2024-12-31-accounts - Purbeck Gateway Church

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Purbeck Gateway Church Annual Report and Accounts 2024

Charity Name : Purbeck Gateway Church

Charity Registration Number : 1185776

Principle Office :

15 Maple Close Sandford Wareham, BH20 7QD

Trustees:

Paul Shepherd Phil Luker Robert Owen Joshua Vanson Shaun Murphy Patricia Hadgifotis

Constitution and structure

Purbeck Gateway Church was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation on 14[th] October 2019. It was formed as a result of a decision by trustees of an earlier charity, also called Purbeck Gateway Church (reg 1137804) to change their status from an unincorporated charity to an incorporated one. The transition of activities from the original charity to the current one was made on 1[st] July 2020. The old charity was wound up on 25[th] August 2021, at which point all assets were already transferred.

The trustees of the charity are the Elders and Deacons of the church who are responsible for the direction and operation of the church. New trustees are appointed by the existing trustees from the body of the church members. Their selection is then ratified by the church. As existing members, they do not undergo a further induction unless requested. The Trustees meet together with the Deacons on a formal basis every two months and informally when required.

Financial Review

Unrestricted income for 2024 was £38,244.30 (2023 was £27,658.88), with £23,014.08 of restricted income for the Lynn Crabb Wareham Foodbank (2023 was £33,935.95) and restricted income for the family hub being £0.00.

Costs were £35,941.87 for the church operation and £20,474.93 for the foodbank. This left the church with an operating surplus of £2,302.43 and the Foodbank having an operating surplus of

£2,539.15. No additional monies were paid into the family hub account but costs of £747.22 were accrued leaving an operating deficit of £747.22.

The main item of expenditure each year is the salary of the pastor, who is also a trustee of the charity. The operating expenditure includes utility and maintenance bills as well as cleaning costs. In addition, the church is responsible for the upkeep of the building that it uses. During the course of 2013, the ownership of the church building transferred from a separate trust at nil value, to the ownership of trustees of the old PGC charity (1137804). In 2021 ownership was transferred to the new charity (1185776) at a nil value, given that the asset was already fully depreciated and had been valued as nil under the previous charity.

The policy of the trustees with regard to reserves is to aim to keep at least £8,000 of reserves, which represents about three months of basic running costs. The purpose of keeping the reserve is to cover downturns in giving or to allow funds for urgent works on the building which we use. Unrestricted Church funds stood at £9,442.70 at the end of the year.

In 2024 the foodbank experienced a change of leadership, during this period of adjustment there was a decrease in foodbank income (£38,244.30 in 2023 and £20,474.93 in 2024).

Members of the congregation continue to be generous in their donations, on which the church is wholly dependent.

Public Benefit

The trustees have taken note of the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit and have complied with their duty to take due regard to this guidance in exercising their powers and duties.

Objectives and Activities

The objectives of the Trust are to advance the Christian faith and to relieve sickness and financial hardship. The focus of its activities are mainly in Wareham in Dorset, but it also sponsors missionary and relief activities overseas.

The Church meets together to worship every Sunday morning. It also hosts a wide range of weekly activities, both for church members and for non-members including weekly homegroups where church members meet to pray, worship and study together and monthly prayer meetings. This year the Church has increased its focus on the local community by meeting weekly on the streets of Wareham to sing, pray and care for people in the town. This has seen many people in Wareham coming along to church meetings for prayer and spiritual guidance. We host a number of activities in addition to church meetings, these include, but are not exclusive to: the Foodbank; a parent and toddler group; and a group providing counselling for people with addictions. These activities help to achieve our vision to “love God, love one another and love the lost”.

Achievements and Performance

Church services are recorded and sermons are made available online through YouTube. Additionally, the Pastor records a short message twice daily, ‘Reading the Red’ and ‘Proverbs with Paul’. These messages are sent out via WhatsApp.

Small groups continue to meet in varying formats through the year, with their activities focussed on prayer and bible study.

The church building is normally used each week by different agencies in a variety of community work and is available for use by the community for a donation, when needed.

In September 2011, a Food Bank was established in the church with members of the congregation and other local churches, donating food each week for distribution to people in need. The local Citizens’ Advice Bureau forms an effective link to identify people who can use this service. The Church continues to host this valuable work. The foodbank no longer has a paid worker but has a strong team of volunteers, who provide additional support of prayer and counselling for those in need.

The church aims to give at least 10% of its income each year to support mission and relief work. In 2024, donations and gifts were made to the sum of £1,299.00.

Plans for Future Periods

The church continues to seek to bring the Good News of Jesus to the community in Wareham, through what we say and how we live. This forms the core part of all our future plans as we operate the life of the church.

It is hoped that the Mother and Toddler group will develop further enabling the ‘Family Hub’ vision to serve our community more effectively.

We will continue to review the structure of the Foodbank following the passing of Lynn Crabb in 2022. We will be looking at ways to develop the work further during the year, including growing our volunteer base and encouraging participation and socialisation among those who benefit from the Foodbank.

Accounts for the Year Ended 31/12/2024

Purbeck Gateway Church

Receipts Tithes & Offerings Gift Aid Tax Claims Interest Misc. Bank Transfer Sub-total Specified giving total Total Payments Salaries & NI Expenses Repairs to Furniture & Equipment Cleaning Gas & Electricity Insurance Gifts & Donations Foodbank Misc	Main account A/C £ 28,771.66 5,164.64 8.83 715.17 3,584.00	Foodbank acoount A/C £ £ 26,598.08 0.00 0.00 0.00 -3,584.00
	38,244.30	23,014.08
	0.00	0.00
	38,244.30	23,014.08
	24,681.54 3,394.07 2,120.37 1,116.00 1,511.32 883.62 1,299.00 935.95 0.00	1,989.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 18,485.93 0.00
Sub-total	35,941.87	20,474.93

Total	35,941.87	20,474.93
Surplus/Deficit Cash Balances (from statements) Opening January 1st Closing December 30th	2,302.43 7,140.27 9,442.70 2,302.43	2,539.15 28,468.32 31,007.47 2,539.15

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examlner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examlner's Report Report to the trustees f(J K Cfr-po 1¢ On accounts for the year •nded lyr aKc6Ne*£ 2 02+ Charity no lif any) Il<sVy Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charty ("the Trust") for the yèar ended Responslbllltles and ba818 of roport A8 the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of th8 accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charitiès Act 2011 (Ihe Act.). I report In respect of my examlnation of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed 811 the appllcable Direcuons given by the Charity Commlssk)n under s8Ctlon 145(5)Ib) of the Act. Indopendent trh6 charlty's gross Income 8xce8d8d £250.OJ) and l am quallfled to examlner's statement undertake the examSnaUon by belng a qualrfied member of Ilnsert name of applicable listed bodyJ]. Delete l ] rf not appliGable. I have completed my examlnatlon, I conflrm that no materlal matters have come to my att8nllon In conn8ctlon wlth th6 8xaminatlon (other than that d13closed below ') whlch gives me cause to belleve that In, any materlal respect.. the accounllng records were not kepl In accordance wlth sectlon 130 of the Charilles Act; or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or the accounts did not comply wilh the applicable requirements conceming the forrn and conlenl of accounts set out in the Charitie8 (Accounts and Reports) Regulalions 2008 other than ary requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair, view which is not a matter consld8r8d as parl of an independent examination. I have no conoerns and have com8 across no other matters in ¢onnectkni with the examination to whiGh attentlon should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper underst8ndlng of the accounts to be reached. ' Please delete the words in th8 brackets rfthey do not apply. Date: Name: Relgvant professional quallflcatlonls) or body Ilf any): FccR4 IER Oct 2018

Address: SA20 ?A Section B Disclosure Only Gomplete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters ot concern (see CC32, Independent examlnation of charity accounts.. directions and guldanoe for exarniners). Glvo hare brlof detalls of any Items that tho examinèr wishes to disclose, IER Oct 2018