## **Christchurch** ## **Market Harborough** **Trustees Report and Receipts & Payments Accounts** **1 September 2023 - 31 August 2024** **Registered Charity No. 1184289** Christchurch Market Harborough. Trustees Annual Report and Accounts for Year to 31 August 2024 ## **Administrative Details** ## **Status** Charitable Incorporated Organisation Registered Charity Number (England & Wales) 1184289 ## **Trustees** The trustees who served during the period and at the date of this report are as follows: Stuart Allen (Chair) A W J Stevens Adrian Reynolds Jonathan Prime (resigned 17 October 2023) Richard Underwood ## **Correspondence Address** 41 The Point Market Harborough LE16 7QU ## **Solicitors** Edward Connor Solicitors 10 The Point Market Harborough LE16 7QU ## **Bankers** Lloyds Bank plc PO Box 1000 BX1 1LT CAF Bank Limited 25 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill West Malling ME19 4JQ ## **Independent Examiner** Nigel Wyatt BSC FCA Wyatt & Co. 125 Main Street Garforth Leeds LS25 1AF Christchurch Market Harborough. Trustees Annual Report and Accounts for Year to 31 August 2024 ## **Charity Structure and Management** Christchurch Market Harborough is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, independent of any denomination, and governed by a Constitution dated 24 March 2019, which was amended on 8 October 2023. It is the successor to the unincorporated charity of the same name founded in 2010. The church operates under the name of Christchurch Harborough (“CCH”) to reflect the wider Harborough District from where members and attenders are drawn. The charity is overseen by trustees who are also the elders. They are appointed by the church members in accordance with policies and procedures in the Church Handbook. The elders meet formally twice a month and, depending on their nature, decisions are either made collectively by the elders and reported to the Members, or brought to the Members for approval at a Members’ Meeting held once each term. Jonathan Prime was unable to attend or participate in elders’ business meetings due to ongoing health issues and resigned as both a trustee and an elder on 17 October 2023. Whilst all the elders are equal in status and serve as pastors of the church, Stuart Allen has been appointed full time to the ministry as Senior Pastor of Christchurch. He serves alongside employed staff – a part-time Women’s Ministry Coordinator and part-time Church Administrator. The Women’s Ministry Coordinator is related to one of the trustees and that trustee is, therefore, excluded from elders’ / trustees’ decisions concerning her employment and remuneration. The elders are also supported in their work through the appointment of volunteer Deacons who serve in different areas of church life. CCH is affiliated to The Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (“FIEC”) and is a member of the Midlands Gospel Partnership. The church has 65 voting members and more than 100 adults and children who attend services regularly, with many more participating in other church activities. ## **Objectives and Activities** The main purpose of CCH is the advancement of the Christian faith. Other permitted activities that put into practice the Christian faith include relief of hardship, advancement of education, and provision of facilities in the interests of social welfare. The stated vision of the church is threefold: - Hearing God’s word - Growing into God’s likeness - Sharing God’s love These statements and the church’s work are expanded on our website: christchurchharborough.org.uk The church’s activities and grant-making priorities reflect our charitable purposes, expressed in our vision. Christchurch Market Harborough. Trustees Annual Report and Accounts for Year to 31 August 2024 ## **Achievements and Performance** ## **Hearing God’s word** The regular programme of the church is organised around a weekly cycle of gatherings. The church family gathers each Sunday afternoon for a regular worship service, open to all. The service includes ordinary Christian activity: singing, praying, and listening to the Bible read and preached. These services are made known locally by various means including online, but most visitors and first-timers come to church because they are invited, as in many other churches. Each service has age-appropriate sections and there are normally separate groups for preschool children (creche), primary children (Sunday School) and secondary age children (youth groups). These are led by DBS checked adults who are members of the church. Each week the sermon is recorded and made available online for anybody to listen to, including those who are members of the church but for whom health or circumstance makes attendance difficult or impossible. The church does not have its own building, but hires rooms in Market Harborough Congregational Church, another church in the town. We seek to build a positive and healthy relationship with our hosts. On occasions we have to find alternative venues when the building is in use by the host, or when we have a baptism service, since the Congregational Church does not have a baptistry. There is a church prayer meeting held weekly on Sunday mornings. We organise weekly smaller groups for those who attend the church. There are currently five of these, one of which is for women. The other groups are mixed and meet weekday evenings. These are opportunities for more informal times to show love, care and support for those who attend church, whether members or not. During 2023-24 a new Saturday morning group was also started for younger men. One outcome of this consistent Bible teaching and mutual support has, in God’s goodness, been an increase in those seeking Christan baptism. Three people were baptised towards the summer and a further six people have committed to baptism later in the year. Those who serve in the church are offered appropriate training. In 2023-24 this included: - Safeguarding update for all those working with children and adults at risk - A number of women attended The Midlands Women’s Convention – a day conference designed to encourage and equip women in their faith - Several leaders attending an FIEC Local Conference and FIEC’s national Leaders’ Conference – designed to encourage and equip those in all kinds of church leadership positions - Our Women’s Ministry Coordinator attended FIEC’s Thrive residential conference for those working in ministry to women Christchurch Market Harborough. Trustees Annual Report and Accounts for Year to 31 August 2024 - A member with leadership gifting was sponsored to attend FIEC’s The Hub Conference, for those considering a Christian pastoral ministry vocation - GDPR training for Elders/ Trustees and Deacons was run by Edward Connor Solicitors, as the church updated its existing Data Protection Policy and strengthened its procedures. In addition, for those who regularly attend the church, three weeknight seminars were provided on mental health and neurodiversity. These were heavily subscribed. During the two previous financial years, we sponsored one of our volunteer leaders to undertake the Midlands Ministry Training Course. The outcome was her appointment at the start of the period under review to a Children’s & Youth Worker post with Christchurch Dunstable. There are people with sight loss in the church for whom we prepare material. We are registered with Torch Trust as a Sight Loss Friendly Church. We also have attendees for whom Ukrainian is their mother tongue and we offer simultaneously translation from English when possible. We have a number of children with special educational needs, and we try to make sure that there is provision for them to be cared for and nurtured within the church. ## **Growing into God’s likeness** Our aim in our meetings is to encourage Christians to learn what it means to be a Christian in today’s world, becoming more like Jesus our Saviour and living for him the life of love that he calls us to. All our activities for those inside the church have the aim of developing this likeness. The church encourages members and attenders to meet with each other and support one another, not only to provide practical help, but also with this aim in mind. We also provide various gatherings and events to foster this. During the year: - We hosted several Sunday lunches and a Sunday afternoon tea for all regular attenders - We had our first Church Weekend Away (in September 2023) at The Hayes Conference Centre in Derbyshire. This was attended by over 90 adults, children and young people. The teaching focused on our three-fold vision statement, with time for relaxation and social activities. ## **Sharing God’s love** The church seeks to reach out to the community and beyond in a number of different ways. For example, we: - Host a monthly seniors drop-in at the town theatre lounge - Run a weekly term-time toddler, parent and carer music group - Take part in the Harborough Christmas Fair - Run the _Hope Explored_ course for those who express an interest in finding out more about the Christian faith, as a means of introducing them to Jesus Christchurch Market Harborough. Trustees Annual Report and Accounts for Year to 31 August 2024 - Plan events around the major Christian festivals and plan other events to mark significant national moments, In 2023-24 these included Carol Services, an art outreach evening, and a women’s Christmas wreath making event. We have a number of Mission Partners whose work we support locally (in Leicester, and the midlands), nationally (through the FIEC, to whom we are affiliated) and globally (in North Africa and Bolivia). We also regularly support Open Doors, a registered charity that supports Christians who are persecuted around the world. ## **Future plans** The church is currently planning to hold a second Church Weekend Away in September 2025. A street literature outreach is also scheduled to begin in Autumn 2024, with the aim of introducing people to the Christian faith. The elders have also begun working on a five-year vision for 2025-2030, which involves plans to build our staff team to help facilitate the future growth and development of the church. ## **Public Benefit** When planning activities and making decisions, the elders / trustees have had due regard to the Charity Commission Guidance on public benefit. This is reflected in the report of activities shown above. ## **Financial Review** ## **Overview** The elders / trustees are grateful to God for the generosity of church members who contribute to the finances of the church, enabling the church’s mission and advancing the church’s vision. In seeking to widen the church’s reach to the Harborough district and establish a stronger footprint in the community, surplus reserves are being used by means of budgeting for an annual deficit. This has enabled us to: - broaden the range and number of outreach initiatives - host events to foster stronger Christian faith and deepen relationships of members /attenders for their social and spiritual welfare - invest in our staff and - strengthen our Governance ## **Unrestricted Fund** The church’s unrestricted receipts rose 5% to £110,518 (2023 - £105,083) with 96% of those receipts being voluntary donations, mostly from church members, and associated Gift Aid. Christchurch Market Harborough. Trustees Annual Report and Accounts for Year to 31 August 2024 Unrestricted payments, including the Fund Transfer to support the Designated Fund, rose by 18% to £135,309 (2023 - £114,671). Most of this was planned with a view to using surplus unrestricted funds held by the church. ## **Major Costs** Our most significant costs across Unrestricted and Designated Funds were: - staff team - £81,558 Staff are one of the church’s main resources available to achieving the charity’s objectives and the (unconflicted) trustees are committed to ensuring that they are appropriately remunerated, trained, prayed for, and supported. - venue hire and associated costs - £16,492 The church continues to hire venues for its meetings and is especially grateful to Market Harborough Congregational Church for the use of its facilities for most of our main services and other events. - fellowship events for members and attenders £9,585 Research strongly suggests that being part of a faith community enables people to live a longer life as well as having mental and physical health benefits. For these and other reasons, the elders / trustees place a strong emphasis on the social and spiritual welfare of the church’s members and attenders. Events (including the Church Weekend Away) were held during the year which were designed to deepen relationships of members /attenders as well as shaping the church’s vision, as described below. - grants to Mission Partners - £6,744 Grants to Mission Partners for advancing the Christian faith are all routed through to UKregistered charities). The elders / trustees last year committed to give grants approximating to 5% of the church’s unrestricted receipts. In the year being reported this rose to 6% partly due to an additional grant to meet a specific need. ## **Net Cash Position** The net result (including asset sales and purchases and the transfer to subsidise the Designated Fund) was a shortfall on unrestricted funds for the year of £25,680 (2023 – shortfall £10,861. This latter figure excludes the Designated Fund in order to ensure that figures are compared on a like-for-like basis). ## **Budget** A further budget deficit has been planned for the year ending 31 August 2025. The elders / trustees are cognisant that as surplus reserves are used up then ongoing deficits will need to be addressed. To this end, members are kept appraised of the situation and asked to consider raising their giving each year. Christchurch Market Harborough. Trustees Annual Report and Accounts for Year to 31 August 2024 ## **Designated Fund** In the previous financial year, a Designated Fund was established through which receipts and payments for the biennial autumn Church Weekend Away were channelled. They are shown separately to give a better understanding of the accounts and to make it simpler to compare finances of the church’s regular ministries from year to year. This is because almost all the receipts are received in one financial year and almost all the payments in the following financial year. The net subsidised cost of the event (£6,670) has been transferred from the Unrestricted Fund in the year under review. The negative balance of £1,000 at the year-end represents the deposit paid for the next Church Weekend Away, due to take place in September 2025. ## **Restricted Fund** The Restricted Funds comprise monies raised for the following appeals: - Open Doors (£3,096) to support persecuted Christians worldwide - Mission Partner Care Package (£679) being a grant for the physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of a family through a traumatic time in their lives. These were fully distributed during the financial year. ## **Bank Balances and Short Term Investments** Closing Fund / bank balances, net of the balance on the church’s Lloyds Bank Charge Cards, were £30,480 (2023 - £136,662). This was after closing the Lloyds Bank Fixed Term Deposit of £75,000 and reinvesting £50,000 in a new Lloyds Bank Fixed Term Deposit. ## **Related-party Transactions** Two (previously three) of the church’s trustees hold senior positions with The Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC) to which Christchurch is affiliated. FIEC makes its office premises available for churches to use on a donation basis and Christchurch makes use of this for some meetings, as well as making affiliation donations to FIEC as one of our Mission Partners. Although disclosure of related party transactions is not a requirement for Receipts and Payments accounts, for the sake of transparency, the church members have a clear process for agreeing donations to FIEC. The process does not involve any FIEC staff or Connected Persons. All such financial contributions to FIEC are, therefore, made avoiding any conflicts of interest or conflicts of loyalty. Christchurch Market Harborough. Trustees Annual Report and Accounts for Year to 31 August 2024 ## **Reserves Policy** The church Reserves Policy is to maintain unrestricted reserves of at least three month’s regular expenditure. This is considered sufficient to respond to any immediate, sustained, or significant drop in income. At the end of the period, and based on the 2024/2025 budget, this amounted to £33,069 Unrestricted Funds held of £80,480 are therefore adequate. The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above Signed on behalf of the charity trustees Signature: Full Name: The Reverend Stuart Philip Allen Position: Senior Pastor / Trustee > Date: 18/01/2025 Christchurch Market Harborough. Trustees Annual Report and Accounts for Year to 31 August 2024 Receipts and Payments Accounts Funds Last Y•8r Receipts Donations 86.983 18,869 3366 88.754 19.644 Gift Aid 31 19,4&9 other 4.666 11&.518 125 4.791 114.449 8215 116.613 Sub Total 156 3.TJ5 Asset & Investment Sales Equiprnent Sales Lloyds Bank Flxed Terrn Deposit Sub total 960 96& 75.00& 75,96& 75.00& 75,96& Total r•¢￿pts 186.478 156 3.775 190.409 116.613 Payments Mlsslon & Outreach 11.066 14.162 12,697 17,568 Worship, Prayer & Teaehin Care, Pastoral & Fellowship Trainin 18.561 6.135 24.716 5.902 5,48• 81,558 6.052 128.639 0.120 679 12.707 5.480 81,558 6.119 144.742 5.188 1,560 76.178 staffin Administration & Govemance 67 6.50 121,699 Sub Tot•1 12.328 3,T15 Asset & Investment Purchases Equiprnent Purchases Lltyds Bank Flxèd Term Deposlt Sub total 1.849 5•,00& 51,84• 1,849 5•.00& 51,849 1,273 1,273 Tot•l p•ym•nts 11328 3.775 196,591 122.972 &V•t of rnc•lpt5/(paym•nt5J Tran$l•r5 b•ttv•en fvnds 5.990 6.67& 12.172 6.67& 6.182 6,359 Cash funds last y•ar •nd Cash funds thls year end 32.160 4.502 36.662 43.&21 31.489 1,000 30.480 36.662 Christchurch Market Harborough. Trustees Annual Report and Accounts for Year to 31 August 2024 ## **Notes to the accounts** 1. Expenses are allocated to the relevant charitable activity of the church, although training, staffing & admin costs are shown separately and not apportioned. 2. The staffing costs: - include the employer contributions to the workplace pension scheme - include a stipend paid to the Senior Pastor, who is also a trustee of the charity - include a salary paid to the Women's Worker, who is related to a trustee of the charity Payroll is contracted out to a third party provider who retains sums for PAYE liabilities and remits them to HMRC as they fall due. As at the year-end, £1796 is due for payment on 22 October 2024 3. The assets retained for the charity's own use are shown at replacement cost Christchurch Market Harborough. Trustees Annual Report and Accounts for Year to 31 August 2024 4. The Designated Fund comprises financial transactions for the Church Weekend Away which took place in September 2023. The church subsidised the cost with the subsidy charged to the Unrestricted Fund during the year. The Weekend is devoted to Bible teaching that shapes the Church Vision and also to encourage Christian care and fellowship for and between members. The year-end negative balance represents the non-refundable deposit paid for the next Church Weekend Away taking place in October 2025. ## 5. The Restricted Fund breakdown is as follows: ||Open Doors Appeal|Mission Partner Care| |---|---|---| |||Package| ||£|£| |Opening balances|-|-| |Receipts|**3,096**|**679**| |Payments|**3,096**|**679**| |Closing Balances|**-**|**-**| 6. The Term Deposit Investment Asset matures on 08 January 2025 when interest of £805 will be paid. 7. Other Monetary Assets. The church maintains a Partner Account with Stewardship (UKET) Limited through which donors can make one-off or regular donations. These donations with Gift Aid, where relevant are usually drawn down to the church's bank account on a monthly basis. ## **Christchurch Market Harborough** ## **31st August 2024** ## **Independent Examiners Report** I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Christchurch Market Harborough ('the charity') for the year ended 31st August 2024. ## **Responsibilities and Basis of Report** As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’). I report in respect of my examination of the charity's financial statements carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. ## **Independent Examiner's Statement** I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), which is one of the listed bodies. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: 1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. the financial statements do not accord with those records; or 3. the financial statements 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. Nigel Wyatt BSC FCA Date: 20/01/2025 Independent Examiner 125 Main Street Garforth Leeds LS25 1AF 5