NEEDINGWORTH BAPTIST CHURCH – REPORT TO CHARITY COMMISSION
Period of Report : 01 November 2024 to 31 October 2025
Name of Charity : Needingworth Baptist Church CIO
Registration Number : 1200761
Address : High Street, Needingworth, St Ives, Cambridgeshire, PE27 4SB
Trustees : David Mann (Elder), Robert Keith Craigen (Deacon), Paul Michael Burton (Deacon). These trustees were in place for the whole period of the report.
Purpose of the charity as set out in our Constitution: The advancement of the Christian faith as a Grace Baptist Church in accordance with our Basis of Faith, primarily in Needingworth and the surrounding neighbourhood.
Structure and details of how it is managed, including how it recruits trustees : Needingworth Baptist Church was formed in 1767. It has a membership. Christians in regular attendance at the church, who would like to become members, apply by completing and signing the application form and writing out their testimony of conversion and Christian life. This is seen by the church members who approve the admission of the new member at a Church Meeting. Elders and Deacons are the “Officers” of the church and the Trustees of the charity. These are chosen by the church members and appointed at a church meeting which has considered their suitability, calling and gifts. The Pastor is an elder who is appointed by the church and usually supported financially by the church. When someone is appointed as a Church Officer or Pastor, they automatically become a trustee.
Activities and objectives in the year and public benefit of the charity: The Trustees have taken into account the Charity Commission’s guidance on Public Benefit in preparing this report. Our meetings are open to all, and, as the only church in Needingworth, provide a community for all who seek to worship God according to the Christian faith, and provide pastoral care for all who seek it, according to their particular needs.
Our main meeting was the Sunday morning worship service. In the absence of a Pastor, this was led over the period of this report by visiting preachers or by our elder. We seek to worship and praise our great God and Father by singing hymns of praise, praying, reading the Bible and listening to a sermon which explains a passage of the Bible and its relevance and application to us all. We do this for the glory of God and for the strengthening of the faith of all who attend. Services were recorded and placed on our website so that those who were unwell, or unable to attend for any reason, could still participate and benefit from the services.
Once a month in the summer months we also held a Sunday evening service.
Our weekly midweek meeting was held each Tuesday evening in the Chapel or on Zoom, consisting of a Bible study followed by a time of open prayer.
Once a month on a Thursday afternoon, an outreach meeting, called “Tea and Time to Think” was held in the home of one of our members. The purpose of this is to reach out to neighbours and to provide a forum for discussion and Bible study.
The church is actively involved in supporting the worldwide mission of the church by prayer and financial giving. Support is focussed on missionaries and mission organisations involved in spreading the Gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ as given to us in the Bible. We are particularly engaged in supporting the missionaries of Grace Baptist Mission, but also take an interest in many other mission agencies.
Members. During the period of this report we had 8 members, with no additions and no losses. The members met regularly for “business meetings” to discuss practical aspects of our church life and work. We also met for an Annual General Meeting, to hear reports and to approve our budget.
Property. Our land and buildings are held in trust by the Association of Grace Baptist Churches, South-East (AGBCSE), of which Needingworth Baptist Church is a member. AGBCSE has now been renamed “Grace Baptist Association (GBA),” so GBA are now our Holding Trustees.
Financial review. The assets of the church (charity), income and expenditure are as per our Financial Statement of Accounts. Because our income was less than £25,000, the accounts were not examined by an Independent Examiner.
All our income came from the freewill offering of our members and attendees. No fund-raising activities were held. Funds were used for the upkeep of the chapel and grounds including our cemetery, as well as other running costs, expenses of visiting speakers and donations to mission organisations. No grants were made. Funds are kept in our bank accounts and we do not hold any investments. Cash in hand is particularly being held with a view to the support of a future pastor. We do not hold any funds as a custodian trustee.
Income exceeded expenditure during the period of the report and the financial position of the charity at the end of the period of the report was healthy with a cash balance of £72,811.
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed: David Mann
Full name: David Mann
Position: Elder/Chair of Trustees
Date: 6 February 2026
Charity Name No (if any) NEEDINGWORTH BAPTIST CHURCH CIO 1200761
Receipts and payments accounts
CC16a
For the period Period start date Period end date To from 11/1/2024 10/31/2025
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment funds funds funds
Total funds Last year
| Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Endowment funds |
Total funds | Last year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Receipts 21,339 - - - - - - - 21,339 - - Sub total - Total receipts 21,339 A3 Payments 16,644 - - - - - - - - Sub total 16,644 - - Sub total - Total payments 16,644 Net of receipts/(payments) 4,695 A5 Transfers between funds - A6 Cash funds last year end 68,117 Cash funds this year end 72,812 to the nearest £ Sub total(Gross income for AR) A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ 21,339 - - - - - - - 21,339 - - - 21,339 16,644 - - - - - - - - 16,644 - - - 16,644 4,695 - 68,117 72,812 |
to the nearest £ |
| - - - - - - - - - |
21,339 | - | ||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| 21,339 | - | |||
| - - - |
- | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | 21,339 | - | ||
| - - - - - - - - - - |
16,644 | - | ||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | - | |||
| 16,644 | - | |||
| - - - |
- | |||
| - | ||||
| - | - | |||
| - | 16,644 | - | ||
| - | - - - - |
4,695 | - | |
| - | - | - | ||
| - | 68,117 | - | ||
| - | 72,812 | - |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B5 Liabilities B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
Details Details Details Details Church furniture Electronic organ Garden equipment Church kitchen equipment Computer and digital projector Details Signature Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
to nearest £ to nearest £ 72,812 - - - - - 72,812 - OK OK to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) General funds - General funds - General funds - General funds - General funds - - - - - - - - - - Print Name DAVID MANN Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) |
to nearest £ Endowment funds |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| to nearest £ Endowment funds |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) |
|||
| Date of approval |
|||
| DAVID MANN | 2/7/2026 | ||