Open Word UK: Trustees Annual Report
1. The objects of the Charitable Incorporated Organisa@on (“the CIO”) are:
accessible resources of religious content, with a par2cular focus on an audio Bible
Ac@vi@es and achievements:
-
The main project worked on is Her Audio Bible UK
-
16 women from across the UK have given their @me to record the New Testament of the NIV2011 (with rights granted by Biblica) transla@on of the Bible for the first @me in women’s voices from a wide range of backgrounds and in a diverse range of accents.
-
that sound like them. Only 1% of the 1000s of audio Bibles recorded across the world have been voiced by women.
-
The work is con@nuing as we look to record the Old Testament.
-
The work is being uploaded to the Digital Bible Library, which means the work can be used by other chari@es and communi@es for free. For example, a charity that creates audio resources for those with visual impairment. Vineyard UK have requested to use the audio on their own app, reaching 25,000 people in the first year. Bible Society UK have requested to use the audio on their app to be released this year.
-
In communica@on with chari@es such as Restored UK, we know that there is a significant need for Chris@an audio resources in UK women’s voices. Both men and women who have experienced abuse benefit from a woman’s voice over a male voice reading Scripture.
OPEN WORD UK
Financial Statement for the year ended 05 April 2025
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT
| RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | ||
| Unrestricted | Total | Total | |
| Funds | |||
| £ | £ | £ | |
| Receipts: | |||
| Receipts from dona@ons | NIL | NIL | 5,150 |
| Total Receipts | NIL | NIL | 5,150 |
| --------- | --------- | --------- | |
| Payments: | |||
| Edi@ng and recording | 1,043 | 1,043 | 3,584 |
| Bank and fnance charges | 60 | 60 | 78 |
| Total payments | 1,103 | 1,103 | 3,662 |
| --------- | --------- | --------- | |
| (Defcit)/excess of Receipts over Payments | (1,103) | (1,103) | 1,488 |
| --------- | --------- | --------- | |
| Cash at beginning of the period | 1,488 | NIL | |
| Cash at end of the period | 385 | 1,488 | |
| --------- | --------- |
Notes
Accoun@ng Principles, using a Receipts and Payments basis.
[th] January 2026.
Governance and management:
Trustees and key personnel
-
Katherine Jane Partridge
-
Susan Caroline Houston
-
Peter Richard Vivian Houston
-
Laura Anne Bechervaise
-
Benjamin Thaddaeus Levi Grist
-
Anna Joy Puc
Chair: Katherine Jane Partridge
Secretary: Benjamin Thaddaeus Levi Grist
Treasurer: Peter Richard Vivian Houston
Changes in governance: Laura Anne Bechervaise has stepped down as Secretary with Benjamin Thaddaeus Levi Grist taking on this role.
Future plans:
-
Our priori@es this year are to upload our audio of the New Testament to the Digital Bible Library and to collaborate with Biblica to sublicence the audio using the NIV 2011 transla@on to applicants.
-
The hope is that rather than being only accessible on our website, the audio recordings of Her Audio Bible UK will be made available to millions worldwide on the digital audio app YouVersion, but more importantly, available to specific chari@es and organisa@ons in the UK.
Challenges:
-
Those of us who are producing the content are volunteers with full @me jobs, and so finding the @me and energy to apply for funding and remaining consistent with the very @me costly work of communica@on with volunteers and produc@on of high-quality audio recordings is of course a challenge.
-
The future of AI may mean many human audio recordings of texts will be replaced by AI. We believe the Bible should be read with the true spiritual expression of humans and therefore our work, although costly and @me consuming, is worth, and will always be worth it, and in demand. Indeed the trend for podcasts is becoming more and more towards, unfiltered, natural and authen@c sound.
Minutes from Last Trustees Mee@ng:
Her Audio Bible UK Trustees Mee@ng
8:15pm Monday 26[th] January 2026
Minutes
-
Opening Prayer – Ben Grist
-
Apologies
-
Approval of Previous Minutes
-
Macers Arising
-
Annual Return – All in favour of the accounts, Ben to put together a narrative
-
Quorum – It is agreed in the Constitution that this is 3 trustees (or 10% if higher)
-
New Testament Updates
-
Proof Listening
-
Mastering – Finally done!! Well done everyone
-
Next step is Katy to share it with YouVersion and Bible Society
-
Katy will also speak to Vineyard
-
Old Testament Updates
-
Recordings – Katy spoke with Alison (Chaplain at LST) who has now retired and is happy to work alongside the project. Alison lives in London and might be able to be the producer with Premier Christian Radio possible studio
-
Katy to speak to Nancy Gifford at Premier Christian Radio about this studio
-
Funding
-
Katy wasn’t successful about JustSow but wasn’t surprised due to the kind of applica@ons they tend to accept.
-
Because of the unsuccessful JustSow application, Katy has contacted all the voices to explain that we are postponing the Old Testament until further notice. She received positive feedback from people about this which was encouraging that people are still on board.
-
Katy wants to apply for Stewardship
-
Laura plans to work on Grant Applica@ons in due course
-
It would be good to have a strategy for fundraising, we can all take some @me to research and pray about what might be the best approach
-
Any Other Business
-
Peter has been asked to be a trustee of Tutela – raising orphaned children in homes
-
Next Mee@ng
-
8pm - Monday 23[rd] March
-
Closing Prayer – Katy Partridge