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2021-12-31-accounts

Connect Southwater Community Church Trustees’ Annual Report:

For the period:

From 10[th] February 2021 Period start date

To 31[st] December 2021 Period end date

Charity name: Connect Southwater Community Church

Charity registration number: 1193477

Objectives and Activities:

Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document:

To advance the Christian faith in Southwater and the surrounding area in such ways as the trustees shall think fit including connecting people to others and to God, celebrating life, loving, serving, and creating community

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:

The key public benefits offered by Connect:

1. The provision of time, space, events and activities through which people benefit by connecting with others and building up community.

2. The provision of social welfare support to help alleviate local and global need, giving financial, material, physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental support.

3. The provision of Christian worship, education and learning opportunities to enable people to benefit from faith in Christ.

Our main activities and achievements in relation to these purposes and the three areas of public benefit listed are as follows:

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1) In relation to connecting with others and building up community it is clear that we are impacting and transforming people and community by building up our connections through our various local service initiatives and local partnerships, by offering care, and by growing relationships of trust and respect.

We seek to build on these further so as to equip members of Connect to be committed Christian disciples engaged in God's Kingdom values of joy, justice, righteousness, peace, healing and hope, and helping bring life in its fullness to the community.

As Connect has reached out to others, community links have grown and as a result our pastoral team are offering pastoral support, care and prayer in addition to that given to our own members. In the autumn we were able to move our online zoom café into in-person meeting, outside the local reopened café, and this has provided a great space for fellowship and support, for church members, friends, as well as passers-by. We also created a geographical and pastoral network of Connect members across the community headed up by a small pastoral team, and began to build on this by encouraging occasional gatherings, ( Room at My Table ), with the aim of starting up in person small discipleship groups next year. We also enjoyed a wonderfully creative Church Away Day at a local retreat centre in September.

2) The provision of social welfare support to help alleviate local and global need, giving financial, material, physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental support has been a significant part of our mission. During the covid restrictions of 2020 and into 2021 we continued to assist local people in need, running the local Covid Community Hub on behalf of Horsham District Council. Activities undertaken as part of this included telephone support for those particularly isolated and the delivery of food packages/medical supplies as needed, plus one to one mental health and social isolation support, mostly done outside until restrictions lessened. Church members and contacts were also given Easter and Christmas goody bags.

A key activity for us as a community church is in the provision of human resources through volunteers, finance raised from voluntary contributions and local fundraising, and in prayer ministry, in order to support those in need and promote healthy community both locally and globally. Activities relating to this include:

In seeking to prevent and help relieve poverty we continue to collect goods for the local Food Bank, offer targeted local support where needed, and continue to raise funds for global Christian social welfare and aid agencies Tearfund and Compassion.

3) In relation to the advancement of the Christian faith and the provision of Christian worship, education and learning opportunities to enable people to benefit from faith in Christ, during 2020 to 2021 we moved Sunday worship and small study/discipleship groups online, meeting via Zoom, publicising and publishing

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our talks on FB and YouTube. Meeting in person recommenced gradually from September 2021 and we continue to offer zoom. We had new people join us online and in person. We have a strong pastoral team, and a growing prayer team, meeting in person and on zoom, and communicating via email and WhatsApp.

To help us in furthering our Christian mission the Trustees appointed a lead pastor (p/t) in January 2021 and an assistant pastor (p/t) in June 2021. A Leadership Team was formed who together with the Trustees oversaw the writing of the Constitution, and our Faith & Mission statement, and created core policies including Safeguarding. All those engaged in educational, children & youth work, and leadership including Trustees, are subject to due DBS processes, and trained in safeguarding to the appropriate level.

Having formed as a church in September 2020 Connect became a CIO in February 2021 and with the full support of the church members and Trustees joined the UK Pioneer Network in March 2022. Pioneer have enabled Trustees, staff and volunteers from Connect to join various national and regional training events and conferences, online and in person, including Pioneer Core Aims teaching, the Pioneer Pathway leadership course, and Safeguarding for Trustees. We continue to value the support of a local Pioneer Hub and the wider southern regional group.

In reaching out to others, raising awareness of and advancing the Christian faith we have utilized a range of local spaces and community buildings to provide time and space for people to connect with others and with God whether through Christian worship or through spiritual, creative, artistic and community activities, where possible in partnership with other local churches, charities, community groups and statutory or voluntary bodies. Our Soul Space tent aims to be a gentle and creative way to do Christian outreach and provides an interactive and reflective space for spiritual engagement at local events and festivals and we were pleased to be able to be part of the Village Christmas Festival. Our weekly Café Connect outside at a local café is well supported and enables meaningful social, spiritual and prayerful connection. We offer people the opportunity to chat about faith and to be ministered to in prayer and through other creative prophetic activities in addition to our Soul Space tent. These included a Christmas initiatives called Southwater Shines, Light Up Southwater, and a Host of (knitted!) Angels, and a pebble painting group called Southwater Rocks, the latter two activities also have their own FB page. We engage in regular prayer walking and community prayer initiatives. We also created a church FB page, website, and YouTube channel to enable talks and other resources and events to be shared.

Working with other churches is important to us and we continue to work with the 3 local village churches, delivering the annual Village Remembrance service in 2021, helping with the village Christmas carol singing, and occasionally worshipping together. We have also begun the process of becoming a member church of Horsham Churches Together.

Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit:

Connect Trustees confirm that we have not set up the CIO in order to benefit ourselves, either personally and/or corporately, and we have had due regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit wherever relevant.

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Additional information:

Policy on grant making

In our first Trustee meeting we approved a policy to ring fence 10% of our income from general congregational giving as a mission fund. We also approved a policy to ring fence any fundraising for our annual core costs grant to Southwater Youth Project

Contribution made by volunteers

We estimate an 80% input of time and energy from volunteers towards our aims and objectives, whether through specific or ongoing logistical support, admin, worship & music leading and related techno, or through leading worship/activities/events, participating within our various activities, and praying. Connect’s mission is entirely funded by our worshipping members.

Achievements and Performance

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. SORP Para 1.20

Continuing to offer worship and advance the Christian faith to enable people to benefit from faith in Christ during the various covid restrictions on face to face meetings in 2020 – 2021; this achievement made such a difference in enabling people to feel less isolated, to support their faith in a very difficult season, and to offer a form of face to face support to each other. It also helped attract others to our mission and enabled us to begin to consider outreach and activities online. Online training courses have become an ongoing part of our learning options.

Gaining new members in the same period, whose encouraging presence, financial support, prayers, gifts and talents will enrich what Connect offers to each other and to our local community.

Running the Covid Support Hub on behalf of Horsham District Council was a big achievement, enabling us to meet local need effectively/quickly, and helped us become more widely known as the community church.

Supporting Southwater Youth Project with core costs funding and volunteers in its significant work with local children and young people throughout a very difficult season.

Continuing to find ways to be able to offer spiritual, pastoral support, prayer and counselling throughout the pandemic to date, both to church members and members of the wider community, including meeting outside the local café for Café Connect in all weathers during the lockdowns. This has been of great benefit to all concerned and affirms our caring, Christian ethos.

Appointing Trustees, paid Pastors, and creating a Leadership Team to oversee our governance and finance, and our transition to charitable status including the writing of our mission aims and constitution, our Annual Report and Annual Return, and our Safeguarding policy and procedures. All this, along with becoming a CIO, enables beneficiaries, members and contacts to feel confident in our finance and governance, enabling us to receive Gift Aid and so exercise good stewardship.

Exploring becoming a member church of the UK Pioneer Network and also a member of Horsham Churches Together (HCT) gave beneficiaries and members the opportunity to reflect more deeply on our shared

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mission and faith, and to feel confident in the Christian basis of our activities and our ecumenical/ partnership intentions. Activities/ training opportunities offered by Pioneer and through HCT also help members of Connect to grow in their faith and gifts, and connect them to other Christians.

In December 2021 we accepted an invitation to start up a Community Fridge in conjunction with Horsham Community Fridge from January 2022, an achievement which if successful we believe will bring benefits both for ecological and economic reasons, with less waste going to landfill, free food given without question, and people from both church and community interacting for a shared cause.

Additional information (optional)

Achievements against objectives set

Primary objectives

To own and embed our vision, build a secure basis for our leadership and mission activities, exploring our mission and values through our worship, teaching and fellowship groups and maintaining connection with one another during the pandemic/lockdowns:

Other objectives

To become a CIO:

To explore closer connection with the Pioneer Network:

To encourage meeting together online, in homes and as groups.

To create intentional, specific engagement with community.

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occasional conversational style worship to encourage wider connection and more confident

Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set

No fundraising activity occurred during the financial year.

Investment performance against objectives

None of the charity’s financial assets were invested during the financial year.

Financial Review

Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period

For the General Fund (unrestricted), a surplus of income over expenditure amounting to £3,935 was generated in 2021, resulting in an increase in the accumulated balance from £15,077 at the previous year end (2020) to £19,012 as at 31[st] December 2021. The main restricted fund, the Youthworker Fundraising Fund, had net receipts and a year-end balance of £12,098 (zero at 31.12.20), representing 2 years’ planned expenditure. The income to the Staffing Fund (restricted) is intended to be fully expended each year, and therefore had nil net receipts and a zero balance at the year-end as planned. The other restricted funds, Soul Space and Open the Book which had zero balances at the beginning of the year and no financial outlays during the year so the income generated resulted in year end balances of £1,923 and £321 respectively.

Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held

The church’s policy for holding reserves is that an amount equating to 3 months’ budgeted expenditure should be held. This is intended to ensure that in the event of either unforeseen operational costs, or a significant reduction in income or the charity being wound up, there are sufficient funds available to meet the church’s financial commitments, particularly regarding payments that would be due to employees in those circumstances. Reserves are freely available to be spent for any purpose consistent with the church’s charitable purposes, and at any time. The policy is reviewed annually.

Amount of reserves held

£10,800

Reasons for holding zero reserves

Not applicable

Details of fund materially in deficit

No fund was materially in deficit either during the year or at the year-end.

Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern

There are no uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern

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Structure, Governance and Management

Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter)

CIO Foundation Constitution

How is the charity constituted?

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

In discussion with the Charity Commission we included clauses in our constitution Section 6: “Benefits and payments to charity trustees and connected persons”, sub clause (2) Scope and powers permitting trustees’ or connected persons’ benefits, in order to enable a charity trustee or connected person to receive payment for serving as a Pastor of the CIO, provided that this does not lead to a majority of charity trustees being remunerated and provided that the following sub-clauses (i) to (v) are satisfied.

The Trustees took the decision to approve this paid role and structure it into 2 p/t posts. We can affirm that the other charity trustees are satisfied i) that it is in the best interests of the CIO to pay a Pastor rather than requiring the Pastor to be self-supporting financially having considered the advantages of disadvantages of each approach; ii) that the details of the payment are set out in an agreement between the CIO and the Pastor; iii) the remuneration package does not exceed what is reasonable in the circumstances taking into account regional variations; (iv) that the reasons for the decision of the charity trustees is recorded in their minute book; and (v) that the trustees concerned must be absent from the part of any meeting at which the level of payment is being discussed or determined and must not vote on any such matter or be counted in the quorum for the part of the meeting during which such matters are discussed. However in relation to discussions concerning the performance of duties of his or her office, the trustee in question shall have the opportunity to address the meeting and respond to any points of concern that are raised. The Trustees can affirm that these sub clauses have been adhered to.

In appointing new Trustees, Section 10 “Appointment of charity trustees” and sub clauses (1) and (2) have been followed in the appointment of new trustees in addition to the first charity trustees. Before being appointed at a duly constituted Trustee meeting, new Trustees are invited to submit a brief personal statement outlining any relevant experience and interests that they bring to their role.

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees

In accordance with the constitution Section 11 “Information for new charity trustees” a copy of the current version of the constitution; and the CIO’s latest Trustees’ Annual Report and statement of accounts are made available to all new Trustees. Additionally all Trustees are required to have a DBS, avail themselves of training in Safeguarding for Trustees, and are given a copy of the current Safeguarding policy.

The charity’s organisational structure & wider network with which the charity works

Governance, HR, and safeguarding, and the oversight of our aims, object, purposes and finances, is undertaken by our Trustees in line with our constitution and Charity law requirements. Membership of the CIO is as detailed in Section 16, and consists of Trustees only for the time being. Trustee responsibilities, decisions, delegated powers, meeting requirements, procedures and record keeping are as detailed in the constitution Sections 4 – 7; 9 - 15, 17, 20 - 28. In relations to Sections 26 – 28 there have been no new rules or byelaws created, no disputes, and there have been no amendments to the constitution.

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Several Trustees also serve as part of the Leadership Team who work with the Pastor and Assistant Pastor in the oversight of our missional activities, ensuring that these are in line with our vision and values, and directed at those whom we consider to be beneficiaries.

In terms of wider networks we are exploring becoming a member church of the UK Pioneer Network, itself a member of Churches Together in England.

Relationship with any related parties

We have applied to be a member church of Horsham Churches Together.

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name: Connect: Southwater Community Church Registered charity number: 1193477 Charity’s principal address: c/o 15 Cedar Drive, Southwater, West Sussex, RH13 9HG

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity:

Trustee name Office (if any) Dates acted Body entitled to appoint trustee Reverend Kathryn Jones Chair 10.2.2021 ongoing to Feb 2025 CSCC Trustee Board Mrs Tina Andrews 10.2.2021 ongoing to Feb 2024 CSCC Trustee Board Mrs Juliet Fuller 10.2.2021 ongoing to Feb 2023 CSCC Trustee Board Mr Iain Jones 10.2.2021 ongoing to Feb 2023 CSCC Trustee Board Mrs Fiona Lowther 10.2.2021 ongoing to Feb 2023 CSCC Trustee Board

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

None/not applicable

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity: None/not applicable

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others None/not applicable

Additional information (optional):

Name of Pastor and Assistant Pastor:

Kath Jones/Juliet Fuller

Exemptions from disclosure:

None/not applicable

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ Annual Report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s):

Full name(s): Kathryn Jones Tina Anne Andrews Position: Chair/Lead Pastor Leadership Team Member Date: 12[th] October 2022 12[th] October 2022

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SUMMARY OF CHURCH ACCOUNTS AND INTERNAL ORGANISATIONS

SECTION E

Summary of the Church accounts for the period ended 31 December 2021 and Internal Organisations. Note that the funds of an Internal Organisation would normally be Restricted funds unless it could be clearly shown that they could be used for any purpose.

SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E
Summary of the Church accounts for the period ended 31 December 2021 and Internal Organisations. Note that the funds of an Internal Organisation would normally be
Restricted funds unless it could be clearly shown that they could be used for any purpose.
INTERNAL
ORGANISATIONS		 Receipts Payments Net Receipts/
Payments		 Adjustments Openingbalances Closingbalances
e1 Little Stars 512 512
e2
e3
e4
e5
e6
e7
e8 Sub total of Internal
Organisations funds		 18,278 512 (e11) 512 (e12)
e9 Church accounts (totals
brought forward from page
2 - totals column)
 57,880 (a7) **39,602 ** (b9) 18,278 (c7) **15,077 ** (c6) 33,355 (c8)
e10 TOTAL CASH FUNDS HELD
BY CHURCH		 57,880 39,602 18,278 **15,589 ** (x) 33,867 (y)
TOTAL RECEIPTS TOTAL
PAYMENTS
SECTION F
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
CHURCH - CASH FUNDS HELD at 31 December 2021
Cash in hand
Bank Current Account
Bank Deposit Account
SUB TOTAL - Church accounts
TOTAL CASH FUNDS HELD BY CHURCH
Little Stars Account
Other funds
Total funds held by Internal Organisations (the closing
balance total from above) (e12)		 OPENING
BALANCES		 CLOSING
BALANCES
f1 Cash in hand
f2 Bank Current Account 15,077 33,355
f3 Bank Deposit Account
f4 Little Stars Account
f5
f6 Other funds
f7 SUB TOTAL - Church accounts 15,077 (c6) 33,355 (c8)
f8 Total funds held by Internal Organisations (the closing
balance total from above) (e12)		 512 (e11) 512 (e12)
f9 TOTAL CASH FUNDS HELD BY CHURCH 15,589 (x) 33,867 (y)
SECTION G At At
SECTION G
OTHER ASSETS and LIABILITIES
Land & Buildings(see notes re Insurance value)
Loan(s)- show amount outstandingatyear end
Other Liabilities
Investments(include Endowments)		 31-Dec-20 31-Dec-21
g1 Investments(include Endowments)
g2 Land & Buildings(see notes re Insurance value)
g3 Loan(s)- show amount outstandingatyear end 9,940
g4 Other Liabilities

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SUMMARY OF CHURCH ACCOUNTS AND INTERNAL ORGANISATIONS

SECTION E

Summary of the Church accounts for the period ended 31 December 2021 and Internal Organisations. Note that the funds of an Internal Organisation would normally be Restricted funds unless it could be clearly shown that they could be used for any purpose.

SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E SECTION E
Summary of the Church accounts for the period ended 31 December 2021 and Internal Organisations. Note that the funds of an Internal Organisation would normally be
Restricted funds unless it could be clearly shown that they could be used for any purpose.
INTERNAL
ORGANISATIONS		 Receipts Payments Net Receipts/
Payments		 Adjustments Openingbalances Closingbalances
e1 Little Stars 512 512
e2
e3
e4
e5
e6
e7
e8 Sub total of Internal
Organisations funds		 18,278 512 (e11) 512 (e12)
e9 Church accounts (totals
brought forward from page
2 - totals column)
 57,880 (a7) **39,602 ** (b9) 18,278 (c7) **15,077 ** (c6) 33,355 (c8)
e10 TOTAL CASH FUNDS HELD
BY CHURCH		 57,880 39,602 18,278 **15,589 ** (x) 33,867 (y)
TOTAL RECEIPTS TOTAL
PAYMENTS
SECTION F
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
CHURCH - CASH FUNDS HELD at 31 December 2021
Cash in hand
Bank Current Account
Bank Deposit Account
SUB TOTAL - Church accounts
TOTAL CASH FUNDS HELD BY CHURCH
Little Stars Account
Other funds
Total funds held by Internal Organisations (the closing
balance total from above) (e12)		 OPENING
BALANCES		 CLOSING
BALANCES
f1 Cash in hand
f2 Bank Current Account 15,077 33,355
f3 Bank Deposit Account
f4 Little Stars Account
f5
f6 Other funds
f7 SUB TOTAL - Church accounts 15,077 (c6) 33,355 (c8)
f8 Total funds held by Internal Organisations (the closing
balance total from above) (e12)		 512 (e11) 512 (e12)
f9 TOTAL CASH FUNDS HELD BY CHURCH 15,589 (x) 33,867 (y)
SECTION G At At
SECTION G
OTHER ASSETS and LIABILITIES
Land & Buildings(see notes re Insurance value)
Loan(s)- show amount outstandingatyear end
Other Liabilities
Investments(include Endowments)		 31-Dec-20 31-Dec-21
g1 Investments(include Endowments)
g2 Land & Buildings(see notes re Insurance value)
g3 Loan(s)- show amount outstandingatyear end 9,940
g4 Other Liabilities

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