Martha and Mary Annual Report 2024-25
This has been another busy and exciting year for Martha and Mary. With Michelle now firmly established as café manager I am pleased to say our customer numbers and our opening hours are both increasing. The hours on Wednesday and Thursday now open until 4pm.
Although we have a very committed team of 15 volunteers who are always willing to step in with extra shifts to cover holidays or absences we are always looking at ways to recruit more. WE still have a good relationship with Newcastle University and get student volunteers on placement. This year we have been especially lucky to have had Chris and Abby, who has stayed on as a permanent volunteer when her placement ended. I would like to thank them all for their support and commitment. I would also especially like to offer our thanks to Anne Abbott who retired last year after 20 years of volunteering and Liam Evans who has moved on to new ventures after being with us for many years.
On a sad note I would like to remember Isabel Tate and Rob O’Neil who both sadly passed away this year. They were both supporters from our very start and I am happy to say that we were able to hold an afternoon remembrance event for Rob.
The trustees have met 7 times since the last A.G.M. As well as the every day running of the charity the main items for discussion and action have been planning for the Heaton Festival and other events including our 20[th] birthday celebration. We have also been very involved with the legal changes necessary to becoming an I.C.T.
I would like to thank all the trustees for their efforts this year but especially David Wells our secretary and Margaret Brumwell who has taken on extra responsibilities with our finances, banking our takings each week and keeping financial records.
We are sorry to lose Stephen Brownlee as treasurer and trustee as he retires, and offer our thanks to him for his 10 years service. We are actively seeking to replace Stephen so if you know anyone with accounting experience we would love to hear from them.
As you can see from the accounts Michelle has been very successful in attracting grants which as well as paying the bills and rent has enabled us to complete the refurbishment of the back room, which is now in great demand
for groups and install LED lighting. We are also planning to install more economical heating before the winter.
There have been 2 major events during the last 12 months. The first being Heaton Festival which was on a beautiful sunny day last June. The tea tent was in a much more central position this time and attracted a lot more custom. Our volunteers, and those from other churches, once again surpassed themselves with baking and serving an amazing number of people during the day. Our thanks go to Victoria for all her planning and organising.
The other major event was our 20[th] birthday celebration tea party in September which was attended by many of our friends and supporters and volunteers past and present. We were delighted to welcome councillor Henry Gallagher, deputy Lord Mayor and Sheriff of Newcastle, who made the day really special for u. Certainly something to celebrate. A great achievement only made possible by the support of so many over the years.
During the year we were able to hold many of our regular events, Soup and Stotties, Strawberry Teas, Mother’s Day Tea, Big Brekkie for Christian Aid and our regular Christmas event with the Salvation Army Band
Michelle has worked hard to introduce new groups and events including a Table Top Sale, Wreath Making workshops, Zen Drawing and a very popular Crochet Group. The Knit and Natter Group is still very popular, Michelle still runs her sewing class and the local Councillors continue to hold their monthly surgeries.
Michelle organised a Christmas thank you lunch for volunteers and a Christmas lunch for some of our customers who live alone which was very much appreciated. She has worked very hard on keeping our publicity up to date on facebook and other outlets.
We have so much to be grateful for and I would like to thank Michelle for all her hard work over the year.
My personal thanks must also go to Jim, other members of my family and the lads from Dyno-Rod who are always there to help out in times of need.
The inaugural meeting of Martha and Mary was held over 21 years ago in this church when we first realised the significance for us of these lovely windows, and each year since then we have held our A.G.M. here. We are so sorry to hear that St. Cuthbert’s is to close at the end of August and do hope a new home can be found for the windows. We would like to thank the church members for all their support over the years. We will miss coming here.
Finally I would like to thank all of you for being here, and for your prayers and support, some of you for all of the 21 years. We couldn’t have done any of these things without you.
We look forward to the future with confidence as we continue to develop our work in the community.
Thank you.
Martha and Mary Association.
Financial Statements.
for the year ended 31st March 2025.
Martha and Mary Association.
| Chairman. | Mrs Elizabeth Screen.B.E.M. |
|---|---|
| Honorary Secretary. | Mr D. Wells. |
| Honorary Treasurer. | |
| Trustees. | Mrs Anne Abbott. |
| Mrs Dorothy Archer. | |
| Mrs Margert Brumwell. | |
| Miss Anne Cowell. | |
| Mr David Forster. | |
| Revd Jonathan Lawson. | |
| Mrs Elizabeth Screen. B.E.M. | |
| Mr David Wells. | |
| Address. | Martha and Mary Association, |
| 212 Chillingham Road, | |
| Heaton, | |
| Newcastle upon Tyne. | |
| NE6 5LN. | |
| Bankers. | Barclays Bank PLC, |
| Gosforth High Street, | |
| Gosforth, | |
| Newcastle upon Tyne. | |
| Independent Examiner. | Mr R.J.Crowe.MSc, ACMA. |
| 93 Weardale Avenue, | |
| Newcastle upon Tyne. | |
| NE12 7JA. |
Martha and Mary Association.
Income and Expenditure Account for the year ended 31st March 2025.
| 2025 | 2025 | 2024 | 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notes. | £. | £. | £. | £. | |
| Income. | |||||
| Food Drink and Other Sales. | 8413 | 5841 | |||
| Buffet and drinks. | 0 | 360 | |||
| Shop donations. | 624 | 581 | |||
| Other donations. | 1 | 1836 | 855 | ||
| Gift Aid. | 0 | 345 | |||
| Christian Aid. | 50 | 129 | |||
| Grants received. | 2 | 28199 | 18950 | ||
| Special Efforts/Events. | 3 | 273 | 928 | ||
| Knit and Natter group. | 155 | 230 | |||
| Room hire. | 120 | 330 | |||
| Rent received. | 779 | 720 | |||
| Wreath making. | 80 | 0 | |||
| Fund Raising Events (Raffle.) | 0 | 48 | |||
| Subscriptions. | 280 | 175 | |||
| Sundry income. | 344 | 184 | |||
| Interest Received. | 13 | 13 | |||
| 41166 | 29689 | ||||
| Expenditure. | |||||
| Café Manager Salary. | 12152 | 3808 | |||
| Employers National Insurance. | 421 | 107 | |||
| Nest Pension. | 177 | 57 | |||
| Administration and Training. | 0 | 0 | |||
| Cleaning Materials. | 0 | 21 | |||
| Light and Heat.(E.On/British Gas.) | 1725 | 2068 | |||
| Food, Drink and other purchases. | 2724 | 1519 | |||
| Insurance. | 862 | 789 | |||
| Christian Aid. | 0 | 129 | |||
| Maintenance and Security. | 0 | 144 | |||
| Printing. | 0 | 40 | |||
| Advertising. | 150 | 0 | |||
| Refuse Collection. | 222 | 213 | |||
| Rent and Rates. | 9267 | 9297 | |||
| Repairs and Renewals. | 525 | 13 | |||
| Stationery and postage. | 21 | 0 | |||
| Telephone and Broadband. | 194 | 402 | |||
| Payroll fee(café Manager.) | 120 | 120 | |||
| Consultancy fee (Café Manager.) | 0 | 180 | |||
| Professional fee Charitable Incorporated org. Work.) | 0 | 588 | |||
| Sundries. | 1172 | 27 | |||
| 29732 | 19522 |
Martha and Mary Association.
Balance Sheet as at the 31st March 2025.
| Fixed Assets. Current Assets. Stock. Prepayments.(Rent and Insurance). Sumup debtor. Cash at Bank. Deposit ( Virgin Money.) Petty Cash. Current Liabilities. Other Accruals. Net Current Assets. Reserves. Balance at the 1st April 2024. Surplus of income over expenditure. Balance at the 31st March 2025. |
2025 2025 2024 2024 £ £ £ £ 2261 797 0 86 2180 2161 445 445 9252 13199 14363 1351 130 74 26370 17316 203 1119 203 1119 28428 16994 16994 6827 11434 10167 28428 16994 |
2025 2025 2024 2024 £ £ £ £ 2261 797 0 86 2180 2161 445 445 9252 13199 14363 1351 130 74 26370 17316 203 1119 203 1119 28428 16994 16994 6827 11434 10167 28428 16994 |
|---|---|---|
| 16994 | ||
| 6827 10167 |
||
| 16994 |
Martha and Mary Association.
| Notes. 1. Other Donations. St Gabriels Mission Fund. St Georges. Ann Cowell. Npg survey. Ann Abbott. Beryle Wood. Stephen Brownlee. Heaton Festival. G.C.Pearce. Miscs small donations. 2. Grants Received. Prudhoe Street Mission. Virgin money grant. Greatham Hospital. The Ballinger Charity(Café Manager Salary.) National Lottery. The Joicey Trust. NCC Warm funding (Refurbishment). NCC Warm hub. NCC ward grant. James Knott. National lottery. 3.Special Efforts/Events. Easter Event(2024.). Carol Service Salvation Army. Strawberry Scon & Teas. Soup and Stottie Day. Easter Coffee Morning (2023). Pie and Pea Day. Raffle. Birthday Tea. |
2025 £. 350 1000 0 0 0 0 0 63 150 273 1836 2025 £. 2000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1200 5000 19999 28199 2025 £. 0 85 0 101 0 0 87 0 273 |
2024 £. 350 0 100 100 50 100 120 0 0 35 |
|---|---|---|
| 855 | ||
| 2024 £. 1000 500 1000 5000 9000 1000 1000 450 0 0 0 |
||
| 18950 | ||
| 2024 £. 93 109 90 181 155 200 0 100 |
||
| 928 |
INDEPENDEFrr EKAMINER'S UNQUAUFIED REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF klARTHA AND MARY ASSOCIATION I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above chawity (Ihe for the year ended 31 March 2025. Rtsponsibilities and basis of this report As the chatity ITUStees of the Trust you ate responsibk for the preparation of the acLx)unts in accordan with the requireff£nts of the CharitEs Ad 2011 (Ihe Acf) and that an independent examination is apptc¥)tiate. I report in tespect of my exinatiOn of the TrS accounts carr*d out under section 145 of thè 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have folkA%ed all the appbcable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the A< Independent examinerfs slatement I have completed tny examination. I confinn that no material matters have come to my attention in 1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the 2. the accounts do not atxord with those records," or 3. the accounts do not axnply with ts applicable requiremerrts ConMirNj the fomi and content of a(xounts set out in the Charities {Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a Irue and fair view which is not a matter Wrth regartl to any (>)ing Conrn &8ues due to the severe Knpact of COVltk19 on the finances of the Trust in rent years and exper1 to a tnuch lesser extent in the next financial year, despite these eX[ted difficutti8s. based on all the infomiation currenty available I do not have a use for concem. This is because of the continued availabilty of substanlial cash balan due to business granurebated rates received via local aty council in 2020 and other ongoing grants and donations which should be more than enough to cover expeded expefKliiure during the next financial year. I therefor8 have no coneems and have cixne across no other FnatteTS in conne(aion with the examination to which attention should be dra in this report in otdeT to enable a proper understanding of the a(Unts to b8 reached. sned". R J Crowe. MSC. ACM 93 Weardale Avenue. Newcastle upon Tyne. NE12 7JA. 18 July 2025 Independent examination of chanty accounts." D1ctionS and guidance for examiners {CC32) 55
MARTHA and MARY ASSOCIATION
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S COMMENTS/OBSERVATIONS ON 2023-24 ACCOUNTS.
There are now no material matters that have come to my attention in the examination of these revised accounts which give me cause for major concern. So once again a job well done by all those involved with the charity’s finances and especially the Honorary Treasurer (Stephen Brownlee) for the extra diligent payroll and pension work involved with the recruitment of the Café Manager.
Points to note for information with regard to these revised final accounts are as follows:-
-
In the absence of any stocktaking at 31 Mach 2025 an estimated £80 for “stock” at that date has been included in the Balance Sheet and deducted from “Food, Drink and other purchases” in the Income and Expenditure Account.
-
As a result of point 1 above the “Surplus for the year” in the Income and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet has increased by £80 to £11514.
-
There has been a transfer of £863 from “Sundries” to “Food, Drink and other purchases” in the Income and Expenditure Account to correctly reflect supplies treated as expenses.
-
There has been a transfer of £50 contra payment from “Sundries” to “Christian Aid” to offset the corresponding income in the Income and Expenditure Account.
-
There has been a transfer of £30 from “Sundry Income” to ”Grants Received” in the Income and Expenditure Account to properly reflect income from the Heaton Council per Note 2.
-
There has been a transfer of £110 from “Repairs and Renewals” to “Maintenance and Security” in the Income and Expenditure Account.
-
A small amount of “Food, Drink and other expenditure” has not been supported by invoices/bills/receipts and all such expenditure must be supported by such evidence in future accounts.
-
It is accepted that there are no conditions arising which would cause the repayment of any of the grants received in previous and present years as they all have been used to help offset agreed café general running and renovation costs as appropriate.
-
R J. Crowe.
R J Crowe.
18 July 2025
Examiners Report File is in the Combined Adobe File attached