Sawbridgeworth Evangelical Congregational Church End of Year Trustees Report and Financial Statements Period ended 30 April 25
Frn•hold prop Tru•t 1114 Churth •nd CIoS8fcK¥n Bbxk FM•hold Prop•rty Tnmt 1921 The Manse, Hoeslc¢k Road Gvy Hanson IAm•gty1 Tru•tM• Gary H8nson Rachel Millatt Dian Sap5ford Ann Voortman Gavin Urquhart Minister Secretary, Ro-app)inted Jan 22 Appointed May 19. R•4ppoint th¢ 23 Appointed May 21 until 30 Apr 24 Appointed Dec 21 until 31 Dec 24 Julia Kelly Acting Treasurer Appointed Jul 21 nd•nt Ex•mln•r Sarah Ulyatt Holdlng Trust•• FIEC Ltd Bank•r• Barclays Bank plc The Water Gardens, 14 The Cenlre, Soulhgale. Harlow, CM20 1AN Poqe 2
sv4thldg0rth Evangelical CongregatiMo1 Church Report arKI Accounts, 30 Aprll 2025 Trustees Report Perlod onded 30 Aprll 2025 The primary aim of the Sawbrldgeworth Evangellcal Congregational Church is to fulfil the role of a Chrfstian Church in Sawbridgeworth and the surroundin8 area and to help others In supporting and promoting the Christian faith in the United Kin8dom and overseas. Alms and Objertlves The aims and objectives of the Church are the advancement of the Christian faith in accordance with our Basis of Faith. in Sawbrid8eworth and the surrounding areas. As a tollection of people of different ages and backgrounds whose lives have been changed by Jesus Christ, we seek to fulfill the callin8 of Jesus in our lives. This is done throu8h worship as a community but also in the application of our faith for the benefrt of others. through teachin8 and pastoral care, prevention and relief of need. and provision of facilities in the interests of social interaction. We seek to live out the faith as contained in the Bible and be a blessing to those within the Church and those outside of it, desiring to see the people of Sawbridgeworth come into a relationship wtth Jesus Christ a5 their Lord, Saviour and friend. Trustees and People The Managing Trustees are collectively responsible for the spiritual leadership and administration of the Church and are comprised ofthe Minister and other members of the church leadership team who are appointed by the Members of the Church. The members ofthe Church, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and under the Lordship of Christ have the final decision on all policies and important decisions that affect the life and witness of the Church. Though the Church employs a full-time minister, and a part-time Office Manager it is reliant on and benefits from the active participation of volunteers from members and others connected with the Church to help achieve its objertives. This means presenting the Christian message among people they meet, being involved in teaching, public worship, pastoral care as well as in practical ministries, maintenance and administration. The Church is grateful for the dedication and enthusiasm of those who give their time & resources, often in ways that cannot be easily quantified. th The period ended 30 April 2025 The main ways the Church sought to achieve the calling of Christ upon it and its charitable activities for the public benefit by the advancement of religion has been as follows: Fulfilling its objects in the teachin8 and preaching in the weekly services on Sundays which are open to all people. Sunday services are live-streamed to enable greater access to the Church community and complement our in-person services. These services are planned with the aim of making them multl8enerational, welcomin8, thought provokin8 through clear Bible teaching. Midweek teachin8 8roups are held at the Church. varlous private homes. These groups have been a lifeline for many in the Church family. providing support and friendship but ensuring Church Page 3
saw1 Evarwcal Congrngational Church Report •nd Accounts, 30 AF*II 2025 members rtudy the Blble and pray together. Our 'Connect Groups, provlde a sense of dynamlc communlty Withln the wlder con8regatlon and enable members to grow together, form close friendships and provide much needed peer to peer dlsclpleshlp. We have three'youth Connect Groups, runnln8 that are ensurlng our children and youth develop valuable frlendshlps and a sense of belon8lng. Group5 for chlldren and youn8 people are held on Sunday moming5 durlngthe servlce. A 8roup for Carers and Toddlers. Open Door, runs every week durlng school terms helplnz families with young children and babies find friendship and much needed support. Friday Zone is a youth group for children in school years 4-10 run on a weekly basls durln8 sth001 terms. Thls club gathers together a number of local and Church children and is hi8hly thought of. Duringthis year the Church continued our youth provision from RBF who have helped us continue all areas of our youth work, ensuring deeper friendships and a greater under5tandlngof their faith. Sadly, RBF ceased to operate as of September 2024. The 'Alpha' course - a series of sessions exploring the Christian faFth that 15 available to all. Activities which involve the wider community include- Participating in the'make Lunch, program to provide hot lunches to famllles. Members of the Church 8ave their time sacrificially and helped many famllies who have found life harder and harder. Our'Food Hub,, continues to provide much needed practical and social support to local residents, as they shop for free. We have forged greater links with the CAB and the Bishop's Stortford food bank. We continue to show our support for areas of need and conflict in the world, via financial support to Lifeline Romania and one-off collections for Churches, Christians experienclng hardship acr055 the world. We are continuing to progress our building project plans and this has enabled us to reach out to the local community and understand local needs better, as well as creating new relationships. Our buildings will be in keeping with the local area, sensitive to the 'look' of the town and a benefit to local charitable groups. We are looking forward to being able to expand our impact on the local community. We were very pleased to receive full planning and listed buildin8 consent and look forward to starting Phase l in due course. Page 4
Sawbridgeworth Evangelical Congregatlonal Church Report and Accourrt•, 30 Aprll 2025 Flnanclal Revlew For the 13 months ended 30 April 2025 the church accounts have changed from a recelpts and payments basls to an accrual basis in Ilne wlth Charity Commisslon rules that 5peclfy this approKh must be applied when gross income exceeds £250,000. In addStion, the accounts have been prepared for a 13 month rather than the normal 12 month due to incorporation of the Church as a CIO bein8 effective from 30 April 2025. The 31 March 2024 comparative fi8ures have been adjusted to the accruals bas15. The financial resources received during the year amounted to £317.07512024{restatedl £183,328) the expenditure however totalled £185,341,12024 £239,369), on the activities and ministries of the Church. The increase is income levels is attributable to the fund-raisin8 activities for the building fund, specifically the 8ivin8 days in May 2024 and April 2025. We can give thanks to God for the 8enerosity of the members and attendees of the Church. The lon8-Standin8 policy of the Church is not to take collections for the on-going work of the Church but rather to rely mainly on regular donations paid direct to the Church's bank account with additional gifts made through offering boxes. Donors are encouraged to use Gift Aid schemes so that additional tax refunds can benefit the Church. On some occasions specific collections may be made for the special appeals of external organisations or projects which are compatible with the ethos of the Church. The Church has a policy of allocatin8 a proportlon of its 8eneral income for deslgnated purposes: IO% is devoted to the support of mission work outside of the local area IO% is allocated to the anticipated costs of major maintenance tasks, upgradlng and expandlng the Church buildings. The Managing Trustees have set a policy of retaining sufficient reserves to provide for the foreseeable needs of the Church. These free reserves are available to meet the costs of normal running and to ensure that the Church can meet the commitments it has entered into. The minimum amount is anticipated to be equivalent to six months expenditure + scheduled transfers (the relevant fi8ure for 12 months was £114,022). This indicates a minimum reserve figure of £57.011. This is considered appropriate in view of the current economic environment Itakin8 into account increasing costs) and based on actual expenditure and future changes to the Church property. Rlsks All major insurable risks are subject to normal Church and employer insurance, Risks and other areas of activity and premises are subject to periodic review. The premises are profe55ionally inspected every five years; the last inspection was conducted in 2023. Electrical fixed wiring inspections are also carried out on a regular basis. Minor repairs are carrled out several times a year as required. In the comin8 year a major refurbishment of the sanctuary and hall will be undertaken to address the required updates to Page 5
Ev*ngeliG•I Con9rogatlong1 Church R•port arKI Account•, 30 Awrl 2025 heatln& 118htln& electrlcal wlrln8, baptlstry and other 8eneral malntenance Items, (such as plasterwork patchln8}. major work on the churchyard trees was done In 2021 The Church has a pollcy on the Safeguardlng of children and vulnerable adults which is revlewed perlodically. Statement of Trustees Responsiblllty As a member of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches, the Church is currently an "excepted chariw, under the provisions of the Charity Act 2011. Now that income is in excess of £IOO,000 the Church is required to register as a charity in its own right and will be structured a5 a Charitable Incorporated Organisation ICIOI, this process was started in January 2024 and completed on 30 April 2025. Charity law requires the trustees to prepare accounts for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charity and of the resources during that period. In preparing these accounts, the Trustees are required to.. Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently,. Make adjustments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; Prepare the accounts on a 8oin8 concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Charity will continue in operation. As gross income exceeded £250,000 in thls accounting period. the accruals basi5 of accounting has been applied in accordance with Section 132 of the 2011 Act. The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and to enable them to ensure that the accounts comply with the Charities Acts. They are also responsible for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. The Trustees confirm that the accounts comply with current statutory requirements and the Charit¢s trust deeds. No payments were made to trustees other than the ministers salary & pension and approved payments for expenses legitimately encountered in the runnin8 of the church. Signed: Secretary: Rachel Mlllett Actlng Treasurer: Julla Kolly Dats: 2025 Page 6
Independent examlnerfs report on th• accounts MOM of Sawbfldg•wofth Evang•llcal Congr•g•tlonal Church On accounts for th• r •nd•d 30 Aprll 2025 Chwfty no.. 1201704 S•t ¢xrt On pag•s 8- 11 Respectlv• The charity's trust88s are r88FKMSib for lh8 weparatkm of the r•sponslbllltles of accounts. The charity's trust8es consider that an audit is rKA requ trustoos •nd examln•r for this year under section 144 of the Charrties Act 2011 (Iho Ch Act) and that an independent examination is reded. Examln8rs resFxJnsibility Is to: Examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charit188 Ac( Follow the procedures ld down in the genepl Dir&tic given by the Charity Commission (under secti(M 145(5)(b) of the Charitses Act Stale whether particular matters have com8 to my attentkx. Basls of Independent My examinats'on was carried out in accordance with genwal Direclions oxamlner's Statement grven by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a revw4 of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented wtth those records. It also incKJdes consideralion of any unusual iteTns or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees conceming any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all th8 evid8nc8 that b8 required in an audit, and consequeritly no opinion is gN8n as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fairf view and the retth is limited to those matters set (rt in the statement below. Independent In conne¢tion with my examinati¢, no matter has come to my attent1( examlnerfs statement l. which gives me reasonab18 cause to b81i8ve that in. ary materlal respect, the requirements: to keep accounting record5 in acc(xdanc8 wilh secticxi 130 of th8 Charities Act.. and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounliThJ records and comply with the accounting requirements of the CharitSes Act Haile not been met; or /.. to whic4. in my opinion. attention Sh(Id drawn in (Yder to elble a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. gne Date 71512olS Namo: Sarah Ulyatt Address: OLI VUS OfiK, Kipaqs LANa, Puiy IND,NN12 fNT Prof Quallficatlon: IÉsoci A i)oN CF Trx 7IoHNicIR Paqe 7
8•Al>rfdg•Afjrth Ev*vJdlcal Coryr•g•tlond (XM FWKI Movwnwrt •ummwy S•l•¢t•J Pwlod: 01 Aprfl 2024 10 30 Aprfl 2tr25 Fund Fund BAl•nc•• WF IDcomlng Outyolnq Fynd 8nevoknnt Buildi Fund Buildi CoMmut Fund Mission Fund A& Video 139 712 .035 39 8C Transfg15' Tol81 £183.328 £317.075 1£185,3411 £315.( Notes: Graveyard and Restricted Funds were closed during 21122 Community Fund, (this is an umbrella fund for the community shop, open door, parenting course. make lunch and zone) 'A new bank account was set up in December 2023 to recelve contributions relatlng to the bulldln8 fund, monies received into the general account prlor to December were transferred Into thls new account, any ongoing payments are also transferred into the buildln8 fund account. Expenditure has been adjusted to reflect the accrual basis of accounting. Communlty Fund Communlty Fund Fund Balances BIF l.i¢nrr.Ing Outgolng RMouru8 5,539 600 1.359 End 8alanc• Communlt Sho Haile Centre Make Lunch en Door Parentin Zone otol 3.962 1,577 114 250 454 100 389 1.283 £2.035 250 1,171 362 Poqe 8
Bak9nc• Sheot Detarfed A• •t 30M4r26 31NJ3n4 Curr•nt A•••l• Barcla Current Barcl s Active Saver Buildin Fund Account Monmuthshire Buildin Santander Bond Accounts Receivable 751.15 68 020.25 177 859.71 37 902.81 25 833.40 4 695.00 5 810.18 78 875.84 38 147.99 38 928.55 25 585.58 Tol•l Curr•nl AM•ts 315082.32 183 327.94 RM•rv•• Excessl stsrtin deficit lo date Balances 131 734.38 183 327.94 315 C62.32 NIL 52 999.06 236 327.00 183 327.94 NIL Total RMeTve• Llabllltl Unreslricled Desi nated Le ac RF Buildin Fund Total 44911.61 90.119.00 2 172.00 177,859.71 315,062.32 19 682.95 123 325.00 38 147.99 183,327.94 Poge 9
Analysis of incomiry resources Sd•cted perioa. 01 April 2024 to 30 Aprll 2025 Unmtrkt•d Tol•1 Donatlon• R ular Collections Recurrin SO'S eneral Recurrin SO'S desi nated Gtft Aid Re¢ove Investmonts Interest 11,742 107,531 30,196 25,259 107 531 30,196 2,636 1,045 3.681 Other Income Buildin Fund 130 326 130 326 Totsl 139711 317 075 Pogelo
1dgv•rth Evaryelical Congr•gational Church Report and Accounts, 30 WI 2026 SawbrIdge1rth Evangelical Congregational Church Anaty$is of outgoing$ 114r24 to 30104r25 Unr•strkt8d R¢t•d Thls Yoar 11094 La•tYwr Admin8tratorS•l• Afnh•tsons ButhJi Fund Buihyi Fund T1•fer Catéri chureh Ga8 Church E Church W8ter Rates Chureh Insur8n¢x' Church Suite CID•ner- Contract Colin & Bfon c8¥8r ht licn5es ¥mmun Fund sw Donations Other ment Events Gard8nin INF (Shirley Heood) 162 13.813 13,613 18,69) 1,250 6,397 1.235 325 670 292 325 592 592 6.330 2.600 972 8.704 1.300 37 225 2.800 2.4[ 933 21)J 972 3tsJ 37 225 1.611 1.020 1.Q20 1.300 1.300 Lthn Link M&H Frost Le al Fèes EC Manse COU11 Tax Manse Water Rates Manse Te hone Manse Insurance Manse Maintenanr Manse Olh8r Miscellaneous costs MinBters So Mini5teTS Ex ns88 Mini5teT5 Pen8Jn ration Mob Ple0 Ph¢ioco 3.250 12.156 2.975 552 707 482 1,287 972 2.013 42.711 29) 12.156 361 552 707 592 607 1.267 972 2,013 42.711 922 918 2.600 1.412 1,221 3.537 530 1.221 3,537 530 87 nses Publii?ty- NotKeboMrd & ht Now Madia uafdin St8oni St hen Poinil Stort val Trust Tgar Fund Te hon Broadband Transfer back to savi Trans rt-STC Stud M8tri&l$ 2,705 2.175 168 480 195 1C(I 340 741 401 X)1 15 1C 453 Youth Totsl 9.1x8 Please note the expendlture ftsr 23124 Is for a twelve month perlod, however for 24125 thls Is • pertod of thirteen months. this Ss drlven by the date of Incorporatlon as at 30 Aprll 2025 whlth requlred a loryr accounting period. consequently eypendlture comparlsons are for dlffedn8 perlods. Annu •xpenknn h•$ been than8ed to refiect the accruals basls of accountin8. Poge 11
Savtsidgeworth Evangeticol Congregational Church Report and Accourrt•, 30 April 2025 Nol•• on Accounts Total income in 2025 wal £317,075, {2024 restated.. £183.328) and experKlitur• £185,341. (2024. £239,369). The increase in income received was as a result of two focused 'giving day8" in May 2024 ar*d Apn'l 2025, aimed at raising additional funds for the building fund, through the 9enerou8 donation8 by tho Congregation the building fund Stood at £177,860 at the end of the financial year. For the 13 month$ ended 30 April 2025 the church accounts have changed from a receipt8 and payments basis to an accrual basis in line with Charity Commission rules that specfy this approach must be applied when gross Income exceeds £250,000. In addrtion. the accounts have been prepared for a 13 month ralher than the normal 12 month due to incorporation of the Church a8 CIO being effective from 30 April 2025. The 31 March 2024 comparative figure$ have been adjust1 to the accruals basis. The changes to the brought forward figures Can be summarized as follows.. N•t A•••t• at 114124 Alov•m•nt In p•dod to 3014125 N•t A•••ts At 3¢W4r25 ts8a• Accrued Déblorn at 114124 A(rd Credrtors at 114124 Pro¥Mion8 Accrued Creditors at 3014QS Accrued Otblors at 3014125 Ac4ruals Bq• 189658 120739 310397 857 1.230 1857 1 230 4.865 i?QO 200 183328 One-off or Capltal Expendlture L•gal Fees - the only area which saw an increase in expenditure this year relaled lo Legal Feeg. The FIEC solicitors, Edward Connor, have done considerable work to assess and prepare the church trusts and constitution for charity registration The complexily of this has increased cosls by £6,932 to total of £12,156, given the success of CIO slalus for the church on 30 April 2025 this level of expendrture will not be required on an ongoing basis. Building Fund - Expenditure on building projecl reduced from £48,334 in 23124 to £13,613 this year reflective that the costs relating to the architects fees and required surveys have now been met, these costs will however be financed from the general fund. Youth Work - The fonnal partnership with Red Balloon foundation providing assi8tan¢8 for youth work came to an end in the summer of 2024, thebY reducing costs from £15,071 to £9,068. Poge 12
saWbnd90rth Evangelical Congregational Church Roport and Accourrtg. 30 Awbl 2025 Fund Summary D••¢rlptlon• G•n•rnl Fund.. Covers the majority of ongoing running c08ts and D•slgn•t•d Funds Funds that the church establishes to receive desynat•d and pay for specific projects or activities: B•n•vol•nt Fund: For gifts to assist church members in financial need. Funded from specific gifts which have to be given without gift aid. Bulldlng Project: To cover the new building project (Set up MarGh 2019), a designated bank a¢¢ount was opened in December 2023. Community Fund: The Community Fund acts as an umbrella fund for all costs associated with the community including the popup shop, parenting courses, Open Door, Make Lunch, the Halley Centre and Zone. (set up April 2022) Misslonary Fund: Supports work by other Christian organizations OLrtside of the local area. Funded by 10/0 of general income {see below for details of missionaries we support) PA&AV: Re-activated to cover a major PA and Video upgrade. Property: Major building maintenance and capital expenditure costs. Funded by 100/0 of general income (Set up Nov 2010) Legacy RF: The restricted and endowment funds were closed in 2021, going fo¥ward graveyard maintenance costs will be funded from general income. Page 13
Evanplic•l Congrngational Church Report •nd Accourrt•, 30 Awll 2025 IAl••kxMrf•• and Organlzatlon• We Support Colin & Bron Cleaver, Operation Mobilization. Novosibirsk, Siberia.. Lead OM team and run discipleship center which trains and equips young Ru88ian Christians lo discover and u•e their gifts effectively. They also work alongside Baptist churches in and around the th. Martin & Hazel Frost.. Latin Link, City of San Francisco. Argentina.. Involved in bible teaching, web-authoring, prison visiting, school support and rural community projects. Yulia Notkin, Operation Mobilization, Novosibirsk, Siberia.. Tutor at the discipleship center run by Colin & Bron Cleaver who are involved in teaching. counselling and organizing tnp8 for stud8nts to gain experience in minislry. Dr. Shirley Heywood, Intemational Nepal Fellowship, Surkhet Di81rict, Nepal.. A gynecologist working with district hospitals and mobile camps performing surgery on women wrth obstetric fistulas. Regular giving was established in 22123 for both Christian Solidarity Worldwide and Stephen Pointing who is involved with missionary work. Stort Valley Trust.. Chnstian youth work in schools in and around Bishop's Stortford, Membors agreed lo recommence support for this group in March 2025. Page 14