Oakridge Baptist Church ( Charitable Incorporated Organisation) Tel: 01494 537478 (Answerphone) www.oakridgebaptist.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 Rose (Pastoral care co-ordinator) Dr J Hollman Mrs P Hollman Mr J Morgan Mrs S Rackstraw Dr D Reynold Mr J Sinclair Mrs A Sinclair 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 secretary@oakridgebaptist.church Treasurer : Mr Philip Rackstraw philip@dashwoods.co.uk
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 2025
The Trustees present their Annual Report for 2025
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, WhatsApp, email, or text. The Church also has a website www.oakridgebaptist.church
The Church continued to be blessed throughout 2025 by the weekly ministry of members and many other friends during our 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 on 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 is held twice monthly, providing 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 Church hosts the "Community Friendly Fridge" (CFF), which is open on Thursdays; and is operated by the Women's Cultural Arena CIC (WCA). Each week, food parcels, hot meals and hygiene products are provided to people, as well as seasonal community meals throughout the year. The WCA also runs a Saturday allotment growers breakfast club, from the Church premises.
FoodCycle community meals are hosted at the Church on a Wednesday evening which also links into the Fare Share network. The meals bring people together for good food and conversation by serving up free, wholesome vegetarian meals made from food that would have gone to waste. All meals are prepared by volunteers and open to everyone with no referral necessary. FoodCycle is about more than just food and aims to create a cycle of positive change in terms of reducing food waste, tackling loneliness, supporting mental health, encouraging healthy eating and supporting sustainable living. In 2025 one ton of food was saved from going to waste and 1,835 community meals were served.
The need for these food services continues to increase 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.
El-Bethel Tamil Ministry continue to use the building on a Sunday for their services of worship. The Bulgarian Church use the building on an ad-hoc basis.
On a Tuesday evening for the months of January, February and March we opened the Church for those linked with Wycombe Homeless Connection, providing a hot evening meal, shower and washing facilities, a comfortable warm bed and cooked breakfast for up to 12 people.
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 in numbers, including financial numbers, but in less tangible areas like fellowship, encouragement and participation. The Trustees recognise that these are difficult to measure but believe that 2025 was a positive year in the life of the Church, and that it will be able to continue its mission purposes in 2026.
At the beginning of the year the membership number was 34, at the end of the year the number was 32. 2 members died, 3 transferred to other Churches but we welcomed in 3 new members to the Oakridge fellowship.
On 7th December we shared in the joy of a baptism. The gentleman concerned has been meeting with us for some months now and was keen to be baptised to mark his return to the faith of his childhood and signal his commitment to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.
Average attendance at worship services was good with a slight increase towards the end of the year despite several members of the fellowship suffering from health and mobility issues. Attendance at the Bible study groups held was good. Overall numbers for Boy’s Brigade and Girl’s Association remained the same with around 40+ young people attending.
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 2025 was £38,464.
The Church continued its financial commitment to the life of the wider church by making gifts of £8414 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 basic running costs of the church continue to rise and the situation is reviewed on a regular basis at our Leadership Team meetings, held monthly. Essential repairs to the Church were carried out mindful of the proposed plans for the site.
The full financial situation is set out in the audited annual accounts and balance sheets for the year.
Future: The Church’s plans to redevelop the site - update
Throughout the whole of 2025, efforts were focussed on financing the funding gap of approximately £1 million which was necessary in order to make the Church redevelopment project viable. Despite many meetings, the outcome remained the same i.e. that without planning permissions in place, the project could not be considered for grant funding from the Local Authority. This also applied to the primary grant funder (Homes England) who had committed funds for the project in principal but that too could not be confirmed, or increased, until planning was in place. Alternative funders were also approached but the fact remained that there was still a shortfall unless planning consent was obtained. The Church, therefore, needed to decide whether to continue with the planning application (and associated costs) despite the shortfall.
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 2025, the church had a working balance of approximately £8,500 none of which is restricted or designated.
The Church has on deposit with the Baptist Union £700,000 (£500,000) being from the sale of the manse in 2022 held against the new build). The balance is from interest accrued and from a previous legacy. The legacy has no restrictions as to its use and some has been used to offset expenses related to the new build, mainly surveys and professional fees and to augment the income of the Church.
OAKRIDGE ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH CIO CHARITY NUMBER 1197400 ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025
OAKRIDGE ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH CIO CHARITY NUMBER 1197400 INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS ACCOUNTANTS, REPORT TO THE PROPRIETOR ON THE UNAUDITEDACCOUNTS OF OAKRIDGE ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH CIO I report on the accounts of Oakridge Bapti81 Church CIO for the year endod 31 December 2025. Res onslbllltles of Trustee and Examiners As the church's trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. You consider that the audit requirements of Section 43121 of the Charities Act 1993 Ilhe Acll as amended by s.28 of the Charities Act 2006 do not apply. 11 1$ my responsibility lo slate whether particular mallers have come lo my attention. Ba$1$ of the Indo endent Examlners Re ort My examinallon was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charities Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the Church and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. 11 also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanation from trustees concerning such rnatters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given in the accounts. Inde &ndent Examlners Statemen In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my allenlion. Vvhich gives me reasonable cause to believe that any material respect the requirements lo keèp accounting records in accordance wlh Section 41 of the Act, as amended., lo prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and lo comply with the accounting requirements of the Act.. have been mel or To which, in my opinion, attention should bg drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts lo b8 reached. Calvln Hanks Date .
OAKRIDGE ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH CIO CHARITY NUMBER 1197400 DETAILED TRADING AND PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 2025 2024 Incomo Offertories Donations Hall hire Gift Aid reclaim 21,Q93 1.370 9,581 6,560 20.875 5,840 7.965 5.712 38,604 Cost of sales Kitchen PLEr¢hase8 40.392 274 235 274 235 1274} 12351 Gross proflt 99.29% 38,330 99.42° 40,157 Expenses Training Rates and water Preaching expenses Insurance Lsghl and heal Cleanlng Repairs and maintenance Printing, postage and stationery Telephone Computer running costs Equlpmenl purchased Website maintenance Missionary support Legal and prof fees - allowable CGLI Licence CBA donation BMS Sundry expenses Other donations Subscriptions 90 1,056 1,020 2,780 5,800 4,688 12.707 132 647 375 216 234 2,520 4,586 861 1,800 2,200 34 1,894 237 886 910 2.706 6,412 4.534 3.539 21 341 180 682 226 2.520 52.864 826 1,800 2.200 130 980 503 143.8771 182,2601 SurpluslDeflclt (5,5471 142,103} Other Income Bank interest received 21,221 45,755 Net Dofl¢lVSurplus for the year 15,874 9.040 3,652
OAKRIDGE ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH CIO CHARITY NUMBER 1197400 BALANCE SHEET ASAT 31 DECEMBER 2025 2025 2024 Notes Current assèts CurrenlAccount Baptist Union deposit 8.631 711.313 19,625 865,550 Nfrl curr8nt assets 719,944 7D4,270 Capltal acGount Al 1 January 2025 Surplus]Defi'¢it 704,270 15,674 700,618 3.652 719,944 704,270
OAKRIDGE ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH CIO CHARITY NUMBER 1197400 NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 Tanglble flxed assots Flxturtrs. rittSngs & gqulpment Cost At 1 January 2025 & al 31 December 2D25 68.963 Depreclatlon At 1 January 2025 & al 31 December2025 68,963 Net book value Al 31 December 2L125
IHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Oakridgè Baptst Church CIO 119740 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a Forthe wiod 0110112025 31nw202b Section A Receipts and payments Unrestrlcted fundB Rgsthcted Endowmenl Totsi lundB Last yo•r A1 Re¢•1 to th• nMrqt£ R( Hir t)onaiionG Fund Raisin Intere51 R¥3 GIftAd re¢avn 21.Q93 7,965 1.37D 1,370 21221 5.712 141 A2 A68•t and Inve•trMtt ul•s. 18W table}. Sub total 86,147 A3Pa Twnir Rates 8nd wat PrBadwn Insur?r hl and Heat Cbani 1,056 1,020 910 2.7Q6 6.412 4.534 3.539 21 341 11707 132 647 375 216 PrintiFvJ, F TdepfLY Cornput¥ ruThng Equipment purthases Mi¥onary &k¥¥xt Tr8V L*2al PrOfesSK?1 Bad debt CGLI CBAknatk)) BMS dyaiion Other (b)13 12.707 132 375 218 Is¥J 152Q 2.164 826 1,800 980 503 591 82.535 237 Sun 237 Sub total 151 .151 A4 A8•et and Inve¥knent ureha$M. See lab Sub total 44.151 44,151 82,535 Net of rece1p(p•yMentsJ A5 TrnnBfers between fun A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds thls yearond 15,67 16.67 3,6t2 14&1 1467 3,612 CCXX R1 a¢xounts {SSI
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period rAtsgorks Unrg5tricted Endowment funds to n4mt£ fund8 tr rwrnt E B1 Cash funds tr) 7W13 714914 Endowmont fundg funds fund• Dètalls to neart£ Fwvj tohkh Co4t(OPUvMII Currwrt val B3 Investment assets Detailg FU towhkh Co•tlopt5o> urrontv•luo B4 Assgts retained for th• harlty's own uso Ctslts B6 Llabllltigs Totsl 488•ts less liabllities 944 D1 Caphal account 14674 719. C¢XX R3 *¢wnts ISSI 2W0412026
Slgned by or trustees on behaNof all tho tNste•s SyrTratyre int Namtr Date of Ajison Irwin / 29111 Phili Rad(str CCXX R4 *ntI ISSI