## ANNUAL REPORT 2022 


## Caversham Baptist Church 

Registered charity number: 1181257 South Street, Caversham, Reading RG4 8HY Tel: 0118 954 5353 Email: office@cavershambaptistchurch.org.uk 



## TRUSTEES AND LEADERSHIP TEAM 

The names of all the trustees who have served between the start of the accounting period and the approval of these accounts are noted below with the dates of appointment and/or resignation where these fall within the same period. 

Colin Baker,  Minister Sue Cantwell, Secretary Richard Wilson, Treasurer Roger Horsman (appointed 20 March 2022) Rebecca Reading Rob Sproule Andrew Blackband, (resigned 11 January 2022) Shane Lowings (resigned 20 March 2022) 

## Staff Team: 

Helen Strong (Administrator, until 31 December 2022) 

LEGAL INFORMATION 

Caversham Baptist Church (the Church) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, registered with the Charity Commission number: 1181257 Church Address: Caversham Baptist Church, South Street, Caversham, Reading, RG4 8HY 

**Bankers:** Barclays Bank UK Plc, 1 Churchill Place, London, E14 5HP 

**Solicitors:** Anthony Collins LLP, 134 Edmund St, Birmingham B3 2ES 

## **Independent Examiner:** Kate Andrews 

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## STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT 

The Church is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) governed by a constitution, in the form of the Approved Governing Document for Baptist Churches registered with the Charity Commission on 19th December 2018. 

In line with its constitution, the Church operates under the authority of the Church Members Meeting, which is open to all Church members, and operates with a quorum of 25 per cent of Church members. The Church Members Meeting appoints trustees to oversee the running of the Church.  The trustees are: 

- The Minister, as appointed from time to time from the list of Accredited Ministers of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. 

- The Church officers, namely the secretary and treasurer who are appointed annually by the Church Members Meeting. 

- Up to six Leaders who are appointed for a three–year term by the Church Members Meeting.  Leaders may only serve two consecutive terms after which they must stand down for at least one year. 

Except for the minister, any individual must have been a member of the Church for a year prior to being eligible for appointment as a trustee. The trustees received no payment for their work as trustees, with the exception of the minister as authorised within the church constitution. 

## OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES 

The principal purpose of the Church is the advancement of the Christian faith according to the principles of the Baptist denomination. In fulfilling this objective, the Church engages in a range of activities, either on its own or in partnership with others.  The main activities comprise worship services, prayer, Bible study and discipleship groups and supporting the local community. 

In planning our activities, the trustees consider the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and ensure they fall within this guidance. 

We support the wider work of the Baptist denomination through our membership of the Baptist Union of Great Britain and the Southern Counties Baptist Association and through our financial contribution to the Home Mission Scheme. We also support BMS World Mission financially and through prayer support for our link missionaries. We collaborate with other churches through Churches Together in Caversham and support other local, national and international organisations through grants and prayer support where that support will further our charitable objectives. An overview of all grants made in 2022 is in the note 9 to the financial statements. 

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## OUR STRATEGY 


Since our church awayday back in September 2021 we have been focusing on implementing the vision of living out the strapline on our church logo (see front page) “Showing the heart of Jesus in the heart of Caversham”. 

So, we see ourselves “Showing our hearts to Jesus…” through worship, fellowship and ministry. Showing our heart to God, to others and to the world. 


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## MINISTER’S REPORT 

Welcome to our Annual Report for 2022. 

During the past year, both we and society have unmasked. No more worship behind a mask. And, finally, our building was unmasked! What I mean is that the hoardings which dominated the frontage of our building and the container in our car park have been removed! Hallelujah! 

Our community has obviously been watching and wondering what would be revealed – the response has been really positive. Our planning for celebrating the completion of the building works took months but finally, on the first weekend of September, a good number of our community came to enjoy our new look and the weather was fine. 

Many responses from those who came were that they had always been intrigued by what lay behind those solid wooden doors. Now they can see! Now, the way in which people access our worship space is simplified as they can clearly see (not only because of the light coming through the doors) because the route is straight. We remain as welcoming as ever through our welcome team and as partners in ministry, but also now our heating system is efficient and reliable. No-one ever responded to the gospel through cold feet! 

We have been praying into a vision the Lord gave regarding children and young people and are now seeing green shoots. I am grateful that for the children’s ministry our upper hall looks modern and fresh – actually spectacular! We have a really good facility to aid ministry for these young lives and some very willing, creative and capable children’s volunteers. It is right that we have been able to provide a suitable environment where this ministry can flourish. 

Between June and August I took a sabbatical which had been delayed from 2021 and the church took on studying Paul’s letter to the Ephesians supported by some of our own preachers and visitors from other Baptist churches in the Reading area. I would like to remind everyone of a couple of key verses from Paul’s prayer for the church in Ephesus. 

> _**16** I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,_ _**[17 ]** so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,_ _**[18 ]** may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,_ _**[19 ]** and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God_ . Ephesians 3:16-19 

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This is and remains my prayer for all who gather to worship at Caversham Baptist Church. 

The last couple of years have been really challenging because none of us has ever had to deal with pandemics and lockdowns of such scale before. However, during this time our Leaders have been some of the most considerate, diligent, caring, patient and prayerful people I have known. So, on behalf of the whole church I want to pay tribute to them all. We have adapted sometimes on a weekly basis, found time to manage health protocols, building project management, changing venues for worship, keeping our vital online presence up-to-date and supporting ministry. We enter 2023 a little bruised but certainly less concerned with pandemic and more focused on us all being filled to the measure of all the fulness of God. 

## **pastor Colin & Alison Baker** 

## REVIEW OF THE YEAR 

The reports on the following pages detail regular activities and any one-off events that took place during the year. 

**WORSHIP** (on behalf of those leading music ministry: Colin Baker) When reporting under the heading of Worship, I have to qualify that we are speaking here particularly of the physical act of worship which takes place in church on Sundays. Of course, there is so much more that could be said about the fact that our whole lives are to be led as an act of worship to the Lord and that our music and sung worship are part of that. 

We have been working hard as a team to bring ministry to our fellowship that is fresh and open to what the Lord has in store for us. We have met to pray and talk through what takes place on Sundays and how we might all best work together. We all benefited from the ministry of Noel Robinson in September as we looked at the kinds of songs we used but also what we invite to take place in the gaps. 

As we have met (about 25 of us) we have agreed to work with the following: 

## **Vision** 

We seek to fulfil the CBC vision within our framework “Heart to God, Heart to others, Heart to the world”. By our being wholly prepared we may worship God ourselves, encourage each other in worship and lead our church fellowship to worship in Spirit and Truth. 

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## **Ministry** 

We recognise that our work is a key ministry in the life of the Church and that as members of this ministry we have been called by the Lord to this task. Individually, by being part of the musical worship ministry I believe that I am called to this by God and I commit to serving Him in this way. 

As with any other ministry the work carries privileges and responsibilities. 

_Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving._ Colossians 3:23-24 

## **Privileges** 

The ministry is a privilege because firstly we are serving the Lord himself and secondly His people. We recognise that it is very rewarding work to be able to use our gifts in this way. We must keep in mind this sense of privilege. 

## **Responsibilities** 

We have responsibilities both individually and together to be prepared both spiritually and musically. This will allow us to relax and enjoy our worship of the Lord and to provide an environment within which the whole church may enter fully into worship. 

## **AUDIO VISUAL & COMMUNICATIONS** (Rob Sproule on behalf of the team) 

First, we extend our thanks and gratitude to Martyn Strong for his dedication and commitment over many years, serving the Church with his creative, technical and practical gifting, Sunday by Sunday on the AV desk, and also building and maintaining the church website and social media channels. 

We still have a very capable and dedicated team comprising Ben, Rob and Steve who serve the church week by week, enhancing our worship with audiovisual support. 

Ben and Jackie took on the role to lead on communications – focussing primarily on the church website, publicity and developing our social media engagement. 

Jackie, with support from Ben, has supported several church events, creating artwork for flyers and those excellent _Welcome_ and _Little Lambs & You_ feather flags that appear next to the church main entrance doors. 

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We have been conscious for some time that our website needed a major refresh in order to provide the functionality we need to serve the church family and the broader community. Ben led a piece of work to replace the website with a different platform. The new website was launched in late October 2022 with a basic set of content and functionality; we will continue to expand this over the coming weeks and months. 

In the meantime, we would love to hear your feedback – What do you think? Is the website easy to use? Does it provide the information and other content you need? How do you think we can improve it? Please let us have your comments and thoughts in any way that suits you – face-to-face, phone, email… Thank You! 

We are keen to grow these teams. If you have an interest in serving God and the church family with AV or communications (website, social media, creating artwork for use within the Church or on any of our communication channels) please discuss with any of us. All you need is passion and a desire to serve; we will provide the tools, training and support. 

You will have heard a lot recently over recent months about working in teams to serve God, the Church and others – these are two good examples of how those with a technical or creative bias can use their God given gifts to help build-up the Church and grow the kingdom of God in Caversham and beyond. 

Our thanks to each member of these teams for their commitment to serving the Lord and the fellowship in so many ways throughout the year. 

## **SMALL GROUPS** (Leader: Colin Baker) 

In accordance with our strapline: “Showing the heart of Jesus in the heart of Caversham”, we see the activity of small groups as being part of “Showing heart to others”. This means our small groups are a place where ‘iron sharpens iron’. In other words, disciples of Jesus hanging out together in small groups for the purpose of being discipled by each other. Centred around prayer, worship, Bible study, relationships and mission, our groups have both a spiritual and a social function for our church fellowship. 

Small groups remain an important place for us all as we seek to grow and mature in our relationship with Jesus Christ and each other. As we look forward to 2023 there are already some new groups forming as there is clearly a need for more days and times for people to meet. In fact, a couple of our groups are quite full, hence, we have a good problem of needing to identify more leaders and homes in which to meet. Can you help us to help you? 

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In a church of our size, it can feel challenging for those who are new to get to know those worshipping around them. That is another reason for small groups – they are a safe place for those looking to be part of a church or even just to take a look. Our groups are more personal, less formal and certainly more familiar to folks who thrive better in conversation with a welcoming hot drink in hand (and sometimes cake!). 

## **PASTORAL TEAM** (Leader: Colin Baker) 

Our pastoral team met monthly via Zoom to pray and share prayer concerns and needs for our fellowship. The team, having served the church so well during the pandemic have been able to lighten the workload because we are now seeing many folks every week in worship. 

As a fellowship we are encouraging everyone to be part of a small group for all the obvious benefits of being part of that group - but also for that group to serve as a first port of call for pastoral needs. We are waiting to see how the groups settle and expand in 2023 and then will allocate names of those who are not part of a small group to group leaders. The hope is that each group will become the link for pastoral care and for those not in attendance to be prayed for on a regular basis. 

With that said, of course there remains our dedicated team of pastoral carers who are available by phone or in person for those who have been unable to return to in-person worship or where there are pressing pastoral needs. 

Members of the pastoral team have been trained in safeguarding. 

We give thanks to the Lord for the many and varied giftings we have in this team. May I also encourage all of us to pray for those who serve the Lord in this way. 

## **READING FESTIVAL** (Leader: Rebecca Reading) 

For the first time since 2019, we were able to plan ahead for our Reading Festival outreach and welcome event.  With a series of dedicated prayer meetings to lay sold spiritual foundations by committing the plans to the Lord, we went into the Festival weekend with confidence.  This was even though it was disappointing that the hoardings were still up as the building project did not complete until a week later.   With some imagination and creativity, Alison Trim turned the boards into an eye-catching mural welcoming our visitors and pointing them in the direction of our facilities. Bob Claridge also deserves an honourable mention - he was the most effective promoter of our offer along the street from the church building to Caversham bridge. 

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The format of the chill out space, with free drinks and snacks, phone charging and a chance for a chat with friends was welcomed.  We found our visitors very open and willing to share how much they were enjoying their weekend or, in some cases, the challenges they were finding.  Our church team was pleased to offer a listening ear, and once again we found a number returned every day and told their friends.  It was no surprise that our newly refurbished toilets were a huge hit. 

Those involved in the prayer preparation and the event itself experienced the joy and satisfaction of working together as the body of Christ. 

## **CATERING** (Leader: Rosemary Sproule) 

It was wonderful to finally be back in the church building and to start using the church kitchen again.  Thank you to all who helped with unpacking the kitchen items from the container and thoroughly cleaning the kitchen. 

We restarted providing refreshments after morning worship and are thankful that most of the previous volunteers were happy to re-join the rota.   We then reinstated our fellowship lunch as part of church meetings and it has been good to enjoy fellowship over food. 

We held a Cream Tea in June inviting those we thought were hesitant in returning to church after the pandemic. It was a lovely afternoon of fellowship and we are pleased to report that some are now back worshipping with us in person. 

Our big event was the re-launch weekend where we provided refreshments and a barbecue. It was a long day and we would like to thank those who volunteered in the kitchen, the barbecue cooks and assistants. 

It has been great to see new people joining the Church and as a consequence we have held two welcome lunches and are planning another one soon. 

If anyone would like to volunteer to help with hospitality or join our Sunday morning refreshment rota please contact Rosemary on 07456407718. 

## **PRAYER CHAIN** (Leader: Rose Blackmore) 

Last year’s annual report quoted a story from Luke 18 (verses 1-8) where Jesus told his disciples to show that they should always pray and never give up and made the point that _“our need to pray and our need for prayer is never redundant._ ” 

Well, this past year has certainly verified that. The prayer chain has been very busy, requests have been many and varied and God has been faithful to hear 

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and answer our prayers, not always as we would have liked, but always according to His plans and purposes and, ultimately, for His glory. It has been a tough year with us losing so many of our dearly loved older members but for them, what a triumph! We pay tribute at this point to each one’s contribution to the character of our church family. 

The requests on the prayer chain seem to have come thick and fast at times with not many lulls in between, and most people are good at updating us - seeing the need to encourage us especially when the answers are positive. 

One thing is glaringly obvious: everyone who has asked for prayer has been unanimous in appreciating the tremendous support they have felt from knowing that the things for which they have asked in prayer are being held up by us all, whether or not they get the answers they want. There’s something about expressing our needs, making ourselves vulnerable to others and to God, that helps us to feel the burden lift - because it has become a ‘shared’ burden. 

Jesus promised that we will never be alone, and part of the effectiveness of prayer is the feeling that we are not on our own - others who know and care for us are alongside and supportive - carrying our needs to the throne room of God. 

Galatians 6: 2 tells us that as we “carry each other’s burdens,” we “will fulfil the law of Christ” and this, in turn, helps us to build up His body - the Church. 

Thank you, every member of the prayer chain; you are helping to effectively draw the Church together and to our Father in Heaven, whose Son Jesus Christ is our Saviour and Lord. 

## **HYMN CAFÉ** (Leader: Rebecca Reading) 

This relaxed outreach ministry centred around testimonies, both of our church family and of the hymn writers themselves, returned in October following a two-and-a-half-year break.  Hymn Café provides an opportunity to enjoy familiar hymns, with words that speak eternal truths of our faith, and to invite guests to a simple, low-key event, with tea, coffee and of course cake.  Hymn Café continues monthly into 2023. 

## **BUILDING REDEVELOPMENT & FABRIC** (Rob Sproule on behalf of the 

## team) 

When works in the worship area of the church building commenced in November 2021 we moved Sunday morning worship to Queen Anne’s School. We were able to return to worshiping in our building under a partial occupation arrangement in February 2022. 

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After lengthy delays to completing the new external entrance area, we held our official opening on the weekend of 3rd-4th September 2022. This was an amazing opportunity to literally “open our doors” and welcome the community to meet us and explore the redeveloped building. The opening ceremony was conducted with Peter Ousley and Kady Chan, representing the generational mix of our congregation, cutting the tape. 

From a contractual perspective, the building was fully handed over to us on 2nd September, which represents the start of the 12-month Defects period. We are monitoring the building for any faults or defects that arise from the works; any urgent items will be reported and addressed promptly; non-urgent items will be addressed towards the end of the defect period. We have retained 2.5 per cent of the contract sum; this becomes due upon successful completion of the defects. 

We are so thankful to our God for protecting the health and wellbeing of all those who worked on our project – and with God’s help and the active support of our professional team and main contractor (Morris & Blunt) we were able to deliver the project within the agreed budget and include additional elements that were not originally planned for. Notably this included recarpeting the worship area and replanning the front of the worship area following the removal of the organ.  We were also able to substantially refresh the AV system and install a new projector. 

With this phase of refurbishment work complete, the fabric team is now focussing on routine maintenance and minor works. A range of improvements that would enhance the building’s usability and appearance have been identified and these will be costed and prioritised for implementation during 2023. 

Thank you for all your help and support throughout the project, whatever form that took – prayer, financial, hands-on… 

Special thanks to the project and fabric team Steve Cantwell, John Blackmore, Benjamin Sproule, Richard Wilson and Rob Sproule for their diligence, tenacity and commitment to serving the Lord and the fellowship in so many ways during this busy and challenging time. 

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## **CHILDREN’S AND YOUTH WORK** 

## **Children and Young People’s Vision and Mission Statement** 

## **Our Vision is:** 

To see the lives of children, young people and their families in the local community be transformed and for them to come into a relationship with Jesus Christ. 

## **Our mission is:** 

- To provide a safe, secure, warm environment where all are welcome and have equal value. 

- To be positive Christian role models and develop relationships built on love and acceptance. 

- To reach out to children and young people in the local area and equip them to participate responsibly in the community 

- To provide an opportunity for children and young people to experience the love of God and learn about the Christian faith 

- To disciple children and young people in their relationship with Christ and encourage them to live differently and make a difference 

## **SUNDAY MORNING GROUPS** (Sue Cantwell on behalf of the team) 

It was wonderful to welcome the children and young people back to the church building early in the year – although the rooms provided at Queen Anne’s school during our ‘exile’ from our own building were warm and welcoming. 

During 2022 and into 2023 we have had the privilege of several families with children joining the Church, and some young people who attend regularly on their own.  It has been wonderful to see the group of younger children growing, with on average about eight to ten children in the pre-school and primary together with occasional visitors and friends, to share the Bible through stories, discussion, games, prayer, craft and music; helping the children to discover and develop their own relationships with God. The younger group appear back in church with their volunteer adults at the end of morning worship, with a brief recap of what they have learnt, to show the crafts they have made and to join with the congregation in a ‘child-friendly’ song with actions.  The Youth group for secondary school age young people has also grown, with at least six regulars attending on Sunday mornings with their leaders to discuss the application of Biblical truths to their lives.  Some of them are members of the ‘Y-Band’, using their excellent musical gifts to lead the worship once a month. We thank Pam Chilvers for her dedication to coaching and mentoring the band.  We are delighted that one of the young 

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people was baptised in February 2023 and that others are considering this important step in their faith journey. 

Christmas was celebrated with a light-hearted and humorous Nativity play expertly written by Tamsyn Wilson, telling the traditional Christmas story with the help of Old Testament prophets played by the young people, with the younger children and some adults playing the parts of nativity characters. It was very good to see all ages involved in telling the story. 

We are grateful to Tamsyn for setting the curriculum for the children’s and youth groups, based on material from the Urban Saints Energize resources website, which provides engaging, dynamic and biblical session plans for ages 3 to 15+. 

We thank all of those who work with the children and young people at the Church. We are blessed with a good number of leaders and volunteers, all DBS checked and trained in safeguarding. Without their support, help and dedication we would not be able to sustain this vital teaching and sharing of God's love; thank you. 

## **LITTLE LAMBS PARENT & TODDLER GROUP** (Leader: Judith Lewis) 

The Little Lambs and You group meets, during school term time, on a Monday morning 10.00am to 11.30am in the worship area and lounge. We have an online booking system with about 28 places available each week. We serve refreshments throughout the session to parents and carers and provide an opportunity for the children, mid-way through the morning, to sit at a table together for a drink of water and a snack. 

We set up the worship area as a free play space for the children, providing a varied number of toys, including a slide and climbing frame, sit-on vehicles, play kitchens, a car table etc. 

In the lounge we create a quieter space with a baby corner with suitable mats, toys and baby bouncers as well as table-top activities including jigsaw puzzles, Noah’s ark, play workbench tools, dolls house sets and craft activities. 

In the last 15 minutes of the session, we finish in the lounge with a short Bible story and sing nursery rhymes together. 

We provide parents, carers and their children with an opportunity to make connections with each other in a dry, warm environment. We are also there to befriend, offer support and show God’s love to those who attend. 

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## **CHURCHES TOGETHER IN CAVERSHAM HOLIDAY CLUB** 

## (Joint ministry through Churches together in Caversham, 

## CBC Representative: Helen Strong) 

Following two years in which we were unable to run a holiday club in its usual form due to Covid-19, we were delighted at the start of 2022 to be able to plan for not one, but two clubs. 

There had been quite a bit of interest from children who had attended the club when they were of primary school age, but missed out on year 6 (orange hats!) due to the pandemic. So it was decided to run a club for year 7 to 9 for four days at Easter, particularly as the science and Christianity theme which was the theme for the summer, was one the secondary school pupils seem interested in. Although numbers were small, those that attended enjoyed the sessions and made new friends. 

The summer club, based at St Anne’s school, followed the usual format but with many new volunteers (including several from Caversham Baptist Church), which was a great answer to prayer. There were fewer children due to our 2- year hiatus, but we were able to support several Ukrainian families by offering spaces and providing extra help where necessary. 

This year’s holiday club will be held at St Anne’s school from 24[th] to 28[th] July. Heading up the core team will be members of this Church Richard and Tamsyn Wilson, as Jane Borgeaud has had to take a step back from her involvement due to her work. We would like to say a big thank you to Jane for all her years of service. 

## **CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY ACTION CAVERSHAM DROP IN** (Ministry hosted by Caversham Baptist Church but operated by Christian Community Action, Manager: Myra Fowler) 

We were able to re-open the Drop In in October last year at the usual times of 12.00 – 2.00 every Wednesday.  We were surprised and very pleased to welcome eight guests on our first session which, considering that we had very little publicity, was really exciting.  Since then we seem to have between 15 and 20 guests every week.  Some are regulars and some are people who come perhaps once or twice.  It is always encouraging when regulars find employment – although we are sorry to see them go we are really pleased that they can move on with their lives. 

We have more or less the same team as before lockdown, but we have modified our sessions by having only four volunteers per session – this seems to work very well and we have also changed our menu to take account of the 

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cold weather.  We offer baked potatoes at every session – they are really popular and then a variety of meals – fish fingers, sausages, chicken nuggets and pizza.  We also try to provide fruit, sandwiches and biscuits. 

We aim to provide a safe and comfortable environment where everyone is welcome.  We do not ask questions but are always happy to talk - and laugh as well.  It is two hours when we hope people will be able to forget their worries and have fellowship with us and with each other. 

As ever my job is made so much easier by the wonderful team of volunteers and also by the support of Caversham Baptist Church – so much appreciated. 

## CHURCH FINANCES 

The major financial story of 2022 was the completion of the refurbishment of the South Street premises.  This was delivered almost exactly to the budget approved by the Church Meeting in 2021. Thanks be to God! The balances of the Fabric Fund and the Designated Building Redevelopment Fund were transferred to the Redevelopment fund to cover the final invoices for the project.  The Restricted Building Redevelopment Fund now holds the interest free member loans that were used to fund the project and as a result this fund had a deficit balance of £110,630 at the end of 2022.  Specific monthly giving from members is covering the cost of the repayments on the loans and is expected to clear the deficit on the fund by the end of 2032. 

General fund Freewill offerings and the associated Gift Aid increased to £82,504 from £75,057 in 2021 and total general fund income increased to £86,228 from £75,947.  These reflect the recommencement of a full range of activities following the building closure for the pandemic and refurbishment of the premises in 2021.  Overall income fell to £168,988 from the elevated level of £302,676 in 2021 which included the fundraising for the refurbishment. 

General fund expenditure increased to £89,056 from £77,588 in 2022 due in the main to one-off support costs, including the redundancy cost for the administrator, some IT purchases and costs for valuation of the South Street premises and the professional independent examination of the 2021 church accounts.  These latter two were necessary due to the high level of income in the year.  There was also a notable increase in energy costs. 

Overall, an operating deficit of £2,828 was recorded in the general fund, compared to a deficit of £1,641 in 2021.  £15,266 was transferred into the general fund from the Pension Reserve due to a significant reduction in the value of the liability to the Baptist Pension Scheme and £4,514 was then transferred to the Building Redevelopment fund to cover the final invoices for 

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the project. The general fund ended 2022 with a total balance of £43,722, up from £27,444 at the end of 2021.  This comprised of fixed assets of £15,551, and cash of £28,171. 

The manse is valued in the accounts at £327,988 after a depreciation charge of £1,914. The market value of the property is estimated to be over £500,000. 

## **RESERVES POLICY** 

Caversham Baptist Church aims to hold sufficient reserves (including general and uncommitted designated funds) to ensure we can meet our obligations in the event of a deterioration in our finances, or a major cost (e.g., a building repair) arising. Our policy is to hold cash equivalent to three months of general running costs and an additional three month’s staffing costs. This policy is reviewed at each Annual General Meeting. The Trustees believe that, as of 31st December 2022, our reserves policy currently requires us to hold approximately £29,900 in unrestricted and designated cash reserves, whilst we actually held approximately £28,200 in general and designated cash reserves, giving a modest shortfall of £1,700.  The trustees are looking to rebuild reserves following the completion of the building refurbishment. 

## **FINANCIAL AUTHORISATION POLICY** 

In order to maintain appropriate control of expenditure, the Church has adopted the following financial authorisations policy. Spending or spending commitments: 

- up to £250 within budget may be authorised by Team Leaders 

- up to £1,200 may be authorised by the Treasurer. 

- up to £6,000 may be authorised by a vote of the Leadership team. 

- in excess of £6,000 may only be authorised by a vote of the Church Meeting. 

These limits are reviewed each year at the Annual General Meeting. 

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## **POLICY STATEMENT ON CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE CHURCH** 

This statement was agreed at a church meeting held on 27/5/97 and amended at the AGM on 25/3/03.  It will be read annually at the AGM where progress in carrying it out will be monitored. 

1. As members of this church, we commit ourselves to the nurturing, protection and safekeeping of all, especially children and young people. 

2. It is the responsibility of each one of us to prevent the physical, sexual and emotional abuse of children and young people and to report any abuse discovered or suspected. 

3. We recognise that work with children and young people is the responsibility of the whole church. 

4. We undertake to exercise proper care in the selection and appointment of those working with children and young people, whether paid or volunteer. 

5. The Church is committed to supporting, resourcing and training those who work with children and young people and to provide supervision. 

6. The Church is committed to following the Home Office Code of Practice: _Safe from Harm_ and adopts the guidelines and procedures published by the Baptist Union of Great Britain in its booklet Safe to Grow. Each worker with children and young people must know the recommendations and undertake to observe them.  Each shall be given a copy of the Church’s agreed procedure and good practice guidelines. 

7. As part of our commitment to the children and young people, the Church has appointed: 

   - A Designated Person to advise the Church on any matters relating to the safeguarding of Children and young people and to take appropriate action when abuse is disclosed, discovered or suspected. Their role will be regularly explained to children and their names, addresses and phone numbers publicly displayed. 

8. The Church will appoint a responsible person and administrator to see that this policy is implemented. 

Children and young people are a part of—and belong to—church today.  They have much to give as well as to receive.  We will listen to them. 

As we nurture them in worship, learning and community life, we will respect the wishes and feelings of the children and young people. 

Designated person: Tamsyn Wilson, 7 Blenheim Road, Caversham, RG4 7RT 

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## **POLICY STATEMENT ON PHOTOS OF CHILDREN** 

_Children and young people are a valued part of our church.  In our use of photography, we seek to celebrate and communicate the life and activities of this church and to affirm the importance of all who are part of your church life, young and old.  This policy is to ensure that such photography protects the safety of the children and young people in our care.  It supplements our existing ‘Safe to Grow’ policy._ 

This policy statement will be read and confirmed at the AGM each year where the process of carrying it out will be monitored. 

1. It is the responsibility of each church member to prevent misuse of photographs of children and young people and to report any misuse discovered or suspected. 

2. We recognise that written parental/guardian consent must be given for the publication or display of a recognisable photograph of any person under the age of 18.  Parents must be aware of which type of publication/display will be used. No consent is needed for photos of people whose faces are not recognisable. 

3. Borderline cases will be decided by the designated person. 

4. Photos by an individual of activities within or related to our church, which involve children and young people is only allowed with the permission of the leader of the activity. 

5. Each leader, publisher and photographer will be given good practice guidelines on taking photos of children and young people, including being made aware of this policy. 

6. We will exercise proper care ensuring children and young people will not be identified by name or other personal details in captions and accompanying text. 

7. Data protection: Photos are to be stored in a safe and secure way, separated from personal details of the child or young person.  Photos, negatives or computer images that are against parental consent must be completely destroyed.  Others must be kept securely and, when no longer needed, destroyed. 

8. As part of our commitment to children and young people, the Church has appointed a designated person to listen to children, young people and parental concerns. 

9. The Church has appointed a responsible person as an administrator to see that the policy is implemented. 

19 



## STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES 

## For the period 1st January 2022 to 31st December 2022 

|||Unrestricted|Designated|Restricted|Endowment|<br>Total|Total|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||Funds|Funds|Funds|Funds|2022|2021|
|**Incoming Resources**|Note|£|£|£|£|£|£|
|Donations and Legacies|2|82,504|<br>-|45,329|<br>-|127,833|269,706|
|Income from charitable||||||||
|activities|3|3,118|<br>37,431|-|<br>-|40,549|32,513|
|Other Trading Activities|4|580|<br>-|-|<br>-|580|-|
|Investment income|5|26|<br>-|-|<br>-|26|458|
|Other income||-|<br>-|-|<br>-|-|-|
|**Total incoming resources**||**86,228**|<br>**37,431**|**45,329**|<br>**-**|**168,988**|**302,676**|
|**Resources Expended**||||||||
|Raising funds|6|-|<br>-|-|<br>-|-|2|
|Charitable Activities|7|89,056|<br>73,146|243,026|<br>-|405,227|323,460|
|Other Expenditure||-|<br>-|-|<br>-|-|-|
|**Total Resources Expended**||**89,056**|<br>**73,146**|**243,026**|<br>**-**|**405,227**|**323,460**|
|**Net Incoming Resources**<br>**before Transfers**||**(2,828)**|**(35,714) **|**(197,697)**|**-**|**(236,239)**|**(20,784)**|
|Incoming fund transfers||23,619|<br>-|36,394|<br>-|60,013|3,339|
||12|||||||
|Outgoing fund transfers||(4,514)|(55,499)|-|-|(60,013)|(3,339)|
|**Net Incoming Resources before**<br>**other gains/losses**||**16,277**|<br>**(91,213) **|**(161,303)**|**-**|**(236,239)**|**(20,784)**|
|Gains and losses on<br>revaluation of fixed assets|13|-|-|-|-|**-**|(1,680,000)|
|Actuarial (losses)/gains on||||||||
|defined benefit pension|23|-|15,626|-|-|15,626|194|
|schemes||||||||
|**Net Movements in Funds**||**16,277**|<br>**(75,588) **|**(161,303)**|**-**|**(220,614) **|**(1,700,590)**|
|**Funds brought forward**||27,444|<br>403,575|78,091|1,250,000|1,759,111|3,459,701|
|**Funds carried forward**||**43,722**|<br>**327,988**|**(83,212)**|**1,250,000**|**1,538,497**|**1,759,111**|



Please note figures are rounded to the nearest pound and therefore totals may not always match exactly. 

20 



## BALANCE SHEET 

## As of 31st December 2022 

||Notes|As|at 31/12/2022|As at 31/12/2021|As at 31/12/2021|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||£|£|£|£|
|**Tangible Fixed Assets**|14||**1,620,138**||**1,588,127**|
|Debtors|15||8,201|38,332||
|Bank and Cash|16|40,323||201,242||
|**Current Assets**||**48,524**||**239,575**||
|**Current Liabilities**||||||
|Creditors: Amounts falling due<br>within one year|17|(28,305)||(5,637)||
|**Net Current Assets**|||**20,219**||**233,938**|
|**Long Term Liabilities**||||||
|Member Loans|18|(101,818)||(45,454)||
|Defined benefit pension<br>scheme liability|23||(42)|(17,500)||
|Creditors: Amounts falling due<br>after more than one year|||**(101,860)**||**(67,500)**|
|**Net Assets**|||**1,538,497**||**1,759,111**|
|**Charitable Funds**||||||
|Endowment|19||1,250,000||1,250,000|
|Restricted|20||(83,212)||78,091|
|Designated|21||327,988||403,575|
|Unrestricted|||43,722||27,444|
|**Total**|||**1,538,497**||**1,759,111**|



Please note figures are rounded to the nearest pound and therefore totals may not always match exactly 

Notes 1 – 24 on the following pages form an integral part of these accounts. These accounts were approved by the Trustees on 21 March 2023 and signed on their behalf by 


Treasurer Secretary 

21 



## NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS 

## 1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES 

## **a Basis of preparation** 

The accounts are prepared in accordance with the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (Charities SORP 2019), FRS102 and with the Charities Act 2011. Caversham Baptist Church is a registered charity, no. 1181257 and meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognized at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy notes. 

## **b Income recognition** 

All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities when the charity is legally entitled to the income after any performance conditions have been met, the amount can be measured reliably, and it is probable that the income will be received. 

## **c Donations** 

Donations are accounted for gross when received. 

## **d Legacies** 

Legacies are accounted for when their receipt is certain and can be properly quantified. 

## **e Investment Income** 

Investment income is included in the accounts in the year in which it is receivable. 

## **f Expenditure recognition** 

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis. Expenditure is recognized where there is a legal or constructive obligation to make payments to third parties, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. 

## **g Cost of raising funds** 

The Church does not make formal appeals for funds, and expenditure on these items is therefore not material. 

## **h Grants payable** 

The Church makes grants to other organisations whose charitable objects complement its work. They are accounted for when the recipient has been notified of the grant and payment is unconditional. 

## **i Support costs** 

Support costs are those that assist the work of the Church but do not directly represent charitable activities and include office costs and governance cost. Where support costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings, they have been allocated to the cost of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. This represents direct expenditure on the governance of the Church. Most of the management is carried out without charge by volunteers. This intangible cost is not included in the Statement of Financial Activities since there is no measurable cost to the volunteers for their service. 

## **j Fixed Assets** 

Tangible fixed assets are capitalised if they can be used for more than one year and cost at least £1,000.  They are initially recognised at cost, or for donated assets, at a reasonable estimate of their value on receipt. The church premises are included in the balance sheet 

22 



using a market valuation from a qualified surveyor. The Manse premises are initially recognised at cost. 

## **k Depreciation** 

Depreciation has not been charged on the Church premises as they are revalued each year on the basis of the insured value. The Church manse has been depreciated based on 50% of the initial purchase value being land and 50% buildings.  The land is retained at cost and the building depreciated on a straight-line basis at 1% per annum.  Depreciation on other fixed assets is on a straight-line basis over their expected useful life: 

- Office, IT and Audio Visual equipment is depreciated at 20% per annum. 

- The chairs are depreciated at 10% per annum. 

- The noticeboard is depreciated at 10% per annum. 

- The piano is depreciated at 5% per annum. 

No depreciation is charged in the year of acquisition and a full year in the year of disposal. 

## **l Funds** 

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity and which have not been designated for other purposes. Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. 

The aim and use of each designated fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements. Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the charity for particular purposes. The costs of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements. Endowment funds represent those assets which must be held permanently by the charity, principally the Church Building Reserve. Income arising on the endowment funds can be used in accordance with the objects of the charity and is included as unrestricted income. Any capital gains or losses arising on the investments form part of the fund. Investment management charges and legal advice relating to the fund are charged against the fund. 

## **m Employee benefits** 

The charity operates a defined contribution pension plan for its employees. A defined contribution plan is a pension plan under which the charity pays fixed contributions into a separate entity. Once the contributions have been paid the charity has no further payments obligations. The contributions are recognised as an expense when they are due.  Amounts not paid are shown in accruals in the balance sheet.  The assets of the plan are held separately from the charity in an independently administered fund. 

Prior to 2012 pension provision was made through multi-employer defined benefit pension plans. Where it is not possible for the charity to obtain sufficient information to enable it to account for a plan as a defined benefit plan, it accounts for the plan as a defined contribution plan. Where the plan is in deficit and where the charity has agreed, with the plan, to participate in a deficit funding arrangement, the charity recognises a liability for this obligation. The amount recognised is the net present value of the contributions payable under the agreement that relate to the deficit.  This amount is expensed in the Statement of Financial Activities.  The unwinding of the discount is recognised as a finance cost. 

23 



## 2 DONATIONS AND LEGACIES 

||**Unrestricted**|<br>**Designated**|**Restricted**|**Endowment**|<br>**2022**|**2021**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Freewill Offerings|<br>70,058<br>-||<br>36,591<br>-||<br>106,649<br>222,496||
|Gift Aid|12,196<br>-||<br>8,738<br>-||<br>20,934<br>47,210||
|Legacies|250<br>-||<br>-|<br>-|<br>250<br>-||
|**Total**|**82,504**<br>**-**||<br>**45,329**<br>**-**||<br>**127,833**<br>**269,706**||



## 3 INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES 

||**Unrestricted**|**Designated**<br>**Restricted**|**Designated**<br>**Restricted**|**Endowment**|<br>**2022**|**2021**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Listed Places of<br>WorshipGrants|-|<br>37,431<br>-||<br>-|<br>37,431<br>32,513||
||||||||
|Insurancepay-out|<br>1,975<br>-||<br>-|<br>-|<br>1,975<br>-||
|Sale of assets|557<br>-||<br>-|<br>-|<br>557<br>-||
|FridayLunches|345<br>-||<br>-|<br>-|<br>345<br>-||
|Other Activities|240<br>-||<br>-|<br>-|<br>240<br>-||
|**Total**|**3,117**<br>**37,431**<br>**-**|||<br>**-**|<br>**40,549**<br>**32,513**||



## 4 OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES 

||**Unrestricted**|**Designated**|**Restricted**|**Endowment**|<br>**2022**|**2021**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Use of Premises|580<br>-||<br>-|<br>-|<br>580<br>-||
|**Total**|**580**<br>**-**||<br>**-**|<br>**-**|<br>**580**<br>**-**||
|5 INVESTMENT INCOME|||||||
||**Unrestricted**|**Designated**|**Restricted**|**Endowment**|<br>**2022**|**2021**|
|Interest on cash|26<br>-||<br>-|<br>-|<br>26<br>458||
|**Total**|**26**<br>**-**||<br>**-**|<br>**-**|<br>**26**<br>**458**||
|6 RAISING FUNDS|||||||
||**Unrestricted**|**Designated**|**Restricted**|**Endowment**|<br>**2022**|**2021**|
|Credit card fees|-|<br>-|<br>-|<br>-|<br>-|<br>-|
|**Total**|**-**|<br>**-**|<br>**-**|<br>**-**|<br>**-**|<br>**-**|



## 7 CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES 

||**Unrestricted**|<br>**Designated**|**Restricted**|**Endowment**|<br>**2022**|**2021**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Ministry|47,788<br>360<br>-|||<br>-|<br>48,148<br>37,543||
|Mission|11,682<br>-||<br>-|<br>-|<br>11,682<br>9,780||
|Premises|29,585<br>72,786<br>243,026<br>-||||<br>345,397<br>276,137||
|**Total**|**89,056**<br>**73,146**<br>**243,026**<br>**-**||||<br>**405,227**<br>**323,460**||



24 



## 8 TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED 

The following table summarises expenditure in line with our reporting categories. 

||**Charitable**<br>**Activities**|**Grant**<br>**Funding**<br>**Support**<br>**Costs**<br>**2022**<br>**2021**|**Grant**<br>**Funding**<br>**Support**<br>**Costs**<br>**2022**<br>**2021**|**Grant**<br>**Funding**<br>**Support**<br>**Costs**<br>**2022**<br>**2021**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Ministry|38,908<br>-<br>9,241<br>48,148<br>37,543||||
|Mission|-|<br>9,423<br>2,259<br>11,682<br>9,780|||
|Premises|339,676<br>-||<br>5,721<br>345,397<br>276,137||
|Cost of GeneratingFunds|<br>_-_|<br>-|<br>-|<br>-<br>-|
|**Total**|**378,583**<br>**9,423**<br>**17,221**<br>**405,227**<br>**323,460**||||



## 9 GRANTS MADE TO OTHER CHARITIES 

||**Unrestricted Designated**|**Unrestricted Designated**|**Restricted**|**Endowment**|**2022**|**2021**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|BMS World Mission|<br>3,640<br>-||<br>-|<br>-|<br>3,640<br>3,710||
|Baptist Home<br>Mission|||||||
||4,200<br>-||<br>-|<br>-|<br>4,200<br>4,017||
||||||||
|Prospects|-|<br>-|<br>-|<br>-|<br>-|<br>275|
|CCA Caversham|150<br>-||<br>-|<br>-|<br>150<br>300||
|Churches Together<br>in Caversham|||||||
||833<br>-||<br>-|<br>-|<br>833<br>550||
||||||||
|Zimbabwe Victims<br>Support Fund|||||||
||600<br>-||<br>-|<br>-|<br>600<br>600||
||||||||
|Women’s World<br>Dayof Prayer|||||||
||-|<br>-|<br>-|<br>-|<br>-|<br>40|
||||||||
|**Total**|**9,423**<br>**-**||<br>**-**|<br>**-**|<br>**9,423**<br>**9,492**||



## 10 SUPPORT COSTS 

||**Unrestricted**|**Designated Restricted**|**Designated Restricted**|**Endowment**<br>**2022**|**Endowment**<br>**2022**|**2021**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Office Expenses|11,113<br>-||<br>|-<br>-|<br>11,113<br>7,935||
|Bank Charges|5<br>-||<br>|-<br>-|<br>5<br>-||
|Subscriptions|2,964<br>-||<br>|-<br>-|<br>2,964<br>1,042||
|Church Administrator<br>461<br>-|||<br>|-<br>-|<br>461<br>375||
|Magazine & Publicity|-<br>-||<br>|-<br>-|<br>-<br>169||
|Independent<br>Examiner for 2021|||||||
||960<br>-||<br>|-<br>-|<br>960<br>-||
||||||||
|Other Expenses|1,717<br>-||<br>|-<br>-|<br>1,717<br>-||
|**Total**|**17,221**<br>**-**||<br>|**-**<br>**-**|<br>**17,221**<br>**9,521**||



Support Costs have been allocated to the Charitable activities in the general fund of the Church in proportion with their other expenses (included in note 8 above) as follows: 

||**2022**<br>**2021**|
|---|---|
|Ministry|9,241<br>1,105|
|Mission|2,259<br>288|
|Premises|5,721<br>8,128|
|**Total**|**17,221**<br>**9,521**|



25 



## 11 STAFF COSTS AND TRUSTEE EXPENSES 

|11 STAFF COSTS AND TRUSTEE EXPENSES|||
|---|---|---|
||**2022**<br>**2021**||
|Salaries<br>Gross Salary|34,429<br>32,904||
|Termination Payments<br>RedundancyPay|2,672<br>-||
|Social SecurityCosts<br>Employer's National Insurance|-|<br>-|
|Pension Costs<br>Employer's Pension Contributions|3,247<br>3,145||
|Other Costs<br>Council tax,water, phone,expenses|7,653<br>9,190||
|**Total**|**48,001**<br>**45,239**||



The average number of staff in the year was 2 (2021: 2). No employee received emoluments in excess of £60,000 during the year (2021: none). 

Revd Colin Baker as Minister acted as one of the church's trustees in accordance with the church constitution from 1st April 2018 and received a stipend of £25,988 (2021: £25,725). He was also reimbursed out of pocket expenses and mileage (at the HMRC approved rate) of £438 (2021: £1,372). Contributions of £3,247 (2021: £3,200) were made on to the defined contribution section of the Baptist Pension Scheme. 

The Church pays deficit contributions in relation to the service of past Ministers of the Church to the Baptist Pension Trust Limited, which is a final salary defined benefit scheme, which is not contracted out of the State second pension. These amounted to £2,192 in 2022 (2021: £3,695). The scheme is a multi-employer scheme and it is not currently possible to identify the assets and liabilities of the scheme which are attributable to the Church. In accordance with FRS17 therefore, the scheme is accounted for as a defined contribution scheme. Further details can be found in note 23. 

Following a consultation period, the church Administrator was made redundant at the end of December 2022. A cash redundancy payment of £2,672 was made in line with the church’s obligations under employment law. 

## 12 TRANSFERS BETWEEN FUNDS 

The following transfers were made in 2022: 

|**From Fund**<br>**To Fund**|**Amount**<br>**Purpose**|
|---|---|
|Fabric Fund<br>BuildingRedevelopment(Restricted)|21,000|
|Building Redevelopment<br>(Designated)<br>Building Redevelopment (Restricted)|Funding for building<br>refurbishment<br>10,880|
|General Fund<br>BuildingRedevelopment(Restricted)|4,514|
|Building Redevelopment<br>(Designated)<br>General Fund||
|||
|Pension Reserve<br>General Fund||



## 13 GAINS AND LOSSES ON REVALUATIONS OF FIXED ASSETS FOR THE CHARITY’S OWN USE 

The Church premises at South Street are recorded using a market valuation carried out by Haslam’s Surveyors as of 31 December 2021.The valuation was not revised during 2022. 

26 



## 14 TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS 

||**South**<br>**Street**<br>**Premises**|<br>**Manse**|**Chairs**<br>**AV**<br>**Equipment**<br>**Notice-**<br>**board**<br>**Piano**|**Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Cost**|||||
|As at 01 Jan 2022|1,026,300<br>358,908<br>10,282<br>-<br>-<br>-|||<br>**1,395,490**|
|Additions inyear|-|<br>-|<br>-<br>5,143<br>3,210<br>26,600<br>**35,953**||
|Disposals inyear|-|<br>-|<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-|<br>**-**|
|As of 31 Dec 2022|**1,026,300**<br>**358,908**<br>**10,282**<br>**5,143**<br>**3,210**<br>**26,600**<br>**1,430,443**||||
||||||
|**Accumulated Depreciation**|||||
|As at 01 Jan 2022|-|<br>(29,006)<br>(2,056)<br>-<br>-<br>-||<br>**(31,062)**|
|Charge for theyear<br>-||<br>(1,914)<br>(1,028)<br>-<br>-<br>-||<br>**(2,942)**|
|As of 31 Dec 2022|**-**|<br>**(30,920)**<br>**(3,085)**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**||<br>**(34,005)**|
||||||
|**Gain/Loss on revaluation**|||||
|As at 01 Jan 2022<br>223,700<br>-|||-<br>-<br>-<br>-|<br>**223,700**|
|Charge for theyear<br>-||<br>-|<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-|<br>**-**|
|As of 31 Dec 2022|**223,700**<br>**-**||<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**|<br>**223,700**|
||||||
|**Net Book Value**|||||
|As at 01 Jan 2022|**1,250,000**<br>**329,902**<br>**8,226**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**|||**1,588,127**|
|As of 31 Dec 2022|**1,250,000**<br>**327,988**<br>**7,197**<br>**5,143**<br>**3,210**<br>**26,600**<br>**1,620,138**||||



The Church is the beneficial owner (subject to the relevant trusts) of two premises, the legal titles to which are held by the Church’s custodian trustee the Baptist Union Corporation Ltd. These are the South Street Premises at South Street, Caversham and the Church Manse at 2a Rotherfield Way, Caversham. As per the Church's accounting policy stated in paragraph j of note 1, the value stated at 31 December 2021 for the South Street Premises is a valuation carried out by Haslam’s Chartered Surveyors on 23 March 2022 estimating their market value. The cost for the Church Manse is the price paid when it was acquired plus the cost of subsequent capital improvements. 

## 15 DEBTORS 

|15 DEBTORS||
|---|---|
||**As at 31/12/2022 As at 31/12/2021**|
|Accounts Receivable|5,710<br>35,919|
|Prepaid Expenditure|2,491<br>2,414|
|**Total Debtors**|**8,201**<br>**38,332**|



## 16 BANK AND CASH 

|16 BANK AND CASH||
|---|---|
||**As at 31/12/2022 As at 31/12/2021**|
|Cash in hand|602<br>22|
|SumUpCard Account|20<br>-|
|Current Account|37,075<br>198,229|
|Baptist Union Deposit Accounts|1,709<br>1,683|
|Cash Pre-payment card balance|917<br>1,309|
|**Total**|**40,323**<br>**201,242**|



27 



## 17 CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR 

||**As at 31/12/2022**<br>**As at 31/12/2021**|
|---|---|
|Accounts Payable|1,228<br>925|
|Accrued Expenditure|13,441<br>167|
|Loan Repayments due within 1year|13,636<br>4,545|
|**Total Creditors**|**28,305**<br>**5,637**|



## 18 CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE AFTER ONE YEAR 

In 2021 and 2022 the church received four interest free loans of £120,000 from members. 

|**Loan**|**Amount**|**Balance at**|**Repayments**|**Due after**|**Terms**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**31/12/2022**|<br>**due in 2023**|**2023**||
|A|10,000|10,000|0|10,000|Due for repayment by the end of 2032 with|
|B|10,000|10,000|0|10,000|no repayments dueprior to that date|
|C|50,000|47,727|6,818|40,909|Repayable over an 11-year period in equal|
|D|50,000|47,727|6,818|40,909|payments every6 months from June 2022|
|**Total**|**120,000**|**115,454**|**13,636**|**101,818**||



The church received the benefit of not paying interest on any of these loans. This benefit has not been recognised in the accounts. The repayment due in 2023 is recognised as an amount falling due within one year (see note 17) with the remainder recognised as falling due after one year. 

## 19 ENDOWMENT FUNDS 

||**Balance at**<br>**1 Jan 2022**|<br>**Incoming**<br>**Resources**|**Outgoing**<br>**Resources**|**Transfers**|**Gains &**<br>**Losses**|**Balance at**<br>**31 Dec 2022**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Church BuildingRes.|1,250,000<br>-||<br>-|<br>-|<br>-|<br>1,250,000|



The Church Building Reserve Fund represents the value attributed to the South Street premises. 

## 20 RESTRICTED FUNDS 

||**Balance at**<br>**1 Jan 2022**|<br>**Incoming**<br>**Resources**<br>**Outgoing**<br>**Resources**|**Transfers**|**Gains &**<br>**Losses**|**Balance at**<br>**31 Dec 2022**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|FellowshipFund|530<br>-<br>-||<br>-|<br>-|<br>530|
|Window Repair|-|<br>288<br>-|<br>-|<br>-|<br>288|
|Piano|-|<br>26,600<br>-|<br>-|<br>-|<br>26,600|
|Redevelopment Fund<br>77,561<br>18,441<br>(243,026)<br>36,394<br>-|||||<br>(110,630)|
|**Total**|**78,091**<br>**45,329**<br>**(243,026)**<br>**36,394**<br>**-**||||<br>**(83,212)**|



The Fellowship Fund represents funds given to support members of the fellowship suffering hardship. 

The Window Repair fund has been initiated to gather resources to fund the long-term maintenance of the stained-glass windows in the South Street premises. 

The Piano fund was created following a gift from a member in 2022 of the funds to purchase a grand piano. This piano is the only asset within the fund. 

The Restricted Building Redevelopment Fund represents the funds that have been given specifically for the redevelopment of the South Street Premises. Following completion of the works, this fund holds the interest free loans used to fund the project and the ongoing giving that funds the repayment of these loans. 

28 



## 21 DESIGNATED FUNDS 

|21 DESIGNATED FUNDS|21 DESIGNATED FUNDS|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Balance at**<br>**1 Jan 2022**||<br>**Incoming**<br>**Resources**<br>**Outgoing**<br>**Resources**<br>**Transfers**<br>**Gains &**<br>**Losses**|||**Balance at**<br>**31 Dec 2022**|
|Redevelopment Fund<br>52,674<br>37,431<br>(70,872)<br>(19,233)<br>-|||||<br>-|
|Fabric Fund|21,000<br>-||<br>|-<br>(21,000)<br>-|<br>-|
|Manse Reserve|329,902<br>-||<br>(1,914)<br>-<br>-||<br>327,988|
|Pension Reserve|-<br>-||(350)<br>(15,266)<br>15,616<br>-|||
|**Total**|**403,575**<br>**37,431**<br>**(73,136)**<br>**(55,499)**<br>**15,616**<br>**327,988**|||||



The Designated Building Redevelopment fund represents funds that had been set aside towards redevelopment and improvement of the South Street Premises. The Fabric Fund represents funds set aside to deal with long term repairs to the South Street Premises. These remaining balances in these funds were transferred to the restricted Building Redevelopment fund to cover the costs of the refurbishment project. 

The Manse Reserve Fund represents the value attributed to the manse. 

The Pension Reserve fund holds the church’s liability to the Baptist Pension Scheme and sufficient cash to cover the liability. A transfer to or from the general fund is made each year to ensure that the liability is covered. 

## 22 ANALYSYS OF NET ASSETS AND LIABILITIES BY FUND 

|||**Fixed Assets Net Current**<br>**Assets**|**Long-term**<br>**Liabilities**|**2022 Total**<br>**2021 Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Endowment Funds|Per note 22|<br>1,250,000<br>-|<br>-|<br>1,250,000<br>1,250,000|
|Restricted Funds|Per note 23|<br>26,600<br>(7,994)<br>(101,818)<br>(83,212)<br>78,091|||
|Designated Funds|Per note 24|<br>327,988<br>42<br>(42)<br>327,988<br>403,575|||
|Unrestricted Funds||15,551<br>28,171<br>-||<br>43,722<br>27,444|
|**Total**||**1,620,138**<br>**20,219**<br>**(101,860)**<br>**1,538,497**<br>**1,759,110**|||



## 23 PENSIONS 

The Church is a participating employer in the Baptist Pension Scheme (“the Scheme”), which is a separate legal entity administered by the Pension Trustee (Baptist Pension Trust Limited). The assets of the Scheme are held separately from those of the Employer and the other participating employers. The Scheme, previously known as the Baptist Ministers’ Pension Fund, started in 1925, but was closed to future accrual of defined benefits on 31 December 2011. Prior to this date the main benefit provided through the Defined Benefit (DB) Plan was a pension of one eightieth of final minimum pensionable income for each year of pensionable service together with additional pension in respect of premiums paid on Pensionable Income in excess of Minimum Pensionable Income. 

From January 2012, pension provision is being made through the Defined Contribution (DC) Plan within the Scheme. In general, members pay 8% of their Pensionable Income and employers pay 6% of members’ Pensionable Income into individual pension accounts, which are operated and managed on behalf of the Pension Trustee by Broadstone Corporate Benefits Ltd. In addition, the employer pays a further 4% of Pensionable Income to cover Death in Service Benefits, administration costs, and an associated insurance policy which provides income protection for Scheme members if they are unable to work due to longterm incapacity. This income protection policy has been insured by the Baptist Union of 

29 



Great Britain with Aviva Limited. 

The Scheme is considered to be a multi-employer scheme as described in Section 28 of FRS 102. Because it is not possible to attribute the Scheme’s assets and liabilities to specific employers, the scheme is accounted for as if the Scheme were a defined contribution scheme. 

A formal valuation of the DB Plan as at 31 December 2019 was carried out by a professionally qualified Actuary using the Projected Unit Method. At the valuation date the market value of the DB Plan assets was £298 million, whilst the level of assets needed to pay benefits was £316m, giving a deficit of £18m (equivalent to a past service funding level of 94%). The Church and the other participating employers in the DB Plan are collectively responsible for funding this deficit. 

The financial assumptions underlying the valuation were as follows: 

|RPI price inflation assumption|3.20% p.a.|
|---|---|
|CPI price inflation assumption|2.70% p.a.|
|Minimum Pensionable Income increases above CPI|0.50% p.a.|
|Minimum Pensionable Income increases (CPI plus 0.5%)|3.20% p.a.|
|Assumed investment returns||
|- Pre-retirement (gilt yield plus 1.75% pa)|2.95% p.a.|
|- Post retirement (including benefits matched by the insurance policy)<br>(gilt yield plus 0.5% pa)|1.70% p.a.|
|Deferred pension increases||
|- Pre April 2009|3.20% p.a.|
|- Post April 2009|2.50% p.a.|
|Pension increases||
|- Based on CPI with an annual floor of 0% and annual cap of 5%|2.70% p.a.|



Mortality is assumed in accordance with 80% of the S3NA standard mortality table. Future improvements projected from 2013 in line with the “CMI 2019” projection with a long-term rate of improvement of 1.75% p.a. for males and 1.5% p.a. for females with the core smoothing parameter and with additional initial mortality improvement factor A=0.5%. 

The next actuarial valuation of the DB Plan within the Scheme is due to take place not later than as at 31 December 2022 

In addition to the contributions to the DC Plan set out above, where a valuation of the DB Plan reveals a deficit the Trustee and the Baptist Union Council agree to a rate of deficiency contributions from churches and other employers involved in the DB Plan. Under the current Recovery Plan signed in September 2020, deficiency contributions are payable until June 2026. These contributions are broadly based on the employer's membership on 31 December 2014 and increase annually in line with increases to Minimum Pensionable Income as defined in the Rules. 

On 30th June 2022 the Baptist Pension Scheme signed an agreement with the insurance company Just Group (“Just”) to secure DB Plan members’ pension benefits. Just are now providing financial backing for all pensions provided through the Scheme’s DB Plan and 

30 



following this transaction, the Scheme no longer has a shortfall. An updated Recovery plan was then signed in August 2022 under which recovery contributions from each participating employer in the DB Plan reduced to £1 per month from August 2022. 

Section 28.11A of FRS 102 requires agreed deficit recovery payments to be recognised as a liability. The movement in the provision is set out in the table below. 

|**Accounting date (year ending):**|**31/12/2022**|**31/12/2021**|
|---|---|---|
|Balance sheet liability at year start|17,500|21,100|
|Minus deficiency contributions paid|(2,182)|(3,695)|
|Interest cost (recognised in SoFA)|350|289|
|Actuarial (gains)/losses on re-measurement of liability|(15,626)|(194)|
|**Balance sheet liability at year end**|**42**|**17,500**|



The liability in the balance sheet represents the present value of deficit contributions agreed as at the accounting date and has been valued using the following assumptions set by reference to the duration of the deficit recovery payments: 

|reference to the duration of the deficit recovery|payments:|||
|---|---|---|---|
|**Accounting date**|**31/12/2022**|**31/12/2021**|**31/12/2020**|
|Discount rate|0%|2.00%|1.37%|
|Future increases to Minimum Pensionable Income|n/a|4.06%|3.11%|



The Church has been advised that the cost for the Church to buyout the Pension Scheme liabilities on 31 December 2022 was approximately £1,000 (31 December 2021: £22,500). 

## 24 RELATED PARTIES 

The custodian Trustee of the Church is the Baptist Union Corporation Limited which is charity number 249635, and which is controlled by the Baptist Union Council. The Church is also a member of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, and the Southern Counties Baptist Association. The Church made a donation to the Southern Counties Baptist Association under the Baptist Union Home Mission Scheme as set out in note 9. 

The Church has received interest-free loans of £50,000 each from Susan Cantwell, a trustee and her husband Stephen Cantwell. The loans were provided to fund the refurbishment of the church premises and are repayable in equal 6-monthly instalments over a period of 11 years. The outstanding balance on each of these loans at the end of 2022 was £47,727 and a repayment of £2,273 was made on each loan on 3 January 2023. 

In 2022 November 2022 a gift of £21,280 was received from Rebecca Reading, one of the Church Trustees. This gift was given on the condition that the funds and the associated Gift Aid were used to purchase a specific Boston Grand Piano from Steinway and Sons for use by the Church. The purchase was completed in December 2022. 

The total of all other donations received from Trustees and their spouses in 2022 was £42,791. None of these donations came with conditions which might require the Church to alter its activities. 

31 



CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR FNGIANO ANO WALES
Independent examinerfs r8POrt on the
accounts
Section A
Independent Examiner's Report
Caver5ham Bapt￿t ChurGh
31 Docwnber 2022
Chwlty no
(If any)
1181257
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I rep)rt to the trusta8s on my examlnatton of th8 accounts of Ihe aty)ve
charity TTLtst"I fcf ye8r end￿1 31112r2022.
aCCLNJnts in acccYdarKe with the ￿uIrements of the Charibes Act 2011
I"tsAcri.
I reFMyI in resK*d of my examinati￿ of the Tnjst's accwnts c8rried out
under seLt￿￿ 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying my examination, I
have f￿￿4¥&￿ al the applicatAe DirectiOr￿ gwen by the Charity CommissM)n
ur*Jw sectK¥) 145(Sllbl of the ACL
Independent I h8ve ctynflthl my examination. I curfimi th* rni materfal matters have
•xamln•rfs statement cclnè lo my attenbon in Connect￿ with the examinat￿n which gives me
caw to b￿￿ve that in. any material res￿¢1..
acc￿ntIr1d recc*ds were not kept in ￿¢OrdenCe with section 130
cl the Charities Act.. or
the acc(￿nts dKI not ￿COrd wrfh the accountirvJ T￿Ords.. or
acc¢yJnts dmj ccrfnpty with the a[￿￿8b￿ requirements
ccxwning ts fom) and content of accounts sot out in the Charfllos
IAccoJnts and ReF￿rts) Rg3uLations 2CM)8 other than any requiremonl
t th& accounts gfv8 8 Iruè and f8lr' view whlch Is rnt 8 matter
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wrth ts examinatK￿ io wh￿h attenti￿ thould ￿ dwn In thls report In
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32


Caversham Baptist Church Registered charity number: 1181257 South Street, Caversham, Reading RG4 8HY Tel: 0118 954 5353 Email: office@cavershambaptistchurch.org.uk