## **BOURNEMOUTH (WINTON) CHRISTADELPHIAN CHURCH** 574 Wimborne Road Winton Bournemouth BH9 2ER www.wintonchristadelphians.org Services: SUNDAYS 11.00 am. and 6.00 pm. THURSDAYS 8.00pm **Correspondence to: Contacts** : Norman Stock secretary@wintonchristadelphians.org 5 Ashton Road finance@wintonchristadelphians.org BOURNEMOUTH, BH9 2TN youth@wintonchristadelphians.org Tel: 01202 514549 preaching@wintonchristadelphians.org norman.stock@wintonchristadelphians.org welfare@wintonchristadelphians.org ## **CHARITIES COMMISSION ANNUAL RETURN 2024-2025 (244004)** The church is based in Bournemouth and the aims and objectives are to promote the Christian faith through regular activities and to support Christadelphian and other charities in relieving poverty and hardship throughout the world. We currently have 140 registered members who are able to attend services, but there are also a number who either live too far away or are no longer well enough to attend in person. However, all our members are supported by a welfare team of 32 members who keep in regular contact with the members that they each support. Our average attendance on a Sunday morning over the year has been 75 but this can only include those who are either physically in the church or who advise us that they have watched online – we aware of a number who join but don’t let us know. We continue to make our services available to all by streaming them via both YouTube and Zoom although access to these services is not restricted to our own members but is only available via links which are sent to those who have requested access. The use of Zoom allows for a more interactive experience with those using it able to participate by giving a talk, a prayer or a reading. The YouTube channel also allows people to re-watch the services or to ‘catch up’ if commitments or geographical location makes it difficult to join at the time. We have been blessed over the past few years with a number of asylum seekers, the vast majority being from Iran, and the majority of these have, following extended interviews using independent translators, been baptised into the saving name of the Lord Jesus and have joined us as members of our church family. We use automatic translation software during the services to help them be fully involved. Along with our sister church in Parkstone we continue to operate the ‘Winton and Parkstone Community Pantry which enables us to offer unsold food (both fruit and vegetables as well as bread, cakes and tinned food. A team of volunteers comprising both church members and members of the local community make around 100 collections a week from supermarkets in the are and then offer this food to any of our neighbours at four pantry sessions each week – two at Winton and two at Parkstone. These sessions take place every week throughout the year and the only times we would be closed are Good Friday or Christmas Day if they occur on one of our normal pantry days. It is an enormous blessing to be able to serve so many of our neighbours in this way with around 55 households attending each session at Parkstone and around 70 attending each session at Winton. The sessions at Winton also offer tea, coffee and a slice of cake after people have collected their food and this opportunity (and the time spent chatting in the queue before the session) is valued by the attendees for the company and the friendship. We also continue to operate a ‘Welcome Space’ every Saturday morning where cereal, toast, tea, coffee, bacon rolls are enjoyed (along with puzzles and conversation) by 30 to 45 of our ‘neighbours’ every week. Sadly, once again, we were unable to fully open during the summer months of July and August as we had insufficient Registered Charity Number 244004 volunteers to meet our operational criteria in terms of safeguarding, but the fact that the number of attendees didn’t drop on the weekends when we did open is an indication of how much the sessions are appreciated. Our Sunday School and our Youth group both continue, albeit with lower numbers than we had been used to, but all the attendees seem to feel a lot of benefit from their time together. The administration throughout this year has, as usual, been in the hands of elected trustees, together with three affiliated (also elected) members of the Arranging Committee with special responsibilities for Preaching, Youth and Welfare. The committee also includes the three Secretaries, and the Treasurer. Norman J Stock, Secretary Registered Charity Number 244004 rf> m