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2022-12-31-accounts

Registered charity number 1192993

Romanian Orthodox Church Bristol

Report of the Trustees and Unaudited Financial Statements for the Year Ended

31 December 2022

Romanian Orthodox Church Bristol Report and accounts Contents

Page
Charity information 1
Report of the Trustees 2-4
Independent Examiner's Report 5
Statement of Financial Activities 6
Statement of Financial Position 7
Notes to the financial statements 8-10
Detailed Statement of Financial Activities 11

Romanian Orthodox Church Bristol Charity Information

Trustees

Fr. C L Moldovan Mr A Prelici Mr M Sulugiuc

Independent examiner

Alexander Accountancy 12 Granary Wharf Business Park Wetmore Road Burton upon Trent Staffordshire DE14 1DU

Bankers

Barclays Bank Plc 4-5 Soutgate Street Bath BA1 1QA

Contact address

St. Thomas Church Thomas Lane Bristol BS1 6JG

Registered charity number

1192993

1

Romanian Orthodox Church Bristol Registered charity number: 1192993 Report of the Trustees

The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2022. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019).

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Aim and purposes

The Romanian Orthodox Church Bristol (ROCB) was registered in January 2021 as a Charitable Incorporated Organization (C.I.O.). The incorporation of the charity into a C.I.O. was to formalize the previous charitable activities into a more structured framework. The bank balance from the previous organization was transferred into the new C.I.O.

ROCB has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent priest, Father Ioan Claudiu Moldovan in order to advance the Orthodox Christian religion in Bristol and the surrounding area, in accordance with our objectives, by providing a place for regular worship and prayer, raising awareness and understanding of Orthodox Christian beliefs and practices, and carrying out religious services, pastoral and outreach work.

Objectives

As set out in Charity’s governing document our objectives are:

• To advance the Orthodox Christian religion in Bristol and the surrounding area for the benefit of the public i accordance with the doctrines and the canons of the Romanian Orthodox Patriarchate and with the statutes of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of Western and Southern Europe, particularly, but not exclusively, by providing a place of worship, raising awareness and understanding of Orthodox Christian beliefs and practices, and carrying out religious acts, missionary and outreach work

• To advance such other charitable purposes (according to the law of England and Wales) as the trustees see fit from time to time, in particular but not limited to the preservation of Romanian cultural traditions, the advancement of children’s and adult education in a Christian spirit, and the relief of those in need.

When planning our activities, the incumbent and the trustees are mindful of the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of the religion. In particular we aim to enable members of the public to live out their faith as part of our parish community through:

• Providing a regular place for parishioners to gather in worship and prayer and to strengthen their faith and place withi the Romanian Orthodox Christian Family

•Providing pastoral care (visiting sick, bereaved or vulnerable) for people living in the parish and surrounding area

•Providing missionary and outreach work within the community

•Providing youth education in a Christian spirit

•Advance charitable purposes (according to the laws of England and Wales) as trustees see fit from time to time

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Romanian Orthodox Church Bristol Registered charity number: 1192993 Report of the Trustees

Achievements

The parish has held regular Sunday morning Liturgies as well as Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals, in St Thomas Church. All services are open to all members of the public. These services were celebrated in a mixture of English and Romanian (the traditional language of the Romanian Orthodox Church). During 2022 we held 126 baptisms, 6 weddings and 2 funerals.

We are using WhatsApp Group for the community to provide mutual spiritual support and attend evening prayers via Zoom.

January: Bristol Parish priests visited more than 100 households for blessing of parishioners’ houses.

March: Pilgrimage to St. Davis

April: On 16th of April we held a Palm Sunday Concert, in preparation for holy Easter.

May: We celebrated Annual Parish Festival. As guests we had Metropolitan of Western and Southern Europe His Eminence Iosif along with Her Excellency Laura Popescu, Romanian ambassador in London. The celebration included a charitable concert held by Corala Armonia from Constanta, all donations were sent to support people affected by Ukraine war.

November: We had the joy of having master Stefan Hrusca holding a concert in his first European tour after pandemic.

December: Corala Armonia visited us again and they held several Carol concerts:

In his activity of archpriest, Fr. Ioan Moldovan is supported by parish members in identifying and deploying new parish communities where necessary in South-West.

The parish through priests and councillors is involved in charity initiatives at local level as well as in Romania and at the time being for Ukraine.

Fundraising

Funds raised come from Sunday collections, private donation, fundraising events, online and Facebook fundraising. We continued to use the ChurchSuite platform for online donations and encouraged members of the community to donate small amounts on a monthly basis. In 2022 we had 72 new givers and 136 donations. The general donation fund is primarily used for paying rent and additional expenses as well as build a reserve to allow us to purchase a worship place in the future.

In the addition to the above, in 2022 we fundraised for:

3

Romanian Orthodox Church Bristol Registered charity number: 1192993 Report of the Trustees

Youth education (Scoala Bucuriei)

January: Parish school visited St. Fagan’s History Museum in Wales. This was a great opportunity for the young adults to gain insight into the rich heritage and culture of Wales and discover analogies with their own culture and history.

March: pilgrimage to St David’s site in Llanthony, Wales, where we met with two other orthodox communities from Bristol and Lampeter respectively. We participated together to the Divine Liturgy in St David’s church and had lunch afterwards.

September 2022 : Parish school planned to set up a cake stall and tea/refreshments for the Heritage Open Day organised by CCT at St. Thomas Church. Event was however cancelled due to the Queen’s mourning period. The same event has been planned and run at the Nativity of Mother of God Church where funds were collected to support the parish.

December 2022: the children and teachers from Parish School run a stall for the “Countdown to Christmas” event organised by St Augustine of Canterbury Parish. The funds gathered were donated towards the St Augustine community. During the event, they have also given a carol mini concert and displayed their traditional Romanian costumes.

Structure, guvernance and management

The method of appointment of ROCB trustees is set out in the Constitution of Charitable Incorporated Organisation. The board of trustees consist of the incumbent (Father Claudiu Ioan Moldovan) and another two appointed members.

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 31 July 2023 and signed on its behalf by:

Fr. C L Moldovan

4

Independent Examniner's Report to the Trustees of Romanian Orthodox Church Bristol

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of The Romanian Orthodox Church Bristol

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Romanian Orthodox Church Bristol (the Trust) for the year ended 31 December 2022.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the Trust 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 Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

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; or

  3. 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.

Wayne Penlington FCCA Alexander Accountancy 12 Granary Wharf Business Park Wetmore Road Burton upon Trent Staffordshire DE14 1DU

19 September 2023

5

Romanian Orthodox Church Bristol Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 December 2022

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM
Donations and legacies
Total
EXPENDITURE ON
Charitable activities
Administration costs
Governance costs
NET INCOME
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
Total funds brought forward
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD		 Unrestricted
Funds
£
127,055
127,055
28,671
28,772
954
68,658
44,835
113,493		 Restricted
Funds
£
10,000
10,000
-
-
-
10,000
-
10,000		 2022
Total
Funds
£
137,055
137,055
28,671
28,772
954
78,658
44,835
123,493

6

Romanian Orthodox Church Bristol Statement of Financial Position as at 31 December 2022

Notes
Fixed assets
Tangible assets
3
Current assets
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors: amounts falling due
within one year
4
Net current assets/(liabilities)
Total assets less current
liabilities
NET ASSETS
FUNDS
Unrestricted funds
7
Restricted funds
7
TOTAL FUNDS		 Unrestricted
Funds
£
271
271
114,104
114,104
(882)
113,222
113,493
113,493
113,493
-
113,493		 2022
Restricted
Funds
£
-
-
10,000
10,000
-
10,000
10,000
10,000
-
10,000
10,000		 2022
Total
Funds
£
271
271
124,104
124,104
(882)
123,222
123,493
123,493
113,493
10,000
123,493		 2021
Total
Funds
£
361
361
45,314
-
(840)
(840)
44,835
44,835
44,835
-
44,835

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 31 July 2023 and were signed on its behalf by:

Fr. C L Moldovan Director

7

Romanian Orthodox Church Bristol Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2022

1 Accounting policies

Basis of preparation

The financial statements of the charity, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Charities Act 2011. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

Income

All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Expenditure

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Tangible fixed assets

Tangible fixed assets are measured at cost less accumulative depreciation and any accumulative impairment losses. Depreciation is provided on all tangible fixed assets, other than freehold land, at rates calculated to write off the cost, less estimated residual value, of each asset evenly over its expected useful life, as follows:

Fixtures and fittings over 5 years

Stocks

Stocks are measured at the lower of cost and estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell. Cost is determined using the first in first out method. The carrying amount of stock sold is recognised as an expense in the period in which the related revenue is recognised.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from tax on its charitable activities.

8

Romanian Orthodox Church Bristol Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2022

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 notes to the financial statements.

2 Trustees' Remuneration and Benefits

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 December 2022.

Trustees' expenses

During the course of the year the trustees have been reimbursed for expenses incurred whilst performing duties for the charity.

3 Tangible fixed assets

Cost
At 1 January 2022
At 31 December 2022
Depreciation
At 1 January 2022
Charge for the year
At 31 December 2022
Net book value
At 31 December 2022
At 31 December 2021		 Fixtures
and fittings
£
452
452
91
90
181
271
361		 Total
£
452
452
91
90
181
271
361

9

Romanian Orthodox Church Bristol

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 December 2022

4
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Other creditors and accruals		 2022
£
882
882		 2021
£
840
840

5 Reserves Policy

It is ROCB policy to maintain a balance on unrestricted funds of £5,000 (if possible) to cover rent and emergency situation for 6 months

6 Income

Donation income during the year included £28,023 (2021 - £30,000) from a previous organisation known as "Romanian Orthodox Church Bristol" which was used prior to the formation of this charity.

7
Funds
Fixed Assets
Current Assets
Creditors		 Restricted
Unrestricted
£
£
-
271
10,000
114,104
-
(882)
10,000
113,493		 Total
£
271
124,104
(882)
123,493

10

Romanian Orthodox Church Bristol Detailed Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 December 2022

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS
Donations and legacies
Plate Collections
Other Donations
Donation from Romanian Orthodox Church Bristol
Restricted income - Church purchase
EXPENDITURE
Charitable activities:
Purchases
Events
Donations
Administration costs:
Rent
Repairs and maintenance
Bank charges
Stationery and printing
Telephone and internet
Subscriptions
Software
Light and heat
Cleaning
Travel and subsistence
Sundry expenses
Depreciation
Governance costs:
Accountancy fees
NET INCOME		 2022
£
55,198
43,834
28,023
10,000
137,055
8,689
9,093
10,889
28,671
8,500
4,390
589
488
204
502
1,198
41
36
486
12,248
90
28,772
954
954
58,397
78,658		 2021
£
15,602
5,862
30,000
-
51,464
-
902
3,612
4,514
-
659
25
127
-
-
-
227
20
126
91
1,275
840
840
6,629
-
44,835

11