HASLAND Baptist Church Eyre Street East, Hasland, Chesterfield, S41 OER
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2022-2023
REFERENCES AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
Registered Address:
Hasland Baptist Church, Eyre Street East, Hasland, Chesterfield, S41 0PF
Charity Registration Number: 1199485
Trustees
Mr Roy Smith, Chair of Charity Trustees and Treasurer
Mr John Pickering, Pastor (Secretary)
Mrs Doreen Titmus, Elder
Mr Darren Moore, Elder
Mr Peter Jones, Elder
Property Trustees
East Midland Baptist Trust Company Ltd.,
Baptist House, 129 Broadway,
Didcot, Oxon, OX11 8RT
Bankers
The Co-operative Bank,
P.O. Box 250
Delf House, Southway
Skelmersdale, WN8 6WT
Independent Examiner
Mr Paul Wilson
5 Ladywood Drive
Chesterfield
S41 8XS
CHARITABLE OBJECT
Hasland Baptist Church Charity is an association based Charitable Incorporated Oganisation (CIO). It is governed by a constitution based on the ‘Approved Governing Document for Baptist Churches’ underpinned by the Church’s Trust deed. 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 church members normally meet four times per year and in association with the Trustees have responsibility for the overall policy of the church. In accordance with its constitution the members appoint (by election) a minimum of two and a maximum of four trustees. These Trustees, together with the Minister (Pastor), who is also a Trustee by nature of their role and responsibilities, 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 meeting 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.
The Church occupies premises which are held by the East Midlands Baptist Trust Company Ltd, on Trust which are entirely compatible with the above object.
The Pastor nor any other trustee receives any remuneration for their work in the Church Charity.
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, bible study and prayer. These services take place each Sunday at 10.30 am and each Thursday at 7pm. There are also occasional services at other times which are advertised on the church notice board and the website at haslandbaptist.co.uk.
The church seeks to be a friendly and welcoming community, and anybody is free to attend any of these services.
The Church is responsible for a toddler group, known as ‘Humming Bees’, which meets in the Church premises on Thursday mornings during school term time, with the purpose of assisting the community and demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ.
The Church operates systems to ensure that all people working with children and vulnerable adults are appropriately vetted by the Disclosure and Barring Service.
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
Hasland Baptist Church was established in 1937, under its present Trust Deed, and operated as an ‘excepted’ charity until 2022 when it became registered with the Charity Commission as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). The CIO financial period for this year covers the seven months from 1 December 2022 to 30[th] June 2023; this aligns with the asset transfer date from the unincorporated Church to the CIO.
The Church does not measure the success of its programmes only in numbers, including financial numbers, but also in less tangible areas like fellowship and encouragement. The Trustees recognise that these are difficult to measure but believe that 2022-2023 was a positive year in the life of the church, and that it will be able to pursue its mission purposes in 2023-20224 with continued enthusiasm.
As of 30[th] June 2023 the Church membership was 24. Average attendance at the regular Sunday worship services was 31. Thursday evening fellowship, which was attended by 12-18 people each week, took several forms during the year including: bible study, and prayer & worship evenings. The Church has also welcomed guest speakers at their Sunday morning service and have been pleased to hear the message from members of its own congregation.
The church continues to play a role in the life of the community of Hasland to public benefit with its operation of a regular parent and toddler group, ‘Humming Bees’. During the year the Pastor attended morning assemblies at the local Infant School and the annual carol service is well attended by local people.
In June 2023 the Church hosted its first wedding for many years when two of its members were married by the Pastor.
The church hall is used daily, during term time, by ‘Kids Zone’, an organisation who provide before and after school care for children aged 6 to 10 years; 2023 is the twenty first year that the church has supported this endeavour. The Church continues to be grateful to volunteers from Kids Zone, who operate on our behalf, a weekly parent and toddler group called Humming Bees.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The Church continues to raise the funds which it needs to carry on its activities from within its own membership and congregation, and from fees for the use of the Church Hall. No wider public appeal was made for funds during the year. The pastor nor any other trustee receives any payment for their time or services.
Expenses incurred during the year included:
-
Redecoration of the Church vestry including replacement of the window and door.
-
Replacement of the strip lighting in the Church, vestry and entrance with low energy LED alternatives.
The Church expressed its part in the life of the wider church by making grants to local, national and international organisations and societies with Christian aims and objectives compatible with the church’s own charitable purpose. During the year donations were made to Tear Fund, Aquaid Lifeline Fund, Barnabas Aid, Christian Aid, Compassion UK and Ashgate Hospicecare. The Church also contributed to the Baptist Union Home Mission. The total value of mission donations was £7,011 (38.5% of total income) of which £2,426 was in the form of designated donations made directly as prescribed by the donors.
This year has been financially very challenging due to enforced increases in energy prices.
The financial results for the year, together with a summary of the accounting policies adopted are set out in the accompanying financial statement CC16a.
The Trustees are satisfied that they have sufficient reserves at the balance sheet date, together with anticipated ongoing income, to enable the church to function effectively in the coming year.
The Church membership has agreed that during the next fiscal year it is prudent to address some of the longer-term, building deterioration mitigation work, identified in the last quinquennial inspection. This will involve the rotting and leaking wooden frame windows are to be replaced by UPVC alternatives during the summer of 2023 and roof repairs are to be completed before winter.
The Trustees feel confident, that with careful planning these will be achievable within present fiscal means and ensure the stability of the fabric and condition of the building.
The Church is heavily dependent on its membership working as volunteers in all aspects of the church’s activities, many of which run with little or no impact on the church’s expenditure, but nevertheless contribute substantially to the achievement of the church’s objectives.
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.
Having considered the relevant risks of changes in income and expenditure, the Trustees have determined that the appropriate level of reserves is in the range £15,000 to £20,000 and as of 30 June 2023, the church held total reserves of £20,000 in its designated fund. Of this £10,000 has been retained for the future replacement / refurbishment of the roof on the Church Hall; £4,000 for imminent work including replacement of windows in the Church and £1,000 for external roof-line repairs identified in the last quinquennial report.
The remaining designated funds are held to ensure six-months running costs of the Church and its Mission commitments in the UK and specifically to the children of Phalombe Village in Malawi.
This report was ratified by the Trustees of the Church Charity on 9[th] September 2023 and agreed by consensus at the Members’ Annual General Meeting held on 9[th] November 2023.
Signed: Roy Smith, Chair of Trustees Signed: John Pickering, Pastor
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WAIES Hasland Baptlst Church 1199485 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a Fof th• perlod from To 0110712022 12023 Section A Receipts and payments Unre5td¢¢ed fvnds Endowment fund5 R•rtrf¢ted fvnds Totsl funds L•¥t y•8V Re¢•ipts DOrtTr$ and Le *$ Charitable Actitles InveMmEnts 7.647 10,052 107 7A47 lo52 107 9,125 7,602 SvbtotryllGmsslncornefwAR) 17 A2 Asset •nd InTR51m•rt sale Sub totgl Tot•1 recelpts 17.806 .n7 A3 P•yments ChJiir&tyÈActfvhle5 FurK#s OthtrAth port Sub totol A4 Asset & lTh¥estment purchases. Sub total Totalpoyments W36 Nrf oArecelpts/(payrnents) AS Tr•nsf•vs brtw•en fvfid5 A6 C•sh fvnds l•st yvr•nd Cushfvnds t15 yeorend 376 34A67 34.867 34,491 CCXX R1 K£ount• ISS)
Section B Statement of assets and Ilabllltles at the end of the perlod Unr•itrlct•d lunds Rwtrkt•d fvnd• Endow fvnth Dets115 Bi C•sh fvnds curTlNn1 vlwAttounts t15h Dn h•nd os4 Total cushfvnds Unfesirltted fvnds Re5trkled lunds Erbdowmert lunth D•ta115 Detalls Fufftdtowhkh•wt CurrtThtv•luo Detalls B4 Assets relalned forthe drS own use F¥Thdto whh rtdue Wh•n due Details 85 Llabllltles Slgned by orMtrustee50n bthalf ol #ll thetnjstees Slgnaturè Print Name Oate of approval Roy Smith john Plckering 21 li 14912023 R2 acc4)unts ISSI