Ashley Church CIO
Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2023
Ashley Church CIO was constituted 20[th] April 2020 and is a registered charity incorporated organisation No. 1189293. Its address is Ashley Church, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 5DA. The charity trustees during the year to 31 December 2023 were:
Mrs Gillian Bywaters, Mrs Carole Perryman, Mr Shaun Perryman, Mrs Claire Wilkinson, Mrs Gillian Jalland, Ms Claire Pinney
The object of the charity is to further the religious and other activities of ASHLEY CHURCH in accordance with its Statement of Beliefs (reproduced in the Declaration of Trust). The Trust is handling all the funds given to the Church by agreement of the members of the church. All the Leadership Team of the Church are Trustees, and this will continue as a matter of policy.
There were four meetings of the Trustees during the year as part of the Joint Elders and Trustees Meetings. We received regular reports from Clive Pickering (the Trust Treasurer) and the Trustees monitored the financial situation based on these reports. The accounts were independently examined and reported on by P. Laskier FCCA of Fenlon & Co Chartered Certified Accountants Rivermill House, 6 High Street Wheathampstead, Herts. The leadership team have also met at other times to facilitate the running of the church and the charity. This arrangement of meetings has worked well and efficiently.
Responsibilities of trustees Charity law requires us as Trustees to prepare financial statements for each accounting year which record the receipts and payments of the charity for the year. 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
The financial situation during the year has been good and we were able to provide for all the costs the church required, which included:
General running and Ashley building maintenance costs
Contributions to missionary work and charitable giving. These range from regular support for a local charity working in schools to support for a Nepalese charity.
We are also able to use the facilities of the building to help local charities by the hiring of rooms for support meetings
The funds are provided by regular giving of church members and those who attend regularly, along with gifts from other benefactors and some funds from hiring out the building. All church funds are administered through the Trust for the benefit of the church, and other Christian work. Monies are held in CAF bank and other investment funds. The financial situation will continue to be reviewed on a regular basis. Accounts are presented to the church at the annual general meeting and any major expenditure is presented to members and discussed. Three of the Leadership Team are bank signatories. Two signatories are required on cheques and all bank documents.The Trustees noted that the overall financial situation is good.
Overall, the Trust can meet its commitments and liabilities with sufficient reserves to meet any foreseeable liabilities.
To further the above objects and mission, the charity's main activities were as follows: There is a weekly Sunday morning service, which includes songs, prayers and a message from the Bible. This provides opportunity for Christians to practise their Christian faith, and for those who are not Christians to find out more about the Bible and Christianity. We support and encourage those with a faith to deepen their relationship with God. There are also small groups meeting in the week which provide opportunity for further discussion and support to those attending. We run a weekly mums and
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Ashley Church CIO
toddlers group which provides support to and is well attended by the local community. We also have a bi-weekly ‘Tuesday get Together’ providing a warm and friendly space for chat, craft and cake, anyone can attend. We continue to seek ways in which we can meet the needs of those around us and further afield. As the Church has no paid members of staff, all the activities of the church are run by members of the Church, who are volunteers
SHAUN PERRYMAN for and on behalf of the Board of Trustees
Signature Shaun Perryman Date 20[th] September 2024
To be sent to The Charity Commission electronically with a signed and dated copy filed with the Trust Meeting Minutes
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ASHLEY CHURCH CIO STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2023
| 2023 £ RECEIPTS Gift Aided donations Gift Aid – Tax Relief Other Donations/Gifts/etc Stewardship Other Receipts Ashley Toddlers 1,046 Hall Hire 2,385 Tues Café & Other Income 250 Interest 669 Baptisms - TOTAL RECEIPTS PAYMENTS Capital Expenses Heaters - Laptop - General Running Costs Bank Charges 60 Flagstone Management Fees 264 Gas & Electricity 6,707 Guest Speakers 580 Examiners Fee 870 Insurance 2,210 Internet 526 Subscriptions 364 Supplies & Consumables 465 Water & Sewerage 134 Consultancy 430 Miscellaneous 198 Maintenance Expenses Electrical 116 Fire Extinguishers & Alarms 945 Charity /Missionary Support Note 2 TOTAL PAYMENTS NET RECEIPTS FOR THE YEAR BANK & CASH BALANCES BROUGHT FORWARD FUNDS TRANSFERRED FROM ASHLEY HALL FELLOWSHIP TRUST BANK & CASH BALANCES CARRIED FORWARD |
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ASHLEY CHURCH CIO STATEMENT OF ASSETS & LIABILITIES AT 31[st] DECEMBER 2023
MONETARY ASSETS Flagstone Holding Account Flagstone Fixed Term Deposits Co-op Community Direct Plus CAF Bank Cash Balances Total Bank & Cash Balances SSE Credit balances on Gas & Electricity FIXED ASSETS Church Contents Church Building OTHER ASSETS Gift Aid to 31.12.2023 Interest Accrued on Flagstone Deposits BBC Location Fees Receivable LIABILITIES Accrued Flagstone Management Fee Accrued Independent Examination Fee Gas & Electricity charges incurred to 31.12.22 |
2023 £ 394 153,000 - 17,408 - 170,802 3,931 174,733 3,234 4,128 - 7,362 384 558 - 942 |
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RESTRICTED FUNDS
| During the year the following donations were received for specific purposes: | During the year the following donations were received for specific purposes: |
|---|---|
| £ | |
| Specifically for FEED | 310 |
| Specifically for Doublejoy | 400 |
| Specifically for BMS Afghanistan | 50 |
| 760 |
The above donations were paid to the appropriate beneficiaries during the year.
The Notes on Pages 6 -7 form part of these Financial Statements
These financial statements are accepted on behalf of the charity by:
Signed _______ Dated __ Gillian Bywaters, Trustee
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Ashley Church CIO (Registered charity, number 1189293) Financial Statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023 Company Number CEO 21718
| Page | Contents |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Trustees’ annual report |
| 3 | Independent examiner’s report |
| 4 | Receipts & payments account |
| 5 | Statement of assets & liabilities |
| 6-7 | Notes to the accounts |
Fenlon & Co 6 High Street Wheathampstead AL4 8AA
ASHLEY CHURCH CIO TRUSTEE’S ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] DECEMBER 2023
Full name Ashley Church CIO
Organisation type Charitable incorporated organisation
Registered charity number 1189293
Company number CEO 21718
Principle Address Ashley Church, Ashley Road, St Albans, AL1 5DA
Trustees
Shaun Perryman Gillian Bywaters Gill Jalland Claire Pinney Carole Perryman Claire Wilkinson
Independent examiner
Paul Laskier, Principal, Fenlon & Co, 6 High Street, Wheathampstead, AL4 8AA
Governance and management
The charity is operated under the rules of its CIO Association adopted 19[th] October 2021
Trustees are voted in at a committee meeting and agree to serve and adopt all Church policies.
Objectives and activities
The objects of the CIO are for the public benefit:-
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to advance the Christian faith in accordance with the Statement of Faith in Hertfordshire and such other parts of the United Kingdom or the world as the Charity Trustees may from time to time think fit;
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to relieve persons who are in conditions of need or hardship or who are sick and to relieve the distress caused thereby in Hertfordshire and such other parts of the United Kingdom or the world as the Charity Trustees may from time to time think; and
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to fulfil such other charitable purposes beneficial to the community in Hertfordshire and such other parts of the United Kingdom or the world as the Charity Trustees may from time to time think fit.
Public benefit statement
The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit, ‘Charities and Public Benefit’.
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Summary of the main achievements during the year
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Running the Church
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Maintaining the fabric of the building
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Providing regular monthly support to selected good causes and targeted support to other deserving causes
The charity’s policy on reserves
The current policy of the trustees is to maintain the charity reserves
Incorporation
The CIO was incorporated on 30[th] April 2021 and took over the assets and liabilities of the Ashley Church Fellowship Trust as of 1[st] January 2022.
Transfer of Property
The Church land and building, Ashley Hall Evangelical Church, Ashley Road, St Albans, AL1 5DA was transferred from the Fellowship Property Trust to the CIO on 25[th] January 2022.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
Signed _________ Date _____ Shaun Perryman, Trustee
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF ASHLEY CHURCH CIO FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2023
I report on the accounts of the charity set out on Pages 4 to 7.
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 this year (under Section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act)) and that an independent examination is required.
It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under Section 145 of the 2011 Act;
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to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission (under Section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act); and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of the independent examiner’s report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. 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 you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a “true and fair view” and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statements below.
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 130 of the 2011 Act; and
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act
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have not been met;
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The Church has included a credit balance of £3,931 with Monetary Assets. The credit balance relates to overpayment to SSE Ltd which supplies gas and electricity. Strictly this should be treated as a non-monetary asset.
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Other than the above, there are no matters that in my opinion attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the Accounts to be reached.
P Laskier FCCA Principal of Fenlon & Co 6 High Street Wheathampstead Herts AL4 8AA
______ Dated
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ASHLEY CHURCH CIO STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2023
| 2023 £ RECEIPTS Gift Aided donations Gift Aid – Tax Relief Other Donations/Gifts/etc Stewardship Other Receipts Ashley Toddlers 1,046 Hall Hire 2,385 Tues Café & Other Income 250 Interest 669 Baptisms - TOTAL RECEIPTS PAYMENTS Capital Expenses Heaters - Laptop - General Running Costs Bank Charges 60 Flagstone Management Fees 264 Gas & Electricity 6,707 Guest Speakers 580 Examiners Fee 870 Insurance 2,210 Internet 526 Subscriptions 364 Supplies & Consumables 465 Water & Sewerage 134 Consultancy 430 Miscellaneous 198 Maintenance Expenses Electrical 116 Fire Extinguishers & Alarms 945 Charity /Missionary Support Note 2 TOTAL PAYMENTS NET RECEIPTS FOR THE YEAR BANK & CASH BALANCES BROUGHT FORWARD FUNDS TRANSFERRED FROM ASHLEY HALL FELLOWSHIP TRUST BANK & CASH BALANCES CARRIED FORWARD |
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ASHLEY CHURCH CIO STATEMENT OF ASSETS & LIABILITIES AT 31[st] DECEMBER 2023
MONETARY ASSETS Flagstone Holding Account Flagstone Fixed Term Deposits Co-op Community Direct Plus CAF Bank Cash Balances Total Bank & Cash Balances SSE Credit balances on Gas & Electricity FIXED ASSETS Church Contents Church Building OTHER ASSETS Gift Aid to 31.12.2023 Interest Accrued on Flagstone Deposits BBC Location Fees Receivable LIABILITIES Accrued Flagstone Management Fee Accrued Independent Examination Fee Gas & Electricity charges incurred to 31.12.22 |
2023 £ 394 153,000 - 17,408 - 170,802 3,931 174,733 3,234 4,128 - 7,362 384 558 - 942 |
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|---|---|---|
RESTRICTED FUNDS
| During the year the following donations were received for specific purposes: | During the year the following donations were received for specific purposes: |
|---|---|
| £ | |
| Specifically for FEED | 310 |
| Specifically for Doublejoy | 400 |
| Specifically for BMS Afghanistan | 50 |
| 760 |
The above donations were paid to the appropriate beneficiaries during the year.
The Notes on Pages 6 -7 form part of these Financial Statements
These financial statements are accepted on behalf of the charity by:
Signed _______ Dated __ Gillian Bywaters, Trustee
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ASHLEY CHURCH CIO NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2023
1. Receipts & payments accounts
Receipts and payments accounts contain a summary of money received and money spent during the period and a list of assets and liabilities at the end of the period. Usually cash received and cash spent will include transactions through bank accounts and cash in hand.
2. Charity/Missionary Support
Regular Monthly Support Doublejoy Open Door STEP YWAM Outreach YWAM Uganda Other Support Aandit BMS World Mission Bikes for Refugees Citycare International Dar El Aman FEED – Matched Giving Open Doors Pakistan Flood Appeal STEP BMS Afghanistan Doublejoy – Matched Giving Kingdom Living Ministries Nepal Teen Challenge London |
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3. Trustee’s renumeration
Trustees received no expenses, renumeration or benefits in this period.
4. Accounting convention
The financial statements have been prepared on the Receipts & Payments basis, and in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 and the requirements of the Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities.
5. Receipts
Receipts are included on the Statement of Receipts & Payments when the Charity is in receipt of cash, cheques or electronic payments.
6. Payments
Expenditure is accounted for when payment is made and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category.
7. Tangible fixed assets
Purchases of equipment are treated as expenses.
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8. Taxation
The Church is exempt from tax (like any other charity) on most sources of income including investment and property income.
9. Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the Charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the financial statements.
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