THE FRIENDS OF ST. LAURENCE, LURGASHALL
TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT TO 31 DECEMBER 2024
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THE FRIENDS OF ST. LAURENCE, LURGASHALL TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT TO 31 DECEMBER 2024
Structure, Governance and Management
The Friends of St. Laurence, Lurgashall was formed as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (“CIO”) and registered with the Charity Commission on 21 September 2022.
There have been no changes in trustees during 2024. The following trustees have served throughout the year:
The Earl of Cork and Orrery John Clark Neil Harding Rory St Johnston
Objects
The objects of the CIO are:
(1) the restoration, improvement, development, maintenance and repair of the fabric of the Church of St. Laurence in the Parish of Lurgashall in the Diocese of Chichester, its furniture, ornaments and precincts and the maintenance and conservation of its churchyard, all for the benefit of members of the public (being of any religious faith, or none) by providing grants to the Parochial Church Council of St. Laurence’s to assist with the cost thereof and by funding studies for its preservation, and
(2) the advancement of education by making historical and architectural information in relation to St. Laurence’s Church available to the public.
Relationship with the Parochial Church Council (“PCC”)
In view of the objects of the CIO, it is clear that there is a close relationship with the PCC. At the start of the year two of the trustees, John Clark and Neil Harding were both also PCC members. John Clark retired from the PCC in April 2024, but Neil Harding remains a member (and Treasurer) of both bodies. The two organisations are entirely independent and it has been minuted by both that there is a need to keep their dealings at arm’s length. A trustee who serves on both bodies declares an interest when dealing with matters involving both.
General review of the year 2024
The trustees met six times during the year and the average attendance was 96%.
Fundraising continued to be the major focus of the trustees and additional lump sums were received from donors during the year, together with payments under standing order. Additionally, funds were received from a cookery demonstration event, from the donations box in the church porch and through the QR code system. At the end of the year, after much research, a card reader was obtained which was just in time for the Nativity Service and Christmas Day Family Service. The proceeds from these services plus associated GiftAid more than covered the initial cost of the reader. Details of sums received under these headings are set out in the financial review, below.
The trustees were pleased to be able to make a grant of £1,465 to the PCC to cover the cost of the Architect’s fees for carrying out the Quinquennial inspection of the church and churchyard. This is the first grant from the CIO to the PCC.
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The Friends of St. Laurence, Lurgashall Trustees’ Annual Report to 31 December 2024
Consideration of the results of the overall fundraising and the anticipated future requests from the PCC for grant aid enabled the trustees to approve the setting up of an Endowment Fund for the charity. A deed of Declaration of Trust for the creation of the endowment was executed by the trustees on 10 December 2024 appropriating an initial £140,000 to the Fund.
New formal policies covering Financial Controls, Conflicts of Interest, Trustees’ Expenses and Grant making were adopted by the Trustees during the year. Copies of the policies are available on request.
Financial Review 2024
During the year, donations to the CIO totalling £87,738 have been received in the form of lump sum donations and £3,400 from standing order payments.
In addition, gifts to the donations box in the church porch totalled £776 and a further £48 was received from donations through the QR code displayed. A fundraising cookery demonstration event raised £900 and donations following funeral services raised £400. GiftAid tax recovery amounted to £17,423.
A new card reader was leased in December 2024 just in time to be deployed at the Nativity Service and on Christmas Day, raising a total (after transaction fees) of £372 (before Gift Aid). However, these funds were not received until after the year-end, so are not included in these annual accounts.
Interest on the deposits with the Church of England Deposit Fund totalling £4,060 has been received in the year, bringing the gross income received during the year to £114,745.
All minor expenditure continues to be covered by the trustees personally. Apart from a grant to the PCC (see below) the only expenditure has been on the premium payable for Trustees’ Liability Insurance amounting to £170 and the cost of acquisition of the new card reader (£394). Otherwise, all income has been available for the objects of the CIO.
During the year, the PCC arranged for the Quinquennial Inspection to be carried out by the Church Architect, Richard Meynell. The PCC requested that his fee for this work (£1,465) be paid as a grant from the charity and this was agreed. There is a certain amount of work to be done on the church building and in the churchyard as a result of the Quinquennial report but the cost of this had not been quantified at the year end. The trustees anticipate that a further request for a grant may be received from the PCC to cover such expenditure or part thereof.
The total retained surplus in the period was £112,716 and added to the surplus from the previous period the total retained is £143,881. Of this £140,000 was appropriated to the Endowment Fund and the balance (£3,881) is held in unrestricted funds.
The CIO’s assets at 31 December 2024 were held in a current account at NatWest Bank (£251) and the CBF Church of England Deposit Fund (£143,630), which at 31 December 2024 was paying interest at an Annual Equivalent Rate of 4.68%.
…………………………………………. Signed - John Clark, Trustee
………………………………………… Signed – Neil Harding, Treasurer
……………………… Date
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The Friends of St. Laurence, Lurgashall Trustees' Annual Report to 31 December 2024
The Friends of St Laurence, Lurgashall 1200428
Receipts and payments accounts
CC16a
For the period 01/01/2024 31/12/2024 To from
| Section A Receipts and payments | Section A Receipts and payments | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 87,738 3,400 400 48 776 900 17,423 4,060 114,745 - - - 114,745 1,465 564 - - - - - - - 2,029 - - - 2,029 112,716 - 140,000 31,165 3,881 |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 140,000 - 140,000 |
Total funds to the nearest £ 87,738 3,400 400 48 776 900 17,423 4,060 114,745 - - - 114,745 1,465 564 - - - - - - - 2,029 - - - 2,029 112,716 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|
| Lump sum donations | 87,738 | 28,620 | ||||
| Regular donations | 3,400 | - | ||||
| Funeral collections | 400 | - | ||||
| QR Paydonations | 48 | 63 | ||||
| Donations box receipts | 776 | 404 | ||||
| Events | 900 | 630 | ||||
| Gift Aid recovered | 17,423 | 1,278 | ||||
| Interest received | 4,060 | 170 | ||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
114,745 |
31,165 | ||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
||||||
| - | ||||||
| - | - | |||||
| Sub total | - | - | ||||
| Total receipts A3 Payments |
||||||
| 31,165 | ||||||
| Grants | 1,465 | - | ||||
| Expenses | 564 | - | ||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| **Sub total ** | 2,029 | - | ||||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
||||||
| - | ||||||
| - | ||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | - | ||||
| Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
||||||
| - | ||||||
| 112,716 | - | - | 112,716 | 31,165 | ||
| - 140,000 | - | 140,000 | - | - | ||
| 31,165 | - | - | 31,165 | - | ||
| 3,881 | - | 140,000 | 143,881 | 31,165 |
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The Friends of St. Laurence, Lurgashall Trustees' Annual Report to 31 December 2024
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets |
Signature Details NatWest Business Current Account CCLA Church of England Deposit Fund Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details Details Details |
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 251 - 3,630 - - 3,881 - OK OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - - - - - Print Name Neil Harding John Clark |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| 140,000 | |||
| - | |||
| 140,000 | |||
| OK | |||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) |
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| Date of approval |
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Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
| Report to the trustees On accounts for the period ended Set out on pages Responsibilities and basis of report |
Charity Name The Friends of St. Laurence, Lurgashall |
Charity Name The Friends of St. Laurence, Lurgashall |
Charity Name The Friends of St. Laurence, Lurgashall |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31stDecember 2024 | Charity no (if any) |
1200428 | |
| 3 to 4 | |||
| I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the CIO”) for the period from inception to 31stDecember 2023. As the charity's trustees, you are responsible 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 CIO’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have examiner's statement come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
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the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
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the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
| Signed: Name: Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any): Address: |
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|---|---|---|
| Peter Worrall | ||
| ACA | ||
| Hillgrove House, Hill Grove, | ||
| Lurgashall, Petworth | ||
| GU28 9EW |
Oct 2018
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