2023
TOTTENHAM BAPTIST CHURCH
TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
LQ & Co. Accountancy
TOTTENHAM BAPTIST CHURCH
Report of Financial Activities For the Year Ended 31 December 2023
Lq&Co. Accountancy
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Report of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 December 2023
| Table of contents | Page |
|---|---|
| The Report of the Trustees | 3 |
| Statement of Directors’ and Trustees Responsibilities | 7 |
| Independent Examiner’s Report on the Accounts | 8 |
| Statement of Financial Activities – Income & Expenditure Statement | 9 |
| Notes to the Accounts | 12 |
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TOTTENHAM BAPTIST CHURCH
The Report of the Trustees For the year ended 31 December 2023
The Trustees present their report of the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2023.The trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) ‘Accounting and Reporting by Charities’ issued in March 2005.
To the Charity Commission
Annual Returns Financial Year End :31 December 2023
The Charity
Tottenham Baptist Church [alias The Chapel, High Road, Tottenham ] Constitution
The Charity number: 1186698
Names of trustees in the period
1. The Rev Harrison Daniel Otieno [PhD] - Trustees Chairperson – Senior Minister – Leader of Charity
2. Miss Olatomirin Kolade [PhD] – Secretary – Deacon –
3. Mrs Ivy Legore – Trustee
4. Mrs Hannah Kajue - Trustee
5. Rose Bombali Longange – Trustee
6. Mr Jean-Claude Longange [Msc] - Trustee
PURPOSE
The principal purpose of the Church is the advancement of the Christian faith according to the principles of the Baptist denomination. The Church may also advance education and carry out other charitable purposes in the United Kingdom and/or other parts of the world.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
BELIEFS
As a Member of the Baptist Union the Church subscribes to the Union's Declaration of Principle : "That our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, is the sole and absolute authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and that each church has liberty, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to interpret and administer His laws.
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That Christian Baptism is the immersion in water into the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost, of those who have professed repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ who 'died for our sins according to the Scriptures; was buried and rose again on the third day'.
That it is the duty of every disciple to bear personal witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to take part in the evangelisation of the world."
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
ACTIVITIES
In fulfilling its Purpose , the Church will engage in a range of Activities either on its own, or with others. The range of activities will vary from time to time, with the activities being initiated, expanded, or closed, as appropriate.
The Activities may include but are not restricted to:
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regular public worship, prayer, Bible study, preaching and teaching
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baptism, as defined in the Union's Declaration of Principle.
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the Communion of the Lord's Supper which shall normally be observed at least once a month.
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evangelism and mission, locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.
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the teaching, encouragement, welcome and inclusion of young people.
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nurture and growth of Christian disciples.
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education and training for Christian and community service.
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giving and encouraging pastoral care.
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supporting and encouraging charitable social action in the United Kingdom and abroad.
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encouraging relationships with and supporting Baptists and other Christians
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Notwithstanding the appointment of persons to accept responsibility for any of these Activities; all individuals, organisations, groups, and committees operating within the life of the Church, and their leaders, shall be accountable to the Charity Trustees and through specific directions of the Church Members' Meeting .
I am writing to provide an update on the administration of the Tottenham Baptist Church as a Charity. As one of the trustees, I want to ensure transparency and accountability in our fiduciary duties.
1. Overview of Charity’s Activities:
- The trust has been managed diligently, adhering to its purpose and the beneficiaries’ best interests. The charity in 2023 joint hands with
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London City Mission in various activities of evangelisation in our community. These activities included literature distribution as well as face to face [rather house to house] visitations praying for local residents as well as identifying some of the needs the charity can support with in a practical way. The charity has because of interaction with the community created a restricted food bank of non-perishable foods to be handed out whenever need arises. The charity has continued to offer space and manpower to the public for parent and toddler play times every Friday from 9.30am until 11.30am. We were able to support Enfield Brass Band during Christmas season. We also had two baptisms during the year. We had church coach trip, Sunday school and Girls’ Brigade Day out.
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We have maintained accurate records of all financial transactions, including income, expenses, and distributions.
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Investment Strategy:
- Being non-profit making charity, we did not invest in any business except saving with London Baptist
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Distributions:
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We had no dividends to distribute as some other charities may be obliged to.
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Challenges and Decisions:
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We encountered specific challenges of raising funds. This is because we do not solicit funds from the general public. Church members and those of the public of good will continue to be our only source funds the church depends on to carry out all its activities.
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Decisions were made collectively, considering the trust’s long-term goals.
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Upcoming Actions:
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Our upcoming actions remain the same as those enlisted above in our objectives and activities. They form the key action area for which charity Tottenham Baptist Church exist.
We remain committed to fulfilling our responsibilities as trustees.
Sincerely,
Harrison Danniel Otieno, The Rev. Dr [Chairperson of the Trustees/ Trustee]
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TOTTENHAM BAPTIST CHURCH Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 December 2023
Financial Review
Transactions and Financial Position
The financial accounts are set out on pages 7 to 8. The financial statements have been prepared implementing the Statement of Recommended Practice for Accounting and Reporting by Charities issued by the Charity Commission for England and Wales (effective Apri2005) and in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective January 2005). The Trustees consider the financial position of the charity during the year has been satisfactory.
The Statement of Financial Activities show gross resources for the year of a revenue nature of £65,915 Total expenditure was £90,792, leaving a net deficit of -£ 24,877 at the yearend..
Principal funding sources
The charity relies on offerings, tithes, and various donations from the members as identified in the accounts, whose support is greatly valued.
Major risks to which the charity is exposed and systems to mitigate those risks
Financial
The charity is open to the usual financial risks of any organisation, and the charity has introduced controls to minimise these risks, such as two signatures being required for payments from the bank account, an appointed deacon/pastor of the church is required to authorise payments for purchases, and also the accounts are regularly explained to members of the charity and are open for member’s inspection at any time.
Children and Vulnerable adults
Work with children and vulnerable adults are open to risks. The policy is that visitation, counselling and any work involving children and vulnerable adults are done by trained persons who work in pairs. New volunteers to the children ministry are recruited on the basis of Baptist Union’s policy for the recruitment of volunteers for children’s ministry which are in line with Government policy.
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TOTTENHAM BAPTIST CHURCH
Report on the Accounts For the year ended 31 December 2023
Statement of Directors’ and Trustees Responsibilities
Charity Law requires the Board to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity as at the end of the financial year and the surplus or deficit of the charity. In preparing those financial statements, the Board is required to:-
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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state whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.
The Trustees are also responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity which is sufficient to show and explain the charity’s transactions and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees are also responsible for the contents of the trustees’ report, and the responsibility of the auditors in relation to the trustees’ report is limited to examining the report and ensuring that, on the face of the report, there are no inconsistencies with the figures disclosed in the financial statements.
This report was approved by the Board of Trustees on ...............13/06/2024.........
Signed:……. .... . ..... .Harrison Daniel Otieno .......
Name: ....Rev. Dr. Harrison Daniel Otieno.
Chairperson and Leader of the Trustees of the Charity.
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Tottenham Baptist Church
Independent Examiner’s Report on the Accounts For the year ended 31 December 2023
Report to the trustees of Tottenham Baptist Church on the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2023 as set out on pages 8 to 12.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The Charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The Charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for the year (under section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993(the Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:-
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examine the accounts (under section 43(3)(a) of the Act.
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to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners (under section 43(7)(b) of the Act; and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s statement
My examination was carried out in accordance with General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.
Independent examiner’s statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention
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which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements . to keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the 1993 Act; and . to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the account requirements of the Act have not been met; or
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to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed:- … E. M. Quarshie …….. ........... Date:- ……..15/06/2024..…......
Lq & Co. Accountancy 136 Waters Road, London. SE6 1UQ
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TOTTENHAM BAPTIST CHURCH Statement of Financial Activities For the year ended 31 December 2023
| 31/12/2023 | 31/12/2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| INCOMING FUNDS: | £ | £ |
| Envelopes | 19,347 | 26,512 |
| Gifts/Communion/cash | 5,018 | 5,998 |
| Bank interest received | ||
| Income from operations | 24,365 | 32,511 |
| Grants (furlough) | - | 6,664 |
| Refunds | 7,347 | 150 |
| Rental income [ flats] | 34,203 | 29,901 |
| Other Incomes | 41,550 | 36,715 |
| TOTAL INCOMING FUNDS | 65,915 | 69,226 |
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EXPENDITURE [out-goings]
| Rates | 25,475 | 7,690 |
|---|---|---|
| Building repairs/maintenance | 11,588 | 2,858 |
| Stationery | 1,252 | 1,062 |
| Wages & Pensions | 28,752 | 28,701 |
| Equipment purchase | 855 | - |
| Building Insurance | 7,514 | 5,736 |
| Music & Media | 695 | 645 |
| Accountancy fees | 600 | 693 |
| Sundry expenses | 244 | 1,005 |
| Donations [ missions & welfare] | 1,010 | 425 |
| Honorarium | 200 | 400 |
| Subscriptions | 1,867 | 1,692 |
| loan repayment | 4,797 | 5,502 |
| Telephone & internet | 943 | 725 |
| Pastoral expenses | 4,800 | 4,800 |
| TOTAL OUT-GOINGS | 90,792 | 61,878 |
| NET SURPLUS/ (DEFICIT) | ( 24,877) | 7,348 |
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TOTTENHAM BAPTIST CHURCH
Please note:
| Loan liability: LBPD Amount brought forward 01/01/2023 Interest charged Less: Amount paid in the year to 31/12/2023 Amount outstanding at 31/12/2023 |
£ 14,150.83 53.12 - 8,521.26 |
|---|---|
| 5,576.05 |
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on .........13/06/2024................ and signed on its behalf by:
Signature...... Harrison Daniel Otiena ........................
Name of Trustee: . ......Rev Dr Harrison Daniel Otieno..
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TOTTENHAM BAPTIST CHURCH
Notes to the accounts For the year ended 31 December 2023
Accounting policies
Accounts preparation
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 1993 and with the Financial Reporting Standard for Small Entities (FRSSE), and all other applicable accounting standards, effective June 2002, as modified by the Statement of Recommended Practice for Accounting and Reporting issued by the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales, effective October 2000, adapted to meet the needs of unincorporated organisations.
Accounting Convention
The financial statements are prepared using the cash accounting basis.
Incoming resources are accounted for as received and expenditure as spent.
Incoming Resources
Incoming resources are accounted for on a receivable basis.
Investment Income
Bank interest is included in the income and expenditure account on a receivable basis.
| 1. | Salaries & wages | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||
| Gross Salaries and wages |
33,752 | 32,300 | |
| Number | of full time employees or full time equivalents |
1 |
There were no other employees with emoluments in excess of £60,000 per annum. No other trustees received any remuneration in the year ended 31December 2023.
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