Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 1 Jan 2023 to 31 Dec 2023
Charity name: FRONT LINE NAVAL CHAPLAINS
Charity registration number: 1187195
Objectives and Activities
The purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document are:
- To advance the education of the public in the subject of the history of Royal Navy Chaplaincy; in such ways as the charity trustees think fit, including by:
a. research into the history of Royal Navy Chaplaincy and its contribution to the wellbeing of the Naval Service, naval service veterans and their families; in particular, but not limited to, the impact of such ministry during armed conflicts, and
b. the creation and secure storage of an archive of relevant learning and material, in both digital and physical forms, to illustrate and evidence that history, and
c. the dissemination and publication of that material and knowledge through the use of information media such as the internet, books, photographs, exhibitions, conferences and lectures.
For the purpose of this clause, the naval service and the royal navy and royal marines includes the royal navy, royal marines, royal fleet auxiliary and ships
taken up from the trade, together with embedded elements of the other armed forces and supporting organisations.
- To promote the military efficiency of the armed forces of the crown by identifying and encouraging excellence and best practice in Royal Naval chaplaincy through:
a. running the Association of Royal Naval Chaplains, to support the Naval Chaplaincy Service and to enable serving and former members to mix together,
- b. encouraging esprit de corps within naval chaplaincy.
Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit.
- During 2023 “Pennant” magazine, the relaunched and much expanded newsletter Association of Royal Naval Chaplains, has been developing into a journal of practical theology as well as historical and general interest, forming a major pilar in the charity’s objective of identifying and encouraging excellence and best practice in Royal Naval chaplaincy. At the end of 2023 the decision was reached to move to an electronic format as ‘ePennant’, with all the advantages of shorter publishing times and the ability to respond to immediate issues.
At the same time it has been possible to remove the membership subscription and include all serving chaplains within the association’s mmebership.
-
Work continues on the Naval Chaplaincy Service (NCS) History project, with research into Naval Chaplaincy archives as well as interviews with former and serving chaplains.
-
Through a further generous grant from the Archdeacon’s Central Naval Church Fund the charity was able to purchase a very rare original issue WWI Chaplain’s badge with the medals and some personal photographs and service documentation of Chaplain Frederick O’Flynn, who served in HMS Edgar in world war one; and we continued our policy of searching out an acquiring where possible chaplains’ biographies and autobiographies; often self-published. This led to the charity obtaining what may be the only photograph of a Naval chaplain exercising their ministry when in action: Chaplain Bill Coffey, comforting a wounded Royal Marine during the landing at Westkapelle in 1944.
-
The charity has launched an ambitious project to commission a signature oil painting of Chaplain Kit Tanner saving – at the cost of his own life – many of his shipmates after HMS Fiji was sunk during the evacuation of Crete in May 1941.
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The trustees expressed grateful thanks to founder trustee Paul Springett who resigned as a trustee during the year but who continues to maintain the charity’s website. Four new trustees were welcomed to the Board.
Public benefit.
The trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
Volunteers.
All our work is undertaken by our trustees and volunteers.
Achievements and Performance
Summary of the main achievements of the charity.
-
By collecting and disseminating examples of chaplaincy best practice the charity enables serving chaplains and other clergy to minister effectively in real-life situations of stress and anxiety. This activity also informs Service Personnel and others about the support available from chaplains, and thus to access this support.
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Through the Association of Royal Naval Chaplains serving and retired chaplains are supported and their esprit de corps encouraged.
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The history of Naval Chaplaincy is researched, preserved and disseminated, thus enabling the development of best practice in ministry.
Financial Review
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of theperiod |
Para 1.21 | The charity is in a satisfactory and stable financial position. |
|---|---|---|
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves statingwhytheyare held |
Para 1.22 | The charity does not hold reserves. |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | Nil |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | The charity’s structure is such that there are no liabilities requiring the holding of a reserve. |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | n/a |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a goingconcern |
Para 1.23 | The trustees are content that the charity is a going concern. |
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: |
||
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 | Constitution |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | CIO |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | The trustees appoint new trustees as required, bearing in mind the expertise and capabilities required to run the charity. |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charityname | Front Line Naval Chaplains |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses |
The Association of Royal Navy Chaplains |
| Registered charitynumber | 1187195 |
| Charity’s principal address | Emmanuel Parish Office, 1 Compton Avenue, Plymouth, PL3 5BZ. |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee(if any) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rev Simon Springett | Chair | |||
| Linda Parker | ||||
| Rev RoryClare | From 24 June 2023 | |||
| Mark Barton | From 24 June 2023 | |||
| Rev Tudor James Thomas-Botwood |
From 25 Feb 2023 | |||
| Rev Alexander Buckley |
From 25 Feb 2023 | |||
| John Spurr | Secretary | |||
| Paul Springett | Treasurer | To 31 March 2023 | ||
| Ed Wills |
The charity does not hold any funds as custodian trustees on behalf of others.
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees Signature(s) Full name(s) SIMON SPRINGETT Position (eg Secretary, Chair Chair, etc) Date 18 May 2024
| Charity Name | Charity Name | Charity Name | Charity Name | Charity Name | No (if any) | No (if any) | No (if any) | CC16a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front Line Naval Chaplains |
1187195 |
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| For the period from |
1-Jan-23 Period start date |
To | Period end date 31-Dec-23 |
||||||
| Section A Receipts and payments | |||||||||
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ |
Total funds to the nearest £ |
Last year to the nearest £ |
||||
| Donations, legacies and grants | 1,213 | - | - | 1,213 | 6,835 | ||||
| Gift aid (tax recovered) | 113 | - | - | 113 | 43 | ||||
| ARNC donations and grants | 1,030 | - | - | 1,030 | 1,328 | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) | 2,356 | - | - | 2,356 | 8,205 | ||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
|||||||||
| - | - | ||||||||
| - | - | ||||||||
| Sub total | - | - | |||||||
| Total receipts A3 Payments |
|||||||||
| 8,205 | |||||||||
Costs of charitable activities |
1,036 | - | - | 1,036 | 3,563 | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| **Sub total ** | 1,036 | - | - | 1,036 | 3,563 | ||||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
|||||||||
| - | - | ||||||||
| - | - | ||||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | - | |||||||
| Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
|||||||||
| 3,563 | |||||||||
| 1,319 | 4,642 | ||||||||
| - | - | ||||||||
| 9,438 | 4,796 | ||||||||
| 10,758 | 9,438 |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories B2 Other monetary assets B1 Cash funds |
Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details |
Unrestricted funds to nearest £ 10,758 - - 10,758 OK Unrestricted funds to nearest £ - |
Restricted funds to nearest £ - - - - OK Restricted funds to nearest £ - |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| OK | ||||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
||||
| - | - | - |
| - | - | - | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | ||||||
| Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) | Current value (optional) |
|||||
| B3 Investment assets | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | |||||||
| - | - | |||||||
| - | - | |||||||
| - | - | |||||||
| Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) | Current value (optional) |
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| B4 Assets retained for the | Recording equipment | Unrestricted funds | 300 | 150 | ||||
| charity’s own use | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | |||||||
| - | - | |||||||
| - | - | |||||||
| - | - | |||||||
| - | - | |||||||
| - | - | |||||||
| - | - | |||||||
| Fund to which | Amount due | When due | ||||||
| Details | liability relates | (optional) | (optional) | |||||
| B5 Liabilities | - | |||||||
| - | ||||||||
| - | ||||||||
| - | ||||||||
| - | ||||||||
| Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
Signature | Name | Date of approval | |||||
| SIMON SPRINGETT | 18/05/23 | |||||||