2025-03-31-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 01/04/2024 Period start date To 31/03/2025 Period end date Charity name: LIFE Church St Helens CIO

Charity registration number: 192565

Objectives and Activities

	SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17	The objects of the CIO are to advance the Christian faith for the public benefit in accordance with the statement of beliefs and practices in the Schedule hereto in St Helens, Merseyside and in such other parts of the United Kingdom or the world as the charity trustees may from time to time think fit.
Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts.	Para 1.17 and 1.19	LIFE Church St Helens CIO helps children, young adults, elderly people, people with disabilities, other charities, voluntary groups, general public, mankind, by promoting and sharing the Christian faith, by providing buildings, facilities, open space, by providing services, advocacy, counselling, advice, information, sponsorship, research, acting as a resource; supporting individuals, groups and organisations, which may include finance; operating across England and Wales, and also beyond.
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit	Para 1.18	Trustees have had regard to the Guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

	SORP reference
Policy on grant making	Para 1.38	**N/A **
Policy on social investment including program related investment	Para 1.38	N/A
Contribution made by volunteers	Para 1.38	N/A
Other		**N/A **

Achievements and Performance

	SORP reference
Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole.	Para 1.20	The Charity has experienced further delays due to the effects and impact of Covid Pandemic, during our formative period. Applications to Charity Commission, for a bank account, and to HMRC to register for Gift Aid, were subject to delays. Many banks stopped providing charity and/or community accounts during the Covid period. A few started accepting applications again in 2021, but most demanded attendance in person for ID checks. Finally, the CIO was able to register with Virgin Money using remote, digital identification and verification, in February 2022. It took a further 7 months to register with HMRC for Gift Aid, which was eventually completed on August 15th 2022. Since then the initial group has changed somewhat, and for a while it seemed that we would not be able to arrive at an effective launch. New contacts with the AoG Church in August 2023 did not develop to a point where LIFE Church St Helens was able to make a formal launch in the period to 31st March 2025. However, the time of writing, the new relationship with Charis Bible Studies UK, has led to the launch of a CBS – St Helens Group, as a new, unincorporated Bible Study Group from September 2024. This Group has now developed and has now been launched, with public services at a local, hired venue from 1stJune 2025, as LIFE Church St Helens. These developments will be reported in full in 12 months time, when the TAR to March 31st2026 is due.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements	Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements	where relevant about:
Achievements against objectives set	Para 1.41	None
Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set	Para 1.41	None
Investment performance against objectives	Para 1.41	None
Other		None

Financial Review

Financial Review
Review of the charity’s financial positionat the end ofthe period	Para 1.21	None
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	N/A
Amount of reservesheld	Para 1.22	£0
Reasons for holding zero reserves	Para 1.22	**Charity activities began 1st June 2025. **
Details of fund materially in deficit	Para 1.24	**N/A **
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern	Para 1.23	N/A

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements	Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements	where relevant about:
The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising)	Para 1.47	None
Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted	Para 1.46	N/A
A description of the principal risks facing the charity	Para 1.46	N/A
Other		**N/A **

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:	Description of charity’s trusts:		None
Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter)		Para 1.25	Charity Commission CIO Template
How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO)		Para 1.25	CIO
Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees		Para 1.25	Founding Trustees recruited from persons formerly active with LIFE Church Ministries, Bradford, but based in St Helens, Merseyside for several years. NB: New, experienced Trustees added in 2025 from CBS Wirral – who also lead CBS St Helens.
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements			where relevant about:
Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and trainingof trustees	Para 1.51		N/A at present
The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works	Para 1.51		LIFE Church St Helens CIO is an independent charity and church body, operating relationally, rather than structurally – and not financially – with other Churches, Christian charities and groups, and other faith/non-faith groups, locally, regionally and nationallyinthe UKandfurtherafield.
Relationship with any related parties	Para 1.51		Relational, for mutual support and encouragement
Other			N/A

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name	LIFE Church St Helens CIO
Other name the charity uses	None
Registered charity number	1192565
Charity’s principal address	7 Windle Street, St Helens. WA10 2BZ

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee(if any)
	Brian GeoffreyCraven	Chair		Trustees
	Max Charlesworth	Trustee		Trustees
	Pamela MaryCraven	Trustee		Trustees
	Elisabeth Anna Stewart	Trustee		Trustees
	Paul AntonyCurtis Rodway	Trustee	23rd March 2025	Trustees
	Helen Elizabeth Rodway	Trustee	23rdMarch 2025	Trustees

– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved

Director name None

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity

Trustee name	Dates acted if not for wholeyear
None

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
Description of the assets held in this capacity	None
Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and	N/A
how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects
Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets	N/A
from the charity’s own assets

Additional information (optional)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)	Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)	Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of adviser Name Address
None

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

N/A

Exemptions from disclosure

Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details N/A

Other optional information N/A

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signed on behalf of the charity’s	trustees
Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date	B G Craven	P Craven
	Brian Geoffrey Craven	Pamela Mary Craven
	Chair	Trustee
	9thJune 2025	9th June2025