## **Trustees Annual Report for 2025** Chudleigh Baptist Church became a CIO on 21st June 2021. This report covers from 1st January 2025 to 31st December 2025. ## **Aim and purpose** The principal purpose of the Church is the advancement of the Christian faith according to the principles of the Baptist denomination. The Church may also advance education and carry out other charitable purposes in the United Kingdom and/or other parts of the world. ## **Objectives and activities** The trustees are committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at our church and to become part of our community at Chudleigh Baptist Church. The trustees maintain an overview of worship throughout the church and make suggestions on how our services can involve the many groups that live within our community. Our services and worship put faith into practice through prayer and scripture, music and sacrament. When planning our activities for the year, the minister and the trustees have considered the Commission’s guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. In particular, we try to enable ordinary people to live out their faith as part of our community through: Worship and prayer; learning about the Gospel; and developing their knowledge and trust in Jesus. Provision of pastoral care for people living in the community. Missionary and outreach work. ## **Achievements and performance** Chudleigh Baptist Church doesn’t have a physical church building but hires the community hall at the primary school to offer worship services every Sunday morning and other one-off events. We also rent a business space in the centre of Chudleigh called “The Square” which we use for community outreach and to host meetings. ## Community Hall The church’s activities were: - A service at 10:30am each Sunday morning in the hall. - Young people’s activities during the Sunday morning service (in hired school rooms) - Worship evenings held throughout the year - Christmas celebration evening ## The Square The church’s activities were: - The Living room on a Monday morning. A time to meet together play board games, puzzles or just chat - The Quiet room on a Tuesday lunch time. A time for quiet reflection and prayer. - The Craft Room on a Wednesday morning. A time for craft activities and building community. - “The Gardening Club” to help maintain the gardens at The Square and receive pastoral support. - Escape Rooms fundraising event in October raising money for CAP and the work at The Square. - Occasional seasonal events for example for Easter, Apple Day and Christmas. All events/meetings (other than governance meetings) are open to the public and to ensure no one is prevented from attending the church does not charge for any non fund-raising event. ## **Church Membership** Chudleigh Baptist Church membership throughout the year was 44. ## **Church Attendance** Up to 100 adults and children attended the church’s services and activities regularly. ## **Pastoral Support** The ministers (Eleanor Moffatt and Miia Thomas) and the trustees together with other members of the church endeavoured to provide pastoral support throughout the year. ## **Volunteers** The majority of the activities of the church are undertaken by volunteers. No record is kept of the time given on a voluntary basis but without this contribution to the church it would not function. ## **Administrative information** |**Charity registration number:**|**1194879**| |---|---| |**Website:**|www.chudleighbaptistchurch.co.uk| |**Registered office:**|**No 1 The Square**| ||**Old Exeter Street**| ||**Chudleigh**| ||**TQ13 0LD**| |**Minister:**|**Eleanor Moffatt (chair)**| ||**Miia Thomas**| |**Trustees:**|**Emma Funnell (retired January 2025)**| ||**Gareth Sowden (retired September 2025)**| ||**Paul Reynolds**| ||**Steve Kimble**| ||**Rachel Parker (joined September 2025)**| ||**Anna Sowden (joined September 2025)**| |**Secretary:**|**Emma Funnell (retired January 2025), then Paul Reynolds**| ||**(retired September 2025) then Rachel Parker (started**| ||**September 2025)**| |**Treasurer:**|**Gareth Sowden then Anna Sowden (September 2025)**| |**Independent Examiner:**|**Emily Farrell**| ||**59 Palace Meadow**| ||**Chudleigh**| ||**Devon**| ||**TQ13 0PH**| |**Bankers:**|**Co-operative Bank - Business**| ||**Business Customer Service**| ||**PO Box 250**| ||**Skelmersdale**| ||**WN8 6WT**| ## **Financial review** The church received income through giving, donations, and gift aid of £76,115 (2024: £67,418). The CIO earns rental income through an owned property of £16,157 in the year (2024: £16,008). Other income comprises restricted donations (2025: £1,877, 2024: £2,934) and the secondment of our minister to Bristol Baptist College (2025: £Nil, 2024: £6,166). Total income for 2025 was therefore £94,149 (2024: £92,527). Within this financial period, £62,105 was spent on ministry costs and salaries (2024: £46,791). £9,681 was spent on outward giving and missionary work (2024: £8,367). Total expenditure during the year was £104,909 (2024: £90,523). The net result for the year was a deficit of £6,277 on unrestricted funds (2024: excess of £8,739), £2,000 was also moved from unrestricted funds into a designated fund for property refurbishments, and £80 was moved from unrestricted to restricted funds, leaving the church with £41,195 of unrestricted funds at the end of the year (2024: £49,552). Restricted funds at the year-end were £29,942 (2024: £32,345) which are detailed in the accounts. Total cash available was therefore £71,137 at the end of the year (2024: £81,897). ## **Reserves policy** It is policy to maintain a balance on unrestricted funds (if possible), which equates to at least three months of unrestricted payments, equivalent to £20,000, to cover emergency situations that may arise from time to time. The balance of £41,195 held on unrestricted funds, after designations, at the year-end exceeded this target. CHARITY COMMISSION(aMthWBwist CIx*rh ￿> fOR ENGLAND AND WALES Receipts and payments accounts CC16a F¢Y Ihe 12r6irJ)25 To Section A Receipts and payments •Jnds funds Totsllunds Last A1 Recej 7n 61771 14516 16,157 TebJt• ft¢ffj4lPr S5,605 1&157 &166 ale fni OpJcE 575 1EO TRIJ4SFER OFASSETS FRO14 LwREGISTERÈTrCFL4￿￿y31_lQ2Y Sub tats1(GrO￿ inccrme forARJ AZAssetand In¥e51ment s*4 see table 92m7 To&lrecelpts 92272 .145 A3 Payrntnts rycD5ts 9{527 741) 740 IrAurar SthDDfhrg 612 1246 Fwd 331 331 11B 714 A4 A5setand Inve51m￿t purchases, Iseetawel 90.245 Net0frt¢*iPltsym￿ts) . A5 Transfeps between •J#ds A6 Cash IUnd5 lastyear Ca51r ftsnds this yearen Section 8 Statement of assets and liabilitie5 at the end of the period 1Q.7 1273 2,010 4$￿52 7￿￿21 81.&97 29.942 YnFesrrieied Re5tncted fuhds En￿O￿nertt fitnds .)re￿Orl•s Bl Cash fuTrds 41.195 14 ZV42 CCXX R 8cwJnts (SSI fvnds funds 84A$56ts retslned fotrthe aiity's OWTt use B5 LiabiltiES d ty on2 lthttru%tee Print Name Dats of approva 2-3-2 CCXX R accoLtnts (SSI Report of the Independert Examinerfs) to the Tntstees of Chudlelgh Baptist Church CIO On the a¢o)unts for the year ended 31 December 2025 Respective responslbilities of Trustw and Examiner The Church's Trustees a￿ r￿[%￿SIble for p￿paratIOn of the acu)unts. The church's trustees consider that an a￿jr( is rM)t ￿uIr￿ for this year urxjer 144 of the tharities Att 2011 (the Charibes Act) and that an in(kpendent examinatm is rEth. It is my resw)nsibilty to.. examine the accounts under s￿￿)n 145 of Charities A¢ to follow the pr(xdure5 laid (h)wn in the gwal Directions given by the Charity C(Mnmission (under section 145{5)(b) of Charities ALL and to State whether particular matters have come tr) my attenth)n. Basis of independent examinerfs statement My examination was (arri￿1 out in accordan￿ with general Dirthns gwen by the Charity Commission. An examirption indlts a revEw of the accountsrKJ reu)rds kept by the thurch and a comparison of the accounts present￿ with t1￿￿e re(Drds. It alg) indudes (Dnsideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the ￿counts, atKi 5eekiw explanations from the trustees con￿mIng any such matters. The procedures u￿rtaken do not provKle all t￿ eviderKE that would be required in an audtt. and consequendy no o￿nK)n is given as to wlthr the ￿CoUnts present a Mrue and fai view and the re￿rt is limited to tIK)se rrkitters set out in the statement tEknw. Independent examinerfs statement In connection with my examination, no rnaterial matters have o)me to my attention whith gsve5 me cause to tElieve that in, any matenal re¥Ert: accounting records were not kept in wtth s￿￿On 130 of ￿ Tharities Act or the accounts do not accord with the ￿COuntir￿j r￿rdS the accounts do not cnmpty Vdith ap￿Kable ￿Uire￿ents cor￿miN￿ the fo￿ aThJ content of accounts ￿t out in the Charities {A(XDunts arKI ReForts) ReguLHts"ons 2008 other than any requiremert that the ac(ounts give a arKI fair vieél wh4th S not a matter considered as part of an Inde￿ndeTrt examination. I have come across no other matters in conrELti)n wtth the examination to which attention should be dTrwn in order to enable a pw undetstarK1ir¥J of the ￿COUnts to be reach￿. Signoj by or on ithlf of the Examiner.....