St Thomas' Church Cambridge
Report and Accounts 2 November 2023 to 31 December 2024
1 Lamb's Passage, London EC1Y 8AB www.stewardship.org.uk
ST THOMAS' CHURCH CAMBRIDGE
LEGAL & ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE 3 Silverdale Avenue Coton Cambridge CB23 7PP GOVERNING DOCUMENT CIO - Foundation registered 2 November 2023 as amended on 21 October 2024 CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER 1205550 TRUSTEES RESPONSIBLE FOR Jason Whitaker Fletcher MANAGING THE CHARITY Elaine Cooper Helen Fellows Andrew Fellows Fiona Mary Macaulay-Fletcher INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Sarah Crispin ACA Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB
INDEX
Page 1 Legal & Administrative Details Pages 2-4 Trustees' Report Page 5 Independent Examiner's Report Page 6 Receipts and Payments Account Page 7 Statement of Assets & Liabilities Pages 8 Notes to the Accounts
Page 1
St Thomas’ Church, Cambridge Report of the Trustees For the period ending 31st December 2024
The Trustees have pleasure in submitting the Report and Accounts for the period 2nd November 2023 to 31st December 2024.
Objects of the charity
The charity, which is a church, is governed by a constitution and is constituted as a charitable incorporated organisation. The charity's principal objectives, as set out in its governing document, is for the public benefit, to advance the Christian faith in accordance with the Statement of Faith in Cambridgeshire and such other parts of the United Kingdom as the Charity Trustees may from time to time decide.
Governance
Responsibility for setting policy and for making operating decisions rest with the trustees who meet regularly to monitor the activities of the charity. Day to day responsibility rests with a Leadership team who are currently made up of the Trustees and one other person. New trustees are recruited and appointed by the existing trustees, by a majority vote .
Summary of the charity's main activities and achievements
To further the above objects and vision, the charity's main activities and achievements were as follows:
a) To hold Christian services of worship each Sunday where the Bible is taught for the encouragement of all who attend. Everyone is welcome to our services, irrespective of denomination or background
b) Regular midweek meetings for Bible study and prayer
c) Weekly Bible study and prayer meeting for 20-30's, during term time, including eating together
d) A monthly lunch held after the church service
e) Termly prayer meetings where the whole church meets together
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The Activities on a Sunday are held in rented accommodation at Panton Hall. All other activities are held in homes.
f) One-off events include: a walk and picnic held on Easter Monday, watching a film followed by a discussion, doing a book study, an evening of carol singing, a carol service before Christmas, a Christmas day service, working voluntarily for a charity that offers practical support (e.g. decorating, gardening) to someone in need.
In planning the activities the Trustees have applied the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission.
One particularly significant event this year was St Thomas’ joining the Anglican Convocation in Europe. On 20th October the church was licensed and our minister was ordained as a deacon into the diocese by Bishop Ian Fergusen.
Financial review
In this first financial period during which the charity operated, income was £70,275 and expenditure was £41,475.. As a result the cash held by the charity increased by £28,800 to £28,800, of which £12,943 is unrestricted and can be used for any charitable purpose.
St Thomas’ benefits from the minister’s salary being paid by donors from outside the congregation. These donations are restricted for this purpose.
St Thomas’ at present does not have any additional classrooms for use for a creche/Children’s work on a Sunday. We currently have the children in the main auditorium with an activity table available. We are in the process of raising funds to build a garden room on the premises we currently rent from Heritage School. We have currently raised £5,632 and have an additional £35,000 pledged.
Reserves Policy
The Trustees have determined that the Charity should aim to hold unrestricted reserves of no less than £2,773, which equates to about 3 months of unrestricted expenditure, so that the charity could continue to operate should income and/or expenditure vary adversely. At the end of the year the charity held unrestricted cash of £12,943, complying with this policy.
Trustees Responsibilities
Charity Law requires Trustees to prepare financial Statements for each accounting year which record the receipts and payments of the Charity for the year.
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We are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which 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.
We also have responsibility to safeguard the assets of the Charity and to take reasonable steps to prevent fraud or any other irregularities.
This report was approved by the Trustees on ____and signed on their behalf by:
Helen Fellows
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT
TO THE TRUSTEES OF
ST THOMAS' CHURCH CAMBRIDGE
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of St Thomas' Church Cambridge ('the charity') for the period 2 November 2023 to 31 December 2024 on pages 6 to 8 following.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: 1. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; or
- the accounts do not accord with the accounting records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Sarah Crispin ACA Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB
Date:
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ST THOMAS' CHURCH CAMBRIDGE
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT
FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
| Notes Income receipts Donations Other grants Total receipts Payments 2 Total payments Transfers between funds 4 Net movement in funds Cash funds as at last year end Cash funds at this year end A Net of receipts / (payments) before Payments in relation to charitable activities undertaken directly |
General Designated Funds Funds £ £ 22,535 - - - 22,535 - 22,535 - 9,593 - 9,593 - 9,593 - 12,942 - - - 12,942 - - - 12,942 - Unrestricted Funds |
Restricted Funds £ 28,146 19,594 47,740 47,740 31,882 31,882 31,882 15,858 - 15,858 - 15,858 |
14 months 2024 £ 50,681 19,594 70,275 70,275 41,475 41,475 41,475 28,800 - 28,800 - 28,800 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
The notes on pages 8 form part of these accounts.
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ST THOMAS' CHURCH CAMBRIDGE
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2024
| Notes A Cash funds Cash at bank with immediate access B Other monetary assets Gift aid due to charity C Liabilities Falling due within one year Pension Fee for Independent Examination Diocese fees |
General Designated funds funds £ £ 12,942 - 12,942 - 2,258 - 2,258 - 248 - 930 - 1,859 - 3,037 - Unrestricted Funds |
Restricted funds £ 15,858 15,858 756 756 - - - - |
2024 £ 28,800 28,800 3,014 3,014 248 930 1,859 3,037 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
D Guarantees and secured debts
The charity has not given any guarantees and has not provided its assets as security for any liabilities.
The accounts were approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
_____ Jason Fletcher Date:_____
The notes on pages 8 form part of these accounts.
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ST THOMAS' CHURCH CAMBRIDGE
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
1 Accounting policies
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis and comprise a statement that shows the charity's receipts and payments, a statement that summarises the charity's assets and liabilities and related notes. The accountancy profession have determined that only accounts prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards present a 'true and fair' view and, as these receipts and payments accounts have not (and cannot) be prepared in accordance with accounting standards, these accounts do not present (and are not intended to present) a 'true and fair' view of the charity's financial activities and state of affairs.
General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. Restricted funds are donations which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors; they include donations received from appeals for specific activities or projects.
| 2 Payments in relation to charitable activities undertaken directly Employment costs (see note 3) Ministry expenses Rent Insurance/Licences Advertising Training and conference costs |
Unrestrict | Designated funds £ - - - - - - - ed Funds |
Restricted Funds £ 31,882 - - - - - 31,882 |
14 months Total 2024 £ 33,199 1,362 5,661 651 381 220 41,475 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General funds £ 1,318 1,362 5,661 651 381 220 9,593 |
3 Transactions with related parties
Andrew Fellows served as a church leader and was paid £32,612 for serving in that capacity, not for serving as a trustee; this payment is permitted by the charity's governing document.
4 Movement of funds
| General funds Restricted funds Minister's Salary Fund Garden Room Fund Total funds |
Opening balance £ - - - - - - |
Receipts £ 22,535 22,535 42,108 5,632 47,740 70,275 |
Payments £ (9,593) (9,593) (31,882) (31,882) (41,475) |
Transfers £ - - - - |
Closing balance £ 12,942 12,942 10,226 5,632 15,858 28,800 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Minister's Salary Fund are monies received from donors who supported Andrew in his previous employment and were prepared to carry on that support in his new employment. These are therefore restricted to only be spent on his salary.
The Garden Room Fund are funds raised in order to build a classroom in the grounds of the premises we rent in order to facilitate Sunday school activites.
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