The Messengers Annual Report
Registered Charity Commission Number: 1185611
1 April 2023 - 31 March 2024
This is the 2023/24 Annual Report of The Messengers in our work of ‘providing support and encouragement to Christians in countries where they are restricted or persecuted in practising their faith with particular emphasis given to the needs of the tribal or minority groups.’
Trustees and Management Team
Trustees:
Jonathan Walter - Director Nicola Walter - Communications Philip Walter - Finance Ruth Walter John Ibbett Yolanda Ibbett
Management team (includes all trustees):
Helen Packman - Prayer Resources Alice Ibbett - Mailing John Daley – Treasurer
We are very grateful to those who volunteer their time for the work of The Messengers - John, Helen and Alice have been essential to helping The Messengers fulfil its work. Over the last year we have included the whole management team in our Trustees meetings, which has been invaluable. Thanks also to Andy Eardley who publishes our monthly newsletter and prayer calendar and has created our website.
Overview
Over the last year, the Trustees and Management Team have continued to meet regularly to discuss and monitor the activities of The Messengers.
We have kept in contact with our partners, Ethnos Asia Ministries and Tribes and Nations Outreach, via email, personal social media accounts, video calls and visiting. We attended the Ethnos Asia Ministries (EAM) conference in February 2024, where we met the ARNA country working leaders and EAM team. Jonathan Walter attends the EAM international board meetings twice a year, both of which have been in person this year. Through these visits and updates from our partners, we have been able to keep our supporters informed of the work. We have continued to send out our monthly Newsletter and Prayer Calendar, along with the Prayer Pack. Urgent updates have been sent to our email supporters when the need has arisen, updating them quickly about significant events. We are grateful to those that help make this possible.
Finances
The total income in 2023/24 amounted to £37,788. Total expenditure was £39,773.
The two beneficiaries through whom our funds have been distributed have been Ethnos Asia Ministries and Tribes and Nations Outreach, both based in Thailand. A list of significant finances provided for both projects and one-off gifts follows. We continue to support the school in Bangladesh, who provide teaching for children and support the wider community by equipping them to learn new skills so they can get employment. We have responded to the crisis in Manipur where churches were burned down and hundreds killed in the violence last year. This was done through our country workers in India. There was a plea for a motorbike for a pastor who was cycling to many places in Cambodia, which we responded to, and we supported leadership training programmes in Sri Lanka and Vietnam through our partners. Our other main expense was supporting the work of TNO in Chiang Mai, Thailand as they help the tribal Christians and churches in Thailand.
Project Gifts 2023/2024 (in GBP)
These were the main recipients of project funds through 2023/24:
| | Mercy Fund – Manipur, India | £10,000 |
|---|---|---|
| | Hope of Children school, Dhaka, Bangladesh | £9,600 |
| | Motorbike for Beggar Village, Cambodia, Pastor training in Vietnam, Church | |
| leadership training in Sri Lanka | £5,000 | |
| | Tribes and Nations Outreach Training Centre, Thailand | £4,660 |
Finally, we are grateful to God for His faithfulness to us, and for those prompted to give to help those in S E Asia who are facing persecution for their faith. We would like to thank all those supporters, both individuals and churches, who contribute to our funds on a regular basis. It is a joy and a privilege to be part of this charity which has a threepronged approach - prayer, financial help, and encouragement visits - where the opportunity arises. We look forward to the challenges and opportunities of next year.
Charity Name
No (if any)
Receipts and payments accounts
CC16a
For the period Period start date Period end date To from 1-Apr-23 31-Mar-24
| Section A Receipts and payments | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Receipts Donations 30,195 Gift Aid 2,599 Investments - Bank Interest 437 - - - - 33,231 - - Sub total - Total receipts 33,231 A3 Payments Auditor - Bank Charges 285 Insurance 842 MissionarySupport 826 Postage 800 Printing 1,342 Stationery 60 Website 330 Bangladesh - Dhaka School 7,080 Conference Fees 841 IDP MercyFund Karen MercyFund Laos - Harvest Centre Livelihood Building Project MBS Training 800 Manipur 9,770 Laos - Harvest Centre Training Deborah Ethnos General Fund MercyFund 5,000 Myanmar - Bibles for Burma Myanmar IDP Pakistan Flood Relief Myanmar GTMS 1,000 Vietnam - John & Grace 1,600 Vietnam Bibles Thailand - TNO Training 4,660 - Sub total 35,236 - - Sub total - Total payments 35,236 Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ Sub total(Gross income for AR) A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
to the nearest £ 4,538 - - - - - - - 4,538 - - - 4,538 - 2,520 1,018 300 230 240 50 100 - 80 - - 4,538 - - - 4,538 Restricted funds |
to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Endowment funds |
Total funds to the nearest £ 34,733 2,599 - 437 - - - - 37,769 - - - 37,769 - 285 842 826 800 1,342 60 330 9,600 1,859 - - 300 800 10,000 - 240 50 5,000 - 100 - 1,000 1,600 80 4,660 - 39,774 - - - 39,774 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
| 39,864 | ||||
| 2,887 | ||||
| - | ||||
| 360 | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| 43,111 | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| 43,111 | ||||
| - | ||||
| 272 | ||||
| 362 | ||||
| 369 | ||||
| 1,397 | ||||
| 12,260 | ||||
| 6,096 | ||||
| 130 | ||||
| 300 | ||||
| 240 | ||||
| 10,000 | ||||
| 5,240 | ||||
| 500 | ||||
| 1,000 | ||||
| 1,600 | ||||
| 5,000 | ||||
| 4,660 | ||||
| - | ||||
| 49,426 | ||||
| - | ||||
| 4,538 | - | 39,774 | 49,426 |
| Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end **Cash funds this year end ** |
- 2,005 | - | - | - 2,005 | - 6,315 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000 | - | - | 5,000 | - | ||||
| - | - | - | - | 79,683 | ||||
| 2,995 | - | - | 2,995 | 73,368 |
| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B5 Liabilities B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
Details Shrnbrook Bank Deposit Account Details CAF General Funds Details Details Details Signature Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
to nearest £ to nearest £ 55,000 - - - - - 55,000 - Agreement Error OK to nearest £ to nearest £ 16,383 - - - - - - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Print Name Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) |
to nearest £ Endowment funds |
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| to nearest £ Endowment funds |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) |
|||
| Date of approval |
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE MESSENGERS Charity no. 1185611 ',etJort to the trustees on the examination of the accounts of The Mes5enoers I'the charity) for the year ended 31" March 2024. Responsibilities and basis of report As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirement5 of the Charities Act 2011. I report that in respect of my examination of the charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carryinR out mv examination I ha followed all the applicable directions given by the Charity Commission under section 14515)Ib} of the 2011 Act. Independent examinerf5 Statement I have comDleted mv examination. I confirm that that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: l. The accounting record5 were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act: or 2. The accounts did not accord with accounting records. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. 7•L4 David Roberts 3 Litchfield Close Brixworth NN6 9PB