Hope Community Church Cambridge Trustees’ Annual Report and Accounts
Period 1[st] April 2024 – 5[th] April 2025
1
Hope Community Church Cambridge
CONTENTS
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Charity Information |
3 |
| Trustees Report |
4-7 |
| Receipts and Payments Account |
8 |
| Statement of Assets and Liabilities | 9 |
| Notes on Receipts and Payments Accounts | 10-11 |
2
For the Period 1[st] April 2024 – 5[th] April 2025 Charity Information
| Trustees | Matthew Lillicrap (appointed 14/02/2023 resigned 26/10/2024) |
|---|---|
| (serving during the year and | David Walker (appointed 14/02/2023 resigned 26/02/2025) |
| those serving at the date of | Nicholas Early (appointed 14/02/2023 resigned 26/02/2025) |
| approval) | Rebecca Wylie (appointed 14/02/2023) |
| Timothy Nolan (appointed 17/05/2023) | |
| Peter Booth (appointed 17/05/2023) | |
| Graham Beynon (appointed 18/09/2024) | |
| Elizabeth Taylor (appointed 26/11/2024) | |
| Steven Mason (appointed 08/09/2025) | |
| Governing Document | Constitution dated 14/02/2023 |
| Charity Number | 1201948 |
| Registered Office | Teversham Chapel |
| High Street | |
| Teversham | |
| Cambridge | |
| CB1 9AS | |
| Independent Examiner | Alan A Clements FCIE |
| 15 Carleton Road | |
| Great Knowley, | |
| Chorley | |
| PR6 8TQ | |
| Bankers | The Co-operative Bank Plc |
| Kings Valley | |
| Yew Street | |
| Stockport | |
| Cheshire | |
| SK4 2JU |
3
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE PERIOD 1[st] April 2024 – 5[th] April 2025
The Trustees have the pleasure in submitting the Report and Accounts for the year 2024-25.
Objectives of the Charity
The Principal Object of Hope Community Church is to demonstrate the Christian faith in accordance with our Statement of Faith, through public worship, teaching, and social action in our community and overseas. This includes pastoral care and practical provision for those in need both inside and outside the church fellowship.
Governance
The policy and operating decisions of the Charity rest with the Trustees who meet regularly to monitor the activities of the Charity.
Review of Activities and Performance
Background
Hope Community Church was established by Rock Baptist Church, Cambridge in September 2007. It became an independent body in November 2010. On 5 July 2011 Hope Community Church Cambridge was entered by the Charity Commission (number 1142731). The merger of this charity with the charitable incorporated organisation Hope Community Church Cambridge (number 1201948) was registered with the Charity Commission on 4 July 2024 with a transfer date of 14 May 2024. Hope Community Church Cambridge (1142731) was removed from the register of charities on 3 July 2024.
Growth
The Church continues to use the Teversham Church of England Primary School for Sunday morning services. The Church uses The Chapel, High Street, Teversham CB1 9AS under the terms of the Chapel and Manse Trust for Sunday evening and various weekday events.
During the year the number of adults and children attending worship services and other groups and events has decreased slightly with around sixty adults and thirty children in regular or semi-regular attendance.
The Church employed three members of staff in this financial year: one full-time and two part-time.
In October 2024, after 3 years at Hope, our full-time pastor (Matthew Lillicrap) left employment to work with the University and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF). Recruitment for a new pastor began in November 2024. The first round of applications proved unsuccessful. A second round of applications started being reviewed in March 2025 and so the full-time pastor position remained unfilled at the end of the year.
4
Activities
Sunday morning services are held at Teversham Primary School each week with an average regular attendance of approximately 80 people. Church lunches were resumed in early 2024, having stopped during the Covid pandemic. These happened most months, on the second Sunday after the main service.
Church members met midweek for bible study and mutual support in various groups across the region to the East of Cambridge. A weekly Bible Study group for women continued to meet in Teversham chapel.
The social meeting for over-55s in the community continued to meet in Teversham Chapel on a fortnightly basis, supported by several church volunteers.
A social and craft meeting called Make Mend Muse ran during the first half of the year. This ran on Sunday evenings and was attended by a number of older children, teenagers and adults (a mix of church members and those from the community). For a number of reasons, this group stopped meeting regularly after November 2024 with the hope to run some less frequent one-off events when possible.
The Chapel has continued to benefit the whole community being used for Parish Council meetings and as a polling station for local and national elections. The Church continues to be actively involved in the local Church of England Primary School providing members of the Governing Body. The pastor (Matthew Lillicrap) regularly leads school collective worship.
In June 2024, the church got together with others in the area for a day of teaching on the subject of “grappling with emotions”. The main talks were given by a member and trustee of the church, Graham Beynon. This was a valuable opportunity for different churches to get together, hear from the bible, and encourage one another.
Numerous different events were held through the year and attended by members of the local communities, especially over the Christmas period. A wreath-making event and a youth Christmas banquet were run having proved very popular the previous year. The wreath-making event was moved to Teversham Primary School due to an increase in numbers whilst the youth banquet was held in Teversham chapel. Carol services and family services for Christmas were also held in Teversham Primary School.
The Church also continued to provide financial aid and pastoral support to people working crossculturally, including a couple supporting people from East Asia, a woman serving in Central Asia, and a family serving in Athens, Greece and a couple serving at a hospital in Madagascar.
Public Benefit
In preparing this report, and in their on-going oversight of Hope’s activities, the Trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit as it relates to Hope’s objectives, and remain entirely satisfied that Hope Community Church continues to operate within that guidance.
5
Future Developments
Hope Community Church is 18 years old at the time of this report. The principle objectives of the church, and therefore the charity, remain unchanged: the advancement of the Christian Faith in accordance with our basis of faith.
As a church, our direction is guided by the Bible, which has been setting the vision and purpose of the Christian church for the last 2,000 years. Decisions made for the future aim to set those Biblical priorities in the context of the community and specific opportunities set before us in East Cambridge.
As we look to the future, the Trustees aim to further the charitable purposes of Hope Community Church by continuing the work we are doing, and regularly reviewing the effectiveness and efficiency of that work and our church, stopping activities when it seems there is no longer significant demand and planning new activities to take advantage of new opportunities that arise.
Financial Review
This year marked a significant transition as the church became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and successfully completed the asset transfer from the previous charity. Regular ministry activities continued, including worship services, pastoral care, outreach, and mission support. Despite the departure of our full-time pastor mid-year, core ministries were maintained, and additional support was provided to those in need within the church family.
There are three employees who serve the church community by enabling various activities. The pastoral staff (pastor and pastoral worker) also serve the community by visiting and responding to people’s needs. The church has complied with government requirements by establishing pensions for all employees.
Hope Community Church Cambridge continues to have free use of Teversham Chapel on High Street, Teversham, while covering all maintenance, repairs, and alterations for the building. The church also pays Teversham Primary School for the use of its premises. In addition, the property at 8 High Street, Teversham, continues to be made available to the church and is now let under a private rental arrangement, providing funds towards the housing and employment of the church pastor.
Financially, the church remains in a strong position with healthy reserves to support future ministry. Giving has been steady, and while Gift Aid income will be reflected in the next financial year, the overall financial health provides confidence for ongoing operations and future planning.
Reserve Policy
The Trustees have established a reserve policy that requires at least three months of the normal annual expenditure to be held as a reserve. Any additional balances will be used at the discretion of the Trustees for purposes in keeping with the pursuing of the Church’s objectives.
6
Risk Statement
The Trustees have reviewed the risks to which a small charity operating with few employees is exposed. The Trustees have examined the major strategic, business and operational risks which the church faces and confirm that systems have been established to monitor those risks so that the necessary steps can be taken to lessen them.
The Church is especially vigilant regarding its work with children. The Church receives assistance and Advice on best practice from ThirtyOne:Eight (formerly CCPAS) and ensures that DBS checks are undertaken as necessary for those working with children and other vulnerable persons.
Trustees' Responsibilities
Charity law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each accounting year which give a true and fair view of the state of the charity and of its annual income and expenditure.
Trustees are required to:
-
Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently.
-
Make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent.
-
State whether the applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the accounts.
-
Prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable us to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011.
The Trustees have a responsibility to safeguard the assets of the charity and to take reasonable steps to prevent fraud or any other irregularities.
Approval
02/02/2026
This report was produced by the trustees and approved on______
Rebecca Wylie____ Date___ REBECCA WYLIE 02/02/2026 Timothy Nolan ____Date___ Timothy Nolan 02/02/2026
7
Receipts and Payments Account for The Period ended 5[th] April 2025
| Notes Receipts: Donation Income 2 Gift Aid Recovery 3 Other Income 4 Transfer from Old Charity 5 Total Receipts Payments: Staff Costs 6 General Ministry Costs 7 Mission Outreach Costs Operation Costs 8 Hardship & Pastoral needs 9 Other - Contingency Other - HMRC Direct debit difference 10 Total Payments Excess of Receipts over Payments General Bank Account at 1st April 2024 95 Day Notice Account at 1st April 2024 General Bank Account at 5th April 2025 95 Day Notice Account at 5th April 2025 |
General Funds Restricted Funds Total £ £ £ 79,009 500 79,509 0 0 - 16,292 983 17,275 76,567 53,310 129,877 171,869 54,793 226,661 35,177 0 35,177 11,580 0 11,580 11,900 0 11,900 1,287 0 1,287 25,594 500 26,094 978 978 - - - -394 - -394 86,123 500 86,623 |
|---|---|
| 85,746 54,293 140,039 | |
| - - - - - - 58,564 -58,564 27,182 54,29381,475 |
|
| 85,74654,293 140,039 |
8
Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of 5[th] April 2025
Notes Assets: 11 Co-op Bank: General Bank Account Co-op Bank: 95 Day Notice Account Total Bank accounts Liabilities: Prepayments Total Liabilities |
General Funds Restricted Funds Total £ £ £ 58,563.64 - 58,563.64 27,182.35 54,292.93 80,520.55 |
|---|---|
| 85,745.99 54,292.93 140,038.92 |
|
| 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
Notes on the Accounts for The Period ended 5[th] April 2025
1. Basis of Preparation:
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 and the current Church Accounting Regulations, using the Receipts and Payments basis. The accounting period covers 1[st] April 2024 to 5[th] April 2025. As the asset transfer to the new CIO occurred in mid-May, the effective period of activity for this financial year is approximately ten and a half months.
2. Donation Income:
| Donation Income: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| General Funds | Restricted Funds | Total | |
| £ | £ | £ | |
| Regular Giving | 69,514 | - |
69,514 |
| OtherOffering | 9,495 | 500 | 9,995 |
3. Our new CIO’s Gift Aid registration was completed after the end of the financial year, which meant we were unable to submit our claim within the year and therefore received no Gift Aid income during this period. Following the year-end, we successfully submitted our claim and received £18,172.19 relating to 2024–2025 donations. This income will be reflected in the next year’s accounts.
4. Other income:
| Other income: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| General Funds | RestrictedFunds | Total | |
| Miscellaneous inc. Bank Interests | 1,787 | 983 |
2,770 |
| Manse and Chapel Rental Income | 14,505 | - |
14,505 |
9
The majority of the Miscellaneous Income into General funds came from Crosslands, arising from tutoring provided by the pastor at the time. This source of income ceased following his departure. Two interest payments were received from the 95‑day notice account: £520.55 on 4 October 2024 and £954.73 on 4 April 2025. These amounts were allocated between general funds and restricted funds in proportion to the respective fund balances held in the account at the time.
5. Transfer from Previous Charity:
This amount is not treated as income. The organisation transitioned to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and merged with the previous charity, with the asset transfer completed on 14 and 15 May 2024. The former charity’s bank account remained open for approximately two months to allow for Gift Aid recovery and other refunds, and was closed in July 2024.
6. Staffing and Staff Costs:
At the start of the financial year, the church employed three staff members: one full-time pastor, one part-time women’s pastoral worker (2.5 days per week), and one part-time administrator (5 hours per week). The full-time pastor left in October 2024, halfway through the year. As a result, staff costs for the year were significantly lower than budgeted.
| General Funds £ |
Restricted Funds £ |
Total £ |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Staff Costs - Salaries | 32,479 | - |
32,479 |
| Staff Costs - Pensions | 2,699 | - |
2,699 |
| Staff Costs - Employer NI/ HMRC | - | - |
- |
7. General Ministry Costs:
| General Funds | Restricted Funds | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | |
| SundayCosts | 7,462 | - |
7,462 |
| PA/AV | 20 | - |
20 |
| WorshipTeam | 956 | - |
956 |
| Hope Kids | 1,093 | - |
1,093 |
| Church Leader Training& Resource | 663 | - |
663 |
| Church Leader Book Allowance | 211 | - |
211 |
| General Training& Resource | 1,174 | - |
1,174 |
8. Operation Costs:
| General Funds | Restricted Funds | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | |
| Pastor HousingCosts | 9,825 | 9,825 | |
| Manse Expenses - 8 High Street | 4,126 | 4,126 | |
| Chapel Costs | 4,180 | 500 |
4,680 |
10
| Church Resources/Operations | 6,157 | 6,157 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safeguarding | 1,133 | 1,133 | |
| Office Supply | 174 | 174 |
9.
Hardship and Pastoral Support:
Financial assistance was provided to individuals within the church family who had specific needs.
10. HMRC Direct Debit Adjustment:
A direct debit arrangement was set up with HMRC for PAYE payments. During the year, there were discrepancies between the amounts collected periodically and the actual monthly liabilities. Adjustments have been made to reconcile these differences on a cash basis.
11. Assets:
- No tangible fixed asset was recognised, expenditure on office and church equipment, furniture and fixtures are written off in the year in which it is incurred. The Trustees are of the opinion that such expenditure has no commercial resale value and that, in view of this, such costs should not be capitalised.
12.
Payments to trustees:
-
1) Expenses: Trustees and their family members incurred various expenses throughout the year carrying out the normal activities of the church. This included general ministry costs, local outreach costs, operation costs, hardship and pastoral needs. These expenses, totalled £7302.53, reimbursed to individuals relate solely to costs incurred on behalf of the organisation and do not represent any form of remuneration or personal benefit.
-
2) During the year, the pastor, as an employee, was automatically a trustee under the church’s governance arrangements. In addition, our long‑standing women’s pastoral worker became a trustee during the year, and a connected person to a trustee was also employed by the church. All arrangements were made in full accordance with the charity’s constitution and Charity Commission guidance. Relevant trustees did not take part in any discussions or decisions relating to their own roles or those of connected persons, and all conflicts of interest were properly identified and managed. The total remuneration and employment benefits paid to these individuals during the financial period, regardless of their trustee‑serving dates, amounted to £41,970.32.
Approval
This report was produced by the trustees and approved on_______ 02/02/2026
Rebecca Wylie _____ Date______ REBECCA WYLIE 02/02/2026
Timothy Nolan ____Date___ Timothy Nolan 02/02/2026
11
Charities Aet 2011. Independent knminer's ReporL Independent Examiner's Report to the Hope Community Churc14 Cambridge. I report on the ac£ounts of the charity for the year ended 5 . April 2025. which are set out on pages 8 to I l of this Report: R&4peetiYe responsibiRities of the trustees and eLqmiDer. The charity's trustees are responsible for the PraratIOn of the accounts. The charity's tnjstees consider that an audit is not required for this year under seclion 144(2) of the Chorities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and thaÉ an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to . examine the accounts under section 145 of the 201 l ACL follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commissioner under seclion 145 (5) (b) of the 2011 Act" and to state whether particular matters have come to mv attention. Basis of the Independent exAmlner'8 reporL My examination w&8 carried out in a¢¢ordance with ihe general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examinalion includes a review of the accountin8 records kepi bv the charity and a comparison of the accounts pre5entsd with those records. It also includes considerdiion of any unusual items or disclosures in the a¢¢ounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning an%. such matters. Th¢ procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence ihat would bc requircd in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a'tru¢ and fair vicw, and the rcp)rt is limited to those matters set out in th¢ statcm¢nt below. Independent ex2mlner'$ statemenL In connection with my examination, no matter h&8 wme to my attention: which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 A¢t: and to prepare accounts which accord with the accouniing records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been me¢ or 2. to which. in my Opinio attention should be drawn in order lo enabk a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Jio,, JI }/ é Iiigkz ll Date 3rd. February 2026. Fellow of the Association of Charxty Independent Examiners. Rey'd. A. A. Clements MA, ACIB, FCIE. 15 Carleton Ri)ad. Great Knowley* Chorley PR6 13