2024-12-31-accounts

Saiiash SALTASH BAPTIST CHURCH ANNUAL REPORT 2024

SBC Annual Report 24-25

Contents

Contents	Contents	Contents
Contents ............................................................................................................................... 2
1	Minister’s Report ............................................................................................................ 3
2	Treasurer’s Report: ........................................................................................................ 4
3	Youth Work .................................................................................................................... 7
4	Children’s Work .............................................................................................................. 8
5	MISSION:....................................................................................................................... 8
	5.1	Home Mission: ....................................................................................................... 8
	5.1.1	CAP ................................................................................................................... 8
	5.1.2	Prayer Station .................................................................................................... 9
	5.1.3	Home Mission and BMS Boxes .......................................................................... 9
	5.2	Overseas Mission .................................................................................................. 9
	5.2.1	Overseas Mission Report ................................................................................... 9
	5.2.2	Shoe Boxes ..................................................................................................... 10
6	CHURCH LIFE: ............................................................................................................ 10
	6.1	Pastoral Care....................................................................................................... 10
	6.2	Groups ................................................................................................................ 10
	6.2.1	Prayer: ............................................................................................................. 10
	6.2.2	Bible Study: ..................................................................................................... 11
	6.2.3	Fellowship Groups: .......................................................................................... 11
	6.3	Social Events ....................................................................................................... 11
	6.4	Music Worship ..................................................................................................... 11
	6.5	Technical Support ................................................................................................ 11
7	CHURCH STRUCTURE: ............................................................................................. 12
	7.1	Buildings and Maintenance Report ...................................................................... 12
	7.2	Creation Care ...................................................................................................... 13
8	HEALTH AND SAFETY: ............................................................................................... 14
	8.1	Health and Safety ................................................................................................ 14
	8.2	SAFEGUARDING POLICY STATEMENT FOR SALTASH BAPTIST CHURCH ... 15

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1 Minister’s Report

by Tim Parkman

And so, another year goes by and as we look back we can see both moments of celebrations and moments that challenge us but the reality is this is like any family. There may be things that we find difficult, there may be things that we have loved, yet none of this is the thing that holds us together: it is Christ, the head of our family.

I am grateful that Christ has continued to be at the centre of all we do, even when it seems hard, or even when it is easy. It is so important that we acknowledge this as we look back on how it has been done in the previous year.

My reflection on the year gone by is that there was and is so much to celebrate and give thanks for but this sometimes has been lost or difficult to see in some of the challenges that have arisen. I do therefore, before God, want to name those challenges around our finances and concern where the money comes from and how we continue to do all the things we do and continue to grow rather than cut back. I have said that we need to be wise but at the same time, not to use money as the reason for cutting back rather see what God is wanting.

Now I have named the big challenge, I want to focus on the great things that have happened in this last year. We have seen more people coming and being a part of the church family on a Sunday and engage in so many other ways. To see the work of our children and young people grow; our Milkshake group is full of young people who are hearing about God each week: that is great! A thank you to Amy and Elise for all the work they do

It has been good to have the Leadership Team supporting me in the work. I think towards the end of the year I took a lot on my plate and probably felt the effect of that after Christmas. Thank you to them for their love and care and holding me to account, especially thank you to Brenda as Church Secretary for all the work that is done behind the scenes.

Although this may seem strange in a Church Annual report, I want to thank the church for releasing me to do the schools’ work. I know in these places I am appreciated, and this is an extension of the church’s ministry in offering support and care to so many in the wider community.

This year we have spent more time as a church family together in social events. We have seen the growth of the Open Mic night: we have worshipped together and prayed together and I hope that as we move into 2025 we will have more opportunities to do this.

It was great to have the Interactive Christmas event this year, where over 300 children from the local community came and heard the Christmas story; thank you to everyone who helped with this.

We continue to engage with the local community through Regatta, Prayer Station and in many different ways. It is always important that as a Church we are welcoming and accessible to the wider community and I believe this is true for us as a church.

I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for the love and support that there has been over this last year. I really hope that as we look into 2025, finance can take a back seat and no longer be such a focal point but that we can see where God is leading us, shaping us for the future and all that God wants to do through us.

In Christ, Tim

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2 Treasurer’s Report:

by Simon Hunter

This report for the 2024 financial year shows the income and expenditure by month. It shows the position at the end of the year is £133k income against £105k expenditure. The difference is because of a significant legacy donation from Brian Bliss. This additional money is ring-fenced towards the solar panel project that is taking place this year.

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Saltash Baptist Church

Income & Expenditure Summary (by Fund) - Monthly

Fund: General | Financial Year: 2024 | Date: 31/12/2024 | Transaction Group: No filtering | Projections: Hidden | Categories Displayed: Category Groups Only

Income

	Jan 2024	Feb 2024	Mar 2024	Apr 2024	May 2024	Jun 2024	Jul 2024	Aug 2024	Sep 2024	Oct 2024	Nov 2024	Dec 2024	Actual	Total Budget	Budget Rec’v’d
1. Ofering	6,714.26	7,463.00	6,678.00	5,568.04	10,393.46	29,795.95	6,193.05	8,564.00	7,869.08	12,763.11	7,223.83	10,211.99	119,437.77	99,700.00	120%
2. Projects	685.00	653.00	2,031.50	1,201.66	765.00	2,627.16	825.98	550.00	893.31	846.00	1,393.00	1,452.50	13,924.11	11,500.00	121%
Total	7,399.26	8,116.00	8,709.50	6,769.70	11,158.46	32,423.11	7,019.03	9,114.00	8,762.39	13,609.11	8,616.83	11,664.49	133,361.88	111,200.00	120%
Budgeted	9,266.67	9,266.67	9,266.67	9,266.67	9,266.67	9,266.67	9,266.67	9,266.67	9,266.67	9,266.67	9,266.67	9,266.63

Expenditure

	Jan 2024	Feb 2024	Mar 2024	Apr 2024	May 2024	Jun 2024	Jul 2024	Aug 2024	Sep 2024	Oct 2024	Nov 2024	Dec 2024	Actual	Total Budget	Budget Spent
1. Ministry	4,737.23	4,697.09	4,702.02	4,612.66	4,278.68	4,602.19	4,705.08	4,147.44	3,820.17	4,619.42	4,537.95	6,787.40	56,247.33	54,328.00	104%
2. Projects	1,298.57	1,305.50	3,099.50	1,734.80	1,202.00	1,440.10	1,519.64	700.98	668.00	1,800.99	668.00	1,431.41	16,869.49	25,550.00	66%
4. Admin	285.30	331.39	1,004.25	704.91	573.05	783.25	506.61	1,300.36	321.81	498.41	456.03	607.41	7,372.78	4,100.00	180%
5a. Church Estate	611.17	44.79	105.80	4,032.76	60.74	76.85	3,653.43	74.65	547.92	668.35	515.93	870.01	11,262.40	11,800.00	95%
5b. Manse Estate	1,395.71	938.40	900.00	1,137.83	1,142.00	1,142.00	1,142.00	1,142.00	1,180.40	1,142.00	1,521.95	1,142.00	13,926.29	14,840.00	94%
Total	8,327.98	7,317.17	9,811.57	12,222.96	7,256.47	8,044.39	11,526.76	7,365.43	6,538.30	8,729.17	7,699.86	10,838.23	105,678.29	110,618.00	96%
Budgeted	9,218.16	9,218.16	9,218.16	9,218.16	9,218.16	9,218.16	9,218.16	9,218.16	9,218.16	9,218.16	9,218.16	9,218.24

“The trustees confirm, in accordance with the Charitable Incorporated Organisations (General) Regulations 2012, that at the year end the CIO did not have outstanding guarantees to third parties nor any debts secured on the assets of the CIO”.

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Summary Totals

	Jan 2024	Feb 2024	Mar 2024	Apr 2024	May 2024	Jun 2024	Jul 2024	Aug 2024	Sep 2024	Oct 2024	Nov 2024	Dec 2024	Total to Date
Opening Balance	26,767.04	25,838.32	26,637.15	25,535.08	20,081.82	23,983.81	48,362.53	43,854.80	45,603.37	47,827.46	52,707.40	53,624.37	26,767.04
Income	7,399.26	8,116.00	8,709.50	6,769.70	11,158.46	32,423.11	7,019.03	9,114.00	8,762.39	13,609.11	8,616.83	11,664.49	133,361.88
Expenditure	8,327.98	7,317.17	9,811.57	12,222.96	7,256.47	8,044.39	11,526.76	7,365.43	6,538.30	8,729.17	7,699.86	10,838.23	105,678.29
Surplus (Income Expenditure)-	928.72	798.83	-1,102.07	-5,453.26	3,901.99	24,378.72	-4,507.73	1,748.57	2,224.09	4,879.94	916.97	826.26	27,683.59
Fund Transfers	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Closing Balance	25,838.32	26,637.15	25,535.08	20,081.82	23,983.81	48,362.53	43,854.80	45,603.37	47,827.46	52,707.40	53,624.37	54,450.63	54,450.63

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3 Youth Work by Amy O’Meakin

2024 saw a year of significant growth, both numerically and spiritually for our young people at Saltash Baptist Church. None of which would be possible without the incredible group of volunteers who give their time and energy to invest in our young people, so a huge thank you to them all.

Milkshake Club: Our Midweek group for those in school years 6-10 has continued to increase in number with a regular attendance of between 15-20 young people each week (with approximately 25 young people who we are in regular contact with), many of whom join us from the wider Saltash Community. The young people have enjoyed a range of different activities across the year including craft projects, board games evenings, Nerf battles and McDonald’s trips. Each week includes a ‘thought time’ or video related to God, to which the young people have responded well. Throughout 2024 we used a number of real life testimonies and the young people have responded well to this. This group continues to prove to be a safe space for many neurodiverse young people, it has also proved to be a safe space for the young people to invite their friends.

Illuminate: Illuminate (for those in school years 6-11) our Sunday morning programme has grown both numerically and spiritually, with around 10-12 young people joining us each week, including some who have been regular attenders at Milkshake Club from within the wider Saltash Community. Our focus continues to be to encourage the young people to explore their faith and to own it for themselves. 2024 saw us following the New Testament readings alongside the adult ministry: many families enjoyed studying the same things alongside each other and it was deemed to be a great lunchtime conversation point. In 2025 we are continuing to follow the same themes asthe adult ministry where appropriate. During Illuminate we join together to explore how God talks to us as individuals and together as a group. We play games, eat biscuits, read our Bibles and use creative responses and prayers. The young people are growing in their faith and are developing a real ability to challenge the Bible and their own faith perspectives.

Deeper: 2024 saw the introduction of our second Sunday morning group, which is aimed at those wanting to delve further into the Bible, the young people have found this really helpful and engaging and commented on how they enjoy having a quieter smaller space to ask deeper questions. We would love for this to continue in 2025 but are struggling slightly for volunteers in order to run both groups and meet safeguarding procedures.

SPREE: Spree 2024 (a Christian camp for those aged 8-18) was a huge success. The team took 16 children and young people (4 more than the previous year) who thoroughly enjoyed themselves and some of whom made Faith commitments during our time there. Spree 2025 now has 20 children and young people booked in to attend, a number of which are young people who do not attend church on a Sunday morning. Young people mentioned they felt a sense of God’s presence and mentioned they felt stronger to walk in their faith within their everyday context. One young person said “Before Spree I’d have considered myself an Atheist, but now I’ve got one foot in, we’ll see where we go next”.

Baptisms: This year we had the pleasure of completing the Baptism course with three under 18s, two of which were Baptised in January 2024.

Home: Our home group for those in school years 10+ started in 2024, but has not continued into 2025 due to lack of commitment/numbers. However when we met the young people

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opened up well and engaged well in the sessions. We are in current conversation about changing the format for this group to an open Bible study group for years 8+ from September 2025.

Prayer points:

• For continued excitement among our young people to learn more about who God is, and how he can be a part of their day to day lives.

• For the health and wellbeing of our young people, in what is a challenging time for many with mental and physical health.

• We give thanks for a strong and committed group of volunteers.

• For numerical increase in our volunteer team as our young people increase numerically.

• For a SPREE chef for 2025

4 Children’s Work

by Elise Leonard :

Throughout 2024 our children’s work continued to include a baby and toddler group and Sunday

morning creche and Voyagers. Our baby and toddler group has grown steadily in numbers since moving to a Thursday morning, we now have in excess of 40 children on our books and we regularly get around 10 attending each week. Our Sunday morning creche is often busy with up to 8 little ones each week. The number of children in Voyagers really fluctuates from 2 to 10 children each Sunday. Throughout 2024 we have been following along with the adults Bible readings each week using a variety of resources. Since the start of 2025 we have been using thegoodbook company Little Me Big God series of small books and the resources that go alongside them, as well as exploring women in the Bible using the book Extraordinary Women of the Bible. This year we really encouraged our youth to get involved with our nativity and it was lovely to see them coming alongside our younger ones to tell this Christmas story. We could not run our children’s groups without our dedicated team of volunteers who show up faithfully for our children, to help and grow them towards a deeper understanding of faith. We look forward to the year ahead, hopeful that the children will see God at work in their own lives.

5 MISSION:

5.1 Home Mission:

5.1.1 CAP

By Tim Squires

The year has had its successes, with quite a few people going debt free, and its challenges - Jane and Ann are still involved as befrienders, but have stepped back from running Money Courses and being a debt coach. We could really do with someone taking on the money coaching courses, helping people with budgeting, so if you feel this could be you and you’re ready to take on this exciting role, please let me know and I’ll get you sorted with training etc.

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The biggest change this year was joining forces with the Liskeard centre to form a combined SE Cornwall hub. We now have 5 debt coaches in the team, covering every single postcode area in SE Cornwall!

We have continued to help people in the community with emergency funding and still offer Acts435 non-emergency funding too, with Becky Crump. Funding gives us opportunities to help local organisations with people in need, keeps open positive community links and means we can help out and share our faith with a range of people, with whom we otherwise wouldn’t be in contact.

We have a great team of befrienders who keep in contact with the people we are helping, offering friendship and support and also letting them know about events going on at the church. If you would like to join them and be a part of this amazing ministry, please have a chat with Tim Squires.

Most of all, please keep praying for us - many situations are challenging to say the least, so we really do need your prayers! Thank you

5.1.2 Prayer Station

by Joe Jannetta:

The team now consists of six people and two people who sometimes are available to step in. We go out each Saturday between 10 and 12 noon.

We have meetings in which we discuss what we are doing,what we are seeing,,what we are expecting and what new ideas we can put forward.

Our new flag is a result of many of our discussions and we think it serves as a visual reminder explaining who we are and what we are trying to do.

Most of the people we help are lonely people and welcome a good chat and quite often are happy for us to pray for them either on the street or at church on Sunday. Hopefully, we are a sign of hope and care for the community. Our constant need is for more volunteers

5.1.3 Home Mission and BMS Boxes

by Christine Bright:

This has gone down considerably since the Covid pandemic. People have stopped using cash so much. The amount for this period was £26.81 for Home Mission and nothing for BMS.

5.2 Overseas Mission

5.2.1 Overseas Mission Report

By Tim Bliss :

I took over as Overseas Mission Coordinator last year and would like to thank Mike South for his work in this role for many years.

We have links with a number of people/organisations working overseas and full details can be found on the church website: https://saltashbaptist.co.uk/overseas-mission/ These will be updated as new newsletters are received.

The Church Directly supports BMS and our current link missionaries are Paul and Sarah Brown in Thailand, and Benjamin Francis in India.

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Paul and Sarah are in the UK in the summer and I have requested a visit from them, although at the time of writing I have not received a response from BMS.

Many of our members and friends support children in developing countries through Compassion and at the last count we had around 30 children sponsored. We have an ongoing partnership with a Compassion project in Durame, Ethiopia where a number of our sponsored children are registered.

A number of our members also support Open Doors in their work on behalf persecuted Christians worldwide.

We have a number of other contacts via various personal connections within the church. These include Gillian Harris in South Africa, Dave & Paula Bailey in Cyprus, Margaret Tanner and her husband Celestin in Chad, and Meheretab Abate in Ethiopia.

The prayer slide on Sunday mornings will normally highlight one of these people/organisations each week. Please keep them in your prayers.

5.2.2 Shoe Boxes

: by Julie McLean

We collected 238 shoeboxes for Samaritans Purse, Operation Christmas Child Shoebox 2024 Appeal.

6 CHURCH LIFE:

6.1 Pastoral Care

by Patrick McLaughlin:

The Pastoral Care Team met recently to review what was happening and what was needed in the church regarding pastoral care. There is a good family atmosphere at the church and this is something not led by a team but by the whole church ensuring this. The groups play a big part in caring for each other. However, there are several people that are in need of some kind of pastoral care but there is sometimes a reluctance to ask for help. Sometimes it is just something like keeping in touch by phone that is needed for those that cannot get to church etc. As we have many more young adults and families coming into the church, one of the younger adults in the church have been asked to join the team.

6.2 Groups

Please do pray for the leaders of the groups within the church as although very positive experience it can at times be a struggle. They should be reassured that the church appreciates all of the time and effort that goes into the work they put in to enable the groups to operate.

Groups play a vital role in church life in terms of fellowship, support and learning. There are three main types of group: Prayer, Bible Study and Fellowship.

6.2.1 Prayer:

Monday morning prayer group and the Prison Fellowship Prayer Group. Both of these groups are day time groups which means that people who work are unable to attend.

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6.2.2 Bible Study:

A Tuesday day time group, a Tuesday weekly evening group and a Tuesday fortnightly evening group which meets in Plymouth. There is a Wednesday evening group for Young Adults and a monthly Men and Women’s day time group which meets on Thursdays.

6.2.3 Fellowship Groups:

Rejuvenated Teenagers: This group meets on the second and fourth Thursday of the month in the morning with a 6 month to view programme. They currently have a membership of 9 and cater mainly to the retired members of the church family.

Netball: This group meets on a Tuesday in term time and have an average number of 8 people.

Football: This group caters for over 16s meeting weekly on Thursdays. It is a mixture of church and non church people.

6.3 Social Events

by Katie Spanner

Last year we had some fantastic events that worked really well and had some lovely social times .

Highlights were our beetle drive and our barn dance . It’s was lovely to have people as well as our own church family that hadn’t been to church before participating in quizzes and walks .

The events team meet every year to come up with events that don’t require too much effort but are accessible to all so any feedback is always welcome good and bad . This year we are looking forward to a retro worship evening and of course the barn dance again which is always enjoyed .

Please pray for those involved with our events and as always if you have any ideas or something to suggest please let us know .

6.4 Music Worship

by Tim Squires:

We are blessed with a great number of talented musicians and vocalists who are keen and willing to use their gifts and lead the church in worshipping our great God. The three Tims and Adam share choosing the songs and taking a lead. We have enjoyed learning new songs to enhance our worship alongside singing more familiar songs and the instrumental band at Christmas seemed to go down well.

We must also say thank you to all those who look after the tech and sound side of things, they play a crucial role and are very much appreciated.

We are always open to new members, whether on the tech side, playing an instrument or singing solo or in a group, so please speak to any one of us and we can get you involved.

6.5 Technical Support

by Scott Williams:

Given all the talk around artificial intelligence (AI) that seems to be in every other piece of news, it is probably no surprise that we have changed a lot of our hardware and software at

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Saltash Baptist. This has been done with the intention to both improve and streamline the way things are run behind the scenes as well as reduce the amount of expenditure that is produced from the tech within the church.

Within the last year we have upgraded the software and hardware that we use to produce the visuals that are seen on a Sunday morning. This has also aided our move away from live streaming the service to recording and uploading the service. Whilst we are aware this has not always been available straight away, and the quality has not always been the best, we are continuing to work on this and are hoping these issues will be resolved within the coming weeks.

The church website and email have also moved. Having experienced some trouble with the previous host, we decided that now was the time to look for a host that had good reviews and, perhaps, a host that was more cost effective. We seemed to find the right host and then, as many of you will know, disaster struck; our website seemed to be lost into the realms of the internet world. Thanks to the hard work of Nigel, we have managed to get the website back up and running with updates happening all the time. We have also managed to migrate our emails, something which seems to be running smoothly.

Looking forward, we are always looking at how we can continue to improve, streamline and upgrade the tech within the church. If you have any suggestions, we are always open to ideas! We will always seek God’s guidance as to how He sees us taking the tech forward, especially how we use it for our evangelical mission to bring more people to know who Jesus was and still is today.

The tech team has grown from just Paul G and I, with the support Tim B and Nathan on audio, to now also include Andrew, Matt and Paul R. We are always looking for more volunteers if you would be interested.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved with the tech, weather that be on the back desk on a Sunday morning or working on the website throughout the week – your time and effort is always appreciated.

If you have any questions, please do get in touch (email below) and I will try my best to answer them!

God bless, Scott [e-mail]

7 CHURCH STRUCTURE:

7.1 Buildings and Maintenance Report

by Neil Bonner

Structural state of the envelopes of the Church and the Manse continue to be in generally good repair and providing their functions. However, as the Church Building is now 30+ years old we are starting to see some deterioration in some aspects of cladding and services. The grounds are in excellent condition thanks to Peter’s diligent work. Also, great work has been done to clear the build-up of debris in the drains after 30 years accumulation.

Thanks to the work for the solar panels, major refurbishment of the rainwater gutters will be undertaken while the scaffold access is present. Thank you to Steve for Project managing the whole of these works. We are aware of some water ingress over at least 5 windows so will be investigating and repairing using our own abilities and skills to minimise cost. These areas may need more extensive work when the substructure is exposed.

We are also continuing to look at small upgrades in accessibility to the lower floors. This would be prior to the major upgrade for the building previously shared. A couple of schemes for ramp access have been developed and costed and will be presented to the church for approval before commencement. The concept is to break the works into small stand-alone packages which could be funded within the budget or as funds allow.

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As the Church and Manse get older and more used there will be more need to replace and upgrade the internal fabric and services. I would ask you all to note areas where you think the wear and tear is becoming too much. We cannot see everything and you helping to report issues can lead to timely intervention. A hard copy maintenance book in the kitchen can be used to record your issues.

Neil Bonner, Coordinator

7.2 Creation Care

by Stephen Gerry & Nigel Roberts:

Progress Report on Environmental Stewardship Initiatives Executive Summary

Saltash Baptist Church continues to make substantial progress in its environmental stewardship journey, working towards achieving the A Rocha Green Church Silver and Gold Awards. Our recent initiatives focus on reducing our carbon footprint through sustainable energy solutions and improved building management systems.

Volunteer Opportunity: Join Our Creation Care Team

We are currently seeking passionate individuals to join our Creation Care team. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to our church's environmental mission and help shape our sustainable future.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support our journey toward Ecochurch accreditation

• Promote environmental awareness within our congregation

• Help maintain and enhance our church grounds for ecological purposes

• Engage with the local community on environmental initiatives

• Work with youth groups on practical environmental projects

• Assist with communication and outreach efforts

What We're Looking For:

• Individuals with a passion for environmental stewardship

• Team players willing to learn and engage with others

• Good communication skills

• Commitment to our creation care journey

No specific environmental experience is required - just enthusiasm and a willingness to contribute to our green initiatives.

Key Achievements

Heating System Improvements

• Successfully converted five rooms to electric heating systems

• Installed Tado wireless heating control system, enabling:

• Precise temperature management across different spaces

• Enhanced efficiency in heating the halls and worship area

• Reduced energy waste through smart scheduling

• Remote monitoring and control capabilities

Solar Panel Initiative

• Completed initial scoping for solar panel installation

• Currently awaiting installation date confirmation

• Expected outcomes:

• Significant reduction in grid electricity consumption

• Major contribution to carbon footprint reduction

• Progress toward net zero targets

• Reduced energy costs for the church

Monthly Environmental Stewardship Program

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To engage our congregation and community in environmental stewardship, we have developed a year-round program of activities. Each month focuses on different aspects of sustainable living:

Winter Months (December-February)

• Energy efficiency initiatives

• Support for local businesses

• Sustainable holiday celebrations

Spring Months (March-May)

• Environmental spring cleaning

• Sustainable gardening projects

• Alternative transport promotion

Summer Months (June-August)

• Water conservation awareness

• Local tourism promotion

• Plastic reduction initiatives

Autumn Months (September-November)

• Harvest celebrations

• Home energy efficiency

• Community giving and gratitude

Next Steps

1. Monitor and document energy savings from the new heating control system

2. Complete solar panel installation

3. Continue progress toward A Rocha Green Church Silver and Gold Awards

4. Implement monthly environmental activities to engage the congregation

5. Share our progress and learning with other local churches

6. Recruit and integrate new Creation Care team members

Get Involved

If you feel called to join our Creation Care team or would like to learn more about the role, please speak with any current team member after the service or contact the church office. We welcome all levels of experience and commitment.

Conclusion

Our transition to more sustainable energy sources and improved building management systems demonstrates our commitment to environmental stewardship. These improvements position us well for achieving higher levels of A Rocha certification while significantly reducing our carbon footprint.

The combination of infrastructure improvements and community engagement through monthly activities creates a holistic approach to environmental stewardship that aligns with our mission to care for God's creation. With new team members, we can expand our impact and further our environmental initiatives.

8 HEALTH AND SAFETY:

8.1 Health and Safety

by Mark Hodge:

Our Health and safety continues to allow us to be safe throughout the many events we hold during the year.

Last year our policies were all suitable and sufficient. Training continues to enable our ministry team to carry out risk assessments and be aware of potential hazards and put in necessary control measures. As our church membership grows and we re-arrange furniture, occasionally this can prove challenging to ensure safe access and egress. Please always be aware of your nearest emergency exit. Praise God we have nothing else to report.

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8.2 SAFEGUARDING POLICY STATEMENT FOR SALTASH BAPTIST CHURCH

Our vision

The vision statement of Saltash Baptist Church is “to evangelise our community and beyond, to encourage people to become more Christ-like through discipleship and we are committed to meeting the needs of those inside and outside our walls through ministry. We value fellowship and will come before the Lord in obedience to worship Him.”

In fulfilling this vision, we:

• Welcome children and adults at risk into the life of our community

• Run activities for children and adults at risk

• Make our premises available to organisations working with children and adults at risk

Our safeguarding responsibilities

The church recognises its responsibilities in safeguarding all children, young people and adults at risk, regardless of gender, ethnicity or ability.

As members of this church we commit ourselves to the nurturing, protection and safekeeping of all associated with the church and will pray for them regularly. In pursuit of this, we commit ourselves to this policy and to the development of sound procedures to ensure we implement our policy well.

• Prevention and reporting of abuse

• It is the duty of each church member to help prevent the abuse of children and adults at risk, and the duty of each church member to respond to concerns about the wellbeing of children and adults at risk. Any abuse disclosed, discovered or suspected will be reported in accordance with our procedures. The church will fully co-operate with any statutory investigation into any suspected abuse linked with the church.

• Safer recruitment, support and supervision of workers

The church will exercise proper care in the selection and appointment of those working with children and adults at risk, whether paid or voluntary. All workers will be provided with appropriate training, support and supervision to promote the safekeeping of children and adults at risk.

• Respecting children and adults at risk

The church will adopt a code of behaviour for all who are appointed to work with children and adults at risk so that all children and adults are shown the respect that is due to them.

• Safer working practices

The church is committed to providing an environment that is as safe as possible for children and adults at risk and will adopt ways of working with them that promote their safety and well-being.

• A safer community

The church is committed to the prevention of bullying. The church will seek to ensure that the behaviour of any individuals who may pose a risk to children, young people and adults at risk in the community of the church is managed appropriately.

Safeguarding contact points within our church

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SBC Annual Report 24-25

The church has appointed the following individuals to form part of the church safeguarding team:

Amy O’Meakin, Designated Person for Safeguarding (DPS)

She will advise the church on any matters related to the safeguarding of children and adults at risk and take the appropriate action when abuse is disclosed, discovered or suspected. Phone number: 07568 22570l Email: [e-mail]

Jeff Howden, Deputy Designated Person for Safeguarding (DPS)

He will assist the Designated Person for Safeguarding (DPS) in helping the church on any matters related to the safeguarding of children and adults at risk and take the appropriate action when abuse is disclosed, discovered or suspected.

Phone number: 07939 158133 Email address: [e-mail]

Rebecca Bright, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Verifier and Safeguarding administrator She will assist the Designated Person for Safeguarding (DPS) with the DBS verification and the general safeguarding administration.

Phone number 07896 638375 Email address: [e-mail]

Andy Lang, Safeguarding Trustee

He will raise the profile of safeguarding within the church and oversee and monitor the implementation of the safeguarding policy and procedures on behalf of the church trustees. Email address: [e-mail]

Our church minister is also an important part of the Church Safeguarding Team. Where possible, the Church Safeguarding Team will work together if and when issues arise. However, each person has a responsibility to report allegations of abuse as soon as they are raised.

Further definitions of these roles can be found in the BUGB publications ‘Safe to Grow’ (2011) & ‘Safe to Belong’ (2015).

Putting our policy into practice

• A copy of the safeguarding policy statement will be displayed permanently on the church noticeboard and church office and is available on our church website.

• Each worker with children and/or adults at risk will be given a full copy of the safeguarding policy and procedures and will be asked to sign to confirm that they will follow them.

• A full copy of the policy and procedures will be made available on request to any member of, or other person associated with the church.

• The policy and procedures will be monitored and reviewed annually, and any necessary revisions adopted into the policy and implemented through our procedures.

• The policy statement will be read annually at the church AGM, together with a report on the outcome of the annual safeguarding review.

Agm2025agmreport. March 2025

Page 16 of 16

Receipts & Payments Statement

	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Prior Year
		Receipts
Donations & Legacies
Donations	100,392	0	100,392	76,362
Gift Aid	7,894	0	7,894	14,258
Grants	8,000	0	8,000	8,000
Charitable Activities
Event Income	2,985	0	2,985	4,820
Investments
Bank Interest	0	0	0	165
Trading Activities
Rental Income	0	0	0	0
Sales	0	0	0	0
Other
Loans Received	0	0	0	0
Other Income	17,256	0	17,256	14,721
Sale of Fixed Assets	0	0	0	0
Sale of Investments	0	0	0	0
Total receipts	136,527	0	136,527	118,326
		Payments
Charitable Activities
Activities	0	0	0	0
Admin	6,648	0	6,648	7,101
Advertising	0	0	0	0
Bank Charges	261	0	261	82
Event Costs	0	0	0	0
Gifts Given	0	0	0	0
Other Expenditure	84,880	0	84,880	103,761
Premises	20,441	0	20,441	23,945
Staff Costs	0	0	0	0
Governance Costs
Governance Costs	0	0	0	0
Other
Fixed Asset Purchases	0	0	0	0
Loans Repaid	0	0	0	0
Money Invested	0	0	0	0
Total payments	112,229	0	112,229	134,889
Net Receipts / Payments (before transfers)	24,298	0	24,298	-16,563
Fund Transfers In	0	0	0	16,533
Fund Transfers Out	0	0	0	16,533
Net Movement of Cash Funds	24,298	0	24,298	-16,563
Total Cash Funds Brought Forward	34,442	0	34,442	51,006
Total Cash Funds Carried Forward	58,740	0	58,740	34,442
		Represented By
Saltash Hope (Unrestricted)	4,289	0	4,289	7,675
General (Unrestricted)	54,451	0	54,451	26,767

Asset & Liability Statement

Cash Assets

Asset & Liability Statement	Asset & Liability Statement	Asset & Liability Statement	Asset & Liability Statement	Asset & Liability Statement	Asset & Liability Statement	Asset & Liability Statement
Cash Assets
		Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Prior Year
Saltash Hope (Unrestricted)		4,289	0	4,289	7,675
General (Unrestricted)		54,451	0	54,451	26,767
Other Monetary Assets
	Notes	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Prior Year
Gift Aid		0	0	0	0
Stock		0	0	0	0
Other		0	0	0	0
Investment Assets
	Notes	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Prior Year
Property		0	0	0	0
Investment Accounts		0	0	0	0
Other		0	0	0	0
Fixed Assets
	Notes	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Prior Year
Land & Buildings		0	0	0	0
Music & PA Equipment		0	0	0	0
Computers & IT		0	0	0	0
Furniture		0	0	0	0
Motor Vehicles		0	0	0	0
Liabilities
	Notes	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Prior Year
Loans Outstanding		0	0	0	0
Pension Payment Owed		0	0	0	0
HMRC Payments Owed		0	0	0	0
Independent Examination Fee Due		0	0	0	0
Other		0	0	0	0

Independent Examinerfs Reportto ihe Trustees of Saltash Baptist Church Charitable Incorporated Organisation no. 1196315 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Saltash Baptist Church -a Charitsble Incorporated Organisation for the year ended 315t December 2024. Responsibilitle5 ￿ndba￿S of report As the chartty tnjstees you a￿ responsible forthe preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements ofthe Charities Art 2011 (￿he AcV}. I report In respect of my examination of the CharFrfs accounts carried out under 5ectlon 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my exarnination I have followed all the applicable Directlons given bv the Charity Commission under section 145{5llb} of the Act. Independent exumlnerfs statement I have completed my examinatlon. I tonfirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination gNing me cause to believe that In any material respect- Accounting records were not kept in respett of the Charity as required by sertion 130 of the Act.. Dr The accounts du not accord with those re(x)Td5. I have no concerns and have come acros5 no other matters in connection with the examlnatlon to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accountkn be reached. I P Barrett FCA FaE Barretts Chartered Accountsnts 22 Union Street Newton Abbot Devon TQ12 2JS 28 Ortober 2025