Charity number: 1190396
## **Discovering Prayer CIO**
Trustees’ Report and Financial Statements For the year ended 31 August 2025
Discoverin Pra er CIO g y
**Contents of the Financial Statements** for the year ended 31 August 2025
||Page|
|---|---|
|Report of the Trustees|1|
|Report of the Independent Examiner|4|
|Receipts and Payments Account|5|
|Statement of Balances|6|
|Notes to the Accounts|7|
Discoverin Pra er CIO g y
## **Report of the Trustees** for the year ended 31 August 2025
The trustees are pleased to present their report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 August 2025.
## **Principal office**
Suite 261 266 Banbury Road Oxford OX2 7DL
## **Status of Charity and Governing Document**
Discovering Prayer CIO was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation on 14 July 2020. The organisation was previously incorporated as a private limited company called Discoveringprayer.com Ltd (Company number 09177881) from 15 August 2014 until its dissolution in 2021. The charity registration number is 1190396.
## **Trustees and Office Bearers**
Management of the charity remains with the trustees. The constitution requires a minimum of three trustees and a maximum of 12 to serve at any time.
The trustees who served during the year are:
Michelle Eyre Robert Eyre Daniel Heyward Kate Jefferyes Shumi Kupara (appointed 26 April 2025) Timothy Pottle (resigned 26 April 2025)
Trustees are appointed for a period of three years by a resolution passed at a trustee meeting. Any person retiring as a charity trustee is then eligible for reappointment.
The board has also been supported by the insight and encouragement of Brother Stuart OSB from Mucknell Abbey and Tamasin Went.
## **Objectives**
Our charitable purpose is to advance the Christian faith by encouraging people to explore prayer and spirituality in their lives and to deepen their relationship with God, including through:
- The development and promotion of prayer resources, educational materials and courses;
- The hosting or facilitation of prayer meetings;
- The hosting or facilitation of retreats; and
- The teaching of ancient practices of the Religious Life of Anglican and other Christian denominations in the UK and worldwide.
## **Vision**
Our vision has been that people everywhere might have a joyful and fulfilling relationship with God — supported by a rhythm of prayer rooted in Christian tradition.
Page 1
Discoverin Pra er CIO g y
## **Report of the Trustees** for the year ended 31 August 2025
## **Activities and achievements**
During the year, Discovering Prayer continued its ministry of helping people deepen their relationship with God through accessible, high-quality digital prayer resources drawn from the monastic tradition.
A major focus was ensuring that the reach and spiritual legacy of the resources already created was honoured and sustained with gratitude. The Discovering Prayer app now offers more than 290 guided prayers and 34 blessings recorded by Anglican monks and nuns. Our tracks have been downloaded 1,317 times this year, adding to a total audience of more than 70,000 people who have received our prayer resources across all platforms since Discovering Prayer began.
Participants have told us:
‘A source of stillness and focus in busy lives — I feel the stillness enter my heart again.’ – Aisha ‘I’ve never had a rhythm of prayer before — now I start most days with God.’ – Ben
We are grateful for the encouragement we received from across the Church. Dame Sarah Mullally, Archbishop of Canterbury, kindly wrote:
‘Discovering Prayer clearly has a wonderful team supporting its programmes and my prayers are with you as you reach more and more people with the gift of excellent resources for reflective prayer. We need rhythm and structure more and more in these strange times.’
We give thanks for the monks and nuns who have shared their voices and wisdom, and for the volunteers, donors and grant-making trusts whose gifts have sustained this ministry in prayer, partnership and generosity.
## **Future plans**
This year brought a difficult discernment: despite determined fundraising efforts, the charity could not secure the long-term resources needed to continue. In October 2025, the trustees therefore took the decision to close Discovering Prayer CIO and to finish well.
Our focus is now on fulfilling all legal and financial responsibilities, honouring our supporters, and bringing the charity to a prayerful and orderly conclusion. While the closure of the CIO is deeply sad, we remain confident that God will lead forwards those who have been nourished by this ministry, and those who have served within it, into new seasons of prayer and hope.
## **Thanks**
The trustees express their heartfelt thanks to our supporters, including:
- Christ the Saviour Monastic Trust
- Community of St Mary the Virgin
- Gladiator Trust
- Pershore, Nashdom and Elmore Trust
- Sisters of the Love of God
- Souter Charitable Trust
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Discoverin Pra er CIO g y
## **Report of the Trustees** for the year ended 31 August 2025
## **Financial review**
## **Results for the year**
The financial statements for the year are set out on pages 5 to 7. The Receipts and Payments Account reflects a deficit for the year of £32,533 (2024: £13,725) and a corresponding reduction in reserves. With the decision taken to close the charity, the trustees are focused on completing the financial and legal responsibilities required for an orderly wind ‑ up.
## **Reserves policy**
With the decision to close the charity, a standard reserves policy limit was not set. Remaining funds will be used to meet closure costs in line with charitable obligations.
We also extend deep appreciation to the volunteers and contributors whose gifts in web development, administration, script editing and recording made the Discovering Prayer app and courses possible. Above all, we give thanks to God for the lives touched, the peace given and the prayers shared through this work.
The accounts were approved by the trustees on 31 October 2025 and signed on their behalf by:
## Michelle Eyre
**Michelle Eyre** Trustee
Page 3
Discoverin Pra er CIO g y
## **Report of the Independent Examiner to the Trustees** for the year ended 31 August 2025
I report to the trustees on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 August 2025 which are set out on pages 5 to 7.
## **Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner**
The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011. I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts as required and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## **Basis of Independent Examiner’s statement**
My examination is carried out in accordance with the Charities Act 2011. 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 seeks explanations from the trustees concerning 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 view given by the accounts.
## **Independent Examiner’s statement**
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
## Alison Franks
Alison Franks CA Director Cornerstone Accounting
11 Erngath Road Bo’ness EH51 9DP
Date: 4 November 2025
Page 4
## Discovering Prayer CIO
## **Receipts and Payments Account**
For the year ended 31 August 2025
|**Receipts**
**_Subscriptions_**
One-off
Annual
Monthly
Bursary
**_Donations_**
Major donors
Personal donors
Gift Aid
**_Grant income_**
**Total receipts**
**Payments**
**_Fundraising costs_**
Fundraising contract costs
Marketing and social media costs
Donation collection fees
**_Charitable activities_**
Salary costs
Personal customer service
Conferences and retreats
Recording costs
App design/development costs
Resources
Travel and subsistence
Insurance
IT and website costs
Equipment costs
Business address
Administration costs
Charitable donations
Bank charges
Bookkeeping costs
Cornerstone Accounting costs:
Independent examination
Payroll fees
**Total payments**
**Surplus/(deficit) for the year**
Transfer between funds
**Surplus/(deficit) after transfers**
**Total funds brought forward**
**Total funds carried forward**|**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**2025**
**funds**
**funds**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**45**
**-**
**45**
**4,042**
**-**
**4,042**
**1,135**
**-**
**1,135**
**171**
**-**
**171**
**7,500**
**-**
**7,500**
**2,048**
**-**
**2,048**
**514**
**-**
**514**
**43,500**
**-**
**43,500**
**58,955**
**-**
**58,955**
**10,266**
**-**
**10,266**
**4,461**
**-**
**4,461**
**207**
**-**
**207**
**37,067**
**-**
**37,067**
**1,606**
**-**
**1,606**
**350**
**-**
**350**
**870**
**-**
**870**
**3,999**
**23,725**
**27,724**
**150**
**-**
**150**
**172**
**-**
**172**
**346**
**-**
**346**
**5,083**
**-**
**5,083**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**460**
**-**
**460**
**255**
**-**
**255**
**1,315**
**-**
**1,315**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**100**
**-**
**100**
**600**
**-**
**600**
**300**
**-**
**300**
**67,763**
**23,725**
**91,488**
**(8,808)**
**(23,725)**
**(32,533)**
**(8,698)**
**8,698**
**-**
**(17,506)**
**(15,027)**
**(32,533)**
**29,736**
**15,027**
**44,763**
**12,230**
**-**
**12,230**|Unrestricted
Restricted
2024
funds
funds
Total
£
£
£
535
-
535
5,130
-
5,130
1,195
-
1,195
180
-
180
1,800
1,000
2,800
568
1,391
1,959
36
433
469
48,900
17,610
66,510
58,344
20,434
78,778
12,092
-
12,092
1,752
-
1,752
266
-
266
28,888
5,900
34,788
1,672
-
1,672
535
-
535
-
3,217
3,217
-
5,596
5,596
15
-
15
562
-
562
321
-
321
2,808
-
2,808
-
-
-
411
-
411
329
-
329
-
-
-
9
-
9
72
-
72
500
-
500
108
-
108
50,340
14,713
65,053
8,004
5,721
13,725
-
-
-
8,004
5,721
13,725
21,732
9,306
31,038
29,736
15,027
44,763|
|---|---|---|
The notes on page 7 form part of these financial statements.
Page 5
Discovering Prayer CIO
## **Statement of Balances**
As at 31 August 2025
|**Notes**
**Cash at bank and in hand**
Current account
**Total cash at bank and in hand**
**Represented by:**
**Unrestricted fund**
**2**
General fund
**Restricted funds**
**3**
App fund
**Total funds**
**Statement of assets at 31 August**
Expenses refund due
**Statement of liabilities at 31 August**
Accounting and independent examination fees
PAYE payable
Pension payable
Fundraising costs due
Charitable donation due - Salvation Army
Staff expenses|**Opening**
**Deficit**
**Closing**
**balance**
**for year**
**balance**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**44,763**
**(32,533)**
**12,230**
**44,763**
**(32,533)**
**12,230**
**12,230**
**12,230**
**-**
**-**
**12,230**
**2025**
**£**
**-**
**-**
**2025**
**£**
**600**
**560**
**725**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**1,885**
**2025**|Opening
Surplus
Closing
balance
for year
balance
£
£
£
31,038
13,725
44,763
31,038
13,725
44,763
29,736
29,736
15,027
15,027
44,763
2024
£
45
45
2024
£
600
560
278
1,416
970
150
3,974
2024|
|---|---|---|
The financial statements on pages 5 to 7 were approved by the trustees on 31 October 2025 and signed on their behalf by the undernoted:
## Michelle Eyre
## Michelle Eyre
_Trustee_
The notes on page 7 form part of these financial statements.
Page 6
Discovering Prayer CIO
## **Notes to the Accounts**
For the year ended 31 August 2025
## **1. Accounting policies**
## **Accounting convention**
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, on a receipts and payments basis and in accordance with the Charities Act 2011. The trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit.
## **Receipts and Payments Account**
For the purpose of the Receipts and Payments Account as shown on page 6, funds are defined as follows:
_**Unrestricted**_ funds comprise donations, grants and other income received for the objects of the charity without further specified purpose and are available as general funds.
_**Restricted**_ funds comprise income which has been received for the objects of the charity and specified for a restricted purpose within these objects by the donor.
## **2. Unrestricted funds**
|General fund
**Total unrestricted funds**|**Balance at**
**1.9.24**
**£**
29,736
29,736|**Receipts**
**£**
58,955
58,955|**Payments**
**£**
(67,763)
(67,763)|**Balance at**
**Transfers**
**31.8.25**
**£**
**£**
(8,698)
**12,230**
(8,698)
**12,230**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
## _**Explanation of funds**_
The _General fund_ represents all income and expenditure relating to the primary focus activities of the charity, other than those for which funding is restricted.
## **3. Restricted funds**
|App fund
**Total restricted funds**|**Balance at**
**1.9.24**
**£**
15,027
**15,027**|**Receipts**
**£**
-
**-**|**Payments**
**£**
(23,725)
**(23,725)**|**Balance at**
**Transfers**
**31.8.25**
**£**
**£**
8,698
**-**
**8,698**
**-**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
## _**Explanation of funds**_
The _App fund_ represents funds received towards the development of a new mobile application for guided prayers.
## **4. Donated facilities and services**
We are grateful for the office space at St Andrew’s Church, Linton Road, Oxford, which allows us to be at the heart of this prayerful community. We also acknowledge the invaluable contribution of our volunteers and trustees who lend their expertise in various areas, including audio design, editorial guidance, finance and fundraising.
## **5. Trustee and related party remuneration and expenses**
Michelle Eyre, who is a trustee, is employed by the charity as Chief Executive. Remuneration paid, including pension costs, in the financial year was £37,513 (2024: £36,469).
Michelle also attended a retreat paid for by the Charity at a cost of £190 (2024: £535).
There were no remuneration or expenses paid to any of the other trustees or their related parties during the year ending 31 August 2025 (2024: nil).
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