LIGHTHOUSE CRESSEX 2024 ANNUAL REPORT
By David Lidiard, Nov 2024
Lighthouse Cressex delivers a fun week-long summer holiday programme for children of primary school age run by local churches working together with our local community. Although we don’t have a specific catchment area, we expect to draw children from our local areas of Booker and Cressex. We have been running annually since 2010 and normally use Cressex Community School as our base. However, due to electrical works at the school occurring during the summer holidays putting a corridor out of action and possibly the loss of the internet the trustees took a fairly last minute decision to switch the venue to the Christ the Servant King church (CSK) premises across the road from the school. In 2024 we welcomed around 150 children on average aged between 5 and 10+ supported by approximately 140 volunteers of whom around half were teenagers. We also held Little Lighthouse for children under 5 and their carers attracting over 100 visits. Included in the 150 children were several with special needs, most of whom were able to be fully engaged with their age groups with some additional considerations and assistance ably provided by our volunteers.
Switching venues at a late stage in planning gave rise to a number of challenges and some concern from our leaders as to how everything would work in a smaller place. With some judicial adjustment to the schedule and room allocation, use of Fernie Fields for sports, the purchase of 6 marquees, a car park that seemed to be like a tardis that not only housed 7 marquees and the portable toilets but also had plenty of space for games at lunchtime, and finally the fact that we were blessed with dry, calm weather the new venue was certainly a success and everything passed off smoothly. Having marquees in the car park required overnight security but apart from the invasion by a few curious cats there were no issues. We are very grateful for the setup and take down teams for sorting out the marquees.
This year we continued with the special event for our young ‘red shirts’, aka teenagers, on 2 evenings of the Lighthouse week at CSK. Here the young people were able to relax from their day time responsibilities of caring for the younger children and have fun games, a café followed by an opportunity to discuss some of the deeper questions and challenges that life throws at us. We continued to see this very well attended and showed there was a real need in the community for events for teenagers. This is a great opportunity for our red shirts to get to know one another, have a fun time and make that transition from child into adulthood. Lighthouse provides a great training ground for our teenagers to take on responsibility and start to develop those all-important adult skills.
This year our theme was illustrated by Dr Why and his time machine, the LARDIS. This took us back in time to various events in the life of Jesus to meet the people involved and find out what it was like to meet Jesus. The atrium and main stage were decked out with space memorabilia by our talented props team and included our very own LARDIS with flashing lights and smoke. On Wednesday we had a visit from the Sublime Slime man who ran some crazy science experiments for the children to get involved in. As always, our mainstage, where everyone is gathered together, is a lively time full of singing, dancing, games, teaching and drama. After, the children separate into their groups for sessions of sports, drama, craft and learning together. The older children (9-11) have specialized workshops to suit their age group.
The trustees are very grateful to our sponsors. Lighthouse is run on a voluntary basis and no charge is made for the week despite the number of drinks, biscuits and cakes consumed! Lighthouse mainly relies on contributions from a number of local churches and a small number of key donors. Although this year we did not qualify for a grant from the local council Community Board we were very grateful that the Avenue Methodist church stepped in to make up the shortfall. Most of all we are indebted to our volunteers who provide time, expertise and energy to make Lighthouse Cressex happen, often taking holiday or unpaid leave to volunteer during the week. Despite being exhausted at the end of the Lighthouse week it gives the trustees and volunteers great pleasure to receive thanks from the children and parents who in themselves struggle to find activities for their children during the summer school holidays.
TRUSTEES
Jacqui Griggs Sharon Windsor Clare Lamb Edward Chidgey David Lidiard
Named Trustee Posts:
Treasurer – Jacqui Griggs Secretary – Ed Chidgey Chair – David Lidiard
Lighthouse Cressex
Financial Report 2024 For year ended 30[th] September 2024
Summary
This year’s Lighthouse accounts report a surplus of £2,712. £2,000 of this was due to a church donation relating to the previous year’s Lighthouse. The surplus is due to increased income rather than a decrease in expenditure.
Income - £13,227
Church donations –We received continued support from CSK Church, Kings Church, The Avenue Methodist, New Life Christian Fellowship, St Mary and St George, Our Lady of Grace, Oakridge Baptist and a new church – Venture Church. £1500 received via The Avenue Methodist Church from their outgoing nursery group. Total received from churches £8,280. A significant increase from the previous year, even taking out the £2,000 relating to last year.
Grant Funding – Disappointingly we weren’t awarded the £1,500 community funding from Buckinghamshire Council that we’ve received in previous years. The reason given was that they don’t give it if we received it in the previous year. Other areas of funding were declined due to the religious content of our activities.
Individual supporter donations – again we have been so blessed by individuals who have supported us (and continue to support us) so generously with a total of £1,250.
Donations through the week (including online)
Donations through the week were £2,434 (£969 of this through GoodHub Online).
Donations through the week showed a 13% increase on the previous year.
Gift Aid
£895, the majority of which related to our 2022/23 claim. A further £618 came in at the beginning of October for the year 2023/24 - this will appear in next year’s accounts.
Shop
The shop ran again this year, albeit with a smaller range of goods, with income of £368 and after deducting costs made a surplus of £176. A 75% increase on the surplus of the previous year
Expenditure - £10,515
Our expenditure costs in some areas were quite different this year due to the change of venue, although interestingly the total was almost exactly the same. Our thanks go to CSK Church for allowing Lighthouse to use their premises free of charge.
Site Costs (exc Equipment purchase/school parking hire/toilet hire) (£2,313)
Staging and AV Equipment costs of £1,472. This was less than the previous year due to no staging hire required this year. .
Main stage/other site costs £840
Toilet Hire (£360)
This was an additional cost this year
School Hire (£200)
The only school hire fees this year were for parking by parents during drop off and collection
Equipment Purchase (£2298)
A new heading due to the significance of the items. This includes the purchase of 7 gazebos – one for each age group.
First Aid (£565)
No increase on last year. We had two first aiders for the price of one which was invaluable when the sports team were taking children to Fernie Fields.
Insurance (£311)
Slightly lower cost this year due to the reduced value of the AV equipment hired in.
Admin Costs (£1990)
These costs include the admin fee charged by LHCentral of £5per head for each child and volunteer (up from £3.50) (312 @ £5= £1560) plus DBS costs £6/head (16 @ £6.00 = £96)
Volunteers 143/ children 169
(2023 figures - Volunteers enrolled 162/children enrolled 193)
Also paid an annual subscription fee to LHCentral of £315
Stationery costs of £19
Bank Charges (£80)
HSBC continue to charge £5 fee per month for managing the account plus activity charges of 40p per cheque/40p per £100 cash.
Activities (£1121)
Include costs for the Sublime workshop of £777. Craft £120. Age groups £173.
Little LH £51
Shop costs (£192)
Tshirts and sweets. Books and toys were donated
T shirts/badges (£524)
Similar total cost as previous year although cost of the uniform has increased from £4.91 to £5.17 per adult t-shirt.
Refreshments (£531)
This doesn’t include the BBQ – still awaiting invoice. Covers refreshments during the week
Charitable Donations
No donation given to other charities.
Gifts £28
Books were given to those attending Little Lighthouse.
Reserves - £10,537
Our reserves are back up to 2020 levels. We consider these to be adequate as we look ahead to Lighthouse 2025 and will be sufficient to cover any costs that are incurred before next year’s LH week.
All thanks to God for His abundant provision in supplying all that we need for His Kingdom works.
Jacqui Griggs
Treasurer and Trustee
Lighthouse Cressex
13[th] November 2024
LIGHTHOUSE CRESSEX
CIO NUMBER 1183476
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST OCTOBER 2023-30TH SEPTEMBER 2024
| RECEIPTS Donations (Churches, Grants, Supporters) Donations (during the week) Donations (online) Gift aid tax refund Sales Total PAYMENTS Site Set Up/Stage/AV Hire of premises Hire of toilets Equipment Purchase - gazebos First Aid Insurance Admin Bank charges Activities Shop Helpers Uniform Refreshments Misc Total Income less expenditure for current year Balance bought forward from previous year Balance carried forward to following year |
9530 1465 969 895 368 £13 227 2313 200 360 2298 565 311 1990 80 1121 192 524 531 30 £10 515 |
9530 1465 969 895 368 £13 227 |
|---|---|---|
| £2 712 £7 825 £10 537 |
BALANCE SHEET AS AT 30TH SEPTEMBER 2024
Current Assets:
Cash in hand at bank
£10 537