Preston Baptist Church, Paignton Charity Number 1199476 Trustees Annual Report Year Ended 31[st] December 2023 (October – December)
Aims and Purposes
The principle aim of Preston Baptist Church, Paignton (the Church) is the advancement of the Christian faith in general and within our local area in particular. We are an open and accessible community that is committed to welcoming and assisting all who wish to worship and learn more about God. we offer spiritual help and support and find opportunities for service within the Church fellowship and local community. We support missionary and charitable works in the UK and various parts of the world.
Befriending
Church members are encouraged to make a difference in our community by personally reaching outto family, friends, work colleagues and strangers, with the Christian Gospel. This can be a costly thing to do in terms of time and energy, but has the potential to be hugely rewarding. The Church offers financial support to missions both at home in the UK and abroad, and to community groups. The Church members decide at the start of each financial year which mission agencies and community groups they want to financially support from ten per cent (10%) of our Church offerings and donations. In addition the Church will have additional retiring offerings giving special opportunity for members and friends of the Church to give to a particular cause. We also look to financially support members and friends of the Church and those in the community who are going through hard, difficult times. The fund such gifts the Church takes up a special offering at our monthly communion service and members are also invited to give to this Pastoral Fund as and when they are able.
Achievements
The Church, has come together to worship God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit; where prayer is foremost; explores the Christian faith and together learn and understand more and so grow in our personal and corporate faith; discovers and implements our vision; comes together to get to know and support each other better; offers a warm, open and friendly welcome to the community; a place of generosity offering a Warm Space and free food and refreshments to the community and offering a food club to those in need and suffering with the cost of living crisis; seen a growth in our children’s work on a Sunday and at Messy Church, and other special children’s events; where groups have been formed including a bereavement support group and Trinity discipleship; has developed our grounds and community garden into productive and areas of beauty; offers a safe and happy environment for the hire of our halls for community events.
Activities
The Church is open throughout the week to the community, and hosts a variety of activities for all ages, including Sunday Worshgip, Bible Study / Home groups, Mums and Toddlers Groups, Messy Church, Mummy and Me, a Food Club, and a Café offering free refreshments along with bimonthly Church Meetings, monthly Leaders Meetings, Holy Communion is observed once a month and weddings, baptisms, dedications and funerals are conducted on request. Our rooms are used regularly by a variety of community groups. Christian Festivals are celebrated and
attended by many who do not normally worship regularly with us. Our halls are used every weekday during term time by Preston Community Pre-School which operates as a separate charity and pays a commercial rent to the Church.
Messy Church
This popular event reaches out to families with young children after school once a month. Crafts, games and activities are themed on a particular story form the Bible and parents are invited to take part. Following a brief act of worship, a hot meal is provided and we all eat as a family. The event is free and serviced by volunteers from within the Church. it is regularly attended by some 30-40 people who greatly appreciate the time, space and facilities for families to enjoy doing creative things together in a Christian environment free from domestic pressures.
Community Garden
This outreach is well used and provides pleasure to the community. Many of those who attend aree flat dwellers without gardens. The individual raised planters are appreciated in particular by people in wheel chairs and those finding it hard to bend. Since starting, this project is recognised as a success as it has become a meeting place where friendships are formed and loneliness avoided. The gardeners share a common interest and the garden provides pleasant spot, just to sit and relax.
Garden Café / Food Club
Our Garden Café is open every Thursday for the community to come in and enjoy free refreshments, cake and light lunches. It has developed into a safe, secure and warm environment where new friendships have been born, and former friendships renewed. It also offers an opportunity for the Church to interact, engage and support with the homeless. Our Food Club also open every Thursday and operates in conjunction with the Garden Café. The Food Club offers a wide and varied range of provisions and produce enabling those on low incomes to acquire fresh and healthy food at a substantially discounted price. We supply fresh vegetables, which in part are grown in a donated allotment tended by one of our members. We encourage the use of fresh provisions thereby encouraging a healthy, nutritious and sustainable diet.
Financial Accounts
Our offerings increased over the previous year. The Church does not have an elected Treasurer but operates with a Finance Team headed up by one of the Church Leaders.
Reserves Policy
The Trustees have a policy to maintain reserves of at least three months overhead expenditure.
Church Trustees
To be eligible for election, Trustees must be Church members nominated by other members. Our Trustees are part of the Church Leadership Team. Each leader’s period of service is for a three year term, which may be extended for a further term, if nominated, but they can serve no longer than two terms before stepping down for at least a year. The Church Secretary is elected annually at the AGM and can serve for as many terms as the member decides.
Trustees (Church Leadership Team) who served from 1[st] January to the date of this report were:
Ministers:
Revd James Brown
Secretary:
Tina Ansell-Baker (annual appointment)
Treasurer:
The Church does not a Treasurer and operates with a Finance Team headed by one of the Trustees (Leadership Team
Head of Finance Team:
Pauline Baker (appointed 16[th] May 2023)
Leadership Team: Wendy Jeffs Tina Ansell-Baker Geraldine Leigh Pauline Baker
Administrative Information
Preston Baptist Church, Paignton is situated at 62 Old Torquay Road, Preston, Paignton, Devon, TQ3 2RB.
Charity Registration Number 1199476
The Church’s current Constitution as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation is dated 28[th] June 2022.
October 2023 the Church transferred all of its assets and liabilities from an With effect from 1[st] unincorporated charity Register Number 1133521 to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, Preston Baptist Church, Paignton CIO, Preston registered number 1199476.
Preston Baptist Church Charity Number 1199476 Receipts and Payments Account for the Year Ended 31st December 2023 Period 1st October - 31st December 2023
| Recipts | Unrestricted | Restricted |
|---|---|---|
| Offerings & Donations | 16117 | 13574 |
| Gift Aid | 0 | 0 |
| Legacy | 4420 | 0 |
| Use of Church Premises | 96 | 0 |
| Rental Income | 8036 | 0 |
| Sundry Income | 466 | 0 |
| Interst | 263 | 0 |
| 29399 | 13574 | |
| Payments | ||
| Stipend and Pension | 7047 | |
| Telephone | 570 | |
| Conferences & Training | 40 | |
| Resources & Outreach | 1134 | |
| Advertising & Publicity | 111 | |
| Social Events & Catering | 1635 | |
| Pastoral Gifts | 0 | 500 |
| Gifts | 0 | 4420 |
| Preston Food Club | 0 | 1608 |
| Youth & Children | 140 | |
| Church Expenditure | 10672 | |
| Manse Expenditure | 794 | |
| Office Expenditure | 541 | |
| Investment Property Expenditure | 2958 | |
| Professional Fees | 662 | |
| Finance | 111 | |
| Sundry Expenditure | 167 | |
| 26582 | 6528 | |
| Excess of Income and Expenditure | 2817 | 7046 |
| Cash at 1st October 2023 | 83736 | 43690 |
| Cash 31st December 2023 | 86553 | 50736 |
| Cash Funds | ||
| CAF Old | 33053 | |
| CAF New | 17271 | |
| CAF Gold | 80219 | |
| Lloyds | 6746 |
01/11/2024
| 137289 | |
|---|---|
| Debtors | 2633 |
| Other Assets | |
| Church - Insurance Value | 2400000 |
| Manse - Market Value | 38000 |
| Investment Property - Market Value | 165000 |
| Church Fittings & Equipent | 150000 |
| 3095000 | |
| Creditors | |
| Memorial Loan from SWBA | 6000 |
01/11/2024
Preston Baptist Church, Paignton. Charity Number 1199476 Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of the Accounts. I reporttotheTrustees on my examination of the Accounts of Preston Baptist Church, Paignton (the Church) for the year Ended 31" December 2011 (the Act}. Period January-september 2023. Responslbllities and basls of the report. As the Charity Trustees of the Church you are accountable for the preparation of the Accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act). I report in respect of my examination of the Church's Accounts carried out under Section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my ex8mination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 14515)Ib) of the Act. Independent Examlners Statement. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have cometo my attention in connectionwiththe examination giving me no cause to believe that in any material respect: 1. Accounting records were not kept in respect of the Church by Section 130 of the Act; or 2. The Accounts do not accord with those records. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in respect of this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the Accounts to be reached. th Dated:30 October 2024. Signed: