Charlty reglstrallon numb•r 1179859 Christ Church loving Life | Loving Luton ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THEYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 Caladine Chorlèred Certified Accountants HRIST CHURCH LUTON FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 CONTENT Trustse8 Report Independent Examiners Report Re¢elpts & Payments Account Statement of A6set8 and Llabllitie8 NoleB to the Flnondal Statements 9.12 Page I The Parochlal Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Christ Church Luton. Chatham Annual Report January to December 2024 Reference and administrative informatlon Background Christ Church Luton Parochial Church Council (PCQ has the responsibility of cooperating with the Incumbent in promoting in the eccleslastical parish. the whole mission of the Church. pastoral, evangelistic, $oclal and ecumenlcal. The PCC is also specifically responjible for the maintenance of the Church Centre complex of Christ Church. Luton Road. Chatham. Membershlp Members of the PCC are elther ex-offlclo or elected by the Annual ParochSal Church Meetlng {APCM) In accordance wlth the Church Representatlon Rules. Durlng the year, the followlng people served as members of the PCC.. em Priest-in-charge: The Reverend Andrea Leonard Church Warden A551stant Church Warden Ms Marlan Relf Mrs Joan Coventry Deanery Synod representatlve: Mlss Angel O'Nyon Treasurer Secretary Mr Jeff Fray Mrs Chrlstine Kennard Mr5 Joan Coventry Mrs Jackle O'Nyon Mrjeff Frny Mrs Susan Frny Mrs Sue Cherry Matthev Mr Andrew Heyhow Mr Paul Harr15 *Asslstart wqrdens Contart detalls Correspondence may be addressed to the PCC Secretary, Chrirt Church, Luton Road. Chatham. Kent ME4 5BT. Bank5.' Uoyds Banl Blackheath, London 8X I I LT Independent examlner. J R C31adine FCC& Caladine Limited. Chartered Certlfled Accountants, Chantry House, 22 Upperton Road, Eastbourne. Ea5f Sussex BN21 18F Page 2 Structure• governance and management Structure The PCC is a corporate body establlshed by the Church of England. The PCC operate5 under the Parochial Church Council Powers Measure. The PCC vrfas re&Tstered as a Charity in England with the Charity Commi55ion on l O September 2018 under reglstered charlty number 1179859. The appointment of PCC members is governed by and set out In the Church Representation Rules (2020, London: Churth House Publi5hlrtg). Commlttees The PCC met 8 dmes in 2024. No other sub committees or management meetlngs took place durlng 2024. Safeguardlng The PCC has complled wlth the duty under Section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipllne Measure 2016 (duty to have regard to House of Blshops, guldance on safeguardlng children and vulnernble adults). The PCC follows the Diocese of Rochester's safeguardlng procedures and policies and ha5 been worklng to ensure that these are embedded In the Ilfe of the church. Angel O'Nyon has been the safeguardlng offlcer for 3 years now. The safeguarding moblle phone has been $et up and we also have also a dedlcated email. ObJectlve5 and actlvlties Alms and oblectlves The prlmary objecc of the PCC Is the promotlon of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Chrlst accordlng to the dottrlnes and practices of the Church of England. The PCC Is to co-operate wlth the mlnlster in promotlng to the parlsh the whole mlsslon of the Church, pa3tordl, evangellstlc, soclal and ecumenlcal. Church Ilfe The year of 2024 continued to be dlfficult wlth cost of Ilvlng crlsls and worfd Snstablllty. The Sunday worship serylces therefore contlnue to focus on celebrntion and lively wor5hlp In contrast to the news and events that surround us in the world. We contlnue to play a varle of Afrlcan prdlse worship played after the recessional music which many people appreclate and join In wlrh dancing. Music Is specifically chosen to be in the mother tongue of various members of the congregation, and always has Engllsh subtitles. The pattern of services remains the Same as last year. Marlan Relf and Joan Coventry both attended the Archdeacon's Vi51tation and were sworn In as vrdrdens. Paul Harris and Sue Cherry Matthews also volunteered to be asslstant Y￿rdenS to help spread the load. Luton primary School came to the church for their harvest servlce. The school has recently become part of a trust. the management has changed as well as a lot of the staff. Andrea resi￿ed as a governor but continues to try to encourage Ilnks. Andrea and Maureen Mead contlnue to visit Vlc¢ory Care Horne to take the monthly service of Holy Communion which is regularly attended by 20 or more residents. Agaln we sang carols for them before Chri5tma5 with a group of church volunteers. We continue to provide emergency food via a food share table at our weekly café, funded by grants from Medway Council and d¢)natlons from those who attend tho café. Paze 3 Achlevements and performance We malntain a regular core of committed members. and have a slight growth curve. although church attending habits have changed post pandemic and with the cost-of-living crisis. many people have to work longer hours to support their families, so it is more difficult to find volunteer5 to take over the tasks that increasingly older people perform. This is a malor problem for us in the fvture. We continue to struggle financlally, being in an area of the top 4% of deprivation in the country, and are indebted to Jeff Frdy our Treasurer who keep5 a close eye on the finance5 and is very good at predlction5 and forecasts. and saving money. Cash offerin85 at services are often empty. However, we concinue to thank God for hls provlsion and by careful management we have not been overdrnwn, de5Pite some hefy bill5. Nevertheless financial poverty is not reflected in the sense of communlty and belonging the people feel, from both church attendance and belonglng to the community café, which continues to do well. We cont5nue to rely on recorded muslc for all the senilces, except for the carol servlce when we had an organlst play for us. The attempt to ra15e enough money to have Solar Panels fltted to the roof to save money on energy bills and to move towards becoming carbon neutral contlnves to move forward. Currently we belleve that we have enough for the panels (vthlch Is a miracle glven our circumstances), but not enough for the electrlcal repalrs Irenewal work that need5 to precede the insollatlon of the panels. Mornlng prayer contlnues to be regularly attended by a core of three people, wlth occaslonal visltors. It is a place where we pray for the life of the parlsh, buc also where we sense the Immanent presence of God as we walt on Him. There are currently 32 people on the electoral roll (33 in 2023). The average attendance in October was 39 including chlldren. (35 in 2023) In 2024. Christ Church conducted O (2 infant) baptlsms. Durlng the course of the year. we took 5 (3) funerals In the church buildlng. Andrea conducted 12 (14) fiJnerdls in total for people in the parlsh, or those vAth connectlons. In June we were delighted that Mauren Mead vfts commi551oned by the Bishop of Rochester as an Anna Chaplain, who 5UPPOrt the elderly and those bereaved or at end of Slfe. Maureens vasc experience In her nursing and h05pice care means she Is the perfect candidate for this role, and It15 very helpful co have her supporL Maureen regularly takes home communion co a few people In the par15h who are unable to get to church. Continues to serve the community every Tuesday except for during AugusL There are a committed core team of church members and one person from the community who run the café. eaterlng and befriending and encouraging attivities. There are many people for whom the café is a lifellne, coming from the non-church community. findlng It a welcomlng place co belong and a place of friendship. There are often signlficant conversatlons and questions asked about the Christian falth. We contlnue to offer refreshments with a donation only to include all. croche¢ crnft and knitting table. hand massage, variou5 games, and a food share table for those who need emergency food supplie5, 5UPPQrted by Medvrdy Councll. We continue to encourage people to bring skills and hobbies to share wlth others. Every so often we offer fijll lunches for £3 which are very popular and are very grateful to Sue Fray who oversees the Page 4 cookinE. Café Plus Is self-financing through the donations of those who are able to contribute to their drinks. erGr This is a group partlcularly for those early on in their Christian journey. run by Andre4 and Includes a bible study and short prayerlmeditation time. It runs every fortnight on a Sunday afternoon in the church foyer. This contlnues to meet on a Monday mornlng from 10.00- 11.30 durlng term ￿me only as only pre-school children are allowed. Helen Kiralfy. lead evangelist at Medway Centre of Misslon. continue5 to be the main leader for Toytime for three out of four of the sessions each month, freeing Andrea for other worl The group contlnues to be popular. but has more room for grovrth. We have a team of 3 people regularly supportlng every week as well as the leader. Blble stories and songs are presented at the end of each session. and there 15 a strong Christian wltness from those attending and supporting. We purchased a art easel during the year which Is very popular the children. These contlnue to run on the flr5t Saturday of the month wlth all welcome who would like to sing or play. There 5s a small core of commlctsd members who have attend each time and are Smproving in their musical sknlls on both guitar and ukelele which Is very exciting for the ongolng growth of the church. In Febnjary 2024 we started runnlng The Recovery Course on a Wednesday Evenlng, a 15 week course designed to help those Struggling with any klnd of addiction. The course vR5 $0 successful and lifechanging for some who participated that we went on to do the Alpha Course together and then meet soclally. and complete craft actlvltles for the Chrlstmas Falr. Andrea continues to have a good relationshlp wlth the 12 and I f Medway Scout group. She often attends evenrs and helps wlth faith badges whlch are completed In church. The Squlrrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorer5 attended the annual Remembrance Parade Service in November. followed by marchlng to the World War 2 memorial for a further acc of remembrance. men minlst Publlc Benefft In this reporL the PCC has profiled aspects of church life that would nornially take place. Including meetlngs and service5 of wider public benefiL and occasional offices. In so dolng the PCC sees itself as meeting the criterta of"Public Benefit" for registered charities through the attivities listed. re air We continue to work to address all the issues contained In our quinquennial report. At the end of the year we had an electrical assessment of the whole building. which has revealed a significant amount of work that needs to be done to bring the bullding up w the current safety Page S standards. The PCC 15 worklng hard to find enough funds for the repalrs before the solar panels can be fitted. Finanelal Review Diocesan Parish Share las¢ year 2024 vn5 £16,033 at £1,336.46 a month. Diocesan Parish Share for 2025 has increased to £1,470.15 giving a tool of I17.641.80. The church has decided to a150 increase its CRF from £20 to £200 after the 5 year inspection of the building, to help wlth some of the work requlred on repairs. Reserves Pollcy The PCC continued Its pollcy whereby the unrestricted funds not commltted or investsd In tangible fixed assets ("the free reser4es") held by them alms to be berween one and two months of the resources expended. Thls equates to approxlmately between £3,500 to £6,500. The reserves are regularly reviewed by the treasurer and discussed at the PCC from tlme to tlme. In the event of a significant drop In funding, the PCC would consider how the fundlng can be replaced or actlvltles changed and may arrange for an appeal to be made to the congregation. The PCC recognlses that the current level of reserves represents about 4 months resources expended. For 2024 the ￿vIng has Increased with a small amount of the congregation signlng up to dlrect deblts. which if conttnues should add to the giving at the church. Note:. Mrs Susan Cherry has volunteered to apply for the 8Sft ald that the church Is not dolng at present we are hoplng Chat this may Improve fijnds. Approved by the PCC on 19 February 2025 and s5gned on their behalf by Reverend Andrea Leonard, Prlest In Charge. HRIST CHURCH LUTON OR THE R ENDED 31 Page 6 EMBER 2024 Inde ndent Examlnerfs Re ort to the Trustees of Chrl$t hurch Luton I report to the charity trustees on my examinalon of the 8ccounts of Christ Church Luton Ilhe Charitll for Ihe year ended 31 December 2024, which are set oul ¢)n pages 7 to 12. Rospon8lbllttla6 and bash of report As the trusl8es of the Charlty you are responslbl8 for th8 prepar8tlon of the accounts In accordancè wlth the requlrements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act'l. I report In respect of my examinatlon of the Chartty's accounts carrfed oul under se¢tSon 145 of the 2011 Act #nd In c8rrying OLrt my examination I have followed all th8 applicabl8 Directlons given by the Charfty Commisslon under section 145(51(bl of the ACL Ind•p•nd•nl •xamlMr's •tst•m•nt I have completed my examlnatlon. I conflm that no materfal matters hav8 come to my attenllon In 8¢¢ounting records were not kept In respect of the Charlty 88 requlr8d by {2} the accounts do nol 8¢cord wlth th0￿ r8cord8. {3) the 8ccount8 do not comply wlth the 8ppIIc8blg requirements conc8mlng the form and content of accounts set out in the Charltles (Accounts and Report61 Regulation5 2008 other th8n any requiremént thal the accounts glve a 'tnJe and falr vlew thlch Is not 8 matter consldared 88 part of an Independent examlnatlon. I have no conc8ms and hav6 come across no other matters In connectlon wlth thè oxamlnatlon to whlch attention should be drawn In thls report In order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts lo be reached. J R Caladlne FCCA CTA FCIE Caladine Llmll&d Chartered Certified AGcountanls Ch8nty House. 22 Upperton Road Eastboumg, BN21 1 BF Dale: ¢0 IJ ¢Y (Y L thIL CHRIST CHURCH LUTON FOR TH EAR ENDED 3 Page 9 MBER 2024 Notes to th Account8 l Accountlng Pollcles The financlal statements have been pr&par8d in accordance wth th8 Church A¢¢ountlng Regulatlons 2006 usln9 the Recelpts & Payments bas1$. Re¢gipts and payments include income as receivad and 85pendllure vthen irrevocably pald. The a¢￿Unts include monetsry Iran88Ctlon8, assots and118billties for which the PCC Is responsible in law. They do not include the aGcounls of church groups whbch owe thelr maln affi11811on to anolher body. nor those that ar6 infomal gatherfngs of chU￿h member8. Fund8 Unr8StrfGted fund$ are genoral funds whlch can be used for PCC ordinary purposes. These Inciude de819nated funds whlch can be redeslgn8ted. R88lrlctod funds represent (al don8lon8 or grant6 recelved for a specific obj8¢t or Invited by thts PCC for a spe¢lflc oblect. and Ibl Income from tru818 and endowments whlch may bè exp8nded only on those restricted oblects promded in the tenns of th8 trust of bequesl. The fund8 m8y only b8 expended on the speclfic oblect for which thtry were glv8n. Any balance remaining unspent the end of the year mu81 be carrfed forward 88 8 balance on (hat furKJ. Endowment fund8 arts funds, the capital of whlch mu8t be malntalned. only Ino¢me adslng frc4n Invostment of the éndowment may be usad ellher as reslricl¢d or unre8trfctod funds dependSng upon th8 purp08e for whlGh Ihe 8ndowm8nl was e8tsbll8hod. The followlng a58ots are recognSsed but not nece898rlly valued in the Stat&m8nt of A88ets and Llabllities.. Movable church furn18hing8 held by th& Churchwardgns on speclal trust for the PCC and whlGh require a faculty for disposal., Land and bulldings held on behalf of the PCC. The followlng assels are r8cognl8ed and a monetary value given as part of the desciptlon In Ihe Statement of Assets and Llabi1tt18s.' B8nk and deposlt 8cGounts; Amounts owlng from HMRC wh8r• a fomial clalm has been made; Investment assets. Llabllkl&s are recoonised and a monetary value glven In the Stalement of A8s8ts and Llablllties where the supply had been received by 31 December. ujo IIEiili! 11581 1 T￿IL)