## **Park Hill Evangelical Church (CIO)**
**ANNUAL REPORT AND STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30TH OF SEPTEMBER 2025**
**Charity Number: 1198587**
Suresh Navaratnam 172 Osborne Road Brighton BN1 6LS
## **PARK HILL EVANGELICAL CHURCH**
## **CONTENTS**
|Page 3|Legal and Administrative Information|
|---|---|
|Page 4 to 5|Trustees' Report|
|Page 6|Independent Examiner’s Report on the Accounts|
|Page 7|Statement of Receipts and Payments|
|Page 8|Statement of Assets and Liabilities|
|Pages 9 to 10|Notes to the Accounts|
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**PARK HILL EVANGELICAL CHURCH**
## **LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION**
## **CHARITY NUMBER**
## **START OF FINANCIAL YEAR**
## **END OF FINANCIAL YEAR**
## **TRUSTEES SERVING DURING AND AFTER THE YEAR**
## **GOVERNING DOCUMENT**
## **OBJECTS**
1198587
01st October 2024
30th September 2025
Derek Fortnam - Chair of trustees John Prideaux Margaret Ann Clarke - Treasurer John Dean
CIO - FOUNDATION Registered 12 Apr 2022
To advance the Christian faith in Brighton, East Sussex and such other parts of the UK or the world and in such ways as the Trustees may from time to time think fit.
To relieve persons who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress, or who are aged or sick, in such ways as the Trustees may from time to time think fit, consistent with the statement of beliefs.
## **REGISTERED ADDRESS**
Park Hill Evangelical Church Park Hill Brighton BN2 0BT
## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER**
Suresh Navaratnam
172 Osborne Road Brighton BN1 6LS
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## **PARK HILL EVANGELICAL CHURCH**
## **TRUSTEES' REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30TH OF SEPTEMBER 2025**
## **OBJECTIVES AND ACHIEVEMENTS**
To advance the Christian faith in Brighton, East Sussex and such other parts of the UK or the world and in such ways as the Trustees may from time to time think fit.
To relieve persons who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress, or who are aged or sick, in such ways as the Trustees may from time to time think fit, consistent with the statement of beliefs.
We have regular Sunday morning services with the aim of clearly sharing the teaching of the Bible and encouraging those present to respond to and apply its truth to their lives. Week night prayer meetings via Zoom are ongoing, there is also an opportunity for fellowship and prayer at Park Hill each Saturday morning. Pastoral care including visiting and caring for people in need and outreach by means of YouTube videos and sermons audios are ongoing. All members of the church are expected to engage in caring for the spiritual, physical and emotional needs of individuals as opportunity and ability allows.
The Trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.
## **ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE**
This year has been a very significant one in that our prayers for the provision of a new Pastor to lead the church have been answered. Our Pastor of 56 years faithful service has been quite restricted during the year due to necessary home responsibilities and his own health issues. Nevertheless he has been keeping well informed and has issued pastoral letters and phoned individuals. He has also taken an active part in preparing for future leadership; we have, over a period of time, engaged visiting preachers with a view to finding a suitable person to take over leadership responsibilities, and he has had discussions with some of these prospective candidates either by telephone or by personal meetings. As from the summer of this year (2025) the Church has appointed a new Pastor to take on the pastoral duties. His official induction service was on the 20[th] September 2025. A Memorandum of Understanding has been agreed between the new Pastor and the Church; he has agreed to be self financing for one year, and we are prayerful that during that time the Lord will bless us and provide the income to then pay him appropriately.
Although the numbers of people attending the Sunday services have been quite low, people have generally expressed appreciation of the preaching and fellowship. Encouragingly, three new people who have been attending have expressed the desire to be involved in the work of the church. The coffee time following the morning services has facilitated supportive friendship; helpful fellowship and support via our Zoom prayer meetings continues. Recording of sermons and publishing them on YouTube enabled those to listen who could not attend the services, and others have evidently also tuned in to these. Our new Pastor has been meeting up regularly with two attendees to consider the application of the bible’s teaching; he has also been keeping in touch by phone with another former member who is housebound.
As regards our main objective of advancing the Christian faith, the regular expository preaching and teaching from the Bible has strengthened existing members and visitors spiritually and emotionally; this was confirmed by beneficiaries directly and by comments on YouTube. Those with various needs including the elderly and infirm were visited and sometimes taken for trips out or to attend appointments.
## **Financial Review and Reserves Policy**
We have two sources of income, freewill offerings mainly from members of the church and (in accordance with the Trust Deed of Flats we own) a proportion of our funds comes from rent from three Flats. (The Trust Deed of the Flats says that benefits from the property should be used in line with the religious and charitable objects of Park Hill Church.) Until the assets were fully transferred from the old charity to the CIO, these monies continued to be received and administered via the old charity bank account and therefore were excluded from the CIO annual accounts represented here for year 2023/24. The transfer of funds from our old Charity’s bank account to the new CIO bank account was completed within financial year 2024/25 on the 31st of December 2024.
The charity started the process of asset transfer from legacy trust Evangelical Church Park Hill (excepted charity) and £13,500 of cash funds were transferred to the CIO in the financial year 2023/24. The cash funds in the new CIO bank at 30th of September 2024 was £13,540 (2023: Nil).
Reserves Policy When planning an annual budget, an amount not less than would cover 3 months expenditure should be retained throughout the year, the amount of reserves held at the end of the year is £10,000.
## **Structure, Governance and management**
The charity is registered with the Charity Commission as a CIO since 12 Apr 2022.
New trustees will be selected by the existing Trustees, with a view to having persons with a variety of skills and experience.
The Charity is guided by a very helpful paper ‘Ten Trustee responsibilities’ produced by Trust Advice, along with the Charity Commission’s ‘Essential Trustee’ publications which indicate the important matters to share with potential and new Trustees.
The Church is normally overseen by a Pastor, assisted by Diaconate.
The Church is affiliated to the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches, Sussex Gospel Partnership and Affinity.
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## **PARK HILL EVANGELICAL CHURCH**
## **TRUSTEES' REPORT (continued)**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30TH OF SEPTEMBER 2025**
## **TRUSTEES RESPONSIBILITIES**
The Charities Act 2011 require the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. In preparing those financial statements the trustees are required to:
- Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
- Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- Prepare financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the trust will continue in existence.
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 , Trustee.
Print name: John Dean
Date: 27[th] July 2026
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## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT ON THE ACCOUNTS**
Report to the trustees and members of Park Hill Evangelical Church on the accounts for the 12 months period ending on the 30th September 2025 set out on pages 7 to 10.
## **RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES AND EXAMINER**
The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under section 144 (2) of the Charities Act 2011) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
- examine the accounts (under section 145 of the 2011 Act),
- to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act), and
- to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## **BASIS OF INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S STATEMENT**
My examination was carried out in accordance with General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the organisation and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S STATEMENT**
In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention
1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the trustees have not met the requirements to ensure that:
- proper accounting records are kept (in accordance with section 130 of the Act); and
- accounts are prepared which agree with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Act; or
2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Suresh Navaratnam Sign:
172 Osborne Road Date: 27 [th] July 2026
Brighton BN1 6LS
**----- End of picture text -----**
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## **PARK HILL EVANGELICAL CHURCH**
## **STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30TH OF SEPTEMBER 2025`**
|**Notes**
**RECEIPTS:**
Voluntary contribution & rental
income
2
**Total Receipts**
**PAYMENTS:**
Costs of Charitable Activities
3
**TOTAL PAYMENTS**
**NET INCOMING/(OUTGOING)**
**RESOURCES**
Balances brought
forward
**BALANCES CARRIED FORWARD**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Total**
**2024/25**
**Total**
**2023/24**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
40,079
7,667
47,746
72,487|
|---|---|
||**40,079**
**7,667**
**47,746**
**72,487**
38,282
10,007
48,289
75,530|
||**38,282**
**10,007**
**48,289**
**75,530**
**1,797**
**(2,340)**
**(543)**
**(3,043)**
17,621
16,350
33,971
37,014|
||**19,419**
**14,010**
**33,429**
**33,971**|
The notes on pages 8 to 9 form part of these Accounts.
All operations are continuing operations.
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## **PARK HILL EVANGELICAL CHURCH**
## **STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30TH OF SEPTEMBER 2025**
||**Note**
**s**|**Unrestricted**
**Fund**|**Restricted**
**Fund**||**30-Sep-25**|**30/09/2024**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**£**|**£**||**Total**|**Total**|
||||||**£**|**£**|
|**ASSETS**|||||||
|**Cash Funds:**|||||||
|General Account||19,419|14,010||33,429|33,971|
||||||||
|**Other Monetary Asset:**|||||||
|N/A|||||||
|||**19,419**|**14,010**||**33,429**|**33,971**|
||||||||
||||||||
|**Assets retained for the**
**Charity's own use:**|||||||
|Church Building (Insurance RCA
Value)*||2,843,872|||2,843,872|2,843,872|
|Residential property (Insurance
RCA Value)*||496,103|||496,103|496,103|
|Equipment||24,460|||24,460|24,460|
|||**£3,364,435.0**
**0**|||**£3,364,435.00**|**£3,364,435.00**|
||||||||
|**LIABILITIES**|||||||
|Independent Examiners Fee|||||0|300|
||||||||
||||||**0**|300|
||||||||
*Fellowship Property Trust is the Holding Trustee of the flats that are rented out
## **TRUSTEES RESPONSIBILITIES IN RELATION TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
Charity Law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which comply with the regulations set out in the Charities Act 2011. The Trustees have elected to take advantage of the provisions that apply to small charities and have prepared a Receipts and Payments Account and Statement of Assets and Liabilities which are set out on pages 6 and 7.
Approved by the Trustees on 27[th] July 2026 and
Signed on their behalf by , Trustee.
Print name: John Dean
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## **PARK HILL EVANGELICAL CHURCH**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30TH OF SEPTEMBER 2025**
## **1. BASIS OF ACCOUNTING**
The accounts have been prepared under the “Receipts and Payments” basis for a period 12 months prior to Year End date, as prescribed by the Charity Commissioners, and they meet the appropriate legal requirements.
## **2. RECEIPTS (CIO Bank only)**
|**Notes**
General Income
2a
Income from rent|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
**Total**
**2024/25**
**£**
10,039
7,667
17,706
30,040
30,040|**Total**
**2023/24**
**£**
39,535
32,952|
|---|---|---|
||**40,079**
**7,667**
**47,746**|**72,487**|
## **Receipts Notes:**
2a) Restricted funds are Missionary giving including allocation from General Funds £7,667
## **3. PAYMENTS (CIO Bank Only)**
||**Notes**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**|**Restricted**
**Funds**|**Total 2024/25**|**Total**
**2023/24**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Ministry||10,138.00||10,138.00|24,652.00|
|Caretaking||2,000.00||2,000.00|2,800.00|
|Missionary|||10,007.00|10,007.00|5,250.00|
|Affiliation Subs||588.00||588.00|540.00|
|Utilities||2,349.00||2,349.00|2,787.00|
|Church Building
Maintenance||4,460.00||4,460.00|16,453.00|
|Church Building Insurance||4,330.00||4,330.00|3,967.00|
|Church House Maintenance||9,032.00||9,032.00|9,669.00|
|Church House Insurance||1,626.00||1,626.00|2,339.00|
|Miscellaneous Expenses||0.00||0.00|2,473.00|
|Admin & Accounting
Services||3,797.00||3,797.00|4,600.00|
|||**38,282.00**|**10,007.00**|**48,289.00**|**75,530.00**|
**Please Note: the above figures (Receipts and Payments) were prepared for the period 1[st] October 2024 to 30[th] September 2025**
## **4. RESTRICTED FUNDS**
## **Current Financial Period**
|**Balance at**
**31st Dec 24**
**£**
**Income**
**£**
**Expense**
**£**
Barnabus Fund
2,340
7,667
10,007
Building Fund
510
**2,850**
**7,667**
**10,007**|**Transfer**
**£**
0
13,500
**13,500**|**Balance at**
**30th Sep 25**
**£**
0
14,010
**14,010**|
|---|---|---|
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## **PARK HILL EVANGELICAL CHURCH**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30TH OF SEPTEMBER 2025**
||**Prior **|**Financial Period**|**Financial Period**|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Balance at**||||**Balance at**|
||**1st Oct 23**|**Income**|**Expenses**|**Transfer**|**31st Dec 24**|
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Barnabas Fund|1,055|1,285|0|0|2,340|
|Building Fund||510|||510|
||**1,055**|**1,795**|**0**|**0**|**2,850**|
2023/2024: £13,500 was transferred to CIO bank on 27/09/2024 as Restricted Income towards the Building Fund, adjusted for in 2024/25.
## **5. PAYMENTS TO TRUSTEES**
The annual amount of £9,000 (2023/24 -£18,496) was paid for Derek Fortnam for his pastoral role of the charity.
Also, payments were made for Administration and accounting Services to Margaret Clarke totaling £2,500 (2023/24 - £5,000), plus reimbursement for small items paid for on behalf of the Charity.
No other material transaction took place between the Charity and a trustee or any person connected with them during the period.
## **6. PUBLIC BENEFIT**
The charity acknowledges its requirement to demonstrate clearly that it must have charitable purposes or ‘aims’ that are for the public benefit. Details of how the charity has achieved this are provided in the Trustees report. The Trustees confirm that they have paid due regard to the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit before deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
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