2025-09-30-accounts

The Friends of Ide Hill Church AGM 17[th] March 2026 Chairman’s Report

The purpose of The Friends is to strengthen the role of Ide Hill Church as an asset for the Church and the Community of Ide Hill for all to enjoy for generations to come.

This report covers the period from 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025 , and this is our third AGM since becoming a registered charity in October 2022.

Tonight we remember Anne Beasley with great fondness and appreciation for her role as an original Trustee of The Friends. Anne worked tirelessly with the Diocese to get the Faculty for our Flushing Hill project. The faculty arrived in the post on the day after her Cremation, which was a very emotional moment for us all. We will be honouring her memory and we are working closely with Paul on the appropriate memorial plaque. I think of Anne every time I look up at our beautiful windows, a reminder of all the research she did on them to produce the lovely booklet which visitors and locals alike take away with them.

We have had 2 new Trustees join us – a warm welcome to Sarah Fribbens and Tom Niven. Thanks and appreciation go to Sally Bawn who has resigned as Trustee as she has moved away.

We continue to raise awareness of The Friends, and to explore creative ways to welcome people who would not normally come into the church through various activities such as our annual Christmas Tree Festival, auction and music evening, followed by the Christmas Tree carol service which is attended by nearly one hundred children and adults. The 2024 CTF raised an incredible £4492 ! Thanks must go to all the tree decorators, the performers, supporters, everyone who helped organise, Auctioneer PJ and the sponsors, especially the Montreal Estate who hand picked the lovely trees from their estate. Unfortunately we could not hold the Christmas Tree Festival, concert, auction and service at the end of 2025 as the church was closed for the building works, but we will be back this year with a bumper celebration!

In February 2025 we held a Love Concert in collaboration with the Ide Hill Book Club. This brought a different audience into the church, raising more awareness of The Friends and the work we do. Music ranged from Adele’s “Make you feel my Love” to Puccini’s O Mio Babbino Caro. The music was interspersed with extracts from books that the Book Club had read, such as The Alchemist, Captain Corelli’s Mandarin, Wolf Den and Still Life. The concert raised £1200 towards our Flushing Hill project.

We held a garden party jointly with The Friends of St Mary’s Sundridge, and thanks to the generosity of Fern and Bob Ogley who opened their

beautiful garden to visitors we added to the funds of both Friends’ charity accounts.

Once again we hosted a MacMillan Coffee morning in September, which brought many visitors into the church, most of whom stayed for the whole event, enjoying the coffee, cake and fellowship. We were pleased to be able to give £224 to MacMillan and we will be hosting one again this year. Ride and Stride, which raises money for Friends of Kent Churches was supported by The Friends in the form of providing refreshments for visitors to the church. Thanks to the efforts of our Riders and Striders, they raised almost £2000, of which 50% comes back to us. It was lovely to see the Toys Hill striders join in.

Thank you to the Ide Hill Community Shop who made a donation of £4250 towards project Flushing Hill. And to the Village Hall Trust who donated £600. We had very generous donations from members of our congregation who wish to remain anonymous and we really appreciate them.

We are grateful to Jane Wiltshire who managed to obtain grants from The Friends of Kent Churches and The Benefact Trust. So much work goes into the applications. Thank you Jane.

The church was closed from November 10[th] for the building works to take place, and I am delighted to say that the completion date of February 27[th] was achieved.

As most of the funding and expenditure for the project falls into the 2025/2026 Financial year, and will be reported on at our next AGM, I can report that we were able to raise all the funding required for the project. We did get back just over £9000 in VAT from the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme. They have now run out of money, so we have had to fund the rest of the VAT ourselves. Thanks go to Robert Skone-James who managed to get the above amount before the scheme closed!!

Thank you to Lynette for her support and trust in us. The support from the community and the members is also truly appreciated.

To the Trustees, thank you for your support and commitment during what has been an emotional year, with the loss of Anne, and a challenging year to get the project up and running in order to complete it on time. We are a great team.

One last notice: Tickets for the Spring Concert will go on sale at the end of this month. The theme is of course “Water” and it will be a collaboration with the Ide Hill Book Club. Jennie and Fiona are already practicing with the organ and cello. It is on Saturday 25[th] April at 7 pm. If you would like to reserve tickets before they sell out, just drop an email to [e-mail]

Thank you Lynne Rutherford Chairman

The Friends of Ide Hill Church

Financial Report for the Annual General Meeting

For the Year Ended September 2025

1. Overview

The charity’s finances remain stable and well-managed, with income and expenditure reflecting a year focused on supporting the church’s ongoing needs and progressing the Flushing Hill project. The committee is grateful for the continued generosity of members, donors, and the wider community.

2. Income Summary

Total income for the year amounted to £21,626 , representing a combination of regular giving, membership subscriptions, fundraising activities, and two significant one-off donations.

Key income sources:

• Membership subscriptions — £1,095

• General donations — £5,820

• Fundraising events — £4,711

• Two major donations totalling £10,000, given to support the Flushing Hill Project

3. Expenditure Summary

Total expenditure for the year was £7,749 , with spending focused on both routine support for the church and the initial phases of the Flushing Hill Project.

Main expenditure categories:

• Fundraising event costs — £893

• Administrative costs (insurance, printing, banking fees) — £675

• Flushing Hill Project expenditure — £6,180

The Flushing Hill Project costs this year related to architectural fees. Much of the income and expenditure in relation to this project fall into the 2026 accounts however a be detailed in the chairwoman’s report.

The committee extends sincere thanks to the two donors whose substantial contributions significantly strengthened the project’s financial foundation.

5. Reserves/Cash Position

At the commencement of the year the charity held £20,679 in cash and reserves, following the years activity, the closing was £34,557. The current cash position is £36,221 which includes £3.7k of gift aid

6. Independent Examination Requirements

The receipts in the year remain below £25k therefore an independent review is therefore not necessary, however should anyone require this to be conducted it can be arranged.

7. Conclusion

The committee is pleased to report a financially sound year, marked by strong community support and considerable progress toward the Flushing Hill Project. The Friends remain committed to enhancing the facilities and supporting the ongoing life of the church.

The Friends of Ide Hill Church Profft and Loss Oct24 to Sept25 Income Donation Fundraising Flushing Hill Donation Membership 5819.89 4710.78 I￿(m). 1095. 2L625.67 Expendlture Flushi ng Hill Expenditure Advertising Computer Fundraising Bank Charges Insurante -6180.44 -199.34 -19.08 -892.73 46.80 -289.31 Refreshments Mscellaneous -59.08 -61.40 7,748.18 Retained Funds 13,877.49 The Friends of Ide Hill Churth Balance Sheet as at 30th September 2025 Assets wip Bank 34556.82 Debtors Liabilities Creditors Suspense Net Worth 34,557 Equity Profit and Loss Retair￿d Profit 13877 20,679 Check