Trustees’ Report and Annual Accounts For the period ended 31[st] December 2024
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Anchor Church Lymington & Pennington Period ended 31[st] December 2024 Legal & Administrative Details
Address for Correspondence 12 Priestlands Road, Lymington, SO41 8HX Governing Document CIO Constitution dated 24[th] November 2019 Charity Registration Number 1187597 Trustees Mrs Katherine Coxon (resigned 11[th] November 2024) Reverend Christopher Henderson Reverend Nick Hiscocks Mr James Ivin Bankers CAF Bank, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, West Malling, ME19 4JQ Independent Examiner Mrs Katherine Gardiner
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Anchor Church Lymington & Pennington Report of the Trustees For the period ended 31[st] December 2024
Objects of the Charity
The Objects of the CIO are, for the public benefit, the advancement of the Christian faith in such ways as the Charity Trustees may from time to time decide.
Governance
The policy and operating decisions of the charity rest with the Trustees who meet regularly to monitor the activities of the charity.
Every Trustee must be appointed by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the Trustees. In selecting individuals for appointment as Charity Trustees, the Charity Trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the charity. All Charity Trustees must subscribe and adhere to, in belief and lifestyle, the Statement of Faith, which is included as an appendix to the Governing Document.
Review of Activities
The main activities undertaken for the public benefit are preaching from the Bible, the worship of God and the encouragement of the Church at regular Sunday services. There are occasional Sunday evening seminars to consider various topics in greater depth. The Church also runs midweek Bible studies, a Thursday morning ‘Tots & Tinies’ group, a Friday morning Prayer Meeting, and a Friday afternoon club for the children who regularly attend the Church.
Everyone is welcome to our Sunday services, irrespective of denomination or background, unless they pose a risk to the safety of those we serve. Services have continued to be held in the hall of Pennington Infant School. There are occasional breakfasts held before our Sunday service. Church Lunches, to which everyone is welcome, were held on around half a dozen occasions through the year.
Regulars at the Sunday services are encouraged to be a part of a Bible study group, of which there are now three regularly meeting. Once a month, these meetings focus more on prayer: for the Church, the wider Christian community and our wider society. The overall attendance of these groups grew towards the end of the year.
A service of Morning Prayer is held every week, except during school holidays, to which everyone is welcome. This prayer meeting continues to be held on Zoom. It is accessible to all who have expressed a desire to be on the Church’s regular mailing list. Once a month, instead of an Anchor Church meeting, attendees are encouraged to join the Prayer Meeting for the Anglican Network in Europe.
The group for 0-4s and their carers, ‘Tots & Tinies’ continued to meet during the year in ‘the Den’ at Pennington Infant School. Entry to the group is free, though a donation of £1 is invited towards the continuing work of the group. The group is open to all who are caring for a child aged 0-4. Each session includes a singing time, during which a Bible Story is shared. The attendance for the group was consistently good throughout the year, with around 12-15 households being represented each time. Invitations to church services and other activities are regularly given out. Some households from Tots & Tinies attended some of our Christmas events.
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We have offered various special services and events to invite people to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. We invited people to Sundays when we held special breakfasts. We again did an Easter Egg hunt, as well as a Carol Service and a Nativity Trail Service at Christmas. We again did neighbourhood carol singing in a number of locations, and Christmas hampers were donated by the church to be distributed by the Junior School to families as they thought best.
The Pastor continued to give weekly assemblies at both Pennington Infant School and Pennington Junior School. He was also invited to give the talk at the local secondary school’s Christmas service.
We held a ‘Week of Prayer’ between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. Passages of Scripture were read and there was prayer for upcoming services and for the local community.
The Church also offers the chance for individuals who are adult members of the Church or those adults interested in Christian things to meet with members of the Leadership or other designated members of the Church with the intention of offering Christian encouragement, instruction, pastoral counselling, the chance to read the Bible together and/or the chance to pray together where appropriate and desired.
In planning the activities the Trustees have applied the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission.
Achievements
2024 was the fifth year for Anchor Church Lymington and Pennington being registered as a charity. Services have been provided every Sunday during the year and for major Christian festivals. Pennington Infant School hall continued to be a very good venue for our Sunday services, and the outside area for the children is much enjoyed. Occasionally, we have held some breakfasts before the service. Attendance at Sunday Services increased, particularly towards the end of the year, and is now generally around 35-40, or more. This includes a number of children who regularly attend (two below primary age, three of primary age, four of secondary age, and one in college). The Church also held an Easter Egg hunt after its Easter Service, an evening Carol Service in December, as well as a Nativity Trail Service on Christmas Eve, all of which were successful and well attended.
Tots & Tinies has continued to meet every week during term time, continuing to use ‘the Den’ in the Infant School. The time is made up of free play, crafts, singing and having a story from the Bible. A small team of volunteers continues to build relationships with attendees week by week. Numbers attending were consistently good through the year. Some families from Tots & Tinies have come to some services, especially around Christmas.
Regular activities have continued through 2024. We have continued to have three house groups meeting through the week. Friday’s Morning Prayer service continues to be well supported by a core of about half a dozen. Friday Club has continued as a weekly fixture and has been effective for helping our children hear the same message from the Bible as the adults each week. There are three families regularly meeting for this club.
Occasional ‘Sunday seminars’ were held through the year, giving an opportunity for more focused time on a particular topic. Topics in 2024 included: Bible languages, Children & Church, The Thirty Nine Articles, How to run a church, The End: what, when and how. The occasional ‘Church Lunches’ continued to prove to be a popular way of spending more time with one another as a church.
The work in the local schools continued in 2024, with assemblies being done weekly in the Infant and Junior school. The church raised money to give every Year 6 pupil a book “How do we know that
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Christianity is really true?” as they left the Junior School.
The Church Council met six times in the year. This body, made up of members of Anchor Church, is tasked with considering the Mission and Ministry of Anchor Church. Agenda items in 2024 included: a review of children’s ministry, the desire for a Pastor’s house, Sunday services and volunteer roles, Church Lunches, Mission Partnerships, the programme for Easter and Christmas services, and ways to reach out.
As a member of AMiE (Anglican Mission in England), there were several opportunities to build relationships with others within the Diocese. This included the Pastor attending the annual conference, the regular Zoom calls for AMiE church leaders, and the monthly prayer meetings open to all who attend a church within the Anglican Network in Europe.
A big answer to prayer in the year was that the Pastor and his family were able to purchase a house in the Pennington area, very close to where we meet for church. This, in the end, did not rely upon donations to the house project, and so these funds were mostly returned to donors, although some wished for Anchor Church to use the donations for other purposes.
We were able, for the first time, to set aside funds for Mission Partnerships. Donations were made to Hope Church East Cowes, to help a new church there to get established, and to St Thomas’ Cambridge, towards the cost of a project to support children’s ministry.
Anchor Church continues to be well supported through prayer and financial giving, both from its regular members and from further afield. A group of supporters receives a regular prayer letter every two months from the Pastor.
There were again several visitors to Anchor Church through the year. A number of people joined the church, particularly in the second half of the year, with the result that regular attendance has grown. Members of Anchor Church are encouraged to reach out with the gospel as much as they can, and to see Sunday as a regular opportunity to invite others. The website, Youtube Channel and a Facebook page have been effective ways of reaching out and letting people know of Anchor Church’s activities. The Church continues to look out for opportunities to reach out into our community and to share the gospel.
Financial Review
During the year unrestricted income within the General Fund totalled £53,445 and Expenditure amounted to £63,482. The resultant deficit for the year, arising in the General Fund, was £(10,037). The Trustees had budgeted for a deficit of £(35,169) and the significant improvement compared with this forecast is attributable to two major factors.
Firstly, regular giving from Anchor Church members rose by 35% together with a commensurate increase in Gift Aid, for which we give thanks; there was also a significant increase in Bank Deposit Interest income as funds were moved to higher interest rate deposit accounts.
Secondly, in June 2024, we greatly rejoiced that the Pastor and his family were able to complete the purchase of their own house and move home, which resulted in a saving of the cost of renting 17 Rookes Lane of just under £16,000 compared with Budget.
As the Pastor and his family were able to buy their own house, the balance within the House Project Fund, a Restricted Fund, was no longer deployable on the purpose for which the donations had been given. In keeping with regulations, those donations were consequently offered back to the original
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Donors, resulting in a repayment of funds to Donors amounting to £95,300 and associated Gift Aid of £14,275 was also repaid to HMRC.
Some House Project Donors instructed that their donations should be re-designated for the general purposes of the mission of Anchor Church and thus a total of £26,805 (including Gift Aid) was reassigned to the General Fund.
This unexpected boost to the General Fund enabled the Trustees to reconsider the financial structure of Anchor Church and later in the year, two Designated Funds were established as a result. The Mission Partnerships Fund was instituted with an opening balance of £15,000 and it is the Trustees’ intention that these funds be designated for mission partnership over the next three years, commencing 2024, enabling Anchor Church to offer financial support to mission partners identified by the Trustees.
The Future Ministry Fund was also established with an opening balance of £15,000 and this Fund is designated for the possibility of future workers and future ministry activities, which will be considered further and decided on by the Trustees as needs arise.
Donations were received during the year out of the love of the church members for the selfsupporting Assistant Minister and his family, with Anchor Church acting as Agent. These funds were all passed on in 2024. They are not required to be included in the principal financial statements, as they comprise Excluded Funds, but the detail is provided in a separate note (Note 8).
The Trustees’ policy is to hold unrestricted cash of no less than £20,000, to meet at least three months unrestricted payments, to smooth out fluctuations in cash flow, and to meet any unforeseen expenses.
Trustees’ Responsibilities
Charity law requires Trustees to prepare financial statements for each accounting year which at least record the receipts and payments of the charity for the year. We have opted to prepare our accounts on an accruals basis.
We are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable us to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011.
We also have a responsibility to safeguard the assets of the charity and to take reasonable steps to prevent fraud or any other irregularities.
Approval
This report was approved by the Trustees on and signed on their behalf by28th October 2025
Christopher Henderson
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Inde endent Examiner's Re Pennln ton ort to the Trustees of An¢hor Church L min ton& I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts for Anchor Church Lymirbgton & Pennington, for the year ended 31st December 2024 Iset out on pages 8-141. Responsibilities and basls of the report As the charity's Trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requSrements of the Charities Act 20111"the Act"). I report in respect of my examinatlon of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the appllcable Dlrections given by the Charity Commission under section 14515llbl of the Act. Independent Examinerfs statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no materlal matters have come to my attention in cov)nection with the examinatlon whlch give5 me cause to believe that in any material respect.. the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records,- or the accounts did not comply with the appllcable requlrement5 concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charlties IAccounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and falrf view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examlnatlon. I have no concerns arid have come across no other matters in connection with the examSnatlon to which attention should he drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understandinE of the accounts to be reached. Signa re & Date - <- Ji LU /oSf Name & Address I Qu4ay / Oxg ?ffr
Statement of Financial Activites
For the year ended 31 December 2024
| Notes Unrestricted Funds £ Incoming Resources Donations & Legacies 52,449 Income from charitable activities Bank interest 996 Total incoming resources 2 53,445 Resources Expended Expenditure on charitable activities 63,482 Total resources expended 3 63,482 Net incoming/(outgoing) resources before transfers (10,037) Transfers between Funds in/(out) 6 [a] 28,253 6 [b] (29,807) Net movement in funds (11,591) Funds at 1 January 74,792 Funds at 31 December 63,202 Represented by: Unrestricted: General Fund 63,202 Designated: Mission Partnerships Fund Designated: Future Ministry Fund Restricted: House Fund 63,202 |
Designated Funds £ 361 361 2,770 2,770 (2,409) 29,807 27,398 - 27,398 12,314 15,084 27,398 |
Restricted Funds £ 848 848 109,575 109,575 (108,727) (28,253) (136,980) 136,980 - - - |
2024 Total 2023 Total £ £ 52,449 116,986 2,205 381 54,654 117,367 175,827 68,840 175,827 68,840 (121,173) 48,527 - - - - (121,173) 48,527 211,772 163,245 90,600 211,772 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63,202 74,792 12,314 - 15,084 - - 136,980 90,600 211,772 |
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Balance Sheet
For the year ended 31 December 2024
| Notes | 2024 | 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |||
| Current Assets | ||||
| Debtors | 4 | 1,471 | 10,195 | |
| Cash at bank & in hand: | ||||
| Cash in hand | 47 | 126 | ||
| Current bank account | 6,967 | 201,686 | ||
| Deposit bank accounts | 82,207 | - | ||
| Total current assets | 90,692 | 212,007 | ||
| Creditors & Accruals | ||||
| Falling due within 1 year | 5 | 92 | 235 | |
| Net current assets | 90,600 | 211,772 | ||
| Represented by: | ||||
| Unrestricted: General Fund | 63,202 | 74,792 | ||
| Designated: Mission Partnerships | Fund | 12,314 | - | |
| Designated: Future Ministry Fund | 15,084 | - | ||
| Restricted: House Fund | - | 136,980 | ||
| Total Funds | 90,600 | 211,772 |
Signed on behalf of the trustees
Signature
Name Christopher Henderson
28th October 2025 Date
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Year Ended 31 December 2024 Notes to the Accounts
Note 1: Accounting Policies
Basis of Financial Statements
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the current Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities and applicable accounting standard FRS 102 and with the Charities Act 2011.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant notes to these accounts.
Fund Accounting
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Unrestricted funds are income funds that are to be spent on the Charity’s general purposes.
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Restricted funds (donations or grants for a specific Charity activity intended by the donor) historically represented donations given in response to the House Appeal: in 2024 there were no further restricted donations.
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Designated funds are general funds set aside by the Trustees for a particular purpose; these funds remain unrestricted and the Trustees may move any surplus to other general funds. In 2024, two Designated Funds were established, comprising the Mission Partnerships Fund and the Future Ministry Fund.
Where these funds have unspent balances, interest on their investment is allocated to the individual funds.
Incoming Resources & Debtors
Planned giving, collections and similar donations are recognised when received. Tax refunds are recognised when the incoming resource to which they relate is received, with a Debtor being recorded for the amount expected. Grants and legacies are accounted for when the Charity is entitled to the use of the resources, their ultimate receipt is considered reasonably certain and the amounts due are readily quantifiable. Interest is accounted for as and when received. All incoming resources are accounted for gross. Debtors are recorded as the amount expected to be received.
Resources Expended & Liabilities
All expenditure is recognised when it is incurred and is accounted for gross. Liabilities are recognised where it is more likely than not that there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the Charity to pay out resources and the amount of the obligation can be measured with reasonable certainty.
Fixed Assets
Tangible fixed assets for use by the Charity are capitalised if they can be used for more than one year, and cost at least £1,000. Such items are valued at cost and are depreciated on a straight-line basis over each asset's estimated useful life. Individual items with a purchase price of less than £1,000 are written off when the asset is acquired. The Charity currently holds no fixed assets, as defined, nor did it at any stage during 2024.
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Year Ended 31 December 2024 Note 2: Analysis of Incoming Resources
| Notes Donations & Legacies Planned giving from ACLP members Planned giving from other supporters One-off gifts [a] Gift Aid & GASDS receivable from HMRC Donations through Tots & Tinies Gifts to House Appeal Gift Aid on House Appealgifts Total Income from Charitable Activities Bank Interest Total Income [a] One-off gifts: £ One-off donations from ACLP members 2,161 One-off donations from other donors 3,000 Donations for books Year 6 Junior School 260 Donations for Christmas Hampers 420 Total one-offgifts 5,869 Contributions from Lymington churches towards cost of Good Friday flyers 28 |
Unrestricted Funds Designated Funds Restricted Funds 2024 Total £ £ £ £ 22,938 22,938 15,153 15,153 5,869 5,869 8,053 8,053 436 436 - - - - 52,449 - - 52,449 - 996 361 848 2,205 53,445 361 848 54,654 |
2023 Total £ 16,960 15,606 3,416 6,964 290 61,360 12,390 |
|---|---|---|
| 116,986 | ||
| - 381 |
||
| 117,367 | ||
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Year Ended 31 December 2024 Note 3: Analysis of Resources Expended
| Unrestricted | Designated | Restricted | 2024 | 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notes | Funds | Funds | Funds | Total | Total | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Expenditure on Charitable Activities | ||||||
| Employment of Pastor | ||||||
| Salary + Pension | 34,148 | 34,148 | 30,709 | |||
| Rent + Council Tax 17 Rookes Lane | [a] | 9,355 | 9,355 | 27,240 | ||
| Total | 43,503 | 43,503 | 57,949 | |||
| Sunday Services | ||||||
| Hire of hall | 2,642 | 2,642 | 2,718 | |||
| Insurance | 940 | 940 | 886 | |||
| Other | 1,014 | 1,014 | 1,085 | |||
| Total | 4,596 | 4,596 | 4,689 | |||
| Midweek Activities | ||||||
| Tots & Tinies room hire | 1,418 | 1,418 | 1,499 | |||
| Tots & Tinies materials | 62 | 62 | 206 | |||
| Junior School work | 502 | 502 | 511 | |||
| Total | 1,982 | 1,982 | 2,216 | |||
| Contribution to Anglican Mission in England | 1,740 | 1,740 | 1,650 | |||
| Mission Partner Donations | [b] | 2,770 | 2,770 | - | ||
| House Project | ||||||
| Donations returned to Donors | 95,300 | 95,300 | - | |||
| Gift Aid repaid to HMRC | 14,275 | 14,275 | - | |||
| Total | [c] | 109,575 | 109,575 | - | ||
| Other Expenses | [d] | 11,661 | 11,661 | 2,336 | ||
| Total | 63,482 | 2,770 | 109,575 | 175,827 | 68,840 |
[a] Rent + Council Tax 17 Rookes Lane
In June 2024, the Pastor and his family completed the purchase of their own house and moved home, hence the rental expenses associated with 17 Rookes Lane ceased.
| [b] Mission Partner Donations | £ |
|---|---|
| St Thomas' Church, Cambridge | 1,000 |
| Hope Church East Cowes | 1,500 |
| Christ The Saviour | 270 |
| Total Mission Partner Donations | 2,770 |
[c] House Project
The Restricted Fund was closed in 2024, with the return of Donations to the original Donors and repayment of associated Gift Aid to HMRC.
[d] Other expenses includes:
In connection with the House Project, Legal Fees of £7,000 + asociated VAT of £1,400
A gift of £100 to Mrs Katherine Gardiner in appreciation of her Independent Examination of the 2023 Accounts.
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Year Ended 31 December 2024 Note 4: Analysis of Debtors
| Note 5: Analysis of Creditors HMRC Gift Aid: Unrestricted Funds General Fund HMRC Gift Aid: Restricted Funds House Project Totals Amounts falling due within one year Unrestricted Funds: General Fund Payroll Bureau fees Advertising Tots & Tinies expenses Totals |
2024 £ 1,471 - 1,471 2024 £ 47 27 18 92 |
2023 £ 5,025 5,170 |
|---|---|---|
| 10,195 | ||
| 2023 £ 44 30 161 |
||
| 235 |
Note 6: Transfers between Funds
| Unrestricted Funds Designated Funds £ £ [a] Transfers between Funds 2023 anonymous donation re-analysed from House Project to General Fund 600 House Project donations redesignated by Donors to General Fund 26,250 Gift Aid attaching to House Project donations redesignated to General Fund 555 House Project Fund closure: bank credit interest redesignated to General Fund 848 28,253 [b] Transfers between Funds From General Fund to establish two Designated Funds: Mission Partnerships Fund (14,904) 14,904 Future Ministry Fund (14,903) 14,903 (29,807) 29,807 |
Restricted Funds £ (600) (26,250) (555) (848) |
|---|---|
| (28,253) | |
Note 7: Transactions with related parties
The employment costs in Note 3 relate to the employment of Rev C M Henderson, a Trustee, in his capacity as Pastor of the church. This is permitted by the governing document. Expenses, relating to ordinary church running costs and unrelated to his role as Trustee, were reimbursed to the Pastor.
The funds received as agent (Note 8) were donations gifted for the family of Mr J W Ivin, who is the self-supporting Assistant Minister, and were not related to his role as Trustee.
No other amounts were paid or are payable to any Trustee or to any person connected to
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them.
Note 8: Funds received as Agent
From time to time Anchor Church may act as Agent to facilitate collections for third parties. As Anchor Church does not hold legal title to these collections, such funds are not required to be shown in the Statement of Financial Activities or on the Balance Sheet.
During 2024 the following sums, received for the benefit of third parties, were banked and duly paid on:
| Description | Balance held / due at 01/01/24 £ |
Related Party? |
Amount received / due £ |
Amount paid out £ |
Balance held / due at 31/12/24 £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donations made in appreciation of the self- supporting Assistant Minister and family, for ACLP to pass on. |
0 | Yes | 750 | 750 | 0 |
| Total £ 0 750 750 0 |
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