2022-03-31-accounts - Good Neighbour Church England

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Aim and Purposes

Good Neighbour Church England (hereafter referred as GNCE) is dedicated to promoting

the advancement of the Christian faith in the United Kingdom and the world; and to the relief of those in need, particularly those who are vulnerable and marginalised from society for reasons of age, disability, ill-health, financial or other disadvantage by the provision of funds, goods or practical support.

It is the church’s motto to – “ Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly and continue to fight with God” .

Objectives and Activities

As a church organisation originated from Hong Kong, our primary service target is the people from Hong Kong, many of whom have just arrived in the United Kingdom in the last few years under the British National Overseas Visa Programme or have sought refuge through asylum. It is our objective that through regular gatherings among newly arrived Hong Kongers, we can build a community of mutual support in the process of adapting to a new country. We also aim to serve those in need in the local community over time.

To achieve these objectives, we have set up worship cum service points in major cities across the United Kingdom, including London, Birmingham, Manchester and Bristol, providing the following services with reference to the church’s motto:

“Act Justly” – Advocacy for justice around the world;
“Love mercy” – Provision of community services to those in need; and
“Walk humbly and continue to fight with God” – Worship and prayer; trainings and gatherings to preach the Gospel and develop knowledge on the Christian faith; missionary work.

Achievements and Performance

1. Cantonese Worship Services and Bible Study Groups

As the existing services in the United Kingdom are conducted in either English or Mandarin, GNCE provides a range of Cantonese services during the week over the four worship points to serve the spiritual needs of Christians from Hong Kong in their native language. We are currently running regular evening service in Bristol every Friday; evening services in London every Monday and Saturday; morning service in Manchester every Sunday; and evening service in Birmingham every Sunday. There are also multiple bible study groups formed locally in each of the worship points.

2. Community Care

Regional VCSE Grant Scheme: Hong Kong Welcome Programme

The GNCE was awarded the regional VCSE grant scheme in London and the West Midlands to support projects in line with the high-level outcomes of the Hong Kong Welcome Programme across three core areas: professional integration, social integration, community building.

With our team of volunteers in Good Neighbour Church in both London and Birmingham, we worked collaboratively with local churches and local organisations to ensure wider integration across communities to cater for the needs of Hongkoners in the whole region. Our teams applied a reach-out approach to identify Hongkongers with the aim of providing early intervention for those at stake or with service needs. We also act as a gateway for multicultural individuals to get access to mainstream services and give referrals where appropriate.

Through the Good Neighbour Hubs in London and Birmingham, we provided a series of centre-based programmes tailor-made for HongKongers and an outreach service within London, where we travel to different hotspots and set up street booths to promote our hub to Hongkongers. We also provide different kinds of interest classes for children, elderly and groups with special needs.

“Taste like Home” Free Meal to the Youth

Dinner at home is an important occasion in Chinese culture, where family members get together and enjoy one another’s company. This initiative creates a platform to bridge young people from Hong Kong who are facing financial difficulties and are new to the UK with established community members over a shared meal in a trusted community space (such as homes), in hope of providing not only physical but emotional support to young people in need. Over the dinner table, we encourage participants to share their stories and build relationships while enjoying home-cooked food together.

Short-term accommodation matching scheme for Young People

For young people aged between 16 to 30 who face immediate financial difficulties, we provide emergency shelter through a short-term accommodation matching service with other carefully vetted families from Hong Kong.

Caring for the Homeless Community

Our teams of volunteers gather on a regular basis to distribute hot food and drinks as well as winter clothes to our homeless neighbours in various UK cities.

Food Aid Scheme

The food aid scheme was set up to help people from Hong Kong who are facing financial difficulties. GNCE receives donations in the form of supermarket gift vouchers and distributes them to those in need.

3. Advocacy for Justice around the World

GNCE organised the “Revolution in Process: Art Exhibition of Asian Human Rights” on 26-31 August 2022 at Midlands Art Centre, Birmingham. The exhibition featuring artworks

from Asian artists served as a reminder to the on-going sufferings of people in Thailand, Myanmar and Hong Kong in their respective struggles for human rights. More than 1,000 visitors were recorded over the 6-day exhibition period.

Volunteers

We would like to take this opportunity to extend our deepest gratitude to all the volunteers who had contributed tremendously to the daily operation and all our wide range of community initiatives across the four worship/service points in the United Kingdom.

Structure, governance, and management

GNCE is governed by an executive committee consisting of the three trustees, and supported by executive officers on finance, administrative and publicity matters. Currently, one of the three Trustees, Mr. Chun Lok Chan, was elected in December 2022 by those members of the congregation who are on the electoral roll of the church, while Mr Hoi Hing Chan and Ms Sin Kit Kwok are temporary trustees until the next election in 2023. All those who have attended our services for more than 6 months are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to be a trustee.

The executive committee is responsible for making decisions for GNCE on all matters of importance and general concern to the church, particularly on major spending and the direction on providing various community services. The executive committee is supported by various sub-committees in the operation of the four gathering points, such as worship teams and community services teams. The full executive committee meets every two months during the year to report on the progress of on-going initiatives and discuss future plans.

Administrative information

GNCE is currently running service/ worship points in the cities of London, Birmingham, Manchester and Bristol. The correspondence address is Ground Floor, 15 Risborough Street, London SE1 0HG.

GNCE is a registered Charity (No. 1195452) under the Charities Act 2011.

The core executive committee members who have served from 10 August 2021 until the date this report was approved are:

Trustees: Mr Hoi Hing Chan - Chair

Mr Chun Lok Chan

Ms Sin Kit Kwok

Approved by the GNCE on 19[th] January 2023 and signed on their behalf by

Mr Hoi Hing Chan (Chair of the trustees)

GOOD NEIGHBOUR CHURCH ENGLAND

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

Receipts and payments accounts For the 10/08/2021 31/03/2022 To period from

Section A Receipts and payments

GOOD NEIGHBOUR CHURCH ENGLAND

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Approved by the GNCE on 19[th] January 2023 and signed on their behalf by Mr Hoi Hing Chan (Chair of the trustees)

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

GOOD NEIGHBOUR CHURCH ENGLAND

Notes to the Accounts

Note 1 Basis of accounting

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 using the receipts and payments basis.

Note 2 Analysis of income

GOOD NEIGHBOUR CHURCH ENGLAND

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

Note 3 Analysis of expenditure

Note 4 Paid employees

Independent Examiner’s Report to the trustees/ members of Good Neighbour Church England.

I report on the accounts for the year ended 31st March 2022 which are set out on pages 4 to 8.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

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”).

Basis of independent examiner’s report

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the 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 which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of theActor
the accounts do not accord with the accounting records

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be draw.