Venture Church
Report and Accounts Year ended 31 August 2025
1 Lamb's Passage, London EC1Y 8AB www.stewardship.org.uk
VENTURE CHURCH
CHARITY INFORMATION
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
Trustees Tracy Jane Cotterell (resigned on 16 November 2025) Martin Jonathan Williams (from 24 February 2025) Ian Robert Francis Dalton Julie Nelson Stephen John Cockram (resigned on 16 November 2025) Greggory Glenn Guerin Donald Geoffrey Horrocks Key Staff Natasha Edwards Simon Edwards (from 1 October 2023) Governing Document CIO constitution dated 16 July 2020, as amended on 12 July 2021 and on 06 December 2022 Charity Registration Number 1190427 Principal Address PO Box 5060 Gerrards Cross Buckinghamshire SL9 1FY Independent Examiner Sarah Crispin ACA Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage London EC1Y 8AB Bankers Barclays Bank 1 Churchill Place London E14 5HP
| Contents | Page |
|---|---|
| Charity Information | 1 |
| Trustees' Annual Report | 2-6 |
| Independent Examiner's Report | 7 |
| Statement of Financial Activities | 8 |
| Balance Sheet | 9 |
| Notes to the Accounts | 10-16 |
| Detailed Statement of Financial Activities | 17 |
Page 1
Venture Church Trustees’ Annual Report for the period ended 31 August 2025
The Trustees have pleasure in submitting the Report and Accounts for the period from 1 September 2024 until 31 August 2025.
Objects of the charity
The charity is a charitable incorporated organisation and is governed by its Constitution. The objects of the charity, as set out in the governing document are:
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to advance the Christian Faith for the benefit of the public in Buckinghamshire and in such parts of the United Kingdom and/or the world as the Trustees think fit, through the establishment or operation of Christian Communities, and/or Church/Churches;
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the provision of pastoral care for the congregations and visitors worshipping at such church or churches, or communities;
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to promote education and to prevent and relieve poverty in Buckinghamshire and such parts of the United Kingdom and/or the world as the trustees may from time-to-time think fit.
Summary of the charity’s main activities
To further the above objects and vision, the charity’s main activities and achievements were as follows:
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Sunday worship in a variety of formats and for all ages, and open to the public;
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Provision of Venture Communities for all ages within the church supporting pastoral care and the advancement of faith through Bible study, prayer and friendship, and offering a welcoming pathway for all into the church;
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Support for mission and social action projects locally, national and globally;
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Provision of the Family Support Fund in response to crisis financial need.
In planning the activities, the Trustees have applied the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission.
Volunteers
We recognise and greatly value the volunteer support and expertise offered to ensure the church and its activities run smoothly and safely in delivering public benefit. Such volunteers are central to the life of the church not only on Sundays when volunteers are involved in all aspects of the worship service and children’s church, but also beyond this to the work through Venture Communities and also mission projects. As the life and ministries of the church have grown over the year so too has our need for volunteers. We are so grateful for the many people who serve in this way and are pleased to note that those serving also experience a deeper sense of belonging to the church community.
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Summary of the charity’s main achievements
In this fifth year of charitable operation the church has grown in size and depth of ministry and continued to build on healthy foundations under the leadership of Tash and Simon Edwards who were appointed as Co-Lead Pastors in October 2023.
In this second year of being in role, they have continued to make a significant investment in relationships within the church family, both in individual meetings with congregation members and by continuing with the hosting of ‘Dinners for 8’ to facilitate getting to know people and also people getting to know others in the church much better. Furthermore, the Lead Pastors have ensured that those leading different ministries in the church are equipped and supported. These are mainly volunteers and they benefitted from a September retreat as well as on-going encouragement and accountability, with many of the ministry teams having their own additional annual ‘training’ events, including safeguarding refreshers.
The Lead Pastors also significantly invested in the development of the Staff team, with an Away Day in March and attendance at the HTB Leadership Conference in London in May. Both these times were of huge value, both relationally and in leadership. Both Lead Pastors separately attended other conferences, with Tash being invited to attend and contribute to the Fourth Lausanne Congress in Seoul. Two other members of Venture Church also attended in different capacities.
Venture Communities remain central to the life of the church and this year we increased the number of groups to 8 mid-sized groups, with 95% of the church belonging to one of them. Fourteen new people (including children) joined a community this year, mirroring a growth in Sunday attendance of 9%. These positive trends indicate that the church is offering a valued space for people to grow in faith and experience meaningful friendships and encouragement. We continue to hold weekly prayer meetings and monthly Encounter worship and prayer evenings, with a Prayer Weekend being held in January.
The church’s focus on being ‘All in for God and all out for the world’ and the particular emphasis during this year on ‘venturing out’ was supported by a series of Friday Night Feasts focusing on how to bring God into the everyday, particularly looking at Christian leadership in our culture, being creative with God in our everyday lives, and how to have courageous conversations. 70 adults attended these. A further 27 men participated in a six-week SatNav discipleship course entitled ‘Men on the Move’ and 21 people attended another six-week SatNav discipleship course for parents of double-digits. Eleven women from our church who lead in a variety of contexts in the public, private and charity sectors also attended an afternoon tea training event with a guest speaker.
As part of continuing to develop our outward focus, the church ran an Alpha course in the Autumn, as well as 4 ‘Why I Believe’ evenings with guest speakers from the world of science and philosophy who shared their expertise and their faith in God. We also had 3 ‘Inviting Questions’ Sundays exploring topics of potential interest to friends, neighbours and family who might be curious about the Christian faith. These were well attended and the opportunity to ask questions appreciated. At Christmas,135 people attended the Carol Service, with 85 joining us on Christmas Eve.
Throughout the year we offer a safe and welcoming space for Christians, their friends and family, and the wider community, to experience Christian worship and teaching in order to strengthen and grow their faith and its application to daily life today. Through the year we offered a range of sermon series, both topical and exegetical, with studies from 1 John, Proverbs and Habakkuk.
More broadly, social events such as church picnics have strengthened community life and provided an opportunity to invite friends and neighbours, and men’s firepit evenings have been a great opportunity for more in-depth conversations. In the summer, we took a group of adults and children to the Wildfires festival which was a significant time for building community and ministering to one another as well as benefitting from the festival programme.
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We continued to invest in our children and youth work, organising youth socials throughout the year, including attendance at a local fireworks event, and facilitating five of the youth attending the Re:Boot day conference in Reading. With our growing number of youth, we embarked on a fundraising and recruitment project in March for a new Youth Pastor position and successfully raised the required funds to further invest in this important area of ministry. Our Kids Ministry Lead indicated her desire to finish in her role in June and we also then started the recruitment process for her replacement. We received a number of applicants and in June we interviewed and appointed a new Emerging Generation Pastor and Assistant Emerging Generation Pastor to start in September 2025.
More broadly, we financially supported 17 mission organisations who are active locally, nationally and globally with grants to institutions totalling £12,095 and £3,000 to individuals. We again supported the Meta Youth programme run by a member of the church, encouraging fundraising and prayer for this great ministry and its annual mission trip, this year to Belfast. We also supported for a second year our first cross-cultural missionary to Brazil, as well as locally supporting the work of mentoring of Year 7s in the school where we meet on a Sunday.
Having established an expanded role for the trustees last year to strengthen the spiritual oversight of the church and support/accountability for the Lead Pastors, we focused on building those relationships through this year, as well as continuing to strengthen our external relationships with our External Advisers and affiliations as an independent church with continued membership of the Evangelical Alliance UK.
Structure, Governance and Management
The charity’s organisational structure consists of the Board of Trustees, Co-Lead Pastors, and a Staff Team with both paid and voluntary members. In addition, many members of the church volunteer on a variety of teams, each of which has its own remit and procedures. Three External Advisers to the trustee Board provide some external scrutiny and voice into the life of the church within a clearly defined remit
The charity’s constitution provides details of eligibility for trusteeship (9.2), the number of charity trustees (9.3), details of the first charity trustees (9.4), and the appointment of charity trustees (9.5).
The Trustees of the charity meet regularly throughout the year with minutes taken at all meetings. Trustees are made aware of their responsibilities when they start and additional training and support is given as appropriate. A full induction process for new Trustees is in place. Venture Church uses the consultancy service for churches available through the Stewardship giving charity and has adopted a number of their templates for the necessary policies and procedures pertaining to governance and finance.
During the year, an additional trustee was appointed, being aware that four of the original trustees will roll off after their full term of six years by July 2026. Two of the trustees rolling off are the co-chairs, therefore a discernment process was engaged in to appoint a Chair Elect. Martin Willams, the new trustee agreed to take on this role at the appropriate time, and it was further agreed that this would take place in November 2025, with Steve Cockram and Tracy Cotterell planning to resign from their roles slightly earlier than July 2026 to better manage the outflow of original trustees and the end of their final terms of office as well as maintaining continuity and stability within the Board. A process to further add to the trustees and to appoint to the Officer role of Treasurer will commence in January 2026.
Page 4
Financial review
Income for the year ending 31 August 2025 totalled £285,350 including £690 of restricted funds. Expenditure for the period totalled £277,037, of which £206,071 was staffing costs with outcomes directed primarily to mission, ministry and discipleship, with the remainder for operational support.
The principal source of funds is donations (regular and one-off) from our church congregation, with gift aid being claimed where appropriate to a value of £35,631.
A total of £15,095 was given to 17 different mission organisations and individuals. In addition, £1,680 was given from the restricted Family Support Fund in line with its remit.
Reserves policy
The Trustees reviewed the reserves policy on 4 August 2025. The policy requires the charity to hold 3 months’ operating costs less 3 months of 70% regular unrestricted giving in liquid form (available within 30 days). Unrestricted cash reserves on 31 August 2025 were £87,919 and during the year these reserves are kept under regular review by the Trustees.
Going concern
The charity ended the year in a strong financial position with unrestricted cash reserves increased by £15,108 to £87,919 which is significantly above the minimum reserves level for the year end of £20k in line with the reserves policy. This provides appropriate cash flow support for the next financial year with the significant investment in children & youth. Income for the year, including restricted funds, was higher than the previous year with several donors responding to our fundraising project by giving one-off donations and increasing their regular giving to support our investment in kids and youth before the year end. Expenditure savings against budgeted costs also emerged for staffing. The number of regular monthly givers has grown again this year with regular monthly giving from the congregation and associated gift aid contributing 89% budgeted income, one-off donations making up the rest. The healthy year-end position has given the trustees confidence to invest a proportion of the cash reserves in further staffing and mission initiatives to grow the church in line with the charity’s objects in the next financial year. There is still opportunity to raise funds from the 28% of households who do not yet give regularly, many being new members, as well as encouraging increased giving to cover inflation rises, over and above the £50k specific investment into our kids and youth ministry which was met by the financial year end. The Trustees have no concerns about the charity as a going concern.
Key risks and uncertainties
The Trustees maintain and review a risk register and are attentive to the primary risks that the charity needs to manage and mitigate. A key risk facing the charity is financial, particularly any reduction in regular giving, the unanticipated loss of significant individual donors, or budgeted one-off donations not materialising. This risk is managed in a variety of ways including providing the congregation with regular financial information, sharing vision and plans, encouraging the congregations with stories of impact, and building strong relationships. Key financial data is monitored, and any concern will be presented to the Trustees on at least a quarterly basis. The Trustees are also aware of the risks around staff and volunteers, namely, the challenge of filling staff and key volunteer roles should they become vacant. Training, support and accountability, together with the development of a strong team culture are used to mitigate risk. Safeguarding, child protection and health & safety are a high priority for the Trustees and policies and procedures are used to mitigate risks in these areas. The Trustees are aware of the
Page 5
risks around potential changes in legislation that would be incompatible with the church’s principles and ethos and maintain a watching brief.
Responsibilities of trustees under charity law
The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees' annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Charity law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charity as at the balance sheet date and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure, for the financial year. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
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observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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state whether the applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
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prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011 and the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. 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.
Approval
This report was approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
Martin Williams
Martin Williams (Mar 10, 2026 08:45:37 GMT)
Martin Williams (Chair of Trustees)
Date: Mar 10, 2026
Page 6
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT
TO THE TRUSTEES OF
VENTURE CHURCH ('the Charity')
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Charity for the year ended 31 August 2025 on pages 8 to 17 following, which have been prepared on the basis of the accounting policies set out on pages 10 to 11.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity’s trustees of the Charitable Incorporated Organisation you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act').
I report in respect of my examination of the Charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 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.
Independent examiner’s statement
Since the Charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair' view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
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 in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Sarah Crispin
Sarah Crispin (Mar 18, 2026 08:23:26 GMT) Sarah Crispin ACA Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales
Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage London EC1Y 8AB
Date: Mar 18, 2026
Page 7
VENTURE CHURCH
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
| Note INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM: Donations 3 Charitable activities 4 Investments Total income and endowments EXPENDITURE ON: Charitable activities 5 Total expenditure Net income/(expenditure) Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds: Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward 12 |
Unrestricted Funds £ 281,170 2,515 975 284,659 272,476 272,476 12,183 12,183 79,335 91,518 |
Restricted Funds £ 690 - - 690 4,561 4,561 (3,870) (3,870) 7,727 3,857 |
Total Funds 2025 £ 281,860 2,515 975 285,350 277,037 277,037 8,313 8,313 87,062 95,375 |
Total Funds 2024 £ 254,139 4,800 703 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 259,643 | ||||
| 232,634 | ||||
| 232,634 | ||||
| 27,008 | ||||
| 27,008 60,054 |
||||
| 87,062 |
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.
All income and expenditure derive from continuing operations.
The notes on pages 10-16 form part of these accounts.
Page 8
VENTURE CHURCH
BALANCE SHEET
AS AT 31 AUGUST 2025
| Note FIXED ASSETS Tangible assets 7 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 8 Cash at bank and in hand 9 CREDITORS: Amounts falling due within one year 10 Net current assets / (liabilities) Total assets less current liabilities TOTAL NET ASSETS FUND BALANCES 12 Unrestricted Funds General funds Restricted Funds |
Unrestricted Funds £ 2,527 2,527 7,586 87,919 95,504 (6,514) 88,991 91,518 91,518 91,518 91,518 - 91,518 |
Restricted Funds £ - - - 3,857 3,857 - 3,857 3,857 3,857 - - 3,857 3,857 |
Total Funds 2025 £ 2,527 2,527 7,586 91,776 99,362 (6,514) 92,848 95,375 95,375 91,518 91,518 3,857 95,375 |
Total Funds 2024 £ 5,311 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,311 | ||||
| 10,324 80,538 |
||||
| 90,863 (9,111) |
||||
| 81,751 | ||||
| 87,062 | ||||
| 87,062 | ||||
| 79,335 | ||||
| 79,335 7,727 |
||||
| 87,062 |
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and were signed on its behalf by:
Martin Williams ---------------------------------------Martin Williams (Mar 10, 2026 08:45:37 GMT) Martin J Williams
Mar 10, 2026 Date: _______
Charity number: 1190427
The notes on pages 10-16 form part of these accounts.
Page 9
VENTURE CHURCH
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
1 Statutory Information
The charity is a charitable incorporated organisation registered with the Charity Commission in England & Wales. The charity's registered number and principal address can be found on the Charity Information page.
2 Accounting Policies
These financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis, under the historical cost convention.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the "Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) ("the Charities SORP"), with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland ("FRS 102") and with the Charities Act 2011. The charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity as set out in FRS 102.
The Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 (the '2008 Regulations') requires charities to prepare their accounts in accordance with 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice effective from 1 April 2005' but this accounting standard has since been withdrawn and has been replaced by the Charities SORP mentioned in the preceding paragraph. The charity has prepared these financial statements in accordance with the new Charities SORP; this departure from the 2008 Regulations is believed to be necessary for these financial statements to give a 'true and fair view'.
The principles adopted in the preparation of the financial statements are set out below.
a) Going concern The trustees have assessed whether the use of the going concern basis is appropriate and have considered possible events or conditions that might cast significant doubt on the ability of the charity to continue as a going concern. The trustees have made this assessment for a period of at least one year from the date of approval of the financial statements. In particular the trustees have considered the charity's forecasts and projections and the possible implications should projected income and / or expenditure vary unexpectedly. The trustees have concluded that there is a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue to operate for the foreseeable future. The charity therefore continues to adopt the going concern basis in preparing its financial statements.
b) Income
Income including investment income is recognised in the period in which the charity becomes entitled to receipt, the amount receivable can be measured with reasonable certainty, and receipt is probable. For the most part, income is generally recognised when it is received. Income is only deferred when the charity has to fulfil conditions before becoming entitled to it or where the donor has specified that the income is to be expended in a future period.
Income from donations includes:
-
i) Recoverable gift aid. This is recognised when the related donation is received. Gift aid that has not been recovered by the balance sheet date is included as a debtor.
-
ii) The charity relies on volunteers to carry out many of its activities. However, in accordance with the SORP, the value of these services has not been included in these financial statements as they cannot be reliably measured.
When donated goods, services and facilities are distributed or consumed, an expense in respect of those items is included in the Statement of Financial Activities. At the year end any goods that have not been distributed or consumed are recognised as stock; donated fixed assets are capitalised.
Investment income represents income generated by the charity's assets and includes income from bank interest. Income from charitable activities represents external speaking fees in line with our charitable objectives.
c) Expenditure
Expenditure, including irrecoverable VAT, is recognised when it is incurred or, if earlier, when a legal or constructive obligation for a payment arises provided that it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
The charity makes grants to other institutions and individuals to further its charitable objectives. Grants payable are recognised as constructive obligations arise, which is generally when the charity expresses a commitment to the recipient that can be measured reliably and then only to the extent that any conditions associated with the grant are outside of the control of the charity.
Governance costs, which are included in expenditure on charitable activities but are identified separately in the notes to the accounts, includes costs associated with the independent examination of the financial statements, compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements and any other expenditure incurred on the strategic management of the charity.
Page 10
VENTURE CHURCH
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
2 Accounting Policies (continued)
d) Fund accounting
General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. Restricted funds are donations which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors; they include donations received from appeals for specific activities or projects. Endowment funds are donations that are retained as capital in accordance with the donor's wishes. The nature of the restriction determines whether the endowments represent permanent endowments or expendable endowments.
e) Tangible fixed assets
Items purchased or donated for the charity's own use are capitalised when the cost of purchased items, or the fair value of donated items, is more than £500 and the item is expected to benefit the charity over more than one accounting period. Depreciation is charged on a straight line basis so as to write down the value of each asset to its estimated residual value (if any) over its expected useful economic life. To achieve this objective the following rates of depreciation are charged:
Equipment Straight line over 5 years Computer Equipment Straight line over 3 years
The carrying values of tangible fixed assets are reviewed for impairment in periods when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable.
f) Pension scheme arrangements
The charity operates defined contribution pension schemes for its employees. Obligations for contributions to these schemes are recognised as an expense when the liability arises. The assets of these schemes are held separately from those of the charity in independently administered funds.
g) Taxation The charity has taken advantage of the various reliefs from taxation available to charities and no tax is payable on the charity's income.
h) Financial instruments The charity's financial assets and financial liabilities all qualify as basic financial instruments, as defined by FRS102. Creditors and debtors are measured at their expected settlement value (normally the amount of cash that the charity expects to pay or receive).
i) Exemption from preparing a cashflow statement
The charity has taken advantage of an exemption conferred by the Charities SORP and has not prepared a cash flow statement.
j) Critical accounting estimates and areas of judgement The trustees do not consider that there are any material sources of estimation or uncertainty at the balance sheet date that could result in a material adjustment to the carrying values of assets and liabilities in the next reporting period.
3 Donations
| Donations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Donations of cash and similar Income tax recoverable Income from charitable activities External speaking engagements |
2025 £ 246,230 35,631 281,860 2025 £ 2,515 2,515 |
2024 £ 220,534 33,606 |
| 254,139 | ||
| 2024 £ 4,800 |
||
| 4,800 |
4 Income from charitable activities
Page 11
VENTURE CHURCH
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
5 Charitable expenditure
| 5 Charitable expenditure |
||
|---|---|---|
| a Costs incurred directly on specific activities Staffing, travel and expenses Communication costs Ministries & discipleship Production & worship Venue & storage hire Grants payable (note 5c) b Costs incurred on support & administration Governance costs Independent examiner's fee Subscriptions and professional fees Administration costs Depreciation of tangible fixed assets Insurance Total expenditure |
2025 £ 206,071 3,564 11,048 411 25,238 246,332 16,775 263,107 2,394 2,394 5,294 1,008 3,174 2,059 13,930 277,037 |
2024 £ 171,273 2,846 8,585 949 22,132 |
| 205,785 12,783 |
||
| 218,568 | ||
| 2,280 | ||
| 2,280 6,956 1,024 1,769 2,037 |
||
| 14,066 | ||
| 232,634 |
The fee payable to the independent examiner for preparing and examining the accounts was £2,394 (2024: £2,280); in addition the charity paid £220 (2024: £220) to Stewardship for consultancy services.
c Grants payable
| Grants for UK and overseas mission Grants for the relief of poverty The comparatives for the previous year are as follows: Grants for UK and overseas mission Grants for the relief of poverty The charity's principal grants to institutions comprised: Aylesbury Vale Youth for Christ International Justice Mission UK Restore Hope Embrace the Middle East Meta Youth The Giraffe Project Transforming Lives for Good LICC Grants to institutions for less than £1,000 each |
Institutions £ 12,095 - 12,095 Institutions £ 8,700 - 8,700 |
Individuals £ 3,000 1,680 4,680 Individuals £ 2,318 1,765 4,083 2025 £ 2,000 - 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 4,095 12,095 |
2025 £ 15,095 1,680 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16,775 | |||
| 2024 £ 11,018 1,765 |
|||
| 12,783 | |||
| 2024 £ 2,000 1,000 1,000 - 1,000 - 1,000 - 2,700 |
|||
| 8,700 |
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VENTURE CHURCH
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
6 Analysis of staff costs, the cost of key management personnel and trustee remuneration
The average monthly number of employees during the year was 6 (2024: 4). Most of the charity's activities are carried out by volunteers.
No staff received employment benefits at a rate of more than £60,000 per annum.
The charity's key management comprise the trustees and the key staff named on the Charity Information page.
During the year key management received employment benefits totalling £104,932 (2024: £94,026).
No trustees received employment benefits in the current year.
7 Tangible fixed assets
| Cost At 31 August 2024 Additions Disposals At 31 August 2025 Accumulated depreciation At 31 August 2024 Charge for the year Eliminated on disposal At 31 August 2025 Net book value At 31 August 2025 At 31 August 2024 |
Equipment £ 12,375 699 (549) 12,525 7,064 3,174 (240) 9,998 2,527 5,311 |
Total 2025 £ 12,375 699 (549) |
|---|---|---|
| 12,525 | ||
| 7,064 3,174 (240) |
||
| 9,998 | ||
| 2,527 | ||
| 5,311 |
During the year, the trustees reviewed the depreciation method applied to the charity's equipment assets. Previously these were depreciated on a reducing balance basis at 25% per annum. Following the review, it was determined that the straight line method more accurately reflects the consumption of economic benefits and book value of the assets. In accordance with FRS 102 section 10, this change is accounted for prospectively. Prior year comparatives have not been restated but current year depreciation has been adjusted so that the net book value carried forward reflects the new depreciation method as if applied since purchase.
8 Debtors
| Falling due within one year: Trade debtors Tax recoverable Prepayments and accrued income 9 Cash at Bank and in Hand Cash at bank with immediate access 10 Creditors: liabilities falling due within one year Trade creditors Taxation and social security Other creditors Accruals |
2025 £ - 2,985 4,601 7,586 2025 £ 91,776 91,776 2025 £ 555 2,700 864 2,394 6,514 |
2024 £ 2,150 2,091 6,083 |
|---|---|---|
| 10,324 | ||
| 2024 £ 80,538 |
||
| 80,538 | ||
| 2024 £ 2,495 3,526 811 2,280 |
||
| 9,111 |
Page 13
VENTURE CHURCH
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
11 Pension commitments
During the year employer’s pension contributions totalling £10,670 (2024: £7,160) were payable to defined contribution personal pension schemes. Pension contributions owing at the balance sheet date were £864 (2024: £811).
12 Funds
During the year the movements in the charity's funds were as follows:
| General Unrestricted Funds Total Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Family Support Women's Ministry Toddlers Group Young Adults Ministry Kids Ministry Youth Ministry Mission Support Other restricted funds Aggregate of funds |
Opening balance 2025 £ 79,335 79,335 4,511 271 548 130 268 - - 2,000 7,727 87,062 |
Incoming resources 2025 £ 284,659 284,659 313 - - - - 283 95 - 690 285,350 |
Outgoing resources 2025 £ (272,476) (272,476) (1,680) (71) (164) - (268) (283) (95) (2,000) (4,561) (277,037) |
Transfers in the year 2025 £ - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Closing balance 2025 £ 91,518 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91,518 | |||||
| 3,144 200 384 130 - - - - |
|||||
| 3,857 | |||||
| 95,376 |
Analysis of net assets by fund
The assets and liabilities of the various funds were as follows:
| lysis of net assets by fund assets and liabilities of the various funds were as follows: |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tangible fixed assets Debtors Cash at bank and in hand Creditors falling due within one year |
Unrestricted General funds £ 2,527 7,586 87,919 (6,514) 91,518 |
Restricted funds £ - - 3,857 - 3,857 |
2025 £ 2,527 7,586 91,776 (6,514) |
| 95,375 |
Page 14
VENTURE CHURCH
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
12 Funds (continued)
In the previous period the movements in the charity's funds were as follows:
| General Unrestricted Funds Total Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Family Support Women's Ministry Toddlers Group Young Adults Ministry Kids Ministry Youth Ministry Mission Support Other Restricted Funds Aggregate of funds |
Opening balance 2024 £ 50,232 50,232 6,276 271 595 180 - - 500 2,000 9,822 60,054 |
Incoming resources 2024 £ 257,724 257,724 - - - - 600 500 818 - 1,918 259,643 |
Outgoing resources 2024 £ (228,622) (228,622) (1,765) - (47) (50) (332) (500) (1,318) - (4,013) (232,634) |
Transfers in the year 2024 £ - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Closing balance 2024 £ 79,335 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 79,335 | |||||
| 4,511 271 548 130 268 - - 2,000 |
|||||
| 7,727 | |||||
| 87,062 |
Analysis of net assets by fund
In the previous year, the assets and liabilities of the various funds were as follows:
| lysis of net assets by fund e previous year, the assets and liabilities of the various funds were as follows: |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tangible fixed assets Debtors Cash at bank and in hand Creditors falling due within one year |
Unrestricted General funds £ 5,311 10,324 72,811 (9,111) 79,335 |
Restricted funds £ - - 7,727 - 7,727 |
2024 £ 5,311 10,324 80,538 (9,111) |
| 87,062 |
The Mission Support Fund is for the support of missions and mission work either in the UK or overseas. The Family Support Fund is for the relief of hardship amongst members of the church.
The Women's Ministry fund is for the specific ministries run for women within the church or for outreach through women in the church.
The Toddler's Group Fund is for the support of this ministry within the church.
The Young Adults Fund is for the support of young adults ministry and mission within the church. The Kids Ministry Fund is for the support of the children's ministry within the church The Youth Ministry Fund is for the support of youth activities within the church.
Other restricted funds relates to small one-off restricted donations.
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VENTURE CHURCH
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
13 Transactions with related parties
During the year:
-
a) The charity received donations totalling £81,707 (2024:£77,033) from related parties (which includes trustees, any other members of key management and anyone closely connected to them).
-
b) paid £1,000 (2024: £nil) as a grant to The Giraffe Project, a registered UK charity, as a contribution towards work at a school in Kenya. Ian Dalton, who is a trustee, is also a trustee of The Giraffe Project.
-
c) No expenses were paid to, or for, the trustees.
Except as disclosed in note 6 there have been no other transactions with related parties during the year.
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VENTURE CHURCH
DETAILED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES WITH COMPARATIVES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
| Note INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM: Donations and legacies 3 Charitable activities 4 Investments Total income and endowments EXPENDITURE ON: Charitable activities: 5 Total Expenditure Net income/(expenditure) Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds: Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward 12 |
General Designated 2025 2025 £ £ 281,170 - 2,515 - 975 - 284,659 - 272,476 - 272,476 - 12,183 - 12,183 - 79,335 - 91,518 - Unrestricted funds |
Restricted 2025 £ 690 - - 690 4,561 4,561 (3,870) (3,870) 7,727 3,857 |
Total 2025 £ 281,860 2,515 975 285,350 277,037 277,037 8,313 8,313 87,062 95,375 |
General Designated 2024 2024 £ £ 252,221 - 4,800 703 - 257,724 - 228,622 - 228,622 - 29,103 - 29,103 - 50,232 - 79,335 - Unrestricted funds |
Restricted 2024 £ 1,918 - 1,918 4,013 4,013 (2,095) (2,095) 9,822 7,727 |
Total 2024 £ 254,139 4,800 703 259,643 232,634 232,634 27,008 27,008 60,054 87,062 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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