's financial activities and state of affairs.
General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. Restricted funds are donations which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors; they include donations received from appeals for specific activities or projects.
| 2 Payments in relation to charitable activities undertaken directly Employment costs Bible game app development costs Technology and other consulting and contracting Marketing Operating expenses Accounts preparation and independent examination Royalties Currency transfer costs Travel Insurance Conferences and training |
Unrestricted Fun General funds £ 57,023 - 4,410 6,733 4,659 1,200 1,009 (26) 1,374 184 1,542 78,108 |
ds Designated funds £ - 7,500 - - - - - - - - - 7,500 |
Restricted Funds £ 28,125 17,745 - - - - - - - - - 45,870 |
Total 2023 £ 85,148 25,245 4,410 6,733 4,659 1,200 1,009 (26) 1,374 184 1,542 131,478 |
Total 2022 £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72,868 10,639 6,547 3,713 1,488 1,140 933 (97) - 176 371 |
|||||
| 97,780 |
3 Transactions with related parties
Mr A. Geers, the CEO of the charity, is regarded as key management and was paid £37,500 (2022: £31,760) and the charity paid pension contributions of £914 (2022: £766).
4 Movement of funds
| General funds Designated funds Bible Game fund Restricted funds Bible Game fund Total funds |
Opening balance £ 36,269 7,500 7,500 (106) (106) 43,663 |
Receipts £ 90,131 - - 47,602 47,602 137,734 |
Payments £ (78,108) (7,500) (7,500) (45,870) (45,870) (131,478) |
Transfers £ - - - - - - |
Closing balance £ 48,292 - |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||||
| 1,626 | |||||
| 1,626 | |||||
| 49,918 |
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