2023-12-31-accounts - Skelmersdale Ecumenical Centre

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SKELMERSDALE ECUMENICAL CENTRE Charity Number 1184507

Annual Report and Financial Statements

Year ended 31[ST] December 2023

Skelmersdale Ecumenical Centre

Year ended 31[st] December 2023

Reference and administrative details

Trustees Rev P Jump Mr D Stanley Rev K Summers Mr N Mackenzie Rev M Tindsley Principal address Northway Skelmersdale WN8 6LU Bankers Nat West Bank Co-operative Bank

Registered Charity Number 1184507 Independent Examiner M R Heaton FCCA FCIE DChA KM Chartered Accountants 1[st] Floor, Block C The Wharf Manchester Road Burnley BB11 1JG

Skelmersdale Ecumenical Centre Year ended 31[st] December 2023

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT

The trustees present their first report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ending 31[st] December 2023.

OBJECTS

The objects of the CIO are:- the advancement of the Christian religion for the public benefit by:

1) the promotion of fellowship between Christian churches, bodies, institutions and persons in community therewith

2) the provision, improvement, and management of the Skelmersdale Ecumenical Centre building;

3) the promotion of the Skelmersdale Ecumenical Centre building as a place of public worship to be shared by the Church of England, the Methodist Church, the United Reformed Church and the North West Baptist Association (which churches and association are hereinafter referred to together as “the sharing churches”) and to be used by them either alone or jointly with each other or together with other Christian churches, bodies, institutions or persons in communion therewith; and

4) the promotion of the Skelmersdale Ecumenical Centre building as a centre for any other charitable activity which may seem to the CIO to be beneficial to the sharing churches or likely to further their common aims and interests so far as the same may be wholly and exclusively charitable.

Activities

The trustees continued to oversee the work of the centre through an appointed management committee and were pleased to welcome David Stanley as an additional board member.

Our key objectives for 2023 were to complete the main refurbishment of the interior of our building and to bring to a satisfactory conclusion the outstanding issues with a previous contractor. The trustees are pleased to report that both of these are now in place with an agreed settlement and payment scheme in place with the contractor. The main stairwells and hall are now refurbished along with the ground floor disabled toilet and utility area.

We retain the vision to re-introduce regular worship at the centre and are pleased that a weekly prayer meeting has continued on Tuesdays throughout the year with ad-hoc Christmas events also being organised. The Refugee drop-in and support service continues to be run as a directly managed project, with additional provision of a Winter Warm hub for all members of the community, part funded by Lancashire County Council.

All the permanent tenancy areas are now let and there is a sustainable income stream to maintain the centre’s activities on an ongoing basis. In short, all of the operational costs and a modest refurbishment programme is possible through revenue funding, with an ongoing programme of external grant applications for more significant improvements.

Although we retain a primary purpose of maintaining and providing a quality facility in which other community stakeholders can offer appropriate support and services, the SEC has also run occasional direct projects. In 2023 this included a Health Community Champions Programme “Your Voice Your Story” which attracted over 20 regular participants working both onsite and also in other locations. The group was tasked with developing a project between themselves and identified a “Signpost Café drop in”, which could help engage the most vulnerable in the various services offered within and beyond the SEC. The project includes sufficient funding to operate this until March 2024. Securing further funding will be a key objective for 2024. We also secured funding to employ a further caseworker for our refugee project with a particular brief to engage with female clients.

Skelmersdale Ecumenical Centre

Year ended 31[st] December 2023

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT

Key Objectives for 2024

The key objectives for 2024 include the following:

Maintain and develop the SEC as a quality venue for the community provision for the people of Skelmersdale.
Discharge all remaining financial liabilities to the former refurbishment contractor through drawdown of outstanding grant funds from the Big Lottery
Continue to offer and develop the refugee drop in and support programme.
Establish the Signpost Café project and secure sufficient funding to maintain this for at least 24 months.
Maintain sustainable finance and management systems to ensure ongoing stability for the SEC.
Work with Ecumenical Partners to further develop the Spiritual life and activities of the Centre.
Continue a grant funded refurbishment programme to replace downstairs windows, refurbish main hall, upstairs communal space and garden and café area.
Establish the position of an engagement officer to support the building manager in making the facilities available to community members and proactively engaging visitors in the broader programme and provision of the SEC.

Public benefit

The trustees confirm that we have paid due regard to the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit reporting in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Financial position

The Receipts and Payments Account and Statement of Assets and Liabilities are on page 7.

Unrestricted balances at the year-end amounted to £40,134. Restricted balances at the year-end amounted to £ Nil. Combined, these gave a total funds carried forward balance of £40,134.

The charity aims to hold 3 months expenditure in unrestricted funds. The centre is financed by a combination of grants. Contracts, donations as well as rental income from centre users both regular and ad hoc. A more comprehensive review of reserves and financial stability is planned for the coming few months.

Skelmersdale Ecumenical Centre

Year ended 31[st] December 2023

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Trustees

The trustees as listed on page 2 are appointed by the Church of England, North Western Baptist Association, Methodist Church and United Reformed Church, each of whom is entitled to appoint up to three trustees.

Day to day running of the Centre is by a Centre Manager.

Governing document

The charity is governed by its Constitution of 19[th] July 2019 as amended 11[th] May 2022.

Structure

The trustees meet regularly to discuss matters relating to governance and finance and delegate a number of responsibilities to a centre management group to steer the direction of the Centre.

Risk management

The Trustees have introduced a risk management process to assess business risks and are implementing systems to mitigate these risks. Internal risks are minimised by the implementation of procedures or authorisation of all transactions and projects and to ensure consistent quality of delivery for all operational aspects of the Charity. Procedures are in place to ensure compliance with health and safety of staff, volunteers, clients, and visitors to the premises. These procedures are periodically reviewed to ensure that they still met the needs of the Charity.

The Centre seeks to follow recognised safeguarding processes.

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 5th February 2025 and signed on its behalf by:

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Rev P Jump

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF SKELMERSDALE ECUMENICAL CENTRE

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31[st] December 2023.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity's trustees 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 charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 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 have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:

(1) accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by Section 130 of the Act; or
(2) the accounts do not accord with those records.

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.

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M R Heaton FCCA FCIE DChA KM 1[st] Floor, Block C, The Wharf Burnley Lancashire BB11 1JG

5th February 2025

SKELMERSDALE ECUMENICAL CENTRE Year ended 31[st] December 2023

RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT

General funds Restricted funds Total funds £ £ £ Receipts Grants received 109,821 109,821 Donations - - - Other - - - Lottery 19,508 19,508 Rental charges 70,166 70,166 Sales 33,645 33,645 213,632 19,508 233,141 Payments Staff costs 60,240 60,240 Utilities 18,983 18,983 Professional fees 1,320 1,320 Other costs 40,182 40,182 Repairs 64,082 57,158 121,240 Delivery costs - - Loan repayments 2,790 2,790 187,596 57,158 244,755 Net receipts/(payments) 26,036 -37,650 -11,614 Cash funds brought forward 14,098 37,650 51,748 Cash funds carried forward 40,134 - 40,134 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES General funds Restricted funds Total funds £ £ £ Cash at bank and in hand 40,134 40,134 Debtors 5,687 - 5,687 Creditors - Bounceback loan 8,910 - 8,910 Creditors - Other 3,992 - 3,992	Total funds 2022 £ 73,189 26,572 3,491 - 51,332 -
	154,584
	56,435 19,789 30,290 31,761 - 13,332 1,858
	153,465

	1,119

	50,629

	51,748
	Total 2022 £ 51,748 27,681 11,444 -

Approved by the trustees and signed by

Rev P Jump 5[th] February 2025

SKELMERSDALE ECUMENICAL CENTRE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1 Basis of preparation These accounts have been prepared on the Receipts and Payments basis in accordance with the Charities Act 2011.
2 Fund Accounting
(a) Unrestricted funds are those that can be expended at the discretion of the trustees in the furtherance of the objects of the charity
(b) Restricted funds are those that may only be used for specific purposes. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor.
3 Taxation The charity is not liable to tax on its charitable activities.
The charity is not registered for VAT. Irrecoverable VAT is included in the expense to which it relates.
4 Transactions with trustees
No remuneration nor expenses were paid to trustees, or any persons connected with them during the year or previous year. During the year management charges were paid to North Western Baptist Association, a charity in which Rev P Jump is a trustee.
5 Restricted funds

The purpose of this restricted funds is explained in the Trustees Annual Report.