2023-12-31-accounts

Oakridge Baptist Church

Charitable Incorporated Organisation

43, Oakridge Road, High Wycombe HP11 2PH Tel: [phone] (Answerphone) www.oakridgebaptist.org.uk

The Family Fellowship

Oakridge Baptist Church

Charity Registration Number: 1197400

Registered Address: 43 Oakridge Road, High Wycombe HP11 2PH

Trustees

Mrs A Irwin (Secretary) Mr P Rackstraw (Treasurer) Mrs M A Rose (Pastoral care co-ordinator) Mr J Hollman Mrs P Hollman Mr J Morgan Mrs S Rackstraw Dr D Reynold Mrs S Dodson (Life Deacon)

Property Trustees

The Baptist Union Corporation Ltd. Baptist House, 129 Broadway, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 8RT

Bankers

Metro Bank, High Wycombe

Independent Examiner

Mr C Hanks

Secretary : Mrs Alison Irwin [e-mail] Treasurer : Mr Philip Rackstraw [e-mail] Registered Charity No: 1197400 and Office: 43, Oakridge Road, High Wycombe HP11 2PH Members of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, The Central Baptist Association and The Evangelical Alliance

ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2023

The Trustees present their Annual Report for 2023

Structure, Governance and Management

The Church is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and is governed by a constitution based on the Approved Governing Document for Baptist Churches. Members of the Church are accepted in accordance with the constitution which requires them to be or to have been publicly baptised on the profession of faith in Jesus Christ or following other modes of baptism to renew their public profession of faith in Jesus Christ.

The members’ meeting normally takes place six times per year and has responsibility for the overall policy of the church. In accordance with the constitution, the members appoint Trustees, who together with the Minister (when in post), Pastoral Care Co-ordinator, Church Secretary and Treasurer (who are also appointed by the members), are responsible for the day to day running of the Church’s work and witness, and the financial and legal aspects of the charity. All members are encouraged to take an appropriate part in the spiritual and practical tasks involved in the furtherance of the charitable objective.

Relevant matters may be submitted to the Church meeting by the Trustees for guidance or may be raised by members in Church meetings for further consideration by the Trustees. Though the constitution permits decisions to be made at Church meetings by appropriate majorities, the Church seeks to work by consensus wherever possible.

Objectives and Activities

The principal purpose of the charity is the advancement of the Christian faith according to the principles of the Baptist denomination to include the advancement of education, community service and such other general charitable purposes in such parts of the United Kingdom and the world as the Church shall determine.

To achieve the principal objective, which is set out above, the Church provides a variety of activities both to its membership and to the community generally. The aim is to show the love of Jesus Christ in both word and deed and to bring people into a closer relationship with Him as living Lord.

Central to the work and witness of the Church is the provision of regular public services of Christian worship. These services take place each Sunday at 10.30am with Communion being held one Sunday each month. There is a children’s programme during the morning services.

There are also occasional services at other times which are advertised via Church notices, email, or text. The Church also has a website www.oakridgebaptist.org.uk

The Church has been blessed throughout 2023 through the weekly ministry of members and many other friends during a period of interregnum.

The Church seeks to be a friendly community, and anybody is welcome to attend any of these services.

The Church runs a series of Bible study groups for the growth of faith and discipleship; these are held at the Church and via Zoom. Further details can be obtained from the Trustees on request, or at the Sunday services of worship.

The Church holds a Boys’ Brigade/Girls’ Association which meets in the Church premises on a Thursday evening during school term times. These sessions provide opportunity for young people aged between 5 – 18 to enjoy time together and to receive Christian teaching on a regular basis.

The Church operates systems to ensure that all people working with children and vulnerable adults are appropriately vetted by the Disclosure and Barring Service.

A coffee morning meets alternate Tuesdays and is a time for the members and regular attenders of the Church to meet and share a time of fellowship.

The Church is an approved centre for the collection and distribution of surplus food via the Fare Share charity network. The ‘Community Friendly Fridge Project’ (CFF) runs parallel with this and is run by the Women’s Cultural Arena charity and hosted at the Church, providing additional surplus food to the local community. Each week food parcels and hot meals are provided to 60+ people as well as seasonal community meals throughout the year (500+ people in total).

FoodCycle is also hosted at the Church and links into the Fare Share network. FoodCycle’s vision is to make food poverty, loneliness and food waste a thing of the past for every community by creating welcoming spaces for people from all walks of life to meet, eat and have conversations; which in turn supports people’s health and mental wellbeing. FoodCycle prepares, cooks and serves vegetarian 3-course meals using surplus ingredients; and in doing so promotes healthy, sustainable attitudes towards food and its impact on the environment and helps people to learn more about healthy eating options (average attendance 30+ per week).

The need for these food services has increased dramatically since the cost of living crisis and the Church is a well-known and familiar venue for food outreach initiatives and considered a safe space to help those most in need within the community.

From June to November, the Church hosted a weekly ‘Movers & Shakers’ session run by the Wycombe Multicultural Organisation which is a health and wellbeing initiative for people age 60+ to stay fitter for longer.

The Church is pleased to welcome fellow Christian groups, who use the building on a Sunday for their services of worship namely El-Bethel Tamil Ministry and a Bulgarian Church.

The Church has read the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit and is satisfied that the activities outlined above clearly demonstrate that the charity is providing a benefit to the public.

Achievements and Performance

The Church does not measure the success of its programmes only in numbers, including financial numbers, but also in less tangible areas like fellowship, encouragement and participation. The Trustees recognise that these are difficult to measure but believe that 2023 was a positive year in the life of the Church, and that it will be able to continue its mission purposes in 2024.

At the beginning of the year the membership number was 38 but this had reduced to 35 by the end of the year as 1 member had died, 1 transferred membership and 1 resigned.

Average attendance at worship services remained steady during the year as did attendance at the Bible study groups. There were spaces in some sections of the Boys’ Brigade and Girls’ Association at the end of year, but advertising was taking place to try and fill these.

The Church has been encouraged by comments made by members of the community about the positive part the church plays in their lives and particularly in relation to the food provision programmes that run. The church is also seen as a reassuring beacon of light to many in the community in a very multicultural, multiethnic and multifaith area.

Financial Review

The Church continues to raise the funds which it needs to carry on its activities from within its members and congregation. No wider public appeal was made for funds during the year. The basic income for 2023 was £44,433.52 which was slightly higher than the previous year, due to increased room hire income.

The Church continued its financial commitment to the life of the wider church by making gifts of approximately £7,635.70 to national and international organisations, societies and individuals, with Christian aims and objectives compatible with the Church’s own charitable purposes.

The Church is heavily dependent on its members and congregation working as volunteers and providing resources in all aspects of its activities, many of which run with little or no impact on Church expenditure, but nevertheless contribute substantially to the achievement of the objectives.

The increase in utility costs continued and the church reviewed the situation on a regular basis to ensure we were signed up to the best tariffs; essential repairs to the Church heating system were also carried out.

The full financial situation for the year is set out in annual accounts and balance sheets for the year.

Future: The Church’s plans to redevelop the site

The pre-planning application phase of the proposed re-development of Church space and specialist accommodation for homeless and refugees was completed and areas for action/clarification identified. The partnership of J49 (the registered provider) and Oakridge Baptist Church (the freeholder) is an impressive combination of vision and ideals for the site in addressing the needs of vulnerable adults within the community. The Church and J49, intend the residential apartments to be an empowering and enabling experience for all residents. J49 is committed to social housing but also to what it terms, 'creative community living’ – that is, a place where people thrive, where there are opportunities to network, grow skills and be resident in a community context with individual living space.

The new accommodation will become part of a local network of existing relationships that will give residents the chance to engage with the community if they want to. This will also provide access to services and opportunities around employment, local management and community project involvement that embeds a sense of co-operative living, responsibility and identity.

The apartments will have pre-arranged access to the Church community facilities on the site. It is intended that the indoor spaces will encourage positive relationships between the residents and users of the community space, and that outdoor spaces, including the community garden, will further the ambitions of J49 for a greener, kinder and more mindful world. The Church are working with J49 to ensure that the living accommodation is of high quality, safe, affordable and contributing to the environmental, social and economic well-being of the local area.

Reserves Policy

The Trustees have established a Reserves Policy to enable the Church to function effectively and meet its obligations in the event of a decline in our income or a major cost, however this may be set aside if the planned rebuild goes ahead. At present having considered the relevant risks of changes in income and expenditure the Trustees have determined that the appropriate level of reserves should be around £10,000. At the end of December 2023, the church had a working balance of approximately £16,000 none of which is restricted or designated.

The Church has on deposit with the Baptist Union £683,935.83 (£500,000 being from the sale of the manse in 2022 held against the new build). The balance is from a previous legacy which will be used to offset the expenses of the new build. The legacy has no restrictions as to its use.

OAKRIDGE ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH CIO CHARITY NUMBER 1197400 ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

OAKRIDGE ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH CIO CHARITY NUMBER 1197400 INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS ACCOUNTANTS. REPORT TO THE PROPRIETOR ON THE UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS OF OAKRIDGE ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH CIO I report on the a¢¢ourrts of Oakridge Baptlst Church CIO for the year ended 31 December 2023 As the church's trustses you are reswnsible for th8 preparation of the accounts. You consldei that tho audit requirarnen18 of S8¢Uon 43{2) of the Charflies Act 1993 (the Act) as amended by s.28 of thè Gharities Act 2CKJ6 do not apply. Et Is my responslbllity to sts18 whether partl¢ular matters have come to my attention. My axamination was carried out in ac£ordance with the Gen8ral Diffjctlms given by the Charities CcThml$$ion. An examinatlon indudes a review of the accounting records kept by the Church and a ¢omparison of t accounts pyesented wlh thos8 ￿ords. It also inciude$ considwation of any unusual Items or disclosure8 In the accounts, and seeklng explanation from trustees conceming sudi matters. The protsdures undertaken do not provide all the eMdenc& that would be required in an 8￿rt and consequenly I do not express an audlt opinion on the view given in the accounts. In connection ￿th my axamination, matter has come to my attentio Imiich glves me reasonable cause to b&lieve ihat any makrial respect th& requirements to k8ep accounting rewrds in accordance Section 41 01 the Act, as amended., to prepare ac¢ounts thich accord wAth the accounting r¢cords and to comply with the accounting reqLNrements of the Act., have be&n met or To which. in my opinlon, attenuon should be drawn in order lo enable a propgr understanejing ol t a¢c(Mnts to be reached. Calvln Hanks

OAKRIDGE ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH CIO CHARITY NUMBER 1197400 DETAILED TRADING AND PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 2023 2022 Income Offertories Donalons Hall hire FundrnlTAng GiftNd reclaim Fot>d bank donation Surplu5 on sale of 21,111 770 8.380 26,608 2,819 2.979 352 7.411 200 75,000 5.586 200 36.047 Cost of sale8 ResOU￿e material Kitchen purchases 115,369 45 98 63 143 74 {143) 174) GroBs profft 99.60% 35,904 99.94% 115,295 Exp•n98B Staff penSIc￿ ¢0sts Trairmng Rates and water Preaching expenses Insuranc8 Lyhl and heat Cleaning Repalrs and malnlenance Prfnting, postsge and siationery Telep￿ne Computer running cost8 Equipment purthased Missionary support Travelling expenses Legal and prof fBes- allowable Bank charges Bad and doubthjl debts CCLI Lkence CBAdonation BMS Sundry expensès Othèr dOna￿on￿ Sub5crfptlons (345) 10 40 454 800 2,621 620 2,267 4.465 928 3.305 45 407 210 203 2.340 2,981 232 301 324 57 2,560 58 1.520 8,319 141 400 778 1.800 2,200 247 880 231 720 1.800 2,200 2,428 226 129,648) 134,02n SurpluslDèll¢lt 6.258 81,268 Otherlncomo Bank l.itere5t received 8.787 770

OAKRIDGE ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH CIO CHARITY NUMBER 1197400 DEfAILED TRADING AND PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 N•t D•flclVSurplus for the year 41.73% 15.043 71.11% 82.038

OAKRIDGE ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH CIO CHARITY NUMBER 1197400 BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 2023 2022 Notss Currgnt assets Other debtors CurrentAccounl BaP￿St Union deposlt 400 19,625 665.550 16.281 884,337 700.618 685,575 Net current ass•ts 700,618 685.575 Capital ac¢ount At 1 January 2023 8urpluslDefidt 685,575 15,043 603,537 82,038 700,618 685,575

OAKRIDGE ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH CIO CHARITY NUMBER 1197400 NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 Tanglble Ilx•d assets Flxtur¢s, fittlng$ & equlpment Cost At 1 January 2023 & at 31 December 2023 88,963 Deprnclatlon At l January 2023 & at 31 Decemb&r 2023 68,963 Not book value At 31 December 2023

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES Oakrldgo Baptlst Church CIO 11B740 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For th• yrlod Irom 0110112023 3111212023 To Section A Receipts and payment Unrestri¢ted lund8 Restrtcted lund• Endowmpnt funds Total fund8 Lasty•¥r thè noaTr•¢£ toth8 n￿r••t£ to the neJmt£ ts1thg npar8•t£ Al R9¢01 Off6rtoAes RoDm Hlre Donation8 Furkl Raising 899 270 125 770 GrftAld r￿l￿rn 44.134 5.410 A2 Ass•t and Invoth•nt sales. 19•• tsblel. Suè total 4V34 5NIO A3Pa mgnts Tminl PreacEu Insura￿Le Light Hèat aeani 800 2,621 120 2.621 6.860 1911 4,3 232 301 324 prfn￿n 232 301 324 13 uter M￿S1￿￿Y5U Travd Leg8[ srKI Profe5slor Bad debt CCLI CBAdoTrahL BMS dcn* Otherth)natiCm5 Subscri bon$ Swdry l560 390 1,520 1.520 40D 77 1,800 451 22 880 231 390 231 Sub total 29.791 29,791 16F5 A4 Assot and Inve$tm¢nt urcha$￿. see t¥bIe Sub total 29.791 29,791 hlet of rncdpts/(paymentsJ A5 Transfers bgtWOgn funds Afj Ca•h funds lastyearwd Cash funds thls yearend 15.IM3 14043 15 16.043 2.525 CCXX R1 occounts ISSI 0610412024

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the perio Unrestri¢ted R•strict funds funds to nvaro8t£ Enoowmèni fund8 D&knll tr* to noWWt£ B1 Ca8h fundB BO￿$1 Un￿n 684,337 665,SJO rob8nk 16,181 19,62S Total cash funds 7LN),618 680,17J Unro8tri¢t•d fund• to £ R￿trf¢thd lund8 ¢0 n•arost É Endowment fund8 to m•ar8•t£ O•t8lla B2 Other monetsry a88ets F￿d towthlch •Biet bolon CuThentvalu• n• Dgtal CoJtl0pllonall B3 Inv•8tmont as80ts Fundto whlch c￿￿•￿1 ¥alue on41 Detal G￿tIO￿all B4 As8•ts retain•d for the charws own u Fund towhkh r•lat05 Amountth¢ ona When du• om

tails

B5 Llablllties Total a8B•ts Iw8 Ilabllitles ),818 080575 D1 Capltal account OrAnlng 680.5TS AsBel¥ Surtlu8 fcf y 15,043 2,525 71VJ,618 665,575 CCXX R2 a¢￿Un￿(sSl

by cffje orts￿ trustees on hay of al Ihe trust Data of ro SpJnature Prfnt Namo ison Irwin CCXX R3 accounts ISSI