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2023-03-31-accounts

Registered Charity no. 1196337

Rylands Community Church Trustees Annual Report and Accounts Period from 1 November 2021 to 31 March 2023

WYATT & CO

Chartered Accountants 125 Main Street Garforth Leeds LS25 1AF

Rylands Community Church

Period from 1 November 2021 to 31 March 2023

Contents Page

Page
Legal and Administrative Information 1
Trustee's Annual Report 2
Independent Examiners Report 10
Statement of Recipts and Payments 11
Statement of Assets and Liabilities 12
Notes to the Financial Statements 13

Rylands Community Church

Period from 1 November 2021 to 31 March 2023

Legal and Administrative Information

Reference

The Charity is called “Rylands Community Church”. The Church is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) with the Charity Commission for England and Wales and was registered on the 1st November 2021.

Registered Charity Number 1196337
Registered Office C/O Beeston Free Church
Salthouse Lane
Beeston
Nottingham
NG9 2FY
Website www.rylands.org
Trustees at 31st March 2023
Neil Johnson (Chair / Chair of Employment Group)
David Gilkerson (Safeguarding Lead)
Matthew Robson (Church Secretary)
Benjamin Bradley (Treasurer)
Stephen Baraniak (Minister)
Primary Bankers CAF Bank Ltd
25 Kings Hill Avenue
Kings Hill
West Mailing
Kent
ME19 4JQ
Independent Examiner: Nigel Wyatt BSC FCA
Wyatt & Co Chartered Accountants
125 Main Street
Garforth
Leeds
LS25 1AF

1

Rylands Community Church

Period from 1 November 2021 to 31 March 2023

Trustee's Annual Report

Overview

The Trustees present their annual report and financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2023. It contains the following items:

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in the accounts section of the report.

Objectives and Activities

– Rylands Community Church (RCC) is situated in Beeston, south west Nottingham. The church is a small community-based church which is focused on serving all ages. The church is a member of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches and has adopted the FIEC’s Basis of Faith as the theological basis of its work.

The activities of the church involve the promotion of our beliefs and reaching out to our community and beyond, providing care and sharing our faith. The trustees of Rylands Community Church confirm they have had regard for the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and believe they have met the legal requirement of S17 of the Charities Act 2011.

Objectives

The charitable objectives are: -

Aims

Our vision: To be a church community in the Rylands that loves Jesus; growing to be like Him, helping others to know and love Him.

Our mission: To use all that God gives generously and sacrificially, to help more people in our locality,

in our nation and across the world to know and love Jesus.

Our values: While we can’t express everything the Bible calls a church to be; we are a church wanting to grow in being:

  1. Joyfully captivated by God our Father as He speaks to us in His Word, the Bible, depending on Him and delighting in Him.

  2. Passionate about proclaiming the good news that Jesus Christ is Lord; a message that shapes everything about who we are, what we say, and what we do.

  3. Other person orientated: empowered by the Holy Spirit we serve others; using the gifts God has given each of us to build-up one another and bless the communities in which we live.

2

Rylands Community Church

Period from 1 November 2021 to 31 March 2023

Trustee's Annual Report

  1. Generous in mission: Using the resources God gives to partner with others in taking the gospel to the places where Jesus is not yet known, wherever that may be.

Activities that further the Charity's objectives

We don’t have our own building but have a long-term lease agreement with the Trent Vale Infant and Nursery School and we have been glad to welcome the local community to attend or be part of our activities as a charity.

Sundays

On Sundays the congregations at our worship services, which include music, singing, praying and preaching, have continued to grow; activities for children also take place alongside the service. Services are no longer being streamed online but the talk is quickly available by the following Monday on our YouTube channel, and as a podcast (we will live stream particular service as need demands).

In addition, we meet fortnightly on Sunday evenings for prayer, discussion and further reflection; these meetings have been taking places in the homes of members of our congregation (although sometimes in the hall of Trent Vale Infant and Nursery School).

Weekdays

We provide activities through the week for various groups of people in our community:

Many other events take place in the school hall run by Rylands Community Church throughout the year, including holiday activities for children and support events for families struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, such as partnering with TLG Make Lunch to provide a weekly hot meal during most school holidays.

Raising Awareness and understanding our faith

At the centre of all we do as a church is the teaching of the Bible and encouragement of faith in Jesus. Some of the ways this has been done over the past year include: -

Sunday services: services take place each Sunday, at 10am. Alongside the services, groups for children aged 0-11 meet.

Each week several Bible study groups meet, in local homes and occasionally at the school hall.

Weekly activities for children and young people in school years 5-13 from the church and the local community, provide care, teaching and fun activities.

Throughout the year courses run and individuals meet to work through courses such as Christianity Explored and Hope Explored, to help explain our faith to those who are interested.

From time to time, we also run events in local restaurants to help those wanting to find out more about, and engage with, the Christian faith and ask questions.

3

Rylands Community Church

Period from 1 November 2021 to 31 March 2023

Trustee's Annual Report

Encouraging Mission and Outreach

Rylands Community Church remains committed to being outwardly focused, sharing our faith within the local community, more broadly in the UK and through supporting international mission.

Outreach events are held throughout the year, both in the school hall and elsewhere in the local area, to which the congregation are encouraged to invite friends and family; this has included social evenings and a summer holiday club for children. We also encourage our members to help with other churches running similar activities.

We continue to support a number of mission associates working in the UK and internationally, and we are currently working through our vision and structures for how we might establish that work further.

Communicating our Faith and purpose

Communicating our faith is a key part of our activities as a church. Many of our activities seek to provide opportunities for those in the local community and beyond to hear the gospel and build the faith of those who believe.

Grant making

One of the ways in which the church fulfils its charitable purposes is through the making of grants to projects which seek to advance the Christian faith within local communities and across the world. The trustees are committed to carrying out due diligence to ensure that funds are applied in accordance with the charity’s charitable purposes and funds are not knowingly used for money laundering, terrorist financing or bribery.

Volunteers

The large number of volunteers within the church help in every aspect of the church’s work. Many of our members and many of the congregation partner together in our ministries and in practical ways. The members and congregation of the church give in excess of 150 volunteer hours most weeks and the trustees recognise that without this many of the church’s activities could not take place.

4

Rylands Community Church

Period from 1 November 2021 to 31 March 2023

Trustee's Annual Report

Achievements and performance

The church has continued its programme of regular services and Bible teaching on a Sunday along with several support activities during the week.

The church supports several local, national and international initiatives to care for those in need and to advance the Christian faith.

During the year the employment of RCC’s minister has been transferred from Beeston Free Church to RCC. In addition, two further appointments have been made to the staff team: a ministry trainee began work in September and a ministry worker began work in September with a focus on pastoral care for those with acute struggles as well as helping Christians develop in the care of one another and people in the community.

We spent a considerable amount of time working on developing a bid for the purchase of a local building, which in the end was unsuccessful but created an appetite to be creative in how we seek to do more to help those in need in the community and help more people engage with the Christian faith.

Global mission

Support, both financial and pastoral, for existing mission associates that we share with another church in the area, continues.

National mission

We continue to be part of the FIEC, which is a charity networking churches with similar aims and objectives to that of Rylands Community Church, supporting conferences and training days, as well as playing an active role in partnerships with other FIEC churches in Nottingham.

We also work closely with the Midlands Gospel Partnership, with our staff involved in helping to teach and train up other men and women in the Midlands Ministry Training Course.

5

Rylands Community Church

Period from 1 November 2021 to 31 March 2023

Trustee's Annual Report

Financial review

I. Analysis of income

RCC became an independent charity in November 2021 and opened a charity bank account in March 2022. Prior to becoming an independent charity, RCC operated as a congregation of Beeston Free Church (BFC, registered charity number 1160335). To help RCC become established as an independent charity, BFC generously gave RCC a grant (£54k) in March 2022. A small number of other donations (approximately £500) were given to the RCC bank account in March 2022 from church members and those associated with the church.

The income of the church is primarily donations from church members and those associated with the church with a small amount (£8k) from other charities and some (£9k) from activities of the church such as a weekend away in June 2022. Donations to the general fund were £83k. Total income to the general fund was £117k.

II. Analysis of Expenditure

There was no expenditure from the RCC bank account in the period of 01 November 2021 to 31 March 2022.

For the 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 total costs to the general fund were £92k against a budgeted expenditure of £119k. Significant areas of underspend were global mission and building running costs. The funds allocated towards global mission have been rolled forward to the 2023 to 2024 financial year. However, due to being unsuccessful in a bid for a building as mentioned earlier, and with no immediate further building prospects identified, no building related expenditure has been included in the 2023 to 2024 budget.

III. Reserves

The trustees set a budget each financial year which is agreed amongst the trustees and approved by the church members. The treasurer and operations team leader have authority to work within this budget. Any expenditure outside the budget is subject to a series of authority limits defined in the finance policy.

The trustees plan to hold the equivalent of two to three months funds in reserve in cash at the bank and in interest bearing deposit accounts, as defined in the RCC finance policy.

The trustees manage the finances of the church to ensure that the financial support of the members and other givers is used to further the charitable purposes of the church. Where the reserves of the church rise above the targeted level the trustees will take action to use the surplus in connection with those purposes. If the trustees know of future costs that justify higher than the policy level of reserves these will be explained in the annual report and will be reported to the church at a church members meeting.

At the end of the 2022 to 2023 financial year the general fund balance stood at £80k. This is approximately 8 months of cover for the general fund regular expenditure (budgeted at just over £10k per month).

6

Rylands Community Church

Period from 1 November 2021 to 31 March 2023

Trustee's Annual Report

IV. Budget 2023-2024

The budget for 2023 to 2024 was approved by members at the March 2023 church members meeting.

Income to the general fund for 2023/2024 is forecast to be £111k. This comprises donations of £80k, transfers from other funds of £1k and other income of £30k.

Spending from the general fund for 2023/2024 is forecast to be £144k. This comprises staff costs of £85k, international and UK mission costs of £24k, local mission costs of £5k, youth and children’s ministry, training, partnership and miscellaneous costs of £5k, rent costs of £7k, administration costs of £3k, church gathering costs of £3k and £3k of capital expenditure.

In addition, £10k will be set aside in a designated fund towards gospel growth. This is expected to be used for a building opportunity or used to fund new staff members at some point in the future.

The budget includes provision for a part time church administrator to be recruited in September 2023.

Spending will exceed income by £33k.

V. Investment Policy

No long-term investments are held by the church as the trustees believe the church’s ongoing giving and income is very stable and the trustees consider that it would be possible to take fundraising or cost saving action in good time should it be necessary.

The church’s reserves are held in interest bearing instant access or short notice deposit accounts with reputable financial institutions.

VI. Risks and uncertainties

The church, and its trustees, are potentially at risk from several sources. These risks are managed so as not to expose them to undue risk and trustees are kept informed so that they are able to deal with any situations that may arise. Risks are assessed and mitigated against on an ongoing basis.

The future

In the coming year the trustees and members of the church have agreed a deficit budget, planning to use some of the excess reserves to fund activities which enable the purposes of the charity to be fulfilled. The trustees are targeting returning to levels of 2-3 months reserves over the next 2-3 years.

RCC are grateful for being able to use Trent Vale Infant and Nursey School for Sunday gatherings and occasional other events, however opportunities for a permanent building will continue to be pursued.

Additional staff members will be considered in future to help to grow the ministry of the church.

As an independent church, RCC is considering how best to share the Christian faith locally, nationally and internationally through direct involvement and partnerships with other individuals and organisations.

7

Rylands Community Church

Period from 1 November 2021 to 31 March 2023

Trustee's Annual Report

Structure, governance and management

Rylands Community Church is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered in November 2021 The church is governed by a Constitution and Rules. The church is a member of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC).

Church membership

Church membership is open to Christians who are willing to be in active partnership with the church in the work of the gospel. At the year-end church membership stood at 44. The church members meet regularly to conduct business meetings.

Organisational structure

The church membership elects, from its number, individuals to serve as church officers, who form the trustee body made up of at least a Chair, a secretary and a treasurer. These officers are called elders. The elders are appointed for a term of three years, which can be renewed for a further three years before a period of at least a year must pass before the individual becomes eligible to stand again. The secretary and treasurer are appointed annually by the church members. We also have a group of what we call Team Leaders, who meet once a term.

The elders are responsible for doctrinal integrity, policy and strategy. The Team Leaders are responsible for practical matters. The Employment Group, which does not include paid/connected members of the trustees, meets as a sub-committee of the trustee body to consider all matters related to employment and other areas where paid or connected trustees may have a conflict of interests.

The trustees/elders meet regularly (normally fortnightly) and have overall responsibility for the operation and leadership of the church. The trustees draw up policies and procedures within which they and the staff operate and make decisions. The trustees delegate much of the day-to-day responsibilities to the team leaders and staff team.

Staff

The church employs members of staff; during the year the staff team has been:

All decisions on staff remuneration and pay are made by the Employment Group.

Trainee scheme

During the year a ministry trainee has been employed. The trainee is involved in a wide range of ministry and practical tasks around the church, alongside receiving theological training from Biblical Counselling UK. In the 2022-23 academic year Cat Fairbrother has been serving as a trainee (part-time).

Laura (our ministry worker) works for RCC two days per week and is seconded to Beeston Free Church for one day per week to carry out similar pastoral work to the work she does for RCC. This arrangement is governed by a secondment agreement between the two churches.

8

Rylands Community Church

Period from 1 November 2021 to 31 March 2023

Trustee's Annual Report

Trustees’ Responsibilities

The 2011 Charities Act require the Board of Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the charity as at the end of the financial year and of the surplus or deficit of the charity. In preparing those financial statements the Board is required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records, which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the trust. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the trust and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Signed on behalf of the Trustees………………………………………………………

Benjamin Bradley Name of Trustee ………………………………………………………………………..

23/01/2024

Date:…………………………………………..

9

Rylands Community Church

Period from 1 November 2021 to 31 March 2023

Independent Examiners Report

I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Rylands Community Church ('the charity') for the year ended 31st March 2023.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the charity's financial statements carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), which is one of the listed bodies.

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 charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or

  2. the financial statements do not accord with those records; or

  3. the financial statements 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.

Nigel Wyatt BSC FCA Date: Independent Examiner 125 Main Street Garforth Leeds LS25 1AF

10

Rylands Community Church

Period from 1 November 2021 to 31 March 2023

Statement of Receipts and Payments

Period from 1 November 2021 to 31
March 2023
Unrestricted Restricted Total
Funds Funds Funds
Note £ £ £
Receipts
Donations and Legacies 109,043 3,373 112,416
Charitable Activities 62,695 - 62,695
Investment Income 106 - 106
────────── ────────── ──────────
Total Receipts 2 171,844 3,373 175,217
────────── ────────── ──────────
Payments
Payments on Charitable Activities 3 92,055 2,270 94,325
────────── ────────── ──────────
Total Payments 92,055 2,270 94,325
────────── ────────── ──────────
────────── ────────── ──────────
Net Receipts / (Payments) 79,789 1,103 80,892
────────── ────────── ──────────
Net movement in funds (Cash)
Total Funds (Cash) Brought Forward 8 - - -
Transfers (346) 346 -
────────── ────────── ──────────
Total Funds (Cash) Carried Forward 79,443 1,449 80,892
────────── ────────── ──────────
Funds represented by
General (Unrestricted) Funds 79,443 - 79,443
Designated Funds - - -
Restricted Funds - 1,449 1,449
────────── ────────── ──────────
79,443 1,449 80,892
────────── ────────── ──────────

These financial statements were approved by the board of trustees and authorised for issue :

Name of Trustee: Signed on behalf of the Trustees: Date of approval:

Benjamin Bradley

───────────────────────────────────────────────────

───────────────────────────────────────────────────

23/01/2024

───────────────────────────────────────────────────

11

Rylands Community Church

Period from 1 November 2021 to 31 March 2023

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

As the accounts are prepared on a cash basis, there is no formal Balance Sheet or Statement of Financial Position. Instead a statement of assets and liabilities is outlined giving an indication of the charity's assets at the year end.

The Fixed assets disclosed below are outlined at the value of purchase value.

2023
£
Fixed assets
Tangible Fixed Assets 6,529
──────────
6,529
Current assets
Cash at Bank 80,892
──────────
80,892

12

Rylands Community Church

Period from 1 November 2021 to 31 March 2023

Notes to the Financial Statements

Basis of Preparation

The financial statements have been prepared on a cash basis when receipts and payments take place through the bank account or petty cash.

Assessment of Going Concern

Preparation of the accounts is on a going concern basis. The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the Charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

Fund Accounting

Unrestricted income funds comprise those funds which the trustees are free to use for any purpose in furtherance of the charitable objects. Unrestricted funds include designated funds where the trustees, at their discretion, have set aside resources for a specific purpose.

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by the donor or the term of specific appeal, often know as a ‘special offering’ in the church.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the accounts.

Incoming Resources

All incoming resources are recognised once the charity has entitlement to the resources and the money has been paid.

Resources expended

Expenditure is recognised on a cash basis when payments have been made through the bank account or by petty cash.

Governance Costs

Include costs of the preparation and examination of statutory accounts, the costs of the trustees' meetings and cost of any legal advice to trustees on governance or constitutional matters.

Pensions

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities as they become payable in accordance with the rules of the scheme.

Operating Leases

Rental charges payable under operating leases are charged on a straight line basis over the terms of the lease.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from tax on its charitable activities.

13

Rylands Community Church

Period from 1 November 2021 to 31 March 2023

Notes to the Financial Statements

**2 ** Analysis of Receipts
Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds
Funds Funds 2023
£ £ £
Donations and Legacies
Donations 84,559 3,373 87,932
Gift aid 17,317 - 17,317
Grants 7,167 - 7,167
────────── ──────────
──────────
109,043 3,373 112,416
Charitable Activities
Weekend away 8,695 - 8,695
Transfer of charitable activity 54,000 - 54,000
────────── ──────────
──────────
62,695 - 8,695
Investment Income
Bank interest 106 - 106
────────── ──────────
──────────
106 - 106
────────── ──────────
──────────
Total Income 171,844 3,373 121,217
────────── ──────────
──────────

During the financial period ending 31st March 2023 the activities of the Church and net assets where transferred over from Beeston Free Church, the organisation whom planted and help establish Rylands Community Church.

3 Payments on charitable activities by fund type

Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds
Funds Funds 2023
£ £ £
Administration 1,866 - 1,866
Buildings - 812 812
Church events 6,100 - 6,100
Gathering 1,392 - 1,392
Global and Local Mission 4,074 - 4,074
Partnership 3,833 - 3,833
Resources 2,706 1,458 4,164
Staff related costs 8,695 - 8,695
Staff salaries 61,697 - 61,697
Weekend away 1,302 - 1,302
Youth & children's work 390 - 390
────────── ──────────
──────────
92,055 2,270 94,325
────────── ──────────
──────────

14

Rylands Community Church

Period from 1 November 2021 to 31 March 2023

Notes to the Financial Statements

4 Volunteers

The church benefits greatly from the voluntary contributions of time and money by its formal members and regular attendees. Please refer to the trustee's report for further detail about volunteer contributions in the organisation.

5 Independent examination fees

Fees payable to the independent examiner for: 2023 £ Independent examination and preparation of the financial 900 statements

6 Staff costs

The total staff costs and employee benefits for the reporting period are analysed as follows:

2023
£
Wages and salaries 42,179
Social security costs 4,314
Employer contributions to pension plans 15,203
──────────
61,697
──────────

The average head count of employees during the year was as follows:

2023
Average Head Count 2

No employees received employee benefits of more than £60,000 during the year.

7 Trustee remuneration and expenses

During the year two trustees incurred out of pocked expenses totalling £6,675 which were all incurred for the day to day running of the charity's activities. The types of expenditure include administration costs, equipment costs training, travel and other church running costs.

One trustee has been paid remuneration or received other benefits from employment with the charity or a related entity. During the 15 month period Steve Baraniak received £46,552 including employers pension contribution and employer national insurance contribution for their role as a church leader and not for duties as a trustee.

15

Rylands Community Church

Period from 1 November 2021 to 31 March 2023

Notes to the Financial Statements

8 Analysis of Charitable Funds

Unrestricted Funds

1 Nov 2021 Income Expenditure Transfers 31 Mar 2023
£ £ £ £ £
Unrestricted
General - 171,844 (92,055) (346) 79,443
────────── ────────── ────────── ──────────
──────────
- 171,844 (92,055) (346) 79,443
────────── ────────── ────────── ──────────
──────────
Total Unrestricted - 171,844 (92,055) (346) 79,443
────────── ────────── ────────── ──────────
──────────
Restricted Funds
Rylands Events - 1,209 - - 1,209
Steve Baraniak
Training
- 1,018 (1,018) - -
Trainee - 680 (440) - 240
Rylands Rascals - 466 (812) 346 -
────────── ────────── ────────── ──────────
──────────
Total Restricted - 3,373 (2,270) 346 1,449
────────── ────────── ────────── ──────────
──────────
────────── ────────── ────────── ──────────
──────────
Total Funds - 175,217 (94,325) - 80,892
────────── ────────── ────────── ──────────
──────────

Fund Descriptions

Restricted Funds

Rylands Events

Steve Baraniak Training

Fund to hold contributions towards specific events run by the church.

Funds raised to contribute towards theological training undertaken by Steve Baraniak.

Trainee Fund to hold donations received to cover the costs of a Church Trainee programme. Rylands Rascals Fund to hold contributions and grants for the Rylands Rascals tolder group.

9 Related party transactions

There were no related party transactions which took place during the period (2022: £0).

16