**Charity Registration No. 249723**
# **THE MOTHERS' UNION (DIOCESE OF OXFORD)**
**TRUSTEES' REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020**
## **THE MOTHERS' UNION (DIOCESE OF OXFORD)**
## **CONTENTS**
## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS**
**Name** The Mothers’ Union – Diocese of Oxford
**Charity registration no.** 249723 **Registered office** The Mothers’ Union Office, CMS House, Watlington Road Oxford OX4 6BZ
## **Independent Examiner**
Noel & Co Chartered Accountants 4 Parliament Close. Prestwood Great Missenden, Bucks HP16 9DT
**Bankers**
CAF Bank, 25 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ
## **Trustees serving on the date the report was approved**
Mrs Maureen Weston Diocesan President Mrs Rachel Buckley Area Vice President, North Bucks Mrs Christine Beynon Area Vice President, South Bucks Mrs Tricia Campbell Area Vice President, Oxfordshire Mrs Jean Vaughan Area Vice President, East Berkshire Mrs Valerie Bolan Area Vice President, West Berkshire Mrs Jenny Searle Unit Co-ordinator,Fundraising and Communications Rev Lady Denise Brown Acting Unit Co-ordinator, Prayer and Spirituality Revd Mrs Louise Butler Unit Co-ordinator, Finance & Administration Mrs Rosie Jackson-Kilham General Trustee
## **THE MOTHERS' UNION (DIOCESE OF OXFORD)**
## **CONTENTS**
||**Page**|
|---|---|
|Trustees' report|1 - 4|
|Statement of trustees' responsibilities|5|
|Independent examiner's report|6|
|Statement of financial activities|7|
|Balance sheet|8|
|Notes to the accounts|9 - 14|
## **THE MOTHERS' UNION (DIOCESE OF OXFORD) (Incorporated by Royal Charter) TRUSTEES' REPORT** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020**_
The Trustees present their report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020.
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards, SORP 2015 (FRS 102) Accounting and Reporting by Charities and the Charities Act 2011.
## **Structure, Governance and Management Governing document**
Constitution (2010, revised 2014).The charity is an unincorporated association affiliated to the worldwide Mothers’ Union (which is incorporated by Royal Charter). It is a membership organization covering the geographical area of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford (roughly Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire). Its affairs are managed by its own Trustee body.
## **Recruitment and appointment of trustees**
Trustees are drawn from the membership. Most, including the Diocesan President and Area Vice-Presidents, are directly elected by members; but some specialist positions (e.g. Treasurer) are filled by appointment by the trustees. The Chaplain, who is appointed by the Bishop of Oxford in consultation with the Diocesan President, is not a trustee
## **Public benefit statement**
In managing the affairs of the charity the Trustees have taken into consideration the Charity Commission’s general guidance to charities on public benefit, and the specific guidance relating to charities for the advancement of religion. AFIA holidays, for example (see Object 5 below), are offered according to need, irrespective of beneficiaries’ religious or political affiliation, age, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or marital status; and all applications for AFIA support have to be made by an appropriate referral agency, such as a social services department or GP practice.
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**THE MOTHERS' UNION (DIOCESE OF OXFORD) (Incorporated by Royal Charter) TRUSTEES' REPORT** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020**_
## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES**
The charitable Objects of the charity are:
. 1) To promote and support married life
- . 2) To encourage parents in their role to develop the faith of their children
- . 3) To maintain a worldwide fellowship of Christians united in prayer, worship, and service
- . 4) To promote conditions in society favorable to stable family life and the protection of children
. 5) To help those whose family life has met with adversity
Most of the charity’s work is at grassroots level. As branches or in other groups, members engage in micro-projects to meet local needs as they arise. They also raise money from the public, which is forwarded, along with their own voluntary contributions, to Central MU to further the worldwide work of the Mothers’ Union
## **ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE**
**The Board of Trustees** remained unchanged during 2020.The Board of Trustees met six times during 2020 and there were four General Meetings at different venues for all members. The new Chaplain, Rev Mary Harwood, was in attendance
**Membership** stood at 1056 at the end of 2020. Although many new members have joined, the rate of members lost was 7.5%
**Spring Meetings** were planned to take place in four different venues throughout March and the beginning of April. The theme was “Creative Prayer”. Three of these events occurred before the national lockdown on 23rd March.
The lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic was a major disruption to our plans for 2020 as meetings, services and other events had to be cancelled or postponed immediately. An extraordinary meeting of the Trustees was held online to discuss the financial crisis being experienced at Mary Sumner House, our headquarters in London. They had launched a £1 million appeal.
**AGM and Autumn Meeting** This was held online in October when over 60 people were able to hear the Annual Reports of our activities and our guest speaker, the new Bishop of Reading, the Rt Revd Olivia Graham, who gave an excellent talk on “The Five Marks of Mission”. This was recorded and is available on our website.
**Emergency Action** was taken when several members started making scrubs, scrub bags and masks which were needed by hospitals, GP surgeries, care homes and home carers. This need was advertised through our monthly e-Newsletter. Also the Daily Hope free phone number was widely advertised to encourage members isolated at home to access prayers, hymns and words of encouragement.
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**THE MOTHERS' UNION (DIOCESE OF OXFORD) (Incorporated by Royal Charter) TRUSTEES' REPORT** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020**_
**Our Wave of Prayer** took place from 20 – 22 April. Although this was available in hard copy in our magazine called Focus, our chaplain also recorded the service online, which was available on our website. This was very informative and inspiring as we remembered our Link Dioceses in Nigeria, DRC, Tanzania, Papua New Guinea and Southwark.
**Away From It All** holidays were cancelled this year.
**Hospital Projects** A lot of craft was produced plus toiletries and refreshments for local hospitals These included premature baby quilts, clothes and Angel Pockets. The knitted crosses on squares were used by the Chaplaincy to be given to a patient in need of prayer. Ronald McDonald House was established as a purpose built children’s hospital at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford which we continue to support.
**New Projects** include supporting Baby Basics with knitted clothes, Children Heard and Seen by providing 200 Advent Calendars for families of prisoners, Clewer Training to raise awareness of Modern Day Slavery and campaigning with 16 days of activism against gender based violence including writing to MPs, services and vigils. We also started our MU Oxford Facebook page with daily prayers.
**Christmas cards for Bullingdon** and **Woodhill Prisons** were collected from many branches during the autumn. About 2000 were given to the Chaplains who distributed them to the men.
This year has been very challenging as there were so many disappointments but members of Mothers Union are prayerful and resilient and have rallied round to help each other and their communities in many different ways.
## **Related Parties**
The Society is affiliated to the Central MU, whose headquarters are at Mary Sumner House (MSH), London. The Society has particular links of fellowship and prayer with its link dioceses, which are Victoria Nyanza (Tanzania), Kinshasa (D R Congo), Ahoada and Warri (Nigeria) and Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea), and Southwark in the UK.
The Society has no financial dealings with its linked dioceses. Members support the work of the Mothers' Union World-Wide by contributing to the funds administered by the central Mothers' Union.
## **FINANCIAL REVIEW**
The detailed accounts for the year ended 31 December 2020 are shown on pages 7-14. The accounts show an excess of operating income over expenditure on unrestricted funds of £6,130 and a gain of £3,584 on restricted funds, giving a net overall increase in funds of £9,714 (2019:deficit in the year of £4,718). Our investment portfolio showed an unrealised loss of £1,184 in the year compared with a gain of £15,218 in the prior year, and this reduced the net increase in fund balances to £8,530
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**THE MOTHERS' UNION (DIOCESE OF OXFORD) (Incorporated by Royal Charter) TRUSTEES' REPORT** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020**_
In 2019 the Central Mothers Union introduced a direct debit scheme for subscriptions, which Oxford Diocese supported as the trial diocese. 48% of our members took advantage of this scheme in 2020 (2019 – 43%). Under the scheme, instead of Oxford Diocese collecting members’ subscriptions and paying over to the Central MU their share, the Central MU collected the full subscription and reimbursed Oxford Diocese with just their share. Net subscription income for the diocese funds at £13,765 was 10% lower than 2019.
During the year an interim legacy distribution of £9,000 was received from the estate of Mrs Olive Bunker. The total legacy was £21,796, the balance of the funds being received in 2021 The Central MU launched an emergency appeal for funds in 2020 to help with their anticipated deficit because of loss of income due to Covid restrictions and Oxford Diocese contributed £15,300 to this appeal. £7,000 of this came from the above legacy, £6,000 from diocesan funds and £2,300 contributed by branches.
Donations to support our Away From It All (AFIA) holidays were £5,760 compared with £8,493 in 2019. Holidays amounting to £4,760 were approved although some of these will not be taken until 2021.
The charity’s total funds as at the end of December 2020 were £150,441 (2019: £141,911). Approximately 75% of these funds are held as investments in CCLA investment funds and Barclays Wealth Unit trusts. Cash balances are held either in a CCLA deposit account, plus cash held as working funds at the charity’s principal bankers, or in branches’ accounts.
## **Policy on reserves**
The historic reserves of the charity are well in excess of anticipated annual expenditure. The present trustees have continued with the policy established by previous trustee bodies, which is not to add to charity’s reserves, but to use them to fund projects which promote its charitable Objects. In particular, reserves are used as required to support the restricted fund for Away From It All (AFIA) holidays.
## **Independent Examiner**
A motion to appoint a new independent examiner will be tabled at the AGM
Approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by:
Maureen Weston Diocesan President
Geoffrey Ball Diocesan Treasurer
12 September 2021
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**THE MOTHERS' UNION (DIOCESE OF OXFORD)**
## **STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES' RESPONSIBILITIES**
The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the accounts in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare accounts for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that year.
In preparing these accounts, the trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the accounts; and
- prepare the accounts on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping sufficient accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the accounts comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
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## **THE MOTHERS' UNION (DIOCESE OF OXFORD)**
## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE MOTHERS' UNION (DIOCESE OF OXFORD)**
I report on the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2018 set out on pages 7 to 14.
## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner**
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under section 144(2)of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
- examine the accounts (under section 145 of the 2011 Act)
- to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners (under
- section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
- to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## **Basis of independent examiner's report**
My examination was conducted in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently we do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.
## **Independent examiner's statement**
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
- (a) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
- (i) to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and
- (ii) to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act;
- have not been met; or
- (b) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
## **Linda Noel FCA**
## **Noel and Co Chartered Accountants**
4, Parliament Close, Prestwood Great Missenden Buckinghamshire HP16 9DT
Dated:16-September-2021
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## **THE MOTHERS' UNION (DIOCESE OF OXFORD)**
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020**_
|**Notes**
**Income**
Donations and legacies
**3**
Subscriptions
Investment income
**2**
Gift aid
Other charitable activities
**Total**
**Expenditure**
Grants payable
Subscriptions
Direct charitable expenditure
**4**
Support costs
Governance costs
**Total**
**4**
**Net income before gains and losses on**
**Investments**
**Unrealised (losses)/gains on investments**
Transfers between funds
**Net movement in funds**
Fund balances at 1 January 2020
**Fund balances at 31 December 2020**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
**21,796 **
**21,653**
**2,703**
**2,800**
**15,849**
**64,801**
**- **
**7,888**
**34,571**
**14,182**
**2,030**
**58,671**
**6,130**
**-1,184**
**-**
**4,946**
**141,911**
**146,857**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
**5,760**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**5,760**
**2,176**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**2,176**
**3,584**
**-**
**-**
**3,584**
**-**
**3,584**|**Total**
**2020**
**£**
**27,556**
**21,653**
**2,703**
**2,800**
**15,849**
**70,561**
**2,176**
**7,888**
**34,571**
**14,182**
**2,030**
**60,847**
**9,714**
**-1,184**
**-**
**8,530**
**141,911**
**150,441**|Total
2019
£
**8,493**
**24,985**
**3,049**
**3,548**
**29,730**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**69,805**|
|||||**15,113**
**9,692**
**29,171**
**15,850**
**4,697**|
|||||**74,523**|
|||||**-4,718**
15,218
-|
|||||10,500
131,411|
|||||141,911|
- 7 -
## **THE MOTHERS' UNION (DIOCESE OF OXFORD)**
## **BALANCE SHEET** _**AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2020**_
|**Notes**
**Fixed assets**
Investments
**7**
**Current assets**
Stocks
Debtors
**8**
Cash at bank and in hand
Cash at bank and in hand - Branches
**Creditors: amounts falling due within**
**one year**
**9**
**Net current assets**
**Total assets less current liabilities**
**Income funds**
Restricted Funds
Unrestricted Funds|**1,412**
**18,180**
**8,580**
**10,481**|**2020**
£
**112,788**
**37,653**
**150,441**
**3,584**
**146,857**
**150,441**|£
2019
1,470
3,522
8,842
15,105
28,939
(1,000)|
£
113,972
27,939|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**38,653**
**(1,000)**||||
||||||
|||||141,911|
||||||
|||||-
141,911|
|||||**141,911**|
The accounts were approved by the Trustees on 16 September 2021
Maureen Weston (Diocesan President) Geoff Ball (Diocesan Treasurer)
- 8 -
## **THE MOTHERS' UNION (DIOCESE OF OXFORD)**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020**_
## **1 Accounting policies**
## **1.1 Basis of preparation**
The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) issued on 16 July 2014 (as updated through Bulletin 1 published on 2 February 2016), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS102), the Charities Act 2011 and UK Generally Accepted Practice as it applies from 1 January 2015.
The charity has applied Update Bulletin 1 as published on 2 February 2016 and does not include a cash flow statement on the grounds that it is applying FRS 102 Section 1A.
The financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis under the historical convention (modified to include certain items at fair value). The financial statements are presented in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity and rounded to the nearest pound.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention as modified by the inclusion of investments at market value.
## **1.2 Incoming resources**
Donations, legacies and other forms of voluntary income are recognised as incoming resources when receivable.
## **1.3 Tangible fixed assets and depreciation**
Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less depreciation. Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost less estimated residual value of each asset over its expected useful life, as follows:
Fixtures, fittings & equipment
20% straight line
## **1.4 Investments**
Fixed asset investments are stated at market value.
Unrealised gains or losses are recognised each year within the Statement of Financial Activities.
## **1.5 Stock**
Stock is valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value.
## **1.6 Accumulated funds**
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the accounts.
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## **THE MOTHERS' UNION (DIOCESE OF OXFORD)**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020**_
|**2**
**Investment income**
**Total**
**2020**
**£**
Investment income
**2,703**|Total
2019
£
3.049|
|---|---|
|**3**
**Legacies and donations**
Legacies
Donations AFIA|**2020**
**£**
**21,796**
**5,760**
**27,556**|2019
£
-
8,493|
|---|---|---|
|||8,493|
The legacy was received from the estate of Olive Bunker. All amounts due to The Mothers’ Union Oxford have been accounted for in the current year.
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## **THE MOTHERS' UNION (DIOCESE OF OXFORD)**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020**_
|**4**
**Total resources expended**
**Restricted funds**
Grants -'Away From It All' (A.F.I.A)
**Unrestricted funds**
Subscriptions
**Direct charitable expenditure**
Overseas and worldwide funds incl literacy development
Literature
Relief funds
Focus
Special appeal
Britain and Ireland Fund
Other Diocesan projects including Parenting
Branch and Deanery projects and other activities
**Support costs**
Salaries
Insurance
Printing, postage and stationery
Telephone
CMS License fee
All other costs
**Governance costs**
Officers' and Committee expenses
Independent examiner
**Total resources expended**|**Total**
**2020**
**£**
**2,176**
**7,888**
**4,056**
**7,165**
**944**
**4,185**
**15,330**
**55**
**1,888**
**948**
**34,571**
**6,134**
**430**
**3,212**
**340**
**3,210**
**856**
**14,182**
**1,030**
**1,000**
**2,030**
**60,847**|**Total**
**2019**
**£**
**15,113**|
|---|---|---|
|||**9,692**|
|||**4,874**
**8,107**
**1,611**
**4,773**
**1,724**
**110**
**2,750**
**5,222**|
|||**29,171**|
|||**5,327**
**495**
**4,386**
**340**
**3,210**
**2,092**|
|||**15,850**|
|||**3,697**
**1,000**|
|||**4,697**|
|||**74,523**|
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## **THE MOTHERS' UNION (DIOCESE OF OXFORD)**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020**_
## **5 Trustees**
None of the trustees (nor any persons connected with them) received any remuneration during the year, but 6 of them were reimbursed a total of £1,030 travelling and office expenses (2019: 7 were reimbursed £3,697).
## **6 Fixed asset investments**
|Market value at 1 January 2020
Disposals at cost.and valuation
Change in value in the year
Market value at 31 December 2020
Historical cost:
At 31 December 2020
At 31 December 2019
Barclays Wealth Unit Funds
CCLA Investment Fund Units
**7**
**Debtors**
Gift aid claims
Legacies
Prepayments AFIA Holiday Grants
**8**
**Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
Accruals|**2020**
**£**
**2,800**
**12,796**
**2,584**
**18,180**
**2020**
**£**
**1,000**|**£**
113,972
-
-1,184|
|---|---|---|
|||**112,788**|
|||**25,221**|
|||**25,221**|
|||39,698
73,090|
|||**112,788**|
|||2019
£
3,522
-
-|
|||3,522|
|||2019
£
1,000|
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## **THE MOTHERS' UNION (DIOCESE OF OXFORD)**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020**_
## **9 Restricted funds**
|**estricted funds**||
|---|---|
|"Away From It All" (AFIA)
Transfers from Unrestricted Funds
**At 31 December 2020**|Movement in funds
Balance at Incoming
Outgoing Balance at
1 January Resources Resources 31 December
2020 & Transfers & Transfers 2020
£
£
£
£
-
5,760 (2,176)
3,584
-
-
- -
**-**
5,760 (2,176)
3,584|
||**-**
5,760 (2,176)
3,584|
The "Away From It All" Fund is used to provide grants to families who need financial support for short holidays.
## **10 Analysis of net assets between funds**
|Fund balances at 31 December 2020 are represented by:
Investments
Current assets
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Unrealised gains included above:
On investments (see below)
Reconciliation of movements in unrealised gains on
investment assets
Unrealised gains at 1 January 2020
Realised in year
Decrease in market value in year
**Unrealised gains at 31 December 2020**|**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**Total**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**£**
**£**
**£**
112,788
-
112,788
35,069 3,584 38,653
(1,000)
-
(1,000)|
|---|---|
||**146,857**
**3,584 150,441**|
||87,566
-
87,566|
||88,750
-
88,750
-
-
-
1,184
-
1,184|
||**87,566**
**-**
**87,566**|
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## **THE MOTHERS' UNION (DIOCESE OF OXFORD)**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2020**_
## **11 Commitments under operating leases**
At 31 December 2020 the charity had annual commitments under non-cancellable operating leases as follows:
|Expiry date:
Within one year
Between two and five years|**2020**
**£**
**1,434**
**2,152**
**3,586**|2019
£
**1,434**
**3,586**|
|---|---|---|
|||**5,020**|
## 12 **Employees**
During the year there was 1 part time employee
|Salary costs
Pension costs|**2020**
**£**
**5,955**
**179**
**6,134**|2019
£
**5,180**
**147**|
|---|---|---|
|||**5,327**|
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