Northamptonshire Area Quaker Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain
(Registered charity, number 1180217) Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2022
Page Contents 2 - 5 Trustees' annual report 6 Independent examiner's report 7 Receipts & payments account 8 Statement of assets & liabilities 9 - 11 Notes to the accounts
Northamptonshire Area Quaker Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain Trustees' annual report for the year ended 31 December 2022
Full name Northamptonshire Area Quaker Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain
Other names by which the charity is known Northamptonshire Area Meeting
Organisation type Charitable incorporated organisation
Registered charity number 1180217
Principal address
Quaker Meeting House, Wellington Street, Northampton, NN1 3AS
Trustees
Angela Atkins, Acting Clerk Elizabeth Rees, from 12/09/2022, Andrew Halliwell, from 01/01/2022, Treasurer Olaseni Alaka, from 01/01/2023 Paul Bertin, from 01/01/2023 Annette Candy, from 01/01/2023 John Theodore Sturge, until 31/12/2022 Heather Brunskell-Evans, until 31/12/2022 Eleanor Coss, until 31/12/2022 Ian Neale, until 31/12/2022 Elaine Smith, until 08/05/2022 Peter Little, until 11/07/2022
Independent examiner
John O'Brien, employee of Community Accounting Plus, Units 1 & 2 North West, 41 Talbot Street, Nottingham, NG1 5GL
Governance and management
The charity is operated under the rules of its constitution adopted 05/10/2018. Trustees are appointed for a period of three years by the Area Meeting following nomination by its Nominations Committee.
Business meetings within the Society are conducted as 'meetings for worship for church affairs' in which there is no voting, the Clerk is a servant of the meeting and the minutes are agreed at each meeting. Membership of the Society of Friends is held within the Area Meeting.
Objectives and activities
The object of Northamptonshire Area Meeting is the furtherance of the general religious and charitable purposes of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain in the area of Northamptonshire Area Meeting and beyond.
Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit
The Area Meeting ensures the right holding of public meetings for worship, and regular meetings for church affairs in each of the constituent meetings - Kettering, Northampton and Wellingborough. The Area Meeting supports Quaker witness through its public meetings for worship, and supports social projects for the relief of poverty and suffering as well as witness for peace and reconciliation, both within its own geographical area and more widely through the work of Britain Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends.
Northamptonshire Area Meeting is one of seventy area meetings of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in England, Wales and Scotland. Contributions, donations, legacies, income raised from the use of the property by other charitable and nonprofit making organisations, and interest received are used on deepening and sharing our spiritual experience and acts that arise from our faith. We support work for peace, justice, a sustainable environment, the alleviation of suffering and victims of oppression. Our local meetings for worship are open to all with no tests, and membership of the Society is open to anyone seeking truth.
Public benefit statement
The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit, 'Charities and Public Benefit'.
Summary of the main achievements during the period
The Meetings have faced both Challenges and Joys throughout the year.
As we emerged from the pandemic, the Local meetings of Northampton, Kettering and Wellingborough were able to meet freely for worship together face to face once more without restriction. Northampton Local Meeting has been working hard to make Blended meeting work effectively as a permanent feature to extend our worship (face to face and online meeting together).
We have been gladdened to see some of those that use our Meeting Houses during the week return and saddened for those that have closed down their activities for good since covid.
The Meetings have remained keen to support the work of those such as NDAS, and of local refugees.
Charney Manor proved a lovely setting for us all to come together in June 2022 from across the county to recharge after the difficult Covid Period.
Financial review
The total liquid funds available to the Area Meeting remain substantial, at about £358k; £130,000 being held directly by Area Meeting, and the remainder being administered within the accounts of its Local Meetings. The trustees consider this to be fully sufficient to meet the anticipated demands of the Area Meeting, particularly in relation to the condition of the AQM's Meeting Houses. Each local meeting has its own treasurer; the local meeting accounts being consolidated each year within those of the Area Meeting. The three Meeting Houses are not shown as a fixed asset in the accounts, as they are functional properties and there is no intention to sell them. Buildings are insured for £3,762,000 in total.
Additionally, the Area Meeting owns two investment properties. Both are currently leased to Northampton Domestic Abuse Service as refuge houses. Refuge House 1 is insured for £225,000; Refuge House 2 for £204,000. The income from rents is used for general purposes. It should be noted that although labelled as investment properties, the provision of these two Refuge Houses was undertaken primarily as a means of providing a socially sustainable use for Capital Assets of the Area Meeting, and is not managed on profit maximisation principles.
The rent of the investment properties provides some income, but the majority of income within the Area Meeting come from the contributions of members and attenders, and from the hiring of the Meeting Houses to other groups. Hiring income remains below pre-pandemic levels for all 3 local meetings. Depressed rental income, static contributions income, offset by rising inflation and Quinquennial maintenance work for the three Meeting Houses has meant that cash flow in 2022 remained negative, down £45,000.
Hiring revenues remain considerably below pre-pandemic levels and are unlikely to recover in the near future. Member contributions remain broadly flat. Offset against this is the impact of rising inflation, which puts pressure on costs. Inflationary behaviours have not yet translated into higher giving and increased rents to offset this. Whilst reserves comfortably cover the resulting negative impact on cash flows for now, the structural deficit that is emerging will need to be addressed sooner rather than later, particularly if inflation continues to rise.
The three Meeting Houses are all of some age, and inevitably require regular substantial renovation to maintain them.
Inevitably, all charities face the risk of mismanagement (through neglect or design) particularly of the cash asset base, although protective governance measures and the fact that the majority of the assets are not liquid mitigates such risk.
The combination of substantial cash and investment assets and regular contribution income provide strong risk protection against variable hiring income and ongoing upkeep costs of maintaining its 3 Meeting Houses. The long term viability of The Area Meeting ultimately rests on maintaining its membership at a viable level in the
Northamptonshire Area Quaker Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain
decades and centuries to come, as existing local meetings grow or decline, and new local meetings arise.
The Funds of the Area Meeting and its constituent Local Meetings are not cumulatively at current risk of running into deficit. The option and facility exists to transfer funds from one fund to another within the Area Meeting where required. Ultimately the contributions of members have always remained the core means of maintaining the liquidity of the Area Meeting and have remained responsive to the needs of the Area Meeting.
The charity's policy on reserves
Local Meetings have their own Reserves Policy. Northampton Local Meeting implemented a reserves policy in 2015; Kettering Local Meeting implemented theirs in 2017; Wellingborough Local Meeting adopted theirs in July 2020.
Area Meeting does not currently have a separate formal reserves policy, but in practice maintains a reserve sufficient to enable it to undertake the following year's expenditure as well as to respond to unforeseen needs, both for property restoration and ongoing support for the concerns supported by members of the Meeting. To this end a rolling budget is maintained, and five yearly surveys of the properties are carried out. Whilst Local Meetings pay the costs for everyday repairs and maintenance the Area Meeting itself assumes the responsibility for the renovation works on the Meeting Houses; accordingly, a core and ongoing priority of Area Meeting is to ensure there are sufficient reserves at all times to cover such costs within the Building Fund. Annual Contributions from Local Meetings to the Building Fund are to ensure the Building Fund remains healthy.
Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees:
Signed
Angela Atkins, Acting Clerk to the Trustees
Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Northamptonshire Area Quaker Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain for the year ended 31 December 2022
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Northamptonshire Area Quaker Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain (the charity) for the year ended 31 December 2022.
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 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 Act.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
21/08/2023 Signed Date
John O'Brien MSc, FCCA, FCIE Employee of Community Accounting Plus
Receipts & payments account for the year ended 31 December 2022
| 2021 Total Funds £ Receipts Note 984 Bank interest 107 Collections 21585 Contributions 2727 Donations received 4766 Gift aid 4667 Hire of meeting rooms 15960 Rents received 1762 300 Solar panels (WM H) Sundry receipts 52858 Total receipts Payments 192 Gov: bank charges 576 Gov: Bookkeeping 810 Gov: Legal & professional 345 Life:Conferences & courses 18299 Life: Donations paid out 431 Life:Dues and subscriptions 64 Life: Elders & overseers 234 Life: Members' list 99 Life: Postage & stationery 674 Life: Safeguarding 175 Life: Website 4842 Property: Cleaning 3439 Property:Garden Equip & Mntce 2287 Property: Insurances 926 Property: Kitchen & catering 5921 Property:Minor repairs 1133 Property: Refuse collection 5456 Property: Repairs & maintenance 1846 Property:Tests & inspections 905 Property: Broadband 4318 Property: Utilities 3575 56547 Refuge House:Improvements & rates Sundry payments Total payments (3689) Net receipts/(payments) 417080 Cash funds at start of this period Transfers between funds 2 413391 Cash funds at end of this period |
Unrestricted Funds £ 782 378 19965 11448 2289 15342 15960 1658 67822 264 1270 9612 27867 417 40 13 129 367 5581 5602 5171 1133 54892 1439 876 7162 260 1042 123137 (55315) 411335 1281 357301 |
Restricted Funds £ |
Restricted Funds £ |
2022 Total Funds £ 782 378 19965 11448 2289 15342 15960 1658 67822 264 1270 9612 27867 417 40 13 129 367 5581 5602 5171 1133 54892 1439 876 7162 260 1042 ,. ~~1231~~37 (55315) 413391 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2056 (1281) 775 |
|||||
| 358076 |
Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 December 2022
| 2021 £ 413391 413391 Cash assets Bank accounts Investment properties (at cost) Kettering House Endowment funds (see funds note) Unrestricted funds |
56164 118836 |
2022 £ 358076 358076 |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
175000 175000 200000 Wellingborough House (unrestricted funds) 200000 375000 375000 Other current assets Insurance prepayment 2933 Assets retained for the charity's own use General equipment. Liabilities (780) Legal & professional fees (840) (780) (840) Functional property In addtion the charity holds functional property comprising three local meeting houses, with insured values as follows: Kettering 692071 Wellingborough 1018678 Northampton 1061175
These financial statements are accepted on behalf of the charity by:
Signed
Angela Atkins, Acting Clerk to the Trustees
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022
1. Receipts & payments accounts
Receipts and payments accounts contain a summary of money received and money spent during the period and a list of assets and liabilities at the end of the period.
Usually, cash received and cash spent will include transactions through bank accounts and cash in hand.
2. Cash Funds summary
| Cash Funds summary | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted funds Gravely Legacy Unrestricted funds Area General Fund Area Building Fund Kettering Local Meeting Northampton Local Meeting Oundle Local Meeting Wellingborough Local Meeting |
Opening balance £ 2056 2056 107721 60226 40154 185416 2833 14985 411335 |
Receipts £ |
(Payments) Transfers Clo sin g bal an ce £ £ £ (1281) (1281) (27059) 2929 (45497) 7800 (6965) (2160) (30748) (3360) (2929) (12868) (999) (123137) 1281 |
||
| 17837 4561 9351 23299 96 12678 67822 |
(27059) (45497) (6965) (30748) (12868) (123137) |
||||
The Gravely Legacy is a restricted fund to finance work in the annexe (Community Room), garden and meeting house in Wellingborough. The transfers from the Local Meeting funds to the Area Building fund reflect the quotas charged to the Local Meetings.
In addition, Acting as Agent, the charity collected and paid out donations totalling £2,546 to third parties.
3. Cash funds Local Meetings detail
| 3.Cash funds Local Meetings detail | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts Bank interest Collections Contributions Donations received Gift aid Hire of meeting rooms Total receipts Payments Gov: Bank charges Life:Donations paid out Life: Dues and subscriptions Life: Elders & overseers Life: Postage & stationery Property: Cleaning Property:Garden Equip & Mntce Property: Refuse collection Property: Repairs & maintenance Property:Tests & inspections Property: Broadband Property:Utilities Sundry payments Total payments Net receipts/(payments) Cash funds at start of this period Transfers between funds **Cash funds at end of this period ** |
Kettering Funds £ 76 2875 2000 1061 3339 9351 2 4465 10 493 304 304 1387 6965 2386 40154 (2160) 40380 |
Northampton Funds £ 487 378 12540 9894 23299 9002 417 13 4274 2450 1133 8358 144 325 3741 891 30748 (7449) 185416 (3360) 174607 |
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| (999) 13796 |
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- Endowment funds analysis
The Betty Desborough fund is held as part of the Kettering Investment property
| Betty Desborough fund Kingsthorpe Land Accumulated Income Kingsthorpe Land Capital Land at Old Accumulated Income Land at Old Capital William Dry Accumulated Income William Dry Capital Woodford Close Accumulated Income Woodford Close Capital |
£ 50000 890 500 545 500 1338 500 1391 500 |
|---|---|
| 56164 |
The Area Meeting holds within its assets The Betty Desborough Fund, a legacy given specifically for the purposes of supporting Friends attending Courses and is thus held and used by the Area Meeting as a restricted fund for this purpose. Its current size is £50,000 or 25% of any future sale proceeds of the Kettering investment property, whichever is the greater. Note, the Betty Desborough Fund is currently invested within the Kettering property that is rented out; and that in the event of that property's sale the receipts would be returned to the fund proportionately to its original stake.
Trustees have utilised an accounting convention of dividing its (unrestricted) funds between the General Fund, and a Building Fund. The Building fund is designed to provide a sufficient pot of monies to be used over a 5 year cycle for the preservation in good condition of the 3 Meeting Houses that it owns, topped up each year through contributions from the local meetings. Note that every day maintenance and repairs are paid for by the local meetings directly.
5. Trustees' remuneration
Trustees received no expenses, remuneration or benefits in this period.