**Trustees Annual Return, 2024/25, Year Ending 30-09-2025** ## **Contents** Trustees Annual Report pages 1-4 Receipts and Payments summary sheet pages 5, 6 Statement of Assets & Liabilities pages 6, 7 Independent Examiner's Report pages 7,8 Report Declaration page 9 ## **Trustees Report Year Ending 30-09-2025** (Presented 4-2-2025) I am reporting for the **Hartlepool Church of the Nazarene** , Lowthian Road, Hartlepool, TS26 8AN. Our **Church Charity trustees** (ie the Church Board members) this year have been Catherine and David Thompson, Sandra Hunt, Dorothy Yeates, and Janet Bates. Should new trustees need to be appointed, this will be done by secret ballot. As from 7thDec,2023, the church is now officially recognised by the Charity Commission for England and Wales (the CCEW) as a legal body called a CIO for short, with the charity number 1206101. Because of this we are now governed not only by the Church Manual, but also by our new CIO governing document (or constitution) as it is called, which was carefully drafted by the South District so that it did not clash with the Church Manual. **Our Charity “Objects”** in our new constitution are “the advancement of the Christian Faith as part of the Church of the Nazarene Inc and the District principally but not exclusively in northern England.” This report intends to bring a summary of our activities and achievements in the past year. which, thankfully, have got back to normal after the covid 19 pandemic, although some of our number continue to suffer quite badly from the effects of long covid. **Public Benefit** . The Trustees are very aware of the legal requirement to have due regard to the aspect of public benefit in all the work of the church. **Meetings and Ministry.** Throughout the year we have been encouraged by our part time Minister at weekly services, prayer meetings, the Tuesday ladies Craft meeting, and our involvement in the Churches Together Lent course, which we host, and other meetings, such as the week of prayer for Christian unity, and the monthly interdenominational Torch group prayer meeting for those with impaired sight. (The Torch Trust for the Blind charity - CCEW no.1095904 has had a close association with our church for some 30 plus years now) The numbers for the Tuesday morning ladies meeting are not yet as high as before the pandemic, but the meeting is much appreciated by those that do attend, as it continues to offer a place of refuge for ladies needing a place to enjoy a chat, or try their hand at something they have not had the confidence to do before. Page **1** of **9** Hartlepool Church of the Nazarene CIO -CCEW no. 1206101. Trustees Annual Return 2024/25 2-3-2026 **Financial Provision** . We are so grateful to those that continue to support the church financially because without that support, the running costs of the church would be impossible to meet. Throughout this year because we are now an official charity we have been able to supplement our income by claiming the tax refunds from HMRC using the Gift Aid claim scheme, and the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme (GASDS for short). This has been very beneficial for the church, and we are so grateful for those that take part in the Gift aid scheme. In case you are wondering, you can only Gift aid if you pay tax on your income, so unfortunately that rules out a lot of our members. The church expenditure includes things like the church insurance, copyright licence, and utilities bills as well as our Minister’s salary, and her ‘continuing professional development’. Some of the regional fellowship meetings with other pastors, etc, were held by virtue of technology like “Zoom,” which does cut down a bit on time and travel costs. **Good News Prisons Ministry** . We still manage every month to now package and distribute about 3,000 Good News Christian newspapers to over 100 prisons on behalf of the Good News prisons ministry. The costs for this are borne by that charity, but we are grateful for the willing hands here that count, pack and seal the papers into about 118 parcels to post to the different prisons throughout the UK. However, do pray that these papers will be read, and also for all the Chaplains and prisoners as these papers are given out. **Community Outreach** . As part of our outreach to the community the church does buy about 60 of these same papers, which are distributed around the doors in this area. Do continue to pray that these papers will encourage and help the folks that read them. **Financial Outgoings** . Fortunately, once again the maintenance costs of the church have been minimal, leaving our utility bills and insurances and licences to pay, which do amount to quite a lot. I don’t think there have been any very significant repairs this year. I think the only thing worth reporting was the replacement of a few floorboards because of woodworm infestation. Time will tell if we found all the affected boards, but if anyone sees any more woodworm holes please do tell us. **Financial Reserve.** The Trustees consider that the charity should attempt to hold unrestricted reserves equivalent to approximately 3 months average expenditure. This is generally achieved, but as the church is totally supported by completely voluntary giving, largely through the weekly offerings, and no charges are levied for any of our services, there is little option but to carefully monitor our finances. In the final analysis, we can only trust God's promise that as the apostle Paul wrote "He will supply our needs" -Philippians 4:19. Thankfully, over many years, the Trustees have been able to keep the church doors open to welcome and support people in our surrounding community. The **dormant church land** next to the church still needs resolving. Unfortunately, rubbish continues to be dumped on the land. We must again record a big thank you to Dorothy’s ceaseless efforts to keep it litter free; every day going and picking up the debris. Even this is a Hartlepool Church of the Nazarene CIO -CCEW no. 1206101. Trustees Annual Return 2024/25 Page **2** of **9** 2-3-2026 witness, because various people have noticed, and passed comment about her doing it, so we never know what fruits this will bear. **The risk management, and safeguarding strategies** of the church are always in a continual process of formulation in response to the changing circumstances that could impact upon the work of the church. The Board of Trustees, in considering this important task, take direction from on-going discussions with members both internally and through meetings with the Church of The Nazarene British Isles North District and other advisers, adopting appropriate policies as required, or as they become necessary for the ongoing work of the church **The Pastor’s report – February 2026** is included here in it’s entirety to give a flavour of the work of the church throughout the year. This is my nineteenth report on behalf of the Church of the Nazarene here in Hartlepool. Officially reporting from October 2024 to September 2025. We are once again thankful to God for enabling us to continue serving Him here in this small corner of Hartlepool. Our numbers gathering to worship each week are smaller than they were, but those who come on a regular basis are blessed by our meeting together and for that we praise God. This year has seen us continue to hold regular, weekly, Sunday services. We are thankful to those who have spoken for us when Dave and I have not been here. Thank you to you all for sharing at the DIY service when we are at the District Assembly. We began the church year 2024 - October- doing a short series on God as our Father. November saw us beginning to look at the Gospel of John. We took at break from John for an Advent series on 'Longing for Light.' At this point in time we are almost at the end of John chapter 8, so I rather think John's gospel will occupy our Sunday meetings for many months to come! Our Sunday services also give us opportunity to pray together and try to keep informed about the work of the church around the world. This is especially emphasized on the last Sunday of each month when we have a particular Missionary emphasis in our service. This allows us to be informed and give financially to the work of mission around the world. We once again overpaid our Missionary allocation - thank you to everyone who gave, and continues to give, to this work of the global church. Our Wednesday Bible study and prayer meetings have taken place most weeks of the year, with the last Wednesday of the month being set aside for prayer. During Lent our Wednesday meetings become a soup lunch followed by a study. Lent 2025 saw us using Tim Chester's book 'Our Radiant Redeemer' looking at the various gospel accounts of the Transfiguration. We had a number of folk from other churches join us for these weeks and we all benefitted from this time together. Our Friday morning prayer times have also continued most Friday's of the year. Page **3** of **9** Hartlepool Church of the Nazarene CIO -CCEW no. 1206101. Trustees Annual Return 2024/25 2-3-2026 We thank Dorothy for her continued production of the bi-monthly church magazine. This is delivered to a number of local people as well as posted, or emailed, around this country and the world. Dorothy and Dave continue to pack up and post the Good News Newspapers to over 80 prisons around the country. They are well received and it is good we are able to continue to do this. The Tuesday ladies group has continued to meet during school term times. Although numbers remain small 2 new ladies have become regular attenders this year. One, Sandra met at her Pulmonary Rehabilitation sessions - we never know how God will use us to help others find out about Him! All of those who attend on Tuesday appreciate the company and opportunity to be out and mixing with others. We again held services on Tuesdays at Harvest and Christmas which some of the ladies attended. Do pray for the ladies who attend who do not know Jesus. We do not want to preach "at" them but we do want them to come to know Jesus for themselves. We continue to send cards to those we hear of who are not well, or have other needs, assuring them of our prayers. We are thankful to God that this is an area in which we, as a small congregation, can encourage others. We do thank Sandra for her willingness to continue to make these for us to send. In recent weeks Dorothy’s creations have also been sent - strictly this should be in next year’s report - but I will have forgotten that by then! Another item within is strictly for next year’s report is the death of Margaret Burgess. She died on October 12th 2025 att he age of 93. I had the privilege of taking her funeral at the end of October. The family kindly asked that donations in lieu of flowers be given to the church and £220 was received. Please continue to pray for Margaret's family that they may come to have the personal faith their mum had. I am thankful for each individual who attends and supports our fellowship. Your being here is support even if you feel your presence makes little difference. Let me assure you it does. We all matter to God and so matter to each other too. I was reading earlier this week some of Paul's first letter to the Thessalonian church. In chapter 1 verse 2 he writes: _We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers._ _**[3 ]** We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. (_ 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3) In the next chapter Paul writes: _For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,_ _**[12 ]** encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory._ _And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe._ (1 Thessalonians 2:11-13) May we continue to be thankful for each other and encourage, comfort and urge each other in our faith. Reminding one another that endurance is often part of the Christina life. Let us continue to pray that others who hear God's word here may come to see it as the word of God, as Paul says, and be willing to live their lives directed by that word. Page **4** of **9** Hartlepool Church of the Nazarene CIO -CCEW no. 1206101. Trustees Annual Return 2024/25 2-3-2026 As we move on into a new church year may we have opportunities to share the word of God with others so they too can come to accept that word and allow it to work in their lives. Respectfully submitted, Catherine Thompson **Our financial situation** is summarised in the **R & P accounts, and Statement of Assets and Liabilities.** **The following completed tables for the Hartlepool Church of the Nazarene CIO are copies abstracted from the downloadable CCEW MS excel accounting template titled “Receipts and payments accounts (CC16a): charity accounting template” Sections A and B.** The figures for the church have been produced in accordance with the document titled “Completion notes for the receipts and payments accounts pack (CC16b)”, which accompanies the file. Therefore this spreadsheet should ensure compliance with the requirements of the law, and be admissible for submission in this return. |**Hartlepool Church of the Nazarene CIO CCEW no.1206101 **|**Hartlepool Church of the Nazarene CIO CCEW no.1206101 **|**Hartlepool Church of the Nazarene CIO CCEW no.1206101 **|**Hartlepool Church of the Nazarene CIO CCEW no.1206101 **|**Hartlepool Church of the Nazarene CIO CCEW no.1206101 **|**Hartlepool Church of the Nazarene CIO CCEW no.1206101 **| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |**Section A Statement of Receipts and payments from 1-10-2024 to 30-9-2025**|||||| ||**Unrestricted**
**funds**|**Restricted**
**funds**|**Endowment**
**funds**|**Total**
**funds**|**Total funds**
**Lastyear to**| ||**to the nearest**
**£**|**to the nearest**
**£**|**to the**
**nearest £**|**to the**
**nearest**
**£**|**the nearest £**
**(ie for 23/24)**| |**A1 Receipts**|**``**||||| |Donations (ie Offerings)|**10,977**|**1,355**|**-**|
**12,332**|**15,510**| |Legacies|**3,913**|**-**|**-**|
**3,913**|**-**| |HMRC Gift Aid & GASDS
refunds|**5,246**|**-**|**-**|
**5,246**|**-**| |Receipts from miscellaneous
sources|**1,035**|**-**|**-**|
**1,035**|**-**| |Gross tradingreceipts|**-**|**-**|**-**|
**-**|**-**| |Income from investments
other than land and buildings.|**-**|**-**|**-**|
**-**|**-**| |
Rents from land & buildings|**-**|**-**|**-**|
**-**|**-**| |Gross receipts from other
charitable activities|**813**|**-**|**-**|
**813**|**-**| |**_Sub total_**|
**21,984**|**1,355**||
**23,339**|**15,510**| ||||**-**||| ||||||| ||||||| |**A2 Asset and investment**
**sales, etc. **|**-**|**-**|**-**|
**- **|**-**| ||||||| Page **5** of **9** Hartlepool Church of the Nazarene CIO -CCEW no. 1206101. Trustees Annual Return 2024/25 2-3-2026 |**_Total receipts_**|**21,984.00**|**1,355**||
**23,339**|**15,510**|**15,510**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||||**-**|||| |||||||| |||||||| |**A3 Payments**||||||| |Expenses for fundraising
activities|**-**|**-**|**-**|
**-**|**-**|| |Gross trading payments|**-**|**-**|**-**|
**-**|**-**|| |Investment management costs|**-**|**-**|**-**|
**-**|**-**|| |Payments relating directly to
charitable activities|**15,779**|**1,355**|**-**||**15,304**|| |||||**17,134**||| |Grants and donations|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|| |Governance costs:|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|| |Audit / independent
examination|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|| |Preparation of annual
accounts|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|| |Legal costs|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|| |Other|
**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|| |**_Sub total_**|**15,779**|**1,355**||**17,134**|**15,304**|| ||||**-**|||| |||||||| |**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, etc. **|**-**|**-**|**-**|
**-**|**-**|| |||||||| |**_Total payments_**|**15,779**|**1,355**|**-**|**17,134**|**15,304**|| |||||||| |**_Net of receipts/(payments)_**|**6,205**|||**6,205**|**206**|| |||
**0**|
**-**|||| |**A5 Transfers between funds**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|| |**A6 Cash funds last year end**|**22,057**|
**4**||**22,061**|**22,061**|| ||||
**-**|||| |**_Cash funds this year end_**|**28,262**|
**4**||**28,266**||| ||||
**-**|||| |||||||| ||||| |---|---|---|---| |**Hartlepool Church of the Nazarene CIO CCEW no.1206101**
**Section B Statement of Assets and Liabilities at the end ofperiod 2024/25**
**B1 Cash funds**
**Details**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**Endowment**
**funds**|||| |**B1 Cash funds**|**Details**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**|**Restricted**
**funds**| Page **6** of **9** Hartlepool Church of the Nazarene CIO -CCEW no. 1206101. Trustees Annual Return 2024/25 2-3-2026 |||**to nearest £**|**to nearest**
**£**|**to nearest £**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Offerings|**28,262**|**4**|**-**| ||**_Total cash funds_**|||| |||
**28,262**|**4**|**-**| |||||| ||(agree balances with
receipts and
payments account(s))|||| |||OK|OK|OK| |**B2 Other monetary**
**assets**|**Details**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**|**Restricted**
**funds**|**Endowment**
**funds**| |||**to nearest £**|**to nearest**
**£**|**to nearest £**| ||Manse sale(in 2008)
Deposit Account
Balance as at 2-9-
2025|**-**|**81,478**|**-**| |**B3 Investment assets**|**Details**|**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**|**Cost**
**(optional)**|**Current value**
**(optional)**| ||None||**-**|**-**| |**B4 Assets retained for**
**the charity’s ownuse**|**Details**|**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**|**Cost**
**(optional)**|**Current value**
**(optional)**| ||Church Building|Unrestricted|**Not**
**Known**|**-**| ||All Church furniture,
fittings, books,
musical instruments,
PA system,
furnishings, kitchen &
ancillary rooms fittings
& equipment|Unrestricted|**Not**
**Known**|**-**| ||Vacant Compound
Land adjacent Church|Unrestricted|**Not**
**Known**|**-**| |**B5 Liabilities**|**Details**|**Fund to which**
**liability relates**|**Amount**
**due**
**(optional)**|**When due**
**(optional)**| ||Ongoing Building
Maintenance|Unrestricted|**Not**
**known**|**Ongoing**| ||Possible works to
trees and grounds in
compound|Unrestricted||**Not Known**| **Independent examiner's report on the accounts** Page **7** of **9** Hartlepool Church of the Nazarene CIO -CCEW no. 1206101. Trustees Annual Return 2024/25 2-3-2026 **Section A Independent Examiner’s Report** |**Report to the trustees/**
**members of**
**On accounts for the year**
**ended**
**Set out on pages**
**Responsibilities and basis of**
**report**|Charity Name
**Hartlepool Church of the Nazarene**|Charity Name
**Hartlepool Church of the Nazarene**|Charity Name
**Hartlepool Church of the Nazarene**| |---|---|---|---| ||||| ||**30th September, 2025**|**Charity no**
**(if any)**|**1206101**| ||||| ||This page only.
(remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)||| ||I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the
above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended**30-09-2025**.**DD /**
**MM / YYYY**.||| As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material **Independent examiner's** matters have come to my attention in connection with the **statement** examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: - accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 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. **Signed: Date:** February 2025 **Name:** B. Allan **Relevant professional** Retired. **qualification(s) or body (if any): Address:** Page **8** of **9** Hartlepool Church of the Nazarene CIO -CCEW no. 1206101. Trustees Annual Return 2024/25 2-3-2026 ## **Report Declaration** ## **The charity's trustees hereby declare they have approved this Annual Return.** Signed by two trustees on behalf of all the trustees of The Hartlepool Church of the Nazarene, Lowthian Rd. Hartlepool TS26 8AN CCEW no.1206101 |Signature|Print Name|Date of approval|| |---|---|---|---| ||D. Thompson|4-2-2026|| ||S.K. Hunt|4-2-2026|| Page **9** of **9** Hartlepool Church of the Nazarene CIO -CCEW no. 1206101. Trustees Annual Return 2024/25 2-3-2026