Charity Number: 1183350
The Journey Church Manchester
Report and financial statements
For the year ended 31 August 2023
Charity number 1183350
Registered office and operational address 33 Beverly Road,
Manchester M146TH
Trustees
Trustees who served during the year and up to the date of this report were as follows:
Matthew Hawthorne Chair
Alan Taylor
Nathan Harrison Treasurer
Rachel Wangrangsimikul Secretary
Rick Ashton
Key management personnel Alan Taylor Team Leader
Bankers The Co-operative Bank p.l.c.
P.O. Box 101
1 Balloon Street
Manchester
M60 4EP
Independent Examiner
The trustees present their report and the unaudited financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2022.
Reference and administrative information set out on page 1 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the charity’s constitution and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: SORP applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102.
Objectives and activities
The Objects of the CIO are, for the public benefit, to advance the Christian faith in such places and in such ways as the Charity Trustees from time to time think fit.
We have endeavoured to reach out to our communities in Manchester and online with the gospel and bring the teachings of Christ in word and action.
Our mission is to invite people on a journey of faith and belonging through hospitality which we do by resourcing and establishing new contextual forms of church scattered in homes and communities across Manchester and beyond.
Each week The Journey gathers in houses, online or local community settings to worship and learn about the Christian faith. These are open to all with care taken to be an inclusive experience sensitive to new people not familiar with Christian faith joining us. We learn from our discussions based on the scriptures, pray, and enjoy hospitality in a home or community setting.
Every week there are groups and opportunities to meet to build one another up, pray and invite new people to talk about faith and life. Sometimes this is online, or in person, in a home or community setting.
The leadership of The Journey meet with people to encourage and support them in life and faith with a focus on serving local communities, students and those new to the city.
The trustees review the aims, objectives and activities of the charity each year. This report looks at what the charity has achieved and the outcomes of its work in the reporting period. The trustees report the success of each key activity and the benefits the charity has brought to those groups of people that it is set up to help. The review also helps the trustees ensure the charity's aims, objectives and activities remained focused on its stated purposes.
The trustees have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity's aims and objectives and in planning its future activities. In particular, the trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives that have been set.
Achievements and performance
The charity's main activities and who it tries to help are described below. All its charitable activities are undertaken to further The Journey Manchester’s charitable purposes for the public benefit.
Alan Taylor’s hours were increased from 2.5 days to 3.5 days a week as the Team Leader from September 2022. This enabled the church and its mission to be better served. The finances were raised through partners of The Journey Church Manchester community outside of Manchester, the core community and grant money.
In the year our 18-30s ministry hosted 43 gatherings with 400 attendees from 30 nations. 51 attended Bible studies and 10 volunteers recruited to Table team with 4 new Church members.
We hosted 8 community events in our local community hub. We hosted church in homes from January 2023- August 2023. We experimented with outdoor church in local parks with an emphasis on prayer and connection.
We welcomed the input and collaboration of Simon and Gaynor Shaw based in Derby at the Source UK joining for an online small group called “Everyday Theologians” and a small group for community leaders around the UK called “Reframing Fruitfulness”. We also had a joint service in Buxton with The Source.
Beneficiaries of our ministry
The beneficiaries of The Journey have been those who join us in homes, feel connected relationally with the church community and those served by the ministry of Alan Taylor as Team Leader in supporting local neighbourhood and city work for the common good, hospitality, exploration of faith and leadership development.
Financial review
Income for 2023 was £42,063 (2022: £42,889). Expenditure for 2023 was £46,895 (2022: £38,110). The regular monthly giving was around £2,600 throughout the year.
We used the £10,000 grant from JustSow to cover costs and employment of Paul Eaton from January 2023 to lead our 18-30s ministry known as “Table Manchester”.
Reserves policy
The Trustees continued our policy to hold unrestricted reserves at the level of 3 months salary for Alan Taylor’s salary as Team Leader. From September 2023 this will be around £6000. This compares to our reserves value at year end of £12,329 (2022: 17,163).
Future plans
We are putting together a fresh bid for grant money to extend Table Manchester into 3 new cities. We will continue to meet monthly for outdoor church with the aim to build a new team and grow a new community. We intend to grow our ministry locally in Manchester through collaboration with
other churches and ministries including a community garden. We will collaborate with Simon and Gaynor Shaw of Synergy network to host important conversations on contextualising faith and church.
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Structure, governance and management
Journey Church Manchester is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), governed by a constitution dated 10th May 2019. New Trustees are appointed by existing Trustees and are given appropriate induction and training on appointment. Day-to-day management of the CIO’s operations are delegated to the Founder and Team Leader, employed by the CIO: Alan Taylor. Journey Church Manchester relies on volunteers to host and work out our vision.
The organisation is a charitable incorporated organisation, registered as a charity on 10 May 2019 in England and Wales.
The charity is constituted under a governing document 10 May 2019. The trustees are members of the charity but this entitles them only to voting rights.
Related parties and relationships with other organisations
The Journey Church Manchester works with local churches in Manchester for the common good and a similar Christian community based in Derby called The Source UK. The following charities were supported by the church; Newday United, a charity serving poorer communities in South Africa, Fusion working with students, Ngage (working the youth of Manchester) and Barnabus (homeless charity). The Journey Church Manchester is also a member of the Evangelical Alliance. Alan Taylor was supported pastorally by Simon Shaw from The Source in his ministry.
One trustee was reimbursed for travel and phone expenses during the year. Another trustee was reimbursed for travel expenses. Beyond those expenses no trustee or other person related to the charity has had any personal interest in any contract or transaction entered into by the charity, including guarantees, during the year.
Employment
The church employed Alan Taylor for 3.5 days work week as the Team Leader (Pastor) of the Journey Church from September 2022. He is a founding trustee and founder of the church. Alan’s extra hours aimed to facilitate the growth of the community and achieve its charitable objectives. The governing constitution allows for Alan to be as employed as the Team Leader while remaining a trustee. He was paid a stipend of £18,888, his pension contributions were £766.
Statement of responsibilities of the trustees
Law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial
statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the charity's financial activities during the period and of its financial position at the end of the period. In preparing financial statements giving a true and fair view, the trustees should follow best practice and:
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●Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
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●Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP
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●Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
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●State whether applicable UK Accounting Standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements
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●Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charity's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
The trustees’ annual report has been approved by the trustees on 30th April 2024 and signed on their behalf by
Matthew Hawthorne
Chair of Trustees
| Receipts | Unrestricted funds | Restricted funds | Total funds 2023 | Total funds 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | ||
| Donations | 31,787 | 10,000 | 41,787 | 40,641 |
| Other Income | 276 | - | 276 | 2,248 |
| Total Receipts | 32,063 | 10,000 | 42,063 | 42,889 |
| Payments | ||||
| Pastoral | 1,606 | - | 1,606 | 1,646 |
| Hospitality | 1,139 | - | 1,139 | 688 |
| Meetings | - | - | - | 59 |
| Ministry | 27,963 | 10,000 | 37,963 | 25,589 |
| Online church | - | - | - | 433 |
| Room hire | 2,175 | - | 2,175 | 2,613 |
| Audio/Visual/IT | - | - | - | 369 |
| Admin | 423 | - | 423 | 779 |
| Newday United | 850 | - | 850 | 800 |
| Fusion | 1,740 | - | 1,740 | 3,990 |
| Local gifts | 1,000 | - | 1,000 | 1,010 |
| Total Payments | 36,895 | 10,000 | 46,895 | 38,110 |
| Surplus/(deficit) | - 4,832 | 0 | -4,832 | 4,779 |
| Cash Funds | ||||
| Bank and cash | ||||
| balances at start of | ||||
| year | 17,163 | 0 | 17,163 | 4,779 |
| - | ||||
| Bank and cash | ||||
| balances at end of | ||||
| year | 12,330 | 0 | 12,330 | 17,163 |
Approved by the board on and signed on behalf by:
Matthew Hawthorne
1 Basis of accounting
These accounts have been prepared on the Receipts & Payments basis.
2 Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of charity.
Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular areas of the charity’s work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity.
3 Trustee remuneration and expenses, and related party transactions
Alan Taylor as a trustee received remuneration during the year. As a trustee he received £616 in travel and subsistence expenses during the year (2022: £289 ).
No trustee or other person related to the charity had any personal interest in any contract or transaction entered into by the charity, including guarantees, during the year.
4. Analysis of movement in unrestricted funds
| Balance at | Receipts | Payments | Transfers | As at | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Sept 2022 | £ | £ | £ | 31 Aug 2023 | |
| £ | £ | ||||
| General fund | 17,163 | 46,895 | (46,895) | - | 12,330 |
| 17,163 | 46,895 | (46,895) | - | 12,330 |
Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of The Journey Church Manchester Charitable Incorporated Organisation (‘the CIO’)
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the CIO for the year ended 31 August 2023.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the CIO 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 CIO’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act. In carrying out my examination I have followed all applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the CIO as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
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.
Joel Williams 1 Montrose Avenue Stretford Manchester M32 9LN