Hillside Church Annual Report 2019-20 This report covers the period 1[st] September 2019 to 31[st] August 2020[1]
Charity Name Hillside Church Charity Ref 1183957 Charity Address 37 Worple Road Wimbledon London SW19 4JZ Charity Trustees Philip Cockerill Martin Green Heather Hooper Susanna Thomas Nigel Eager (appointed Oct 2021) Fiona Ng (appointed Oct 2021) Governance Hillside Church is a CIO Foundation, registered with the Charity Commission since 18[th] June 2019.
This report covers the activities of Hillside Church over the period 1[st] September 2019 to 31[st] August 2020[2] .
1 Hillside Church uses the reporting period 'September to August'. This is based on historic precedent. Prior to formal registration with the Charity Commission in June 2019, Hillside Church had operated for many years using this financial period.
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1. Objectives
The objects of Hillside Church are set out in the charity’s trust deed and are summarised as follows.
To advance the Christian faith for the public benefit in accordance with the statement of beliefs and practices in Wimbledon, the United Kingdom and the world.
2. Strategy
Our approach to meeting the objectives is as follows:
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Church services are held every Sunday morning. These include provision for adults and children.
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We communicate with our church community through regular email messages which provide news, prayer points, teaching and series meditating on the Bible.
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We maintain a website and use social media including Facebook and Instagram.
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We have special events throughout the year, in particular at key dates in the Christian calendar.
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We work with other local churches and charities on social responsibility projects.
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We hire the church building for use by a broad range of local charities, arts and sports clubs and small businesses.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic we have adapted the approach to providing services to the local community, using mainly online/virtual methods.
3. Achievements and Performance
Worship, Teaching, Prayer and Community
Sundays are core to the Hillside Church community. Prior to the COVID pandemic we held church services every Sunday morning. These meetings have a friendly and informal atmosphere and are open to everyone.
We gather to worship with wonderful music, relevant Bible teaching and a huge variety of interacting with one another and with God. We spend time in prayer for individuals, the community and the world and celebrate communion every month. Our regular speaker on Sundays is pastor, Rev. Richard Thomas and we also invite guest speakers to teach the Bible and share their insights on faith.
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Sunday mornings are a time of community. Socialising over coffee and cake is so important. We build friendships and learn how to support one another in our faith journeys and through the ups and downs of everyday life.
Children’s work
Children and young people are encouraged to be an active part of services including sharing prayers and their talents for acting and singing. During the quieter teaching and communion parts of the Sunday service, children attend a club, called Kids on the Hill. Here the children are encouraged to explore the Bible and their faith through puppets, games, discussions, prayer, messy art and crafts and a whole lot more.
Youth work
On Sunday mornings, young people at Hillside sometimes join in the services with rest of the congregation or sometimes have their own group where they are supported in studying the Bible, considering its relevance to their lives and exploring questions that they may have.
Young people are also invited to attend the weekly club called Youthside held on Sunday evenings. This is place to build friendships through playing sports and sharing pizza. It’s also an opportunity to talk informally about faith and life with trusted adults and to pray for one another.
Alpha Course
We ran an Alpha Course from Sept to Dec 2019. This was open to all to attend and was held in the church. This was an opportunity to consider the fundamentals of the Christian faith and it provided people with a safe space to discuss their experiences and raise questions.
Events
Hillside loves big events and we make extra efforts to publicise in order to appeal to the local community and beyond. Highlights of the year included:
City/Citta art event
In September 2019 the church became an art gallery for several weeks and was open to the public throughout the week as part of the Wimbledon Art Fair. We held an evening of live music and talks on art, with a focus on the plight of trafficked women.
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Christmas events
2019 saw a series of Christmas events. We sang carols for the public in the centre of Wimbledon, as part of the local Love Wimbledon initiative. We presented a nativity and Christingle extravaganza for people of all ages and backgrounds. We teamed with the local Singology choir for an evening celebration with lots of people attending. These special events included British Sign Language translators and were promoted to the Deaf community as we seek to make church accessible to all.
Social Outreach
In January and February 2020, we joined with local churches and charities to deliver the Merton Night Shelter. Homeless people were invited to sleep in the church building and were provided with breakfasts. We have been involved in this partnership for a number of years and this service has become an important part of our church calendar.
Local Networks
We’ve maintained strong links with other local churches and charities, in particular the Wimbledon YMCA and Merton Foodbank. This is important for us as a small, independent church. It enables people to get involved with community activities which Hillside is not directly responsible for delivering.
Pastoral support
Hillside’s pastor provides pastoral care to the church community through regular daily Bible reflections, prayer and visits. He also has strong connections with local hospitals.
Adapting to COVID
The COVID pandemic has been a challenging time for individuals, the community and for Hillside Church. We have adapted by having a live sermon online every Sunday morning and with musical items for worship. It is difficult to assess the impact of this approach but the videos are available online for viewing at any time and have received a large number of hits.
To complement the sermon series, our pastor has provided several series of daily Bible reflections available online. These have been really popular as they have spoken to people with messages directly relevant to the issues faced under the effects of the pandemic.
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We have conducted informal church meetings in the church forecourt on several Sundays during the COVID pandemic when government restrictions allowed for external group gatherings.
The church has plans for new community work which were due to launch in 2020 but unfortunately the pandemic has meant that these plans have been put on hold. The trustees will continue to review what is possible and safe under the latest government guidelines.
4. Community Activities
Our building consists of two halls and several smaller rooms which are a valuable resource to the local community. A range of activities regularly take place including:
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A Korean Church that holds services and prayer meetings
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Therapy and addiction support groups including Alcoholics Anonymous
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Sports clubs for children
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Choirs, music and dance groups
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An artists’ group
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Private psychotherapy
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Academic examinations
5. Financial Review
Overview
Total income in unrestricted funds for the period 1[st] September 2019 to 31[st] August 2020 was £57,934. The main sources of income were rental income (£42,560) from groups renting rooms and giving (£10,715). The COVID pandemic has had a significant impact on income. Many groups who would usually rent rooms have not been able to meet or their activities have been severely limited due to lockdown restrictions.
When lockdown measures are lifted, the trustees will aim to implement a set of measures to increase income levels so that the church can become more effective in delivering its charitable aims.
Reserves Policy
Our reserves policy is to hold the equivalent of three months’ income in our account. This would currently equate to approximately £15,000. Our reserves at 31[st] August 2020 were less than £1,000. We recognise that this is not a healthy financial position and we will seek to build reserves as soon as possible.
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Staff
We employ one pastor on a full time, permanent contract. Self-employed staff provide cleaning, maintenance and administrative services on an as needed basis.
Volunteers
The work of Hillside Church would not be possible without the support of volunteers who organise events, manage finances, make music, clean the building, teach children, make refreshments and do many other things. We’re grateful to everyone who provides support to creating a wonderful church community.
6. Governance
The charity trustees are responsible for the general control and management of the charity. The trustees give their time freely and receive no remuneration or other financial benefits.
The trustees meet monthly as a broader Leadership Team which includes the pastor and people appointed to positions of leadership in the church (e.g. worship leader). To assist in the running of the charity, the trustees have appointed a finance team, led by the church treasurer. In addition to the Leadership Team meetings, the trustees also meet at least annual for a Trustees Meeting.
The existing trustees are responsible for the appointment of new trustees but in doing so they seek views and recommendations of the pastor and other leaders in the church. In selecting trustees, we seek to identify individuals with a Christian faith who agree with our statement of beliefs, who regularly attend church events and who are willing to volunteer to serve the local community.
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Hillside Church Statement of Financial Activities for year ending 31st August 2020
Financial Reporting Period
Hillside Church uses the financial reporting period 'September to August'. This is based on historic precedent. Prior to formal registration with the Charity Commission in June 2019, Hillside Church had operated for many years using this financial period. The period was maintained following our registration in order to maintain consistency and ensure that there was no gap in reporting periods. This report includes income and expenditure over the period September 2018 to August 2019 to ensure that the entire period since registration is presented.
Income
| 2018-19 | 2019-20 | |
| Giving | ||
| Gift aided giving (unrestricted) | £42,070 | £8,865 |
| Gift aided giving (restricted) | - | - |
| Non-Gift aided giving (unrestricted) | £590 | £1,850 |
| Non-Gift aided giving (restricted) | - | - |
| Events giving (non gift aid) | £536 | - |
| Gift Aid Tax refund (HMRC) | £10,607 | - |
| Rental | ||
| Room Rental | £60,709 | £42,560 |
| Other | ||
| HMRC furlough grant | - | £4,623 |
| Refunds | £22 | £35 |
| Bank interest | £19 | - |
| TOTAL | £114,554 | £57,934 |
In 2019/20 the church’s income was affected by the COVID epidemic. In order to retain our pastor who is a full time employee we applied for HMRC furlough grants. For a short period, the pastor was placed on full time furlough and on
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part time furlough for a prolonged period. This enabled us to continue to function as a church whilst retaining our pastor.
Expenditure
| 2018-19 | 2019-20 | |
| People | ||
| Speakers’ expenses | £336 | £0 |
| Payroll | £29,141 | £27,798 |
| Pension | £1,266 | £1,801 |
| Expenses | £3,030 | £1,266 |
| Cleaner | £720 | £1,000 |
| Caretaker | £3,165 | £3,060 |
| Building Manager | £8,640 | £4,320 |
| Property | ||
| Council Tax | £1,526 | £1,835 |
| Electricity | £2,651 | £1,589 |
| Gas | £3,604 | £2,937 |
| Ground Rent | £300 | £300 |
| Water Rate | £727 | £752 |
| Carpet Cleaning | £714 | £476 |
| Insurance | £1,854 | £1,339 |
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| Deposit refund | £700 | £322 |
| Subscriptions | £469 | £305 |
| Broadband & Phone | £336 | £407 |
| Office Supplies | £667 | £279 |
| Mortgage | £6,732 | £4,488 |
| Repairs & Maintenance | £1,238 | £1,131 |
| Refuse | £316 | £278 |
| New Assets | £1,215 | £0 |
| Legal | £47,862 | £3,000 |
| Website | £236 | £0 |
| Events | ||
| Christmas | £113 | £120 |
| Honesty Over Silence | £823 | £0 |
| Jazzy Christmas | £50 | £0 |
| Merton Arts | £0 | £264 |
| Pancake Sunday | £450 | £450 |
| Mothering Sunday | £36 | £0 |
| Other | ||
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| Bank charges | £0 | £32 |
| DBS | £0 | £132 |
| Total | £118,920 | £59,680 |
| Income minus expenditure | -£4,366 | -£1,746 |
Statement of Assets
| Movement of Funds 31st Aug 19 |
Movement of Funds 31st Aug 19 |
Movement of Funds 31st Aug 19 |
31st Aug 20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Account | £1,845 | £589 | |
| Deposit Account | £546 | £57 | |
| Cash in hand | £48 | £48 | |
| Uncleared cheques | £0 | £0 | |
| TOTALS | £2,440 | £694 | |
| Change in balance | -£1,746 | ||
| Income-expenditure | -£1,746 | ||
| Discrepancy | |||
| £0 |
Statement of Fixed Assets
- Hillside Church owns a 2/3rds share of the church building at 37 Worple Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 4JZ Insured value of property = £1,530,000
(The other ⅓ is owned by the Church Growth Trust Ltd, charity ref 1138119)
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- Hillside Church owns 62% share (at July 2021) in the manse house property at 18 Sandbourne Avenue, London, SW19 3EN.The total (100%) value of the property is approximately £900,000. The property is shared ownership with five private owners. The share is calculated based on Hillside Church and other owners’ investments at purchase and subsequent investments in the improvement of the property.
Statement of Liabilities
As of 31st August 2020, Hillside Church had the following liabilities, totalling £33,083.86
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Mortgage remaining on manse property, 18 Sandbourne Avenue = £6,649.30 2. Outstanding legal fees = £23,334.56
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Outstanding maintenance costs = £3,100
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CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGIAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of Charrty Name Hlllside Churth On accounts for the year ended 31 August 2020 Chaiity no {rfany) 1183957 Set out on pages IremembeT to rKiude the pa9e numbers of additior¢al sheels5 I report to the tswstees cn my examination of the accounts of thè abtyo drity {Ihe Trusf) forthe year ended 31 December 2019. As the chai)S trustees. you are responsible for the preparation of the accoun10.8Ccordants wth the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 Responsibilities and basis of pOrt rthe Acn. I report in respect of my examIn10n of the Trusfs accounts canied out under sectron 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable DItionS given by the Charity Commission urKler section 145{5)(b) of tr Art Independent I have c(Thpleted my examinalion. I t that no material matters have examlnerfs statsment come to my atttion in connedim the examination (other than that dtsdosed bek)w ? vthith gives me cause to believe that in, any material resp the accOurj rordS were not keFrt in aC(Ce wth section 130 of the Charities Ac( or the accounts did rK)t accord Vth the accounting res. or the accounts did not conply with the applicable requirements concemirKJ the fomi arKI ntent of accounts set (yjt in the Charities (Accounts Reports) Regulations 21J)8 other than any requirement that the accounts give a knje and fairf view 1¢h is not a matter considered as part of an indeperxlent examination. I have no concems and have come across no other matters in cmnection with the examination to vthich attenlion should be drawn in this report in order to enable a wjper LMders&dfftg of tl* accowts to be reached. . Pk8se Ihe woth in Ihe bRckets rftlw do not apply. Dats: 23 December2021 Signed: Name: Charles J Hazle Relevant professlonal qualification(s) or body (If any): Address: Meadow Val8 109 Main Street Bonby